Top 10 Bass instrumental records?

[Gigibass]

Hello Forum - Im want to expand my record collection. And I want to focus on the bass. So what is the best 10 (or 20?) best solo bass records?
The complete albums. Not just a tune or two.
Yes “Jaco Pastorius” by Jaco is one of them, but what about the rest? Is “Basses Loaded” by Brian Blomberg one of them? What about Patitucci’s “John Patitucci” or “Sketchbook”? ..or Marcus Miller’s “The Sun Don’t Lie” …or is he’s greatest work with Miles? (Controversial?)
Any thoughts? I want to be inspired

 

[JonathanPDX]

If you're talking about truly solo bass records, meaning a bass guitar with nothing else, then Victor Wooten's A Show Of Hands has to be on the list, and Michael Manring has a wide range of fantastic solo bass material.

If you're talking about bassists leading the band and arranging songs around the bass, that opens up a lot more possibilities. But, where is the line? Do bands that have prominent bass players with songs written around the bass part, like Primus, count? What about Rush? Or does it have to be an instrumentalist, like Marcus Miller?

Hard to make suggestions without a clear idea of what the question is.

 

[Fondsdale]

Since Jaco's album has other instruments, I think they mean something with '"lead bass".

Personally I can't help since most of the fusion or jazz I listen to would have "lead everything" in it, rather than being bass focused.

 

[Gigibass]

If you're talking about truly solo bass records, meaning a bass guitar with nothing else, then Victor Wooten's A Show Of Hands has to be on the list, and Michael Manring has a wide range of fantastic solo bass material.

If you're talking about bassists leading the band and arranging songs around the bass, that opens up a lot more possibilities. But, where is the line? Do bands that have prominent bass players with songs written around the bass part, like Primus, count? What about Rush? Or does it have to be an instrumentalist, like Marcus Miller?

Hard to make suggestions without a clear idea of what the question is.

That’s a good question. I went a little open on the question, but I think the more narrow and nerdy “solo” artist/ records is the more interesting. If not it will span from Motörhead via Rush to Sting.
I think I more looking for the bass compositions done by bassist and recorded by bassist is some recordings gone under my radar?

 

[Gigibass]

Since Jaco's album has other instruments, I think they mean something with '"lead bass".

Personally I can't help since most of the fusion or jazz I listen to would have "lead everything" in it, rather than being bass focused.

Don’t make this to difficult of course there will be other instruments, others solo performances, but the point where to look for the bass artists/ bass composer recordings.
I thought it would be fun to sort out the recordings of the big ones like Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Marcus Millers of the Bassiverse …but could it be something obscure (from the 80’s?) that not have got the deserved recognition?

 

[woodyng2]

Generally speaking, anything by Stu Hamm.
Fish out of water is pretty bass-centric, too. I’ve been revisiting a lot of Gentle Giant recently for Ray Shulman’s jaw dropping ensemble work.
Edit-with the exception of Hamm, I realize the other 2 are with vocal bands. Just with really strong instrumental backing.

 

[Gigibass]

Generally speaking, anything by Stu Hamm.
Fish out of water is pretty bass-centric, too. I’ve been revisiting a lot of Gentle Giant recently for Ray Shulman’s jaw dropping ensemble work.

There you go! Ray Schulman is an unknown name for me. Do you have any recommendations as starting point?

 

[ardgedee]

I'd put Brand X's albums on your list... The bassist (Percy Jones) is prominent in the mix and leads many numbers even though it's not his band alone.

 

[Five or Six]

Don't limit yourself to just newer music! There are bands and bass players from the 70s on up, and through hair band music, that have some "well heard" and executed bass work.

 

[ardgedee]

Don't limit yourself to just newer music!

I don't think we're in any danger of that... So far the most recent recording named in this thread is over 30 years old.

 

[Five or Six]

I get that. My point being is don't tie yourself down to only a couple of well known's. There are many from years past. Uria Heep, Widespread Panic to name a couple. Dig into 3 Dog Night. Mix it up, there is a bunch of good bass there being played by not so famous bass players.

 

[klyph]

There’s been some threads on the db side about jazz recordings with some great bass-led work recently. One of them was about Miroslav Vitous, who was the first bassist for Weather Report, and his album “Mysterious Traveller “, which was reissued as “Mountain in the Clouds”. Incredible playing, well worth trying to emulate on electric.

Then there’s Eddie Gomez, who’s name doesn’t get mentioned nearly enough here. Obviously, any of his work with Bill Evans is excellent, “A simple Matter of Conviction “ is highly recommended. My personal fave is the live “Outlaws” duo record he released with Jeremy Steig in 1976.

 

[Number179]

Mike Watt is a band man, but I think his Contemplating The Engine Room is worth being familiar with. I don’t think that’s exactly what you were looking for, and isn’t flashy. But it’s a bass man, recording his songs and stories with other instruments.

 

[Dincrest]

+1 on Victor Wooten's A Show of Hands. That's the first one I thought of.

And check out the work of Damian Coccio. He achieves some lovely and ethereal sonic textures with 6-string fretted and fretless basses: Damian Coccio

Evan Marien's sonic textures might be too modern for some, but his stuff is pretty creative: Evan Marien (EMAR)

I like Jonathan Moody's work (he used to work for GHS and was always a wealth of information when he was on TB):

And I used to love this bassist and drummer duo Bangladeafy. The first 3 or 4 albums use bass guitar, but since then the bassist has been using a synthesizer type thing in lieu of a bass. My old punk band played a show with Bangladeafy in 2011 and they blew my mind. This is Your Brain on Bugs has the songs I remember most from them, particularly "Carsick."

 

[MCS4]

Manring's "Soliloquy" is by far my favorite. Zander Zon's first album, "Sonorous," is great too, as is Jean Baudin's "Solace."

 

[bassdude51]

Don't limit yourself to just newer music! There are bands and bass players from the 70s on up, and through hair band music, that have some "well heard" and executed bass work.

Agree!

The Who..........LIVE AT LEEDS. Insane bass work by John Entwistle. I can't remember if he is in the right or left channel but we can turn the one channel off and pretty much just hear John and Keith the drummer. Jaw dropping bass work.

As the for the other 9 bass albums. ????????????

Oh WOW! YouTube has John's isolated bass lines for the whole album........about 57 mins.

 

[blacktocomm]

 

[Wood and Wire]

Early Rothko releases were just 3 basses, nothing else, making interesting instrumental, and ambient music (later released included keyboards and vocals.

Dianogah were an instrumental trio, comprised of 2 basses and a drummer.

Dos were a bass duo (Mike Watt & Kira Roessler) who's music was primarily 2 basses and vocals.

 

[bass player 53]

To complete the record (pun intended).

 

[BassChap]

Rob Wasserman, three albums: Solo, Duets and Trios.