Feel free to say what you want about other peoples' choices.
My opinion:
1. Jaco
2. Victor Wooten
3. Les Claypool
4. Geddy Lee
5. Flea

Right now I know for a fact that I'm the top living bassist within a mile of where I am right now - unless Pino Palladino's car just broke down in front of my house.

1. Jaco
2. Percy Jones
3. Gary Willis
4. Geddy Lee

Right now I know for a fact that I'm the top living bassist within a mile of where I am right now - unless Pino Palladino's car just broke down in front of my house.

I'm the best bass player in my house! No, wait, I'm homeless. :D

Feel free to say what you want about other peoples' choices.
My opinion:
1. Jaco
2. Victor Wooten
3. Les Claypool
4. Geddy Lee
5. Flea
__________________

+1:bassist:

anthony jackson
vic
matthew garrison
christian mcbride
neal fountain

Honestly, some of the best bassists, and musicians, that I've seen to date are studio-variety show-corporate event musicians who's names you will never hear about, but man do they do it well.

Recently, beeing in Montreal, I was fortunate to see a Cirque du Soleil rehearsal, with acrobats, gymnasts, and and live musicians, and it blew my mind.

Is this in order of your FAVORITE, or who you think is the BEST?

I will make my list with the favorites.

1. Cliff Burton
2. Geezer Butler
3. Geddy Lee
4. Joey DeMaio
5. Les Claypool

I think Frank Bello would be #6 on my list.

There are two kinds of bassists to me, those that solo extensively and those that don't. Since it's hard to tell who's better between the two, I'll have a list for each.

No particular order.

Solo:
Billy Sheehan
Adam Nitti
Victor Wooten
Stanley Clarke
Jaco Pastorius

Don't Solo:
Tony Levin
Geddy Lee
Chris Squire
John Paul Jones
John Wetton

My top bassists change every day so heres the latest.


1. Damien Erskine
2. Mike Gordon
3. Jesse Murphy (I'm just really into the Uber Jam recording right now)
4. Mike Watt (The man in the van w/the bass in hand)
5. Vic

My five:

1: Jack Bruce
1: Colin Hodgkinson
1: John Paul Jones
1: Lemmy
1: Percy Jones

Bubbling under...

Pino Palladino, Entwistle, Greg Lake, Tony Levin & Vincent Crane's left hand.

Jaco
James Jamerson
Aston Familyman Barret
Stanley Clarke
Mark King

Danny Bonaduce
Peter Tork
Derek Smalls
The bass player from the White Stripes
Dude playing a wash-tub bass on the sidewalk in Nashville

Jaco isn't on everyone's list? IMO, when someone asks this kind of question it's like the list is already half made for you. Jaco, Wooten, every bass player should know them and if you've heard them you know they're at the top. There are some others who probably should be in that "instant recognition of greatness" category, but they aren't well known enough.

1. Jaco
2. Oteil
3. Wooten
4. Claypool
5. Mike Huckabee



I mean! 5. Squarepusher

It's really not easy to make a list like this, there's so many bassists that are amazing.

Favs, no particular order (Jaco is a given in any list like this so he's not listed).

1) Stanley Clarke - the king, check out his youtube solo upright bass video clip, still doing things beyond everyone else
2) Marcus Miller - watching him play is a master class everytime
3) Kev Hopper - check out Stump - A Fierce Pancake for some seriously ahead of the times playing, I've never heard anyone sound like this guy, very unconventional and percussive
4) Bill Laswell - check out Baselines, monster chops and writing
5) Mark Egan - more bass players should know about this guy

Top 5 in what regard? I can't understand why we keep doing posts like this. :hmm:

Oh well, I'll throw my favorite player into the list because he always seems to get overlooked in these forums yet he has more credits than any other player mentioned so far (and the following link's information is several years old)...

Abraham Laboriel, Sr. (http://www.spectrasonics.net/artists/alaboriel.php)


Craig

Mingus...Ron Carter...Jamerson....Family Man...Jaco...

