 Fame
& Fortune: Victor Wooten
Bass player extraordinaire
has all his bases covered
| Victor Wooten
is one of those performers that other musicians speak of in hushed tones. Since
the release of the debut album "Bela Fleck & The Flecktones" in
1990, Flecktones' bass master Wooten has been regarded widely as the fastest,
most adventurous and just generally most impressive bass player in the world.
Perfectly combined with jazz banjo player Fleck, pianist/harmonica player Howard
Levy, and his own brother, Roy, on a guitar-shaped electronic drum kit of his
own invention, Wooten has wowed audiences with bass solos of effortless dexterity
and musicianship.
Over the years, the Flecktones have gone through
various permutations. Levy departed after three albums, and guest stars like Branford
Marsalis and Sam Bush have recorded with the remaining trio. Wooten, meanwhile,
has carved out an impressive solo career while bolstering his reputation. While
his Flecktones were growing in popularity, appearing on The Tonight Show and winning
a Grammy Award, Wooten won Bass Player Magazine's Bass Player of the Year Award
three times and has twice been named Bassist of the Year at the Nashville Music
Awards. Wooten's fourth solo album, "Soul
Circus," was released this past April. The CD features appearances from funk
legend Bootsy Collins, as well as several other members of the talented Wooten
family, including brothers Regi Wooten on guitar and Joseph Wooten on keyboards
and Derico Watson on drums. Victor and the band are currently on tour promoting
"Soul Circus," a tour that will include select dates opening for Dave
Matthews Band. Bankrate spoke to Victor while he was
en route to Austin, Texas, for a show. Bankrate:
Why the title "Soul Circus"? Victor
Wooten: Once you see the live show, it'll make complete sense. Every member
of the band is like a ring leader. They each have their own act and can have their
own band. But also, someone did a review of our show and compared it to a soul
circus, and I thought the term fit. I do some acrobatic things with my guitars
and so does my brother Regi. There's a lot of action on stage, so it can be reminiscent
of a circus. Bankrate: Action? Victor
Wooten: I have a few different stunts I do. On any given night, you might
see the bass levitate through the air and then disappear. There's no telling what
you might see at one of our performances. Bankrate:
How does this CD differ from your previous solo recordings? Victor
Wooten: This CD is more focused. On earlier CDs you might have had a pop
tune next to a jazz tune next to a rock tune. On this one, I made sure every song
was radio-friendly, but in a way that didn't sacrifice the integrity of the music.
Bankrate: You tour a lot, and
you have the Flecktones recordings and solo recordings and merchandise. At this
point, what is your greatest source of income? Victor
Wooten: Touring with the Flecktones. At least 80 percent of my touring
is with the Flecktones. Bankrate:
Compared to the Flecktones, does the solo career greatly enhance your business,
or is it just a source of creative fulfillment? Victor
Wooten: My solo career has reached the point to where
it can sustain itself. I wouldn't consider it to be equal to the Flecktones monetarily,
but it's risen to the amount that if I ever decided to just do that, I could still
make a living. But I'm very fortunate that I have a choice of different things
that I can do -- the Flecktones, my own touring and touring with other bands as
well.
| 
