Ricky Skaggs and the Boston Pops: "Uncle Pen"

[@rhondaboncutter5812]

Grew up listening to my Mom and her brother play this song, all my life! Mom played guitar, uncle played banjo! It's 2024 and still love this song!

[@Fugate171]

I think musicians of any genre have great appreciation for each other... even when a little country boy from Appalachia stands on the stage with the world-renown Boston Pops. Thank you for this treasure...

[@doctormountebank7656]

Josh doing thse "G" runs just carries the water to a thirsty crew.

[@BeingRomans829ed]

Does my heart good to see country folks and our music being accepted and loved by the city folks. Going by what you see and hear media of all kinds, one would think that all city dwellers despise rural and country people. Don't believe those who would divide us! This is still a good, God-loving country, no matter how it's portrayed on TV. May God bless America! Ricky Scaggs is a Great American!

[@adriantomlin2902]

As far as I'm concerned, it's a darn cool culture crossover!!

[@chitchatt2006]

I never get tired of hearing Ricky's voice or listening to him play. And his harmonies with Kentucky Thunder are among the sweetest ever.

[@rhondaboncutter5812]

I have loved this song, most of my life! Grew up with it!

[@jbdmed]

What a great colaboration of Americana. Boston Pops and Bluegrass!!

[@stringedacoustics9961]

Ricky at the end of the song is exactly how I feel: "Huh-HO!" This is a dream come true for me as a classically trained pianist and violinist who also has deep family history in Eastern Kentucky bluegrass. I love both and to put them together with good arranging is to create musical heaven. Kudos to Ricky for his music and his faithfulness; honored to have him as a distant cousin on Mom's side.

[@bk2nchr]

This music is of the highest quality. Skaggs is talented to the extreme and a great spirit as well.

[@Brent500]

I've loved and listened to bluegrass for 40 years. I just ran across these great Boston Pops and Ricky Scaggs videos on here tonight and thought "What a great idea. Why hasn't someone thought of this before!" This orchestra playing bluegrass is the greatest thing ever! Two great musical forms coming together and making 2 and 2 into 5! Just fantastic.

[@beckyvaudt703]

GET DOWN !!!!!!! Now thats what I call great music from two different sides of the world.Wow and I can say that backwards wow !!!!!!!!

[@helenUS2630]

Love this song Love me some Ricky Skaggs❤

[@ziggy33399]

Wow! I’m SO happy I clicked on this! 😲😁🤩

[@foxhoundlady]

Every time I watch this video, I am continually amazed at the talent of Ricky Skaggs. It just doesn't get any better than this... Dr. Ricky Skaggs...you go doc !!!!

[@Jazzyjess49]

This is why I love the Pops...they can play behind opera...and behind everything else too! Great stuff

[@waynesworldofmandolin3616]

The music of Bill Monroe will never die! Ricky Skaggs is one of my favorites.....

[@Shanelee33]

JIM MILLS always looks like he is having a stroke when he gets his breaks. Cracks me up. Thanks for posting!

[@brendalaird6942]

What a fun time! Wish I could have been there.

[@Midgetmedic]

The Boston Pops are so great. They have all different types of music.

[@28noble]

This collaboration - a beautiful sight! ❤

[@smr61754]

This is freakin' AWESOME!! The Boston Pops and Ricky Scaggs....cant get much better than that!

[@bubbafmrusmcr2056]

TERRIFIC performance by Ricky & his band! They carry on the tradition established by Bill Monroe very well indeed! Love this fine music! :)

[@WornoutRNPARAMEDIC]

My favorite Ricky Skaggs Bluegrass song.

[@Fugate171]

Two quintessential American institutions the Boston Pops and Ricky Skaggs. All I can say is that I'm grateful that you made this available on You Tube and also that you wrote such great orchestrations.

[@pegcage]

Thank you for putting music like this up. In the late '50s Eddy Arnold recorded his famous Cattle Call with an orchestra and got all kinds of criticism by traditional country artists and fans. But I loved it! I just get a wonderful feeling when I find long hair musicians can enjoy and even play the great country music. The Pops orchestra did not ruin this song at all; they added a new dimension to it. I love many forms of music, but bluegrass is my favorite and always will be.

[@robertc2204]

Exactly! I listen to a wide variety and I will say that the San Francisco Symphony did that awesome for Metallica. Two total opposite styles come together and mesh perfectly!

[@sepai40]

Now this is music!!!! This is taking bluegrass and orchestra music to another level. This is such an awesome arrangement, it doesn't get better then this. I put my thumb way up, and want to say god bless everybody in the world who plays a musical instrument from beginner to professional. It is by far one of the best hobbies or careers to ever get into no matter what instrument you play. Thanks again for posting this, I am such a big Ricky Skaggs fan! THANKS!!!!!!

