Who has the tightest rhythm section?

[Batmensch]

+1 and in a similar vein, Ray Shulman and John Weathers of Gentle Giant - with the rhythmic complexity of their music it's astonishing how tight they were

Indeed, +1000

 

[chuck3]

Tower of Power
Dunn and Jackson - the MGs
Rainey and Gadd on "Aja"

 

[Big chicken]

Sting & Stewart Copeland

 

[DaZombieWoof]

Living Colour had to to anchor the band with crazy Vernon Reid on guitar.
Frank Zappa had some amazing folks.

 

[JimK]

Dennis Chambers and whomever the bass player is on the Steely Dan "Live In America" set.

It's Tom Barney...and if you're gonna go there, the guys that played on many of the studio versions of the tunes from that live album...Chuck Rainey & Bernard Purdie/Steve Gadd.

Dennis Chambers and anyone good enough to keep up with him.

IIRC. Gary Grainger played with DC in a '70s R&B/Pop band outta Bawlmore called Pockets. Tight as a nun's crotch they were.

 

[JimK]

Frank Zappa had some amazing folks.

That's an understatement.
...was just doing some re-visiting a couple nights ago...I had forgotten that Zappa started out as a drummer/percussionist pre-guitar. Amazing musician.

 

[AwkwardLoudness]

Claypool and Mantia

 

[Toadsmacker]

Without a fraction of a doubt I would say Cliff and Phil from AC/DC!

 

[jpTron]

Korn's first album...

 

[Jim Dep]

Brian Forster and Daniel Bonaduce

 

[jerry]

IIRC. Gary Grainger played with DC in a '70s R&B/Pop band outta Bawlmore called Pockets. Tight as a nun's crotch they were.

Yeah, Chambers & Grainger were special together, like Rocco/Garibaldi, Barrett brothers, Jackson/Dunn, Jackson/Clarke, Gordon Edwards/Gadd/Parker[Stuff] & Steve Ferrone & Robbie McIntosh with either Alan Gorrie or Hamish Stuart, Bogert/Appice, Jones/Bonzo etc.

 

[Fine Cut]

Steve + Pino = Liquid Groove

 

[Chrisk-K]

All the bassists and drummers who played with Steely Dan

 

[Juan Count]

Iron Maiden... Particularly live! Pre-Kevin Shirley records are also insanely tight... Powerslave is like a Swiss clock...

 

[JimK]

Brian Forster and Daniel Bonaduce

AKA Hal Blaine & Joe Osborn.

 

[JimK]

Yeah, Chambers & Grainger were special together, like Rocco/Garibaldi, Barrett brothers, Jackson/Dunn, Jackson/Clarke, Gordon Edwards/Gadd/Parker[Stuff] & Steve Ferrone & Robbie McIntosh with either Alan Gorrie or Hamish Stuart, Bogert/Appice, Jones/Bonzo etc.

...and-
Jimmy Haslip/William Kennedy
Clyde Subblefield/Bootsy
Otiel Burbrdige/Jeff Sipe
Victor Bailey/Omar Hakim

...and who's on the Breckers' "Some Skunk Funk"...Will Lee/Neil Jason & Steve Gadd or Terry Bozzio?
Fans of TOP should love that stuff.

 

[Clark Dark]

I'll also add the Salegy style musicians from Madagascar, the rhythm sections of acts from Cameroon, and the Congo. They lock !!!

 

[dougjwray]

"Tight" can mean lifeless, sometimes. A rhythm section can be "loose" and still have great forward motion.

Here's a good example from the Meters. I love the groove after the bridge (starting around 2:18):

 

[T-MOST]

Mint Condition! ChecK out the Show "Way Black When" on the TV One network 10pm. MC is the house band. I've seen these cats live twice and they are as tight as they come.

Also:

The Contemporary jazz group FourPlay. It really doesn't get any better.

 

[EdHunter]

'Arry and Nicko. To keep so closely together with those ridiculous speeds and patterns, not to mention tempo shifts up the wazoo requires some serious tightness.