Béla Fleck and The Flecktones’ unique fusion of bluegrass, rock,
classical and jazz-driven jams always draws a diverse crowd, and on this night
in New York,
a refreshing array of individuals came out to support the band’s debut
performance at Carnegie Hall. Artsy cosmopolites mingled amongst floppy-haired
suburbanites, filling the seats to near capacity with an interesting mix of
dark suits and evening gowns, earth tones and Birkenstocks. Of course, the
theater was also populated with a healthy portion of “plain-clothed Joes” and
perhaps the most humble, unassuming and unspectacular-looking of them all, was
none other than Fleck. In an ornate and elegant setting where anything short of
a tuxedo seems like dressing down, the modest maestro of the Banjo-Arts opted
for jeans and a buttoned-down shirt, choosing to let his music speak for his
sophistication.
Gazing up at the palatial ceiling on the opening number
“Earth Jam,” Fleck earnestly smiled, then closed his eyes and walked the banjo
through a cascading solo that vibrated and resonated throughout the towering, five-tiered
auditorium. Bass master Victor Wooten showed similar enthusiasm, beaming as he
ripped through riffs on “True North,” and swayed and bobbed through the
delicate main melody of “The Whistle Tune” from the band’s most recent album, The Hidden Land.
Midway through the show, time traveling tax evader Futureman
showed off his 30th century drum beats on “P-lod in the House,”
inspiring horn player Jeff Coffin to join in and explore the outer limits of
the jazz scales through a series of spiraling, frenetic saxophone solos. “Polka
on the Banjo,” a rollicking collaboration with opening act The Del McCoury Band
featured Wooten crooning on the upbeat and old-timey vocals that made way for
“Subterfuge” a mysterious jazz-noir piece that evolved into a howling
instrumental cover of The Beatles’ “Come Together.”
Fleck finished the set with a well-rehearsed solo
routine that showcased his musical brilliance as well as his penchant for
deadpan comedy (applying his mouth to the fret board at one point to reach a
note that his fingers just couldn’t stretch to). The set concluded and the
roaring crowd members rose to their feet like their seats were on fire. “I
guess it’s true what they say about practice,” Wooten joked with the audience
in regards to playing the musical milestone, Carnegie Hall. “It really does
work.”
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