Tag: Bela Fleck

Béla Fleck Announces My Bluegrass Heart Album Celebration show at Carnegie Hall

Béla Fleck has announced the My Bluegrass Heart album celebration show at Carnegie Hall in NYC. The show will take place on January 9, 2022 and will feature big names in Chris Thile and Billy Strings, Jerry Douglas, and many more.

My Bluegrass Heart is the third album in Béla Fleck’s trilogy that began with 1988’s Drive and continued in 1999 with The Bluegrass Sessions. Produced and written by Fleck, My Bluegrass Heart continues the tradition of sharing music between generations. The album debuted at number one on the Bluegrass Album Chart and number three on the American / Folk Album Chart.

Béla Fleck who was born and raised in New York City spoke on the upcoming concert saying, “Calling something the ‘concert of a lifetime’ sure sounds like hype, and in many cases it would be. But not this time! At least for my world and my music, this is an unprecedented opportunity to bring some of the brightest instrumental lights in bluegrass—or any other music for that matter—to the incredible Carnegie Hall stage.”

The show will feature artists like Chris Thile and Billy Strings, the legendary Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Edgar Meyer and Stuart Duncan, as well as members of the next wave of virtuoso players, Sierra Hull, Molly Tuttle and Michael Cleveland.

The show is part of the Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart Tour. Tickets are on sale now for the show and can be purchased here .

For more information on Béla Fleck and his new album My Bluegrass Heart celebration show at Carnegie Hall, visit his website.

Full Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart Tour Lineup bellow:

11.27 Grand Rapids, MI // DeVos Performance Hall

11.28 Fort Wayne, IN // Clyde Theatre

11.29 Milwaukee, WI // Riverside Theater

12.01 St. Louis, MO // The Sheldon Concert Hall

12.02 Des Moines, IA // Hoyt Sherman Place

12.03 Salina, KS // The Stiefel Theatre

12.04 Denver, CO // Paramount Theatre*

12.05 Jackson, WY // Center For The Arts

12.07 Portland, OR // Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

12.08 Seattle, WA // Paramount Theatre*

12.09 Eugene, OR // Jaqua Concert Hall – 2 shows!

12.10 Redding, CA // The Cascade Theatre*

12.11 Reno, NV // Silver Legacy Resort Casino

12.12 Berkeley, CA // The UC Theatre

12.13 Carmel, CA // Sunset Cultural Center

12.14 Costa Mesa, CA // Segerstrom Center for the Arts

12.16 San Diego, CA // Balboa Theatre

12.17 Los Angeles, CA // Theater at the ACE Hotel

12.18 Tempe, AZ // Tempe Center for the Arts

12.19 Tucson, AZ // Fox Tucson Theatre

1.7.22 Ryman Auditorium // Nashville, TN – SOLD OUT

1.9.22 Carnegie Hall, NYC

Featuring Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, & Bryan Sutton

* = Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Bryan Sutton

October 15, 2021
Bela Fleck Announces New Album “My Bluegrass Heart” and Upcoming Tour Dates

NYC-native and 16-time Grammy-winner Bela Fleck marks his return to bluegrass with My Bluegrass Heart, out September 10. In preparation for this release, Fleck shared the single “Charm School,” a collaboration with fellow bluegrass musicians Billy Strings and Chris Thile.

Banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck is best known for his work with the bands New Grass Revival and Béla Fleck & the Flecktones. Fleck was inducted into the International Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame as a member of New Grass Revival in 2020.

My Bluegrass Heart is the third chapter in Fleck’s multi-decade-spanning trilogy that began with 1988’s Drive and continued in 1999 with The Bluegrass Sessions. Produced and composed by Fleck, My Bluegrass Heart carries on the bluegrass tradition of sharing music between generations.

They nearly always come back, all the people that leave bluegrass. I had a strong feeling that I’d be coming back as well.
Béla Fleck

Fleck first shared single “Charm School,” featuring Billy Strings on guitar and Chris Thile on mandolin, on July 28. The track is hypnotizingly fun – the interweaving of instruments is in a soulful, yet danceable way. The inclusion of the count off and “whew!” at the end with excitable agreeance by the other musicians feels so organic. This natural approach makes listeners feel present at the recording session, only to be brought down from bluegrass heaven once the eight-minute piece inevitably comes to an end. “Charm School” is a promising introduction to My Bluegrass Heart, proving that Fleck’s love for the genre is just as passionate as ever.

In some ways, it’s the wildest and jammiest track on the album, and yet highly melodic and organized. I feel this was the perfect vehicle for this band and the perfect band for this song.
Béla Fleck

“Charm School” is out now on all major streaming platforms and My Bluegrass Heart is available for preorder on BelaFleck.com.

Fleck has also announced he will be touring My Bluegrass Heart throughout 2021 and 2022, including a special night at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on January 7 with Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Sierra Hull, Edgar Meyer, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Billy Strings, Bryan Sutton, Chris Thile, Molly Tuttle and more.

Ticket information for the “My Bluegrass Heart Tour” can be found on Bela Fleck’s website and more dates are to come.