In no particular order:

Phil Lesh
Mike Gordon
Family Man Barret
James Jamerson
Vic Wooten

Honorable mention to: Rob Derhak, Bob Babbitt, John Entwhistle

1. Chris Squire - Amazing writer of bass lines. Without Squire there may never have been Geddy!
2. Jaco - His work with Joni is worth the price of admission. If you have not seen his DVD "Jaco Pastorious - Modern Electric Bass" you must. It is absolutely amazing.
3. Tony Levin - The master of restraint.
4. Mike Rutherford - Another amazingly melodic player. Always under the "players" radar.
5. Nick Seymour - Just saw Crowded House last night (still on a high). Nobody ever talks about Seymour. He is the prototype of what a bass player should be. Last night he pulled Neil Finn back into the song "Fall At Your Feet" when he went into the chorus instead of the 2nd verse. He didn't waiver for a second and held everything together. If you want to experience a master in songwriting, get any CH album. Neil Finn is regarded as one of the premier songwriters of our time (up there with Lennon, McCartney, Dylan, etc.). I'm dead serious!

In no particular order:

1-Jaco
2-Ray Brown
3-James Jamerson
4-Family Man
5-John Patitucci

Others I really like: Bunny Brunnel, Victor Wooten, Victor Bailey, Tony Levin, Kai Eckhardt, Billy Sheehan, Oteil.


I'm still baffled on how Les Claypool is so popular. His tone sounds like farts, his voice and compositions are terribly annoying. Sure, he can do some cool slappity-slap licks here and there, but that's all.

And as much as I used to love Flea and the RHCP, I think he's only popular because he brought funk into rock, but his playing is not all that great. Specially now that he's doing all this "melodic" stuff in the upper registers. Where is the low end, Flea?

1. Michael Manring

2. Gary Willis

3. Mark Egan

4. Jaco

5. Scott LaFaro


runners-up:

Eddie Gomez

Jack Bruce

Jack Casady

Edit: gotta add Rocco!!!

Honestly, some of the best bassists, and musicians, that I've seen to date are studio-variety show-corporate event musicians who's names you will never hear about, but man do they do it well.

Recently, beeing in Montreal, I was fortunate to see a Cirque du Soleil rehearsal, with acrobats, gymnasts, and and live musicians, and it blew my mind.

+1

Here are my favs of "famous" players:

Jaco
Percy Jones
Chuck Rainey
Victor Wooten
Marcus Miller

Then there are the guys that I know:
Bart Samolis
Adrian Zvarych
Jason Hollar
Wade Matthews (Since we've included Jaco, I guess we're opening this up to living and deceased)
Mike Semes

And here's the list from Hungary:
1. Jaco
2. Ray Brown
3. John Patitucci
4. Richard Bona
5. Victor (OK, his a must)
+1: Aladar Pege (RIP!)

I'd say the first two are the real classics on their instruments and Patitucci IMO the best musician ever in combination.
Richard Bona is extremely popular down here, he's coming 2-3 times every year, and he is having his best gigs here in Budapest, at least that's what he claims. He's the best player with the least intention to play solos. He is a pure genius, a very very nice guy.
Actually Victor comes here the second time this year as well. If this is all about technic he must be the very first.
Mr. Pege is the best Hungarian DB player of all time, passed away last year. If you can, go and buy his recordings. In New York they used to call him the Paganini of DB.
Cheers,
P

+1 one more interesting thing:
We have a nice boat on the river Danube in Budapest, there is a very famous jazz club. It's called A38. If you ever visit Budapest, you should not miss it.
E.g. in October on the 16th we will have the Victor Wooten Band, on the 17th we will have Mike Stern with Anthony Jackson and on the 18th we will have Richard Bona with his band. It is a heaven for bassists here, isn't it.
Cheers,
P

I'm still baffled on how Les Claypool is so popular. His tone sounds like farts, his voice and compositions are terribly annoying. Sure, he can do some cool slappity-slap licks here and there, but that's all.
I agree 100% although I still include him in my list. Why? Because I wouldn't have started playing bass otherwise. I'm sure the story is similar for a lot of other bass players who were in their teens during Primus' hay day. To the average listener, he's a damn impressive bass player. Gotta give some credit.

Jaco
Jamerson
Marcus
Rocco
Jaco

Denis Lalouette (http://quadrinity.zaadz.com/photos/view/117540) is my favorite, second, third, fourth, and fifth favorite electric bassist. He lives in South Africa. You can hear him on any number of recordings, but I'd start with Trains To Taung (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trains_to_Taung), a session led by South African pianist Paul Hanmer.

