Comping/Support for bass solos (by other musicians)

[Funkturnal]

I've been thinking for a while about how other bass players feel about the musical support or comping you receive from other musicians during your bass solos. What kinds of things do you look for from the other musicians? Which instrument do you feel affects your soloing the most? How important do you feel the support you receive is, and do you feel that it affects your soloing?

I can think of a few situations that have been good and bad for me. A good situation has been when I played with a very musical drummer who knew how to work very well with dynamics. We jammed on a Red Baron type of groove. The bass solo ended up being more like a drum/bass duo, but it was a clear case of the both of us interacting with each other and playing off each others' ideas.

There was a sax player I used to jam with in a band. During my solos, he would support me by playing really minimal lines which contained leading tones. I found that support to be really valuable because it outlined an element of the harmony, and allowed me to be more lyrical. The long, simple lines he played was enough of a springboard for me, and it also played a part in coloring the entire "groove" during my solo.

Of course, playing with a keyboard player who can play good basslines, (or our sax player sometimes layed down great basslines on his EWI) can be fun as well.

A bad example is playing with a band that just "stops playing" when it's time for a bass solo. It feels like someone let the air out of the tire. The groove just deflates, and I have nothing to bounce off of, and it's a frustrating experience.

So feel free to share any thoughts, experiences, stories, frustration, or approaches you might take with bands/musicians regarding support you receive. Do you openly communicate your "needs" and how do you convey this idea? Do you find musicians to be receptive to this?