Fretless players

[Les Fret]

I may have misinterpreted the poster who mentioned LTE & Sean in the same sentence. My understanding is that Tony has been on bass for all the LTE recordings.

I think you are correct that the poster suggested that it was Sean Malone.

 

[jerry]

Also the haunting intro to "Hey You" from The Wall.

Everhard Weber, upright electric player was responsible for the lovely work on Kate Bush's "Mother Stands for Comfort" on the Hounds of Love album.

Weber's work On Metheny's Watercolours album and his playing with Jan Garbarek is some of my favorite music, his tone always resonated with me.
Beautiful musical portraits!

 

[Kyle_S]

I'm biased as a metalhead, but the kings of the fretless for me are Steve Di Giorgio and the late Sean Malone.

 

[Lo-E]

Pretty predictable list I think. But John Giblin and Alphonso Johnson are greatly missed in that list. They deserve to be there in much more than Bill Wyman and Jeff Ament, especially Bill. Jeff is nice and might have influenced some rock players but he can't compete with most others that are in that list in my opinion.

Yeah, any list like this has to be taken with a grain (or a pound) of salt. It’s also probably worth noting that it was compiled by someone who is not, principally, a fretless player.

 

[dougjwray]

The first time I ever heard a fretless player, it was Freebo, in the early '70s. A musician on the folk/blues/singer-songwriter scene . He was in Bonnie Raitt's band way back, and is still active, I think.

 

[Michedelic]

The first time I ever heard a fretless player, it was Freebo, in the early '70s. A musician on the folk/blues/singer-songwriter scene . He was in Bonnie Raitt's band way back, and is still active, I think.

Yes he is, but in the past few years he’s taken a singer/songwriter/acoustic guitarist path, often working with a female vocalist…


But he hasn’t given up on bass…

 

[lordradish]

Mark Egan, Pat Metheny alumnus-

Later did some cool work for Simon Le Bon and Nick Rhodes' project Arcadia-

I vaguely remember this Duran Duran spinoff. I'm a huge Egan fan and I have no idea how I didn't know he played on this.

 

[lordradish]

I'm biased as a metalhead, but the kings of the fretless for me are Steve Di Giorgio and the late Sean Malone.

I am not into this kinda stuff at all, but being a 6 string fretless guy myself, I am always in jaw-dropping awe at these guys.

 

[Michedelic]

I vaguely remember this Duran Duran spinoff. I'm a huge Egan fan and I have no idea how I didn't know he played on this.

In case you didn’t know, Egan worked extensively on the first Joan Osborne album…
Relish (album) - Wikipedia
…and IIRC from an interview at the time, used an old Vox AC50 head. An unlikely choice, but I’ve got a ‘66 AC30, and kept at a low volume, bass through it sounds pretty sweet. Different power tubes, of course, and the open back factor.

 

[etoncrow]

The first time I ever heard a fretless player, it was Freebo, in the early '70s. A musician on the folk/blues/singer-songwriter scene . He was in Bonnie Raitt's band way back, and is still active, I think.

I had totally forgotten about him. Thanks for reminding me.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

@LadyLoveStingRay5
I went to School With her, she didn't play electric.

That you were aware of.

 

[ectoflanger]

IMHO the Thompson Twins really screwed themselves over when they sacked Matthew Seligman (Matthew Seligman - Wikipedia). Of course he went on to do some outstanding 'real' fretless work with Thomas Dolby which more than waved the middle finger back at them.

Screen Kiss!

 

[lordradish]

In case you didn’t know, Egan worked extensively on the first Joan Osborne album…
Relish (album) - Wikipedia
…and IIRC from an interview at the time, used an old Vox AC50 head. An unlikely choice, but I’ve got a ‘66 AC30, and kept at a low volume, bass through it sounds pretty sweet. Different power tubes, of course, and the open back factor.

I think I did know that. Egan's one of my favorites of all time but his catalog is pretty varied. A lot of it is a bit to0 smooth jazz for me, but when he does the real jazz thing, there's few better IMO.

 

[Lo-E]

Screen Kiss!

My favorite Seligman track since I first heard it!