Who's you favorite?

[Jorgebassguy]

I would like to know who your favorite bassists are, and if you dont mind what about them makes you love their playing so much?

Ill go first,
Cliff Burton (his solos just made me happy)
And Tim Commerford (i love his tone and his place in all his bands)

 

[bholder]

The Jacks. Bruce and Casady. Because they paved the road that most everyone else is driving on. \m/

 

[thabassmon]

I like lots of players, but very rarely do I listen to anything because of a particular bass player, it more like I listen to songs/tunes and coincidentally a player whose playing I enjoy happens to be on it (I usually listen to music on Random so if it is music that I've never heard I can listen to it without bias or expectation). I also don't really think in terms of favourites but here's some whose playing I often appreciate.

Red Mitchell (Sense of melody), Ray Brown (Outstanding swing and instrument mastery), Christian McBride (Complete player, Arco solos), Nels-Henning Ørsted Pederson (Ridiculous upright facility), Scott LaFaro (Melodicism, implied time feel), Stuart Zender (Driving funky groover), Me'Shell NdegeOcello (Excellent feel and articulation), Bootsy Collins (Funk master), James Jamerson (Deft use of rhythm and melody, but still playing for the song), Thundercat (Modern songmeister with crazy facility), Richard Bona (Multilayered rhythmic feel), Bakithi Kumalo (Groovy and melodic), Tim Commerford (In most cases, his lines are the song).

 

[Tubehed]

 

[dalkowski]

No favorites, just widespread respect.

 

[NoiseNinja]

I don't have just one, but these probably stand out from the rest on the top of my favorite bass players list (in no particular order) :

:-: Victor Wooten :-: Chris Wood :-: Bill Laswell :-: Trevor Dunn :-: Julie Slick :-: Justin Chancellor
:-: Cliff Burton :-: Lou Barlow :-: Paz Lenchantin :-: Peter Hook :-: Jack Casady :-:

 

[Cloven Hoof]

Changes all the time. I am always inspired by different player's techniques. I am listening to Johnny Hiland at the moment so the bassist T.J. Armstrong get the current credit. Yesterday it was Charles Mingus, tomorrow...

 

[Joe Nerve]

Not necessarily in this order:

Flea - the energy, the funk, the feel, and his R&R attitude.
Jamerson - they way he made everything move along and the soul behind all his choices.
McCartney - his musicality. I think he's one of the most melodic players around, or at least the one who influenced me the most.

Ask me next week and I'll tell you something different .

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Larry Graham
James Jamerson
Bobby Watson
Louis Johnson
Nate Watts
Allen McGrier
Mark Adams
Carol Kaye
Meshell Ndegeocello
Esperanza Spalding
Janice Marie Johnson
Tina Weymouth
Bootsy
Marcus Miller
Aaron Mills
Prince
Mono Neon
Fred Hammond
Debra Killings
Sting
John Deacon
Phil Lynott
Geddy Lee
Bernard Edwards
Joseph Lucky Scott
Maurice Gibbs
Justin Raines
Sharay Reed
Alan Snoop Evans
Pino Palladino
John Taylor
Paul S. Denman
Stuart Zender
Paul Turner

 

[Pizza1988]

Way too many throughout my life to list or pick just one, but..

I will say that just listening to Victor Wooten talk about bass/music is just as inspiring as watching him play.

 

[GoLeafsGo]

Dougie Thomson.

 

[LowWay]

I don't have just one, but these probably stand out from the rest on the top of my favorite bass players list (in no particular order) :

:-: Victor Wooten :-: Chris Wood :-: Bill Laswell :-: Trevor Dunn :-: Julie Slick :-: Justin Chancellor
:-: Cliff Burton :-: Lou Barlow :-: Paz Lenchantin :-: Peter Hook :-: Jack Casady :-:

I grew up in the same music scene as Lou Barlow. He's now my ex's neighbor. It's weird seeing him on a list with such big names, but not undeserved.

 

[Reedt2000]

I'll go Mr. Pestia (RIP). His attack, rhythmic choices, and note choices just do it for me.

 

[LowWay]

I love many bassists across many genres, but I would say my biggest influences learning to play in my early days in the mid eighties were:

Mike Watt (my greatest music hero)
Mike Mills (can't get there from here is one of my favorite songs to play to this day)
Flea (blood sugar sex magic and earlier)
Paul McCartney
Graham Maby (specifically the first joe jackson record)

 

[BadSanta1281]

Larry Graham and Rocco Prestia.

Two of the funkiest humans who ever roamed the earth.

 

[Holdsg]

based on who I have listened to the most over the years I've played bass (mostly due to tribute bands I've been in)

John Entwhistle
John Deacon
John Paul Jones
Ron Blair/Howie Epstein
Duck Dunn

 

[Dan_reeves]

My favs, in no particular order:

• Julie Slick
• Roy Mitchell Cardenas
• Mike Dirnt
• James Jamerson
• Paul McCartney
• Carol Kaye
• John Paul Jones
• John Deacon

 

[HolmeBass]

I like almost all of the bassists listed so far. To add a few more:
Stanley Clarke
Family Man Barrett
Chuck Rainey
Phil Lesh
Horace Panter

 

[Low Down Brown]

Others have already listed quite a few of my favs so I'll just add a couple more to the bunch.

Allen Woody - His tone and chops were fantastic.
Oteil - same as Woody.
Mark King - just plain funky
John Wetton - great tone from a p-bass and fantastic singer
Trey Gunn and Tony Levin - both absolutely destroy a Stick
Wilton Felder - pocket and groove
Bob Babbitt - pocket and groove
JPJ - for obvious reasons

 

[Killing Floor]

I’ve never had a single favorite.
I like and respect many players l, even some in groups I don’t love.

But for fun I’ll say Bruce Foxton, Tina Weymouth, Suzi Quatro, John Paul Jones, Mike Watt and secretly maybe Tony Lombardo.

Edit to say I think the most important electric bassist is Ed Cynar.