Customer Reviews

Daybreaker

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The first half of this album was recorded when Fleck was a punk kid in his early 20's. Recordings of Chick Corea's "Spain" and Fats Waller's "How Can You Face Me Now" will make you a Fleck fan for life. Then sprinkle in some Grisman like "Dawg's Due", and you have a CD that will be in your heavy rotation for some time. Merging bluegrass, jazz, fusion, irish music (Christina's Jig/Plain Brown Jig): don't be afraid, just buy it. Bill Keith on banjo, Sam Bush on fiddle, come on how many more reasons does this thing need to get 5 stars?

Whenever I press a Bela Fleck disc into a friend's hand, I and ask them to listen to it,because Fleck is a virtuoso, a master of his instrument. Over the years, Bela Fleck continued to incorporate various styles into his recordings. 1988's `Daybreak' gives you a taste of how well-versed he is in playing other musical genres.

Bela stays faithful to his NewGrass style on `Texas Barbeque', `Twilight`, `Reading in the Dark', `Applebutter', `Dawg's Due' (a David Grisman tune); `Crossfire', and `Punchdrunk'.

There are jazz tunes: Spain'-- a few bars into it you'll recognize this Chic Corea favorite; and a honky-tonk version of Fats Waller's `How Can You Face Me Now' (with vocal).

This would not be a Bela Fleck disc few without a traditional bluegrass melody. This disc has several: `Bill Cheatham' featuring Bill Keith and Bela in a banjo duet; a joyful, bouncy version of `Silverbell` and a NewGrass-y version of `Fiddler's Dream'.

He also throws in a few Celtic songs---- 'Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman' and 'Christina's Jig/Plain Brown Jug'

For fans of his later `jazzgrass' sound with the Flecktones, `Daybreak', `Flexibility', `Old Hickory Waltz' and `The Natural Bridge Suite' (reminiscent of Stephane Grappelli/Django Rheinhart) won't disappoint.

If you'd like to hear more examples of Fleck's virtuosity, catch his Grammy-winning recording of classical music, 'Perpetual Motion'.
Perpetual Motion

I had the original LP. I spent years trying to find a name for this kind of music and gave up. It's just great music..... complex rhythms, melodies. Bela Fleck tends to be too modest about his genius in coming up with songs and arrangements. He is justifiably confident in his technical mastery, but far beyond that, his compositions are great. We remember the great composers long after the great technicians are gone.....

I became a Bela Fleck fan when "New Grass Revival" reformed with Bela on the five string banjo. I then was hooked to this man's ability to write music that your ears will dearly love.

His music which once you here this CD and the other entire vinyl and CD's he has played on in his earlier years, I believe you'll be a fan as well.

I am happy to see that Bela is converting his older vinyl recordings over to the CD disk format. I cherish my vinyl records so much that they are tucked away in a safe place. Now that the CD's are coming out it is much better and you do not need to be so careful with your CD's as a vinyl record can be scratched and then you'll have skipping as it is played.

In my opinion there are several banjo pickers and starting with Bill Keith who took the 5 string banjo out of the realm of the Earl Scruggs bluegrass normal three finger style picking. Bill and a few others who brought the advance picking to the surface has helped many including myself in moving past the basic bluegrass sound which I dearly love as well. Bela just happens to be the one who took it to a greater level and intensity of the energy he has put behind his ability to write and play his music.

If you buy this CD I can say in my opinion that you'll surely love it as I do. Thank you Bela for your great music you have played.