Live at the Quick

1	That Old Thing (Intro) / Earth Jam 7:55
2	Zona Mona 6:34
3	Ovombo Summit 2:48
4	Hall of Mirrors 5:42
5	Scratch & Sniff 6:43
6	Improv/Amazing Grace 5:18
7	Big Country 8:21
8	Interlude 1:26
9	Lover's Leap 6:13
10	Alash Khem (Alash River Song) 2:26
11	A Moment So Close 6:55
12	Improv/Prelude From Bach Violin Partita #3 5:59
13	Intro 1:06
14	Hoedown 8:59

Barnes & Noble

Grammy-nominated in contemporary jazz, pop instrumental, and country instrumental for 2000's Outbound, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones comprise a unit of virtuosos that resists category. On the simultaneous CD/DVD release Live at the Quick, they offer an interactive, always melodic multicultural banquet, alternating tightly structured passages and no-holds-barred jams, incorporating grooves and scales from funk, bluegrass, and progressive rock; Indian, Near Eastern, and African music; and even bebop and Bach. Joining the core unit of alpha dogs (Fleck, banjo and banjo derivatives; Jeff Coffin, sax and clarinet; Victor Wooten, electric bass; Roy "Futureman" Wooten, drums and synth-percussion) are winds player Paul McCandless, synth-bassoonist Paul Hansen, keyboard/steel pan whiz Andy Narrell, tabla master Sandip Burman, and tuvan throat singer Congar ol'Ondar. Fleck is unmistakably the leader of the pack, imparting organic structure to what could easily be a big mess through the strength of his tonal personality. An old hand at blending virtuosity and entertainment, he uses the diverse conceptual interests of his crew to frame his sound, making complex formulations go down as easy as rhubarb pie. Ted Panken

All Music Guide

Anyone who saw the Flecktones in their early days probably told you that it was an amazing experience, and a big part of that praise undoubtedly focused on the group's improvised jams. With Victor Wooten sometimes playing two basses simultaneously and Fleck wandering through the audience picking cosmic banjo lines, their shows were spectacles to be enjoyed for the simple thrill of hearing virtuosos play music that was mind-boggling but somehow utterly accessible. It's sad, then, that the group's live albums, while preserving the energy, have never quite captured the humor of those early shows. Many fans could relay stories of Fleck and Wooten's astounding call-and-response duels, which could incorporate anything from Tchaikovsky to full-throttle bluegrass breakdowns. The rapport was hilarious, and it endeared people to a group who might otherwise go down as whimsical showoffs. However, while the old shows may be legendary, the new ones aren't bad either, and the above isn't meant to say that Live at the Quick is a bad album; actually, there's plenty of stuff that Flecktones fans love, including Wooten's now-trademark arrangement of "Amazing Grace" and a Bach "Prelude" from Fleck's classical music projects. The concert was recorded with the Flecktone Big Band and features guest appearances from Paul McCandless, Andy Narell, Paul Hansen, tabla player Sandip Burman, and Tuvan throat singer Congar ol'Ondar. All that makes Live at the Quick the band's most diverse record yet, and fans of Fleck's post-Acoustic Planet work will be amply rewarded. Jim Smith

Jazz Times

Live at the Quick is sure to delight the Flecktones faithful while showing the uninitiated what they've been missing.