1. Up and Running
2. First Light
3. The Great Circle Route
4. Circus of Regrets
5. Three Bridges Home
6. The Landing
7. Arkansas Traveler - Béla Fleck, Traditional
8. Backwoods Galaxy
9. In Your Eyes
10. System Seven
11. Cheeseballs in Cowtown
12. Bicyclops
13. Jayme Lynn
14. For Sascha
Amazon.com
Bela Fleck has completely transcended any and all expectations we have for the banjo. Having spent the better part of five previous years exploring a variety of formal and improvised designs with his virtuoso ensemble, Bela Fleck & The Flecktones, this banjo innovator chose to celebrate a variety of musical friends and influences on this homey, elegant, immaculately recorded aural novella--one that clearly links him to such progressive jazz/fusion forebears as Return to Forever and Oregon (not to mention Bill Monroe & His Bluegrass Boys). While a manic hoe-down like "Cheeseballs in Cowtown" illustrates his command of post-modern bluegrass, his freeform duet "Bicyclops" (with mentor Chick Corea) is indicative of this great musician's astonishing technical and emotional range. Elsewhere tunes such as "Up and Running," "The Great Circle Route," and "System Seven" seem to reconcile his complex rhythmic inclinations with stately folkish themes, mixing traditional bluegrass instrumentation with the likes of electric bass, drums, piano, and oboe. And on extended forms such as "Circus of Regrets" and "Jayme Lynn," Fleck showcases his ever-expanding breadth and range as a modern composer. --Chip Stern
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Tales From the Acoustic Planet
- Audio CD: 0 pages (1995-04-11)
- Publisher: Warner Bros / Wea
- Label: Warner Bros / Wea
- Studio: Warner Bros / Wea
- Average Customer Review:
 based on 23 reviews
- Sales Rank in Music: #6313
Avg. Customer Review:
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Bela Fleck, You should listen to his music 2008-04-02
Comment: I was introduced to Bela Fleck by a friend about 10 years ago. At first I was mainly obscessed with his bass player, Mr. Victor Lemont Wooten (as a side not if your a bass player of any skill level you should listen to Mr. Wooten play). Even after listening to Bela Fleck's music for over a decade it has only been recently that I started to "GET IT." Bela Fleck is truly a musical genius. He mixes bluegrass, classical, jazz, and finds a way to make it all fit with the lead instrument being a banjo... If you have never heard Bela Fleck before this CD is not a bad place to start.
This CD is loaded with great music, beautiful melodies, and rhythm that will make your head spin. There are guys who play in 7 and it sounds like their trying to play in 7, and there are guys who play in 7 and it's effortless (Bela makes it sound effortless). If you love Jazz, classical, bluegrass, or just music in general you should buy this CD. I don't like it as much as some of Bela's other material, but that's just my personal bias. This is a CD that has and will continue to get frequent trips into my CD player. Beautiful melodies, and awesome music. If you haven't heard Bela Fleck before (most of reading this have) you should also check out his music with "The Fleck Tones." Also his CD with Chick Corea titled "Enchanted" which is another must own in my humble opinion.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Forget the labels. 2008-03-30
Comment: Forget the labels of bluegrass, newgrass, fusion, jazz. This is just amazing stuff. Relax and enjoy.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Classic! 2007-01-25
Comment: This is the first Bela Fleck record I ever purchased (April '95). Have been a huge fan from then on. This is still on of my favorite Bela records. Excellent songwriting, playing etc... The Landing and System Seven are two of my favorite songs ever. Both are very moving in different ways.
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Bluegrass Fusion Lives! 2007-01-11
Comment: Along with mates such as Jerry Douglas (dobro), Sam Bush (mandolin), Stuart Duncan (fiddle), Chick Corea (piano), Edgar Meyer (bass) and others, virtuoso banjoist Bela Fleck here recreates another CD of his masterful approach to acoustic bluegrass fusion.
With this remarkable CD, Americana has a new infusion of creative energy!
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
Customer Rating:
Summary: Master of Many Genres 2007-01-05
Comment: Few musicians qualify as "master" of any genre. Bela Fleck joins Benny Goodman as one who qualifies as a master of many -- Blue Grass, Jazz, Classical. Any album associated with the name "Fleck" is worth your time.
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Tales From the Acoustic Planet
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