Bassists that make you want to quit

[kiwlm]

I never get smashed down by all these amazing bassists, i always go the other way and get hugely inspired.

Yeah. When I am feeling down, I will just pop the Jaco DVD in and get inspired after 1/2 hour.

Guess those who wanted to quit after watching a good bassist, actually wanted to become like "The best in the world" or something like that.

I mean, its good to have some recognition like that, but for me (at this moment), music is about self expression.

[Phil Mastro]

Dave Holland used to depress me. I couldn't believe he was making all this super complex stuff sound simple with his quintet. Chris Potter didn't help either (the sax player in his quintet)

[spidersbass]

Originally Posted by Ozzel

...I rarely even touch the G string

i always touch the G-string ...

anyways, whenever i see a bass player better than me, that just makes me want to get better than HIM!!!

[Mike Flynn]

Originally Posted by Wrong Robot

No bassist ever makes me want to quit. When I hear someone doing something fresh or new or hip or chops-amazing, or whatever, it just makes me want to practice more.

Totally agree there WR - when I see/hear Wooten or Willis or whoever - and they do something cool then I just want to figure out what they are doing and bring a little of it into my playing - my current fave is Tom Kennedy though - this guy is ridiculous - that slurred, dimished triplet run that he does all the time just kills me - that's my current <b>chop du jour!</b>

[Rich600]

This'll prolly sound cliche' but when i first saw Stu Hamm playin that bluegrass kinda jam and the moonlight sonata on the live in san francisco dvd it made me wanna puke. The same goes for a lot of Les Claypool stuff...Oh and when i first heard maxwell murder, that just seemed like something id never achieve when i first started out, but now i have
Rich

[Ozzel]

Originally Posted by kiwlm

Guess those who wanted to quit after watching a good bassist, actually wanted to become like "The best in the world" or something like that.

Guys, original poster here. Thanks for all the great comments. But I have to respond to the one above. I was hoping it'd be obvious that I was exaggerating. Of course, I would never smash my bass after seeing a bass player who is better than me, and I would never quit playing this wonderful, wonderful instrument. And to answer kiwlm, no, none of the goals I'd like to accomplish in my life include becoming "the best in the world." In the long run, our bass "heroes" inspire us all to take our playing to that next level. But my initial reaction to seeing a great bass player perform is to just shake my head in wonderment, then ask myself "gosh, why do I bother?" Afterwards, I come to my senses, inspired to work harder and practice longer, realizing that playing the bass is my beloved and chosen form of musical expression. I could never give that up.

Anyway, I found out the name of the bassist I saw at this concert. He is Benjamin Carazo. Anyone heard of him?

[Kevjmyers]

For all you who read music out there...look at the Rush Signals sheet music top to bottom then listen to the album again...simply alien calculus from the master of our time. Impressive stuff!

[haplo07]

This guy from a Chicago bar band.... The Bad Idea...yeah that was the name. not their first player that left for limp bizkit, but the new guy. i don't know his name. all i know is he is black and slings a single bart split pup loaded P in a way... that would make enough guys with multiple thousand dollar custom axes look twice and give respect, then go rethink how they emptied their bank accounts. made me have a whole new respect for not only the instrument, but made me want to play more than i ever have, and gave me more respect for the simple, but ever so powerful P bass. and in case you think this is the first time i saw a decent player or that i have limited exposure to the instrument. my influences , besides this new guy :P, are entwistle, squire, flea, jaco, vic, billy, stu, dave brown,donald "duck" dun (is that right?), geddy lee, bootsy collins (think i might have spelt him wrong),(going into bands) zep, dream theater, stones, etc ... i have a wide ear.

anyway...

i want to say this to the bassist:
"Dude, if you read this. Keep thumpin' and thanks for the inspiration."

[Dr. Cheese]

I know the feeling of seeing an unknown player with a modest instrument simply knocks your socks off! In 2000, I was in South Africa at a nightclub in Johannesburg, and I saw a local musician on a budget five string who was simply great. At the time, I had a Modulus Quantum Five back home that I felt like giving to this guy after I heard him play! Afterall, he could have gotten ten times out of it anything I could have achieved. As much as I lust after equipment, it is always important to remember that it's the bassist, not the bass.

