October 26, 2024 • 54 mins
What if you could embark on a musical odyssey that blends bluegrass, jazz, and rock in a way you've never heard before? Join us as we explore the innovative soundscape crafted by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, where banjo virtuoso Béla Fleck and the Wooten brothers redefine musical boundaries. With Howard Levy's mesmerizing harmonica and Roy "Future Man" Wooten's groundbreaking drumitar, discover how these musicians create a sound that captivates audiences worldwide.
Experience the cosmic magic of the Flecktones as we discuss the dynamic interplay between multiple bassists and the genius of using unconventional instruments. Our musical journey draws parallels to pop culture icons like Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey" and The Rolling Stones, adding a familiar backdrop to their experimental rhythms. We even spice things up with some whimsical nods to cultural intersections and Zappa-esque compositions that prove these musicians are truly in a league of their own.
Delight in our deep dive into the Flecktones' top album tracks, from the powerful basslines of "Star of the County Down" to the rock and roll fusion of "Turtle Rock." We'll uncover hidden gems like the surprising chase sequence in "Hole in the Wall" and share humorous reflections on everything from Hungry Hungry Hippos to potential future jazz and blues discussions. Celebrate the diverse, rich tapestry of the Flecktones' music with us, and prepare to be amazed at how each listen reveals new favorites.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
All right, thank you for listening to the Greatest
Non-Hits.
I'm Chris, and playing Flightof the Cosmic Hippo is my
co-host, tim Actually, this is apre-recording and Tim's with me
.
Tim, how you doing, buddy,doing well here.
All right, this is in your realhouse.
(00:33):
So Tim has turned me on to thisalbum.
Bella Fleck and the Flecktonesare a really innovative band.
They blend bluegrass jazz worldmusic.
They blend bluegrass jazz worldmusic.
The guy playing the banjo inthis is Bella Fleck.
He is banjo royalty.
(00:54):
He's all things banjo.
He's won Grammys with thislineup, this group, with this
album that we're going to listento today.
So if you don't know who he is,if you don't know who the
Flecktones are, strap in Exactly, and we feel bad for you
because we're hip to them andthey're awesome, and we're going
(01:15):
to listen to all of it and,like we always do, we're going
to banter, we're going to havesome laughs along the way and
then the end, we're gonna giveyou, uh, our three nuggets.
So strap in, buckle up, tim.
How you doing, bud doing well,excellent.
Give me your affinity withthese guys.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Tell me your background, what they mean to
you yeah, I think my sister hada lot of art which is, uh, in
their spotify catalog you cancheck it out there and uh, it
just, it just blew my mind,really blew my mind.
These guys are playing allthese notes in unison, in this
(02:00):
jazz fusion, sort of crazyelemental, extremely difficult
way and hitting all thesedifferent sort of genres in one
album and multiple genres ineach song as well.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, and they've got all kinds of different
instruments there's victorwooten is the name of the bass
player, and he has an olderbrother, roy wooten, who plays
the drum guitar on this album,and it's sort of like a
conventional, like the.
The shape of it is like aconventional guitar but it's
(02:42):
wired in a certain way, or theycalled it a syntax, a syntax
drum atar, but when you hit youknow some of the mechanisms on
the body of the, the guitar.
It's got a fretboard andeverything.
Then it's got a whole fretboard.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yes, so he's using that primarily, but he also has
like a regular standard drum kitthat he uses also right, yeah,
and gets the sounds from hisregular drum set from you know
to recorded, you know analogstyle, into the wiring which in
(03:19):
the beginning stages.
That's why it's such a bigthing, because there's all these
wires to each Each button has aseparate wire coming through
this guitar.
So I think originally it was abig old honking duct, taped,
wired, like buttoned, like messof, until they could get it into
like a real instrument.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Right, yeah, well, this is like the iteration after
this drum guitar.
It was a syntax, the synth.
Well then, yeah, that inspiredthe zen drum, right?
And he uh, victor, I'm sorry,roy wooten is who we're talking
about.
Future man, aka future man,that's his handle.
He's from the future, right,and he worked with a couple of
guys, with Daniels and anotherguy.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I can't remember what was his Geez.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well, anyway, two other guys came along and said
we've got the concept for thisinstrument, and he worked with
them, and then, a number ofyears later, the Zendrum was
patented in 2008,.
I think Right, so yeah, soanyway, it's pretty phenomenal.
There was also that guy.
Check out videos of it,honestly?
(04:29):
Oh, yeah, of course.
Well, there's also that one guywhat's his name?
Howard Levy is on this album,and he is an innovator of the
harmonica too, I believe, right.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yes, a lot of different effects.
And going to these shows, Imean there was always usually a
sit-down jazz, you know oldercontingent in the front, and
then there was always thesegrooving like hippies in the
background.
Yeah so there was a clash oftwo, a clash of two listening
(05:01):
groups at each show.
Yeah two listening groups ateach show.
Yeah, and I think you knowpeople would try to sit but also
would like break it into danceand like stand and then sit down
and it was like this littlelike jibbity job of the chair
right the day, like being tiedto this chair and people being,
like you know, like at theirshows because it's like does it
(05:22):
clash?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
do they clash at all?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
No, it's just no, yeah, they're probably like shut
up.
But this older guy that this is17 Grammys for Bella and he's
accompanied by the WootenBrothers.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Howard Levy's really good in this too, and Howard
Levy, the harmonica player, also.
He's worked, they'vecollaborated with all kinds of
big stars, and howard levy's wonlike a bunch of grammys too
just for his contribution tothis.
But he, he wasn't really in thelineup for a long time like
they.
This lineup, I think, formed in88.
This was recorded in in 90 or91, 91.
(06:04):
, yeah, 91.
And in 92, he left the band andcame back in like 2010 or 11,
which is weird.
It's like a 19 year hiatus afterbeing in a band for five years.
Right, you leave for 19 andthen come back, and I don't.
Then I think he left after thatat some point, I don't know,
during COVID, who I don't knowduring COVID, who knows, I don't
know.
But I mean I want to get intothe music because it is really
(06:27):
at the end of the day, music isawesome.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Let's get into it.
Yeah, ready.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Yeah, so this is Blue Boy.
This is the very first one here.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Blue, you're my boy.
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I saw Victor with Stephen Bailey, another bassist,
two bassists, double bassexperiment oh yeah cool while
you're singing.
Yeah, one plays the melody, oneplays the bass.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
It's really cool on bass no it is you can't
concentrate on it's really coolOn bass.
No it is, that's the thing youcan't concentrate on it.
There's multiple cool thingsgoing on.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It's almost like they're all playing solos.
This is almost like it's acosmic note journey, almost yeah
.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Howard Levy's playing it with piano too, right.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I think he does harmonica and piano.
Wow too right.
Oh, okay, I think he doesharmonica.
Wow, that is phenomenal.
But yeah, the bass play.
I think roy is playing aconventional drum right now,
like a little bit, I don't know,I don't know, like, there's
(07:47):
that drum guitar.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
This is like Super Mario Brothers.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Or like yeah, Peanuts , oh for sure, Shout out to
Charlie Brown's mom Wah, wah,Wah wah.
That's serious, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Ah, that feels that feels better.
Nice, yeah, ah, that feels thatfeels better.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Nice, the hardcore jazz people are turning around
and being like you gave allthese hippies permission to be
here.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, that's the serious side of the trend.
Where's the deodorant?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, Don't you people have homes there?
Better not be grilled cheesesin the parking lot.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
I'll take two Speed it back up now.
That's a very incredibletransition right there.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
The Babashab Raga yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
A little Raga here.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Babashab Raga.
It's up to 11, thisBabashabraga.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Babashabraga.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
This is where Victor thrives here.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Like what?
Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I've heard this a few times now, but Doesn't this
kind of remind you of, likeStanley Kubrick's Space?
Yeah, Space Odyssey.
Space Odyssey yeah, 2001 SpaceOdyssey.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Let's get some Hal clips in here.
Well, you read me who.
You read me of AffirmativeTerry.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Open the pod bay doors pal, it's a cosmic journey
through.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
What's the problem?
Even the album covers.
