Bela Fleck

Bela Fleck is probably my biggest musical influence. He is, in my mind one of the greatest instrumental composers alive, his technical skill on the banjo is unbelievable, and he can improvise like no one else. I first heard Bela through a group called New Grass Revival that played a souped-up style of bluegrass no one had ever heard before. The band (when Bela signed on) included Sam Bush on mandolin, John Cowan on bass and usually lead vocals, and Pat Flynn on guitar. Bela was the prodigy few people had heard of, but no one would soon forget. After New Grass Revival broke up, Bela started up his solo career, recording numerous albums that experimented with unconventional instrumentation and styles. Then, as a one-time deal for a PBS special, Bela decided to get together a jazz group to play a few songs. He enlisted the aid of the incredible Victor Wooten on electric bass, Howard Levy on harmonica and piano, and "Future Man" (Roy Wooten) on everything percussive, from his high-tech "drumitar", to a cardboard box. The Flecktones were born. Realizing that he had something worth more than a one-time gig on PBS, Bela decided to run with the Flecktones and see where they ended up.

The Flecktones began to tour, and landed a record deal with Warner Brothers In the next few years, they recorded three CDs before their harmonica/piano player decided to leave so that he could spend more time with his family. The three of them then put out an album called "Three Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest" which turned out to be some of the most creative music they ever made, as they tried to fill the space Howard Levy had left. A saxophone player named Jeff Coffin signed on for their next albums, and added his style to the ever-changing sound of the Flecktones. Bela continues to record and tour with the Flecktones, but he has also found the time to record a bluegrass instrumental album with many of the big names in bluegrass. He also recently released an album of Classical music played on the banjo.

Bela has played with everyone from Earl Scruggs to Chic Corea to the Dave Matthews Band. He has received numerous Grammys for his complex and beautiful compositions. If you'd like to learn more about him, you can check out an unoffcial website dedicated to him, or the Flecktones website.