Bassist Victor Wooten began his musical career early. At age three, his
brother Regi taught him to play bass, and at age five he made his stage debut
with his four older brothers in the Wootens, playing songs by R&B mainstays like
James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, War, and Curtis Mayfield. After playing
regional tours and opening for acts like Mayfield and War, the Wootens recorded
an album in 1985. However, the record received little commercial or critical
response, and eventually the Wooten Brothers found other gigs. By 1988, Victor
Wooten moved to Nashville to join a rock band, and the following year met Béla
Fleck, the banjo player for New Grass Revival. Fleck was forming a jazz group to
appear on a TV show; he recruited Wooten, his brother Roy on drums, and Howard
Levy on keyboards and harmonica. As the Flecktones, the group earned numerous
accolades, including four Grammy nominations and a number one album on the jazz
charts.
As the '90s progressed, Wooten added a solo recording career and numerous
collaborations to his duties in the Flecktones. Along with solo albums like
1996's A Show of Hands and the following year's What Did He Say?, Wooten
contributed to albums by friends like David Grier, Paul Brady, and Branford
Marsalis' Buckshot LeFonque. His third solo album, Yin-Yang, which featured
appearances by Fleck, Bootsy Collins, and the Wooten Brothers, was released in
1999. Live in America from 2001 documented four years on the road in a
double-disc package. After tours with the Flecktones and a 2001 release/tour
with the group Bass Extremes, Wooten returned to his solo career in 2005 with
the album Soul Circus. Released in 2008, Palmystery included turns by violinist
Eric Silver and harmonica player Howard Levy. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide
Here is Victor doing "Amazing Grace" on the Bass
This is a short little bass solo by Victor
This is a great little introduction to Victor Wooten
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