Wooten Brothers electric at The Wilma

William Munoz

(Missoula Current) The youngest of five, Victor Wooten's music was deeply embedded in his DNA from birth. The eldest brother, Regi – effectively known as The Teacher by his brothers – was already pursuing music by the time Victor was born.

He began teaching Victor and Joseph how to play when they were only 2 and 3 years old. This led to the brothers forming a band that for 60 years has continued to create inspired music.

Each has pursued other musical paths along the way. Victor and Roy are members of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones while Joseph is the keyboardist for The Steve Miller Band.

By 1972, with Victor only 5 and Regi 14, the Wooten Brothers were hired as the opening band for Curtis Mayfield's epic Superfly Tour. More than 50 years later, the electricity is still obvious when they took the stage at the Wilma Theatre. The sound is a blend of jazz, Funk and R&B that only they can produce.

Back to the DNA of this family, there is something unique that is best seen when Regi goes into his signature guitar that has comparisons to Hendrix, Zappa and Chuck Berry. The other three brothers stand aside to watch their Teacher with complete admiration - taking in the lesson and the DNA after 60 years.

This feeling gets projected out to the audience and we all get to feel the musical DNA that is The Wooten Brothers. For that gift the world that night in the Wilma Theatre was brought together in harmony. They have tapped into the deeper power that is music.