Most readers of the site will recognize Howard Levy's name from his work as an original member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Since leaving that group in 1992, he has worked on a variety of realms, adding keyboards and harmonica to the performances of Ken Nordine, Kenny Loggins, Dolly Parton and Trio Globo (among many others). However, his most recent release is of particular interest to this community. The Stranger's Hand, a project that was recorded over nine days in Marin County, California, brings him together with Oteil Burbridge (ARU, Allman Brothers Band) Jerry Goodman (Mahavishnu Orchestra, Dixie Dregs) and Steve Smith (Jean-Luc Ponty, Ronnie Montrose). The following conversation touched on a Stranger's Hand, as well as Levy's earlier associations. For more info on Howard's current endeavors, and to gander at the full scope of his career visit his web site at http://www.eclectus.net/howard

DB- How did The Stranger's Hand come together?

HL- I guess Mike Varney had the idea. Steve called me one afternoon very humbly saying "Hi, this is Steve Smith. I'm a friend of Victor Wooten's." And I said, "Is this Steve Smith, the drummer? You're incredible!" And he asked me about doing this, and I said yes, and then he said, "Can you do it in 2 weeks?" It was such short notice, but I was free.

DB- How familiar were you with the three other players prior to those sessions?

HL- I had the greatest admiration for all of them as players. I met Steve once at the 1994 Namm show in Anaheim. I was playing there for Hohner, and he was doing drum clinics. He did some 2 drum things with Deen Castronovo, and I loved everything about his playing. I went up to him afterwards and asked him some questions about what he was doing rhythmically, although he didn't remember me talking with him.

I heard Oteil with ARU when I was on the H.O.R.D.E. Tour with the Flecktones in '92, and I thought that he was the most interesting and talented electric bassist that I'd ever heard. Let's put it this way- after being totally spoiled by playing with Victor Wooten, he was the ONLY other electric bassist I ever heard live who I liked as much. We talked a little, and I tried to stay in touch after I quit the FT's. I always had it in the back of my mind to record with him.

Even though we both lived in Chicago, I had never played with Jerry. We played on a few jingles together, but we were overdubbing separately. I was very familiar with the Mahavishnu stuff and had heard some of his records, but he blew me away with his great swing playing on the soundtrack of "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels", a not very good film with a great music soundtrack. Jerry's violin was the featured instrument, and I stayed and watched all the credits roll by just to see who had done all that great playing- I wasn't the only one, either! So I was very excited to finally get to play with him. We played together once in Chicago after the recording, did "Brick Chicken" with his Chicago band. It was wonderful to play it together live.

DB- What were your expectations for those sessions and were they realized?

HL- None of us had ever played together and we all admired each other's playing. I was so happy to be playing with everyone- it was really inspiring. I didn't know what was going to happen. The one thing I insisted on was that I didn't play any synths, and I'm glad . I just am not interested in doing that any more. As it turned out, everybody contributed to the writing, which was great. I got a particular thrill out of the 2 improvs with Steve, "Elvin" and "Up". Those were totally spontaneous but felt like we were mutually composing them- a very strong telepathic thing. There was such variety- such a broad range of emotions and styles in the music- And a lot of HARD WORK, especially working on Jerry's tunes. You grow from things like that! The solo I took on the title track, I didn't know I had it in me! Jerry's intensity was very kick-ass inspiring.

There were things Oteil did on Caliente and Sufferin' Catfish that were so perfect they made me laugh when he played them and every time I listen now. And Steve's suggestion that I do Moonchild rubato was great- I never would have thought of that. Plus, he made me change the ending on that and Caliente, both bringing far better results. That's a real collaboration, where everyone has ideas and everyone listens. There were great vibes, it was a great hang, Steve was a very gracious host- we all stayed at his place. I would do it again.

DB- Will you? In particular will this line-up be performing live?

HL- I'd do it at the drop of a hat, but there are no plans so far as I know.

DB- Many of our readers will be wondering what else have you been doing since you stopped actively performing with the Flecktones?

HL- What is actively performing? I quit the Flecktones in Dec of 92, and played 3 times with them in, I think, '94. It's been 7 years- I've done a ton of stuff! A lot of touring with the following: Kenny Loggins-2 cd's, Trio Globo -2 cd's(with Glen Velez and Gene Friesen), Rabih Abou Khalil- 2 cd's, Michael Riessler- cd, played on 3 movie soundtracks (especially A Family Thing, which featured my harp playing). I probably have appeared on 30-40 cd's in that time- it's hard to keep track of it. Play a lot in Europe, have my own band in Chicago, composed a classical suite for harmonica and chamber ensemble in '95 which I've performed maybe 10 times in the US and Europe, recorded Astor Piazzola's 5 Tango Sensations for American Grammaphone with a string quintet (which should be coming out soon.) I just did a cd in Amsterdam with bassist Dean Peer that will be out in January on Turtle Records. In May I perform a triple concerto written for me, Michael Riessler and Jean Louis Matinier with the Bayerischer Rundfuinks Symphony in Munich. We just did a tour of Germany.

