Who do you think was the better bassist between these huge funk and musical legends. I think I will give the slight edge to Bootsy for the simple fact he was a little bit edgeier. All was good no doubt but my pick is Bootsy in a 15 round split decision.

I love and appreciate all of them. I wouldn't call Stanley a 'funk bass legend', more like a jazz/fusion/r&b/funk legend.
I guess if I were forced to pick one of them, I'd go with Bootsy.

bootsy..but larry was no joke back in the day !

My vote would go 2 Larry Graham. His influence on the Bass is crazy.

Bishop31 said:

That's true, but then again Bootsy and Stanley are also very influental bass players

LoDog said:

Bootsy bab-bay.....

Najee said:

Freddie 'Ready' Washington can raise some sand too

I think Mr.Clarke is the most versatile among the ones mentioned in this thread.

I guess I would choose Larry but I really don't have enough music from Bootsy or Stanley to make a fair decision.

Now, those guys, I like. Much more than the three given to choose from.
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[Edited 9/19/07 6:36am]

"Call me Casper, not the friendly ghost but the Holy Ghost..."

BOOTSY baby bubba.

BlaqueKnight said:

I don't know about miles, but I agree, Stanley is the most gifted of the three.

Don't sleep on Marcus Miller.

No love for Leon Sylvers?

PDogz said:

Marcus is a bad boy. I'd put him 3rd behind Bootsy and Stanley.

Of the three, i'd have to go with Stanley for the reasons BK laid out above.
For those same reasons, Marcus Miller & Jaco Pastorius deserve some consideration.

Speaking of Marcus, you should check out his take on What Is Hip? from his latest album...



...FREE

He recruited Chester Thompson (former keys w/Tower of Power) along with David Sanborn to do the tune with him.


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

theAudience said:

I'm groovin' to this as we speak



I looooove that sound,,,'side, he was Luther's King Kong back in the 80's when he produced all these albums(his own and other artists).

Larry!

.....

I think the whole problem with "Who's Better?" is that it's all subjective -- it depends on what kind of feel you like as a listener. If you're talking about technical proficieny-- sure, it's gonna be guys like Stanley, Jaco, and Marcus--thing is, there's always someone who will come down, learn from the original, and take it a step further, guys like Victor Wooten, Hadrien Feraud, Matt Garrison, etc--

Then you have Funk, which is all about feel, about the Space between the Notes, and there are so many different takes on that--both Bootsy and Larry are the original masters at that.....and Bootsy himself says he was influenced by Larry, went and took it to another level. According to bassist Anthony Jackson, Louis Johnsonsupposedly developed his Thumb thing around the same time that Larry Graham started thumping, and developed it along different lines, so there's another take on it.

Since he's a Jazz and Fusion artist, Stanley's much more studied and versatile than the other two, but he's never gonna have Bootsy's feel for Funk, nor Larry's for that matter...in turn, they don't do the intricate stuff that Stanley does...and that's where individual style comes into play. I've heard people diss Mark Adams from Slave , pecause he jams in E so much, But he's got a feel that much more proficient players will never have. If I could be that Funky jammin' in E all day long, I'd be there right now.....

Rocco Prestia, from Tower Of Power, can't read a note of music, but I haven't heard anybody play that stuttering 16th note Funk the way he does....Mark King of Level 42 wasn't even a bass player originally---- he's a drummer who incorporated a percussive drumming technique into his playing, and that's his individual take on the bass...

Guys like Nathan East and Freddie Washington have a nice clean fluid Funk sound, and artists and producers call them for their respective feel....

Even somebody like Paul McCartney has got a certain feel that only he can bring....

--and look at Prince, he doesn't have the technical ability of, say, Rhonda Smith, but he's got a greasy funk feel that Rhonda just doesn't have. So it all depends on what style a person prefers.....






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[Edited 9/20/07 11:57am]

Jeff Belin!!!

i will go in this order

larry

bootsy

stanley

paligap said:

Well said. If u are a great player but the nusic is NOT, then that will be reflected in how I would view u. That's why I'd put Bootsy #1. His funk is the best.

Graycap23 said:

Yup. Someone, I think it was Pat Metheny, once said that in the end, people value music in terms of the way it moves them, it's ability to make them feel something special...and that has very little to do with how much technique an artist has, or doesn't have--it either moves you or it doesn't, and everybody's got their own tastes.....


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[Edited 9/20/07 10:50am]

paligap said:

And that's the TRUTH!


tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...dID=182431

Stanley's definitely no slouch on funk. As a complete bass player I'd choose him, though for pure funk I guess I'd choose Bootsy. Plus if you have a funk band, Bootsy can contribute the most style & some vocalization.

Larry's great, and a true original, but I don't like his sound as much as the other two.

Neither Larry or Boots can touch Stan for his ability to play a unique style on acoustic and electric basses, plus his worked on Alembics and piccolo basses is amazing. Bootsy plays to stretch the beat more and innovated on electonics with phase shifters. Larry, to my mind plays more "in pocket" and has a less gimmicky vocal style.

Happily, I can say I've seen all three live and would gladly pay tyhe cost to see it settled in a "bass-off" showdown. This reminds me. There's supposed to be Clarke-Wooten-Miller joint tour and recording in 2008.

How come nobody's mentioned the 'Source' (or one of 'em) -

James Jamerson. He was to bass what John Coltrane was to the tenor sax (in that he extended its range beyond previous parameters, taking the next generation of players with him.).

I know Bootsy was greatly influenced by JJ in his youth, as were many others.

Out of the 3 mentioned, I'd go for Boots - especially his early work with James Brown, tho his work with P Funk and beyond is no joke either. For me, he is the funkiest of the three, subjectively speaking.

Larry I dig - Impressive chops but maybe a little limited (or liberated depending on how you view it) by the groove. Obviously, virtually the whole of Prince's bass technique and preferred bass style for his band bass players is derived from Larry.

Stanley Clarke, I confess I don't really know, as Miles and a few others aside, my long-term musical explorations have concluded that I don't particularly dig '70s 'fusion'. I respect his knowledge of the bass and music, from the interviews I've read with him tho.

I like Jaco in small doses, and Marcus is good as an all-round artist, as well as a cool bass player. He learnt from Miles that 'space is the place for the bass', if you get ma meaning. . Too many notes spoil the broth.