Seattle Symphony today announces the 2007–2008 Popular Culture series, presenting some of the most talented and accomplished artists of our time. On Wednesday, February 27, at 7:30 p.m., Grammy Award-winning Béla Fleck and The Flecktones will perform with Seattle Symphony, bringing their electrifying, bluegrass-driven sound to Benaroya Hall for the first time.
Titans of Tex-Mex rock Los Lobos will present an exciting solo performance on Wednesday, April 30, at 7:30 p.m. Lastly, music legend and pioneer Herbie Hancock will bring his signature jazz, funk and be-bop–driven piano playing to the hall on Wednesday, June 18, at 7:30 p.m.
Seattle Symphony Executive Director Tom Philion commented, “The artists participating this year represent a shift, a fresh direction, encompassing a wide range of musical styles.” he explained. “It’s part of a new plan to broaden and continue to build new audiences through innovative programming under the Symphony’s auspices.”
Béla Fleck and The Flecktones
Hailed by critics as groundbreaking, Béla Fleck and The Flecktones bridge the worlds of jazz and bluegrass while stirring in classical, pop and R&B/soul elements Their latest album, The Hidden Land released in 2006, showcases the expansive musical talent of the four Flecktones – band leader Béla Fleck, who has been nominated for awards in more different categories than any artist in Grammy history; brothers Victor Wooten (bass) and Future Man (synth-axe drumitar and acoustic drums), who have been playing with Béla for 18 years; and sax/flute/horn/percussionist Jeff Coffin. The Hidden Land was voted Best Contemporary Jazz Album of the Year at the 2007 Grammy Awards – proof that the Flecktones are as popular as ever.
Los Lobos
According to Rolling Stone, “With the exception of U2, no other band has stayed on top of its game as long as Los Lobos,” who will bring their own special blend of R&B, blues, Tex-Mex, country, pop and folk. Using musical molds built on the blues, rockabilly, jazz, Latin and their own Mexican-American heritage, Los Lobos challenge their audiences with thought-provoking lyrics wrapped in stimulating melodies. Critics call their 13th album, The Town and The City (2006) “the band’s most thematically ambitious and sonically audacious in more than a decade.”
Herbie Hancock
As a 2007 Grammy nominee for Album of the Year, 67-year-old Herbie Hancock made waves once again with his latest venture, a pensive tribute to Joni Mitchell entitled River: The Joni Letters (2007). At the age of 23, Hancock was sought out by Miles Davis to join his second great quintet and later enjoyed a prosperous solo career bringing his signature jazz, funk and be-bop–driven piano playing to audiences around the world. Hancock has made a name of his own in jazz circles and beyond as both a legend and a musical pioneer. -- www.seattlesymphony.org
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