Larry Kart Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 A fine "ensemble" bassist -- Joe Mondragon. Can't think of a rhythm section he was part of that didn't swing like it was on ball-bearings. Jimmy Blanton Walter Page Quote
paul secor Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Jimmy Blanton Walter Page How could any of us not have mentioned those two gentlemen before this? Quote
clifford_thornton Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Two excellent "walkers," of rather different sorts -- Peter Ind and Leroy Vinnegar. Ind also was a fine soloist. Ind, definitely. Much of his work is still available from the Wave Records website. Red Mitchell too, both in California and with the Swedes... what a sound. Quote
Milestones Posted October 17, 2014 Author Report Posted October 17, 2014 Jimmy Blanton certainly makes my list. He is usually regarded as the pioneer, though Page was playing earlier. I like the bassists on Randy Weston's records, such as Jamil Nasser and Alex Blake. I've had some exposure to bassists more on the avant garde end: Mark Dresser, William Parker, Mark Helias, Ed Schuller, Michael Formanek. But some from Steve Reynolds' list I don't even know by name. This thread really took off. Clearly a lot of us pay attention to the bass--and I guess that's no surprise. Quote
Larry Kart Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 I like Red Mitchell when he was based in L.A. in the '50s -- and along with Mingus he certainly was a pioneer of horn-like soloing -- but eventually (maybe when he switched to the five-string bass?) he got very swoony and swoopy and was often quite intrusive behind soloists IMO, playing soloistic lines in their register. Can it be that we haven't mentioned Scott LaFaro? Quote
JohnT Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Scott LaFaro -- his recordings with Bill Evans are desert island discs for me. Chuck Israels is another great bassist who played with Bill Evans and is drastically underated Sam Jones -- all his stuff with Cannonball, Cedar Walton and others is great stuff-- he always swung hard!. Someone already mentioned the great underated George Tucker --another personal favorite! Quote
jeffcrom Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 tuba player with the Dirty Dozen whose name I'm forgetting Kirk Joseph. For many years, he was my favorite tuba player - until the frighteningly talented Matt Perrine hit the New Orleans scene. Quote
The Magnificent Goldberg Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Just for swing - John Kirby and Leroy Vinnegar. For sound, Maleem Mahmoud Ghania - though he doesn't play a bass as such, but some Moroccan equivalent - and Ron Carter. MG Quote
Larry Kart Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Someone already mentioned the great underated George Tucker --another personal favorite! That was me. And IIRC (how does this stuff stick in the brain?) Tucker was from Palatka, Fl. Quote
Head Man Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 ...... And IIRC (how does this stuff stick in the brain?) Tucker was from Palatka, Fl. Not many people know that......... Quote
Ted O'Reilly Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Toronto has a slew of great bassists, among them Steve Wallace, who has shown another side of his talents with an always-interesting blog about "Jazz, Baseball, Life and other Ephemera" at http://wallacebass.com/ Late in the summer of 2013 he wrote a fine 5-part series on bassists that offers a particularly good insight into some under-recognized players, and why they're good. Look for the entries of August 9, 16, 23 and Sept. 3 and 17, 2013. Quote
felser Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Couple more that come to mind. Loved Miroslav Vitous working with Eric Gravatt on the early Weather Report stuff, and Gary Peacock on the album he did with Mal Waldron, 'First Encounter'. Wish someone would put out a CD of that one! Quote