I hit both through space, likecartoons, spaceships and shit.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Yeah, ooh, all right, all right.
This is now flying saucer Dude.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
How you going to the airport.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Flying somewhere.
How'd you guess?
Speaker 1 (11:11):
What did you think, at last it was incredible.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
It was a ditty.
It was quite a ditty.
This is the kind of stuff whereyou think, like, what would be
the song that I would have tolisten to just walking around
all the time, beep, boop, bop,like one of these songs on the
album?
Any one, any one of these songsnow could be like just your
(11:39):
modus operandi music when you'rewalking around the city.
Sure, give you that etherealedge.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Who's Howard?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Take it easy, champ, johnny Red Knee.
Okay, do it.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Dudes.
Oh yeah, we need.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
We're gonna go to college next year.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
You'll get into Godspeed you black emperor, and
the f***ing shins and you'llblow a bunch of dudes and you'll
become a lesbian.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
That's shins and you'll blow a bunch of dudes and
you'll become a lesbian.
That's new script.
Yeah, flying saucer dudes.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I like how they have the banjo for the flying saucer.
Dudes, I like how they have thebanjo for the flying saucer.
You know, what's kind of cooltoo, is that they fuse a really
basic instrument like a banjowith something as innovative as
a, a drumitare, a drumitare andthen everything else in between,
(12:59):
piano harmonica bass.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
He's definitely playing drumitare in this.
He's definitely playingtrombotar in this Because you
can.
He's got the upper sticks,which is like the bongos, right?
He's given a tutorial on itsomewhere on YouTube and it's
phenomenal.
He plays a drum solo, but he'skind of like narrating it at the
(13:28):
same time.
He's such a cool dude.
Yeah, future man, sovereigncitizen.
Alright, don't go there.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Take it easy, champ.
Why don't you stop talking fora while?
Maybe sit the next couple playsout All right.
All right, buddy, way down.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
One, one, one.
This place is called Lick myLack Pump.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
A lot of flak's really pumping on the licks here
.
It's sensitive too.
I mean these guys are likemaking these sort of like really
.
They really have to nosh thisout, like hash it out, making
(14:33):
these dang songs so freakingcomplicated.
There's no missed notes ever.
It's like Frank Zappa-esque,almost.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, no, it also.
It blends.
It blends everything that'sgood about sophisticated jazz
with everything that's greatabout country and bluegrass
music.
Yeah, and it's such arespectful merger.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
It's so fetch.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
So fetch, yeah, so fetch.
What is fetch?
Speaker 2 (15:11):
It is.
Yeah, these guys really aremasters Howard's holding down
the keys really well.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, he's fighting them hard with the python, come
on, then what?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
How about you?
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Your idea braves the night, but the fight is mine.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Oh, that was awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
All this is turtle rock.
Okay, this is gettingprogressive here yeah, this is
rock and roll.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Here's johnny, I know right.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
This is when the crazy hippies in the back are
just jamming the turtle rockSure.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I mean, I'm more of a rock guy myself.
So mr turtle, oh dude, mrturtle isn't my fault they put
in like it's just a shot awayyou can hear a little bit of
Rolling Stones.
This is a nod to that, is it?
Yeah, like Give Me Shelter,that song is Give Me Shelter by
(16:55):
the Rolling Stones.
That was a little bit of a nod.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Okay, yeah, it's uh.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
I heard it.
I feel you on it.
Yeah, abracadabra oh wow Victor, oh oh wow Victor.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, this is the best of Victor Wooten right there.
What that all just camescreaming back to you.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Victor's screaming.
Right now he's flying high.
If the lyrics were, is it jazz?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Pit stop.
We're going to play some jazzhere at the pit stop, okay, wow,
okay, bella.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
He plays with a lot of effects on his banjo as well,
oh, my God, I didn't hear thatpart.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Why did I that didn't sink in the first few times I
heard this song.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Turtle Rock is definitely going to be in both
of our top threes, I think.
How can it not?
This is like 80s-esque almost.
It has a little bit of 80s rockto it.
Well, definitely, this is a VanHalen of banjos.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I was saying, yeah, his finger picking was very Van
Halen-esque.
Well, interesting, it was 1991,so that kind of finger work was
invoked.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
One plays jazz here at the pit stop.
Okay, I'd love to go to the pitstop.
What a freak the ball isgetting pitted, so pitted.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Oh man, I was pitted on that one for sure, this is
Flight of the Cosmic.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Hippo, this is what Tim was playing.
I playing, yeah, I tried toplay.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
And would you say this is probably their biggest
song.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
It's their catchy.
Yes, I mean on this album.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
yes, If you've heard of them, it's likely it came via
this song.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It's also the name of the album too, so it's the
crescendo of it, it's the um,it's that it's jazz and
bluegrass at the same time,almost yeah it's latching on to
like a riff.
That's just really.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Powerful here.
I know I like the bass in thebackground.
Go Boooo, boooooo.
Yeah, cosmo.
Shout out to Kramer and Babs.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Cosmo.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Ian Roy is probably playing with that drum guitar
right now.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Line somewhere.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Levy is cruffin' it.
They give him space, you know.
They give each position thatlittle bar.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, you know they give each position that little
bar of.
I like how this is like a moredelicate song versus the chaos.
You need it.
I'm glad that they're doingsomething like this in such a
tasteful way.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
That feels better.
I think like the diatonicharmonica is something Howard
Levy invented or I don't know.
He was like synthesized theharmonica in something.
Yeah, he also plays a HammondB3 organ someone he also plays a
.
Hammond B-3 organ.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
The Wooten Brothers were military kids.
They moved around a lot growingup.
Oh okay, newport News, virginia.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Mostly around Virginia, right, yeah, mostly
around Virginia yeah, Hampton.
And Newport News, the amount offestivals that they've played
as well Bonnaroo, bonnaroo, chat.
(23:05):
Newport News Best JazzInstrumental Album, best jazz
(23:38):
instrumental album.
These guys will be in Sydney.
They're going to Singapore, Imean crazy life, so cool.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah, when this came out, the Indianapolis star
deemed the album jazz, playedwith the country instruments and
down home warmth, what ChickCorea might sound like if he
played with the nitty grittydirt band.
That's how it went Wow.
I think that's about right Verygood.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Little harmonics there from the bass, harmonics
from the bass comes out sopowerful.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
I know it's like the way they make the instruments
pop.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Or they like, put a little electronic twist on these
.
Yes, simple.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Oh, should we get a little preface to the Star
Spangled Banner here?
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Uh yeah, we could, for the land of the free, shout
out to Hot.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Tula Girl.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Okay, all right.
Well, yeah, this is called theStar Spangled Banner, but this
is a hell of a rendition of it,so it kind of comes in.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
It's unclassifiable as Tom Jurek.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Luton's a great bass player.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Well, it's him and his brother with bass and drums.
I mean, it's such a.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Instinct between them .
Right, right, yeah.
Four-string, five-string,fretless, six-string electric
bass is what he's playing.
Right, it's pretty.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, right now he's playing the 5 string fretless
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Harmonica, howard.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
What a freak Cosmo Cosmo 75 light years from the
Earth.
The light by which we see thisstar has spent 75 years
traversing into stellar space onits journey to the Earth.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
That's the Star Spangled Banner right there.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
That's right, alright .
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Sorry, I guess a star is born.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Alright, that's as patriotic as tim is gonna get
all right pop culture,patriotism yeah, okay, this is
called star of the County TownWay down Way down, think of
(27:43):
what's in the picture.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Do it, johnny Red Knee?
Okay, do it.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Do it, do it All right and how are we feeling on
this one?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
This is like a country.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yeah, this is a good song.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
I feel like a futuristic John Wayne, like
Fifth Element, vibe, going on.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
This is something that you play in the background
before a TED Talk.
That's funny, I mean, it's good, it's enjoyable.
It should be in the background.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
It's a little elevator-y yeah it's elevator-y,
it should be in the backgrounda little elevator-y.
Yeah, it's elevator-y, itshould be in the background.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Elevator-y yeah.
Or like the music in thebackground of your trip to
Yellowstone, or something likethat yeah down the secret
stairwells.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Yeah Of Yellowstone.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Take it easy, champ.
