Little Worlds (Dig) [Limited Edition]

Bela Fleck | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 12, 2003)
• Original Release Date: 2003
• Number of Discs: 3
• Format: Limited Edition
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000AKCLF
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (37 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,872 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #55 in Music > Rock > Jam Bands > Bluegrass Jam Bands

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Bill Mon

2. Bil Mon

3. Ballad of Jed Clampett

4. Puffy

5. New Math

6. Longitude

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. The Fjords of Oslo

2. Sherpa

3. What It Is

4. The Leaning Tower

5. Mudslingers of the Milky Way

6. Captive Delusions

See all 10 tracks on this disc

Disc: 3

1. The Cave

2. Next

3. Pineapple Heart

4. Snatchin'

5. Reminiscence

6. Sleeper

See all 8 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

The compositions on Béla Fleck and the Flecktones' three-CD set Little Worlds are ambitious, audacious, and, at times, a bit absurd. The musicianship of Fleck and his compatriots bassist Victor Wooten, saxophonist/flautist Jeff Coffin, and electro-percussionist Future Man is as accomplished as ever. Even when they are engaging in a slice of silliness like their version of "The Ballad of Jed Clampett," which they re-imagine as a sort of a rap rhapsody, the intelligence and sheer inventiveness of the performers keeps the music from descending to a trivial level. The 27 tracks are practically swarming with guest artists from a wide range of traditions, including Bobby McFerrin, Branford Marsalis, Nickel Creek, the Chieftains, Fleck’s former New Grass Revival band mate Sam Bush, and the Tuvan throat singer Congar Ol Ondar. Perhaps the most intriguing visitors are Pamelia Kurstin, who plays Theremin on a number of tracks, and Jake Shimabukuro, a remarkable young ukulele player from Hawaii. The music on Little Words combines experimental sonic textures, complex harmonies, intricate rhythms, and charming melodies with impressive instrumental chops. Béla Fleck and the Flecktones are serious musicians, but their music, which is infused with joy, is never somber. --Michael Simmons

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

64 of 66 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Greatest CD ever, September 29, 2003

By 

Jan P. Dennis "Longboard jazzer" (Monument, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little Worlds (Dig) (Audio CD)

I am not a Flecktones fan. Indeed, this is my first Flecktones cd. I've always thought they were some kind of joke band. I mean, come on! Banjo as lead instrument? Futureman (ahem) playing electronic percussion? Jazzgrass? What's that?

Moreover, I haven't even listened to the whole thing yet (most of disc one, part of disc two, most of disc three). So how could I make such an outrageous claim? Here's how:

Most interesting soundscape. Employing everything from uillean pipes to theremin, to didjeridoo, to bodhran, to electric synth banjo, to cajon, to kanjira, to jaw harp, to tuvan throat singing, to gutam, the lads achieve an incredibly rich musical canvas, making this, besides being the greatest cd ever, also the first comprehensive world music cd.

Authentic evocation of widest variety of world musics. This is a band that plays reggae, Scandinavian string music, funk, traditional Celtic music, flamenco, gospel, blues, Indian, Hawaiian, Chinese, American bluegrass (sometimes all at once!) with such ease that it all sounds second nature.

Huge generosity of spirit. If you read the liner notes, it's as if they know every prominent musician in the whole world--and would love nothing more than to have them to play on their cd: So-and-so was in town, so we thought we'd include him/her on a piece we were working on, etc. And they always seem to find the exact right musical setting for their guests, showing them off to their greatest advantage and strength.

Ability to sustain interest through almost three hours of music. You'd think you'd want to put something else on after about 70-80 minutes of this stuff. Doesn't it get boring? Won't the listener start getting antsy about halfway through the second disc? No and no. And this is from someone who generally think most jazz cds are too long.

Complete mastery of all technical elements. This was recorded mainly in Bela Fleck's house, with an unusual set up, each band member having his own isolation booth. An advantage, as Fleck points out in the liner notes, is that the setup could stay in place indefinitely. Thus, the band wasn't under the usual pressure to record in a very short period of time, which is how most records get made these days. Instead, they could get together whenever the spirit moved, and record at their leisure. Fleck has become a brilliant producer. He has a genius for shaping the soundscape, for integrating amazingly diverse sound palettes, from sax duo ("Captive Delusions") to two dozen wildly eclectic instruments ("Sleeper").

Inclusion of two theremin players (sometimes at once).

Inclusion of Derek Trucks.

The sheer chutzpah to even attempt something this audacious. And the chops, élan, and collective brilliance to pull it off.

One thing this convinces me of: The best nu jazz (which is the best music being made today, in my opinion) is being made by bands: Nicholas Payton's Sonic Trance, Garage a Trois, The Bad Plus, The Dave Holland Quintet, Medicine Wheel, Beat the Donkey, The Intercontinentals, Safa, Nascer, The Peter Epstein Quartet, and The Charlie Hunter Quintet, to name a few.

