Sam Bush Albums (7)
What The Critics Say
Sam Bush has been one of the most respected and loved bluegrass icons since his work with the New Grass Revival during the early '70s. Few folk today remember what a stir the New Grass Revival made at the time with their long hair and acoustic rock take on "Great Balls of Fire." On 2006's Laps in Seven, singer/mandolinist Bush covers the bluegrass continuum with ease, offering fairly traditional fare like "Bringing in the Georgia Mail" and progressive jazz like Jean-Luc Ponty's "New Country." It's an eclectic stew, and he has no problem shifting from acoustic to electric, from vocals to instrumentals. Even with this open approach, Bush's music often expresses a "settled" quality that feels rather safe and lacking in soul. A prime example is his take on John Hartford's "On the Road" (from Hartford's Morning Bugle LP). Obviously, Bush has a great appreciation for Hartford's music, and he's chosen -- structurally -- one of his most challenging songs. Bush's vocal and the band's plodding, however, change Hartford's edgy paean to living on the road into a song that wouldn't be too out of place on bluegrass radio. Sure, Bush's mandolin solo is breezy and, unlike Hartford's version, a listener can actually understand the lyrics. But something has been lost in the process. "I Wanna Do Right," filled with a buoyant groove and soulful backing vocals, works much better, though the song may remind old New Grass Revival fans of "Going to the Fair." Despite these criticisms, Bush can't be accused of sleeping on the job. He always turns out a professional product that pleases fans, and in this fashion, Laps in Seven is no different. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford, Jr., All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
King of My World is only Sam Bush's fifth solo album in the last 19 years, but it's also his fourth in the last eight years, reflecting his movement from leadership of New Grass Revival, which packed it in 1989, to a solo career. Still, making solo albums is not a primary activity for this in-demand session musician, so it's always nice when he takes the time out to make a record as a leader. King of My World, featuring a backup band including Jon Randall Stewart (guitar), Byron House (bass), and Chris Brown (drums), with additional contributions from Brad Davis (guitar), Reese Wynans (keyboards), Andrea Zonn (fiddle), and Larry Atamanuik (drums), is a typical showcase for Bush, a renowned fiddle and mandolin player who demonstrates a perfectly adequate singing voice on several tracks here. One of the typical -- but still impressive -- aspects of the recording is Bush's eclecticism, which draws elements of jazz and even South African music (on Johnny Clegg's "Spirit Is the Journey") into the bluegrass orbit. Bush and his comrades are fleet pickers, but they are much more than that, combining bluegrass with other styles into a fusion that earns them the name (once derisively bestowed by a bemused listener to New Grass Revival) of "The Mahavishnu Mountain Boys," i.e., a country-styled version of the '70s jazz-rock fusion band the Mahavishnu Orchestra. ~ William Ruhlmann, All Music Guide
'Hold On, We're Strummin''
Release Date 9/23/2003
Tracks 16
Label Acoustic Disc
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What The Critics Say
One of the first things one notices when popping this Acoustic Disc album into the CD changer is the clean, natural production. A mandolin on the right track, another on the left, and a guitar in the center, all lovingly mixed for clarity and a solid acoustic sound. This same careful approach is obvious from the opening notes of the first piece, "Hartford's Real," on Hold On, We're Strummin'. Bush and Grisman's mandolins tease out a minute-and-a-half intro, each note coming forth bright and clean, before guitarist Jack Lawrence and bassist Jim Kerwin join in. This love of a resonant, full-bodied acoustic sound extends to the quality and diversity of the instruments both players choose. On "Swamp Thing," Bush utilizes a National mandolin and Grisman a mandocello; on "Old Time Medley," Bush plays fiddle and Grisman banjo. Of course, the fresh sound and eclecticism would matter little without inspiration, so luckily both pickers seem in their element on Hold On, We're Strummin'. There are fun, free-flowing pieces like "Sea Breeze" and lovely, relaxed ones like "Jamgrass 741," both filled with smooth instrumental interchanges and quiet energy. Several pieces are bolstered by slightly larger arrangements, adding a guitarist and/or bassist for a bigger sound and variety. With inspired performances, a number of original compositions, and an exquisite acoustic sound, Grisman and Bush have created a fine album suitable for new acoustic fans and anyone with discerning taste. ~ Ronnie D. Lankford Jr., All Music Guide
'Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride'
Release Date 7/25/2000
Tracks 16
Label Sugar Hill
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What The Critics Say
With the release of Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride, Bush pays tribute to the legendary music festival, pulling together some of his finest live performances from the event, all taped during the 1990s. Accompanied by longtime compatriot Jerry Douglas on Dobro, Bush turns in an unparalleled rendition of Bob Dylan's "Girl From the North Country" and the music just keeps flowing free and pure. Speaking of special guests, the album is chock full of them, from New Grass bandmates Béla Fleck and John Cowan, guitarists Darrell Scott and Jon Randall Stewart, bassist Byron House, drummer Larry Atamanuik, and Subdudes alumnus John Magnie. One of the album's finest moments -- and there are many -- comes at the end, as Bush joins John Cowan in a bass, mandolin, and vocal song on Lowell George's Little Feat staple, "Sailing Shoes." This one just has to be heard. It defies any journalistic description. If that isn't reason enough to check out Ice Caps, Sam Bush covers "Celebration" by Kool and the Gang on mandolin. Oddly enough, Bush pulls it off with his usual class and style, where many would fall flat on their face in a puddle of disco mud. Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride is another stellar release from one of acoustic music's true innovators. ~ Michael Smith, All Music Guide
'Howlin' at the Moon'
Release Date 4/21/1998
Tracks 14
Label Sugar Hill
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What The Critics Say
A wildly talented multi-instrumentalist (mandolin, fiddle, banjo, guitar, pretty much anything with strings), Bush weaves an eclectic blend of bluegrass, country, folk and jazz on this solo release from Sugar Hill. With such gifted cohorts as Bela Fleck, Jerry Douglas and J.D. Crowe on hand, the musicianship here is frequently dazzling. The album is evenly split between instrumental and vocal numbers, with the instrumentals faring better. Bush and John Cowan handle the vocal duties, and while both are good enough singers, several of the songs tend lyrically toward a new-agey sort of earnestness. ~ Joel Roberts, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Sam Bush's newgrass mandolin playing is at its peak on the appropriately titled Glamour & Grits -- solidly rooted with the traditional feel of the best contemporary bluegrass, but constantly pushing at the edges of composition and performance, giving each song a decidedly progressive feel. Surrounding himself with a blindingly talented list of supporting musicians (Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Al Kooper, among others), Bush still manages to maintain his own presence on the mandolin and even with his own pleasantly everyman vocals. The instrumentals nudge themselves slightly ahead of the vocal tracks, not because Bush is an unpleasant singer, but because the instrumental passages allow the players to focus on the inventive changes and nuanced picking that the players in this group do so well. Fans of his work with New Grass Revival and Strength in Numbers would be remiss in not picking this one up. ~ Zac Johnson, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Like many of the modern bluegrass masters who came of age in the 1960s and 1970s, Sam Bush is a multi-instrumentalist who excels no matter which style he is playing. These 1984 sessions feature the leader in a variety of contexts. He plays fiddle in a traditional duet of Bill Monroe's "Big Mon" with banjo picker Courtney Johnson, then switches to mandolin and singing lead in "Last Letter Home," backed by guitarist Norman Blake and cellist Nancy Blake with bassist John Cowan's harmony vocal and Dobro player Curtis Burch. Perhaps the most fun track is his interpretation of the unjustly overlooked mandolinist Dave Apollon's "Russian Rag"; Bush overdubs himself on mandolins, mandolas, and bass, accompanied by Mike Marshall's multiple mandolins, mandocellos, and guitar. His mandolin duet of the standard "Broadway" with Jethro Burns (a brilliant instrumentalist best known for his work as a part of the country music comedy duo Homer & Jethro) is a meeting between two masters of the instrument. Bush also includes a few originals, with banjo star Béla Fleck added for his progressive "Crooked Smile." ~ Ken Dryden, All Music Guide
