Banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck will reunite with the original lineup of Béla Fleck & The Flecktones—featuring Victor Wooten on bass, percussionist/drumitarist Roy “Future Man” Wooten, and Howard Levy on piano and harmonica—to spread holiday cheer this winter on the Jingle All the Way tour. For the first time ever, the original quartet will be joined on tour by saxophonist Jeff Coffin, who restored the band to a foursome when he joined in 1997 following Levy’s 1992 departure, and remained a member until 2010, when he left to tour with Dave Matthews Band. The band will perform music from its Grammy-winning 2008 holiday album of the same name, joined by renowned Tuvan throat singing ensemble Alash, who appeared on the original recording.
The tour will kick off with two nights at Nashville’s famous Ryman Auditorium on November 26th and 28th before snaking its way through the Midwest with stops in Cincinnati, OH (11/29), Ann Arbor, MI (11/30), Champaign, IL (12/1), Grand Rapids, MI (12/2), and Chicago, IL (12/3). From there, the band will head to the Northeast for shows in Ithaca, NY (12/5), Boston, MA (12/6), Portland, ME (12/7), Burlington, VT (12/9), and New York, NY, where the group will play its biggest NYC show to date at the legendary Beacon Theater (12/10) before continuing on to Rochester, NY (12/11), Philadelphia, Pa (12/12), and Stony Brook, NY (12/13). The tour is set to conclude with a trek through the South with stops in North Bethesda, MD (12/14), Charlottesville, CA (12/16), Durham, NC (12/17), Athens, GA (12/18), Atlanta, GA (12/19), and New Orleans, LA (12/20).
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones – “Sleigh Ride” (Conan 2008)
Tickets are available now via artist and VIP pre-sales ahead of the public on-sale on Friday, July 18th at 10 a.m. local venue time. All shows will have the option for a VIP pre-show experience, including an intimate soundcheck performance, Q&A with the band, and exclusive merchandise. Head here for more details.
Formed in 1988 for a single performance on PBS’ Lonesome Pine Special, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones began touring in 1989 and garnered widespread acclaim with their adventurous fusion of classical, jazz, bluegrass, African music, blues, and Eastern European folk.
“The band was so fresh and powerful that we all wanted more of it,” said Victor Wooten, who auditioned for the band over the phone and volunteered his brother Roy to play percussion. “I think we gave other musicians the courage to be different.”
The band accumulated a number of accolades, including 13 Grammy nominations and six Grammy wins, earning the award for Best Pop Instrumental Album for Jingle All the Way in 2009.
“Christmas music is inside everyone’s DNA,” said Fleck. “Jingle All the Way is an open doorway for listeners to understand the Flecktones’ music.”
Before embarking on the Jingle All the Way tour, Béla Fleck & The Flecktones will tour the West Coast in August and September, including a support slot with Dave Matthews Band at The Gorge Amphitheatre on August 30th. Click below for a full list of upcoming shows.
