This is basically the story of how “A Show of Hands” was created. It was funny how he had some shade for Greg Phillenganes although I understand why he did what he did.
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Cool Wooten Story
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
This is basically the story of how “A Show of Hands” was created. It was funny how he had some shade for Greg Phillenganes although I understand why he did what he did.
I don't practice. I won't even pick up an instrument unless the Spirit moves me. Thanks for sharing this, Doc. 
It was unnecessary to the story for Victor to mention Greg Phillinganes by name. I suspect if he had his time over he wouldn’t. The whole thing just sounded like a whole lot of self-promotion to me …
Victor Wooten strikes me as a truly good guy, but he is human. I suspect the interaction between him and Phillenganes was not pleasant. In life, some things just stick with you.
I don't practice, practice either, much like Victor. I just happen to not have the natural talent he does. I always get such a feeling of peace when I watch and listen to him speak about playing bass, from the very first time I'd ever heard of him decades ago, watching an instructional vid GC had playing, all the way to getting to talk to him when my band opened for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. I had him sign my brand new '97 Rickenbacker with a sharpie, I was so taken by him. I'll remember forever his words... "Are you sure you want me to do this?" Oh boy, was I sure... very sure!
My taste in music and what I play are nothing like the genres and types of projects he involves himself in, but I rank him as one of my all time top faves and generally a swell guy.
My taste in music and what I play are nothing like the genres and types of projects he involves himself in, but I rank him as one of my all time top faves and generally a swell guy.
I am starting to agree more with my teacher who says most of what we call talent is the willingness to work very hard at music. I remember Victor Wooten saying the first time he heard “A Portait of Tracey,” he could not to sleep until he could play it. I thought it was incredible too, but I went to bed on time that night!
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Perhaps a more accurate word is "compulsion."
JazznFunk
Supporting Member
The 'whole thing' is a pretty direct summary of what he did early on in his path to create his first solo record. It's a common misconception that directness equals harshness or combativeness. I don't hear 'self-promotion', I hear story telling. Some people don't like direct communication. Regarding Greg, it's a reminder that we only get one chance to make a first impression. If anything, I suspect that if GREG had it to do over, he wouldn't blow off someone like that again.
What's wrong that? In my long time in the music scene I always found it was never the most talented people I knew finding any form of success it was the ones who self-promoted constantly.
It just so lucked out for Wooten that he's both.
Victor didn't have to say "a keyboard player named..." - he could have just said "Greg Phillinganes". Greg is a known quantity to say the least.
I don't fault Victor for trying to get tapes to people and don't fault Greg for declining one, especially at an uber-stimulus zoo like a NAMM show.
Not every professional musician has as much fun at NAMM as Joey DeFrancesco once did.
Considering the situations and opportunities that have come out of moments like this that Victor, Jaco and others had when they were still working in relative obscurity, if I were a well established player and an unknown tried to give me a tape, or text me a clip or whatever, I would take the offering. Because you just never know. Wouldn't you want to be the first person to hire Hadrien Feraud instead of having to beg for a few minutes of his recording time later on?
Nowadays, the whole game has changed with the ease of online music access. Yes hired Benoit David to sing in Jon Anderson's absence straight off of YouTube on their own initiative without any solicitation.
But the need to put in the effort to get your music out there hasn't gone away. I've lost count of how many extraordinary tracks I've listened to on YT that had like 100 views.
I don't fault Victor for trying to get tapes to people and don't fault Greg for declining one, especially at an uber-stimulus zoo like a NAMM show.
Not every professional musician has as much fun at NAMM as Joey DeFrancesco once did.
Considering the situations and opportunities that have come out of moments like this that Victor, Jaco and others had when they were still working in relative obscurity, if I were a well established player and an unknown tried to give me a tape, or text me a clip or whatever, I would take the offering. Because you just never know. Wouldn't you want to be the first person to hire Hadrien Feraud instead of having to beg for a few minutes of his recording time later on?
Nowadays, the whole game has changed with the ease of online music access. Yes hired Benoit David to sing in Jon Anderson's absence straight off of YouTube on their own initiative without any solicitation.
But the need to put in the effort to get your music out there hasn't gone away. I've lost count of how many extraordinary tracks I've listened to on YT that had like 100 views.
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Jack Bruce said that he didn't touch his bass between tours/recording sessions. Of course a player of that caliber won't have much downtime!
My "practice" is almost entirely learning/brushing up on songs for the various bands I play and sub with. One thing I've been working on is avoiding empty noodling when setting my tone at the gig: I try to be creative, or at least recycle some cool riffs.
I really should practice playing melodies over changes, but I'm never called on to do that and it's in my DNA to be a support guy.
Bottom line: I almost never play scales or other rudiments for their own sake. If I'm playing just for fun, setting my tone, or enjoying pedals/FX, I do try to create interesting phrases. This often involves adding blue notes to scales/modes -- but it's done to please my ear, and not with any strategy (e.g. "imply a dominant 13th chord").