John Entwistle
Geddy Lee
Victor Wooten
Les Claypool
Mark King

Also Justin Chancellor for me gets up here as well.

OK, I'll have a shot at this

In no particular order, since the styles vary too much

Bass guitar:
- Anthony Jackson
- Alain Caron
- Tony Levin
- Michael Manring
- Geddy Lee

Double bass/doublers
- Scott LaFaro
- Christian McBride
- John Patitucci
- Brian Bromberg
- Charles Mingus

My take on the top 5 LIVING electric bass players In no particular order
1. Hadrien Feraud
2. Michael Manring
3. Victor Wooten
4. Matthew Garrison
5. Gary Willis
In no particular order
Close runners up
Janek Gwizdala
Jeff Berlin
Richard Bona
My take on the top 5 Living Upright Bass players in no particular order
1. Dave Holland
2. Christian McBride
3. John Pattitucci
4. Brian Bromberg
5. Avishai Cohen
my 2 cents

Geddy?

1.Scott Lafaro
2.Marc Johnson
3.George Mraz
4.Jaco Pastorius
5.Christian McBride

My take on the top 5 LIVING electric bass players In no particular order
1. Hadrien Feraud
2. Michael Manring
3. Victor Wooten
4. Matthew Garrison
5. Gary Willis
In no particular order
Close runners up
Janek Gwizdala
Jeff Berlin
Richard Bona
My take on the top 5 Living Upright Bass players in no particular order
1. Dave Holland
2. Christian McBride
3. John Pattitucci
4. Brian Bromberg
5. Avishai Cohen
my 2 cents

good choices!

1. Jaco
2. James Jamerson
3. Ray Brown
4. Larry Graham
5. Marcus Miller

Jack Casady
Larry Graham
Jaco Pastorius
John Entwistle
James Jamerson

I don't like yours and you don't like mine...

flea...
i can hardly believe that a person can slap while jumping...
and without clothes...

Not sure I am qualified to say "best" but here are some of my faves...
Geddy Lee
Entwhistle
Will Lee
McCartney
Floyd Pepper

My take on the top 5 Living Upright Bass players in no particular order
1. Dave Holland
2. Christian McBride
3. John Pattitucci
4. Brian Bromberg
5. Avishai Cohen
my 2 cents
If including DB, props to Edgar Meyer! I saw him live and I died a little. Technique wise he's like the Victor Wooten of DB. Maybe not for jazz but as a classical soloist he's outstanding.

1. Marcus Miller
2. Victor Wooten
3. Jaco
4. Nathan East
5. Terrance Palmer

This list is based on the music I like to play and listen to (which is pretty broad)... and these guys can play damn near anything.

A couple of my favorites:

Jack Bruce
David Ellefson
Geddy Lee
John Entwhistle
Gene Simmons
Doug Wimbish
Tony Restivo (friend of mine)
Butch (my Dad)

flea...
i can hardly believe that a person can slap while jumping...
and without clothes...

Yeppo.
Chris wolstenholme also for me.

1) Will Lee
2) Chuck Rainey
3) Lee Sklar
4) Marcus Miller
5) Mark King

1.Les Claypool
2.Cliff Burton
3.Billy Sheehan
4.Geddy Lee
5.Flea

1) John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III
2) Percy Jones
3) Ralph Armstrong
4) Laurence Cottle
5) Gary Willis

Fret Not, the others are good too ! ! !

- 1. Jaco Pastorius.
- He has inspired me the most.
- 2. Jonas Hellborg.
- Creative as hell.
- 3. Larry Graham.
- Funkiness in its pure shape.
- 4. Jack Casady.
- Again its one hell of an inspiration.
- 5. John Paul Jones.
- He's the complete mix of funky and rock.

Some of my favorites:
- James Jamerson
- Tommy Shannon
- John Paul Jones
- Ray Brown
- Bootsy Collins
- Hein Van de Geyn

Hadrien Feraud
Michael Manring
Gary Willis
Victor Wooten
Matt Garrison

Only 5?

Hrm...

