Our buddy Wichita Rutherford is perceived by many as a funny man, and rightly so. But the truth is, he takes at least one thing seriously, bluegrass music! He has a lot of fun for sure, but he truly respects the music and the people who create it. His show this week should make that abundantly clear.

His guest this week on The Grand Old Time Machine is none other than Ricky Skaggs himself. The entire hour long show is a conversation with Ricky concerning his latest CD, Songs My Dad Loved.

This interview is unlike any other you’ve heard Wichita do. In fact, it’s unlike any you’ve heard Ricky do! Over the course of an hour you’ll get to hear all 13 of the tracks from the CD, and you’ll hear Ricky talk about the tunes, his childhood, growing up in rural Kentucky and learning to play bluegrass. He really opens up and shares his heart in this interview.

It’s a riveting discussion that gives you a picture into Ricky’s past, and his thinking about the music. I’m sure the story will resonate with many who grew up in similar circumstances.

Here’s a short clip to give you a taste of what the interview is like throughout.

If you want to hear the whole thing, you’ll have to tune in to SiriusXM radio channel 14(XM), channel 65(Sirius). Below are the show times.

Friday the 6th – 9 pm eastern
Saturday night the 7th – 12 midnight
Tuesday the 10th – 3 pm eastern

It’s not likely that anyone would challenge the talent of Keith Sewell. As a picker and singer, he’s worked with Ricky Skaggs, James Taylor, Sam Bush, Marty Stuart, Jerry Douglas and The Dixie Chicks.

His songs have been cut by Skaggs, Montgomery Gentry and Sonya Isaacs, and Love Is A Journey, his debut solo project, was released on Skaggs Family Records in 2005.

He is also a gifted songwriter, an impressive multi-instrumentalist and a persuasive vocalist, yet large-scale success in the business has so far eluded his grasp.

Keith’s latest CD, The Way Of A Wanderer, is just out and if there is any justice in the music world (I know…), 2010 should be a breakout year for Sewell. It’s a fabulous project that showcases his varied abilities, tied together thematically, and recorded/mixed to take full advantage of the blended bluegrass and progressive country genres where he has plied his trade.

The new album includes 11 new songs, all written by Sewell, 4 as co-writes with Niall Toner. Keith produced, provided the vocals and played the bulk of the instruments (guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, bass and minimalist keyboards). Rob Ickes guests on resonator guitar and Luke Bulla provides fiddle on 2 tracks.

Sewell grew up in a Texas bluegrass family, and learned to play as a boy, trailing his grandfather Kenny Sewell to festivals all over the US where he performed with The Shady Grove Ramblers. Young Keith showed an interest in all of the bluegrass instruments, becoming proficient on banjo, madnolin, fiddle and guitar while still in school. At age 19, he went to work for Ricky Skaggs in his country band, which brought him to the attention of the Nashville acoustic scene as well.

The Way Of A Wanderer struck me as being more relaxed and coherent than his first CD, an observation that caught Keith off guard.

“I haven’t really thought about this record as having a bit more relaxed feel but that’s an interesting observation. I do think the songs are more personal and retrospective this time. I will say that I rarely set out to write a song with a title or a ‘hook’ in mind. For me, It’s always a riff or a melody that sets the mood for what I wanna say. ( Then I have to figure out what I wanna say- a chore sometimes).

I also didn’t intend to play most of the instruments starting out. I was really laying things down in a ‘pre-production’ mindset, but the further I got into the project, I couldn’t hear the parts being replaced. I think I understood the songs and where they where going, so the parts I played really became signatures to the outcome.  My wife was encouraging me also. She was like, ‘why wouldn’t you just play the instruments that you can play?

I feel like my Grandfather would have wanted me to play fiddle on a few tunes anyway.” (more…)

The folks at Skaggs Family Records have created a free streaming site on iLike for the upcoming Ricky Skaggs CD, Solo – Songs My Dad Loved.

You can listen to all 13 tracks in full on iLike until the release date of September 15, and be entered to win valuable prizes by pre-ordering the new album online. The winner will receive:

• Tickets for two to any 2009 Ricky Skaggs concert (US only)
• An exclusive “meet and greet” with Ricky at the show
• A $50 Visa gift card

The CD is Skaggs’ first true solo project, with Ricky playing all the instruments and singing all the parts. The music is as much old time as it is bluegrass, reminiscent of the wonderful album he did with Tony Rice back in 1980, Skaggs & Rice.

Great stuff!

Ricky Skaggs is finally releasing a solo project – and we do mean solo.

Songs My Dad Loved, due September 15 on Skaggs Family Records, features Ricky on 13 tracks, accompanied only by himself on guitar, mandolin, mandocello, fiddle and banjo. He also provides the lead and harmony vocals on this set of primarily traditional old time and country songs.

All of the performances are heartfelt and restrained and the duet singing is simply gorgeous. Skaggs also shows his mastery of a number of stringed instruments, with his clawhammer banjo playing being especially prominent.

He describes the concept behind this album, a tribute to his father, in a recent interview with former WSM host Keith Bilbrey.

Audio samples can be heard on the Skaggs Family web site, where pre-orders for the CD will enter you to win free tickets to any Skaggs concert in the US. Winners will also receive a $50 VISA gift card and a chance to meet Ricky at the show.