Bela Fleck - Celtic Connections 2012

I've followed Bela Fleck and Flecktones since the late nineties. Paul Jennings the drummer in the band I was in got a copy of Live Art (1996) and it blew our tiny minds.Being a bassist I was instantly hooked on Victor Wooten's charismatic, virtuoso take on the funk. In-fact his solo album "What did he say?" (1997) was part of the late nineties funk bomb that saw Jamiroquai's "Travelling without Moving" (1996), Prince's "Emancipation" (1997) and the "Return of the Headhunters" (1998). Man that was a good era for funk! Anything you imagined seemed achievable, the possibilities endless and bands like the Flecktones were out there forging new paths and redefining the limits of musicality, creativity and technical excellence. I don't mind telling you this was a very formative period for me musically, artistically and philosophically. So yes Victor Wooten and all his brothers are heroes of mine and a major influence not only in music but on my whole outlook.

In funk I trust!

At that time I would say the the Flecktones were ostensibly a fusion band, mixing folk, blues-grass, blues, funk, jazz and even the odd bit of rock. However on witnessing what they played last night I would say that this fusion has developed and settled down into it's own unique genre. What would you call this genre? Well; Flecktones I guess.It's hard to pin anything down listening to these guys. The melodies, chords, bass, beat and time signature seem to be continually evolving from one idea to the next. If it wasn't for the absolute technical precision of the playing i would be inclined to liken it to a frenetic style of sketching. One thing is for sure, this band are at the cutting edge of musical innovation and have been ever since their inception. Even without the undeniable skill they posses their sense of adventure and gallus defiance in the face of blandness would be worthy of applause in itself. Well and truly a revelation.http://www.flecktones.com/