Bluesman Kirk Fleta breaks many genres down to their basics
by Patrick Corcoran
That howling you may hear at nighttime in the Smokies, that isn't a coyote or some other mountain critter—it's Kirk Fleta singing the blues.
The Smoky Mountain resident is a mainstay of Knoxville blues club Sassy Ann's, where he plays every Thursday night. Closer to home, Fleta also shows off his guitar licks regularly at several houses around Gatlinburg and Sevierville. With a demonstrable appreciation for older music, Fleta wails his way the classic rock and blues of legends like Neil Young and John Lee Hooker.
Although he ordinarily performs solo at Sassy Ann's, for the last four years Fleta has played most shows with the support of a full ensemble. The singer emphasizes his band's strong musical pedigree, an eclectic mix that includes a drummer from New York City and a guitarist from Wilmington, N.C.
The addition of five professional musicians affords Fleta a certain versatility. Kirk and his band bounce from acoustic blues to plugged-in funk with natural aplomb.
Nevertheless, Fleta adopted a no-frills approach for his 2002 debut release, the aptly titled Bare Bones. The absence of any accompaniment is as conspicuous as the dog sporting sunglasses on the album's cover (the artist's own Labrador, Brain). Backed only by an understated acoustic guitar, Fleta delivers 10 originals plus one hidden Hendrix cover. Fleta says, "I always wanted the first CD to be simple and acoustic." And indeed, it is a more contemporary, James Taylor-esque effort than it is a blues project.
Following Bare Bones' release, Fleta temporarily traded in his guitar to try his hand at acting, playing a "pretty big part" in the locally produced Bell Witch. The movie, due to be released this summer, is produced and directed by Shane Marr of Cinemarr Entertainment, who happens to be a kindergarten pal of Fleta's.
Is Fleta destined to be America's next crossover superstar? Is East Tennessee's own Kirk Fleta the next Eminem? That may be getting a bit carried away. Fleta has no plans to relocate to Tinseltown, and although he says the acting was fun, it is not going to replace his present profession. "My main focus will always remain my songwriting and my music," Fleta says.
For several years Fleta performed his music under the name of Kirk Heinsohn, but adopted "Fleta" to honor his mother Paloma, one of many close relatives with a musical background.
Paloma Fleta, who died when Kirk was 11, and her sister Elia were the backbone
of a Spanish pop group in the 1950s, Las Hermanas Fletas. A little further up the family tree is Kirk's grandfather Miguel, a renowned opera star in the 1920s and '30s who some critics argue was the finest tenor in history. Miguel's and Paloma's gifts have trickled down not only to Kirk but also to his siblings, three of whom are also musicians.
Older brother Richard Douglas, now a songwriter and abstract artist in New York City, first interested a grade-school Kirk in playing music with his renditions of "Stairway to Heaven." After learning to play guitar as a teenager, Fleta eventually made it to Knoxville, where, at the ripe old age of 17, he first performed publicly at the Cumberland Avenue venue, the Library.
Embracing the life of a roving troubadour, for 10 years Fleta opted for residence in a white Volkswagen bus. He has since relocated to his less mobile and more permanent home in the Smoky Mountains, though Fleta says a return to the Volks may lie in the future.
"It was a great time, just complete freedom," Fleta says. "Ever since I moved into the house I've been distracted."
In his span in the van, Fleta pushed as far north as Manhattan and as far South as Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Eventually, Fleta returned to the relative civilization of East Tennessee, and he has been a regular performer in clubs in Sevier County and in Knoxville ever since.
Fleta says he is targeting August as the release date for his next CD, which is yet unnamed. In contrast to his solo debut, the upcoming release will feature his entire band and include elements of jazz and funk. "It'll be a little more edgy," Fleta says.
May 1, 2003 * Vol. 13, No. 18
© 2003 Metro Pulse
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