Ricky Skaggs Returns With “Mosaic”

With his new album, Mosaic, due on August 24 from Skaggs Family Records, 14-time Grammy winner Ricky Skaggs is back with a full band sound. Following an unparalleled string of success in country music in the 1980s and early ‘90s, including eight CMA Awards (1985 Entertainer of the Year), Platinum records and a performance at the Grammys, Skaggs created Skaggs Family Records in 1997 and for the next 13 years focused almost exclusively on bluegrass and acoustic-based music.

For Mosaic, Skaggs worked closely with fellow Grammy winner Gordon Kennedy, known for his work with Eric Clapton, Garth Brooks and Bonnie Raitt, to create an album that mixes elements of country music with Beatles-esque melodies and lyrics that speak to Skaggs’ faith, resulting in what the singer describes as “music that is in my head and in my heart.”

The album’s title track signals all to realize that no matter how small we feel sometimes, we all have a unique place in life. “Someday Soon” opens with banjo and piano over a sturdy drum beat before kicking into a catchy chorus. Ethereal keys, hand drums, a 12-member choir and electric guitar played by rock star Peter Frampton kick off album standout “My Cup Runneth Over,” while “Picture” has a lush sound accented by strings and hammered dulcimer. “Return to Sender” features an orchestra and vocals from Tommy Sims.

The new musical partnership between Skaggs and Sims is the latest in a 50-year journey that has seen Skaggs work with everyone from Bill Monroe to Jack White.