Steve Bailey

AmazingGracePlayer · #1 01-28-2007, 04:09 PM

I've seen too many people influenced by Jaco or Marcus Miller and it's getting old. Let me make myself clear, Jaco and Marcus are good and admirable bassists. But! Steve Bailey is no less than Jaco; he has mastered the use of harmonics and even false harmonics (which allows him to play in keys other than G and C) and false harmonics greatly expanded the range of basses.
Does anyone admire Steve Bailey as much as I do?

Higgie · #2 01-28-2007, 04:41 PM

I think he's a great player. He's got fantastic technique. It's like if Jaco got 2 more strings and a better tone

Grueber · #3 01-28-2007, 05:49 PM

His command of artificial harmonics is crazy. Not to mention his intonation on that fretless

thlayli · #4 01-28-2007, 06:26 PM

Kinda weird to watch Steve play. He's got this unorthodox three-finger right hand technique (index, middle, ring, middle, index, back and forth) that I find really difficult to emulate. And, because of that technique, he's able to do his artificial harmonics differently by triggering the harmonics with the right index finger and plucking with just the middle and ring fingers. When I do the harmonics, I have to use the Jaco thumb technique to get good-sounding ones.

steveb98 · #5 01-28-2007, 10:14 PM

Steve Bailey has amazing technique especially his harmonics, but he can't do what Jaco and Marcus can. Steve can't groove he's stiff. He can swing on upright. Jaco and Marcus can do it all.

lefty007 · #6 01-28-2007, 11:38 PM

He's a really cool guy and he's doing great things for education, events, etc... but I don't care for his music at all. He might have great technique, but I don't hear any memorable music being produced.

And I think the high C string on a fretless is not very musical - no matter how hard you try, it will sound out of tune most of the time.

Also his tone is very processed, with all that reverb.

Baryonyx · #7 01-29-2007, 09:16 AM

I think he is a fantastic player. Astounding technique, but he applies it with such musicality, which is what really gets him praise from me!

I love his tone too, epsecially when he was using the Aria.

**Bryan R. Tyler** · #8 01-29-2007, 09:48 AM

I love a lot of his playing, although I very much dislike his tone, and he often goes way overboard with the artificial harmonics.

DWBass · #9 01-29-2007, 10:22 AM

I love the work he did with Russ Freeman/Rippingtons! I like his work with emsembles as opposed to his solo works.

bassist15 · #10 01-29-2007, 03:00 PM

I dont know if you knew Jaco was a HUGE influence on STeve. Steve was friends with jaco and often hung out with him ,You say you are sick of people being influenced by Jaco well the guy you are talking about , Jaco is probably his biggest influence.

AmazingGracePlayer · #11 01-29-2007, 03:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassist15

I dont know if you knew Jaco was a HUGE influence on STeve. Steve was friends with jaco and often hung out with him ,You say you are sick of people being influenced by Jaco well the guy you are talking about , Jaco is probably his biggest influence.

I'm not saying people aren't supposed to be influenced by Jaco, I'm just saying, almost everyone is influenced by Jaco, and asked who here is found of Steve Bailey.

GobBass · #12 04-03-2007, 02:48 PM

http://cgi.ebay.com/Aria-Pro-II-Stev...QQcmdZViewItem

5 tring SB Aria on sale...good price IMO.

Baryonyx · #13 04-03-2007, 03:42 PM

For the record, I'd much rather listen to Steve than Jaco...and thats no diss to Jaco!

scannerman · #14 04-03-2007, 04:15 PM

i prefer to listen to his playing than victor wooten on bass extremes.. a lot more interesting

Matthew Bryson · #15 04-03-2007, 04:17 PM

I think Steve Bailey is great. Of all the "living legends" of bass, he is hands down my favorite. I don't think he lacks groove or is stiff or has bad tone - quite the opposite. I think he's amazing. I don't consider him to be an influence, I'm a hack 4 string fretted rock player and he's a virtuoso 6 string fretless player - but he is no doubt an amazing electric bass virtuoso. The things he does blow my mind.

Baryonyx · #16 04-03-2007, 04:18 PM

Ah, I think they work pretty well as a team there, and they certainly compliment each other well musically.

doctorjazz · #17 04-03-2007, 04:19 PM

Steve's an innovator. Not quite as revolutionary or important as Jaco was, I think, but still important. And you may think you know harmonics, but once you try some of his parts on Bass Extremes tunes, you'll see that he's taken it to a whole other level.

Overall, he's one of my favorites, and he was the person who got me playing bass in the first place, as well as the one that got me interested in playing a 6 string. Hell of a nice guy too, and he's got lots of great stories. He's teaching bass at my school now, so hopefully within the next couple years I'll get a chance to study under him.

peteroberts · #18 04-03-2007, 06:56 PM

he's a trip! funny guy. Great player with some great stories. He plays the upper register in 'thumb position', like an upright player would. I think he said he didn't know any better.

brake · #19 04-04-2007, 03:23 PM

I think Steve is a fantastic player. Check out www.thebassvault.com - He and Victor Wooten's Bass Vault.

StanFan · #20 04-05-2007, 09:49 PM

All I have to say is that his Bass Extremes DVD with Victor Wooten is my favorite Christmas gift from last year. I think it's overdue for another spin.