A Bluegrass Homecoming With Bela Fleck

When you think about the history of the banjo, its modern context seems ironic in that so many people who enjoy banjo music are unaware of its origin story and any other context than bluegrass and old time. The banjo has become closely associated with string bands especially from the American South of the mid 20th century onwards, while its early American, let alone its African and Caribbean origins tend to be ignored or forgotten.

While his spark was lit by players from the dominant narrative like Earl Scruggs, Bela Fleck was destined to take the banjo on a musical journey that is nothing short of epic. Bela played the Scruggs style; he pushed the envelope with that style in New Grass Revival; he invented his own language on the instrument with his band the Flecktones; he went on to put it square in the middle of collaborations with artists from Africa and India, among many other pioneering works.

Joe Kendrick (L) and Bela Fleck (R) at IBMA in Raleigh, NC 09-29-22

In late September 2022, I sat with Bela Fleck in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina at the convention center where the International Bluegrass Music Association was holding its annual conference and festival, an event which saw Bela win “Album of the Year”, “Instrumental Group of the Year”, “Instrumental Recording of the Year” and “Banjo Player of the Year”. My Bluegrass Heart won a Grammy award for best bluegrass album, too. They were his first awards at the event since the dissolution of his former band New Grass Revival more than thirty years ago. 

In the hours before those IBMA awards came his way, we spoke about his return to bluegrass, how the form is underestimated among many in other circles, what he thinks roots music needs most right now, which to give you a hint is not more instrumental virtuosos, his dream collaborations and much more.

Songs heard in this episode:

“Vertigo” by Bela Fleck from My Bluegrass Heart

“Wheels Up” by Bela Fleck from My Bluegrass Heart featuring Sierra Hull and Molly Tuttle, excerpt

“Slippery Eel” by Bela Fleck from My Bluegrass Heart featuring Billy Strings and Chris Thile, excerpt

“Hunky Dory” by Bela Fleck from My Bluegrass Heart, excerpt

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Southern Songs and Stories is a part of the podcast lineup of Osiris Media, with all of the Osiris shows available here. You can also hear new episodes of this podcast on Bluegrass Planet Radio here. Thanks to Corrie Askew for producing the radio adaptations of this series on public radio WNCW, and to Joshua Meng, who wrote and performed our theme songs. This is Southern Songs and Stories: the music of the South and the artists who make it.   - Joe Kendrick

Green Acres Music Hall, Part Three

We have covered a lot of ground so far, from the origin, to conversations with many key players and participants, and a lot of great music. Along the way, we have run up against biker gangs descending upon clubs and outdoor festival and taking them for their own, to finding a place on the map that no one had bothered to put on that map, to no sink, to snow collapsing a roof, to exploding concert ticket prices, and losses at the door. There’s a whole slew of stories packed into this little spot out in the western NC hill country.

Sam Bush in front of an energetic crowd at Green Acres Music Hall. Sam spoke with us at length about his many times on the indoor and outdoor stage at the Acres with everyone from New Grass Revival to his own band and Duck Butter.

In this episode we conclude our history of Green Acres Music Hall, with a focus on later years in its four decade run, and new interviews with artists like Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush and Mike Lynch, along with performances ranging from the very first bluegrass show played at the Acres on December 30th, 1978, to shows from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones in 1991, Larry Keel with Snake Oil Medicine Show in 97, and Sam Bush’s band Duck Butter also in 1997. composition

A trio of artists who are very familiar with Green Acres. Jerry Douglas spoke with us at Merlefest 2018 about his times there, and that conversation if featured in this episode.

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P.S. I mentioned Duck Butter's cover of "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy" in the podcast as being a Cannonball Adderly cover. It is also a Joe Zawinul composition.