Béla Fleck and the Flecktones at the Ford Theatre Review
A sense of anticipation filled the air as the sun set over the historic Ford Theater, nestled in the Hollywood Hills. This the first time since their 2019 30th anniversary tour at the Playboy Jazz Festival, Bela Fleck (Béla) and the Flecktones played in Los Angeles, and what unfolded was nothing short of musical alchemy.
Bela Fleck (Béla) & The Flectones
The legendary quartet, featuring the original lineup of Fleck on banjo, Victor Wooten on bass, Roy “Futureman” Wooten on the drumitar, and the brilliant Howard Levy on piano and harmonica, delivered a performance that was at once a technical marvel and a deeply moving experience. They didn’t just play music; they wove a vibrant, genre-bending tapestry of jazz, bluegrass, funk, and global sounds.
At the heart of it all was Béla Fleck himself, a musician who has single-handedly taken the banjo from the front porch to the cosmos. With a quiet, almost meditative focus, Fleck coaxed a breathtaking array of sounds from his instrument. His fingers danced across the strings, plucking out intricate, dizzying solos one moment and delivering soulful, lyrical passages the next. In his hands, the banjo became a narrative voice, capable of conveying a universe of emotion and complexity, its every note speaking a telepathic language with the other musicians on stage.
Victor Wooten and Roy Wooten
The rhythm section was a two-man tour de force. Victor Wooten’s bass guitar was more than a foundation. it was a rhythmic heartbeat with a melodic voice. Add to that a percussive force that unified the overall tone and the outcome is perfection. He unleashed a storm of slapping, tapping, and groovy rhythms. He had the audience in a state of awe, His technical brilliance was matched only by his effortless musicality. His older brother, Roy “Futureman” Wooten, meanwhile, anchored the sound with his revolutionary drumitar. This unique instrument allowed him to create a futuristic soundscape of complex beats andpolyrhythms that defied traditional drumming.
PIanist Harmonicist Howard Levy
But perhaps the evening’s biggest revelation was pianist and harmonica master Howard Levy. While each member had their moment to shine, it was Levy who may have stolen the spotlight. At the tender age of 19, he revolutionized the diatonic harmonica. He created new techniques that allowed him to play it as a fully chromatic instrument. This innovation freed the harmonica from its usual folk and blues constraints. Therefore opening it up to the worlds of jazz, classical, and more.
On stage, his harmonica work was nothing short of transcendent. It was a beautiful, otherworldly sound that seemed to float above the music. When he wasn’t playing harmonica, his dynamic piano solos were the perfect complement. They added rich textures and lyrical phrasing to the band’s sonic landscape.
Best Night at the Ford
More than a mere concert, the night was a powerful display of friendship, collaboration, and creative freedom. The Flecktones are a band of musical equals who push each other to new heights, and that joyful camaraderie radiated from the stage with every shared smile and spontaneous improvisation. For those lucky enough to be at the Ford Theater, it was an unforgettable reminder of what happens when four legendary artists come together for the pure, unadulterated joy of making music.
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