cj2112

Geddy Lee (to be expected form me, look at my name)

Mandalor

AMEN!

Mandalor

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Tophat665
[B]<b>bullgoose</b>, maybe it's a stylistic thing. Barry Oakley was certainly excellent, but I don't see any bassists listed from trippy/improv bands (with the exception of my mention of Mike Gordon from Phish). You may be right that he deserves mention, but, with Barry, you also need to mention Phil Lesh. Same kind of style, same degree of skill.

[QUOTE]

I have to heartily disagree...BErry and Phil are of the same era, and the same genre, but definitely not the same style. Both skilled, yes, and the two bands experienced a lot of cross-pollination, but give the older ABB and Dead stuff a listen...two very different bass players.

apetaster

Who was the guy who attached three picks to a drill bit and 'strummed' the strings with them (If I recall he had some crazy active pickups or something with stereo cable jacks.) Whoever he was - NOT HIM.

I still stand by Victor Wooten.

Thraeryn

Michael Manring
Cliff Burton
Jason Newstead
BOOTSY COLLINS
FLEA

These are some Bass Gods.

Antagony

Stu Hamm and Les Claypool are my favorites.

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bullgoose

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Mandalor

Quote:

Originally posted by Tophat665 [ I have to heartily disagree...BErry and Phil are of the same era, and the same genre, but definitely not the same style. Both skilled, yes, and the two bands experienced a lot of cross-pollination, but give the older ABB and Dead stuff a listen...two very different bass players.

OK, I was going to step back on this, but since I've got some support, I'll expound. To me, Barry Oakley was the ABB equivilent of Keith Moon. Not that he was a lifestyle maniac, but there were times when, even though he didn't play a "lead" instrument, he was leading the band. If you listen to The Who when Moon was still alive, everybody would be kind of dithering along, not really doing anything; Moon would make a change and the band would follow him; the same thing happened with the Allman Bros. Oakley controlled the direction that the music took, Duane would take off on what Barry started; "In memory of Elizabeth Reed" is a good example; Oakley setup all the extended solos that Duane did. It may have been rehearsed, but it sure sounds spontanious to me. (And I've been listening to it for 30+ years.)

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rideough

Hands down...no contest
The best bass player in the world is John Paul Jones.

Listen to Good Times Bad Times on Live on Bluberry Hill.
Wicked bass solo and that was 33 years Ago
Then listen to Zooma Or The Thunderthief.
No one is better.

NoCure

Ditto

Embic

Cliff Burton
Flea

maximus369

One of favorites is John Paul Jones. His Zooma CD will beat the windows out of your ride..........

h2ogo69

the best ever are :
jaco pastorious
ray riendeau
victor wooten
stu hamm
stanley clarke
rock wise:
geddy lee
flea
les claypool
dirk lance
john entwihistle

taboot

stanley clarke
john patitucci (chick corea electric band)
victor wooten
flea
avashai cohen
jaco pastorius
mel schacher "the god of thunder"

flat5

I avoid this forum but here are some jazz bass players who are "great".

Make sure you avoid listening to them.

Jimmy Blanton
Oscar Pettiford
Charles Mingus
Ray Brown
Paul Chambers
Scott La Faro

I have had the honor to perform with these outstanding players.
Pops Foster
George Morrow
Albert Stinson
Henry Grimes
Wilber Little
Peter Barshay
Bob Mays
Ray Drummond
Peter Washington
etc.

roachboy

flat5: you played with henry grimes?
wow.
how was that? what were the circumstances?

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alansmithee

QFT. Mingus also played piano, if I recall. But definately, the best bassist ever. "Self-portrait in Three Colors" is my favorite jazz track ever.

jth

best bassist is an unfortunate title that is so easy to dispute. I like favorites. Then again mine change all the time.

In terms of Rock/Pop/Funk, John Paul Jones, Bootsy Collins, Flea can play that thing. There are others.

Being a Jazz player and fan myself... Dave Holland, Charlie Hadden, Paul Chambers, Ron Carter and Ray Brown. Mingus obviously very important. I love a lot of his music. Marc Johnson is fantastic as well, i get to see him in a few months.

castex

Let me say Pino Palladino. Fretless master.
I'd also like to mention Mark King (stop sniggering at the back!)
Tony Butler seconded, definitely.
Doug Pinnick. Pretty handy.
Then probably everyone you people have mentioned. Except that guy out of NOFX, obviously

flat5

Hi Roachboy. I played with Henry Grimes in San Francisco at, I believe, The Straight Theater, on Haight Street. 1966. I was 18. It was amazing!

Quartet w/ Lrae Sivad (Earl Davis backwords), trumpet, me on tenor sax, Henry, Clarence Becton on drums.
Clarence also lives in A'dam and is still active (+70 yo). A VERY fine jazz drummer.

Henry was very negative about the playing situation and complained all day :-)
Someone counted off the first tune, and before he even played a note I felt a rush of positive energy behind me that propelled me like a surfer on a wave.
It was a unique experience. No rehearsal & never played with him again.

aberkok

All the "greats" have been mentioned, but if I can put a name out there that y'all should check out (roachboy I'd be surprised if you haven't listened to him), it's Mark Dresser.

Especially his album with "hyper-pianist" Denman Maroney, Duologues

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hunnychile

Stanley Clark and Roger Waters.

Two top bassists, IMHO.

