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Inspirations...bassists or otherwise???

H

heath_the_great

Jan 27, 2002
5,201
15
40
Newcastle - Australia
www.myspace.com
#1
who would you say has inspired your compositions/performance or technique in any way bassist or otherwise....

i would have to say:
(not in any order)

Bootsy
Stu Hamm
Flea
Jaco
Tommy Shannon
Joe satriani
Jimmy Page
Me'shell Ndegeochello (she is great...song writer and bassist)
Chris Cornell
Bernard Butler
Stevie Wonder
George Clinton
Jimi Hendrix
Santana
yada yada yada....just to name a few
 
#3
hmmm.

Michael Ripoll (guitarist for Kirk Whalum), AMAZING SOUL,great teacher!!!

Start Zender (Jamiroquai), bass player that influences me to groove melodically

Tori Amos, brilliant songwriter,singer

James Jamerson, simple yet amazing bass player

Adam Nitti, bass player who utilzes techniques in a very organized fashion

Les Claypool, was the first to show in my generation that the bass can take the spotlight.
 
#5
Again in no particular order:

Flea - Love his style, his energy when playing live etc! Learnt a lot from Flea as I have learnt pretty much all RHCP tracks.

Stuart Hamm - Some beautiful solo's musically, and some stuff that shows he has the level of ability of Wooten etc. Nice guy as well, down to earth.

Dirk Lance - 'cool' player, love his vibe, great tone, shame he has parted ways with incubus.

Andy
 
#6
well, if you're talking bass players these are the big ones for me:

Jaco
John Paul Jones
Larry Graham, Jr.
Mark King
Percy Jones
Mick Karn
Pino Palladino

recently I've been really impressed and inspires by these cats:

Gregory Bruce Campbell
Trip Wamsley
Adam Nitti

in terms of other instrumentalists or bassists whose compositon moved me:

Charles Mingus
Monk
Stravinsky
Joni Mitchell
John Goodsall
Wayne Shorter

people from other media:

Marc Rothko
Stan Lee
Vincent Price
Cyrano de Bergerac (fictional charcter but what a role model!)
women, my wife in particular

and special notes for these bassists:

Roberto Vally
Steuart Liebig

these last two were key figures in my development as a player and in terms of ho I heard music. they are among the finest instrumentalists around. period.

there are others and these are in no particular order, but there you go!

from the lows,


Stew
 
#7
my overall musicianship has been most influenced by (i started on guitar):

flea
jaco
ace freehley
jimmy page
paul mcartney
brian jones
james jamerson
geddy lee
steve howe
pete townshend
john paul jones

i'm sure i've forgotten some but those are the 1st that came to mind

I think i owe most however to a friend of mine i played in a band with from the age of 16 to 21. he was older than me and a much better musician (bass player, i played guitar at the time). he made me study the flute part in ruby tuesday to understand the heart and feel that went into it. locked me in his room (literally) and MADE me listen to Tales From Topographic Oceans (Yes) and Syd Barett albums. He taugh me about feel. He taught me to play with my entire body, not just my hands and fingers. He pounded into my head the importance of playing music, not notes. Didn't matter if i could play 50 notes a second - one note with all the heart in the world was what really mattered.

I feel real fortunate to have had this guy in my life and even more fortunate that we're still friends. We work at the same place and eat lunch together every day. He got married and had kids and allowed that to destroy his musical career. Oh well, I'm still learning from him, but now I guess I'm learning what NOT to do. :)
 
#8
My list includes many players who seem to be known for only playing fast. I listen for content , fast , slow , whatever.

Bill Sheehan ( there's much more to this guy than harmonics and feedback)

Yngwie Malmsteen ( the early stuff , and his bass playing too)

Paul Gilbert ( he can play anything)

Dream Theater ( Dream and Day , Images )

Steve Vai ( over my head , for sure )

Tony MacAlpine ( Maximum Security album is intense)

Jason Becker ( Perpetual Burn )

Jeff Berlin ( this guy makes me want to put my bass on the stand )

Rush ( greatness , Rush , same thing )
 
#9
Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix - Guitar "gods", it was listening to my dad's "Slowhand" Album, and some Cream stuff, plus buying The Best of Hendrix on a whim that got me into playing music.
John Paul Jones - Jones and Bonham gave a backbone to Page's euphoric riffs.
Les Claypool - Made me want to keep playing bass after I heard primus for the first time.
 
#10
A small sampling...

Bass:
Colin Hodgkinson
Steve Swallow
Stanley Clarke (his upright playing)
Jaco Pastorius
NHOP
Ray Brown
Jimmy Garrison
Ron Carter
Larry Graham
James Jamerson
John Paul Jones
Bernard Edwards

Guitar:
Pete Cosey
Sonny Sharrock
Nile Rodgers
Eddie Hazel

Drums:
Jack DeJohnette
Tiki Underwood
Clyde Stubblefield
Tony Williams
Hamid Drake
Ginger Baker
Billy Cobham
Art Blakey

Keys:
Herbie Hancock
Chick Corea
Keith Jarrett
Carla Bley
Thelonious Monk
Andrew Hill
Horace Silver
Joe Zawinul

Horns:
Pharoah Sanders
Joe Henderson
Miles Davis
Wayne Shorter
 
#16
here's a few, some are bassists some aren't:

Karl Kruetz from Dozer
Flea
Brian Ritchie
Mike Ness
Les Claypool
John Scalia from Dirty Word
Neil Peart
Justin Chancellor
Matt Freeman

That's all I can think of for now. But there are quite a few more.
 
#18
:cool: Bass
James jamerson
George Porter
Duck Dunn
Chuck Rainy
Jack Bruce
Jaco
Pino Palladino
Lee Sklar
Jeff Berlin
Mark King
Percy jones
Richard Bona
Willie Dixon- upright blues
Rans Knowling-upright blues
Roy Huskey JR.-Country-Bluegrass
 

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