I agree with the OP's choice. I think they are the four top choices for the greatest influence on modern bass playing. I do think that Bernard Edwards deserves an honorable mention though and I haven't seen his name mentioned in this thread yet. He was hugely influential on bass playing in the 70's and beyond.
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The Four Most Influential Bassists?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
In what ways? Although they were partners and Nile Rodgers would give him all the credit I always thought it was Rodgers' guitar work which was the distinctive and unique factor in their sound.
I thought I had mentioned him, but I see I did not. as you can see from my avatar, Bernard Edwards is my personal favorite.
1st 4 that popped into my mind were
Jaco
Stanley
James
Paul
That's as a whole.
Most influential personally would be
Les
Stanley
Victor
Marcus/Jaco
Oh and cant forget my king crimson buddy, Tony.
So great you know em all by their 1st name
Jaco
Stanley
James
Paul
That's as a whole.
Most influential personally would be
Les
Stanley
Victor
Marcus/Jaco
Oh and cant forget my king crimson buddy, Tony.
So great you know em all by their 1st name
Most influential to whom? Other bass players? The Public? Other musicians? Songwriter/singers? There are so many angles on the thing.
What bassists introduced/mastered the most used techniques?
Whom do you hear other bass players copying most often?
What bassist wrote the most tunes that influenced the art form?
Whose basslines get played the most?
Who is the most covered bassist/basslines?
You are going to come up with different answers for each look.
BTW, no one has mentioned Willie Dixon, unless I missed it. I know he played upright; but, he wrote so many important tunes.
I agree with many of the names already mentioned. I bet there are many more as well.
What bassists introduced/mastered the most used techniques?
Whom do you hear other bass players copying most often?
What bassist wrote the most tunes that influenced the art form?
Whose basslines get played the most?
Who is the most covered bassist/basslines?
You are going to come up with different answers for each look.
BTW, no one has mentioned Willie Dixon, unless I missed it. I know he played upright; but, he wrote so many important tunes.
I agree with many of the names already mentioned. I bet there are many more as well.
There have been a few, you missed them. The. OP. Then stated he was especially interested in bass guitarist
Influenced other people/redefined the instrument? You could define it by musical styles I guess:
Rock/Rock n roll/pop rock - Paul Maccartney
Jazz - Jaco Pastorius
Heavy Metal - Geezer Butler
Pop - Duck Dunn/Jamerson/Carole Kay
Funk Rock - Flea
Funk - Verdine White/Bootsy
etc etc etc
You could probably infer that this or that bassist influenced this or that genre because of their masterful playing IMHO; Although by saying influence you could also mean that on a personal level - that bassist which made you play the bass or that bassist who you emulate;
Rock/Rock n roll/pop rock - Paul Maccartney
Jazz - Jaco Pastorius
Heavy Metal - Geezer Butler
Pop - Duck Dunn/Jamerson/Carole Kay
Funk Rock - Flea
Funk - Verdine White/Bootsy
etc etc etc
You could probably infer that this or that bassist influenced this or that genre because of their masterful playing IMHO; Although by saying influence you could also mean that on a personal level - that bassist which made you play the bass or that bassist who you emulate;
Stick_Player
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- Nov 13, 2009
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This is perhaps the funniest thing I have ever read!
Jamerson isn't even in the same league as McCartney.
Jamerson played bass (brilliantly).
McCartney, among other amazing musical contributions, ALSO played bass (brilliantly).
I disagree...Edwards' bass was very distinctive & way upfront.
You'll hear/read about bassists that cite Edwards as an influence (e.g. John Taylor)...& you'll hear/read about bassists that cite John Taylor as an influence.
That said, both formed a great team (along with Tony Thompson).
Oh jeez, I cannot beleive I forgot Pino!
Defineately he should be somewhere on this list!
His fretless work and behind the beat funk with D'Angelo has been influential.
I hadda go back for a refresh & look at Doc's original post...
I see Graham is there because he "invented slap".
