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• 6/8:30 P.M. MARCH 29, CHARLES H. MORRIS CENTER (WITH MARCUS ROBERTS)
• 8 P.M. MARCH 30, LUCAS THEATRE (WITH ZAKIR HUSSAIN AND EDGAR MEYER)
Bela Fleck is perhaps the world’s preeminent banjo player, with 11 Grammy wins and a reputation for genre-bending that has led him to pluck alongside a sitar player, an African thumb pianist and a traditional bluegrass band. The Marcus Roberts Trio, led by Roberts on piano, is known as a respectful torch-holder of the classic jazz tradition. But the two performers have found common ground and will share the stage at this year’s Festival — where their friendship began, and where they’ll stage their one and only live collaboration.
Q. How did you meet Marcus?
A. At Savannah a couple of years ago, when he and I were both playing the festival, there was a party after the show. We had an open jam session, and I loved it. He’s a very high-class artist. He’s very intellectual, but there’s a lot of heart there and a lot of ancient tones that come out of his hands and his piano, something so classic, but so special and deep. Getting to meet him and finding out he was aware of me and open to what I do was a nice surprise.
Q. It surprised you that another musician would want to play with Bela Fleck?
A. When I first heard Marcus, he was with the Wynton Marsalis Septet, and there was an ideology to that band. Wynton was saying a lot of things that were not taken as inclusive by people who did not follow the traditions of jazz. Marcus was part of that scene. He’s not 100 percent wide open, but I think that’s part of what makes him great — he’s choosing carefully what he interacts with, and I respect that.
Q. How did that night evolve into appearing together in Savannah this year?
A. We met at the airport the next day. I asked if he’d like to play together sometime, and he said, “Anytime.” I thought, OK, one of these days. But it takes a lot of work to put together a night of music, and usually you do it because you’re going to make a record; it’s not easy for something you might never play again. After we came up with this idea of playing where we first met, I got together with Marcus and the guys, and our worries melted away.
Q. How would you describe the vibe between you and the trio?
When we got together, we worked in a small room — there was barely enough room for all of us — and it forced us to really listen to each other. We’re not trying to act like a band that’s been together for 20 years. But if we can carry that kind of listening into the concert, it will be a beautiful thing.
Q. This will be your fourth Savannah Music Festival. What keeps you coming back?
A. When you see over and over that a festival is associating itself with the kind of people that you like to be associated with, you want to keep coming back. This festival is very inclusive. The only way I’m going to continue to be associated with something like this is if I continue to grow and change. And I always go to other shows when there . I want fresh ideas. You never know who you might meet.
WHERE TO BEGIN
Bela Fleck was first nominated for a Grammy for Best Jazz Album in 1990, with the release of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. His most recent Grammy was for his 2010 release, Throw Down Your Heart, recorded after he spent time traveling in Africa to research the banjo’s roots. Marcus Roberts was nominated for a Grammy in 1996 for his recording of the Gershwin classic “Rhapsody in Blue.”
