I know this was done a while ago, but it was a poll with guitar players and drummers and stuff all mixed in. And you could only pick certain people listed. I wanna know who you think the best LIVING bass player is (that means no Jaco, Ice-Nine)

My pick is Les Claypool. If you have not heard of him, seek him out. He does amazing things with the instrument and has played every genre of music that needs bass. He's done jazz with Charlie Hunter, blues with Kenny Wayne Shepherd. Funk with The Holy Mackerel. He has also played with Primus, Oysterhead, Phish, Jerry Cantrell, Tom Waits, Buckethead, Ozzy, Sausage, and the Fearless Flying Frog Brigade. Don't believe that he's the best? Find his version of The Awakening by the Funky Meters or Tommy The Cat by Primus. Or both.

So what's your pick?


NOTE: Prince plays bass...


edited to include Prince reference just in case.
[This message was edited Wed Jul 24 22:18:46 PDT 2002 by PopcornFetus]

I'd have to agree. Les Claypool. I'd also have Larry Graham (father of the slap-bass) & Bootsy Collins as close runners up. The guy from YES was no slouch either. (name is escaping me)

Mike Watt

Stanley Clarke.

I like Flea

Geez,

Me'shell NdegeOcello.

LOGICAL!!!

gooeythehamster said:

*pets the hamster*

Awww...ur so cute and furry. R u the org official mascot?

I know you wanted living bass players... but...

Have you people never heard of JACO PASTORIUS???

For god's sake, man... listen to him... trust me when I say that NOBODY will EVER be better than him.

As far as living bass players go:

My old bass teacher from years back is also one of the best bassists in the world... check him out sometime... his name is JEFF BERLIN.

Jaco will always be the BEST though!
...
[This message was edited Thu Jul 25 5:21:08 PDT 2002 by IceNine]

All I know is I'm in love w/ whoever's strumming on Beautiful Strange - it KILLS me...

CalhounSq said:

That is Prince playing on Beautiful Strange..

Larry Graham is the one of the best on bass, live...

july said:

LOL! I didn't even know! And I'm already in love w/ him, so...

Here's a cut and paste from a list of prominent bassists I did earlier this year on the WHERE'S THE BASS thread.

Bassists are very "instrumental" as they are used to lock in a groove and they're protecters of The Groove as well. And again...who's the best is not what's important. Don't miss what music is truly about being preoccupied with the "who's the greatest"? or "who is the most important"?

Ok here's my list...



Ron Carter- (Stand up Bassist): Ron is an awesome standup bassist and his rhythmic timing is impeccable and he uses space very well and has played on many great classic jazz recordings...(Recommended album...Miles Davis "Nefertiti")

Charles Mingus-(Stand up bassist) This man is a legend and is an amazing composer...(Recommended recordings...Anything he did in the 50's and 60s)

Larry Graham- One of the greatest electric bassist of all time, also one of the most influential. Has great timing
and help usher in bass plucking. Recommended recordings(Sly And The Family Stone "Stand" and "Greatest Hits" also try his mid 70's Graham Central Station recordings).

Sly Stone- Some people may be surprise at this pick, but Sly is an amazing bassist. Astonishing is the innovative bass riffs he has come up with when he was at the height of his creative powers.

Verdine White- Davideye got on to me for forgetting this great bassist from the Elements aka Earth Wind And Fire last year when I did this list so I got to make sure I don't forget this time(LOL). Verdine can play in almost any type of musical environment(he had too, EWF played so many different muscial styles). The guy just lays back in the cut and plays with stunning precision. A true funkster and can groove on ballads( I love the way he grooves on bass at the climax of Love's Holiday on EWF classic 1977 album ALL N ALL). (Recommended recordings...Earth Wind And Fire "That's The Way Of The World", "Spirit" and All N All and "Gratitude").

Bootsy Collins- The master of the SPACE BASS THANG BABY-BAH-BAH. What more can I say about Bootsy except that he plays and funk so hard until it hurts baby. Bootsy can play polyrhythms with stunning ease(HE"S A MASTER AT THAT). Amazing is how he plucks and plays so hard and yet his notes and chords sound so smooth. The man is one of the best and one of my personal favorite. Can you get to that??? (Recommended recordings...Parliament "Mothership Connection" also Bootsy Collins's albums..."Strectching Out In Bootsy Rubber Band" and "Ahh The Name Is Bootsy Baby").

