For this adventure…well…it’s getting to know some of the funky music that was produced by Victor Lemonte Wooten, a well known and in-demand American bassist, songwriter, and record producer during his solo career.

Wooten’s journey with music started at the age of two when he was taught how to play bass by his older brother Regi, and by the age of six, he was performing with the rest of his brothers in their family band, The Wooten Brothers Band. While in high school, he and his brothers played in the country music venue at Busch Gardens theme park in Williamsburg, VA. Oh, I should mention though, he didn’t play bass for that Busch Garden gig. He was challenged to learn how to play a fiddle and played that instrument instead. Mighty talented I’d say…and only the beginning of a very interesting career path.

Ten years before that, in 1987, he had traveled to Nashville, TN, to visit friends that he made at the theme park. One of them was a studio engineer who introduced him to Bela Fleck, one of many people he would collaborate with on future projects…and the theme for a follow-up show, called Wooten Collaborations.

Interestingly, a lot of these collaborations were with other bass players…as heard on the tune, What Crime Is It? from Wooten’s 1999 Yin-Yang album….where he is joined by two bassists Bootsy Collins and Steve Bailey.……and you’re hearing multiple basses playing there….

In 2001 Wooten went on to release a live album called Live In America, a double album he recored as a “best of” from his Yin-Yang Tour. On this album he was joined by one of his brothers, Regi, as well as some other artists: Bootsy Collins, Marcus Miller and Divinity Roxx.

And I hope you caught all the musical salutes that happened in Miller Time. Miller and Wooten loved playing together and would team up later with Stanley Clarke to form the band SMV. You will hear some of those tunes on my Wooten Collaboratives show.

In all, you’ll be hearing tunes from his Show Of Hands, What Did He Say, Live In America, Soul Circus and Trypnotyx albums.

Hope you enjoy!