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The 50 Best Jazz Bassists of All Time
By Charles Waring/ Features/ DiscoverMusic/ discovermusic.com
"In jazz, as in most music, the bass is the bottom line. It’s both part of the rhythmic foundation of the music (along with the drums) and the sonic glue that binds everything together. In the New Orleans-style jazz ensembles of the early 20th Century, basslines were usually played by the tuba – reflecting jazz’s marching-band roots – but that instrument was eventually superseded by the upright, four-string double bass. As the jaunty 2/4 meter of 20s jazz evolved into the fluid 4/4 swing rhythms of the 30s that defined the big band era, the best jazz bassists played a crucial part in keeping the music flowing by playing walking lines that were usually slapped violently to enable the unamplified instrument to be heard.
The mid-40s and the rise of bebop – usually played in small groups – witnessed the emergence of a different kind of bassist: one whose technique and virtuosity was expected to match that of gladiatorial horn players. Bassists were still expected to harmonically anchor the music, which had become more complex, but plucked rather than slapped their instruments’ strings. They also began to enjoy a freer contrapuntal role with more independence – which came with greater expressive scope. This was the time of groundbreaking bassists such as Milt Hinton, Jimmy Blanton and Oscar Pettiford, whose formidable technique and deep understanding of harmony still ranks them among the best jazz bassists in history.
During the hard bop age of the 50s, characterised by a tougher, more aggressive, blues-based type of bebop, jazz bassists boasted a bigger sound and played walking basslines in incremental steps that swung the music with a profound sense of groove. The likes of Ray Brown, Art Davis, Percy Heath and Leroy Vinnegar were masters of this and showed that the best jazz bassists were an indispensable and highly influential component of any good ensemble.
But in the early 60s, a young man called Scott LaFaro proved that, as well as anchoring the music and giving it cohesion, the bassist could also have a valid role as an improviser, especially if he played in a band that had a more democratic ethos. One such group was pianist Bill Evans’ trio, in which LaFaro made a huge impact. Crucially, during the same time frame, LaFaro also worked with free jazz maven Ornette Coleman, whose concept of collective improvisation also helped to liberate the bass from a time-keeping role. LaFaro died tragically young but cast a huge influence as one of the best jazz bassists in history. Thanks to him, as jazz evolved throughout the 60s so did the bass’ role in it...."
Early jazz bass pioneer Oscar Pettiford made his name with Coleman Hawkins in the 40s before playing countless bebop sessions with the likes of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Photo: William Gottlieb/Library Of Congress
Richard
By Charles Waring/ Features/ DiscoverMusic/ discovermusic.com
"In jazz, as in most music, the bass is the bottom line. It’s both part of the rhythmic foundation of the music (along with the drums) and the sonic glue that binds everything together. In the New Orleans-style jazz ensembles of the early 20th Century, basslines were usually played by the tuba – reflecting jazz’s marching-band roots – but that instrument was eventually superseded by the upright, four-string double bass. As the jaunty 2/4 meter of 20s jazz evolved into the fluid 4/4 swing rhythms of the 30s that defined the big band era, the best jazz bassists played a crucial part in keeping the music flowing by playing walking lines that were usually slapped violently to enable the unamplified instrument to be heard.
The mid-40s and the rise of bebop – usually played in small groups – witnessed the emergence of a different kind of bassist: one whose technique and virtuosity was expected to match that of gladiatorial horn players. Bassists were still expected to harmonically anchor the music, which had become more complex, but plucked rather than slapped their instruments’ strings. They also began to enjoy a freer contrapuntal role with more independence – which came with greater expressive scope. This was the time of groundbreaking bassists such as Milt Hinton, Jimmy Blanton and Oscar Pettiford, whose formidable technique and deep understanding of harmony still ranks them among the best jazz bassists in history.
During the hard bop age of the 50s, characterised by a tougher, more aggressive, blues-based type of bebop, jazz bassists boasted a bigger sound and played walking basslines in incremental steps that swung the music with a profound sense of groove. The likes of Ray Brown, Art Davis, Percy Heath and Leroy Vinnegar were masters of this and showed that the best jazz bassists were an indispensable and highly influential component of any good ensemble.
But in the early 60s, a young man called Scott LaFaro proved that, as well as anchoring the music and giving it cohesion, the bassist could also have a valid role as an improviser, especially if he played in a band that had a more democratic ethos. One such group was pianist Bill Evans’ trio, in which LaFaro made a huge impact. Crucially, during the same time frame, LaFaro also worked with free jazz maven Ornette Coleman, whose concept of collective improvisation also helped to liberate the bass from a time-keeping role. LaFaro died tragically young but cast a huge influence as one of the best jazz bassists in history. Thanks to him, as jazz evolved throughout the 60s so did the bass’ role in it...."
Early jazz bass pioneer Oscar Pettiford made his name with Coleman Hawkins in the 40s before playing countless bebop sessions with the likes of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. Photo: William Gottlieb/Library Of Congress
Richard
