recommended recordings with electric bassists playing straight-ahead jazz

jtegnell · #1 10-13-2009, 03:27 AM

Can anyone make any recommendations for recordings of good electric bassists playing straight ahead jazz?

Electric bass seems to be such a rare instrument in anything other than fusion or more "modern" styles of jazz.

I'm very fond of McCoy Tyner's Double Trios -- Marcus Miller plays beautifully on Loverman and Rhythm a Ning.

Is there anything along those lines anyone can suggest?

Super thanks in advance!

eggfan · #2 10-13-2009, 04:22 AM

Steve Swallow with Gary Burton?

jtegnell · #3 10-13-2009, 04:40 AM

Anyone else? I'm not a big fan of picks with basses to be honest.

eggfan · #4 10-13-2009, 07:47 AM

Clarinetist Eddie Daniels has some pretty straight-ahead albums using electric bass. I would recommend "To Bird With Love" with John Patitucci and "This Is Now" with Jimmy Johnson. But you do have to deal with the typical GRP "sheen" to appreciate that the music is mainstream (and acoustic, aside from the bass -- Eddie is a clarinetist, after all. And quite possibly the best jazz clarinetist ever).

projectMalamute · #5 10-13-2009, 07:52 AM

If you can, find a copy of 'tuff dude' by Buddy Rich. Really stupid name for a record, really good record of straight ahead jazz. Anthony Jackson on bass, even takes a couple of solos. Also features Kenny Barron and Sonny Fortune.

cnltb · #6 10-17-2009, 03:30 AM

I second the steve swallow suggestions.
For "straight ahead jazz" I'd suggest "real Book", "Deconstructed", "Always pack your uniform on top" or "Damaged in transit".
#John Scofield's "En route", Shinola" and "out like a light" are rather good to I recon.
A disc I listen to a lot at the moment is called "noisy old men" with John Abercrombie, Miclk Goodrick and Gary chaffe.
You'll find it here:
http://www.garychaffee.com/books.htm

KJung · #7 10-17-2009, 04:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtegnell

Anyone else? I'm not a big fan of picks with basses to be honest.

+1 Swallow is awesome, but that's more of a guy with a unique instrument and playing style more trying to emulate a DB type tone. I dig the notes, but not the sound so much.

For a more traditional EB approach in a more straight ahead setting, Anthony Jackson's work with Michel Pettruciani is amazing IMO.

Check out the 'Trio in Tokyo' disc with Gadd and Jackson. It just SWINGS IMO.

mstott25 · #8 10-19-2009, 02:28 AM

Everybody needs to listen to the amazing Dave Carpenter on electric in a jazz setting. Granted the guy played upright 75% of the time, but nobody plays six string electric like him.

Also check out Dario Deidda who plays mostly electric on this album.

Don't forget to check out Bob Cranshaw with Sonny Rollins.

My old bass teacher Dave Levray gigs regularly with Rob Mullins and is on his album Standards and More playing electric bass the entire album.

Happy listening!

Hoover · #9 10-20-2009, 09:01 AM

Did Jeff Andrews ever record with The New Standards Band? I always thought he had an exemplary feel for "traditional" jazz, one of the few electric bassist I can say that about.

KJung · #10 10-20-2009, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hoover

Did Jeff Andrews ever record with The New Standards Band? I always thought he had an exemplary feel for "traditional" jazz, one of the few electric bassist I can say that about.

I've seen him swinging live, and +1 on that. Not sure about recordings with him.

Mojo-Man · #11 10-20-2009, 10:20 AM

Jaco's Big band, (The Birthday Concert C.D.)
Any Mike Stern CD. (plenty of great bassplayers)
Steve Swallow.

**Pacman** · #12 10-20-2009, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJung

For a more traditional EB approach in a more straight ahead setting, Anthony Jackson's work with Michel Pettruciani is amazing IMO.

Check out the 'Trio in Tokyo' disc with Gadd and Jackson. It just SWINGS IMO.

This is one of my favorite CDs.

taygunov · #13 10-20-2009, 04:10 PM

Try "meeting of the spirits", "open country joy" or "birds of fire" (by Mahavishnu Orchestra). The basslines aren't super hard but I'd call it straight Jazz.

jerry · #14 10-20-2009, 04:31 PM

Baron Browne swings his butt of on the live Steve Smith 'Jazz Legacy' CDs.

Hoover · #15 10-20-2009, 09:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taygunov

Try "meeting of the spirits", "open country joy" or "birds of fire" (by Mahavishnu Orchestra). The basslines aren't super hard but I'd call it straight Jazz.

That's a pretty...uh...charitible definition of "straight jazz".

Wilbyman · #16 10-21-2009, 06:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJung

I've seen him swinging live, and +1 on that. Not sure about recordings with him.

Jeff Andrews is the shiz, highly underrated.

Bruce Lindfield · #17 10-21-2009, 07:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by taygunov

Try "meeting of the spirits", "open country joy" or "birds of fire" (by Mahavishnu Orchestra). The basslines aren't super hard but I'd call it straight Jazz.

Well those tracks are on a lot of lists of classic Fusion - i.e. not straight ahead Jazz!!

Bruce Lindfield · #18 10-21-2009, 07:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mojo-Man

Jaco's Big band, (The Birthday Concert C.D.)
.

Great stuff - lost of fusion type stuff and funky lines - in fact anything but straight ahead Jazz!!

eggfan · #19 10-21-2009, 05:33 PM

I just played an album I hadn't heard in awhile tonight that made me think of this thread - at least if the line between "straight-ahead" and "fusion/more modern" styles doesn't fall precisely on the fault line between acoustic and electric. It's "Again and Again" by Chick Corea, which is pretty mainstream playing, IMO, despite the use of electric piano and similar electric sounds by Chick. The bass player is Carles Benavent, and I think his fretless playing is pretty impressive. If others would place this in the fusion category, my apologies (it's straight-ahead to me, if contemporary), but the guy's smokin'. Any other fans of his playing around here?

KJung · #20 10-21-2009, 06:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eggfan

I just played an album I hadn't heard in awhile tonight that made me think of this thread - at least if the line between "straight-ahead" and "fusion/more modern" styles doesn't fall precisely on the fault line between acoustic and electric. It's "Again and Again" by Chick Corea, which is pretty mainstream playing, IMO, despite the use of electric piano and similar electric sounds by Chick. The bass player is Carles Benavent, and I think his fretless playing is pretty impressive. If others would place this in the fusion category, my apologies (it's straight-ahead to me, if contemporary), but the guy's smokin'. Any other fans of his playing around here?

I think there is an issue with the definition of 'straight ahead', which to most of us means 'pure swing' (i.e., medium cocktail swing, big band, hard bop, whatever... swing being the key).

That being said.... +1 to Carles BURNING with Chick. I was very lucky to see that 'Flamenco' tour in Detroit, and I'm still thinking about it two years later. It defined 'Burning', and I agree with you, it was something totally unique and hard to classify.