Telluride Bluegrass Festival Delights For Its 39th Time
If you look the definition of bluegrass up in a trusty ol’ Merriam-Webster dictionary you’ll see this:
country music played on unamplified stringed instruments (as banjo, fiddle, guitar, and mandolin) and characterized by free improvisation and close usually high-pitched harmony
What you won’t see in the dictionary or read in its definition is the heart, soul and spirit that goes into the music and the incredible celebrations that revolve around the music, such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, which is entirely dedicated to enjoying all that bluegrass is.
In its 39th year, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival coincided perfectly (and yet again) with the Summer Solstice, when the sun shines longer than any other day of the year and provides the perfect backdrop for days of musical delight. From Thursday, June 21 through Sunday, the 24, music began in the mid morning and lasted through to midnight, with a lineup of performers with a variety of roots and sounds. Second to last performer Glen Hansard performed on Sunday night; you can get a sample of his newest sounds by clicking on the video below:
Over 39 years, many other performers have brought their unique bluegrass styles to the stage. Via the Festival’s site:
“Since its very beginning, the festival has embraced a wide swath of roots music to create the unique genre of “Telluride Bluegrass.” Recent lineups have welcomed Robert Plant, Mumford & Sons, The Decemberists, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, David Byrne, Ani DiFranco, Lyle Lovett, Ryan Adams, Counting Crows, Bonnie Raitt, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and so many more.”
PHOTO Via: Planet Bluegrass’ Facebook page
