Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bassist, songwriter, and record producer. He has been the bassist for

Béla Fleck and the Flecktones Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''wh ...

since the group's formation in 1988 and a member of the band SMV with two other bassists,

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, film composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first ja ...

and

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his work as a bassist. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandros ...

. From 2017 to 2019 he recorded as the bassist for the metal band

Nitro Nitro may refer to: Chemistry *Nitrogen, a chemical element and a gas except at very low temperatures, with which many compounds are formed: **Nitro compound, an organic compound containing one or more nitro functional groups, -NO2 **Nitroalkene, ...

. He owns Vix Records, which releases his albums. He wrote the novel ''The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music''. He later released the book's sequel, ''The Spirit of Music: The Lesson Continues,'' on February 2nd, 2021. Wooten is the recipient of five

Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...

s. He won the Bass Player of the Year award from '' Bass Player'' magazine three times and is the first person to win the award more than once. In 2011, he was ranked No. 10 in the Top 10 Bassists of All Time by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' magazine. In 2018-2019 Wooten was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition called

focal dystonia Focal dystonia, or focal task specific dystonia, is a neurological condition, a type of '' dystonia'', that affects a muscle or group of muscles in a specific part of the body during specific activities, causing involuntary muscular contractions an ...

in his hands and upper body, which had been limiting his ability to play in previous years, but has since abated somewhat.

Early life and career

Born to Dorothy and Elijah Wooten, Victor is the youngest of the five Wooten brothers; Regi, Roy, Rudy, and Joseph Wooten are all musicians. Regi began to teach Victor to play bass when he was two, and by the age of six, he was performing with his brothers in their family band, The Wooten Brothers Band. As a United States Air Force family, they moved often when Wooten was young. The family settled in

Newport News, Virginia Newport News () is an independent city in the U.S. state of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 186,247. Located in the Hampton Roads region, it is the 5th most populous city in Virginia and 140th most populous city in the U ...

in 1972. Wooten graduated from Denbigh High School in 1982. While in high school, he and his brothers played in the country music venue at

Busch Gardens Busch Gardens is the name of two amusement parks in the United States, owned and operated by SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. The original park is in Tampa, Florida, and the second park is in Williamsburg, Virginia. There were also previously B ...

theme park in Williamsburg, Virginia. In 1987, he traveled to Nashville, Tennessee, to visit friends that he made at the theme park. One of them was a studio engineer who introduced him to

Béla Fleck Béla Anton Leoš Fleck (born July 10, 1958) is an American banjo player. An acclaimed virtuoso, he is an innovative and technically proficient pioneer and ambassador of the banjo, bringing the instrument from its bluegrass roots to jazz, classi ...

, with whom he has often collaborated. In 2000, Wooten created a music program called Bass/Nature camp that was expanded into Victor Wooten's Center for Music and Nature and includes all instruments. His camps are at Wooten Woods, a 147-acre retreat in Only, Tennessee, near Nashville. Wooten co-leads the "Victor Wooten/Berklee Summer Bass Workshop" at Berklee College of Music in Boston. At Berklee and his own camps, he collaborates with Berklee Bass Department chair,

Steve Bailey Steve Bailey is an American bassist. He is the chair of the bass department at Berklee College of Music. Career Bailey began playing bass guitar at age 12 and started playing fretless bass after he ran over his fretted Stuart Spector with his ...

. The two bassists have been teaching together since the early 1990s. He was featured on the May/June 2014 cover of '' Making Music Magazine'' to discuss the camps.

Instruments

Wooten is most often seen playing

Fodera Fodera is an American manufacturer of electric bass guitars in Brooklyn, New York. Vinny Fodera and Joey Lauricella launched the company around 1983 after dissolving their working relationship with Ken Smith Basses. The company also manufactures ...

basses, of which he has a signature model. His most famous Fodera, a 1983 Monarch Deluxe he refers to as "number 1," sports a

Kahler Tremolo System The Kahler Tremolo System is an electric guitar bridge with a cam operated vibrato arm system. The original flat mount and stud mount models were invented and patented by Dave Storey and licensed to Gary Kahler. Gary Kahler shifted his busine ...

model 2400 bridge. Fodera's "Yin Yang" basses (co-designed by and created for Wooten) incorporates the Yin Yang symbol—which Wooten uses in various media—as a focal point of the top's design and construction. The symbol is created from two pieces of naturally finished wood (Ebony and Holly, for example), fitted together to create the Yin-Yang pattern. As well as playing electric bass (both fretted and fretless) and the double bass, he played cello in high school. He still plays cello occasionally with the Flecktones as well as in the 2012 Sword and Stone/Words and Tones tour.

