Béla Fleck - The Bluegrass Sessions: Tales From The Acoustic Planet, Vol. 2

Who'd have ever imagined that the soundtrack to the Coen Brothers' sleeper hit movie "Oh Brother Where Art Thou?" would bring bluegrass music to the top of the soundscan sales charts and take home a Grammy award for album of the year in 2001? Although recorded and originally released in stereo in 1999, banjo player extraordinaire Bela Fleck (minus his Flecktones) gathered several of his friends and recorded 18 tracks of bluegrass music that have now been re-mixed into surround sound for release on DVD-Audio.

The fusion of one of America's oldest forms of music with the latest in recording, mixing and playback technology may seem unnatural at first, but after listening to the album, I had a revelation: This is the way that bluegrass music is meant to be experienced. Generally, when these musicans get together to jam, they sit in a big circle and musically feed off each other. With the 5.1 DVD-Audio surround mix, you get the opportunity to sit in the middle of one of these jam sessions and be immersed in the sound. Unlike some surround discs, where the rears are used just for ambience or occasional emphasis, The bluegrass sessions treat every speaker, aside from the subwoofer, as a equal partner in the musical goings-on. The opening track, "Blue Mountain Hop," even begins with a strummed and muted banjo in the rears. Bass fiddle player Mark Schatz's parts ended up in my surround and main speakers ever so slightly because of my DVD players lack of bass management, but this album is one of the rare instances where that is not objectionable to me. Schatz's bass parts are set very far back in the mix and there is enough definition to his sound that it does not disturb the rest of the higher-frequency information that it is sharing with the center, surrounds and the mains.

The standout song in my mind is the Latin-influenced "Spanish Point," with beautiful acoustic flamenco guitar parts accompanying Bela Fleck's signature banjo. The fiddle, guitar and several banjos take turns as the lead instrument and, despite an obvious structure to the song, it feels as if much of the music is right off the cuff. Ironically, the inspiration for this track came from a place in Country Clare, Ireland, rather than South America or Spain, as you might think. This track is a nice diversion from the mostly southern flare of the rest of the disc.

Being obsessed with the banjo, it's no surprise that bluegrass was a huge influence on Fleck as a young child, and on this album, he had a chance to bring together many of his musical idols, the most notable being Earl Scruggs, the man Fleck credits with being the reason he plays banjo today. Fleck pays direct tribute to Scruggs in the appropriately named "Ode To Earl," a light-hearted track with a bass line that bounces along with an almost waltz-like beat in three. Of all the other guest musicians on The Bluegrass Sessions, country star Vince Gill is the most famous of the bunch, lending his voice for harmony vocals on several tracks.

The songs on The Bluegrass Sessions range from bluegrass standards like the two-minute-and-21-second "Home Sweet Home" to the almost epic, nine-minute-41-second "Marura on a Bicycle, Stout and Molasses, Way Back When." Broken up into several musical segments, this song almost gives the feeling of watching a play or musical on stage. I can picture the fictitious Maura riding on her bike in a silent film in my mind as the tune rambles along. The ability the musicians have to tell a story with just their instruments is a testament to their abilities and Fleck's abilities as a songwriter.

If you are going to invest your time and money in The Bluegrass Sessions, you had better be sure you are a fan of bluegrass music. The continuous drone of rapid-fire, finger-picked banjos may be a little much to take for those who aren't already fans of the genre, but the talent level that these musicians possess is undeniable. Fleck assembled three generations of bluegrass virtuosos, all with chops that Eddie Van Halen or Steve Vai would envy. Despite lacking a MLP mix, the sonic quality of The Bluegrass Sessions is stellar. It would be intriguing to hear the album with the next level of resolution that MLP would offer, but what you get on this disc is still light years ahead of the traditional 16-bit CD. There are three sound options on the disc, as with most of the Warner DVD-Audio titles, including "Advanced Resolution Six-Channel Surround," "Advanced Resolution Stereo" and "DVD-Video Compatible Dolby Digital" for those of you without a DVD-Audio player. This means that anyone with a DVD player should be able to experience this disc in one form or another, but you'll want to have an actual DVD-Audio player and a six-channel analog input on your receiver to fully enjoy The Bluegrass Sessions. -- Bryan Dailey, 2/2001

Once again Bella Fleck puts together a CD with great songs and great musicians. Being a fan of bluegrass and Bella Fleck, I love that he got together with greats like Earl Scruggs to play some originals and spruce up other old hits. The CD is a great listen.

