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Bass on Singer-Songwriter stuff
- Thread starter stranded horse
- Start date
I also recently discovered Unbroken Chain by The Grateful Dead (hey, I'm probably a bit younger than you guys 
), and Phil Lesh's playing on that is awesome, too. The bass in the intro reminds me of a fugue, so cool and complex but never overpowering the song.
The singer I'm working with doesn't do much groove oriented stuff, more a Leonard Cohen sort of mood, so I can't draw much from your Beck stuff. I think I should study some classical bass to get some inspiration. Can you recommend some chamber music with cool bass?
But I love the challenge of finding the right bassline to these songs! I've never done anything else than groove-oriented music before (I also play in a dub band). We just had another session today, and every time I come up with something that really amazes me, and the whole project was kind of a leap in the dark for me because I didn't know if I could play melodic bass lines
cheers,
F
), and Phil Lesh's playing on that is awesome, too. The bass in the intro reminds me of a fugue, so cool and complex but never overpowering the song.The singer I'm working with doesn't do much groove oriented stuff, more a Leonard Cohen sort of mood, so I can't draw much from your Beck stuff. I think I should study some classical bass to get some inspiration. Can you recommend some chamber music with cool bass?
But I love the challenge of finding the right bassline to these songs! I've never done anything else than groove-oriented music before (I also play in a dub band). We just had another session today, and every time I come up with something that really amazes me, and the whole project was kind of a leap in the dark for me because I didn't know if I could play melodic bass lines
cheers,
F
+1 Dee, but lets not forget Herbie Flowers' equally wonderful electric AND acoustic bass playing on a lot of those records too. I feel like he doesn’t always get the recognition that he deserves—he gets plenty, but deserves more!! :^)
Big + 1 to Joe Osborne. Check out his playing on 'The Only Living Boy in New York' by Paul Simon, beautiful stuff.
Also, the album 'Mud Slide Slim' by James Taylor is great start to finish. Lee Sklar's playing is perfectly busy and his tone is so cool and prominent in the mix. I was floored the first time I heard this.
Also, the album 'Mud Slide Slim' by James Taylor is great start to finish. Lee Sklar's playing is perfectly busy and his tone is so cool and prominent in the mix. I was floored the first time I heard this.
That was the incomparable Bruce Thomas.
Visceglia does play on one song on that album, but Bruce is all over it.99.9F° - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elvis Costello's music with the Attractions sometimes falls into the singer/songwriter ballad mode, I'd say. Here's Bruce doing great things with a spare arrangement: Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding Live - YouTube
That was the incomparable Bruce Thomas.
99.9F° - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Elvis Costello's music with the Attractions sometimes falls into the singer/songwriter ballad mode, I'd say. Here's Bruce doing great things with a spare arrangement: Elvis Costello - Shipbuilding Live - YouTube
Wow, real nice. I'm working on some other stuff right now, but I'm putting this on my list of things to learn.
Man, Bruce Thomas! Not exactly acoustic-y singer-songwriter in presentation, but to me, his playing on Armed Forces is really just about as good as it gets for melodic electric bass playing where the parts are truly integral to the song. I put him right up there with Macca.
(And to this day, with all the gizmos at our disposal I can not get a P to sound quite like that....)
(And to this day, with all the gizmos at our disposal I can not get a P to sound quite like that....)
i would have to say listen to Larry Steele with Cat Stevens, he has that funky motown feel when he needs it but he also does some very tasteful upper register work ala Paul McCartney.
Recommended listening
Trouble-from Mona Bone Jakon
Tuesdays Dead from Teaser and the Firecat
Pretty much anything from Tea for the Tillerman
And lets not forget Bob Babbitt with Jim Croce
Recommended listening
Trouble-from Mona Bone Jakon
Tuesdays Dead from Teaser and the Firecat
Pretty much anything from Tea for the Tillerman
And lets not forget Bob Babbitt with Jim Croce
