Best Recorded Double Bass Sound in Jazz

[musicman5string]

In your opinion, what are some of the greatest bass sounds captured in recordings? Obviously, this list is very subjective; for example, the gut string vs. steel sound, different styles/time periods, etc.
If I had to compile a list, it might be something like this:

Gut String sound:

(no particular order):

1. Charlie Haden "Beyond The Missouri Sky"
2. Paul Chambers "Bass On Top"
3. Ron Carter "Miles Smiles" or "E.S.P."
4. Ray Brown "Night Train"
5. Scott LaFaro "Sunday At The Village Vanguard"
6. Jimmy Garrison "A Love Supreme"

Steel String Sound:

(no particular order):

1. Dave Holland "One's All"
2. Ray Brown "This One's For Blanton"
3. Rufus Reid "From Kirk To Nat"
4. John Patitucci "Chick Corea Akoustic Band"
5. Christian McBride "Fingerpainting"
6. Marc Johnson "2x4"

[Reuben]

Off the top of my head in no particular order:

Mark Dresser "Aquifer"
Ronnie Boykins "The Futuristic Sounds of Sun Ra"
Ray Brown "This One's For Blanton"
Barre Phillips "Sankt Gerold Variations"
Charlie Haden "Gitane"
John Hebert "Renku"
Charles Mingus "Black Saint & The Sinner Lady"
Willie Dixon "The Big Three"
Edgar Meyer "Bach Suites"
Steve Swallow "Flight (Bremen) 1961"
Michael Bisio "Long Night Waiting"

[lowendforlife]

Robert Hurst-"Unrehurst"...I'd love to get a recorded sound that fat and clean!

[Farin]

I have this DVD which I rentend from my local library. I can't figure out where to buy it so I burnt it. Anyhow, It seems to be some sort of Danish or German television special with the NHØP Trio. It's called NHØP Trio - Live at the Subway Club in Cologne. My point it his sound is absolutly amazing, and makes me want to put my bass away forever.
He was a great man with a even greater sound.

[SteveC]

Brian Bromberg has a killer sound.

[Reuben]

I forgot to mention Drew Gress, from the Claudia Quintet's "I, Claudia."

Simply gorgeous.

[Chris Fitzgerald]

Bromberg on "Wood"; it's an acquired taste, but once you acquire it, it's contagious.

Drew Gress on "Dancing in the Dark" (Hersch); solid, strong, bouncy, ethereal, and damned near perfect.

Scott Colley on Lynne Arriale's "Melody": YOWSAH!

McBride on Joe Henderson's "Lush Life".

[jazzbassnerd]

Marc Johnson on "John Abercrombie/Marc Johnson/Peter Erskin"

+1 Drew Gress on "I, Claudia"

Ron Carter on "Miles Smiles"

These are all pretty different to now that I think about. Nonetheless, all great. I'm sure I forgot a lot.

[Steve Boisen]

I've always been captivated by Scott LaFaro's sound on "The Arrival of Victor Feldman". His bass is well recorded and panned hard left in the stereo spectrum. His sound is very earthy and resonant and I just love to hear it. Even though Victor Feldman is no Bill Evans I listen to this album more that the Village Vanguard recordings.

Other favorites tone-wise are Jimmie Blanton on just about anything he recorded (at least for pizz) and Charlie Haden on his Quartet West recordings. For arco jazz solos I like John Clayton and especially Michael Moore.

- Steve

My web page

[Bruce Lindfield]

Nobody has mentioned Palle Danielsson - he's my favourite for sheer gorgeous bass tone - generally on ECM - like on Keith Jarrett's "My Song" .

If you want to really hear Charlie Haden's tone - there is a great duo record with John Taylor (piano) "NightFall" - incredibly clear Hi-Fi recording (naim audio) and no drums to get in the way!!

