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| Friends Hornsby and Fleck provide great collaboration With a double-bill like this one, better grab your tickets fast. To have either Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers or Bela Fleck & the Flecktones would bea nice evening of music, but both acts will be appearing at the Ntelos Wireless Pavilion (formally the Charlottesville Pavilion) on Aug. 7. Concert-goers will havea full evening of adventurous music, and it's a good bet that Hornsby and Fleck will play together at some point. Old friends, Hornsby and Fleck have collaborated many times, both on the stage and in the studio. Fleck was an important part of the studio band that recorded Hornsby's "Valley Road" for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's second "Will the Circle Be Unbroken" project. That bluegrass version of Hornsby's song won a Grammy in the bluegrass category and is evidence of Hornsby's wide range of styles. At first glance, one wouldn't think of Fleck's banjo and Hornsby's piano as a very compatible pairing, but the command of their instruments allows both of them to slip into about any genre, blurring perceived boundaries with forays into jazz, funk, R&B as well as bluegrass. And both are playing with bands that have been together for many years and that longevity has borne fruit that allows both outfits to accentuate their leader's talents brilliantly. Fleck's Flecktones feature brothers Victor Wooten (bass) and percussionist/drumitarist Roy "Futureman" Wooten as well as welcoming back original member Howard Levy on harmonica and piano. There simply isn't any band working these days that plays anything quite like this one, weaving melodies around Fleck's amazing playing, which hasprogressed from bluegrass inspiration to world music and beyond. The group's "Rocket Science" is the first recording in 20 years or so that feature the original group line-up and the audience in Charlottesville will no doubt get to hear some of that work. Hornsby also has a new recording out, "Bride of the Noisemakers, " a live two-disc set that features a hilarious cover and displays the result of a band that has been together for over a decade with little change in personnel. The latest release is a bookend to "Here Comes the Noisemakers, " released in 2000 and shows the band's evolution and growth. Accompanying Hornsby's piano (and occasional accordion) are J.V. Collier (bass), Doug Derryberry (guitar), Sonny Emory (drums), Bobby Read (reeds) and J. T. Thomas (keyboards). This band shows the payoff of having played together for so long, intuiting Hornsby's leads, which dart from rock to jazz toclassical motifs in the blink of an eye. As Hornsby put it in a recent press release, "The players come from disparate backgrounds and all bring something different to the table, but we're all on the same page in our pursuit of ajoyful noise. Playing with these guys consistently pushes me to improve, vocally and pianistically." It's pretty clear from a listen to "Bride of the Noisemakers" that Hornsby is more than up for the challenge from his band members, as he commands a sweeping overview of the band's repertoire withhis always adventurousplaying and assured singing, veering off the path of pop and rock music into a synthesis of all his musical experiences. The result is a group that has paid its dues and boldly displays the fruits of playing together for more than a decade. Hornsby's last appearance at the Pavilion is still talked about today by fans who where in attendance. The Williamsburg native always enjoys playing close to home and with the addition of Fleck and the Flecktones, it has the makings of another memorable, jubilantnight of music in Charlottesville. write your comments about the article :: © 2011 Jazz News :: home page |