So .... who are your fave bassists?

[Angel]

Maybe it's a bit of a tired old question, but I don't recall seeing it around here anytime in the past year (I'm probably wrong!). So who do you like best?

 

For me, not in any particular order it would be:

 

Geddy Lee - Rush were such an important band for me from teens on.

Nick Beggs - Mostly for his prog connections, plus the fact that he is a total loony!

Billy Sheehan - Now THAT'S how to play rock bass (well, for me)

More recently: Charles Berthoud - Youtube sensation. Incredible ability plus a nice down to earth guy

 

Honourable mentions:

James Durand - I was obsessed with his slap bass playing on Youtube some years ago but I can't find him now! 

Jon Poole - Recent discovery for me with prog band Lifesigns.

Mel Schacher - I was a BIG fan of Grand Funk Railroad in my youth, and the bass was so upfront on their early recordings.

Chris Squire - Feels like he should be higher but I kind of stopped listening to Yes a long long time ago.

Stanley Clarke - Legend. Nuff said ...

 

Strangely, most of my fave bands haven't have bass players that I am extra excited by ...

[NancyJohnson]

It is a bit of a tired old question, but the answers do ebb and flow:

 

Mick Karn

Glen Matlock

Stuart Hill (Shudder to Think)

Pete Vuckovic (3CR)

Muzz

Overend

Steve Priest

Colin Moulding

[cetera]

Peter Cetera (Chicago)
Tiran Porter (Doobie Brothers)
Paul Goddard (Atlanta Rhythm Section)
Martin Tiefensee (Lake)
Rutger Gunnarsson (ABBA)

Joe Puerta (Ambrosia)

John Deacon (Queen)

Dee Murray (Elton John)
Leon Wilkeson (Lynyrd Skynyrd)

Kip Winger (Winger)
Eddie Jackson (Queensryche)
Gene SImmons (KISS)
David Paton (Alan Parsons Project, Pilot, Kate Bush etc)
Ross Valory (Journey)
Del Palmer (Kate Bush)
Will Lee, Neil Jason & David Hungate (session greats)

Edited January 17, 2024 by cetera
forgot people!

[ezbass]

Always happy to contribute to this type of question.

 

My list doesn’t really change that much to be fair:

 

Pino (as always)

Tony Levin (again, never leaves the list)

Roscoe Beck (one of my biggest influences early on)

Bobby Vega (possibly the funkiest man on the planet)

Lee Sklar (absolute legend)

Dee Murray (just so musical and hugely missed)

Chuck Rainey (mainly for his work with Steely Dan, which leads on to…)

Walter Becker (often overlooked for his bass work)

Danny Thompson (DB tone monster)

[Rosie C]

John Taylor - the inspiration for starting to play bass back in the 1980s and still my favourite bass player.

[Old Man Riva]

In an attempt to list every bass player ever recorded, see below. I love them all, in their own unique way!

 

In no particular order… 
 

JPJ

Pino

James Eller

Derek Forbes

Norman Watt-Roy

Segs 

Trevor Bolder

Chuck Rainey 

Tom Hamilton

John Gustafson

Charlie Tumahai 

Horace Panter 

Max Bennett 

Wilton Felder 

Jim Lea

Herbie Flowers

Willie Weeks

Pete Way

Fred Thomas

Pete Farndon

Sting

Bobby Vega 

Mick Karn 

 

edited to also add;

Paul Jackson

Colin Moulding

Kev Hopper

Alan Spenner

 

Edited January 16, 2024 by Old Man Riva

[christhammer666]

i think peoples list will always constantly change so the subject will always be relevant.

 

in no particular order.....

 

rex brown - pantera

john myung  - dream theater

jason newsted - when in metallica

lemmy 

troy sanders - mastodon

mark king - level 42

cliff burton - metallica

[Doctor J]

Tony Choy (Atheist, Cynic, Pestilence)

Doug Keyser (Watchtower)

Roger Patterson (Atheist)

Bernard Edwards (Chic)

Ron Broder (Coroner)

Bill Gould (FNM)

Troy Gregory (Prong, Flotsam & Jetsam)

Doug & Muzz (Living Colour)

Cliff Williams (AC/DC)

 

[Steve Browning]

John Deacon (Queen)

Bernard Edwards (Chic)

Stephen Amazing (Upp)

Jamerson (obviously)

Dee Murray (Elton)

Tony Levin

Bruce Foxton (The Jam)

Pete Farndon (Pretenders)

Mario Cipollina (Huey Lewis)

[Rodders]

Percy Jones (Brand X, Brian Eno, Tunnels)

John Giblin

Jeroen Paul Thesseling

Glen Hughes

Geezer

Jack Bruce

John Entwistle

Phil Lynott

Colin Moulding (XTC)

Herbie Flowers (how could I forget him?)

Norman WR 

 

Gotten into John Pattitucci recently..

Edited January 16, 2024 by Rodders
Forgot Herbie and Norman.

[neepheid]

Steve Harris

Jack Bruce

Billy Cox

Rutger Gunnarsson

John Entwistle

 

[MrCrane]

Danny Thompson

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen

James Jamerson

Dee Murray

Jack Casady

Kenny Gradney

Kenny Edwards

Joe Osborn

John Entwistle

Bob Babbitt

'Duck' Dunn

Rod Clements

Richard Davis

Rick Danko

 

 

 

[Russ]

These would be the main ones over the last 30-odd years: 

 

John Paul Jones

Tony Levin

Anthony Jackson

Justin Chancellor

Doug Wimbish

Colin Edwin

Cliff Burton

Geddy Lee

Steve DiGiorgio

Billy Gould

Flea

Les Claypool

Mick Karn

John Taylor

Nick Beggs

Mark King

Jaco

 

Out of those, the ones that have persisted the most have been Levin, Burton and Wimbish.

