Béla Fleck has unveiled a bold new banjo experiment with “Rhapsody in Blue(grass)”, a string band interpretation of the George Gershwin classic. The song will appear on his upcoming album Rhapsody in Blue, out February 12th.
The reconfiguration of the 1924 composition features Fleck’s My Bluegrass Heart band comprised of Michael Cleveland (fiddle), Sierra Hull (mandolin), Justin Moses (guitar), Bryan Sutton (guitar), and Mark Schatz (bass). “Rhapsody in Blue(grass)” starts with the original text’s classic melody, working through the composed sections, before breaking open into a lengthy-yet-focused improvisational interchange. The players’ technical mastery is underscored by their abilities to both execute complex arrangements and then immediately go off-script and play simply by feel.
Rhapsody in Blue will feature three arrangements of the title composition including the classic orchestration, a blues-based “Rhapsody in Blue(s)”, and the bluegrass version available now. Fleck will also explore other Gerswhin creations “Rialto Ripples” and “Unidentified Piece for Banjo”, an unrecorded and unreleased hidden gem discovered by Fleck’s friend Dr. Ryan Banagle, author of Arranging Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue.
“One day while on tour with My Bluegrass Heart, surrounded by these geniuses, a thought occurred to me—’Rhapsody in Blue(grass)’?!” Fleck said of his decision to record the cover. “I kept the thought to myself, realizing it was either the greatest idea or possibly the very worst I had ever thought of. But it wouldn’t go away. When we started to actually explore it, I realized that it actually sounded quite good. With the bluegrass version, we had the opportunity to stretch out, have some fun, and make some different creative moves.”
On May 4th, Rhythm, Raga & Rhapsody will celebrate the music of Béla Fleck at Carnegie Hall, featuring the New York premiere of “Rhapsody in Blue” performed by the Aeolian Orchestra, conducted by Eric Jacobsen. Fleck will perform with his My Bluegrass Heart band along with pianist Bruce Hornsby, tabla master Zakir Hussain (Planet Drum), and woodwind player Anat Cohen.
The single “Rhapsody in Blue(grass)” also celebrates banjo legend Earl Scruggs‘ 100th birthday today, January 6th. This evening, an all-star cast of bluegrass musicians will pay tribute to Scruggs at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, with performances by Fleck, The Del McCoury Band, The Earls of Leicester, Sam Bush, and more with Jerry Douglas as musical director. Tickets and livestream passes are on sale here.
Check out Béla Fleck’s “Rhapsody in Blue(grass)” below and click here to pre-order the album. Fleck will take his My Bluegrass Heart tour abroad later this month for a run of international dates. For tickets and a full list of tour dates head here.
Béla Fleck – “Rhapsody In Blue(grass)” (George Gershwin)
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