Jingle All The Way Tour: Bela Fleck & the Flecktones with Friends!
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones announced in July on their social media accounts that they would reunite and embark on the Jingle All The Way Tour during the winter of 2025 across selected cities in the United States. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones’ Jingle All The Way Tour commenced on November 26th in Nashville, TN, at the historic Ryman Auditorium, and concluded on December 20th in New Orleans, LA, at The Joy Theater. However, along the way, this tour made a pit stop the night before the last date in New Orleans at The Eastern in Atlanta, GA, on December 19th. And I was fortunate enough to cover this memorable holiday event for Concerthopper.com. Many thanks to Bela Fleck & the Flecktones and their entire staff for the wonderful hospitality last Friday at The Eastern.
Joining Bela Fleck & the Flecktones as special guests on the Jingle All The Way Tour are former bandmate Jeff Coffin and the Alash Ensemble. Jingle All The Way was Bela Fleck & the Flecktones’ thirteenth (13) studio album, which was released in 2008, and was the last album that Jeff Coffin contributed to before leaving to join the Dave Matthews Band. Jingle All The Way also features the Alash Ensemble, so it is only fitting that both join Bela Fleck & the Flecktones on this nice holiday run before Christmas. Before we get into this night, let’s talk about this tour’s special guests: Alash Ensemble and Jeff Coffin.
Alash Ensemble is from the territory of Tuva in the Tyva Republic, located in the far south of Siberia. The group’s name is a direct reference to the Alash River, which is in the northwestern region of Tuva. Alash Ensemble has released one (1) live album, four (4) LPs, and they were a part of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones’ Grammy award-winning album, Jingle All The Way. Alash Ensemble is regarded as the master of Tuvan throat singing. Alash Ensemble consists of Bady-Dorzhu Ondar (vocals/igil/doshpuluur/guitar/bayan), Ayan-ool Sam (vocals/guitar/doshpuluur/igil/xomus), and Ayan Shirizhik (vocals/kengirge/shyngyrash/shoor/murgu/xomus).
But I would be remiss if I did not pay tribute to Kang-Khuler Saaia. Saaia joined Alash Ensemble in February 2025. His skillful mastery of the byzaanchy and chadagan, combined with his astonishing vocal abilities, helped elevate Alash Ensemble during Saaia's brief tenure with the crew. Saaia would tragically lose his life in July 2025, just a few short months after joining Alash Ensemble. Rest in peace, Kang-Khuler Saaia.
Jeff Coffin is a saxophonist/composer/educator who was born in Massachusetts, but Coffin was raised in the neighboring New England state of Maine. Coffin is a three-time Grammy award winner as a member of Bela Fleck & the Flecktones (1997-2010). Coffin would later join the Dave Matthews band in 2009, replacing LeRoi Moore following his untimely death in 2008. Coffin has also worked with bands/artists such as Umphrey’s McGee, Jon Foreman, Amos Lee, David Crosby, JD Souther, Snarky Puppy, Justin Townes Earle, and Cage the Elephant, to name a select few.
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones are a jazz fusion/progressive bluegrass/jam band from Nashville, TN that has been active from 1988-2012, 2016-present. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones were famously formed in 1988 after an impromptu performance on the PBS program Lonesome Pine Special. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones consist of Bela Fleck (banjo/guitar/synthesizers), Victor Wooten (bass/double bass/cello), Howard Levy (harmonica/piano/keyboards/synthesizers/jaw harp), and Roy “Future Man” Wooten (drumitar/drums/percussion/electronic drums). Bela Fleck & the Flecktones have released ten (10) LPs, two (2) live albums, and one (1) compilation album. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones have been nominated for thirteen (13) Grammy awards between 1990-2012 and won six (6) of those Grammy award nominations. As mentioned previously, one of the Grammy awards was for their holiday album Jingle All the Way in 2009 for Best Pop Instrumental Album.
Growing up, I was always fascinated by those who shared my birthday on July 10th. Some notable July 10th birthdays include Nikola Tesla, Mavis Staples, Arthur Ashe, Arlo Guthrie, Ronnie James Dio, Bela Fleck, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Because Bela Fleck made this sacred list, I was always curious about this jazz fusion/bluegrass banjo player and his creative music (both solo and with the Flecktones). My first introduction to Bela Fleck & the Flecktones’ innovative music would be the unforgettable albums UFO Tofu (1992) and Three Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1993). It has been some years since I have seen Bela Fleck & the Flecktones perform, so I was beyond thrilled about this tour coming to town during the holidays.
