The names Joe Satriani and Victor Wooten carry with them certain connotations; relentless virtuosity, adventurous compositions that encompass rock, jazz, classical and world influences, and most importantly the ability to use their formidable chops in the service of actual songs rather than three minute scale workouts. Both have led long, successful careers doing things exactly how they wanted them done, and along the way have influenced countless musicians to reach beyond what they thought was possible on their instruments.

Victor Wooten: Palmystery

With a cast of players like Mike Stern, Dennis Chambers, Alvin Lee, Howard Levy and fellow bass monsters Richard Bona and Steve Bailey, Victor Wooten’s Palmystery suffers no shortage of spellbinding playing from all involved. From the vaguely Weather Report leanings of the opening track, “2 Timers,” to the burning funk fusion of “Left, Right & Center” to the stop-and-go arrangement of “Song For My Father,” Wooten and company are set on “stun” from the get-go. The lush and cinematic “Sifu” finds the bassist doubling Mike Stern’s knuckle busting solos note for note, while on “The Lesson” he pulls out many of his signature tricks — lovely chord melody work, rapid fire slap and pop volleys and chiming harmonics. It often sounds as though the guy must have a spare arm or two hidden away somewhere.

Though this is primarily an instrumental project, Wooten pulls out one of his typically funny and thoughtful sung/spoken tunes with “I Saw God,” which also features most of the Wooten family (virtuosity is in the genes, apparently) on vocals or keys. In fact, on most of Palmystery Wooten is joined by his brothers Regi and Joseph on guitar and keyboard, respectively. Underpinning this whimsical tale of running into the Almighty on the sidewalk one afternoon are a scampering Wooten solo, a breezy South African groove and Richard Bona’s amazing falsetto vocal. “Cambo” features stunning playing from all, with Joseph Wooten’s edge of your seat keyboard break and Amir Ali’s percussion work the standouts.

Palmystery may not venture far from the things we’ve come to expect from Victor Wooten, but heck — when what we DO expect from him are things like stellar musicianship, great songs and a whole bunch of soul — that’s hardly a bad thing.

Joe Satriani: Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock

OK, fine — terrible album title. Now that we’ve moved beyond that, here’s the next one: neither of these albums serve as radical departures for either artist. Both deliver much of what their fans will want to hear, though in Wooten’s case this trait works more in his favor. It’s not that Satchafunkilus isn’t chock full of fantastic, “burn your guitar and cry behind the couch playing,” anthemic melodies and ultra tweaked sounds. But there is the somewhat disconcerting feeling that you just know what Satch is going to do next, especially if you’re familiar with the rest of his catalog.

“Musterion” kicks things off, reminiscent of the spacey, shifting harmonies from his first official release from 1986, Not Of This Earth. “Overdriver” hums with energy, featuring a pensive melody, typically singable chorus and a Hendrix on Saturn guitar solo. “I Just Wanna Rock,” however, falls a bit flat in it’s recycled AC/DC riff, chanted group mantra of ... you guessed it, “I Just Wanna Rock,” and Frampton-esque talk box melody. Satch’s vocal tunes have always been kind of hit or miss, though, so in that respect, it’s kind of par for the course. But still, this just doesn’t come across as a tune that HAD to be included here.

Satriani’s funky, playful side comes out on “Professor Satchafunkilus,” bolstered by a bouncing groove and oddball scrapes and noises crawling out of every corner. The guitarist’s undeniable pop sensibilities make fine showing on the yearning “Revelation,” easily one of the strongest tunes here. The gorgeous counterpoint melodies in the chorus call to mind the Dixie Dregs, and Satriani delivers two lovely and surprisingly understated solos here that find him digging deep for some arching bent notes somewhere up in the stratosphere. He keeps the emotional punch going with “Come On Baby,” reaching even further into his trick bag to pull out a stream of soulful, bluesy licks. And the piano driven “Out Of The Sunrise” surprises with its restraint, at least in the verses — it doesn’t take Satch long to deliver one of his stunning stream-of-consciousness improvisations halfway through.

Is Professor Satchafunkilus and the Musterion of Rock a good listen? Of course it is. Satriani’s work has never suffered a lack of texture and thoughtful arrangement, and there’s texture, melody and smart composition all over this record. Aside from the mis-step of “I Just Wanna Rock,” all the tunes here contain the things he does best, and there are a few surprises to be found. While this is a fine addition to Satriani’s discography, I’m still waiting for him to deliver the kind of genre defining (or re-defining) blast that’s surely hiding up his sleeve. In the meantime, though, cue up “Asik Vaysel” and try not to burst into uncontrolled fits of air guitar dementia. Good luck.

(Chris Cooper can be reached at thumbpick43@yahoo.com)