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Sam Bush Band goes Into the wild bluegrass yonder |
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Written by Glenn BurnSilver
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Thursday, 08 March 2007 |
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After more than 35 years in the business, Sam Bush is synonymous with bluegrass music. Yet, anyone familiar with his sound and that of the Sam Bush Band knows that he can’t be defined by a single genre. He doesn’t even really consider what he does bluegrass, at least in the purest sense.
“I don’t want to mislead anyone by saying we’re a bluegrass band, because I don’t feel I have ever been in a bluegrass band for a living,” Bush said by phone from his Nashville home. “There are always so many different types of influences and stuff in my music, that I have deviated from the traditional form.”
But bluegrass was his first love. Music was a big part of the Bush household.
Everyone played instruments and sang, and Friday nights meant gathering around the family radio to listen to the Grand ‘Ol Opry, while Saturday mornings were for TV shows featuring Flatt & Scruggs, Ernest Tubb, Porter Wagnor and others. Bush eventually followed his father in picking up the mandolin. His sisters expanded on that, turning him on to the early 1960s folk revival and, eventually, rock ’n’ roll.
In time, the music all blurred together for Bush, who began playing barn and square dances, but quickly graduated to playing mandolin in a bluegrass band, electric guitar in a rock band, and drums in the school marching band. He easily could have chosen one path. Instead, Bush merged everything into one sound, defying bluegrass traditions when he formed the New Grass Revival in 1971, a wild hybrid of sound that mixed rock aesthetics with acoustic instruments more common in bluegrass.
“We did everything against the bluegrass purists rules,” he recalled. “We played improvisational tunes, our hair was long and shaggy and we didn’t dress alike. We basically approached it from a rock ’n’ roll mentality. … What was most threatening to bluegrass purists at the time was that they were afraid all bluegrass might turn toward that. We weren’t trying to change anything. We were playing it like we felt it. That’s what music’s all about, playing what you feel.”
On his new album, “Laps in Seven,” Bush feels good. There is a soulful gospel groove, complete with back-up vocalists on “I Wanna Do Right,” the hard rocking title track complete with a fiery four-string mandolin solo, a dueling country-jazz fiddle excursion featuring Jean-Luc Ponty on “New Country,” and even a fairly straight cover of the classic rock radio standard “White Bird.” In between Bush offers up a few signature instrumentals and some fast picking jams more along the bluegrass lines, but even then, those threaten to break the mold at any moment.
“I’m influenced by everything, so it’s challenging to make it a coherent listening experience when you are dabbling in so many different styles,” he said. “We’re just trying to make new kinds of sounds with traditional bluegrass instruments.”
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TO GO TO THE SHOW
KRFC birthday bash with the Sam Bush Band
6 p.m. dinner seating; doors 7:30 p.m., show 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, March 9
Sunset Events Center
242 Linden St., Fort Collins
484.4604
$40-$85
www.fctix.com, www.sambush.com
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WHAT'S IN A TITLE
Always known as a musical innovator, mandolin player Sam Bush has inherited the title of “King of Newgrass,” whether he likes it or not — mostly not. He is flattered by the accolades, but prefers to be called Sam instead.
“I’m getting more comfortable with it,” he said with a laugh. “If anything, I’ve learned to accept it and it is very much a compliment, but there were many before me. That’s why we called the band New Grass Revival. There already was a new kind of bluegrass being played. But I’m happy to hold that banner up and say this is what we did and how we did it, but I couldn’t be the king of anything.”
THE DOG HAS RHYTHM
The title of Bush’s new album has nothing to do with running laps on a speedway or jogging on the track. Rather, “Laps in Seven” refers to Bush’s dog Ozzie who laps his water in 7/4 time. Bush pulled his band around for a listen and the guys picked up Ozzie’s rhythm and created the song around his drinking habits.
“The guys thought I was crazy,” Bush laughed, “but he really does it.”
Glenn BurnSilver
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GRASSROOTS RADIO CELEBRATES FOUR YEARS IN FORT COLLINS
By Leah Kientz
For NEXTnc
Turning 4 might not have been a memorable experience for you, but KRFC 88.9 FM radio station is making this birthday one to remember.
“Everybody’s excited that we are turning 4,” said Carol Lundgren, KRFC’s development coordinator. “This is a big step for the station.”
The homegrown radio station will celebrate on the air at the Sunset Event Center on March 9. The bash will include dinner, a live music performance, a silent auction and, of course, cake.
“We are trying to grow a little bit, but we want it to be a premiere event,” said Chris Kennison, who sits on the board of directors for the station.
Art pieces including paintings, sculptures and fiber arts; get-away trips and music-related items will all be available at the silent auction. The auction is a fundraiser to support KRFC.
The internationally acclaimed Sam Bush Band will headline at the Birthday Bash.
Tickets to the bash are $40-$85 and are available through Arts Alive Fort Collins, www.fctix.com.
“This is a quality event, one that people will look forward to every year,” said Kennison.
Beth Flowers, the station manager, is amazed with the progress of the station.
“We started out as a tiny dream made reality, and it’s amazing to see the growth and changes at KRFC,” Flowers said.
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