''Crossing the Tracks'' is the first album by the American
banjo
The banjo is a stringed instrument with a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity to form a resonator. The membrane is typically circular, and usually made of plastic, or occasionally animal skin. Early forms of the instrument were fashi ...
ist
Béla Fleck, released in 1979.
Reception
Steve Leggett of
AllMusic wrote: "Excellent mix between bluegrass and jazz, original songs and traditional pieces, all done with a bright and joyful élan, this album is a perfect springboard to his coming solo efforts."
''Acoustic Musics Jim Zimmerschied called the album "a colossal collection of 5 string banjo tunes by one of the best players around," and stated: "Béla can play just about anything on the banjo... The assisting musicians are all giants in the bluegrass/acoustic music area... the whole album is enjoyable."
Writing for ''
Country Standard Time'', Rick Bell commented: "On the jacket of his 1979 solo debut... a 20-year-old Bela Fleck is laughing as if there's an inside joke no one else gets. Fleck... knew the punchline. With the release of this record some 26 years ago, Fleck's immense talent quickly became an inside joke no more."
Track listing
# "Dear Old Dixie" (
Lester Flatt
Lester Raymond Flatt (June 19, 1914 – May 11, 1979) was an American bluegrass guitarist and mandolinist, best known for his collaboration with banjo picker Earl Scruggs in the duo Flatt and Scruggs.
Flatt's career spanned multiple decades, ...
,
Earl Scruggs
Earl Eugene Scruggs (January 6, 1924 – March 28, 2012) was an American musician noted for popularizing a three-finger banjo picking style, now called "Scruggs style", which is a defining characteristic of bluegrass music. His three-fin ...
) – 2:39
# "Inman Square" (Fleck) – 4:00
# "Texas Barbeque" (Fleck) – 3:59
# "Growling Old Man and the Grumbling Old Woman" (Traditional; arranged by Fleck) – 1:41
# "Spain" (
Joaquín Rodrigo,
Chick Corea
Armando Anthony "Chick" Corea (June 12, 1941 – February 9, 2021) was an American jazz composer, pianist, keyboardist, bandleader, and occasional percussionist. His compositions "Spain", " 500 Miles High", "La Fiesta", "Armando's Rhumba", and ...
) – 7:12
# "Crossing The Tracks" (Fleck) – 3:38
# "Spring Thaw" (Fleck) – 2:27
# "How Can You Face Me Now" (
Andy Razaf
Andy Razaf (born Andriamanantena Paul Razafinkarefo; December 16, 1895 – February 3, 1973) was an American poet, composer and lyricist of such well-known songs as " Ain't Misbehavin'" and " Honeysuckle Rose".
Biography
Razaf was born in Washi ...
,
Fats Waller
Thomas Wright "Fats" Waller (May 21, 1904 – December 15, 1943) was an American jazz pianist, organist, composer, violinist, singer, and comedic entertainer. His innovations in the Harlem stride style laid much of the basis for modern jazz pi ...
) – 4:54
# "Twilight" (Fleck) – 2:01
# "Frosty Morning" (Traditional) – 2:58
# "I Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow" (Traditional) – 2:26
Personnel
* Béla Fleck – banjo
* Bob Applebaum – mandolin
*
Russ Barenberg – guitar
*
Sam Bush – fiddle
*
Mark Schatz
Mark Schatz (born April 23, 1955) is an American bassist, banjoist, mandolinist, guitarist, clogger, and hambone performer who has recorded on albums for and toured with artists including Bela Fleck, Nickel Creek, Jerry Douglas, Maura O'Con ...
– double bass
with:
*
Jerry Douglas – dobro on "Dear Old Dixie" and "Spain"
* Pat Enright – vocals on "How Can You Face Me Now" and "Ain't Gonna Work Tomorrow"
*
Randy Sabien - fiddle on "Twilight"
References
{{Authority control
1979 debut albums
Béla Fleck albums
Rounder Records albums