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Geniuses at work

From masters of the piano and banjo, an inventive collaboration
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By Frank Kuznik
Staff Writer, The Prague Post
November 7th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
Corea, foreground, is putting Fleck through the paces.
Chick Corea & Béla Fleck

When: Thursday, Nov. 8, at 8
Where: Obecní dům
Tickets: 490–1,750 Kč, available through Ticketpro and at the venue

No less a music authority than Isaac Hayes has pronounced The Enchantment, the collaboration between Chick Corea and Béla Fleck, “a work of genius.” If it seems odd for soul legend Hayes to be weighing in on a hybrid jazz project, how much more improbable is it that one of the great keyboard players of contemporary jazz is recording and touring with a virtuoso banjo player?
As it turns out, not very. Both Corea and Fleck have a history of working with a wide variety of musicians, constantly expanding the parameters of their oeuvre. Along with virtually every major name in jazz over the past 40 years, Corea has played and recorded with flamenco and classical ensembles. Fleck, who completely redefined the possibilities of the banjo after launching his band the Flecktones in 1990, worked earlier this year on a recording with opera star Renee Fleming — “to give her that rootsy, old-time sound that is so popular now in the opera world,” Fleck writes on his Web site.
His collaboration with Corea has its roots in an epiphany Fleck had when he was 17, after seeing Corea’s seminal jazz fusion band, Return to Forever. He was blown away, particularly when he realized that “I could play all those notes on my banjo, too.” That set the direction for much of his subsequent career.
Corea contributed to the Flecktones’ 1995 CD Tales from the Acoustic Planet, but it wasn’t until late in 2006 that the two got together for a dedicated project. In a film about the making of The Enchantment posted on Fleck’s Web site, Corea explains that, rather than rework standards or old compositions, they decided to write new music and experiment with it. “We wanted something real listenable, with melodies, very tonal,” he says.
It turned out to be a challenging experience for both of them.
“I had to learn to play bluegrass piano,” Corea says of working with Fleck.
“It was like learning an ancient Sumerian language,” Fleck says of working with Corea.
But there’s no arguing with the results, a pure and bright blend of two instruments that sounds more like a synthesis than a duet, with a masterful interplay of inventive lines and melodies. And the CD has turned out to be a foundation for a musical partnership that is growing and developing as the two tour and play together.
“Chick is fantastic to work with — I am learning so much,” Fleck says via e-mail. “One element is the trust in oneself to be truly spontaneous. I normally keep a safety net close by, but he is fearless! On a nightly basis, I am pushed into dangerous territory. It’s really fun.”
Their current European tour will take them to cities that seem unlikely venues for banjo jazz: Moscow, Riga, Zagreb, Istanbul. But Fleck isn’t worried about how the music will translate. “I think they’ll dig it,” he says. “It helps that we are having a lot of fun. But the music is not so esoteric that it can’t be enjoyed. Generally it is very consonant. I look forward to seeing those places.”
That includes Prague, which Fleck has visited in the past with his band. “It was a great experience every time with the Flecktones,” he says. “I am proud to be coming back with Chick.” As for what they will play, Fleck says to expect more than The Enchantment. “We’ve been expanding the album, doing lots of improv around it.”
That may include a touch of local music. Fleck’s full name is a tribute to three classical composers, two of whom are Czech: Béla (Bartók) Anton (Dvořák) Leoš (Janáček) Fleck. So far, his classical forays have not taken him much beyond Bach, but a keen ear might pick up more.
“I have heard some Dvořák and love it,” Fleck says. “It creeps in for sure!”

Frank Kuznik can be reached at fkuznik@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (7/11/2007):

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