S.M.V. —CLARKE | MILLER | WOOTEN— Thunder (2008) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Get the subwoofers primed for this one. Three of jazz fusion's finest and most respected bassists -- Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, and Victor Wooten -- join forces for an hourlong frolic in the studio that's a fun, frisky, funky romp for the players and a potent showcase for an instrument often relegated to support status. Not here. On paper, it would seem unwieldy for three bass players, especially with the proficiency of this trio, to navigate their parts in the same song without the sound getting hopelessly cluttered. But it takes less than a minute into the opening track, which unexpectedly kicks off with full orchestration, for the concept to prove viable. One bass works the traditional low riff while the other two solo in harmony and trade licks with such ease and finesse that you wonder why someone didn't think of this collaboration earlier. Actually, someone did. Wooten came up with the idea but it took until the group worked together at the October 2006 Bass Player Live! event in N.Y.C. (where Clarke won the Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award) for it to be discussed as a reality with the other two. Clarke was no stranger to playing with his fellow bottom dwellers, as he proved on his Night School DVD where he joined with about ten other bassists for an extended version of "School Days." Still, it's amazing how well these guys navigate their strummed, plucked, and thumped parts around each other without clashing. Horns, drums, loops, and keyboards (from guests Chick Corea and George Duke as well as Miller) flesh out the upper registers while Miller's clean, unfussy production also keeps things in order. Acoustic bowed bass and strings on "Milano" shift the sound away from the more rhythmic approach naturally favored on the majority of the tracks. The three amigos take on a Spanish spaghetti Western feel for "Los Tres Hermanos," a refreshing changeup that features some of the disc's most nimble playing and its prettiest melody. Some tunes will be familiar to jazz fans. "Tutu" was written by Miller for Miles Davis and Clarke's "Quiet Afternoon" gets referenced, as does his "Silly Putty," but these versions are quite different than the originals. All three musicians weave their lines together on the lovely ballad "Lil' Victa," with Clarke's high end sounding enough like a guitar to hold down the strong melodic line. The closing "Grits" is a hot slab of funky jazz that gives each a chance to solo over a sparse beat. Although their styles are relatively distinct, it would have been helpful if the liner notes described who was playing which part, especially for newcomers. Otherwise, this will thrill fusion fans -- and for bassists it's nothing less than a master class on the instrument from a handful of its most accomplished, eclectic, and veteran practitioners. Hal Horowitz
Tracklist :
1    Maestros De Las Frecuencias Bajas 2:52
Bass – SMV
Bass Clarinet, Alto Saxophone, Tenor Saxophone – Marcus Miller
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Keyboards – Ruslan Sirota
Synthesizer – Ariel Mann
Trombone – Steve Baxter
Trumpet – Patches Stewart
Written-By, Arranged By – Stanley Clarke
2    Thunder 6:37
Bass – SMV
Vocals, Voice [Voice Trumpet], Human Beatbox – Butterscotch
Written-By, Synthesizer, Programmed By – Marcus Miller
3    Hillbillies On A Quiet Afternoon 6:11
Bass – SMV
Clavinet – George Duke
Drums – Derico Watson
Synthesizer – Marcus Miller
Written-By – Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten
4    Mongoose Walk 5:57
Bass – SMV
Drums – Derico Watson
Percussion – Kevin Ricard
Piano – Chick Corea
Written-By – Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten
Written-By, Synthesizer, Keyboards – Marcus Miller
5    Los Tres Hermanos 5:25
Bass – SMV
Drums – Poogie Bell
Percussion – Kevin Ricard
Written-By, Synthesizer – Marcus Miller
6    Lopsy Lu - Silly Putty 6:12
Arranged By – Victor Wooten
Arranged By, Synthesizer, Programmed By – Marcus Miller
Bass – SMV
Drums – Poogie Bell
Keyboards – George Duke
Trombone – Steve Baxter
Trumpet – Patches Stewart
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
7    Milano 4:21
Bass – Victor Wooten
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Percussion – Kevin Ricard
Written-By, Bass, Synthesizer – Marcus Miller
8    Classical Thump 4:50
Arranged By, Bass – Marcus Miller
Written-By, Arranged By, Bass – Victor Wooten
9    Tutu 5:04
Arranged By, Bass – Victor Wooten
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – Stanley Clarke
Drums – J.D. Blair
Keyboards – Karlton Taylor
Vocals – Butterscotch
Written-By, Arranged By, Bass, Bass Clarinet, Synthesizer, Programmed By – Marcus Miller
10    Lil' Victa 4:10
Bass – SMV
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Written-By – Stanley Clarke
11    Pendulum 4:15
Bass – SMV
Human Beatbox – Butterscotch
Written-By – Antoinette Clinton, Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten
Written-By, Synthesizer – Marcus Miller
12    "Lemme Try Your Bass" 0:57
Written-By, Bass – Marcus Miller, Stanley Clarke
13    Grits 5:24
Bass – SMV
Drums – Ronald Bruner Jr.
Written-By, Synthesizer – Marcus Miller