Why don't you stop talking for?
Speaker 3 (28:54):
a while.
Take it once and take it again.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
It's got the gravity.
It's got that sort of like yeah, floating through space,
gravity.
Shout out to Sandra Bullock.
You haven't done one of those.
(29:27):
Shout out to the runners.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Yeah, shout out to the runners.
Who else would we Shout out tothe tea drinkers?
Shout out to the runners.
Who else will we Shout out tothe tea drinkers?
What else did we used to do inthe old days?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yeah, Shout out to the dolphins I don't know the
dolphin trippers.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Yeah, to the radio while I'm collating, so I don't
see why I should have to turndown the radio.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yeah, all right, he's like yeah milton loves bell
fleck in the flat zones reallydoes.
He listens to it on his radio.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Yeah, at Inateck.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
At a reasonable value .
I was told.
I was told.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
The last time he did not receive a piece.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
It's chocolate, vanilla, vanilla, chocolate,
chocolate, vanilla, chocolate,vanilla.
Oh, I realize we forgot a wordfrom our sponsor.
A very good board game inbetween songs here, since this
(30:50):
isn't the flight of the CosmicKid, though, bring us down into
the three-dimensional realm ofconsumerism.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
You got that as a little bit of a palate cleanser
maybe.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Yeah, we can do a little.
I'm loving this actually.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
This might be in my top three.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Really Listen to this nice little bit here.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Imagine them playing this live.
This is like Ravi Shankar stuffright here, do-do-do-do-do-do,
this is.
They probably jam on that one.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Yeah, this is like background music of an R-rated
movie from the 90s.
Yeah, all right, we've got alittle palate cleanser before we
Just gonna do.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
All right, let's uh.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
It's Hungry, hungry Hippos.
First to gobble up the mostmarbles wins.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Hungry.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Hungry Hippos, we're Hungry.
Hungry Hippos, we love to feedour face.
We're Hungry.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Hungry Hippos, we love to feed our face.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
We're in an eating race.
How's?
Speaker 2 (31:53):
about dessert.
Okay, Takes me back to thatstupid plastic game.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Yeah exactly when are these marbles?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Yeah, this is like there's no marbles.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
There's too many marbles.
I don't think I ever playedthat game once it's this carpal
tunnel waiting to happen, I know.
It's like what is that?
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It's like Whack-A-Mole Jr without the
mallet.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Don't arm the children, just give them hippos
to eat marbles.
All right, we got Jekyll andHyde here, ted and Alice.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
This is kind of nice.
It's just Bella jamming right.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
This is a seven-minuter so.
Is it really Strap in One ofthe least visited on Spotify?
That's true.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
That's why we're here .
Let's give it a listen.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Could be.
It Could be a deep hit.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
It's kind of hypnotic .
Have you ever heard this live?
How many times have you seenthem live?
Speaker 2 (33:22):
I don't think I've ever seen the band live, have
you?
Have you seen any of them?
Like just Victor, victor andStephen Bailey and their double
bass experiment, okay, and onstage, we're on stage.
Rams at, on stage, gotcha, yeah, um, it must have been awesome.
(33:44):
It was very unique, one of themost unique shows, two of the
best Different bassists, verydifferent style.
I feel like one of our friends.
(34:06):
Jordan Tice played with BellaFleck when he was in his teenage
years.
Uh-huh, now he's doing themusic thing in Nashville.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Is it local now?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Oh yeah, he's local to Maryland.
Around the Annapolis area.
Shout out to Jordan TiceExcellent, excellent guitarist.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Oh, he must be.
Yeah, we do a little bit of acollab here with these guys.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
We do a little bit of a collab here with these guys
Maybe it's just a jam.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
This is good bass.
It must be hard to play bassand banjo at the same time,
right?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
It's almost like stepping on each other's toes a
little bit sometimes, the waythat yeah Trying to play right
after each other in this song.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
It's only a dream.
It's only a dream.
Here's Johnny.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Jekyll and Hyde.
It builds up here Almost like aturtle rock scenario here.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yeah, this is a festival kind of interlude.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I don't know how Victor is doing this With Howard
on keys sprinkling these.
This is a crowd favorite.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
It is a crowd favorite.
Is this a song you can get upto?
This is a crowd favorite.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
It is a crowd favorite.
I think so Okay In the jam bandworld.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
You know it's the longer of the song.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
That's not bad, I mean, it's kind of simple.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
They're linking up the bass and the harmonica, yeah
.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
You put it that way when you come across that you
don't.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Oh then you put the banjo on top of it.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Yeah, you can do everything.
A blues traveler, you know,came after these guys.
I'm sure they must have been insome way influenced, right?
Oh, definitely.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
They're hot.
This is straight fire.
Jekyll and Hyde, fire, fire.
I just love the crescendo.
I do too.
The longer that you wait forthe crescendo sometimes, the
(37:47):
better the song.
I agree, I don't know, maybe.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
It's all about the way they make you wait for it
you know?
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Did you know hippos are not related to horses and
are more closely related towhales and dolphins?
I didn't know that.
Yeah, they're closer to whales,more closely related to whales,
so More closely related towhales and dolphins than horses
Like who Than horses.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Yeah, this is hippos, yeah, who.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
I was just like wait a minute, you're talking about
hippos.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Kate, more associated with dolphins than horses.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Oh yeah, I don't know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Take it easy champ.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Okay, they're nocturnal, Hippos are nocturnal.
So I wonder when do they dream?
What do hippos dream?
What the hell they do?
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Nocturnal.
Yeah, it's like an emission.
Yeah, yeah, okay, drakkar Noir.
Maybe they have dry dreams, Idon't know.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
French dreams.
So we were both saying thissong is seemingly it's very
Drakkar.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Noir-ish Drakkar Noir .
Yeah, my little darling.
Yeah, it's very Pepe Le Pew.
This is Michelle Madel, right.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Michelle Madel.
Ah yes, Sunday, Monday.
This is the other big listeneron this.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
I love you.
It's very beautiful thismorning.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
what else they could have called it?
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Well, this piece is called Lick my Love Pump.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Way down.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
I like what they're doing here, Still having eggs
coming at you.
Hold on people.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Hope you got your griddles little ham sandwich on
on the side here.
Check it for a walk there,johnny here's Johnny.
I had some eggs.
(41:04):
You don't have an egg coming atyou, hold on, I kind of have
the eggs, just bacon, eggs,sourdough, you know.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Don't forget the ham All.
Right howl, Don't forget theham All right howl.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
No, do not come with me to the Casbah.
We shall make beautiful musictogether right here.
C'est l'amour.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
C'est toujours.
I don't know what's going onhere, oh Wow.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
What a freak.
That's a fretless kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
This is some Jocko.
This is like Jocko.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
What, what.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
So pitted.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
What man the Baron get pitted, so pitted.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Okay, Howard.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
My fingers hurt.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, they would hurt .
After this, it takes a manville.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Grandma, now your back's going to hurt.
You just pulled landscape.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Oh, the hand job.
The hand job, russell.
Excuse me, russell, but Ibelieve I requested the hand job
.
Thank you, wayne.
We're doing a little clip audithere, clip auditing for you.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Like what.
Now I know why I got so manymore listens than Jekyll and
Hyde.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:59):
And Ted and Alice.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
Sorry, I guess his daughter's born.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Okay, All right this next one's called Hole in the
Wall.
We're going to keep digginghere.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
We're going to keep digging here Two day of mine.
You keep digging, I keepdigging here, we're going to
keep digging here Two damn man.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
You keep digging I'm digging it.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
Hey, we can't even get into like a second-rate
hotel.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
I mean a second-rate motel.
You dig, he's got his vitalhole.
Speaker 4 (45:06):
He's got his vital, his vital hole.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
That's pretty cool.
Oh, each time I looked around,the walls moved in a little
tighter.
Good timing on that.
One.
Slap of the bass.
Slap of the bass.
Who are you, howard's, slapping?
Speaker 4 (46:00):
I want to see you, howard, slapped.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
Slap the bass big time.
This album is crazy.
It's like a museum artifact.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah, I agree.
