Banjos and Spears

Tales From The Acoustic Planet; Bela Fleck

In the fall of 1994, on board the Star Odyssey, a faction of loyal listeners from WOR Radio in New York City, a CBS radio affiliate, descended upon our vessel for a cruise through the Panama Canal. They brought with them several radio personalities including Charles Osgood of “CBS Sunday Morning” and “The Osgood Files” fame.

After the evening’s entertainment in the Odyssey Show Lounge on the second day of the cruise, I felt a tap on my shoulder as I was putting my music away. I turned around to see a familiar, smiling man extending the hand of friendship. “Hello, Erik. My name is Charles Osgood and I love your band.” Why, thank you, Mr. Osgood. Of course, I know who you are. Welcome aboard. “Well, thank you. Listen, I brought my banjo along on the cruise. I hope that doesn’t scare you.” No, Mr. Osgood, I’ve dealt with banjo players before. Just keep me out of your “Deliverance” battle and we’ll be just fine. “I was hoping that you and I could lead a sing-along some time during the cruise. Does that scare you?” No, sir. Let’s do it.

I gave him the phone number to my stateroom so that he could contact me. The next day, Mr. Osgood appeared on the receiving end of my stateroom telephone. “Hello, Erik. This is Charlie Osgood. Let’s meet in the foyer outside the Odyssey Show Lounge at 1:30 this afternoon, shall we?” Sounds good. I’ll see you then.

We had an entertainer on board named Jim Coston who played the banjo. Mr. Osgood had corralled him as well. The three of us started with “Way Down Upon The Swanee River” and when we finished the song, ten people stood nearby, ready to sing along. Then we played “I’m Gonna Buy A Paper Doll” with twenty-five more people chiming in. After “Good Night, Irene”, we had fifty people. And after “I Want A Girl Just Like The Girl That Married Dear Old Dad”, more than one hundred and fifty cruisers had gathered, crammed really, around the piano. We played and sang for about ninety glorious minutes and polished off forty or fifty tunes … with our sing-alongers joining us every step of the way.

Bela Anton Leos Fleck was born in New York City. His parents named him after Hungarian composer Bela Bartok, and Czech composers Anton Dvorak and Leos Janacek. With a name like that, you really don’t stand a chance. Sooner or later you’re going to end up with an instrument in your hands.

Bela Fleck, as he is known, heard the theme to “The Beverly Hillbillies", as played by Earl Scruggs, and instantly began a love affair with the banjo, receiving one from his grandfather when Bela turned fifteen. Though proficient on many musical instruments, he grew increasingly skilled both technically and innovatively as a master banjo player.

Fortunately for us all, Mr. Fleck didn’t stay on the island of Banjo Music. He has island-hopped to many different styles and has brought his banjo with him. He likes classical, jazz, rock, country, blues, bluegrass and pop. In fact, in the history of the Grammy awards, no other musician has been nominated in more categories. He has secured his place as Mr. Crossover by virtue of his artful performances with Chick Corea, Joshua Bell, the Dave Matthews Band, Edgar Meyer, Bruce Hornsby, McCoy Tyner and the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, just to name a few.

About a year after I purchased this album I happened to see Charles Osgood tour a banjo factory with Bela Fleck on “CBS Sunday Morning”. In one fell swoop, this chance TV broadcast brought home to roost both my respect for the musicianship and ingenuity of Mr. Bela Fleck and the delightful afternoon I spent with Mr. Charles Osgood sharing the joy and warmth of a friendly sing-along with the hearts of a gracious and grateful “Shine On Harvest Moon” bunch. In a way, Mr. Fleck, Mr. Osgood and I came to a full circle.

Pastor M., this evening at EveningSong service, talked about Thomas, doubting Thomas, who missed the first post-resurrection appearance of Jesus with the disciples. “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe,” he said. “Put your finger here,” Jesus said to Thomas eight days later, “and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side.”

History tells us that Thomas took his ministry of Christ to India where he started several Christian churches. Thomas met his end, however, when one local citizen, who neither liked nor wanted the story of Christ brought to this part of the world, killed him with a spear. This brought to a full circle the placing of Thomas’ hand in the spot where the Lord received the wound of a spear, and then Thomas receiving a mortal blow, himself, with a spear.

Now isn’t this weird? My banjo and spear analogies usually end a little differently. Today’s analogy has a happier ending for the banjo player.

Credits: To the inventor of the banjo. If it weren’t for you, there’d be no Eddie Peabody, Roy Clark, Jim Coston, Peter Mezoian, Earl Scruggs and Bela Fleck. And Charles Osgood might have taken up the accordian. Yeeeach.