Great Jazz Bass Players - Their "Must Have" Recordings

[Musicophile]

As a spin-off from the Great Piano thread, I'd like to suggest this topic, and start with a recording that I discovered thanks to this forum:

 

Ray Brown - Live at the Loa.

 

 

This is one of the best live albums I've ever heard. Originally on SACD, also available as hi-res download.

 

I have heard exactly this combo live in 1991, pretty much the time this album was recorded, and still remember it as one of the best concerts ever.

 

Oscar Peterson's long term bass partner has done some other great albums as leader as well.

 

I'd personally recommend:

 

Soular Energy:

 

 

And 3 Dimensional:

 

[Lindeman]

 

Rosa Passos & Ron Carter: Entre Amigos

 

The Brazilian singer is paired with veteran bassist Ron Carter, who provides a solid melodic foundation for her throughout the date. While the focus is clearly on the soft, effective vocals of Passos, who is extremely effective in her interpretations of bossa nova classics such as "Insensatez", "Desafinado", "Caminhos Cruzados" and "O Grande Amor", Carter's solos are also subtly swinging. Not satisfied with sticking exclusively to a well known repertoire, Passos is a superb interpreter of less familiar songs like Jobim's "Por Causa de Voce", a duet with Carter, whose playing is phenomenal on this track.

 

I have the SACD and the SQ is very good.

Also available on HDtracks as 44.1kHz/16bit and 96kHz/24bit.

[REShaman]

Ray Brown Trio: Live At The LOA Hybrid SACD. I concur.

 

Ray Brown Monty Alexander Russell Malone

 

Ray Brown et al. Happy Coat K2 100/24

 

Paul Chambers: Kind Of Blue

 

Scott LaFaro: The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings 1961

 

The rest to follow.

Enjoying the best of the what the best makes them so special

Richard

[Musicophile]

Charlie Haden:

 

Copying this contribution from Richard Dale from the Piano thread:

 

---

 

While you are mentioning Charlie Haden, I think his bass playing goes great with a pianist as a duo. His two albums with Hank Jones are great piano records:

 

 

 

And also Charlie Haden and Keith Jarrett's Jasmine album:

 

 

---

 

Confirming the above and adding from my side:

 

Nocturne: Extremely relaxed latin jazz, perfect for a warm summer night:

 

 

Beyond the Missouri Sky - With Pat Metheny

 

 

And: Sophisticated Ladies - with Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Melody Gardot, Cassandra Wilson. Also available as hires download.

 

[REShaman]

Charlie Haden:

 

Copying this contribution from Richard Dale from the Piano thread:

 

---

 

While you are mentioning Charlie Haden, I think his bass playing goes great with a pianist as a duo. His two albums with Hank Jones are great piano records:

 

 

 

And also Charlie Haden and Keith Jarrett's Jasmine album:

 

 

---

 

Confirming the above and adding from my side:

 

Nocturne: Extremely relaxed latin jazz, perfect for a warm summer night:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3697[/ATTACH]

 

Beyond the Missouri Sky - With Pat Metheny

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3698[/ATTACH]

 

And: Sophisticated Ladies - with Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Melody Gardot, Cassandra Wilson. Also available as hires download.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3699[/ATTACH]

 

I'll see your recommendations (some already in my library) and raise you:

 

Also covered elsewhere but must be included in this thread

 

Charlie Haden & Kenny Barron: Night & The City [Live]

 

Charlie Haden: The Private Collection (2Disc)

 

Charlie Haden, Chris Anderson: None But The Lonely Heart

 

There's more, but when do we get to Mingus?

Enjoying the music and the exchanges,

Richard

[joelha]

Boy am I glad I get to list this one before anyone else.

 

Super Bass 2 with Ray Brown, Christian McBride, and John Clayton not only includes great bass playing, but is just a lot of fun. It's also available as an SACD.

 

If you love bass playing, this one is a must.

 

Enjoy.

 

Joel

 

Amazon.com: Super Bass 2: Ray Brown, Christian McBride, John Clayton: Music

 

[Musicophile]

Boy am I glad I get to list this one before anyone else.

 

Super Bass 2 with Ray Brown, Christian McBride, and John Clayton not only includes great bass playing, but is just a lot of fun. It's also available as an SACD.

 

If you love bass playing, this one is a must.

 

Enjoy.

 

Joel

 

Amazon.com: Super Bass 2: Ray Brown, Christian McBride, John Clayton: Music

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3703[/ATTACH]

I'd love to get this. Any idea if it is available for download anywhere?

[joelha]

Unless you want it in lossy format from Itunes (and I'm guessing you don't, but maybe I'm wrong about that), I don't know where to find it downloadable.

 

Maybe someone else has an idea.

 

Joel

[Musicophile]

Unless you want it in lossy format from Itunes

 

You gotta be kidding, no way I'll ever buy MP3, that would be a punishable sin for an original DSD recording...

 

I guess I'll just have to buy some more plastic to rip then.

[mwheelerk]

Charlie Haden:

 

Copying this contribution from Richard Dale from the Piano thread:

 

---

 

While you are mentioning Charlie Haden, I think his bass playing goes great with a pianist as a duo. His two albums with Hank Jones are great piano records:

 

 

 

And also Charlie Haden and Keith Jarrett's Jasmine album:

 

 

---

 

Confirming the above and adding from my side:

 

Nocturne: Extremely relaxed latin jazz, perfect for a warm summer night:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3697[/ATTACH]

 

Beyond the Missouri Sky - With Pat Metheny

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3698[/ATTACH]

 

And: Sophisticated Ladies - with Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Melody Gardot, Cassandra Wilson. Also available as hires download.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3699[/ATTACH]

 

 

I would be a +1 on these having all but Nocturne.

