Bela Fleck & The Flecktones To Go On ‘Hiatus’

Bela Fleck and The Flecktones at Georgia Theatre

Photo by Sound Check Music Blog

Yes, you read the headline correctly. After an extensive year-long tour, Bela Fleck and The Flecktones are going on indefinite hiatus.

The announcement was made by Dr. Fleck, who sent an email to the Fleck fan listserv. The announcement reads (try not to cry):

It’s been a phenomenal year for the band. We came back together to make a new recording (Rocket Science on E1) and to tour for a year, and we certainly did both of those things to the fullest extent possible. Having Howard Levy in the mix brought back the wild and unruly energy – and combustion – that the original line-up always had. But now 18 years later – we’re all grown up, so it was a very new experience for us, as well.

The shows went through the roof, and I can’t think of one that didn’t go great. You guys came out and supported our efforts, bringing us the final element that we needed to ensure that the magic would occur. I feel that the band hit new heights in cohesion, and group improv, and individual musical achievement. And we had a great time while doing it.As the tour wound down towards the end of our time together, we began to consider when we would do this again. And everyone was eager for that to happen.

But it will likely be several years til we can marshall the flecktone forces again, due to the rich and varied lives and careers that everyone has developed through the years. I do invite you to follow us each separately, because I think everyone is doing wonderful things.And I look forward to the next time when the Flecktones play together again,

Best regards to all-
Béla Fleck

For those of you who caught the tour this past year (Check out our Photo Essay), you know how sorely Bela and the boys will be missed. They play real music, something that is absent from most music scenes these days. I for one am counting down the days until Bela Fleck and The Flecktones’ return.