It was nearly 20 years ago that pianist and harmonica player Howard Levy left fusion innovator Bela Fleck's groundbreaking Flecktones, citing a lack of time to explore other outlets. Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten and drummer/mad scientist of percussion Roy "Futureman" Wooten soldiered on as a core trio, playing host to many gifted guest musicians before being joined by saxophonist Jeff Coffin. The Flecktones continued to deliver visionary instrumental music, releasing six albums, garnering five Grammys and playing shows whenever its members weren't working on other, equally lauded projects.
Along the way, though, the original lineup developed that sort of quasi-apocryphal status reserved for acts whose early incarnations were only seen by a small fraction of their eventual fanbase. And so it was with considerable, ahem, fanfare that Levy rejoined Fleck and the Wootens for tours of the U.S. and Europe in '09. That reunion led, perhaps inevitably, to sessions that in turn led to this year's audibly re-energized Rocket Science.
Bandleader Fleck graciously found some time amid the kind of schedule that makes an Amish farmer's work ethic look positively lackadaisical to answer some questions via email about the process, and the joy, behind the first Levy-fied Flecktones disc since 1992.
CL: When Mr. Levy got back with the Flecktones to begin rehearsing for the '09 tour, did you immediately just know that you would have to record some more new music together?
Pretty much! It was very exciting to hear him in the group again, and we immediately became curious about what new things we could accomplish together.
Were there things you noticed right away that were different about his playing?
He has developed in many ways, as I hope we all have. One amazing new technique of his has to do with "difference tones" and what he has learned about them on the harmonica. As he bends two notes, a third mystery note will sometimes appear, and it has a very funky sound. I have never heard anything like it! Additionally, he seems to have developed a lot of new pathways around his instruments.
You've always been a considerate collaborator. Did you feel that consciously making more "writing room" for Mr. Levy's contributions had a definite effect on the resulting music?
Yes, it did. When the band was new, it was largely put together to play the music I was writing. Now, so many years later, we have done that for a long time — although without Howard for many years — and the idea of everyone bringing more of their tunes gives me and the group inspiration and variety. That being said, I still brought quite a few of the tunes that we recorded. The main difference was that we really made sure that Howard was represented.
Flecktones tunes often carry a fun, upbeat sort of vibe, but Rocket Science seems overall more playful than usual. Was there a conscious effort to make a more celebratory-sounding record?
No, it just turned out that way. Howard's instruments do have a fun quality, don't they?
That celebratory feel, when combined with more languid, sultry things like "Falling Forward," lends the disc an almost rural feel. It's almost as ifyour banjo sounds more "traditionally banjo-y" in places here. Were you purposely heading in that direction?
Also, no. It may have been unconscious — in that some of the tunes that we chose to pursue do have those properties. Why we all felt that these were the ones to do [for the CD] is hard to say.
Were there specific ways in which Futureman's new Drumitar [the second version of the homemade percussion/sampling machine he famously invented] contributed to the overall direction?
Well, the sounds were fantastic, so that was exciting. Also, because he was enjoying playing that instrument, he played a lot less acoustic drums, which also gave it some of that original Flecktone sound. In recent years he has used much more of a combination of electric and acoustic than he did originally.
Is it strange to think that there are Flecktones fans who have never heard new material featuring this lineup?
It is! It's also very enjoyable to come out on tour and know that the audience will hear something very different this time out.
Are you looking beyond this record and tour, in the sense of the Flecktones once again becoming the main priority for all involved?
At this point we are committed to the end of April. After that we will return to our separate projects, until the time seems right again.
This article appears in Oct 13-19, 2011.