(Jazz, Fusion, Funk, Contemporary Jazz, Crossover Jazz) Victor Wooten - Sword and Stone & Words and Tones (Limited Edition 2CD Bundle) - 2012, FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

#777
Victor Wooten - 2012 - Words and Tones (Vocal CD) (68:49)
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Songs:
01. Listen and Be Silent [1:36]
02. Sword and Stone [5:00]
03. Love Is My Favorite Word [3:10]
04. A Woman’s Strength [4:23]
05. I Can’t Make You Love Me [5:19]
06. Brooklyn [6:48]
07. Say Word [4:38]
08. Be What U Are (I Love U More) [3:54]
09. Get it Right [6:05]
10. When U Grow Up [4:07]
11. Overjoyed [6:06]
12. Heaven [8:02]
13. It’s All Right [4:26]
14. Love To Hear U Laugh [5:16]
Credits:
1. Listen and Be Silent
Written by Victor L. Wooten
Voices: Chuck Rainey, Arianna Wooten, Evan Suiter, Cathy Beal, Adam Wooten, Kaila Wooten, Cameron Wooten, John, Schopp, Joe Aranda, Holly Wooten, and Max ZT: Hammer Dulcimer
2. Sword and Stone
Written by Victor L. Wooten
Claudette Sierra: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Fretted, Fretless, Mando Piccolo, Bassimer, and Upright Basses, David Haynes: Drums and Pedro Martinez: Congas
3. Love Is My Favorite Word
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Jen Hoeft
Kaila Wooten: Lead and Background Vocals, Victor Wooten: Fretted and Fretless Bass, Mando Piccolo Bass, Bob Franceschini: Flute, Pedro Martinez: Congas, Giovanni Rodriguez: Percussion, Steven Parke: Background vocals and Claudette Sierra: Background Vocals
4. A Woman’s Strength
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Krystal Peterson
Krystal Peterson: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Electric Basses, Cello, and Viola, Kelly Ellis: Cello and Violin, Riley Ellis: Electric Bass, David Haynes: Drums and JD Blair: Drums
5. I Can’t Make You Love Me
Written by Mike Reid and Allen Shamblin
Kit LeBlanc: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Fretted and Fretless Basses, drum Loops and J.D. Blair: Drums
6. Brooklyn
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Saundra Williams
Saundra Williams: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Basses, Steve Bailey: Fretless Bass, Vinnie Fodera: Guitar Solo, Joe Lauricella: Bass (during guitar solo), Derico Watson: Drums, Darrel Tibbs: Percussion and Marcus Rojas: Tuba
7. Say Word 4:38
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Divinity Roxx
Divinty Roxx: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Vocals, Electric Basses, Slide Bass, Keyboards, Drum Loops and J.D. Blair: Drums
8. Be What U Are (I Love U More)
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Steve Bailey
Cheryl Morse: Vocals, Joey Kibble: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Fretted, Fretless, Mando Piccolo Bass, Karlton Taylor: Piano, Roy Wooten: Drums and Darrel Tibbs: Percussion
9. Get it Right
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Divinty Roxx
Me’shell Ndegeocello: Lead Vocals, Electric Bass, Victor Wooten: Electric Bass, Upright Bass, Wah Bass, Background Vocals, Joseph Wooten: Keyboards, Background Vocals, Saundra Williams: Background Vocals and Divinity Roxx: Rap and Derico Watson: Drums
10. When U Grow Up
Written by Victor L. Wooten
Kaila Wooten: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Electric Basses, Keyboards, Drum Loops, Background Vocals, Arianna Wooten: Harmony Vocals, Adam Wooten: Rap. Cameron Wooten: Vocals and Anthony Wellington: Keyboards
11. Overjoyed
Written by Stevie Wonder
Krystal Peterson: Lead and Background Vocals, Victor Wooten: Electric Bass, Cello, Joseph Wooten: Keyboards, J.D. Blair: Drums and Casey Driessen: Violin
