Any Bassist Makes You Change Things Up?

[Dave Siff]

Joe Dart. It's hard to listen to him and not want to play that way.

 

[Watchootognbout]

I'm in an Anthony Jackson obsession.
I love the stark,angular,dissonant style that he plays on the Steve khan
Eyewitness stuff.

 

[bobyoung53]

I swear every time I hear Jaco, I want to drop whatever I’m working on, put rounds on a fretless Jazz, and learn all of Jaco’s songs. It doesn’t matter what my goals are at the time, I always have second thoughts when I hear Jaco play.

The funny thing is that Jaco isn’t even my favourite bassist. He was great, and certainly one of the most influential, but he isn’t my favourite. Not even in the top 3, and on a typical day I don’t want to play anything like he does... There’s just something about his songs, or energy, or style that really seems to resonate with me every now and hen and compels me to drop whatever I’m working towards and learn his stuff and play like him.

During these stints, I study and listen him for a week or two, and then thankfully, go back to whatever I was working on before. To be honest, I’m on the fence if I even like this or not, lol.

Anyways, what about you guys? Is there a bassist that seems to have this effect on you?

Jaco has the same effect on me and I can't even listen to a whole song by him usually, he inspired a whole lotta bassists to way overplay IMHO, the Joni Mitchell stuff was great though. I can take him in small doses. I tried to learn one song by him once and once I realize how difficult it was going to be I asked myself, would I ever even use this and the answer was no. Jaco was was phenomenal, like a bass genius, no way would I ever be able to play like that nor would I want to but it's still pretty amazing when I hear some of his solo stuff. To tell you the truth I'd rather listen to Duck Dunn or Jamerson, many others actually. A lot of the jazz upright players light a fire under my butt though. Sonny Rollins inspires me (to want to play tenor sax)

 

[Jhengsman]

Stanley Clarke was my game changer, and I was a sax player at the time.

 

[lucas303]

Chris Squire
Colin Marston
Alex Weber

There are plenty of bass players I enjoy listening to, but these three are the ones that make me have the sort of reaction you're describing.