Bela Fleck + The Marcus Roberts Trio

Thursday, November 8, 2012 | 8:00 pm

Carolina Theatre of Durham

Béla Fleck is an incendiary banjo picker who roves through global idioms and collaborators — Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer, Toumani Diabaté — with effortless aplomb. Pianist Marcus Roberts, dubbed a genius by Wynton Marsalis, highlights stride fundamentals with boundless insight and swing, abetted by drummer Jason Marsalis and bassist Rodney Jordan. Fleck’s debut collaboration with Roberts and his trio delighted critics and fans at the highly regarded Savannah Music Festival. At the Carolina Theatre, this sublime combo continues to test the improvisatory edge between bluegrass and jazz, as only musicians who are deeply invested in those traditions can.

“For more than 30 years . . . Fleck has been pushing the boundaries of his instrument.” —NY Times

Bela Fleck + The Marcus Roberts Trio is a co-presentation of Duke Performances and the Carolina Theatre of Durham.