Perpetual Motion
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Free Music Notes for Perpetual Motion
Free Music Review: What Can This Guy NOT Do. . . ?
Hit: 5 Stars
The range of creativity that Bela Fleck possesses and displays on a continual basis is truly staggering. Few artists can claim to truly be original, but Fleck is one of them. From acoustic to electric, with harmonica (Howard Levy) or piano (Bruce Hornsby) or saxophone (Jeff Coffin & Paul McCandless), pure bluegrass to pure Bach, covering a multitude of musical categories inbetween, Fleck just produces great music, whether live or in the recording studio. Following his career has been like riding a roller coaster.This latest effort is no exception. Long-time Fleck & Flecktones fans might be surprised (although we shouldn't be), and classical purists will be very surprised, but he has devoted his latest project to the works of traditional classical composers; they are well represented: Scarlatti, Bach, Debussy, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Paganini, and Beethoven. He had done one Mozart piece on a compilation CD, A Different Mozart, so this didn't come out of nowhere. He also enlisted some great help on other instruments: Joshua Bell on violin, Edgar Meyer on bass and piano, John Williams on guitar, Gary Hoffman on cello, Evelyn Glennie on marimba, among others.
Fleck's playing is crisp and clean throughout the CD, and his interplay with the other artists seems to be very instinctive and natural, even within the confines of traditionally-structured pieces. I would have thought that he would sound stifled in this environment, but I guess I underestimated him--big mistake! Improvisation seems to be his forte, but interpretation ranks right up there. The arrangements are incredible, as well, and Fleck explains in the liner notes about the difficulty not only in finding pieces that would suit banjo but in writing them out on paper for banjo, as well. The liner notes were superb, offering great insight to the whole process of initiating the project, finding the right pieces, arranging them for the various instruments, his work to practice and prepare them, and then the recording of them. Most classical artists just give you the product, good though it might be; Fleck takes you through the process in the liner notes and photographs, then gives you the product on the disc.
I'll let the more informed classical reviewers break down the CD piece by piece. I think he chose a great variety and range of composers and works, and he plays them incredibly well--I never thought I'd enjoy listening to anybody playing anything on a banjo, much less playing Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms!
Fleck fans should appreciate this foray into previously unexplored territory, even though it is well outside of his traditional realm, as undefined as that may be (you'll find his CDs in the Jazz section at Border's, but some of what he plays sure isn't jazz. . .). Classical fans should appreciate the workmanship of a fine musician, untraditional though he may be.
Bottom line: great artist(s) + great compositions = great CD!!!
The answer to my title question: apparently nothing. . . .
Free Music Review: Mind-bending finger-numbing work.
Hit: 5 Stars
Prediction: This new "Perpetual Motion" compilation by Fleck and friends will win a Grammy for best classical crossover album. By a - if you'll excuse the expression - country mile.
Béla Fleck, sometimes whimsically called "the Bartók of the banjo" (his full given name is Béla Anton Leos Fleck, for composers Bartók, Dvorak and Janácek) is - on this new album - "the Bach of the banjo" for nearly half of its 20 tracks. Collaborating with an all-star group of classical and roots musicians, Béla has come up with a delightful surprise of an album. Made up of - more or less - equal parts good cheer, tasteful and fitting arrangements of classical chamber music for novel groups of instruments, and just plain down and dirty fun, this album is sure to appeal to both "traditional" Fleck fans and classical music lovers of all stripes.
Once again, as on some previous projects, Fleck's main artisitc partner in the enterprise is Edgar Meyer (that man who can do absolutely anything with a string bass), whose roles here include not only instrumental contributions but repertoire suggestions and arrangements as well. The two of them team up to good effect in Bach's Two-Part Invention No. 6, BWV 777, and, with Edgar on piano, in a more-or-less "straight" version of Paganini's "Moto Perpetuo."
Of the other collaborators on this album (and there are several, including classical guitarist John Williams, cellist Gary Hoffman and mandolinist Chris Thile), special mention must go to percussionist Evelyn Glennie on marimba, for her delicately-shaded work on several of the Bach Inventions, and to Joshua Bell on violin (and Hoffman on cello) for a ravishing take on Debussy's "Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum" from his Children's Corner suite. The latter is one of my favorite tracks on the album, and I'm not even a particular fan of Bell; he is simply perfect in this piece.
What would a Béla Fleck album be without some REALLY sidesplitting hot licks? Those who desire this "Fleck fix" need not worry; there are two tracks fitting this description: an arrangement for banjo and classical guitar of Beethoven's "Seven Variations on `God Save the King'," and, to wrap the album up, a bluegrass version of the Paganini title work.
Will my Grammy prediction come true? Who knows? The prediction could certainly be confounded if the appropriate NARAS Grammy nominating committee decides that Mark O'Connor's new album, "The American Seasons," is categorized as "classical crossover," leading to the possibility of a deadlocked vote. So why don't you just go out and try Mark's new album as well, and cover your bases?
Great stuff, this mind-bending finger-numbing work by Béla and his buddies.
