Help me ID a bassist from the 90's

[skycruiser]

I have some vague memories from around '93 or '94 that I've come back to over the years, and done some google searches, but failed to identify this bassist. Here's what I can recall.

I saw a recorded studio performance of 2 or 3 songs by what I think was a trio, lead by a bassist playing an acoustic bass guitar. He was playing some fairly intricate and technical stuff, I guess you would classify as Jazz. He had long hair and possibly dreads, but I could be wrong about that. I also think it may have been on BET cable channel but again, I could be wrong about that.

My vague recollection is that the drummer was Stewart Copeland. Again, this could be incorrect. And honestly I don't recall what the other instrument was, if it was a trio. I just recall the drums and acoustic bass guitar. Could have been a duet.

I must have recorded it on a VCR tape and watched it a few times since I can recall one of the bass riffs in one of the songs.

I'd really like to identify this group and listen to them again. Any ideas, anyone?

 

[Bob_Ross]

Well, not a lot to go on…

Because this was on BET and the guy might’ve had dreads, can we presume that he’s an African-American? I realize that might be a stretch.

But if so, let me just toss out two names, because these guys *might* have had dreads in the 90s, and they *might* have played an acoustic bass guitar in the 90s, and they *might* have collaborated with Stewart Copeland in the 90s, and they definitely would be associated with music that was jazz-like:

Melvin Gibbs, or Jerome Harris

Just spit-ballin’…

 

[skycruiser]

I think the bassist was also Caucasian. If it was BET, it may have been that it was a show featuring modern Jazz that was open to all performers that fit the genre. I'll check those two names anyway - thanks!

 

[tb-player]

My first guess was the band Animal Logic. That bassist was Stanley Clarke. Stuart Copeland on drums, and a blonde lady named Deborah Holland on vocals. Even if it’s not who you’re thinking of, you should check out their first album. It’s fantastic!

 

[Michedelic]

I have some vague memories from around '93 or '94 that I've come back to over the years, and done some google searches, but failed to identify this bassist. Here's what I can recall.

I saw a recorded studio performance of 2 or 3 songs by what I think was a trio, lead by a bassist playing an acoustic bass guitar. He was playing some fairly intricate and technical stuff, I guess you would classify as Jazz. He had long hair and possibly dreads, but I could be wrong about that. I also think it may have been on BET cable channel but again, I could be wrong about that.

My vague recollection is that the drummer was Stewart Copeland. Again, this could be incorrect. And honestly I don't recall what the other instrument was, if it was a trio. I just recall the drums and acoustic bass guitar. Could have been a duet.

I must have recorded it on a VCR tape and watched it a few times since I can recall one of the bass riffs in one of the songs.

I'd really like to identify this group and listen to them again. Any ideas, anyone?

The one bassist that comes to mind as a possibility is Jonas Hellborg. He has played acoustic/electric basses, as well as large body hollowbody basses, works in esoteric musical realms that could often be regarded as “jazz”(or variants), and had collaborations with an insane variety of notable players.

These following videos are not what you mentioned, but I’m posting as examples…

 

[GLEN18INCHSPICA]

Oysterhead?

 

[skycruiser]

Thanks for these tips! I think I was wrong about Copeland and it was likely Baker and Hellborg. Thanks @Michedelic

@GLEN18INCHSPICA - definitely wasn't Claypool but I do have the Oyesterhead album in the archives. It was a favorite of mine.

 

[Dr. Keebs]

Unrelated if you found the answer, but Stewart Copeland and bassist Armand Sabal-Lecco did some cool stuff back in the day with their Gizmo project.

 

[skycruiser]

Doing a little digging into the Baker/Hellborg stuff, my best guess is they were playing selections from the 1992 Unseen Rain album, or other work they were doing in the '92/'93 time frame. The one I recall is similar to these but I haven't found the exact track yet.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

let me clear my throat perhaps

 

[Leo Smith]

just chiming in to say check out Hellborg’s album The Word from 1991, where he’s playing with a string quartet and Tony Williams on drums.

 

[SunByrne]

My first guess was the band Animal Logic. That bassist was Stanley Clarke. Stuart Copeland on drums, and a blonde lady named Deborah Holland on vocals. Even if it’s not who you’re thinking of, you should check out their first album. It’s fantastic!

The first Animal Logic album is indeed good fun. The song "In the Garden" is how I really learned how to slap (though I can't quite manage the solo—Clarke is a beast).

I can't really picture Stanley Clarke with dreads, though. Did he at some time and I missed it.

 

[Michedelic]

The first Animal Logic album is indeed good fun. The song "In the Garden" is how I really learned how to slap (though I can't quite manage the solo—Clarke is a beast).

I can't really picture Stanley Clarke with dreads, though. Did he at some time and I missed it.

A modest ‘fro for years, then kept it short. Doug Wimbish had the dreads.

 

[vvvmmm]

Big Hellborg fan here - if you like shred-fusion check out his stuff with Apt. 42 and Sean Lane (RIP).

 

[Michedelic]

I have some vague memories from around '93 or '94 that I've come back to over the years, and done some google searches, but failed to identify this bassist. Here's what I can recall.

I saw a recorded studio performance of 2 or 3 songs by what I think was a trio, lead by a bassist playing an acoustic bass guitar. He was playing some fairly intricate and technical stuff, I guess you would classify as Jazz. He had long hair and possibly dreads, but I could be wrong about that. I also think it may have been on BET cable channel but again, I could be wrong about that.

My vague recollection is that the drummer was Stewart Copeland. Again, this could be incorrect. And honestly I don't recall what the other instrument was, if it was a trio. I just recall the drums and acoustic bass guitar. Could have been a duet.

I must have recorded it on a VCR tape and watched it a few times since I can recall one of the bass riffs in one of the songs.

I'd really like to identify this group and listen to them again. Any ideas, anyone?

I forgot to mention that, if you want to fully explore Hellborg’s career, he was in the latter-day(80’s)version of the Mahavishnu Orchestra…