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Béla Fleck: The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2

 A l b u m   D e t a i l s


Label: Warner Bros. Records Inc.
Released: 1999.06.22
Time:
 75:48
Category: Bluegrass
Producer(s): Béla Fleck
Rating: *******... (7/10)
Media type: CD
Web address: www.flecktones.com
Appears with:
Purchase date: 2001.11.09
Price in €: 17,99



 S o n g s ,   T r a c k s


[1] Blue Mountain Hop (Fleck) - 4:26
[2] Buffalo Nickel (Fleck) - 4:39
[3] When Joy Kills Sorrow (Fleck) - 5:10
[4] Spanish Point (Fleck) - 5:36
[5] Polka on the Banjo (Louallen/Tillman/Williams) - 4:04
[6] Clarinet Polka (Traditional) - 1:34
[7] The Over Grown Waltz (Fleck) - 3:43
[8] Ode to Earl (Fleck) - 3:10
[9] Home Sweet Home (Traditional) - 2:21
[10] Valley of the Rogue (Fleck) - 5:13
[11] Plunky's Lament (Fleck) - 2:17
[12] Maura on a Bicycle, Stout and Molasses, Way Back When (Fleck) - 9:41
[13] Dark Circles (Fleck) - 5:13
[14] Old Jellico, Puddle Jumper, Dead Man's Hill (Fleck) - 6:09
[15] Katmandu (Fleck) - 4:24
[16] Do You Have Room? (Fleck/Hartford/Trischka) - 1:18
[17] Foggy Mountain Special (Certain/Flatt) - 2:12
[18] Major Honker (Fleck) - 4:38

 A r t i s t s ,   P e r s o n n e l


BÉLA FLECK - Banjo, Producer, Art Direction, Mixing, Photography

JERRY DOUGLAS - Dobro
TONY RICE - Guitar, Photography
RICKY SKAGGS - Vocals
SAM BUSH - Mandolin
JOHN HARTFORD - Banjo, Bass Volka
VASSAR CLEMENTS - Fiddle
STUART DUNCAN - Fiddle
VINCE GILL - Vocals
BOB MATER - Drums
JOEY MISKULIN - Accordion
TIM O'BRIEN - Vocals
LARRY PAXTON - Tuba
MARK SCHATZ - Bass Fiddle

RICHARD BATTAGLIA - Engineer, Mixing, Photography
BIL VORNDICK - Engineer, Mixing
DENNY PURCELL - Mastering
CINDY WILSON - Photography
SENOR MCGUIRE - Photography
GARRETT RITTENBERRY - Art Direction

 C o m m e n t s ,   N o t e s


1999 CD Warner Brothers 47332



For those clamoring for banjo whiz Bela Fleck's return to the world of bluegrass music, The Bluegrass Sessions will seem like a gift from heaven. While not quite as traditional as Drive, his last foray into bluegrass several years back, Fleck and his virtuosic cronies (including Tony Rice, Jerry Douglas, Vassar Clements, John Hartford, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, and Mark Schatz) bring their peerless energy and imagination to 18 acoustic tracks. Most of the tunes are Fleck originals, although bluegrass standards such as "Home Sweet Home" and "Foggy Mountain Special" are given special banjo duet treatments. Also, there's a delightful vocal version of "Polka on the Banjo" complete with some Lester Flatt-influenced accordion. But it's the musicians' wide-ranging musical creativity that powers this album, from Rice's jazzy intro to "Spanish Point" to the gentle, sonata-like fiddle/banjo/bass trio of "Plunky's Lament" to the haunting waltz "Dark Circles." There's even a nonsensical vocal, "Do You Have Room?," and a new entry in the growing competition to record the World's Shortest Version of "Rawhide." Fleck's triumphant return to acoustic music is full of power and spirit. The Acoustic Planet has never been this ripe for colonization.

Henry Koretzky - June 21, 1999
Copyright © 1994-2001 CDnow Online, Inc. All rights reserved.



It’s safe to assume most old school Béla Fleck fans know the banjo wizard from his days with New Grass Revival. Indeed, long before the Flecktones, he was making gorgeous, deviant bluegrass with roots firmly planted in traditional country-tinged bluegrass. For The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales from The Acoustic Planet, Volume 2, Fleck has assembled what can only be called an all-star, if not elite, bluegrass group including Sam Bush, Tony Rice, and Jerry Douglas, with special appearances by Earl Scruggs, Vassar Clements, and John Hartford. In addition to traditional-sounding music like “Foggy Mountain Special” and “Blue Mountain Hop,” the ever-eclectic Fleck includes the jazzy “Spanish Point,” a rollicking cover of “Polka on the Banjo,” and an unusual, Asian-inspired lyrical instrumental (“Katmandu”). Ambient speaking voices here and there give the recording a pickin’ parlor feel. One big gripe: inadequate liner notes make it impossible to tell who’s playing on what tracks. Saving grace is that the liner booklet contains great photos, nice “suggested listening” lists, and personal comments from Fleck.

