New Grass Revival

New Grass Revival
Photo of the classic (1972-1981) lineup of the band - Sam Bush, Curtis Burch, John Cowan, Courtney Johnson. The contradictory nature of their music is highlighted by the juxtaposition of "traditional" attire (flannel shirts, Sam Bush's overalls) and setting (wooden rocking chairs on a porch) with the modern amplifier in their midst.
Background information
Origin	Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Genres	Progressive bluegrass, country
Years active	1971 (1971)–1989 (1989)
Labels	Starday, Flying Fish, Rounder, Sugar Hill, Capitol, Liberty
Associated acts	Bluegrass Alliance, Leon Russell, John Hartford, Garth Brooks
Past members	Sam Bush Courtney Johnson Ebo Walker Curtis Burch Butch Robins John Cowan Béla Fleck Pat Flynn

New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, releasing more than twenty albums as well as six singles. Their highest-charting single is "Callin' Baton Rouge", which peaked at No. 37 on the U.S. country charts in 1989 and was a Top 5 country hit for Garth Brooks five years later.

The origins of New Grass Revival lay in the Bluegrass Alliance, which Sam Bush (vocals, fiddle, guitar, mandolin) and Courtney Johnson (banjo, vocals) joined in 1970. At the time, the Alliance also featured bassist Ebo Walker and fiddler Lonnie Peerce. Within a year after Bush's and Johnson's arrival, Curtis Burch (dobro, guitar, vocals) joined the band. In 1972, Peerce left the band, and the remaining members decided to continue under the new name New Grass Revival. The band released their eponymous debut album The Arrival of the New Grass Revival later in 1972 on Starday Records.

Other groups were also playing progressive bluegrass at the time, such as The Dillards, Eddie Adcock's II Generation, and the Country Gentlemen, but few did it with the flair of the New Grass Revival. At the time, bluegrass was a very tradition-bound music; bands were expected to have short hair and dress in matching outfits. The New Grass Revival bucked these traditions, with long hair, informal clothing, and performances of songs from a variety of genres, including music by Jerry Lee Lewis ("Great Balls of Fire"), the Beatles ("Get Back"; "I'm Down"), Bob Marley ("One Love/People Get Ready"), and protest songs ("One Tin Soldier"). This break from bluegrass tradition was not well received in some quarters—some thought it wasn't the way Bill Monroe meant for Bluegrass to be played. "Our reason for doing the newer-type music wasn't pretentious or irreverent or sarcastic or disrespectful," explained Curtis Burch. "We just felt like people were ready to see that you could really expand the sound, using those same instruments." Interestingly, Monroe was a fan of New Grass Revival.. In 1979, they became the backup group and opening act for Leon Russell, further alienating them from the mainstream bluegrass community.