The Weehawken waterfront might not be the first place you’d expect to catch the influential bluegrass singer and songwriter Sam Bush. But the Tennessee native and his band are scheduled to perform on Sept. 2 in Lincoln Harbor as part of the Hudson Riverfront Performing Arts Center’s (HRPAC) Summer Concerts on the Hudson series.
After performing all over the country for the last 35 years, Bush made it clear that the Hudson River is one of the best outdoor venues this side of the Mississippi.
“We’re looking forward to the show,” Bush said. “I heard great things about the concert series, so barring a rainstorm we’re going to have a great time.” The rain date is scheduled for the following night, Thursday, Sept. 3.
“It’s a high- and positive-energy show,” Bush said. “Really it’s the kind of thing you feel safe bringing your children to – as well as your parents. And, we always love getting to play outdoors.”
According to Bruce Sherman, executive director of HRPAC, booking the sought-after bluegrass band was no easy feat, and a long time in the making.
“I was trying to get Sam for four years,” Sherman said. “All the pieces finally came together.”
Bush is a player extraordinaire on the mandolin, a staple in any bluegrass band. He has played with the likes of country music icons Emmylou Harris and Lyle Lovett.
“The show works out pretty well for us,” Bush said about playing at the picturesque Weehawken waterfront. “We’re going to be at Moe Down that weekend,” referring to a three-day festival held in upstate New York. “It was a case of being in the right place at the right time.”
“People love bluegrass because it doesn’t revolve around trends.” – Sam Bush
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‘New grass’
Called a “true innovator” of bluegrass music by Billboard, Bush was the leader of the influential band the New Grass Revival, which spearheaded a new movement in bluegrass called “new grass.” The wild stepchild of bluegrass, according to some music aficionados, the style blends rock ‘n roll riffs and grooves with extended jams. “We play contemporary music on traditional-style bluegrass instruments,”
Bush said. Since then, Bush has fronted the Sam Bush Band. But like most musicians, his love for music started at an early age.
“Some people say ‘my parents wanted me to go out and get a real job’ instead of playing music,” Bush said. “Not my parents. They were farmers. They knew playing music was bound to be an easier way to make a living than on a farm.”
Growing up in Bowling Green, Tenn., 60 miles north of Nashville, Bush was infiltrated with country music from an early age. His family played music – his mom on guitar and his dad on the mandolin. After high school, Bush was exposed to experimental bands like the Beatles, Jefferson Airplane, and the Doors – and the beginnings of Bush’s innovative style were born.
“Back then, there weren’t so many lines drawn between musical styles,” Bush said.
Old and new
Almost a half a century later, Bush is still playing some of the same bluegrass music he first fell in love with as a kid in Tennessee.
“People love bluegrass because it doesn’t revolve around trends,” Bush said. “It’s a music that’s handed down from generation to generation. Most musicians learn the music by ear.” Although many tunes are played the same way as they were 60 or more years ago, Bush said there is also a strong improvisational element to bluegrass.
“It’s kind of a tradition in bluegrass music to put your own interpretation on it. There’s a saying, ‘Play it like the way you feel it,’” Bush said. “And that’s what we do.”
For more information on the Sam Bush Band, visit www.sambush.com.
The final performance of HRPAC’s summer series begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 2 in Lincoln Harbor in Weehawken. The Hudson Reporter is a sponsor. For more information on the performance, visit HRPAC’s website www.hrpac.org or call (201) 716-4540.
Sean Allocca can be reached at editorial@hudsonreporter.com