Georgia’s the Zac Brown Band seemed to come out of nowhere when it topped the Billboard Hot Country Chart with “Chicken Fried,” the lead single off of 2008’s The Foundation. But this is no overnight success story. Singer-songwriter Zac Brown and Co. spent years developing a grassroots following through relentless touring and independent releases like 2004’s Far from Einstyne, 2005’s Home Grown and 2007’s Live from the Rock Bus Tour. So by the time Atlantic Records swept in and helped put The Foundation over the top, the Zac Brown Band was more than ready for the mainstream spotlight. And country fans aren’t the only ones invited to this chicken-fried feast; jam-band enthusiasts and Southern-rock hounds will find plenty of stick-to-your-ribs hot licks to savor here, too.