Bass Favorites
As you may have noticed, I play bass. Lots of people do. And lots do it very well too. I thought I would list just a few of my favorite bass recordings.
from Van Morrison's
Astral Weeks
may be my all time fave. It's played on an upright bass by Richard Davis accompanied by Connie Kay playing only high hat cymbals throughout. In an interview, Morrison said that
during the recording session
, they were having a problem finding the right feel for this song so they took a lunch break and when they returned, they nailed it right away.
from Jefferson Airplane's album of the same name. Jack Casady's hollow body bass growls from high volume and feeds back but it's all perfectly controlled in a manner that's rare for a studio recording.
from the Byrds
Younger Than Yesterday
. Chris Hillman's notes float along with the somber mood of the song but the liquid patterns flip and reverse as if Chris was making the part up at that very moment.
by the Yardbirds is a little known gem. The reputation of that groups killer guitar players, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Paige overshadowed their bassist but Paul Samwell Smith was every bit as ground-breaking in shattering all boundaries for blues-rooted rock.
I hope you will dig these albums out and give these masterful bassists a close listen.
DD