What Ricky Skaggs Taught Me + How To Grow As A Musician w/ Andy Leftwich

About this episode

Andy Leftwich discusses his album 'Aced' and shares insights on musical growth and tradition.

Andy’s latest album, Aced , brings together a powerhouse group of musicians he calls ‘the Aces,’ blending bluegrass, Celtic, and modern influences into a collection of original tunes and thoughtfully chosen covers. Andy’s playing is both virtuosic and deeply musical, and his work reflects a lifelong dedication to composing, arranging, and continually growing as an artist. Aced is a beautiful example of that evolution — and I’m so excited to have him here today.” All of the music featured in today’s episode comes from Andy’s album Aced . You’ll hear ‘Talk About Suffering,’ a powerful piece that offered comfort to those affected by Hurricane Helene’s flooding in East Tennessee and North Carolina; ‘Crossville,’ a bluegrass tune with Celtic influence written by Ricky Skaggs and first recorded over 20 years ago by a band that included Andy and former Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder colleague and two-time IBMA Guitar Player of the Year, Cody Kilby; and to kick things off, ‘Road to Antioch,’ an original that beautifully showcases Andy’s deep connection to the sounds and traditions of contemporary bluegrass. Some of the topics we cover in the episode: - How tradition can be preserved…

People in this episode

Host: Lauren Abels

Guest: Andy Leftwich

Topics covered

• musical evolution
• bluegrass music
• Celtic influences
• musician growth
• tradition in music
• comfort through music

Keywords

• Andy Leftwich
• Ricky Skaggs
• Aced
• bluegrass
• Celtic music
• musician advice
• comfort music

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Kentucky Thunder

Books & works: Aced, Talk About Suffering, Crossville, Road to Antioch