Question of the Week: Who’s Your Favorite Bassist of All-Time
Local Spins’ Question of the Week (July 8, 2021)
Who’s your favorite bassist of all-time?
This week’s winner of Local Spins merch: Email subscriber Todd Ernst, who responded to the Question of the Week and was entered into a drawing for a Local Spins gift. Sign up for email updates and the weekly newsletter here: https://localspins.com/subscribe-local-spins-mailing-list/
THE READER RESPONSES:
Timmy Rodriguez – Paul McCartney
Alex Bergers – Geezer Butler
Ed Atanasoff = Tina Weymouth: The absolute core of The Talking Heads.
Tony Homant – Geddy Lee
Nick Funk – Les Claypool
Don Clapham – I had to think about this one for about one second: John Entwistle of The Who.
Kenneth Koetsier – Chris Squire, Stanley Clarke
Alex Austin – Picking just one is not easy… But I might go with McCartney for now… It’ll probably change next week.
Terry Oosterhart – Jaco, Chris Squire, Carol Kaye, James Jamerson
John Serba – Lemmy Kilmister
Daniel Parsons – Chris Squire
Jacob Thomas Filarski – Jakey Thomas!
Matthew Farage – Have to say John Entwistle.
Tyler Beer – Charles Mingus
Jacob Thomas Filarski – Hmm actually… hard to pick one… my biggest influences are Flea, Geddy Lee, James Jamerson and Paul McCartney. All insanely talented but all focused on their role in the song. Joe Dart is obviously moving into the hall of fame. Kevin Parker (Tame I… See More
Sherrie Coke – John Entwistle
Ned Rouse – Jeff Berlin
Ivan Hannah – GIF
CT Revere – Ralph Armstrong.
Robert Biggie G Gill – Geddy Lee
Vernon James Reaume – GIF
Dylan Smith – Mingus, Mike Watt, Tony Butler
Jack H. Travis – Hmm, this question I feel has a lot of good possibilities. Jaco always comes to mind, Victor Wooten is a magical entertainer, and I really dig Brendan Andes as far as a local cat goes (forgot his last name).
Todd Ernst – I don’t know if he’s my favorite, but I was listening to the “Joshua Tree” live album recently and thought to myself that Adam Clayton doesn’t get nearly the credit he deserves.
Mike Pawloski – So hard. Up and coming Esperanza Spalding — old school Joco.
Andrew Ogrodzinski – Rick Laird who to just passed. Stanley Clarke. John Patitucci. James Jamerson.
Jim Weiler – Duck Dunn
Eric William-Neil Engblade – Carol Kaye. She was one of the best session players in the 1960s and 70s in Los Angeles. Played on soooooo many hits. She doesn’t like the term “the wrecking crew” but check out the documentary called that on YouTube. Really great.
Jack Fivecoate – Stu Brooks
Andrew Ogrodzinski – Tal Wilkenfield.
Eric John Boyea – GIF
Ted Smith – Willie Dixon, Bill Black, Les Pattinson, David J, Andy Rourke
Don Small – Dusty Rhodes
Tom Wall – Mike Phillips for like the past 13 years now. There are a lot of great players, but not all of them can groove.
Daniel P Hudelson – Sir Paul!
Don Small – King of the hill Bobby GIF.
Brad Vander Ark – Colin Moulding, Dee Murray
Bradley Raffenaud – Mike Watt
Michael John Beyrle – Jaco
John Wilkinson – Wayman Tisdale
Denny Richards – Danny Partridge. That dude was a little kid and had already mastered playing the bass without moving his fingers.
Mike Dodge – I’d have to go with John Entwistle. But they are so many great, Stanley Clarke and Chris Squire are tops too.
Jess William Edwards Macintosh – Mike Watt
Myrna Jacobs – Jaco Pastorius
Dansir McCullough – Larry Graham
Steve Kelso – Jaco, Geddy, Wooten, Entwhistle, Phil Lesh
Randy Scott Marsh – Wow, that is a hard one to narrow down to just one individual. Charles Mingus, Dave Holland, Stanley Clarke, and Jaco Pastorius.
Greg Orr – Wait…for those of us who play (or just love) bass, isn’t this just a game of Whack-A-Mole? Too many to name and as soon as one rises to the top, five more jump to mind.
Al Haaksma – Me
Dean Madonia – Jaco with Joni
Michael Crittenden – John Connors. And Matthew Seligman.
Tom DeVries – Definitely Paul McCartney!
Adam Bogues – Justin Chancellor
Brandon Copeland – Electric: Bootsy; Standup: Mingus. Honorable mentions: Verdine White and Thundercat.
Eric Chadwick – i love lurking these threads and seeing all the ◻️ rock musicians listed, hahaha.
Sean Mullen – Brian Ritchie or David Wm Sims.
John Connors – Too many. Macca and Mark King with a touch of Jaco and Jamerson.
Michael Packer – What? Too many in different genres to narrow it down – Jaco Pastorious, Percy Jones, Miroslav Vitous and, of course, Leland Sklar whose played on more records than you can shake a stick at. If that’s your idea of a good time (Carole King’s “Tapestry”… James Taylor’s “Sweet Baby James”, EVERY Phil Collins solo albums, Peter Gabriel’s bassist, The Section, Jackson Browne, Jimmy Buffett, David Cassidy – and don’t knock David. If you’ve heard any of his solo albums, he’s incredible – Dolly Parton, Poco, Bonnie Raitt, Linda Ronstadt, Donovan, David Sanborn, Leo Sayer, Hall & Oates, Lyle Lovette, Warren Zevon, Jesse Colin Young, Just to name a few) plus he’s done film and TV work. But seriously – the list of bass players, now that you ask that question, is virtually endless.
