On Saturday, March 19, international bass icon Victor Wooten came to Community to hold a masterclass for the jazz students of Community High School, Huron High School, and Pioneer High School. Packed in the Craft Theater were jazz students, parents, and faculty, to witness and learn from this fantastic musician.
The five-time Grammy Award winner has won most every major award given to a bass player. Wooten was named bassist of the year three times by Bass Player Magazine, and remains the only person to have won the award more than once. Apart from his tremendously successful solo career, he has played and recorded with artists such as Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Bass Extremes, Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and a handful of others.
Victor Wooten brought along with him two of his brothers, Regi and Joseph Wooten, who are both also very talented professional musicians. The trio of Victor, Regi, and Joseph (playing bass, guitar, and electric keyboard, respectively) played a song for the audience, took questions, and critiqued students from Community combos Maximum Will and BlueTruth. “What a blast — one the kids will never forget,” said CHS Jazz Director Jack Wagner.
Wagner went through a lot of trouble to book Wooten for the masterclass. He tried for months, calling anyone who could make it happen in the process. “I went through a heck of a lot to get him here, but [it was] totally worth it,” said Wagner. He was given a huge discount by agreeing to buy $1,300 worth of cds and books from Wooten’s (his novel, entitled The Music Lesson, and his newest album, A Show of Hands 15). In addition to these purchases, another $1,000 or so were put together by the CHS, Pioneer, and Huron Jazz Programs to pay for the master class.
Although Wooten was only contracted for one hour, he generously stayed for nearly three, and also brought along his brothers, who were not contracted to come.
Wooten’s priceless insight and spirituality gave these students inspiration and perspective that they are unlikely to find anywhere else. “We got our money’s worth,” said Wagner.
Photos courtesy of Jordan SidenYo Victa
