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Saturday
What can you say about Tony Rice and
Bryan Sutton? As the assembled audience dropped a collective jaw to the ground, these two masters of the
acoustic guitar bounced their legendary lines back and forth. On tunes such as the Bill Monroe-composed "Gold
Rush," they traded off lead and rhythm duties just like breathing. "We're going to noodle on this tune. That's a term I
first heard from Jerry Garcia," Rice said, before playing his tune "Manzanita."
YMSB
:: Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2006 |
Yonder Mountain String Band's set wasn't as
impressive as its all-star-packed high-energy outing in Town Park last year, but you can't go wrong with this band
and they did play their radio hit "How 'Bout You" off of the band's self-titled new release (which has hit the #1
position on the Billboard Bluegrass charts). They might have been a little tired from their blazing performance at the
Sheridan on Friday night (see below), but from the smiles on the faces of the people packing the park, they more
than entertained everyone and helped the audience forget about the blazing sun.
Sam Bush was happy to be back after a Friday
night scare. As it turned out, Sam had not had a heart attack as rumored, but does have a heart virus for which he is
now taking medication. Suffice it to say, the man was back on the stage, unbelievably, on Saturday following a trip
to the hospital in nearby Montrose on Friday night.
Sam
Bush
Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2006 |
"When you're 54 years old and you experience sharp pains in your chest, you wanna be sure there's nothing wrong,"
Bush told the Saturday crowd in an effort to quash any rumors. "Lemme tell ya, there's nothing like riding in the
back of an ambulance while listening to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival on KOTO and hearing Bonnie Raitt call you
on stage just as you're headed out of town." Sam also took time on Saturday to sign autographs for hundreds of
fans. Everyone was thrilled to see him looking well. I know I was. And his performance was as smokin' as ever.
Bush's version of the Allman Brothers classic "Whipping Post" smacked the crowd into a frenzy with banjo picker
Scott Vestal reeling off his version of Duane and Dickie's signature southern-fried licks.
Australian chanteuse Missy Higgins made a
big splash on Saturday with her earthy pop from Down Under. The 23-year-old Higgins' freshman release The
Sound of White has been certified platinum eight times in Australia, and her appeal has now carried over to this
country. Her hooky tune "Scar" was well delivered. Her band included Josh Cunningham of The Waifs, another Australian outfit that has
entertained in Telluride over the years.
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings showed
everyone how to shake what their mommas gave 'em and put some much-needed horn-drenched funk in the
weekend. The cheers during her set were as loud as I've heard in Town Park.
Sunday
Peter
Rowan, Bryn Davies & Tony Rice
Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2006 |
Peter Rowan and Tony Rice took the
audience to bluegrass church on Sunday with a polished set of Red's classic material and Tony's nimble-fingered fret
work. And how 'bout Sharon Gilchrist and Bryn Davies?! Say no more... those ladies can play. This classic Telluride
set included "Midnight Moonlight," "Panama Red," "Angel Island," "Shady Grove," "Land of the Navajo," "A Life of
Sorrow," "Vassar," "The Free Mexican Airforce," and "The Walls of Time." It just doesn't get much better.
Nickel Creek stoked up the crowd with material
from Why Must the Fire Die?, their most recent release. Chris Thile wowed the audience (as usual) with his wunderkind mandolin dexterity and easy
personality. The group broke out some of its much appreciated staples, including "The Fox" and "The Smoothie
Song." They even worked in a cover of Randy Newman's "Short People" and, believe it or not (and this is what makes
them who they are), Britney Spears' "Toxic." Who woulda thunk you could tackle the Britney catalog with a mandolin,
fiddle, and acoustic guitar? Nickel Creek.
Barenaked Ladies
Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2006 |
The last day of the fest remained at peak level with top-shelf sets by the Del McCoury Band, the Tim O'Brien Band (with Del Band alum Mike Bubb on bass), John Prine, and the unlikely festival closers, Barenaked Ladies, who were at once clever, funny, and
musically right on top of things. Their act seems to be one long comedy bit backed by great chops. So much music,
so
much talent. Not enough space and time to cover it all. Shawn Camp, The Badly
Bent, Mike Marshall, Linda Tillery
and the Heritage Choir, Stephen Kellogg, John Cowan (Newgrass Revival, say no more), and many other talented artists who helped make this
version of Telluride another classic.
Telluride Nightgrass
Nightgrass has come to be a festival unto itself, with bands heating up local venues including the Fly Me To The Moon Saloon and the historic Sheridan Opera House.
Telluride Bluegrass Festival 2006 |
Bellying up to the bar at the Moon for a late-night margarita fast became a festival ritual, as The Wayword Sons
thumped it, The Sweet Sunny South stomped it, and Great American Taxi shredded the warm air into tiny bits. The dance floor at the Moon
literally buckled under the pounding feet of the dancers. The high mountain looniness was such that one couldn't
help but soak in a vibe capable of resonating all year long. Great American Taxi threw down perhaps the best and
most spirited sets of the weekend on Sunday night, blending ska, jam, bluegrass, newgrass, cajun and a kitchen
sink.
The Tim O'Brien Band and the Yonder Mountain String Band both rocked the Sheridan on separate nights. The Sweet
Sunny South was on fire at the Moon on Friday, kickin' out old-timey acoustic music along the lines of the Wilders,
who took the Moon by storm last year (see last
year's review).
Until next year, so long.
JamBase | Telluride
Go See Live Music!
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