teach the youth...

punkmetal · #1 04-10-2006, 07:10 PM

So i am in high school and I was given the assignment of looking up and writing a paper about a person that changed history.
First though that came to mind was music, then i thought "better yet why not a bass player"
unfortunatly i don't know to many bass players that "changed history" with one or more events. but i thought before i gave up on trying this topic i'd post on here and see if any one could help me with some names and accomplishments
I was thinking Bill dickens or Jaco but i don't know of any "bass changing" accomplishments

thanx
Andrew

BTW: i have to pull 10 pages out of this so yea... i need to be able to get info

Woodchuck · #2 04-10-2006, 07:20 PM

You can't change history. What's done, is done. As for a bass players that changed everything, I'd go with Monk Montgomery. He was the first to play the electric bass in a regular gig setting. He played with Count Basie, IIRC. He put alot of doublebass players out of business, and the ones that stayed around, bought an electric.
Disclaimer: Some people credit Willie Dixon with being first.

superbassman2000 · #3 04-10-2006, 07:25 PM

i can think of a few bassists that changed the course of history (not just changed history...as woodchuck said, you can't do that) for bass players, but not music as a whole...like jamerson or jaco, but i don't think what they did changed the face of music

punkmetal · #4 04-10-2006, 07:42 PM

perhaps i should have put "made history"

and yea i can do it on a bass player that changed the corse of history for bassist

Bruce Lindfield · #5 04-11-2006, 02:28 AM

I think there is an argument to be made that music in the 60s did change history - so the huge impact of the Beatles or Bob Dylan for example, changed the way music was viewed and how much importance it had in our lives.

Peaceful protest against war was enshrined in some of their songs and meant that a lot more people took this up and were reached by it - so it gave ordinary young people the chance to feel they could actually make a difference to what governments and policians did - whereas before the 60s there was no "mass culture" to provide a vehicle that enabled people to get together and share ideas....

Anyway - whatever you think - a good starting point for a debate....?

morf · #6 04-11-2006, 04:44 AM

Plenty of bassists made history IMO, starting with Charles Mingus.

punkmetal · #7 04-11-2006, 05:47 AM

thanx guys all good
i can now get started
if any more really good names come to mind please add them

thanx

Bruce Lindfield · #8 04-11-2006, 06:33 AM

"How Paul McCartney changed history...."

Actually you might want to look our for the book "How the Fender bass changed the World" - by Jim Roberts.

Find a copy in a library and it might provide you with a lot of material for an essay! Quote your sources!

JimK · #9 04-11-2006, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by morf

Plenty of bassists made history IMO, starting with Charles Mingus.

Before Mingus was Jimmy Blanton...

JimK · #10 04-11-2006, 10:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bruce Lindfield

Actually you might want to look our for the book "How the Fender bass changed the World" - by Jim Roberts.

IMO, Leo Fender would be an excellent choice for this assignment.

Funkzfly · #11 04-11-2006, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by punkmetal

I was thinking Bill dickens or Jaco

I don't think Bill Dickens has had any influence on Bass Playing, let alone the world...

Macca would be a good choice though. The Beatles have almost certainly had the most influence of any group of musicians ever, and Paul was a big part of that.

punkmetal · #12 04-13-2006, 11:09 PM

thanx guys

i have decided to do my report on Leo Fender

have a happy easter

flatwoundfender · #13 04-13-2006, 11:14 PM

I'd go with Jamerson, he changed the way bassists play and any electric bassist not playing root 5, and many upright bassist, were directly or indirectly influenced by him. I'm pretty sure he also played on more #1 hits than the beatles, elvis, and the beachboys combined.

agreatheight · #14 04-13-2006, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by punkmetal

thanx guys

i have decided to do my report on Leo Fender

have a happy easter

Good call! Have fun!

wateroftyne · #15 04-14-2006, 01:45 AM

Leo is a good choice!

Here's an angle for you...

There was a time when bands could only be as loud as the bass player. As a result, the drummer had to hold back.

Then Leo invented the electric bass (or popularised it, to be specific), and suddenly those restrictions didn't apply any more. Music changed over a very short period, giving birth to Rock and Roll as we know it today.

*doffs cap to the sky*

Nice one, Leo.

CamMcIntyre · #16 04-16-2006, 10:01 PM

I think the sentiment that has been shared above is a good approach.

If you're speaking from solely an electric bass point of view-James Jamerson, would be the choice IMO. For many years, many of the traits that i have attributed to Jaco, well-were Jamerson.

Leo Fender could be the subject of how 1 man changed the course of Music forever. Leo let you and me be who we are. This is without taking into the influence of the strat, or tele on the world.

take it easy-good luck w/the paper.