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[click "Play" for Cedric and Malcolm's interview with Susan]

Cedricandmalcolm When the dynamic duo of Cedric Burnside and Lightnin' Malcolm performs on the Main Stage of the 17th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, expect a mixed bag of traditional to modern Mississippi hills Delta blues, funk, rock and Americana. Expect to be blown away by the heart, soul and passion of a sound deeply embedded in the roots of drum and fife and North Mississippi hill country.

Cedric, born in 1978 and raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi, is the grandson of the late, legendary R.L. Burnside and son the drummer Calvin Jackson. He is widely regarded as one of the best drummers in the world today. Growing up at his grandfather’s side, he began touring at age 13, playing drums for “Big Daddy” on stages around the globe. In 2006, Cedric was featured in the critically acclaimed feature, "Blue Snake Mountain," a tribute to Burnside, playing drums alongside Samuel L. Jackson.
14 September, 2010 /
[click "Play" for Susan's conversation with Matt Schofield]

Matt19(small) copy British blues guitarist Matt Schofield is on his way to the Telluride region for a FREE Telluride Blues & Brews pre-show, with still a few months left to go on a tour that brought him across the pond in June. The not-to-be-missed concert takes place Thursday, June 16, 5 – 7 p.m., Sunset Plaza, Mountain Village. Schofield's set on Friday, opens the Blues & Brews weekend.

Matt Schofield may not be a household name in the U.S –  yet – but the musician is clearly on his way. Over a relatively short career, Schofield’s prowess as a stringbender has taken him to 12 countries; seen him play with iconic guitarists such as Robben Ford; and brought him high praise in the Penguin Book of Blues Recordings as one of only two living British artists in recording history to gain the top four-star rating. "In Schofield, the UK has produced the best blues guitarist from any country in decades,"  raved the LA Daily News.

14 September, 2010 /

by Lauren Metzger
Ah Haa School for the Arts

Shawna_rebecca I love when I can introduce new artists to this great community. Especially when their talent is immense and their medium is unique. Encaustic and wax has been a sought-after medium workshop request at the Ah Haa School for the Arts and I am proud to say we have answered the call! HOT WAX / COLD WAX will explore the differences and similarities between these two methods. This 3 day workshop, taking place October 8 -10, 2010, will be taught jointly by visiting artists Shawna Moore (encaustic artist) and Rebecca Crowell (who uses cold wax medium with oils) and is a unique opportunity to work side by side with these two renowned artists. Through this introduction, you will discover the brilliant colors, evocative surfaces and sheer pleasure that comes while painting abstractly with wax.

14 September, 2010 /
[click "Play" for Otis Taylor's conversation with Susan]

A-Otis_Clovis-Photo-by-David-Raccuglia Blues singer/composer, multi-instrumentalist Otis Taylor returns to town for the 17th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, September 17 – September 19.

Telluride Blues & Brews Festival founder/director Steve Gumble brought Taylor to town for the first time in the late 1990s and wound up becoming his manager.

“There are lots of performers playing the blues out there, but Otis is sort of reinventing it,” said Gumble. “I would describe his style as ‘hip blues.’ I have found the man’s appeal is universal: young people in the crowd like his consistent beat for dancing; older people seem to enjoy the authenticity of his lyrics on subjects ranging from personal to political. By stretching the boundaries of the genre, Otis is keeping blues fresh.”

13 September, 2010 /
IMG_5859 The Telluride Blues & Brews Festival, Friday, September 17 – Sunday, September 19, is synonymous with its founder, impresario Steve Gumble. His event is the first of its kind in the country, combining as it does micro-breweries with the best of blues music. Telluride Blues & Brews Festival was not always about music with a beer back. The event started out as the Telluride Brewers Festival.

The Telluride Brewers Festival opened for business 17 years ago in 1994 as the beer drinker's answer to the Telluride Wine Festival, which catered back then to the Prada (versus Chaco) brigade. Gumble had met many of the vendors who would return year after year back in the days he owned a liquor store. Year 1, the impresario expected 500 diehards and 1200 showed up. Profits were spread among several non-profits. A home run for sure. But not enough for Gumble.
12 September, 2010 /

IMG_7572 Two organizations founded and operated by fans of the rock band Phish, Phish Fans, charity announced today that they have raised and distributed a combined $1,000,000 for charity. The joint announcement was made by The Mimi Fishman Foundation, which raises funds through online auctions, and The Mockingbird Foundation, which publishes historical information about Phish in print and online. Both organizations are operated on an all-volunteer basis, with no salaries, paid staff, or offices.

12 September, 2010 /

Expendables_poster Eat-Pray-Love--Movie-Poster Wow, it was a wild weekend in Telluride. I thought it was a great lineup for Telluride Film Festival. We saw some great stuff, and put our feelings on TIO for all to see.

This week, September 10-16, the Nugget Theatre is back to normal, showing two movies: "Eat, Pray, Love" (PG13) and "The Expendables" (Rated R).

Julia Roberts, as Elizabeth Gilbert, in "Eat, Pray, Love" does the eating in Italy, the praying in India, and finds love in Bali. Hey, we  all have to find ourselves.

OK, it's a Sylvester Stallone movie, this time set in a corrupt Latin America country, with a ruthless band of mercenaries whose mission is to overthrow the dictator. Maybe not Shakespeare, but...

See below for movietimes, and the Nugget website for trailers and reviews.

08 September, 2010 /
[click "Play" for Katherine Stuart's view of TFF 37]

IMG_7960 The world may be schlepping around with a thundercloud over its head, but the 37th annual Telluride Film Festival shone with authority. This year, for a change, I add the voice of a close friend, Festival patron and screenwriter Katherine Stuart to my own, to sing praises, some qualified.


The tribe of cinephiles that makes an annual pilgrimage to Telluride for the Telluride Film Festival are not thrill seekers in the conventional sense of the words. They are not lusting after a testosterone-induced orgy of bang! zoom! pow! Unless, of course, the thrills and spills come packaged with complex characters and their battles with sex, money, social convulsion, and the vagaries of the human heart. (See "Carlos.")

This year, once again, almost every one of the 26 movies screened at the Telluride Film Festival found that elusive sweet spot where intelligent storytelling, top notch filmmaking, and yes, escapist entertainment meet to fuse into a phenomenon that sings hosannas to the art of the cinema. A number of these films – and I am including the shorts – are sure to become classics.

07 September, 2010 /