I don't know much about Bela Fleck's work, except that it pushes the envelope. However, I'm a big fan of Chick Corea, with not nearly as many of his albums as I'd like. Here's an awesome sample of his acoustic work, courtesy of YouTube. Watch how he reaches inside the piano while he plays - wild. I almost feel a connection to him, since his Akoustic Band drummer, Dave Weckl, is a St. Louis guy. I heard him perform here with Tom and Ray Kennedy (which was AWESOME) years ago. I met Tom a few months back playing at a local hotel, and he's a friend of my former piano teacher. Six degrees? Maybe.
Anyway, this little track will get your blood moving:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NeIj1NwKvA...and here's more info about Bela and Chick's current tour. I'm sad to say I don't think I'll be able to make it out to see them, but perhaps you can catch it yourself. Here are the dates:
http://www.belafleck.com/tourdates.html
...and here's the article that got me on this whole entry in the first place:
 City Pulse | Béla Fleck catches up with his musical idol City Pulse, MI - “And if you’re going to play with a rhythmic jazz piano player, there’s no better one in the world than Chick.” In December 2006, Fleck and Corea finally ... |
