YIN YANG was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. Like Pastorius, Clarke, and Patitucci before him, Victor Wooten is on a quest to take the electric bass to a new level of consciousn... more »ess. As anyone who has heard him play can attest, he has more than enough talent to do just that. His third solo release, the double-disc YIN-YANG, displays all of his many talents including his exceptional vocal abilities. The styles covered here are almost too numerous to name: jazz, funk, fusion, R&B, blue grass, avant-garde, and more. Wooten handles them all expertly and sometimes all at the same time. His many stellar guests include saxophonist Kirk Whalum, banjo master Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews' drummer Carter Beauford, as well as the hopelessly funky Bootsy Collins and his endlessly entertaining 16-month-old daughter Kaila. The results are an incredibly creative collection from a tremendously talented virtuoso.« less
YIN YANG was nominated for the 2000 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Performance. Like Pastorius, Clarke, and Patitucci before him, Victor Wooten is on a quest to take the electric bass to a new level of consciousness. As anyone who has heard him play can attest, he has more than enough talent to do just that. His third solo release, the double-disc YIN-YANG, displays all of his many talents including his exceptional vocal abilities. The styles covered here are almost too numerous to name: jazz, funk, fusion, R&B, blue grass, avant-garde, and more. Wooten handles them all expertly and sometimes all at the same time. His many stellar guests include saxophonist Kirk Whalum, banjo master Bela Fleck, Dave Matthews' drummer Carter Beauford, as well as the hopelessly funky Bootsy Collins and his endlessly entertaining 16-month-old daughter Kaila. The results are an incredibly creative collection from a tremendously talented virtuoso.
"As a bassist, I purchased this album as a "must-buy" especially after Victor's outstanding "Show of Hands" CD. On a few cuts, the excellent musicianship continues but other tracks that highlight a child's "rap" and random squeals make much of the CD unlistenable. I suggest Victor drop the self-indulgence and get back to the solid, fabulous funk and awesome technique he's known for."
Best bass player ever, But can't get a groove on this one
John Burruss | Memphis, TN | 01/04/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"As a huge fan of the Flecktones, I was excited as ever when this album came out. I love the increadible licks and speed that Victor makes seem so easy when you see him live. I didn't know a bass could be played as well as he played when I first heard him. Thats why I bought this album. His other solo albums are great, but "Yin Yang", I listened to it twice, and hid it away for ever. If your looking for the funky sound of the Flecktones, check out "Live Art," this isn't worth your money. I was only disappointed when I heard it. It's clear his talent is there but the music didn't fit my taste. He even trys to dub his daughter's voice into a song to making it sound like she raps. It was one of the most disturbing songs I have ever heard. With no disrespect to Vic, this album is just a bummer."
Vic still rules
dan pepin | Bellingham, MA United States | 02/27/2001
(2 out of 5 stars)
"I love victor wooten but this album kinda .... Vic fans can get ... but not one of them will disagree that he sounds 10 million times better live or with Bela Fleck and the Fleck tones. If you want a great album of vic listen to Bela fleck and the flecktones "Live Art" or get one of his other solo albums i.e.,"what did he say", "A show of Hands" Sorry vic, I still love ya man."
An unbalanced Yin-Yang
sppark | Tampa, FL USA | 03/29/2002
(4 out of 5 stars)
"I rate this at 4-stars because I would have to say that the Yin (instrumental CD) is 5-stars, while the Yang (vocal CD) is 3-stars. The 2-CD set, however, is well worth buying solely for the Yin half. Victor Wooten's amazing compositions, with stellar accompanists like Béla Fleck, Carter Beauford, and Jeff Coffin, make this CD a very fun, enjoyable listen. This comes from both Victor's technical mastery of the bass guitar and his beautiful and exciting compositions. Highlights of Yin: "Zenergy," "Resolution," "Joe's Journey," "Imagine This." Yang however, lacks the creative writing that Yin holds. Two highlights are "What Crime Is It?" and "Singing my Song." Both provide a very enjoyable listen. In the end, this CD-set is worth its cost in solely the Yin half, while Yang's few highlights add to its great enjoyment."
I'm sorry
David Robinson | London, England United Kingdom | 05/12/2000
(3 out of 5 stars)
"I'm sorry Vic. While "A Show of Hands" and "What Did He Say?" are two of my favorite CD's, I felt this set just didn't connect for me as well. For my tastes, it was a little too much like "cool jazz." I would have prefered something a little more funky. In truth, Vic's best stuff seems to come from his solo work, just him and his four strings. While some of the songs, namely Yinin' & Yangin' have that groove Vic is so good at, overall it just gets too busy. Everyone should definatly check out Mr. Wooten but start at his first two albums."