Review and More

Our Review

Bela Fleck is an amazing talent. With a cabinet crammed full of Grammy Awards in diverse categories, Fleck is an intensely creative force in bluegrass, jazz, pop, and world music. His weapon of choice? The banjo, but don't conclude that Jingle All the Way is a bluegrass recording. Far from it! With his outstanding Flecktones, Fleck attacks 16 seasonal pieces ranging from classical Christmas to Hanukkah to Joni Mitchell. The universal theme is eclectic invention, and the overall tone is contemporary jazz with world flair. In fact, this album is so outrageously quirky that it is somewhat difficult to compose a meaningful description of its content. That being said, I will certainly give it a shot.

Jingle All the Way is probably my favorite holiday release of the 2008 season (so far!). It is an instrumental offering, although that's a bit misleading. After all, Fleck includes "Tuvan throat singing" (by Alash Ensemble), gutteral vocalizations that grab focus like a blistering Gregorian chant. In other words, if you are looking for "traditional" renditions of well-loved carols, steer clear! Bela Fleck and the Flecktones are all about pushing the envelope, and this release exemplifies the soul of creativity. In the holiday music arena, which often is deluged with sound-the-same CDs, Jingle All the Way is an absolute breath of fresh air.

The album opens with the sound of horse's hooves and Tuvan throat singing on Jingle Bells; this introduction is dramatic and fun. The second cut, Silent Night, develops over the first 30 seconds or so before the melody reveals itself. Fleck's banjo goes magically fast on pieces like Sleigh Ride; it does not seem physically possible to play at that speed! The sweet, low-key River closing is perfection. Expect the unexpected here, and rely on first-rate musicianship throughout.

I love this album--its irrepressible innovations had me hanging on every note, wondering what clever creations were ahead. If you love Bela Fleck, then you are probably already en route to the store to buy this album. If you don't know Fleck, but enjoy inventive, jazz-charged instrumentals for the Christmas season, then look no further. Bela Fleck is the man, his Flecktones are fabulous, and Jingle All the Way is your ticket to holiday fun this year!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)

More

From the liner notes:

Béla Fleck - banjo and electric banjo
Victor Lemonte Wooten - electric bass guitar
Future Man - synth-axe drumitar and acoustic percussion
Jeff Coffin - saxophones, flute and bass clarinet

Featuring special guests
Andy Statman - mandolin and clarinet
Edgar Meyer - double bass
Tuvan throat singing by Alash Ensemble:
Bady-Dorzhu Ondar - Igil
Mai-ool Sedip - Byzaanchy
Ayan-ool Sam - DoshpuluurTuvan throat singing by Alash Ensemble:
Ayan Shirizhik - Kengirge & Shynggyrash
plus honorary Tuvan Sean Quirk on "Twelve Days"

"Jingle Bells (reprise)" sung by Ayan-ool Sam

Produced by Béla Fleck
Recorded at Sanctuary Studios by Richard and Robert Battaglia
Additional recording at Sound Emporium
Mixed by Bela Fleck, Robert Battaglia and Richard Battaglia
Sound Emporium overdub engineer: Patrick Grenado
Mastered by Richard Dodd

Photography by Señor McGuire.
Design by Sarah Lainie Radawich


From the Website:

Just in case you aren't familiar with Béla Fleck, there are some who say he's the premiere banjo player in the world. Others claim that Béla has virtually reinvented the image and the sound of the banjo through a remarkable performing and recording career that has taken him all over the musical map and on a range of solo projects and collaborations. If you are familiar with Béla, you know that he just loves to play the banjo, and put it into unique settings.

Bela Fleck & the Flecktones

Jingle All the Way

Artist link

Track List