[haplo07]

Yeah man, i know there is a certain amount that is the gear. i mean that same guy in africa couldn't have done the job with a stick, box, and some string. But he didn't need a 5k custom axe to do the job. nothing bad with owning quality, and i'm not jealous of those that can in both playing and or their shopping. i just think that the 'tude i saw in a thread a while back...think it was worst bassist...lol some one said something like ...anyone that owns or has to own a 4 grand bass to be a great bass player and something about that same type of person thinking anyone who only plays a P isn't. i can't remember it word for word... but i thought it was funny. and i think the individual had a point. there are guys out there who own gear in the mind set that it will improve them as a player and not just there sound. again, i don't think this of anyone off the back just for having a high priced rig. i mean why not have it if you have the money or if you earned it, and feel it can get your mucical ideas into the open? i just think some forget what you can do with simplicity.

[sedgdog]

Years ago my guitar player friend and I went to see the Desert Rose Band. He was a big fan of their guitar player - John Jorgenson I think was his name whom we met afterwords. My friend said "Watching you play makes me want to smash my guitar" John looked confused and replied "Why don't you just practice instead". I'll never forget that awesome advice!

Tim

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by Stewmc5222

a friend of mine recently sent me a long email about bass playing. he's a veteran gigging axeman of more than 20 years and has definitely paid his dues.

he was out in clubs 2 nights in a row. the first night all the players were great, but the rhythm section couldn't lock and the crowd was baffled. the second night, the music was nowhere near as technically advanced, but the band grooved as one rhythm section. not only did the audience react better the second night but so did my friend. it put a lot in perspective for him.

I think there's more than a little to be said for meat and potatoes bass playing. I have nothing against playing a lot of notes or shelling out some pyrotechnics, but if I the bassist can't lock the groove first and foremost there's no reason to try and step out with the flash.

and that's my 2 cents' worth. please don't kill me...



from the lows,

Stew

This mindset has kept me busier than I probably want to be. Fact is, after coming through my fusion years in the late 70's I went back to my groove oriented roots. Not a dig against any of the more pyrotechnical players... the most common thing I hear on my gigs is "You play "bass". I like the fact that what I'm trying to do is getting through.

BTW I'm one of those guys with a bunch of basses... and I play every damn one of them

[j-raj]

Exactly!

Meat and Potatoe bassists/basslines are paramount!

I'm the first to say that after nearly 20 years of playing bass, I ain't got a 1/2 of the pyrotechnics that some cats have after 1/4 the time spent wacking the wire... but I don't need them to keep my phone ringing. Being solid, on time, prepared and playing "bass" are what's important.

Still there are going to be pyrotechnicats from time to time that even true players will still be like "WHOA"! This may or may not send that particular player to shed. It is always cool to see bassists be innovative on their instrument as long as music is still maintained as first priority.


Creative inspiration is what I would like to call some of the motivation I have felt after hearing some amazing cats, even here on TB. For Example when I first heard Dave Grossman do a Bach tune, man it made me want to work on a cello suite... When I listened to urb_munki or Jerome Wolf's solo bass works that have the bass playing all of the parts of an original tune, I felt like writing a new tune myself...

On the other hand, when I hear some wank-some solo crud, it makes me want to play a tasteful solo and speak/tell a tale with the bass... instead of spotlighting a particular techinique.

Originally Posted by Brad Johnson

BTW I'm one of those guys with a bunch of basses... and I play every damn one of them

yeah right...

Really?

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by j-raj

yeah right...

Really?

Well... not at once.



Seriously.