VICTOR WOOTEN — What Did He Say (1997) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

A superb, varied, playfully crafted disc, and an absolutely stunning effort that surpasses expectations. The music varies from funk and rap to a fantastic version of John Coltrane's "Naima," to a beautiful, very different -- yet quite recognizable without being boring -- version of the Lennon/McCartney standard "Norwegian Wood." The shifts of stance, posture, and presentation are at times abrupt but never disconcerting; rather, they provoke thought and reflection. These shifts appear at times between the tracks and at times in the midst of the pieces themselves. The disc is never inaccessible; the combination of jazz and Irish music brings to mind the seemingly ridiculous combinations of Paddy Moloney of the Chieftains. The big departure from the first album is that this is not a solo bass album. He uses other instruments, and uses them well. Not to be missed. Bob Gottlieb
Tracklist :
1        Yo Victa    0:06
2        What Did He Say?    3:18
3        What You Won't Do For Love    4:41
4        Cherokee    1:49
5        Don't Wanna Cry    5:05
6        The Loneliest Monk    4:33
7        A Chance    2:53
8        Radio W-OO-10    1:03
9        Norwegian Wood    4:49
10        Bro John    4:16
11        Naima    5:54
12        Sometimes I Laugh    3:19
13        My Life    4:41
14        The Sojourn Of Arjuna    6:24
15        Buzz Intro    0:32
16        A Little Buzz    2:40
17        Kids Didn't Change    0:53
18        Heaven Is Where The Heart Is    5:0
Personnel :
Bagpipes [Uilleann] – Davy Spillane (tracks: 14)
Banjo – Béla Fleck (tracks: 14)
Bass – Oteil Burbridge (tracks: 11)
Bass, Vocals – Victor Wooten
Cymbal – Futch (tracks: 4, 14)
Double Bass [Acoustic Bass] – James Genus (tracks: 4)
Drums – Raymond Massey (tracks: 4, 14)
Drums, Vocals [Background] – JD Blair (tracks: 2, 3, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18)
Guitar – Regi Wooten (tracks: 4, 11, 18)
Handclaps – Kurt Storey (tracks: 10, 13)
Percussion – Jim Roberts (8) (tracks: 11, 14)
Soprano Saxophone – Paul McCandless (tracks: 14)
Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Coffin (tracks: 4)
Trumpet – Rod McGaha (tracks: 4, 14)
Vocals – Ann McCrary (tracks: 5), Robert Bailey (tracks: 5), Elijah "Pete" Wooten (tracks: 10), Royel (tracks: 18)
Vocals, Alto Saxophone – Rudy Wooten (tracks: 4, 18)
Vocals, Backing Vocals – Cherokee (tracks: 2, 4)
Vocals, Handclaps – Holly Wooten (tracks: 10, 18)
Vocals, Piano – Joseph Wooten (tracks: 4, 14, 18)
Voice – Matt Smith (tracks: 8), Michael Kott (tracks: 8)

