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Who did the most for bass evolution ?

Who did the most for bass evolution ?

  • Jeff Berlin

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Jack Bruce

    Votes: 5 2.1%

  • Stanley Clarke

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • John Entwistle

    Votes: 20 8.2%

  • James Jamerson

    Votes: 21 8.6%

  • Sir Paul McCartney

    Votes: 18 7.4%

  • Marcus Miller

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • Jaco Pastorius

    Votes: 72 29.6%

  • Billy Sheehan

    Votes: 4 1.6%

  • Chris Squire

    Votes: 6 2.5%

  • Victor Wooten

    Votes: 8 3.3%

  • Bugs Bunny

    Votes: 8 3.3%

  • Every bass player contributes to this evolution

    Votes: 46 18.9%

  • Nobody yet reached what bass playing can give

    Votes: 3 1.2%

  • Other opinion (please specify)

    Votes: 24 9.9%
  • Total voters
    243
#21
Leo Fender

I doubt that any of those musicians would have even played bass had it not been for his invention. These were all charismatic people, and had it not been for Leo, that doghouse they called bass would have been the last thing they would have thought about playing. Yes the electric bass is just a tool, but you cant clear a forest with a pocket knife. (Does that make any sense?)

Many people would say that these bassist brought the bass (and its players) from the shadows to the spotlight. All of these great bassist to my knowledge had very strong personalities, and would not have settled for the corner, they took center stage! I dont think that there would be a legendary Jaco, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, or James Jamerson, (thats alot of J's!) without the contributions of Leo Fender and many other luthiers.

Perhaps someone else might have created the electric bass guitar, but would it have been ready for the bass gods we adore? Perhaps, Jaco or one of the other famous "low end lovers" mentioned may have decided that they needed a better way to play their double basses, and designed the electric bass themselves, but lets face it, Leo is the reason we are all part of this fantastic comunity we call TalkBass.

(!Cheering crowds and fan-fare!)

Peace
Nick

PS: anyone need a soapbox? Im done. :)
 
#22
Ooopps,
I fogot to add that If we are talking about bassist, I would have to choose John Paul Jones, Sir Paul McCartney and James Jamerson as those that had the most influence.

They have had a huge influence in the modern rock world, among the real bassist. Their playing style has pushed many new bassist to try more than root playing the whole song. (some of you are probably dying at the thought of that) The fact of the matter is, many rock bassist (Im talking mostly those with commersial sucess) dont do much more than play the rythym guitar parts. Its these bassist influence that keeps me from saying this baout all bassist. I should thank ThunderBox for getting me more information on James.

As far as who has pushed the envelope and taken the bass closest to its limits, from my limited knowledge, Jaco and Les Claypool.

To tell you the truth though, I dont hear their influence in much of the music that has reahced me.
Im sure others would say otherwise.

Just my 2 cents.

Peace
Nick
 
#23
i voted for jaco ... but the points made about jamerson are valid, too ... mccartney did so much ...

i didn't notice michael manring on the list ... now there's a musician who is pushing bass way beyond the conventional boundaries of groove ... some of his stuff is "otherworldly." the comparison i make to him and jaco is how they both make sounds that are completely counter-intuitative to what we all think bass should sound like.

even manring himself said, "it's a young instrument in comparison to the piano, for example ... the instrument itself being only 50 years old, is infantile ... compared to, say, the violin." the future of bass is wide open.

sounds pretty evolutionary to me.

in terms of the space time continuum, we all put energy into the universe through our music ... so we are all evolving and causing evolution to take place.

thank god for music. can you imagine a world without it?

:cool:
 
#26
I can't believe no one else voted for Vic Wooten!!! The energy and power that come out of his playing are unmatched in my opinion. He puts so much of his heart and soul into his playing,, it's like he's part of his bass. Even non-musicians can relate to his music.

Not to mention his bass camps!! So many bass players of my generation are gonna be influenced directly from him!!
 
#27
I think James opened a new road for the bass players, but I think it was Jaco who truly redefined the instrument, its role and music in a way that has been unmatched since.

After them, I think Larry Graham, Marcus Miller and Chris Squire had the most influence on R&B and Rock with their original approach to the music. Others, like Victor and Geddy, have only built upon their ideas.
 
#28
I agree that some of these bassists definitely had a huge impact on the bass guitar, and it's very hard to nail it down to one player who solely influenced bass as we know it today.

I've seen, for example, a lot of postings crediting Jaco. Duh!!! But, don't forget that he didn't even pick up a bass for the first time until 1967, long after John Entwistle, James Jamerson, Paul McCartney, etc had already had bass players "woodshedding" out their lines! Other players, as great as they are, like Michael Manring, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Geddy Lee, and so on, did a lot to further the bass guitar as a legitimate instrument in people's minds.

