Who's Your Favorite Bass Player?

[Bop Head]

I find it always impossible to pick a favorite when there are so many I like ...


Walter Page, Jimmie Blanton, Slam Steward, Oscar Pettiford, Milt Hinton, Ray Brown, Charles Mingus (anybody?), Wilbur Ware, NHOP, PC, Ron Carter, Doug Watkins, Red Mitchell, Percy Heath, Sam Jones, Rufus Reid, John Clayton, Christian McBride, Russell Hall ...

[wintermoon]

PC and Coltrane look like they're on H.

quite possible, they were roommates and both addicted.
his life was such a flash, he could play many instruments well including baritone sax and tuba, he had mastered the upright in just a few years after taking it up, quite a feat if you think about it. but despite appearing on over 300 recordings in that time [!] his career was really only about a dozen years long due to substance abuse and died @ 33 from tuberculosis.

[Peter C]

Charlie Hunter

[sgcim]

quite possible, they were roommates and both addicted.
his life was such a flash, he could play many instruments well including baritone sax and tuba, he had mastered the upright in just a few years after taking it up, quite a feat if you think about it. but despite appearing on over 300 recordings in that time [!] his career was really only about a dozen years long due to substance abuse and died @ 33 from tuberculosis.

He just burned himself out, and drank himself to death.. At the same time he was playing with Miles, doing a recording date, he was playing a club gig at night. At the same time we was playing with Miles at night, he was doing a recording session in the daytime. If he wasn't doing either of those things, he'd be playing bass duets with Doug Watkins, Oscar Pettiford or Mingus. He'd do a one nighter in Chicago, and then he'd fly back to NYC and do a recording session the next morning! Then he'd fly back out to Chicago to do another club gig at night!
It got to the point that he had to have the same cocktail of five different drinks, just to function.He was trying to stay off of heroin by drinking himself to death.
And none of these gigs were commercial gigs; they were all high pressure jazz gigs with the best players in the world at that time. He lasted the longest with Miles than any other bass player that ever played with him. Even when he left Miles, it was over some remark Miles made about PC's wife, not his playing.He still did gigs with Trane after Trane left Miles, including sight reading Giant Steps, Countdown, etc...on the albums.
As soon as he left Miles, he joined up with Wynton Kelly and Jimmy Cobb to form their own trio, and form the rhythm section for Wes and every other top player at the time.
When Rudy Van Gelder left his home recording studio to go to his new place in NJ, PC would spend the entire day exploring the best ways to record the bass, on his only day off.

[ArchieHollow]

How's it possible to have a favorite?
I'm listening to Brian Bromberg right now. He's one of my favorites

[Onlyserious]

As many Pat Metheny fans as there are around here, I like to give a shout out to Steve Rodby. Not only an excellent player, but first rate producer.

As luck would have it, he's half of my favorite duo album with Ross Traut: Traut/Rodby "The Duo Life"

A bit obscure but YouTube-able...

[ArchieHollow]

I agree with "Onlyserious." Steve Rodby, Lyle Mays, Paul Wertico with Pat Metheny played at Jacobs Pillow in Becket, Massachusetts in '84. Very impressive. I especially enjoyed Mr Rodby's masterful playing of upright base.

[Skip Ellis]

Ray Brown always comes first in my book but lately I've been listening to a lot of stuff by Hirofumi Asaba on YT and I like his bass player (Nobuyuki Yano) quite a bit.

[ccroft]

Yeah. These favourites things are weird. Did anyone mention Jimmy Garrison, Dave Holland or Charlie Haden? I think I saw Richard Davis. Scott Colley might be my favourite currently active.

So my actual favourite? I've been deep in the 60's with Shorter, Henderson, Hutcherson, Herbie, and Miles up to Neffertiti. I listen while I work, so I could be hearing around 5 hrs per day of Ron Carter. So it must be him.

[wintermoon]

Yeah. These favourites things are weird. Did anyone mention Jimmy Garrison, Dave Holland or Charlie Haden? I think I saw Richard Davis. Scott Colley might be my favourite currently active.

So my actual favourite? I've been deep in the 60's with Shorter, Henderson, Hutcherson, Herbie, and Miles up to Neffertiti. I listen while I work, so I could be hearing around 5 hrs per day of Ron Carter. So it must be him.

I don't think favorite threads are weird but 'best' threads can be.....

[Jimmy Smith]

What's with people implying that the thread is erroneous if there hasn't been a comprehensive mention of all impactful bassists? Lol. The thread is who's your favorite bassist. Singular. It's a given that people might list several of their favorite, but I wasn't aware that every single impactful bassist had to be listed or the thread is faulty.

[ccroft]

Sorry guys. I meant weird for me to try to single one out. I guess I should've said I find them difficult. The players I mentioned are all favourites of mine at one time or another. Feels bad seeing them passed over so I want to mention them.

Earlier this week I was listening to Miroslav on Now He Sings Now He Sobs. Love that. He would've been my fave on Weds or Thurs.

[blackcat]

No love for these two ( Marc Johnson and Avashai Cohen in my earlier post ) or is it just all the old guys? Mind you, MJ is getting on a bit now. For what it's worth, Ray Brown is a personal favourite.

[edpirie]

NHOP (Neils Henning Orsted Pederson). He's the only bass player whose solos I actually enjoy, and I've been a bass player most of my life. His playing with Oscar Peterson on the live Nigerian Marketplace recording is just sublime.

[Jimmy Smith]

or is it just all the old guys?

Charles Berthoud. Imo, he shreds pretty much everything the old guys ever did. But he'll never focus on jazz. He only does novelty youtube clips.

[wintermoon]

he shreds pretty much everything the old guys ever did.

What does that mean?

[mr. beaumont]

Charles Berthoud. Imo, he shreds pretty much everything the old guys ever did. But he'll never focus on jazz. He only does novelty youtube clips.

If only there were a six string instrument that could play in that register, but more easily.

[Jimmy Smith]

^ Bass played technically is a novelty instrument. Helps with his novelty career. He still does incredible work and legitimate that he focuses on bass.

What does that mean?

He plays to a higher level with more musicality.

[mr. beaumont]

It's a bummer. He's excellent, and has an excellent touch. He should be out there playing with all of the best musicians he can find...but kids today, they want the Instagram likes and shares. That's "fame."

[Jimmy Smith]

I know. He should focus on jazz. He would kill it.

[wintermoon]

^ Bass played technically is a novelty instrument. Helps with his novelty career. He still does incredible work and legitimate that he focuses on bass.

He plays to a higher level with more musicality.

I'm glad that's just your opinion

[Jimmy Smith]

I think it's verifiable that he demonstrates more technical prowess, so that's not an opinion. But he does play electric which is easier. It's an opinion that his music has more artistic merit, but I still think that's clear.

[wintermoon]

I think it's verifiable that he demonstrates more technical prowess, so that's not an opinion. But he does play electric which is easier. It's an opinion that his music has more artistic merit, but I still think that's clear.

you're right, it's a lot easier. there's a zillion good electric players. you're comparing apples to oranges.

"He plays to a higher level with more musicality"
that's an opinion if I ever heard one.

when he can play upright like Brown, Chambers, Pedersen etc, let me know.

[Jimmy Smith]

To me, his playing is clearly ridiculously more musical than a following the changes, but zero motific development, thudding around upright solo from back in the day. That's all I'll say.

[wintermoon]

To me, his playing is clearly ridiculously more musical than a following the changes, but zero motific development, thudding around upright solo from back in the day. That's all I'll say.

Maybe you just don't like upright bass.