Top Ten Bass Players

Flea incorporates elements of funk (including slap bass), psychedelic, punk, and hard rock in his playing, and is an influential player. In 2009, Rolling Stone readers ranked Flea the second best bassist of all time, behind only John Entwistle.

Victor Lemonte Wooten (born September 11, 1964) is an American bass player, composer, author, producer, educator, and recipient of five Grammy Awards. Wooten has won the "Bass Player of the Year" award from Bass Player magazine three times and is the first person to win the award more than once.

Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton (February 10, 1962 – September 27, 1986) was an American musician and songwriter, best known as the second bass guitarist for the American band Metallica from December 1982 until his death in September 1986.

John Francis Anthony "Jaco" Pastorius III was an American jazz bassist who was a member of Weather Report from 1976 to 1981. He worked with Pat Metheny, Joni Mitchell, and recorded albums as a solo artist and band leader. His bass playing employed funk, lyrical solos, bass chords, and innovative harmonics. He was one of seven bassists to be inducted into the DownBeat Jazz Hall of Fame.

John Alec Entwistle (October 9, 1944 – 27 June 2002) was an English bass guitarist, singer, songwriter, and film and music producer. In a music career that spanned more than 40 years, Entwistle was best known as the original bass guitarist for the English rock band The Who.

Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and RUSH bassist Geddy Lee's Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass is a gorgeous, fully illustrated love letter to rock 'n' roll's rumbly bottom end, complete with a guided tour of Lee's extensive vintage bass collection.

Jamerson's equipment. James Jamerson's double bass was a German upright acoustic bass that he bought as a teenager and later used on such Motown hits as "My Guy" by Mary Wells and "(Love Is Like a) Heat Wave" by Martha and the Vandellas.

Stanley Clarke. Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American jazz musician and composer known for his innovative and influential work on double bass and electric bass as well as for his numerous film and television scores.

Primus began as Primate in the mid 1980s, with Claypool on bass, Todd Huth on guitar, and various drummers, most notably Jay Lane, though Huth and Lane left shortly thereafter to pursue other projects.

Steve Harris is the best bass player of all time. Not only is he the lead songwriter, but no other band has a driving bass that pushes the song forward like the playing of Harris. Normally I disregard playing with a pick or fingers, because it is all the preference of the player, and does not indicate talent, but holy crap. Steve plays with only two fingers, faster than many players can even ...

Lemmy's pretty rockin' in the bands he's in. People talk about him in Motörhead, but he's great in Hawkwind too. I was kind of "eh" on him until I heard the bass tone in the beginning of "Ace of Spades" - now that's how to start a song.

From 1991 to 2000, Rickenbacker produced a limited edition signature model bass in his name, the 4001CS. Squire released two solo albums, Fish Out of Water (1975) and Chris Squire's Swiss Choir (2007), a Christmas album. He was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Yes in 2017.

Bass Player LIVE! 2013 to honor Geezer Butler, Lee Rocker & Tal Wilkenfeld. Bass Player LIVE! 2013 is scheduled for November 9 and 10 in Hollywood, CA. The annual event will feature musician clinics and exhibitors at S.I.R. Studios and will be highlighted by the November 9 Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show presented by Hartke.

William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s, and later with Parliament-Funkadelic, Collins's driving bass guitar and humorous vocals established him as one of the leading names in funk.

William "Billy" Sheehan (born March 19, 1953), is an American bassist known for his work with Talas, Steve Vai, David Lee Roth, Mr. Big, Niacin, and The Winery Dogs. Sheehan has won the "Best Rock Bass Player" readers' poll from Guitar Player magazine five times for his "lead bass" playing style.

Guitarist Leslie West, of rock group Mountain, posted on Facebook, "It is with great sadness that one of the worlds greatest musicians and bass players, who I had the honor of playing with in West Bruce and Laing, Jack Bruce has died.

Carol Kaye is Paul McCartney’s favorite bass player, ... dominated world of Los Angeles session players ... Paul McCartney once said of Carol Kaye’s bass ...

Roberto Agustín Miguel Santiago Samuel Perez de la Santa Concepción Trujillo Veracruz Batista better known as Robert Trujillo, is an American musician and songwriter best known as the current bassist of the heavy metal band Metallica, a position he has held since 2003. He was also a member of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies, funk metal supergroup Infectious Grooves, heavy metal band Black Label Society, and has worked with Jerry Cantrell, and Ozzy Osbourne.

Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax Records.

300m album sales, £85m in the bank - but can you name this low profile rock legend who now wears sensible anoraks and grey trousers? Reclusive former Queen bass player John Deacon pictured out in London

Mark King (born 20 October 1958) is an English musician. He is most famous for being the lead singer and bassist of the band Level 42. King is known for his slap style of playing the bass guitar, with MusicRadar describing him as "the guy who put the slap in pop during the 80s".

Myung is married to Lisa Martens Pace, the bass player in the defunct all-female heavy metal band Meanstreak. Two other members of the band, Rena Sands and Marlene Apuzzo, are married to Petrucci and Portnoy, respectively.

From a Peter Hook interview in "Bass Player": Eccleshall It s made by Chris Eccleshall in Cornwall. I wanted a hollowbody with Yamaha electronics, so he took the active electronics from a BB1200s and built a full-scale neck-through bass with 24 frets.

