UFO Tofu
Studio album by
Released1992
Recorded1992, Javelina & Soundstage Studios
GenreJazz fusion
Length55:01
LabelWarner Bros.[1]
ProducerBéla Fleck, Roy Wooten, Howard Levy, Victor Wooten
Béla Fleck and the Flecktones chronology
Flight of the Cosmic Hippo
(1991)
UFO Tofu
(1992)
Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
(1993)

UFO Tofu is the third album by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, released in 1992.[2][3] The title is a palindrome, which is also a musical theme in the title track; the idea originated with the musician Baby Gramps.[4][5]

Production

The album was produced by Fleck, Roy Wooten, Howard Levy, and Victor Wooten.[6] "Bonnie & Slyde" is a tribute to Bonnie Raitt and her slide guitar mastery.[7] "Sex in a Pan" was inspired by a dessert offered at a restaurant in North Carolina.[8]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[9]
The Indianapolis Star[10]

The Indianapolis Star deemed the album "a savory blend of jazz, country and world beat—with a generous dollop of funk, just for fun."[10] The Morning Call stated that it "blends the Flecktones' high-tech electronics with Fleck's lyrical, often melodic playing."[11]

In his AllMusic review, music critic Thom Owens wrote of the album: "Though the Flecktones didn't change their formula with their third album, UFO Tofu, they did manage to craft one of their more consistent and impressive efforts... Occasionally, the material is lightweight, functioning only as vehicle for the group's solos. Then again, the whole point of Fleck's music is the solos, so that shouldn't upset his fans too much. Of course, it doesn't help him win new ones, either."[9]

Track listing

All songs by Béla Fleck unless otherwise noted.

  1. "The West County" – 4:30
  2. "Sex in a Pan" (Victor Wooten) – 3:33
  3. "Nemo's Dream" – 5:07
  4. "Bonnie & Slyde" – 4:18
  5. "Scuttlebutt" – 4:04
  6. "UFO Tofu" – 3:46
  7. "Magic Fingers" – 5:13
  8. "True North" – 4:54
  9. "Life without Elvis" – 5:06
  10. "Seresta" (Howard Levy, Manfredo Fest) – 3:39
  11. "The Yee-Haw Factor" – 6:57
  12. "After the Storm" – 3:52

Personnel

Chart positions

Year Chart Position
1992 Billboard Top Contemporary Jazz Albums[12] 5

References

  1. Cawley, Jimmy (12 Nov 1992). "UFO Tofu". Calendar. The Boston Globe. p. 8.
  2. Wallace, Debra L. (1 May 1992). "Hot Fun, Cool Jazz". Features Showtime. Sun-Sentinel. p. 4.
  3. Heim, Chris (14 Aug 1992). "Banjo wizard Bela Fleck...". Friday. Chicago Tribune. p. O.
  4. Considine, J.D. (7 Aug 1992). "Fleck brings the banjo back to jazz". Features. The Baltimore Sun. p. 5.
  5. Abbott, Jim (16 Oct 1992). "Bela Fleck". Calendar. Orlando Sentinel. p. 6.
  6. "UFO Tofu by Bela Fleck & The Flecktones". Billboard. 104 (36): 55. Sep 5, 1992.
  7. Landis, David (10 Aug 1992). "Bela's Slide". USA Today. p. 1D.
  8. Stewart, Zan (26 Aug 1992). "Flecktones Dip into Musical Melting Pot". Los Angeles Times. p. F1.
  9. 1 2 Owens, Thom. "UFO Tofu > Review". AllMusic. Retrieved August 3, 2011.
  10. 1 2 Warren, Jill (28 Sep 1992). "UFO/Tofu". The Indianapolis Star. p. D7.
  11. Fisher, Don (20 Nov 1992). "Banjo Benefit for AIDS Comes to Kutztown". The Morning Call. p. D1.
  12. "Top Contemporary Jazz Albums". Billboard. 104 (43): 43. Oct 24, 1992.
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