By the release of 1998's Left of Cool, Béla Fleck & the Flecktones' once startling blend of fusion, jazz, and bluegrass had lost its ability to surprise. That didn't necessarily mean that they had run out of ideas, but it does mean that Left of Cool simply isn't as captivating as earlier efforts by Fleck. For most fans, the pleasure will be finding the little details within the solos, and there's no denying that the group which now boasted.