There’s not a lot we can say about Béla Fleck that isn’t just going to become a string of superlatives. His banjo mastery is exemplary, his musical curiosity is insatiable, his generosity to his fellow players is legendary. And in a musical form sometimes thought of as a little staid, he’s a real progressive. We’re a bit in love with the guy, and we cannot lie. But you don’t have to just take our word for it; here’s Billy Strings’ opinion: “In my opinion, Béla Fleck is one of the most important musicians of all time. He bridges the gap between bluegrass, classical, jazz, world music, and everything in between. It seems like there’s no limit to what he can achieve on the banjo.”
Tennessee is taken from Live Heart: My Bluegrass Heart at the Ryman, which will be out on October 16th via Béla Fleck Productions / Thirty Tigers. Fleck says of today’s song: “As a New York City kid who fell in love with Davy Crockett and had my own coonskin cap and fringe jacket, this song called out to me when I first heard Jimmy Martin’s classic version. I even moved to Tennessee and have lived there longer than my NYC days. There’s an amazing sense of closure to playing it live with Billy Strings taking Jimmy’s lead role, and the top players in the biz bringing their talent and depth of understanding of bluegrass to the table.”
