Live at the Charleston Music Hall
More than two decades ago, formerRalph StanleyandEmmylou Harrissideman Ricky Skaggs found mainstream stardom by reconfiguring bluegrass to make it accessible to a broader audience. Trends come and go but Skaggs, who never abandoned traditional bluegrass even during his peak hit-making years, had refocused on it long before theO Brothersoundtrack gave it mass popularity. This live show showcases Skaggs and his band, Kentucky Thunder, with a repertoire heavy on traditional tunes, theStanley Brothers, andBill Monroe. The energy rarely lets up as flawless hot licks fly hell bent for leather from Skaggs and his virtuoso sidemen. The problem is that, while audiences love all of the hot picking in concert, it can all tend to run together on record. That's why the truly sublime moments come when he dials down the energy as he does on Mac McAnally's aching "Somewhere Nice Forever," Carter Stanley's melancholy "On a Lonesome Night," and Red Smiley's "I Heard My Mother Call My Name in Prayer."--Rich Kienzle