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Author Topic: Best Gospel Bass Player  (Read 19441 times)

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Best Gospel Bass Player
« on: May 03, 2005, 11:11:00 PM »
I would have to say that right now, Reggie Young and Maurice Fitzgerald are the two best bass players.  Reggie recently came to Toronto, Canada and did a workshop.  That man was "sick".  He is a beast on that Ken Smith.  Maurice is "King of the Groove" in gospel right now.  His chops are crazy and his pocket is so deep!

Offline uriahsmusic

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hey...this reggie young...
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2005, 05:09:45 AM »
...is he the one from long island ny?

Offline trymone

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Best Gospel Bass Player
« Reply #2 on: May 04, 2005, 08:34:35 AM »
can someone give a list of  the artists' CDs they appear on? which album is both bassist best (in your opinion) cd performance?

Offline fenderjazz

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« Reply #3 on: May 04, 2005, 08:59:12 AM »
Reggie Young and Maurice Fitzgerald are two excellent bass players and they are definitely two of the most successfull gospel bass players as far being on a lot of projects and making money. However there are far too many exceptional bass players in gospel music alone to figure out who's the best. We all have certain strengths and weaknesses and can learn from eachother. I really don't think there is a best bass player in gospel. If there was it would have to be someone who has revolutionized the instrument in some way or changed the paradigm the bass currently has. Reggie and Maurice have mastered certain concepts within the existing paradigm but so have many other bass players in gospel. In my opinion, the "best" should be someone who has done something truly innovative that changes the whole way we think about the bass. Having a tight groove and chops is only a basic requirement of being a bassist.

Offline blumusiq

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« Reply #4 on: May 04, 2005, 03:32:54 PM »
I agree with fender jazz on the aspect of innovation & being the best. But just for the record and my personal opinion, my vote's in for Maurice Fitzgerald. The whole paradigm may not be different, but his style of play definitely makes you listen to the bass in a different way. Wouldn't someone els agree?


One,

Blumusiq

Offline BACEFINGERS

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« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2005, 04:32:03 PM »
Fender you mean lamb chops or pork chops?


 :)
I don't play bass, my bass plays me.

Offline Cirrus6playr

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« Reply #6 on: May 05, 2005, 01:02:16 PM »
Quote from: trymone
can someone give a list of  the artists' CDs they appear on? which album is both bassist best (in your opinion) cd performance?


I came up with this off of a google search for Maurice.

maurice fitzgerald - also appears on
The Mighty Clouds of Joy  In the House of the Lord: Live in Houston Bass  
Vashawn Mitchell  Believe in Your Dreams Bass  
Micah Stampley  The Songbook of Micah Bass  
Urban Knights  Urban Knights VI Group Member, Bass  
Kurt Carr  One Church Bass  
Bishop Michael V. Kelsey  Masterpeace Guitar (Bass)  
Mark Hubbard  Blessin' Waitin' on Me Bass  
Donald Lawrence  I Speak Life Bass  
Gospel Music Workshop of America  The Tampa Experience Bass  
Darius Brooks  Your Will (Chordant) Bass

Offline Cirrus6playr

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« Reply #7 on: May 05, 2005, 01:25:31 PM »
Quote from: trymone
can someone give a list of  the artists' CDs they appear on? which album is both bassist best (in your opinion) cd performance?


Tried to find some links for Reggie but it looked like he was the producer on alot of albums.  they didn't mention whether he played on them or not.
I usually go to http://www.artistdirect.com/ to find anybody music wise.  They have sound clips of almost anybody you can think of.

Offline Cirrus6playr

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« Reply #8 on: May 05, 2005, 01:32:30 PM »
Well I gotta throw a name in the mix of a guy that has got some stanky groove on the bass.  Jamaal Andrews, plays with Clint Brown Group.
I have a dvd of them in concert (Nothin But Church album).
man...man...man...man!  he throws down some chops.

Offline derrickmo

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« Reply #9 on: May 11, 2005, 03:10:14 PM »
Derrick Hearne is nice and not to mention the beast himself (Sharay Reed) Darrell Freeman is ready to straight take over. Maurice is a great bass player himself. Reggie Young is not human at all. He is a machine!!! Man I gotta cd with this church choir in NY. And John Peters is playing on there also and there is this up tempo shouting song on there and John Peters does a run down his keyboard and I KID YOU NOT REGGIE YOUNG DOES A RUN OF HIS OWN AT THE SAME SPEED!!!!! That is not normal people.  Oh ok back to the subject Tony Russell is nice too.


God Bless Derrick :lol:  :lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Offline BIGNATEDOGG

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« Reply #10 on: May 11, 2005, 03:48:20 PM »
Of course I have Reggies solo albums and I have this CD of him and john peters at the Lords Church in NY and of course they were crushin...but there's this dude named Curtis Rawls from queens NY and he dont play with no kwa and he aint on no album that Im aware of and this dude is the sickest to me...He's on the level of Reggie Young but what I really dig about him other than his really humble spirit is the fact that he will use like every technique that one can use in everyday church songs...I aint never heard somebody kill Lord I Just Want to Thank You the way he did...I mean he threw in everything...Wooten...Young...Pattitucc i...Jaco...and I cant even talk about shout music...and amazingly the stuff wasnt too much I mean I couldnt concentrate on worship but thats only cause I was in his grill the whole time...but the church folk was jussa carryin on like nothing special was going on and Im sittin there bout to pass out cause o some o the stuff he was doing...

