Music tips for me, please.

jmjbassplayer · #1 08-09-2009, 12:24 PM

I'd like to open a thread in which I'd be very grateful if you can give me recommendations on your top three favorite bass "solo" compositions, and what artist and album each is from.

I'm on the road, with iTunes credit to burn and long flights for listening.

When I say "solo", I mean created and composed by a bassist primarily. It doesn't have to be a cappella bass, though it certainly can be.

Thanks in advance,
Justin

Forcemaster · #2 08-09-2009, 03:27 PM

Check the incredible Steve Lawson on his duet EP with Lobelia or his Grace and Gratitude album. Both amazing.

EDIT: Epic fail for not reading post properly.

My favourite Lawson song is 'Happy' from the duet EP or the self titled track from Grace and Gratitude.

Another favourite is 'The Enormous Room' By Michael Manring on the album 'Thonk' I believe.

For what it's worth Steve is my teacher, and truly astounding bass player and human

jmjbassplayer · #3 08-09-2009, 03:35 PM

Noted, thank you!

undeadbass · #4 08-09-2009, 03:51 PM

Check out "The Alliance" by Stephen Palmer. Great songwriting, and a bunch of great musicians on it, like Anton Fig, GE Smith, Bakithi Kumalo, and some orchestration by Marco Beltrami, among a whole lot of others!
http://stephenpalmermusic.com/thealliance.htm

cynikal1234 · #5 08-09-2009, 04:28 PM

Viridian by Between the Buried and me off their Colors album.

Transcend by Jean Baudin.

Selene by Michael Manring off the Soliloquy album

Dirty Basstard · #6 08-09-2009, 06:52 PM

*dons flame retardant suit*

(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth by Cliff Burton on Metallica's "Kill 'Em All"

jk3 · #7 08-09-2009, 08:04 PM

"Animal Zoo" by Spirit, Mark Andes on bass, album: "12 Dreams of Dr. Sardonicus". Fat tone, nice groove.

"Slide Away" by The Verve, Simon Jones on bass; Album: "A Storm in Heaven". my all time favorite band.

"Natchez Trace" by Dusty Springfield; Tommy Cogbill on Bass; Album: "Dusty In Memphis"

Not sure if technically you consider these solos, but the all threes songs are built around the bass lines

JimmyM · #8 08-09-2009, 09:42 PM

Might as well get a couple classics while you're out there...

"Hello Jeff", Stanley Clarke, Journey To Love (everyone normally recommends "School Days," but "Hello Jeff" has some sick Jeff Beck guitar work as well as killer bass)

"Havona", Weather Report, Heavy Weather (Jaco at the top of his game)

vegas532 · #9 08-09-2009, 09:54 PM

Snab's Rag by Colin Hodgkinson is a beautiful piece of music. Actually, just about anything that Colin Hodgkinson touches is pretty much gold...he should be waaaay more well-known than he is.

bassybass · #10 08-09-2009, 10:27 PM

Maybe check these:

Squire's "Fish Out of Water" certainly comes to mind---man there's some great playing and some really unusual tones on there (and I'm not a progger). Ricks and Marshalls! Underrated. "Hold Out Your Hand" I guess would be the track.

Mingus' "Tijuana Moods", "Los Mariachis"---my fave album of his.

Squarepusher " Music is Rotted One Note", track "Don't Go Plastic" Something tells me you like Squarepusher already . . .

I like how unhinged he can sound. Wonder what the upcoming "Solo Electric Bass 1" will bring?

Cordovan's "Chop Soul Salad" title track--electronic funky soul, bass sounds old-school.

Steve Swallow "Duets" with Carla Bley, "Reactionary Tangos".
I just dig how individualistic he is, and his phrasing is like a great singer or horn player.

Broadbent · #11 08-09-2009, 10:38 PM

Dave Holland - Mr. PC

Written as a tribute t the great Paul Chambers. Performed as a sol piece by Dave Holland

for the rest of us

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHu6rzmUvFI

jmjbassplayer · #12 08-09-2009, 11:31 PM

What a bounty! I'm loving all this so far. Thanks, peoples.

ugly_bassplayer · #13 08-09-2009, 11:35 PM

Anything by Squarepusher.
If you want a list.........i'd go with these 3 first

-Hard normal Daddy
-Music is rotted one note
-Ultravisor

my 2 cents.....you already probably know Mr Jenkinson.......

cheers

Joe Gress · #14 08-09-2009, 11:38 PM

Death From Above 1979 - Your a Woman, I'm a Machine. Very catchy basslines on this one. Bass Drum duo.

Les Claypool - Of Fungi and Foe. Some good jams on this one, but great fun songs mostly. Bass Percussion Drums and Cello.

Om - Conference of the Birds. Mellow, with chanting throughout. Bass Drum duo.

JimmyM · #15 08-09-2009, 11:52 PM

BTW, Justin, what brought all this interest in bass-centric music on all of a sudden?

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!

ugly_bassplayer · #16 08-10-2009, 12:06 AM

Forgot Mingus.

Only three.......??

-Oh Yeah (Mingus plays only piano on this one, Doug Watkins plays bass. Rashaan Roland Kirk on sax. This is pure AWESOME!!!

-Antibes 1960 ( live mingus with his piano less quartet, bud powell sits in on a track.)pure energy

-Blues & Roots....name says it all

cheers

jmjbassplayer · #17 08-10-2009, 12:13 AM

Ha! You're funny, JimmyM.

Honestly: earnest desires for self-enrichment, inspired by the thread-du-jour.

I ain't afeard.

JMJ

jmjbassplayer · #18 08-10-2009, 12:14 AM

And don't think this is going in a black hole, peoples. I'm into it big-time.

The list is amassing.

Intenzity · #19 08-10-2009, 12:26 AM

These are jazzy. Okay, very jazzy. BUT bass players none the less!

Fernando Huergo - "Living These Times" - has one tune that is a 7/4 samba at about 200bpm on it, like we all haven't heard THAT on a hundred records. geez.

http://www.myspace.com/fernandohuergo

And the Marc Johnson record with "Samurai Hee Haw" on it. Has cool guitar synth and Marc wrote several tunes. Very cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ML3Pj5AijY

davedamage · #20 08-10-2009, 01:07 AM

It's not solo stuff by any measure, but at the very least, very pronounced, and I've tried like hell to boost this/these guys here quite a few times, but check out The Challenger and Prehistoricisms by Intronaut. Joe Lester weaves these incredible lines making this progish-metalish band what it is. Or, a little closer to what you were looking for, anything from GHS, specifically Wrong and Strong from Show Me What You Can Do. Stu Hamm is my go-to as far as solo bassists go.

Edit: and apparently I like to say a lot of things with the same words...