I recall a Chuck Rainey interview in a '70s Guitar Player mag (Merle Travis is on the cover...pick it up on EBay)-
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=Guitar+Player+Magazine+Merle+Travis
Rainey mentions Monk Montgomery as the 1st EB slapper; Monk was also an URBassist & no doubt was familiar with Slam Stewart, Milt Hinton, et al & incorporated slap into his EB playing. IIRC, Rainey does go on to say Graham & Louis Johnson, working independently of one another, developed slap for modern electric bass (Anthony Jackson may have said someything similar in an '80s issue of Guitar Player/Robert Fripp is on the cover; The AJ article/interview is excellent & should be the standard for Bass Player magazine's articles.). Pick this one up, too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GUITAR-PLAY...-RONNIE-EARL-RARE-/280695813679#ht_2498wt_684
Anyway, I'm rambling...so Entwistle for Rock? I don't disagree, although-
I'm a product of that time & I would say Jack Bruce was always mentioned...John Paul Jones, too...McCartney, yes (if you knew he was The Beatles' bassist).
In the aforemnetioned Anthony Jackson interview, AJ sez Jack Bruce was not an influence...but Jack Cassidy (Jeffereson Airplabne) was.
I see Graham is there because he "invented slap".
I recall a Chuck Rainey interview in a '70s Guitar Player mag (Merle Travis is on the cover...pick it up on EBay)-
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=Guitar+Player+Magazine+Merle+Travis
Rainey mentions Monk Montgomery as the 1st EB slapper; Monk was also an URBassist & no doubt was familiar with Slam Stewart, Milt Hinton, et al & incorporated slap into his EB playing. IIRC, Rainey does go on to say Graham & Louis Johnson, working independently of one another, developed slap for modern electric bass (Anthony Jackson may have said someything similar in an '80s issue of Guitar Player/Robert Fripp is on the cover; The AJ article/interview is excellent & should be the standard for Bass Player magazine's articles.). Pick this one up, too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GUITAR-PLAY...-RONNIE-EARL-RARE-/280695813679#ht_2498wt_684
Anyway, I'm rambling...so Entwistle for Rock? I don't disagree, although-
I'm a product of that time & I would say Jack Bruce was always mentioned...John Paul Jones, too...McCartney, yes (if you knew he was The Beatles' bassist).
In the aforemnetioned Anthony Jackson interview, AJ sez Jack Bruce was not an influence...but Jack Cassidy (Jeffereson Airplabne) was.
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Jamserson
Entwhistle
Graham
Jaco
It's hard to leave Chris Squire out of the list for the sheer fact he was one of the first to do really complex things on bass in rock.
Entwhistle
Graham
Jaco
It's hard to leave Chris Squire out of the list for the sheer fact he was one of the first to do really complex things on bass in rock.
I hadda go back for a refresh & look at Doc's original post...
I see Graham is there because he "invented slap".
I recall a Chuck Rainey interview in a '70s Guitar Player mag (Merle Travis is on the cover...pick it up on EBay)-
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_kw=Guitar+Player+Magazine+Merle+Travis
Rainey mentions Monk Montgomery as the 1st EB slapper; Monk was also an URBassist & no doubt was familiar with Slam Stewart, Milt Hinton, et al & incorporated slap into his EB playing. IIRC, Rainey does go on to say Graham & Louis Johnson, working independently of one another, developed slap for modern electric bass (Anthony Jackson may have said someything similar in an '80s issue of Guitar Player/Robert Fripp is on the cover; The AJ article/interview is excellent & should be the standard for Bass Player magazine's articles.). Pick this one up, too.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GUITAR-PLAY...-RONNIE-EARL-RARE-/280695813679#ht_2498wt_684
Anyway, I'm rambling...so Entwistle for Rock? I don't disagree, although-
I'm a product of that time & I would say Jack Bruce was always mentioned...John Paul Jones, too...McCartney, yes (if you knew he was The Beatles' bassist).
In the aforemnetioned Anthony Jackson interview, AJ sez Jack Bruce was not an influence...but Jack Cassidy (Jeffereson Airplabne) was.
I think there was a little "haterism" among Graham's contemporaries. Graham is eight years older than Johnson and he had slapped on a #1 record seven years before the Brothers Johnson released an album. I would like to hear a recording of Monk Montgomery slapping or plucking so I would know if what he did sounded anything like Graham.
I am in my fifties, but I was very much a funk guy. The first rock bassist I really loved was Chris Squire.
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