Title : Perpetual Motion
Author : Fleck, Bela
Release Date : 20011002
Binding : Audio CD
Regular Price : $17.98
Amazon.com Price : $9.99
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Editorial Reviews : Bela Fleck is one of the greatest five-string banjo players performing today. Beginning in the 1970s, he honed his lightning-fast chops performing bluegrass, then moved on to contemporary jazz and fusion sounds. With this album, he broadens his horizons once again by performing an entire program of classical music transcriptions. Reminiscent of classical guitar albums by John Williams (who makes a guest appearance here), the disc traverses a wide range of repertoire--from Chopin mazurkas to Bach's Two and Three Part Inventions. Throughout, Fleck displays a feathery touch on his banjo, and his instrument offers a pleasant, brassy tone with very little twang. The technique he displays on Perpetual Motion is astounding and a refreshing change of pace from the smooth grooves found on the banjoist's Flecktones recordings. The arrangements are generally minimalist and understated, but violinist Joshua Bell, bassist Edgar Meyer, mandolinist Chris Thile, and percussionist Evelyn Glennie join in on this groundbreaking disc. Bluegrass purists may be disappointed (this is a far cry from the free-spirited, folksy abandon found on Sony's Short Trip Home and Appalachian Journey CDs), but classical fans will be astounded by how perfectly natural Fleck's banjo sounds on these works.
Buyer Reviews : 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. . . .
