Most Complete Bass Player

[bearhart74]

Will Lee
Nathan East

 

[Geepers]

Sean Hurley … because being a “complete player” is so much more than fingers on strings

 

[ragetoca]

For me is Adam Nitti

 

[CryingBass]

Leland and Dave Holland. Done.

 

[Passinwind]

I think “complete” automatically requires excellent upright bass cred as well as bass guitar skills. And then they also need bandleader chops and varied compositional skills on both instruments. I can’t think of anyone who tops Stalnley Clarke in that regard, although I haven’t actually seen him play live for about two decades by now.

 

[Bsquared]

Ric Fierabracci hands down.

 

[higain617]

Jacquo Cygnus X-III

 

[logdrum]

Yeah on Stanley. McBride too and can work with DJs as well - funky . Pattitucci qualifies as well. But Dave Holland is actually the one. Born out of the Miles Davis school and he can play out and in, compared to the other three. Seriously. And his influences and compositional reach and the number of collaborations is greater. And I would say the better arco player as well.

 

[Norm Nelson]

I have a long list of bassists whom I think meet these qualifications. Today? I'm picking Mohini Dey.

 

[Passinwind]

Yeah on Stanley. McBride too and can work with DJs as well - funky . Pattitucci qualifies as well. But Dave Holland is actually the one. Born out of the Miles Davis school and he can play out and in, compared to the other three. Seriously. And his influences and compositional reach and the number of collaborations is greater. And I would say the better arco player as well.

I might generally prefer listening to Holland out of those choices, FWIW. He certainly has fronted some great bands and composed some great tunes. But the OP specifically mentioned slap, and I’m also leery of DH’s hard rock cred, but always happy to learn something new.

 

[Artman]

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!

Pino does not read music.
It has not held back his career in the slightest.

 

[logdrum]

I might generally prefer listening to Holland out of those choices, FWIW. He certainly has fronted some great bands and composed some great tunes. But the OP specifically mentioned slap, and I’m also leery of DH’s hard rock cred, but always happy to learn something new.

Then back to Stanley. I stand corrected, BUT, Stanley does not really slap he kind of just strums hard, That's where we have to consider Brain Bromberg although I am not sure how he plays the arco

 

[pbass2]

Pino does not read music.
It has not held back his career in the slightest.

Yep. It all depends. For example IMO to be "complete" you have to be great with pickstyle along with everything else (I mean, listen to the history of bass guitar in popular music...). But Lee Sklar admittedly doesn't play pickstyle--he says he's not the guy for that. Yet look at his career....

 

[Pings Bass]

Derek Smalls

 

[Artman]

Yep. It all depends. For example IMO to be "complete" you have to be great with pickstyle along with everything else (I mean, listen to the history of bass guitar in popular music...). But Lee Sklar admittedly doesn't play pickstyle--he says he's not the guy for that. Yet look at his career....

Exactly, and Leland is the most recorded living electric bass player.

 

[Passinwind]

Then back to Stanley. I stand corrected

To me that’s kind of a hard call, as Holland was a pioneer in the Newgrass movement and as you say maybe a more interesting outside player, both of which have a lot of appeal to me. I’ve also never seen him play BG in person, so I’m open minded about your suggestion.

 

[Sean150]

Most of the household names. So I’ll go with my favourite who is often overlooked in this context…

Flea

 

[Paul New]

Darryl can do all that stuff.

 

[Paul New]

Pino does not read music.
It has not held back his career in the slightest.

We don’t really know that. We do know that there is huge demand for what he brings.

 

[SunByrne]

Originally upright classical, studio work with just about everyone, rock, prog, jazz, pop, etc. etc. Can compose, improvise, slap, play with restraint or take the spotlight, just does it all. Also a legend on Chapman Stick and a tremendous photographer. Insightful and humble in interviews and always, ALWAYS makes the band the priority.

Tony Levin.