Back in '91 I picked up a cassette of these guys because they had video that showed up on a tv at a shoe store I was shopping at that sounded good. Turns out I really only liked that one tune. I had since lost interest. The other day I was watching one of those concerts on PBS and there was Bela Fleck again. I was totally engrossed in watching these incredible musicians. Their music is quite a mixed bag of sounds - a jazzy bluegrassy thing going on. I believe that Fleck has done some solo classical stuff as well. Very complex and just incredible to watch they guys snap together like glue through some very tough changes & breaks. I didn't realize until I watched them that the bass player is the incredible Victor Wooten. Any of you folks listen to these guys?
Bela's first classical recording is called "Perpetual Motion." It is phenomenal. the bassist this time was Edgar Meyer. Meyer is the recipient of a MacArthur "genius grant," so he's not too shabby. Also on the recording are violinist Joshua Bell and guitarist John Williams, among others.
Bela Fleck doesn't read standard notation very well, so Meyer's copyist prepared tablature for him—which he edited liberally with Wite-Out in order to even be able to read it. He said he learned his part first, and then was astounded how much subtlety and nuance went into playing classical music when he got together with the other musicians.
I asked him what he was able to take from this experience back to the Flecktones. He said he listens more critically, and practices more.
I'm wondering if the show you saw was made after he made the classical recording.
Fleck and Meyer have since come out with a sequel.
Tom
