Few musicians are as versatile as banjo virtuoso Bela Fleck: he has been nominated for Grammy awards in more categories than any other instrumentalist.
Quite a lot of his work files comfortably in the jazz racks, particularly his latest release on Rounder Records, Across the Imaginary Divide. This is a collaboration with the Marcus Roberts Trio, and will appeal to those who enjoyed his 2007 collaboration with Chick Corea, The Enchantment.
Fleck is a long-time fan of pianist Roberts, and although this is their first collaborative recording the rapport between them is impressive. In most people's minds, the banjo's role in jazz is confined to history and revivalist Dixieland or "traditional jazz" groups. Fleck has worked hard to establish a niche for it in modern jazz as well, although it has to be said with limited success.
Most musicians playing jazz whose formative influences start with the bebop era, or later, might be willing to take a chance on Fleck sitting in with them, but probably wouldn't extend an invitation to jam to any other exponent of the same instrument. A jam session as it happens was just the circumstance that gave rise to this collaboration. Fleck says he first heard Roberts playing with Wynton Marsalis' band in the mid-1980s, and when they were both performing at the Savannah Music Festival a couple of years ago he asked the promoter to introduce him to the pianist.
An invitation to join Roberts and his trio for an after-hours jam session was duly forthcoming, and the players involved all liked the music that resulted.
The following year they played together on the Savannah Festival stage, and decided that they ought to record. Fleck felt strongly that the music should be new, and he and Roberts jointly and independently came up with 12 compositions.