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Moving on Up (right) | "The Greatest Show on Earth"

"The Greatest Show on Earth"

by Skip Murphy

Victor Wooten's Soul Circus Concert Tour
When: March 20, 2005
Where: Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, N.Y.
Crowd: Approximately 1,000 people
Length of show: 3 hours, 20 minutes

"The Greatest Show on Earth"

In the 1960s, R'n'B acts toured the country, spreading the sweet sounds of real soul music across America. These "soul revues" usually consisted of a dozen or so acts (such as Little Anthony and the Imperials, the Shirelles, the Delphonics and Smokey Robinson and the Miracles), each performing a few tunes before another act took the stage, providing non-stop joy for fans and musicians alike. This style of showcasing talent, which generally disappeared in the 1970s, has now returned, thanks to bass virtuoso Victor Wooten.

Wooten's Soul Circus review is a show that will stay in the minds of fans for a long time. This inter-galactic funk showcase is unique to this era, when life is much more hectic than it was in the days of 45 rpm records, AM radio stations, black and white television and the beginnings of the civil rights movement. In today's world, the soul review is funkier, more high-tech, further beyond belief and full of extraordinary musicianship.

Wooten's Rochester show started with a short video clip reminiscent of "Ripley's Believe It or Not." It told the story of a gifted bassist (Wooten) and his search for the ultimate groove, joking that his supreme speed on the instrument was because he actually had eight arms. Then the screen rose, exposing, in the midst of computerized lighting and stage effects, a seven-piece band of musical prodigies.

The high-velocity attack of guitarist Regi Wooten, the solid keyboard base of his brother Joseph and the subtle grooves of low-end master Anthony Wellington provided a perfect canvas for Victor Wooten to display his musical genius. Victor is known for coming out smokin' from the get-go, and his opening original song, "Natives," set the tone for the evening. His fluid, complicated lines wove a seamless melody though the mounds of funk.

Soon after came an aptly titled "Bass Tribute" to famous bassists that began with a quick rendition of one of the most memorable lines in contemporary music--from the Staples Singers' "I'll Take You There." After every player onstage took a swing at a nostalgic line and sang a chorus of reverence to those who had come before, the band broke into stellar versions of Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir," Jimi Hendrix's "Fire" and "Sex Machine" by seminal groove king James Brown.

This enlightened group of funk fanatics seemed like they would never stop. Then one of Victor's wonderful backup singers, a young woman of about 20 years named MC Divinty, strapped on a bass and laid down a hip-hop tune, rapping while she played. Both her lyrical stylings and musicianship were first-rate. Then Saundra Williams, another supporting vocalist, took the mic and held the audience spellbound with her version of the Chaka Khan hit "Sweet Thang," holding every member of the audience in a trance that would remain for the rest of the show.

And on the Wooten family side of things, the talent extends past Victor. When Victor tours with banjo wizard Bela Fleck, his brother "Futureman" plays electronic drums. At this show, his brother, Regi Wooten held it down on bass, as well as shredding riffs on guitar (and a hybrid instrument that may be both at once), while brother Joseph dazzled the audience on keyboards and with some surprising theremin effects. He also sang an original composition called "Testosterone," a soft, sweet jazz tune with a style that may spell a great future for the yet another Wooten.

Bassist Anthony Wellington delighted the audience with brief solos awash in feeling, and some unison bass-and-vocals scatting a la' George Benson. Dummer Derico Watson also got a cameo, doing an intricate solo spot. Watson's solo work, like Wooten's was smooth, deep and complex. If Victor has eight arms, then Watson must have three feet to push the funk so very easily.

There is little to say about Victor Wooten's playing, and that of his band, except wow. A complete entertainer, not just a bass genius, he sings soulfully (as does everyone in this band), breathing life into each passage, and fronts one of the tightest bands in the world with ease.

His bass playing is way past amazing. Throughout the night, he displayed an astounding command of the instrument, nowhere more evident than on his famous rendition of "Amazing Grace," where he mixes harmonics with rhythmic bass work, providing both a bottom line and a melody simultaneously. It is odd to see, but Wooten turns casual listeners into fans of the electric bass, which has long been relegated to the role of a background instrument.

On the final piece of the night, aptly titled "Victor" and on his newest disc "Soul Circus," Wooten came though a haze of fog from the back of the stage, providing the audience with a surprise too special to describe, finishing with an eight-minute solo built like the Empire State building, exhibiting layer after layer of great melody and showmanship. Flinging his bass in the air and catching it without missing a beat, Victor and his band gave everything to the audience. In a concert of more than three hours, they were energetic, musically solid and a real joy throughout.

Maybe the real tribute should go to the Wootens' parents, for raising such great entertainers. It doesn't get any better than this.

Skip Murphy