electric jazz bassists

[Jimbo]

hey everyone

i'm into jazz and i'm in my school jazz band. but the thing is, i want more material to listen too. of course i listen to the greats, miles davis, charlie parker, buddy rich etc.. and i listen to great bass players, mingus, ray brown, dave holland just to name a few. the problem i have is that i play electric bass and almost everything i own has double bass on it. it's not really that big of a problem, but i think i could make good use out of hearing some electric players.

and there's guys like jaco, and i love his playing, it's wondeful. but it's more fusion and comtemporary. i want to hear electric basses in a more traditional setting even though i'm sure it's hard to find.

so any suggestions on players/recordings that have electric basses while playing standard type tunes?

thanks

-jimbo

 

[BIg O]

Although he is mainly more modern / fusion oriented, listen to Alain Caron. In particular he did [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] with another Montreal Jazz player Michel Donato on DB. The most entertaining bass duets I have heard (or seen - the sessions were done as part of a TV series I saw 7 or 8 years ago, I wish I knew who to contact about the video!)

 

[Andrew Jones]

Im not sure how to figure out what hes playing electric on but Bob Crenshaw plays a very traditional jazz electric.

Oh yah listen to Anthony Jackson


AJ

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by Jimbo
but it's more fusion and comtemporary. i want to hear electric basses in a more traditional setting even though i'm sure it's hard to find.

so any suggestions on players/recordings that have electric basses while playing standard type tunes?

I think this is a general trend - if it has electric bass then it is almost by definition fusion/contemporary -
Bob Cranshaw plays Bass Guitar in a fairly traditional Jazz style - e.g. with Horace Silver on "In Pursuit of the 27th Man"....

 

[JimK]

...Monk Montgomery.

Jimbo-
You can always sponge off the URB players & apply it towards your ax.
If you're looking for electric players that can walk thru the changes(Standard or otherwise)-
Gary Willis, Alphonso Johnson, Tommy Kennedy, Jeff Andrews, Oteil Burbridge, Keith Horne, blah.
Check out Wooten on "Hurricane Camille"(Flecktones' debut album).

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by JimK
...Monk Montgomery.

I thought of him, bur are there any albums available where he plays BG - I've got "Groove Yard" where he plays with his brothers - but he plays Double Bass throughout?

 

[Richard Lindsey]

I have heard Jeff Andrews and Lincoln Goines play some fairly straightahead stuff. Mark Egan too. And you have to talk about John Patitucci here. One of the very few people who are about equally frightening on upright and electric. Jimmy Haslip can walk his butt off if he wants to.

 

[Philbiker]

Steve Swallow for sure.
Stanely Clarke.

 

[JimK]

Originally posted by Bruce Lindfield
I thought of him, bur are there any albums available where he plays BG - I've got "Groove Yard" where he plays with his brothers - but he plays Double Bass throughout?

You're straining my brain...
Check out Kenny Burrell's Ellington Is Forever. I bought this in the mid-'70s as a double album...I just peeked over at www.allmusic.com & see it's now 2 volumes? Then again, maybe it was 2 & I only have one of 'em. Anyway, Monk does a nice job on "In A Mellow Tone"...IIRC!

I do still have the Monk Montgomery Electric Bass Method book...he often played his Fender Jazz with a plectrum, ya know.

 

[Marty Forrer]

What's wrong with listening to the great upright players anyhow? I play both, and all my jazz inspiration comes from listening to Ray Brown, Paul Chambers and Dave holland.

 

[Jimbo]

thanks for all the great suggestions. i'm gonna try to get myself to a record store this weekend, hopefully they'll have some of these guys.

...and by the way, it's not that i think there is anything wrong with double players or don't find there playing inspiring, it's that i've heard them but now i want to hear electric players walking over chord changes too.

-jimbo

 

[Adam Wright]

Get the new Jeff Berlin c.d. called "In Harmony's Way". In my opinion, he is hands down the best jazz soloist on electric bass.His c.d. is available at Invalid Link Removed .

 

[JMX]

Check out some of Eberhard Weber's stuff

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by JMX
Check out some of Eberhard Weber's stuff

I've got a few albums on which he plays but I've never heard him plyaing straight-ahead Jazz or as Jimbo says a more traditional style of Jazz - "standards".

I would definitely call him a "contemporary" bassist - and he doesn't play bass guitar - which is what I assumed Jimbo was interested in?

 

[JMX]

You're right, Bruce

I posted before I really read the first post. My bad.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Originally posted by JimK


You're straining my brain...
Check out Kenny Burrell's Ellington Is Forever. I bought this in the mid-'70s as a double album...I just peeked over at www.allmusic.com & see it's now 2 volumes? Then again, maybe it was 2 & I only have one of 'em. Anyway, Monk does a nice job on "In A Mellow Tone"...IIRC!

Hmmm ...Kenny Burrell - I've got 2 or 3 albums of his and some with Jimmy Smith - organ trio.

I tend to think of him as more Blues than Jazz - although he is very much accepted as a great Jazz guitarist.

I found "Ellington Forever" on the UK Amazon as an import :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos...037/sr=1-35/ref=sr_1_0_35/026-8095994-5685204

Is this the one you mean?

This page has MP3s to download so might be useful for Jimbo to visit?

(I have no facility to play MP3s myself, but might be tempted to order this CD)

 

[JimK]

Bruce-
That's it...I just went back to my room & pulled it out to take a look. It is Volume 2, it is 2 LPs.
The personnel for each track is listed-
Monk Montgomery is ONLY on ONE track, "In A Mellow Tone"; Stanley Gilbert & George Mraz are playing URB on the bulk of the tracks.
There's pictures of each in the gatefold cover, too...MM is seen playing a Fender Jazz; he has both the pickup cover & bridge cover on the bass.

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Thanks - probably not worth buying just for that one track then.

 

[chris griffiths]

how about Chris Griffiths? j/k john Patitucci is good at that Haslip kinda goes both ways up and down the fusion line, Fima Ephron also both ways. Alphonso Johnson's later stuff victor Bailey's stuff (circling the jaco factor here) Oteil burbridge is someone I suggest to everyone. Marcus miller is a fusion guy but if you listen to him do standards like Lonnie's lament or Good bye pork pie hat on his fretless you might find some stuff you like. Hey why don't you check out some of Christian McBride's electric playing? He's pretty sturdy on the electric. Basically I would take your real book or your favorite jazz standards then go to cdnow or where ever you can look up cd's and look for bassists who have covered those tunes and then listen and decide if you like them. For instance there's gotta be some more traditional yet electric players who've done autumn leaves. How about Anthony Jackson? check out anthony's stuff on Michel Camilo's new album

 

[alexssandro]

I think Monk Montgomery plays electric on the Wes Montgomery album, "Fingerpickin." Check out their version of "Billie's Bounce." It sounds electric to me.