Béla Fleck: My Bluegrass Heart Tour

With Michael Cleveland, Sierra Hull, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, & Bryan Sutton:

9.17 Roanoke, VA // Jefferson Center

9.18 Berryville , VA // Watermelon Pickers’ Fest 2021

9.19 Glenside, PA // The Keswick Theatre

9.21 Pittsburgh, PA // Carnegie of Homestead Music Hall

9.22 Bethesda, MD // The Music Center at Strathmore

9.23 Cumberland, MD // DelFest

9.24 Princeton, NJ // McCarter Theatre Center

9.25 Boston, MA // Berklee Performance Center

9.26 North Adams, MA // FreshGrass

9.28 Kent, OH // The Kent Stage

9.29 Cincinnati, OH // Taft Theatre

9.30 Charlottesville, VA // The Paramount Theater

10.01 Raleigh, NC // IBMA Bluegrass Live!

With Sam Bush, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, & Bryan Sutton:

* = Béla Fleck, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer, Bryan Sutton

11.27 Grand Rapids, MI // DeVos Performance Hall

11.28 Fort Wayne, IN // Clyde Theatre

11.29 Milwaukee, WI // Riverside Theater

12.01 St. Louis, MO // The Sheldon Concert Hall

12.02 Des Moines, IA // Hoyt Sherman Place

12.03 Salina, KS // The Stiefel Theatre

12.04 Denver, CO // Paramount Theatre*

12.05 Jackson, WY // Center For The Arts

12.07 Portland, OR // Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

12.08 Seattle, WA // Paramount Theatre*

12.09 Eugene, OR // Jaqua Concert Hall – 2 shows!

12.10 Redding, CA // The Cascade Theatre*

12.11 Reno, NV // Silver Legacy Resort Casino

12.12 Berkeley, CA // The UC Theatre

12.14 Costa Mesa, CA // Segerstrom Center for the Arts

12.17 Los Angeles, CA // Theater at the ACE Hotel

12.19 Tucson, AZ // Fox Tucson Theatre

With Sam Bush, Michael Cleveland, Jerry Douglas, Stuart Duncan, Sierra Hull, Edgar Meyer, Justin Moses, Mark Schatz, Billy Strings, Bryan Sutton, Chris Thile, Molly Tuttle & more:

1.7.22 Ryman Auditorium // Nashville, TN

August 4, 2021
Blind Boys Of Alabama And Béla Fleck Unite To Cover “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free”

The Blind Boys of Alabama and Béla Fleck have joined together on record for the first time to release a special 45RPM 7” on Alabama-based label Single Lock Records. The powerful and uplifting cover of Nina Simone’s “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” marks their first release of 2021, and it is one to remember.

Jimmy Carter (center) and the Blind Boys Of Alabama

American Christian/Gospel icons Blind Boys of Alabama and banjoist extraordinaire Béla Fleck, have collectively earned 20 Grammy Awards and scores of other accolades. Now, they share the A-Side of this historic collaboration in, “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free.” A Billy Taylor and Dick Dallas classic popularized by Nina Simone, it continues to serve as an anthem for the Civil Rights Movement to this day. The Blind Boys of Alabama and Béla Fleck revitalize the song in a masterful cover that fans around the world will not want to miss.

Jimmy Carter (center) and The Blind Boys perform live at Nelsonville Music Festival | Photo by Rubato

Leader and oldest member of the Blind Boys of Alabama, Jimmy Carter, has helped define American Gospel music over the past eighty years. The Blind Boys are not only five-time Grammy winners, but they are Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award winners. Carter sang with the original group, including Clarence Fountain in the 1940s while they attended the Alabama Institute for the Negro Blind together. However, he was deemed too young to tour with them at that time. Following his time with the Dixieland Blind Boys and the Five Blind Boys of Mississippi, Carter then joined the Blind Boys of Alabama. He has become a beloved member with the group for over forty years.

We’ve crossed paths with Béla Fleck on stage and socially for many years. He’s an incredible talent. This is one of the most unique collaborations for the Blind Boys. I’m excited for the song and 45 to be shared with the fans.
Blind Boys’ Jimmy Carter

Eric “Ricky” McKinnie (center) and The Blind Boys of Alabama

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia Eric “Ricky” McKinnie began his musical career from a young age. His gospel roots propelled him to greatness after he, his mother, and his brother formed the Ricky McKinnie Singers in 1978. Later, In 1989, Clarence Fountain invited McKinnie to join the Blind Boys of Alabama as a drummer, vocalist, and tour manager. Since then, Ricky has been performing with the iconic group, leading them to awards while inspiring millions of fans across the nation. Learn more about the rest of the Blind Boys members HERE

After sharing stages with Béla Fleck in the past years, I find it to be both exciting and a pleasure to sing on a track with him. Anyone that misses this collaboration is missing one of the best.
Ricky McKinnie of the Blind Boys on Fleck and their latest release

Béla Fleck performing live at Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Bluegrass artist and master banjo player, Béla Anton Leos Fleck is a true legend in his field. Born in New York City, Fleck discovered his love of music at a young age through TV, radio, and a newly bought banjo. Years later, his relocation to Kentucky instilled within him a uniquely majestic sound that not only helped revitalize modern bluegrass, but also great success over the years. Now, he teams up with the Blind Boys to once again bring even more life to the Civil Rights classic.

I loved having the chance to work with the Blind Boys. I’ve dug their music since I first heard them, and it was such a thrill to be in the band!
Béla Fleck

“I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” | Single Lock Records

Single Lock Records has released this special song on all major listening platforms. Check out the release YouTube below:

For more from the Blind Boys and their legacy visit HERE along with their Spotify and YouTube. Also, be sure to listen to more of the iconic Béla Fleck via Spotify and YouTube:

July 31, 2021