Bela Fleck Outlines 2010 Plans

Source: Jambands.com

Bela Fleck has confirmed a series of winter dates with his Africa Project. The banjo player explains:

This time I am bringing over a 7 piece Malian band that features the Malian banjo – called the N’goni. Bassekou Kouate leads N’goni Ba, which includes 4 n’gonis two percussionists and the great vocalist Ami Sacko.
I am proud to report that I am also bringing back Anania Ngoliga and John Kitime, from Tanzania.

I must say, Bassekou and Anania are the two musicians I felt the most akin to while on my trip to Africa. They are both incredible improvisers and very open eared musicians and we have so much fun playingI look forward to seeing what we can all do together!

The tour will coincide with the release of Throw Down Your Heart: The Africa Sessions Part 2, Unreleased Tracks. The album, which will feature additional material from the Throw Down Your Heart project, will be available beginning February 2.

Fleck has also outlined the rest of his year. In April, Fleck will travel to Australia with Oumou Sangare, and this summer he will tour with Edgar Meyer with Zakir Hussain. Fleck also plans to regroup with the Flekctones for some recording sessions in the fall and a tour in December. In addition, he plans to on a banjo concerto and possibly a movie score.

Fleck’s dates with the Africa Project include:

February 2 Durango, CO— Fort Lewis College
February 3 Santa Fe, NM—Lensic Performing Arts Center
February 4 Fort Collins, CO — Aggie Theater
February 5 Aspen, CO — Wheeler Opera House
February 6 Grand Junction, CO — Avalon Theater
February 8 Boulder, CO — Boulder Theater
February 10 Dallas, TX — Granada Theater
February 11 Oxford, MS —Lyric Theater
February 12 Murray, KY —Murray State University
February 13 Lawrence, KS — Liberty Hall
February 14 Urbana, IL —TBA
February 16 Oberlin, OH —Oberlin’s Finney Chapel
February 17 Ann Arbor, MI — University of Michigan
February 18 Athens, OH —Ohio University
February 19 Indianapolis, IN —Butler University
February 20 Omaha, NE —Holland Performing Arts Center
February 21 Chicago, IL —Old Town School
February 22 Hamilton, OH — Miami University
February 24 Wilmington, DE —Grand Opera House
February 25 Storrs, CT —University of Connecticut
February 26 Waterville, ME — Opera House
February 27 Lewisburg, PA —Bucknell University
March 1 Ottawa, Ontario, Canada —Ottawa Jazz Festival
March 2 Brunswick, ME —Bowdoin College
March 3 State College, PA — Penn State University
March 4 Roanoke, VA —Jefferson Center
March 5 Frederick, MD —Weinberg Center
March 6 Atlanta, GA —Georgia State University
March 8 Orlando, FL — Plaza Theater
March 9 Fort Pierce, FL — Sunrise Theater
March 10 Jacksonville, FL —Florida Theater
March 11 Tuscaloosa, AL —BAMA Theater