Your favourite unknown bassist?

[ChefKen]

Best unknown Bass Player Period! Please watch this vid from Holland where my man moved around 20 years ago! Bass Player and sometimes frontman for the Black Dog band.....This is a 9 minute bass solo!!!KRIS JEFFERSON

 

[Muddslide]

I thought about this quite a while, trying to decide who to name here.

But even though a lot of players I admire and who influenced me are comparatively obscure (David Wm. Sims and Clint Conley come to mind) I still see their names floated about on occasion, here on this forum and elsewhere.

Then I remembered someone whose name I'm not sure I've ever seen mentioned on any musician's forum:

Gabriel (Gabe) Katz.

This guy is originally from St. Louis. He formed a band with a couple of friends and relocated to NY. (Brooklyn, I believe.)

Anyways, the band (Blind Idiot God) ended up recording about 3 albums of instrumental, oddball rock between 1987-1992. They were championed by John Zorn and I think Bill Laswell produced at least one of their albums.

In some ways, they could be seen as forerunners of "math rock." If they were too little-known to be really influential to a lot of bands often tagged "math rock" they at least got there first IMO.

Katz may not be my favorite bass player and may not be the most amazing player ever, but he had a unique style and I always enjoyed his playing. I know Blind Idiot God have reformed very occasionally for one-off reunion shows, but aside from that I have no idea if Katz is still playing.

 

[RD VooDoo]

Youtube- remix zik

He does some the best tool covers and his work of mastar is awesome.

 

[xUptheIronsx]

For me it would be:
1. Joe Dibiase from Fates Warning - not really unknown, but I feel like he is lost in the crowd with other bass players/bands from that era
2. Dave Cribbs - the bass player for my indie/surf/punk band (see sig). He would disagree with me but....
3. Bob Bellas - another local guy who just "gets it" and would never agree with me that he is amazing...very humble guy
4. I also feel like Louiche Mayorga is sort of "unknown" - or npt as well known as he should be - even though he defined a style of punk bass playing in my mind with the stuff on the self-titles Suicidal Tendencies album
5. Mike Dean of Corrosion Of Conformity is another one

 

[Clark Dark]

Melvin Coleman - The Whispers



John Solomon - Edwin Birdsong

 

[PimasterPearson]

Marta Altesa. She plays great (though her right hand technique looks a little painful, but if it works it works), she has excellent tone, and she makes it look easy.

 

[Root 5]

Dave Young.

Dave isn't exactly unknown, but he doesn't get the exposure & respect others seem to garner. Christian McBride gets the cover of BP but Mr. Young doesn't!

Dave is likely best known as the bassist for Oscar Peterson, Oliver Jones, and Lenny Breau.

He has the best intonation of ANY upright bassist I know of. He has phenomenal chops and technique & musicality.

 

[Funk$tar]

Jo Dworniak of the short lived I-Level!
Not really a known bassist but definitely a great one, so underrated!

 

[eriky4003]

Peter Cardinali of the Boomers but also a studio musician in Canada. Great parts and a real ability to modify his passages and fills subtley but effectively.

 

[HolmeBass]

All guys that played locally at one time or another: Keith Horne, Andy Waldeck, and Dane Alderson. Keith moved to Nashville a while ago, I think Andy did just in the past year or so. Dane moved here from Australia a couple of years ago. All monster players.

You guys naming Damian Erskine and Ralphe Armstrong, I thought it was supposed to be unknown players. Those guys are big-time first call players.

 

[mrefjl]

Ronnie Baker from TSOP

 

[Funk$tar]

Ronnie Baker from TSOP

Great bassist but don't you mean he's from MFSB?

 

[Mcnailit]

Charles Crawford from Albuquerque NM. He used to come to Amarillo with a band named Brother Dave and the Tempted Souls. Great groove and tone. Super professional on stage. Loved going and hearing him. He was a big influence in my early years

 

[mrefjl]

Great bassist but don't you mean he's from MFSB?

Yes. But TSOP was also my favorite label from Philly Intl. as well.

 

[xUptheIronsx]

Marta Altesa. She plays great (though her right hand technique looks a little painful, but if it works it works), she has excellent tone, and she makes it look easy.

I am in love.....

 

[Funk$tar]

Yes. But TSOP was also my favorite label from Philly Intl. as well.

Oh yeah man, that's some old scool stuff right there! My favorite track from them is definitely, "Sexy," that bass lines is smooth!

 

[mrefjl]

My favorite Ronnie track is "Born this Way" by Rev. Carl Bean. One of my favorite bass lines ever!

 

[zon6c-f]

Just read that Roy Cox passed away. R.I.P.

Huge fan of Bubble Puppy and Demian

Band is still playing

Bubble Puppy.com

 

[rtslinger]

Back in the 70's I used to enjoy listening to the guy in the Long Island NY-based "Good Rats" band, name of Lenny Kottke. The guy in Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes back then, whose name escapes me, was pretty good too. Played a nice black Jazz, maple neck w/black blocks, white pickguard, back in the day. His sounded so good live I eventually went out and bought my first J.

Yes Lenny could play taste yeah man like this.............. seen them many many times in my youth

 

[consectaneus]

Marta Altesa. She plays great (though her right hand technique looks a little painful, but if it works it works), she has excellent tone, and she makes it look easy.

Jamiroquai saw her videos and invited her to join them for some shows. Pretty neat.

It's an old record, but I enjoy Fred Smith of Television.

Another bassist I admire for his seeming uncanny ability to play everything well (and share it) is Talkbass's own Jloch86.