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Double Bass Victor Krauss?

Mar 19, 2004
1,316
3,187
CNY
Victor is Alison Krauss's brother. Plays upright.

That doesn't make him a bluegrass player, but he spends time on the edges and flirts with jazz, near as I can tell.

I first heard him with Bill Frizell and I have his first CD.

Just wondering what ya'll thought of him?
 
I really like Victor's work with Lyle - seen him a few times live, even, but I was really disappointed with his first solo project.

I don't remember it very well because it only got the one play, but it lacked focus and warmth too, I think. You'll have to make up your own mind. :)
 
I caught him once with Jerry Douglas' band at Merlefest and was very impressed. It was Jerry, Bryan Sutton, Viktor, a keyboardist and a drummer. They were the last band that played that weekend which means it was the only band on the main stage that I saw up close. It wasn't until later it dawned on me that he and Allison shared the same last name. He struck me as way more of a jazz player than a BG or country player, but his tone and chops were fantastic. I caught Lyle Lovett last spring and was hoping to see Viktor again, but Lee Sklar was on the bass for that show. I guess they split time with "The Large Band".
 
He plays on 'Gone Just Like a Train' and 'Nashville' by Bill Frisell. These two records are excellent, and feature superb bass playing.
Anybody have his solo records?


Yeah, and catch him live with Bill on "East West" . I really like his workt there

I have his first solo release. Frisell is on some tracks and adds a dark edge to some of the songs.
The CD is good without being remarkable. The writing is particularly strong and it's really the first-class musicians who give the music what life it has. I don't mean that to be quite the put-down it may sound like. It's listenable, it just doesn't stand out much and his own lines don't seem to be as strong as they do on the Billy Friz CDs.
 
I first heard Victor Krauss in Feb of 1990 in Nashville. Didn't even know Alison had a brother until that night. They played The Station Inn (longtime bluegrass stomp) and were only a 4 piece band with Alison Brown on vocals and banjo, Jeff White on vocals and guitar, victor on bass and Alison Krauss on vocals, fiddle AND mandolin!

I spoke to Victor briefly between sets and told how much I enjoyed his playing, even though I hadn't begun to play bass at that point.

I sat with Adam Steffey, Tim Stafford, Jason Burleson (banjoist for Blue Highway) and David Grier. This was just prior to Barry Bales, Stafford and Steffey joining Union Station.