[@kasseyr1]

Love Bluegrass /Boston Pops fan for decades thanks from down under Auckland NZ

[@rachelectroDC-84]

This made me burst into tears of happiness. To hear my childhood idol play this song anytime is awe inspiring. To bring a full orchestra into it is pure heaven. That legendary riff with all those violinists?! The horn section jumping in on the action?! Unbelievable. I cannot thank you enough for posting this! 🔥👑💘

[@Collecian]

Thanks for posting this, it is so refreshing to hear one of Bluegrass' Legends playing with Kentucky Thunder and the Boston Pops Orchestra. Thanks again.

[@joannrumbley1490]

This is wonderful, great. 😄😄😄😄❤️❤️

[@Revelator37]

Absolutely gorgeous blending of these two music styles!

[@stephanibaldwin281]

I have listened to this arrangement numerous times and , GLORY it is so exciting!!! Uncle Penn is any time but the orchestra adds an absolutely wonderful dimension!!!

[@karjunebug]

Love this with the orchastra. OMG IT'S GREAT!!! Love that harmony. Ricky Skaggs you're the best.

[@jimnickles2347]

AMAZING! The Boston POPS!? Well! They CAN Fiddle!

[@Matt1asH]

Had to come back for another listen! EXCELLENT WORK DAVE! Great to see another OKC boy putting out such great work! Matt

[@thomasbranham4374]

Love this version. I especially loved hearing the fiddlers let loose

[@theresaday1593]

That was exquisitely done. What a pleasure listening to this.

[@garymackey850]

I absolutely love this song....and this is one of the best versions I've heard...Ever!!!!

[@augustwest4233]

I'm so glad I have ears

[@tnjazzgal]

Wow. This is so unbelievably incredible. Some of the happiest, most joy filled music I was ever blessed to hear! Thank you David, for your truly awesome orchestrations!! Beautiful marriage of two unlikely genres!

[@ElCid48]

That was GREAT! THANKS!

[@ronniehill6517]

That was flippin' ridiculously bad ass!

[@WornoutRNPARAMEDIC]

Ricky Skaggs is more than anyone else, the one who got me to liking Blue Grass. I was already a fan of country.

[@troyholtzclaw5371]

Tremendous effort by all involved, what a marvelous collaboration

[@sproutgerkin]

I would have loved to have been there!!!

[@charlesmarshall2697]

Absolutely wonderful

[@adriantomlin1362]

I think this is Kool!! That orchestra behind em all those fiddles playin in unison with the bands fiddler!!

[@Mygrassisblue01]

great Video, thanks for posting.........Ricky has done a great job of carrying on the mountain music

[@HumbleDisciples]

i didnt know you had this.. literally brings a tear of joy or ten down my cheek man. beautiful.

[@dmvhon]

David Powell is absolutely loving this as am I. Great arrangement David.

[@stephanibaldwin281]

Addendum to a few minutes earlier...exciting and makes me want to shout aloud...lively and wild!

[@WildcatJames5705]

This is the Boston Pops and Ricky Skaggs at their best!

[@deborahbailey3016]

Utterly Amazing!!!

[@ltodd79]

That was AMAZING!

[@adriantomlin2902]

Love the horns on this song!!

[@Flym0m]

Awesome! What amazing fun! Would love to see more.

[@tommyrawlings3046]

Love Ricky's voice & this is a great version!

[@boneman85]

How cool is that!!

[@madkatz5083]

Quantumdave Thank you for the post! Your choice is perfect!!! Thank you.

[@verdew8181]

This is really good, a lot better than I would have expected!

[@Bobbygn]

This also shows the versatility of the Boston Pops. You can bet the musicians loved this....as much as I do...

[@prestonhubbard8613]

Hi ricky skaggs I saw you at bluegrass and chili fest last year I'm dell Davis grandson

[@banjorino]

The performance of this song is hell of a good listening! Its totaly magic with the beautifully orchestra arr! :) Thanks so much! 5*

[@foxhoundlady]

Absolutely the greatest !!!!!

[@CampCreekGrass]

You go Dave,what a fine job.

[@paulsteffenhagen7806]

This is an awesome version of Uncle Pen.

[@charliekucharski2079]

I think it turned out great David. Beautiful job by everyone. Great version.

[@andyrusten5748]

Ricky absolutely owns this tune

[@CWALKIN420]

love the music.

[@gandalf3963]

maravilloso video saludos chicos desde spain (extremadura) caceres

[@pucketts57]

Beautiful rendition

[@geraldpage4401]

Don’t know how you watch this and not tap your foot and smile!

