With all the recent album reviews going on here, I figure I’d let you in on my latest purchase, the latest album from bass player Victor Wooten. If you’re interested in some uniquely happy music that mixes elements of jazz, funk, fusion, gospel, and African music while showcasing one of the best bass players of all time, read on!
I imagine most of you out there are not familiar with the name Victor Wooten, but suffice it to say that he’s one of the best bass players around - right up there with the likes of Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke. Palmystery is Vic’s latest solo release, and I must say that I love it. I haven’t been too impressed with his solo releases in the past, but Palmystery finally shows what Victor can do on his own.
This is the type of album that just makes me smile (I mean, come on, there’s a song titled “Happy Song” on the album). While listening to most of these tracks, I end up closing my eyes and really enjoying the music. To be honest, I find Victor’s lyrics to be a bit too cheesy. However, it’s easy to get past that when you hear the soulful, cheerful melodies and grooves on this album. And as cheesy as some of the lyrics are, they tend to be so full of joy and appreciation of the world and the people around you, that it’s hard not to feel cheery (even annoyingly so) while listening to this album. And if you can’t get past the lyrics, you’ll be happy to know that the album is mostly instrumental.
Musically, this album is sort of all over the place. Some of the grooves are reminiscent of Paul Simon and his African influences. Other tracks have a more jazzy feel and feature intricate rhythms and textures reminiscent of his work with the Flecktones. Other tracks are heavily fusion influenced. And others have a sort of soul-pop sound that makes you start dancing around and singing along no matter where you are. Despite the somwhat non-contiguous collection of songs, the album experience overall is quite superb. Victor has managed to pull together some of the best musicians in the industry, and this is very obvious in the recordings as each one is performed with astonishing perfection. And as can be expected, this album features simply amazing performances by Victor on his bass. However, don’t let this mislead you into thinking that the performances and solo’s of all the other musicians isn’t right up there with the level of victor’s performances (I was particularly impressed with the drumming which features J.D. Blair, Dennis Chambers and Will Kennedy).
This album might not be for everyone. But for those that appreciate jazz, superb musicianship, and some hot-toe-tappin’ jamming I highly recommend this album.
You can pick the CD from amazon for $13.99, or via amazon mp3 for only $8.99.
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