Charles Samuel Bush (born April 13, 1952) is an American mandolinist who is considered an originator of
progressive bluegrass music. In 2020, he was inducted into the
International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of
New Grass Revival.
History
Born in
Bowling Green, Kentucky, Bush was exposed to country and bluegrass music at an early age through his father Charlie's record collection, and later by the
Flatt & Scruggs
Flatt and Scruggs were an American bluegrass duo. Singer and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjo player Earl Scruggs, both of whom had been members of Bill Monroe's band, the Bluegrass Boys, from 1945 to 1948, formed the duo in 1948. Flatt and Sc ...
television show. Buying his first mandolin at the age of 11, his musical interest was further piqued when he attended the inaugural Roanoke, VA Bluegrass Festival in 1965. As a teen, Bush took first place three times in the junior division of the National Oldtime Fiddler's Contest in Weiser, ID. He joined guitarist Wayne Stewart, his mentor and music teacher during Sam's teen years, and banjoist
Alan Munde (later of Country Gazette) and the three recorded an instrumental album, Poor Richard's Almanac, in 1969. In the spring of 1970, Bush attended the Fiddlers Convention at
Union Grove, NC, and was inspired by the rock-flavored
progressive bluegrass of the New Deal String Band. Later that year, he moved to Louisville and joined the Bluegrass Alliance. In the fall of 1971, the band dissolved and reformed as the
New Grass Revival.
The New Grass Revival went through numerous personnel changes, with Bush remaining as the sole original member. Bassist and vocalist
John Cowan joined in 1974, with
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
ace
Béla Fleck and acoustic guitarist
Pat Flynn being enlisted in 1981. From 1979 through 1981, the group toured with
Leon Russell, opening the shows and backing Russell during his headlining set.
Beginning in 1980, Bush and Cowan periodically jammed with the Nashville-based Duckbutter Blues Band, whose other members were blues guitarist Kenny Lee, drummer Jeff Jones, and bassist Byron House. Bush recorded his debut solo album, ''Late as Usual'', four years later. In 1989, Bush and Fleck joined
Mark O'Connor,
Jerry Douglas, and
Edgar Meyer in an all-star bluegrass band,
Strength in Numbers, at the
Telluride Bluegrass Festival in
Colorado
Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the ...
. When the New Grass Revival dissolved in 1989, Bush joined
Emmylou Harris' Nash Ramblers, touring and recording with Harris for the next five years.
In 1995, Bush worked as a sideman with
Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck's
Flecktones. He formed his own band, featuring Cowan and ex-Nash Ramblers Jon Randall and Larry Atamanuick, shortly before recording his second solo album, ''Glamour & Grits'', in 1996. He released his next album, ''Howlin' at the Moon'', in 1998, with many of the same players and special guests, including Harris, Fleck and
J. D. Crowe.
In the winter of 1997, Bush and the New Grass Revival reunited for an appearance on
Late Night with Conan O'Brien as the backup band for
Garth Brooks. On March 28, 1998, Bush's hometown of
Bowling Green, KY, honored him with a special "Sam Bush Day" celebration.
Following ''Howlin' at the Moon'' in 1998, he released ''Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride in 2000'', which was a live recording. In 2004, Randall left Bush's band and
Brad Davis took over harmony vocals and guitar duties.
In 2006, Bush released ''
Laps in Seven''. The release was significant because it marked the return of the
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
to Bush's recordings, played by
Scott Vestal
Scott Vestal is an American banjoist, songwriter and luthier, known for his innovative approach to playing and designing the banjo.
Biography Early years
The older of two children, Scott Vestal was raised in Duncan, Oklahoma in a musical fami ...
. The guitarist, Keith Sewell, performed on the recording, but shortly after took a job with the
Dixie Chicks
The Chicks (previously known as Dixie Chicks) are an American country music band from Dallas, Texas. Since 1995, the band has consisted of Natalie Maines (lead vocals, guitar) and sisters Martie Maguire (vocals, fiddle, mandolin, guitar) an ...
. Bush sought a new guitarist for his recordings and road band and found
Stephen Mougin.
In 2007, Bush released his first
live concert
A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety ...
DVD, titled ''On The Road''. 2007 also marked the first time he had been chosen to host the
International Bluegrass Music Association Awards.
Bush contributed to two bluegrass
tribute albums to the British
Progressive Rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. I ...
band
the Moody Blues – 2004's ''
Moody Bluegrass
Moody Bluegrass is a bluegrass music project that produced two tribute albums to the British progressive rock band the Moody Blues. The albums consist of bluegrass-style cover versions of Moody Blues songs performed by a variety of noted bluegra ...
