Search - Victor Wooten :: Palmystery

Victor Wooten
Palmystery
Genres: Country, Jazz, Pop, R&B, Rock

Track Listings (12) - Disc #1
1. 2 Timers
2. Cambo
3. I Saw God
4. The Lesson
5. Left, Right, & Center
6. Sifu
7. Miss U - The Lee Boys / Victor Wooten
8. Flex
9. The Gospel
10. Song For My Father
11. Happy Song
12. Us 2

CD Details

All Artists: Victor Wooten
Title: Palmystery
Members Wishing: 1
Total Copies: 0
Label: Heads Up
Original Release Date: 1/1/2008
Re-Release Date: 4/1/2008
Genres: Country, Jazz, Pop, R&B, Rock
Styles: Bluegrass, Jazz Fusion, Smooth Jazz, Funk
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPC: 053361313524

Synopsis

Album Description

Bassist Victor Wooten makes his debut on Heads Up International with the worldwide release of "Palmystery" on April 1, 2008. In keeping with the ongoing philosophy of genre-bending eclecticism that has driven all of his solo work, "Palmystery" embraces a range of styles - jazz, funk, pop, soul, gospel, world music and more - and boasts a diverse guest list that includes Mike Stern, Richard Bona, Keb' Mo' and several others. The result is an amalgam of voices, styles and grooves, but one that never fails to hold together at its rock-solid core - in much the same way that Wooten's legions of devoted fans hail from all walks of life and all corners of the globe, yet share a common affinity for artistic diversity. "Palmystery"'s April 1 release date is simultaneous with the release of "The Music Lesson," Wooten's new novel published by Berkley Trade Paperback (The Penguin Group USA). "The Music Lesson" is the story of a struggling young musician who is unexpectedly visited by a mysterious, seemingly mystic music teacher who guides him through a spiritual journey of higher education in both music and life. The themes of spirituality and mysticism at the core of "The Music Lesson" dovetail perfectly with those of "Palmystery." A few of the twelve tracks on the album were written over the past couple years, and have since been road tested in Wooten's live shows. Others were written only recently. Whatever the time frame, Wooten maintains a great respect for the mystery of the creative process - something that is very real, yet can never be completely explained.

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Member CD Reviews

Brett H. (BlooZRocker)
Reviewed on 12/1/2008...

Pretty cool CD. Vic is one of a select few new-era bass masters. Get it and you'll wonder how you lived without it.

1 of 1 member(s) found this review helpful.

CD Reviews

A beautifully crafted album with a sophisticated, subtle sou

luc_doc7 | 04/09/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""Victor Wooten's "Palmistry" comes closest to handling matters the best by giving him a fair amount of personal space even if surrounded by busy arrangements and African background voices. "The Lesson", for instance, is a duet that features only bass and a rhythm box along with hand claps".Pittzburg Tribune

Guest musicians on his new album are Mike Sternon guitar, Richard Bona on percussion and vocals, Karl Denson on tenor saxophone, Keb' Mo' and several others.

Just the very first spins of the first trach make clear his position as a top notch bass player (he is the veteran bassist of Béla Fleck & the Flecktones) and an excellent composer.

The tracks are all original compositions with the exception of Horace Silver's "Song For My Father".

The musincianschip is fantastic and Victor is on the top of the game.

This a an excellent mix of jazz fusion, blues, gospel, funk and world and the album is very enjoyable for both instrumentals and vocals.

My favourite tracks are : "2 Timers", the middle-eastern tinged "Combo", "I Saw God," which features Richard Bona among its vocalists and the Spanish rhythm flavoured "The Lesson".

Victor's fans will want this for their collections. It's one of his best CDs out there.

Who Let the Cats Out

Tiki

Marcus

The Toys of Men"

Another great album

the thrilla in manilla | Long Island | 04/06/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Victor wooten is just an incredible person. He's talented beyond belief and still supremely humble and spiritual. He shines on this album. I had just gotten this album and was listening to it when some friends stopped by. They arent musicians and are more into top 40 stuff but they really got into this album. All of the tracks are great but I think the standout track is I saw god...Worth the buy...pick it up...if you're reading this you're probably a fan of his anyway...it's good....get it."

