Top P bass players. All time.

[DRay521]

Absolutely. No problem sight reading and nailing in 1 take. lol

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Hahaha!

What makes his playing so special is not only the syncopations, the chromaticism, and the lyrical quality of his lines, but the WAY he played them. His pocket was unbelievable. Even if we can play the lines, to get that deep of a pocket and groove takes a lot of work. It took me years to understand the complexity. That fine line between overplaying and serving the song in an interesting way is something Jamerson totally nailed consistently for years. And having started doing session work, it's a skill I really respect more and more.

 

[Frety_Kruger]

That's the funniest thing I will have heard all day! Thanks!

Hey I'm just saying from my playing ability. I mean would you put Jamersons playing ability up there with Jaco. The only thing I was give him alot of credit. Is supposedly he played with a really high action so that's impressive in itself but as far as his basslines. I've learned alot of them. They are not that technical in my opinion of course. Cheers.

 

[Ellery]

Alex Webster used a Fender P on Cannibal Corpse's debut Eaten Back To Life. So he's my pick!

 

[Hounddog409]

I know most of us when we think of the greatest jazz bass players of all time we think of
1. JACO
2.Geddy
3.John Paul Jones
4 .Marcus Miller
Ect (just my list anyway)

But if you had to pick a list of the top 4 Pbass players ever across all genres who
Who would you put in your top 4

Here is my list. (No rude comments please Santa is watching)
.1 Steve Harris
.2 James Jamerson
.3 Pino Palladino
.4 Duff McKagen

Feel free to dispute my lists.

Cheers!!

Um, I would think most dont think of it this in this manner.
It hints that they could only play one type of bass, which is absurd.

Ask 1000 people who geddy is. Doubt any will reply with "he's a Jazz bass player".

I mean everyone listed played more than 1 bass.

 

[son_of_mogh]

Geezer, John Wetton, Entwistle...

+1

 

[Frety_Kruger]

Alex Webster used a Fender P on Cannibal Corpse's debut Eaten Back To Life. So he's my pick!

Alex Webster is known for playing spector for like 15 years now. I wouldn't out him up there with p players. But that's me. Love Cannibal though.

 

[The Deep]

 

[ElMon]

Hey I'm just saying from my playing ability. I mean would you put Jamersons playing ability up there with Jaco. The only thing I was give him alot of credit. Is supposedly he played with a really high action so that's impressive in itself but as far as his basslines. I've learned alot of them. They are not that technical in my opinion of course. Cheers.

As respectfully as I can put this, that's an absurd take on Jamerson. Yes, that's my Jamerson-fanboy bias showing, but there ya go.

Please submit you're 'What's Going On' album play-along where you nail his feel/articulation. First 3 tracks in particular are highly-technical/innovative. Were some of Jamerson's basslines simplistic? A few. But I just can't believe what I just read above. When someone bounces all over the chord in their note choices, with the type of chromatic passing tones you hear in jazz be considered technical?

I certainly think so.

Like you said, in your opinion and all, but wow.

Jamerson is absolutely on the level of Jaco, not just in technical ability but in that they changed the approach to the instrument for all time.

Jamerson/Willie Weeks/Chuck Rainey/Duck Dunn/Ronnie Baker/Paul Simenon/Rocco Prestia were my P-influences. Not to mention all the times I was 6-string, 'modern' instruments with fancy tops and even-fancier EQ, only to hear a guy/gal locally just crushing it tonally on a 4-banger P-bass.

 

[Ellery]

Alex Webster is known for playing spector for like 15 years now. I wouldn't out him up there with p players. But that's me. Love Cannibal though.

Many early albums I just loved the bass sound and assumed they were all recorded with a Spector, turns out he was using an Ibanez. But yeah, he's the one who turned me on to Spector for sure.

 

[ThudThudThud]

Roger Waters and Jean Jacques Burnel had similar taste in basses.

 

[evil b]

Some great choices here but I would like to add Mike Mills from REM

 

[FirewalZ]

Better yet...what about a public Spotify playlist of the top P bass tracks?

 

[Barry Vestal]

Don't know if he's been mentioned but Bert Ruiter from Focus played a pbass primarily and he is one of my all time favorites.... fantastic player

 

[Frety_Kruger]

VERY simple? Wow. I'll just leave it here; no further argument.

In its special issue "The 100 Greatest Bass Players" in 2017, Bass Player magazine ranked Jamerson number one and the most influential bass guitarist. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Jamerson number one in its list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time.

I don't disagree that he was a very influential player. But so was kurt cobain. You wouldn't say he was the greatest guitar player ever though right ? I love jamerson don't get me wrong it wasn't meant as a jab at him.

 

[beatlebass64]

I don't think we could put anyone above Jamerson. His influence on popular music is unmatched by any bass player.

 

[deernaes]

Damn how did I forget Geezer

You just said you were talking about those that playes a P across their career...

 

[beatlebass64]

Lets not get out of hand. Most of what Jamerson played was very simple.

I sure hope this is a joke...

Jamerson's bass playing had a lot of complexities, and his lines were largely improvised as the songwriters would only write out a portion of the bass part before letting him just take over.

 

[Turn Em Loose]

Tommy Cogbill

Thank you!

Also, David Hood played a jazz, IIRC. Always had both volumes 100% and the tone all the way up. Again, IIRC.

 

[Frety_Kruger]

Not to pile on, but if Jamerson's playing was simple, what is considered complex?

This was just my opinion and I respect yours completely. But your telling me james jamerson is a better player than this guy. Watch from 2:30 on.

 

[Frety_Kruger]

You just said you were talking about those that playes a P across their View attachment 4092764 View attachment 4092765 View attachment 4092766 View attachment 4092767 career...

If im being honest I only ever saw geezer playing fender and lakland you learn something new everyday. Only other bass I ever saw him with was a bc rich. So yea I wouldn't count him on my list personally