A bush band is a group of musicians that play traditional Australian folk music or contemporary folk music played in a traditional Australian style. A similar bush band tradition is also found in New Zealand.

Instruments

In addition to vocals, instruments featured in bush bands may include fiddle, accordion, guitar, banjo, mandolin, concertina, harmonica, lagerphone, bush bass (tea chest bass) or double bass, tin whistle, and bodhrán. Less common are the piano, bones, barcoo dog (a sheep herding tool used as a sistrum), spoons, and musical saw. Although not traditional, electric bass guitar or electric guitar have occasionally been used since the 1970s.

Repertoire and function

Bush bands play music for bush dances, in which the dance program is usually based on dances known to have been danced in Australia from colonial times to the folk revival in the 1950s. Contemporary dances, composed in the traditional style, are also featured at bush dances.

Some popular traditional bush dances are Stockyards, Haymaker's Jig, Galopede, Brown Jug Polka, Virginia Reel and Barn Dance. Popular contemporary bush dances include Blackwattle Reel, Jubilee Jig, CHOGM Pentrille, Knocking Down His Cheque and Midnight Schottische.

Bush bands also play bush ballads, many of which date to the 19th century. Among the most notable bush lyricists was the poet Banjo Paterson (1864–1941).

The Bush Music Club, based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, hold regular bush dances and Colonial Balls where bush bands perform .

Origin

Bush bands, as currently formulated, experienced a revival in 1953 with the musical play Reedy River, which was first produced and published by the New Theatre (Sydney) and most recently produced in 2002. Written by Dick Diamond, the musical featured twelve or so Australian songs, which included Doreen Jacobs' setting of Helen Palmer's "Ballad of 1891," as well as the title song, Chris Kempster's setting of Lawson's "Reedy River." The backing band for this popular stage production was "The Bushwhackers," who had formed a year earlier in 1952. As the musical was performed in Brisbane and other Australian cities, local "bush bands" modeled on the Sydney group, such as Brisbane's "The Moreton Bay Bushwhackers," sprang up in each place; many of these remained together following the closing of the musical, and spawned other, similar groups.

Contemporary bush bands

Perhaps the best known bush band internationally, albeit in their later years with the influence of English folk rock bands like Fairport Convention and Steeleye Span, was the Bushwackers (spelt without the "h" as in the earlier Bushwhackers Band of the 1950s), who formed in Melbourne and were active from the early 1970s to 1984. The "Wackers," as they are known by their fans, toured around the world and with their larrikin, outgoing style, song books, dance instruction books and records, contributed markedly to the spread of bush music and dancing, especially in Australia. Their style was infused with Celtic music (i.e. reels and jigs) to a greater extent than previous bush bands, and they used an electric bass guitar in place of the more traditional bush bass. The period leading up to and following Australia's Bicentenary, 1988, saw a marked resurgence in bush music and bush dances that lasted for many years.

Many bands also bearing the rock influence and adding original music rode this Australiana wave. Examples are the Ants Bush Band, Eureka!, Skewiff, Rantan Bush Band and Bullamakanka and some bands, including the Bushwackers, still perform on an occasional basis. Few bands formed in the 1980s survive to this day. One exception, while seeing many player changes over the years, is Currency Lads (Sydney), which still performs regularly (2009). Brisbane's Rantan Bush Band, formed in 1977, continues to perform commercially on at least a weekly basis (2010) and still has three of its original line up. This band, like the Bushwackers, has a range of dance instruction books (see references below).

In recent years the emergence of bands such as The Currency (Melbourne), The Handsome Young Strangers (Sydney) and Sydney City Trash (Sydney) has moved bush music into rock and roll venues and major festival stages, with a blended style that includes rock drums and guitars whilst combining with Celtic influences. The Handsome Young Strangers lean more towards the traditional style of bands such as The Bushwackers, whilst The Currency and Sydney City Trash incorporate both punk and Celtic styles. Rantan Bush Band has maintained a folk/country blend as its trademark and performs both traditional Australian songs as well as Australian country music and a supporting repertoire of regular pop and rock music for dancing.

