Best sam bush cd?

[Rick Schmidlin]

That's the question.

[man dough nollij]

King of My World. One of my favorite albums of all time, especially the title cut. Yep. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/mandosmiley.gif

[Scotti Adams]

Sam Bush and Alan Munde "Together Again For the First Time"...if your talking about instrumentals.

[JimRichter]

Nope. King of My World is ok, but I find some cuts, as well as the production, weak.

In my opinion the best--the essential--Sam Bush solo CD is his first, Late As Usual. A classic album in every considerable way. The duets with Jethro Burns, Mike Marshall, Norman Blake and Courtney Johnson. The tunesmithing: Diadem, Crooked Smile, Samanda Lynn. The cover of Little Feat's Sailin' Shoes . The journey from old time to bluegrass to jazz to Dave Apollon to New Grass. Simply one of my favorite acoustic CDs period and very influential on me in my teens when it was first released. I still think my acoustic music preferences were formed by this album (along w/ Fleck's Deviation)

The runner up, I think, is Laps in Seven. Great production, special guesting (Buddy Miller and Emmylou Harris), the best Bush band he's had in awhile (Scott Vestal is a natural choice on banjo). The song selection is great, especially the Darrell Scott tune. That's been one of my big issues with the last two or three albums before Laps. Just thought some of the songs were weak (but never the playing).

Jim

[JimRichter]

Sam Bush and Alan Munde "Together Again For the First Time"...if your talking about instrumentals.
I agree with you Scotti, the Together Again album is essential. Great tunes and picking--some of the best fiddle arrangements for mandolin ever recorded. Problem with that album is that it's not a solo album, plus it's never been reissued on CD. I've made numerous copies of that LP for people just so they can have the experience. Essential listening.

And Alan Munde ain't too bad either http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif His arrangement of Eleanor Rigby is classic.

[ootee1]

Late as Usual - the slide mandolin version of Old Joe clark is one of my favorites. And Laps in Seven is a close second.

[JimRichter]

Late as Usual - the slide mandolin version of Old Joe clark is one of my favorites. And Laps in Seven is a close second.
Old Joe Clark wasn't on Late as Usual. That was Glamour and Grits, the second solo album. That is a very good album. Old Joe Clark is another Darrell Scott tune. Darrell's one my favorite songwriters and can't go wrong there.

[Bigtuna]

Late as Usual, is my favorite. But, Peaks of Telluride is a close second. "Girl of the North Country" is beyond words on Peaks. But, I would get Late as Usual first, it seems to be more bluegrass based . King of my World is also pretty good, man they are all pretty good. The only one I don't have is Glamor and Grits.

[TonyP]

I agree Jim, Late As Usual was his best. For me, the next album had songs I'd skip, and with each album it got worse. The good ones were great, but some of the songs just didn't do it for me. The Old Joe Clark on G&G is one of those classics.

If I was going to pick a bluegrass album that he was on, for me it's Peter Rowan's "When The Whippoorwill Calls". His Monroe pickin' is some of the best in my book. Dunno if that one ever made it to cd, I got mine on record. Need to get that record out and make another cd.

[ootee1]

"Old Joe Clark wasn't on Late as Usual. #That was Glamour and Grits,"

Oops - I guess all my favorites blend into one glorious album in my mind! #It's actually pretty convenient that way http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[Chief]

Love some of the old Newgrass Revival stuff, although that wasn't just Sam. Peaks of Telluride is great because it captures the excitement of a live Sam performance. He's one person that sounds better in person, not that he sounds bad on his recorded CD's. Favorite Sam song- 8 more miles to Louisville off, King of My World(I think).

[hedding]

glamour and grits.

same ol' river
brilliancy
the lord came unto me

so good.

[Fretbear]

His stellar playing on Tony Rice's albums, especially Manzanita and Cold on the Shoulder, is not to be missed either....

[Greg H.]

I'll particularly second Sam's picking on 'Manzanita', For me that's still some of the best bluegrass mandolin (that wasn't played by bill) ever. Also "Hold on Were Strummin'" is great stuff. Otherwise, for his solo stuff I'd call it a toss up between 'G&G' and 'Late as Usual' (there are favorites on both CDs)followed by 'Laps in Seven'.

