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Leland Sklar: any recommendations?

#2
Wow, where to start... OK, for me one of his finest moments is on Jackson Browne's first album ("Saturate Before Using). ESPECIALLY on "Doctor, My Eyes" where he just locks down with Kunkle and plays a simple little line- except for those fast little descending fills he does that are perfectly timed and move the song without ever drawing attention to them.

Then there's Lyle Lovett's Large Band where he covers a wide range of styles and feels, all with his characteristic non-chalance yet intensity.

If you can find a copy of The Section's album (commonly called "the pie album") you'll be highly rewarded. It's Sklar, Kunkle, Kortchmar, and Doerge playing instrumental songs. Some or instrumental versions of popular songs (like what the original Letterman band did when it was just the four of them) and some were more decidedly fusion oriented blazing. I still love "Doin' The Meatball" and "Holy Frijoles" as well as "Dock of The Bay" off that album.

John
 
#5
JTE said:
Wow, where to start... OK, for me one of his finest moments is on Jackson Browne's first album ("Saturate Before Using). ESPECIALLY on "Doctor, My Eyes" where he just locks down with Kunkle and plays a simple little line- except for those fast little descending fills he does that are perfectly timed and move the song without ever drawing attention to them.
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+1 The early Jackson Browne and James Taylor stuff is the place to start. Amazing tone and amazing, creative playing (edit: His playing on 'Your Smiling Face' on the James Taylor 'JT' album is one of the finest pop bass performances of all time IMO).

Also, Billy Cobham's 'Spectrum' fusion CD is listed by Leland as the performance he is most proud of. A bit different than most of his catalogue, but amazing... a CLASSIC of the mid fusion era.
 
#10
KJung said:
His playing on 'Your Smiling Face' on the James Taylor 'JT' album is one of the finest pop bass performances of all time IMO.
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+ 1,254,634,709

Absolutely amazing bass line with killer tone that serves the song perfectly. IMHO, his performance on this tune should rank right up there with Jamerson's on "What's Goin On".

And somebody alreadly mentioned The Section, definitely check them out if you can find them. They actually released three albums, I've been lucky enough to track down two of them on vinyl. I guess fusion is the best way to describe it, but some of the cuts on the "Fork It Over" album serve up healthy portions of funk too. :cool:

Sklar also throws down a solo bass track on the "Forward Motion" album :bassist:
 
#15
retardedpossum said:
I remember being a freshman in highschool back in 79 and he played on a song called children of the sun by billy thorpe. He does a small solo section and used three notes I think. What a great overdriven sound that was! then he also played on a night on the town with rod stewert. That album also has duck dunn, bob glaub, and david hood!
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Oh Yeahhhhh!
Got to go listen again!
 
#20
JTE said:
Wow, where to start...
ESPECIALLY on "Doctor, My Eyes" where he just locks down with Kunkle and plays a simple little line- except for those fast little descending fills he does that are perfectly timed and move the song without ever drawing attention to them.
Click to expand...

Doctor My Eyes is magic! Mr. Sklar is a fantastic bassist. You might want to check out some Link Removed
I have their first album, pretty good stuff.

People like Leland Sklar and Michael Rhodes have my total respect.
 

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