We recently told you about Ricky Skaggs’ plans for a tribute album to THE bluegrass band (Monroe with Lester and Earl). Now we bring you news of a CD that is slated for a March 20, 2007 release. The album is a collaborative effort on the part of Skaggs and pianist Bruce Hornsby. The CD will be on the Sony BMG/Legacy record label and includes covers of Hornsby’s hit Mandolin Rain and Rick James’ Super Freak. Skaggs also contributes an instrumental he’s written entitled Stubb. Kentucky Thunder is the band for recording so there should be a strong bluegrass element present.

Hornsby has commented about how much he learned from the process of recording with Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder.

Ricky Skaggs is a deep musical soul, one of the great keepers of the traditional and mountain music flame. It was so inspiring — and educational — to make this record with these virtuoso musicians.

Skaggs and Hornsby will be touring together this spring, doing at least one show before the record’s release. That first show is scheduled for this Sunday, January 21, 2007, at New York’s B.B. King’s Blues Club (tickets are $60 at the door and the show starts at 7:30PM).

That is the official first show anyway. Last night however, the duo performed to an invitation-only audience at The Factory just outside Nashville, TN. Reader, Nashphil, was apparently on hand for last night’s performance and gives a review of it in a post he just wrote for THE B, the user contributed portion of this site.

The show is to be part of the CMT Crossroads series and is set to air on February 24th at 9PM ET/PT.

At this time neither Skaggs’ nor Hornsby’s websites list any other shows beside the one scheduled for this weekend, but we have it on good authority that they will be touring together, to some degree, this spring, so an announcement should be soon forthcoming as to other dates.