Bob Zeidler
Free Music Review: You'll laugh, you'll cry
Hit: 5 Stars
OK, cheesy title for this review. But seriously, I find myself surprised with joy and awe and sentimentality while giving this a spin. I have to admit up front that I'm a huge Bela Fleck fan. I've seen him in concert twice, and been in awe of him (and, of course, of Victor Wooten when Fleck was with the Flecktones--who could not be in awe of that guy?). I distinctly remember the 20 minutes he came out on stage and played variations on "Happy Birthday" with just him and an acoustic banjo. I'm not sure if that was a greater musical experience, or the time I saw Bobby McFerrin with just a stool and a bottle of Perrier. But I digress.
It just seems that Bela can span any genre, climb any sonic mountain, and cross any streaming audio (ha) and float above it all while never being pretentious. He's always supremely musical, and never self-involved or ostentatious. It could be jazz, bluegrass, newgrass, classical, folk, rock, pop--you name it. He does it all, and always brings skill and humor to whatever he does. I say 'humor', but he never mocks the music he's playing, but is obviously having fun. It's hard for me to describe.
The choices of the music on this album are superb, as are the arrangements and the collaborators. There are some heavyweight backing players here (John Williams [guitar, not Star Wars], Evelyn Glennie, Edgar Meyer, etc.). The sound quality and production are top-notch. That Fleck can play the same kind of instrument played by the inbred kid in "Deliverance" and hang with Joshua Bell and make it all work should be a huge testament to Fleck's artistry. Like others have said, this banjo doesn't have a McCoury kind of twang. Fleck always makes the banjo sound so sweet. (By the way, I love how in the Paganini and others how he uses the traditional open strings ringing style of play on these pieces. Very nice fusion.)
This guy is probably one of the musical greats of our day, but rarely gets his due. It's pretty sad to me that he likely has 0.5% of the name recognition of, say, Lady Gaga, but offers the world so much more musically.
Free Music Review: Unreal
Hit: 5 Stars
Now granted, I am a bit biased as such a huge fan, having basically every CD that has his name in the title, but I never fail to be impressed how he continually changes his hats as a musician and still manages to never be less than incredible.As a violinist myself, it was a pure rush a year ago to hear him play the prelude from Bach's 3rd Partita in concert and even more of a rush to talk to him after the show and find out he was working on this particular CD. However, nothing could truly prepare me to hear Paganini played on a banjo. It's one of those things that make you just have to hear over and over to even start to believe.
I'd say the technical ability he shows on this disc is astounding, but even that wouldn't do it justice. I feel he's further stretched the boundaries of an instrument single handedly. In doing so, he produces a sound that's really unlike anything I've heard.
This can also be attributed to the excellent arrangments where Bela teams up with Edgar Meyer in spectacular fashion yet again (Sidenote: If you have not heard Uncommon Ritual by these two artists with Mike Marshall, go get it.) The instrumentations for all of the tracks further transform the sound of all of these traditional pieces. The Marimba with the banjo on the Presto just floored me.
Finally, I also enjoyed the selections of pieces used for this CD. Again, I'm rather biased in the fact that I'm a violinist and a pianist (also a large Bach fan.) Many of the pieces are technical showcases and have similar feels no matter who plays them, but a handful of the pieces (such as the sometimes overplayed Adagio from Moonlight Sonata) are great examples of more soulful pieces that are given a completely new (and rather refreshing) look.
Now that I'm past giving my 2 cents into giving about 50 bucks, I'll close with the fact that I have a huge collection of music, but for a week and a half now this CD has not left my sterio.
Free Music Review: Fleck performs his magic
Hit: 5 Stars
WOW! Seldom do you come across an album where every piece of music is worth listening to repeatedly,but this one will blow your mind.Traditional classical works played on mostly Bluegrass instruments.Who knew it could work so well?Edgar Meyer performs on bass and piano;Joshua Bell on violin(His 1732 Stradivarius sounds golden);Gary Hoffman on a 1662 Amati cello;Evelyn Glennie on marimba;and Chris Thile on mandolin.Fleck and Meyer almost without exception(the Tchakovksy piece doesn't really work or fit)excellent pieces for transcription.All the works are given a new dimension or at worst lose nothing in the interpretations.A highly enjoyable disc.The musicians play like they are having genuine fun!The tempos are perfect,if a little too safe at times.Crisp,clear sound.No complaints.Disc time:57'44.Here are some highlights.Track 3:Are you ready for down home Debussy?Track 5:Fleck solo.Stunning interpretation of a Bach solo violin masterpiece.Track 7:A sly banjo and violin Chopin Mazurka.Track 10:Fleck and marimba.A kool and breezy take on Brahms PRESTO.Track 11: Outstanding Fleck solo for Bach's Prelude from cello suite no.1.Track 13:Paganini's Perpetual Motion.A perfect show off piece.Track 14:banjo and mandolin take on a Scarlatti sonata.Track 15:banjo and bass.Perfect.Even Bach would shake a leg.Track 16:The much played Moonlight sonata of Beethoven;here with banjo,cello and bass.The cello gives the work a very dark,rich feel.Very tense and brooding.Track 18:The highlight of the cd.Fleck and master classical guitarist John Williams do it duet style on Beethoven's "God save the king" variations,originally written for solo piano.They play off of each other perfectly. Without a doubt one of the best discs of the year.Don't hesitate.