VICTOR WOOTEN — Palmystery (2008) APE (image+.cue), lossless

Victor Wooten makes it clear in the first few seconds of Palmystery that he's the man in charge. His spellbinding, acrobatic basslines take the lead, literally, and even when he's fulfilling the traditional role of the bassist (not that there's much about his virtuosic playing that's traditional) and shining the spotlight on his collaborators, he remains the focal point. Yet Wooten, the veteran bassist of Béla Fleck & the Flecktones, is no showoff. Through mostly original compositions (the sole cover is Horace Silver's "Song for My Father") that glide easily between jazz fusion, world music, R&B, gospel, rock, and funk, through instrumental and vocal sections, improvisations and structured pieces, Wooten holds it all together -- it's nearly impossible not to listen to what he's doing with his instrument. Still, although the musicianship is never less than stellar throughout and always takes a front seat, this is not an indulgent record -- Wooten and his crew serve the songs, not vice versa, and they do so with panache. The leadoff track, "2 Timers," serves notice that this is going to be a fun listen, not a difficult one, despite the complexity often inherent: with one drummer playing in 3/4 time and the other in 4/4 (hence the title), Wooten alternately hands the reins over to violinist Eric Silver, a three-man horn section, harmonica ace Howard Levy, and brother Joseph Wooten on keyboards. Continual shifts of tempo, mood, and texture keep things lively and then, just in case it seems like this is how it might stay, the second track, the Arabian-flavored "Cambo," puts an entirely different spin on things. With lead and choired vocals by co-writer Amir Ali and Saundra Williams, Wooten lays down a solid rhythm over which brothers Joseph and guitarist Regi Wooten work out, along with Ali on violin, lute, and darbouka (an African hand drum). Each successive track expands the album's colorings: on "I Saw God," which features Richard Bona among its vocalists, Victor Wooten offers a non-religious person's impressions of his confrontation with a unisexual, philosophical, word-playing deity, while the flamenco-esque "The Lesson" pares down the cast to just Victor on bass and another Flecktone brother, Roy Wooten, supplying percussion. And so on throughout: "The Gospel" doubles up Wooten's fretted and fretless basses with ghostly vocals from the Woodard Family and a team of horns, and the Silver interpretation is spirited and swinging, with Karl Denson's tenor saxophone among the more notable solos on the record. "Us 2," the closing track, is also the quietest, Wooten laying low on basses and drum programming while Keb' Mo' peels off sleek slide guitar licks and Joseph Wooten lays down a bed of keyboards. "Sifu" utilizes Mike Stern's guitar. "Miss U," which features the Lee Boys on vocals, Roosevelt "The Doctor" Collier on pedal steel, and Alvin Lee (presumably not the Ten Years After guitarist) on guitar, is a gospelized, bluesy, soul-fried rave-up that gives Wooten a chance to show off his boogie power. Palmystery solidifies Victor Wooten's rep not only as one of the most skillful, inventive bassists on the planet but a heck of a diversified songwriter and bandleader, too. Jeff Tamarkin

Tracklist :
1    2 Timers 4:51
Harmonica – Howard Levy
Piano – Joseph Wooten
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
2    Cambo 5:25
Bass [Low] – Anthony Wellington
Written-By – Amir Ali, Victor L. Wooten
3    I Saw God 4:20
Vocals, Percussion – Richard Bona
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
4    The Lesson 5:55
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
5    Left, Right, & Center 7:11
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
6    Sifu 7:36
Bass – Regi Wooten
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
7    Miss U 4:33
Bass – Alvin "Lil' Al" Cordy
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
8    Flex 6:37
Bass [Thumb Solo] – Anthony "Flex" Wellington
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
9    The Gospel 6:40
Vocals – The Woodard Family
Written-By – Joseph Wooten, Victor L. Wooten
10    Song For My Father 5:10
Written-By – Horace Silver
11    Happy Song 4:23
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
12    Us 2 2:58
Written-By – Victor L. Wooten
Personnel:
Alto Saxophone – Rudy Wooten (tracks: 9, 11), Shawn "Thunder" Wallace (tracks: 6)
Baritone Saxophone – Jeff Coffin (tracks: 9), Karl Denson (tracks: 10)
Bass – Victor Wooten
Drums – Dennis Chambers (tracks: 5), Derico Watson (tracks: 1 to 3, 8, 10), Earl "Big E" Walker (tracks: 7), JD Blair (tracks: 1, 5, 6), Raymond Massey (tracks: 11), Will Kennedy (tracks: 5, 9)
Guitar – Alvin Lee (tracks: 7), Mike Stern (tracks: 5, 6), Regi Wooten (tracks: 2, 8, 10, 11)
Keyboards – Joseph Wooten (tracks: 1 to 3, 6 to 9, 11, 12)
Tenor Saxophone – Jeff Coffin (tracks: 1, 9)
Trombone – Barry Green (tracks: 1, 9)
Trumpet – Rod McGaha (tracks: 1, 9)
Violin – Amir Ali (tracks: 2, 8)
Violin, Mandolin – Eric Silver (tracks: 1)
Vocals – Amir Ali (tracks: 2, 6), Saundra Williams (tracks: 2, 7)
Vocals [Low] – Alvin Chea (tracks: 6)

