Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder – Instrumentals

Its uncommon for a bluegrass band to release an all-instrumental album; even instrumentalists such as Alison Brown, Jerry Douglas and Sammy Shelor generally include a few vocal cuts on their records. Thus Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunders new disc of all-instrumental acoustic originals is somewhat surprising. As one would expect from the seven-time IBMA Instrumental Group of the Year, the overall sound is fairly grassy. Skaggs mandolin is typically front-and-center, setting the tone for each piece. But the addition of accordion, clarinet, strings, Danelectro, and percussion gives depth and dimension to the project. Offerings range from the rootsy Missing Vassar to the jazzy Dawgs Breath to the Celtic-flavored Crossing The Briney and Goin To The Ceili.