The second time I saw Joni was when she was touring that album.
(First time was the Shadows and Light tour; pretty crack band, too 
).
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Recomend me Fretless Players
- Thread starter KidAmnesia
- Start date
(First time was the Shadows and Light tour; pretty crack band, too ).
My favorites and electric fretless inspirations are:
Percy Jones
Mick Karn
Alphonso Johnson
Ralphe Armstrong
Mark Egan
Michael Manring
Percy Jones
Mick Karn
Alphonso Johnson
Ralphe Armstrong
Mark Egan
Michael Manring
Reiterating:
Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel)
Pino Palladino (Gary Numan, Paul Young, Don Henley)
Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder)
Adding:
Jaco (Joni Mitchell albums)
Tony Levin (Peter Gabriel)
Pino Palladino (Gary Numan, Paul Young, Don Henley)
Tony Franklin (The Firm, Blue Murder)
Adding:
Jaco (Joni Mitchell albums)
Fernando Saunders is why I play fretless. Lots of other good ones though.
FullumMusic
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A few people already mentioned Tony Franklin... He actually has his own YouTube channel Tony Franklin the Fretless Monster where he talks about fretless techniques and plays tunes and such.
So many by the great Colin Moulding of XTC. A few examples:
Me and the Wind
Earn Enough for Us - (what a perfect bass song this is)
English Roundabout
Melt the Guns
Blue Overall
Senses Working Overtime
All of a Sudden (It's too Late)
Me and the Wind
Earn Enough for Us - (what a perfect bass song this is)
English Roundabout
Melt the Guns
Blue Overall
Senses Working Overtime
All of a Sudden (It's too Late)
This really is the best place to start for the OP.
My absolute favorite fretless player is Bakithi Kumalo. Just listen to Paul Simon's Graceland and you will see why.
Pino's stuff with Go West is also excellent
My favorite and who I try to sound like is Boz Burrel mostly known for his work with Bad Company. Lots of great mentions in this thread but that's my personal taste.
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Can’t believe it took nearly 2 pages before his name came up.
Thank you guys! I have a few names I didn't know to check out and some I knew but had forgotten or hadn't linked with fretless playing.
Sting, Danko and the Gabriel side of Tony Levin are the kind of players I'm looking for. I should have specified "rock/pop band context" and better if it's on the softer side of rock; music mainly focused on the vocals. Prog metal and fusion are a bit outside my scope right now.
Sting, Danko and the Gabriel side of Tony Levin are the kind of players I'm looking for. I should have specified "rock/pop band context" and better if it's on the softer side of rock; music mainly focused on the vocals. Prog metal and fusion are a bit outside my scope right now.
It was Alphonso Johnson that got me into playing fretless before that other guy made the scene. I had been a Weather Report junky from the start through all the iterations.
Jack Bruce and Ray Brown actually opened the door to the upright for me.
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Patrick O'Hearn.
A Zappa alumnus as well as Missing Persons.
He has quite a solo repertoire.
A Zappa alumnus as well as Missing Persons.
He has quite a solo repertoire.
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Pretty much everyone I thought of has already been mentioned, so I'll just echo some of the ones who don't normally get as much attention: Fernando Saunders, Steve Di Giorgio, Jeff Ament.
Not sure if his style can be called simple but Carles Benavent deserves a mention. His work with Paco de Lucia is amazing. One of my all time favorites.
Fernando Saunders with Lou Reed and David J with Bauhaus.
