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Mandomania
Mar-11-2004, 1:21pm
Saw Sam a couple of weeks ago at the great Tacoma Winterfest. Although I know Sam as one of the great mandolinist of our generation, and have heard and seen him (via cd and vcr, I mean) in bluegrass and newgrass settings, I do not have his solo cds, so I really didn't know what to expect.

I did expect that it would be hard to get good seats close up to the stage like I like them... but read on.

The band included drums and a very loud auditorium- filling bass. Sam opened on a resonator mando, highly amplified, played with a slide. The long opening rambling piece included something that sounded like the Star Spangled Banner (or was It God Bless America?) in the style of Jimmi.

After that first piece, about 15% of the audience got up and left. After the second piece, about other 15% left. Am I exaggerating? If you were there, please correct me. All I know, I was able to move up about thirty rows and get great seats!

Sam played for two hours straight! Whatever one thinks of his music, I certainly appreciate the time he spent with until, what, about 1 AM?

IN the course of the set, Sam played on what I guess is his regular mando (the one his signature model is based upon) stronly amplified. He did at least one long piece with another mando with high distortion and a wah wah pedal!

So is it bluegrass? Of course not. But who cares! Sam Bush is Sam Bush: a genius with a unique musical personality which includes the need to constantly explore new territory. Like late Beethoven, Stravinsky, Schoenberg. If you're not an explorer and only want to hear what's been done before (not that there's anything wrong with that!), than his music #will not be to your taste. #But if you want to see a genius at work, here it is. On stage, he becomes totally one with the music, totally involved. It is not only a sound but a sight to behold.

And for those who walked out, first I would like to thank you for the great seats. Second I would like to let you know that if you had just a little patience (ha, ha), you would have heard Sam do two Monroe numbers as his encore.

By the way, Sam also has a great sense of humor and raport with the audience.

AlanN
Mar-11-2004, 1:41pm
A friend gave me a Sam Bush live CD recorded within the last year, pretty much the band configured as you describe. I gave it back. To compare him to Beethoven is an unbelieveable stretch that I think even Sam would agree with.

But, hey, if that's your bag, go for it.

Tom C
Mar-11-2004, 1:51pm
The Sam Bush Band is more rock and roll. I rarely get to see somebody play all the different type of mandos he does. Sam is a workhoss. Last year at Grey Fox, He did a work shop, then right after played with 3 other bands in a row before his own band played til very late.

One greatly missed opportunity was in Troy NY about 5 years ago there was a fiddle
thingy with Sam, Darryl Anger, Matt Glazer, maybe Richard Green and a few more.
Sam gave a MANDO workshop in another building in town I went to. But, only playing for a month or so I decided to just sit and watch. Well, it was the middle Feb
and only 1 other person showed up with her mando.

mrmando
Mar-11-2004, 2:03pm
Great gig -- it's true about folks leaving. I wound up in the front row!

Anyone recognize the 4-string solidbody flametop electric Sam played near the end of the set? Not a Fender -- looked like a '60s Washburn but I wasn't sure.

Mandomania
Mar-11-2004, 2:56pm
AlanN, you missed the point of my Beethoven comparison. I was specifically comparing them as being explorers, groundbreakers, innovators, as opposed those who are content to repeat or stay with the general perameters of what has been done before. So Beethoven was an innovator. Mozart, bless his soul, was an emulator. Both brought forth great music. #Since classical music is apparently one of my bags, that comparison came to mind.

But to get back to Bluegrass, here's something that may rankle a few, but just for fun:

Bluegrass is to classical music as arithmetic is to calculus. Both can produce wonderful results with the same basic material, but classical music explores and uses so much more of the possibilities inherent in "music." Does that make it better?

mandolooter
Mar-11-2004, 4:25pm
Wintergrass:laugh:

doublestop
Mar-11-2004, 7:37pm
Sam can do it all. Everyone must admit that, but I guess he can't make everyone happy with his live shows. I happen to love his rock 'n 'roll mandolin and his unique arrangements of the traditional songs. He loves what he does and that in turn is usually passed to the audience. I, for one, wouldn't have left, but to each his own as Alan N. said. Don't go to a Sam Bush concert and expect traditional Bluegrass!!

Atlanta Mando Mike
Mar-11-2004, 10:30pm
I don't think thr analogy about bgrass and classical really works. Bluegrass is largely based on improvisation, classical is written. Maybe the analogy would work better if you took out classical and inserted jazz. At least then they are some similarities.

Spruce
Mar-11-2004, 10:42pm
The best mandolin playing I heard all weekend at Wintergrass was Sam playing "Brilliancy" on solo mando at the Church to open up his mandolin workshop...

It was quite perfect...

AlanN
Mar-12-2004, 7:23am
Hey, I don't begrudge Sam about anything. He's making the music he wants to, fine by me. Even the two incarnations of NGR were not "traditional bluegrass", very obvious to me and by his own admission, too. I just prefer his acoustic stylistics, thankfully there are plenty of recorded examples of that, on his own records and others'.

I would submit that the better comparison of his style/musical direction over the years, especially lately, is with Bob Marley or the Allman Bros. He'd just as soon pick 8 More Miles to Louisville on Hoss as he would jam out on a twin electric guitar/bass/drums opus he made up. The musical world is a better place because of Sam Bush. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

Scotti Adams
Mar-12-2004, 7:26am
Hey, I don't begrudge Sam about anything. He's making the music he wants to, fine by me. Even the two incarnations of NGR were not "traditional bluegrass", very obvious to me and by his own admission, too. I just prefer his acoustic stylistics, thankfully there are plenty of recorded examples of that, on his own records and others'.

I would submit that the better comparison of his style/musical direction over the years, especially lately, is with Bob Marley or the Allman Bros. He'd just as soon pick 8 More Miles to Louisville on Hoss as he would jam out on a twin electric guitar/bass/drums opus he made up. The musical world is a better place because of Sam Bush. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif
dayam straight... http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/cool.gif

ethanopia
Mar-12-2004, 9:29am
I've always viewed Sam as a gateway drug. You know something that gets you hooked so you can move on to the harder stuff.

Fot those who may not be into to the hardcore grass he is a great way to get into it, he brings lots and lots of people who enjoy alternate forms of music. Weather its Marley, Dylan, Little Feat, or Monroe, usually if you are a music fan you can enjoy at least a few tunes from every show he does.

While he doesn't always please the Bluegrass police he sure has a great approach to fusing styles and puts on a great show...

Dioptase
Mar-14-2004, 2:45am
Kool & The Gang on Mandolin...
Who would have thought.

But truthfully, I appreciate his solo mandolin work best of all.
Micah