[christ andronis]

Eddie Gomez on "If Summer Had Its Ghosts" with Bill Bruford and Ralph Towner

Brian Bromberg on "Wood" (although I'm not a big fan of the mix....but hey, it's his album )

Bob Magnusson with Art Pepper


Larry Gray "Power Trio:Live in Chicago" with Larry Coryell and Paul Wertico

[Andy Allen]

Originally Posted by christ andronis

Brian Bromberg on "Wood" (although I'm not a big fan of the mix....but hey, it's his album )

If you like his sound on "Wood" I think you'll like Alan Broadbent's recent CD "Round Midnight" even more. Brian's sound is very full-range...plenty of bass, mids and highs...the quinessential modern bass sound IMHO, and the playing is more restrained and supportive than on his solo stuff - and (a little) lower in the mix.

Originally Posted by christ andronis

Bob Magnusson with Art Pepper

+1 on that - great playing/great sound. Check out "Scrapple from the Apple" from the Hollywood All-Star Sessions http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p...0:n4rz284i053a (we were discussing Scrapple in another thread here somewhere).

[musicman5string]

Originally Posted by christ andronis

Eddie Gomez on "If Summer Had Its Ghosts" with Bill Bruford and Ralph Towner

That's one of Eddie's worst sounds IMO.

I'd much prefer to recommend the duo album with Bill Evans for his steel string sound.
Even better than that, if anyone has heard the Marianne McPartland "Piano Jazz" with Eddie, it's got a some killer playing from Eddie, as well as a really good tone.

[christ andronis]

Originally Posted by musicman5string

That's one of Eddie's worst sounds IMO.

I'd much prefer to recommend the duo album with Bill Evans for his steel string sound.
Even better than that, if anyone has heard the Marianne McPartland "Piano Jazz" with Eddie, it's got a some killer playing from Eddie, as well as a really good tone.

Everybody hears with different ears. I like his tone on that album because it seems to have more meat to it than other recordings he's played on. The playing, as on all his other projects, is impeccable IMO.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Yes, tone is subjective - I find a lot of Jazz snobs hanker after the sound of the early classic recordings - but I'd rather actually hear the bass, than just get some vague impression of a low percussive noise, somewhere in the background!

[larry]

Thinking about it, I had to make a distinction between live and studio recordings. Live recordings with a really good bass sound (where they don't take the signal from a pick up)are much harder to achieve.

One of my favorites is Christian McBride's sound on Benny Green's "Testifyin'" recorded at the Vanguard.

[stockbass]

Originally Posted by Jason Sypher

charlie haden - the golden number and closeness duets

I've used the Closeness LP to show friends what difference a good turntable makes. Who has invested in a cheaper and older line of Linn equipment, incl lp12

[Geeibish]

Charles Mingus - Money Jungle, The Clown, Mingus at Antibes, The Great Concert of Charles Mingus (really anything with him, but these in particular)
Paul Chambers - Miles Davis at the Blackhawk, Blue Trane
Wilbur Ware - A Night at the Village Vanguard, Monk w/ Coltrane
Jimmy Blanton - Ellington Duets
Scott LaFaro - Waltz for Debby, Portrait in Jazz
Charlie Haden - The Shape of Jazz to Come
Miroslav Vitous - Now He Sings, Now He Sobs
Carlos Henriquez - The Magic Hour
Larry Grenadier - Live at the Vanguard, Back at the Vanguard
(Art of the Trio vol. 2 and 4)

Personally, I'm a fan of a more natural, big sound than an amped one. However, some recordings where the bassist has been able to really get a great, natural sound with an amp are:

Dave Holland - Extended Play, Overtime
Lynn Seaton - Puttin' On the Rtiz

[Doug Ring]

Whoever plays bass on Peggy lee's recording of Fever.

The Elvis Presley version isn't too far behind either.

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally Posted by Farin

I have this DVD which I rentend from my local library. I can't figure out where to buy it so I burnt it. Anyhow, It seems to be some sort of Danish or German television special with the NHØP Trio. It's called NHØP Trio - Live at the Subway Club in Cologne. My point it his sound is absolutly amazing, and makes me want to put my bass away forever.
He was a great man with a even greater sound.

I don't know this one, but a lot of his recorded stuff sounds very "electric" to me - but I bought his solo album "This is all I ask" and that has a lovely, natural bass sound - although the material is sort of "folky" rather than Jazzy - more European than US?

But the recorded acoustic sound of the bass is really clear and up front in the mix and the playing is relaxed and obvioulsy aiming for as big a tone as possible..