List of bush bands

In Australia

The Bushwackers (Melbourne, Victoria)

Hammer 'N Tap (Broken Hill, New South Wales)

Warren Fahey (solo artist) (Potts Point, New South Wales)

Franklyn B Paverty (Canberra and the region around the Australian Capital Territory)

In Europe

Rolf Harris (Thameside, England, United Kingdom)

Buckley's Chance (Herts, UK)

In New Zealand

The Big Muffin Serious Band

The Pioneer Pog 'n' Scroggin Bush Band

See also

Skiffle bands

Bush dance

Notes

References

Chris O'Connor & Suzette Watkins: Begged, Borrowed & Stolen, Talunga Music., 1979 ISBN 0 9594713 0 8

David G Johnson: Bush Dance - A collection of Traditional Tunes, Bush Music Club., 1984 ISBN 0 9599528 1 0

Max Klubal: Music for Australian Folk Dancing with Instructions, The Australian Folk Trust., 1979

Jan Wositzky, Dobe Newton, Barry Olive: The Bushwackers Band Dance Book, Greenhouse Publications 1980 ISBN 0 909104 255

Rantan Bush Band (with Mike Jackson): Bush Dance!, Bluegum Music, 1982–2009, 7th Ed., ISBN 1-875437-37-1

Rantan Bush Band (with Mike Jackson): Social Dance!, Bluegum Music, 1994–2009, 5th Ed., ISBN 1-875437-38-X

Mike Jackson (with Rantan Bush Band and Ian Blake): Rig-a-Jig-Jig!, Bluegum Music, 1985–2009, Combined edition, ISBN 1-875437-39-9

Category:Australian styles of music Category:New Zealand culture

Name	Sam Bush
Background	solo_singer
Born	April 13, 1952Bowling Green, Kentucky, US
Instrument	Mandolin, Fiddle, Guitar
Genre	Bluegrass, Progressive bluegrass
Occupation	Musician
Years active	1963-present
Label	Flying Fish, Sugar Hill
Associated acts	Bluegrass Alliance, New Grass Revival, Strength in Numbers, Nash Ramblers, Sam Bush Band
Url	http://sambush.com

Sam Bush (born April 13, 1952 in Bowling Green, Kentucky) is an American bluegrass mandolin player considered an originator of the Newgrass style.

History

Sam Bush was exposed to country and bluegrass music at an early age through his father Charlie's record collection, and later by the Flatt & Scruggs television show. Buying his first mandolin at the age of 11, his musical interest was further piqued when he attended the inaugural Roanoke, VA Bluegrass Festival in 1965. As a teen Bush took first place three times in the junior division of the National Oldtime Fiddler's Contest in Weiser, ID. He joined guitarist Wayne Stewart, his mentor and music teacher during Sam's teen years, and banjoist Alan Munde (later of Country Gazette) and the three recorded an instrumental album, Poor Richard's Almanac, in 1969. In the spring of 1970, Bush attended the Fiddlers Convention at Union Grove, NC, and was inspired by the rock-flavored progressive bluegrass of the New Deal String Band. Later that year, he moved to Louisville and joined the Bluegrass Alliance. In the fall of 1971, the band dissolved and reformed as the New Grass Revival.

The New Grass Revival went through numerous personnel changes, with Bush remaining as the sole original member. Bassist and vocalist John Cowan joined in 1974, with banjo ace Béla Fleck and acoustic guitarist Pat Flynn being enlisted in 1981. From 1979 through 1981, the group toured with Leon Russell, opening the shows and backing Russell during his headlining set.

