| Of popular bassists, I would have to say Joel Quarrington and Boguslaw Furtok are the top of my list (interesting that both play german and I play french), but my favourite bassist is someone i would say no one here has heard of.
His name is Thomas Jones (no, not the crooner). He is the only musician i have ever listened to who has actually made me cry with how beautifully he plays (slow movement of Bottesini 2, piano accompaniment). He teaches in a town about an hour and a half down the road from my hometown, and whenever I'm back in town I make sure to get a lesson from him.
He doesn't really perform solo anymore, he mostly teaches and conducts the local symphony, with occasional chamber music gigs. He started up a bass camp last year and it was honestly one of the best, most musically informative and personal growth weeks of my life. My only wish is that he taught at a university, so I could do my undergrad with him.
I wish I had a sound clip. Guy's seriously a genius.
regards,
Alex | 
He's been in the picture since 1985, when he was on Wynton Marsalis' "J Mood".
