There is a good vibe when you walk through the camping area at Watermelon Park in Berryville. It is a serene scene that is framed by the smells of wood smoke and BBQ; the bright assemblies of tents and trailers; and the camp music that flows through the fields in harmony with the Shenandoah, which runs past the eastern boundary of the place. In the background comes the sound of the stage acts, and kids playing ball or swimming in the river. It really has to be experienced, and it is pure Virginia Americana.

The promoters of the Watermelon Festival just announced the lineup for this September's Festival, held this year on September 19-22. The lineup thus far looks great, with Sam Bush Band headlining, supported by bluegrass great Tim O'Brien, and Fauquier's own guitar wizard Larry Keel and his band.

I had the chance to chat with the great Sam Bush (www.sambush.com) at the Watermelon Park Festival a few years back. I thought I would share some excerpts from that interview to get you psyched for Sam's September appearance in Berryville.

Sam Bush is a fiddler, mandolinist, singer, and bandleader and is the founder of the seminal New Grass Revival as well as being a several time Grammy winner. He is also known as the King of New Grass; is a sought-after Country, Bluegrass, and Jam Band guest artist; and will attend Telluride Bluegrass Festival for his 46th consecutive appearance.

SC: The last time you played here at Watermelon was with the New Grass Revival in 1973. What do you remember about that gig? And how does it feel to be back so many years later?

SB: It was great. Back then we were still camping out at festivals. And you know, that's one of those things where you pick until like, 3 or 4 in the morning, jamming with your friends around a campfire and then you know, crawl in your tent about 4 am and by 7:30 the sun is beating down on the tent, and you're like 'I gotta get outta there'. So, you never slept and you picked all day and night.

SC: In the New Grass/Jam Band world you're definitely one of the most desired guests. You bring everybody up a full notch when you play with them, and I'm wondering whom you've sat in with recently who really got you fired up and whom might you want to sit in with in the future?

SB: Larry Keel and I did a set together with Jenny Keel on the bass (at Lock'n). It was hard work because it was just Larry and I taking on the solos, but it was really fun. And I really enjoyed his "royalKeelness". I am fortunate. When our band's not playing, I often get invitations to sit in--Leftover Salmon, The Infamous Stringdusters, Yonder Mountain String Band, String Cheese, and Greensky Bluegrass. So, it's a fortunate situation for me-- as my wife once said, "you know if you don't get out and jam with the young boys, you're not gonna be jamming." I'm one of the oldest young guys I know, and so it's a fortunate situation, cause they've grown up listening to the music I've been part of, and now I get to play with them.

SC: You are on the road all of the time, how are you with that?

SB: We're employed, and we're here, and we get to play. What we do is travel for a living. Our bonus is that we play music. Seriously, our time is spent traveling, that's what you're really doing. The musical part, that's the perk, totally the perk.

SC: Who inspires you today in music-- who are you listening to on your iPod?

SB: Whew, all kinds of things. It's amazing. I go through phases, but a constant staple that I go to is the fun years of Los Lobos. When I listen to bluegrass, I like to listen to the masters, who I grew up learning from, like Bill Monroe and the Flatt and Scruggs; the Osborne Brothers; Jim and Jesse; and the Dillards.

As far as things I get inspired by right now, I was always a J.J. Cale fan, I knew him a little bit from hanging out in Tulsa. I like the Cale tribute record that Clapton put out, I love the way they did it because it sounds like Cale is in the room. They do a few songs off that Cale record, Okie, that I've always loved, and Reggie Young's lead guitar on Cajun Moon. I like the Tom Petty, Clapton version of (Sam sings)"rock and roll records for a dime, makin' my living just to feed my children..." Yeah, I love Cale.

I have recently gone through a rediscovery of my love for Jean-Luc Ponty's records. I've always loved Jean-Luc. He recorded New Country with us on my record Laps in Seven. That was a lifetime thrill.

I find myself going back to the staples of Clapton and Jeff Beck. As of late, I've been into some of the Jethro Burns solo mandolin records, he was my friend and mentor. I've been listening to is, gosh, I don't even know what year it was, 1969?--The Birds Live at the Fillmore. Clarence White is just, absolutely mind shredding to me, still to this day.

And I also find myself going back and listening to Doc Watson. I miss Doc. And not necessarily songs that I've played, that's got nothing to do with it, it's just there's a place that I go to in my mind when I hear Doc's voice that's a safe place to be. I love Doc.

SC: Thanks, Sam.

So, go see Sam Bush at Watermelon Park in September, and do some preparatory listening to any his great music on your favorite streaming service.