Word: bela
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...Sanders: Bela Fleck and Bluegrass sessions...
April 2 marked the performance of what just could be the new soundtrack for The Phantom Menace. Not exclusively modern, the program did include Brahms' "Piano Quarter in minor, Opus 25" along with Bohuslav Martin's more contemporary "Memorial to Lidice" and Bela Bartok's "Violin Concerto No. 2." Even this was tainted by the great Modernist Arnold Schoenber who re-arranged the chamber piece for orchestra. According to the program notes, "Johannes Brahms and Arnold Schoenberg are [not-so] strange bedfellows" in a filigree of 20th century musical fracas that indeed would have made Obi-Wan proud...
...Bela Fleck and the Flecktones delivered a private performance last weekend at Tufts University. Besides Bela, the band includes Victor Wooten on bass guitar, "Future Man" (Wooten's brother) on synthesized percussion and Jeff Coffin on sax. Victor Wooten has been voted Bass Player Magazine's "Bassist of the Year" for three years in a row. And it is little wonder why. His mastery of the instrument leaves you room for no other reaction than a open jawdrop as you let out a few nervous laughs, expecting the Apocalypse. This might seem like a strange statement, but this reviewer does...
...show concluded with Bela executing about half an hour of solo acoustic work, what he jokingly entitled "his MTV Unplugged Album." These minutes were a showcase for the best of B‚la's unique talents. When Bela starts on the banjo, you might think at first that he is tuning his banjo. That is until you realize that he is actually playing the banjo not by fretting, but by twisting the tuners on the head of the instrument. B‚la even went as far as to fret a note with his nose. He brought his brand...
...band then returned, with Coffin doing an impressive job of playing two saxes simultaneously in "The Two Horny Blues." And finally an encore was played with Bela on zither banjo, Coffin on flute, "Future Man" tapping a Spanish percussion box and Victor Wooten on cello. The final piece encapsulated the best thing that this concert offered--a chance to see some really down-to-earth guys play some incredible music while making the audience laugh all along...