Bill Dickens-anyone here playing Bass as the primary instrument in a group?

[Snakum]

I've always kind of liked knocking around on the bass. And recently, while using bass to learn a little music theory, I have fallen in love with the instrument and am rarely playing guitar anymore outside of band practice or gigging. I've been working on scales while practicing proper fingering and simple slap-pop techniques, and I wanted to spend some time this weekend on 'fun' stuff for a change (no band practice ... girlfriend in England ... son off doing his own thing ... plenty of 'me' time) and so I picked up the Bill Dickens 'Collection' DVD that contains his two 'Beyond Funk' books on one DVD.

While I don't particularly care for the hardcore, nonstap slap-pop soloing, I absolutely LOVE his slower and his more controlled soloing and melodies. He's using the bass as the primary solo instrument in a jazz context in some of the group jams on the CD, and as the primary melody instrument on the second DVD lessons, and this has been an epiphany for me. I love playing guitar and but the last few years I find myself quitting for months or even years at a time, because I've 'been there - done that' and have lost the fire. Now, seeing the bass used like this, it has opened up possibilities that leave me with the kind of hunger to learn and play that I had as a kid, and I'm filling up a hard drive with songs in which the bass carries the primary melody. And I'm wondering how something like a jazz/ambient trio with bass as a primary melodic/solo instrument would go over in the local jazz and blues clubs? I still have a LONG way to go, technically, but wanted to explore it sooner, rather than later.

Do any of you guys play bass as a primary, or 'outfront' instrument in any style of music? Is it still a relatively uncommon thing to see? For those that have, how is it received in your particular genre of music?

[Koki]

I do when playing only with drummer. Chords, melodies, bass lines, solos, tapping, slapping, fingerstyle, all kinds of harmonics - simply everything.

In our band (guitar, bass, drums) bass is wery important, I have solos, tapped chords, many things but most of the time guitar is primary instrument