Bluegrass legend Sam Bush to play at the Refinery Saturday

World-renowned multi-instrumentalist Sam Bush returns to Charleston this week for an intimate performance at the Refinery on March 23. Fans of the master musician can expect an assortment of career-spanning genre-blending tunes — including cuts from Bush’s most recent LP, Radio John, which is comprised exclusively of songs associated with the late, great Americana artist John Hartford.

Hailing from Bowling Green, Ky., Bush was one of a handful of prominent younger pickers in the 1960s who absorbed — and then audaciously altered — Bill Monroe’s musical vision. “Hearing Bill Monroe pulling that particular tone out of that 1923 Gibson F5 mandolin is precisely what informed the sound that we all aspired toward when we were starting out,” Bush said in an interview with the City Paper.

Although Monroe’s virtuosity and innovative Bluegrass palate provided Bush with a guide star of sorts, from there he began looking in all directions for inspiration. In the process, Bush and likeminded allies such as Peter Rowan, David Grisman and John Duffey inadvertently created a jam-friendly subculture known as “Newgrass.”

In fact, Bush borrowed so freely from the likes of Bob Marley, Bob Dylan and The Allman Brothers Band that his first major group, Bluegrass Alliance (which also featured guitar guru Tony Rice), was frequently referred to by promoters as “The Grateful Dead of Bluegrass.”

It was his long-running stint in New Grass Revival (NGR), however, that really put Bush on the mainstream map, alongside such formidable colleagues as John Cowan (now with the Doobie Brothers) and Béla Fleck. Besides bending boundaries of its own, NGR also served as a fine-tuned backing band for (Rock n’ Roll maestro) Leon Russell and later reprised the supporting role for (Country megastar) Garth Brooks.

Ultimately, Bush ended up in Nashville, Tenn., functioning as both a solo artist and bandleader while simultaneously becoming a sought-after session player for his highly coveted fiddle, guitar and mandolin parts. In that latter capacity, Bush has collaborated with low key legends like Doc Watson, Del McCoury and Steve Earle as well as big name pop people like Darius Rucker, Taylor Swift and John Oates.

In certain circles, Bush has earned more credibility than the actual chart-toppers he regularly works with in Nashville. For example, John Oates told the Charleston City Paper that his own rock star status (from his days in Hall & Oates) didn’t get him very far when he first arrived in Music City, roughly 15 years ago. “Then Sam Bush befriended me and that was all it took to flip the switch. I suddenly found myself surrounded by all the other A-list players in town,” Oates said.

Always an overachiever

Along the way, Bush quietly picked up numerous accolades for his accomplishments including multiple GRAMMY Awards, various IBMA honors, and the Americana Music Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award for an Instrumentalist.

He has also generously enlightened and encouraged many of the shape-shifting acts currently at the helm of the acoustic scene including Billy Strings, Punch Brothers, Sierra Hull and Greensky Bluegrass.

Although he remains remarkably humble, having such a long and storied past means that Bush gets to write his next chapter any way he likes. This leaves plenty of room for personal indulgences like the John Hartford tribute — a passion project designed to pay homage to someone with whom Bush had developed a strong bond over the years.

“I got to meet John in the summer of 1971 at Bill Monroe’s Bean Blossom Bluegrass Festival,” Bush recalled. “The band he had with him included Tut Taylor, Norman Blake and Vassar Clements, and they just blew minds that night. Late in the evening I got to spend some time around the campfire with those guys and I had never before met anyone that liked to jam or play music more than John. He literally would rather pick than eat. That initial encounter led to a working relationship and a friendship that lasted decades.”

In the end, what Bush seems to like most these days is roaming around the live music circuit with his superb band behind him. “I feel extremely fortunate,” Bush said. “Mainly because my whole musical life I have always played exactly what I wanted to and at this point the measure of success is really just having the opportunity and the ability to go out and play some more.”

Find general admission for $25 at therefinerychs.com. Sam Bush plays 7-10 p.m. March 23.