Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo Burlington VT

Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones

Warner Brothers Records, 1991

REVIEW BY: George Agnos

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 05/15/1998

Somewhere between jazz and bluegrass lies the music that BelaFleck & The Flecktones play. Fleck plays the banjo andsometimes the electric banjo giving the band that hoedown sound.Another member of the band named Future Man plays what is called asynthaxe drumitar (basically a drum set played like a guitar)giving the group a modern sound. Rounding out the band is VictorLemonte Wooten on bass and Howard Levy on piano, synthesizers,organ, and harp among other instruments.

The band wastes no time on 1991's Flight Of The Cosmic Hippo showing off their jazzy chops onthe opening number "Blu-Bop." This is a competent straight jazznumber. I like the part in the middle where they slow the tempodown a bit; I wish that part was a little longer. On the next cut"Flying Saucer Dudes," Fleck delivers his first acoustic banjo soloand proves what a credible instrument it is for jazz. "Turtle Rock"is a fusion ditty that is likeable and boisterous.

Then the band really cooks with the title song. I think this isthe best song of the set. This slow, bluesy number starts off withFleck's controlled banjo playing over Wooten's lumbering basslines. Wooten really shines on this track as his bass emulates themovements of a hippo. Levy's harp solo also is successful inemulating the hippo. This is very clever stuff.

The second half of the CD is where the bluegrass end of theirsound really dominates. "Jekyll And Hyde (And Ted And Alice)" is atour de force for Fleck as he picks through ever changing tempos.The unpredictable changes in this song make it a delight. "Hole InThe Wall" is also unpredictable; it starts with a jazzy piano solo,but then the banjo comes in to shift genres midway through thesong.