12. Heaven
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Divinity Roxx
Arianna Wooten: Vocals, Adam Wooten: Vocals, Kaila Wooten: Vocals, Odelphis Davis: Vocals, Cameron Wooten: Vocals, Holly Wooten: Vocals
Victor Wooten: Basses, Vocals, Drum Loops, Regi Wooten: Vocals, Guitar Solo, Joseph Wooten: Vocals, Keyboard Solo, Roy Wooten: Vocals, Percussion Solo, Rudy Wooten: Sax, Pete Wooten: Voice. Dorothy Wooten: Voice, Divinity Roxx: Rap, Group Vocals: Wooten and Woodard Relatives, Derico Watson: Drums and J.D. Blair: Drums
13. It’s All Right
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Saundra Williams
Theonita Valentine: Vocals and Whistles, Victor Wooten: Electric and Slide Basses, Steve Bailey: Fretless Bass, Adam Wooten: Drums and Darrel Tibbs: Percussion
14. Love To Hear U Laugh
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Saundra Williams
Saundra Williams: Vocals, Victor Wooten: Cello and Viola, Roy Wooten: Cajon and Darrel Tibbs: Percussion

#777
Victor Wooten - 2012 - Sword and Stone (Instrumental CD) (62:07)
Release Date: September 25, 2012
Songs:
01. Sword and Stone [5:02]
02. Love Is My Favorite Word [4:08]
03. Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior [3:31]
04. Get It Right [4:55]
05. A Woman's Strength [4:23]
06. It's All Right [4:02]
07. Love To Hear U Laugh [5:28]
08. Say Word [4:06]
09. Be What U Are (I Love you More) [3:55]
10. H.O.P.E. [1:45]
11. Brooklyn [6:26]
12. Still Your Baby [3:40]
13. Merlin [3:54]
14. Keep It Low [6:52]
Credits:
1. Sword and Stone
Written by Victor L. Wooten
Victor Wooten: Fretted, Fretless, Mando Piccolo, Bassimer, and Upright Basses, Steve Bailey: Fretless bass & Trombone, Dave Welsch: Trumpet
Max ZT: Dulcimer, Pedro Martinez: Congas and David Haynes: Drums
2. Love Is My Favorite Word
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Jen Hoeft
Victor Wooten: Fretted, Fretless, Tenor, and Mando Piccolo Basses, and Percussion, Bob Hemenger: Tenor Sax, Bob Franceschini: Flute, Dave Welsch: Trumpet, Steve Bailey: Trombone, Kaila Wooten: Background Vocals, Claudette Sierra: Background Vocals, Giovanni Rodriguez: Percussion and Pedro Martinez: Congas
3. Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior
Public Domain
Victor Wooten: Basses, Drum programming and J.D. Blair: Drums
4. Get It Right
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Divinty Roxx
Victor Wooten: Electric Bass, Upright Bass, and Wah Bass, Meshell Ndegeocello: Bass, Rod McGaha: Trumpet, Joseph Wooten: Keyboards and Derico Watson: Drums
5. A Woman's Strength
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Krystal Peterson
Victor Wooten: Basses, Cello, and Viola, Riley Ellis: Bass, Kelly Ellis: Cello and Violin, David Haynes: Drums and JD Blair: Drums
6. It's All Right
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Saundra Williams
Victor Wooten: Basses, Anthony Wellington: Bass Solo, Steve Bailey: Fretless Bass, Theonita Valentine: Whistles, Darrell Tibbs: Percussion and Adam Wooten: Drums
7. Love To Hear U Laugh
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Saundra Williams
Victor Wooten: Fretless Bass, Cello, and Viola, Darrell Tibbs: Percussion and Roy Wooten: Cajon
8. Say Word
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Divinity Roxx
Victor Wooten: Basses, Slide Bass, Keyboards, and Drum Loops and J.D. Blair: Drums and Percussion
9. Be What U Are (I Love you More)
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Steve Bailey
Victor Wooten: Fretted, Fretless, Mando Piccolo Basses and iPhone Strings, Steve Bailey: Fretless Bass, Karlton Taylor: Piano, Darrell Tibbs: Percussion and Roy Wooten: Drums
