Interview: Sam Bush on Telluride Bluegrass Festival's 50th year

• He came in 1975 — at age 23 — with his band the New Grass Revival, and now headlines Saturday night's show and leads the "Telluride House Band," with Jerry Douglas, Béla Fleck and other legends. He's known as the king of Telluride.

What he's saying: Ahead of his trip to Colorado, Bush talked with John — our resident bluegrass fan — about his favorite moments from playing Telluride for 49 years and what makes it special.

His first festival performance: "The first time when New Grass Revival came in 1975, we just immediately got this feeling that we'd somehow just found our audience."

• "We were in these beautiful wide-open spaces, and that was the way the audience seemed too —the wide-open willingness to accept almost any kind of music."

On what it means to him: "It's given many of us, and not just me, a place to musically grow up. And to grow with that festival as the festival has grown. It's helped all of us."

On how the onstage jams come together: "Many times, we haven't been in touch before we get to Telluride, and then we see each other and say, 'You want to play on a song? Great.' I've been very fortunate to do a lot of jamming at Telluride and I still love it."

On who he wants to see: "I'm always excited to hear the Flecktones. And I love anything Alison Krauss does, so for her and Robert Plant to be there, that's another great one."