Sittin’ down with Béla

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

By Aaron Davis

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-As they say in Nashville, Béla Fleck is a Monster Player. From traditional roots music to classical Indian music, Fleck is a masterful genre-bender who has taken the banjo into realms to which it has never been applied. Of 25 Grammy nominations, nine of them he took home, including five with The Flecktones—Jeff Coffin (sax), and brothers Victor Wooten (bass) and Roy “Future Man” Wooten (Drumitar). Their Holiday Tour enters the Center for the Arts tomorrow night.  
    
JHWeekly: You guys just returned from a European tour…how is the vibe different from touring in the U.S.?

Béla Fleck: It feels great to be there and great to be back, and it is very different. Some of it is the travel and the unfamiliar surroundings. In the states we have toured so much that it is very comfortable. In Europe there is a buzz to the new sights, and building a new audience.

JHW: I really dig your project with Edgar Meyer and Zakir Hussain. You seem to switch back and forth between projects fluidly. Do you ever feel like you are spread thin, or does it come naturally to transition back and forth?

BF: There is definitely a period of reaclimation. There is some adrenaline and the pleasure when getting back together with great friends/inspiring musicians. That usually gets me over the hump and into the solid zone pretty quick. And I prepare, if the music is demanding. I really enjoy the trio with Zakir and Edgar, and we have done six weeks worth of shows. When we reconnect in May, we will have something to build upon.

JHW: Seeing that this is a holiday tour, you guys will be playing some festive tunes from the [Grammy-winning] album Jingle All the Way. Seems like the general population has a love/hate relationship with Christmas music. Have you always enjoyed playing it?

BF: We started doing a couple of holiday tunes back in the early days, and we always thought there was a lot of opportunity there. The audience always seemed thankful to hear a different take on the tunes, which are firmly entrenched in everyone’s consciousness. We were careful to watch out for the swarm factor, yet not hurt the songs. We understand the ambivalence for a lot of people, and it affected the way we chose to do it.

JHW: Can you enlighten fans as to how crucial it is to step onto stage with a group that you’ve been playing with for so long and how that contributes to the musicality?

BF: This is a wonderful thing about playing with people for a long time. They become family and your relationship has deepened. With Jeff for instance we have played together for 11 or 12 years, we have a lot to draw on. Vic and Future Man and I have played together since 1987 and ‘88. We are fortunate to still enjoy each other.

JHW: Is there any such thing as hitting a “bad note” to you?

BF: I guess there is. For me it is when I don’t play what I intended, or tighten up too much. Sometimes I can make a mistake and use it to my advantage, which is a skill you learn as an improviser. In fact I would put forth the idea that many great improvisations are built out of mistakes! But if the same ‘bad’ note were hit on purpose, it wouldn’t be a bad note! JHW


Béla Fleck and The Flecktones perform 7:30 p.m., Thursday, in the Center Theater. $75 for orchestra seating, $60 for premium balcony, $50 for regular balcony. 733-4900  or JHCenterForTheArts.org.

Courtesy photo
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones

PERMALINK:
Sittin’ down with Béla | Planet JH News Article: Music Box

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