Archive-name: music/bela-fleck-faq
Maintained-by: Nathan.Torkington@vuw.ac.nz

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Changes as at $Date: 94/03/22 09:19:23 $:
 * janet davis
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Welcome to alt.music.bela-fleck, a newsgroup for discussion of Bela
Fleck and his new-acoustic, bluegrass or jazz music.

This FAQ contains biographical and discographical (!) information on
Bela Fleck.

If you haven't already done so, now is as good a time as any to read
the guide to Net etiquette which is regularly posted to
news.announce.newusers.  You should be familiar with acronyms like
FAQ, FTP and IMHO, as well as know about smileys, followups and when
to reply by e-mail to postings.

This FAQ is currently posted to alt.music.bela-fleck, alt.answers and
news.answers.  The latest version is available via the World-Wide Web
as
  http://www.vuw.ac.nz/who/Nathan.Torkington/banjo/fleck-faq
Read the World Wide Web FAQ (posted to alt.hypertext and other groups)
for more information on the Web.  This post is also archived in the
numerous archives of news.answers (such as rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/)
as bela-fleck-faq.

This FAQ was mostly written by Nathan Torkington, with numerous
contributions by readers of alt.music.bela-fleck.  Comments and
indications of doubt are enclosed in []s in the text.  Each section
begins with forty dashes (``-'') on a line of their own, then the
section number.  This should make searching for a specific section
easy.

Contributions, comments and changes should be directed to
	Nathan.Torkington@vuw.ac.nz

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List of Answers

1. Biography
1.1 Who is Bela Fleck anyway?
1.2 How do I say his name?
1.3 What's he done?
2. Discography
2.1 Solo Projects
2.2 Band Projects
2.2.1 Spectrum
2.2.2 Tasty Licks
2.2.3 Dreadful Snakes
2.2.4 New Grass Revival
2.2.5 Strength in Numbers
2.2.6 Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
2.2.7 Bela Fleck and Tony Trischka
2.3 Session Work
2.9 Videos
3. Tablature
3.1 The Fleck Archives
3.2 Homespun Records
3.3 Janet Davis Music
3.4 The Banjo Songbook
4. Projects
5. Tour Guide
6. Miscellaneous Questions
6.1 What is the address of the Flecktone Fan Club?
6.2 Why did Howard Levy leave the Flecktones?
6.3 Why did NGR split?
6.4 What is ``Masters of the Five-String Banjo''?

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1. Biography

This section contains information on Bela Fleck as a person.

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1.1 Who is Bela Fleck anyway?

Bela Fleck is a banjo player, born in New York but currently living in
Nashville, Tennessee.  He is (barely arguably) the most accomplished
banjo player ever, and has won numerous awards.  He has played jazz,
classical, bluegrass, newgrass, rock, celtic and most other styles you
care to name.

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1.2 How do I say his name?

The 'e' in ``Bela'' has an acute on it, so it is pronounced ``Bayla''.
``Bella'' is plain wrong.

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1.3 What's he done?

His first serious study of music was as a teenager at the New York
City High School of Music and Art.  From there, he played with
``Spectrum'' and ``Tasty Licks'', finally moving to the ``New Grass
Revival'' with Sam Bush, Pat Flynn and John Cowan.

In 198x, NGR split and Bela formed ``Bela Fleck and the Flecktones''.
This group has continued to this day.

Along the way, he made several solo albums, played with ``The Dreadful
Snakes'', ``Strength in Numbers'' and had a brief diversion with
``Banjo Jazz''.  In addition, his session credits are enormous.

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2. Discography

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2.1 Solo Projects

Crossing The Tracks
	Rounder 0121 (Cassette)

	Dear Old Dixie
	Inman Square
	Texas Barbeque
	Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman
	Spain
	Crossing the Tracks
	Spring Thaw
	How Can You Face Me Now
	Twilight
	Frosty Morning
	Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow

Natural Bridge Suite
	Rounder

Deviation
	Rounder 0196

Double Time
	Rounder 0181

Inroads
	Rounder CD 0219 (Compact Disc)

	Tonino
	Somerset
	Cecata
	Four Wheel Drive
	Ireland
	Perplexed
	The Old Country
	Hudson's Bay
	Close to Home

Daybreak
	Rounder CD 11518 (Compact Disc)
	Compilation

	Texas Barbeque
	Spain
	Twilight
	Reading in the Dark
	Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman
	How Can You Face Me Now
	Bill Cheatham
	Christina's Jig/Plain Brown Jig
	Silverball
	Fiddler's Dream
	Daybreak
	Dawg's Due
	Flexibility
	Old Hickory Waltz
	Crossfire
	Applebutter
	The Natural Bridge Suite
	Punchdrunk

