It seems improbable that the piano and banjo could combine to make progressive jazz -- dabbled with bluegrass here and there -- without sounding like a novelty act. But by now no one familiar with the independent work of Chick Corea and Bela Fleck is surprised that the result is unequivocally positive. Over the last thirty years piano icon Corea and banjo-superstar Fleck have been revolutionary and widely acclaimed musicians in their own rights, admired for their virtuosity and innovative approaches.
Corea and Fleck performed together in Spaulding Auditorium on Saturady, March 1 to an enthusiastic sold-out crowd. The show was by turns mellow and bombastic, but constantly exhilarating. The Hopkins Center should be commended for tempting two of the most excellent living musicians to Hanover.
The duo primarily performed selections from their cooperative effort, "The Enchantment," released in May 2007. The album was born through a mutual appreciation of each other's work. After discussing a collaborative album Corea and Fleck exchanged music before recording. Eventually, Corea contributed four songs and Fleck contributed six. The BBC praised "The Enchantment" as "everything a collaboration of this caliber should be -- perhaps even a little bit more."
The first act opened with Corea's song "Seorita," a Spanish-flavored (as the name might suggest) and chill tune that is also the first track on "The Enchantment."
After this solid start, the second song, Fleck's "Menagerie," started off like a duel between the banjo and piano. This set the tone of the concert and illustrated Corea and Fleck's musical model of performance. Trading back and forth, in a jovially competitive manner, each improvised, and their respective ideas and flourishes came together, intertwining into a coherent and carefully structured song. When Corea and Fleck pounded their fists after the song to thunderous applause, the closely collaborative nature of the project was obvious and endearing.
This spirit of cooperation permeated throughout. Corea and Fleck had a strong rapport and chided one another for the use of sheet music. They also expressed a sense of thankfulness for the collaboration.
For all the spontaneity and improvisation of the concert there was a sense of mastery and control over the proceedings. Each song was lengthy and featured extensive embellishments of album material. It seemed like the songs could go on forever -- and that would be no problem. Corea and Fleck both pulled their furious solos together in mere moments and borrowed from each other so well that it felt as if they shared a psychic connection.
At times the show felt like purely an exhibition of the insane talents of these two maestros -- Corea and Fleck are among the world's best on their instruments. Their unbelievable abilities and the musical possibilities are precisely what made the concert a memorable and attention-grabbing affair. There was nothing obnoxious about ten-minute solos when they were played by such matchless masters.
These improvisations were complex and full of musical tensions, which were both created and resolved. Corea and Fleck rarely went for the obvious note; my ear expected them to take one direction, but I was rarely correct.
The most memorable moment was the final song during the encore. While echoes of bluegrass had been heard throughout and some explicitly bluegrass- inspired songs had been performed, the show was more Fleck's innovative "Blu-bop" combined with Corea's jazz than traditional Americana. Prefacing the final song with a story of a "live Earl Scruggs" performance that Fleck had given Corea on a long bus ride, the duo burst into a familiar and traditional sound. While the piano is typically not associated with bluegrass and Corea admits to a relative lack of experience with the genre, his improvisations stole the song and testify to his genre-defying abilities.
The concert was not just an exhibition for two master musicians, showing off for a crowd how unbelievably good they are -- though that would be enough to warrant a positive analysis. Rather, the show was about intersections, about making the banjo more like the piano and the piano more like the banjo. It was volatile musical alchemy, combining unexpected instruments and creating mind-blowing results.