: A Nashville Tribute to the Moody Blues'', and 2011's ''
Moody Bluegrass
Moody Bluegrass is a bluegrass music project that produced two tribute albums to the British progressive rock band the Moody Blues. The albums consist of bluegrass-style cover versions of Moody Blues songs performed by a variety of noted bluegra ...
TWO...Much Love''. Bush provided the lead vocal for the
Ray Thomas song "Nice To Be Here" on the latter album.
He lives in Nashville, Tennessee.
Awards and honors
*Sam Bush hosted the 22nd annual
International Bluegrass Music Association Awards September 29, 2011 held at Nashville's historic
Ryman Auditorium. He also hosted the 2007
IBMA Awards, held at the
Grand Ole Opry House.
*The
Americana Music Association (AMA) presented Sam Bush with the Lifetime Achievement for Instrumentalist award at the 8th Annual
Americana Honors & Awards ceremony, presented by the Gibson Foundation at Ryman Auditorium September 17, 2009.
*The
International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) has named Sam Bush Mandolin Player of the Year four times, in 1990, 1991, 1992, and 2007.
*Sam Bush has been awarded a
Grammy for ...
**Best Country Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocal with Emmylou Harris & Nash Ramblers on ''Emmylou Harris & the Nash Ramblers'' in 1992.
**Best Pop Instrumental Performance with
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones on ''The Sinister Minister'' in 1996.
**Album of the Year with various artists such as
Alison Krauss & Union Station
Alison Krauss & Union Station is an American bluegrass and country band associated with singer Alison Krauss. It was initially composed of Krauss, Jeff White, Mike Harman and John Pennell. Later additions included Tim Stafford, Ron Block, Ada ...
,
Emmylou Harris,
Gillian Welch,
Ralph Stanley, and
Tim Blake Nelson for ''O Brother, Where Art Thou'' in 2001.
*He was nominated in 2006 for the Grammy for Best Country Instrumental Performance with
Jerry Douglas and Béla Fleck for ''Who's Your Uncle''.
*In March 2010, Legislation passed in Kentucky that officially named Bowling Green the "Birthplace of Newgrass" and Sam Bush the "Father of Newgrass." The Resolution, sponsored by Representative
Jim DeCesare, passed the Kentucky Senate 37-0 on March 25. It passed the House on March 3, 99–0.
[
]
*Sam Bush was the subject of the 2015 documentary Revival: The Sam Bush Stor
which features commentary from Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Bela Fleck, David Grisman, Ricky Skaggs, and The Avett Brothers, among others. Directed by Wayne Franklin and Kris Wheeler, the film was shown at various independent film festivals throughout 2015.
Performance
As well as being an accomplished
Bluegrass music, bluegrass vocalist, Bush also is an accomplished instrumentalist on mandolin and
fiddle winning title of National Fiddle champion at fifteen years of age. He was a founding member of the
New Grass Revival and has been called a modern-day
Bill Monroe, or as Sam would tell . .
Sam, affectionately "Sammy", or "Mr. Entertainment", also recalls meeting Mr. Monroe as a young teen. After demonstrating his mandolin technique Monroe offered the advice: "stick to the fiddle".
Sam is one of the main attractions at the annual
Telluride Bluegrass Festival in
Telluride, Colorado and plays the eight p.m. set on Saturday night as well as many guest appearances throughout the weekend. He is affectionately known as "The King of Telluride" for his perennial appearances there (and
Emmylou Harris the "Queen of Telluride"). Sam did tour with Harris' band, The Nash Ramblers. Additional collaborations include recording and live performances with many virtuoso musicians and artists such as
Doc Watson,
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Maria Ronstadt (born July 15, 1946) is a retired American singer who performed and recorded in diverse genres including rock, country, light opera, the Great American Songbook, and Latin. She has earned 11 Grammy Awards, three American ...
,
Dolly Parton
Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, actress, philanthropist, and businesswoman, known primarily for her work in country music. After achieving success as a songwriter for others, Parton made her album ...
,
Ann Savoy
Ann Savoy (; born Ann Allen on January 20, 1952) is a musician, author, and record producer.
Biography
Savoy was raised in Richmond, Virginia. She resides with her husband Marc Savoy and family in Eunice, Southern Louisiana.
As a musician, sh ...
,
Tony Rice,
Peter Rowan, Russ Barenberg,
David Grisman, Mark O'Connor, Edgar Meyer, and importantly; "Strength in Numbers", a band consisting of
Bela Fleck
Bela may refer to:
Places Asia
*Bela Pratapgarh, a town in Pratapgarh District, Uttar Pradesh, India
*Bela, a small village near Bhandara, Maharashtra, India
*Bela, another name for the biblical city Zoara
* Bela, Dang, in Nepal
* Bela, Janakpur, ...
