Modern Bass Players
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Topic: Modern Bass Players
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Subject: Modern Bass Players
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 08:22
| I'm sure I've missed several that should have been mentioned. Let me know who they are. |
Replies:
Posted By: AFlowerKingCrimson
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 08:42
| Don't know all of them but went with Dave Meros. |
Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 08:50
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I love Billy Sheehans playing in Mr Big -------------  
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Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 09:39
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Missing many great ones. Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck) Michael Manring (Solo, Attention Deficit) Sean Malone (Cynic, Gordon Knot, Death) Les Claypool Colin Marston (Dysrythmia, Behold the Arctopus, Gorguts) Robin Zielhorst (Exivious, Cynic) Trevor Roy Dunn (Mr. Bungle, Secret Chief 3) I must admit, Malone and Marston are frequently playing Stick or Warr Guitar. But they still make the bass sounds. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow">  https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Progosopher
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 10:18
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Billy Sheehan. Check out his work with Niacin. And any of the dozens of bands and collaborations he has been involved with. ------------- The world of sound is certainly capable of infinite variety and, were our sense developed, of infinite extensions. -- George Santayana, "The Sense of Beauty" |
Posted By: progaardvark
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 10:28
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Went with Dave Meros. Colin Edwin and John Galgano are close runner-ups. ------------- ---------- i'm shopping for a new oil-cured sinus bag that's a happy bag of lettuce this car smells like cartilage nothing beats a good video about fractions |
Posted By: wiz_d_kidd
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 10:30
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Other -- Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck, et. al.) |
Posted By: tboyd1802
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 13:20
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Other. Tony Levin... ------------- He neither drank, smoked, nor rode a bicycle. Living frugally, saving his money, he died early, surrounded by greedy relatives. It was a great lesson to me -- John Barrymore |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 13:37
I wouldn't call Tony modern. He's been doing it since the 70's with Gabriel, Paul Simon and others. Great player, but not modern.
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tboyd1802 wrote:Posted By: Man With Hat
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 14:00
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Fafard ------------- Dig me...But don't...Bury me I'm running still, I shall until, one day, I hope that I'll arrive Warning: Listening to jazz excessively can cause a laxative effect. |
Posted By: tboyd1802
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 14:01
Didn't realize there was an age limit. Assumed anyone playing in currently active bands would qualify... ------------- He neither drank, smoked, nor rode a bicycle. Living frugally, saving his money, he died early, surrounded by greedy relatives. It was a great lesson to me -- John Barrymore |
Posted By: Dellinger
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 14:09
| The ones that I have actually notices better are not here: John Myung and Nick Beggs. |
Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 15:47
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I would love to vote for Myung. He's definitely got the chops and the feel. Problem is, DT doesn't let him run free often enough. What good is all that skill if you don't get to show it off? I've often found this to be a frustration with DT -- Petrucci and whatever keyboardist they have get to take off and Myung gets buried. It's like they think it'll be too much if the bassist is also ripping (who am I kidding? When has DT ever acted like something was too much? Ha!). And Rush and Yes make it work with all the major players showing off at the same time. So anyway, went with LaRue.
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 15:57
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other Leland Sklar -------------
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Posted By: Tapfret
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 16:03
Eureka! Always wondered what that curve at the top of the body on electric guitars and basses was for. Killer solo. ------------- https://www.last.fm/user/Tapfret" rel="nofollow"> https://bandcamp.com/tapfret" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp |
Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 16:04
YES!!!! Anybody who doesn't know needs to check out Billy Cobham's "Spectrum" straight away.
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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 16:10
-------------
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Posted By: Quinino
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 16:14
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How come Trewavas is not considered ? He's one I could choose as favorite ... |
Posted By: micky
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 16:27
*spits beer all over monitor* woo hoo!!!! ------------- The Pedro and Micky Experience - When one no longer requires psychotropics to trip |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 16:36
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I can't please all. And Micky quit waisting good brew and wine by *spitting it on monitor*. Your monitor has to be fried by now. And all that wasted beverage. Shame dude. |
Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: November 14 2019 at 17:08
|
Richard Bona |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: November 15 2019 at 00:47
| Steve Babb is really good with the old Ricky. I also like Colin Edwin a lot . Pity no place on the list for either of the IQ bass players. John Jowitt in particular should always be on any list of bass players New or Old (IMO). |
Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: November 15 2019 at 07:23
| Bryan Beller and Dave Larue are a tie for first place in my list, even though there are others who are really excellent. |
Posted By: miamiscot
Date Posted: November 15 2019 at 07:32
| Randy George just gets it... |
Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: November 15 2019 at 15:36
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Other: Jeeff Désilets (Hamadryad). ------------- 
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Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: November 15 2019 at 18:29
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I managed to connect this young fellow with my friend, Percy Jones, and Percy raved about him! Keep your eyes open of Gabriel Severn, he's going to make a huge impact someday! ------------- I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!! |
Posted By: uduwudu
Date Posted: November 20 2019 at 02:15
Not new perhaps but putting the Chapman Stick and his "normal" bass put's him at the head of this table...
