Jazz with electric bass that isn't fusion

Recommend some?

i read this as Jazz with electric bass that isn't fruity

I cannot think of a single record like this that I would recommend. At least not that isn't fusion or funk or something with rock/R&B type beats.

i don't know why you would want this, but...anything with steve swallow (i like some of the john scofield/bill stewart trio stuff), and maybe any later bob cranshaw stuff (like with sonny rollins)?

i thought dennis irwin played electric on some of those john scofield records, but i guess not.

hate walking basslines on electric.

oh, pat metheny's first record (bright size life), with jaco, might count.

man, it's weird to watch steve swallow play: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agRfAZ5eACE

That clip is sorta what I was looking for. Not really into the Jaco style playing - I like this Swallow clip - he's not really doing anything wanky, it's tasteful and compelling (at least to these ears). More like this?

Lee Morgan's Live At The Lighthouse...although, it's an upright solid-body electric bass, not a bass guitar.

ooh, was just listening to that record a couple hours ago, good point

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_A8mjwoNTuU

are you a bass player btw?

Jordan, what Sonny albums does Cranshaw play on?

Not a bass player. This query, like many ILX posts, was inspired by an argument I was having with someone 'irl.'

I'm thinking of picking up Scofield's Out Like A Light.

i think he plays on most of sonny's albums since the '80s. also i think sonny has a weird thing for electric bass, in that he prefers it, even if cranshaw is not on the gig.

Ah! Cool, thanks.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI3lhVYQGXk

There's a few very early (circa mid-/late-50s) Sun Ra sides that use electric keyboard bass in otherwise traditional (for Sun Ra) big-band arrangements.

I finally can admit to myself that I'm not a fan of about 85% of Sun Ra's material. I know, I know. God knows I've tried. I just don't get it. There are a few I love - Atlantis, Disco 3000 and On Jupiter - but generally speaking, the other ones bore the shit out of me. Too many reissues of dubious origin have also put me off.

In general, not a fan at all - double bass is (often) a big part of what makes jazz jazz. But fun in small doses.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgU5qZi2TOs

Rollins likes electric bass because it's easier for him to hear on the bandstand. So basically any Rollins record from the '70s onward will feature electric upright bass, usually by Bob Cranshaw, as mentioned.

I seem to recall when I saw Ornette on the Sound Grammar tour, Al MacDowell was playing electric bass. Both basses are acoustic on the album, though.

i thought dennis irwin played electric on some of those john scofield records, but i guess not.

hate walking basslines on electric.

One story I heard is that Cranshaw switched to electric because of some back problem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqXoDURR1BQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmf8F2uLXJE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihDjcW9u6y4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKYUygjXBQM

basically almost every Gil Evans Orchestra recording from the 70's and 80's and they are all worth owning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA9AlLmjo5o

I finally can admit to myself that I'm not a fan of about 85% of Sun Ra's material. I know, I know. God knows I've tried. I just don't get it. There are a few I love - Atlantis, Disco 3000 and On Jupiter - but generally speaking, the other ones bore the shit out of me. Too many reissues of dubious origin have also put me off.

I dunno, I feel like for every Atlantis there's about three or four other...um...Atlanti in Ra's discography. But I definitely get your point, especially re: reissues. Some of the Transparency stuff is up there with Ra's best, and some of it never should have seen the light of day under any circumstances.

jaco didn't record much at all with gil, but gil did love jaco and seemed to take jaco's madness in stride.

when i used to go see the gil evans orchestra in the 80's at sweet basil it was usually mark egan on bass and sometimes when he was coupled with danny gottlieb they were a little TOO locked in for such a freefloating godhead band, but they could also provide a really great solid bottom when someone like george adams was going nuts. it was all good though.

Henry Threadgill had a bass guitar player for some of his recordings.

I'd be surprised if there wasn't a lot of electric jazz that wasn't trying to be fusion. Thought electric instruments in jazz appeared around when they did because that was when they were becoming developed. Could be a bit out though there were certainly electric guitarists like Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, etc during the time that one might be thinking electric denoted r'n'r or rock.
& since several generations have grown up with electric instruments being readily available surely they've been being used.

Would think fusion was something with its own set of intentions like showing off chops for chops sake etc. Bit like the worst aspects of prog.

Am wondering where a band like Gateway fit cos they don't seem to be virtuosity for virtuosity's sake in the same way. Think there are other bands like that too.

Also a generation or two past punk are there bands incorporating earlier jazz influences into a rock sound without being directly jazz-rock? I'd find it difficult to believe there weren't. Would think it was a question of intentionality though. If you see what I mean?

