Sam Bush, The King of Newgrass performs at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek, Colorado on January 15, 2009
Though he admits a certain discomfort with the moniker “King of Newgrass,” Sam Bush has more than earned it. He was cofounder and leader of the seminal progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival in the 1970s and ‘80s. Bush may not be the only person responsible for newgrass – the wild bluegrass stepchild that features rock ‘n roll grooves and extended virtuosic jams – but since New Grass Revival’s dissolution in 1989, Bush has certainly been one of its most brilliant lights.
Besides helming the ever-popular Sam Bush Band, the mandolin prodigy from Kentucky has been a prodigious influence on musicians young and old. Bands like Nickel Creek, Yonder Mountain String Band and String Cheese Incident are indebted to Bush’s example.
When not heading his own band, Bush has spent the past 15 years as a super-sideman, performing alongside Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett and the Flecktones; spearheading collaborations with Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor and David Grisman; and driving nearly every “bluegrass supergroup” imaginable with his inimitable mandolin playing.
His latest record, Laps in Seven, is evidence that he’s still vital on the acoustic music scene.
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