Beginning in 1980, Bush and Cowan periodically jammed with the Nashville-based Duckbutter Blues Band, whose other members were blues guitarist Kenny Lee, drummer Jeff Jones, and bassist Byron House. Bush recorded his debut solo album, Late as Usual, four years later. In 1989, Bush and Fleck joined Mark O'Connor, Jerry Douglas, and Edgar Meyer in an all-star bluegrass band, Strength in Numbers, at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Colorado. When the New Grass Revival dissolved in 1989, Bush joined Emmylou Harris' Nash Ramblers, touring and recording with Harris for the next five years.

In 1995, Bush worked as a sideman with Lyle Lovett and Bela Fleck's Flecktones. He formed his own band, featuring Cowan and ex-Nash Ramblers Jon Randall and Larry Atamanuick, shortly before recording his second solo album, Glamour & Grits, in 1996. He released his next album, Howlin' at the Moon, in 1998, with many of the same players and special guests, including Harris, Fleck and J. D. Crowe.

In the winter of 1997, Bush and the New Grass Revival reunited for an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien as the backup band for Garth Brooks. On March 28, 1998, Bush's hometown of Bowling Green, KY, honored him with a special "Sam Bush Day" celebration.

Following Howlin' at the Moon in 1998, he released Ice Caps: Peaks of Telluride in 2000, which was a live recording. In 2004, Randall left Bush's band and Brad Davis (musician) took over harmony vocals and guitar duties.

In 2006, Bush released Laps in Seven. The release was significant because it marked the return of the banjo to Bush's recordings, performed by Scott Vestal. The guitarist, Keith Sewell, performed on the recording, but shortly after took a job with the Dixie Chicks. Bush sought a new guitarist for his recordings and road band and found Stephen Mougin.

In 2007, Bush released his first live concert DVD, titled On The Road. 2007 also marked the first time he had been chosen to host the International Bluegrass Music Association Awards.

In March 2010, Legislation passed in Kentucky that officially named Bowling Green the "Birthplace of Newgrass" and Sam Bush the "Father of Newgrass." The Resolution, sponsored by Representative Jim DeCesare, passed the Kentucky Senate 37-0 on March 25. It passed the House on March 3, 99-0.

Performance

As well as being an accomplished bluegrass vocalist, Bush also is an accomplished instrumentalist on guitar and fiddle winning title of National Fiddle champion at fifteen years of age. He was a founding member of the New Grass Revival and has been called a modern day Bill Monroe, or as Sam would tell . .

Sam, affectionately "Sammy", or "Mr. Entertainment", also recalls meeting Mr. Monroe as a young teen. After demonstrating his mandolin technique Monroe offered the advice: "stick to the fiddle". Sam is one of the main attractions at the annual Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride, Colorado and plays the eight p.m. set on Saturday night as well as many guest appearances throughout the weekend. He is affectionately known as "The King of Telluride" for his perennial appearances there (and Emmylou Harris the "Queen of Telluride"). Sam did tour with Harris' band, The Nash Ramblers. Additional collaborations include recording and live performances with many virtuoso musicians and artists such as Doc Watson, Linda Ronstadt, Dolly Parton, Ann Savoy, Tony Rice, Peter Rowan, Russ Barenberg, David Grisman, Mark O Connor, Edgar Meyer, and importantly; "Strength in Numbers", a band consisting of Bela Fleck, Tony Rice, Mark O Connor, Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas, and Sam Bush.

Strength in Numbers was a collaboration born from jam sessions at the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. The music on their CD release entitled "The Telluride Sessions" was all instrumental and recorded live, showcasing the individual talent of each player and their ability to improvise. During recent years (2000–2008) there have been many variations of the Strength in Numbers band, also known as "Bluegrass Sessions", always including Jerry Douglas, (Dobro), and usually bassist Byron House, also from Bowling Green, KY. Other musicians include Gabe Witcher (fiddle), Brian Sutton (guitar), Tim O'Brien (fiddle, mandolin, guitar, vocals) and Darol Anger, (fiddle).

Sam Bush Band tours extensively, appearing at many small venues and large festivals such as the Strawberry Music Festival (Memorial Day and Labor Day), Rockygrass (late July), and every spring at the Americana Festival, Merlefest in Wilkesboro, North Carolina. Sam Bush is known as one of the liveliest performers at these festivals, and makes many guest appearances with the other artists.

