Glamor & Grits

by

Sam Bush

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Nailed it!....Absolutely nailed it! Sam hit the groove on this one. Even though they are all excellent, of his three solo releases, this brilliant second collection is the best with nary a weak moment. From the superbly flawless musicianship to the masterful composition, arrangement and interpretation to....well, you get the picture, one would think that Sam Bush has created a new art form; and in a sense he has. He has certainly set the benchmark for others to achieve when it comes to diversity; because, we're not just talkin' bluegrass, folk, etc. here. Someone tell me....what musical style is not included in this recording? And they are all interpreted and played brilliantly, as his 8th track, the instrumental solo "Brilliancy", summates. Each of the tracks here are conveyed as if they were perfectly suited for Sam's voice and his "virtuoso" string work.

The dueling mandolin and banjo on a pleasingly recurrent theme in "Whayasay" kicks the set off perfectly, as if to say, "wait til you hear what's next". There is a reminiscent peacefulness in "Same Ol' River" which flows well into the soulful "All Night Radio". The instrumental "Stingray" simply cooks as Sam teams with former New Grass Revival member John Cowan - anytime this happens good things result. Perhaps the finest rendition of "The Ballad Of Spider John" I've heard then preceeds the fine down-and-dirty slide mandolin on "Watson Allman". Sam's penchant for Reggae is evidenced in "Is This Love". The ethereal and bluesy "Spooky Lane" is notable for Sam's lonesome fiddle and its haunting melody. The traditional "Ol' Joe Clark" is a natural fit for this album and then we're blessed with a fine Gospel vocal arrangement of "The Lord Came Unto Me". Sam and crew wrap it up with a Celtic romp, "One Night In Old Galway", which promises to "peel the paint" when appropriately cranked up.

This is sim! ply a recording to go back to over and over. Sam Bush fans probably already have it, others ought to.

Sam Bush proves his salt as a master of the mandolin and delves into the role of lead vocalist on a number of tracks throughout Glamour and Grits.

While he sizzles on the mandolin (with a measure of fiddle and guitar thrown in), his cast of all-stars, including Bela Fleck, Al Kooper, Jerry Douglas, and John Cowan, all step up and deliver the goods. The ensemble playing on tracks such as the opening number Whatyasay are the reason to check out this CD.

The vocal tracks are certainly OK---though I don't think this rendering of Bob Marley's Is This Love adds to the late master's legacy---but I gravitate toward the instrumentals, listening for the subtle details and fret work that make this lively session worth the while.

This CD is worth a spin though it tends to sound a bit "lite" after repeated listenings.