TELLURIDE: In the beginning Bill Monroe, took the quintessential American musical
idiom and re-invented IT, and he in turn was re-invented, re-created
by IT.
This quintessential American musical idiom was patriotic and
conservative (but always nursed an anti-rich people resentment). It
was religiously orthodox (in a lunatic, fundamentalist way). It was
played by extremely talented and skillful musicians in a fast, fluid,
novel way.
And it was danced in a joyous American way.
It is called bluegrass music (because of Monroe's origins in the Blue Grass state of Kentucky).
Then, starting in the late 1960's, the hippies took IT over. They re-invented bluegrass. And then were themselves re-invented by IT. This still quintessential American music preserves remnants of its lunatic fundamental orthodoxy. It still preserves an anti-rich people/corporation agenda political resentment. And IT is a psychedelic, consciousness expanding music, broadly influenced by entheogenic plants, attaining greater and further powers of musical virtuosity, fluidity, speed, novelty, musical elegance.
It can be the truest, purest continuity of the Woodstock Nation with all festivarians united in the music and the fundamental good will, compassion and kindness in which they treat each other. And the music is danced to in a joyous, American way.
Winfield (which began in earnest in 1971) remains an important place in the continuous furthering of Bill Monroe's and Kentucky's legacy. Then, much influenced by Winfield, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival was founded, in 1973.
The first Telluride like all subsequent Tellurides coincided with the longest days of the year under the June full moon and takes place in a spectacularly beautiful, magical box canyon.
And in its community and in its artistry of pure musical adventure the festival has become the greatest attainment of the progressive bluegrass tradition. And it has become (This 40th anniversary of the festival was my first Telluride) my favorite bluegrass festival. First of all there's the music.
Every year Telluride illustrates what a huge, open tent progressive bluegrass is. From Steve Martin and Edie Brickell and the Steep Canyon Rangers, to Emmylou Harris to Dispatch to the Punch Brothers to Jackson Browne to Leftover Salmon to The Drepung Monks to Trampled by Turtles to Elephant Revival to Sam Bush to String Cheese Incident to Bela Fleck to Hot Rize it's hard to isolate a common musical theme to the festival except the sense of pure musical adventure.
Then there is the feeling of community. Maybe it was the particular corner of the festival that I inhabited and observed. I was camped out in the town park, close to the waterfall, with the Gipsy Moon kids. And the Telluride experience, at least for me, was one of seemingly universal good will towards all other festivarians as well as compassion and kindness.
The first Telluride began with compost and recycling, and 40 years later the emphasis remains on thoughtful preparations, mindful journeys, green-conscious behaviors and ideas.
Then there's the after-glow of the festival which lingers a ways into business-as-usual.
It is called bluegrass music (because of Monroe's origins in the Blue Grass state of Kentucky).
Then, starting in the late 1960's, the hippies took IT over. They re-invented bluegrass. And then were themselves re-invented by IT. This still quintessential American music preserves remnants of its lunatic fundamental orthodoxy. It still preserves an anti-rich people/corporation agenda political resentment. And IT is a psychedelic, consciousness expanding music, broadly influenced by entheogenic plants, attaining greater and further powers of musical virtuosity, fluidity, speed, novelty, musical elegance.
It can be the truest, purest continuity of the Woodstock Nation with all festivarians united in the music and the fundamental good will, compassion and kindness in which they treat each other. And the music is danced to in a joyous, American way.
Winfield (which began in earnest in 1971) remains an important place in the continuous furthering of Bill Monroe's and Kentucky's legacy. Then, much influenced by Winfield, the Telluride Bluegrass Festival was founded, in 1973.
The first Telluride like all subsequent Tellurides coincided with the longest days of the year under the June full moon and takes place in a spectacularly beautiful, magical box canyon.
And in its community and in its artistry of pure musical adventure the festival has become the greatest attainment of the progressive bluegrass tradition. And it has become (This 40th anniversary of the festival was my first Telluride) my favorite bluegrass festival. First of all there's the music.
Every year Telluride illustrates what a huge, open tent progressive bluegrass is. From Steve Martin and Edie Brickell and the Steep Canyon Rangers, to Emmylou Harris to Dispatch to the Punch Brothers to Jackson Browne to Leftover Salmon to The Drepung Monks to Trampled by Turtles to Elephant Revival to Sam Bush to String Cheese Incident to Bela Fleck to Hot Rize it's hard to isolate a common musical theme to the festival except the sense of pure musical adventure.
Then there is the feeling of community. Maybe it was the particular corner of the festival that I inhabited and observed. I was camped out in the town park, close to the waterfall, with the Gipsy Moon kids. And the Telluride experience, at least for me, was one of seemingly universal good will towards all other festivarians as well as compassion and kindness.
The first Telluride began with compost and recycling, and 40 years later the emphasis remains on thoughtful preparations, mindful journeys, green-conscious behaviors and ideas.
Then there's the after-glow of the festival which lingers a ways into business-as-usual.
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