10. H.O.P.E.
Written by Victor L Wooten
Victor Wooten: Stereo Tenor Bass
11. Brooklyn
Written by Victor L. Wooten and Saundra Williams
Victor Wooten: Basses, Joe Lauricella: Bass (during guitar solo), Vinny Fodera: Guitar Solo, Dave Welsch: Trumpet, Steve Bailey: Fretless Bass and Trombone, Marcus Rojas: Tuba, Darrell Tibbs: Percussion and Derico Watson: Drums
12. Still Your Baby
Written by Victor L Wooten
Victor Wooten: Basses, Keyboards, and Percussion, Kaila Wooten: Vocals, Justice Wooten: Guitar and Jesse Wooten: Drums
13. Merlin
Written by Victor L. Wooten
Victor Wooten: Basses
14. Keep It Low
Written by Victor L. Wooten
Victor Wooten: Vocals and Basses, Adam Nitti: Bass, Anthony Wellington: Bass, Bill Dickens: Bass, Dave Welsch: Acoustic Bass, Gary Grainger: Bass, Jacques Jones: Bass, Kai Eckhart: Bass, Mike Montgomery: Bass, Oteil Burbridge: Bass, Paul Peterson: Bass, Ryan Sweeny: Bass, Steve Bailey: Fretless Bass, Roy Wooten: Cajon and Kelly Gravely: Drums

Who is Victor Lemonte Wooten?
Source: http://www.victorwooten.com/bio.html
”Who am I? Now, that’s a good question.”
Victor Lemonte Wooten is a unique human being. Born the youngest of five boys, he began learning to play music at the tender age of two. He started performing in nightclubs and theaters as the bassist with the family band at age five, and at age six, was on tour with his brothers opening shows for legendary soul artist Curtis Mayfield. Soon after, he was affectionately known as the 8-year-old Bass Ace, and before graduating high school, he and his brothers had shared the stage with artists such as Stephanie Mills, War, Ramsey Lewis, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Dexter Wansel, and The Temptations. But, this only begins to tell the tale of this Tennessee titan.
Wooten, now a five-time Grammy winner, hit the worldwide scene in 1990 as a founding member of the super-group Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Continuing to blaze a musical trail with the band, Victor has also become widely known for his own Grammy nominated solo recordings and tours.
Among other things, he is a loving husband and father of four, a skilled naturalist and teacher, a published author, a magician and acrobat, and has won every major award given to a bass guitarist including being voted Bassist of the Year in Bass Player Magazine’s readers poll three times (the only person to win it more than once.) In 2011, Rolling Stone Magazine voted Victor one of the Top Ten Bassist of ALL TIME.
”I was born at the right place and the right time to a wonderful family.”
Victor Lemonte Wooten was born September 11, 1964 to military parents on an air force base outside of Boise, Idaho. Soon after, the family packed up and moved on as military families often do. It was during the years stationed in Hawaii that the brothers began performing as a five-piece band. With Regi on guitar, Roy on drums, Rudy on sax, Joseph on keys, and Victor on bass, the Wooten Brothers band was born. Performing in their front yard, the band immediately began honing their skills. Victor credits the brothers’ early ability to play a variety of musical genres to the experience of relocating frequently, the diversity of 1960’s radio stations, and the unwavering support of their parents who provided many opportunities and booked all of their performances.
”My brothers, who were already playing music, knew they needed a bass player to complete the family band.
Regi started teaching me as soon as I could sit up straight, and my parents let him do it.”
Victor has been heralded as “the Michael Jordan of the bass” and “one of the most fearless musicians on the planet”. These qualities were evident when, in 1981, his older brother, Roy, recommended him as a bluegrass fiddle player for a job performing at a nearby amusement park. Victor, having never played violin in his life, was thrilled to meet the challenge. He borrowed an instrument from his high school orchestra teacher and immediately began practicing. Quickly learning the most popular fiddle tunes and techniques, he took the job at Busch Gardens - The Old Country in Williamsburg, VA playing fiddle and bass in the Good Time Country Show.
”I remember getting that call from Roy. He trusted me.
I had to learn to be a fiddler real quick - almost over night.
I don’t think the people who hired me ever knew I’d never played before”.
What they soon found out was that the brothers were quickly becoming star attractions. The Wooten Brothers rapidly became staple figures and star attractions at the park throughout the 1980’s working in the German, Italian, Country and Bluegrass, and Americana shows.
