Right before July Fourth fireworks and Hurricane Beryl barreled down on us, there
was five-time Grammy Award winner Victor Wooten. He took UHD by storm, followed by
a concert with his brothers that brought unparalleled musicianship and 
palpable joy to The Heights Theater. No surprise. Rolling Stone Magazine called him
"one of the top ten bassists of all time."
On the evening of July 3, the Wooten Brothers rocked the Heights with a range of musical styles that not only mesmerized but also showed off the incredible talents of the group—from jazz fusion and funk to the music of Led Zepplin, Elton John, and Stevie Wonder. At one point, lead guitarist Regi Wooten and bassist Victor held their guitars parallel to the stage floor and reached over and played the other musician's instrument. The audience went wild when Victor counted down from nine, and the band continued playing with each change in time signature. Amazing.
Perhaps even more amazing is that the band boarded a bus in San Antonio, where they had performed the night before, at 2:00 a.m. that morning to drive to Houston so that Victor could share his music and his stories with the UHD community at an 11 a.m. Rhythm & Books workshop. Various local musicians joined him in performance, including Rhythm & Books artists Valen the Valentine, The Mighty Orq, and our own Spencer Lightsy, producer of the series.
With humility and the utmost respect for his mentor, Spencer shared a story about being put on the spot by Victor to perform a bass solo during the Jam Camp at Wooten Woods. Spencer panicked and added flourishes to his playing. Victor explained that just like in Mark Ronson's "Uptown Funk," the bass solo can just be the bass line. "The bass is like the floor of a building; it's not supposed to move around. Let the saxophone do that. The bass should just stay down here and do its thing."
A word to the wise: that's the advice of a master.