Peter Friedman Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Larry beat me to the punch mentioning George Tucker. I also very much enjoyed Leroy Vinnegar's big walking style bass playing. Among living bass players George Mraz is definitely one of my favorites. Quote
JohnT Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Thanks Larry Kart for letting me know that George Tucker was from Palatka, FL. I didn't know that. Doesn't seem like there's much information about George Tucker that I can find online. What I do know is that if his name is on a recording, I always pick it up! His work with Horace Parlan, Jerome Richardson, Booker Ervin, Jaki Byard and others is all great stuff! Quote
B. Clugston Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Richard Davis is a big favourite of mine. As for bassists I've seen in concert, Harrison Bankhead, J.J. Avenel, Bob Cranshaw and Ken Filiano were all great. Ditto for Charnett Moffatt, who I've seen on acoustic (with McCoy Tyner) and electric (with Ornette Coleman). Glad to see Michael Henderson was mentioned. He was really wonderful with those Miles Davis bands. Motoharu Yoshizawa - Inland Fish - particularly like the duo with Sabu Toyozumi on the second side. Very Barre Phillips-like in approach, and worth a listen if you're interested in freer bassists. He was a memorable bass player. He did some great things with Derek Bailey. Quote
Steve Reynolds Posted October 17, 2014 Report Posted October 17, 2014 Live - Barry Guy and Paul Rogers were beyond anything I could have imagined from listening to the recordings Rogers with Paul Dunmall & Kevin Norton @ The knitting factory maybe in 2001 with his custom bass still the best performance on the bass I've ever witnessed live. Quote
AndrewHill Posted October 18, 2014 Report Posted October 18, 2014 (edited) And Reggie Workman (I think it's him when he pairs down with just Sam in between the ensemble sections) on Crystals is some of the sickest playing I've ever heard from him. I like Jimmy Garrison too especially on Ornette on Tenor n Tranes One Down One Up Edited October 18, 2014 by Holy Ghost Quote
Homefromtheforest Posted October 18, 2014 Report Posted October 18, 2014 Richard Davis is a big favourite of mine. Motoharu Yoshizawa - Inland Fish - particularly like the duo with Sabu Toyozumi on the second side. Very Barre Phillips-like in approach, and worth a listen if you're interested in freer bassists. He was a memorable bass player. He did some great things with Derek Bailey. He's an absolute monster on Steve Lacy's "stalks" album. This thread is almost futile in that there are so many great bass players out there both past and present. I'm a fan of many of the bass players already mentioned but if I had to choose a personal favorite I would lean towards Barre Phillips. I've seen him live at least 6-7 times over the last 20 years as well as a brilliant workshop session by him. He has big ears..a very versatile player with excellent tone and feel. Quote
Quasimado Posted October 18, 2014 Report Posted October 18, 2014 Toronto has a slew of great bassists, among them Steve Wallace, who has shown another side of his talents with an always-interesting blog about "Jazz, Baseball, Life and other Ephemera" at http://wallacebass.com/ Late in the summer of 2013 he wrote a fine 5-part series on bassists that offers a particularly good insight into some under-recognized players, and why they're good. Look for the entries of August 9, 16, 23 and Sept. 3 and 17, 2013. Looks an interesting site - couldn't read it all ... I think Neil Swainson is from Toronto - fine musician. Q Quote
LouisvillePrez Posted October 18, 2014 Report Posted October 18, 2014 All-time favorites would have to be Ron Carter and Paul Chambers. Favorite single album ever is Saxophone Colossus, so add Doug Watkins. Heard some great bassists live the past couple of years. Two whose performances stay with me are Ugonna Okegwo -- with a Michael Weiss-led group at the 2013 Detroit Jazz Festival -- and Linda Oh -- with Dave Douglas on his 50 states tour. And, I heard John Edwards this summer at the Vortex with Evan Parker and friends. Edwards made an impression, and I thoroughly enjoyed the show. Quote
