Even the biggest Grinch would have been swept into the holiday spirit Sunday night at the Music Center at Strathmore. With the band reissuing a remastered version of their 2008 Christmas Album Jingle All the Way this holiday season, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones have been on the road since late November when they started their Jingle All the Way Tour in Nashville at the Ryman Auditorium.
At Strathmore on Dec. 14, the band played a handful of their typical jam-filled jazz fusion instrumental pieces that fans have come to love, with holiday tunes dominating most of the setlist. The “core three” current Flecktones members of Béla Fleck, Victor Wooten, and Roy Wooten (Futureman) played on just about every sone that was played. With Béla being one of the most technical banjo players on the planet, Futureman playing his signature SynthAxeDrumitar (Google it, trust me!) and Victor Wooten who constantly ranks as one of the best bass players of all time — the audience knew coming in it was going to be a great show.
Jeff Coffin (saxophone), who was previously a full-time member of the Flecktones until he joined Dave Matthews Band in 2008 after LeRoi Moore’s untimely passing, also joined the band on stage. Howard Levy, who plays the keyboard and the harmonica, was supposed to join his bandmates but unfortunately could not due to last-minute health issues right before the start of the tour.
Alongside this all-star supergroup was mandolin virtuoso Sierra Hull, as well as Alash — a trio of throat singers from the the Republic of Tuva, part of the Russian federation. If that last part sounds out of place to you, you aren’t alone. The audience might have been confused when Bady-Dorzhu Ondar, Ayan-ool Sam, and Ayan Shirizhik came onstage right at the end of the first set — but they were immediately amazed when the three men manipulated the overtones heard in their throat singing to play the “Jingle Bells” melody. The Flecktones and Sierra Hull jumped in after a few minutes to round out the first set with an entrancing rendition of the Christmas classic — combining cultures, voices, and instruments not commonly found sharing the stage.
Watch the Alash Ensemble and Béla Fleck and the Flecktones perform “Jingle Bells” in Chicago on YouTube:
The first set was relatively straightforward, starting with “Next” from their 2003 “Little Worlds” album. All the other songs in the set were holiday themed (minus “Scratch & Sniff in the seven slot) with Sierra and Alash coming on and off the stage for a few songs each, and each Flecktone getting plenty of chances to solo over various Christmas pieces.
After a break, the second set started with “Sleeper” off that same 2003 album, and then the rest of the full band songs were holiday-themed as well. Alash returned to perform two of their own pieces in the 13/14 spots and got a well-deserved standing ovation while leaving the stage.
The last songs of the show, including the encore, had just about everyone on stage. “Stomping Grounds” — a Flecktones classic — closed out the main set, although the bands were quickly back on stage for a traditional cover of “Ah Sho Dekio” and a “Shanti” show closer.
Even folks who have been seeing the Flecktones for years were treated to something new. Sierra Hull is an extremely talented artist who is touring the West Coast extensively at the start of next year but is coming back to Maryland for DelFest in the Western part of the state late next May. Alash seems to tour the USA for a couple dates each year — but if you can’t catch them in person, they are definitely worth investigating online. The Flecktones were on fire as they have been for years, and were certainly worth the price of admission and more — especially in such a beautiful venue as the Strathmore.
Setlist:
Set 1:
1. Next
2. Silent Night (John Freeman Young cover) (with Sierra Hull) Language Adaptation of Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht
3. Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson & His Pops Orchestra cover)
4. Christmas Time Is Here (Vince Guaraldi Trio cover)
5. Linus and Lucy (Vince Guaraldi Trio cover) (Core Trio)
6. Carol of the Bells / Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy / The Christmas Song (Victor Wooten solo)
7. Scratch & Sniff
8. The Twelve Days of Christmas ([traditional] cover) (with Sierra Hull)
9. Jingle Bells (James Lord Pierpont cover) (with Alash Ensemble)
Set 2:
10. Sleeper
11. O Come, All Ye Faithful (John Francis Wade cover) (with Sierra Hull)
12. Christmas Medley / We Wish You a Merry Christmas / Little Drummer Boy / My Favorite Things (with Sierra Hull)
13. (Unknown) (Alash Ensemble only)
14. (Unknown) (Alash Ensemble only)
15. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Hugh Martin cover) (Future Man sings)
16. The First Noel / Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring / Joy to the World (Bela Fleck solo)
17. What Child Is This / Dyngyldai (with Alash Ensemble) (with Sierra Hull)
18. Stomping Grounds / Wipe Out / I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas (with Sierra Hull) (Sierra Hull sings)
Encore:
19. Ah Sho Dekio ([traditional] cover) (with Alash Ensemble) (with Sierra Hull)
20. Shanti (with Alash Ensemble) (with Sierra Hull)
Here are some photos of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones — and friends — performing live at Strathmore Music Center on Dec. 14, 2025. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Luke Waldner.
