While some bands seem to tire after excessive touring and deteriorate into boring, uninspired jam sessions, others just get better with age. With their newly released fifth album, "Live Art," Béla Fleck and the Flecktones prove that practice does make their diverse musical stylings close to perfect.
Led by banjo master Béla Fleck, the Flecktones are at their best on "Live Art," playing off each other as they would onstage, because, well, they are. Without the constraints of the recording studio, the trio of Fleck, bassist Victor Lemonte Wooten and synth-axe drumitarist Roy 'Future Man' Wooten are at their energetic concert best, with audiences cheering on their lively mix of banjo-driven bluegrass, funk, rock, jazz and worldbeat instrumentals.
Their fusion sound shows on the varied track list of the two-disc set, with a reggae feel on Victor's "More Luv," featuring Bruce Hornsby on vocals and Béla on electric and synthesizer banjos to give the effect of steel drums, a quiet country attitude flavored with a funky bass groove on old favorite "Sunset Road" and on "Early Reflection / Bach / The Ballad of Jed Clampett," Béla mixes 1920s flapper styles with classical Bach motifs, leading into a full-scale, knee-slappin' bluegrass version of the "Beverly Hillbillies" theme.
Having toured in the Far East, South Africa and Ireland, the Flecktones' sound has expanded from frequently playing with new musicians, adding local flavor to their repertoire in every port.
One of the best examples of incorporating different styles on the album is "Far East Medley," an interpretation of songs learned while touring in Outer Mongolia and the Philippines. Rather than parroting the slow and melodic waltzes as they learned them, the Flecktones make the traditional tunes even fresher by underscoring them with Latin and jazz beats. Their Korean tour also inspired "Stomping Grounds," in which the homesick trio worked with guests Sam Bush on mandolin and Paul McCandless on soprano sax, to create some foot-tapping American bluegrass.
The easy way they blend with guest artists, including Hornsby, saxophonist Branford Marsalis and keyboardist Chick Corea, shows clearly in their innovative musical romps, making the Flecktones an integral part of a musically balanced diet. Although I usually think it should be against the law to remake any Beatles songs, to avoid tragedies like Tiffany's "I Saw Him Standing There," the heartfelt bluesy wails of tenor John Cowan joining the Flecktones on "Oh Darling" make it absolutely legal. Cowan doesn't try to be Paul McCartney, and with old Flecktone Howard Levy making a brief appearance on keyboards, the song takes on new life.
Overall, "Live Art" is vibrant, tuneful and, in an age of acts like Hootie and the Blowfish topping the charts, reminds us all what art really is. Once you listen to Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, you won't be able to forget that important musical lesson.
- Stephanie Jo Klein
This pop-punk trio from Newport, Wales have just released "Supernatural Joy," their debut domestic release. This specially priced EP contains five tracks compiled from U.K. singles dating back to 1994. The British have had a long line of power trios ranging from the The Jam to the current band Supergrass. These guys easily fit into this category due to their melodic tunes and sing-a-long lyrics.
Listening to their first single, "Happy Shopper," you can't help but pogo about as you sing along to the chorus. The next track, "White Knuckle Ride," offers the same and features some slide guitar to accentuate the Paul Weller-like vocals of singer Richard Parfitt. "British Racing Green" reminds the listener of The Jam's "Going Underground," their U.K. No. 1 hit in the early '80s. "Yellow Candles" exhibits the same pop-punk sound as the other songs but, apparently, the formula works for these guys. However, the final track, "Rosalyn," shows a different side. This slow track begins with the inclusion of an organ and turns psychedelic.
60 Ft Dolls have kept the interest of the fickle U.K. press through their singles and intense touring schedule. While 60 Ft Dolls' sound immediately recalls that of The Jam, their sound is influenced by them rather than derivative. These guys aren't copy cats, they just apply the same pop-punk sound. "Supernatural Joy" is a good economical purchase and if you like this EP enough then be prepared for their debut album due out this coming January.
- Philip Son