Jingle All the Way

 (35 customer reviews)

The Flecktones have always been known for incredible instrumental abilities and challenging arrangements. By recording a holiday collection, they have made their music more accessible without sacrificing technique. This is also an incredibly diverse collection: I find that there are songs I can't stop listening to, some I enjoy greatly, and some that are fine (as well as one that is terrible--I can tolerate Tuvan throat singing as a texture, not as the primary instrument as it is on the Jingle Bells reprise).

"Jingle Bells" has quite a bit of throat singing, but the chromatic bass line is what really makes this different and interesting. Similarly, "Silent Night" has enough alternate chords and a driving rhythm to make a well-known carol new and unusual. "Sleigh Ride" is the first song that I find incredible--Bela starts it with a common opening banjo-lick (think "Foggy Mountain Breakdown"), that tears into a series of single-line runs that are astonishing in their...Read more

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones have come together with a wonderful Christmas CD in the form of Jingle all the Way.
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones are making some of the most innovative and refreshing music these days, and it really shows in this Christmas CD.

Bela plays the banjo, Victor Wooten on bass guitar, Future Man on percussion, and Jeff Coffin on sax and woodwinds and strange vocals. The last one does make some really strange vocal noises that I've heard in recent years; he doesn't sing, he nasally and throatfully performs, and strangely appropriate at times(Jingle Bells and Jingle Bells are examples).

My absolute favorite tunes on this CD are the remake of Vince Guaraldi's "Linus and Lucy", "Silent Night", "Sleigh Ride", and "Bela's Banjo Solo Christmas".
These wonderful renditions of classic Christmas songs in pure instrumental form are wonderful to listen to.

So, have a Bela Fleck Christmas!

This is the liveliest holiday music I've heard. Great arrangements with interesting new sounds! The musicians really let loose with their creativity and had a great time doing it.