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Great Fretless Performances?
- Thread starter Crackalack
- Start date
+1 on the Gary Wills - not a huge Tribal Tech fan but I have one album that has some wonderful work on it. Tony Levin is quite good and let's not forget Vic Wooten either. Some other people to check out - Jeff Ament, a lot of "Ten" was fretless, Matt Malley (Counting Crows) played a lot of fretless and Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder) played some amazing parts in some rather crappy 80's metal/rock.
Steve Digiorgio from the album"individual thought patterns" by "death". But almost all of his work has impressed me (when his bass is mixed loud enough...)
Steve Bailey with Victor Wooten (Bass Extremes Live) playing a Chick From Corea...simply beautiful!
Don't know if it's been mentioned but Pink Floyd's "Hey You" off "the Wall" is a good song to listen to. Guy Pratt's playing on "On The Turning Away" off "Delicate Sound Of Thunder" is nice too. No monstrous chops on either song but there are some subtle nuances that just stand out to me. Tony Levin recorded the latter for the studio version but I think the live version is nicer.
maxvalentino
Endorsing Artist Godin Guitars/ Thomastik-Infeld
There is a band called "Gypsy Soul" with a great fretless player. Look for the track "WHO" most notably. Micheal Manring is also worth checking out.
Fair point. In that vein, check out Renaud Garcia-Fons:
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=346421
Man I played that record to death when it came out. It's one of those records that took my playing to the next level.
Ever hear his solo on that David Gilmour tune, the name which escapes me at the moment?
Check out this video of Cristian playing his fretless Pensa with Pat Metheny. Very cool solo! Killer tone and groove!
Cheers,
Kevin
I can't believe this is the only mention of Manring on this thread so far. He is also more than worth checking out.
I can't beleive it took 22 posts for someone to mention Gary Willis.
I recommend his solo recording "Bent". It's one of the most accessible of his recordings, though it has at least three songs in 6/4, which to me represents a strange obsession.
Some of the early Tribal Tech stuff is good in a chops-fest fusion kind of way, but by the mid 90s they were using a very open, out-there compositional style that sometimes failed to lead anywhere. Sometimes it did, though, and is still cool.
I also like some of the work he has done in guest roles, like the two tunes he played on Dennis Chambers' "Outbreak" CD.
Check out some Willis!
Also +1 on the Kai Eckhardt recommendation. I have a nice meditative CD called "Sky" from Bill Douglas that has some tasty Kai fretless work on it.
Michael Manring is the bomb - jaw droppingly good. But I get the feeling that he is playing to the world of bass players and nobody else. For whatever that is worth.
Marcus Miller is not primarily known as a fretless player, however all of his solo CDs have some nice fretless work on them. "The Sun Don't Lie", is my favorite, and the title track is a great fretless blow.
I recommend his solo recording "Bent". It's one of the most accessible of his recordings, though it has at least three songs in 6/4, which to me represents a strange obsession.
Some of the early Tribal Tech stuff is good in a chops-fest fusion kind of way, but by the mid 90s they were using a very open, out-there compositional style that sometimes failed to lead anywhere. Sometimes it did, though, and is still cool.
I also like some of the work he has done in guest roles, like the two tunes he played on Dennis Chambers' "Outbreak" CD.
Check out some Willis!
Also +1 on the Kai Eckhardt recommendation. I have a nice meditative CD called "Sky" from Bill Douglas that has some tasty Kai fretless work on it.
Michael Manring is the bomb - jaw droppingly good. But I get the feeling that he is playing to the world of bass players and nobody else. For whatever that is worth.
Marcus Miller is not primarily known as a fretless player, however all of his solo CDs have some nice fretless work on them. "The Sun Don't Lie", is my favorite, and the title track is a great fretless blow.
"Murder" off of the "About Face" album?
Edit: I found it on YouTube with Mickey Feat (1984 tour bassist) playing it on his fretless Wal.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=tnutlUJ9SqY
I saw this tour and was elated by the fact that Mickey Feat played Wal basses, because I had just received my (first) fretless Wal a few months before I saw the show.
No one has mentioned Bunny Brunel.