Every gig I take two basses. I rotate basses freely. Any of my basses (except the Kay hollowbody) can end up on any of my gigs... and do. Doesn't matter if it's a 4,5 or 6, fretless or fretted. Last Thursday I took the Bluegreen Brubaker 5 and fretless SC Elrick 5 on a big gig (the drummer's monitor was bigger than my bass rig). Saturday for rehearsal I took the same Brubaker. Sunday I took the Anthony Jackson Contrabass and the Bluegreen Bru again (the rest of my Brubakers are in other people's hands at the moment) for a Gospel show. Tonight I'm planning on taking the Ambush and Elrick NJS 5 or maybe the E-Vo 4 to a house band gig. Wednesday's rehearsal (different band), Thursday's and Saturday's gigs (two different bands), who knows? Then there's next week. In the course of a month it's very easy to take well over a dozen basses out for various things.

I should be getting my Brubaker 6 back from BP magazine soon and can't wait to get it back into the rotation. All of my basses bring their own vibe to the table, that's why I enjoy playing them. I have a lot of basses that could easily be "The One" but where's the fun in that?



In addition, if I'm at home there's a good chance I'm playing a bass.

[j-raj]

Originally Posted by Brad Johnson

Well... not at once.

Nice

Originally Posted by Brad Johnson

In addition, if I'm at home there's a good chance I'm playing a bass.

same here.


Yer Bluegreen Bruby has got to be my favorite finish of the ones tha you own.

[pentexlovesme]

The only guy who's ever really made me feel like I wanted to put down my bass for good was Les Claypool...but even then, it's nothing to bad. It's kind of weird actually, some times I listen to Frizzle Fry or Pork Soda and say "Man, I can't do that kind of stuff!" and other times, I sit back and think, "Well, if some goofy lookin' kid from california can...why not me?". But hey, he was the one that inspired me to play in the first place, so I guess it all has to go around full circle, no?

I've been (trying) to play a lot more jazz lately (Well...out of those Aebersold books, so...) and a lot of the time I get discourged when I listen to guys like Mingus, Paul Chambers, etc...but other times it makes me want to rush out and pick up a Double Bass as fast as I can. Ah well, I suppose that'll still have to wait a few more years.....

[IotaNet]

Marcus Miller has a cut on his "Tales" CD that I listened to (for the umpty-ninth time) the day I bought my first bass -- this past Saturday. The name is the tune (an interlude, actually) is "Running Through My Dreams."

I sat and listened to the tune. Then I listened to the tune again.

Afterwards, I just shook my head and asked myself, "Hmmmm. Are you SURE you want to do this?"

Marcus is FILTHY!

- IotaNet

[Danny R.]

Originally Posted by Ozzel

I had such an experience last Saturday night when my pastor invited me and my cousin-in-law to a Latin-Christian concert at the Jackie Gleason Theater in Miami Beach. There were several groups performing. The last one was Juan Carlos Alvarado, who I was told is from Guatemala. His bassist played a 6-string Ken Smith, looked like a BSR model. I don't know the bass player's name and he's probably unkown to anyone outside Juan Carlos' band. But lemme tell ya, my eyes were almost not fast enough to follow all the things his left hand was doing. There was one song that sounded like black southern gospel, but with the added spice, energy and speed of the Latin beat. This guy was just, wow, so awesome to watch. Now, I'm just a 4-string player, and I rarely even touch the G string. But this bassist's hands were flying across all 6 strings. Truly inspiring and frustrating at the same time.

If any of you have had a similar experience, I'd love to hear about it.

Hey Ozzel.
Actualy I know that dude, but I can't remember his name, he used to play in a band called Vox Dei (from Guatemala) and they released a couple of CDs, he plays a 6 strings Ken Smith Burner with a quilted maple top and a rosewood fretboard, he is a very solid player but if you wanna get truly inspired check out Alex Moran, he's considered the "Christian version of Victor Wooten"

[Brad Johnson]

Originally Posted by j-raj

Nice



same here.


Yer Bluegreen Bruby has got to be my favorite finish of the ones tha you own.

Thanks, it's still one of my favorites too.

[foot]

mine is a mixed emotion....i feel like going home and quiting, but is soon overridden by the urge to practice waaaay more....my top two at the moment are Richard Bona and Pino Palladino