Distinctions and awards

Chosen to host the 2007 International Bluegrass Music Association Awards, held at the Grand Ole Opry. Sam walked away with an award himself for Mandolin Player of the Year IBMA 2007. Nominated as "Instrumentalist of the Year" by the Americana Music Association. He is affectionately known as "The King of Telluride" for his perennial appearances there (Emmylou Harris as the "Queen of Telluride"). Known as "King of Newgrass".

Discography

Solo albums

DVDs

On the Road (2007) Sugar Hill ASIN: B000RHRG5S

Specialty projects

Drive - Béla Fleck - Rounder Records 1988

The Telluride Sessions by supergroup Strength in Numbers - MCA 1989

Short Trip Home - Sony Classical 1999

:(Edgar Meyer & Joshua Bell with Sam Bush and Mike Marshall)

Bluegrass Mandolin Extravaganza - Acoustic Disc 1999

:(w/ David Grisman, Ronnie McCoury, Jesse McReynolds, Ricky Skaggs, others)

The Bluegrass Sessions - Béla Fleck - Warner Bros. 1999

Soulgrass - Bluegrass and Jazz Fusion 2005

2007, performing "Rising Sun" with Marc Broussard

New Grass Revival

New Grass Revival (1972) Hollywood

Fly Through the Country (1975) Flying Fish

When the Storm Is Over (1977) Flying Fish

Too Late to Turn Back Now (1977) Flying Fish ASIN: B000000ME2

Barren County (album) (1979) Flying Fish ASIN: B000000MEL

Leon Russell & New Grass Revival (1981) Paradise

Commonwealth (1981) Flying Fish ASIN: B000000MGE

On the Boulevard (1984) Sugar Hill ASIN: B000000EZL

Live in Toulouse (1984) Sugar Hill ASIN: B000000F0O

New Grass Revival (1986) Capitol

Hold to a Dream (1988) Capitol

Friday Night in America (1989) Capitol

When the Storm Is Over/Fly Through the Country (1992) Flying Fish ASIN: B000000MDQ

Best of New Grass Revival (1994) Capitol ASIN: B000002TNY

(2005) Capitol ASIN: B0009ML1RK

Collaboration

Bush appears on numerous country and bluegrass albums, including those by:

Video

"The River's Gonna Run - Sam Bush" YouTube.com

"Sam Bush & Pat Flynn of New Grass Revival - Beaumont Rag" YouTube.com

"The New Grass Revival (Live) - Metric Lips" YouTube.com

See also

Bluegrass music

Country music

Mandolin

Grammy Awards

New Grass Revival

Progressive bluegrass

Telluride Bluegrass Festival

Merlefest

International Bluegrass Music Association

Americana Music Association

Grand Ole Opry

Bowling Green, Kentucky

References

Further reading

Bush, Sam (1999). Sam Bush Teaches Mandolin Repertoire and Technique (Listen & Learn), Hal Leonard, ISBN 0-7935-9950-4.

Rosenberg, Neil V.(2005). Bluegrass: A History, University of Illinois Press, ISBN 0-2520-7245-6.

External links

Official site

Sam Bush Music Video

Category:1952 births

Category:Living people Category:People from Bowling Green, Kentucky Category:American folk guitarists Category:Musicians from Kentucky Category:New Grass Revival members Category:Grammy Award winners Category:American music educators Category:American bluegrass fiddlers Category:American bluegrass mandolinists

Name	Justin Sandercoe
Background	solo_singer
Birth name	Justin Sandercoe
Born	Tasmania, Australia
Occupation	Guitarist, Vocalist
Url	Justin Sandercoe's official site

Justin Sandercoe is a guitarist, songwriter, performer, producer and educator who grew up in Tasmania and who has been based in London, England since 1996. He also teaches privately in West London.

