Last updated: Dec 11 2008

ACCEPT NO SUBSTITUTES!

This just in.... 

Mark these dates down kiddos-August 21, 22, 23 2009.  The International Newgrass Festival will be held in Bowling Green KY, and will be built aroung Sam. http://www.newgrassfestival.com.

BLUEGRASS HOTEL DOCUMENTARY

Filming started  at IBMA in Nashville in October.  There will be an announcement at the Bluegrass Hotel in Louisville Dec 13 announcing and a live benefit concert at the Galt House in Louisville on March 6 2009 featuring alumni of Bluegrass Alliance and NGR.

http://www.bluegrassjournal.com/2008/10/21/bluegrass-hotel-project-gets-official-launch

http://www.mandolincafe.com/news/publish/mandolins_00994.shtml

SIN Rides Again.

Strength In Numbers (sort of) appeared at this year's Bonnaroo (June 12-15),  with Sam, Edgar, Bela, Jerry and Luke Bulla (rather than Mark).  They performed under the title Bluegrass Allstars, which is the name used before Telluride Sessions was issued.  Material was mostly bluegrass, not the bluegrass chamber music of SIN.

Sam hosted the IBMA Awards Show in Nashville Oct  4

Sam with Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas played 11 shows in Oct, Nov 2007 (mostly college venues).  Not much new material, so don't know if a CD is in the works.

On the Road DVD is now out.  Recorded Aug 30 06 at Sierra Nevada Brewery

One Shot Only?????  Sam, Cow, Bela & Pat performed together for one song at Merlefest this year!!!  It was during the Jam with Sam as host.  As is normal with the jam, everybody was on stage, but the NGR alums did take center stage as a group, as they performed White Freightliner Blues.  No word as to whether this was a hatchet-burying moment.  The only other times I'm aware of that they have performed together since the break up was for the appearances with THE GARTH on Conan O'Brien (Callin' Baton Rouge and Do What Ya Gotta Do).

Garrison Keillor's New Year's Eve Special had Sam, Jon, Jerry, Emmylou, Suzy Bogguss, Stewart Duncan etc.

WHO ARE THESE HIPPIES?
(Photo by Senor McGuire)

Current SBB:
Sam
Scott Vestal bj
  Stephen Mougin g
Byron House b
Chris Brown d

NEW CD Laps In Seven released June 13!!! Check out Sugar Hill for info.
Title comes from the observation that Sam's dog Ozzie was lapping up water in 7/4 time.  Cow's CD New Tattoo was also released that day.

Official Sam Bush Web Site: http://www.sambush.com .
Sam at Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/sambushband

Who's Your Uncle, by Jerry, Sam, Bela nominated for a Grammy in Country Instrumental category.

As part of the "Country: A Celebration of America's Music" at the Kennedy Center, The String Masters (Sam, Jerry, Bela, Stuart Duncan, Bryan Sutton & Mark Schatz) appeared in the Eisenhower Theater on April  4  2006.

Grass Roots is by far the best NGR collection yet, as it includes material from all of the configurations, even the one with Butch Robins.  Previously unreleased material is included from 1974 (with Butch Robins) and the final concert of Dec 31 1989.  These make the purchase necessary, even though you have all of the other cuts on the original recordings.

In regard to Butch Robins, his '81 release, Fragments of My Imagicnation, Rounder 0104,  is of  special interest.  Playing on the LP are former NGR Robins, then current members Sam, John & Curtis, and a future NGR, Bela, although they are not all together on any of the cuts.

Homespun has released The Sam Bush Mandolin Method, on 2 VHS or 2 DVD.

Sam Bush & David Grisman: Hold On, We're Strumming,
Acoustic Disc 54, is now out.

Tall Paul*: Fast Beneath My Feet is somewhat outside our normal viewing area, but with session players Sam, Jerry, Cow, Jon Randall, Bryan Sutton, Scott Vestal, Brent Truitt, Byron House and Andrea Zonn, it has to be taken seriously.  It may be in a category called Country Rock (my radar detection doesn't work too well in this area).
Sound clips at http://www.tallpaul.com.
* Paul Bobol, NashVegas singer-songwriter

Truly Bracken tells me that Sam & Jon recorded with Lyle Lovett, and that they were with Lyle 12/11/02 at the Barbicon in London!!
 

Linda Ronstadt was a special guest of Sam's at the the Tucson AZ shows, June 12 & 13 2003, at the Berger Performing Arts Center at the Arizona School for the Deaf and Blind.  " Sam and Linda have been working on an upcoming album."  This may be Linda's Adieu False Heart, made with Ann Savoy of the Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band.
 