James Jamerson-Motown sessions
Jack Bruce- Cream
Pino Palladino- sessions, now with the Who
John Entwistle- The Who
Chuck Rainey-- Steely Dan, sessions

Jaco isn't on everyone's list? IMO, when someone asks this kind of question it's like the list is already half made for you. Jaco, Wooten, every bass player should know them and if you've heard them you know they're at the top. There are some others who probably should be in that "instant recognition of greatness" category, but they aren't well known enough.


I've heard them and in my opinion they aren't at the top. Jaco is in the top 10 sure, but Wooten doesn't even make the Top 50.

:cool:
Pino Palladino
Will Lee
Jaco
Richard Bona
Jonas Hellborg

Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, and Family Man Barrett are definitely my top three.

Every time I listen to them I can't get over how natural, relaxed, and warm their touch, sound, and feel is. They are truly low-end poets.

Meshell Ndegeocello and Ron Carter would have to round out my list.

Nedegeocello's vintage jazz tone on "Plantation Lullabies" is equal parts punch and girth, her style is deliciously grooving (to say the least), and the music as a whole is a shockingly fleet mix of jazz, hip hop, and r&b styles. Many people have tried to make modern hop hop/r&b records with live basslines, and many have tried to weave jazz into their tapestries of sound...but it's hard to imagine anyone doing it better.

Ron Carter's duo work with Jim Hall is so articulate and beautiful. They breathe so much new life into the same old tunes. Both of these guys have a serious understanding of harmony and use relaxed tempos along with the naturally open sound of upright/guitar to reach some truly revelatory heights. I really hope I get to see these guys playing together some time soon. I barely missed them in NYC last spring.

1. Jaco
2. Flea
3. Tim Commerford
4. Nikki Sixx
5. Ben Shepherd

:bassist:

I quite like the bassist in The Doobie Brothers. I was going to look up who he was, but according to wikipedia, TDB has had a few different bassists over the years.

Takin' It To The Streets, Long Train Running, and Listen To The Music have neat bass parts that put a smile on my openface.

I also like Juan Alderete. Racer X's cover of Detroit Rock City was one of the songs that got me curious about playing the bass. Oddly enough, I had never known it was him playing the part but I've been a big fan of The Mars Volta for quite a while. L'Via L'Viaquez and Cassandra Geminni have some neat bass parts and tones.

Ryan Jurhs is always good, in my book. Flaw was an awesome band and the bass had a lot to do with it. Unfortunately, he isn't on the current line up. I haven't heard much about the new CD that they are supposed to be working on, but hopefully the new bassist is good.

1.John Myung
2.Mike Lepond
3.Steve Harris
4.Victor Wooten
5.Alex Webster

Jaco
Rainey
Sklar
Haslip
Pino

No particular order and from the top of my head without more than 2 minutes to think about it:

1. Dave Larue
2. Victor Wooten
3. John Patitucci
4. Adam Nitti
5. Richard Bona

And myself coming in at a clean 6th.

1. John Entwistle (The OX)
2. Felix Pappalardi
3. Jack Bruce
4. Chris Squire
5. Lee Sklar

1. Flea
2. Billy Sheehan
3. Ryan Martine (I think a very under rated bassist)
4. Tim Commerford
4. Matt Freeman (another under rated bassist IMO)

Geddy Lee
Geezer Butler
John Paul Jones
Jaco
Bootsy Collins

Jack Bruce
Jack Casady
Justin Chancellor
Mike Watt
Jon Roots (of the Rustic Overtones)
Al Cisneros


Those dudes inspire me the most on a regular basis.

I quite like the bassist in The Doobie Brothers. I was going to look up who he was, but according to wikipedia, TDB has had a few different bassists over the years.

Takin' It To The Streets, Long Train Running, and Listen To The Music have neat bass parts that put a smile on my openface...

Tiran Porter is the bassist responsible for those bass lines . . .

For me it is ( in no particular order ):

Jaco
John Myung
Allain Caron
John Patitucci
Les Claypool

John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce
Justin Gunnar Walte Chancellor
Christopher Tony Wolstenholme
Clifford Lee Burton
John Alec Entwistle

And as a source of inspiration

Carlos "D" Dengler
Mark Wilson
Robert Levon Been

Jack Bruce
Jack Casady
Justin Chancellor
Mike Watt
Jon Roots (of the Rustic Overtones)
Al Cisneros


Those dudes inspire me the most on a regular basis.


watt AND al cisneros? man, you have good taste!

