VICTOR WOOTEN'S TOP 10

Victor Wooten is without doubt one of the most important bass players in the world today.
A five-time Grammy award winner and one of Rolling Stone‘s ‘top ten bassists of all time’, Victor Wooten certainly has the chops to put on a show.

But everyone knows Victor has monster chops – he can slap, tap, double-thumb, open-hammer-pluck, throw his bass in the air … but what makes him one of the true greats is his awesome musicality.

Today we’re going to take a closer look at the 10 most defining basslines from his incredible career!

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[marcblum]

On top of everything, Victor is such a nice, warm and humble person.

[theautisticguitarist]

"What an absolute dude!" - Scott

[isaiahsmith]

Who else heard him first through his live "Isn't she lovely" loop arrangement?

[toddhamby]

I'm 54 years old and from NC. I had heard of Victor and his brothers all the way back in 83-84. The word on the circuit that we all use to play on were that these brothers were the baddest of the bad. The first time I actually heard victor was in the 90s with the Flecktones at place called Green Acres Music Hall in Bostic NC. Literally in an old cow pasture and the most rural setting you could ever imagine. To say my bass playing mind was blown would be an understatement. While Vic playing is about the most amazing thing ever, I think what is more important is that he is such a kind soul. Sure he makes me want to be a better bass player but more so he makes me want to be a better person. That is the highest compliment I can give.

[meldonellis]

My first time hearing Victor was serendipitous. I was visiting a friend in NYC circa, fall, 2006. In gratitude for hosting me at his amazing apartment overlooking the Park I invited him out to for a night at the BlueNote. I had no idea who might be playing on that random evening, but it turned out to be a trio led by by Chick Corea, with Victor on bass and Dave Weikl behind the kit. As a former bassist who as a teenager idolized Jaco and Louis Johnson and the jazz-rock fusion bands of the late 70s, early 80s, I had long given up music to pursue a legal career, and had not picked up a guitar in 20 years. I had never heard of Victor, yet that evening I was elevated to Cloud 9 by his music and remained there for many weeks. The following year I picked up a bass for and the first time in 20 years and I joined a band, and I’ve been playing music almost every day since! Thanks Victor!

[pavelplancarte]

0:14 I'm a 14 yo. guy who plays and studies viola and it's interested and fascinated with the bass guitar. My dad has a jazz bass, and in that instrument I heard it for first time. When I was starting on bass, my dad told me "You have to hear Victor Wooten", so I searched him on YouTube. I wasn't so surprised because I didn't know how complex was what he played. But I learned more about the instrument, and then I heard it: The Lesson. That video/piece blew my mind. The music, the complexity, the harmony, and for all over, the way that man loves what he does. It's just... satisfying. He's an artist and a poet. He just does amazing music with four strings. I'm now reading "The Spirit of Music", as a gift from my dad, by Victor Wooten and I'm a really huge fan of him. Cheers!!

[sammychiba]

"The Lesson" was the first time i saw Victor Wooten it blew my mind that it was on bass. It like he was playing 3 instruments at once

[jonki]

His cover of Amazing Grace was the first thing I saw from him. I saw Bass Day 98 and just thought wow. I also managed to see him in my home town in the UK and got a few moments to speak with him and Anthony Wellington. I saw Regi (Victor's brother) as well. Completely unexpected but so incredible.

[Violetcas]

When I was thirteen and getting into music seriously my brother sat me down and watched two videos with me, one was Jaco’s “Modern Electric Bass” and the other was Victor’s “Groove Workshop” tape, and these two videos couldn’t have been more different. One was very heavily drenched in theory and the other expressed the importance of feeling music as a language first. I would say Jaco has shaped my playing more, but Victor is a huge inspiration still

[BlackmetalSM]

I wrote "bass solo" in Napster and Victor came up. My life changed at that moment.

[jeffcullum]

I had never heard of Victor Wooten until a couple of days ago when I came across a youtube video by accident. The coronavirus quarantine has a unexpected bonus for me. I am blown away by everything I have seen.

[CanonFirefly]

Victor is one of the most laid back, and coolest people I have ever heard talk. Not just an inspirational bass player, but an inspirational person in general.

[ayoungethan]

Wooten's pocket is so insanely big I feel like he can do a bunch of things that would just sound awkward and cluttered in the hands of most other bassists. But one thing I *really* enjoy is hearing a bassist with an insanely large pocket playing relatively few notes. Its one of the most satisfying feelings of groove I have ever experienced.

[russellsanchez]

First time was him playing "Isn't She Lovely"

[mattgrundy]

17yrs old I heard Me and my Bass Guitar. Made me immediately think I'd been playing bass wrong.
Victor is a LEGEND! \m/

[aeijae]

I was at Tower Records in 96 and I saw a CD cover that caught my attention. As a bass player I immediately recognized a silhouette of a bass guitar. I figured the CD must be Bass focused and lucky for me, the CD happened to be available on a listening station. I put on the headphones and I heard, “Yo Victa!....you can’t hold no groove if you ain’t got no pocket.” 5 seconds in, I knew I was hearing something very special. With all the money in my pocket and a bit of help from mom, I bought the CD = Life forever changed. Victor Wooten, since 1996 my favorite bass player.

[criticalthinker]

Just discovered Victor this year 2022. I guess I'll crawl back under my rock...He is a very talented person!

[verithomas]

First time I heard Victor was LIVE! I’d never heard of him. Went to a Dave Matthews Band show with some friends and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones opened up for them. My jaw was on the FLOOR!!

[JT-sibl]

One of the most important guys in the world, his book 'The Lesson' is incredibly strong. I heard him in BFatFT band 20 years ago utterly blown away!

[davelash]

1994ish...Nashville or somewhere close in TN. I watched Victor Wooten's family play a show. They switched instruments after every 3 songs in a clockwise fashion. All of them equally good if not better on the instrument they were playing before. Victor is an amazing bass player. He grew up around a fantastic musical family. We met them after the show and everyone one of them was warm, engaging, polite and humble. It made me seriously study my instrument and gave me the blueprint on how to be a professional.