“This isn’t about me”, is the first thing that Kentucky Blues Society member, Kenny Lee, says to me right after our “Hellos”. Taken aback a bit by the intensity in his voice, I scramble past the interview questions in my notebook and flip to empty pages. After ‘okay-ing’ that I understand his point, I ask him to quickly expand on what his official role is with this year’s International NewGrass Festival.

Kenny Lee’s official title and function with the INGF— again making sure by the inflection in his voice that I know he has things he is going to say and is going to be heard— is as the KBS festival director for this year’s International NewGrass Festival taking place on August 20, 21 and 22 of 2010 on Balance Farms off US 31-W. The festival, which is organized and presented by Kentucky Blues Society, has been a long time goal for its members for quite some time. One of the Society’s objectives being to showcase all and any music being made in the region, just not the ‘blues’.

“You need to understand the significance of what’s involved here”, Kenny Lee says after all the official business has been put to paper. “This isn’t just another musical festival, not to us any way. This is a celebration of a unique form of music that originated here in our region. These 3 men are virtuosos.”

Kenny Lee speaks of course of about the 3 original surviving members of the New Grass Revival—Sam Bush, Curtis Burch and John Cowan. Needing to explain how the New Grass movement got started he talks first about Courtney Johnson and eventually goes through every member. The story goes as such:

Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson and Curtis Burch joined a band, in and around 1970-1971 called the Bluegrass Alliance (actually referred to as BA III when Johnson and Burch join). Among its’ members were well known bluegrass players Ebo Walker on the bass and Lonnie Peerce on the fiddle. Ebo Walker has been credited for being among the first to introduce the sound of an ‘electric’ instrument into the then “very rigid instrumentation” of traditional Bluegrass. When Sam Bush joins, just before Johnson, Bush starts on the guitar and then moves to the mandolin when Tony Rice joins to play guitar. Courtney Johnson joins the group on the banjo as Buddy Spurlock leaves in ’71. Tony Rice departs the band in ’71 to play with J.D. Crowe & the New South and Curtis Burch joins (BA III) to play the guitar & the Dobro. Late in ’71 Bluegrass Alliance (III) disbands. Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker and Curtis Burch start up the New Grass Revival.

It is this 4 star combination of Courtney Johnson’s innovative banjo playing, Sam Bush’s ‘rock n roll infused’ mandolin, the electric sound of Ebo Walker and the expansive but always bluegrass sound of Curtis Burch that gets the “New Grass” movement underway. New Grass Revival stepped slightly away from everything that was considered Bluegrass some 40 years ago and went with their own interpretation and love of the Bluegrass genre and were alienated and ridiculed from the get go.

Talking to well known Georgia blues player, Ronny McMurray, he said, “It was whispered under your breath. You didn’t want anybody to know you were listening to Bluegrass or anything like it. It wasn’t considered cool. Here was this mind blowing music and you’d hear it but it was next to impossible to find in a record store. And if you were playing music finding a good banjo or a Dobro was even harder.”

Thinking back to the musical atmosphere of the early 1970’s it was truly a revolutionary time for popular music. Singer-songwriters like James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Neil Young and Tom Waits, just to name a few, were all over the air-waves with a country influenced sound. Bands like the Eagles, the Allman Brothers, Lynard Skynard, the Flying Burrito Brothers, and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band were bringing the styles of different genres into the main stream as well. Though none were as instrumental based as New Grass Revival nor did any stay as ‘rooted’ to the fundamentals of their ‘base’ genre.

Shortly after the release of the debut album, Arrival of the New Grass Revival, Ebo Walker left the NGR and was replaced for a short time by Butch Robins. It was Kenny Lee that NGR looked to next to fill that empty slot. Kenny Lee suggested John Cowan. (Catch Sam Bush talking about this very moment on YouTube under John Cowan and Sam Bush—Dark as a Dungeon) This line-up held true all the 70’s and the New Grass Revival continued to use their unique recipe of rock, jazz, blues, country and traditional bluegrass to forge a new place in the music world for themselves and the growing number of artists that picked up and followed and repeated this style.

