Rocket Science

Not many bands would reinvigorate itself by inviting a member who had left them 18 years ago back into the fold, but that’s exactly what Béla Fleck & the Flecktones have done. The original quartet - with pianist/harmonica player Howard Levy - hit Paramount Theatre last night with something to prove to both themselves and their dedicated local following.

Over the course of two sets, each more than an hour long, banjo master Fleck, along with Levy, bassist Victor Wooten and the pirate-costumed Futureman on Synthaxe Drumatar (a hand-held drum synthesizer) and other, more traditional percussion, showcased both new material from the recent album Rocket Science and tunes from older albums like Flight of the Cosmic Hippo.

One thing Flecktones fans know is that each member of the band is an expert at their instrument. There was plenty of sensational soloing throughout and each received extended, unaccompanied time to spotlight their individualized talents. But it was as an ensemble that they really shined, whether trading riffs in odd time signatures or blowing holes in music normally made with acoustic instruments.

Fleck’s dream of leading a jazz-fusion act similar to Chick Corea’s Return To Forever, improbable because his instrument is not your obvious jazz ax, was fully realized with this quartet, and it was great to see it live again. Yes, there was noodling in the best jam band tradition, but there was also Eastern European melodies, Vince Guaraldi sweetness, southern soul, and prog rock bombast. Flame haired fiddler Casey Driessen came out towards to the end of both sets to add even more brilliance to the stage and Geezerville fave Abigail Washburn joined them unexpectedly to sing a more traditional number as an encore.

Over the course of more than two hours, Flecktones music did get a bit repetitious. But this wasn’t quite the trip back to 1990 I expected. It’s not rocket science after all.