Discography

Solo Albums

* ''

A Show of Hands ''A Show of Hands'' is a live album by the Canadian rock band Rush, released in 1989. The band released a video of the same name, originally on VHS and LaserDisc, the same year. A DVD version was released as part of a box set in 2006, and a ...

'' (

Compass A compass is a device that shows the cardinal directions used for navigation and geographic orientation. It commonly consists of a magnetized needle or other element, such as a compass card or compass rose, which can pivot to align itself with ...

, 1996) * '' What Did He Say?'' (Compass, 1997) * '' Yin-Yang'' (Compass, 1999) * '' Live in America'' (Compass, 2001) * ''

Soul Circus ''Soul Circus'' is the fifth album by Victor Wooten, released in 2005. Wooten claims he took inspiration from what played in radio stations in the 1970s, so most songs have lyrics to them. Track listing #"Intro: Adam" (V. Wooten) – 0:09 #"Vic ...

'' (

Vanguard The vanguard (also called the advance guard) is the leading part of an advancing military formation. It has a number of functions, including seeking out the enemy and securing ground in advance of the main force. History The vanguard derives f ...

, 2005) * '' Palmystery'' ( Heads Up, 2008) * ''The Music Lesson'' (Vix, 2011) * ''Words & Tones'' (Vix, 2012) * ''Sword & Stone'' (Vix, 2012) * ''Trypnotyx'' (Vix, 2017)

As the Wootens

* ''The Wootens'' with The Wootens (Arista, 1985)

As Bass Extremes - with Steve Bailey

* ''Cookbook'' As Bass Extremes with Steve Bailey (Tone Center, 1998) * ''Just Add Water'' As Bass Extremes with Steve Bailey (Tone Center, 2001) * ''S'Low Down'' As Bass Extremes with Steve Bailey (Vix, 2022)

As Vital Tech Tones - with Scott Henderson and Steve Smith

* '' Vital Tech Tones'' (Tone Center, 1998) * '' VTT2'' (Tone Center, 2000)

As SMV - with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller

* ''

Thunder Thunder is the sound caused by lightning. Depending upon the distance from and nature of the lightning, it can range from a long, low rumble to a sudden, loud crack. The sudden increase in temperature and hence pressure caused by the lightning pr ...

'', as SMV (Heads Up, 2008)

With Béla Fleck and the Flecktones

* ''

'' (Warner Bros., 1990) * '' Flight of the Cosmic Hippo'' (Warner Bros., 1991) * ''

UFO Tofu ''UFO Tofu'' is the third album by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, released in 1992. The title is a palindrome, which is also a musical theme in the title track; the idea originated with the musician Baby Gramps. Production The album was produced ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1992) * ''

Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest ''Three Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'' is the fourth album released by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, released in 1993. It is the band's only release as a trio, after the departure of Howard Levy but before the arrival of Jeff Coffin. Receptio ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1993) * ''Tales from the Acoustic Planet'' (Warner Bros., 1995) * ''

Live Art Performance art is an artwork or art exhibition created through actions executed by the artist or other participants. It may be witnessed live or through documentation, spontaneously developed or written, and is traditionally presented to a pu ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1996) * ''

Left of Cool ''Left of Cool'' is the fifth studio album released by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, released in 1998. History ''Left of Cool'' is the first album to feature Jeff Coffin, who had already toured with the band after the departure of Howard Levy. T ...

'' (Warner Bros., 1998) * '' Greatest Hits of the 20th Century'' (Warner Bros., 1999) * '' Outbound'' (Columbia, 2000) * '' Live at the Quick'' (Columbia, 2002) * ''

Little Worlds ''Little Worlds'' is the tenth album by Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, released in 2003. The album was released as a 3-disc set. Ten tracks from the set were also released on a single disc called ''Ten from Little Worlds''. The album contains s ...

