WHO: Bela Fleck & the Flecktones
WHERE: Koger Center
WHEN: 8 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 1
HOW MUCH: $40 to $70

Fleck fans, rejoice: The South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra is offering concert attendees the chance to meet The Flecktones at a post-concert meet-and-greet after-party following the 8 p.m. performance. For $50 per person, guests can meet and take a photo with the band and enjoy a sampling of fine wines and cheeses. Tickets are limited to 100 and on sale now; calling 254-7445 or visit scphilharmonic.com for more information.

Given his full name, it almost seems that Bela Fleck was destined for musical greatness.
Named after famous Hungarian composer Bela Bartok (and taking middle names from Austrian composer Anton Webern and Czech composer Leos Janacek), Fleck is widely acknowledged as one of the world’s most innovative and technically proficient banjo players.

And yet, he couldn’t quite grasp the French horn.

Born and raised in New York City, Fleck initially studied the French horn at New York City’s High School of Music and Art, but he was quickly demoted to the chorus due to a “lack of musical aptitude.”

Hardly. It’s by no means a stretch to say that Fleck practically reinvented the image and the sound of the banjo, bringing increased legitimacy to the instrument through a remarkable career that has taken him all over the musical map and on a range of solo projects and collaborations.

Both as a solo performer and with his group The Flecktones — saxophonist Jeff Coffin and brothers Victor and Ray “Future Man” Wooten on bass and drums, respectively — Fleck has pioneered a sound that combines traditional bluegrass, progressive funk, bebop jazz and world music, creating a music that is uniquely his own and characterized by virtuosic musicianship.

As a sideman, Fleck has performed with artists ranging from Tony Rice to The Dave Matthews Band to Stanley Clarke to Phish. All told, between his work with The Flecktones, his solo work and his stint in the seminal progressive bluegrass ensemble New Grass Revival, Fleck’s been nominated for 19 Grammy awards — including nominations in more categories than any other musician in Grammy history. Fleck’s interest in the banjo extends to the instrument’s African roots, as well. In 2005, he traveled to Uganda, Tanzania, Gambia and Mali to learn from musicians in the banjo’s birthplace; a documentary and album spawned from that trip, both titled Throw Down Your Heart, were released earlier this year.

Columbia is the first stop on The Flecktones’ nationwide Holiday Tour in support of their Christmas record Jingle All the Way, which was released in 2008 and won the Grammy for Best Pop Instrumental Album in 2009. And when the group plays the Koger Center on Tuesday, it’ll do so with 70 special guests: The South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra. The band is set to perform such Christmas classics as “Sleigh Ride” and “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies,” but with an orchestral twist added to The Flecktones’ re-imagining. In addition, The Flecktones will play some non-holiday songs, with and without the orchestra.

“Of all the people I’ve worked with, this band really stood out,” says Philharmonic conductor Morihiko Nakahara. “Not only Bela, but each of the guys are such great virtuosos in their own rights. If I’m somewhere and I find even one of those guys is performing a solo show somewhere, I will go see it. And there aren’t a lot of bands I can say that about.”

This will be the second time Nakahara has worked with The Flecktones; the band performed a concert with the Spokane Symphony, of which Nakahara is the resident conductor, last November.

The Flecktones are saxophonist Jeff Coffin and brothers Victor and Ray “Future Man” Wooten on bass and drums.

“I wasn’t sure if they weren’t going to just keep jamming at the end,” Nakahara says. “We were a little worried about the time, so after the first encore … just to make sure we didn’t end up going into overtime, we dismissed the orchestra. So they left the band, but the band kept on playing. Usually when that happens, the orchestra packs up and leaves. But what was telling was all the musicians were at the edge of the stage door because they wanted to hear it. They were peeking around the corner like schoolchildren just to see what they were going to do. That was special; we do a lot of pops shows in Spokane, and that never happens.”

“It was a great experience for everyone,” he adds. “So after that, I had my mind set on trying to bring them to Columbia.”

This concert, too, is special: Not only is the concert the first date on The Flecktones’ tour, but the Columbia date is the only symphony show the band is performing.

