Among the many reunions taking place in 2016, one that we simply cannot wait for is Béla Fleck & The Flecktones. The bluegrass-jazz ensemble toured regularly from their formation in 1988 until their hiatus in 2012, but are returning for their first shows in four years in just a few short weeks.
A number of incredible musicians have been a part of the Flecktones experience, including Béla Fleck, Victor Wooten, Roy Wooten, Jeff Coffin, and Howard Levy. The band has also collaborated with the likes of Sam Bush, Chick Corea, Branford Marsalis and more throughout their career, and released a total of 14 albums! There’s no shortage of great music available for their otherworldly performances.
In celebration of the band’s upcoming revival, we came upon this beautiful audio recording from the band’s performance at the Variety Playhouse in Atlanta, GA, performed on this date exactly 20 years ago (4/26/96). While we posted about Phish’s Jazz Fest set on the same day, this Flecktones show sees the virtuosic musicians taking each composition for an experimental journey.
Thanks to a taper named Terry, listen to the whole show below: