Bela Fleck & the Flecktones - new Christmas CD

[AlChuck]

I listened to most of it on the way to work this morning and I just had to post here and recommend it. It's just brimming with utter genius, both the playing and the arrangements. The centerpiece is a 5-and-a-half minute medley that centers on "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" but includes six other tunes threaded in and around each other in the most brilliant, inspired way. And there are three songs (I think it was three) featuring Tuvan throat singers (the Alash Ensemble), one a duet with one of them plus Bela. It's just brilliant. Other guests on the CD include Edgar Meyer on double bass and Andy Statman on clarinet. The last cut is a "solo" rendition of Joni Mitchell's "River" on which Bela plays the banjo and piano simultaneously.

These guys are just amazing - so brilliant, so gifted, so much fun... this just might be a Christmas album I'll be playing year round for the foreseeable future.

I've run out of superlatives so I'll stop now...

[guitarpkr67]

I'll have to check that out!

[TehSuperFox]

Thanks for the heads up!

[jzucker]

thanks! Just bought it.

[lhallam]

Bela hasn't failed me yet. On my Xmas list.

[fyrwyr]

Great news, thanks for the heads up!!!!

[Carltone]

They are touring now... Saw the show in Louisville, KY a few nights ago... Great stuff! They played "12 Days of Christmas" with each "day" in a different key and a different time signature.... Whoa!:NUTS
The Throat singers were really cool and played some really awesome instruments as well... traditional guitars and violins... Victor Wooten was awesome and Jeff Coffin did one of the best sax solos I've ever seen...
Amazing group and one of my longtime faves...