In 1981 Courtney Johnson and Curtis Burch both left NGR over for the band’s constant touring schedule. Bela Fleck took up Johnson’s slot on the banjo and Pat Flynn was brought in on the guitar. This version of the NGR was nominated for a Grammy. They had several minor hits on the country charts and many successful showings on Billboards Top 40.

After the release of Friday Night in America in 1989, Sam Bush and the rest of New Grass Revival went their separate ways. All the members of New Grass Revival have continued to create ground breaking music. In 1996 when Courtney Johnson died of lung cancer, Sam Bush, Curtis Burch, John Cowan, and Bela Fleck along with a multitude of musicians gave a benefit concert, for his widow, at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN. There have been other reunions on stage between the various members of New Grass Revival but none as close to the hearts as the International NewGrass Festival.

“You have to remember”, Kenny Lee says tapping the table, “that this genre is essentially named after these musicians. That’s a phenomenal achievement. The only comparisons I can give you that are similar are Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys. Bluegrass is called Bluegrass because they basically invented this unique form of music. You know how hard it is in this day and age to come up with something new and unique? Or it’s like when a dee-jay heard Chuck Berry –what 60 years ago—and said that sound “rocks and rolls” and that musical sound become Rock n Roll. This unique musical form was developed and nurtured here in Kentucky and more specifically right here in western Kentucky. Think about all the musicians you know that have started here and gone on and that’s amazing, but none developed their own unique form of musical expression. None. Just these incredibly gifted artists”. He paused just then and checked my gaze.

“Further more and this is close to my own heart, there is a misconception held by the mass media as a whole about Kentucky—that we are uneducated and uncultured. We as a people that populate this state are perceived as hillbillies and ignorant. There’s a negative connotation to being from Kentucky thought by the world. One of the long range goals of this festival is showcase to the world that Kentucky is on the cutting edge of so many fields. It is filled with progressive thinkers and artists. The state itself is stunning in its’ surreal beauty. The area where the INGF takes place is still getting feedback from last years’ festival about the natural beauty of its surroundings. And in a sense that completely supports the atmosphere of this festival.”

Being a card carrying member of the ‘proud to be a Kentuckian’ association, I’m feeling the love emanating from Kenny Lee about all of it. So I ask him to talk about what’s in store for the world for the 2010 festival.

“Well so many things came out of the mix from last year”, he starts, “We’ve had so much tremendous feedback as I’ve said about the location, and how clean it all was, our recycling program…well just about everything. So we know what we have right and won’t be changing any of that. But this is a learning process.”

He wouldn’t reveal any of the talent lined up for the late summer festival. Kenny only said that when artists were finalized he would be posting it to the festival’s website. He hinted at the possibility of television coverage and a documentary and was oozing confidence about this year’s festival being made into a sound recording. 

I made sure to ask about some of our other “world famous talent” like Jonell Mosser, Pat Haney, Greg Martin, and Tommy Womack— just name a few. He chuckled and said, “See there is a wealth of musical talent in this area.” He pointed out that all though he will be previewing all the performers that ask to come and play and those that are asked, it’s completely up to him.

 Kenny Lee added when I asked him about how an artist got put on the venue that, “In the end it’s the decision of Sam, Curtis and John because this festival has their name on it. It in a sense represents them and this genre they started and all that has to match up so to speak”.  He made sure to say that Curtis Burch prefers to view a live performance of any artist wanting to play, because to him that’s the true test. Kenny said, “Anybody interested can use the links and addresses on the INGF web site and send a link or whatever and we’ll take a look.”

Come be part of the International NewGrass Festival this August. Bring your blanket, your love of great music and of course your unbridled free spirit to celebrate some of Kentucky’s “finer things”.

All other information, vendors’ info, sponsor info, tickets and passes can be found on the INGF web site http://www.newgrassfestival.com/

About the author: Franne J. has lived in 5 major cities and 7 states, but has always loved this area and considered Bowling Green home. She’s been a part of and writing about the local art and music scene, off and on, since the mid-90’s. She recently met the love of her life, a ship’s captain, who has encouraged her to write again. Find her on Facebook.