For the Jingle All The Way Tour, it was announced in late November that bluegrass legend Sierra Hull would replace Howard Levy due to an undisclosed health issue during select dates. First off, we want to wish Howard Levy a speedy recovery! Unfortunately for the folks in Atlanta, Sierra Hull’s last day on the Jingle All The Way was a few days prior, on December 14th in North Bethesda, MD.
Bela Fleck & the Flecktones with Jeff Coffin graced the stage at the Eastern to the roar of an exuberant crowd, who were beyond excited to watch these incredible musicians perform some holiday magic. Bela Fleck & the Flecktones started this enchanted evening with a trip down memory lane with the song “Next,” which is off their tenth (10) studio album, Little Worlds (2003). Next up during the first set, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones with Jeff Coffin proceeded to perform some holiday classics off Jingle All the Way, which included some of my favorites: “Christmas Time is Here,” “Linus and Lucy,” and “Jingle Bells” performed by Bela Fleck and Ayan-ool Sam from Alash Ensemble. And let’s not forget the Victor Wooten solo that included a medley of Christmas songs: “Carol of the Bells,” “Danse of the Sugar Plum Fairy,” and “The Christmas Song.” What a mind-blowing solo performance by Victor. But my favorite song from the first set was Bela Fleck & the Flecktones’ cover of the Christmas classic, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” with Alash Ensemble, who helped bring this holiday song to life.
Continuing with opening their set with a track from Little Worlds, Bela Fleck & the Flecktones started their second set with another brilliant song from that album, “Sleeper.” After doing a little research on this tour, I knew that the second set would highlight Alash Ensemble with some of their recordings like “Oitulaash Xeveri” and “Bashtak” off their studio album Alash (2007). This block of three songs performed by Alash Ensemble was one of my favorite moments of the night during the second set of the Jingle All The Way Tour. As I was walking around the venue during the second set, I could see many smiling, happy faces as they witnessed one of the best tours of 2025.
We were even treated to a Bela Fleck solo medley of classic tunes that aptly included “The First Noel” and “Joy To The World.” Bela Fleck & the Flecktones ended the evening with a brilliant encore that brought Alash Ensemble back out on stage to assist with a mesmerizing cover of “Ah Sho Dekio” and “Shanti.” This performance by Bela Fleck & the Flecktones with Jeff Coffin and Alash Ensemble was definitely one for the record books. Currently, there are no announced tour dates listed for Bela Fleck & the Flecktones in 2026, but don’t fret because that could change as soon as the new year comes. Fingers crossed!
You can see Bela Fleck & the Flecktones’ entire setlist from their holiday performance at The Eastern below:
Set 1
· “Next”
· “Silent Night” (John Freeman Young cover)
· “Sleigh Ride” (Leroy Anderson & His Pops Orchestra cover)
· “Christmas Time Is Here” (Vince Guaraldi Trio cover without Jeff Coffin)
· “Linus and Lucy” (Vince Guaraldi Trio cover without Jeff Coffin)
· “Carol of the Bells/Danse of the Sugar Plum Fairy/The Christmas Song” (Victor Wooten solo)
· “Scratch & Sniff”
· “The Twelve Days of Christmas” (Traditional cover with Alash Ensemble)
· “Jingle Bells” (James Lord Pierpont cover) (Bela Fleck & Ayan-ool Sam duet)
Set 2
· “Sleeper”
· “O Come, All Ye Faithful” (John Francis Wade cover)
· “Christmas Medley/We Wish You a Merry Christmas/Little Drummer Boy/My Favorite Things.”
· “Oitulaash Xeveri” (Alash Ensemble only)
· “Ediski deg Bootstaamny” (Alash Ensemble only)
· “Bashtak” (Alash Ensemble only)
· “The First Noel/Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring/Joy to the World” (Bela Fleck solo)
· “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (Hugo Martin cover with Future Man on vocals)
· “What Child Is This/Dyngyldai” (with Alash Ensemble)
Encore
· “Ah Sho Dekio” (Traditional cover with Alash Ensemble)
· “Shanti” (with Alash Ensemble)
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