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Prominent country bassists?

#21
Jimmie Lee Sloas is one of my favorite bassists... if you listen to the bass on all of the Carrie Underwood CDs he constantly comes up with great lines and has a great tone, which comes through well when it's not buried and compressed with everything else. The heavy-handed production on the last couple of her CDs really has buried Jimmy more. He was really prominent on the very first disc.

Anyway... 'country' bass today means a lot more than I-V over and over... and doing that well is hard for some bassists, believe it or not! There are some great players in my neck of the woods who don't want to sub on country gigs because they're not comfortable playing the style.... just like I wouldn't step into a metal band to sub. haha.
 
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#25
#26
kesh said:
Going dum dum-dum, dum dum-dum all day long doesn't much make for prominence.
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I'd VERY MUCH rather not play country music. Even the newer stuff that's out. I absolutely cannot stand the generic-assed lyrics in the songs. I mean, who the hell cares about somebody ridin' down the road in their friggin' truck?:rollno: Not me.
Another thing that I don't really respect is it seems the majority of the artists don't even write their own songs. At least that's the way it was in the late 90's-2000's.

But, as far as country bassist with no prominence in the music biz? You need to check out Dave Pomeroy's skills, AND his bank account. Now that's a player that gets big respect from big guns like Vic Wooten, Steve Bailey, to name just a few. The guy can play.
 
#30
I'm def not a fan of country, but it seems to bring home the bacon here in Texas. I might find a country outfit just so I don't have to get a part time job while I'm in school.

I hate modern country because it focuses almost exclusively on one person like cheesy pop, but I do think in that situation, it plays hard on a bass player raised on rock to slow down and make the group and more importantly the frontman look good without drawing attention to themselves.

I imagine that involves a EQ and playing style change guys with stainless steel rounds and cranked mids aren't ready for.
 
#31
lowfreq33 said:
Michael Rhodes, Dave Pomeroy, Tully Kennedy, Steve Swallow, Bob Babbitt (also very important in Motown, passed away just the other day). Waylon Jennings started out as a bass player.
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I recently saw a quote from Bob Babbitt (in his obituary) where he said that he was on the road too much and he could never get work in Nashville--even though his home was there. He said that producers wouldn't return his calls.
 
#32
Has there been a frontman/singer that played bass and made it big in the country scene? (Other then those listed by Roy Vogt who switched.)[/QUOTE]

Doug Phelps is now singing lead and playing bass in the Kentucky Headhunters. Their lineup has changed a few times, with Doug playing bass, then out for awhile, then back on lead vox and rhythm git. Don't know if they really qualify as "country" anymore, but I still love 'em nonetheless.
 
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#34
I try and do my best to come up with lines that support the lyric first and then the track. I try to find space to add melodic hooks when it's right..
If that means playing simple then so be it.. I grew up listening to Tom petty and bands like U2 . That's where my approach comes from. Everybody has their own style .. It's a fingerprint..
Sometimes going "dum dum dum" just feels right.
 
#38
Tullykennedy said:
I try and do my best to come up with lines that support the lyric first and then the track. I try to find space to add melodic hooks when it's right..
If that means playing simple then so be it.. I grew up listening to Tom petty and bands like U2 . That's where my approach comes from. Everybody has their own style .. It's a fingerprint..
Sometimes going "dum dum dum" just feels right.
Click to expand...

I don't think any bassist with an ear can criticize your work. I have to play your parts pretty often, and I can honestly say you're one of the most creative bassists working in country music right now. I mainly hear a strong Jamerson influence, but there's a bit of an "outside" twist that I can't put my finger on. Lots of rhythmic displacement and syncopation, as well as playing straight rhythms against syncopated drum parts. I love how straight you play it in Fly Over States. Very Ron Blair of you come to think of it.
 

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