Jazz
Fans of legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea and bebop/bluegrass banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck are well aware of the pair's previous collaborations (Corea guests on two Flecktones albums, and Fleck appears on Corea's Rendezvous in New York DVD), but their first full-length release should surprise even their most jaded followers. The two went into the project with intense seriousness of purpose, Corea writing four pieces and Fleck six. (The standard "Brazil" is their only cover.) They push each other hard in adapting their instruments to genres (bluegrass, country, Latin, ragtime, classical, blues, and world) normally outside their idioms, Corea playing 'grassy banjo patterns on the piano on Fleck's mournful "Mountain" and Fleck stretching on Corea's suite-like "Joban Dna Nopia." With few exceptions, the compositions are only frameworks for vast improvisation, which might be expected. But instead of setting each other up for extended solos, Corea and Fleck join together with breathtaking precision and verve, weaving and intertwining through remarkable contrapuntal excursions, only to break and meet up again in perfect sync. Despite the thrill of Fleck's chromatic chases and classical flirtations and Corea's mastery of difficult lines on Fleck's rippling "Spectacle," one can't help but think they would have benefited from a tad more instrumentation, especially bass and percussion. Perhaps that's the next step this wickedly inventive duo wll take in their ongoing odyssey of genius.
By Alanna Nash.
**
Start with a pair of virtuoso musicians, two guys who have twenty Grammys between them but have worked together only sporadically. Add in the freedom to explore and create, and then turn them loose. That's the recipe for this exciting new Concord album, The Enchantment, featuring legendary jazz pianist Chick Corea and Béla Fleck, the banjo wizard known for pushing the boundaries of an instrument that's normally part of folk or country music.
The only problem I'm going to encounter in reviewing this album is in trying to restrain my galloping enthusiasm - it's that good. I would not have guessed that a collection of songs this enjoyable could have been created with only piano and banjo, but these guys are so talented and innovative that it works. A key aspect might be that ten of the eleven cuts were written by one or the other of the stars, and it's obvious that they know their own strengths — and each other's.
Which is not to say that the one non-original tune, the Latin jazz standard "Brazil", doesn't fit perfectly into the mix - it does - and their artful treatment made it a favorite of mine. But the meat of this album is in those songs they've fashioned for themselves, and that's where they really shine.
Some of the songs, such as the first cut, "Senorita", seem at first to be a showcase for the composer, in this case Corea. However, Fleck later takes his turn with a passage that's almost haunting. The same happens with "Mountain", but in reverse, as Fleck begins with an interlude that echoes bluegrass, only to later give way to Corea's strong piano. I liked this one a lot.
But this album isn't just about solos. Ballads such as "A Strange Romance", or the softly elegant "Waltse For Abby", give the musicians the opportunity to show how they can skillfully blend their sounds. And the title tune of the album, "The Enchantment", gives us a new listening experience, while at the same time retaining a comfort level not present in some examples of cutting-edge music.
Some of the sounds are amazing. I enjoy the banjo as an instrument in bluegrass and other forms of music, but this is not your father's banjo. (Not that there's anything wrong with your father's banjo.) Fleck's roots are in that type of music, but he dazzles with his ability to manipulate his instrument in ways I wouldn't have guessed possible, and he's matched along the way by the always enjoyable Corea.
By Big Geez.
**
01. Senorita (Corea) (5:20)
02. Spectacle (Fleck) (4:40)
03. Joban Dna Nopia (Corea) (6:28)
04. Mountain (Fleck) (3:53)
05. Children’s Song (Corea) (4:02)
06. A Strange Romance (Fleck) (4:46)
07. Menagerie (Fleck) (5:53)
08. Waltse for Abby (Fleck) (3:02)
09. Brazil (Barroso & Russell) (5:58)
10. The Enchantment (Corea) (5:39)
11. Sunset Road (Fleck) (4:36)
**
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