I need some brain candy. Though I really don't know that many bass players, especially by name (know the band, maybe not the player), I thought since we talked about guitar players we should do the same for bass players, especially since we have some here I actually don't think the guys who actually play bass players will agree with me (Jeff, Lynus ?), seeing as how they like the guitarists who were least on their own little trippy tangent. But here goes: Among the best (#4-#9), in no order: The Whailers (sp?) guy Geddy Lee John Paul Jones Jimi's guy Dusty Hill Mick Fleetwood 3 guys that were so sick that I just went whoaaa they are awesume: #3 Chris Squire (name of orginal Yes guy, right?) #2 Flea #1 Les Claypool (who needs a lead guitarist on a band?)
I really like Les Claypool. I remeber listening to Frizzle fry and thinking he was playing the guitar or there were 2 drummers in the band. I had never really heard anything like it before. Also at the Lional Hampton Jazz fest. I heard this great Jazz bass player. I forget his name, but he was real good. One of my freinds took care of his gear and said he was a jerk though
He's the bass player in "Bela Fleck and the Flecktones". He's done lots of solo stuff, and some occasional projects with other groups. He really is a GOD on the bass guitar . . . just listen to him play "Amazing Grace" . . . wow!
You guys are nuts. Roland Martin can play a bass like no one else. You should see him use a jig around a tight spot. os
Oh, man, I love this category. Rather than go with empirical choices (it's hard to pick the BEST players), I'll go with my biggest influences as a player in no particular order. <b>Jaco Pastorius</b> - his first solo album may be the greatest bass album ever recorded. His version of Charlie Parker's Donna Lee with Airto on congas is simply amazing. <b>Billy Sheehan</b> - Everything he did with Talas, Mr. Big and Niacin is great but my two favorites are "Eat 'em and Smile" by David Lee Roth and Tony MacAlpine's "Edge of Insanity." Sheehan has often said that the MacAlpine record is maybe his personal favorite - it might be because Steve Smith was on drums. <b>John Paul Jones</b> - Ramble On and The Song Remains the Same are two of the coolest bass songs ever played in rock music. Oh, and the famous guitar riff from Black Dog was written by Jones on bass. <b>Paul McCartney</b> - Taught bassits everywhere how to play with melody. Songs like "Something" and "Dear Prudence" were killer and I love the repitition of "Tomorrow Never Knows." <b>Darryl Jones</b> - Known for his stints with Miles Davis and, more recently, the Rolling Stones post Bill Wyman. But, his work with drummer Omar Hakim on John Scofield's "Still Warm" and, especially, Sting's "Dream of the Blue Turtles" and "Bring On the Night" were awesome. The over-the-bar line bass lick in the last verse of Children's Crusade is just sick. <b>Christian McBride</b> - One of the few acoustic bassists who really influenced me. The Herbie Hancock tribute CD he did with Mark Whitfield is probably my favorite. <b>John Patittucci</b> - Best known for his solo work and as the bassist for Chick Corea, he is a six-string (yes, 6!) mutha. He is also a fabulous acoustic bassist. <b>Victor Wooten</b> - Technically speaking, he may be the best <i>electric</i> bassist ever. What he does with the bass is hard to believe. <b>Geddy Lee</b> - My first real influence on the bass. But, even though Exit Stage Left was technically ridiculous, my favorite of his was Hold Your Fire. The way he holds back just enough to fit the songs and nails it in just the right places shows his maturity as a player. <b>Michael Manring</b> - He falls into the "new age" category because he is on Windham Hill but his fretless bass wizardry really defies categorization. Probably was a Jaco devotee but has gone way beyond that. <b>Pino Palladino</b> - Maybe the coolest fretless bassist on the planet. He has played on all kinds of pop records from Pete Townsend and Paul Young to Tears for Fears. His bass part on "Give Blood" on Townsend's White City album is just sick. He is currently playing fretted bass only on tour with D'Angelo. <b>Larry Graham</b> - Very few have ever been as funky as the man who drove Sly and the Family Stone and Graham Central Station. He's still playing with Prince today. The father of funk bass, he is the MAN. <b>Stu Hamm</b> - Really changed the way bassists saw finger tapping. His crazy multi-finger tapping thing was just crazy. Played with Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and others. I still have a tape from May 1, 1990 at Xcess in Houston of Satriani with Hamm on bass and Johnathan Mover on drums (I snuck it in). His rendition of Linus and Lucy is pretty incredible. <b>Anthony Jackson</b> - His work with Al DiMeola is my favorite - especially Elegan Gypsy - but he has done many MANY records that have been incredible, particularly in Latin jazz. He's a legend. <b>Ross Valory</b> - Don't laugh just because he was in Journey. He played really cool melodic bass parts on all their songs. The outro to "Stone in Love" is a perfect example. <b>Ron Carter</b> - It's hard to list all the great records he made as a solo artist or with any number of incredible jazz artists. Suffice it to say his is maybe the greatest jazz acoustic bassist. <b>Chuck Rainey</b> - Bass Player Magazine calls him the "Godfather of the Groove" and they are right on. He worked on tons of great R&B records in the 60's and early 70's. But, my favorite was his work with Steely Dan, particularly Aja and Pretzel Logic. His part on Rikki Don't Lose That Number is legendary. <b>James Jamerson</b> - Probably the most influential r&b bassist in the history of music. Jamerson was the house bassist for Motown in California and Detroit and played on records by the Jackson 5 and the Temptations among others. Everyone knows him best for his bass line on "Heard It Through the Grapevine" (name that riff in 4 notes). But, my favorite of his was his work on Mavin Gaye's "What's Going On." <b>Donald "Duck" Dunn</b> - Dunn was part of the well-known Stax and Muscle Shoales rhythm section that included people like Matt "Guitar" Murphy and the Stax horns. Dunn's work with Aretha Franklin, Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding stands alone as some of the best r&b bass playing ever. <b>Francis Rocco Prestia</b> - Finger-style (as opposed to slap and pop) funk at its best. His grooves with Tower of Power are simply amazing. Those 16th-note thundering lines and double stops make my hands tired just listening. "What Is Hip" is still one of the coolest bass songs ever recorded - the live version, not the studio one. <b>Mark Egan</b> - Egan did a lot of work with drummer Danny Gottlieb and some solo work as well. He was another fretless players who utilized effects and different sounds. My favorite recording of him was with Mike Stern on "Upside Downside." There are many, MANY others who are tremendous players and there are quite a few guys who I don't know by name (Latin, African and Brazillian players in particular), but this is my list anyway.
That's a pretty comprehensive list! One name I haven't heard mentioned that I used to like is Tony Levin. There is a solo on the King Crimson album Three of a Perfect Pair that is just wild. I don't think I really understand how the Stick works, because I can't figure out how he could play that.
Or sickening depending on how you look at it. I once saw a bass player almost wet himself when he heard that for the first time. Jeff, check out Sting's new CD "....All This Time". Christian is the bass player on it. Very cool CD. He and Manu Katche (drums) really jazz a lot of the pieces up and make them inceredible. I've probably already suggested this, and you probably already ahve it too, but I'm going to again. Miles' "1964 The Complete Concert: My Funny Valentine & Four And More" is INCREDIBLE. Check it out if you get a chance. Very nice job limiting it as well as you did Jeff. If someone asked for my favorite drummers or most influential, it'd take me an hour or so, and I know I'd forget a lot.
Funny enough, I'm a bass player but have never been particularly fond of bass superstars. For example, I can't deny the technical wizardry of Victor Wooten, but I just can't listen to him very long. Maybe its the sound of those active EMG pickups - too clicky and not warm sounding at all. I tend to like players who play less, use a lot of rests and have really round, warm tones. Some of my favorites: Aston "Family Man" Barret - Bob Marley's guy Bernard Edwards - Chic - this guy was funkier than **** Charlie Haden - Ornette Coleman - probably the best ears of any bassist and nobody plays acoustic with more beauty Eric Avery - Jane's Addiction - simple, solid and elegant Special mention to: Charles Mingus, who isn't a mammoth bass player but is probably the greatest jazz bassist/composer ever Bach - His cello suites are some of the best bass exercises you can play.
McCartney obviously started things, the first real electric bass player to mean anything. Willie Dixon had his say back in the day, but it was the Arrogant Beatle that blew it all up. Graham invented the slap bass on "Thank You," but Bootsy with his brother Catfish Collins were just as important in James Brown's band at the same time. Jeff, you need to pick up a VHS tape of DVD disc of "The Making of Aja," done by the Classic Albums series (used to be on VH1 all the time). They show how Rainey and Rick Marotta laid down the groove on "Peg," how Becker and Fagen told Rainey not to slap, and how Chuck went out of his way to get his groove on wax. Great stuff. I actually had NSync girls and DMB guys demanding to watch said tape after some drunken exploits -- it was quite the cross over... I like McBride, Tom Barney, Ray Brown, Mingus, Paul Cassidy, Paul Chambers, and Harvey Brooks. I'm leaving quite a few names off the list, but I'm sick as a dog right now (evidenced by my kb/mb flap).
Edwards was one of the first to use EMG's so don't knock 'em too quickly. Active electronics can be very warm if the player knows how to use them. Edwards is a GREAT choice. It was really sad when he died of that virus over in Tokyo. Two more great choices. For reggae, you mentioned Bob Marley's player. He's great but I always preferred Sly and Robbie.
There's a DVD on the making of "Aja" by Steeley Dan?!? One of the CD's to boast a "Who's Who" of studio drummers including one of the greatest drum tracks of all time, "Aja" by Mr. Steve Gadd?!? WHERE?!? HOW?!?!?
Guess which is the one solo on the DVD that they fail to mention? The producers couldn't get an interview with Gadd, so they didn't even mention the damn thing. When I realized this, an hour after viewing the thing for the second time, I WAS PISSED. Still, it's so good, you won't even notice it...until an hour after viewing it for the second time. Still, it has A TON of great drummer stuff, including a rolling monologue from Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, that will have you rolling on the floor (especially if you've been properly libated). http://www.steelydan.com/2vnbuy.html Shop around.
Ya know who I really like, but I don't know if he's among the best bass players in the world -- <b>Juan Nelson</b> from Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals. He's really good though.
You are now elevated to God like status in my eyes! I LOVE that album. That sucks they didn't get Gadd, but oh man. Yeah, Purdie's getting a little mouthy with his comments lately. I think it was 2 years ago at the Modern Drummer festival, at his clinic he was quoted saying that he actually recorded some of the Beatles more famous tracks, not Ringo and that only he and the producer know which ones. He said that he was going to write a tell-all book. That didn't go over well as you can imagine.