[@bsdml]

Cool video. Dave, I really enjoyed the cuts I heard here (incl. the other ones you posted from this concert); really tasteful orchestrations too, fit in extremely well with the band. I say this as a fellow orchestrator (I was commissioned recently to do a similar gig: orchestrating behind a band of banjo, fiddle, mandolin players for a concert with the Topeka Symphony Orchestra). I love the possibilities between Bluegrass players and symphony; just way cool.

[@quantumdave]

Michael Paull Thank you so much for the compliment from eight years ago! I’m just getting around to reading it!! Hope your project went well…

[@dandilien2373]

This is joy

[@milesfromneworleans]

Never would have thought this could work, but it does.

[@ChevyToughRebel]

I would love to hear an interview of some the those people from the boston pops and what they thought

[@adriantomlin2902]

What a great tribute to Mr Bill Monroe!!! Mr Bluegrass!!

[@bigboijc]

never heard this song with a horn solo on it...pretty nice!

[@adriantomlin1362]

I like the trumpets! Without botchin the song!

[@awanahtunowhiho]

best comment I've seen on youtube in a while, wrangerxx.

[@derdagian1]

Fair Enough! I can Relate to This Concept!

[@bigbossman7991]

UN-BE-LIEVE-ABLE!!!!!!!!!

[@glenwatkinsiii5742]

Ricky Skaggs version of this song is better than anyone's out there

[@evanyoung1775]

No one can beat Bill my friend

[@rickyferguson2362]

Glen, sorry buddy but no one sings it like Mr. Monroe. But Ricky’s is second to Mr. Monroe’s! In my opinion sir! God Bless

[@brassbear3373]

Del McCoury is 3rd

[@adriantomlin2902]

Bill Monroe can flat lay it down!!

[@patrickhunt5504]

Wow, unbelieveable...

[@wendyparsons2004]

Patrick Hunt

[@Chanamasalex117]

Wowww! What a story!

[@jfdb59]

The conductor looked like he was having a blast with that one!

[@quantumdave]

He did look like he was having fun! All the members of Ricky’s band look so stoic and serious. Perhaps they have to play that great! Even their bass player who never smiled, I caught him a couple times grinning at the orchestra!! Thanks for your nice comments!!

[@ccally]

Davis man you have to get out of your cave more, wonderful arrangement,you just dont get it, thats it !!!! Im playing it again for the 5th time, beauty.

[@stepsafer]

I just listen to this for the first time and I'm sure not the last. Terrific but what else is new..interesting tidbit about this song "Uncle Pen"..it is the only song representing bluegrass (Bill Monroe's version) on the gold disc attached to the Voyager Space craft flying through the great void. They couldn't have picked a better one.

[@WornoutRNPARAMEDIC]

Maybe my favorite of all the Blue Grass song that the late great Bill Monroe wrote. He came up with an entirely different style of music. Love to hear Ricky Skaggs perform it.

[@quantumdave]

Thank you so much!

[@onehipdawg]

I was thinking the same thing! To be a classically trained musician and be handed "Uncle Pen!"

[@adriantomlin2902]

Ha ha ha!!! Talk about culture shock at it's finest???!

[@dmvhon]

An wonderful musician and person, and with the pops this is real magic!! Did I mention Kentucky Thunder is the cat's ass?

[@md65000]

@quantumdave Arranging a bluegrass tune for a symphony orchestra and making it sound even close to decent is a serious feat!! Nice job!! I wonder how all those violinists liked being fiddelers for a night?

[@computerwizard1959]

I bet those Boston Pops didn't know what to think of that tune!

[@quantumdave]

Hahahaha Thank you, Dottie! I am soooooo needy!! :-)

[@pegcage]

I remember Chet Atkins also performed with the Boston Pops. Probably other country artists too.

[@Jazzyjess49]

How about a Bostonian in SC? He's been here for 11 years now, and still hear's locals say, "Where' U from?" lol

[@DogsInAPile83]

Ricky's response at 2:36-2:45 is worth a million dollars!!

[@jimblevins1927]

The true musician were out front,don't read music,the players were in the back,reading sheet music,but it shows how they can blend and make great music.the city folk,if they would admit it,it's best music they ever heard.

[@vonking681]

Or, you could understand that the Musicians in the Boston Pops are fantastic but haven't played this song thousands of times like Ricky Skaggs and his band. You might also understand that integrating a song into an orchestra is very complicated and you can't just rock up and do it in 5 minutes. Or you could just enjoy the music made by a stage full of great musicians.

[@jimblevins1927]

@@vonking681 all your musicians that make it in any style of music don't read sheet music,the difference in music makers and music players!

[@vonking681]

@@jimblevins1927 lol. So the ability to read sheet music means you are only a player. Ok. Do you honestly think that any of them even needed it.? How many times do you think they rehearsed this. At least dozens I promise you.

[@jimblevins1927]

@@vonking681 with sheet music

[@shirleytaylorbrown3973]

You could hear it sing!