Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer

October 8, 2007

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas and Edgar Meyer will perform at 7:30 p.m. on Oct . 24 at the Phillips Center.

On the surface, the three men do not have much in common. Bush is known as the “King of Newgrass,” that fusion of bluegrass and rock ‘n roll grooves that bloomed in the 1970s. Jerry Douglas is perhaps best known for his work with Alison Krauss and Union Station, as well as on the Grammy award-winning “O Brother, Where Art Thou? ” soundtrack. Then there’s Edgar Meyer, the double bass player who’s worked with a bevy of classical musicians who top the “who’s who” list including Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell and Emanuel Ax.

But scratch beneath the surface — and truthfully, you don’t have to go far — and you’ll find that these three supremely talented musicians actually have a lot in common: The drive to be innovative when it comes to their music, particularly musical collaborations. Although the trio has collaborated with each other before as part of the seminal acoustic group “Strength in Numbers” which also included Béla Fleck and Mark O’Connor, the “Bush/Douglas/Meyer” combo is a new entity.

Sam Bush cofounded the progressive bluegrass band New Grass Revival in the 1970s and stayed with the band as its leader up until its dissolution in 1989. While his mandolin-playing has brought him much acclaim, he also plays the fiddle every now and then, as he did on two tracks from his most recent album, “Laps in Seven.” His forays into other musical genres have been so varied that he has earned a reputation for being a “musical schizophrenic.” His most recent collaborative project, the DVD entitled “On the Road,” features songs written by Country Music Hall of Fame member Grandpa Jones, jazz-fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty and South African singer, songwriter and political activist Johnny Clegg.

Jerry Douglas first heard a dobro at the age of eight when his father took him to a Flatt and Scruggs concert, and he began playing the instrument soon after. In his 30-plus years as a professional musician, he’s played in a number of bands, co-founded the bluegrass combo Boone Creek with Ricky Skaggs and provided musical accompaniment for some of country music’s seminal albums including Emmylou Harris’ “Roses in the Snow.” He recruited other musicians to play on the smash soundtrack for “O Brother, Where Art Thou? ” and played on three songs himself including “I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow.” Douglas, who currently performs with Alison Krauss and Union Station, is a 12-time Grammy award winner.

While primarily known as a double bassist, Edgar Meyer can also play the piano, guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo and gamba. He also composes. The New Yorker called him “the most remarkable virtuoso in the relatively unchronicled history of his instrument.” Meyer began studying the bass with his father at the age of five and would later study from Stuart Sankey. His uniqueness in his field was recognized by a MacArthur Award in 2002. He is the only bassist to ever receive both the Avery Fisher Career Grant (1994) and the Avery Fisher Prize (2000). His original compositions have been performed by a number of artists including Yo-Yo Ma, Joshua Bell, Hilary Hah and Emanuel Ax.

Tickets for the Oct. 24 performance are: $45, front orchestra and mezzanine; $40, mid-orchestra; $30, rear orchestra; and $25, balcony.

Tickets are available by calling the Phillips Center Box Office at 352-392-ARTS (2787) or 800-905-ARTS (toll-free within Florida) or by calling Ticketmaster at 904-353-3309 or toll free at 800-277-1700. Orders may also be faxed to 352-846-1562. Tickets are also available in person at the Phillips Center Box Office, University Box Office at the University of Florida Reitz Union and all Ticketmaster outlets; and on the web at www.ticketmaster.com. Cash, checks, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Group tickets are also available.

The Phillips Center Box Office is open Monday – Saturday, noon to 6 p.m. and two hours prior to the performance. Performance dates, times and programs are subject to change.