I got to spend a couple of days with Vic and his brothers in Portland and Eugene. I've known Vic for a long time and over the years I've seen him play probably 100+ times between shows and clinics.
This tour is a bit different from past runs and a lot different from the kind of shows he was doing 10+ years ago. It's very tight, rehearsed, and structured. There are times when everyone gets to shine and improvise, but overall there isn't a lot of jamming or long songs with extended meandering solo sections.
The material is a mix of up-tempo funk/R&B and some more traditional jazz. The arrangements feature some really tight unison lines, impressive breaks, and showcases that highlight their ability to navigate tricky times and tempos. Most songs have vocals, with a lot of harmonies, and everyone on stage sings. They touch on some of Vic's well-known songs and tunes they have done on past tours but mostly as medleys.
Vic is touring with two 4-strings, his "NYC" 5-string, and an upright. The basses are in standard tuning, he doesn't have a tenor bass with him on this run. His pedal rig hasn't changed much from recent tours, the only real effects he uses are an envelope filter, some echo/delay, the Digitech Bass Whammy every now and then, and a looper for his solo as well as to trigger some samples.
Vic does his thing in a couple of spots with a looping solo and a couple of solos in the songs, but it's far from a bass pyrotechnics show. There were more keyboard solos than bass solos, and some of the most impressive bass moments (in my opinion) were watching him tackle tricky unison melodies, rather than stepping up front and slapping a bunch of triplets. He did that too, but just a little.
I won't spoil all the surprises but it's a very entertaining and engaging show, not just a showcase for bass players who want to see how many notes one dude can slap before they boot him off the stage. If you've never seen Victor live before you might be a bit surprised that he's not soloing in every song, but it's fun to see him in the context of a real band, using his skills and tools to be a bass player first and soloist second.
I had a blast and I recommend everyone else check out this tour if you get the opportunity. There are very few ensembles of any type that feature four guys who have played together as much and for as long as the Wooten Brothers.
This tour is a bit different from past runs and a lot different from the kind of shows he was doing 10+ years ago. It's very tight, rehearsed, and structured. There are times when everyone gets to shine and improvise, but overall there isn't a lot of jamming or long songs with extended meandering solo sections.
The material is a mix of up-tempo funk/R&B and some more traditional jazz. The arrangements feature some really tight unison lines, impressive breaks, and showcases that highlight their ability to navigate tricky times and tempos. Most songs have vocals, with a lot of harmonies, and everyone on stage sings. They touch on some of Vic's well-known songs and tunes they have done on past tours but mostly as medleys.
Vic is touring with two 4-strings, his "NYC" 5-string, and an upright. The basses are in standard tuning, he doesn't have a tenor bass with him on this run. His pedal rig hasn't changed much from recent tours, the only real effects he uses are an envelope filter, some echo/delay, the Digitech Bass Whammy every now and then, and a looper for his solo as well as to trigger some samples.
Vic does his thing in a couple of spots with a looping solo and a couple of solos in the songs, but it's far from a bass pyrotechnics show. There were more keyboard solos than bass solos, and some of the most impressive bass moments (in my opinion) were watching him tackle tricky unison melodies, rather than stepping up front and slapping a bunch of triplets. He did that too, but just a little.
I won't spoil all the surprises but it's a very entertaining and engaging show, not just a showcase for bass players who want to see how many notes one dude can slap before they boot him off the stage. If you've never seen Victor live before you might be a bit surprised that he's not soloing in every song, but it's fun to see him in the context of a real band, using his skills and tools to be a bass player first and soloist second.
I had a blast and I recommend everyone else check out this tour if you get the opportunity. There are very few ensembles of any type that feature four guys who have played together as much and for as long as the Wooten Brothers.
