Biography
Victor Wooten stands out as an exceptionally talented and adaptable bassist whose performances bridge jazz, bluegrass, funk, and progressive rock. Long ranked among the greatest bassists ever, he first gained widespread attention through his role in the Grammy-winning Béla Fleck & the Flecktones. On his own, Wooten has issued multiple respected solo albums and earned Bass Player of the Year honors from Bass Player magazine on three occasions. He also belongs to the all-bassist supergroup S.M.V. with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller.
Wooten entered the world in 1964 in Idaho. His Air Force family relocated repeatedly until his parents established roots in Newport News, Virginia. At three years old, his brother Regi instructed him on bass, and by five he performed onstage for the first time alongside his four older siblings in the Wootens, interpreting material from R&B stalwarts such as James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, War, and Curtis Mayfield. Following regional touring and opening slots for Mayfield and War, the Wootens cut an album in 1985. The release attracted scant commercial or critical notice, prompting the brothers to pursue separate projects while still reuniting for tours and further recordings.
In 1988 Wooten relocated to Nashville to join a rock band. The next year he encountered banjoist Béla Fleck of New Grass Revival. Fleck was assembling a jazz outfit for a television appearance and enlisted Wooten along with brother Roy on drums and Howard Levy on keyboards and harmonica. Performing as the Flecktones, the quartet accumulated extensive recognition that included four Grammy nominations and a jazz-chart-topping album with 1991’s Flight of the Cosmic Hippo.
Throughout the 1990s Wooten balanced his Flecktones commitments with a growing solo catalog and additional collaborations. His early solo efforts encompassed 1996’s A Show of Hands and 1997’s What Did He Say?, while guest appearances appeared on projects by David Grier, Paul Brady, and Branford Marsalis’ Buckshot LeFonque. The 1999 third solo release Yin-Yang showcased contributions from Fleck, Bootsy Collins, and the Wooten Brothers. The 2001 double-disc set Live in America captured four years of live performances.
Following Flecktones tours and a 2001 Bass Extremes project and tour, Wooten resumed solo work with 2005’s Soul Circus. Palmystery arrived in 2008 and incorporated violinist Eric Silver and harmonica player Howard Levy. In 2011 Wooten issued the bass-and-vocals-centric solo album A Show of Hands. That same year the Flecktones reconvened for Rocket Science, which earned a Grammy and topped the Billboard jazz chart.
Wooten issued two albums in 2012: the vocal-oriented Words & Tones and the instrumental Sword & Stone. He rejoined the Wooten Brothers for a reunion tour in 2013. His tenth solo album, TRYPNOTYX, appeared in 2017 and featured drummer Dennis Chambers, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, vocalist Varijashree Venugopal, and vocal-effects innovator Michael Winslow.
Wooten entered the world in 1964 in Idaho. His Air Force family relocated repeatedly until his parents established roots in Newport News, Virginia. At three years old, his brother Regi instructed him on bass, and by five he performed onstage for the first time alongside his four older siblings in the Wootens, interpreting material from R&B stalwarts such as James Brown, Sly & the Family Stone, War, and Curtis Mayfield. Following regional touring and opening slots for Mayfield and War, the Wootens cut an album in 1985. The release attracted scant commercial or critical notice, prompting the brothers to pursue separate projects while still reuniting for tours and further recordings.
In 1988 Wooten relocated to Nashville to join a rock band. The next year he encountered banjoist Béla Fleck of New Grass Revival. Fleck was assembling a jazz outfit for a television appearance and enlisted Wooten along with brother Roy on drums and Howard Levy on keyboards and harmonica. Performing as the Flecktones, the quartet accumulated extensive recognition that included four Grammy nominations and a jazz-chart-topping album with 1991’s Flight of the Cosmic Hippo.
Throughout the 1990s Wooten balanced his Flecktones commitments with a growing solo catalog and additional collaborations. His early solo efforts encompassed 1996’s A Show of Hands and 1997’s What Did He Say?, while guest appearances appeared on projects by David Grier, Paul Brady, and Branford Marsalis’ Buckshot LeFonque. The 1999 third solo release Yin-Yang showcased contributions from Fleck, Bootsy Collins, and the Wooten Brothers. The 2001 double-disc set Live in America captured four years of live performances.
Following Flecktones tours and a 2001 Bass Extremes project and tour, Wooten resumed solo work with 2005’s Soul Circus. Palmystery arrived in 2008 and incorporated violinist Eric Silver and harmonica player Howard Levy. In 2011 Wooten issued the bass-and-vocals-centric solo album A Show of Hands. That same year the Flecktones reconvened for Rocket Science, which earned a Grammy and topped the Billboard jazz chart.
Wooten issued two albums in 2012: the vocal-oriented Words & Tones and the instrumental Sword & Stone. He rejoined the Wooten Brothers for a reunion tour in 2013. His tenth solo album, TRYPNOTYX, appeared in 2017 and featured drummer Dennis Chambers, saxophonist Bob Franceschini, vocalist Varijashree Venugopal, and vocal-effects innovator Michael Winslow.
Albums
Singles
