Sam Bush Biography
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 13 April 1952, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. As the founder of the New Grass Revival, this prodigiously talented fiddle and mandolin player helped modernise bluegrass music by incorporating disparate styles into a previously rigid musical structure.
Bush began playing the fiddle in his early childhood, winning several awards before he had reached his teens. By this time he was also proficient on the mandolin, and in his late teens formed a band with Wayne Stewart and future Country Gazette leader Alan Munde. After a short stint with the Bluegrass Alliance, Bush and bandmates Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker and Curtis Burch formed the New Grass Revival in 1971. The introduction of new bass player and vocalist John Cowan completed the classic line-up, which went on to record several albums for Flying Fish Records which pioneered a stunning fusion of bluegrass, jazz, rock ‘n’ roll and soul. Bush took time out from the New Grass Revival in the late 80s to form the bluegrass fusion supergroup Strength In Numbers with Jerry Douglas, Bela Fleck, Mark O’Connor and Edgar Meyer. Following the release of The Telluride Sessions in 1989 the group members went their separate ways, although they continued to work on each other’s solo material. Electing not to continue with New Grass Revival, Bush began the following decade with a new job as musical director of Emmylou Harris’ acoustic band, the Nash Ramblers. He enjoyed five productive years with Harris before forming his own band with former colleagues Cowan, Jon Randall and Larry Atamanuik. His second solo album proper (he has released several instructional tapes) was recorded in 1996, and issued by Sugar Hill Records later in the year. Bush was joined on Glamour & Grits by supporting musicians including Al Kooper, Fleck and Douglas, and added his pleasant if unassuming vocals to several tracks. During the late 90s, Bush reunited with New Grass Revival on several occasions in addition to pursuing his solo career with releases such as Howlin’ At The Moon and Ice Caps: Peaks Of Telluride. The latter brought together some of his best live performances from the popular Telluride music festival. In addition to his solo work and recordings with the New Grass Revival, Bush has maintained a busy schedule as a session musician, appearing on albums by artists including Acoustic Alchemy, Alabama, Kenny Baker, Suzy Bogguss, Michael Bolton, Garth Brooks, Guy Clark, Neil Diamond, Steve Earle, Alison Krauss, Lyle Lovett, Lorrie Morgan, Dolly Parton, Tony Rice, Sawyer Brown, Ricky Skaggs, Doc Watson, and Trisha Yearwood.
Source: The Encyclopedia of Popular Music by Colin Larkin. Licensed from Muze.
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13 April 1952, Bowling Green, Kentucky, USA. As the founder of the New Grass Revival, this prodigiously talented fiddle and mandolin player helped modernise bluegrass music by incorporating disparate styles into a previously rigid musical structure.