Sam Bush: “In Tall Buildings”

Peghead Nation's Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo instructor Wes Corbett joins Sam Bush on a classic John Hartford song.

By: Dan Gabel

November 18, 2022

In early 2020, Wes Corbett, who teaches Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo on Peghead Nation, joined the Sam Bush Band, and has been with them on their recent post-pandemic globe-trotting, which will continue in earnest in 2023. Wes has also played in the Molly Tuttle Band, Joy Kills Sorrow, the Bee Eaters, his long-running duo with hammer dulcimer master Simon Chrisman, and many other configurations.

In this video from Smithsonian Folkways, Sam Bush plays the John Hartford classic, “Tall Buildings,” with Wes on banjo, Jeff Mougin on guitar, and Todd Parks on bass. The song is from Sam Bush’s new release on Smithsonian Folkways, Radio John: The Songs of John Hartford. The album is Sam’s tribute to the American traditional music legend, who Sam played and recorded with during the 1970s.

Wes also recently released his first solo album, Cascade, which highlights his prodigious composition skills, and includes some of roots music’s finest players, including Sierra Hull, Paul Kowert, Alex Hargreaves, Casey Campbell, and Critter Elderidge (who also produced the album).

In Contemporary Bluegrass Banjo with Wes Corbett, Wes teaches intermediate-to-advanced players the style of three-finger banjo used by Béla Fleck, Noam Pikelny, Ron Block, and others. With lessons on single-string and melodic style, fingerboard theory, improvisation, and more.

Get your first month FREE (or $20 off an annual subscription) when you sign up now with promo code WesLand at checkout.