The Fretless Groove Thread

[PatrickJ]

 

Inspired by the Soul, Funk and Groove thread, post your favourite and inspirational fretless grooves and bass lines here.

Kicking off with Jaco and Vic

(although as noted below, the album version was played on a fretted instrument)

 

Collaborative Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GFfbIFeSQo8OF50gc2GmU?si=llhMWviBTca6jXlhdyrQXQ

 

Edited January 15, 2021 by PatrickJ

[ezbass]

Some Mick and Pino to add to the list. I once did a weekly posting on FB (Fretless Friday) some years ago, I enjoyed doing it.

Edited January 15, 2021 by ezbass

[Doctor J]

 

Edited January 15, 2021 by Doctor J

[ezbass]

Oh, I'm off and running now. Danny Thompson sounding ace on Victoria (she's fretless  ). I would have added New York Minute, but Don Henley (or his henchmen) block videos  .

Where there's a will, there's a compromise...

https://open.spotify.com/track/2jxqu3v4AZAhUNvdAbDGet

 

Edited January 15, 2021 by ezbass

[PatrickJ]

17 minutes ago, ezbass said:

Some Mick and Pino to add to the list. I once did a weekly posting on FB (Fretless Friday) some years ago, I enjoyed doing it.

Feel free to pick that back up on this thread!

[lownote]

 

[Reggaebass]

I’m really not a jaco fan , but I do like the sound and look of this bass 

 

[fleabag]

The Firm - someone to love.  Tony Franklin on fretless duty

 

Japan -  Halloween.  You know who on fretless

 

Japan again.  Visions of China

 

[fleabag]

Brand X  ..Born Ugly.  Percy Jones on fretless duty

 

[TheGreek]

A lot of people don't realise that this is a fretless bass

 

 

[PatrickJ]

15 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

A lot of people don't realise that this is a fretless bass

I had not realised that until today!

[PatrickJ]

It hasn't been mentioned yet, and it's kind of a fretless standard 

More Japan

 

[oldslapper]

One of the biggest influences on my playing: Kenny Pasarelli.

For those who are not fans of EJ’s voice...this is an instrumental, off my favourite EJ album.

 

[jrixn1]

1 hour ago, PatrickJ said:

Kicking off with Jaco

Don't think Portrait of Tracy is on fretless.

[fleabag]

It is according to this

 

And here

 

Edited January 15, 2021 by fleabag

[jrixn1]

The track posted in this thread is from his 'Jaco Pastorius' album.

Just found this: https://reverb.com/news/jaco-pastorius-on-how-he-learned-bass-and-composition-bacons-archive

I interviewed Jaco Pastorius at a London hotel in summer 1976. I wanted to talk mainly about his first solo album, Jaco Pastorius, which had just been released. 

"On my record, I play fretless on everything but "Come On, Come Over" and "Portrait Of Tracy," I played fretted on those two."

[fleabag]

Good point,  though a bit odd that he played it live on fretless and not fretted

[lowdown]

 

 

[Maude]

6 minutes ago, fleabag said:

Good point,  though a bit odd that he played it live on fretless and not fretted

I suppose it just saves swapping basses for a couple of songs. 

Personally I prefer fretless when it's not as noticeable that's it's fretless, if that makes any sense. Although I love Pino's fretless, a lot of his early 80s stuff (Numan, Young) was very 'mwah heavy'. Music For Chameleons is epic but it's almost a cliché of fretless playing. I quite like when you can barely tell it's fretless but for the subtle little slides here and there. 

Such as. 

 

[lowdown]

Victor Bailey never particularly over stated the fretless sound...he just grooved away on the Bass..!!

 

 

Edited January 15, 2021 by lowdown

[PatrickJ]

1 hour ago, jrixn1 said:

The track posted in this thread is from his 'Jaco Pastorius' album.

Just found this: https://reverb.com/news/jaco-pastorius-on-how-he-learned-bass-and-composition-bacons-archive

I interviewed Jaco Pastorius at a London hotel in summer 1976. I wanted to talk mainly about his first solo album, Jaco Pastorius, which had just been released. 

"On my record, I play fretless on everything but "Come On, Come Over" and "Portrait Of Tracy," I played fretted on those two."

I've updated the original post - thanks for the information

[Rich]

 

[ezbass]

Some more Bathiki Kumalo 

 

[ezbass]

I’m not sure if this is actually fretless, as Larry Klein can make a fretted sound otherwise, but I choose to think it’s ‘bumpless’.

 

[uk_lefty]

I absolutely love this, Marcus Miller is a phenomenal fretless player :

 

And then there's this, completely different, and opening the album that made my decision to get a fretless:

https://youtu.be/JqYIwJDsinM