I've done a lot of listening recently and I still think Lincoln Goines (Mike Stern, etc.) and Tom Kennedy (Dave Weckl band) are the best guys out there. Another great player who can play great walking bass lines is Jimmy Haslip of the Yellowjackets. Also, Zev Katz comes on my mind, and so does Adam Nitti. Who's your favourite?
I like Anthony Jackson and Steve Swallow for feel, tone and note choices. Check out AJ with Michel Camilo or Michel Petrucciani and also a few older Buddy Rich CDs. I always find inspiration when I listen to Steve Swallow playing with John Scofield, Carla or his own cds.
Definitely agree on Tommy Kennedy. ...Goines & Haslip, too. Also, Jaco & Ray Brown(whenever he played the Fender P-bass on the old Merv Griffin Show). Some "local" guys- Victor Wooten("Hurricane Camille") Oteil Burbridge("Plain Or Peanut") Keith Horne
Steve Swallow definitely has the ability to outlay a full harmonic structure with walking lines, not to mention he swings his butt off. His time feel on upright (which he played for years before the switch to electric) was deep and wide too. Tony
I agree with all the bassists mentioned. Also, Matt Garrison can lay down a pretty mean walking line. I have a version of him playing "Salt Peanuts" with Steve Coleman that is excellent.
Must have read my mind as I was about to reply with my selection of Tom Kennedy! Victor Bailey & Scott Ambush are in there too!
I've never heard them do walking lines on electric - although I have on DB - the albums I have, they don't play walking lines when they switch to electric - do you know which albums they do this on?
I think his walking lines on the live 08.30 album are very exciting and add a lot to tunes like Birdland.
I've heard them both play live more than once; that's where I'm getting this mainly from. I'm racking my brains to think where they might have *recorded* walking lines. The old memory isn't what it used to be ... but for Patitucci, he might do some electric walking on "Sketchbook", and Genus may have done some electric walking on Pat Martino's "Stone Blue" (both records that I heard a several years ago but can't put my hands on right now).
Tom Kennedy, Jeff Andrews, Will Lee once played Giant Steps with Branford Marsalis on the old Letterman show and he sounded like an upright on his Sadowsky. Top three among those I've heard.
First of all I'll have to say Jaco!!!!! But my favourite these days is John Patituci. Waya con dios baby!
Steve Swallow, Anthony Jackson, Jeff Andrews, Gary Willis, Christian Mcbride & almost everybody else already mentioned. If you want to hear Will Lee do some tasty walking lines, check out the Bird album he did with his father
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