Referring to Bela Fleck as a banjo player is akin to calling LeBron James a professional athlete or suggesting that Albert Einstein was a physicist. While technically accurate, the characterizations fail to convey the real worth of each man's contributions.
Fleck's dazzling performance on banjo for an audience of over 1,000 at Yardley Hall on Saturday represented one of the most rewarding components of the multifaceted performer's career. Joined by tabla master Zakir Hussain and bassist Edgar Meyer, Fleck investigated an experimental form of chamber music consisting of equal parts bluegrass, classical, jazz and Indian classical music.
In addition to being a star in the world of bluegrass, Fleck's electric band the Flecktones is a big draw on the jam-band circuit. Fleck is also an increasingly noteworthy composer. Saturday's performance was dedicated to his ongoing interest in exploring new cross-cultural musical possibilities. A few of the paths Fleck and his colleagues wandered down during their two-hour journey Saturday led to dead ends, but several exciting new vistas were revealed.
The concert resembled a comfortable conversation between three highly literate friends. Fleck, the man most familiar to the majority of the audience, was the recipient of the first outburst of applause for one of his fine solos. Yet Fleck isn't necessarily the most gifted member of the trio.
Hussain had already been heralded as a child prodigy in his native India when his collaborations with George Harrison and John McLaughlin brought him to the attention of rock and jazz fans in the '70s. No less melodic than his colleagues, the percussionist's astounding performance was the most compelling element of Saturday's concert. His two unaccompanied solos resembled astonishing magic tricks. That one man can produce so many rhythms with two hands is mystifying. Almost as impressive is Hussain's ability to captivate listeners without relying on the volume and bombast favored by many conventional drummers.
Meyer, the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 (the so-called Genius Award) and a Grammy Award winner, is similarly revered by other musicians. His harmonious bowing and plucking offset the kinetic efforts of his colleagues. Meyer also played the role of the straight man as the trio engaged in lighthearted banter.
One of their gags involved Fleck and Hussain's exasperated responses to Meyer's detailed explanation of a song's absurdly complex time signatures. Unfortunately, the joke hit too close to home. The musicians' emphasis on staggeringly virtuostic technique occasionally resulted in dry, overly academic music. Too often the trio's proficiency resulted in music thay was more intellectually interesting than viscerally engaging.
In at least one instance, however, the misplaced priority on inappreciable perfection led to a positive outcome. Seemingly forgetting the presence of the audience, Meyer was absorbed in a lengthy tuneup between songs when he was finally interrupted by Fleck.
"Dude," Fleck chided. "That sucker is so in tune."
Meyer's fastidiousness was worth the wait. He responded by delivering a rapturous bowed solo piece that demonstrated his capacity to play with emotional resonance. Although the evening contained disappointingly few such rewarding moments, the trio's peerless musicianship was always beyond reproach.
In addition to being a star in the world of bluegrass, Fleck's electric band the Flecktones is a big draw on the jam-band circuit. Fleck is also an increasingly noteworthy composer. Saturday's performance was dedicated to his ongoing interest in exploring new cross-cultural musical possibilities. A few of the paths Fleck and his colleagues wandered down during their two-hour journey Saturday led to dead ends, but several exciting new vistas were revealed.
The concert resembled a comfortable conversation between three highly literate friends. Fleck, the man most familiar to the majority of the audience, was the recipient of the first outburst of applause for one of his fine solos. Yet Fleck isn't necessarily the most gifted member of the trio.
Hussain had already been heralded as a child prodigy in his native India when his collaborations with George Harrison and John McLaughlin brought him to the attention of rock and jazz fans in the '70s. No less melodic than his colleagues, the percussionist's astounding performance was the most compelling element of Saturday's concert. His two unaccompanied solos resembled astonishing magic tricks. That one man can produce so many rhythms with two hands is mystifying. Almost as impressive is Hussain's ability to captivate listeners without relying on the volume and bombast favored by many conventional drummers.
Meyer, the recipient of a MacArthur Fellowship in 2002 (the so-called Genius Award) and a Grammy Award winner, is similarly revered by other musicians. His harmonious bowing and plucking offset the kinetic efforts of his colleagues. Meyer also played the role of the straight man as the trio engaged in lighthearted banter.
One of their gags involved Fleck and Hussain's exasperated responses to Meyer's detailed explanation of a song's absurdly complex time signatures. Unfortunately, the joke hit too close to home. The musicians' emphasis on staggeringly virtuostic technique occasionally resulted in dry, overly academic music. Too often the trio's proficiency resulted in music thay was more intellectually interesting than viscerally engaging.
In at least one instance, however, the misplaced priority on inappreciable perfection led to a positive outcome. Seemingly forgetting the presence of the audience, Meyer was absorbed in a lengthy tuneup between songs when he was finally interrupted by Fleck.
"Dude," Fleck chided. "That sucker is so in tune."
Meyer's fastidiousness was worth the wait. He responded by delivering a rapturous bowed solo piece that demonstrated his capacity to play with emotional resonance. Although the evening contained disappointingly few such rewarding moments, the trio's peerless musicianship was always beyond reproach.
| Bill Brownlee, Special to The Star
No Pellboy, you're not the only one. Shaw and Young have chops and some decent songs.
http://www.robedesoireefr.com/robes-de-cocktail-c-5.html
Posted by: robe du soir | August 14, 2011 at 09:13 PM