The man I look up to in music.

My hero. This is Vic Wooten, to my mind the best blues/funk/jazz/fusion/whatever electric bass player alive today. I’ve met him in real life, after a Bela Fleck concert in Somerville. He’s not a particularly tall man, quiet, small hands, but is magic on the bass.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dWb-aCWR8U]
The instrument he’s using is of the same configuration as my Fender J-Bass, but with far better pickups and body than mine (it’s actually a 1983 Fodera Monarch Deluxe), but really, he can sound this good on just about any joe blow four string bass. As Vic has been heard to say “The bass make no music… you do.”
And, in the process of writing this entry, I just found out I’m a mere 3 days older than him.