Landmark, watershed, ground breaking, utter genius--I don't care what name it goes by. This is it.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure heavenly bliss., October 13, 2003

By 

spiral_mind (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Worlds (Dig) (Audio CD)

For almost 15 years, Béla Fleck and his Tones have fearlessly blazed an addictingly upbeat path through any and every genre available. They're usually filed under jazz, but just calling them jazz is like just calling Canada a big snowy place. The group's normal lineup (banjo/bass/drums/sax) provides an astounding fusion of pop accessibility, mind-blowing virtuosity and telepathic chemistry that truly sounds like no one and nothing else out there, lending itself to any style or mode that comes along on a whim. Now, with this monster of an album almost two years in the making, they've expanded their territory wider than ever before. Celtic/Irish folk? Sure. Bluegrass? Certainly. Rock, pop, R&B, hip-hop, funk, club jazz, salsa, reggae, flamenco, Cajun, African, Oriental, ambient, just-plain-weird.. you'll find them all here and then some. And through it all, the group's trademark sense of humor and fun never lets up. Nothing's somber, nothing's downbeat or depressing; every Flecktone album radiates joy and laughter through every track.

The guest list alone would take a whole review to list in full, ranging from Bobby McFerrin to Nickel Creek to the Chieftains to Derek Trucks and Branford Marsalis, among many many others. The Tones are capable of wide-reaching stuff on their own, but the incredible range of contributions adds a whole breathtaking new spectrum of flavors and colors. I have to mention "Off the Top" as one of the absolute highlights since it *perfectly* shows off that flawless blend of ear-twisting technicality and sweeeeeet ear-candy addictiveness, but really, there's nary a weak point anywhere. Even the borderline "Ballad of Jed Clampett" (reimagined as a silly rap) can't lessen my love for this album. I say this is the ultimate Flecktone compilation, simply because it's the single release that most conveys the incredible range and variety these guys are capable of.

The only two complaints I have about Little Worlds are in the packaging, not the content: the whole thing is in a crummy cardboard digipak, which has always been a terrible way of storing discs.. and the total amount of music is just shy of 130 minutes, which means it could have easily fit on two CDs rather than three. But I can't nitpick in the face of so much beautiful music. There's a single-disc compilation called Ten From Little Worlds out there, but really, if you like any of this stuff then you'll love all the rest.

Any one of their single albums is a great introduction for anyone new to the group (although somehow I'm particularly partial to Outbound, for what that's worth), and once you know how you feel about them.. you'll already know whether you want this set. As for me, I have no doubt I'll be enjoying this one for years to come.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, September 2, 2003

By 

"yankees51" (NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little Worlds (Dig) (Audio CD)

This is the best album I've bought in a long time. As the editorial review says, the musicianship of the Flecktones is simply astounding. They experiment with a variety of styles here -- Latin jazz in "Latitude," hip hop in "Ballad of Jed Clampett," nasty blues in "Snatchin'," and so on -- and conquer them all with ease.

While Little Worlds does take the band in new directions, the Flecktone sound is still there. This includes, of course, Fleck's apparent obsession with odd meters remains obvious on this album; "New Math" manages to fit a 5-beat pattern and a 3-beat pattern into the same time signature, "The Leaning Tower" contains a Celtic jig in 5/4, and "Next" switches meters several times a minute, for example. The overall effect is that no two songs sound alike. The broad expertise of the band and the unique flavor the Flecktones bring to their music makes for an amazing musical experience.

Adding to that experience are a ridiculous amount of guests -- somewhere between 20 and 30. Many of them bring new colors to the music; Derek Trucks adds that trademark ABB slide guitar sound to "Pineapple Heart," for example, and Jerry Douglas adds his twangin' dobro and lap steel to "Poindexter." A good portion of the guests appear on the album's 12-minute centerpiece, "Sleeper," a haunting tune that degenerates into a massive jam at the end. (The mass of playing and talking gives the impression one is walking through a crowded market in Hong Kong.) A couple of the guests do go mostly unnoticed, though -- Bernie Williams provided little more than name recognition, and I still haven't even heard Congar Ol Ondar's contribution on Tuvan throat singing. Oh well.

My only complaint is that Little Worlds seems like a two-CD album stretched into three CDs. "Longitude," "The Fjords of Oslo," "Prequel," "Return of the Mudslingers," and "Flunky" are all short tracks that are not really songs. They add a sense of continuity, I suppose, but they could easily be left off without hurting the album as a whole. In any case, the album represents a fantastic bunch of musicians at their finest, and is a must-have.