Justinguitar.com background

Sandercoe's official website, justinguitar.com, was first launched on 31 July 2003 offering lessons as a sample to promote private lessons. The site developed a modest following but once he began making instructional guitar videos for YouTube in December 2006 the site became one of the most popular guitar instruction web sites. The site runs on voluntary donations from users and there are no fees for membership.

Justin was named as one of the UK's Top 10 YouTube Celebrities on The Telegraph Newspaper

In 2007 he started Chocolate Cake Productions with Jed Wardley to release his instructional DVDs. By August 2009 there are 11 DVDs available, including "Master The Major Scale", "Really Useful Strumming Techniques", "Solo Blues Guitar" series and "Justin's Beginner Guitar Method". Sandercoe also published a number of electronic books in .pdf format, including "Practical Music Theory" and "Chord Construction Guide".

Performing with Katie Melua

Sandercoe has produced and written for Katie Melua and played electric and acoustic guitar in her live band between 2005 and 2008.

Her performance of his song "Turn To Tell" was available as the B-side on the "Call Off The Search" UK single. The song can also be heard on the South African release of the album "Call Off The Search", which earned Sandercoe his first platinum disc. He is also featured in the video clip of the same song, found on the bonus DVD of the UK album release.

He taught Melua guitar and is still her teacher.

Live performances

Sandercoe has played concerts around the world with a variety of acts, including The Brit Awards 2004; The Johnny Vaughn house band 2005; live on the Today Show in the United States in 2006; the UK and European tour with Katie Melua in 2006 & 2007 which included The World Music Awards, the Live Earth Concert in Hamburg, the North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam and the German ECHO awards.

Between 2000 and 2005 he played over 1000 shows with The Counterfeit Stones - a Rolling Stones tribute band - including supporting Bryan Adams at the Amsterdam Arena in Amsterdam, a sold out Albert Hall show, The Shepherds Bush Empire and numerous television and radio appearances.

Magazines

Sandercoe has been featured and written for Guitar Techniques magazine, including the Led Zeppelin cover feature, issue GT108 and the Tasty Chord column. He has also been featured in Total Guitar and in Guitar magazine, with The Counterfeit Stones. He has been published in Guitar Tutor, the magazine of the Registry Of Guitar Tutors, and has instructed masterclasses about teaching transcribing at their annual conference. He also gives masterclasses for The International Guitar Federation.

Discography

Small Town Eyes (2010)

References

External links

Official Website

Official Myspace Page

First News interviews Justin Sandercoe

Justin Sandercoe interview (2010) - iTalkGuitar

Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:Living people Category:Australian guitarists

Name	Stan Bush
Background	solo_singer
Born	1953Orlando, Florida (age 55-56)
Genre	Melodic rock, AOR, pop rock
Instrument	Vocals, guitar
Occupation	Singer-songwriter, musician
Years active	1983 — present
Label	L.A. RecordsScotti Bros.
Url	Official website

Stan Bush is an American singer-songwriter and musician whose most notable work include the songs "Dare" and "The Touch" from the soundtrack to the 1986 animated film , and "She's Got the Power", featured in the American voice dub of the animated series Sailor Moon. Other notable works include the songs "Never Surrender," "Streets of Siam," and "Fight for Love" from the movie Kickboxer, and "Fight to Survive" and "On My Own - Alone", the theme from Bloodsport. In 1987, Bush (and back-up band Barrage) wrote and recorded the ballad "Love Don't Lie", which became a minor MTV hit when covered a year later by House Of Lords.

Bush submitted two tracks for the producers of the 2007 live action Transformers movie, but they were not included on the final soundtrack. However, on July 3, 2007, Bush re-released his album In This Life with the two additional tracks he submitted for the Transformers soundtrack, which include an updated version of "The Touch", and an updated version of his song from BotCon 1997, "Ground Zero", retitled "'Till All Are One". Bush also recorded another, markedly different version of "The Touch" which was at first rumoured for possible inclusion in the 2009 sequel . The 2007 version of "The Touch" was later released as a free downloadable track for the video game Guitar Hero World Tour. More recently, Bush's aforementioned "Till All Are One" was used as the end credits song for 2010 video game .