'' (Columbia, 2003) * '' Ten From Little Worlds'' (Columbia, 2003) * '' The Hidden Land'' (Columbia, 2006) * '' Jingle All the Way'' (Rounder, 2008) * '' Rocket Science'' (eOne, 2011)

With others

* Darol Anger, ''Heritage'' (Six Degrees, 1997) *

, ''Evolution'' (Victor, 1994) * Eric Bibb, ''Jericho Road'' (DixieFrog, 2013) *

Paul Brady Paul Joseph Brady (born 19 May 1947) is an Irish singer-songwriter and musician from Strabane, Northern Ireland. His work straddles folk and pop. He was interested in a wide variety of music from an early age. Initially popular for playing ...

, ''Spirits Colliding'' (Fontana 1995) *

Alex Bugnon Alex Bugnon (born October 10, 1958) is a jazz pianist and composer from Montreux, Switzerland. He is a nephew of Donald Byrd. Bugnon studied at the Paris Conservatory and the Mozart Academy in Salzburg. At age nineteen, he moved to the U.S. and ...

, ''107 degrees in the Shade'' (Orpheus/Epic, 1991) *

Jeff Coffin Jeff Coffin (born August 5, 1965) is an American saxophonist, composer, and educator. He is a three-time Grammy Award winner as a member of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, with whom he performed from 1997 until 2010. In July 2008, Coffin began t ...

, ''Mutopia'' (Compass, 2008) * Jeff Coffin, ''The Inside of the Outside'' (Ear Up, 2015) *

Bootsy Collins William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist and singer. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins established himself as one of the leading ...

, ''Tha Funk Capital of the World'' (Mascot, 2011) * Bootsy Collins, ''World Wide Funk'' (Mascot, 2017) *

Larry Coryell Larry Coryell (born Lorenz Albert Van DeLinder III; April 2, 1943 – February 19, 2017) was an American jazz guitarist. Early life Larry Coryell was born in Galveston, Texas, United States. He never knew his biological father, a musician. He ...

, ''Cause and Effect'' (Tone Center, 1998) *

John Cowan John Cowan (born August 24, 1953) is an American soul music and progressive bluegrass vocalist and bass guitar player. He was the lead vocalist and bass player for the New Grass Revival. Cowan became the band's bassist in 1972 after the departu ...

, ''Sixty'' (Compass, 2014) *

The Duhks The Duhks are a Canadian folk fusion band, formed in 2002 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Featuring banjo, fiddle, guitar, percussion, and vocals, The Duhks blend folk music together with various Canadian and American traditional styles, includi ...

, ''The Duhks'' (Sugar Hill, 2005) * Stuart Duncan, ''Stuart Duncan'' (Rounder, 1992) *

Tommy Emmanuel William Thomas Emmanuel (born 31 May 1955) is an Australian guitarist. Regarded as one of the greatest acoustic guitarists of all time, he is known for his complex fingerstyle technique, energetic performances and use of percussive effects on ...

, ''Little by Little'' (Favored Nations, 2010) *

Bill Evans William John Evans (August 16, 1929 – September 15, 1980) was an American jazz pianist and composer who worked primarily as the leader of his trio. His use of impressionist harmony, interpretation of traditional jazz repertoire, block ch ...

, ''Soulgrass'' (BHM, 2005) * Bill Evans, ''The Other Side of Something'' (Intuition, 2007) * Gov't Mule, ''The Deepest End'' (Evangeline, 2003) * David Grier, ''Lone Soldier'' (Rounder, 1995) * David Grier, ''Evocative'' (Dreadnought, 2009) * Greg Howe and

Dennis Chambers Dennis Milton Chambers (born May 9, 1959) is an American drummer. He was inducted into the '' Modern Drummer'' Hall of Fame in 2001. Early life Chambers was born on May 9, 1959. He began drumming at the age of four years, and was gigging in Ba ...

, ''

Extraction Extraction may refer to: Science and technology Biology and medicine * Comedo extraction, a method of acne treatment * Dental extraction, the surgical removal of a tooth from the mouth Computing and information science * Data extraction, the pr ...

