Live Art

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones return with a remarkable anthology of their live performances. Recorded over a four-year period, "Live Art" features seven nerver-before-recorded Flecktone tunes as well as several vocal tracks, radically reworked versions of material from the group's back catalog, spellbinding on-the-spot improvisations and an array of extraordinary guest stars, including Chick Corea, Bruce Hornsby and Branford Marsalis. This music was recorded live at various locations between 1992 and 1996. Many different engineers helped us record the gigs, then Bela and Richard edited and mixed the stuff on a computer. Hundreds of hours of tapes were sifted through over a period of of months to pick the best 20 cuts. Something of a retrospective, Live Art is a treat for both newcomers and aficionados of the eye-popping artistry that is Bela Fleck, not to mention his more-than-capable partners in crime, bassist Victor Wooten and percussionist (well, it's not exactly a drum set he plays) Future Man. This two-disc set features live performances spanning a four-year period, with several guest appearances: Branford Marsalis sits in on "Flying Saucer Dudes," Chick Corea is featured on "The Message," and Bruce Hornsby appears on "More Luv." Several never-before-recorded songs appear here as well--the Scottish-inflected "Lochs of Dread," among others. Favorites like "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo," "UFO Tofu," and "Sinister Minister" are here as well, making this a well-rounded, enjoyable collection for any Fleck fan. Jazz? Folk? Bluegrass? Who knows, but whatever it is, it's well worth hearing. --Genevieve Williams

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