Bush's latest studio album is Dream the Dream, which was released on September 15th, 2010 through LA Records. The album contains 11 new songs written and performed by Stan Bush and studio musicians, as well as a cover of perhaps his most popular song, The Touch, which was originally re-recorded for inclusion in 2009's film, but was ultimately released to the videogame as a free digital-download. His first full-studio effort since 2007's In This Life, it gathered positive reviews from fans and critics alike.

Geekcastradio was pleased that the re-recorded version of The Touch had removed the unpopular rap elements,"I love this updated version and at the end there are a few rock riffs that kick your ass!" Playswitch.com says the album "continues the amazing comeback that started with 2007's In This Life," adding "with Dream the Dream, Bush once again proves there's more to him than meets the eye."

Discography

Albums

Stan Bush (1983)

Stan Bush & Barrage (1987)

Every Beat of My Heart (1992)

Dial 818-888-8638 (1993)

Higher Than Angels (1996)

The Child Within (1996)

Call to Action (1997)

Til All Are One (1997)

Stan Bush & Barrage - Heaven (1998)

Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year (1998) (Christmas Album -out of print-)

Capture the Dream - The Best of Stan Bush (1999)

Language of the Heart (2001)

Shine (2004)

In This Life (2007)

Dream The Dream (2010)

References

External links

Stan Bush Official Web Site

Stan Bush Official MySpace

Biography and photographs from LA Records

Category:1953 births Category:American male singers Category:Living people

Name	John Cowan
Background	solo_singer
Born	August 24, 1952Evansville, Indiana, U.S.
Instruments	Bass guitar
Genre	Bluegrass
Occupation	Musician, Bass guitarist, Singer
Years active	1970s–present
Label	Sugar Hill, RCA
Url

John Cowan (b. August 24, 1952 in Evansville, Indiana) is an American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival.

Biography

After the breakup of the New Grass Revival, Cowan released a soul record of covers, called "Soul'd Out", on the Sugar Hill Records label in 1990.

Cowan appeared as a duo with Sam Bush on the PBS series, Lonesome Pine Special in 1992, and also appeared with other artists on the program.

From 1988 to 1996 Cowan teamed with Rusty Young of Poco, Bill Lloyd of Foster & Lloyd and Pat Simmons of the Doobie Brothers in a band originally called Four Wheel Drive which was later changed to the Sky Kings. Several singles were released but failed to chart well. Two albums were recorded but not released by RCA until 1997 after the group's demise as the Sky Kings, "Out of the Blue".

Thanks in part to his collaboration with Simmons in Four Wheel Drive, Cowan also found himself the bass player for the Doobie Brothers from 1993-1995. His song Can't Stand To Lose, co-written with Rusty Young, was featured on the Doobies' 2000 album Sibling Rivalry.

In addition, throughout the 1990s, Cowan picked up session work singing harmony vocals and/or playing bass on recordings of Travis Tritt, Steve Earle, Garth Brooks, and Wynonna.

From 1996 through 1998, Cowan was the bassist and harmony vocalist in Sam Bush's touring band.

The new century brought a blues record from Cowan. By 2002, his projects on Sugar Hill turned more to his "newgrass" stylings.

In 2006, Cowan left Sugar Hill and went to the independent label Pinecastle Records. In 2008, Cowan was chosen to participate in a movie on the life of Billy Graham, titled, Billy: The Early Years.

In May 2010, due to an illness to The Doobie Brothers bassist Skylark, Cowan returned to the Doobies as their touring bassist.

Footnotes

External links

Official site

John Cowan collection at the Internet Archive's live music archive

Category:1952 births Category:Living people Category:American bass guitarists Category:American male singers Category:American bluegrass musicians Category:New Grass Revival members Category:People from Evansville, Indiana