The years 1980 and 1981 found the brothers performing for US troops overseas as the band for the Busch Gardens USO show. Traveling the world was an eye-opening time of learning for young Victor, but it was one summer performing in the country show that, unbeknownst to him, changed his life forever. That was when he became aware of a unique banjo player named Béla Fleck.
”My brothers and parents were the foundation.
They prepared me for just about anything by teaching me to keep my mind open and to learn to adapt”.
While messing around with a friend’s banjo between shows, the friend commented on Wooten’s unique banjo sound. Because the instrument is tuned different from a bass, Victor’s lines came out sounding pretty strange when he played his friend’s instrument. With a thick southern accent, the friend told him that he sounded just like a banjo player named “Baylor Fleck”. Wooten couldn’t imagine anyone playing a banjo that way, so he sought out to find out who this Baylor guy was. When he finally heard a recording of Béla’s band New Grass Revival, he was hooked.
In 1987, Victor traveled with his friend to Nashville, TN. During their short visit, he connected with the banjoist Fleck for the first time. After their initial meeting, Wooten and Fleck kept in touch and continued sharing musical ideas. In 1988, Wooten found himself living in Nashville. Later that year, Béla and Victor, along with Victor’s inventive brother Roy “Future Man” Wooten, and harmonica & piano wizard Howard Levy, formed the eclectic ensemble Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. With a dozen recordings under their belt, the band has created a completely new sound and has become known for its genre-defying music. Currently, over twenty years later, the band is still going strong.
”Musically, that means not being rigid and not having to play in a certain way”.
A few years after he began touring with the Flecktones, Victor released his first solo project, A Show of Hands. Recorded with only a 4-string bass, no multi-tracking, and a lot of groove and soul, this revolutionary CD was voted one of the most important bass records of all time.
Musicians wanting to learn Victor’s unique style and elusive techniques began seeking him out for lessons and seminars at music stores and schools around the world. These workshops became the training ground that lead to the formation of his acclaimed Bass/Nature Camp in 2000, which eventually expanded into Victor Wooten’s Center for Music and Nature. These “intensive” style programs, now in its thirteenth year, welcome all instrumentation and vocalists, and have helped thousands of people of all ages from all corners of the world enhance their musical and personal lives.
”People frequently thank us for sending their new spouses home”.
In 2009, Wooten Woods became the new home for all of Victor’s camps. The nearly 150-acre retreat, owned by Victor and his wife, is located on the beautiful Duck River west of Nashville, TN. This picturesque retreat center, largely built by the hands and hearts of past students, has provided many more opportunities for Victor and his staff to share their lifelong experiences with others.
”We give students the opportunity to completely let go and be themselves while congregating
in a peaceful non-competitive manner on an equal playing ground with each other and their instructors.
We’ve found this to be the best environment for learning.”
April 1st, 2008 marked the debut of two new releases by Victor Wooten. Palmystery (Heads Up) is his sixth solo recording and contains a collection of all new music. It features Bootsy Collins, Mike Stern, Keb Mo, Carl Denson, Jd Blair, Derico Watson, Saundra Williams, Anthony Wellington, Steve Bailey, Will Lee, Dennis Chambers, The Lee Boys, The Wooten Brothers, and others. The album showcases Wooten???s jazz composition and arranging skills with songs like “Two Timers”, “Flex”, and “Song for my Father”, but also brings to the forefront his artistically humble side with the celebratory track “Bass Tribute” and the thought provoking “I Saw God”.
On the same date, Victor released The Music Lesson / A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music, a self-published novel about Life and Music. The book presold hundreds of copies before its release quickly becoming a “must-read” for musicians world-wide. The choice of using this unconventional approach to sharing unique ideas about music was a surprise to all. Offering an intriguing story full of anecdotes and mysticism, The Music Lesson has helped free the minds of musicians worldwide. Soon after its release, it was picked up and published by the Berkley Publishing Group/ Penguin USA Inc. Now translated into multiple languages, The Music Lesson is currently used as required reading and part of curriculums in study groups, schools, and universities including the prestigious Berklee College of Music and Stanford.
