“I love playing rhythm; I’m guess I’m a frustrated drummer.”

The one-and-only Sam Bush joins us this week for an enlightening talk about John Hartford and so much more.

Sam has just released Radio John: Songs of John Hartford, a tribute album to his mentor where he plays every instrument (acoustic guitar, mandolin, banjo, bass, and fiddle). We talk about the inspiration behind the album, the Hartford tracks he selected, and his recording process. It’s great to hear Sam reminisce about his old friend and the impact these songs have had on him.

Sam also talks to us about some of the unique gear he employed. In addition to his tried-and-true 1937 Gibson F-5 mandolin (better known as “Hoss”), he used a Silvertone bass with 40-year-old strings; a low-tuned banjo on loan from Bela Fleck, and a Cat’s Eyes / Tokai copy of a Martin D-42.

It’s a fun chat with a true bluegrass music legend. We hope you enjoy it.

Get Sam Bush’s Radio John here: https://folkways.si.edu/sam-bush/radio-john-songs-of-john-hartford

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Above photo: Jeff Fasano

Below photo of Sam with John Hartford: Lynn Bush