'' (Tone Center, 2003) * India Arie, ''Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship'' (Motown, 2006) * Keb Mo, ''The Reflection'' (Yolabelle, 2011) * Buckshot LeFonque, ''Buckshot LeFonque'' (Columbia, 1994) * Natalie MacMaster, ''Blueprint'' (Rounder, 2003) *

Dave Matthews Band Dave Matthews Band (also known by the initials DMB) is an American rock band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1991. The band's founding members were singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, drummer and bac ...

, ''Live in Chicago at the United Center 12.19.98'' (RCA, 2001) *

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987) was an American jazz bassist, composer and producer. He recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader and was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. ...

, ''Word of Mouth Revisited'' (Heads Up, 2003) *

Mark O'Connor Mark O'Connor (born August 5, 1961) is an American fiddle player and composer whose music combines bluegrass, country, jazz and classical. A three-time Grammy Award winner, he has won six Country Music Association Musician Of The Year awards ...

, ''The New Nashville Cats'' (Warner Bros., 1991) *

Charlie Peacock Charles William Ashworth (born August 10, 1956), known professionally as Charlie Peacock, is an American singer, songwriter, pianist, record producer, and author. His albums include ''Love Press Ex-Curio'', ''Arc of the Circle'' and ''No Man's L ...

, ''Love Press Ex-Curio'' (Runway Network, 2005) *

Jonathan Scales Jonathan Scales (born September 14, 1984) is an American steel pannist and composer. He has recorded and produced seven albums, the most recent being ''Mindstate Music'', released in 2019 on Ropeadope Records. Since 2007, Scales has recorded a ...

, ''Jonathan Scales Fourchestra'' (Ropeadope, 2013) * Shane Theriot, ''Highway 90'' (Shose, 2000) *

Steve Weingart Steve Weingart (born March 1966 in Dayton, Ohio) is a jazz-funk keyboard player based in Los Angeles, California, United States, who has recorded and performed internationally with an array of well known musical artists. Amongst many other well ...

, ''Dialogue'' (Skeewa Music, 2011) * Matt White, ''Worlds Wide'' (Ear Up, 2017) *

Keller Williams Keller Williams is an American singer, songwriter and musician who combines elements of bluegrass, folk, alternative rock, reggae, electronica/dance, jazz, funk, along with other assorted genres. He is often described as a 'one-man jam-ban ...

, ''Dream'' (SCI Fidelity, 2007) *

Cory Wong Cory Wong (born c. 1985) is a Grammy-nominated American guitarist, bassist, songwriter, podcast-host, and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He has released many works as a solo artist and in partnership with others. His background spa ...

, ''Direct Flyte'' (Roundwound, 2022)

As sideman - with
Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

* ''These Times'' (ESC, 2003) * ''Who Let the Cats Out?'' (Heads Up, 2006) * ''All Over the Place'' (Heads Up, 2012) * ''Trip'' (Heads Up, 2017)

Bibliography

* ''The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music'', ,

Penguin Group Penguin Group is a British trade book publisher and part of Penguin Random House, which is owned by the German media conglomerate Bertelsmann. The new company was created by a merger that was finalised on 1 July 2013, with Bertelsmann initia ...

, 2008 * ''The Spirit of Music: The Lesson Continues'', ,

, 2021

References

External links

*
Victor Wooten Center for Music and Nature

Wooten Woods
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wooten, Victor L. 1964 births Living people People from Mountain Home, Idaho African-American guitarists African-American rock musicians African-American male rappers American bass guitarists American jazz bass guitarists American funk bass guitarists American male bass guitarists Béla Fleck and the Flecktones members Grammy Award winners Jazz fusion bass guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American rappers American male jazz musicians SMV (band) members Chick Corea Elektric Band members Vital Tech Tones members Heads Up International artists Vanguard Records artists Compass Records artists Musicians from Idaho

Early life and career

Instruments

Discography

Solo Albums

As the Wootens

As Bass Extremes - with Steve Bailey

As Vital Tech Tones - with Scott Henderson and Steve Smith

As SMV - with Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller

With Béla Fleck and the Flecktones

With others

As sideman - with Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...

Bibliography

References

External links

As sideman - with
Mike Stern Mike Stern (born January 10, 1953) is an American jazz guitarist. After playing with Blood, Sweat & Tears, he worked with drummer Billy Cobham, then with trumpeter Miles Davis from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then began a solo career, ...