Nashville R&B Aces Wooten Brothers Play Riverside Revival | Features

One of Music City’s most popular and celebrated family ensembles has reunited. After more than a decade off the road, the great bassist Victor Wooten and his equally masterful brothers — keyboardist and singer Joseph (aka “Hands of Soul”), guitarist Regi (aka “Teacha”) and percussionist Roy (better known as “Futureman”) — are on an extensive national tour. They began by teaming up with seminal New Orleans unit Rebirth Brass Band for a two-week run across the Southeast, and they recently added 10 new dates. Ahead of a hometown stop at Riverside Revival — which will feature a full program of just the Wootens — Victor Wooten tells the Scene there’s a very specific reason why the champions of soul, funk, jazz and more have embarked on this venture.

“This feels very special — we haven’t done this since 2010, and the big reason for it is we want to honor Rudy,” says Wooten, referring to his late brother. Saxophonist Rudy Wooten, who died in 2010, is also the namesake of Gulch-area club Rudy’s Jazz Room. “We get to pay tribute to him every night. Another big part of honoring him is we’ve gone back and gotten a bunch of music that hasn’t been released, and we’re going to put that out. We really want people to understand how great he was, and the contribution he made when he was playing with us.”

The group has already released a new single called “Sweat” and its accompanying music video on Wooten’s own independent Vix label. He says to expect periodic releases over the next few months, with a full album on deck on a date TBA in 2024.

“Sweat” is a nearly four-minute showcase for everything that makes The Wooten Brothers’ music so beloved. There are exuberant collective vocals, crackling funk rhythms, tight and crisp ensemble interaction and enough space for the keen individual skills of each family member to be clearly and fully heard. Plus, there’s an inventive blend of footage in the video, which contains both material shot around Nashville and in Wooten’s garage studio, as well as glimpses of Olympic gymnasts and others working hard to attain success.

Each Wooten brother’s résumé is glittering. The list of artists on whose bandstands five-time Grammy winner Victor has appeared includes Béla Fleck and the Flecktones (of which he’s a founding member), Dave Matthews Band, Keb’ Mo’, India.Arie and most recently funk guitarist Cory Wong, a collaboration Wooten describes as “fantastic and a lot of fun.” He also has written two books and been a mentor for literally thousands of students at his Center for Music and Nature since it opened in 2000.

Joseph Wooten has been a vital part of The Steve Miller Band since 1993, but also has worked with numerous other great musicians. Roy has impressive film and academic credentials, and also concocted innovative instruments in the forms of the SynthAxe Drumitar and the RoyEl percussion keyboard. His amazingly creative Black Mozart project is just one among many that have seen him excel in classical, jazz, soul, gospel and spoken-word projects. Regi is both a highly sought-after music teacher and a prolific guitarist who’s performed with a host of great players, among them drum legend Ginger Baker. One of the associations Victor Wooten recalls most prominently is playing with revered jazz pianist, composer and bandleader Chick Corea, who died in 2021.

“It was such an honor to play with him,” Wooten recalls. “The amazing thing about him, aside from the fact he was such a master musician, is that he was an even greater human being, which is something that most people just never knew. He was such an incredible person, and I learned so much from him. I remember him telling me that what was most important to him as a bandleader was helping you as a musician to reach your highest level — to be the best person that you could be, not just in terms of playing, but just in terms of life. That philosophy is something that I’ve never forgotten.”

But right now, the family unit is front and center. In addition to the current tour, Wooten adds that next year the group is planning both a European run and a return to Australia.

“I’m sure at some point I’ll be doing some other stuff with the Flecktones, Joseph will be back working with Steve Miller, and our other brothers will be doing their things. But right now we are totally focused and committed to this tour, and we’re especially happy to be playing again in Nashville. Plus, there’s one other thing about this one that’s special, along with honoring Rudy. I’m the youngest, so people now get a chance to see where I got everything from, and the impact and influence my brothers have had on me.”