View Full Version : Bela Fleck Natural Bridge
Listened to this last night in a quiet car, through good phones. What a marvelous recording from 1980. Has it all - grass, new acoustic, memorable melodies, Natural Bridge Suite. Players were a real mix - Mark O'Connor, Buck White, JAG, Dawg, David Parmley(!), maybe Schatz on bass. maybe Vassar. Dawg was on fire back then, his lines were so very hip, He contributed a neat tune called Dawg's Due (maybe Bela wrote it), it has a cool dim thing on it. JAG burns on Punchdrunk.
This is one of my fave Bela things, if not the most. Deviation was a bit too NGR for me and Drive, as great as it is, is a bit one-dimensional, all the same players.
Philippe Bony
Nov-12-2013, 2:49pm
Hi Alan!
My Favourite Things from Belà :
1) Bluegrass Sessions (Tales From The Acoustic Planet Volume 2)
2) Natural Bridge,
3) Drive.)
Eric C.
Nov-12-2013, 3:10pm
I have tickets to see him in April just down the road from me in Oberlin Ohio. He'll be there with Chick Korea (spelling?). Can't wait!
Ivan Kelsall
Nov-15-2013, 3:10am
Shortly after i returned from the US back in '92,Bonnie Rait was playing the old Manchester Concert Hall,the 'Free Trade Hall' (we now have a new concert hall) & who should be the supporting band but Bela &The Flecktones.Of course i booked a seat right at the front about 3 rows in from the stage,just to the left of centre looking at it. Bonnie did her first set & then Bela came on.I have to say that although i'm not a great fan of Bela's current style,Bela & the band were awesome. At one point he was really deep into some of his 'jazzy' improvisations on a tune,when suddenly he slid straight into pure Bluegrass mode,as though to say 'this is where it all comes from'. It sent a shiver down my spine. As Bela was standing right in front of me at the time,i gave him a double 'thumbs up' which made him grin. Victor Wooten on the Elec.bass guitar was also incredible. I'd go to see them again in the blink of an eye !,
Ivan:disbelief: