Most Complete Bass Player

[ragetoca]

In your opinion, who is the most complete bass player of our time?
By complete I mean a bassist that can do it all and do it amazingly:
Sight reading and playing, grooving, improvisation, slap, soloing, creativeness, super solid, amazing tone, superb technique, speed, clarity and cleanliness, etc and etc

 

[Michedelic]

In your opinion, who is the most complete bass player of our time?
By complete I mean a bassist that can do it all and do it amazingly:
Sight reading and playing, grooving, improvisation, slap, soloing, creativeness, super solid, amazing tone, superb technique, speed, clarity and cleanliness, etc and etc

Does it have to be either of those two?
If you take away the slap factor, I’d say that it had been Carol, but nowadays I’d lean towards Pino.

 

[Geri O]

Both of these guys are equally brilliant and outstanding bassists. An attempt to objectively find any differences worth mentioning between the two is a pointless exercise.

Not to mention the few to several dozen players you didn’t list, but could easily take their place on your list.

 

[ragetoca]

I will add names As you suggest people

 

[idoker]

I have always admired, and been most impressed by, Nathan East. As the music industry knows by his numerous music credits, I don't believe there is any style that he's not just moderately competent at, but plays exceptionally well.

He demonstrates this well in these interview videos.

 

[pfschim]

Tom Kennedy
Tim Lefebvre
Lee Sklar
Will Lee

 

[UntitledProject]

Bobby Vega

 

[ragetoca]

Bobby Vega

Never heard him slap or seen him reading music

 

[UntitledProject]

Don't know if he reads or not. But his slap is on point.

 

[UntitledProject]

 

[winston]

I don't know if he reads music, but Pino Palladino is IMO one of the most well-rounded bassists alive today, in terms of being able to fit into any musical situation and still bring the full range of his musical personality.
Also Linley Marthe is just frighteningly good technically and makes any band he's playing with groove like hell, honestly I've preferred his playing with Joe Zawinul to Jaco and Richard Bona's on the same tunes!

 

[bucephylus]

A somewhat open Q; since choices would depend on many variables.

“Complete” to me preferably means mastery of both bass guitar and upright bass. Think Stanley Clarke, John Patitucci, or Christian McBride. Though Jaco never took the time to master the upright, the recorded examples of his upright flights suggest he could have been exceptional.

For “Complete” in terms of covering pop genres, Will Lee is probably my favorite; but, really there are so many. Marcus Miller would be another.

 

[ardgedee]

Does it have to be either of those two?
If you take away the slap factor, I’d say that it had been Carol, but nowadays I’d lean towards Pino.

Vaguely recall Lee Sklar complaining that he wasn't as making as much as Pino was in session work because Sklar would read the charts and do his job in a couple takes, while Pino played by ear and had to spend extra billable hours working out what to play. Dunno if that's true or just cattiness but it's out there.

From the current generation of young bassists, Julie Slick is pretty amazing every time I hear her. Can get noodly while keeping a solid rhythm. I recall Wooten saying that getting a rep as a technical player loses you session work for almost any other kind of music but that doesn't seem to be holding her back.

 

[Funky Ghost]

Probably some guy in his room that no one has ever heard of.

 

[pbass2]

Gotta consider Tony Levin. Also Chris Chaney ticks every box you listed. I suspect Sean Hurley can slap if you make him

 

[SDC1-ClickClack]

Oh, good.
A popularity contest.

 

[salmon256]

Armand Sabal-Lecco can do all of that, but most probably haven't heard of him he is just an amazing jazz session player who plays in loads of fusion bands and kills it. But he isn't world know probably because he plays what is needed and plays also in fusion already a not so big genre in the grand scheme.

Do those skills make someone a great player? I would argue most of us know how do those things and hence why we are successful and enjoy music. A decent amount of lot of our greats couldn't do those things. I think Earl "Little Joe" Ayers was one of the best bass players but he probably couldn't read sheet music, his playing is super showy and fill heavy... but I think he's the best. Is it right time right place in music, is it just what works, were they super unique, was just luck? It's all of it I would say but super case by case...

 

[Heiwa]

Must be good in bed and also a good cook.

 

[jerry]

Will Lee is a legend and deservedly so!

 

[scubaduba]

Ric Fierabracci