FLIGHT OF THE COSMIC HIPPO

Since no one else here seems to be aware of this band's presence on the site yet, I suppose I should start reviewing other releases by Mr. Fleck to continue raising the awareness.

Last time I reviewed what is thus far the most enjoyable Flecktones record I have ever heard, ''Outbound'', and if you haven't heard it yet, I suggest you go searching for it right away, as it is a true Jazz-Rock gem! This time, however, I am going to review the band's second studio release (Which happens to be the first album of theirs I ever layed ear on), ''Flight of the Cosmic Hippo''.

For starters, I should explain how I came across this band and ultimately, this album. Once upon a time, there was a troubled teen who was home-schooled his whole life untuil High-School, at which point he decided to drop out and take his GED as an alternate way of getting through his education. That kid happened tp have the same last name as Bela Fleck, so he was always asked by people around him if he was either related to, or at least knew about him. I did in fact not know who Bela Fleck was, but all of the questioning eventually led me to look him up and find out what he was all about.

Thanks to misinformation, I was led to believe that Bela Fleck was an old codger who played Bluegrass music out in the sticks. I had no idea how brilliant he truly was until one of my teachers at my GED study hall lent me a CD of her son's. That CD was ''Flight of the Cosmic Hippo''. My initial reaction was in fact not immediate praise and admiration; it took time for me to 'get' the music. Of course now I'm a huge Bela fan, and never intend to look back.

As I've said before, Howard Levy-era Flecktones isn't by any means my favorite incarnation, but his piano stylings are nice for what they are. He's not the virtuoso that the other band members are, but maybe he doesn't have to be; after all, his subtle (if not sometimes redundant) harmonica and keyboard add a nice Jazzy flavor to the otherwise straightforward pallet of sound painting present in early Flecktones music.

The band had yet to find themselves, it seems, and as a result, the compositions here very often feel unsure of themselves, remaining just a notch below the greatness they could have been. It's no doubt these guys were always talented and skilled, but their full potential would not be realized (in my opinion, anyway) until Jeff Coffin would replace Levy with his amazing Saxophone sounscapes.

What we here on 'Flight' is a slow-paced, sometimes repetetive but overall enjoyable ride that is much more experimental Bluegrass than Jazz-Rock/Fusion (the latter genre would become much more prominant in later years for the quartet). The most enjoyable tracks for me were ''Blu-Pop'', ''The Star Spangled Banner'', the very cleverly-named ''Jekyll and Hyde (and Ted and Alice)'' and ''Michelle''. But even with those solid tracks present on the record, nothing particularly jumped out at me or made me want to listen to it again and again (Something Coffin-era Flecktones does for me all the time).

I guess what I'm trying to say is . . . this album is good; certainly better than most of the pop crap out there at the time of the album's debut, but it isn't really for people of my taste. It has already begun to grow on me, and I have no doubt that I will warm up to the material sooner or later, but because it never spoke to me directly, I can;t give it any more than an average score, or else I would be lying to myself.

So ''Flight of the Csomic Hippo'' for me is worth listening to, but nowhere near the calibur later Flecktones albums would become.

3.5 out of 5 Stars. Semi-Happy listening.

Unique Banjo Jazz Fusion, Good but Uneven

I am a big fan of Bela Fleck, and I consider him to be one of the musical geniuses of his generation. He has taken his instrument places it has never been taken and his technique is matched only by his effortless understanding of any kind of music he encounters. His soft manner remains whether he's ripping bluegrass, negotiating strange jazz progressions, or re-interpreting complex classical pieces. His most famous work is with the Flecktones, a modern jazz fusion combo with brothers Victor Wooten (a monster talent on the bass) and Roy Wooten (who plays a MIDI percussion trigger instrument called the Drumitar). Additional players have phased in and out, and on this early album, Howard Levy provides various keys and harmonica sounds.

The Flecktones' second album, Flight of the Cosmic Hippo, is a strange bird. While the overall sound is consistent with soft jazz of the time, the complexity of some of the pieces is astounding. The first two songs, "Blu-bop" and "Flying Saucer Dudes" contain complex time signatures, shifting timbral feels, ultra fast riffs, and the unique sound that comes of adding slap-funk bass with a processed banjo. The dated production is a little distracting, with huge late 80's reverbs, high pitched bass, and most annoyingly, the triggered drum samples. While the band grooves deftly, but there's a transistor-y feel to the sound that is more an indictment on the era than the musicians.

Alongside the funky fusion are some muzak-y moments that are throwaways. The cover of "The Star Spangled Banner" is pretty forgettable, but the rendition of "Michele" starts cool and slippery and evolves into a very nice improvisational jam. Victor Wooten is a true bass- master and his work ranges from fast and furious to a swaggering swing that fuels the title tune. Fleck's playing is fun a spirited, though as usual you get the sense that he's never truly challenged even when he's playing at a hundred miles an hour.

This album is a definite step up from the later album I reviewed (Left of Cool) and I'd place it in the 3+ range. It's not going to appeal to even most prog fans, but it's very good music. Fans of modern jazz will almost certainly enjoy it. The music is innovative in instrumentation, complex in composition, and virtuosic in performance. So it belongs here. Good but non-essential.

