Double Bass Blues Double Bassists (other than Big Willie)

[Gearhead43]

Willie Dixon is the reason I started learning to play double bass. To me, his bass playing is as fluid as breathing.

I was a fan of Willie's bass playing long before I even knew he was playing the double bass on most of my favorite Blues records.

Anyway, who are some other Blues double bassists I should seek out, listen to and learn from?

 

[drew_bassmore]

There is a great Charlie Haden/James Cotton record you should check out.

http://www.amazon.com/Deep-Blues-James-Cotton/dp/B00000471E/ref=pd_bbs_sr_4?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1233343175&sr=8-4

My apologies- I don't know how to truncate the link as an HTML embedded link, so I pasted it in its full glory.

 

[Gearhead43]

Thanks, Drew. I will check that out for sure.

I know Willie Dixon kind of held a monopoly on Chicago Blues on double bass, but there has to be more players I should check out.

 

[ERIC A]

Big Crawford (Muddy Waters) and Ransom Knowling (Robert Nighthawk). Check out allmusic guide for recordings.

 

[Gearhead43]

Big Crawford (Muddy Waters) and Ransom Knowling (Robert Nighthawk). Check out allmusic guide for recordings.

Thanks a ton!

 

[thejumpcat]

If you want flat out badass grooves and tone, check out Larry Taylor. He's silly great.

Bill Stuve, formerly of the Mighty Flyers, has some solo CDs that are super fine.

He wasn't an upright player, but he's sure worth checking out - Keith Ferguson on the first four Fabulous Thunderbirds albums. It's just filthy playing. I miss him.

Randy Bermudas with Rusty Zinn.

Jeff Sarli with Big Joe and the Dynaflows.

Thomas Yearsley with the Paladins.

Rick Reed, on Jimmy Morello, Patrick Vinning and William Clarke stuff.

Preston Hubbard with Nick Curran and the T-Birds.

Kedar Roy with Jr. Watson and with Andy Santana.

Anyway, that should get you started.....

 

[Gearhead43]

Thanks for the current guys, Jumpcat.

I am a big Paladins fan, love Thomas' playing with them.

 

[marcox]

Gearhead, which Willie Dixon recordings would you recommend to the uninitiated?

 

[Gearhead43]

Gearhead, which Willie Dixon recordings would you recommend to the uninitiated?

All of them! Haha.

Anything on Chess Records just about.

For a quick fix just search for Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, T-Bone Walker, Memphis Slim, on Youtube and there's a ton of great performances by Big Willie on there. They are mostly taken from a Film series you can get on DVD.

The DVD series is called "The American Folk Blues Festival" that was shot in Europe in the early 60s, that you have to check out. It has all the big Chicago Blues greats on it, playing on some semi-cheesy urban "sets" they had made for the film. Some great music on it though, and Willie is on bass on most of it.

Here's one clip from that series:



I literally would have dropped dead if I was there to see all of these heavy cats all in the same room for that! Look at when Willie does his verse, he was the coolest man alive.

This music never fails to give me goose bumps, there's some serious emotion being layed down. Big time!

 

[ERIC A]

W. Dixon
The Definitive Collection -Chuck Berry
His Best-Little Walter
His Best-Sonny Boy Williamson

Big Crawford and W. Dixon
The Definitive Collection- Muddy Waters

Ransom Knowling
Bricks in My Pillow-Robert Nighthawk

 

[Gearhead43]

+1 great stuff Eric. Thanks for that.

 

[marcox]

Thanks, Gearhead (and everyone else) for the great leads