You might know him as Mr. Telluride, the King of Newgrass, or just the curly haired red-head who never stops a wailing on that mandolin – unless of course to wail on the fiddle or howl at the moon. As we gear up for the heart of festival season and that special little bluegrass jamboree just north of Durango, let’s get down to business and chat with one of the brightest sounds and smiles of every summer.

We’re speaking, of course, about Sam Bush of the Sam Bush Band, Newgrass Revival, the Bluegrass All-Stars, Strength in Numbers, and an ongoing list that could easy span the rest of the page. Thanks for taking the time Sam; it’s an honor.

Hidden Track: After a big 2006 and 2007, releasing the Laps in Seven album and the On the Road live DVD, what’s on tap from a commercial perspective for 2008?

Sam Bush: Going around the country playing gigs with my band (Byron House, Chris Brown, Scott Vestal, & Stephen Mougin), jamming at festivals with friends and enjoying the communication of music with the audience.

READ ON for more of Rupert’s interview with Sam Bush…

HT: Is there a new album in the works?

Sam: I’m enjoying the process of writing and co-writing music with old and new writing partners, with plans to start recording by late summer or early fall.

HT: You were a national fiddle champion as a teenager, what are your feelings on the world of youth music competition?

Sam: Contests are excellent motivation to practice and hone your technique. Personally speaking, once I started playing music for a living (after high school), I lost the competitive edge and started enjoying musical communication with others.

HT: Speaking of, I noticed a few newer faces – Luke Bulla and Bryan Sutton – on board for the Bluegrass All-Stars lineup (performing at Bonnaroo) with you, Jerry, Bela and Edgar. Are these guys that you discovered in that circuit?

Sam: It feels more like they discovered us. They are just two of the great young musicians that inspire and continue to drive us onwards.

HT: From time to time, you’ll crack a joke to Bela about getting away from his more virtuoso stuff and just letting loose with some bluegrass. Do you think the All-Stars will bust out any of the old Strength in Numbers or NGR stuff at Bonnaroo? Perhaps a Texas Red, wink wink…

Sam: We’ll know when we rehearse. Jerry, Bela, Edgar and I have a deep well of material to draw from so sometimes the most difficult task is figuring out which tunes to leave out.

HT: So, you are in the midst of a pretty die-hard Phish community on this website. That legendary night you played at moe.’s Tsunami Relief show in 2005, how did you like playing alongside Trey? From the audience, it felt almost like you guys were long lost brothers; did you guys hit it off?

Sam: I loved getting to jam with Trey! He’s a great player and improviser. It was a wonderful feeling of communication and camaraderie that night.

HT: As a longtime veteran of the bluegrass super jam, do have any plans to branch out and collaborate more in the jamband community?

Sam: I hope to always branch out, be it jamband, newgrass, reggae, country, rock, or jazz. You name it, I want to play it!

HT: Back on the Howlin’ at the Moon album, you recorded a heartfelt rendition of Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Are you a big baseball fan? Care to make a few predictions for this season? Who’s gonna win the Series? MVP? Rookie of the Year?

Sam: Both my wife Lynn and I are huge baseball fans. Who’s gonna win the series? Cardinals. MVP…Pujols. Rookie of the year? Too early to tell.

HT: Finally, what is your take on the (over)abundance of new festivals this summer – the more the merrier or enough is enough?

Sam: More festivals, more often! It’s a wonderful time to get out and hear so many different types of music. Now all we have to do is put fuel in our vehicles.

Thanks to Sam for taking the time to talk with us. Sam hits Iowa City this Friday night before heading to Appalachian Uprising in Scottown, Ohio on Friday.