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How could anyone not like Victor Wooten?

#81
Jazz Ad said:
Your career would have been quickly ended if you played a piece with such a lack of accuracy. You'd have been told to go home and practice on regularity, dynamics and articulation.
This piece is exactly the kind of stuff I'm talking about, craming more notes into a phrase than even him can play.
I have no taste for this, which is fine. Others love it, which is fine too.
We need more Wootens anyway.
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I have no argument regarding your taste. It's good to know what we like and don't like.

I do disagree on your assessment of his execution. I very clearly hear consistency, dynamics and articulation.
 
#83
SlappyWhite said:
I've seen clips of Victor Wooten jamming along with other musicians. He seems like a first take kind of collaborator.
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I saw this last month and it opened my eyes a bit to how he plays and jams. This is why I say he has talent even though I dont like his playing. I dont know who the guy on the left is but he is severely outclassed by Alex and Victor.

 
#85
VincentB said:
I absolutely can't stand him. Saw him live with 2 other professional musicians. He's total ********, it's all an act. Gimmicky looper trick, nonsensical notes. He clearly states any note is fine to play whatever. He also says completely made up musical misinformation to a dumb audience of stoner teenagers about time signatures. Worst of all it's faux humility, with a mix of motivational speaker act. Incredibly lame. We all laugh about him now and dislike him with a passion.
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Any note is fine to play as long as it's resolved correctly. It's called chromatic approach tones. Bassists like Jeff Berlin and saxophonists like Dave Liebman and Charlie Parker have used it for years. So did James Jamerson. If you get a copy of Standing in the Shadows of Motown and read the Music you will find that James employed "wrong" notes (open strings that weren't in the key, etc.) a lot. Play "Home Cooking" by Jr. Walker and the Allstars or "How Long Has That Evening Train Been Gone" by The Supremes and check out how that works. Besides, reading all that real music notation with no TAB is good for you! :)
Here's Dave Liebman's definitive treatise on "any note is fine to play":
http://www.amazon.com/Chromatic-Approach-Jazz-Harmony-Melody/dp/3892210306
This was recommended to me by Jeff Berlin as what he was personally working on in his practice regimen. Heavy stuff!
I've known Vic since 1988 and he's got a lot of depth as a player and a person. Every time I've visited (and taught) at his Bass and Nature Camps it's been a very positive experience for me and that's coming from the perspective of 30+ years of being a University Electric Bass and String Bass instructor and working Pro Bassist. YMMV.
 
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#87
VincentB said:
I absolutely can't stand him. Saw him live with 2 other professional musicians. He's total ********, it's all an act. Gimmicky looper trick, nonsensical notes. He clearly states any note is fine to play whatever. He also says completely made up musical misinformation to a dumb audience of stoner teenagers about time signatures. Worst of all it's faux humility, with a mix of motivational speaker act. Incredibly lame. We all laugh about him now and dislike him with a passion.
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This is funny.
Who is "we all"?
 
#90
Folk who hate on him always complained about his double-slapping chops-fest solos. No doubt, he does that, and if you don't like it, you don't have to. The thing that the critics seem to ignore, though, is that the chops-fest stuff is NOT all he does. I've seen him twice in the last couple of years, and dragged my wife along, who is not a bassist and only very casually a musician. She loves him. Why? Because he plays great songs, and he really does play to serve the song. He absolutely does NOT just slap away endlessly for two hours. He'll let it rip on a solo - as one would expect a soloist to do. But he can seriously lay back and groove, and he absolutely gives everyone else in the group he's with their spotlight too. The chops-fests are what grab people's attention, but it seems to blind people to how well-rounded of a musician he really is.
 
#92
I tried very hard to like him but ultimately it isn't me at all. Even his take on music as a language etc I prefer what Micheal Manring has to say and what he plays.

I think he is fine in Belà Fleck but his solo composition are weak to me because they are like a groove on steroid. When I listen to a solo I prefer to hear mélodies and something else than another groove.
 
#93
Envy?

It's relatively easy for anyone to not like a particular style of music. That being said, you have to appreciate the man's ability and talent.

I don't own any of his solo work, but anyone who plays bass and doesn't recognize his facility on the instrument isn't being very objective.

I've never met him, but I don't doubt the many accounts of him being a humble and approachable musician.
 
#95
lfmn16 said:
Some people are frightened by progress and new ideas. They want ALL bass players to play root/5th and maybe a passing tone or two, but only when absolutely necessary. They get belligerent when their pre-conceived role for the bass is challenged and think everyone has to think like they do. Victor embodies change and some people can't handle it.
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Or maybe they just don't like that style of playing? There's a whole lot of ground between root/5th and what Vic does. He seems like a super nice guy, but his playing makes me feel about the same as Yngwie's - incredibly impressive, for about 5 minutes or less. Then it starts to grate on me. That's just me though. If you like him more power to ya. However me not particularly caring for his non-stop lead bass playing hardly makes me "frightened by progress."
 
#96
inthevelvet said:
Or maybe they just don't like that style of playing? There's a whole lot of ground between root/5th and what Vic does. He seems like a super nice guy, but his playing makes me feel about the same as Yngwie's - incredibly impressive, for about 5 minutes or less. Then it starts to grate on me. That's just me though. If you like him more power to ya. However me not particularly caring for his non-stop lead bass playing hardly makes me "frightened by progress."
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Exactly. I'm sure if I named my top 5 bassists most of you wouldn't agree. It comes down to preference. I think wootens playing sounds like a bunch of really fast farts. Talented but just not my bag.
 
#97
I've had the privilege of meeting and chatting to Vic. Like quite a few top pro players he was quite happy to chat about any sort of bass related stuff without ever trying to force his ideas on me.

I saw up him up very close just sitting quietly in a corner playing lovely melodic chordal stuff and then later on he was holding down the bass chair for Bootsy and grooving like a monster without any bass histrionics going on.

To hear him playing in such different styles compared to what I knew him for really opened my eyes to what a broad spectrum of talent the guy really has :)
 
#99
inthevelvet said:
Or maybe they just don't like that style of playing? There's a whole lot of ground between root/5th and what Vic does. He seems like a super nice guy, but his playing makes me feel about the same as Yngwie's - incredibly impressive, for about 5 minutes or less. Then it starts to grate on me. That's just me though. If you like him more power to ya. However me not particularly caring for his non-stop lead bass playing hardly makes me "frightened by progress."
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You might note that I said "some" not "all." And we do have a lot of them on TB. I'm not saying everyone ,or anyone needs to like Victor. However, if you think his playing is non-stop lead playing it makes me wonder how much of his music you've actually heard. He has some music where bass is the primary instrument, but there is also a lot where he plays a supporting role.
 
#100
Seeing him play live was amazing. I didn't listen to his stuff much before I saw him but left with a great appreciation of him and his playing . He was very cool to everyone around. He even signed my Talkbass shirt! I have seen other "greats" that were just plain jerks......
 

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