With the success of the book came the release of The Music Lesson audiobook (Tantor Audio). Victor lends his voice as the narrator and main character, but enlisted many of his friends and fellow musicians to read the parts of all the remaining characters. Victor also wrote and performed the musical score to the audio book, which was voted as a one of five finalists at the 2011 Audie Awards (the audio book’s equivalent to the Grammys) in the category of Personal Development.
”My mom always said the world needs more than just good musicians.
She said we need good people”.
Wooten’s sought-after skills and growing popularity have lead to recordings and performances with artists such as Chick Corea, The Dave Matthews Band, Bootsy Collins, Branford Marsalis, Mike Stern, Prince, India Arie, Keb Mo, Dennis Chambers, Susan Tedeschi, Gov’t Mule, Bruce Hornsby, Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Frank Gambale, the legendary Moroccan group Nass El Ghiwane, and many others.
His respected reputation as a teacher and speaker/lecturer on the subjects of both Music and Nature have garnered invitations for him to speak and teach at schools, universities, classes and spiritual centers around the world. Some of these places include Strathmore College, Berklee College of Music, Stanford University, Harvard, Mississippi State, Miami University, Middle Tennessee State University, The Haven (Gabriola Isle BC, Canada), Various Nature Centers and camps, and The NYC “Y” with Dan Levitin, author of “This Is Your Brain On Music”.
Along with recording Grammy winning and Billboard charting albums with Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Victor also spearheaded the formation of the super-group SMV with two of his childhood heroes, Stanley Clarke and Marcus Miller. He continues to record and tour with the Flecktones, various other artists, and as a solo artist. He also currently leads six to eight camps at Wooten Woods each year (which he takes part in all day every day). With all of this going on, it would seem like Victor Wooten would have no time for anything else, but that is not the case.
Taking matters completely into his own hands, Wooten has recently formed his own record label. Vix Records, Wooten’s self-proclaimed “Label of Love”, entered the scene in 2011 with a re-mastered version of his pioneering debut solo CD. The new version, A Show of Hands / 15, contains three bonus tracks and is also released on vinyl.
”If the world were to follow you today, where would you lead them?”
Continuing to grow and always willing to share his gifts with all who desire to learn, it seems that Victor Wooten has no plans of slowing down.
“I’m currently writing the sequel to The Music Lesson, and have at least three more books planned after that. I feel like we’re just getting started with the camps and Wooten Woods. Now that we are officially recognized as a not-for-profit organization (501c3), the door is wide open. Vix Records has already released multiple products and we’re not even a year old yet. Writing music for movies and television is the next logical step, and with the amazing team I have helping me, including my manager Danette Albetta, my assistant and web-master Dave Welsch, and my wife Holly, I’m sure we’ll accomplish all of our dreams and more. You know, my kids are actually starting to play gigs on their own now. Who knows, I may be able to retire soon and become their manager. I’m just happy that people like what I do and that I have a lot of support. You can’t beat that.”
Keep checking in at www.victorwooten.com to stay current with everything Victor Lemonte Wooten has his hands and heart wrapped around. He’s moving quickly, so you’ll have to try hard to keep up. One thing is for sure; you won’t want to miss any of it.

Victor Wooten: Sword, Stone, Words and Tones
An interview with Victor Wooten
Source: http://www.jambands.com/features/2012/07/06/victor-wooten-sword-stone-words-and-tones/
With Béla Fleck and the Flecktones recently announcing an indefinite hiatus, Victor Wooten, the band’s inventive bassist and five-time Grammy winner, took the time to talk with Jambands.com about his upcoming albums, Sword and Stone and Words and Tones out this fall on his own label, VIX Records, his music and nature camp outside of Nashville, Tenn., his musical family and, of course, the future of the Flecktones. For complete summer tour dates and for more information, visit www.victorwooten.com.