Linda Dailey Paulson - January 10, 2000
Dirty Linen



As it turns out, the Tales From the Acoustic Planet albums are where Béla Fleck sounds the most comfortable in the '90s. As his jazz fusion records begin to sound played out, his acoustic experimentation and returns to straight-ahead bluegrass sound lively, vibrant, and fresh. As a matter of fact, The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2 feels like one of his finest albums, due in no small part to the caliber of supporting musicians. The core band consists of Fleck, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Tony Rice, and Mark Schatz, while Vassar Clements, John Hartford, and Earl Scruggs all guest; it's a veritable who's-who of bluegrass. Fleck's idea was to record everything from the purest bluegrass to modern newgrass, giving his talented musicians the opportunity to explore every facet of their musical personality. Much of the album is devoted to Fleck originals, complimented by a handful of covers, none of which are predictable. The same can be said for the music: Even seasoned newgrass listeners will probably be surprised by some of the twists and turns here, while the sheer commitment and astonishing musicianship will win over traditionalists. But the true key to The Bluegrass Sessions is that even when it gets technical, it feels heartfelt, and the textures keep changing from song to song, enough to keep it interesting, even captivating, throughout 18 songs and 70 minutes. It had been easy to take Fleck for granted, but this record is a welcome reminder of what a talented and unique musician he is.

Stephen Thomas Erlewine - All-Music Guide, © 1992 - 2001 AEC One Stop Group, Inc.



In a jaw-dropping return to his roots, banjoist Béla Fleck led a stellar lineup (Jerry Douglas, Earl Scruggs, Tony Rice, and Sam Bush, to name a few) through one of his finest albums. With incredible musicianship and a smidgen of Fleck's genre-hopping personality ("Polka On The Banjo"), The Bluegrass Sessions is fun, nostalgic, and inspiring.

Jason Verlinde - Amazon.com's Best of 1999



Béla Fleck, the banjo-wizard leader of the fringe-jazz quartet the Flecktones, returns to more-bluegrass-oriented concerns with this 18-song outing, a complement to 1988's Drive and a more-traditional follow-up to 1995's fusion-leaning Tales from the Acoustic Planet. Most of these songs are instrumentals boasting Drive's core group of Sam Bush on mandolin, Stuart Duncan on fiddle, Tony Rice on guitar, Jerry Douglas on Dobro, and bassist Mark Schatz; they're augmented in spots by fine guest players such as Vassar Clements, John Hartford, and the incomparable banjo pioneer Earl Scruggs. Fleck's spidery, tasteful plucking style lends originals like "Major Honker" and "Katmandu" an ever-so-slightly offbeat air, while he gives classics like Scruggs's "Foggy Mountain Special" and "Polka on the Banjo" traditional readings that wouldn't be out of place at the Opry. Flecktones fans will find much to like in Fleck's rootsy playing, and so will bluegrass purists.

Gregory McNamee - Amazon.com essential recording


One may wonder what a review of a disc called The Bluegrass Sessions is doing in a jazz magazine. Truth is, Béla Fleck's latest project takes the eclectic world-view of his usual band, the flecktones, down to a grass-roots level. In the process, he celebrates the complex strains that make up this music, and he uncovers some interesting intersections between two worlds of improvisational creativity. I wanted to encompass all types of bluegrass, from stone-cold traditional to the edges of Newgrass, says banjoist Fleck in the liner notes. He's assisted by a band including guitarist Tony Rice, dobro player Jerry Douglas, banjoman Earl Scruggs, fiddle player Vassar Clements, and vokja and banjo player John Hartford. The strong interplay of the various string voices - no drums here -- falls like masterful latticework over the graceful spirals of melody in Clarinet Polka and the hauntingly beautiful Buffalo Nickel. The Beer Barrel Polka-influenced Polka on the Banjo is a sublime pleasure, as is the lovely, sad The Over Grown Waltz. But it's Stout and Molasses, with Clements on violin, that best exemplifies the close kinship between jazz and western swing. With the bluesy panache of a Jelly Roll Morton ensemble, the stunningly empathic players create honest, down-home music, that also resonates with the pulse and pleasure of improvisation.

Larry Nai - JAZZIZ Magazine
Copyright © 2000, Milor Entertainment, Inc.



The one thing that's always true of a Bela Fleck album is that you'll never know what to expect.

Fleck, described as the "enfant terrible of bluegrass" by David Grisman in the early 80s, has single-handed moved the banjo out of the haybales and redneck cliches and onto the Tonight Show and the Lincoln Theater. He's done this with relentless musicianship and an ability to attract both jazz aficionados and college jam-rock lovers with his jazz-bluegrass-rock fusion band, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

With a reputation like this, you might expect Fleck's latest album to be jazz. You'd be wrong: it's as bluegrass an album as he's ever made. You might expect it to be full of the show-off solos that instrumental bluegrass has a reputation for. You'd be wrong again: it's a musical album without being a stage for ego puffing.

This album sees Fleck reunite with friends Sam Bush (mandolin), Jerry Douglas (Dobro), Tony Rice (guitar), and Mark Schatz (bass). This represents their most tasteful playing, energy without machismo, soul without saccharine, tradition without cliche. The warm rich sound of the album comes as much from the deep acquaintance each musician has with the others as with any tricks of microphones or mixing boards.