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roachboy

flat5: very interesting, and a great experience for you. i have been listening quite alot to the albert ayler comp "holy ghost" and really like henry's playing from that period (64-66).

aberkok: i did a gig on friday night with jack wright--the piano i was playing had a curious soundboard such that everything i dragged acrss the strings would produce showers of harmonics (a glass vase, a length of pipe, some piece of metal, mallets, including soft ones), so i spent alot of the show inside the piano (metaphorically)--in conversations afterward, denman mulroney came up a few times as someone who does cool things on the soundboard--so your posts makes the second time in 3 days i have heard about him---suggestions as to recordings/good places to start checking out his work?

on bassists: i dont understand the category of "best bassist" simply because there are so many players out there,so may of whom are very very good indeed, many of whom folk like us who rely primarily on recordings to access music do not know about.

mark dresser is an excellent bassist--braxton's ensembles typically are full of great players.

the lists above, once they turned to jazz, include many of the players that i probably would have listed--blanton, mingus, la faro (a monster....)...haden (sound and sensibility more than technique, but no matter---listen to any or ornette's first 3 albums, then check out "the alchemy of scott la faro" on ornette's "art of the improvisors" and you'll see what i mean---on the other hand, there is haden playing with old and new dreams, especially on "playing" which i really like..so who knows?)
henry grimes...

i'd add fred hopkins (air, henry threadgill's subsequent projects. john carter octet), malachi favors mogustut (art ensemble of chicago), ronnie boykins (with sun ra), sirone, alan silva (both with cecil taylor in particular)...

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spinning dog. such faithfulness it hear

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flat5

some more great jazz stylists on bass:
Charlie Haden (just got reminded)
Arvil Shaw
Slam Stewart
Red Mitchell
Ron Carter
...

For classical bass, Gary Karr!

Blasphemy.

Easily the best electric bassist alive. Wooten bores me.

kutulu

Steve DiGiorgio (Death, Sadus, Testament, Control Denied, various jazz projects too). He plays a fretless bass and has such a unique sound. He has bass solos in a few Death songs and they are just awesome. They have these awesome slides that end in natural harmonics. Such a sweet sound.

After him, the other obvious choices like Cliff and Les.

Glory's Sun

as much as I hate Primus


the award goes to Les Claypool

Derwood

les claypool
paul mccartney
jimbo wallace
pickles piekarski

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erics

i'd have to throw Jack Casady in their as well.

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Cliff Burton
Les Claypool
Geddy Lee

Val_1

I have to get a vote in for Tony Levin. He plays with Peter Gabriel and King Crimson as well as tons of session work. Very versitile player.

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muckluck

Top 3 bassists : John Paul Jones, Paul McCartney, and Fat Mike

Honorable Mention : Les Claypool, Flea, Justin Chancellor (didn't see his name on here, bassist for Tool, intro to 46 & 2 just blows me away)

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frankx

Victor Wooten
Stanley Clarke
Geddy Lee
Les Claypool
Billy Sheehan
Chris Squire
John Entwistle
Tony Levin

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loonatic8her

Damn Skippy... ALL others pale in comparison.

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Zephyr66

I agree with a lot of the rock ones and metal already listed:
Geddy Lee
John Paul Jones
Cliff Burton
Steve Harris

and as for new ones: Jari Kainulainen and Lauri Porra, both from stratovarius. If you ever get a chance to hear the new Warmen cd. Lauri Porra has some awesome solos on it.

oh, and i forgot one: Me, bitches

Paradise Lost

I have to admit that a fair number of the bass players mentioned here are quite possibly some of the most technically proficient players out there, but not necessarily the best for their parts as a whole in the group. I've almost never thought Geddy Lee when it comes to great bass players just because he plays it so like a main instrument that calls upon itself, rather than being a part of a blended background, or maybe it's just because I've always like him more as a distinct vocalist more than anything.

Anywho, ones I really enjoy are:
Peter Cetera, from Chicago... he almost blends in TOO well.

That guy who does session work for Steely Dan who is not Walter Becker. -- These guys always composed the most awesome bass parts. Never technically challenging or anything, just very awesome to listen to. They drove a good number of their songs.

Dave Holland, a session man and fantastic leader for numerous ECM albums.
Charles Mingus, duh.
James Jamerson, I believe, from the Funk Brothers session group in Motown.
Chris Squier, from Yes, even though he's very Geddy Lee like (or rather Geddy Lee is like CS) I've always enjoyed his powerful bass parts in Yes's catalogue.

Whomever plays Bass in the Mahavishu Orchestra. You'd think if he was this awesome I'd take the time to look up his name.

Mel Schacher. Just listen to the album "Grand Funk" aka the Red Album. I nearly piss my pants after listening to the whole thing through.

Jack Bruce, from Cream. Solo career.

Rick Danko, from The Band. I've always really enjoyed his bass parts from the Band's songs more than any other single instrument outside of Garth Hudson's keyboarding.

Barry Oakley, from the Allman Brothers Band. He held his own damn well with TWO drummers.

And whoever the guy is from Alice Cooper's original band. He blows me away too.

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Derwood

How could I forget Jeffrey Eaton of Split Lip Rayfield? The guy plays a homemade stand up bass made with one string and a pickup truck gas tank!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMQw3...lip%20rayfield

(make sure to watch the second song in the video)

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den67

Abraham Laboriel is by far the greatest of all time

Challah

One of the best new bass players is definitely Dominic Lapointe of Augury and Quo Vadis. His playing is not very conventional but it makes the albums he's on click properly - check out "Concealed" by Augury and "Defiant Indoctrination" (a live DVD) by Quo Vadis.

Plan9

Cliff Burton:


Guy had magic fingers and he totally got into whatever he was playing.

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