The BEST bass solo of all time

[Rami Sourour (rami)]

My all time favorite bass solo is Jaco Pastorius' on Port of Entry (Weather Report - Night Passage). Imagine THAT played on a fretless 36 scale ebony Rogue!
 

[Jerome Edwards (jerome)]

I like stanley clarke school days solo .Check it out

[Jerome Edwards (jerome)]

I like stanley clarke school days solo .Check it out

[Valentino Villevieille (valvil)]

Best bass solos...
 
I'm sure we are all gonna have a bundle of 'em...
 
My personal favorites are all gonna be from upright players I guess.  Check out Charles Mingus and Oscar Pettiford, just about anything they soloed on will take your breath away. A lot of that stuff would be really hard on an electric. On the upright it's just out of this world.  For one of the most beautiful and melodic solos you've ever heard on bass, check out Mood Indigo on the album  Mingus,Mingus,Mingus,Mingus.   I believe Jaco was much inspired by the man himself.  Another favorite of mine is Nils-Henning Orsted-Pedersen, lots of great stuff with the Oscar Peterson trio among others.  Among today's electric players, I'd say that Armand Sabal-lecco is probably my favorite bass player/soloist,even though the Central Park concert was my only experience of his playing... he sounds so complete...Armand has it all, chops, groove, slap, funk...you name it he's got it.
 
Let's hear about other folks' favorite solos and players.  I  love to find out about other good bass players I haven't come across yet...I know a lot of 'em but thank God there's so many I still don't know.
 
Valentino

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Hi gang,
 
I'm with Valentino: I Love the solo's those giants gave on the upright. I love Ray Brown: for instance check: The Ray Brown Trio Live at the Loa, the opening of The Real Blues is nice.
Unfortunately I'm bad in names so I'll try to situate some players.
- Solo's I heard in live situation and knocked me down were from: a-black-stout-bass-player-who-played-as-young-guy-with-the-mahavishun-orchestra (HELP!!!!NAMES!!!). I saw him long time ago in Brussels.
another one was from the-latin-looking-bass-player-who-played-with-Spyro Gyra (HELP??! NAMES?!!!). I saw them in 94 in Brussels.
I also saw Jack Bruce (at least ...ONE name) in Brussels long after his Cream-period and loved his playing.
- on record I Love Rob Wasserman (check the Solo's, Duo's and Trio's CD's) on electric upright.
- The bass-player who had a big influence on me (in fact I consider him as a continuous-solo-player-still-playing-the-beat-and-holding-the-groove) is John Prakash. The LP (you know the flat-black disk with a hole in the middle you turn on a turntable and ....see :History of Music) of Rock-and-Roll Animal (Lou Reed) leans as much on him as on Hunter and Wagner playing power chords.
BTW: what is he DOING these days? Is he still alive and kicking (bass)?
- I consider Edwin (Van Huik: see the EVH-signature basses) as a great solo-player. He influenced me directly in playing and choosing for Alembic.
- I'm a huge fan of Armand SL too (he is very complete) but also of the most African bass-players who made it to the international scene! To name one: the-black-guy-who-played-with-Paul-Simon-on-the-Graceland-project. (yes-yes...I KNOW its solo on You can call me Al is reversed but still... ).
Well ...I think this thread will definitely end up in an overload.
 
Be Alembicious friends!
 
Paul

[Dave Houck (davehouck)]

Paul;
 
The bass player for Mahavishnu Orchestra was probably Ralph Armstrong.
 
Dave

[Paul Lindemans (palembic)]

Ladies and gentle people: give Dave a big hand because I think that was the guy!
Never heard about him afterwards.
But ...one hole in my memory fixed thanks to good'ol Dave!
 
Paul

[Dave Houck (davehouck)]

Paul; thanks!  After Mahavishnu, Armstrong played with Jean-Luc Ponty, including the highly acclaimed Enigmatic Ocean album.
 
Dave

[Dave Houck (davehouck)]

Rami;
 
Port Of Entry is one of my favorites too; the whole band really gets cooking.  I have to admit that it is difficult for me to imagine what the Evil Twin with it's fretless ebony and maple neck and ebony, purpleheart and mahogony body sounds like.  It must be something akin to controlled thunder.  No, that probably doesn't come close.  I'm guessing amazing fundamentals and sustain.  I'm also thinking that to really do it justice I would biamp the preamp output with a couple thousand watts on the low end going to a pair of single 15 cabs.  I do imagine that any conscientious bar owner would post warning signs at the door whenever you show up with the twins .
 
Dave

[Bob Bell (kipknee)]

I don't know if these would qualify for best bass solo off all time, but two that immediately came to mind are as follows...  
 
John Entwistle in The Real Me from the Who's Quadrophenia album.  
 
Jimmy Johnson playing with the Rippingtons back in 1989 on the Kilimanjaro CD.  The cut is Love Notes.  (Ironically, the little 30 second music sample for this song on BestBuy.com contains the bass solo.)  This solo, and Jimmy's playing throughout the whole song, give me goose-bumps.  
 
Is it just coincidence that both of these musicians were known for playing Alembics?
 
(Message edited by kipknee on January 16, 2003)

[Wayne McLemore (wayne)]

Fish Magic - Flim and the BB's - Neon
 
Still can't figure out exactly how he did it.
 
C-Ya..........wayne

[Dave Houck (davehouck)]

Listening to Fish Magic right now.  Very nice.

[Matt Bulmer (prime)]

Best Solo Song:  
Michael Manring - Music for Armchair Funambulists
or
Victor Wooten - A Show of Hands
 
Best solo in a song: Victor Wooten's solo in Hip Bop off of Yin Yang
 
I might have also gone with Geddy Lee's solo in the live version of Free Will off of Exit Stage Left but chose not for fear of being stoned!
 
Matt

[Googe Endeveronte (goooge)]

manring is a monster on the fretless-
I saw him play a bit back while out in san fran on business- blew me away
 
my favorite solo of all time-  
Hot Licks video-Louis Johnson-the whole video  
I still laugh when I watch those monster hands spanking the hell out of that bass
 
and I have to admit while it is not a solo- there is something about Jaco's playing on Metheny's Bright Sized Life that just gets to me-dont know what it is-I just love the way his playing just FLOWS~~~~what a trio that was!
and I still love Heart of the Sunrise (yeah i know- prog rock-Squire is my favorite pick user!
 
hey Matt- shoot me an email- i have something for ya-geddy
goooge@yahoo.com

[Rami Sourour (rami)]

Jaco was & still is my greatest influence.  I just love every note he ever played.  He had that great skipping/stuttering funk that came without ever popping or slapping a single note.  His playing was pure and his solos sang to his audience.  While some players went for flash surrounded by filler, Jaco was the real deal.  I think anybody who picks up a fretless electric bass (regardless of its configuration) honors his memory.  My favorite (Living) bass player is Alain Caron.  Check out the album Basse Contre Basse with Michel Donato on upright.  That album showcases the finest duet of Electric (6 string fretless) and upright bass playing I've ever heard.