'Honoring The Fathers' Tracks Born From Monroe's Gems & Diamonds In the Rough

NASHVILLE, TN. (Top40 Charts/ Skaggs Family Records) - 'Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass: Tribute to 1946 and '47,' from 12-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs and the ace pickers of Kentucky Thunder, is a mix of Bluegrass classics and diamonds in the rough. The album, out March 25 on Skaggs Family Records, shines a light on the songs that would eventually become the building blocks of Bluegrass. Initially recorded by Bill Monroe and the 'Original Bluegrass Band' (Lester Flatt, Earl Scruggs, Chubby Wise and Howard Watts) in '46 and '47, songs like 'Toy Heart' and 'Little Cabin Home On The Hill' provide a window into the Bluegrass canon at the eve of its creation. And to bring the proceedings full circle, Skaggs even has Scruggs join him on album opener 'Goin' Back to Old Kentucky.'

The lesser known gems stand tall next to the classics included on the disc. 'Why Did You Wander' features lighting fast 'Scruggs style' banjo picking as well as high, lonesome harmonies that sound like a train chugging through the valley. The gospel inflected 'Mansions For Me' demonstrates the influence spirituals had on Bluegrass, while the rollicking 'When You're Lonely' skips along like a walk in the Spring while the songs narrator pines for a lost love. One time Monroe band member Del McCoury lends his voice to 'The Old Crossroad.'

With inspiration from a stash of never-before-heard recordings of Monroe and his band in '46 and '47, the album tracks are faithful reworkings of the originals, all the while showcasing the instrumental virtuosity and high, lonesome mastery of Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. From the high flying, warp speed pickin', fiddlin' and strummin' of 'Bluegrass Breakdown,' to the lost love tale 'Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong,' 'Honoring the Fathers' displays all the hallmarks of the genre.

'Honoring the Fathers of Bluegrass' tracklisting:
1. Goin' Back to Old Kentucky (w/ Earl Scruggs)
2. When You're Lonely
3. Toy Heart
4. It's Mighty Dark to Travel
5. Mother's Only Sleeping
6. Bluegrass Breakdown
7. Little Cabin Home On The Hill
8. Mansions For Me
9. Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong
10. Why Did You Wander
11. Remember The Cross
12. The Old Crossroad (w/ Del McCoury)