Victor Wooten: With Amazing Grace!

Who says that Law School is a waste, aside from lawyers that is? Well not me; for me Law School was great. Of course I went to the Communist Law School (CUNY, as it was known back in the day). So, I had a great experience and I met wonderful folks.

Two of those wonderful folks were professors. They were Jean and Steve Z., and they added great value and joy to my life. One of the many things they did was to drag me to Belmont Park, that’s right, the track and para-mutual betting on thoroughbred racing.

Well, for someone who had never even purchased a lotto ticket that was pretty degenerative. Now, just so you know, this was long after I had received my J.D. and passed the Bar, so there was no sucking up involve.

Actually, how it happened was that Steve was serving jury duty around Kentucky Derby time at the District Court in New York and I was working for the Appeals Court in the same building at the time. So, we had lunch together and he started showing me how to handicap using the Daily Racing Form. Well, I fell in love with Sea Hero. Who couldn’t love a horse named Sea Hero whose sire was Polish Navy. It was just too fanciful and what were the chances? Well, as it turned out pretty good as he won in ’93 with Jerry Bailey aboard. And, who was this Bailey guy anyway? And that was without even paying attention to Steve’s lesson in handicapping.

So, soon I was going to Belmont Park on Saturdays and learning the art of handicapping and appreciating my legal education. Synthesis is one of the most important aspects of legal reasoning and synthesis is necessary for handicapping. I guess that is why so many lawyers and judges are into horseracing. I have also been told by some that handicapping is far too difficult, and too much work, and so they buy lotto tickets instead. And the odds are?

Anyway, one thing leads to another, and soon I was going to Saratoga Springs for the meet with them.

This leads to Victor Wooten. Took a while didn’t it?

SPAC is in Saratoga. It is the Saratoga Performing Arts Center which is right next to the Spas. So, one night Jean and Steve dragged me to a concert there under the guise of seeing Joan Baez. Okay, she actually was playing there that night. But, Steve really wanted to see Bela Fleck, Baez, not so much.

Well, what a concert. Alison Krauss was there and spectacular. The sound system at SPAC is incredible and I had never heard of her, or heard her, before. Blew my mind! I have to say that I am a sucker for a female fiddle player and she was worth the price of admission.

Little did I know what was coming next: Bela Fleck and the Flecktones! I don’t think I sat down for the whole performance. Damn!

And in the middle of it all was Victor Wooten. Now, as a jazz aficionado and one who loves the bass, see Charles Mingus, I was blown away.

So, with that in mind I have put together a few videos to show just how wonderful Mr. Wooten is. The first is Amazing Grace, next comes his melodic bass playing lesson, and finally is Amazing Grace after you have seen the lesson. I implore you to watch all three in order.

I hope you find this as instructive and enlightening as I do.

Listen up and learn. The bass, as Mingus made clear, is not only for rhythm it is for melody. And how melodic and graceful Mr. Wooten is. Amazing!