I’d like to start by talking a bit about your musical upbringing. What types of music most inspired you growing up? I’m the youngest of five brothers who all play music. I have four older brothers and very musical parents – even though they didn’t play any instruments. I grew up in a time of the late 60s and 70s, when music was very, very rich. I don’t know when you were born but the music of the 60s and 70s was rich and it was at a time when radio played all of it. If it was good, the radio played it. On every station. Led Zeppelin, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, The Beatles, James Brown, Sly and the Family Stone, the Jackson 5, the Temptations, it was all there. Because of my brothers who were a bit older than me and because of my parents, we were introduced to all of this stuff. And we weren’t only just hearing it but we were playing it. By the time I was born, my brothers were playing and they already knew, “If we have a bass player in the band, we’ll have a complete band.” So before I was born, they already had my role picked out for me. So I started right away. When I was five years old, we were already doing gigs and actually touring. We toured with a great soul singer by the name of Curtis Mayfield who had a bunch of big hits. I was definitely born to the right people at the right time to be doing what I’m doing.
You’re going to be releasing two albums in September, and they’re essentially two different takes on one album. How did you arrive at the idea for this and what was the recording process like?
It’s an interesting concept. There are two albums: one album features female vocals. What happened was that I knew that I knew that it was going to be female vocals so I’m recording all these songs in my studio, getting them ready to send to the vocalists so they can hear. In most cases, I’m using the base and other instruments to play the melodies so they can hear what the melodies are. It’s rare that I ever finish a song, because I want the vocalists to help write the lyrics so that they’re singing something they want to sing about. In a lot of cases, I just put a melody on that I want and I send them the song. But as I’m putting melody on, I’m saying “Man, these songs sound great instrumentally.” And then the idea hit me to do a whole record as an instrumental version. And so there are a few songs from the vocal record that won’t be on the instrumental record – maybe two or three – and there’s also three songs on the instrumental record that won’t be on the vocal record. So if you want to hear all the songs, you’ll have to get both records… Hint, hint. But it’s fun, and I’ve never seen the idea done before. I’m not doing it to be original but it is an original idea. It sounds really, really good. The name of the instrumental record is called Sword and Stone, like the Merlin and King Arthur story, but if you take “Sword and Stone” and take the ‘s’ of the front of each word and move it to the end, you’ll get the name of the vocal record, which is Words and Tones. There are actually songs about the different words and things like that. That’s the theme to tie into the record.
So is the instrumental album more bass-centered?
Well when I first started recording I hadn’t planned on an instrumental version. It just so happened that as I was adding melodies, I was adding them on the bass because that is what I’m most proficient on. But different kind of basses. I’ve got some really high basses that sound like guitars, some that sound like mandolins, but as I started completing the instrumental record, I started bringing in other instruments – flutes, saxophones, trumpets, cellos, keyboards, guitar – so there are all sorts of instruments on there now, not just bass.
In most music now, the bass isn’t the central instrument. How does working solo allow you to showcase the bass as a lead instrument rather than a supporting instrument? Do you feel like you have more freedom, in a way, playing solo rather than with the Flecktones or any of your other projects?
The way the bass is designed to be is support and underlying. But depending on the musician, the instrument is broad enough to do anything. It does both. I definitely get the chance to showcase it as a lead instrument, and that’s what a lot of people focus on. But even still, if you’re looking to hear the role of the bass, you’ll definitely get it from my show. From me, but also I bring another bassist when I do my solo thing. So the role of the bass is ever present in my shows.
The album is going to be released on your own record label, VIX Records. Why did you start your own label?
The biggest reason was so that I could own my own creations. And even more importantly, so that my kids could own my creations in the end. It doesn’t make sense that a record label will own things that I create. And in the end, their kids own my creations in the end. It also doesn’t make sense that a record label will make most of the money from something someone else creates. So a record label won’t even tell the artist where the money is going. For example, if a record sells for $10, no one except for the record label knows where that $10 is going, the big part of that $10, unless they’re owning their own label. And I’m not trying to make record labels seem bad – they’ve done a lot for us, good and bad – but nowadays it’s easier than ever to own your own product, sell it, and reach your own fans. So that’s what I’m doing.
Right now I’m not really looking for other artists, but I did release a record on a drummer, a longtime friend of mine named J.D. Blair. His record is called 2012? . Not the kind of record you’d expect from a drummer. This is very – no disrespect to any drummers – but his music is very, very great, very danceable and listenable. I’m not searching for artists because I don’t have the time or the money to do what many artists deserve, but I do have a lot of longtime friends who would never get a record out unless someone comes and helps them out. And if I can do that, then I will step in and do that.