But, I still look at who the pioneers were in considering who had the single biggest influence on music. I'd have to give it a 3-way tie between Entwistle, who I think had the single biggest influence on rock music, and James Jamerson in R&B. I give McCartney an honorable mention in this category, just because he was the first to play bass AND be a household name for generations upon generations.
 
#30
Though bass is my instrument, I am not really impressed or influenced by many bassists except Michael Manring (who is heavily influenced by Jaco)
Besides having incredible technique Michael has a huge advantage over all the 'bassists' listed...he can compose. And to me that is most important and is the reason I choose him to represent the bassist who will have the biggest role in bass evolution.
 
#32
For me it would be 1st Larry Graham, because there's no other person who invented a technique wich is used by 90% of all bassplayers (slapping and popping).

2nd it would be Stanley Clarke (I can't BELIEVE he hasn't got any votes!!!), his cheer power on both electric and upright makes him the 1st doubler. And for so far noone has ever reached that level (maybe John Patituchi).

3rd it would be Jaco, allthough most credit him as bestbassplayer of the world he doesn't give me chilles up my spine like Stanley does (sorry guys)

And on the fourth place it would be Jeff Berlin, very powerfull player but he was puched into the corner by both Stanley and Jaco.

And last but not least a whole bunch of newplayers from the last decade: Les Claypool (one of a kind), Victor Wooten, Michael Manring to name a few.
 
#33
Of the ones you listed, James Jamerson. However, I am surprised that I always see his name when I almost never see the other two bass players of his time who are in my opinion equally as important to the evolution of bass playing. Carol Kaye and Donald "Duck" Dunn!

My vote goes to Carol Kaye. On the Beach Boys song, Good Vibrations, listen to the break down part with the organ. I believe that tone Carol had may have been the first sub bass tone recorded which you hear so much of later on in reggae and even later in rap and electronic music.
 
#34
Leo Fender, and if there could be multiple choices,



Every bass player contributes to this evolution
Everyone that plays a bass and has their opinion on bassists and bass in general has contributed to the evolution. If you tell someone that your Warwick is the best bass ever, or your BTB is a piece-o-s***, then this person wont by that bass. Then bass compnies think "Hey, we arent selling many basses, lets re-design ut specs and do a few modification". Slightly exagerated but hey you get the idea. ;)

Nobody yet reached what bass playing can give
To answer this question, it sorta goes back to the thread that started a while ago that had something to do with music ending, i.e, every note will have been played in every possible sequence.
Just my 2 cents here....
 
#35
electricdemon3

I went to see Crosby Stills Nash and Young a couple weeks ago, and was largely dissapointed in the bass.

Later when they introduced the band I discovered that it was Duck Dunn. His reputation, didnt match up with what I heard. I love playing Neil Young's songs, partly because of the space I feel for the bass to do its own thing. For instance in "Keep on Rocking in the Free World", there is a part between the chorus and verse that on the recording has a little bass thingie (ok so its not the best word), and I've always taken advantage of that, if no other part to solo a bit. When Dunn played it he just played an open E I think, even less than whats on the record. That wasn't all of it, as a whole I felt that the bass was really lacking.

It was like he was just playing the root notes all night long.

Bottom line, I was dissapointed with Dunn, is this normal?


Peace
Nick
 
#36
Originally posted by Nick man
Bottom line, I was dissapointed with Dunn, is this normal?
Click to expand...

That's interesting because I also saw that concert when they came to Oakland and he was jammin'. Maybe his playing was off the day you saw him? When they played here, there was a guest appearance by Booker T. on keys and maybe that inspired him a little. He isn't the flashiest bass player in the world but I believe he is one of the fore fathers of bass playing and in his prime he could really hold the groove down which is why in my opinion he needed to have honorable mention in the evolution of bass playing. (How can you not groove to the bass line in "Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding?!!)
 
#37
John Entwistle :cool:

There are others like Jaco that showed what one can do with a bass, but IMHO, I really think The Ox did the most for the evolution of the bass, specially in the 60s. Come on, in 1965, when My Generation was released, it was one of a kind. His one of the first bassist, if not the first, to play louder, faster, nastier, and more in-your-face than the guitarist (although Pete Townshend is no chump and he is a pionner in his own end). Plus, the RotoSound contribution should solidify his position as a huge innovator of bass.

You may not like his current tone, but over years, his "wacky" tones and style of playing influenced many to try and experiment new territories with this wonderful instrument!
 
#38
Hhhe, yeah, John Enthwistle contributed a lot to us bassplayers. He was doing things noone ever done before and yes, he made roundwoundstrings 1st choice among most bassists today.
For rock playing and all that has to do with it John has contributed the most, period.

I didn't metion him in my list before, but John is still high on my list. Has anyone here ever seen his thunderfingers move? He's got as much power as Stanley Clarke has in his playing.
 

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