“The funny story is that I didn’t think they were doing any orchestra shows,” Nakahara says. “I had [executive director] Rhonda [Hunsinger] check on their availability, and it said they were booking for 2010-11 but not for 2009-10. And I had heard from Bela that they weren’t going to be doing any orchestra shows for a while. But I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.”

It turned out the date was open on both the band’s touring schedule and the Koger Center’s availability. But it still took some cajoling to get the band to sign on for an unplanned orchestral gig.

“Rhonda told them, basically, ‘Oh yeah, tell them that Morihiko had a great time working with you in Spokane and really wants you there,’” Nakahara says with a chuckle. “A few minutes later, the agent wrote back and said Bela and the Flecktones would be there. So
I’m looking forward to reconnect with them and make music with them. It will be a great show.”

The following is an edited excerpt from an interview with Fleck, conducted by email.

Free Times: Everyone who is a fan of yours knows you picked the banjo up while you were in high school in New York City, not exactly a banjo town. What drew you to the banjo?

Bela Fleck: I first heard the banjo when I was a very young kid, watching a rerun of the Beverly Hillbillies at my grandparent’s house in Queens. I just loved the sound of that banjo, it was Earl Scruggs in his prime. Then when I was 15, Dueling Banjos came out and was a worldwide hit. Around then my grandfather got me a banjo at a garage sale.

FT: Who were some of the musicians that influenced you?

BF: Well, Earl Scruggs was a big one. Pete Seeger, and the folk scene was happening in New York around then as well. After I’d been playing for a little while, I heard Tony Trischka’s music and fell in love with his modern approach. I was also hearing The Beatles, Joni Mitchell and Chick Corea.

FT: You studied with Tony Trischka, who played in Columbia earlier this year. What did you learn from him?

BF: I really gobbled up his whole trip. Then I realized I couldn’t sound like him, and I tried hard to find my own way. He taught me a lot about the banjo and music, and life. He’s a great friend.

FT: You were first steeped in the Earl Scruggs tradition, and went to jazz from there. At what point did you say, “Yeah, I can totally make this work”?

BF: When I heard the song “Spain” from Chick Corea in jazz appreciation class at high school, I thought [it] would sound great on the banjo. I didn’t assume that I’d ever be good enough to do it, but I wanted to try.

FT: How do you go about making those arrangements work, and why do they work?

BF: The banjo sounds good in jazz, there is really a home there for it, as it was in the music at the start. New Orleans music usually had the banjo in it, but it was wiped out by the guitar. So that part works. Then you have to spend the time to figure it out. And listen to it a lot. And practice!

FT: You work in such a diverse group of genres, and you’ve been nominated for Grammy awards in more categories than any other musician — namely country, pop, jazz, bluegrass, classical, folk. Is it ever difficult to make the mental switch between genres?

BF: Usually it flows pretty smoothly. When I switch fast, it is usually to something I have done a lot, like bluegrass to Flecktones, etc. So it comes naturally.

FT: Is there any one genre where you feel the most at home, so to speak?

BF: Probably progressive bluegrass is home base, or possibly The Flecktones since I have done it for so long now.

FT: You eventually moved from New York down to Kentucky, where you linked up with New Grass Revival. What was the concept of “new grass”? Did bluegrass need a kick in the pants?

BF: I was and am part of whole group of musicians who are moving the music forward. The ‘80s were a great time for that, with Sam Bush, Tony Rice, David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Bill Keith and many others on the scene. This is not better that traditional bluegrass, but a viable offshoot. It is a very American turn of events.

FT: I’ve been asked to ask you: Any chance of a New Grass Revival Reunion? Please? Pretty please?

BF: Don’t hold your breath. I don’t understand exactly why, but not everyone is feeling it.

FT: How did New Grass Revival prepare you for all the detours you’ve taken since?

BF: Being in that band taught me so much about so much. The guys had very broad listening tastes well outside of bluegrass, and we listened to music all the time on tour. Then there was learning the business and making a name for myself in an established outfit. But the music was the best part. Sam [Bush], John [Cowan] and Pat [Flynn] are consummate musicians and we really had great chemistry.

FT: How did you get from that group to The Flecktones?

