Results for "Bela Fleck"

Bela Fleck

Born: July 10, 1958

Just in case you aren't familiar with Béla Fleck, there are some who say he's the premiere banjo player in the world. Others claim that Béla has virtually reinvented the image and the sound of the banjo through a remarkable performing and recording career that has taken him all over the musical map and on a range of solo projects and collaborations. If you are familiar with Béla, you know that he just loves to play the banjo, and put it into unique settings. Born and raised in New York City, Béla began his musical career playing the guitar. In the early 1960's, while watching the Beverly Hillbillies, the bluegrass sounds of Flatt & Scruggs flowed out of the TV set and into his young brain. Earl Scruggs's banjo style hooked Béla's interest immediately

Harp vs. Harp

By Gregoire Maret

Label: ACT Music
Released: 2019
Track listing: Blueserinho; Acts; No Fear; Hope; Romance de Barrio; Santa Morena; Our Spanish Love Song; Manhã de Carnaval.

The Ripple Effect

Label: Craft Recordings
Released: 2020
Track listing: Bamako; Nashville; Snug Harbor; Elyne Road; Matitu/Buribalal; Manchester; Throw Down Your Heart; Kauonding Sissoko; Katmandu; Dueling Banjos.

2020 and Me

by Skip Heller
December 25, 2020

As I type this, it is December 8, 2020, the fortieth anniversary of John Lennon's murder. I was then a newly-minted barband guitarist, fifteen years old and thinking how the world —via the election of Ronald Reagan —and music had just suffered the worst season that could ever be. 2020 has been an ongoing ...

Susan Alcorn Quintet: Pedernal

by Troy Dostert
December 1, 2020

Pedal steel guitarist Susan Alcorn has achieved the enviable feat of commanding her own instrumental niche in the jazz world. Much like Toots Thielemans' harmonica, Gary Versace's accordion or Béla Fleck's banjo, she seems to have a unique role all to herself, at least until her substantial talents eventually spawn a host of imitators. From her ...

The Pat Metheny Songbook - A New Jazz Canon, Part 2

by Ludovico Granvassu
September 1, 2020

This is the second part of our celebration of Pat Metheny's 66th birthday through an exploration of the best renditions of his work by other musicians. Metheny's signature compositional style inspired countless colleagues, even before he had released his first album. It's no surprise that more than four decades later, the renditions of his work can ...

Bela Fleck and Toumani Diabate: The Ripple Effect

by Doug Collette
April 4, 2020

The Ripple Effect is the coup de grace of Bela Fleck's ten year-plus excursion into the African roots of his chosen instrument of the banjo, originally titled Throw Down Your Heart (Rounder, 2009). Part of a larger set comprised of both video and audio on DVD/CD, The Complete Africa Sessions (Craft Recordings, 2020), these ten concert ...

Chick Corea: Mr. Eclectic

by Doug Collette
October 16, 2019

It's altogether plausible to posit Chick Corea's career as one of, if not the most, colorful in all of contemporary jazz. And that very declaration arrives apart from recognition of the varied shapes and sizes of the groups he dubbed 'Return To Forever.' In recent years, apart from notable collaborations on stage and in the studio ...

Laura Jurd: Stepping Back, Jumping In

by Roger Farbey
June 28, 2019

Laura Jurd's Stepping Back, Jumping In was commissioned by the major London music venue, King's Place, as part of its “Venus Unwrapped" series. Jurd debuted her project at the venue on March 1, 2019 followed by St George's Bristol and The Sage, Gateshead on March 4 and 5, 2019 where this album was recorded.

StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Then and now with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones

June 22, 2019

This week, let's take a look at some videos of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, who are coming to St. Louis to perform next Thursday, June 27 at Powell Hall. This year's tour marking the band's 30th anniversary is one of their most extensive since original member Howard Levy rejoined in 2009, covering 21 dates this ...