My "practice" is almost entirely learning/brushing up on songs for the various bands I play and sub with. One thing I've been working on is avoiding empty noodling when setting my tone at the gig: I try to be creative, or at least recycle some cool riffs.
I really should practice playing melodies over changes, but I'm never called on to do that and it's in my DNA to be a support guy.
Bottom line: I almost never play scales or other rudiments for their own sake. If I'm playing just for fun, setting my tone, or enjoying pedals/FX, I do try to create interesting phrases. This often involves adding blue notes to scales/modes -- but it's done to please my ear, and not with any strategy (e.g. "imply a dominant 13th chord").
I suspect the unwillingness to take a tape from someone is probably because lots of people tried to give him tapes and it was just too much of a hassle. Which seems reasonable to me.
A drummer I do a weekly with has met and jammed with Victor Wooten a couple times (drummer played with Miami Sound Machine when he immigrated from Cuba before living in NYC). He said Wooten was one of the nicest, most encouraging-to-all-level-of-players people he's met.
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@Muggs you nailed it, he is very much a swell guy.
I'll share a story that I think I have shared on TB, but in this context, it seems logical. Early 90's I am living in Nashville, TN and found out that Victor also lived in Nashville.. I remember thinking "Wouldn't it be wild if Victor Wooten was in the phone book!" (Remember phone books). So on a whim I looked him up, and low and behold he was listed! Then I thought "I wonder what would happen if I called him?" Well, you only live once, so I called his number. He didn't answer, (later found out he was on tour with the Flecktones) so I left a message about being a fan and some random kid bass player from Indiana on Victor Wooten's answering machine (remember answering machines) and believe it or not HE CALLED ME BACK! I was floored!
He invited me over to his house. Actually his brother's house, he just lived upstairs. Offered me a piece of birthday cake from his niece's recent birthday party (I declined), showed me all of his priceless Fodera basses and let me play them! He even offered to give me lessons whenever he was in town! I actually told him that as much of a fan as I was, I was worried that I would sound like a Wooten clone if I took lessons from him, and I'd have to pass. Can you imagine turning down instruction from one of the greats, well I did.
Anyway, could not have been a nicer more down to Earth human being! Most certainly a swell guy.
In defense of Greg Phillenganes, he may have feared being accused plagiarism. I have heard stories of people saying a famous musician heard their demo and re-worked the material or even copied it outright and had hit songs because of it.
Victor and all his brothers are just the nicest guys. He is a deep thinker with some really interesting observations, not just in music but life in general.
Although he amazes me with all of his techniques and solos, I greatly prefer his playing when he is more supportive. There is a video of him with Cory Wong where he is just slamming it without being busy or crazy. That's the Victor that I love.
Although he amazes me with all of his techniques and solos, I greatly prefer his playing when he is more supportive. There is a video of him with Cory Wong where he is just slamming it without being busy or crazy. That's the Victor that I love.
That is an awesome story! Victor (and all of his brothers) comes across as a great person. They must have wonderful parents.
Victor's such a nice guy, I was shocked that he named Greg Phillinganes. I guess even the best of us aren't above stickin' it to someone every once in a while.
He really is such a great dude. Even a chump like me at Mississippi nights shaking his hand after a show, he took a bit of time, didn't rush out or brush off. He came across as an extremely nice and genuine human being.
I don't like taking CD's from people and I'm nobody.
Truth is I've collected a stack of mostly unremarkable CDs that I've only skipped through - it would've been too painful to listen to any whole track.
Though there HAVE been a few gems.
My buddy gave me one such CD a while back on a gig we did together that's still in my car player. Look up Tigers, Ghosts and Other Love Songs by Joe Leslie D'Angelo. He's got another one out that's pretty good too - Jive ***es and Gin *****s
Truth is I've collected a stack of mostly unremarkable CDs that I've only skipped through - it would've been too painful to listen to any whole track.
Though there HAVE been a few gems.
My buddy gave me one such CD a while back on a gig we did together that's still in my car player. Look up Tigers, Ghosts and Other Love Songs by Joe Leslie D'Angelo. He's got another one out that's pretty good too - Jive ***es and Gin *****s
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That's okay if Greg refused it. Yeah he is telling a story but he probably harbors some bad feeling still - he is human after all. Greg probably forgot about it and honestly Greg is Pop and the people that recognized Vic are jazz creatives and he should have beeen fine with that. "Complaining or retelling not so pleasant" encounters is done all the time even before you tube. Pat Metheny whom I like a lot is one of these people.
But rather than rathole on that - what he says about playing and creating is more important than so called practicing I totally get that, The moment that drills and exercises become more important, the joy of music is lost. He would not have found new ways to play the bass if he was more pedantic and academic in his approach.
But rather than rathole on that - what he says about playing and creating is more important than so called practicing I totally get that, The moment that drills and exercises become more important, the joy of music is lost. He would not have found new ways to play the bass if he was more pedantic and academic in his approach.