MIKE STERN - These Times (2004) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

Combine the innovative guitar energy of legendary fusion master Mike Stern with old friends (bassist Richard Bona, drummer Vinnie Colaiuta) and new (saxman Kenny Garrett), and anything is bound to happen. But fans expecting raucous swinging and jamming the whole time may be surprised at the subtle lyricism and exotic explorations that define these times for their hero. Yes, his electric is crackling on the hypnotic opener, "Chatter," but it's in the crazy, exotic context of a Middle Eastern vibe inspired by Pakistani great Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan (look out, Eddie Vedder!). Jim Beard's jumpy piano, Colaiuta's wild, New Orleans groove, and Garrett's swirling lines provide great support. Once Stern and company have the listener's attention, they can become seductive with more intimate affairs like the Joe Zawinul-influenced "Silver Lining," which features an exotic falsetto vocal by Bona, a former Zawinul Syndicate member who also propels the tune with his increasingly muscular basslines. Bona adds the same touch in a gentler way to the lush romance of "I Know You," featuring a soft-spoken harmony line by guest star banjo great Béla Fleck. This sequence of tunes sets the tone of the rest of the disc, which mixes more Khan-flavored gems (the colorful singalong "Mirage," featuring vocals by Elisabeth Kontomanou), soft ballads, and a sexy midtempo funk number that (gasp!) might translate to the smooth jazz format. Another highlight is the punchy bebop number "Remember," dedicated to Stern's longtime collaborator the late Bob Berg. Perhaps the only drawback is having Garrett on hand but only featuring him on three numbers. by Jonathan Widran
Tracklist:
1    Chatter    6:10
Mike Stern
2    Silver Lining    6:34
Mike Stern
3    I Know You    5:06
Mike Stern
4    Mirage    6:44
Mike Stern
5    If Only    5:31
Mike Stern
6    Street Rhyme    6:36
Mike Stern
7    Avenue B    6:13
Mike Stern
8    Remember (For Bob Berg)    6:02
Mike Stern
9    These Times    8:12
Mike Stern
10    What You Believe    6:45
Mike Stern
11    Last One Down    5:30
Mike Stern
Credits:
Lyrics By – Richard Bona (tracks: 5)
Musician – Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Bob Franceschini, Bob Malach, Béla Fleck, Dennis Chambers, Don Alias, Elisabeth Kontomanou, Jim Beard, Jon Herington, Kenny Garrett, Richard Bona, Victor Wooten, Vinnie Colaiuta, Will Lee
Producer – Jim Beard 

MIKE STERN - Who Let the Cats Out? (2006) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless

