Vox Tablet

Grace Notes

Orthodox klezmer and bluegrass virtuoso Andy Statman and evangelical country star Ricky Skaggs cross genres and faiths to form a mighty duo

January 30, 2012
Andy Statman and Ricky Skaggs in the studio, recording Old Brooklyn, May 30, 2008.(Bradley Klein)
Andy Statman and Ricky Skaggs in the studio, recording Old Brooklyn, May 30, 2008.(Bradley Klein)

Virtuosic mandolin and clarinet player Andy Statman recently released his first album in five years. It’s called Old Brooklyn, and it includes collaborations with a number of top-notch musicians, including Béla Fleck and Paul Shaffer. Perhaps most unusual, though, is the track titled “The Lord Will Provide.” The song is an 18th-century hymn, and this beautifully spare version is a collaboration between Statman, an Orthodox Jew, and country music star Ricky Skaggs, an evangelical Christian. Independent radio producer Stephanie Coleman wondered how this collaboration came about. Here’s the story, as told to Coleman by Statman and Skaggs. [Running time: 10:20.]

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Vox Tablet is Tablet Magazine’s weekly podcast, hosted by Sara Ivry and produced by Julie Subrin. You can listen to individual episodes here or subscribe on iTunes.

More Vox Tablet
See all
→︎