The Pageant

Victor Wooten and JD Blair
collaboration is a family affair

“Two minds, one groove. Bringing the funk to you,” repeated bassist Victor Wooten introducing his recent appearance with drummer JD Blair at The Pageant.

The “2 Minds, 1 Groove” tour brings this talented duo together for the first time since 1998.

“This whole things is off-the-cuff, a complete improvisation,” revealed Wooten, who’s also known for his work with Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

With the air of a coupla guys fooling around with guitars, drums and synthesizers in their garage, these renowned musicians jammed their hearts out for more than two hours. Early on in the first set, a small boy — later, we learn he’s Wooten’s 8-year-old son, Adam — came onstage to drum on his dad’s guitar strings. Before the break, Adam reappeared behind a small drum set to accompany his sister Kaila, 11, as she sang India.Arie’s “Better People.”

“Where’d y’all get that [talent] from?” Wooten asked the audience, rhetorically.

Probably the same place Wooten got his. The youngest of five musical siblings, he began performing at 5 with the Wooten Brothers Band.

Highlighting the moments between this jazz/funk concert were several Blair comedy bits. Bragging about his ability to say the alphabet backwards, Blair physically turned around and began, A, B, C … . At one point he took pictures of the audience taking pictures of him.

Set two included a version of Led Zeppelin’s “Stairway to Heaven” and the Beatles’ “Norwegian Wood,” along with several other covers by the Fab Four. Later, as the audience rocked, Wooten’s hand moved so fast on his guitar that it became a blur.

Toward the end, it seemed we would have the pleasure of hearing another of Wooten’s four offspring. A tiny boy, who looked to be about 4, ran out onstage, saw the audience and did an about-face, scampering back into the wings.

After Wooten and Blair’s first goodbye and then, an encore, the lights went up and we went home feeling like we’d been reminded of the purpose of music: to experience all emotions through sound.

by Nancy Larson