Places
	Rounder CD 11522 (Compact Disc)
	Compilation

	Deviation
	Reverie
	Nuns for Nixon
	Malone
	Moontides
	Another Morning
	Lowdown
	The Bullfrog Shuffle
	Places
	Snakes Alive
	Ladies and Gentleman [sic]
	Light Speed
	Ireland
	Four Wheel Drive
	Perplexed
	The Old Country
	Hudson's Bay
	Close to Home

Drive
	Rounder CD 0255 (Compact Disc)

	Whitewater
	Slipstream
	Up and Around the Bend
	Natchez Trace
	See Rock City
	The Legend
	The Lights of Home
	Down in the Swap
	Sanctuary
	The Open Road
	Crucial County Breakdown (bonus CD track)

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2.2 Band Projects

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2.2.1 Spectrum

Spectrum
Spectrum Live in Japan

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2.2.2 Tasty Licks

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2.2.3 The Dreadful Snakes

The Dreadful Snakes
	Rounder 0177

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2.2.4 New Grass Revival

with Sam Bush, Pat Flynn and John Cowan.

Live
	Sugar Hill SH-CD-3711

	White Freight Liner Blues
	Good Woman's Love
	One More Love Song
	Walk in Jerusalem
	Watermelon Man
	Reach
	Sapporo

Anthology
	(liner notes call him ``Bella'')
	Capitol CDP 7 94624 2

	Can't Stop Now
	Ain't That Peculiar
	Angel Eyes
	Revival
	Metric Lips
	Reach
	You Plant Your Fields
	Callin' Baton Rouge
	Hold to a Dream
	Friday Night in America

New Grass Revival

	What You Do to Me
	Love Someone Like Me
	Lonely Rider
	Sweet Release
	How Many Hearts
	In the Middle of the Night
	Saw You Runnin'
	Ain't That Peculiar
	Seven by Seven
	Revival

On the Boulevard

	On the Boulevard
	Earth, Water, Wind, and Fire
	You're the Best Friend
	Just Is
	Country Clare
	One More Love Song
	You Don't Knock
	One of These Trains
	Get in the Wind
	Indian Hills
	One Love / People Get Ready

Hold To A Dream
	Capitol CLT-46962  (LP)
	c1987

	Hold to a Dream
	One Way Street
	Can't Stop Now
	I'll Take Tomorrow
	Before the Heartache Rolls In
	Looking Past You
	How About You
	Metric Lips
	I Can Talk to You
	Unconditional Love

Friday Night In America
	Capitol C4-90739  (Cassette)
	c1989

	Friday Night in America
	You Plant Your Fields
	Let's Make A Baby King
	Do What You Gotta Do
	Let Me Be Your Man	
	Lila
	Callin' Baton Rouge
	Whatever Way the Wind Blows
	Big Foot
	Angel Eyes
	I'm Down

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2.2.5 Strength in Numbers

With Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, and Mark O'Connor.

The Telluride Sessions
	MCA CMAD-6293

	Future Man
	Texas Red
	Pink Flamingos
	Duke and Cookie
	One Winter's Night
	Macedonia
	The Lochs of Dread
	No Apologies
	Slopes
	Blue Men of the Sahara

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2.2.6 Bela Fleck and the Flecktones

With Victor Wooten, Roy Wooten and Howard Levy.

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
	Warner Brothers WB 9 26124-2

	Sea Brazil
	Frontiers
	Hurricane Camille
	Half Moon Bay
	The Sinister Minister
	Sunset Road
	Flipper
	Mars Needs Women
	  Space is a Lonely Place
	  They're Here
	Reflections of Lucy
	Tell it to the Guv'nor

Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
	Warner Brothers WB 9 26562-2

	Blu-Bop
	Flying Saucer Dudes
	Turtle Rock
	Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
	The Star Spangled Banner
	Star of the Country Down
	Jekyll and Hyde (and Ted and Alice)
	Michelle
	Hole in the Wall
	Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (reprise)

UFO TOFO
	Warner Brothers WB 9 45016-2

	The West Country
	Sex in a Pan
	Bonnie & Slyde
	Scuttlebutt
	UFO TOFU
	Magic Fingers
	True North
	Life without Elvis
	Saresta
	The Yee-haw Factor
	After the Storm

(without Howard Levy, and with other musicians)

Three Flew Over The Cuckoo's Next
	Warner Brothers WB 9 45328-2

	Vix 9
	At Last We Meet Again
	Spunky And Clorissa
	Bumbershoot
	Blues for Gordon
	Monkey See
	The Message
	Interlude (Return of the Ancient Ones)
	The Drift
	A Celtic Medley
	Peace, Be Still
	The Longing
	For Now

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2.2.7 Bela Fleck and Tony Trischka

Bela plays on tracks marked with a star (*).

