- photo by Cynthia Mulligan
- Victor Wooten and John Blackwell at Seminole Music and Sound
Victor Wooten, acclaimed bassist for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (who played Thursday night at Jannus Landing, downtown St. Petersburg) skipped the sound check and dropped into Seminole Music & Sound to headline a Bass Clinic sponsored by Hartke, along with John Blackwell (drummer for Prince).
- photo by Cynthia Mulligan
- Victor Wooten Grooves
For the hundred or so musicians filling the showroom to SRO, it was an afternoon spent at the feet of a legend, hanging on every word, privileged to hear the master play in this intimate venue.
He and John riffed and jammed for a half hour of pure bliss for his fans, and then graciously opened the floor to questions, saying, “John and I are doing what most everyone in this room would like to do, so take advantage of the opportunity and ask your questions, and let’s figure this out.”
Notable in the discussion were these pearls of wisdom:
“The music happens in my head… and I play much better in my head than you hear. But that’s okay; never catch up to what’s in your head. If you do, it’s all over.”
“The real instrument is the musician. If you listen closely you’ll notice that all those guitars you see hanging on the wall don’t make a sound… without the musician, there is no music.”
“The key to everything is dancing and singing. The more we learn about our craft, the more we get pushed away from the music. The audience sings and dances. They want to hear you play music.”
“When you make a mistake, you play through it. If you’re walking and you trip, you don’t back up and take that step again. Same with playing. Just correct and keep going.”
“Playing a wrong note doesn’t make it bad… unless it doesn’t groove. After all, the right note is only a half-step away from the wrong note, and even the right notes won’t sound right if you don’t have the groove. “
“I don’t become the music when I pick up my bass: I live the music.”
Victor wrapped up by asking the audience, “What is music?” “Love.” “Universal.” “Life.” “Happiness.” “See there: not one of you said anything about technology, or instruments, or theory, or sound… why think about those things when you play, if they’re not music? Just get a groove, and play.”
This article appears in Oct 20-26, 2011.