Bass virtuosity...

[Ted Jackson jr. s2h2]

> From:          Steven Tice <StevenTice at AOL.COM>
> Tony is a terrific bassist, I'll have to find that album!  One thing I enjoyed
> about ABWH was the fact that they treated Tony as an equal even though they
> couldn't include him in the name...I consider Tony to have been the Yes
> bassist for awhile, since ABWH basically WAS Yes.
>
> I have to say, however, that amazing as Tony is, I've since encountered a
> bassist who could blow him away, and that's something I never thought I'd say!
> I'm referring to Victor Wooten of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.  He's the
> fastest bassist I've ever heard, and fond of playing exceedingly intricate and
> complex bass lines, often playing two or three separate bass lines
> simultaneously...plus he needs no special instruments or tools (like the Stick
> or those finger gizmos), he does it all on a normal bass!  I would advise any
> bass fans to check him out!
>
> SET
>
> P.S. And if you know of any other bassists operating at that level, please let
> me know...I'd love to hear them! :-)

okay, here's one: Otiel Burbridge, currently slappin' with the Allman
Bros.  But to hear Otiel at his best, grab any album by the Aquarium
Rescue Unit, his previous band.  He really goes for it on those
albums wheras his work in ABB is more rhythm-section oriented.

BTW, the guitarist in ARU, Jimmy Herring can dust just about any
6-stringer out there.  Think Vai/Satriani chops, but more in a fusion
vein.  Kind of like John McLaughlin meets Jeff Beck.  Jimmy's really
that good!

If you want to go back a ways on bass, my favorite has always been
Tim Bogert.  He's one of the godfathers of the current lead bass
style.  He did one album with Jeff Beck:  Beck, Bogert and Appice,
and he played with Cactus and Vanilla Fudge before that.  Tim is
absolutely amazing.  And of course, Billy Sheehan from just up the
road in Buffalo.  I saw him play a hundred bar gigs with his old band
Talas before he hit it big.  There's nothing Billy can't do on a
bass, and he's a really cool person besides...

theo


theo