He was and will always be “The Judge.” An accomplished photographer, educator, and pioneer of the bass as heard in popular and jazz music with almost every major 20th Century recording and performing artist, Milton John Hinton commenced his trailblazing musical journey in Chicago in the 1920s.

 

With Cab Calloway’s big band, Milt developed a slapping technique that thrilled audiences long before Larry Graham, Louis Johnson, and Marcus did the same on electric.

 

Considered by The Jazz Discography as the most recorded jazz musician in history – Milt’s exhaustive body of work encompassed an extensive solo canon, record dates, television, and film scores.

 

Dig Milt on “Slap Happy” https://youtu.be/b-ajjtrLwKQ

An acclaimed and prolific composer, bandleader, recording artist, collaborator, and sideman, British born Dave Holland was the bassist who anchored one of the greatest eras in modern music and jazz when he joined Miles Davis in 1968 at age 22.

His rhythmic and harmonic passages, rendered on upright and electric on such seminal Miles sides including In A Silent Way (1969), Bitches Brew (1969), and Miles at The Fillmore East (1970) among several archival releases, brilliantly tethered the artistry of Davis and his band; Chick Corea, John McLaughlin, Wayne Shorter, Tony Williams, Joe Zawinul, and Herbie Hancock.

Holland’s upright grooves in tandem with electric bassist Harvey Brooks on “Miles Runs the Voodoo Down,” “Spanish Key,” and “Pharaoh’s Dance” complete each other’s musical forays into the unknown.  The Gateway trio, with Holland, guitarist John Abercrombie and drummer Jack DeJohnette waxed several essential releases from 1975 through 1995.

His resume as a sideman is astounding – spanning Bonnie Raitt, Sir Roland Hanna, Joe Henderson, Sam Rivers, Joe Farrell, Dave Leibman, Barry Altschul, Billy Hart, Nick Brignola, Joe Lovano, and Kevin Eubanks to cite a very, very select few!

An indisputable jazz icon, Dave Holland’s solo canon spans over twenty albums, mostly on the ECM imprint, and runs the voodoo down from solo bass to big band!

Photos courtesy of Dave Holland Com

Dig Dave with Miles “Call It Anything” Isle of Wight 1970 https://youtu.be/qyJooHmRcdc

Dig the Dave Holland Big Band at JVC Jazz Festival 2005 https://youtu.be/7qj_DBfcbaw

Dig Dave in the Gateway Trio with Jack DeJohnette and John Abercrombie Live 1985 https://youtu.be/Y1P4E2bvSLM

His bass motifs as rendered in “We’ve Gotta Get Out of This Place,” “House of the Rising Sun,” and “It’s My Life” are among the most identifiable in the history of rock ‘n’ roll.

 

As a player, the late Bryan James “Chas” Chandler made history as the harmonic bedrock of one of Britain’s most influential ensembles: The Animals.

 

As an artist manager, which was a career change he forged in 1966, Chas brought the former Jimmy James to England, convinced him to revert to his birth name of Hendrix, hired novice bassist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, and the rest, as they say is history.

 

After he ended his managerial relationship with Jimi, Chas produced and managed British glam rock gods Slade for a dozen years -scoring several hit platters which continue to influence modern rockers.

 

Though Chas hardly receives due recognition, he was a venerable bassist (and backing vocalist) who steered the music as his mates, most notably singer Eric Burdon and keyboardist Alan Price – wreaked havoc on the bandstand and on record. When the classic line-up of The Animals reunited for two woefully ignored albums; Before We Were So Rudely Interrupted (1977) and Ark (1983), Chandler resumed his role with commendable results.

 

Chas Chandler Sound & Vision….