[h2o-X]

My vote is for Peaks of Telluride. I really like the cuts of Girl of the North Country and Same Ol' River. Though, I don't favor the Pastor Mustard stuff in this disc. I didn't enjoy his bantor on stage the few times I attended Telluride and don't want to listen to him in my home or car. But, I digress. I listen to a lot of Sam, and the cd's Howlin' at the Moon and Late as Usual are in regular rotation.

Sam Bush is an amazing musician and performer.

[mandolirius]

Sam's best playing, as has been hinted at, is often not on his own albums. "Together Again..." is definitely an essential classic. He's done some great stuff with Tony Rice, not only on Manzanita, and there are the Newgrass Revival albums, which also have some fantastic playing by Sam. He is probably the most-recorded mandolinist, at least in bluegrass circles. A complete list of all the albums he's appeared on would be huge. In my humble opinion, he's the greatest bluegrass mandolinist of all time.

Except for Chris Thile, of course (kidding, kidding - put down that flame-thrower).

[Rick Schmidlin]

I'll particularly second Sam's picking on 'Manzanita', For me that's still some of the best bluegrass mandolin (that wasn't played by bill) ever. Also "Hold on Were Strummin'" is great stuff. Otherwise, for his solo stuff I'd call it a toss up between 'G&G' and 'Late as Usual' (there are favorites on both CDs)followed by 'Laps in Seven'.
This good news. I was in the music store today the only Sam Bush was "Late As Usual" and only Tony Rice was "Manzanita". I guess I know what to buy this week.

Oh yea, I went to a Radiohead concert tonight, that's another Vancouver story. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[mandolirius]

<Oh yea, I went to a Radiohead concert tonight, that's another Vancouver story.>

How was their mandolin player?

[MandoJump]

Laps In Seven. Great new stuff, Great Covers.

[Rick Schmidlin]

<Oh yea, I went to a Radiohead concert tonight, that's another Vancouver story.>

How was their mandolin player?
http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

[swampstomper]

Not Sam Bush projects, but to me some of his finest picking is on Kenny Baker's "Frost on the Pumpkin" (although he doesn't take breaks on every cut -- but "Make Me a Little Boat" is worth the price of the CD), and then on Doc Watson's bluegrass project "Riding the Midnight Train". Something about playing with these genius musicians, and Sam's sensitivity to his setting, makes these my favourites when I try to nail down his style.

[mandolirius]

<Not Sam Bush projects, but to me some of his finest picking is on Kenny Baker's "Frost on the Pumpkin" (although he doesn't take breaks on every cut -- but "Make Me a Little Boat" is worth the price of the CD), and then on Doc Watson's bluegrass project "Riding the Midnight Train". Something about playing with these genius musicians, and Sam's sensitivity to his setting, makes these my favourites when I try to nail down his style.>

That's exactly what I mean! So many S.B. gems are to be found on other people's albums. I love "Midnight Train". I interviewed Sam (long ago when I was in radio) and he actually talked about how much fun that session was. "Make A Little Boat" is a great tune and Sam's break is the best part of it. I've learned it as close as I can but I can't make it sound like he does.

[JimRichter]

It is very true that some of Sam's best stuff is on other people's albums (Manzanita being at the top of the list). Let's not forget his visit on John Hartford's 70's era albums. His mandolin on Tall Buildings is incredible.

There's his visits on the first three Butch Robins solo albums on Rounder. The best of the lot being "The Fifth Child." This is essential listening. Unfortunately only the first album, "40 Years Late" is in print. But that is a classic as well. Hearing Sam pick mandolin on Washington County alongside Kenny Baker on fiddle.

And speaking of Kenny Baker Frost on the Pumpkin is a great one.

I mentioned Fleck's Deviation LP (which had all of NGR on it). Several of Fleck's albums feature incredible Sam Bush cuts.

We've forgotten Strength in Numbers, the Blake/Robins/Taylor/Clements/Bush/Holland/Burns album, and Poor Richard's Almanac. Not to mention his tenure with Emmylou. Great stuff abounding.

[TigerMal]

Laps in Seven. Sam's riff at the end of "Where There's a Road" is awesome. Guests also include Jean-Luc Ponty on his song "New Country" with Sam playing violin - awesome II. And "Bringin in the Georgia Mail" is my favorite cut of all. Sam's band played this at the end of the IBMA awards last year.