Shout out to Paul Rudd.
It's not the best big time.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
Get some tea.
Get some more tea on the kettle, stay with us.
Get some Darjeeling Chamomilemango.
Okay, oh, yeah, yeah, this iswhat.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
This is where Bella gets to just Uh Uh.
Wait, just a minute.
Speaker 1 (47:04):
I just I don't want to desecrate this with gassy
hole.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
Shout out to Kate McKinnon.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
The people out on the grass at all the various
festivals that Bella Fleck isplayed with.
Speaker 1 (47:38):
I pass on grass all the time.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
So you want another piece of cake, Milton hey, but
last time I didn't receive abeat and I was told, Just pass
to the radio while I'm to theradio, while I'm collating.
Speaker 4 (48:07):
So I don't see why I should have to turn down the
radio because I didn't repeat abeat and I was told.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
Just pass.
Yeah, Howard.
I like the way Howard and Bellaare playing with each other.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
And Victor.
They all play in a triptychlike rundown.
They do a triptych rundownRight.
Andown, they do a triptychrundown right, and then they
play a chase part right, right,and then up the key, up the
scale down.
I mean I know it's so crazy.
(48:53):
They're musical geniuses, Iknow, I think lagoon, I think
waterfall.
Speaker 3 (48:59):
I think tropical, this I think waterfall, I think
tropical.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
This is a cement hole .
Speaker 1 (49:09):
Okay, this is a Flame of the Cosmic Hippo, reprise
From song four.
And you know I mean this is agreat song, I'm gonna.
I'm calling it a hit and Igonna this is I'm discounting it
, I'm disqualifying it well, Imean, you can put it in slow
(49:32):
down, okay no, this is wherethey slow down.
Speaker 4 (49:36):
Yes, it's good, it's tolerable there's something
happened to him, love.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Spicoli loves the Cosmic Hippo yeah, I'm stressing
out because I don't know whatI'm going to choose.
It's like oh, I'm going tochoose, oh, I'm going to just Do
.
You know what yours are.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
Yeah, definitely Do you want to.
Should we start it up?
Yeah, let's start it up, allright?
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Number three, number three Number three for me.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Shout out to our sponsor Happy Fun Ball.
Speaker 4 (50:29):
And by Happy.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
Fun Ball, please, man , that was actually funny.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
We got number three Hole in the Wall, Hole in the
Wall.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
Oh, that is a great choice.
The chase is amazing.
I know it's this sort of likeit.
It tires you out so good you'regonna sleep.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
well, that's kind of the song it is yeah, that's the
one in it early on in it theywere kind of playing off each
other sort of yeah that.
Yeah.
It was that whole chase, youknow, like the banjo chasing the
harmonica and back and forth.
Yeah, you know, I love that too, man.
Yeah, For my number three, I'mgoing to go Turtle Rock.
Oh, Because he was reallyjamming in that one, wasn't he?
(51:15):
Yeah, and it was that jammingpart that you know that put me
over the top.
So I'm going to make that mynumber three, Wow.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
Okay, man, this is tough.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
I know.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Because I did really like Star of the County Down and
that very ending of it and thatvery ending of it.
I want to exclude the titletrack from I mean, yeah, I'm
going star of the county down,I'm just doing it okay.
(51:53):
Number two it had a greatending, you could tell that was
the improv like yeah, you door,door opener.
That's like their sort of umdeep jam in, probably when they
played live.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
I would have to check set list right but yeah all
right, my number two is going tobe number the first song blue
bob, blue bob.
Yes, I thought that that wasjust I mean yeah, just like the
Bass playing in it Early on.
It set a tone For the wholealbum.
Strap in because we're gonna.
(52:28):
They just come right at youfull force, all of their Best
stuff.
You know, really A lot of itcomes out at the very beginning
and I think it was well placedas the number one song.
Speaker 2 (52:42):
It's my number two song okay, um, so what's my
number one here?
I'm going.
I'm going turtle rock.
Yeah, because it deserves it.
Second listen, listen, second,third listen.
That's like the song that Iwant to listen to the most.
Yeah, probably because, if it'smy music profile, more rock and
(53:07):
roll, jazz fusion yeah, insteadof.
But you know, I have a place inmy heart for Michelle and
flight of the cosmic hippo,great, great riff.
And the first two songs weregood.
Speaker 1 (53:21):
But yeah, yeah, they're.
I mean those are, I mean allthese songs are great and you
can probably I mean this is abad.
This is a hard album to do thiskind of an exercise because,
yeah, at any given day I canlisten to it again and choose
three different other, you know.
Speaker 2 (53:35):
But yeah, walk around with this on.
Run around with this on.
Yeah, walk around your house.
It's good stuff.
Just Walk around your house.
It's good stuff.
Just keep it on in thebackground.
It's good stuff, yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:45):
My number one is going to be Hole in the Wall.
Yeah, wow, I love that.
The chase did it for me andit's right in the middle of the
song and I feel like it's buriedin there.
It's got the least amount oflistens on Spotify, and and it's
got the least amount of listenson Spotify and that chase part
of it just blew me away.
(54:05):
And I don't get blown away bybluegrass or jazz or anything
like that, but jazz is coming upon me.
I used to dismiss it and I'mlike I don't know if it's just
We've got to do some jazz albums, exactly, we might go down that
road, maybe some blues, I mean,you know, exactly, we might go
down that road, maybe some blues.
Speaker 2 (54:22):
I mean you know yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:24):
There's a lot from the 90s.
Maybe we can even go into somePrince again.
I don't know.
We'll open it up, but I thinkthat puts a bow on it right.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
I'm the.
Speaker 3 (54:31):
Booker Dolores today.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
Yeah, big money Cake us up.
Rock on All right.
All right, thank you for listening to the Greatest
Non-Hits.
I'm Chris, and playing Flightof the Cosmic Hippo is my
co-host, tim Actually, this is apre-recording and Tim's with me
.
Tim, how you doing, buddy,doing well here.
All right, this is in your realhouse.
(00:33):
So Tim has turned me on to thisalbum.
Bella Fleck and the Flecktonesare a really innovative band.
They blend bluegrass jazz worldmusic.
They blend bluegrass jazz worldmusic.
The guy playing the banjo inthis is Bella Fleck.
He is banjo royalty.
(00:54):
He's all things banjo.
He's won Grammys with thislineup, this group, with this
album that we're going to listento today.
So if you don't know who he is,if you don't know who the
Flecktones are, strap in Exactly, and we feel bad for you
because we're hip to them andthey're awesome, and we're going
(01:15):
to listen to all of it and,like we always do, we're going
to banter, we're going to havesome laughs along the way and
then the end, we're gonna giveyou, uh, our three nuggets.
So strap in, buckle up, tim.
How you doing, bud doing well,excellent.
Give me your affinity withthese guys.
Speaker 2 (01:36):
Tell me your background, what they mean to
you yeah, I think my sister hada lot of art which is, uh, in
their spotify catalog you cancheck it out there and uh, it
just, it just blew my mind,really blew my mind.
These guys are playing allthese notes in unison, in this
(02:00):
jazz fusion, sort of crazyelemental, extremely difficult
way and hitting all thesedifferent sort of genres in one
album and multiple genres ineach song as well.
Speaker 1 (02:22):
Yeah, and they've got all kinds of different
instruments there's victorwooten is the name of the bass
player, and he has an olderbrother, roy wooten, who plays
the drum guitar on this album,and it's sort of like a
conventional, like the.
The shape of it is like aconventional guitar but it's
(02:42):
wired in a certain way, or theycalled it a syntax, a syntax
drum atar, but when you hit youknow some of the mechanisms on
the body of the, the guitar.
It's got a fretboard andeverything.
Then it's got a whole fretboard.
Speaker 2 (02:56):
Yes, so he's using that primarily, but he also has
like a regular standard drum kitthat he uses also right, yeah,
and gets the sounds from hisregular drum set from you know
to recorded, you know analogstyle, into the wiring which in
(03:19):
the beginning stages.
That's why it's such a bigthing, because there's all these
wires to each Each button has aseparate wire coming through
this guitar.
