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

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

AMEN!

[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.

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.

Michael Manring
Cliff Burton
Jason Newstead
BOOTSY COLLINS
FLEA

These are some Bass Gods.

Stu Hamm and Les Claypool are my favorites.

[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.)

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:eek:
Then listen to Zooma Or The Thunderthief.
No one is better.

Ditto

Cliff Burton
Flea

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

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

best players
 

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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
:lol:

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.

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

Stanley Clark and Roger Waters.

Two top bassists, IMHO.

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)...

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!

Easily the best electric bassist alive. Wooten bores me.

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.

as much as I hate Primus


the award goes to Les Claypool

les claypool
paul mccartney
jimbo wallace
pickles piekarski

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

Cliff Burton
Les Claypool
Geddy Lee

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.

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)

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

Damn Skippy... ALL others pale in comparison.

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

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.

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)

Abraham Laboriel is by far the greatest of all time

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.

Cliff Burton:


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

Kim Deal

Burton, man. Fuck, yeah. The only thing that could stop that guy was a fucking bus.

Baraka... you listen to Metallica?

Hell, I thought you were all... harpsichord and shit.

I think Anesthesia / Pulling Teeth is the best bass solo ever.

:)

Dude, you have no idea. Metallica was the first music I ever took "seriously" and was the inspiration behind my learning to play guitar. It was in 1991 with the self-titled album. I listened to it over and over, thinking "this is the shit." Little did I know that Metallica was actually shit compared to their previous albums.

So, in answer to your question, sir, I do say: I think Master of Puppets is a tour de force, and ...And Justice for All is their masterpiece. It went downhill from there.

Although I fully respect Burton's work, I must say I'm more of a Hammettite--learning guitar and all, how can one not look at the shit he played and say: "I want to fucking do that"?

Some heroes have been mentioned but one of my all time favourites is Mani of the Stone Roses and Primal Scream.
Second Coming has amazing bass runs, easily as intricate as the guitar playing on that album. Also, Primal Screams "Exterminator" was actually built around his bass-lines. Still one of my favourite albums.

Mick Grondahl, formerly of Jeff Buckley's band, is my absolute all-time favorite bass player.

Cliff burton

John Entwistle

Larry Graham

Jack Bruce

Geddy Lee

Les Claypool

Bootsy Collins

Nikki Sixx from motley crue is the most technically proficient and original bass player ever !!!

just kidding.

billy sheehan.

i saw him when he was in talas, they opened up for yngwie malmsteen, i had no idea who he was and only cared about guitar, any idiot could play bass, it only had 4 strings and you didn't do anything with them.

he blew me away, i'll never forget it. i saw him years later when he and steve vai played for david lee roth and he still blew me away.

you know that solo cliff burton plays on "kill em all" ? as awesome as that is, billy sheehan did shit i have never heard of or seen before or since, and made that solo look like crap.

I gotta go with flea.

My favorite bassist, his style is amazing, and his skill is top notch. Very few bassists have brought what he could to the style of music and given prominence to an instrument usually overlooked and hardly heard in the mix.
A few of my other favorites include Roger Patterson of Atheist (RIP), Cliff Burton (RIP), and Necrobutcher of Mayhem (interesting style and played exceptionally well for the genre).

any love for John Paul Jones or Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu???

Ogra and Afterglow are bang on the money. Mani is a fucking spectactular bass player. I think in terms of bass riffs, 'I wanna be adored' by The Stone Roses, is high up there not the most difficult to play but perfect in everyway.
I like Kim Deal too, Pixies are such a good band, she is a very talented lady.

I've always found the sounds that Brian Ritchie of The Violent Femmes was able to make with his Bass to be incredible...and he seems to be the only bassist in the world not yet mentioned in this thread ;)

Naturally as a Canadian I am partial to Geddy Lee, and as a DMB hippie I am quite fond of Victor Wooten as well. Has anyone ever heard Victor's harmonic only version of Amazing Grace? It sounds just like the tune but I think you need to understand just what stringed instrument harmonics are to really appreciate the genious.

Also for what it's worth, I've always thought flea was quite special. Especially after the video where they show him plucking away at high tension electrical lines....that was freaking neat!!!!

-bear

You said it man. Also to add Nathan East and Anthony Jackson... I've met Abraham and Anthony and they were both kind, generous men.

Another jazz wizard, sadly departed, was NHOP:

[QUOTE=j8ear]..... and as a DMB hippie I am quite fond of Victor Wooten as well.

As for DMB the bass player is Stefan Lessard. This guy was blowing the doors off the hinges with DMB at the ripe young age of 16. He's already a monster and hasn't even reached his prime. Keep a eye on him.

I can get behind this. Love Spreads is like a wall of sound covered by a tapestry of sound with little sound pictures and sconces hung all over it. The bass work on that and Breakin' into heaven is astoundingly good, but gets lost in part because everything works together so perfectly that it's hard to pick out the excellence of any one part, so you throw up your hands, throw back your head and scream, "This Shit ROCKS," and then it's over and the next stunt bassist that comes along impresses the Stone roses right out of mind.

Actually, based on the replies I got on Barry Oakley, I would have to put this bassist, whoever he is, in that class.

Bought my acoustic from his dad in C'Ville.

Still think Boyd is what makes DMB, and I still liked his band better than Dave's, but that's 20 year old college town history these days. (Grumble, gripe, kids today and the noise they listen to and pull your goddam pants up already)

Seeing Stefan up on stage at Trax, all of 16 years old, back in about 91 or 92 (could have been later. I was drunk for most of the early 90s) was pretty amazing. Good times.

I know that victor isn't bass player for DMB....but...the Flecktones, Tim Reynolds, and others have collaborated alot with Dave and his gang and that is how I became familiar with him/them.

Don't even get me started on Victor's brother Futch, holy smokes what a genius/nutcase!

-bear

Victor and Jaco were my hero's until I caught a set with the Country Bears.
Their bassist Little ol' Tennessee was flawless. His articulation and tone was amazing.

Matt Freeman anyone? (bass player for rancid)
Victor is amazing, and yes his brother is a nut job!!
Stu Hamm
Cliff Burton
Billy Sheehan
Flea
Les Claypool

I know I am missing lots, but these ones are great.