E. Doctor Smith's Blog

"There is an ancient, ancient myth that is very, very cool," once revealed the musician-inventor-scientist-composer known as Futureman. For over ten years the eccentric percussionist has been touring with the jazz-bluegrass-fusion quartet Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Born under the name of Roy Wooten (his typically bizarre bio says he arrived on this planet on Oct. 30, 2050), Futureman provides the offbeat beats for one of the music world's most unconventional ensembles. After a Grammy win for best jazz recording, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones have been riding a new peak of success on a wave that started with their formation over 10 years ago. "What this ancient myth says is this," Futureman once explained to interviewer David Templeton, "If you stand before a statue and play perfect golden ratios, you will bring the statue to life. Now, myth is a mirror we hold up to ourselves, to show us an archetypal principle. "So what I want to know...

Those fortunate enough to see the world renowned banjoist, Bela Fleck and his Flecktones, (most recently at the Fillmore, and earlier at the Warfield), may be disappointed to learn that the band won't be touring again until 2006. They won't be sitting idle however, as each member will be embarking on a variety of projects including Fleck joining jazz legends, bassist Stanley Clarke and violinist Jean Luc Ponty in a group known simply as "Trio". It's been said, that the one thoroughly American art form of jazz, is comprised of a "blend between the meeting of African and European influences and aesthetics. Spirituals, blues and work songs meld with Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, as well as the rougher forms of European folk music: an authentic sonic Democracy". It's no wonder the result has been endlessly modified and personalized in the music of the Flecktones. Improvisation seems to also present an irresistible welcoming quality, a virtual ...