A really satisfying album

Music maven | Amherst, MA | 09/18/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I've tried a few Victor Wooten albums in the past, but was never particularly hooked on any of them. But this one really works. There are a couple of songs that are just platforms for bass gymnastics that aren't very interesting--I've never been a fan of slap bass--and there are some cheesy solos here and there, but most of the cuts, especially the first four songs, are excellent for their ensemble playing, energy, and composition. As good as the bass playing is, the drumming is even better."

Palms and Fingers

Wayne D. Clark-elliott | renton, wa United States | 04/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This man is a genius. He can play any genre and you will enjoy it. See him in person with his band or with Bella Fleck, you won't regret it."

Such chops, such heart, such joy

J. Seigle | Vienna, VA USA | 09/21/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Victor Wooten is a joyful man. You can hear the joy in all his music. But run through this CD at least two or three times and listen to his amazing technical prowess so you get past all that, because he has. Just settle in for some very enjoyable performances. In Wooten's case

those chops are just a means to an end, and not an end it themselves.

2 Timers is an upbeat song that sounds like it could have come from Weather Report, and features some very fine harmonica work. It has a smooth transition where the bass part stays the same behind a very clever time change, from frenetic bounce to easygoing stroll and then

back again. Cambo has a vague vocal (indistinct lyrics, or maybe none at all) that sounds influenced by Middle Eastern laid over a strong foundation, but with a keyboard solo that unfortunately degrades into finger exercises. I Saw God is a happy-sounding tune with a lyric that gives a lighthearted but thoughtful and non-self-righteous view of religion ("I saw God the other day, she looked like you he looked like me," and "'You see, 'I'm not a religious type of person,' and he said, 'You don't have to be.'"). The Lesson is a bass solo feature with some percussive background that is influenced by Spanish music. Left, Right & Center is a selection with a touch of Brecker Brothers-style fusion-funk as multiple instruments double the same lines.

Sifu is an odd selection, starting out with somber strings and a voiceover from Wooten's martial arts instructor that says something that sounds like it was off-the-cuff but the song tries to put it on a pedestal: "A lot of times when martial arts teaches you a lot of techniques, you're taught to block a certain way, or to kick a certain way, it doesn't mean that guy is wrong, it just means you're the one doin' it, and it's no different, than, like, if you wore that shirt and I wore this shirt, it doesn't mean one of us is wrong." It breaks out of the adagio into a heavy fusion romp, occasionally re-sampling, "It doesn't mean one of us is wrong" as a percussion technique. It also gives the quote much more gravitas than it really deserves.

Miss U is a happy song with lyrics that suggest joyful mourning for a lost friend ("I know that I'll see you again, in other land, but until then, I'm going to miss you"). A running line through the song sounds like guitar but I suspect it's some sort of bass. Flex is yet another upbeat tune with a generous helping of bass runs, and reminds me a little of "(Used To Be A) Cha Cha" from Jaco Pastorius. The Gospel is very slow, loosely influenced by gospel forms and Dixieland, with a plaintive vocal of indeterminate lyrics. It finishes with the message, "Someday, maybe someday, we'll all be free" which might have had a definite message in 1865, another in 1940, but today I'm not quite sure what he's getting at. Song For My Father starts out as a typical energetic take on the jazz standard, but moves into some

interesting rhythmic and harmonic departures. Happy Song could have been done by Spyro Gyra, and is yet another joyful Wooten tune. You can almost see Snoopy dancing to this one (which might be. The album closes with Us 2, a slower tune that sounds like it could have been taken from the same Clapton songbook as Wonderful Tonight, though with sparse instrumentals, featuring the Dobro guitar sound.

This recording has some moments for hard-core musicians but is mostly a celebration of life and music without taking itself too seriously.

"