Sam Bush ponders state of bluegrass ahead of IBMA awards

by Peter Cooper

As co-founder of New Grass Revival in the early ’70s, Sam Bush became a revelatory force in the progressive bluegrass movement — also dubbed “newgrass” — occasionally drawing the ire of traditionalists but ultimately inspiring generations of open-minded players.




His rhythm “chop” on the mandolin — rooted in the playing of Father of Bluegrass Bill Monroe and the Seldom Scene’s John Duffey — is a fixture both in the bluegrass world and on recordings by Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Garth Brooks and Dierks Bentley.



His recent solo album, Circles Around Me, is up for the top album prize at Thursday night’s International Bluegrass Music Association awards show, and Bush is also nominated for mandolin player of the year, song of the year (for “The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle,” penned with Guy Clark and Verlon Thompson), instrumental group of the year (with his Sam Bush Band) and best instrumental recorded performance (“Blue Mountain”).



At his Nashville home, Bush, 58, offered his thoughts on a life in music and on the state of contemporary bluegrass.



At the International Bluegrass Music Association’s World of Bluegrass conference (Sept. 27-Oct. 3), you’ve been charged with giving a keynote address.



“Yes, and Bill Monroe is one of the subjects. We’re coming into the 100th anniversary of Bill Monroe’s birth year, and I don’t know of any other form of music where the origins can be traced to one person. I’m known as ‘the newgrass guy,’ but you have to know how to play bluegrass to make newgrass. It all comes from Bill.”


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