So I think originally it was abig old honking duct, taped,
wired, like buttoned, like messof, until they could get it into
like a real instrument.
Speaker 1 (03:42):
Right, yeah, well, this is like the iteration after
this drum guitar.
It was a syntax, the synth.
Well then, yeah, that inspiredthe zen drum, right?
And he uh, victor, I'm sorry,roy wooten is who we're talking
about.
Future man, aka future man,that's his handle.
He's from the future, right,and he worked with a couple of
guys, with Daniels and anotherguy.
Speaker 2 (04:05):
I can't remember what was his Geez.
Speaker 1 (04:08):
Well, anyway, two other guys came along and said
we've got the concept for thisinstrument, and he worked with
them, and then, a number ofyears later, the Zendrum was
patented in 2008,.
I think Right, so yeah, soanyway, it's pretty phenomenal.
There was also that guy.
Check out videos of it,honestly?
(04:29):
Oh, yeah, of course.
Well, there's also that one guywhat's his name?
Howard Levy is on this album,and he is an innovator of the
harmonica too, I believe, right.
Speaker 2 (04:40):
Yes, a lot of different effects.
And going to these shows, Imean there was always usually a
sit-down jazz, you know oldercontingent in the front, and
then there was always thesegrooving like hippies in the
background.
Yeah so there was a clash oftwo, a clash of two listening
(05:01):
groups at each show.
Yeah two listening groups ateach show.
Yeah, and I think you knowpeople would try to sit but also
would like break it into danceand like stand and then sit down
and it was like this littlelike jibbity job of the chair
right the day, like being tiedto this chair and people being,
like you know, like at theirshows because it's like does it
(05:22):
clash?
Speaker 1 (05:23):
do they clash at all?
Speaker 2 (05:24):
No, it's just no, yeah, they're probably like shut
up.
But this older guy that this is17 Grammys for Bella and he's
accompanied by the WootenBrothers.
Speaker 1 (05:41):
Howard Levy's really good in this too, and Howard
Levy, the harmonica player, also.
He's worked, they'vecollaborated with all kinds of
big stars, and howard levy's wonlike a bunch of grammys too
just for his contribution tothis.
But he, he wasn't really in thelineup for a long time like
they.
This lineup, I think, formed in88.
This was recorded in in 90 or91, 91.
(06:04):
, yeah, 91.
And in 92, he left the band andcame back in like 2010 or 11,
which is weird.
It's like a 19 year hiatus afterbeing in a band for five years.
Right, you leave for 19 andthen come back, and I don't.
Then I think he left after thatat some point, I don't know,
during COVID, who I don't knowduring COVID, who knows, I don't
know.
But I mean I want to get intothe music because it is really
(06:27):
at the end of the day, music isawesome.
Speaker 2 (06:29):
Let's get into it.
Yeah, ready.
Speaker 1 (06:31):
Yeah, so this is Blue Boy.
This is the very first one here.
Speaker 3 (06:34):
Blue, you're my boy.
Thank you, sir.
Speaker 2 (06:48):
I saw Victor with Stephen Bailey, another bassist,
two bassists, double bassexperiment oh yeah cool while
you're singing.
Yeah, one plays the melody, oneplays the bass.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
It's really cool on bass no it is you can't
concentrate on it's really coolOn bass.
No it is, that's the thing youcan't concentrate on it.
There's multiple cool thingsgoing on.
Speaker 2 (07:11):
It's almost like they're all playing solos.
This is almost like it's acosmic note journey, almost yeah
.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
Howard Levy's playing it with piano too, right.
Speaker 2 (07:21):
Oh, okay.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
I think he does harmonica and piano.
Wow too right.
Oh, okay, I think he doesharmonica.
Wow, that is phenomenal.
But yeah, the bass play.
I think roy is playing aconventional drum right now,
like a little bit, I don't know,I don't know, like, there's
(07:47):
that drum guitar.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
This is like Super Mario Brothers.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
Or like yeah, Peanuts , oh for sure, Shout out to
Charlie Brown's mom Wah, wah,Wah wah.
That's serious, yeah.
Speaker 3 (08:20):
Ah, that feels that feels better.
Nice, yeah, ah, that feels thatfeels better.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Nice, the hardcore jazz people are turning around
and being like you gave allthese hippies permission to be
here.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
Yeah, that's the serious side of the trend.
Where's the deodorant?
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, Don't you people have homes there?
Better not be grilled cheesesin the parking lot.
Speaker 1 (09:04):
I'll take two Speed it back up now.
That's a very incredibletransition right there.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
The Babashab Raga yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:22):
A little Raga here.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
Babashab Raga.
It's up to 11, thisBabashabraga.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
Babashabraga.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
This is where Victor thrives here.
Speaker 3 (09:48):
Like what?
Oh wow.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
I've heard this a few times now, but Doesn't this
kind of remind you of, likeStanley Kubrick's Space?
Yeah, Space Odyssey.
Space Odyssey yeah, 2001 SpaceOdyssey.
Speaker 3 (10:21):
Let's get some Hal clips in here.
Well, you read me who.
You read me of AffirmativeTerry.
Speaker 2 (10:34):
Open the pod bay doors pal, it's a cosmic journey
through.
I'm afraid I can't do that.
What's the problem?
Even the album covers.
I hit both through space, likecartoons, spaceships and shit.
Speaker 1 (10:53):
Yeah, ooh, all right, all right.
This is now flying saucer Dude.
Speaker 3 (11:02):
How you going to the airport.
Speaker 4 (11:05):
Flying somewhere.
How'd you guess?
Speaker 1 (11:11):
What did you think, at last it was incredible.
Speaker 2 (11:17):
It was a ditty.
It was quite a ditty.
This is the kind of stuff whereyou think, like, what would be
the song that I would have tolisten to just walking around
all the time, beep, boop, bop,like one of these songs on the
album?
Any one, any one of these songsnow could be like just your
(11:39):
modus operandi music when you'rewalking around the city.
Sure, give you that etherealedge.
You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1 (11:53):
Who's Howard?
Speaker 4 (11:57):
Take it easy, champ, johnny Red Knee.
Okay, do it.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
Dudes.
Oh yeah, we need.
Speaker 3 (12:15):
We're gonna go to college next year.
Speaker 1 (12:17):
You'll get into Godspeed you black emperor, and
the f***ing shins and you'llblow a bunch of dudes and you'll
become a lesbian.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
That's shins and you'll blow a bunch of dudes and
you'll become a lesbian.
That's new script.
Yeah, flying saucer dudes.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
I like how they have the banjo for the flying saucer.
Dudes, I like how they have thebanjo for the flying saucer.
You know, what's kind of cooltoo, is that they fuse a really
basic instrument like a banjowith something as innovative as
a, a drumitare, a drumitare andthen everything else in between,
(12:59):
piano harmonica bass.
Speaker 2 (13:04):
He's definitely playing drumitare in this.
He's definitely playingtrombotar in this Because you
can.
He's got the upper sticks,which is like the bongos, right?
He's given a tutorial on itsomewhere on YouTube and it's
phenomenal.
He plays a drum solo, but he'skind of like narrating it at the
(13:28):
same time.
He's such a cool dude.
Yeah, future man, sovereigncitizen.
Alright, don't go there.
Speaker 4 (13:42):
Take it easy, champ.
Why don't you stop talking fora while?
Maybe sit the next couple playsout All right.
All right, buddy, way down.
Speaker 3 (13:56):
One, one, one.
This place is called Lick myLack Pump.
Speaker 2 (14:08):
A lot of flak's really pumping on the licks here
.
It's sensitive too.
I mean these guys are likemaking these sort of like really
.
They really have to nosh thisout, like hash it out, making
(14:33):
these dang songs so freakingcomplicated.
There's no missed notes ever.
It's like Frank Zappa-esque,almost.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
Yeah, no, it also.
It blends.
It blends everything that'sgood about sophisticated jazz
with everything that's greatabout country and bluegrass
music.
Yeah, and it's such arespectful merger.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
It's so fetch.
Speaker 3 (15:02):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
So fetch, yeah, so fetch.
What is fetch?
Speaker 2 (15:11):
It is.
