Great Fretless Performances?

[Lex]

+1 for Jeff Ament!

 

[beggar98]

Lot of great players have been mentioned, but I have to give mention to Victor Wooten. I think I'd rather hear him on fretless than fretted because he cuts back on the fireworks. Check out this clip. I especially love the "Continuum" quote after the bass and sax Q&A.

 

[skb5string]

Anything by Alain Caron on his Fretless 6 string F bass. UZEB or solo, by far a GREAT fretless player! +1

 

[WesW]

Some folks not mentioned:

Trip Wamsley - Link Removed - insane. melodic. wonderful

Blue Murder & The Firm - yes, older - but holds up. That's Tony Franklin.

Al Garcia - multi instrumentalist - but great fretless tones.

Dennis Michaels - amazing player - nice guy. Link Removed Michaels.com - has some great youtube vids as well.

 

[Baryonyx]

Victor and Alain are amazing on both fretless and fretted basses!

 

[matty589]

Gary Willis. I had the pleasure of meeting him a few times and also studying with him, and his knowledge is astounding. Listen to The Necessary Blonde (Tribal Tech), The Big Wave (Illicit), Wounded (Face First), Speak (Reality Check) and Slick (Thick). You would be hard pressed to find more inspiring examples of fretless virtuosity, as well as great composition. He is also one of the few players I have seen who can play lines that totally transcend the bass and sound like Bill Evans or Miles Davis. He is every bit as good live as on record too, and a nice, down-to-earth guy. I believe The Necessary Blonde is now viewed as a standard, and is in one volume of the New Real Book...

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Here is a classic fretless performance from bassist Robert Gordan with an equally beautiful bass solo.

 

[acleex38]

Here is a classic fretless performance from bassist Robert Gordan with an equally beautiful bass solo.

Thank you for this - I'm a longtime fan of Gil Scott-Heron and this brought me back to it. I may have to go album shopping later today. I love the fretless performance that is both unquestionably fretless while not hitting you over the head with it.

thanks much.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

Thank you for this - I'm a longtime fan of Gil Scott-Heron and this brought me back to it. I may have to go album shopping later today. I love the fretless performance that is both unquestionably fretless while not hitting you over the head with it.

thanks much.

You're more than welcome and I thank you for appreciating Gil Scot-Heron and all the talented musicians who've worked with him over the years.

 

[alangoldstein]

marcus miller on fretless , yes you read that correctly!! just get sun dont lie CD and you will find what i mean in there...

also, of course, manring, and willis are the ultimate best.

alain caron.... there are some others...

but im half awake and brain farting...

 

[c_joseph_lier]

Fretless Bass who's:

Michael manring and Steve Lawton do great fretless stuff in a "soundscape" kind of way

Tony Franklin (again) for works with The Firm and Blue Murder

the bass player for Sade played alot of fretless. hate Sade, but loved the bass work.

Pino Pallidino played some Neo-Soul for Diangelo (sp?)

Hot Wire records Bass Talk, Vol 3. great fretless work by Various Artists. it says Basstorious (get it?) but they are original compositions, not rehashes of Jaco's stuff. Dave LaRue's track is super sweet.

BTW, Invalid Link Removed has great photos of some fretless basses, and interveiws with players, plus, links to some you tube fretless stuff ... there's my buck three forty-eight!

 

[Matt R.]

Check out The Mars Volta. Check out "Hey You" from The Wall. They don't all have to be new age, fusion players to rule on fretless. Also, Zenyatta Mondatta or Synchronicity from the Police.

 

[Justyn]

The Mars Volta was mentioned, but for fretless you'll want to keep your listening to Frances the Mute as that's the first album with Juan Alderete de la Pena (or, as you Racer X fans may remember him, John Alderete) and his excellent fretless work within a non-jazz context.

For more from Juan, check out Big Sir, his post_Pet project with Lisa Papineau.

For Christian McBride, both Live at Tonic and Vertical Vision are excellent recommendations. Also check him out on The Philadelphia Experiment with iir Caine, Pat Martino and ?estlove...some thick grooves and at least one solo that never fails to blow my mind.

 

[JAUQO III-X]

the bass player for Sade played alot of fretless.

That is Paul S. Denman and he didn't play fretless on those tracks,he played a early 70's fretted Music Man stingray(usually with a little chorus added).

Pino Pallidino played some Neo-Soul for Diangelo (sp?)

Check out Pino's fretless work with singer Paul Young.

 

[WesW]

Link Removed has some great basses & a fretless forum.

& 1 total ad on the front page.

 

[c_joseph_lier]

just another 2 cents ... I beleive that it was David Gilmour playing the Fretless on "Hey You" ... kind of stuck out in my mind, because it is a great line, though Guy Pratt does a great job live ...
My error on the Sade bassist ... it sounded so 'liquid' ... but, that's chorus for you ...
+1 for the fretlessbassist site ... sweet ...

 

[Matt R.]

just another 2 cents ... I beleive that it was David Gilmour playing the Fretless on "Hey You" ... kind of stuck out in my mind, because it is a great line, though Guy Pratt does a great job live ...
My error on the Sade bassist ... it sounded so 'liquid' ... but, that's chorus for you ...
+1 for the fretlessbassist site ... sweet ...

Yep that's correct. Dave Gilmour is the culprit on that track...and a great one it is