Opinions of Bass Players.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: BuckMulligan
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 09:21 AM

Dick Kniss and Fritz Richmond (already cited)

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Folk Form # 1
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 08:40 AM

Why has no one mentioned Bob Pegg? One of the anchors of the English folk-rock.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: dj bass
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 08:01 AM

Danny Thompson, without a doubt, is the best double bass player of interest to most people on this forum although there are of course bassists in other genres than folk who are technically better. I have twice been privileged to spend a few days with him. He is not only a great player, he is a top bloke too.

Ben Nicholls who plays for Seth Lakeman and Cara Dillon is also very good but nowhere near as good as Danny.

Carol Kaye is an excellent bass guitarist, having played on recordings such as Good Vibrations (indeed many Beach Boys records) but she mainly works in pop, rock and jazz.

I am a pretty average double bass player, but I love playing all the same.

dj

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Mooh
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:53 AM

bassen...Yes! (I was too lazy to look it up.) Thanks. Somehow he managed to keep out of the way of Peterson's left hand and still play brilliantly.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: bassen
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:32 AM

Mooh: That would be Niels Henning Ørsted-Pedersen. And I might be so bold as to toss in the name Arild Andersen just to increase the European/jazz contingent a smidgen...

Bassen

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Bee
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:19 AM

Last summer, late at night in the far reaches of a Bluegrass festival field, I saw and heard a collection of Cape Breton campers playing together. The upright bass player was a smallish woman around thirty. She played that huge instrument like it was her dancing partner, leaning in, then away, giving it a little twirl, stepping around it. I've never seen such an energetic interaction with a bass - hope to see her and her crew again this summer.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: GUEST,Tom Bliss
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:19 AM

Dave Bowie - once of my band Pearl Divers, now playing with Burden of Paradise (with Helen Watson, Snake Davis and Mark Creswell) and Sketch (with Maggie Boyle and Gary Boyle).

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Big Al Whittle
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 07:14 AM

Tea chest bass - guy in the Please yourself Skiffle Band
Also - the guy who recorded with Geof Muldaur - Fritz Richmond?

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: GUEST,Wayne
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 06:48 AM

I went to see Toto in concert last night & their regular bassist Mike Porcaro was unable to play due to a hand injury so Leeland Sklar filled in! What a replacement! As Steve Lukather said "If you think his beard's rough, you ought to see his anal hairs!"

Apart from the above pair(both amazing players) I very much enjoy the bass work of Bruce Hall, Dave Pegg, John Wetton, Rick Kemp & Tony Rogerson.

I was thinking about Ashley Hutchings, as I read this thread. I'm a huge fan of pretty much everything he's done, but without recourse to a music machine, I can't recall much about his bass style. Isn't that dreadful?

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: jiva
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 04:17 AM

Danny Thompson
Leeland Sklar

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: fat B****rd
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 03:04 AM

Danny Thompson
Duck Dunn
James Jamerson
Charlie Mingus
Bill Black
Colin Hodgkinson
Sam Jones

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Muttley
Date: 15 Mar 07 - 12:53 AM

Well,if you can't play music - you play drums - if ya can't play them: pick up a Bass!!!

Old saying

Muttley

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: GUEST,Jeff
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 11:03 PM

James Jamerson...at least I think that was his name. He did all the bass on the early Motown sessions. Temptations, Supremes, Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, etc. He's playing on 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered'...one of my favorite bass lines. His son put out a book of his parts about 20 years ago. May still be in print.

Fred Martin...plays w/the Famous Unknowns. Formerly of the Tommy Riggs band and Exile. Longtime top-drawer Nashville/Branson session guy. Lives in Arkansas. Kills, absolutely kills.

John Paul Jones...the bass line in 'Ramble On' is another favorite of mine. Have always thought he's very underrated.

Stanley Clarke...just the name is enough.

Alphonso Johnson...saw him w/George Duke, Billy Cobham and John Scofield. Have been a fan ever since.

Bill Wyman...always in the pocket, always chewing gum, always thumpin' on the 1 and 3 w/Charlie. Less is more.

Chuck Sanders...played w/Maynard Ferguson, Don Ellis and in later years Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass. Very melodic, fluid, almost sinewy style. Kinda like Mark Knofler's guitar playing. A total original and a gifted musician.

Erin Snyder...Bass player in the all female bluegrass band 'The Bushwackers'. Also, plays cello. 6 ft tall and plays 'doghouse bass' the way it's supposed to be played. Fell asleep in her bass gigbag at a party once w/her bass laying next to her on the floor. She's a legend in western PA.

Irma...don't know her last name, but she's at least 85 years old and plays w/the Retreads every Thursday night at the Senior Center in Dickson, TN. Rock solid and never smiles...just holds it down for the fiddler and the caller. I think she's a national treasure.

Paul McCartney...his early keyboard training had a huge impact on his overall musicianship. Nobody played bass like him until...well him. Didn't really appreciate his playing until my son got me the BBC cd set and you could really hear the bass.

Honorable mention...Dave Burke of 'The Choir'. They had a regional hit w/a song called 'It's Cold Outside'. Get a copy and listen to the bassline...he was 16 at the time.   Ray Brown, Will Lee, Jaco, Noel Redding...there's a ton.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Mooh
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 08:12 PM

In no particular order...

John Entwhistle
John Paul Jones
Jaco Pastorius
John Pattituci
Flea
Mary Kaye
Tony Levin
Leeland Sklar
Tommy Shannon
James Jamerson
Ray Brown
Charles Mingus
Victor Wooten
Duck Dunn
Bill Wyman

Some because they were amazng improvisors, composers, and well rounded musicians, others because they did so much with so little.

The guy [Pederson (sp?)] who played with Oscar Peterson for a time really turned me on in my teens.

Peace, Mooh.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: JedMarum
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 07:12 PM

Any good player is an artist of highest esteem on upright bass!

The best acoustic instrument in the world!

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Jack Campin
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 07:03 PM

Renaud Garcia-Fons
Barry Guy
Charles Mingus
Peter Eri (the only folk bass player mentioned so far)

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Bob Hitchcock
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:56 PM

OK here are some of my favorites,

Lee Sklar
Jack Bruce
Jorge Calderon
Jaco
John Entwistle
Victor Wooton
Keter Betts
Ray Brown

Give me a few days and I'll come up with a few more.....


Bob.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Chris Green
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:36 PM

For sheer ability and technique, Jaco Pastorius was the best. John Entwistle should be on there as well, definitely. But BILL WYMAN?! He was only marginally better than Sid Vicious!

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Les from Hull
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:27 PM

For me certainly Jack Bruce at number one. And another vote for Entwhistle.

Subject: RE: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: Girl Friday
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 06:08 PM

Do dead ones count? What about John Entwhistle in second place?

Subject: Opinions of Bass Players.
From: GUEST,Rodney Goldlips
Date: 14 Mar 07 - 05:05 PM

Hey there Bass Players and Fans of the world! Just want to get some lists going, what are all your top 10 Bass Players?

This is not a competition, just a personal list. Mine is no better than yours, yours is no better than the next guys.

1: Noel Redding
2: Paul McCartney
3: Andy Rourke - The Smiths
4: Roger Waters
5: Gary (Mani) Mounfield - The Stone Roses
6: Billy Cox - Band of Gypsy's
7: Ben Kenney - The Roots and Incubus
8: Paul Ryder - The Happy Mondays
9: Ash McCormack - The Solar Vibes
10: Bill Wyman