Yeah, these guys really aremasters Howard's holding down
the keys really well.
Speaker 1 (15:24):
Yeah, he's fighting them hard with the python, come
on, then what?
Speaker 3 (15:33):
How about you?
Speaker 4 (15:39):
Your idea braves the night, but the fight is mine.
Speaker 1 (15:49):
Oh, that was awesome.
Speaker 2 (15:50):
All this is turtle rock.
Okay, this is gettingprogressive here yeah, this is
rock and roll.
Speaker 1 (15:56):
Here's johnny, I know right.
Speaker 2 (16:17):
This is when the crazy hippies in the back are
just jamming the turtle rockSure.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
I mean, I'm more of a rock guy myself.
So mr turtle, oh dude, mrturtle isn't my fault they put
in like it's just a shot awayyou can hear a little bit of
Rolling Stones.
This is a nod to that, is it?
Yeah, like Give Me Shelter,that song is Give Me Shelter by
(16:55):
the Rolling Stones.
That was a little bit of a nod.
Speaker 3 (16:58):
Okay, yeah, it's uh.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
I heard it.
I feel you on it.
Yeah, abracadabra oh wow Victor, oh oh wow Victor.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
Oh, this is the best of Victor Wooten right there.
What that all just camescreaming back to you.
Speaker 2 (17:47):
Victor's screaming.
Right now he's flying high.
If the lyrics were, is it jazz?
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Pit stop.
We're going to play some jazzhere at the pit stop, okay, wow,
okay, bella.
Speaker 2 (18:25):
He plays with a lot of effects on his banjo as well,
oh, my God, I didn't hear thatpart.
Speaker 1 (18:33):
Why did I that didn't sink in the first few times I
heard this song.
Speaker 2 (18:38):
Turtle Rock is definitely going to be in both
of our top threes, I think.
How can it not?
This is like 80s-esque almost.
It has a little bit of 80s rockto it.
Well, definitely, this is a VanHalen of banjos.
Speaker 1 (18:59):
I was saying, yeah, his finger picking was very Van
Halen-esque.
Well, interesting, it was 1991,so that kind of finger work was
invoked.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
One plays jazz here at the pit stop.
Okay, I'd love to go to the pitstop.
What a freak the ball isgetting pitted, so pitted.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
Oh man, I was pitted on that one for sure, this is
Flight of the Cosmic.
Speaker 2 (20:03):
Hippo, this is what Tim was playing.
I playing, yeah, I tried toplay.
Speaker 1 (20:08):
And would you say this is probably their biggest
song.
Speaker 2 (20:13):
It's their catchy.
Yes, I mean on this album.
Speaker 1 (20:17):
yes, If you've heard of them, it's likely it came via
this song.
Speaker 2 (20:23):
It's also the name of the album too, so it's the
crescendo of it, it's the um,it's that it's jazz and
bluegrass at the same time,almost yeah it's latching on to
like a riff.
That's just really.
Speaker 1 (20:48):
Powerful here.
I know I like the bass in thebackground.
Go Boooo, boooooo.
Yeah, cosmo.
Shout out to Kramer and Babs.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Cosmo.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Ian Roy is probably playing with that drum guitar
right now.
Speaker 3 (21:24):
Line somewhere.
Speaker 2 (21:35):
Levy is cruffin' it.
They give him space, you know.
They give each position thatlittle bar.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
Yeah, you know they give each position that little
bar of.
I like how this is like a moredelicate song versus the chaos.
You need it.
I'm glad that they're doingsomething like this in such a
tasteful way.
Speaker 3 (22:01):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (22:09):
That feels better.
I think like the diatonicharmonica is something Howard
Levy invented or I don't know.
He was like synthesized theharmonica in something.
Yeah, he also plays a HammondB3 organ someone he also plays a
.
Hammond B-3 organ.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
The Wooten Brothers were military kids.
They moved around a lot growingup.
Oh okay, newport News, virginia.
Speaker 1 (22:43):
Right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Mostly around Virginia, right, yeah, mostly
around Virginia yeah, Hampton.
And Newport News, the amount offestivals that they've played
as well Bonnaroo, bonnaroo, chat.
(23:05):
Newport News Best JazzInstrumental Album, best jazz
(23:38):
instrumental album.
These guys will be in Sydney.
They're going to Singapore, Imean crazy life, so cool.
Speaker 1 (23:49):
Yeah, when this came out, the Indianapolis star
deemed the album jazz, playedwith the country instruments and
down home warmth, what ChickCorea might sound like if he
played with the nitty grittydirt band.
That's how it went Wow.
I think that's about right Verygood.
Speaker 2 (24:15):
Little harmonics there from the bass, harmonics
from the bass comes out sopowerful.
Speaker 1 (24:21):
I know it's like the way they make the instruments
pop.
Speaker 3 (24:24):
Mm-hmm.
Speaker 1 (24:25):
Or they like, put a little electronic twist on these
.
Yes, simple.
Speaker 2 (24:31):
Oh, should we get a little preface to the Star
Spangled Banner here?
Speaker 1 (24:34):
Uh yeah, we could, for the land of the free, shout
out to Hot.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Tula Girl.
Speaker 1 (24:47):
Okay, all right.
Well, yeah, this is called theStar Spangled Banner, but this
is a hell of a rendition of it,so it kind of comes in.
Speaker 2 (25:18):
It's unclassifiable as Tom Jurek.
Speaker 1 (25:24):
Luton's a great bass player.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Well, it's him and his brother with bass and drums.
I mean, it's such a.
Speaker 1 (25:34):
Instinct between them .
Right, right, yeah.
Four-string, five-string,fretless, six-string electric
bass is what he's playing.
Right, it's pretty.
Speaker 2 (26:18):
Yeah, right now he's playing the 5 string fretless
Wow.
Speaker 1 (26:21):
Harmonica, howard.
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4 (26:35):
What a freak Cosmo Cosmo 75 light years from the
Earth.
The light by which we see thisstar has spent 75 years
traversing into stellar space onits journey to the Earth.
Speaker 2 (26:59):
That's the Star Spangled Banner right there.
Speaker 1 (27:01):
That's right, alright .
Speaker 3 (27:08):
Sorry, I guess a star is born.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Alright, that's as patriotic as tim is gonna get
all right pop culture,patriotism yeah, okay, this is
called star of the County TownWay down Way down, think of
(27:43):
what's in the picture.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
Do it, johnny Red Knee?
Okay, do it.
Speaker 3 (27:51):
Do it, do it All right and how are we feeling on
this one?
Speaker 2 (28:01):
This is like a country.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
Yeah, this is a good song.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
I feel like a futuristic John Wayne, like
Fifth Element, vibe, going on.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
This is something that you play in the background
before a TED Talk.
That's funny, I mean, it's good, it's enjoyable.
It should be in the background.
Speaker 2 (28:29):
It's a little elevator-y yeah it's elevator-y,
it should be in the backgrounda little elevator-y.
Yeah, it's elevator-y, itshould be in the background.
Speaker 1 (28:34):
Elevator-y yeah.
Or like the music in thebackground of your trip to
Yellowstone, or something likethat yeah down the secret
stairwells.
Speaker 2 (28:46):
Yeah Of Yellowstone.
Speaker 4 (28:49):
Take it easy, champ.
Why don't you stop talking for?
Speaker 3 (28:54):
a while.
Take it once and take it again.
Speaker 2 (29:03):
It's got the gravity.
It's got that sort of like yeah, floating through space,
gravity.
Shout out to Sandra Bullock.
You haven't done one of those.
(29:27):
Shout out to the runners.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
Yeah, shout out to the runners.
Who else would we Shout out tothe tea drinkers?
Shout out to the runners.
Who else will we Shout out tothe tea drinkers?
What else did we used to do inthe old days?
Speaker 2 (29:36):
Yeah, Shout out to the dolphins I don't know the
dolphin trippers.
Speaker 4 (29:57):
Yeah, to the radio while I'm collating, so I don't
see why I should have to turndown the radio.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Yeah, all right, he's like yeah milton loves bell
fleck in the flat zones reallydoes.
He listens to it on his radio.
Speaker 3 (30:11):
Yeah, at Inateck.
