BELA FLECK: BACH WITH A BANJO

This guy is simply incredible: Bela Fleck, a banjo virtuoso, is probably best-known for his genre-spanning folk fusion that freely mixes his incredible playing in an unusual acoustic/electronic ensemble.

But here, as a solo piece, Fleck demonstrates another side of his talent by exploring the genius of J.S. Bach, taking a portion of the E major Partita for solo violin (which Bach later retranscribed as a suite for the lute). The significance of these works, and (among others) the Cello Suites is the way that Bach imposes a contrapuntal texture with multiple voices on the soloist through imitative arpeggiation.

Hearing these things played with contemporary instruments is a revelation. What, the banjo isn't contemporary enuf for ya? Snobbery!