 

The Animals:

 

“House of the Rising Sun” https://youtu.be/4-43lLKaqBQ

 

“We Gotta Get Out of This Place” https://youtu.be/t6gcxNFc1I0

 

“It’s My Life” https://youtu.be/ILZndyhHWQ4

 

“I’m Crying” https://youtu.be/3L65GOR-9b8

 

Dig Chas and the reunited Animals performing “The Night” in 1983 https://youtu.be/0PPe_zeX4ks

 

Session cats rarely make the artistic leap to a career as platinum selling recording artists – however Toto was a notable exception. Comprised of LA’s premier players who waxed hits for scores of world renowned artists, bassist Mike Porcaro joined his brothers Jeff (drums) and Steve (keyboards) for their Isolation album (1984), replacing studio ace and band-member David Hungate, and also anchored Fahrenheit (1986), Mindfields (1998) and Through the Looking Glass (2002).

 

A valued sideman of tours and record dates with Boz Scaggs, Larry Carlton , Michael Franks, Cher, Stevie Nicks, Seals & Crofts, Donna Summer, Carlos Santana, Natalie Cole, Joe Walsh, Aretha Franklin, and The Pointer Sisters, to cite a select few, Mike excelled in a wide array of genres spanning pop, funk, soul, rhythm and blues, rock, Latin, disco, techno – and every permutation thereof.

 

Dig Mike taking a solo break on a Toto classic https://youtu.be/MeFJcTsxImI

 

Mike Porcaro, who passed in 2015, was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville in 2009 with Toto.

 

“Alive and Kicking,” “Games Without Frontiers,” “In The Air Tonight,” “Babooshka” “Don’t You Forget About Me” 

 

Among the most prolific studio / sidemen in UK rock history, John Giblin’s career spanned six decades in a wide array of musical genres including pop, jazz, classical, rock folk, avante-garde and permutations thereof. Born in Bellshill Scotland, John stated paying in local band in his early teens and never looked back after migrating to London in 1970.

 

An early adopter of the fretless bass, Giblin was a dexterous player, rending pocket grooves, and countermelodies to enrich countless hits and album tracks.

 

His work on stage and on record included notable array of artists and seminal sides, as compiled by Know Your Bass Player Com reader Xavier Padilla: Eric Clapton, Sting, Mark Knopfler, Phil Collins, Brand X, Peter Gabrie, David Sylvian, Chris de Burgh, Masami Tsuchiya, Kate Bush, Scott Walker,  Al Green, Duncan Browne, Joan Armatrading, John Lennon, Judie Tzuke, Annie Lennox, Roberta Flack, Paul McCartney,  The Everly Brothers, George Martin, Gerry Rafferty, Hugh Masekela, Mavis Staples, Simple Minds, Jon Anderson, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band, John Martyn, Richard Ashcroft, Franco Battiato, Saro Cosentino, Eros Ramazzotti Claudio Baglioni, Manolo García,  Alan Parsons…

 

John Giblin Sound & Vision:

 

Simple Minds:

 

“Alive and Kicking” https://youtu.be/ljIQo1OHkTI

 

“Sanctify Yourself” https://youtu.be/sGQNRyxmhhg

 

“Don’t You Forget About Me” https://youtu.be/VQdhDw-hE8s

 

Kate Bush:

“Babooshka” https://youtu.be/6xckBwPdo1c

 

“Breathing” https://youtu.be/VzlofSthVwc

 

“Rubberband Girl” https://youtu.be/85wZw1O83aE

 

Peter Gabriel:

“Games Without Frontiers” https://youtu.be/3xZmlUV8muY

 

“Family Snapshot” https://youtu.be/EYnk8a–fXQ

 

Phil Collins:

 

“In The Air Tonight” https://youtu.be/YkADj0TPrJA

 

“Tomorrow Never Knows” https://youtu.be/5nH-sUGWALo

 

His name is synonymous with excellence on our instrument, and, along with Jamerson, Dunn, Rainey, Jemmott, Kaye, Osborn, and Flowers, to cite a respected few, he is among the greatest session players, and sidemen of all time.

 

Cited by this writer in Huffington Post (December 2017) as a bass player deserving of recognition in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ( https://bit.ly/37D8plz ), Leland Bruce Sklar was/is the foundation for “The Section” – a historic musical assemblage comprised of guitarist Danny Kortchmar, keyboardist Craig Doerge, and drummer Russ Kunkel.

