Béla Fleck
If you want a career in music, try having a name like Béla Fleck. Once people hear it, they will never forget it. They will say it out loud just for the tongue-sprung fun of it: Béla Fleck. Then, become a dazzlingly good, adventurous, open-minded, ever-probing musician and entertainer. Master traditional musical disciplines and then smash them to pieces. Voilà?
The tireless, ubiquitous, Grammy-wearied Béla Fleck will appear at the Bardavon on Sunday, November 4, this time not with his progressive newgrass Flecktones in tow, but as the ringleader of a world-class Banjo Summit. Fleck will be joined by fellow pickers Tony Trischka, Bill Keith, Richie Stearns, Eric Weissberg and Pete Wernick.
For some reason, bluegrass loves to declare grand champions and confer awards and prizes with a martial solemnity, and these here are banjo’s most-decorated pickers. In performances ranging from solos and duets to full-tilt banjo blowouts with all the players and an acoustic band, the concert will feature traditional bluegrass and old-time country and more unconventional hybrid genres that incorporate jazz, classical and rock elements.
The show begins at 7 p.m. Tickets go for $58 for Golden Circle seating, $48 for general admission and $43 for Bardavon members. They are available at the Bardavon box office at 35 Market Street in Poughkeepsie, the Ulster Performing Arts Center box office at 601 Broadway in Kingston or through TicketMaster at (800) 745-3000 or www.ticketmaster.com.