Bela Fleck and the Flecktones to jazz up campus

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, who fuse jazz, rock and bluegrass, will descend on campus February 17 like the "flying cosmic hippo" that graces the cover of their second album. The Grammy-winning band -- which has shared the stage with Bruce Hornsby, the Grateful Dead, Branford Marsalis and Phish -- will headline a concert organized by the Social Planning and Events Committee Jazz and Concert divisions in the University Museum's Harrison Auditorium. Tickets for the 810 available reserved seats went on sale two days ago for $10 to Penn students and $15 to the general public. SPEC Concert Committee Co-Chairperson and Wharton senior Allison Rosen said she anticipates a sold-out concert, adding that those "who want close seats better act fast." SPEC members would not say how much the group is being paid for its appearance. The group has enjoyed international success since its formation just eight years ago. But band members have said that this past year -- which earned them a Grammy award for best pop instrumental performance for an orchestra, group or soloist -- was their most enjoyable. Fleck, often said to have "revolutionized the banjo" with his electric use of the instrument and virtuoso talent, heads the group. Bassist Victor Lemonte Wooten gained recent recognition when he was named Bass Player magazine's performer of the year for 1997. And Roy Wooten, also known as "Future Man," completes the original trio with the synth-axe drumitar, a customized electronic instrument that incorporates drums and percussion. The band spends most of its time touring. The Penn concert marks the ninth stop on the group's 1998 tour, which already includes a European trip and dates through July at such venues as Cornell and Johns Hopkins universities. Since the Flecktones' appeal transcends generation and background, SPEC also made tickets available to non-Penn students through the Annenberg Center's ticket office. In the past, SPEC has brought many popular rock bands to campus, including Morphine and Luscious Jackson. But according to SPEC Jazz Co-Chairperson Dave Wachs, the appearance of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones marks a unique concert experience at the University. Fans of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, often called Fleckheads, said they are attracted to the group's "mellowness" and on-stage spontaneity. "Their sound is distinct because it appeals to a different section of the jazz community," said Wachs, an Engineering and Wharton junior. "It's something different, a chance to get away from the traditional saxophone sound and appeal to a large number of people." SPEC Jazz Committee member and Engineering junior Sumit Bothra said he expects the concert to be "really wild." "These aren't your typical Zanzibar Blue musicians," he said. "They've invented their own style, and it will be a packed house." Wacht added that the mission statement of SPEC Jazz includes goals to "bring jazz to the eyes and ears of the University community." "The concert will appeal to many groups of people because [the Flecktones] combine different genres of music," Rosen said. "It's more than simply jazz and rock."

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