BASS - How Low Can You Go!

I am going to get mega geeky on yo butts. After all this funking around on the blog I started making a list of my favourite bass players and bass lines...Thats 2 hours I will never get back...Hey I'm a geek so you don't have to be! Read on for a funky good time...


1) James Jamerson






Motown session god, he played all his beautiful bass lines with just one finger and was nick named "Igor" because his playing was so freakishly good.

Here is the isolated bass line to Marvin Gaye's "Whats Going on":



His amazing line from The Jackson 5's "Darling Dear":




Someone jamming Jamerson's line from The Four Top's "Bernadette"

:


2) Bernard Edwards





From the band Chic, Bernard invented hip hop with his bass line from "Good Times" aka "Rappers Delight" aka "Another One Bites The Dust" etc. See sheet music at start of post.

Classic Chic track "I Want Your Love", nice threads as well!




3) Bootsy Collins





Great bass lines with James Brown of course but its with Parliament that things got really freaky! Check out the mad fuzz "lead" bass on the Parliament track "Together" below, like Hendrix had he played bass. It basically invents Flea and the Chilly Peppers entire schtick in one fell swoop...




4) Larry Graham




Easy ladies! Larry invented slap bass...but don't hold that against him. Instead check out the monster stoned groove on the track below, a slowed down spooky take on Sly Stone's hit "Thanks You".



Also the killer riff to this track:



5) Anthony Jackson




Bass player for Steely Dan, Chaka Khan and The O'Jays....Oily stylized lines played with fingers seemingly made from steel.

Great track about a drug dealer, natch...



I want a suit like that! I don't think it is Jackson on the video but he played the original riff.



6) Ronnie Baker




Great session player for Philadelphia International and Salsoul labels, his work helped invent the disco style while remaining jazzy and soulful.



7) Andy Frazer





Player with British blues pigs Free, forever associated with "All Right Now". His work on their lesser known album tracks was however influenced by both Stax and blues and was notable for its sparseness and amazing tone. He holds back and then drops a bomb with just one note. Extra pouting points as well...






8) Andy Rouke





The bassist from The Smiths this my seem an unlikely choice but check out the version of the bass line from "Barbarism Begins At Home" below. He was in funk bands before joining the indie icons and this track was a tribute to Stanley Clarke.



9) Jaco Pastorius






Jaco made his name with jazz fusion benders Weather Report but I always preferred his session work with Joni Mitchell, the track below being my fav.




10) Jack Bruce





A super star of heavy rock with Cream I like his quirky jazzy solo albums such as "Songs For A Tailor".



This is the best tune Cream ever cut and a cool bass line:





There are a shit loads of amazing bass lines out there, here are my favorites:

Hmmm squelchy...




As sampled on Stetsasonic's "All That Jazz"



My mate Marmite etc..




I am loathed to include Sting but this is a great line:



Classic post punk, great use of effects:



You only really notice how amazing this bassline is when you hear it played by someone else separate from the track:



OK time to sign off, next time rocks greatest triangle players...

maningrey