Victor Lemonte Wooten could be the greatest bass player alive. That's a pretty bold claim  to make, but after listening to Victor's performance interview on Bob Edwards Weekend, you might become a believer too.

You could say he's one of a kind, but that wouldn't exactly be true.  He has his own distinct personality, but Victor is proud to be the youngest of five immensely talented brothers, all of whom play music. The Wootens became a five-piece band when Victor, the youngest of the bunch, got his hands on a bass guitar at 5 years old. The brothers are Victor, Regi, Rudy, Joseph and Roy AKA Future Man.

Victor and Future Man are band mates in the Grammy award winning bluegrass group, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. That group was initially convened for the sole purpose of playing one gig, a 'Lonesome Pine Special' television program in Bob's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

Bob and Victor engage in a wide ranging conversation, discussing music, nature, martial arts and much more.  Interspersed throughout the interview, Victor performs some of his best known songs & arrangements, including: 'Classical Thump,' 'Norwegian Wood,' 'The Lesson' and 'Amazing Grace.'

Victor has a new album out, its called 'Palmystery.'

In addition to all his musical endeavors, Wooten has also made his mark with the printed word.  His new book is titled:

 'The Music Lesson: A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music.'

It's published by Penguin Group (USA).

Victor Wooten's Official Website
Information on Victor's tour dates, albums, camps and a lot more.

Special thanks to Howard Wall and Tom Haushalter at Penguin.

-Dan Bloom

Victor performing a song you'll hear in the interview, 'Norwegian Wood'

The lifeblood of a functioning democracy is information. Knowledge of important issues and understanding of candidates' records are the necessary currency for citizens to make reasoned choices in the voting booth. That is why the diversity of voices in media is vitally important to our society.

The most popular sources of media in the United States are owned by corporations, including The Bob Edwards Show. To be sure, the corporate media do report on many important stories to which the public should pay attention, but there are many topics that go ignored by the mainstream media...it is by operating within this news void that independent and online journalism become so important.

Amy Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now! the foremost daily independent news program in the United States. Democracy Now! is a pioneering force, both in alternative, grassroots reporting and in news distribution. DN! is seen and heard on hundreds of television and radio stations worldwide and they offer the program on their website: www.DemocracyNow.org in audio and visual formats, free of charge.

Amy Goodman is also an author. She has co-written three books with her brother, investigative reporter David Goodman. Their latest book is titled: Standing Up to the Madness, Ordinary Heroes in Extraordinary Times. It's about everyday citizens taking action against certain decisions and policies of the U.S. government to which they are opposed.

Her reporting is compelling, her courage is admirable and her commitment to justice is fierce and unrelenting. The words and thoughts of Amy Goodman on Bob Edwards Weekend.

- Dan Bloom

Official website of 'Democracy Now!'

Any time I’m in a new town, one of my favorite places to visit is a good independent bookstore. I like browsing through the local author sections and the staff picks. Sometimes I find a few gems that I never would have known about. I also think a trip to the local bookstore is a good way to learn a little bit about a community. You get to people watch, meet the locals, get a sense of the prevailing political winds. An independent bookstore like Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi goes a few steps further. It’s been open for almost 30 years, and at this point it’s a significant part of Oxford’s cultural history. Square Books has hosted scores of fine writers and nurtured local talent, stimulating a literary conversation that would have been silent otherwise. Richard Howorth, who founded Square Books, says when he opened the bookstore, he knew 12 families in Oxford who would buy books. Who knows how many kids he’s turned into lifelong readers, how many adults he’s enlightened with his book selections. 

-Geoffrey Redick

The Takeaway is a great example of a public radio show being much more than a public radio show. John Hockenberry and Adaora Udoji broadcast live for an hour in the morning. But their broadcast is only a part of an experience that truly is centered around their website. The show itself has a lot going for it. Udoji and Hockenberry have a good rapport and great credentials. And they draw from the worldwide network of the BBC and the New York Times.

Official website of The Takeaway

-Geoffrey Redick

Michael Eric Dyson is an author, professor and social commentator.  He's a sociology professor at Georgetown university, he's an ordained Baptist minister, and he's got to be the only Ph.D. in religion from Princeton who has ever been name-dropped by Nas (one of the greatest rappers ever) on a record.  In the song, called 'These are Our Heroes,' Nas writes:

"... some real folks with clout: Tavis Smiley, Michael Eric Dyson,
Stokely Carmichael, let's try to be like them. Nicky Giovanni poetical black female. Jim Brown to the people who sing well, from Fela to Miriam Makeba...the mirror says you are the next American leader."

Dyson is also a leader.  He speaks truth to power and inspires people by eloquently communicating his ideas.  His latest book is: 'April 4, 1968: Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Death and How It Changed America'

Michael Eric Dyson is guaranteed to make you think, laugh out loud, and for the hip hop fans, nod along to the beat.

 -Dan Bloom

Michael Eric Dyson's website