[Brian A]

... Boy am I glad I get to list this one before anyone else.

 

Super Bass 2 with Ray Brown, Christian McBride, and John Clayton ...

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3703[/ATTACH]

Sounds like fun. (Just snagged me a used CD version on Amazon for $4.)

[elcorso]

Brian Bromberg "Wood"

 

 

Brian Bromberg "Wood II"

 

Plays on a 300 years old German Bass, very dynamic, and extraordinary interpretations.

 

Roch

[Jud]

 

James Jamerson, the reason a generation of us learned to dance. (Just try to imagine Marvin Gaye's version of "I Heard it Through the Grapevine" without that signature bass line.) As this book and the accompanying CDs make clear, he was a player rooted in jazz, with chops to equal anyone until Pastorius arrived to change the way the instrument was played.

[DigiPete]

Probably the greatest bass player ever!

Voted bass player of the year by Down Beat - three times.

Oscar Peterson Trio member 1973 - 1986.

 

Niels-Henning treated the bass as a solo instrument.

Wanting to move his fingers faster, he invented a new system of finger movements.

Despite his modesty, he was a true king and role model for younger bass players around the world!

 

 

A modest album in his spirit and close to my heart:

 

 

The Eternal Traveller

 

 

Moments like these:

 

 

 

 

RIP

[Musicophile]

Probably the greatest bass player ever!

Voted bass player of the year by Down Beat - three times.

Oscar Peterson Trio member 1973 - 1986.

 

Niels-Henning treated the bass as a solo instrument.

Wanting to move his fingers faster, he invented a new system of finger movements.

Despite his modesty, he was a true king and role model for younger bass players around the world!

 

 

A modest album in his spirit and close to my heart:

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3731[/ATTACH]

The Eternal Traveller

 

 

Moments like these:

 

 

 

 

RIP

 

Agree. There's also this wonderful duo with Philippe Catherine:

 

[elcorso]

 

Charlie Haden & Antonio Forcione "Hearthplay".

 

One of my favorites, specially the track "La Pasionaria".

 

Really played with the heart!

 

Linn Records 24/96 DL

 

Roch

[Lindeman]

 

Marc Johnson: Bass Desires

 

 

Marc Johnson's Bass Desires: Second Sight

[REShaman]

Bill Ron Paul. Just love it! XLD redbook CD to AIFF

Enjoying the music,

Richard

 

[mingusamongus]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Charles Mingus so far, so I have to do this. Maybe most of his recordings don't stand for audiophile listening, but there are a few exciting CDs with outstanding sound quality - and, of course, the music is always of the highest quality.

 

For a first example, look for this one :

 

[Musicophile]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Charles Mingus so far, so I have to do this. Maybe most of his recordings don't stand for audiophile listening, but there are a few exciting CDs with outstanding sound quality - and, of course, the music is always of the highest quality.

 

For a first example, look for this one :

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3755[/ATTACH]

 

Well, I just mentioned Money Jungle in the Piano thread, could have easily posted it here as well.

 

My favorite ones are Changes 1&2:

 

And Mingus at Carnegie Hall:

 

 

Not particularly audiophile I agree, but great Music.

[Jud]

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Charles Mingus so far, so I have to do this. Maybe most of his recordings don't stand for audiophile listening, but there are a few exciting CDs with outstanding sound quality - and, of course, the music is always of the highest quality.

 

For a first example, look for this one :

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]3755[/ATTACH]

 

Guilty as charged.

 

I like this one:

 

[REShaman]

Charles Mingus: The Black Saint and The Sinner Lady

 

and

 

Charles Mingus - The Jazz Workshop Concerts 1964-65 7 Discs. Excellent SQ.

Enjoy the music,

Richard

 

[57gold]

Anything with Jaco; from the early Pat Metheny to Weather Report to the Joni Mitchell stuff he played on. Had good fortune as a freshman in college to be asked by a group of Dead head upperclassmen to join them to hear some jam band...Weather Report on their tour to support their new recording Heavy Weather. In a bar between Boston in NYC, sat on the floor in front of the bass amp. Had played in bands with pro bass players (guys who could do Yes, Zep, and bebop...) and was blown away by Jaco. Took electric bass to a new level.

 

Christian Mc Bride's debut: Gettin' to it.

 

Branford M's Trio Jeepy has outstanding bass work: Branford is joined by his long-time drummer Jeff 'Tain' Watts, 'the Judge' Milt Hinton on bass (who "not only represents tradition," to paraphrase producer Delfeayo Marsalis, "this great man is tradition!"); and on three tracks, regular bassist Delbert Felix. Great recording as well.

[odelay]

'The Black Saint..' is one of my favourite albums. On the 192kHz HDTracks version, I was disappointed that the trumpet sounded bright. I imagine this has more to do with my system than the recording, but would be keen to know if anyone else had a similar experience.

 

Ella & Louis

 

Another of my most beloved recordings is Ella and Louis (1956). On the HDTracks version, the voices sound stunning, but the rest of the band remains a little too buried in the mix, me thinks. (Oscar Peterson is certainly one of my favourite jazz pianists.).

 

I do love the way the piano fills the soundstage and pours into the room on Keith Jarrett's 'Kohn' concert. Diana Krall's recordings always sound immaculate (to my humble ears).

[odelay]

... My bad... The bleedin' obvious was lost on me!! Excuse my last suggestions off topic.... Imbecile.