Jaco Pastorious- One of the greatest jazz bassist EVER. The man created his own style and tone on the bass and set a precedent of sorts for bassists. Plus he's also a great composer. His style of bass playing is similiar to hearing two people conversing with one another. Sad he died the way he did...But he did leave us some great music. (Recommended recordings...His debut 1976 self titled debut album "Jaco Pastorious", one of the 25 greatest jazz recordings EVER... Also try Weather Report's 1977 album "Heavy Weather").

Stanley Clarke. Another influential jazz bassist with an illuminating style and tone. He can play in a funk environment as well. (Recommended recordings...His 1974 self titles debut album, Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea "Light As A Feather").

Louis Johnson- Mr. Thunder Thumbs is his nick name and one listen to his amazing style of plucking and funkin will clue you in to how he got his nick name. This bassist can play well against the rhythm and with the rhythm. He has an uncanny mix of style, flash, timing and precision(man... ALL of this and still funky). Another one of my personal favorites...One of the masters of plucking. (Recommended recordings Brother Johnson albums..."Look Out For Number #1, Right On Time...and BLAM!!!)

Bernard Edwards...A lot of people sleep on this bassist, but don't be FOOLED. He was a great bassist who came with some of the more interesting riffs in funk/R*B music. A groove master that can ride a groove until it breaks. His style is in your face and yet low-key. If you need evidence as to how great he is I got two words for you GOOD TIMES. (Recommended recordings..Chic's 1979 album "Risque" and their 1978 album "Cest Chic").

Mark Adams- Another one of my personal favorites. Mark Adams is underrated because he played in an underrated funk group...Slave. Mark is another one of those bassist that can ride a groove steady on bass. Mark is one of those bassist that makes me tune everything else out and just focus on his playing(that a feat given the amazing vocal skills of Steve Arrington). Slave's 1979 classic song "Just A Touch Of Love" is a no-holds barred example of how to play bass guitar. This song is one of my favorite songs of all time let alone one of my favorite funk songs of all time. And Adams's bass playing is an intricate reason why this song is such a winner. Mark always sounded good. Listen to what he does on the breakdown of this song during the climax..AMAZING. Also listen to the hard way he plucks and funks on the climx of "Stone Jam", the title track of Slave's 1980 album Stone Jam, which includes another one of my favorite funk songs of all time...that tribute to GIRL WATCHING..."Watching You", which features another Mark Adams...tour de force bass performance(Recommended recordings..Slave..."Just A Touch Of Love", "Stone Jam" "Show Time" and Slave)

Other great bassist includes...

James Jamerson- Great Motown bassist

Gary Peacock- From Keith Jarrett's Standard Trio group.

Charlie Haden- Great style of bass playing

Steve Rodby- From the Pat Metheny Group. This man's playing gets better with time.

Regarding who's the "best"? It's such a relative term depending on what speaks to you the most. If you like jazz you may plump for Mingus as your favourite, JB and P-Funk? Then Bootsy. If you like Sly's psychedlic blend of soul and rock then it's very conceivable that Larry is your favourite of all time. "Best" is impossible to grade...

Does Mariah Carey or some opera singer have the "best" voice because of their octave ranges?

Perhaps "Who's your favourite?" or "Who's BEST to your ears?" would be better questions. Semantics I know...

What do ya'll think to my bass playing? This track is a bass solo Ive recently written.

God bless

Lewis

Brother915 said:

I Dig all those Cats as well.also Michael Henderson,Marcus Miller,Billy Cox,Nathan East among others.

thecloud9mission said:

you are very good

thechronic said:

thecloud9mission said:

whew!

cloud9, I don't know much about bass playing and since your "little" solo impressed me very much to say the least, I have this question: could you compare your and Prince's bass playing? Be honest, do you think you can compare with him?

Thanx!

calldapplwondery83 said:

P is like 50 million times better than me . Whoa, have you heard his bass on the For You album, or better still Get Wild Sex Machine. Hes one fine bass player

PopcornFetus said:

That was my thread, but it died quick. Claypool is amazing, especially live. I've seen Primus 4 or 5 times now and the guy never fails to impress. I can't find the "Frog Brigade" CD, but it sounds intriguing.

I chose:

Flea
Les Claypool
Geddy Lee
Bootsy
John Paul Jones (underrated)
Sting (w/ the Police)