Speaker 1 (30:14):
At a reasonable value .
I was told.
I was told.
Speaker 3 (30:18):
The last time he did not receive a piece.
Speaker 2 (30:23):
It's chocolate, vanilla, vanilla, chocolate,
chocolate, vanilla, chocolate,vanilla.
Oh, I realize we forgot a wordfrom our sponsor.
A very good board game inbetween songs here, since this
(30:50):
isn't the flight of the CosmicKid, though, bring us down into
the three-dimensional realm ofconsumerism.
Speaker 1 (30:56):
You got that as a little bit of a palate cleanser
maybe.
Speaker 2 (31:00):
Yeah, we can do a little.
I'm loving this actually.
Speaker 1 (31:06):
This might be in my top three.
Speaker 3 (31:08):
Really Listen to this nice little bit here.
Speaker 2 (31:12):
Imagine them playing this live.
This is like Ravi Shankar stuffright here, do-do-do-do-do-do,
this is.
They probably jam on that one.
Speaker 1 (31:27):
Yeah, this is like background music of an R-rated
movie from the 90s.
Yeah, all right, we've got alittle palate cleanser before we
Just gonna do.
Speaker 2 (31:39):
All right, let's uh.
Speaker 3 (31:40):
It's Hungry, hungry Hippos.
First to gobble up the mostmarbles wins.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Hungry.
Speaker 3 (31:44):
Hungry Hippos, we're Hungry.
Hungry Hippos, we love to feedour face.
We're Hungry.
Speaker 2 (31:49):
Hungry Hippos, we love to feed our face.
Speaker 3 (31:51):
We're in an eating race.
How's?
Speaker 2 (31:53):
about dessert.
Okay, Takes me back to thatstupid plastic game.
Speaker 3 (32:02):
Yeah exactly when are these marbles?
Speaker 2 (32:03):
Yeah, this is like there's no marbles.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
There's too many marbles.
I don't think I ever playedthat game once it's this carpal
tunnel waiting to happen, I know.
It's like what is that?
Speaker 2 (32:15):
It's like Whack-A-Mole Jr without the
mallet.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (32:19):
Don't arm the children, just give them hippos
to eat marbles.
All right, we got Jekyll andHyde here, ted and Alice.
Speaker 1 (32:36):
This is kind of nice.
It's just Bella jamming right.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
This is a seven-minuter so.
Is it really Strap in One ofthe least visited on Spotify?
That's true.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
That's why we're here .
Let's give it a listen.
Speaker 2 (32:56):
Could be.
It Could be a deep hit.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
It's kind of hypnotic .
Have you ever heard this live?
How many times have you seenthem live?
Speaker 2 (33:22):
I don't think I've ever seen the band live, have
you?
Have you seen any of them?
Like just Victor, victor andStephen Bailey and their double
bass experiment, okay, and onstage, we're on stage.
Rams at, on stage, gotcha, yeah, um, it must have been awesome.
(33:44):
It was very unique, one of themost unique shows, two of the
best Different bassists, verydifferent style.
I feel like one of our friends.
(34:06):
Jordan Tice played with BellaFleck when he was in his teenage
years.
Uh-huh, now he's doing themusic thing in Nashville.
Speaker 3 (34:19):
Is it local now?
Speaker 2 (34:20):
Oh yeah, he's local to Maryland.
Around the Annapolis area.
Shout out to Jordan TiceExcellent, excellent guitarist.
Speaker 1 (34:34):
Oh, he must be.
Yeah, we do a little bit of acollab here with these guys.
Speaker 3 (34:42):
We do a little bit of a collab here with these guys
Maybe it's just a jam.
Speaker 1 (34:50):
This is good bass.
It must be hard to play bassand banjo at the same time,
right?
Speaker 2 (35:01):
It's almost like stepping on each other's toes a
little bit sometimes, the waythat yeah Trying to play right
after each other in this song.
Speaker 4 (35:39):
It's only a dream.
It's only a dream.
Here's Johnny.
Speaker 2 (35:50):
Jekyll and Hyde.
It builds up here Almost like aturtle rock scenario here.
Speaker 1 (36:00):
Yeah, this is a festival kind of interlude.
Speaker 2 (36:09):
I don't know how Victor is doing this With Howard
on keys sprinkling these.
This is a crowd favorite.
Speaker 1 (36:18):
It is a crowd favorite.
Is this a song you can get upto?
This is a crowd favorite.
Speaker 2 (36:25):
It is a crowd favorite.
I think so Okay In the jam bandworld.
Speaker 3 (36:32):
You know it's the longer of the song.
Speaker 1 (36:43):
That's not bad, I mean, it's kind of simple.
Speaker 2 (36:47):
They're linking up the bass and the harmonica, yeah
.
Speaker 1 (36:54):
You put it that way when you come across that you
don't.
Speaker 2 (37:01):
Oh then you put the banjo on top of it.
Speaker 1 (37:02):
Yeah, you can do everything.
A blues traveler, you know,came after these guys.
I'm sure they must have been insome way influenced, right?
Oh, definitely.
Speaker 2 (37:27):
They're hot.
This is straight fire.
Jekyll and Hyde, fire, fire.
I just love the crescendo.
I do too.
The longer that you wait forthe crescendo sometimes, the
(37:47):
better the song.
I agree, I don't know, maybe.
Speaker 1 (37:55):
It's all about the way they make you wait for it
you know?
Speaker 2 (38:11):
Did you know hippos are not related to horses and
are more closely related towhales and dolphins?
I didn't know that.
Yeah, they're closer to whales,more closely related to whales,
so More closely related towhales and dolphins than horses
Like who Than horses.
Speaker 3 (38:28):
Oh.
Speaker 2 (38:29):
Yeah, this is hippos, yeah, who.
Speaker 3 (38:33):
I was just like wait a minute, you're talking about
hippos.
Speaker 1 (38:36):
Kate, more associated with dolphins than horses.
Speaker 2 (38:40):
Oh yeah, I don't know what I'm saying.
Speaker 4 (38:44):
Take it easy champ.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
Okay, they're nocturnal, Hippos are nocturnal.
So I wonder when do they dream?
What do hippos dream?
What the hell they do?
Speaker 1 (39:00):
Nocturnal.
Yeah, it's like an emission.
Yeah, yeah, okay, drakkar Noir.
Maybe they have dry dreams, Idon't know.
Speaker 2 (39:15):
French dreams.
So we were both saying thissong is seemingly it's very
Drakkar.
Speaker 1 (39:24):
Noir-ish Drakkar Noir .
Yeah, my little darling.
Yeah, it's very Pepe Le Pew.
This is Michelle Madel, right.
Speaker 2 (39:34):
Michelle Madel.
Ah yes, Sunday, Monday.
This is the other big listeneron this.
Speaker 3 (39:54):
I love you.
It's very beautiful thismorning.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
what else they could have called it?
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Well, this piece is called Lick my Love Pump.
Speaker 4 (40:26):
Okay.
Speaker 1 (40:35):
Way down.
Speaker 4 (40:38):
I like what they're doing here, Still having eggs
coming at you.
Hold on people.
Speaker 2 (40:44):
Hope you got your griddles little ham sandwich on
on the side here.
Check it for a walk there,johnny here's Johnny.
I had some eggs.
(41:04):
You don't have an egg coming atyou, hold on, I kind of have
the eggs, just bacon, eggs,sourdough, you know.
Speaker 1 (41:16):
Don't forget the ham All.
Right howl, Don't forget theham All right howl.
Speaker 4 (41:26):
No, do not come with me to the Casbah.
We shall make beautiful musictogether right here.
C'est l'amour.
Speaker 3 (41:35):
C'est toujours.
I don't know what's going onhere, oh Wow.
Speaker 1 (42:11):
What a freak.
That's a fretless kind of thing.
Speaker 2 (42:13):
This is some Jocko.
This is like Jocko.
Speaker 1 (42:17):
What, what.
Speaker 2 (42:24):
So pitted.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
What man the Baron get pitted, so pitted.
Speaker 2 (42:48):
Okay, Howard.
Speaker 4 (43:01):
My fingers hurt.
