chb@vaxine.UUCP (Music Mafiosi) (10/11/83)
I'm afraid I'm gonna show my age by asking this question, but: WHO IN HEAVEN'S NAME ARE ALL THESE BASS PLAYERS THAT ARE BEING NOMINATED??? All these rock bass players are probably technically very facile, but are they anything beyond technique? Any feeling, or soul in those electronic pulses?? How about the (not so) small debt owed to the jazz and r&b cats of the 40's and 50's who these youngsters copped their licks from (like the previously mentioned Slam Stewart). It truly pains me to see all these rock bass players touted without much mention of the tradition behind them. After all, in art no innovation is made without some exploration of the tradition behind it. So here is a list of great bass players from a drummer (and who knows bass players better than drummers?) 1. Ray Brown -- To my mind the swingingest bass player around. With his fat sound, and beautiful groove we drummers have hardly work at all to swing our buns off! 2. Jimmy Blanton -- Bass player with the Duke in the late 30s early 40s. The man who invented bass solos. Died young, but his work lived on in Oscar Pettiford. 3. Charlie Mingus -- More noted for his composing, I think he was also a very lyrical bass player. Was one of the first bassists to treat his instrument as more of a solo instrument, and less of a timekeeper. Also getting honorable mention are: 4. Buster Williams -- Has played with EVERYBODY, including Herbie Hancock, Miles, Weather Report, Betty Carter... Latest gig is with Sphere, the Monk tribute band. Another powerful swinger in the Ray Brown tradition, but with some more modern nuances. 5. Scotty LaFaro -- Listen to the 1st Bill Evans Trio recordings 6. Ron Carter -- The most versatile player around. He can play any style, with anybody, anywhere, anytime. And swings!?! I would also have to mention a private favorite here - Al Stauffer. A bass player in Philly who used to work with the late Bernard Peiffer (Leonard Feather called him the best jazz pianist around), and taught Lenny Clarke all his 32nd note runs. Now donning his asbestos suit... Charlie Berg a.k.a. Music Mafiosi chb@vaxine.UUCP P.S. I vote for net.music.jazz, too!!!!!!
berge@stolaf.UUCP (Eric Berge) (04/20/84)
<receive this offering oh great line eater>
I thought I would just add a few of my favorite bassists
to the list:
1. Jeff Berlin: with Bill Bruford and Alan Holdsworth in Bruford
for a time. Listen to his solos on 'The Bruford Tapes'.
2. Percy Jones: from Brand X, an English jazz-rock group which
has Phil Collins as a frequent member. For a good sample
try 'Unorthodox Behavior', although I have heard that there
are even better Brand X albums.
Eric Berge
...{decvax|ihnp4}!stolaf!berge