In Conversation with Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn

Melbourne Recital Centre Podcasts

A rare up-close and personal discussion with banjoists Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn Banjoists Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn have mastered the deceptively intricate art of the duet. Their performances embrace a diversity almost unthinkable – coming from just two banjos and one voice. Fleck, a 15-time Grammy winner, has collaborated with Chick Corea, Oumou Sangare, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Dave Mathews, Earl Scruggs, and the entire Cleveland Orchestra for his Banjo Concert ‘The Impostor’. Washburn’s banjo has taken her far beyond the usual old-timey comfort zone, musically and geographically. An alumnus of Uncle Earl, the powerhouse all-female string-band, Abby’s adopted second homeland is China, and her music resounds with echoes of Appalachia and the tidal wave of emerging Chinese cultural influence. Together, Fleck and Washburn employ the relatively rare 3-finger and claw hammer banjo duet to create an explosion of musical white heat. Melbourne Recital Centre presents the opportunity for a rare up-close and personal discussion with banjoists Béla Fleck and Abigail Washburn, moderated by Melbourne’s own banjoist and singer/songwriter Sal Kimber. These artists will share insights into their creative processes, musings on their long careers – and treat us to a few songs along the way. This is a unique opportunity for an intimate audience to participate in the creative conversation and learn from these remarkable musicians.