RIYL: Yonder Mountain String Band, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Nickel Creek
Sam Bush conveys the impression of an agreeable guy, a musician immersed in what he does. He boasts that same affinity for his fans that Jimmy Buffett displays in acting the role of cheerleader while readily encouraging unabashed celebration simply for celebration’s sake. But where Buffett’s built a reputation for being a party practitioner who induces his fans to wear silly hats and label themselves Parrot Heads, Bush invokes a merry mood simply by showing up, creating a communal Zen-like experience that takes its root in his music alone. Fans who flock to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival each year can attest to the joyful Bush bash that occurs every time he takes the stage, but for the uninitiated, his new LP, Circles Around Me, ought to suffice.
Bush helped invent the genre now known as “Nu-grass” while heading the New Grass Revival, and while he’s broadened his palette over the years, he’s also managed to maintain his populist appeal along the way. The title track opens the new disc with him marveling at the blessings generated by the kinship of his fan following, with Telluride accruing special mention. But then Bush gets down to business, tossing his limber fiddle and mandolin into the exhilarating frenzy of the album’s bluegrass banter. A trio of sure-footed instrumentals – “The Old North Woods,” “Blue Mountain” and “Junior Heywood” – provide the keynote offerings, but covers of Guy Clark’s mournful “The Ballad of Stringbean and Estelle” and a harmony-fueled “Roll on Buddy, Roll On” vary the template ever so slightly while adding a supple touch to the proceedings.
Truth be told, Bush’s main strength lies as an ensemble player and, in fact, aside from the fiddle workout “Apple Blossom,” Circles Around Me benefits tremendously from the collective input of Bush’s collaborators – Del McCoury, Edgar Meyer and Jerry Douglas included. Happily then, these circles remain unbroken. (Sugarhill 2009)
