1. Senorita
2. Spectacle
3. Joban Dna Nopia
4. Mountain
5. Children’s Song, No. 6
6. A Strange Romance
7. Menagerie
8. Waltse Por Abby
9. Brazil
10. The Enchantment
11. Sunset Road
Chick Corea – Piano
Béla Fleck - Banjo
The
banjo is possibly the most maligned musical
instrument of all. This may be because it
is used in hillbilly-style music and is therefore
(unfairly) associated with yokels with straws
in their mouths, or it may be because the
banjo is used to make irritating strumming
noises in many traditional jazz bands. At
any rate, an internet search for "Banjo
jokes" throws up an immense number of
suggestions which display deep contempt for
the instrument (e.g "Why does everyone
hate a banjo straight off?" "It
saves time").
However,
banjo players are fighting back, and people
like Béla Fleck are helping to establish
the instrument’s acceptability – indeed, its
versatility. He started as a bluegrass player
but soon started investigating jazz and later
explored rock, pop and classical music, so
that his playing now covers a wide variety
of styles. On this CD he is paired with keyboardist
Chick Corea and the two men work superbly
together, often interweaving contrapuntally
and displaying remarkable telepathy. This
is their first full album together, although
they have collaborated in various ways since
1994, when Chick Corea played on a CD by Béla’s
group, the Flecktones.
The
first track. Senorita, was written
by Chick Corea and it has his familiar Latin-American
feel. It immediately exhibits the duo’s virtuosity,
playing complex lines in unison. Spectacle
is equally complex: a playful piece by Fleck,
demanding great dexterity from both players.
Jonan Dna Nopla (no, I’ve no idea what
it means) has Béla decorating an ostinato
laid down by Chick, before they take turns
in playing solos and backings. Their togetherness
is breathtaking.
Mountain
was written by Fleck and it betrays his roots
in bluegrass and country music, with Corea
gladly joining in the rural atmosphere. Chick
Corea is famous for his Children’s Songs
and No. 6 has the mixture of simplicity
and intricacy typical of this series of compositions.
The
next three items were all written by Béla
Fleck, and exhibit his wide range. A Strange
Romance has a middle-European folkiness
about it – but then Béla’s first name
was borrowed from Béla Bartok. Menagerie
is flightily intricate, contrasting with the
romantic rhapsodizing of Waltse Por Abby.
Brazil is the only non-original tune on
the album. It might have benefited from the
addition of some percussion, as it’s hard
for just these two musicians to capture the
tune’s rhythmic possibilities. In fact this
is the only place where Béla sounds
slightly uncomfortable, while Chick is completely
at home with the Latin-American pulse.
The
title track is a pensive, meandering piece
by Corea, and the CD ends with the country-flavoured
Sunset Road. All through the album,
the two men play together as one, proving
that good music is not just a matter of technique
but also of mutual listening.
Tony Augarde
CD Reviews
Concord
088072302532
