For Béla Fleck, what began as an informal sit-in jam with the Marcus Roberts Trio at the 2009 Savannah Music Festival has brought to fruition a completely conceived collaborative effort on Across the Imaginary Divide. This might have been a lot easier for both men if they'd focused on simply interpreting jazz, bluegrass, and blues standards in a unique (read: gimmicky) manner, but it would not have been true to either musician's nature. Neither has ever taken the easy way out. Almost all of the music here was written ...
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For Béla Fleck, what began as an informal sit-in jam with the Marcus Roberts Trio at the 2009 Savannah Music Festival has brought to fruition a completely conceived collaborative effort on Across the Imaginary Divide. This might have been a lot easier for both men if they'd focused on simply interpreting jazz, bluegrass, and blues standards in a unique (read: gimmicky) manner, but it would not have been true to either musician's nature. Neither has ever taken the easy way out. Almost all of the music here was written especially for this project by either Roberts or Fleck, albeit separately with this recording in mind. The melding of styles here is dizzying and the two front-line players both exchange not only solos, but often various counterpoint exercises in melody (the title track being a stellar example). On Roberts' "I'm Gonna Tell You This Story One More Time," blues, Latin grooves, and bossa all intertwine. Fleck's "Kalimba" reflects the work he's been doing with African music in recent years, but the trio extends his solo intro (which actually mirrors the tonalities of the thumb piano the tune was named for) and transforms it first into a scintillating minor-mode ballad, before shape-shifting it into a swinging hard bop tune. What's more compelling is the way bassist Rodney Jordan and drummer Jason Marsalis interact with the front line; whether it's reversing roles in the middle of Roberts' "The Sunshine and the Moonlight" or actually taking the lead during the bridge of Fleck's "That Old Thing." Given that the banjo is a front-line instrument in this ensemble, bluegrass does make appearances here, especially in the opener, "Some Roads Lead Home," and in the lone jointly written "Petunia," but it is an element in a music that also references gospel, Gypsy jazz, Ellingtonian swing, bop, hard bop, post-bop, and deep blues. Across the Imaginary Divide is not only a well-realized collaboration between four musical masters, but a study in the integration of roots music from the 19th and 20th centuries as they are transformed into 21st century jazz. ~ Thom Jurek, Rovi
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Add this copy of Across the Imaginary Divide to cart. $2.86, good condition, Sold by Seattle Goodwill rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Seattle, WA, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Rounder.
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Add this copy of Across the Imaginary Divide to cart. $4.45, very good condition, Sold by PaceSetter Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Saint Charles, IL, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Rounder.
Add this copy of Across the Imaginary Divide to cart. $5.00, fair condition, Sold by Service First Media rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Taylorsville, KY, UNITED STATES, published 2012 by Rounder.
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Fair. Ex-Library rental. Disc(s) are professionally cleaned and may contain only light scratches that do not effect functionality. Includes disc(s), case, and artwork. May be missing booklet. Disc(s), case, and artwork may contain library/security stickers and ink writing. ARTWORK IS UNORIGINAL AND PRINTED BY LIBRARY. Case and artwork may show some wear. Case may not be an original jewel case. All disc(s) are authentic.
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