Last summer I played a string of festivals with Astral Project and Bobby McFerrin- playing with Bobby was a dream come true. And I just played a weekend in New Orleans with James Singleton and Johnny Vidacovich from Astral, along with a fantastic pedal steel guitarist named David Easley. I hope to do more with that group! I've done solo concerts on piano and harmonica, composed and performed music with Indian dancer Ranee Ramaswamy and 6 poets at the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis, played twice on Prairie Home Companion, put on a festival called Harmonica Summit in Chapel Hill, NC, that we hope will turn into an annual event. The 2000 Summit will be in Minneapolis. I've done concerts in NY and London with word jazz artist Ken Nordine. The last one, at Queen Elizabeth Hall, was recorded and might be released. [editor's note: again for updates visit http://www.eclectus.net/howard]

DB- Jumping back, how did you originally meet Bela and come to perform in the Flecktones?

HL- I met Bela at the Winnepeg Folk Festival in 1988 (I think) where I was playing with Trapezoid. My good friend Lorraine Duisit dragged us together and made us play. We started in the lobby, then went up to my room where we played till 7 am. It was great- that was the start. There was a strong musical bond.(I guess that's a 90's word and that was the 80's, but we bonded.) So when Dick Van Kleeck of Lonesome Pine in Louisville asked Bela to put an unusual band together for his TV show, I was the first one he thought of. And right around that time, he met Vic (heard his playing over the phone) and through him, Roy. So those guys rehearsed at Bela's house in Nville, and I flew down the night before the show, only to find that a power failure had knocked out the electricity on his block! Needless to say, I never got to hear Future Man. We couldn't really rehearse, so the 4 of us piled into Bela's BMW and drove to L'ville. The first time we played together was at sound check the next afternoon. After the show when the audience went nuts, we looked at each other and said "I think this must be a band". And that was the start of it all.

DB- How challenging was it to find your musical space within that group?

It wasn't challenging at all - we were a band. Everything was new and exciting. The arrangements grew organically- I got to do things I had never done before- it was thrilling. Everyone had his space. After a few years I felt like I had done it and that I had to move on, like so many musicians in so many bands have done and will continue to do. And I have, and so have they. I feel really good about it all.

DB- Have you seen or heard the Flecktones perform since 1994, and what do you think about the group's sound today?

HL- I've only heard recordings. Believe it or not, whenever they were in Chicago, I was either on the road or playing a gig in town at the same time. I've heard that they sound great live, and that the sax player gets to stretch out a lot more than on Left of Cool. The last cd seemed to be moving in a more overtly mainstream direction. I hate labels, but overall it was more pop and rock, with vocals, too(!) and less experimental and jazzy.

I know that they've gone out with a variety of guest artists, too, and I'm sure that each of them put their slant on the sound. With Sam Bush and Stuart Duncan, more bluegrassy, etc. I think that's good. Keeps you from getting painted in a corner. I know that they sure are selling a lot of cd's.

DB- You mentioned that you first bet Bela through Trapezoid. A friend of mine really loved that group. Describe Trapezoid's music for those people have never heard it.

HL- They had the sensitivity of a classical chamber group. Their music was a very eclectic blend of Appalachian, classical, medieval, swing, and some pretty abstract modern-classical and jazz influenced originals with great lyrics composed by Lorraine (whose mother is a French classical pianist). There were two men and two women, and the name derives from the shape of the hammer dulcimer. The band originated as a hammer dulcimer quartet.

The two women, Freyda Epstein and Lorraine, each had beautiful voices and sang very distinctive and heartwrenching harmonies to go along with the instrumentation of hammered dulcimer, guitar, fiddle, mandola, bowed psaltery, bass, cello. They were all good friends, and I loved playing harmonica and weaving in and out of their vocals. If you can find them, check out Trapezoid's "In the Cool of the Day" and Lorraine's "Hawks and Herons". I think they are both in the Rounder catalogue.

DB- One final question. Over the past few years you've played in a lot of different contexts with a series of players. Is it difficult to make these transitions? Any stories along these lines? Do you have a favorite genre or group of players, which come the closest to providing your ideal musical experience?

HL- Sometimes, making the transition can be difficult, especially from a primarily harmonica gig to a primarily piano one. But if the energy and musicality of the previous gig is really high, it can carry you through, like riding a wave. One of the great things about variety is that you can have a lot of high level experiences in many genres. Some of the greatest gigs I ever played were with the never-recorded quartet of Rabih Abou Khalil, Mark Nauseef, Michel Godard, and myself. We had a magic interactive energy whose whole was greater than the sum of its parts. I would also have to say that composing and performing Harmonia Mundi was a huge breakthrough for me. Writing a 15 minute long composed piece for 6 instruments was a challenge that brought out things that I never could have come up with in my usual settings where the tunes are mostly used as vehicles for improvisation.

Trio Globo on a great night can be a peak experience for the band and the audience. The material is highly structured, but we also take off into free improvs that at their best, sound more composed than many of the pieces. I don't think I've ever been in another band whose members are all composers, and who really like to play each others' music.