The University of Vermont and hip-hop music do not conjure up synonymous images in most people's minds.
So those expecting only tired-sounding Phish cover bands out of northern Vermont will be pleasantly surprised by Belizbeha, an eight piece hip-hop/jazz ensemble from UVM.
While rap and the wilds of New England may at first seem like strange bedfellows, Belizbeha proves that the combination can work.
Their first full-length album "Charlie's Dream," released late last year, shows innovative musicianship.
By any standards, the band is on its way to the top.
Belizbeha has played at established venues such as the Club Metronome in Burlington, Vt., The Bayou in Washington, D.C., the Wetlands in New York and Club Soda in Montreal.
They have had no problem performing with ease at schools such as Middlebury College, Hamilton College, Emory University and at their alma mater UVM's Oktoberfest.
The band described in their release that their audience demographics consists of people aged from 10-40 years, a male/female ratio of 40/60, and racially mixed groups with college students forming the core constituency.
Russ Weis, the manager of Club Metronome, wrote, "To find a new, young band with talent is rare; to find one with the energy to take a town by storm and create a unique vibe is rarer still ..."
"All these traits and more have been undeniably present in the brief yet inspiring career of Belizbeha, the Burlington, Vt.-based band that, as suggested by its name, mixes a range of musical styles from A to Z."
The band, according to a press release, has embarked on an aggressive marketing strategy by setting up a home page on the World Wide Web, releasing a weekly newsletter and arranging an active touring schedule.
Their Web page, located at http://www.together.com/~belizbeh/, offers fans the opportunity to catch up on the band's latest information, such as performance dates.
The group's rapping style is refreshing not because it is radically new, but because it recalls the good old days when rap was not reserved solely for self-congratulatory paeans to violent urban ghetto life.
People searching for an aggressive, fast-paced rapping style in the Onyx vein may be surprised by the relaxing, mellifluous rhymes of Belizbeha. Then again, the change of pace might be welcome.
Eschewing the current trend towards violent lyrics about brutal life in the inner cities on the West Coast, Belizbeha lyric writers Fattiebumballattie and G-WiZ write songs containing minimal swearing and self-adulation.
The subject matter of the songs extend from humor as in tunes such as "Only If," to an examination of black history on the song "Catch the Flow."
Belizbeha backs up their raps with captivating acid jazz. The combination of rap and jazz is seldom heard, but the group fuses the two music styles remarkably well, creating a fascinating hybrid form of music.
The combination of hip-hop and jazz makes for an original sound that fans of different types of music will find interesting to listen to.
Whether it's rap, jazz, hip-hop or dance music, Belizbeha plays it all, and with no small amount of skill.
It is hard to say which section of Belizbeha is the band's best. All members of the eight-piece band show talent that makes the jazz/hip- hop combination work.
Guitarist Bob Dunham's chords' are precise and rhythmic. In the horns section, Joey Somerville's wailing, brassy trumpet rounds out songs well, not to mention the dynamite sax playing by Dave Grippo and Chris Peterman.
The group's solid horn and guitar section means that rather than sampling melodies from previous artists, Belizbeha writes most of their music.
Occasionally, the group does sample tunes, but the borrowing is kept to a minimum. The jazz/hip-hop ensemble mostly sample for fun, such as in the ten-second breakdown into the "Sesame Street" theme song on "Only If," a hysterically funny addition to the song.
"Charlie's Dream" also features several dance tunes, again with an acid jazz backdrop. These tunes, such as "K's Groove," would be best heard live on a dance floor.
And while the chord progressions are captivating, these songs drag on too long for a passive listener.
Nonetheless, for a hip-hop fan tired of rappers on television flashing BMWs and 9-millimeter handguns, Belizbeha is a welcome change of pace.
While the meaning of their name is unclear, Belizbeha's original blend of music styles, talented lyrics and songwriting make them a name to look for in the future, and a band to check out if you see them playing nearby. This octet from Vermont is sure to take the hip-hop scene by storm.
