The alumni of The Bluegrass Alliance from around 1968 to 1978. Photo by Jim McGuire

NEWGRASS RETURNS HOME TO LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY

Sam Bush and original members of New Grass Revival & The Bluegrass Alliance announce major concert event at the Galt House to benefit American Cancer Society

December 24, 2008 | Louisville, KY - Two of the worlds most innovative and influential music bands return home to Louisville, Kentucky, the birthplace of the NEW GRASS REVIVAL and its predecessor THE BLUEGRASS ALLIANCE. These bands created and defined a new style called Newgrass, mixing traditional Bill Monroe-styled Bluegrass with a fusion of rock, blues and jazz. Led by SAM BUSH - the Father of Newgrass - the recordings, concerts and members of the New Grass Revival and The Bluegrass Alliance have become part of the folklore of the state, and major forces within the music industry. Without a doubt, these bands from Louisville changed the course of Bluegrass music forever.

A key component of the Bluegrass scene in the halcyon days of the 1970s was an old Victorian mansion in Cherokee Park near downtown Louisville. The infamous BLUEGRASS HOTEL, whose proprietor Harry Bickel and Harry Sparks - luthier of renown - made life more stable for its residents and super pickers that included Sam Bush, Dan Crary (The Bluegrass Alliance co-founder), Tony Rice, Vince Gill, John Cowan, Curtis Burch, J.D. Crowe, Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs and many others who were making their way though the treacherous waters of the music business. The Bluegrass Hotel represents an important chapter in music history, with a cast of characters that made Kentucky the center of the Bluegrass universe during the 1970s.

Sam Bush and original members of the New Grass Revival and The Bluegrass Alliance have launched a major project celebrating the Newgrass era in Kentucky, titled THE BLUEGRASS HOTEL. The centerpiece of the project is a KET co-produced Film broadcast nationally on PBS stations in 2009, that will be accompanied by a DVD, CD, LP record and coffee table book. Film elements include reality-based storytelling and jam sessions filmed at the legendary Bluegrass Hotel and the funky 70s-era Rudyard Kipling club, archival performances of the bands in the 1970s, and recording sessions of new music set against the backdrop of a major benefit concert on March 20, 2009 at the Galt House Hotel in Louisville. Concert highlights include a confirmed All Star performance featuring Sam Bush with Curtis Burch, John Cowan, J.D. Crowe, Tony Rice, and Dan Crary. Expect an announcement soon regarding confirmed appearances by major Special Guest Stars and other original members of the New Grass Revival and The Bluegrass Alliance bands. Proceeds of the March 20th concert benefit the American Cancer Society in Louisville.

If it wasn't for The Bluegrass Hotel, I dont know how a lot of young Bluegrass musicians (like Vince Gill) could have moved to a different city to learn how to play music, said Sam Bush. Im pleased to be involved in a project that is focused on the Newgrass era and to perform at this concert back in Louisville, where all the proceeds will benefit the work of the American Cancer Society. I know that cancer is a disease that affects all of our families in one way or another, and this concert will help the Societys efforts to beat it, said Bush.

The Bluegrass Hotel Concert & Festival | Friday, March 20, 2009 Galt House Hotel | 140 N. Fourth Street, Louisville, KY 40202 | Venue V Grand Ballroom & Foyer Festival 5pm - 2am (free to the public) | Booths & Exhibits - Music Stage - Jamming - Concessions Concert 8 - 10pm (ticketed event) | Tickets go on sale Jan. 5, 2009 @ www.thebluegrasshotel.com Special room rates at Galt House Hotel available @ www.GaltHouse.com or (502) 589-5200

For more info contact:
Bill Millet, Producer 972.365.3303
Keith LaBelle, Galt House 502.569.4475
Lorraina Aldridge, American Cancer Society 502.533.2511