Little Worlds is consistent with Fleck's general approach. It is unconventional insofar as it's a 3-CD set of widely diverse material. (Multi-disc sets often sample a wide variety of musical styles. The Beatles "White Album" and Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road are noteworthy examples.) And "Little World" utilizes unfamiliar instruments, including the theremin and Future Man's synth-axe drumitar.The sound quality of "Little Worlds" is very good. The musicianship is frequently superb! Several guest artists turned up during the course of recording these discs. (That's a key reason the project evolved into a 3-CD set.)
Branford Marsalis plays saxophone on "Sherpa", which is a terrific song. "Mudslingers of the Milky Way" (with a fine 6-string bass solo) is another outstanding jazz tune. A number of songs are quite funny: not least the guest vocal by Bobby McFerrin on "What It Is". And there is a hidden comedy track (prior to track #1) featuring commentary by David St. Hubins of Spinal Tap. (Again, the Flecktones bring to mind the Beatles, who often recorded joke tracks.)
The reader may be aware that there is also a 1-CD version called "Ten From Little Worlds". I strongly recommend that people choose the 3-CD version instead. The single CD includes several quirky tracks: e.g., the Flecktone's take on "The Ballad of Jed Clampett", which is spun as a hybrid of rap/bluegrass/jazz, with lyrics that deliver both comedy and social commentary! In my opinion, the 1-CD version is rather thin on actual content. But with the 3-CD version, the listener can enjoy the quirky tracks but be satisfied by hearing plenty of exceptional jazz, too.
(review cross-posted on eBay)
★★★★☆
Good!
Good!