John Deacon
James Finnegan
Chris Squire
Guy Pratt
Me

These are the top 5 bass players that have influenced me - yes i do influence myself on occasion.

I remember being shocked when I saw the show that Jaco and Victor Wooten weren't on the list. I guess they were going for the "popular, sells a lot of records" list.

I do think that Entwhistle deserves to be on any list. And I love Jamerson's and John Paul Jones' playing. It's just that there are so many awesome bass players out there, that I guess it could never be fair to try to create a "Top 5". It's just so subjective, since we all have our own frame of reference.

My favourite five bass players would have to be:

Les Claypool
Tony Levin
Mark King
Victor Wooten
Jaco Pastorius

...having said that the best bass players I've ever seen have all been guys playing regular venues who aren't even famous. There are guys on YouTube who are good as some of the supposed best bass players in the world. The truly great players are those that are truly innovative like Levin developing his funky finger technique or Wooten's double thumbing.

Favorites:

- Alain Caron
- Kim Stone
- Pino Palladino
- Will Lee
- Jimmy Haslip

These players don't just play bass, they live it.

My top 5 pics.

Victor Wooten
Sting
Jaco
John Patitucci
Richard Bona

Favorite on the 6 string would have to be John Patitucci.
Fav on the 4 would have to be Victor.
Sting would be my choice for best composer.
Jaco is just Jaco
Richard Bona, I just like his style of playing.

watt AND al cisneros? man, you have good taste!

Thanks.

When it comes down to groove and rhythm:
1. Nathan East
2. Stefan Lessard
3. Pino Palladino
4. Flea or Tim Commerford
5. Francisco Rocco Prestia

And in virtuosity:
1. Jaco Pastorius
2. Marcus Miller
3. Victor Wooten
4. Stanley Clarke
5. Mark King

1.Jaco Pastorius
2.James Jamerson
3.Victor Wooten
4.Les Claypool
5.Billy Sheehan

Cliche? Yes. Honest? Yes.

Best i listen to ;

Jaco
Tony Levin
Victor Wooten
Stanley Clarke
Tal Wilkenfeld ( new girl on the block )

Best I've seen LIVE ;

Chris Squire
Marcus Miller
John Patitucci
Nathan East
John Myung

Surprised Jimmy Haslip and Richard Bona have slid under the radar until way late in the thread.

My Favorites change from day to day, week to week.

A lot of great ones. Why choose?

1. Jaco
2. Stanley Clarke
3. Paul Jackson
4. Victor Wooten
5. John Entwistle

Jaco is the greatest, after that in no particular order

(actually Jamerson is in there too, haha, top six)

Favorites are easier.
1. Geddy Lee
2. John Paul Jones
3. John Myung
4. Pino Palladino
5. Steve Harris

For some insane reason, this is always as fun!

IMO:
1. Geddy Lee
2. John Entwistle
3. Mike Rutherford
4. Marcus Miller
5. Phil Lynott

I must say, that i am no fan of Solo bassists, so that is the reason why Marcus Miller is the only "solo" guy on my list. His playing aint overly annoying and busy.

Not in particular order

1. McCartney
2. Geddy
3. Squier
4. Steve Harris
5. John Wetton

Jamerson
Palladino
Jaco
Jack Bruce
Chris Squire

Matt Garrison
Jaco
Otiel
Mike Gordon
Scott Pazera
Hadrein
Dave Holland
Bill Dickens

i could go on for ever.

My top five right now in no particular order:

Christian McBride
Victor Wooten
Marcus Miller
Robert Trujillo
Les Claypool

Honorable mentions:
Adam Nitti
Stu Hamm
Bakiti Kumalo
Michael Manring
Nathan East

In no order

Flea
Jaco
Claypool
Cliff Burton
Vic Wooten

What the heck, I'm bored, I'll play

Jack Bruce
John Entwistle
Phil Lynott
Mike Rutherford
Paul McCartney

In very specific order

James Jamerson
Geddy
Jaco
Entwistle
McCartney

Sheehan, Claypool and just about everyone else mentioned in this thread would have to be up there too...but OP requested a top 5 so...:)

Allen Woody
Andy Hess
Carl Dufrene
Charlie Hayward
Steve Harris