This is the second album by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Just as the cover art on this disk is an expansion of the first album, the music here is an expension of the first album as well. Where the first album introduced us to this band's form of bluegrass fusion, but stayed in a mostly soft jazz realm, this album explores more adventurous forms of fusion.

Right from the start, where we hear Fleck's electric banjo played through guitar effects, the sound is much more like Return To Forever than easy listening, partly because the staccato sound of the banjo tends to sound not unlike Al DiMeola's signature sound.

The Wooten brothers continue to amaze on this release, with Victor's great bass chops and Roy's unbelievable Synthaxe drums. Howard Levy is the only weak spot in the band. His harmonica style still brings to mind elevator music. But at least the majority of the compositions transcend his playing.

So much for sophomore jinxes! That superstitious myth doesn't apply here. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones' follow-up to their distinguished debut album is even better. The overall feel I glean from it is one of bolstered confidence and tenacity most likely budding from their growing flock of fans that found their cool oddness irresistible. Their unlikely combination of instruments and ethnicity made them stand out from the madding crowd and attracted aficionados of both jazz and high-end bluegrass who couldn't help but be impressed by their undeniable virtuosity. Since they couldn't be neatly pigeon-holed into either category they fell into that scary, foggy classification known simply as "progressive" whether they wanted to be members of that quirky fraternity or not. I deem them to be a good fit and my hope is that more of my fellow proggers will drop any discrimination or unfair judgment they might be tempted to assign to a band that features both banjo and harmonica and give these guys a chance. It will be time and currency well-spent.

They don't waste a second in grabbing your attention as they open the album with a fast- paced, spirited, jazzy deal in 5/4 that smokes like a coal-fed locomotive. Howard Levy's keyboard work is stellar in the early going and then they level out onto a calmer plateau before evolving into a more traditional "walking" motif for Bela Fleck's banjo ride. When Howard and Bela trade hot licks toward the end you'll know these boys ain't fooling around. "Flying Saucer Dudes" offers an example of the voodoo they do so well in that they seamlessly veer off from a straight beat pattern into a section peppered with intriguing kicks and accents that boggle the mind. Levy's harp-through-a-micro-synth is a neat trick and goes a long way toward making this cut one of their proggiest. The hard-driving "Turtle Rock" is next and they, of course, inject their own slant into the "rawk" genre with Fleck's electric banjo providing the requisite steely balls. Their clever arrangement takes the listener through some very interesting and unexpected twists and turns along the way and it also incorporates one of Future Man's heaviest electronic drum sounds.

Victor Lemonte Wooten's fretless bass work creates the perfect, bloated aural image for "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo" and it's something you need to hear at least once in your lifetime. (The slippery, old-school melody reminds me of "Put the blame on Mame" but maybe that's just my off-kilter mind at play.) The tune's delightfully heavy, trippy vibe gives the track plenty of weight. Their take on "The Star Spangled Banner" follows and I have to say that it's one of the weirdest renditions of a national anthem I've ever heard. I didn't like it at first but it's eccentricity made it grow on me. All the numbers up to this point are engaging to some degree but "Star of the County Down," a silky-smooth folksy thing in 6/4 that's pleasant aplenty, fails to take me anywhere special. Bela does toss in some sweet runs on his banjo during the fadeout, though.

"Jekyll and Hyde (and Ted and Alice)" is a return to extravagance. Fleck begins this 7- minute piece with a haunting solo, then the other three ease into the tune's 7/8 structure with nary a bump. Suddenly the tempo quickens and the song's personality changes into something much more complex and involved and the result is an exhilarating, fun journey. On "Michelle" they try to put a new face on the classic Beatles' standard but it still comes off a little stale, nonetheless. While I admire the tune's catchy melody it's never been one of my favorite Lennon/McCartney offerings and perhaps that's from it being covered for 45 years by everyone except the Sex Pistols. The jazzed-up midsection adds some pizzazz thanks in no small part to Howard's deft piano chording going on underneath first Bela and then Victor's leads. The latter's delicate fingering is exquisite in particular but it still can't save this cut from being sub-par.

"Hole in the Wall" serves up a big helping of this group's infectious strangeness that draws me right into their mad sphere of existence. It coasts right along at a decent clip but when Wooten's bass and Levy's piano take over it ascends to the mountain tops just before Fleck jettisons away from the mother ship and floats like a cloud on his own. The band eventually joins him aloft and the last minute or so is thrillingly intense. "Flight of the Cosmic Hippo (reprise)" is exactly what you'd think it'd be but it's sort of a dirty saloon take and Howard's sexy, sleazy piano provides the provocative personality necessary to make it work.

I haven't said much about the Hippopotamus in the room which is the near-mystical presence of Roy "Future Man" Wooten and his Synthaxe Drumitar contraption but that's because I can't explain what he does. I can only reiterate from other reviews that his percussive contributions are without exception exactly what the tune needs and nothing more. He's a bit of an enigma but they wouldn't be the same without him so I just accept his art on his terms and don't ask questions. In many ways this album is an extension of the one that preceded it but they felt brave enough to take some risks with their music this time around and that gamble paid off. Any progger that leans to the more eclectic side of jazz rock/fusion will find a lot to enjoy here. 4.4 stars.