Telluride Bluegrass Festival: Forty Years of Festivation

by Dan Sadowsky, Sam Bush (Foreword), Chris Thile (Afterword)

Revered as a sold-out cultural phenomenon in the world's most spectacular location -- Telluride, Colorado -- the term ‘Progressive Bluegrass’ was practically invented among the community of astounding musicians who brought the cutting edge of pure country music inventiveness to a fresh breed of hyper-appreciative audiences. Telluride Bluegrass Forty Years of Festivation tells the colorful story of the stumbles and spills of the Festival's modest early stages through to its mind-blowing fortieth anniversary. Published by Planet Bluegrass, this elegantly hardbound collector's edition (just 5,000 copies in print) features more than 350 carefully curated photos; gorgeous full-page reproductions of each year's art poster; essays by Sam Bush, Chris Thile, and dozens of others; and lively year-by-year accounts by 29-year festival MC Pastor Mustard (aka Dan Sadowsky). Throughout the 216-page book artists and crew share their personal stories with the Festival Adam Aijala (of Yonder Mountain String Band), Alison Brown, John Cowan, Chris Daniels, Durfee Day, Jerry Douglas, Jane Dunham, Craig Ferguson, Béla Fleck, Nick Forster, Emmylou Harris, Vince Herman (of Leftover Salmon), Sarah Jarosz, Dave Lamb, Winston Marshall (of Mumford & Sons), Willy Matthews, Kooster McAllister, Del McCoury, Edgar Meyer, Billy Nershi (of String Cheese Incident), Tim O Brien, Peter Rowan, Marikay Shellman, Dan Sherman, Steve Szymanski, Sally Truitt, Sara Watkins, and Pete Wernick. With creative direction from renowned painter William Matthews and design by former Rolling Stone designer Hans Teensma, the cover features an animated lenticular image of Sam Bush ("The King of Telluride") debossed into the faux-leather binding.

216 pages, Hardcover

First published June 19, 2014

Reviews

[Kathy Eiferle · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was worth the wait!