![]() ![]() It also speaks to a collective bass player understanding that the instrument’s function is still about support. That he tops our list adds to the irony of his dying in relative obscurity in 1983, at age 47, considering all of the accolades since then that have shined a light on his genius. ![]() That he tops our list adds to the irony of his dying in relative obscurity in 1983, at age 47, considering all of the accolades since then that have shined a light on his geniusĪs Funk Brother #1 in Motown’s 'Snake Pit,' Jamerson customized his approach to fit the style of each artist he cut with, including Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross & the Supremes, Smokey Robinson, the Four Tops, the Temptations, and the Jackson 5-resulting in such masterworks as Bernadette, I Was Made to Love Her, I’m Wondering, and What’s Going On. The most important and influential bass guitarist in the 66-year history of the Fender Precision he played, South Carolina-born, Detroit-raised James Jamerson wrote the bible on bass line construction and development, feel, syncopation, tone, touch, and phrasing, while raising the artistry of improvised bass playing in popular music to zenith levels. Just starting out? These are the best beginner bass guitars.Consider this gem from Joy Division/New Order bassist Peter Hook, when writer Thomas Wictor asked him how he felt about being considered influential: “How are you supposed to feel about something like that? You’re an ‘innovative bassist who’s influenced hundreds of bass players,’ but when you’ve got a flat tire on your car or you’re trying to stop your baby from crying, that isn’t any use whatsoever, is it? It makes me embarrassed, mostly.” In the end, though, how much do these rankings matter? Not much. No single contributor would have arrived at this exact list, but we can (almost) all agree on the Top 10. Here at Bass Player, we’re quite a diverse lot, so a big part of the fun was engaging in passionate conversations about why a player should or shouldn’t be included, and deciding how high or low players should be ranked. Bradman, Jonathan Herrera, Karl Coryat, and Jon D’Auria former editors Jim Roberts, Richard Johnston, Bill Leigh, and Brian Fox and longtime contributors Ed Friedland, John Goldsby, Freddy Villano, and Rick Suchow.Īs in many situations, personal taste trumped Vulcan logic. With those parameters in place, we got down to making our picks, bringing in BP folks present and past: writers Chris Jisi, E.E. ![]()
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