Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
In Memoriam: Jack DeJohnette, 1942–2025
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
After a year-long break, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones have returned, and will release The Hidden Land (Columbia) on Jan. 31.
The stripped down album was recorded entirely at Fleck’s home in Nashville and he called its title a nod to music that exists for its own sake rather than transient or commercial instincts. “There is a hidden land out there, a territory where people push boundaries of music,” said Fleck. “In some ways we live under the radar, but at the same time we have had some amazingly large numbers of people interested in what we are doing, this album reflects that—it’s an uncompromising album. It’s serious Flecktones.”
Known for playing over 200 dates a year, the group began sessions for The Hidden Land with a statement of core principles. “We used to have a rule that everything we did had to be possible to do live with just the three of us, no additional parts laid down in the studio. We haven’t worked in that way since 1993, but it was the concept for these sessions,” said Fleck.
The songs on the album were written by the quartet with the exception of a cover of J.S. Bach’s “Bach Fugue.” Other notable highlights include “Kaleiloscope,” “P’lod,” “Who’s Got Three,” “Labyrinth” and “Chennai.”
Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.
Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
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