 

Though these players were also referred to as “The Mellow Mafia” – there was nothing placid, nor easygoing about this ensemble of Los Angeles based virtuosos who were the catalyst on scores of iconic album and singles sessions, and all of whom were well-versed in jazz, folk, blues, soul, funk and classical music and permutations thereof.

 

Lee has anchored over 2,000 albums, film and television scores, and 25,000 bass tracks (and counting) with artists ranging from Ray Charles, Crosby, Stills, & Nash in various configurations; Hall & Oates, Donna Summer, David Sanborn, Diana Ross, James Taylor, Jackson Browne, Billy Cobham, Michael Jackson, Peter Allen, Bette Midler, Bernadette Peters, Bee Gees, Sarah Brightman, Glenn Campbell, Joe Cocker, Robbie Williams, Neil Diamond, Rita Coolidge, The Doors (post Morrison), Vince Gill, Dolly Parton, Don Henley, Julio Iglesias, Lyle Lovett, Jimmy Webb, Trisha Yearwood, Tanya Tucker, Jimmy Webb, Carly Simon, Reba McIntyre, David Cassidy …his resume is exhaustive….and his collection of instruments is exhaustive (check out Lee’s page on The Unique Guitar Blog Spot https://bit.ly/2YcioLj ).

 

In brief, Sklar utilizes the entire harmonic range of the bass and intuitively shifts from playing in the pocket to rendering counter melodies which become intrinsic to the composition.  Lee’s legacy has been widely documented in several books (including Michael Viseglia’s A View from the Side) , news features, interviews, and documentaries.

 

Lee Sklar Sound & Vision

 

Jackson Browne “Doctor My Eyes” https://youtu.be/qKGTaplzmV4

 

James Taylor “Smiling Face” https://youtu.be/ZSsfNlS42Cc

 

Billy Cobham “Stratus” https://youtu.be/b1rX9E8NuRw

 

Phil Collins “Sussudio” https://youtu.be/r0qBaBb1Y-U

 

Dolly Parton “9 to 5” https://youtu.be/E4OzdyxbOuU

 

Courtesy of Red Hot Chili Peppers Com

 

“Any instrument is just a vehicle to express who you are and your relationship to the world. No matter what level you’re doing it on, playing music is an opportunity to give something to the world.” Flea

 

Akin to Bootsy, Jaco, Sting, Duck, Macca, Marcus, and Jamerson, you only need utter one name and everyone knows who it is… Flea!

 

When the former Michael Balzary was queried as why he commenced advanced music studies following more than two stadium-filling, Grammy Award winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame decades with the Red Hot Chili Peppers – he simply responded: “I went to school and studied music for a year at USC, which unlocked a bunch of doors for me in terms of my relationship to music.”

 

Melding his love for Jaco, Miles Davis, David Bowie, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker, and Dizzy – with hardcore punk – notabley Black Flag, and others on the LA scene, Flea’s voice and approach to the instrument is unique – you can hear him quote be-bop lines and heavy metal riffs in his passages.

 

A melodic slap and finger player – go figure how Flea is able to play with such precision and grace given his gravity defying onstage aerobics.

 

When’s he’s not touring the planet, Flea occupies his time as an actor, activist and philanthropist (Rock the Vote, Vote For Change, Special Olympics, co-founder of the Silverlake Conservatory of Music for underserved youth, among many others), and he’s a recent author – Acid for the Children (2019).

 

Flea’s collaborations span Joshua Redman, Johnny Cash, Young MC, Alice Cooper, Slash, Tom Waits, Joe Strummer, Jane’s Addiction, and John Lee Hooker – to cite a very, very, very select few.

 

Note that, in Flea’s words, “any instrument is just a vehicle…” As such, Flea has used many instruments throughout his career – his gear list is exhaustive. To cite a few:

 

MusicMan Cutlass 1, Fender Precision, Spector NS-2 Teisco Del Ray NB-4, Wal Mk 2, MusicMan Stingray 4 and 5, Alembic Epic, various Modulus signature basses, 1961 Fender Jazz, and Fender’s fantastic FleaBass! And his rig is usually Gallien- Krueger.

