Commissioned by the Nashville Symphony and conducted by Giancarlo Guerrero, The Impostor is Béla Fleck’s 2011 genre-bending concerto extravaganza. Fleck is the latest of the modern bluegrass virtuosos to add concerto composer to his résumé, though he’s performed with various symphonies throughout his banjo career. The Impostor serves as a three-piece journey paralleling Fleck’s approach to his instrument. There’s “Infiltration” as the twang gently creeps in among the orchestra; then, there’s seamless “Integration,” as the listener forgets about the instrument’s bluegrass roots; and
at last, the “Truth [is] Revealed,” as the banjo is exposed and brought to the forefront. “Night Flight Over Water”—where Fleck partners with the imaginative string quartet Brooklyn Rider—rounds out the album with a more classical, albeit unexpected, sound. The Impostor showcases Fleck as a composer/performer, and its success doesn’t come as a surprise to those who’ve followed his banjo across continents, genres and beyond.