,
Mark O'Connor,
Edgar Meyer,
Jerry Douglas, and Sam Bush.
Strength in Numbers was a collaboration born from jam sessions at the
Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The music on their CD release entitled "The Telluride Sessions" was all instrumental and recorded live, showcasing the individual talent of each player and their ability to improvise. During recent years (2000–2008) there have been many variations of the Strength in Numbers band, also known as "Bluegrass Sessions", always including Jerry Douglas, (
Dobro), and usually bassist Byron House, also from
Bowling Green, KY. Other musicians include Gabe Witcher (
fiddle),
Bryan Sutton (guitar),
Tim O'Brien (
fiddle,
mandolin, guitar, vocals) and Darol Anger (
fiddle).
Sam Bush Band tours extensively, appearing at many small venues and large festivals such as the
Strawberry Music Festival (
Memorial Day and Labor Day), Rockygrass (late July), and every spring at the
Americana Festival,
Merlefest in
Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Sam Bush is known as one of the liveliest performers at these festivals, and makes many guest appearances with the other artists.
Discography
Solo albums
DVDs
* ''On the Road'' (2007)
Sugar Hill
Specialty projects
* ''Down South'' -
Doc & Merle Watson -
Sugar Hill Records 1984
* ''Riding The Midnight Train'' -
Doc Watson -
Sugar Hill Records 1986
* ''Drive'' –
Béla Fleck –
Rounder Records 1988
* ''
The Telluride Sessions'' by
supergroup Strength in Numbers –
MCA
MCA may refer to:
Astronomy
* Mars-crossing asteroid, an asteroid whose orbit crosses that of Mars
Aviation
* Minimum crossing altitude, a minimum obstacle crossing altitude for fixes on published airways
* Medium Combat Aircraft, a 5th gen ...
1989
* ''
Short Trip Home'' –
Sony Classical 1999
:(
Edgar Meyer &
Joshua Bell with Sam Bush and
Mike Marshall)
* ''Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza'' –
Acoustic Disc 1999
:(w/
David Grisman,
Ronnie McCoury
Ronnie McCoury is an American mandolin player, singer, and songwriter (born March 16, 1967). He is the son of bluegrass musician Del McCoury, and is best known for his work with the Del McCoury Band
and the Travelin' McCourys.
Biography
Ronnie M ...
,
Jesse McReynolds,
Ricky Skaggs, others)
* ''The Bluegrass Sessions'' –
Béla Fleck –
Warner Bros. 1999
* ''Soulgrass'' – Bluegrass and Jazz Fusion 2005
* ''
Goin' Home: A Tribute to Fats Domino'' 2007, performing "
Rising Sun" with
Marc Broussard
New Grass Revival
* ''
New Grass Revival'' (
Hollywood, 1972)
* ''
Fly Through the Country
''Fly Through the Country'' is the second studio album by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1975 on the Flying Fish label. It is also the title of the fifth song on the album.
In 1992, ''When the Storm is Over'' and ...
'' (
Flying Fish, 1975)
* ''
When the Storm Is Over
''When the Storm is Over'' is the third studio album recorded by the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival, released in 1977 on Flying Fish Records. The album includes a mix of covers, both traditional and contemporary, as well as band-pe ...
'' (Flying Fish, 1977)
* ''
Too Late to Turn Back Now'' (Flying Fish, 1977)
* ''
Barren County'' (Flying Fish, 1979)
* ''Leon Russell & New Grass Revival'' (Paradise, 1981)
* ''
Commonwealth'' (Flying Fish, 1981)
* ''
On the Boulevard'' (
Sugar Hill, 1984)
* ''
Live in Toulouse'' (Sugar Hill, 1984)
* ''
New Grass Revival'' (
Capitol, 1986)
* ''
Hold to a Dream'' (Capitol, 1988)
* ''
Friday Night in America'' (Capitol, 1989)
* ''When the Storm Is Over/Fly Through the Country'' (Flying Fish, 1992)
References
Further reading
*Bush, Sam (1999). ''Sam Bush Teaches Mandolin Repertoire and Technique (Listen & Learn)'', Hal Leonard, .
*Rosenberg, Neil V.(2005). ''Bluegrass: A History'', University of Illinois Press, .
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bush, Sam
1952 births
Living people
Musicians from Bowling Green, Kentucky
American bluegrass guitarists
American male guitarists
New Grass Revival members
Grammy Award winners
American music educators
American bluegrass fiddlers
American bluegrass mandolinists
Singers from Kentucky
Bluegrass musicians from Kentucky
Guitarists from Kentucky
20th-century American guitarists
Country musicians from Kentucky
20th-century American male musicians
Flying Fish Records artists
Singers from Nashville, Tennessee
Lyle Lovett and His Large Band members