Taos Music

The preliminary 2010 lineup is here: Béla Fleck, Zakir Hussain & Edgar Meyer; Del McCoury Band; Hot Rize; Punch Brothers; Josh Ritter Band; Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros; Carolina Chocolate Drops; Imelda May; the Telluride House Band featuring Sam, Béla, Jerry, Edgar, Bryan & Stuart; and many, many more. 2010 festival tickets and camping are on sale now at shop.bluegrass.com. If you missed out on last year's festival check out the reports from some festival bloggers - NoDepression, DailyCamera, TellurideInsideOut, and Jambase.

The Summer Solstice...

The 37th Annual Telluride Bluegrass once again coincides with the Summer Solstice; the longest day of the year; the beginning of summer. It's a magical time of sun and light, when the high country of Colorado puts away its skis and grabs hiking boots, kayaks, and a low-back festival chair to take in "Bluegrass."

The 2010 artist lineup provides another magical four days of only-in-Telluride performances. Beloved Festival veterans and inspiring new talent. The Telluride royalty of virtuosic bluegrass superpickers, soulful songwriters, and some of the biggest stars in the rootsy Americana landscape.

The festival is built around the many artists that have defined the Telluride Bluegrass sound. The weekend is sprinkled with inspired sets from Peter Rowan, John Cowan, Sam Bush Band, Béla Fleck (performing in a trio with Indian tabla master Zakir Hussain and bassist Edgar Meyer), and many others, culminating in the epic festival closing set from the Telluride House Band (Sam Bush, Béla Fleck, Jerry Douglas, Edgar Meyer, Bryan Sutton, Stuart Duncan).

Del McCoury returns to Telluride to celebrate his 50th year in the music industry. Yonder Mountain String Band celebrates their 11th year; Leftover Salmon celebrates their 20th year as a band - a band that formed in the Town Park campground jams of Telluride Bluegrass. Punch Brothers featuring Chris Thile follow-up last year's "Punch Brothers Play & Sing Bluegrass" with a new set of original music.

Since its very beginning, the festival has embraced a wide swath of roots music to create the unique genre of "Telluride Bluegrass." This year's lineup welcomes Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, Dublin's rockabilly superstar Imelda May, London arena-folk quartet Mumford & Sons, and much more.

The Bluegrass Festival...

Performers say there is a unique thrill to performing in front of the smartest, most attentive audience in the country. Artists are encouraged to take risks in Telluride, and the Festivarian audience is regularly rewarded with unique blends of voices sharing the stage for the first time - as a new musical friendship cultivated backstage makes its debut on the Telluride stage.

With music on the main stage all day, intimate workshops on the Elks Park stage in the middle of town, prestigious band and songwriting, late-night Nightgrass concerts at every indoor venue in town, and jam sessions throughout the night in condos and around campgrounds, this is a week of uncommon musical riches.