John Breen – The best! Jaco Pastorius. Give the late Jaco a listen!
Terry J DeBoer – Leland Sklar….
Jim Leitch – Rick Danko
AJ Dunning – Jameson, Carol Kaye & McCartney for me.
Frederick C. Baker – McCartney and James Jamerson
Greg Baxter – Mike Mills, Carol Kaye and Jimbo Hart have to be top of my list. Carol for her touch and taste and Mike and Jimbo for their inner song melodies.
Stephen Aldrich – Acoustic players: Walter Page and Chubby Jackson, who swung harder than anybody, Jimmy Blanton and Scott LaFaro who pushed harmonic boundaries and freeing the bass from being a purely rhythm instrument, Charles Mingus, and Linda May Han Oh, who you should be listening to now. Electric guys, Joe Osborn, king of the flatpick/flatwound sound, Jack Casady, Jack Bruce, John Entwistle, McCartney. Undervalued list includes Maurice Gibb, Pete Cetera, Harvey Brooks.
Dave Adams – Geddy Lee. Honorable mention: James Jamerson, Paul McCartney, Chris Squire
Craig Clark – All the greats are listed, but I’d also toss in Flea, Les Claypool, Jack Bruce and Cliff Burton
Rick Slachta – Jupiter Snow!
Tamara Alissa – James Jamerson, Motown Hitsville session player!
Stef Loy – Tim Chandler of Christian bands Daniel Amos and The Choir. His stylings were the most unique and just plain … him. RIP Tim. And of course Jaco.
Brian J. Bowe – Dick Saginaw!
Ernie Clark – Carol Kaye Leland Sklar and Brett Booher
Charles Honey – McCartney for sure, in the rock realm. Melodic, inventive, integral to the band’s sound. Signature lines. Songs like “Something,” “Getting Better” and “A Little Help From My Friends” wouldn’t be the same without them.
Lee Chase – James Jamerson, Lee Sklar, Jack Casady, Charles Mingus, Roy Huskey Jr.
Cyndi Stebbins – Flea
Debra Duiven Dunning – Doug Wimbish, Nik West, Bakithi Kumalo
Joel Schultze – The Ox
Nate Speckin – Sting
Steve Weideman – Did no one say Jaco? Or did I miss it…?
Will Jurkiewicz – Bootsy
Pete Dunning – JP Jones
JR Scott Weaver – Alphabetical order. 1. Ron Carter.2. Donald “Duck” Dunn. 3. James Jamerson. 4. Leland Sklar. 5. Victor Wooten.
Raul Mirelez – I have a few, 1st it has to be my cousin Noel Hernandez! Jazz Charles Mingus and Ron Carter, but one that can tump a bass wound be Emma Anzai from the Sick Puppies.
Roger Kintner – I’m going to say Barry Oakley. Phil Lesh, Allen Woody, and Oteil.
Jill Wylie Wenger – John, Jerry and Corrina Wenger equally
Thom Postema – Darryl Jones, Willie Weeks
Chris Jane – George Porter Jr.
Scott VanderSchel – Geddy or Sting.
Chuck Bob Carnes – Ray Brown
Bill Van Ess – Paul McCartney, Mel Schacher
Steve Damstra – Carol Kaye, Paul McCartney, Leland Sklar for me!
Trina Dunning – John McVie
Mark Sturr – Stu Hamm, Stanley Clarke
Ric Sherwin – Chris Squire (especially live).
Hank Mowery – Ronnie James Webber, and of course, Johnny Bradley.
Todd Lewis Monroe – Christopher Foley
Mark Jilbert – George Porter Jr. There are numerous more that have influenced me as a musician, but George’s grooves and thoughtful style just get my blood moving.
Pete Owsianowski – Difficult to pin down. Agree with a lot of the above; didn’t see Phil Lynott. How many bass players are also lead singers?
Ric Sherwin – Jack Bruce of Cream
Bill Van Ess – Paul McCartney
George Naughton – Jaco, Stanley, Carter, Jamerson, Graham, Levin, Entwistle, sheesh. Too many.
Cory Olsen – Geddy Lee, Les Claypool, Charlie Mingus
Greg S. Lewis – As far as who I have seen live, Chris Squire.
Anthony Plumstead – Graham Maby
Jon Miner – Chris Squire
Andrew Szumowski – Too many styles and stylists to pick 1 favorite. Keep erasing several names in favor of several more.
Emily Rae Lively – Jaco Pastorius
Daniel Parsons – Chris Squire
Nic Stubbs – I’ll have to go with Jack Bruce, love his playing and love his compositions too!
Thomas Leonard Saxe – Jaco Pastorius
Steve Talaga – Jaco
John Sinkevics – I’m not an expert in this realm, but I must say that the best bassist I’ve ever seen play live, hands down, is Victor Wooten.
Ben Hassenger – Joey Spampinato.
Chad Michael Wedeven – For pure feel, Bootsy Collins. For overall musicianship, no one can touch McCartney.
Nick Elko – John Entwistle
Paul Tiseo – Steve Harris
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