IGX

Holy crap....this guy is astounding. He's a banjo player with absolutely lightning chops, and I'm beginning to think there isn't anything he can't do. Here he takes a break from recording with the Flecktones and records some transcriptions of well known classical pieces and arranges them to show off his skills and interpretation.

Hold on, I know what you're thinking. "'A classical' music CD ??? On Irongarmx?? ABW, have you lost your mind????"

Well, not about this one. These are great arrangements, airy and cheerful and uplifting. Listening to a banjo (and accompanying instruments) do these is just plain fun. As Steve Martin once said, "You can't stay depressed when you're listening to a banjo", and Fleck takes the instrument to a whole new level. And you don't normally think of the banjo as an "interpretive" instrument, but Fleck manages inflections and phrasings that grab your attention and make you grin like a fool. This is extremely pleasant listening.

Hightlight of the CD for me is "Seven Variations on the theme "God Save The King'". a duet with John Williams. We Americans know this tune as "My Country 'Tis Of Thee". It starts out with a straightforward, charming, intimate little arrangement and these two virtuosos proceed, step by step to turn into it something that will make your jaw drop. If I'm off my feed or have had a crappy day, this 12 minute interlude is just the ticket to cheer me up.

Bela Fleck - an American virtusoso who just happens to play a "folk" instrument. Check him out - he's the perfect antidote to too much rap and Top 40 BS.

I think I worked him back in the eighties. There have been thousands of concerts and they all run together.

Try Damian or Stephen Marley for some Reggae. I just met them and their stuff is lots of fun. Very cool guys. Must have been and the chronic in the dressing room ;-)
http://www.damianmarleymusic.com/index.php

ABW--

Got it on iTunes and let it sink in for awhile. I've been listening off and on to to the album for 2 weeks now. You're spot on-- it's excellent. Fleck's banjo almost replicates the harpsichord in some cases. Beyond that, the arrangements make use of the banjo's unexpected timbre and flexibility. It does duty for the cello, classical guitar, keyboard, etc. Along the way, Fleck crosses a good 300 years of the classical canon in the process. As to his skill, you've already said it--virtouosic.

Great stuff; one of the best albums I've come across in some time-I honestly wouldn't have found it w/o IGx (sniff, sniff). Thanks bro, great album.

Glad you enjoyed it. I would never have known about it if my girlfriend hadn't had such diverse and estoteric tastes in music, so I'm just paying it forward.