Who is your favorite bass player and why?

For me I would have to say Les Claypool, I never had heard of him until I was playing bass for about 2 years and I was like "wow, I can do that?" I just like his quirky style and genre melding.

Although I would have to say Victor Wooten is a close second, Vic is the man.

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Myself.


I waaaaay far far from the best player
that I get to hear, but I am definitely
my favorite. I'd rather hear me. Not
that I don't enjoy and admire others,
but amongst those others, there is no
"favorite other". I am it for me. I play
the material I wanna hear, and I play
it in the manner in which I prefer that
it be played .... now if only I could do
that a whole lot better :-)



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Tony Levin, Michael Manring, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool

Not only are they all, in my opinion some of the most creative and skilled players of all time, but they're also all great people (which is why Jaco Pastorious will NEVER make this list). They're also very big thinkers as well, not just about bass, but about music, the creative process, and all of life itself. These are the kind of people you have a conversation with and come out of it feeling enlightened.

I'd have to say it's a close one between Tony and Vic for the best, though...

Tony Levin, Michael Manring would defiantly be in my top 5 as well, Claypool is just more style of music I guess, although probably the least technical of the 4.

Haha yeah...he's a bass player built on terrible technique and mistakes that sound cool, but he's wonderfully original and always refreshing to listen to.

Ahhh so there is yet hope for me ....

I like to bleeb that I am "wonderfully original and
always refreshing to listen to" and that despite my
"terrible technique and mistakes" I might be cool.

Thanks Shackman ! Now I've got some kinda half
baked rationale for being my own favorite bassist,
not that I was hanging fire for lack of a rationale !

You made my week :-)



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