LIVE: Bela Fleck & the Flecktones @ The Egg, 6/8/16

Review by Jeff Nania
Photographs by Rudy Lu

The Flecktones are a crack team of instrumentalists who are all among the best in the world at their particular instrument. Or, in the case of Futureman who plays primarily an instrument of his own invention, the best and only proponent.

The band has undergone various line-up changes, but their recent reunion performance at The Egg saw a return to the original quartet featuring bandleader and banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck joined by Howard Levy on piano and harmonica, legendary bassist Victor Wooten and his brother Futureman on drums and drumitar (think keytar with drum pads).

Levy started the whole concert by rhythmically plucking at a jaw harp into a microphone before the group launched into a groovin’ take on the tune “Frontiers.”

The night weaved in and out of tunes like “True North” that were composed back in “the Levy Days,” tunes that were derived during the days when saxophonist Jeff Coffin had taken over, and even tunes like their raging encore of “Sinister Minister,” which originally emerged from band’s trio days.

GO HERE for an audio stream of the complete concert…

ALSO SEE:
More of Rudy Lu’s photographs of the concert at RudyLuPhotos.com

SECOND OPINIONS
Liam Bancroft’s review and Frankie Cavone’s photographs at NYSMusic.com

BELA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES SET LIST
Frontiers
Sex in a Pan
Blubop
Rococo
Life in 11
Sunset Road
Kayto
INTERMISSION
Zenergy
Prickly Pear
Sweet Pomegranates
True North
Hole in the Wall
Flight of The Cosmic Hippo
Stomp
ENCORE
Sinister Minister