Victor's the man

[chris_b]

Victor always makes sense. . . .

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UzYhyodvfs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UzYhyodvfs[/url]

[ambient]

He's a phenomenal musician, a real depth to his playing and knowledge.

[wateroftyne]

I was all prepared to watch 30 seconds of this and give up, but that was really interesting. And he's dead-on.

[Ghost_Bass]

I'm glad i soldiered through those first 5 min and got to the interesting part. I gained a new respect for him today and i think i'll have another go at trying to listen to some of his albums.
I don't rate V.W. much for the simple fact that when he asked those guys "Who is the bassplayer the overplays more?" the answer that popped to my head intantly was "You!", i think he's way over the place when playing but i know he has a solid groove if he wants to.

He spoke all the right things and i found a bit very interesting as it wasn't news to me. A portuguese blues singer/songwriter/guitar player (Rui Veloso) used to play with B.B: King when they had the chance to cross paths, they were great friends. He once told, in an interview, that one of the best advices he got from B.B. was that there's no need to fear hitting the wrong note. "If you finish a solo in a note that sounds bad then simply slide it up or down half tone and you'll land on a right note." - something in these lines.

[Rich]

[quote name='Ghost_Bass' timestamp='1498043002' post='3322145']
"If you finish a solo in a note that sounds bad then simply slide it up or down half tone and you'll land on a right note." -
[/quote]
Never mind solos, I've played entire songs like that

[toneknob]

I'd love to hear Jeff Berlin's reaction to that

(even having witnessed the Jeff vs Vic spats on fb recently)

[Conan]

He took a long time to say it, but what he said was worth saying

[mcnach]

when he's in teacher mode, he's phenomenal. Thanks for the video.

[gjones]

I've heard him give that lesson before. And now when I play the wrong note, I just slide to the right one and people think I meant it

[mcnach]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1498082471' post='3322489']
I've heard him give that lesson before. And now when I play the wrong note, I just slide to the right one and people think I meant it
[/quote]

Do it twice to remove any doubts. I do it all the time

[jacko]

he takes an awfully long time to make a fairly simple point.

[Barking Spiders]

..17 minutes..instead of around 40 seconds

[Guest bassman7755]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1498082471' post='3322489']
I've heard him give that lesson before. And now when I play the wrong note, I just slide to the right one and people think I meant it
[/quote]

Yeah me too, if I'm going to be playing that section of the song again I'll incorporate the "wrong" note as a passing note or something just in case any smart arse had a suspicion I make a mistake.

Edited June 22, 2017 by bassman7755

[wateroftyne]

[quote name='jacko' timestamp='1498131227' post='3322668']
he takes an awfully long time to make a fairly simple point.
[/quote]

Kinda like his solos, then

[jacko]

we need a like button

[lowhand_mike]

excellent, never realised that i'll go sit in the stupid corner

[Chris2112]

[quote name='gjones' timestamp='1498082471' post='3322489']
I've heard him give that lesson before. And now when I play the wrong note, I just slide to the right one and people think I meant it
[/quote]

I had his Bass Day '98 DVD (or was it the Bass Extremes DVD?), which featured an interview/lesson section. He talked about the concept of never being more than a half step away from a 'right' note. He's been preaching this for 20 years, but it's good advice.

I quite like Vic's musical philosophy but I don't agree with all of his teaching methods. A lot bass teaching is based on ephemera and frippery, and other feel-good nonsense, with very little focus on proper musical theory. That's a wider issue, and I'm sure Vic feels like his methods have some value.

Musically though, I wish he'd get himself out of this rut he is. I used to deadly love his first couple of solo records but his recent efforts just haven't hit the heights I expected.

[SpondonBassed]

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1498160173' post='3322917']
...I wish he'd get himself out of this rut...
[/quote]

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/307328-victor-wooten-joins-nitro/

[ivansc]

A rut I suspect we would all like to be in.
Bear in mind he is a working player, same as the rest of us.
He lives off giving the people what they want, not what HE wants.
Every great "arse showing" bass player out there showboats for the audience that wants it, but can be found playing great, simple pocket in a band situation when that is what it needs.
None of them do this bullshit bass-day stuff because they LIKE showing off their chops in isolation.(except maybe Randy Coven )

As for Mr Berlin, I remember years ago him sorta making the same point. He had been at a Bass Day & followed several megawiddling bass players onstafe. According to him "I just hit this great big beautiful bass note and let it ring" .... and then wondered why half his audience wound up leaving to see something "more interesting".
I rest my case.

(although I DO have a lot of time for JB`s bass playing)

Edited June 23, 2017 by ivansc

[chris_b]

Primarily he's talking to the people in the room so his presentational focus is there. In education you go at the speed of the audience so, again, that's the call he's made. VW's presentation will probably be new to the guys in the room, but film it and you're going to see subjects repeated. That's not VW's fault.

VW gets booked on Bass Days to be the showman and play the party tricks. So it's hardly surprising that's what you get on a film of a Bass Day. When he's working with the likes of Bela Fleck, Chick Corea, Keb Mo etc you get an ensemble player of fantastic skill and ability.

[SpondonBassed]

How is VW on emissions these days?

[Elfrasho]

[quote name='bassman7755' timestamp='1498142777' post='3322781']


Yeah me too, if I'm going to be playing that section of the song again I'll incorporate the "wrong" note as a passing note or something just in case any smart arse had a suspicion I make a mistake.
[/quote]

I do this exact thing!! 😅😅 It should be in the manual of bass playing.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='ivansc' timestamp='1498205199' post='3323064']
A rut I suspect we would all like to be in.
Bear in mind he is a working player, same as the rest of us.
He lives off giving the people what they want, not what HE wants.
Every great "arse showing" bass player out there showboats for the audience that wants it, but can be found playing great, simple pocket in a band situation when that is what it needs.
None of them do this bullshit bass-day stuff because they LIKE showing off their chops in isolation.(except maybe Randy Coven )


[/quote]

The rut I was talking about is a musical/creative rut that I feel Victor is stuck in, with regards to his solo work. I feel aa though some of the really creative 'spark' that he once had has faded, and a slew of his solo records have lacked really great songs. I'm not so interested in outright chops as I am in hearing good chops in great music. I respect Victor as a tremendous solo player but even more as a sideman. I have never found his solo playing distasteful, since he always focuses on melody and the song rather than any 'athletic' aspect of his technique. However, his ability as a sideman to support a groove, project harmony and melody and drive a song is superb, world class.