BELA FLECK AND THE FLECKTONES - OUTBOUND

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Website: Flecktones.com

A friend once told me to purchase any release by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. He mentioned that if I didn't love it, he would "buy the cd back from me!" Hey, nothing like a money-back guarantee to intice someone to listen to someone! Needless to say, I purchased "Left of Cool" by this band, and I didn't need to take him up of his offer.

"Outbound" is the latest release of this contemporary jazz band, but "jazz" is way too narrow of a term. Their style is incredibly diverse, ranging from blue grass to pop; celtic folk to free-form type of jamming (similar in style at times to even the Grateful Dead or Phish). Bela Fleck plays banjo (yes, banjo) along with guitars, sitar, and electric banjo. Jeff Coffin is on sax, flute, and clarinet. Victor Wooten plays electric basses, and Future Man rounds out the group with vocals on about a third of the songs. He also plays a weird type of drum machine called a "simultaneous synth-axe drumitar"

"Outbound" starts out appropriately with a cover of Aaron Copeland's "Hoe Down". Don't expect this to sound anything like ELP! It's a fresh beginning to a very bright sounding cd. Bela's banjo picking is clean and lightning fast on this track (as well as everywhere else). "A Moment so Close" features Shawn Colvin and Jon Anderson (of YES fame) on vocals. The song also has a cool bassline that mimics Future Man's rapping vocals. "Aimum" is probably the most upbeat song on the cd with great harmonies. The premier track is "Zona Mona". This 5 minute instrumental features very fluid and airey sax playing that gains momentum as the song goes along. This is when the Flecktones are at their very best. Although "Left of Cool" is still my favorite studio album by this band, "Outbound" is a solid follow-up. If you like this cd, look into purchasing "Live Art" as well as "Left of Cool"

As a side note... I was fortunate enough to see Bela Fleck play solo with tabla player Sandip Burman on October 29th at the Miramar Theater in Milwaukee. Sandip (who guest stars on "Shuba Yatra" on "Outbound") nearly stole the show with his perfomance. If you get the chance to see these two in your area, don't miss a very intimate and powerful perfomance.