Tri-Fecta

[Sue U]

My son plays electric bass, and the boy has some skills (jazz, funk and metal). So I've been taking him to concerts to see the pros. Summer before last we saw Marcus Miller with Herbie Hancock; Last year we saw Stanley Clarke with Return to Forever. And tonight: Victor Wooten, the third pillar of the SMV supergroup! He's playing a small venue just outside Philly; this should be an awesome show.

So I've managed to get him to see his three musical heros in three consecutive years. As much fun for me as it is for him.

Still want to see Tal Wilkenfeld.

[PMS Princess]

What a wonderful mom! I think it's fantastic when a parent can share the same interests and activities. Stray Katz, Chris Isaak, Queen, etc. were well tolerated blasting out of my room and once, even the Beastie Boys made it for a few hours. I'm curious, do you and/or your son read music or play by ear? A friend started me playing by ear with Albert Collins, Pink Floyd,Tracy Chapman, and others slow enough so I could play along. I can tune by ear but couldn't read a note of music to save my life! There isn't anything like hearing artists in person and being able to watch them perform. It gives you a better appreciation of talent when heard outside of a mixing studio.

[Sue U]

My son (almost 17) both reads and plays by ear. He performs with a teen metal band doing originals, but also plays in the high school jazz ensemble and plays upright bass in the school orchestra. I had studied to be a musician and went to conservatory for a few years in the '70s but dropped out (I couldn't pass piano class), sold my fiddle, bought an electric bass and joined a punk rock band. The boy picked up the bass on his own (I told him he should learn to play an instrument, but never pushed the bass) and he's already a much better player than I ever was. Recently I sold my old bass to buy the kid a new amp. I wouldn't mind a bit if he chose a career in music, but he's still undecided. When he was little, he was a "super" (extra) in the Philly opera; he loved being on stage, and I loved going to the rehearsals -- I got to meet/see/hear Anna Netrebko, Denyce Graves and Ruxandra Donose, among others, up close and personal.

[MajGenl.Meade]

God bless him. Our son Jesse (wot died) picked up the bass at 16 - admittedly we hadto pay for it (them). He was in a group and they were beginning to get quite good - altho' rather garage for my liking - and were playing gigs in Kent OH. I think maybe Nixon was drumming. Before he played at all his taste in music was really Beastie Boys and other parental annoying devices. But when he started on the bass he found a world of music out there - beginning with King Crimson (clever lad) - and jazz and blues.... pity we never found out if he would have been really good. He was a terrific visual artist altho' I always maintained that his writing was superior - he couldn't spell worth a lick and grammar was not a strong point - but that doesn't matter as much as the ideas and the way of putting paint / notes / words together. Good on yer, Sue's lad. Kick out the jams!

Meade

[Sue U]

Victor Wooten & Co. put on a very musically entertaining show. Aside from Victor, there were three other bassists on stage, with an assortment of four-, five- and six-stringed instruments (including Steve Bailey on his six-string fretless), two drummers and a vocalist. The music wandered through jazz, funk, pop, rock, and several pieces I can't quite categorize. Everyone also played instruments that they had played in high school (Wooten on the cello, Bailey on the trombone, Dave Welsch on trumpet, everyone on keyboards) and they passed around an actual guitar on a couple of songs. Lots of musical jokes and messing around, but it came off very well. They played for more than two and a half hours with a 20-minute break.

For those of us who hung around a bit after the show, the band came out to the lobby to say hello to the fans. I took the boy's picture with each of them. His Facebook post: "My life is complete."