Live at the Quick
BELA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES
 Columbia 507614
2
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- That Old Thing (Intro)
- Earth Jam
- Zona Mona
- Ovombo Summit
- Hall of Mirrors
- Scratch & Sniff
- Amazing Grace
- Big Country
- Interlude
- Lover’s Leap
- Alash Khem
- A Moment So Close
- Prelude from Bach violin partita
- Hoedown
The Flecktones
Bela Fleck – Banjo, Electric Synth. Banjo, Guitar
Jeff Coffin – tenor, Alto Sop, Clarinet, Flute
Future Man – Synth-ax Drumitar, Acoustic Drums, Percussion,Vocals
Victor Lamonte Wooten – Electric Bases, Floor Synth.
Guests
Sandip Burman – Tabla
Andy Narell – Steel Pans & Keyboard
Paul Hansen – Bassoon
Paul McCandless – Oboe, English Horn, Sop & Sopranino.
Congar ol’Ondar – Tuvan Throat Singing
If you had not heard of Bela Fleck a glance at the
above and you would say, "What kind of a Mickey Mouse outfit is
this?" Prepare to be surprised, the Flecktones are a musical treat
and Bela plays the banjo like nobody else. The music has jazz roots
but it contains elements of Blue Grass, Blues, Fusion and it is presented
in a very entertaining style by a band of brilliant if unconventional
musicians. Just take a listen to the swing generated by Future Man’s
synth based percussion work!
On this particular CD Bela features a number of guests
who all fit in so well with his band, that you would think they played
together all the time and this larger version of the band is even more
exciting than the usual Flecktone’s performance.
The intro has regular sax man Jeff Coffin, with Paul
Hansen on Tenor and Paul McCandless on Sop. Earth Jam features the Flecktones
and then some of guests are introduced, Paul Hansen, this time on Bassoon,
Paul McCandless and Andy Narrell for Zona Mona and Scratch and Sniff.
Both are pure musical mayhem, but a very attractive form of mayhem!
Words cannot adequately describe Bela Fleck’s music; you just have to
hear it.
Amazing Grace is a feature for Bass player Victor Lemonte
Wooten and surprisingly it turns out to be a good vehicle for his improvisations.
Big Country includes a Blue Grass Sound, but the happily
the jazz feel has not gone away. For Lover’s Leap Coffin changes to
Clarinet and McCandless to English Horn.
Bela Fleck’s composition has a similar haunting sound
to that of Petite Fleur from Sidney Bechet.
Congar onOldar is a Tuvan throat singer and Bela is
always on the hunt for a new sound, as always with Bela’s choices, it
works!
Bela’s Bach inspired solo piece is pure banjo virtuosity,
if there were more banjo players of his ability, there wouldn’t be any
banjo jokes!
The reaction of the audience tells all; this is a record
of what was obviously a great performance. If you have never heard Bela
buy it, if you have heard him you will want to buy it anyway!
Don Mather
CD Reviews