 

[Killerfridge]

All the usuals, throwing out some new loves over the last couple of years:

 

Joe Dart

Tony Levin

Daric Bennet

[tauzero]

John Entwistle

Jack Bruce

Trevor Bolder

Dennis Dunaway

Victor Wooten

Charles Berthoud

Pete Trewavas

 

although the first three haven't done much for a while now.

[WinterMute]

Over time these are the constants:

 

Geddy Lee

Tony Levin

Mick Karn

Jaco Pastorious

John Stockman

Alan Thompson

Tim Commerford

John Paul Jones

[Reggaebass]

Mine never changes whenever the question comes up, except I’ve added Sean Hurley, not so much for the music but the way he plays is so good 

 

Robbie Shakespeare

Flabba Holt

Aston Barrett 

val Douglas 

Fully Fullwood

Sean Hurley 

[Baloney Balderdash]

In no particular order:

 

:-: Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (NHØP)

 

:-: Victor Wooten 

 

:-: Chris Wood 

 

:-: Bill Laswell 

 

:-: Trevor Dunn 

 

:-: Julie Slick 

 

:-: Justin Chancellor 

 

:-: Cliff Burton 

 

:-: Lou Barlow 

 

:-: Paz Lenchantin 

 

:-: Peter Hook 

 

:-: Jack Casady 

 

[Rich]

People who have inspired or made an impact on me over the years...

Horace Panter

Mark King

Tony Butler

John Taylor

Nick Beggs

Geddy

Jaco

Jamerson

Pino

Marcus Miller

Jonas Hellborg

John Giblin

Mo Foster

Michael Manring

[Paolo85]

Strangely, I do not really have bass players of which I like/want to have every recording. Still, my favourite work is from

 

-Jaco, Gary Willis, Mark Egan

-Jamerson/Tommy Cogbill/Jerry Jemmott

-Stu Hamm, though I have found album of his that I love only recently, and it may be too early to say if he's one of my favourites

-George Porter Jr

-I agree Berthoud is truly amazing and has written some great songs, but I get lost with youtubers. Hope at some point he will take a break and work on a few albums

-If we extend to doublebass, probably Charlie Haden, Ron Carter, Scott Lafaro, Ray Brown. Those might be my favourite in general

 

 

[Reggaebass]

25 minutes ago, Paolo85 said:

Jamerson

Since my dipping into learning Motown for something different ,I tried quite a few of his basslines ,and it made me realise just how amazingly good he was 

[Paul S]

Probably my favourite bassist to listen to or watch is Mark King.  I can't honestly say he has influenced my playing because I don't have funky fingers, but I love to see him.  Not the slap particualrly, although that is a given, but his effortless fingerstyle weaving around the tunes, usually while singing.

Next two haven't been mentioned I don't think. 

Roger Glover.  Fabulously melodic bass lines, especially in the context of the early Deep Purple stuff. 

Chris Glenn.  I saw SAHB loads of times in the early/mid 70s and would say he is the bass player that has influenced me more than any others.  Nothing complicated (though he has the chops) just laid back and enjoying himself.

 

[Barking Spiders]

While I've time for You Tubers like Charles Berthoud, I've not seen or heard them in a group playing songs so for that reason I don't include them. My list is pretty much set in stone...which links me straight to...Larry Graham and then Stanley Clarke, Marcus Miller, Louis Johnson, Mark King, Julian Crampton, Deon Estus, Bakithi Kumalo, Bernard Edwards, Rocco Prestia, Stuart Zender, Neil Jason, Paul Jackson, Derek Forbes, Andre Berry, Kai Eckhardt, Richard Bona, Nate Watts and Armand Sabal-Lecco

[Old Man Riva]

33 minutes ago, Paul S said:

Probably my favourite bassist to listen to or watch is Mark King.  I can't honestly say he has influenced my playing because I don't have funky fingers, but I love to see him.  Not the slap particualrly, although that is a given, but his effortless fingerstyle weaving around the tunes, usually while singing.

Next two haven't been mentioned I don't think. 

Roger Glover.  Fabulously melodic bass lines, especially in the context of the early Deep Purple stuff. 

Chris Glenn.  I saw SAHB loads of times in the early/mid 70s and would say he is the bass player that has influenced me more than any others.  Nothing complicated (though he has the chops) just laid back and enjoying himself.

 

I love the bass part on Boston Tea Party. One of the things I tried to learn when I first started. It was a real struggle getting all of the cool runs he does… 

[The fasting showman]

George Murray with Bowie '75 to '80

James Jamerson

Jaco

Marcus Miller

Willie Weeks 

John Entwistle 

Joe Osborn

Dave Richmond

Bernard Edwards

Tony Levin

Mick Karn

Robbie Shakespeare 

By and large players that sneak their identity into some of the great songs in the history of popular music, that can develop a song throughout its duration and arrest the ear. Highly subjective obviously.

I'll immediately remember someone else now I've posted; some great names posted previously.