Top 10 Bass instrumental records?

[noahw1]

Lots of great selections on here already.
Mark Egan's "truth be told" I listened to a lot. He's a great player and Vinnie Colaiuta is incredible on it.
A lot of Hiromi albums have exceptional bass work. Her trio with Anthony Jackson and Simon Phillips is incredible. Her new project with Hadrien Feraud on bass Is awesome too. I'll be seeing them in May.
Blake Mills with Pino is good stuff too.

 

[Mastiff_5]

The Omnific. 2 bassists, 1 drummer

No vocals.

My favorite album?

Kismet.

Do yourself a favor, check these Aussie boys out.

 

[noahw1]

Michel Camino "Rendezvous - Live" with Anthony Jackson and Dave Weckl is mind blowing. Ridiculous playing throughout.

 

[noahw1]

Has anyone mentioned Tribal Tech with Gary Willis?

 

[konaaayukeeenee]

Moto Fukushima-Songs Belong To The Night (2023) is a more recent one worth checking out.

Wish he'd release more often, he seems to be sitting on a lot of really nice unreleased material.

 

[MrAB4003]

I hate to do a shameless plug for this thread, but my second and third albums qualify here.

Disclaimer: No guitars were harmed in the making of these albums. I played all the "guitar" parts on piccolo bass.

However, my fourth album (called Messages From the Past) has lots of guitar and I will be releasing it next Friday.

 

[Sweeps]

+1 for Live At Leeds but much better to listen to the left channel rather than the AI isolated bass. Doesn't have the effect of John's tone. Also Im So Glad on Goodbye Cream Jack Bruce's bass in the right channel. After they finish the hook of the song off they go for a good 7 minutes

Jaco Pastorius first album . Wow listened to this the other day the first track Donna Lee jaw dropping you have to have decent speakers

 

[JazznFunk]

Jaco Pastorius first album . Wow listened to this the other day the first track Donna Lee jaw dropping you have to have decent speakers

I have an original issue of Jaco's album on vinyl that is in remarkably good shape. It's even better on vinyl on a good system!

 

[winegamd]

Everything Jaco.

Gary Willis "Bent"

All of Mathew Garrisons albums are worth owning (Matthew Garrison, Shapeshifter, 12 Months).

Jeff Berlin "Crossroads".

Brian Bromberg "Brian Bromberg".

Evan Marien's records are great, even his old stuff. His EMAR albums and two newest ones are notably good.

Yves Carbonne's two solo albums are fantastic.

I don't think you can consider yourself a bass player if you don't own Victor's "A Show Of Hands".

Janet Gwizgala "American Elm"

Michael Manring "Drastic Measures", "Thonk", "Book of Flame", and "Soliloquy"

Roberto Badoglio "Re-Evaluation Time"

Ray Riendeau "Atmoshperes"

Bubby Lewis "Hero Dynasty"

Jonas Hellborg "The Silent Life"

Stanley Clarke "Stanley Clarke", "Journey to Love", "School Days", "Modern Man", and "I Wanna Play for You"

Hadrien Feraud "Born in the 80's"

Even though they're not bass solo records, the Bass Extremes albums and Lincoln Goines "The Art of the Bass Choir" should be in the collection.

 

[Passinwind]

David Friesen features on many great albums. I'm especially fond of his work with guitarist Uwe Kropinski after seeing an insanely memorable duo show in Portland many years ago.





In a somewhat similar vein, my other favorite EUB player:

 

[jbl71004]

Wish he'd release more often, he seems to be sitting on a lot of really nice unreleased material.

For sure. I'm sure you've checked it out, but his stuff with House Of Waters is incredible as well.

 

[ajkula66]

Mark King



Jonas Hellborg



Carles Benavent

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

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

Pretty much ANY Michael Manring solo album.

 

[White Beard]

These aren't all instrumental albums, but they do all feature bass (and it's weird variations) in positions of prominence throughout. I will also second the solo discography of Mike Watt. Learning to play Contemplating the Engine Room when it came out by ear when I was 19 transformed me as a human being... mostly my aural awareness. Watt has a very chord tone approach to bass lines that makes you hear the chord in the bassline. Anywho...

Ron Carter - Blues Farm
John Paul Jones - Zooma
Charles Mingus - Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus (he's a beast on that one)
Violent Femmes - Violent Femmes
Death From Above, 1979 - You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
Morphine - Cure For Pain

 

[TrevorR]

I'd suggest three fabulous instrumental albums… Dear Friends by Abraham Laboriel (funky, jazzy and groovy), Bel Assis by the late British session player, Mo Foster - beautiful lyrical, mellow fretless playing and anything by Solo Bass guru, Steve Lawson. My personal fave is Grace and Gratitude.

 

[Gigibass]

This is great folks! Keep it going. I have already food for my ears to long by 2026. Here is the results by now:

Summary (brief)
This is an English translation of the compiled list of bass-focused albums, artists, and related mentions, sorted by frequency of mentions. Counts are shown in parentheses.