I truly enjoy this collection of Bluegrass music by Bela Fleck and friends. I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for something interesting and fun to listen too.

I love this CD, i think it is one of the best bluegrass collections Bela has produced, with a host of different styles and artists.

It's rare when a sequel exceeds the original. This album, though, exceeds the first "Acoustic Planet" effort by Fleck.

Why? Well, the playing is better technically, if you can believe that. And the energy and drive is stronger here than in Acoustic Planet 1.

You also get treated to a greater number of original compositions on this CD. I've come to appreciate this dimension of Fleck's artistic gifts even more as time has passed. While he does do a lot of variations on derivative music, his original compositions are memorable, too.

I've had this album for two years now and it still sometimes makes my hair stand on end when I listen to it and I don't even consider myself a SERIOUS bluegrass fan. Absolutely amazing!

Bela Fleck is arguably the premeir banjo player in the world and he does not disappoint on this CD. His music and that of the musicians he has gathered to play with him is superb. If your feet aren't tapping to the music in short order, then you probably have a few disconnnected nerves leading to them.

If you enjoy Americana/Bluegrass/Country, then you'll love this CD!

This is the CD that was singlehandedly responsible for revealing my long-hidden love of bluegrass music to me. I can listen to it in any season or mood and at any time of day. Each performer on the CD has moved beyond mastery of his instrument to fusion with it, and the results are incredible to hear. My favorite track on the CD is "Buffalo Nickel," which combines a gorgeous wistful melody with a constantly shifting meter and an undercurrent of satisfaction. Other favorites include the rollicking opening track of "Blue Mountain Hop," the well-titled "When Joy Kills Sorrow," the lullaby favorite "The Over Grown Waltz," the deliciously fast ending track "Major Honker"...well, who am I kidding? The entire CD is amazing. It gets my highest recommendation. Don't waver. Buy it. You'll be glad you did.

Wow...this guy is always thinking outside the box. Tony Trischka mentored Bela and, although Tony's influences are audible, Bela has developed an amazing style all his own. Normally, Bela's work is a little too experimental/Jazz for my taste, but this CD is an exception. It is a collection of traditional bluegrass songs along with several original songs which are purely Fleck. They take the listener on an amazing journey through ever changing rhythms and twisting chord progressions, which are definitely not your grandfather's bluegrasses. The names of the musicians on this CD read like a Bluegrass dream team so the music is always smooth, professional and exciting. With the exception of a goofy poem reading, this is an altogether wonderful bluegrass experience along the lines of Fleck's earlier CD "Drive" from 1985 which I also highly recommend.

this is my favorite bela album. like his bluegras better than his jazz but his jazz is awsome. i can't even say how good this album is. if you like bluegrass go buy this album it is well worth the money.

As any of you reading this know, Bela Fleck is a master banjoist, musician, composer, improviser, and band leader. He is as pure and skilled an artist as has ever lived, and everything he touches seems to turn to gold. This album is no exception; its weakest songs are merely excellent, instead of cathartic. The Bluegrass Sessions features several other masterful performers, including Jerry Douglas, Tony Rice, Sam Bush and others in a traditional yet still musically diverse setting. Everyone's performance is top-notch, and you'll find that this disc is very difficult to stop listening to. I really can't say enough good things about it. Just buy it, now. An excellent addition to any longtime Fleck or bluegrass fan's collection, and a great starting point for beginners.

The talent this man has is unbeieveable. I have been listening to him since his New Grass Revival days and he just keeps getting better. I am not into the jazz as much as his "bluegrass" stuff but am still amazed by his talent. This is a CD that you will definately want in your collection.