Béla Fleck: Arkansas Traveller
Track
Arkansas Traveler
Artist
Béla Fleck (banjo)
CD
Tales From The Acoustic Planet (Warner Bros. 45854)
Musicians:
Béla Fleck (banjo),
Edgar Meyer (bass), Kenny Malone (drums)
.Traditional song arranged by Béla Fleck
.Recorded: Recorded: Jan-Mar 1994
Rating: 89/100 (learn more)
Once the official state song, "Arkansas Traveler" was demoted to historical status because of its unflattering portrait of a lazy rube content to fiddle in a cabin full of puddles rather than mend his leaking roof. Needless to say, this isn't the image of modern industriousness the tourist bureau seeks to promote. Obligingly, Béla Fleck omits the lyrics for an instrumental reversion to the pre-Civil War tune that reeks nonetheless of rustic charm. With bassist Meyer's strong support, Fleck recreates the simplicity of a quiet backwoods afternoon without impugning the dynamism of a state that, after all, gave us Wal-Mart.
Reviewer: Alan Kurtz
Tags: banjo
1 response so far
bela, is one heavy dude!