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1) Albums / releases (sorted by frequency)


3 mentions

• Jaco Pastorius – Jaco Pastorius (3)
• Victor Wooten – A Show of Hands (3)

2 mentions

• Marcus Miller – The Sun Don't Lie (2)
• Michael Manring – Soliloquy (2)
• Moto Fukushima – Songs Belong To The Night (2023) (2)

1 mention

• Abraham Laboriel – Dear Friends (1)
• Bangladeafy – This Is Your Brain on Bugs (1)
• Bill Frisell & Thomas Morgan – Valentine (1)
• Björn Meyer – Convergence (1)
• Brian Bromberg – Basses Loaded (1)
• Brian Bromberg – Brian Bromberg (1)
• Bright Size Life – Bright Size Life (1)
• Bubby Lewis – Hero Dynasty (1)
• Charles Mingus – Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus, Mingus (1)
• Charlie Haden & Pat Metheny – Beyond The Missouri Sky (1)
• Darren Micheals – Cumulo (1)
• Dave Holland – Emerald Tears (1)
• Eddie Gomez – A Simple Matter of Conviction (1)
• Eddie Gomez & Jeremy Steig – Outlaws (1)
• Gary Peacock – Snow Dance (1)
• Gary Willis – Bent (1)
• Hadrien Feraud – Born in the 80's (1)
• Janek Gwizdala – American Elm (1)
• Jean Baudin – Solace (1)
• Jeff Berlin – Crossroads (1)
• John Patitucci – Heart of the Bass (1)
• John Patitucci – Imprint (1)
• John Patitucci – John Patitucci (1)
• John Patitucci – Now (1)
• John Patitucci – Sketchbook (1)
• John Paul Jones – Zooma (1)
• Jonas Hellborg – The Silent Life (1)
• Julia Hofer & David Helbock – Faces of Night (1)
• Kenny Barron & Dave Holland – The Art of Conversation (1)
• Larry Grenadier – The Gleaners (1)
• Lincoln Goines – The Art of the Bass Choir (1)
• Marcus Miller – Renaissance (1)
• Mark Egan – Truth Be Told (1)
• Matthew Garrison – Matthew Garrison (1)
• Michael Manring – Book of Flame (1)
• Michael Manring – Drastic Measures (1)
• Michael Manring – Thonk (1)
• Michel Camilo – Rendezvous – Live (1)
• Mike Watt – Contemplating the Engine Room (1)
• Miroslav Vitous – Mountain in the Clouds (1)
• Miroslav Vitous – Mysterious Traveller (1)
• Mo Foster – Bel Assis (1)
• Monk Montgomery – Bass Odyssey (1971) (1)
• Oteil & The Peacemakers – Love Of A Lifetime (1)
• Ray Riendeau – Atmospheres (1)
• Rich Brown – Nyaeba (1)
• Rob Wasserman – Duets (1)
• Rob Wasserman – Solo (1)
• Rob Wasserman – Trios (1)
• Roberto Badoglio – Re‑Evaluation Time (1)
• Ron Carter – Blues Farm (1)
• Sandor Szabo & Michael Manring – Asymmetry (1)
• Sandor Szabo & Michael Manring – Inner Smile (1)
• SMV – Thunder (1)
• Stanley Clarke – I Wanna Play for You (1)
• Stanley Clarke – Journey to Love (1)
• Stanley Clarke – Modern Man (1)
• Stanley Clarke – School Days (1)
• Steve Bailey – Carolina (1)
• Steve Lawson – Grace and Gratitude (1)
• Stu Hamm – Diary of Patrick Xavier (1)
• Stu Hamm – Kings of Sleep (1)
• Stu Hamm – Radio Free Albemuth (1)
• The Omnific – Kismet (1)
• Trip Wamsley – Curve (1)
• Victor Bailey – Low Blow (1)
• Zander Zon – Sonorous (1)

---

2) Artists / projects mentioned without a specific album

• Stanley Clarke (2)
• Alain Caron (1)
• Anthony Jackson (1)
• Barr Phillips (1)
• Bass Extremes (1)
• Blake Mills (1)
• Brand X (1)
• Carles Benavent (1)
• Carlos Bica (1)
• Charlie Haden (duets) (1)
• Damian Coccio (1)
• Dave Holland (solo) (1)
• David Friesen (1)
• Dianogah (1)
• Dos (1)
• Dumpstafunk (1)
• Evan Marien (EMAR + later albums) (1)
• Evan Marien (EMAR) (1)
• Gentle Giant (1)
• Glen Moore (1)
• Hiromi (1)
• Hiromi Trio (1)
• House of Waters (1)
• Jonathan Moody (1)
• Kiyoshi (1)
• Les Claypool Duo De Twang (1)
• Mark King (1)
• Matthew Garrison (1)
• Michael Manring (1)
• Mike Watt (solo discography) (1)
• Ned's Atomic Dustbin (1)
• Ray Brown (1)
• Rothko (1)
• Stu Hamm (1)
• Theo Pascal (1)
• Tribal Tech (1)
• Yves Carbonne (1)

---

3) Non‑instrumental but bass‑heavy albums (explicitly mentioned)

• Death From Above 1979 – You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (1)
• Morphine – Cure for Pain (1)
• Violent Femmes – Violent Femmes (1)

---
4) Individual tracks (not albums)

• David Essex – Rock On (1)
• Lou Reed – Walk on the Wild Side (1)
• Queen – Another One Bites the Dust (1)

 

[antfarm]

For Willie Weeks' bass solo:

 

[5StringBlues]

I bought this at a record show in the mid 80s for the cover.


Not sure if l ever listened to it tho.

 

[antfarm]

I bought this at a record show in the mid 80s for the cover.


Not sure if l ever listened to it tho.

I thought for a while that my copy was damaged, but it was just the fuzz bass piece.

 

[bucephylus]

For unknown reasons, the studio album never made YT; but, here is the live performance: