Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn Release ‘Banjo Banjo EP’ & Tour Dates

After coming together to finally make a baby, husband and wife, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn, decided that perhaps it was time to team up for an album, so their little family could tour together for a while. Their new EP, Banjo Banjo, was reportedly produced to keep the happy couple from having to tour separately with either the Flecktones or, in Washburns case, solo. While it's hardly the same as paid family leave, the 23-date tour behind the new EP will keep the Béla, Abigail and their baby boy Juno happily together through June.

While their musical partnership would seem like a natural one, Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn seem to have made a habit of performing one-on-one together as little as possible, until the birth of their son Juno caused all that to change.

Although their bluegrass sensibilities play perfectly off one another, Washburn told The Bulletin that the decision to make their new 6-track Banjo Banjo EP stemmed from her becoming a mother -- not a musician:

"I think both of us didn't know what to expect when we started playing as a duo.

"We hoped that it would work because we want to stay together and be with our little boy, Juno, who's been growing up on the road traveling with us as a touring duo -- we like to call ourselves a trio.

"And so we were hoping that it would feel good, and it has."

Dates for Béla Fleck & Abigail Washburn's Banjo Banjo Tour are as Follows:

Feb 8 - Boise, ID. Egyptian Theatre

Feb 9 - Portland, OR. Portland Center for the Performing Arts

Feb 10 - Eugene, OR. Shedd Institute for the Arts

Feb 11 - Bend, OR. Tower Theatre

Feb 13 - Seattle, WA. Meany Hall for the Performing Arts

Feb 18 - Hutchinson, KS. Hutchinson's Historic Fox Theatre

Feb 19 - Fayetteville, AR . Walton Arts Center

Feb 20 - Knoxville, TN. The Bijou Theatre

Feb 27 - Buffalo, NY. Buffalo State PAC

Feb 29 - Orono, ME. Collins Center for the Arts