Victor Wooten @ Marquee Theatre

Victor Wooten loves his bass so much that he may as well have it welded to his body. Though that might prove awkward when getting on the bus or in an elevator, it virtually is the reality of his situation. For Wooten, who can rightly be considered one of today's...

By Glenn BurnSilver

February 21, 2013

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Victor Wooten loves his bass so much that he may as well have it welded to his body. Though that might prove awkward when getting on the bus or in an elevator, it virtually is the reality of his situation. For Wooten, who can rightly be considered one of today's foremost bottom-end players, bass is the place. That the album cover for Soul Circus shows him as an eight-armed monster is not so far from the truth — his playing can be found on numerous funk, soul, jazz, rock, bluegrass, and alternative recordings. A founding member of the genre-bending bluegrass/psycho-space outfit Bela Fleck and The Flecktones, Wooten, for all his technical prowess (yes, he really plays like that eight-armed monster) and Grammy wins (five), remains modest about his abilities even when slinging the bass over his shoulder. A signature concert move, it's a trick he developed by watching Cinderella bassist Eric Brittingham on MTV. Wooten recently released two albums, Words & Tones and Swords & Stones, each showcasing additional aspects of Wooten's playing (he's released more than a dozen varied albums). Yet no matter what direction Wooten's music heads, a dynamic live show full of outrageous musicianship and crazy bass gymnastics is sure to follow.

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