Mozart
wrote his first symphony at the precocious age of eight, but Béla Fleck would
probably be most impressed by the fact he wrote it without the help of the
Sibelius composition program. Of course, Mozart did not pen much for a banjo
soloist, leaving the field open for Fleck. Fans will watch him wrestle long and
hard with a high profile symphonic commission in Sascha Paladino & his
banjo virtuoso brother’s Béla Fleck: How
to Write a Banjo Concerto (trailer here), which screens during this year’s DOC NYC.
Fleck
had previously co-written extended symphonic work with classical bassist Edgar
Meyer and tabla player Zukir Hussain, but “The Impostor” would be his first
solo composition. Basically, Fleck holes up during a few short sabbaticals,
grinding it out with the help of Sibelius. For the most part, he tries to tune
out the advice of Meyer, his classical “big brother” and his wife, clawhammer
player Abigail Washburn. Frankly, the doc makes the composition part look easy.
The hard part is going from Sibelius to a flesh and blood symphony orchestra.
It
is interesting to watch Fleck tinker with the concerto based on feedback during
rehearsals. We also see some of the informational interviews he conducted with
the Nashville Symphony’s section principals. It seems like he was looking to incorporate
the sort of things they like to play, which is probably a winning strategy to
keep the orchestra on his side.
Yes,
Fleck will feel the stress, with the premiere date fast approaching and the concerto
not exactly set in stone. However, there are plenty of backstage documentaries
that deliver far more emotional oomph (Every Little Step, for instance). Despite the presence of Fleck’s big name
friends who periodically pop in to offer moral support, including Steve Martin,
Marcus Roberts, the late Earl Scruggs (to whom the film is co-dedicated), and
Chick Corea (who never once mentions Scientology), it is hard to see Concerto as a proper theatrical documentary.
Rather, it has the vibe and heft of a free digital download bundled with his
Deutsch Grammophon album.
If
anyone in the film actually refers to the piece by its title, “The Impostor,”
it sure is easy to miss. Regardless, Fleck & Paladino never sketch out the rudimentary
narrative underpinning it. There just seems to be an assumption viewers are
already fairly up to speed on major Fleck projects. Throughout Concerto, he seems likable and remarkably
easy-going, all things considered, and only a fool would deny his dazzling
technique. Nevertheless, the neurotic thoughts we see scribbled across the
screen John Madden-style quickly become an annoying device.
