Béla Fleck & the Flecktones Belleayre Show Will Be A Benefit Show For Victims of Flood

Highmount, NY - The Belleayre Music Festival is turning its final show of the season into a benefit for victims of Sunday's record-breaking flood. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones - Original Lineup, will play at Belleayre on Saturday, Sept. 3 at 8 p.m. The board of directors of the Belleayre Conservatory, which operates the festival, has decided that net proceeds from season's final show will be donated to assist the flood-relief effort. Chairman of the Board Joe Kelly said that making the concert into a benefit for flood victims was a

Music Festival natural decision for the conservatory. "Our mission is to benefit the Catskill Region. At this moment, there's no better way for us to help fellow community members than by contributing what we can in the wake of this tragedy," Mr. Kelly stated. He said that tickets will be sold as for a normal concert and that additional donations to help defray expenses and thereby increase the size of the donation will gladly be accepted. He went on to say that "several generous donations from board members and others have already been received." "We realize that most people don't have concerts on their mind, at this moment," Mr. Kelly explained. "At the same time, we hope that a week after this enormous devastation, people will be ready for some much-needed relief from the stress of this week's historic disaster. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones produce some of the most stimulating music around and we want people to have their spirits lifted as they help those who have lost so much in the flood." Béla Fleck is arguably often the world's premier banjo player, but his extraordinary musical talents transcend any simple description. As a result, Béla has been nominated in more different Grammy categories than anyone in history (27 nominations and 11 wins). For their first major concert tour in eight years, Bela will be joined by the Flecktones' original lineup of Howard Levy, Victor Wooten and Future Man. When Béla takes the stage with the "Tones," audiences are treated to a sonic adventure that melds superb technical skills, improvisation and the love playing into an unforgettable concert experience. Bela and the Flecktones have garnered a strong and faithful following among jazz and new acoustic fans and they have shared the stage with icons such as the Dave Mathews Band, Sting, Bonnie Raitt and the Grateful Dead.