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Posted By: socrates17
Date Posted: March 26 2020 at 08:43
|
Philippe Bussonnet from Magma around the turn of the century. |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: March 26 2020 at 08:45
| My vote is for Jon Poole of Lifesigns. |
Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: March 26 2020 at 09:10
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I like Hadrien Feraud: but really I think my favourite is Michel Hatzigeorgiou of Aka Moon: Skip to 3'15" if you want to miss some great music and just hear Michel do his thing. ------------- Soldato of the Pan Head Mafia. We'll make you an offer you can't listen to. http://bandcamp.com/jpillbox" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp Profile |
Posted By: Enchant X
Date Posted: March 26 2020 at 21:10
| I went with John Myung - Dream Theater because no matter how much people complain about dream theater I never hear a bad word said about the bass playing. |
Posted By: Logan
Date Posted: March 26 2020 at 21:19
I think that may often be because he is often so low in the mix that people don't notice him enough to complain. ;) No, I think he's good, but his bass work doesn't always stand-out -- that can be a good thing. I'd say Philippe Bussonnet. ------------- Watching while most appreciating a sunset in the moment need not diminish all the glorious sunsets I have observed before. It can be much like that with music for me. |
Posted By: Progfan1958
Date Posted: March 27 2020 at 06:42
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Jonas Rheingold ------------- Progfan1958 "Peace to you all" "La paix est avec vous" "Pax vobiscum" "Al salaam a'alaykum" "Vrede zij met u allen" "Shalom aleichem" |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: March 27 2020 at 07:22
Weird ... very weird!!! I guess the STICK stuff doesn't count ... in fact, all Stick players are missing in this poll and a lot of the music they do is far more progressive than half of the folks listed, who are merely keeping time with a bass, and you know how much talent that takes! Not much! ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: March 27 2020 at 10:14
I assume from this that you're an expert bass player then? I really, really hope you are joking.
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: March 27 2020 at 10:27
| ^I can assume he hasn't heard most of the players listed. And even keeping time takes talent. |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 27 2020 at 12:43
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Keeping time is one of the hardest things to master, it can take years for a young musician to be able to maintain a steady tempo with a drummer, and many more years to become a professional-level player. And that goes for all instruments, not just bass. I once started a thread about how the most important instrument in an ensemble is the bass. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 02:25
| Nick Beggs can play the Stick and everything else besides. |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 03:08
Hi, When you're wrong, you're wrong. I have 11 of those in my collection and have heard 4 others ... that's 15 out of 21 listed ... a lot more than most of you folks that make comments without really thinking that a person may have ACTUALLY heard more music than the same "top" 5 bands! The STICK, is probably the biggest expression for bass players now ... but you really have to know what your are doing ... and then some ... it's an instrument that requires a lot more than just .... what most of those folks listed here play!