Tony Levin's brother, Pete Levin, is a New York keyboardist and writer who is best known for his work with Gil Evans. In the 1970s, Tony and Pete collaborated with Steve Gadd in the comedy band The Clams.

Stuart Hamm (born February 8, 1960) is an American bass guitar player, known for his session and live work with numerous artists as well as for his unconventional playing style and solo recordings.

Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino is a Welsh bassist. A prolific session musician, he is probably best known for playing with The Who from 2002 to 2016. Palladino plays a late-1970s, fretless, Music Man StingRay bass guitar, a fretted Fender Precision, and a Jaguar bass. His playing has earned him custom instruments bearing his name.

Davis's first session as a leader followed in August 1947, playing as the Miles Davis All Stars that included Parker, pianist John Lewis, and bassist Nelson Boyd; they recorded "Milestones", "Half Nelson", and "Sippin' at Bells".

Leland Bruce Sklar (born May 28, 1947) is an American musician. A prominent electric bass guitarist, Sklar has contributed to over 2,000 albums as a session musician.He has collaborated with a number of well-known performers and recorded soundtracks to films and television shows

Trojan Sound System: "Aston 'Family Man' Barrett is a bass player of legendary status and for us and this is one of the biggest basslines ever made.

Bernard Edwards (October 31, 1952 – April 18, 1996) was an American bass player, singer, songwriter and record producer, both as a member of the funk/disco band Chic and on his own projects.

Tal Wilkenfeld (born 2 December 1986) is an Australian singer, songwriter, bassist and guitarist who has performed alongside rock and jazz musicians including Jeff Beck, Prince, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and others.

hey mike first of all i want to say what an honor it is to communicate with you,you and entwistle are the reason i play the bass.my question is both...

David Ellefson: Bass First with Megadeth Megadeth had just begun preparing material for its follow-up to 2013’s Supercollider when word came that drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick were leaving the band.

Jason Curtis Newsted (born March 4, 1963) is an American metal musician, known for being the third bass guitarist with the band Metallica from October 1986 until his sudden departure in January 2001. Before Metallica he was a member of Flotsam and Jetsam, and after Metallica has been involved with Echobrain, Ozzy Osbourne, Voivod, and led the band Newsted from 2012 to 2014.

Providing far more than just a bass line, players like Jack Bruce, Rick Danko, and the latest bass player to know, Phil Lynott, each bring the “trifecta” to the table: playing, singing, and writing.

Bill Wyman (born William George Perks Jr., 24 October 1936) is an English musician, record producer, songwriter and singer. He was the bass guitarist for the English rock and roll band the Rolling Stones from 1962 until 1993.

I love Tina Weymouth, ... None of the players really do anything all that impressive ... Tina did cut the bass tracks on the original album), ...

Michael Andrew "Duff" McKagan (born February 5, 1964), often credited as Duff "Rose" McKagan, is an American bass guitarist, singer, songwriter and author.

Louis Johnson (April 13, 1955 – May 21, 2015) was an American bass guitarist. Johnson was best known for his group The Brothers Johnson and his session playing on several hit albums of the 1970s and 1980s including the "best selling album of all time" Thriller.

Justin Chancellor is an English-born musician; currently the bass player for Tool and formerly of the band Peach. This guy provides the growling low end for Tool that we all love. Let's look at what gear and equipment has been seen in Tool's Justin Chancellor Bass Rig.

How good is Nikki Sixx as a bassplayer? Discussion in 'Bassists [BG]' started by BrandonBass, Jul 5, 2006.

Tal Wilkenfeld (born 2 December 1986) is an Australian singer, songwriter, bassist and guitarist who has performed alongside rock and jazz musicians including Jeff Beck, Prince, Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock and others.

Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B and rock bass player and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is considered one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from the University of California, San Diego (1978).

Again spotlighting the anchor of a power trio, this Bass Players To Know features Chris Wolstenholme, bassist for Muse. Since the mid-90’s, Muse has released innovative and intelligent music that continues to push the boundaries of rock.

Charles Walter "Chuck" Rainey III (born June 17, 1940 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones.

John William "Jack" Casady (born April 13, 1944) is an American bass guitarist, best known as a member of Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna. Jefferson Airplane became the first successful exponent of the San Francisco Sound.

Patitucci switches between acoustic and electric bass (double bass and bass guitar). He was artistic director of the Bass Collective, a school for bassists in New York City, and he is involved with the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program.

Abraham Laboriel Sr. (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks.[1] Guitar Player magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time".[2][3] Laboriel is the father of drummer Abe Laboriel Jr. and of producer, songwriter, and film composer Mateo Laboriel.

Kimberley Ann "Kim" Deal (born June 10, 1961) is an American singer, songwriter and musician, best known as the former bassist and backing vocalist of the alternative rock band Pixies, and the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist for The Breeders.

Krist Anthony Novoselic (/ ˌ n oʊ v ə ˈ s ɛ l ɪ tʃ /; Croatian: Krist Novoselić; often referred to as Chris Novoselic, born May 16, 1965) is an American musician and political activist, and was the bassist and founding member of the grunge band Nirvana alongside Kurt Cobain, with Dave Grohl as the drummer.

Charles Mingus, Charles Mingus – More Than a Fake Book, Hal Leonard Corporation (November 1, 1991), 160 pages, ISBN 0-7935-0900-9. Includes 2 CDs, photos, discography, music transcriptions, a Mingus comic book promoting his anti-bootlegging project, and so on.