Bela Fleck torches Tennessee Theatre

Knoxville has hosted its share of eclectic virtuoso musicians over the years, but few of the bands that have appeared on local stages are of the caliber of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, featured on Thursday night February 20 at the Tennessee Theatre. Fleck and his group are ostensibly a jazz band, but their unique brand of music defies any easy categorization. Bela himself is a master of the banjo, and the group’s offerings are far from the beaten path of jazz, bluegrass, fusion, or any other genre you may name. Contrary to their wide-ranging styles, their tracks are crafted with both exquisite care and a free-wheeling optimism that is at once fresh sounding and traditional. Bela plays an acoustic five-string banjo as well as an electric Crossfire banjo with its own distinctive harmonics. The audience was well primed for this performance, and they themselves were a wide mix perfectly reflective of the broad appeal this group holds among its fans. All age groups were represented, and almost every attendee was frankly adulatory, giving the show much more of a rock feel as opposed to a stuffy jazz concert. After playing themselves onto the stage for the opening set with “Nemo’s Dream,” the band launched into a couple of tracks from previously-released recordings before treating the audience to two as-yet untitled new tunes destined for the album they have just turned in for mastering to Sony. Victor Wooten then stepped front and center for a stint to wow the worshipful crowd with bass stylings that seemed to defy the number of fingers (the standard ten, in this case) he owns. Responding to his prodigious skills, the audience leapt to their feet and showed their appreciation with a standing ovation. The band rejoined him onstage for another new number before retiring for intermission. Future Man then brought the band back onstage for the next set after priming the pump with his own percussion solo, where he unleashed his rock side a little and let the sticks do the magic, complimented in some parts by Bela on the electric Crossfire. Bela introduced the next tune with a recollection of a 1989 gig at Ella Guru’s before he cranked up the classic “Mars Needs Women” from their first, eponymous album. Fleck then took center stage for his own solo, utilizing his pre-war Gibson five-string in a near-seamless trip through various music styles, featuring a tasty and complex mix of traditional bluegrass with a Beatles medley that sampled “Because,” “Imagine,” and “All You Need Is Love,” before finishing out with a Bach prelude. Lastly, the band regrouped onstage for the incendiary “Hoedown” which interpolated a short duel between Bela’s Crossfire and Future Man’s “scat singing” skills. The encore was a fiery rendition of “Stomping Grounds” that sent the crowd out with a bang and garnered yet another standing ovation. Though recording for over a decade together, the Flecktones still preserve their fresh sound and bring a totally unique experience to music lovers worldwide. Fans of bluegrass, jazz, fusion, or rock will all find something special in their music, and are encouraged to give a listen to this one-of-a-kind band that can turn genres on their ears and breathe new life into old standards, as well as craft their own sound into tunes that break out of any box you might be tempted to stuff them into. Recipients of over twenty Grammy nominations, the Flecktones are that rare mix of talented, open-minded performers that can innovate while maintaining a wide appeal to people of all ages and tastes.