• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Fretless Bass: Required Listening...

#63
I'm late to the party, and everyone's covered all my guys, so I'll "+1" on:

Pino's 80's work (my fav: "Every Time You Go Away", just totally blew me away, and is WHY I play fretless).
Jaco's first solo record and the first Pat Metheny record, just mind boggling.
Boz Burrell! Man, just great stuff.
Gary Willis...just...uh...WOW...:eek:

CiaranDuffy said:
I feel like every second post I make is about Bakithi Kumalo.
Anyway, open the link in a new tab, let it play and DON'T look at the video. It's some piece of crap that some clown threw together.
Just listen to the bass :)

"Diamonds on the soles of her shoes" (sans vocal intro for some reason)

Click to expand...


Bakithi is just bad@$$, have you heard San Bonan? :)

For the best version of "Diamonds..." get the remastered version of "Graceland", there's a version of the track that is JUST bass and lead vocal, and it's stunningly wonderful. :)
 
#64
Gard said:
Bakithi is just bad@$$, have you heard San Bonan? :)

For the best version of "Diamonds..." get the remastered version of "Graceland", there's a version of the track that is JUST bass and lead vocal, and it's stunningly wonderful. :)
Click to expand...

That version is beautiful, it's surprising that it doesn't feel totally empty being just bass and vocals really. ...but it doesn't come close to the full version, for me. The drums, percussion and Phiri's guitar are just far too amazing to be without.

I've heard San Bonan. Amazing playing, really nice production and all that but it just didn't grab me as an album. It's small criticism, I think, to accuse somebody of being a lesser song-writer than Paul Simon, Graceland is a hard act to follow, but I still keep up with Bakithi's projects. It's great to hear him speak on the bassplayer.tv thing too

While I'm here, I think The Rhythm Of The Saints is a criminally overlooked album on this site.
 
#67
+10000 on Pino's early work, the I Assassin album by Gary Numan is a must for any fretless lover, also check out Paul Youngs first album No Parlez, the track "Women" has the most amazing little burst of fretless in the middle 8, played on the 79 Stingray...I've been trying to play the lick for the last 20 years and still have'nt managed to master it!! Since alot of the hits have been mentioned, how about Don Henleys track "Sunset Grill"...gorgeous Pino fretless lines throughout..:)
 
#68
I'm sure he's been mentioned before but...gary willis. My personal favourite fretless player.
:hyper:

Ok, I just saw...he's been mentioned before.
Tony levin's fretless playing doesn't stink either!
some real nice stuff on steps ahead's NYC Album.
 
#77
Buskman said:
:confused:

Hmmm... I know Jeff is known for his fretted playing, never heard any of his fretless work...

Would you happen to know of any examples/recommended listening, heatheroo?
Click to expand...


While I wouldn't want to presume what heatheroo was referring to, it wouldn't surprise me if it was an attempt at a joke

...though what might surprise heatheroo -- or everyone else here for that matter -- is that Jeff Berlin did play fretless bass on Gil Goldstein's Pure As Rain album. Recorded in 1977 for the Chiaroscuro label.

But, while it is certainly better-than-competant fretless playing and makes for an interesting curiosity (since shortly after it was recorded Jeff started his infamous "Don't play another man's style of bass: don't play harmonics, don't slap, don't play fretless" campaign), I would definitely not recommend it or consider it "required listening"!
 
#78
Buskman said:
:confused:

Hmmm... I know Jeff is known for his fretted playing, never heard any of his fretless work...

Would you happen to know of any examples/recommended listening, heatheroo?
Click to expand...

:o

Um, he avoids fretless like the plauge. That post could be tongue-in-cheek, as Berlin has asserted that all fretless bassist want to be Jaco (except for Jack Bruce and Freebo, if you aks Berlin face-to-face). Although the first time I saw Jeff Berlin playing I thought he was playing fretless. It was at a NAMM show around 1979 or so. I was walking past the Leo Quann both around 10:30 AM on a Sunday morning and I heard this guy playing wonderful fretless sounds while chatting to a hottie blonde in hot pants. After I walked past, I said to myself "Wait- that bass has frets!!" so I turned around to watch him for a while...

jte
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back