Béla Fleck and the original Flecktones will bring their seminal brand of virtuoso fusion musicianship to the Calvin Theater in Northampton tonight.
The five-time Grammy award winners are touring on the back of their latest album released earlier this year titled “Rocket Science.” This is the group’s first album in nearly two decades to feature the original Flecktones lineup of Fleck (banjo), Howard Levy (harmonica and piano) and brothers Victor (bass guitar) and Roy “Futureman” Wooten (percussion).
The quartet has released 11 studio albums since 1990 and is known for their expert instrumental skills in blending a plethora of musical genres into a sound all of their own. Combining elements of bluegrass, jazz, fusion, jam, pop, funk and folk, the band’s style has been colloquially referred to as “blu-bop” by fans and critics alike. At the heart of the group’s diverse and multidimensional performances and compositions are the extremely capable technical abilities and well-rounded backgrounds of all four original Flecktones.
Bandleader Fleck is the Jimi Hendrix of banjo. Widely considered to be one of the most innovative and technically proficient banjo players to ever pick up the instrument, Fleck has earned seven Grammy awards – not including the five won by the Flecktones themselves. Having been nominated in categories ranging from pop and bluegrass to classical and country, Fleck holds the record for most Grammy award category nominations by a single musician. Prior to leading the Flecktones, Fleck helped pioneer the budding genre of progressive bluegrass with his eight-year stint in the band New Grass Revival during the 1980s. In addition, Fleck has also released 12 solo albums since 1979. Fleck is perhaps the most prolific and virtuosic musician to pick up the banjo in the last hundred years.
Brothers Victor and Roy “Futureman” Wooten comprise the rhythm section of the Flecktones. Victor is highly regarded in jazz and funk circles as one of the best contemporary electric bass players in the world. Through a combination of highly disciplined technique and nearly unrivaled open-minded creativity, he has carved a spot on the top of the four-string totem pole in both his work with the Flecktones as well as his solo projects.
Drummer Futureman could be considered one of the most unique percussionists of all time considering the fact he invented the instrument he is known for playing. The “drumitar” – a key-tar like device modified to play triggered drum sounds – is Futureman’s instrument of choice when playing with the Flecktones. He has also been known to play the drumitar and real drums or other percussion instruments simultaneously on stage, making for a lively and unique performance.
Harmonica player and pianist Levy has appeared on over 250 albums, including four with the Flecktones. He is somewhat of an innovator in the field of harmonica playing in the later half of the 20th century. In the 1970s, he was reportedly the first to utilize overblow and overdraw techniques in order to play chromatic notes on the standard diatonic harmonica. He also composed the second ever concerto for diatonic harmonica in 2001. While Levy was a founding member of the group, the 2011 album “Rocket Science” is Levy’s first appearance on a Flecktones’ album since 1993’s “UFO Tofu.” Levy was replaced in the ‘90s by saxophonist Jeff Coffin – known for his ability to play both alto and tenor saxophone at the same time – who subsequently left the Flecktones in 1998 to play in the Dave Matthews Band, which opened the door for Levy’s return.
“Rocket Science” picks up where the original lineup left off, augmenting their already diversified “blu-bop” sound with styles such as rock and world music. Produced by Fleck, the album features compositions from all four members of the band. It’s the band’s first album since the 2008 Christmas album “Jingle All The Way,” which won a Grammy in 2009 for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
Tickets are still available for tonight’s show at the door and range from $35-$45. The show starts at 8 p.m., but doors will open earlier.
Dave Coffey can be reached at [email protected].