You have a pretty extensive summer tour coming up. What does the lineup of your band look like? Will you focus on both the vocal and instrumental material from your forthcoming records?
We will be taking turns, yes. We have an incredible female vocalist on tour with us, Krystal Peterson, and she sings two of the songs on the record. And I also have some of the musicians on the record, J.D. Blair and Derico Watson. I’ll have both drummers. This time I have a totally different band – the first time I won’t have my brothers. But I have incredible musicians. My longtime friend Anthony Wellingon, who has always been my second bass player in my band, a friend I’ve always done a bass duo with named Steve Bailey, he’ll also be there. And another longtime friend, who is also a teacher at my camp, Dave Welsch, he’ll be on this tour. But the interesting thing about this is that all of these people are known as bass players but what people might not know is that Welsch also plays trumpets and keyboards, Steve Bailey also plays trombone and keyboard, Anthony Wellington plays keyboard and guitar. And I play cello and a couple different things, so we’ll all be playing different instruments in addition to bass. So in the middle of songs, we’ll be switching instruments and picking up horns. It’s going to be a visual display as well as an audible display of musical virtuosity. And even our vocalist will play keyboard.
You are a founding member of the Flecktones and you’ve worked with Stanley Clarke, Dave Matthews, and many other renowned musicians. In what setting are you most comfortable?
Well I’m most comfortable playing R&B, funky soul music – because that’s how I grew up. But I’m also very, very comfortable playing the style of music that the Flecktones play, because we’ve been playing it for well over 20 years. But I’m also very comfortable in my own band. But I’m really a support type of bass player. People know me as a soloist and for flashy things, but I’m really good at supporting other musicians.
I caught the Flecktones at the Town Hall in New York late last year. It was honestly one of the best shows I’ve seen in a very long time. The Flecktones are on a hiatus right now. Can we expect anything new from them in the future?
I hope so, I would expect so. But we’ve been going pretty hard since 1988 and everyone deserves to do something different. I’ve got four kids who are growing up with their dad on the road, and I want to make a change with that. In another couple of years, I’ll actually turn 50 years old and, at that time, I’ll take the next two years off. Instead of doing it right away, I’m going to work up to it. And I’m going to take a couple years off to really give my family and my kids my time. And then maybe the Flecktones will get back together and do something after that.
Let’s talk a bit about Wooten Woods. What prompted this concept of a music and nature camp? Is the importance of music in the lives of kids an important aspect to you, especially since you grew up in a very musical family?
Absolutely – but I want to say that the word ‘camp’ makes people think of kids. But most of the programs we do are for ages 15 and up. So far, the oldest has been 74. We just finished the camp that had some people in their 50s and 60s. But we do a few camps every year with kids as young as 8 years old. But I understand the importance of nature in anything that we do. Even with you writing article and doing interviews, you want to be natural in what you do. You don’t want to overthink or overwrite anything. The word ‘natural’ means being like nature. So in our quest to become natural, whether we know it or not, we’re really trying to be like nature, because nature just flows and does it thing without our interference. A bird will learn to sing. I don’t even know if they learn it, they actually know it. A squirrel knows how to build a nest. As humans, we have those same natural tendencies, but a lot of the time we don’t tap into them. Especially in music. We lock ourselves in a room in order to become natural, as backwards as it comes. You can’t learn a language in a room by yourself, and music is definitely a language. So we just reintroduced nature into our learning process.
We make nature not only our model for learning but also our classroom. For anyone who even takes a walk through the woods, it slows you down and it opens up your mind and you speak softer. When we make that our learning atmosphere, things open up. It’s unbelievable what happens to these people when they spend a week in the woods with us. They just open up. I got this idea in 1991 when I took a class with a man named Tom Brown Jr. He’s known as the Tracker. He’s written a lot of books about nature and spirituality. I started studying with him and hearing him talk and teach about nature and tracking, it was music to my ears. I said, this man he doesn’t know it but he’s teaching music. And more importantly, since no one else was doing it, I chose myself to be the person.