Speaker 2 (43:05):
Yeah, they would hurt .
After this, it takes a manville.
Speaker 1 (43:11):
Oh.
Speaker 3 (43:11):
Grandma, now your back's going to hurt.
You just pulled landscape.
Speaker 2 (43:20):
Oh, the hand job.
The hand job, russell.
Excuse me, russell, but Ibelieve I requested the hand job
.
Thank you, wayne.
We're doing a little clip audithere, clip auditing for you.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
Like what.
Now I know why I got so manymore listens than Jekyll and
Hyde.
Speaker 3 (43:57):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (43:59):
And Ted and Alice.
Speaker 3 (44:07):
Sorry, I guess his daughter's born.
Speaker 2 (44:13):
Okay, All right this next one's called Hole in the
Wall.
We're going to keep digginghere.
Speaker 3 (44:19):
We're going to keep digging here Two day of mine.
You keep digging, I keepdigging here, we're going to
keep digging here Two damn man.
Speaker 1 (44:24):
You keep digging I'm digging it.
Speaker 3 (44:27):
Hey, we can't even get into like a second-rate
hotel.
Speaker 2 (44:48):
I mean a second-rate motel.
You dig, he's got his vitalhole.
Speaker 4 (45:06):
He's got his vital, his vital hole.
Speaker 2 (45:18):
That's pretty cool.
Oh, each time I looked around,the walls moved in a little
tighter.
Good timing on that.
One.
Slap of the bass.
Slap of the bass.
Who are you, howard's, slapping?
Speaker 4 (46:00):
I want to see you, howard, slapped.
Speaker 2 (46:10):
Slap the bass big time.
This album is crazy.
It's like a museum artifact.
Speaker 1 (46:21):
Yeah, I agree.
Shout out to Paul Rudd.
It's not the best big time.
Speaker 2 (46:28):
Get some tea.
Get some more tea on the kettle, stay with us.
Get some Darjeeling Chamomilemango.
Okay, oh, yeah, yeah, this iswhat.
Speaker 3 (46:46):
This is where Bella gets to just Uh Uh.
Wait, just a minute.
Speaker 1 (47:04):
I just I don't want to desecrate this with gassy
hole.
Speaker 2 (47:08):
Shout out to Kate McKinnon.
Speaker 3 (47:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (47:15):
The people out on the grass at all the various
festivals that Bella Fleck isplayed with.
Speaker 1 (47:38):
I pass on grass all the time.
Speaker 3 (47:58):
So you want another piece of cake, Milton hey, but
last time I didn't receive abeat and I was told, Just pass
to the radio while I'm to theradio, while I'm collating.
Speaker 4 (48:07):
So I don't see why I should have to turn down the
radio because I didn't repeat abeat and I was told.
Speaker 1 (48:20):
Just pass.
Yeah, Howard.
I like the way Howard and Bellaare playing with each other.
Speaker 2 (48:32):
And Victor.
They all play in a triptychlike rundown.
They do a triptych rundownRight.
Andown, they do a triptychrundown right, and then they
play a chase part right, right,and then up the key, up the
scale down.
I mean I know it's so crazy.
(48:53):
They're musical geniuses, Iknow, I think lagoon, I think
waterfall.
Speaker 3 (48:59):
I think tropical, this I think waterfall, I think
tropical.
Speaker 2 (49:02):
This is a cement hole .
Speaker 1 (49:09):
Okay, this is a Flame of the Cosmic Hippo, reprise
From song four.
And you know I mean this is agreat song, I'm gonna.
I'm calling it a hit and Igonna this is I'm discounting it
, I'm disqualifying it well, Imean, you can put it in slow
(49:32):
down, okay no, this is wherethey slow down.
Speaker 4 (49:36):
Yes, it's good, it's tolerable there's something
happened to him, love.
Speaker 1 (49:52):
Spicoli loves the Cosmic Hippo yeah, I'm stressing
out because I don't know whatI'm going to choose.
It's like oh, I'm going tochoose, oh, I'm going to just Do
.
You know what yours are.
Speaker 2 (50:12):
Yeah, definitely Do you want to.
Should we start it up?
Yeah, let's start it up, allright?
Speaker 1 (50:20):
Number three, number three Number three for me.
Speaker 2 (50:25):
Shout out to our sponsor Happy Fun Ball.
Speaker 4 (50:29):
And by Happy.
Speaker 1 (50:29):
Fun Ball, please, man , that was actually funny.
Speaker 2 (50:35):
We got number three Hole in the Wall, Hole in the
Wall.
Speaker 1 (50:40):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2 (50:43):
Oh, that is a great choice.
The chase is amazing.
I know it's this sort of likeit.
It tires you out so good you'regonna sleep.
Speaker 1 (50:52):
well, that's kind of the song it is yeah, that's the
one in it early on in it theywere kind of playing off each
other sort of yeah that.
Yeah.
It was that whole chase, youknow, like the banjo chasing the
harmonica and back and forth.
Yeah, you know, I love that too, man.
Yeah, For my number three, I'mgoing to go Turtle Rock.
Oh, Because he was reallyjamming in that one, wasn't he?
(51:15):
Yeah, and it was that jammingpart that you know that put me
over the top.
So I'm going to make that mynumber three, Wow.
Speaker 2 (51:25):
Okay, man, this is tough.
Speaker 1 (51:32):
I know.
Speaker 2 (51:33):
Because I did really like Star of the County Down and
that very ending of it and thatvery ending of it.
I want to exclude the titletrack from I mean, yeah, I'm
going star of the county down,I'm just doing it okay.
(51:53):
Number two it had a greatending, you could tell that was
the improv like yeah, you door,door opener.
That's like their sort of umdeep jam in, probably when they
played live.
Speaker 1 (52:08):
I would have to check set list right but yeah all
right, my number two is going tobe number the first song blue
bob, blue bob.
Yes, I thought that that wasjust I mean yeah, just like the
Bass playing in it Early on.
It set a tone For the wholealbum.
Strap in because we're gonna.
(52:28):
They just come right at youfull force, all of their Best
stuff.
You know, really A lot of itcomes out at the very beginning
and I think it was well placedas the number one song.
Speaker 2 (52:42):
It's my number two song okay, um, so what's my
number one here?
I'm going.
I'm going turtle rock.
Yeah, because it deserves it.
Second listen, listen, second,third listen.
That's like the song that Iwant to listen to the most.
Yeah, probably because, if it'smy music profile, more rock and
(53:07):
roll, jazz fusion yeah, insteadof.
But you know, I have a place inmy heart for Michelle and
flight of the cosmic hippo,great, great riff.
And the first two songs weregood.
Speaker 1 (53:21):
But yeah, yeah, they're.
I mean those are, I mean allthese songs are great and you
can probably I mean this is abad.
This is a hard album to do thiskind of an exercise because,
yeah, at any given day I canlisten to it again and choose
three different other, you know.
Speaker 2 (53:35):
But yeah, walk around with this on.
Run around with this on.
Yeah, walk around your house.
It's good stuff.
Just Walk around your house.
It's good stuff.
Just keep it on in thebackground.
It's good stuff, yeah.
Speaker 1 (53:45):
My number one is going to be Hole in the Wall.
Yeah, wow, I love that.
The chase did it for me andit's right in the middle of the
song and I feel like it's buriedin there.
It's got the least amount oflistens on Spotify, and and it's
got the least amount of listenson Spotify and that chase part
of it just blew me away.
(54:05):
And I don't get blown away bybluegrass or jazz or anything
like that, but jazz is coming upon me.
I used to dismiss it and I'mlike I don't know if it's just
We've got to do some jazz albums, exactly, we might go down that
road, maybe some blues, I mean,you know, exactly, we might go
down that road, maybe some blues.
Speaker 2 (54:22):
I mean you know yeah.
Speaker 1 (54:24):
There's a lot from the 90s.
Maybe we can even go into somePrince again.
I don't know.
We'll open it up, but I thinkthat puts a bow on it right.
Speaker 4 (54:31):
I'm the.
Speaker 3 (54:31):
Booker Dolores today.
Speaker 2 (54:33):
Yeah, big money Cake us up.
Rock on All right.
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