Modern James Jamerson?

otownbassist

otownbassist

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Jul 24, 2016
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#1
Are there any more recent session bassists (or bassists in general) who have some mad skills like James Jamerson? All I ever hear about are the people like Jamerson, Donald Duck Dunn, and Carol Kaye, but I'm curious if there's anyone in the past 10 years or so like them. Thanks in advance!
 
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#6
Hard to say as a lot of artists are not recognized until after their heyday or death and if their body of work has stood the test of time.
Except for insiders, no one talked about Jamerson or Dunn when they were at their peaks with Motown and Stax.
Carol Kaye was never praised publicly during her numerous sessions on hit after hit with the LA based Wrecking Crew.
Larry Knechtel and Joe Osborn also. Back then it was about the star vocalist or band, not the musicians backing them and actually recording the music tracks.
In fact record companies actively hid the musicians album credits.
Times have changed whereas, bassists like Larry Graham, Bernard Edwards and Louis Johnson are/were recognized during their peak years.
In 10 years will see who stands the test of time.
 
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#7
Chester Hansen of Bad Bad Not Good. Lyrical and rhythmically interesting lines. I think there from Toronto.

Lorezo Vasquez of Boogaloo Assasins is a monster doubler, LA based guy.

Just a couple of nobody's but very good players that I like. Not celebrities....yet.
 
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#9
Nathan Watts (Stevie Wonder's bassist) is influenced by Jamerson. I don't know how active Stevie Wonder is now, but Nate Watts has performed at lot of improvised covers of Jamerson basslines at Stevie Wonder concerts within the last 10 years. Look at this performance of "My Cherie Amour" from 2010, he really adds JJ-ish elements into a JJ song.


As for a truly "modern James Jamerson", I would be very surprised if there's anyone out there who could sound exactly like him in any original work. Jamerson had a real signature style of playing.
 
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#11
I like Pino a lot but you couldn't say he brings a signature sound to a record in the way Jamerson did, he's much more of a musical chameleon. Hell, he even played on Music For Chameleons!

I couldn't see Jamerson recording for people as diverse as De La Soul and John Mayer.
 
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#14
Well, although it is fun to think about, let me float this by you.

There is no need for a "modern Jamerson". He did what he did....one way. He revolutionized bass (along with a few others of his time). Love his work and was heavily influenced by it. (When people ask me who taught me how to play, my answer for years has been "James Jameson and John Paul Jones.")

That being said, all of the great studio cats of today were heavily influenced by Jameson as well......but also 57 other bass players. Rhodes, Pino and all those players would tell you the same. They don't play one style. They are the studio kings of a different era.
 
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#16
otownbassist said:
Are there any more recent session bassists (or bassists in general) who have some mad skills like James Jamerson? All I ever hear about are the people like Jamerson, Donald Duck Dunn, and Carol Kaye, but I'm curious if there's anyone in the past 10 years or so like them. Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...

The reason you hear about those players is that they were early pioneers who taught the rest how to play. There are heaps and heaps of amazing bassists active today, gangs of music school whiz kids. But the sheer fact that there are heaps of them means that most don't catch attention the way those early pioneers did. Just go click around the "bassists" forum and you'll get lots and lots of names to follow up on.
 
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#19
nathanmiller said:
Nathan Watts (Stevie Wonder's bassist) is influenced by Jamerson. I don't know how active Stevie Wonder is now, but Nate Watts has performed at lot of improvised covers of Jamerson basslines at Stevie Wonder concerts within the last 10 years. Look at this performance of "My Cherie Amour" from 2010, he really adds JJ-ish elements into a JJ song.


As for a truly "modern James Jamerson", I would be very surprised if there's anyone out there who could sound exactly like him in any original work. Jamerson had a real signature style of playing.
Click to expand...

The bass after the key change at 2:08 is brilliant, real Jamerson feel
 
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#20
I'd bet a lot of the modern session guys have chops well beyond what Jamerson had. They not only had Jamerson to learn from, but all the guys who built on Jamerson's innovations too. IMHO, the idea of a "modern Jamerson" somewhat misses the point, because it ignores historical context. Jamerson wasn't simply a great bassist. He pretty much invented the vocabulary of modern electric bass, and he did it on huge hit singles, as opposed to fusion jazz records that only musicians listen to (Jaco, Victor, et al.) I think it would be almost impossible for a modern player to make that kind of contribution. That revolution has already been fought and won.

I hope this doesn't come off as picking on the OP. It's still an interesting jumping-off point for conversation. :)
 
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