Published on Feb 14, 2001
I begin to wonder if this job of mine will ever be done. Every
time I think I’ve identified every artist worthy of my time,
consideration and hard-earned pocket change, somebody comes along
who I have to consider as being damned entertaining. Therefore, I
shall begin this review by blaming Sam Bush for not having brought
himself to my attention sooner, because he’s an utter joy to listen
to. It’s his fault. That said…
Ice Caps is one of the most energetic, delightful, and
infectious live albums I’ve ever heard. Bush, one of the founding
members of seminal newgrass band the New Grass Revival, has been
appearing at Telluride’s Bluegrass Festival since the
mid-seventies, and even after the band broke up, he kept coming
back. Bush has played every Saturday night at Telluride for over
twenty-five years.
Ice Caps is in may ways a “best of Telluride” album, thus
the secondary title; recordings on this disc range from 1992 to
1999.
And what recordings they are. There are the traditional songs –
Bill Monroe’s “Big Mon” played with Bush on mandolin and Bela Fleck
on banjo. More than that, though, there are the pop and rock and
folk songs run through Bush’s Patented Bluegrassifier, coming out
even more delightful; Bob Dylan’s “Girl Of The North Country”, John
Hiatt’s “Memphis In The Meantime”, Leon Russell’s “I Put A Spell On
You”, and in a truly brain-breaking moment, Kool and the Gang’s
“Celebration”. (It works. Don’t ask me how.)
Bush and company aren’t too bad at blues, either, as witnessed
by a tasty teardown on Sonny Landreth’s “Speak Of The Devil”. Heck,
I could probably find something nice to say about every track on
this CD, and you could read them all and nod knowingly, but save us
both the time and just go buy the damned thing. You’d get yourself
some good music, you’d discover the fun that is Sam Bush, and you’d
support Sugar Hill Records, who are rapidly moving their way into
my personal divine hierarchy for giving half a damn about American
traditional music in a day and age when most people think Shania
Twain is country music. (Yechhh.)
Ice Caps is a romp with Bush and his friends, and one of
those rare recordings where it’s plain just how much fun a musician
is having. It comes definitely recommended.