Fleck Splitting Time With Four Side Projects

[TimmyB]

The banjo player seems to be booked for the year.

from www.billboard.com

Edited By Jonathan Cohen. February 25, 2005, 8:20 AM ET

Fleck Splitting Time With Four Side Projects

Bela Fleck is taking 2005 off from touring with the Flecktones, but he will still be very busy with a number of new projects. According to his official Web site, Fleck is currently recording an album in Africa with native musicians, sessions for which will also yield a future documentary DVD. Fleck will report on the experience weekly on National Public Radio's "The World."

After returning from Africa, Fleck will begin a series of performances with Bryan Sutton and Cassey Driessen as the Acoustic Trio on March 26 at the Suwannee Festival in Live Oak, Fla. Other confirmed appearances include Merlefest in North Carolina in late April, Bonnaroo in mid-June and the Johnny Keenan Banjo Festival in late September in Longford, Ireland.

But Fleck will spend most of the summer performing with !Trio! alongside jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and violinist Jean Luc Ponty. The group is crafting original material to perform at North American jazz festivals and during a July European run.

Stretching into late November, Fleck will play 10 dates with longtime collaborator/bassist Edgar Meyer. The pair is also planning to work on its second concerto next year, on the heels of their 2004 album, "Music for Two."

Fleck will return to his main band when the year is up, noting that "The Flecktones have a new album recorded already and will release it when we come back on the road in early 2006."

-- Jason MacNeil, Toronto

[Ms.Huxtable]

Wow, thanks for the update TimmyB. I'm a HUGE Bela Fleck Fan (I don't know how I could have forgot to mention him the "What band have you seen the most" thread).

What impresses me about him is not only his incredible ability but also the range of music he's capable of and interested in. Take for instance his classical music recording called Perpetual Motion, one wouldn't think that a banjo is suitable for classical music but he stayed as true to the original compositions as is possible on a banjo. It's a stunning collection of songs and I recommend you all give it a listen.

I can't wait to hear that African inspired stuff.

If he isn't touring with the Flecktones, might he be touring with any of these side projects? I'd love to check out any of those collaborations.

[MarcO]

What a lazy hack.

[Esau]

[color:"purple"]Whose he think he is? Warren Haynes?

[secondtube]

i like bela!

[fretman]

Bela is definately the man.....I've been listening to his last album with edgar meyer(music for two) alot lately...nah, more like I'm adicted to it......you guys should check it out, it comes with a DVD with clips from the road to.....mostly footage of them working on a tune that is a "Canon" where edgar starts the song, and Bela repeats everything he plays 15 beats later like "row your boat"

I can't get enough of the Classical Double bass it has such an incredible range, the high notes sound like violin or cello and the lowest notes sound like a ship steamwhistle, unbelievable.

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

Trio! will be playing Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal on June 28,29,30 respectively!!

[secondtube]

hmmmm Bela on my Birthday.

Nice.