Béla Fleck in addition to the Flecktones is the showtime album yesteryear the band of the same name, released inward 1990. It reached position out 17 on the Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. At the Grammy Awards of 1997, a alive version of "The Sinister Minister", a rails from the album, won the Best Pop Instrumental Performance award.
After disbanding New Grass Revival, Bela Fleck began re-creating the purpose of the banjo inward the same way Charlie Parker redefined the purpose of the saxophone. But Fleck may move the least-innovative fellow member of this quartet: Howard Levy gets chromatics from his blues harp, Victor Wooten picks banjo rolls on his bass, in addition to Roy "Future Man" Wooten plays a Frankenstein-monster drum-machine/guitar synthesizer. For all the flash, there's lilliputian pretense; the group's astonishing musicianship keeps an "aw-shucks" accessibility that lets everybody follow the tune spell they marvel.
When bluegrass banjo whiz Bela Fleck formed the Flecktones inward 1990 alongside jazz pianist Howard Levy, funk bassist Victor Wooten, in addition to electronic-drummer Roy Wooten, it seemed similar simply ane to a greater extent than of those new-acoustic music bands that seem in addition to disappear inward Nashville alongside depressing regularity. There was something special well-nigh this quartet, though, for it used its peculiar instrumentation non as an terminate inward itself but as a agency to 3 albums of startling melodicism, improvisation, in addition to feeling. At the terminate of 1992, Levy amicably departed to pass to a greater extent than fourth dimension alongside his household unit of measurement in addition to his ain music. Rather than hire a novel quaternary member, Fleck in addition to the Wootens convey tried to compensate for his absence yesteryear an increased reliance on synthesizer sounds that they tin trigger from their instruments in addition to flooring pedals. This has led to less emphasis on melody, harmony, in addition to feeling in addition to an increased emphasis on beat in addition to showy virtuosity.
It ever amazes me when I spy albums yesteryear the Flecktones tucked away inward the novel historic flow or "miscellaneous" sections of tape stores. Fleck has sure bent the boundaries of genre alongside his mind-altering banjo virtuosity, but the centre of this music is JAZZ, fifty-fifty for a purist similar myself. This album, ane of solely 3 alongside harmonica/keyboards stud Howard Levy, is a item process inward the ensemble -- Future Man volition brand a believer of those who pooh-pooh digital percussion as "canned" or "fake." Most of import hither are the tunes -- "Sinister Minister" may good move the "Perdido" or "Caravan" of the adjacent century. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 marvelous tape to move inward every futuristic jazzophile's collection!
Bela Fleck in addition to the Flecktones self titled album is easily ane of their best in addition to most impreesive albums. The musicianship on the album is incredible, particularly alongside Fleck's incredible picking in addition to Wooten's impossible bass lines. Many of the songs are great, alongside no bad ones. Some of the highlights are Hurricane Camille, Sunset Road, Reflections of Lucy in addition to the vocal that actually stands out higher upward the rest, Sinister Minister. Sinister is non solely real funky, it is besides an extremely difficult to play songs, particularly Wooten's bass solo inward the middle.
This album is neat for musicians in addition to fans of bluegrass in addition to jazz. Overall a real impressive album that deserves recognition.
Track listing:
All songs yesteryear Béla Fleck unless otherwise noted.
"Sea Brazil" – 3:43
"Frontiers" – 6:08
"Hurricane Camille" – 2:38
"Half Luna Bay" – 5:09
"The Sinister Minister" – 4:38
"Sunset Road" – 5:04
"Flipper" – 4:21
"Mars Needs Women: Space is a Lonely Place" – 5:01
"Mars Needs Women: They're Here" – 3:30
"Reflections of Lucy" (B. Fleck/John Lennon/Paul McCartney) – 3:38
"Tell It to the Gov'nor" – 4:06
Single
The solely unmarried from this album was "The Sinister Minister". The music video received heavy airplay on MTV in addition to VH1 dorsum inward the early on 90s. The video was hence popular, it was featured on an episode of VH1's Pop-Up Video in addition to won a Grammy inward 1997, despite it beingness a 1990 song.
Personnel:
Béla Fleck – banjo
Howard Levy – diatonic harmonica (tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 8-11), synth (tracks 5, 11), synthesizers (tracks 5, 6, 8, 10), pianoforte (tracks 1-4, 6, 7, 10), Jew's harp (track 2), güiro (track 5)
Roy "Future Man" Wooten – Synth-Axe Drumitar
Victor Wooten – bass
Camille Harrison (uncredited) - vocals (track 6)
Some websites claim additional musicians participated on this album, but these are non supported yesteryear the liner notes. However, inward the notes from the band's adjacent album, Flight of the Cosmic Hippo, apologies in addition to credit for vocal function is given to Camille Harrison for the rails "Sunset Road".
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