Victor Wooten at Fleece, Bristol review

Image: Victor Wooten 

Anyone with an interest in the wider spectrum of jazz, or in fact any musician who takes their craft seriously – especially bass players – were probably at the Fleece to witness the marvels of bass virtuoso Victor Wooten on Monday night.

Hailed as one of the most influential bassists of his generation, and perhaps the most technically gifted player to lay hands on the instrument since the legendary Jaco Pastorius, it’s no exaggeration to say that Wooten is an absolute beast on the bass guitar.

As a founding member of jazz fusion super-group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, Wooten has earned five Grammy Awards, and in between numerous other side projects, has also forged a successful solo career of his own. UK tour dates don’t come by very often for the Tennessee titan, and considering it’s his debut live appearance in Bristol, it comes as no surprise that the initial show swiftly sold out.

Fortunately though, for those who missed out on tickets for Tuesday evening, a second date at The Fleece was added to the UK tour schedule to meet the overwhelming popular demand.

For a Monday evening that clashed with a crucial Euro 2016 game for England, plus an already sell-out show taking place the next day, the gig pulled in a reasonably large crowd buzzing with excitement. Upon hitting the stage Wooten and his three-piece band were met with massive applause from the appreciative audience that filled out the venue, before they plunged straight into a mesmerising performance.

Equipped with an arsenal of basses – including his customised Fodera Yin Yang Deluxe - which he switched between throughout the evening - Wooten and his incredibly talented band astounded the crowd non-stop for around 2 hours.

The foursome consisted of his older brother Regi Wooten on guitar – who his younger sibling refers to as “The Teacher” – having taught him to play the bass from the tender age of 2. While Anthony Wellington held the coveted position of second bassist - whose weapon of choice was a 6-string version of Wooten’s custom Fodera, and completing the enhanced rhythm section was powerhouse drummer Dorico Watson.

The set-list featured many tracks from Wooten’s solo back catalogue such as ‘2 Timers’, and ‘Yinin & Yangin’ which grasped the crowd’s full attention from the get go. Most numbers were of the jazz fusion variety,which at times was akin to the funky jams of Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, the kaleidoscopic jazz fusion of Return to Forever, through to psychedelic funk rock not dissimilar to early Funkadelic.

Find Funkadelic tickets.

If there was anything remotely close to a conventional pop song that they played, then it was the jaunty ‘I Saw God’. A track which saw Wooten take on lead vocal duties via spoken word verses, and was complemented with South African-inspired poly-rhythms and breezy guitar licks. While ‘Flex’ – a cut named in honour of band member Anthony Wellington - proved to be a notable crowd favourite later on in the set. 

Although Wooten was the main star attraction of the gig – who amazed the audience with his sublime bass chops - like any great bandleader he gave plenty of space for the rest of the band to shine. Holding decades of professional experience between them, each member also displayed musicianship of the highest order, both as a unit and individually through extraordinary solos on their respective instruments.  

As well as originals, there were also a few covers thrown in for good measure; all pulled off with outstanding technical ability. A memorable highlight was when the band performed a joyous medley that included The Jackson’s ‘I Want You Back’ and James Brown’s ‘Sex Machine’.

Before the medley concluded with a staggering take on Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ that raised the roof. The latter number saw Regi Wooten pull off a jaw-dropping guitar solo that surely would have impressed the hell out of the songs original co-writer/guitarist Jimmy Page, had he been in attendance.

There were also dazzling solo’s aplenty from Regi’s brother, Victor of course. Ever the innovator, he took the conventional role of the bass guitar to a whole different level, and played his bass in a way that draws comparisons to the way guitar god Jimi Hendrix played the electric guitar.

He constantly amazed the audience with a plethora of innovative techniques that included his signature open-hammer pluck, bass chords, harmonic melodies, funky slap bass and tapping. The latter skill being a virtuoso technique which often looked as if the Nashville resident was playing an organ solo across the fret-board - with the mastery of J.S Bach. It was really something you had to see live with your own eyes to believe.

It’s very little wonder that Victor Wooten sits amongst the elite of influential bass legends, such as Jaco Pastorius, James Jamerson, Bootsy Collins, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller et al, incredibly, most of whom are from an older generation or deceased.

Incidentally, Wooten makes up one third of the bass supergroup SMV – which also includes Clarke and Miller. That credential alone is an enormous feat, considering it’s often a dream for any musician to play alongside their childhood musical heroes.

Overall this was a superior performance that is sure to live on in the minds of those who were at The Fleece to witness it. It most certainly beats watching the England football team suffer a humiliating defeat to Iceland down the local by a long shot, but that’s a different story. Unlike football, music rarely lets you down and neither did the bass legend and his band that were on top notch form.

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Words: Josiah Hartley