BF: After eight years, I was really hankering to play the music I was writing. New Grass was trying hard to make inroads in the New Nashville, making videos and expensive studio records. The banjo was a hindrance to getting played on the radio. And so the music was becoming more conventional. I wanted to get weirder, not straighter!
Then I ran into the Flecktone guys one at a time and got really excited about playing with them. I got an offer to do a TV special of my music [the Lonesome Pine Special in 1989, though it didn’t air until 1992], so I put the group together for that, and it took off from there. Unfortunately, I needed to leave New Grass to do it. And when I left, the other guys realized that they were ready to move on, too.

FT: One of the interesting things about The Flecktones is that the members of the band all seem to have such radically different personalities. Is that the case? Are there ever personality conflicts?

BF: We do better than most groups, but of course there are times. When you are together so much, it is inevitable. But there is a lot of love and we have gotten through every tough time so far. It’s been good branching out and playing with other folks. It helps us appreciate each other and how easy it is to work together.

FT: How do you balance the diverse group of influences that you, Jeff Coffin and Victor and Roy Wooten (and, originally, Howard Levy) bring to the band? On a similar train of thought: How do you blend and morph those influences to suit the band?

BF: You just do! It is very important that everyone is heard and all ideas are tried. As we play the music, we all find our own voice. And that makes it hold together overall.

FT: One of your most recent projects was Throw Down Your Heart, a documentary of your visit to Uganda, Tanzania, The Gambia and Mali. What was the impetus behind the documentary?

BF: I wanted to play with the great acoustic musicians of Africa. There is so much to learn from them. Also I wanted to remind people about the African roots of the banjo.

FT: What do you think you learned from the trip?

BF: So much! The music was a big part of it, but the communication was also very powerful.

FT: How do you think the banjo got its rap? Shows like Hee Haw and movies like Deliverance, maybe?

BF: It used to be that you’d see the banjo in the old black and white movies, and it was [also used in] jazz. In the ‘60s and ‘70s, the banjo was usually only seen in the shows you mention, and the Beverly Hillbillies show. Currently the stereotype is fading, and I don’t see as much of that.

FT: You’re currently touring behind Jingle All the Way, the Christmas album you released last year with The Flecktones. Obviously, one of the things you’re known for is reworking classic and standard material, but why a Christmas album?

BF: The only way we could do this project was if we felt we had something to offer to it. So we worked hard to come up with unique arrangements. We like what we came up with! We have wanted to do this project since the band started.

FT: Naturally, you rework these Christmas classics in your unique Flecktones style, but there are still lots of surprises. I mean, “Silent Night” in 5/4? Where did that come from?

BF: Just messing around! Things happen; they fall in your lap sometimes.

FT: One of the most interesting collaborations on that record is “Jingle Bells,” which begins with exotic chant singing from the Alash Ensemble Tuvan throat singers. How did you get linked up with them?

BF: They sent us their music and really wanted to do something with us. When they came through Nashville, we were recording and we had them drop by.

FT: And at what point did you think to yourself: “Hey, you know what would spice this up? Tuvan throat singing!”?

BF: I had a good feeling about it when I heard their recordings. It seemed like a perfectly weird thing to do! Just like having klezmer great Andy Statman on the recording.

FT: You’ll be performing selections with the South Carolina Philharmonic Orchestra. What, specifically, will you be playing with the orchestra?

BF: We have several charts that we have created from our past music, and a couple of Christmas tunes as well. We will also play some stuff without the orchestra.

FT: How do you approach working with a philharmonic orchestra? Is it any different than any other collaboration?

BF: You definitely need to slot in the rehearsal time and figure out how to make sure everyone can hear each other properly. I think most performers love having an orchestra play their music with them, and we are no exception. It feels like a very special occasion.

FT: You’ll also be presenting a master class at the University of South Carolina. You’ll also be discussing your creative process. Just how does that work? You work with such eminently talented musicians; is the process always collaborative? How big of a role does improvisation play in your creative process?

BF: I don’t have a preconceived notion on how it will go. It will unfold spontaneously; these events tend to be really fun and positive.

FT: You started playing banjo at a young age; what advice do you have for young musicians?

BF: Play music that you love! 

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