I need a good player to study who can play well through a ballad! I need someone melodic rather than jazz orientated. Any ideas where i should start looking? Thanks peeps.
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a good ballad bass player?
- Thread starter lil'bass
- Start date
I'm a big lover of Michael Henderson on ballads, look for his solo albums.
Marcus Miller and Anthony Jackson are two great ballad players. Marcus is very good with tasteful plucks and thumps. A good album for five string bass on ballads is Rene and Angela's "A Street Called Desire."
I think Bobby Watson from Rufus played the bass on most of these cuts. This was the album in the mid-1980's that really showed me the power of the extra low notes.
For Pop ballads, check out Peter Cetera on all the Chicago stuff. He is a great player. I think that Lee Sklar with James Taylor would be great to check out too. Finally, don't forget Paul Macartney and Sting.
Marcus Miller and Anthony Jackson are two great ballad players. Marcus is very good with tasteful plucks and thumps. A good album for five string bass on ballads is Rene and Angela's "A Street Called Desire."
I think Bobby Watson from Rufus played the bass on most of these cuts. This was the album in the mid-1980's that really showed me the power of the extra low notes.
For Pop ballads, check out Peter Cetera on all the Chicago stuff. He is a great player. I think that Lee Sklar with James Taylor would be great to check out too. Finally, don't forget Paul Macartney and Sting.
- Apr 21, 2000
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- Gallien Krueger for the last 12 years!
Check out the early Luther Vandross stuff with Tinker Barfield on bass. IIRC, he also did some stuff with Anita Baker.
Abraham LaBorial is an L.A. studio bassist who is extremely musical on every form.He has video's out for teaching, but you would have to check credits to see what other songs he plays on.
If you've ever heard of L'Arc~en~Ciel from Japan, their basssist Tetsu is my favorite ballad player. Check out the first and last tracks on True, Farewell and Dearest Love. Really great melodic lines with rhythm I only wish I had.
I was thinking Pino on Henley's "New York Minute".Mojo-Man said:
Pino Palladino-Paul Young- Don Henley
...also Phil Collins' "I Wish It Would Rain Down".
Also-
Chuck Rainey
Alan Gorrie of AWB
Nathan East
I was also thinking about Chicago's Peter Cetera, McCartney, & Sting.
How 'bout Mario Mantese, the guy that played on Heatwave's 1st couple albums.
Check out "All You Do Is Dial" from Too Hot To Handle & "Mind Blowing Decisions" from Central Heating.
BTW, Jaco's ballad chops were definitely intact.
Here is a list of R&B bassist who are ballard killers!
1) Val Burke- bassist behind The Moments
2) Keni Burke- Five Stairsteps (a must to listen to!)
3)Wilbur Bascombe- Black Ivory
4)James Calloway- Black Ivory
5)James Jamerson- Motown
6)Leroy Taylor- New Birth
7)"muki" Wilson- Crown Heights Affair
That is just a short list, if you want to familiarize yourself with melodic basslines for ballards listen to all late 60 and early 70's R&B singing groups. These were the songs the bass player kept us on the wall to at the red or blue light parties! When I listen to the newer bassist play ballards I have to laugh. This is one of the reasons I started to play again!
1) Val Burke- bassist behind The Moments
2) Keni Burke- Five Stairsteps (a must to listen to!)
3)Wilbur Bascombe- Black Ivory
4)James Calloway- Black Ivory
5)James Jamerson- Motown
6)Leroy Taylor- New Birth
7)"muki" Wilson- Crown Heights Affair
That is just a short list, if you want to familiarize yourself with melodic basslines for ballards listen to all late 60 and early 70's R&B singing groups. These were the songs the bass player kept us on the wall to at the red or blue light parties! When I listen to the newer bassist play ballards I have to laugh. This is one of the reasons I started to play again!
I'll go for Pino and Nathan East. Pino, for the Paul Young stuff mentioned earlier, and Nathan providing the bass part for Tears In Heaven by Eric Clapton. Absolutely beautiful fretless melodies on that tune.
Russ
Russ