Solo Banjo Works
	Rounder CD 0247

	Ruben's Wah Wah
	2fourteen
	Liberec
	Free Improvisation #2
	Assunta
	Old Joe Clark/June Apple
	Max and Gus
	Beaumont Rag
	Kingfisher's Wing
	Earl Scruggs Medley (Nashville Skyline Rag/Ground
	  Speed/Shucking the Corn)
	Jeff Davis Medley (Jeff Davis/Fort Monroe/Danville Days)
	Yaha Yaha
	Beatles Medley (I Feel Fine/Here, There and Everywhere/Eleanor
	  Rigby/I'm a Loser/Baby You Can Drive My Car)
	The Rings of Saturn
	(*) Green Willis/Whiskey Before Breakfast
	(*) Killer Bees on Caffeine
	(*) Oma and Opa
	(*) Solaris
	(*) Flapperette/Red Pepper-Spicy Rag
	(*) Triplet Fever
	(*) Bach Violin Partita in D minor (BWV 1004)
	(*) Did You Ever Meet Gary Owen, Uncle Joe?
	(*) Middle Eastern Medley (Improv/Hilmi Rit/George and Gladys
	  Kazatski)
	(*) Twisted Teen
	(*) Au Lait

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2.3 Session Work

Fluxology
	Jerry Douglas
	Rounder
	Collected on ``Everything is gonna workout fine''
		Rounder CD 11535

Fluxedo
	Jerry Douglas
	Rounder
	Collected on ``Everything is gonna workout fine''
		Rounder CD 11535

Late As Usual
	Sam Bush
	Rounder CD 0195

	Crooked Smile.

Rounder Banjo
	Rounder CD 11542

	Perplexed.

Stone From Which The Arch Was Made
	Mark O'Connor
	Warner CD 9 25539-2

	Opus 30: Remember Ireland.

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2.9 Videos

Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
	Warner Brothers 3-38223

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3. Tablature

Transcriptions of Bela's music are available (as far as I know) from
these sources only:

(a) Homespun Music, via money
(b) Janet Davis Music, via money
(c) ``The Banjo Songbook''
(d) ``Masters of the Five-String Banjo''

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3.1 The Fleck Archives

I was going to start an archive of Bela Fleck tablature, but I have
since realised that this would deprive Bela of money, should he decide
to tab out more of his stuff.  Until we get electronic currency and
royalty payments that way, I'm not going to create an archive of Bela
tab.

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3.2 Homespun Records

Tablature to his ``Drive'' album, and all of ``Solo Banjo Works''.

Homespun Tapes
Box 694F
Woodstock, NY 12498

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3.3 Janet Davis

Janet has transcribed several of Bela's tunes and breaks.  Contact her
at:

Janet Davis Music Company (JDMC)
609 Encino Way
El Paso, TX 79912

Phone: 1-800-933-5362

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3.4 The Banjo Songbook

Tony Trischka wrote it.  It contains tablature to:
	Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman
	Bela's Dog
	Whiskey before Breakfast
	[...]
[publishing info]

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4. Projects

Bela is mixing and recording a new album.  It's acoustic, not just
with the Flecktones.  He has gotten Chick Corea to play on at least
one track, Bruce Hornsby, and other great musicians.  It promises to
be a mellow jazz album.

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5. Tour Guide

Information is available from the Flecktone Fan Club (see question
6.1) and are subject to change -- call before
driving/flying/teleporting.

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6. Miscellaneous Questions

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6.1 What is the address of the Flecktone Fan Club

Flecktone Fan Club
PO Box 91076
Nashville, TN 37209

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6.2 Why did Howard Levy leave the Flecktones?

The fan club newsletter quotes family reasons and other musical
interests.

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6.3 Why did NGR split?

It was said at a workshop a while ago that one person wanted to play
jazz, one wanted to play country, one wanted to play rock and one
didn't want to play at all.  Whether this is the truth or not, who
knows?

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6.4 What is ``Masters of the Five-String Banjo''?

A book, by Peter Wernick and Tony Trischka, that gives biographies,
tablature and interviews with the big names in banjo-stardom.  Bela is
one of them, and the tablature to ``Black Forest'', ``Nuns for Nixon''
and ``Little Maggie''.

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