Quintessential Blues Bassists

[Quap]

I've recently been getting into Blues and am curious who would be consider THE blues bassists?

Jack Bruce is about the only I can think of . . .

Thanks for the help.

[jastacey]

Randy Jo Hobbs ... check out his playing on the "Johnny Winter Live And" disc and also on "Tobacco Road", off of Edger's "RoadWork" disc

[anonymous02282011]

Duck Dunn

[master28]

Johnny B. Gayden - Albert Collins, Larry McCray

[C.Linton]

Berry Oakley, Allman Bros. (deceased)

[hdracer]

How about Billy Cox

[funkytoe]

Willie Dixon is THE original blues bassist. Willie plays on most of the early Chess Records stuff, much of which he wrote and produced. Hard to say you play blues bass without knowing his stuff.

Duck Dunn (Booker T and the MG's/Stax Records) certainly belongs in your top ten blues bassists.

I'm also really fond of Jerome Arnold (Butterfield Blues Band) and Harvey Brooks (Electric Flag/Super Sessions) when it comes to electric blues.

Tommy Shannon (Johnny Winter/Stevie Ray Vaughn) is also a great blues player.

[COBRARI]

Today... Johnny B. Gayden... Tommy Shannon.
Search out and get a copy of the November 1997 issue of
Bass Player. That issue will help you more than you will ever know.

[StuartV]

I got an excellent book called Jump 'n Blues Bass. It highlights 10 or 12 top Blues bassists and talks about their styles, etc, and, for each one has a score of a signature walking blues line by that player. And it included a play-along CD with full tracks and track-minus-bass tracks.

Willie Dixon and Duck Dunn are two of the bassists talked about in the book. I can't remember any of the others right now.

[JimK]

Originally Posted by funkytoe

Tommy Shannon (Johnny Winter/Stevie Ray Vaughn) is also a great blues player.

Oct. Bass Player mag has an article on Shannon (some transcribed grooves & more). Winter's The Progressive Blues Experiment was like an underground/cult classic in the late '60s/early '70s.

[guroove]

Jerry Jemmott!

[Jayhawk]

Jerry Jemmott, Tommy Shannon, Willie Dixon, George Porter, Jr., Ronnie James Weber, Carmine Rojas, Donald "Duck" Dunn and Willie Weeks just to name a few. Not all are strictly "Blues" players, but they all groove and can lay down a greasy walking bass line when needed.

[MR PC]

Everyone you've mentioned so far!

Ray Brown is the cat they all would probably have to acknowledge as a master of playing blues lines and grooves on the bass......though he played acoustic upright. If you ever get a chance, listen to his line on "Never Make Your Move to Soon" with vocalist Ernestine Anderson, Concord Jazz label, from the '80's I believe.

Another bassist who doesn't get mentioned much is Phil Upchurch. He's played bass on tons of blues sessions in Chicago.

[58super]

The late Keith Ferguson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He played great stuff on slow blues.

[Gecko 5]

Roscoe Beck. LOVE his work with Robben Ford.
If we are giving a shout out to Duck Dunn, would James Jamerson qualify? Some of his work with Jr. Walker was bluesy.
Tommy Shannon for sure

[cdef]

Jack Myers, Fred Beckmeier, John McVie.

Jack Myers was the first real blues bassist I saw live, backing Otis Rush and Junior Wells with Freddie Below on drums.
I was about 14 and thought he was impossibly cool with his Fender Precision, snazzy polyester suit and big opaque shades.

[rob_d]

For a more modern blues style bass (although grounded in tradition of course):

Roscoe Beck

[Jim Dep]

Bassist Larry Taylor's work with blues legend John Mayall

[Toronto Bassist]

Harvey Brooks

[deepbluesuk]

Originally Posted by 58super

The late Keith Ferguson from the Fabulous Thunderbirds. He played great stuff on slow blues.

+1. But not just slow blues, his bass lines were awesome!