Drive
Drive places Béla Fleck within a strong acoustic ensemble. His banjo sits among mandolin, dobro, guitar, bass and fiddles. The music connects traditional bluegrass with carefully written, sometimes more intricate compositions. The line-up has enough experience to hold those different parts together clearly. Its interplay makes the record immediately appealing.
The names explain some of that strength. Sam Bush plays mandolin, Jerry Douglas dobro and Tony Rice guitar. Mark Schatz supplies bass, while Stuart Duncan and Mark O'Connor provide the fiddle parts. Fleck consequently need not carry the music alone. A group surrounds him that can present the compositions with conviction.
The best thing about Drive is how naturally those elements meet. The players have a clear connection to tradition, but the music feels lively and communal too. Technical control remains connected to enjoyment in the performance. Arrangements give the musicians something to shape together rather than merely providing room for separate achievements.
Whitewater, Natchez Trace and Sanctuary offer good ways into the record. They demonstrate why the combination of Fleck's compositions and this ensemble deserves attention. Both the written material and its delivery remain important, making the album rewarding beyond an appreciation of the banjo alone.
Not every idea is equally distinctive, however. The familiar sound can offer few surprises and the group does not reveal new sides everywhere. Fiddle parts give the music additional colour without entirely removing that limitation.
Drive remains a solid and frequently enjoyable album. Strong musicians and well-developed compositions make it worthwhile even when the record is less adventurous than its line-up might lead you to expect. Its clearest achievement is bringing those players together around a shared acoustic language.
