Re: [Harp-L] Valved players unite! - Valves and Flecktones



"According to one of the flecktones that I know, Bela was the weakest
musician."

 

Fortunately this is a harmonica list, and not a banjo one, hence this
comment has largely sliped under the radar. However, some response is in
order. Firstly the quote is out of context, perhaps motivated by politics
and most probably not intended for public broadcast. And, if it is indeed
true, then Bela should be commended for assembling a band of superior
players, to push him along.

 

Bela Fleck is generally acknowledged amongst banjo players as the leading
innovator of his generation. Like the diatonic harmonica, the banjo has
inherent limitations. The harmonica presents major challenges for chromatic
playing, which a very small group of players (one of them a Flecktone)
overcome. The banjo presents major rhythmic challenges, as it is very
difficult to apply the three finger rolling pattern to rhythms other than
the standard bluegrass and country ones. Bela Fleck is a pioneer in this
regard, and has presented his instrument convincingly in many rhythmic
contexts previously unheard of for banjo players.

 

When assessing great musicians, a key factor is the new ground they have
established for their respective instruments. Bela Fleck has very few peers
in this regard, and is hence justly revered by those who understand the
banjo and its musical context.





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