More than two decades into his solo career, Mike Stern, on his 13th album as a leader, continues to prove why he's earned so many "Best Jazz Guitarist" honors through the years. Stern's skills are undeniable, and new ideas never fail to materialize when he's at work. But what makes Stern stand out from the pack of virtuosic guitar technicians is that he always insists on letting his, and his support team's, abilities serve the music, not vice versa. On Who Let the Cats Out?, Stern and his well-chosen crew spill out lick upon impressive lick, but they never get so carried away with themselves that they lose sight of the tune's purpose and structure. Grandiosity is never a factor here, although there are dozens of occasions to applaud these musicians' chops. Richard Bona, the Cameroonian bassist, has worked with Stern before, but here he is given an expanded role, appearing on four tracks and contributing his falsetto-style, scat-like vocals to three of them: On "All You Need," one of the prettiest tracks on the record, Bona provides an uplifting sensuality. He also shines on "We're with You," a ballad featuring Stern on acoustic guitar. Devoid of pyrotechnics, this song of support to those hurting utilizes synth-derived orchestration and a mournful, quiet tone to bring home its emotionalism. Drummer Dave Weckl -- who alternates throughout with the excellent Kim Thompson -- is another major pacesetter here: On "Texas," the often-overdriven Weckl restrains himself, his no-frills drums and Me'Shell NdegéOcello's creative bass chasing Stern's skronky slide while Gregoire Maret's harmonica provides the necessary borderland flavor. The title track, a quasi-swing/bop showpiece, finds Stern -- peeling out some of his most blazing, how'd-he-do-that? riffs -- and trumpet great Roy Hargrove trying to outdo each other and calling it a draw. Stern's soloing throughout the record is, in fact, ceaselessly imaginative: Whether within a total funk exercise like "Roll with It," which borrows Victor Wooten from the Flecktones for bass duties and spotlights sexy sax from Bob Malach, or the moody ballad "KT," on which Stern's guitar escalates in intensity alongside Jim Beard's soulful organ, Stern finds his place within the song's architecture, then rises several levels above what's required of him to present something unexpected and rewardingly original. Only on "Blue Runway," the eight-and-a-half-minute closer, with Anthony Jackson taking over the bass, do the players allow themselves to approach tediousness. Overextending themselves as they shift into hyperdrive, they turn the piece into a jam for its own sake. An anomaly, it doesn't by any means detract from the album's overall quality, though it does allow it to end on a disappointingly self-absorbed note. by Jeff Tamarkin
Tracklist:
1    Tumble Home    8:14
2    KT    7:57
3    Good Questions    4:17
4    Language    7:03
5    We're With You    5:48
6    Leni Goes Shopping    4:38
7    Roll With It    5:02
8    Texas    7:04
9    Who Let The Cats Out?    7:44
10    All You Need    6:57
11    Blue Runaway    8:37
Credits:
Bass – Anthony Jackson, Chris Minh Doky, Meshell Ndegeocello, Victor Wooten
Drums – Dave Weckl, Kim Thompson
Guitar – Mike Stern
Harmonica – Gregoire Maret
Keyboards, Producer – Jim Beard
Saxophone – Bob Franceschini, Bob Malach
Trumpet – Roy Hargrove
Vocals, Bass – Richard Bona 

MIKE STERN - All Over The Place (2012) FLAC (tracks+.cue), lossless

Tracklist:
1    AJ    8:53
Mike Stern
2    Cameroon    5:46
Mike Stern
3    Out Of The Blue    6:15
Mike Stern
4    As Far As We Know    6:33
Mike Stern
5    Blues For Al    7:06
Mike Stern
6    OCD    8:07
Mike Stern
7    You Never Told Me    6:18
Mike Stern
8    Half Way Home    6:29
Mike Stern
9    Light    6:14
Mike Stern
10    Flipside    7:22
Mike Stern
11    All Over The Place    6:20
Mike Stern
Credits:
Victor Bailey, Tom Kennedy, Will Lee, Victor Wooten - Bass
Jim Beard - Engineer, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B3, Mixing, Piano, Producer, Synthesizer
Richard Bona - Bass, Engineer, Vocals
Randy Brecker - Trumpet
Keith Carlock, Lionel Cordew, Al Foster - Drums
Bob Franceschini, Kenny Garrett, Bob Malach, Chris Potter - Saxophone
Dave Holland - Bass (Acoustic)
Anthony Jackson - Contrabass Guitar
Tim Keiper - Percussion
Esperanza Spalding - Bass (Acoustic), Vocals
Leni Stern - Wah Wah Guitar
Mike Stern - Composer, Guitar, Guitar (Nylon String), Slide Guitar
Kim Thompson, Dave Weckl - Drums

GREG HOWE - Extraction (2003) FLAC (image+.cue), lossless