This isn't Fleck's first all-acoustic album. In fact, he spent the 80s experimenting with bluegrass and jazz, yielding a series of albums on the Rounder label that have become icons to experimental banjo players. He even released "Tales from the Acoustic Planet" on Warner Brothers in 1995, an all-acoustic jazz album featuring guest musicians like Branford Marsalis and Chick Corea.

This album, the second in Fleck's acoustic series on the Warner label, is far from the jazz vein. It opens with a bouncy tune, "Blue Mountain Hop," in whose simple pentatonic melody you can hear the echoes of dozens of Appalachian folksongs. From there the listener is taken on an enjoyable 74-minute journey through traditional and progressive bluegrass, culminating in the driving "Major Honker."

Highlights from the album are hard to find, because each and every tune is catchy and individually exceptional. The tracks that stood out on first listening: "Spanish Point," a modern-sounding composition whose medium tempo sounds faster because of its ever-shifting chord progression; "Maura on a Bicycle," an Irish-sounding tune from one of the two medleys on the album; the Bill Monroe-sounding "Dark Circles"; and the eerily chimed "Katmandu."

Of particular note are the tracks not written by Fleck. "Polka on the Banjo" is a strong cover of a song from the classic bluegrass band, Flatt and Scruggs. John Hartford, of "Gentle on my Mind" fame, provides excellent vocals, and who wouldn't sound excellent with background vocalists Vince Gill, Tim O'Brien, and Ricky Skaggs?

Fleck also plays three duets, two with Earl Scruggs himself. These are perhaps the most touching tracks on the album, with the master of fifty years ago joining with today's master to play "Home Sweet Home" and "Foggy Mountain Special." Audible on these tracks are the sounds Scruggs' fingerpicks make on the strings. Normally these would be avoided with microphone placement, but left in they provide an unexpected rawness and sense of vulnerability that contrasts with the music being played.

This album is also significant not only in Fleck's discology, but also as the first major-label bluegrass release since Warner's "Deliverance" soundtrack in the late 70s. "Tales from the Acoustic Planet 2: The Bluegrass Sessions" is sure to be nominated for a Grammy. It may also be the start of more exposure and acceptance for bluegrass music in the mainstream. Whatever wider role The Bluegrass Sessions may have in the history of bluegrass music, it stands on its own as an acoustic music classic.

Nathan Torkington
© Ccopyright © 1996 - 2001 The Net Net



This version of the Acoustic Planet is a very bluegrassy one indeed, with four classics of the genre, including Earl Scruggs' "Foggy Mountain Special." And 14 original tunes. On these TALES, Fleck takes the opportunity to integrate his explorations into new age, jazz, and world music with traditional bluegrass. Celtic riffs enliven "Plunky's Lament," and there's a string-band air to "The Overgrown Waltz," while jazz finds a home at "Spanish Point." The tight supporting ensemble includes Sam Bush on mandolin, Mark Schatz on bass, Dobro ace Jerry Douglas, and guitarist Tony Rice - all outstanding instrumentalists with their own solo careers -- attack tunes such as "Blue Mountain Hop," "Buffalo Nickel," and "Katmandu" with rough 'n' tumble energy. With this return to his native ground, Fleck solidifies his reputation as the banjo's foremost virtuoso.

Kerry Dexter
Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 barnesandnoble.com



Bela Fleck is one big musical left turn. He had to be the only teenager named after a classical composer to inflict Rush and Zeppelin riffs onto a banjo. He was definitely the only one to assemble the Flecktones, a group pursuing its own particular musical comet while running on fuel equal parts virtuosity and quirk. Now, in the midst of a pioneering career, maybe the most twisted thing Fleck could do is come 'home' again and make a bluegrass record. Which is, of course, exactly what he has done.

This is not your father's bluegrass record, though. A typical Fleck release mixes the gorgeous with the rowdy, the traditional with the downright avant garde, and this effort is no different. Depending on the song, it could appeal to old folks looking for a pretty melody or to Phish-heads looking for a masterful ensemble swerve off the beaten path. With a whopping eighteen songs, citing particular tracks seems futile; rest assured, there's plenty to go around for listeners of every persuasion.

The rest of the supporting cast is also a major part of this record's allure. Fleck managed to enlist some of the genre's statesmen (Scruggs, fiddler Vassar Clements) to sit in with the next generation's best players (Tony Rice, Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Ricky Skaggs, Vince Gill). And until Miles Davis returns from the grave to reform his second quintet, you'll be hard pressed to find evidence of better musicianship in one room.

All in all, hardcore bluegrass fans might not like this record, but that leaves a lot of the rest of us who would. It's not pure bluegrass; to paraphrase a Miles album, this is Bela cooking with bluegrass. There's a lot of bluegrass in it, but it still comes out Bela. Go on, try a little piece.

Robert Beverly - The Music Monitor
 

 L y r i c s


Instrumental Album!

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