Hi, Sadly ... he's not on the list! AND deserves to be ... unless the person who made the poll thinks that Nick is an old timer ... and I'm not sure that considering someone like Stanley Clarke is not "modern" ... is a real ______________ about a lot of music that was far more ahead of its time, than it has ever been considered ... gaddddsss, even Jaco belongs in another planet ... ohhh sorry ... he doesn't do metal and cheap music!  ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 03:23
Hi, For rock music, maybe ... but then, "keeping time" is something that is only found in the hands of the conductor in classical music ... there is no "time" for a symphony, when it can change various times depending on the procession of themes and designs of the music ... and that would be something that a "modern" bass player would not even try, because it's like saying that all he/she can do is count to stay on "beat" ... and not all music is BEAT DRIVEN. Your assumption is that all bass players are beat driven ... and that's it in bass playing ... AND THAT IS NOT TRUE! The only sad thing, is the lack of appreciation for other musics, and how different they can be, and how difficult they can also be ... that takes a lot more than just counting .... the real trick, and you see it in jazz all the time, is going everywhere, but having the TOUCH to be able to come back and join your mates for the rest of the piece ... but go ahead ... tell Miles about that ... you might find that he rarely lived by the "beat" or the "bass" or the "drums" ... he lived for what he saw and how he could express himself, and the folks around him were strong enough to stay with him ... my guess is that he might have given them a slight hint ... since it is likely that he would not know where he is going once he starts! See the special "The Birth of Cool" ... it is way beyond music ... it's like watching Hiromi Uehara ... it's like she's not even here and even Anthony Jackson has a really hard time keeping up and does so beautifully ... but you would consider him just another jack ass bass player you have never heard ... if all you can do is keep "time", you will NEVER play with folks like her, or some of the best ... try Lenny White, when he can tell Chick, Stanley or Al or Jean-Luc are about to go stratospheric ... for your pleasure and mine! Expand your bass jargon ... and stop reading "Bass Player" for all the second and third rate bass players they talk to you about! Have a lesson .... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJExqsrZzeA" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJExqsrZzeA ------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 06:41
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Hi moshkito, I'm sure every player I listed can play Stick. That seems to be your criteria for a good bass player. You seem to have the opinion that only jazz cats... Jackson, Clarke, McBride, Pastorious, etc., can play the bass well. Thing is, none of them play Stick. Oh and I didn't include Nick Beggs because he isn't as good as the others listed. Finally, bass player magazine recently had Victor Wooten on the cover. I assume you find him a second rate bass player? |
Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 06:59
I assume that second bit is supposed to say something about second rate bass players, it doesn't make sense. I'm still interested to learn how much experience of bass playing you actually have.
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Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 11:33
Hi, Incorrect ... I mentioned those because they are fabulous players and have stood out their whole life playing a lot more than just beat music that is not about the expanding of the quality and strength of the music. And no ... jazz folks are not the only folks that can play the bass well, but to EXPAND ITS ABILITIES, you have to get out of the music that is strictly designed on a song format ... and most rock music is just that! To me, the Stick, was about the expansion of the abilities of the instrument into a different area in music ... and none of us is complaining about Tony Levin! But there are other outstanding Stick players (Don Schiff is a perfect example) that is not appreciated for his work with The Rocket Scientists (Lana Lane) ... but here it's all about the fame and the size of the fan base in the list! Too many bass players are not mentioned, and probably one that should but will never even get a listen is LOTHAR MEID from Amon Duul 2 ... and in their first 10 or more albums ... music that changed so much, and he never batted an eye lash ... just changed with it, and made the music seem stronger and better! And so much of the music was "improvised" ... and I can't find an incorrect note anywhere! (And for your knowledge, John Myung is someone I really like and I would love to see him do more in the band, and cut down the metal stuff form the guitar by 10% and give it to the bass player! I also enjoy a lot of Les Claypool!)
------------- Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told! www.pedrosena.com |
Posted By: Atavachron
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 12:18
Hi ! Shove your petty, presumptuous nonsense up your bunghole, little buddy. ------------- "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought." -- John F. Kennedy |
Posted By: Gentle and Giant
Date Posted: March 28 2020 at 13:05
Geddy Lee has got better looking for sure  |
Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: March 29 2020 at 01:28
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Joe Dart of Vulfpeck. ------------- "I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021 |
Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: March 29 2020 at 02:46
I'm doubtful that your list is the absolute truth to be honest. Beggs is a fantastic player and you would know that from The Raven That Refused To Sing. As much as I love Big Big Train he is not the inferior of Greg Spawton in my estimation but of course it's all opinion. You just can't 'know' this stuff. BTW My favourite bass player of all time is Klaus Peter Matziol of Eloy if you want a reference point for my taste on the matter of bass.
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Posted By: noni
Date Posted: March 29 2020 at 03:09
| Clive Mitten and Colin Bass |
Posted By: iluvmarillion
Date Posted: March 29 2020 at 23:14
Yeah I don't think you should be saying that one isn't as good as the others. While I didn't vote for Nick Beggs personally I also think the guy is a brilliant bassist.
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Posted By: Catcher10
Date Posted: March 30 2020 at 01:38
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Nick Beggs and Colin Edwin get my vote. Both are huge players with big sound, so many huge bass lines from Colin in Porcupine Tree music and Beggs bass line on Luminol is crazy good. -------------   
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Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: March 30 2020 at 06:37
| Lots of people praising Nick Beggs. Do you all like his band The Mute Gods? Do you believe his writing and playing on those albums merits your praise? Also, didn't see his 2019 release Atheists and Believers mentioned on any best of the year list. |
Posted By: iluvmarillion
Date Posted: March 30 2020 at 18:46
| Thought this poll was about playing, not composition. I've listened to Mute Gods and didn't like it that much, but that's not to say Nick Beggs isn't a great bass player. |