There's a few very early (circa mid-/late-50s) Sun Ra sides that use electric keyboard bass in otherwise traditional (for Sun Ra) big-band arrangements.

There's a Sun Ra record from the 50s (or possibly early 60s) that actually has electric bass on it, not sure what one it is

... electric bass guitar that is

ron carter plays electric bass on filles de kilimanjaro, which i don't really think of a 'fusion' alb per se

dunno if that purple trap rec w/ haino/laswell/ali on tzadik counts as jazz, but it sure as shit ain't fusion either

do some of the art ensemble albs have electric bass on them?

Maybe vaguely fusion, or jazz-funk, depending on who's defining the terms, but whatever the case Back Door had a great bassist:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWnI-iC8KJg&feature=related

I love those Gil Evans Orchestra clips, I listen to the live albums from that period all the time.

Who needs electric bass when you have tuba?

Marino Pliakas plays full-on electric bass in Peter Brötzmann's Full Blast trio.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsqNN4BR7GE

Has anyone mentioned Powerhouse Sound yet?
Ken Vandermark, John Herndon, Nate McBride and Jeff Parker
AWESOME
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvVrLVeepUc

I remember reading that when he played electric Ron Carter played a Rickenbacker (!) but I've gotta look that up again. He plays some awesome funky stuff on the Roberta Flack album First Take which I think is electric.

Just found a thread on this topic, ***STREET TEAM ALERT*** featuring comments by a guy from my neighborhood: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f23/electric-jazz-bassists-welcome-776955/index2.html

Did Stanley Clarke ever veer towards less fusion-y territory?

...W/electric bass

Bright Size LIfe is great, btw, even folks who don't like Jaco would like it, I think

Henry Threadgill's stuff with Stomu Takeishi on bass is pretty fantastic. I don't really love Skúli Sverrisson's playing or his solo stuff, but he has worked with lots of good people on some good projects. Ron Carter did some interesting electric work in the late 60s early 70s, but it's not readily available.

ron carter plays electric bass on filles de kilimanjaro

!! i did not know this

He's completely disowned his electric playing, but some of it is quite good.

LOVE that Vandermark clip. Will investigate...thanks Laura Lucy Lynn!

If you ever wanted Tortoise with free jazz sax honking, Powerhouse Sound is your band.

I just noticed that Monk Montgomery was using electric bass on recordings under his brother Wes's name in the late 50s. Somebody's torrenting Fingerpoppin on Demonoid

& would assume that there was a lot of jazz recorded on electric instruments that was very much outside the fusion school.

Also while I'm thinking of this, noticed that there seemed to be a heavy bebop influence on Ten Years After's early stuff. Not sure if it remains as prevalent once they'd become famous after Woodstock but definitely hearing it on the first couple of lps.

Jazz Standard calendar often has a picture of hands on an electric bass
which I always assume is Monk
Montgomery

Henry Threadgill's stuff with Stomu Takeishi on bass is pretty fantastic

Stomu's also good on Myra Melford's Dance Beyond the Color.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66MJ-KOFBFQ

Wait, what is Laswell even playing on that clip? Is that a Bass VI?

Indeed it is:
http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/graphics/bassVI.jpg

Three Word Username once give me bigtime grief for not knowing what a Bass VI was. I just figured Jack Bruce forgot to bring his bass to the lip sync and had to borrow one of Eric's guitars

A bass with a tremolo arm, that looks so wrong.

I once came across a ten-string bass. Regret not buying it cos it might have been interesting to see what i could invent to do with it an untutored way.
Had pairs of strings like a 12-string guitar.

Oh & think that 10-string may have had tremolo too though it's 24 years ago so memory could be slipping.

Tom Petersson ftw:
http://i.bdbphotos.com/images/orig/k/f/kf45hntc4oybo4bn.jpg

(hard to tell from that photo -- it's a 12-string bass)

only 12?

http://www.notreble.com/buzz/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/prat-12-string.jpg

http://warrguitars.typepad.com/warr_guita/images/2007/11/24/phalanx_14string.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v643/parramatta/101-1.jpg

!!

I would think that would make popping-and-slapping difficult.

"Stomu's also good on Myra Melford's Dance Beyond the Color."

Although I am fairly certain he was using an acoustic bass guitar on that one, I agree.

(John Paul Jones uses a ten-string sometimes and does not sound like a dink. See his recordings with Diamanda Galas.)

Although I am fairly certain he was using an acoustic bass guitar on that one, I agree.

Some tracks are electric, some acoustic, I think.

These instruments Jordan has been posting are like the bass equivalent of Terry Bozzio's drum setup .

"Terry Bozzio drums stop very bad. Mean forty-eight string bass solo about to start"

hahahahaha