Chick Corea & Bela Fleck at the Keswick Theatre

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Jazz pianist Chick Corea (see photo) and banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck join forces in a pairing that is both unexpected and captivating. Touring in support of their first-ever studio collaboration, The Enchantment (released May 22), they take the stage at Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA on Fri., June 15. The Enchantment captures the astonishing interplay between these two master musicians. Immensely popular in their own musical spheres - combined, they have won an astounding 20 Grammy awards - they've forged a true collaboration with the release of this album.

The genesis of The Enchantment came when the two discussed the potential for a duo project. COREA says, “It came together quickly. We just really hit it. We talked a lot and decided to prepare by writing music first. So BELA wrote and I wrote. We talked on the phone and finally got together in Nashville.”

FLECK elaborated on the experience by saying that the CD is “one of my greatest experiences as a musician, playing with my hero, CHICK COREA.” Returning the compliment, COREA stated, “It's totally unusual to hear a banjo played that way. BELA has taken the instrument and the tradition of the banjo and brought it up as a seriously virtuoso instrument.”

The 11-track album, just released on Concord Records, features four compositions by COREA, including the title track, and six by FLECK. Also included is a uniquely witty cover of the standard “Brazil.” Considering the staggering volume of his recorded output over the past 40 years, it is no overstatement to call CHICK COREA one of the most prolific composers of the second half of the 20th century. From avant-garde to bebop, from children's songs to straight ahead, from hard-hitting fusion to heady forays into classical, CHICK has touched a remarkable number of musical bases in his illustrious career while maintaining a standard of excellence that is simply uncanny. A restlessly creative spirit, he continues to explore and generate new material for a number of different vehicles, including his dynamic Elektric Band and his flamenco flavored Touchstone band. BELA FLECK has virtually reinvented the image and the sound of the banjo through an exceptional performing and recording career that has taken him all over the musical map and on a range of solo projects and collaborations. His love of banjo playing has drawn him to experimenting with the instrument in unlikely settings. A powerfully creative force in bluegrass, jazz, pop, rock and world beat, BLA made the classical connection with Perpetual Motion, his critically acclaimed 2001 Sony Classical recording that went on to win a pair of Grammys, including Best Classical Crossover Album.

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