Performing Arts

One of the truly great rock voices of all time agreed to be the closer opening day, Friday, September 18, of Steve Gumble's 16th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival. And why not be neighborly? The enduring gravel-throated super star, Joe Cocker, lives just up the road a piece in Crawford, Colorado.


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[click "Play" to listen to Jackie Greene on his music]


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Into the fame game? There's no shortage of legends at the 16th annual Telluride Blues & Brews Festival
this weekend, September 18 – 20: Joe Cocker, Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal to name drop three. Then there's the skinny, soft-spoken man-boy who bears an uncanny resemblance to another icon, who, on more than one occasion has also performed in Telluride. But at this point in Jackie Greene's meteoric career, any allusion to Bob Dylan is so much horse exhaust.
[click "Pay" to hear Eileen's interview with Alvin Lee]

Lee Boys 2 The 16th annual Telluride Blues and Brews Festival takes place September 18- 20 on the Fred Shellman Memorial Stage in Telluride's Town Park.  The Lee Boys, out of Miami, have been given the revered opening spot for Sunday’s musical lineup.  Out to prove there is no resting on Sunday, The Lee Boys guarantee to have the soulful crowd on their feet within moments of hearing their sacred steel musical styling.  Rooted in gospel, The Lee Boys' music is infused with rhythm & blues, jazz, rock, funk, hip-hop and country as well as influences from the world music scene.

Telluride's SquidShow Theatre, in support of Black Bear Awareness Week, presents an original play by Sasha Cucciniello and Colin Sullivan:  "Bear It! – Bear Safety for the 21st Century." The FREE event is one night only,Tuesday, September 15, 8 p.m., Fly Me to the...

The Telluride Choral Society announces its Fall concert, with the first rehearsal for adults, Wednesday, September 9. Rehearsals are every Wednesday from 5:45 to 7:15p.m., Christ Church, 434 W. Columbia. Artistic director David Lingle is preparing singers for a Mahler and Brahms concert with the...

[Click "Play" to hear Eileen's interview with Richard Turner]

Hp-main Richard Turner is known world wide as "the greatest card mechanic of all time."  Richard Turner will be performing at Telluride's  Sheridan Opera House on Thursday, August 27th at 7pm, to raise funds for the local youth organization Young Life.  This performance will humor and entertain an audience of all ages.  Turner does not perform magic tricks, he demonstrates the moves used by cardsharps intended to cheat players gambling with cards.  He can deal a wining hand to anyone, anywhere...every time.  Richard Turner's demonstrations have been featured on "That's Incredible", "Ripley's Believe It Or Not", "The 700 Club" and "The Paul Daniels Magic Show" in the USA.  Turner has been asked to lecture to international corporations as well as government agencies.  His inspirational lectures promote honesty, integrity and discipline.

Turner first picked up a deck of cards at the impressionable age of seven, after watching an episode of the late 1950s TV sensation "Maverick", featuring James Garner. On the show Maverick did a trick that Turner just had to learn.   By age 19 Richard Turner was fully immersed in cards and for the next 20 years, he practiced ten to 20 hours a day.  He worked for Bob Yerkes and Circus of the Stars when he met Dai Vernon, who then schooled him until his skills surpassed Vernon's.  Legally blind, Turner is also known for being a "touch analyst" for the United States Playing Card Company, who employed him to evaluate the texture, flexibility and cut of dozens of decks of cards.  In his illustrious career, Richard Turner has received countless awards, including the Golden Lion Award in Magic by Siegfried and Roy of Las Vegas.  To date he has performed over 80,000 shows.  Richard Turner is semi-retired but still enjoys performing for a good cause, including Young Life which in partnership with our local community churches, helps raise support for the youth living in the San Juan Mountains. 

[click "Play" to hear Susan's conversation with Israel Nebeker of "Blind Pilot"]

Unknown The band, Blind Pilot is in town for a concert at Telluride's venerable Sheridan Opera House. Show time is Tuesday, August 18, 8 p.m.

In 2008, Blind Pilot became a regular on NPR's "Best Of," list, where the track "One Red Thread" featured in a review of the year's musical highlights. iTunes supporters like the group too. The band appeared in the "Best of 2008 Indie Spotlight," a collection of 20 indie music tracks downloadable from the Apple Students Fan Page on Facebook. DJ Kevin Cole of KEXP, Seattle, Washington’s taste-making radio station, rated the Blind Pilot's debut recording, 3 Rounds and a Sound, one of the best of 2008.