 

Flea Sound & Vision

 

“Californication” https://youtu.be/YlUKcNNmywk

 

“Dani California” https://youtu.be/Sb5aq5HcS1A 

 

“Give It Away” https://youtu.be/Mr_uHJPUlO8

 

“Scar Tissue” https://youtu.be/mzJj5-lubeM

 

He is a giant of the 1970s jazz fusion era who also expanded his artistry into rock and pop music. Alphonso Johnson began his musical journey on trumpet, then on to upright bass, then to the electric where his virtuosity shone brightest.

Barely into his 20s, Alphonso was in the studio and on stage with Weather Report, taking over the bass chair from Miroslav Vitous. His three slabs with the band: Mysterious Traveller (1974), Tale Spinnin’ (1975) and Black Market (1976) which he split with Jaco – are world music touchstones. Johnson’s Fender Precision tone was cited by Darryl Jones in this testimonial: https://youtu.be/ltDn-gZzeF0

An educator, solo recording artist, collaborator, bandmember, and clinician, Alphonso also brought the Chapman Stick to the forefront, and has recorded extensively on extended range and fretless.

I highly advise you visit Alphonso’ website wherein he explains his approach to the instrument – and his latest releases and live dates.

He is among the handful of bassists you need to experience live! http://embamba.com/

My choice Alphonso tracks which span funk, world, soul, rock, pop and every permutation thereof:

“Cucumber Slumber” from Weather Report’s Mysterious Traveler (1974) https://youtu.be/5gsk-ae_y8I

“Man in the Green Shirt” from Weather Report’s Tale Spinnin’ (1975) https://youtu.be/gdstJfWHqx0

“Hip Pockets” from Billy Cobham – George Duke Band Live on Tour in Europe (1976) https://youtu.be/PK4Ox-EJeOE

Title track from Flora Purim’s Open Your Eyes You Can Fly (1976) https://youtu.be/L-yYZg-DQYQ

“Stump” from Alphonso’s Moonshadows (1977) https://youtu.be/F8VM8NZPcmw

“Children Are the Spirit” from Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Just Family (1978) https://youtu.be/v9St6i68Eok

“Book of Rules” from Bob Weir’s Bobby & the Midnights Live (1981) https://youtu.be/YjAhM6e1D-o

“I Missed Again” from Phil Collins’ Face Value (1981) https://youtu.be/yr-SNCtoyPk

“Brotherhood” from Santana’s Beyond Appearances (1985) https://youtu.be/kOjaaIPYahk

“Fountain of Salmacis” from Steve Hackett’s Genesis Revisited (1997) https://youtu.be/VwFZd0i0nb8

Jazz Is Dead’s Laughing Water (1999 ) https://youtu.be/UzpeMhtxrF4

“Waters of March” from Sergio Mendes’ Encanto (2008) https://youtu.be/PwrtN3l7-xQ

This fab Philly born singer, bassist, side-woman, multi-instrumentalist, composer, solo recording artist, among other titles has rocked stages and anchored slabs with Tears for Fears, Gang of Four, Lenny Kravitz, Bryan Ferry, Indigo Girls, Jane Siberry, Gwen Stefani, Seal, David Bowie, and John Ashton’s Satellite Paradiso, to cite a very, very, very select few.

Where to begin: In the service of David Jones, Gail Ann Dorsey brilliantly utilized the lower register of her extended range which revitalized her bandleader’s classic canon in concert.

Dig every minute of Gail at Bowie’s 50th bash https://youtu.be/GlEwkZ14n7k

Gail’s presence on David’s latter day works – Earthling, Reality, Storytellers, A Reality Tour, and The Next Day – contributed greatly to Bowie’s artistic and commercial resurgence.

Primarily a StingRay MusicMan player, though I have seen her on stage with Fender and various boutique instruments; Ms. Dorsey adapts her style to whomever she plays with – yet her identity emerges by way of her phrasing and rhythm – my guess is that her Philadelphia roots ingrained soul into her soul!

Dig Gail on her own from the album I Used to Be “Always True” https://youtu.be/JIGo7SqaZO0