Sound clips of Sam's appearances on A Prairie Home Companion are available at http://www.prairiehome.org/listings/index.shtml (thanks John Vanderpool).

USED MANDOLIN DEPARTMENT
Bill Monroe's mandolin, a 1923 Gibson F-5 built by Lloyd Loar, was recently sold by his son to a group of Rosine individuals for $1,125,000 (yes that is over a million dollars!).   That's pretty good for an instrument that had to be rebuilt after it was smashed with a poker. Sam has a 1937 F-5, bought for him as a gift by friends.  It was once owned by Norman Blake.  Out of respect for the BIG MON, Sam has decided not to accept any offers over $1,000,000 for it.  Any one interested in making an investment?

HATFIELDS AND McCOYS
WHATAHOOT!!
The production of The Legend Of The Hatfields And The McCoys: Roseanna, Juliet Of the Mountains by the Augusta (Ga) Ballet on Feb 16 & 17 2001 and May 3 & 4 2002 was great fun and an artistic triumph!  Choreography was by Peter Powlus, and Sam was the Music Director (this means he was responsible for the music).  Music was provided by Sam's Band with Jon Randall, Scott Vestal, and Byron House, and they were on stage for the entire production, with the dancing taking place in front of them.  Peter got the idea when he was listening to Strength In Numbers while on vacation in the NC mountains.  The choice of music was superb, and success depended on there being music for all of the moods and actions in the production.  Music was primarily from the Sam and Strength In Numbers Songbooks, with a little new stuff thrown in.  With the exception of a couple of hoedown numbers, the music was not hillbilly or bluegrass, but the more sophisticated New/Progressive Grass of the Strength In Numbers genre.  For the set list, contact Linda (losbon@hotmail.com).  Together the dancing and the music gave an integrated artistic production that was fun to hear and watch.  An especially gripping performance was delivered by Scott as Hillbilly Swigging Moonshine From a Jug. It was good to see this type of music work successfully in a larger-scale production with a dramatic story line.
 The material is deserving of wider exposure.  I saw no tapers.  There was a video made, but it will not be made available to the public.

 Remastered (by Sam and Randy Leroy) versions of New Grass Revival, Hold To a Dream and Friday Night are now out.  They are on Southern Music (apparently part of EMI-Capitol).  Numbers are 1986, 1987 and 1989.

William Michael Smith of Rockzilla has a thundering review of Ice Caps. (Thanks TJ Murphy)

Sam is now doing more shows than I can remember (see the schedule ).  This is likely due to his new agent, IMN. See their site for Sam at http://www.imnworld.com/sam_bush.htm
 

See an article about Sam at http://www.sonicnet.com (select All News, search for Sam Bush).

The CD of Live Telluride Performances ('92-'99) by Sam (Sugar Hill 3915) entitled Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride is now out.  Get it.  At least half of the cuts are not available on Sam's previous recordings.  MPEG samples available at CDNOW, but you don't have to listen to them to know you need this CD.

Billboard (Aug 5 02 issue) has a very favorable review.  "A stellar package of work from a true innovator." But we knew that.

Gibson now has a Sam Bush Signature mandolin. It is a replica of the 30s F-5.  See it at http:/www.gibson/com/products/OAI/mandolins/sambush.html .  The first public performance was at the opening of the new Gibson Bluegrass Showcase at Opry Mills.  It was first sold at MerleFest 2001.  I heard the price was like $7,000.
 

A CD version of Mandolin Repertoire Tape ('89) on Homespun is now available.

QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Bush proves that he's that rare eclectic who has the chops and the breadth of knowledge to pull off all the outlandish ideas his mind can conjure." Michael McCall, Pulse June 98 review of Howlin'
 

WANTED
Here are some items I'm looking for:
NGR on KET 1977

Please contact me if you have one I could make copies from.  Thanks.

2008 RELEASES

Steve Earle: Copperhead Road (Deluxe Edition)
Mark Bryan: End of the Front
   Waybacks: Loaded
$Oalal: Moonshine Sessions
Sierra Hill: Secrets

2007 RELEASES

2006 RELEASES

Laps In Seven
Fox and the Hound Soundtrack 2
Dolly Parton: Acoustic Collection
Bill Evans (Jazz sax): Soul Grass
Waylon Jennings Sings Hank Williams
Crucial Country (Peter Rowan): Live At Telluride
Solomon Burke: Nashville
Richie Furay: Heartbeat Of Love
Johnny Lang: Turn Around
Pilgrim: A Celebration of Kris Kristofferson
Danielle Howle: Thank You, Mark
Sugar Hill Records: A Retrospective (compilation)
Alan Jackson: Like Red On a Rose
Linda Ronstadt/Ann Savoy: Adieu False Heart
Keith Whitley: 16 Biggest Hits
Sail Away, the Songs of Randy Newman

SCHEDULE
(If you know of any dates that are not listed here, please contact me slick.norman@comcast.net )   For venue phone numbers and web sites, go to http://www.pollstar.com and search for Sam Bush.