Daniel A Posted October 18, 2014 Report Posted October 18, 2014 Two of my favourites are still not mentioned (or maybe I missed them): Reggie Johnson. I first heard him on Bobby Hutchersons 'Total Eclipse', where I think he's a key to the greatness of that album. He provides the foundation for everything in the best possible sense. He's on some highly regarded dates, some of which I haven't heard, like "Juba-lee". Buster Williams. Quote
soulpope Posted October 18, 2014 Report Posted October 18, 2014 (edited) out of memory, so no particular order....know these more or less by heart..... ART DAVIS+REGGIE WORKMAN "Ole" (John Coltrane "Ole" Atlantic) RICHARD DAVIS "Nefertiti" (Phil Woods Quartet "Musique Du Bois" Muse) "Mojo" (Booker Ervin Quartet "Space Book" Prestige) "Summertime" (Eric Kloss "In The Land Of The Giants" Prestige) "Epistrophy" (Richard Davis "Now`s The Time Muse) JIMMY WOODE "Blues For Bud" (Hampton Hawes Trio "Blues For Bud" Black Lion) "Blues for F.P" (Mal Waldron Trio "Playes The Blues" Enja) VISHNU WOOD "Khadesha" (Randy Weston "Perspective" Denon) JEAN-JACQUES AVENEL "Eronel" (Steve Lacy Septet "Wee See" HatArt) "The Gleam" (Steve Lacy Trio "The Window" Soulnote) BOB MAGNUSSON "The Trip" (Art Pepper "Live in Japan Vol. 2 Storyville/Interplay) REGGIE WORKMAN "Samba De Orfeu" (Reggie Workman "The Works Of A Workman" Denon) BUELL NEIDLINGER "The Quiet Time" (Jimmy Giuffre "In Person" Verve) CHARLIE HADEN "Irene" (Hampton Hawes+Charlie Haden "As Long there is Music" Artists House) CECIL MCBEE "Love" (Pharoah Sanders "Thembi" Impulse) ISRAEL CROSBY "Broadway" (Ahmad Jamal "Alhambra" Cadet - you could pick virtually any other track from this recording........) STANLEY CLARKE "Bass Folk Song" (Joe Farrell "Moon Germs" CTI) JIMMY GARRISON "Impressions" (John Coltrane Quartet "Live in Stutgart 1963 private tape) "Intro My Favourite Things" (John Coltrane "At The Village Vanguard Again" Impulse) JIM HUGHART "Step Right Up" (Tom Waits "Small Change" Elektra) HENRY GRIMES "Woody`n You" (Sonny Rollins Trio "Aix-En-Provence 1959" Royal Jazz) BUSTER WILLIAM "A New Shade Of Blue" (Harol Land "A New Shade Of Blue" Mainstream) "Baby Man" (Mary Lou Williams Trio "Free Spirits" Steeplechase) "Outback" (Joe Farrell Quartet "Outback" CTI) DOUG WATKINS "Silver`s Blue" (Horace Silver Quintet "Silver`s Blue" Epic) AHMED-ABDUL MALIK "In Walked Bud" (Thelonious Monk "Misterioso" Riverside) CHARLIE MINGUS "Haitian Fight Song" (Charles Mingus "The Clown" Atlantic) "II B.S / Better Git It In Your Soul" (Charlie Mingus "Mingus, Mingus, Mingus" Impulse) DON THOMPSON "Take Five" (Paul Desmond Quartet "Live" A&M) WILBUR WARE "Little John" (Johnny Grifin "Way Out" Riverside) GEORGE DUVIVIER "Confirmation" (Bud Powell Trio "Plays Bird" Blue Note) "Blues Blue" (Sonny Clark Trio "Sonny Clark Trio" Time) "Beyond Recall" (Herbie Nichols Trio "Love, Gloom, Cas, Love" Bethlehem) "Blue-Shout" (A.K Salim "Blues Suite" Savoy) ANDY GONZALEZ "Little Sunflower" (Tito Puente All Stars "Live at The Village Gate" Columbia) N.H.O PEDERSEN "Moose The Mooche" (N.H.O Pedersen+Archie Shepp "Looking at Bird" Steeplechase) VIC GASKIN "Katanga" (Curtis Amy+Dupree Bolton "Katanga" Pacific Jazz) SCOTT LAFARO "Wrapp Your Troubles In Dream (And Dream Your Troubles Away)" (Hampton Hawes Quartet "For Real" Contemporary) REGGIE JOHNSON "Medina" (Bobby Hutcherson "Medina" Blue Note) CLINT HOUSTON "Stepping Stones" (Woody Shaw "Live at The Village Vanguard" Columbia) FRANCOIS JENNY-CLARKE+GILBERT ROVERE "Sequence Tenante" (Martial Solal " Sans Tambour Ni Trompette" RCA) PETER TRUNK "Don`t Stop Now" (Bobby Jones-Dusko Goykovich Quintet "Benefiz Live in Burghausen 1973" FDB) TBC Edited October 18, 2014 by soulpope Quote
BillF Posted October 18, 2014 Report Posted October 18, 2014 My favorites are the always recognizable Paul Chambers (but not bowed!), Doug Watkins, Ray Brown and Oscar Pettiford. NHOP for later bass developments. Quote
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