New Grass Revival staged something of a reunion at this past weekend’s MerleFest in Wilkesboro, NC. Country Standard Time reports that the stealth reunion took place near the end of New Grass founder Sam Bush’s headlining set on April 28. Former New Grass members Bela Fleck and John Cowan were already on hand at the festival, with Cowan performing as part of a trio with Darrell Scott and Pat Simmons, and Fleck performing with the original lineup of his Flecktones. Bush actually performed a New Grass tune, “Crooked Smile,” early in his set, before being joined by his special guests. Fleck and Cowan were preceded on stage by Susan Tedeschi and Derek Trucks, who jammed on some classic-rock staples with Bush, before Bush’s New Grass bandmates took the page (Tedeschi and Trucks remained on stage during the reunion, serving as substitutes for the absent Pat Flynn). The New Grass Revival portion of the set was comprised of a take on The Band’s “Up On Cripple Creek” which segued directly in to a rendition of the bluegrass standard “Cripple Creek” and featured accelerated soloing from Fleck.