New		12/13/08	Bluegrass Hotel		Louisville KY
New		12/31/08	Bear Tooth Theater Pub		Ankorage AK
New		01/14/09	Belly Up Aspen		Aspen CO
New		01/15/09	Vila Center for the Arts		Beaver Creek CO
New		01/16/09	Ski Jam Fest Grounds		Steamboat Springs CO
New		01/17/09	Cervantes Ballroom		Denver CO
New		01/18/09	KiMo Th		Alberquerque NM
New		01/20/09	Fort Lewis Coll		Durango CO
		02/06/09	Colonial Th		Keene NH
		02/07/09	Flynn Center		Burlington VT
New		03/06/09	Galt House Benefit for American Cancer Society, Bluegrass Alliance & NGR		Louisville KY
		03/28/09	Silver Cultural Arts Center		Plymouth NH
		03/29/09	Fitchburg St Coll		Fitchburg MA
New		04/23-24/09	Merlefest		Wilkesboro NC
New		06/06/09	Eden Valley Farm		Scottown OH
New		08/21-23/09	International Newgrass Festival		Bowling Green KY

AWARDS
On the Grammy Awards, the fact that the Album received a Grammy does not mean that Sam got a statue to set on his mantle.
Kentucky Music Hall Of Fame 2006
Grammy 2001: Oh Brother Soundtrack (??)
Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza IBMA 2000 Instrumental Album of the Year and Recorded Event of the Year.
IBMA 2000 Album of the Year: Dolly Parton: The Grass Is Blue
1999 Grammy Nominations for Short Trip Home and Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza
Grammy 1996 Pop Recording: Bela Fleck & the Flecktones: Sinister Minister
Grammy 1992: Emmylou Harris: At the Ryman
Grammy 1991: Carl Jackson, John Starling & the Nash Ramblers: Spring Training
(Although Sam plays on every cut, he did not get a statue. Bummer.)
Grammy 1990: Alison Kraus: I've Got That Old Feeling
MandoZine Gallery of the Greats (date unknown)
IBMA Mandolin Player 1990, 1991, 1992
Frets Magazine Mandolinist of the Year 1987, 1988, 1989
New Grass Revival Band of the Year and Hold to a Dream Album of the Year Frets Magazine 1988
Weiser (ID) Junior Fiddle Championship 1967, 1968, 1969

DISCOGRAPHY

Sam Bush Discography (by Wendell Norman)

Short Form
 

DISCUSSION GROUPS & BULLETIN BOARDS
on which Sam is mentioned

Sam Bush Message Board

Extreme Bluegrass (Xgrass)
subscribe at http://www.xgrass.com

CoMando List Serve

JamGrass@YahooGroups.com
subscribe at http://www.egroups.yahoo.com/group/jamgrass

Shady-Grove@YahooGroups.com
subscribe at http://www.egroups.yahoo.com/group/Shady-Grove

Flecktones@YahooGroups.com
subscribe at http://www.egroups.yahoo.com/group/flecktones

NewGrass-L@YahooGroups.com
subscribe at http://www.egroups.yahoo.com/group/NewGrass-L

Newgrassrevival@YahooGroups.com:
subscribe at http://www.egroups.yahoo.com/group/newgrassrevival

ODDS & ENDS
WoodSongs Old-Time Radio Hour WebCast (Dec 17 01, 1:53)
I haven't been able to find the audio

The New Grass Revival Song Book
July 23 05: This link is apparently inactive.  I have a printout of the results if you're desparate.

RealAudio Broadcast from 30th (Feb 15 97) Kent State Folk Festival

RealAudio 28.8 Tracks from Glamour and Grits
Same Ol' River
Stingray
Ol' Joe Clark

Sources of Tabs
Co-mando
 

Samanda Lynn Music
PO Box 50962
Nashville TN 37205
(Note: Samanda Lynn=Sam & Lynn)

Management
Tim McFadden
TZMcFadden@aol.com

Booking
Skyline Music
Barron Ruth
barron@skylineonline.com
404.851.9135