The Badger Herald

ARTSETC.

Béla Fleck sets mellow ‘tone’

KATE BRENNER/Herald photo

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by Carolyn Vidmar

Monday, September 24, 2007

If music is a language, then Béla Fleck and the Flecktones could write the dictionary.

On Friday night at Madison's Orpheum Theatre, this group surpassed genre definitions and raised the bar for similar bands with a college following.

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones' eclectic tastes and influences were immediately reflected in their personal styles and diverse musical abilities. Bassist Victor Wooten sported a Spiderman jersey and used his signature slap-and-pop technique. Percussionist Ray "Future Man" Wooten, dressed as a pirate, played the Synthaxe Drumitar, an instrument of his own creation, as well as a drum kit, keyboard and wooden box. Saxophonist Jeff Coffin played several instruments, including both the soprano and alto sax and the flute. And finally, Béla Fleck himself, the "sickest banjo player ever," according to an audience member, used acoustic and electric banjos to produce outrageously fast licks.

The best, but certainly not the only genre for classifying Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, which formed in 1988, is "blu bop," a fusion of jazz, bluegrass, funk, world music and artful rock-and-roll. It is because of this combination that Béla Fleck has won Grammys in more categories than any other artist.

The three other band members are also exceptionally talented and diverse musicians. Victor Wooten highlighted his bass expertise through the modification of his instruments, which allowed him to perform many different techniques from frantic to melodious.

Future Man also distinguishes himself from other modern artists with his Synthaxe Drumitar, made of electronic parts pieced together in a guitar body and connected to MIDI devices like samplers and drum machines.

Finally, saxophonist Jeff Coffin exhibited his worldly musical knowledge through his expansive list of globe-spanning influences. This saxophonist has also played and recorded with musicians such as Dave Matthews Band and Phish.

This unforgettable concert opened with a jam session, which quickly transitioned into a funk breakdown. Throughout the show, Fleck, Coffin, and Victor Wooten traded licks and dueled with each other, imitating the sax on the banjo and the banjo on the bass. Meanwhile, Future Man held down the groove, often playing the Drumitar and his kit simultaneously.

The respect these four talented musicians have for each other was evident in their willingness to showcase one another's talents, complement one another musically and even finish others' instrumental jams. The three hours of music included a mixture of virtuosic solos by each member and collective songs where the group's collaboration and live improvisational abilities shone through every note.

In the first half of the set, "Mars Needs Women" started out rather moody with a repeated banjo line and slow saxophone, but the band soon picked up the pace. Impressive fingerpicking on the banjo resulted in another banjo versus bass duel, with heavy percussion rounding it out.

Victor Wooten's solo on the bass, though, was a definite highlight. He started with a soulful groove, then moved across the frets so fast that his hands became a blur. Wooten then worked the crowd by recording his riff one note at a time, then playing it back, adding another note at exactly the right moment. The first half of this set concluded with a cover of "Come Together."

A brief intermission was followed by Future Man's percussion solo, during which he used not only the Drumitar and kit, but also a wooden box and keyboard. During the second half of the set, Future Man also added some vocals and beat-boxing. Songs during this half included "Zona Mona" and "Misunderstood."

Before the show ended, Béla Fleck performed a long, virtuosic solo on the banjo, reinforcing his reputation as one of the best banjo players in the world. He improvised artfully, sometimes playing two melodic lines at once. He even sampled some classical, fugue-like pieces, leaving the audience wondering how we could possibly pick out every note.

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones played artfully, soulfully, and gleefully, creating an array of musical diversity that produced an incredible — and truly unique — live show.

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