best bass players
 

who are your favorite bass players?

just a few...

jaco pastorius
jack bruce
chris squire
john entwistle
gary pecock
miroslav vitous


the last one is a bass player from Prague, Czechoslovakia who played on a lot of ECM albums and was a member of weather report.

Re: best bass players
 

very good choices

I said it before, and I'll say it again -
Any bass player that plays/played in a band led by Billy Corgan. Growl !!! :D

Geddy Lee (of Rush), all others pale in comparison

um, i knew i would forget someone important. :D

Cliff Burton

BOOTSY COLLINS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.soundgenerator.com/pix/ar...ootsy_gold.jpg

SCOTT OWEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.thelivingend.com.au/image...ers_scott_.jpg

LES CLAYPOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.walther-productions.com/images/Les.gif

FLEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.redhotchilipeppers.it/ima...mages/flea.gif

These guys are, in my opinion, the undeniable four greatest bassists EVER. On top of their INCREDIBLE playing skill, they all also have greater showmanship than any other bassists I can think of. You probably recognize them all, except Scott Owen. He's the bassist from The Living End, an INCREDIBLE Australian rock droup. I've seen them live, and the way that he plays his bass is just the most incredible thing that I have EVER seen. It is just amazing how he can work that thing... he stands on the side of it and plays it, he picks it up like a guitar... you have to see it in person to truly believe it.

HOW THE HELL DID I FORGET...

CHARLES MINGUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.jazzconnectionmag.com/Charles%20Mingus.jpg

If you've never heard of him, he is one of the most important jazz musicians ever. Duke Ellington had the Piano, Louis Armstrong had the trumpet, and Charles Mingus had the bass. He is, quite easily, the greatest bassist ever. The only reason I forgot him in the last post is because then I was thinking along the lines of modern bassists; people who we can still go and see in concert today. Charles Mingus is long since dead, but you HAVE to listen to his music... it's just amazing, if you like jazz. And even if you don't, it's still amazing.

Tony Levin (My personal Favorite)
Geddy Lee (Rush)
Les Claypool (Primus)
Flea (RHCP)
Steve Harris (Maiden! Dude!)
Scott Thunes (Anybody who can keep up with Zappa deserves at least a mention.)
Mike Gordon (Phish)

From the Jazz School
   Victor Wooten (Flecktones)
   Jaco Pastoreus (His music bores me, but I recognize the greatness)

From the old School
   John Entwhistle
   John Paul Jones
   Chris Squire
   Paul McCartney (Don't sell him short just because he used to be pretty.)

Also probably deserving mention are the bassists for Soundgarden and Infectious Grooves, but I don't know their names.

*** Smacking forehead repeatedly ***
Of course, Mingus. Man who made bass an instrument instead of a drum with four narrow heads.

I still can't take his tunes, but you're right, he was awesome.

Victor Wooten - don't really like their music, but they guy is amazing. Les Claypool a distant second.

Thank god nobody has mentioned Roger Waters to this point.

John Entwistle (R.I.P.)
Geddy Lee
Les Claypool

Oh yeah, forgot one. Billy Sheehan.

The key to Victor Wooten for folks who don't like Jazz is a song called "The Lonliest Monk". Low key virtuoso bowed bass performance with some interesting slap/slide effect, but incredibly amusing.

I don't think anyone would argue that Roger Waters was anything but a solid bassist. His genius, such as it is, is in turning his neuroses into universal teenage truth in his lyrics, and then surrounding himself with the right people to make the songs work well.

Paul McCartney
John Entwistle
Tom Petersson
John McVie
Benjamin Orr
Tony Butler

Bass. Playing the bass in a group is easy. Playing it well is genius. I've got to agree with all of those mentioned here. I'd like to add one more: Mike Oldfield. Tubular bells. The guy played a million instraments, all of them well.

Les Claypool and Geezer Butler.

I was wondering how long I'd have to wait until I saw someone mention Victor. I think he's one of the most amazing bass players out there.

From the school of bluegrass I must say Mark Schatz and Todd Phillips are definitely two of the best upright bass players.

A lot of my other choices have already been mentioned so I don't need to mention them again.

What do you think about Stu Hamm?


Plays with Joe Satriani.

Michael Manring

i personally love flea, ever hear him play solo? its amazing

also the bassist from YES, sorry i am not good with names!

(in no order)
Jaco
Flea
JPJ
Victor Wooten
Les Claypool
Cliff Butron

Jaco was amazing though. I play bass, too, and the speed that he plays at is amazing.

I forgot this guy...

http://www.nyrock.com/img/2000/warped_nofx14.jpg

NOFX's Fat Mike. He's an incredibly underrated, surprisingly good bassist... there are parts of The Decline where I'm just blown away.

Steve Harris :D

JAMES freakin' JAMERSON

Cliff Burton (RIP man!)
Rob Trujillo (The closest man to Cliff)
Flea
Les Claypool

Les Claypool
Geddy Lee
Flea
I don't know the persons name but I recently saw Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. Great stuff.

jaco pastorius
Victor Wooten
Les Claypool
Flea

bottsy collins
what a guy

Jesus; Doesn't ANYONE remember Barry Oakley??

<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.

<b>Atomic Pinkie</b>, is Trujillo from Infectious Grooves/Suicidal Tendencies? If so, you're right - speed metal meets funk to excellent effect.

I see a lot of jazz bassists, but no William Parker?
IMO one of the best still making music.

Actually, my personal favorite bass player is a guy you've most likely never heard of, from a band that I'm sure you've only heard one song by (if that). The guys name is Corky Laing, the band is Mountain (with Leslie West); it's an era difference; I'm old-school, at 56 I rarely listen to new music, so my point of reference is what I was listening to in my '20's. For instance, I haven't seen Noel Redding's name in this thread (I may have missed it), yet he was Jimi Hendrix's bass player in the Experience. You guys have got to cut me a break; I'm old, kinda fucked in the head (for various reasons), but I do know the music of my time pretty well, all I'm doing is trying to point out artists that you might never have heard of, and might like.

Geddy Lee, Les Claypool, and Geezer Butler.

But the most amazing has to be Jaco Pastorious SOme of the things he has done on a bass is amazing.. If you've never heard his solo stuff I recomend you run out nad get it now.. I even have a few MP3's if anyone wants tthem let me know. I only have his albums on vinyl..

Fat mike, the lead man and bassist for my favorite group NoFX is great on bass, and im glad to see KWSN could see that, hes one of the few. Oh, and les claypool kicks some ass on bass too.

-NuKE (ssjtwizta)

Gotta be Cliff Burton R.I.P

have you heard "the idiots have taken over"?

one of the the best bass intros i have heard from NOFX


Fat Mike
Les Claypool
Roger Waters < wow, no one mentions him, just wow :)

and me, if I say so myself :)

Claypool...Stanley Clark anyone?

Stu Hamm is amazing, I agree.

Dave Gilmour, although known more for his guitar work with the same group, did do some great basslines on pink floyd albums. :)

Vic Wooten

and

Chris Wood

http://www.piscesposters.com/russ/mmw/chris1.JPG