A big factor might be that Jamerson was very free to come up with his own lines after he demonstrated his ability to come up with improvised parts that often defined, if not rewrote the tunes. He was a Jazz upright guy first. Dunn OTH often (but not always) was dictated parts by Steve Cropper. Duck was a R n B electric guy first. His lines were much more diatonic in origin than JJ's. There is a large margin in the complexity, maybe because of the differing song materials they worked with. Both were masters of their craft and art.
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The Four Most Influential Bassists?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
A big factor might be that Jamerson was very free to come up with his own lines after he demonstrated his ability to come up with improvised parts that often defined, if not rewrote the tunes. He was a Jazz upright guy first. Dunn OTH often (but not always) was dictated parts by Steve Cropper. Duck was a R n B electric guy first. His lines were much more diatonic in origin than JJ's. There is a large margin in the complexity, maybe because of the differing song materials they worked with. Both were masters of their craft and art.
People have made some great lists of overall most influential bassists. Here are my personal top 4 most influential (obviously not most influential for everybody).
1. Matt Freeman. Made me pick up a bass in the first place and was the guy I copied in the first years of my playing.
2. Steve Harris. Everything I like in a metal bass player. He follows the guitar when he should and goes off on his own to create some wonderful layering but you guys already know that haha.
3. Flea. Love his interaction with the guitar. I read that he always tries to contrast whatever the guitar is doing which I have done a lot in my own playing.
4. Jaco. One guy I'll never try to play exactly like out of sheer frustration. To me he has everything; groove, tone, and a legendary biography. A shame he never received the proper support to deal with his health.
Honourable mentions: Jack Bruce, Lemmy, Geddy, and JPJ.
1. Matt Freeman. Made me pick up a bass in the first place and was the guy I copied in the first years of my playing.
2. Steve Harris. Everything I like in a metal bass player. He follows the guitar when he should and goes off on his own to create some wonderful layering but you guys already know that haha.
3. Flea. Love his interaction with the guitar. I read that he always tries to contrast whatever the guitar is doing which I have done a lot in my own playing.
4. Jaco. One guy I'll never try to play exactly like out of sheer frustration. To me he has everything; groove, tone, and a legendary biography. A shame he never received the proper support to deal with his health.
Honourable mentions: Jack Bruce, Lemmy, Geddy, and JPJ.
Isn't popularizing is another way of saying has been influential?
In the Shalamar episode of Unsung, Jeffery Daniels who was more of a Soul train back up dancer then back up singer to Howard Hewit describe how he went to London alone while Jody Watley was pregnant and he did a dance called a "back slide" as the audiences went crazy. However when Michael Jackson did a "moon walk" on the Motown 25 special he influenced people around the world to back slide, and they called it moon walking.
In the end first does not matter most bassist, aside from Louis Johnson, accredit Larry Graham as their personal influence or if they were musically segregated perhaps Flea. But even in the case of Flea like SRV fans when they study will acknowledge Freddie King and Albert King. Larry Graham is seen as the influence for slapping and popping an electric bass.
I've been a big Duck Dunn fan since before I started playing in the 70's... The stuff Jamerson did still has folks scratching their heads.
And unable to play like him.
Nobody was doing what Graham did when he started doing it. If that's not creating, cool. I'm lucky enough that I experienced music before Jamerson and Graham. Both were gigantic shifts from the norm at the time.
Graham used two techniques to play octaves. He thumped the lower notes with the side of his thumb while pulling away from the fingerboard (popping) on the higher ones. Who was doing that before him? It was a new revelation when folks first heard him do it with Sly. Not even sure where the disconnect is.
I concede Jamerson has a greater field in influence, Doc, I am just making discussion and a contribution here. Not all of us lived through the 60's. It is important to remember.
So who are in the top 10 and didn't make it to 1/4?
That would give a clear vision on stuff? I really think Paul Mc Carthney being on 1 considdering he's a Beatle. But I guess there should be a numbers game behind it!!
That would give a clear vision on stuff? I really think Paul Mc Carthney being on 1 considdering he's a Beatle. But I guess there should be a numbers game behind it!!
Everyone one has their own influences and reasons for it. My top 5 would be:
Steve Harris
Gene Simmons
Victor Wooten
John Paul Jones
Cliff Burton
Steve Harris
Gene Simmons
Victor Wooten
John Paul Jones
Cliff Burton
If he had done what Graham did before Graham he would've made my list. Again, this a list of four most influential bassists. Most Clarke fans had probably already been influenced by Graham plus a ton of others who didn't get into Graham. His early jaw dropping work was a direct subset of Graham IMO.
That's the fun part of discussions... point of reference is key. Plus some folks are looking at this as most influential on them personally, which I don't think was the gist of this topic.
I'm looking at it as a sort of roots thing. Where someone seemingly came out of nowhere and then directly and subsequently influenced a lot of bassists. That's what my list is based on. There are bassists I personally like more but they were direct offshoots of the ones I mentioned, easily traceable back to one or more of them.
OTOH some of this is similar to younger bassists saying they didn't care for Jaco, don't consider him all that and their biggest influences are Gary Willis, Hadrien Feraud and Janek Gwizdala. No Jaco and who knows where they end up? And their fans?
That's the fun part of discussions... point of reference is key. Plus some folks are looking at this as most influential on them personally, which I don't think was the gist of this topic.
I'm looking at it as a sort of roots thing. Where someone seemingly came out of nowhere and then directly and subsequently influenced a lot of bassists. That's what my list is based on. There are bassists I personally like more but they were direct offshoots of the ones I mentioned, easily traceable back to one or more of them.
OTOH some of this is similar to younger bassists saying they didn't care for Jaco, don't consider him all that and their biggest influences are Gary Willis, Hadrien Feraud and Janek Gwizdala. No Jaco and who knows where they end up? And their fans?
I totally conur
That is exactly how I feel. Personally, Stanley Clarke was a huge influence on me, but what he did was take a rich formal music education and Jazz gigging background and apply it to slapping the bass. He would have had monster chops regardless, but he would not have had his sound without Larry Graham.
Me too. I see this thread as who laid the foundation for bass as it is today, not our personal favorites.