And then theres this dude outta DC Kenny I think his last name is Rolle  but he a young cat and is tourin with Karen Clark I believe...this brother plays THEE meanest stuff like ever hes got this 7 string and normally Im like  :roll: why he gotta have all dem strings or thinkin all them strings is tryn to cover up some sub par performance but then I heard dude and was like Good Lawd 7 strings aint enough...(I think the same thing when I see Anthony Wellington)...I wanted to put SOMMO strings on dudes axe and listen to him grind..for real

Offline reggie_harris

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« Reply #11 on: May 11, 2005, 10:58:50 PM »
Check out Maurice Fitzgerald on Fred Hammond's "Purpose by Design" video. The brother is awesome. He is on John P. Kee's "Strength" video (younger then). That is an awesome video. I watch them both over and over. Saw John P. Kee live in Denver 2003. He blessed a lot of people at that service. Tony Russell was on bass. I was looking and expecting Maurice and was curious if Tony was going to measure up. Well that lil brother spanked the daylight out of that bass. Tony is very talented. I got a chance to ask him "How did you learn to play the (God please forgive me) STANK out of that bass like that?) He answered, practice your scales and modes. Tony you are blessed Brother. I enjoy listening to you minister on that bass. Keep on growing the name of the Lord.

Offline jlynnb1

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« Reply #12 on: May 12, 2005, 01:42:53 AM »
most all of them have been mentioned. maurice is amazing on Fred's "Purpose By Design" video. sharay is tight, so is reggie. there's a guy that played on a cd by a dude named Shawn McLemore, way back, and I can't remember his name but he was nice. I love Fred Hammonds playing, he doesn't show you chops all the time, but I love his groove and his quirky kind of style. I find stuff like that more interesting than bass players that try to overplay and dominate every song with chops.

Offline uriahsmusic

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DID YOU KNOW!!!
« Reply #13 on: May 12, 2005, 01:00:23 PM »
THAT WHEN REGGIE YOUNG WAS A TEENAGER...HE USED TO SIT BESIDE ME IN CHURCH....AND BEG ME TO TEACH HIM TO SOLO!...HE LOVED TO SOLO ON HIS BASS....I PLAYED GUITAR AT A CHURCH CALLED REFUGE AND HE PLAYED BASS....HE SOAKED UP SOLO'S LIKE A SPUNGE!....HE WAS VERY TALENTED BACK THEN ALSO...HE ALSO PLAYED KEYBOARD QUITE WELL!

Offline DESQ

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Best Gospel Bass Player
« Reply #14 on: May 12, 2005, 03:30:39 PM »
I beg to differ with Jazzfender somewhat.  

Unlike gospel drummers and organists, you can actually state that a gospel bassist is the best.  As you stated, the "best" should mean someone who is innovative and has revolutionized bass playing in gospel music like Jaco and Stanley have done for their musical genres.  

Going by your own definition, IMHO, Reggie is the best out there and he is exceptional.  As was said, he is not HUMAN, but a machine. I would go as far as saying that Reggie is the Jaco/Victor of gospel music.  He does stuff on the bass that had been unheard of in gospel musicdom until he came along.  He has perfected his knowledge of the instrument and his "style" is indistinguishable and unlike anyone else in gospel.  There have been precious few in gospel music that have accomplished this feat. In fact, besides Reggie and Andrew, can you tell who the bass player is just by plugging in the CD and not knowing who the artist is?  

As Jeff Berlin would say, most other gospel bassists are doing "what they were paid to do"--keeping a grove and having a solid pocket.  Does this make their playing "exceptional".  I would argue not necessarily so.  I would say that there are many "good" gospel bass players out there today, but few "exceptional" bass players.  However, that's not to take away from their playing ability.  But we must admit, that we often equate seeing a person's name on many projects to mean that the cat's playing is phenomenal.  Doing a lot of gigging or being on multiple projects, especially in gospel music, does not necessarily mean that that person's playing is exceptional.  We often see the same cats or names on most gospel projects and that is b/c the MD is comfortable with that person and has established a rapport with the particular musician, in this case the bassist (the same can be said regarding keyboardists, guitarists, drummers. etc).  That's only natural.  Does that mean that the particular bass player's playing or musicianship is phenomenal or exceptional?    

Additionally, hearing a person "in living color" and outside of a recording situation is the true test as you can always go back into the studio and overdub a part or add parts/licks later.  

BTW, please do not mistake my reasoned commentary for "hating" on anyone in particular or jealousy. (Obviously, if the person was requested for the gig they are good.)    

Oh, jlynnb1, the dude you're referring to on Shawn McLemore's project is Barry Jackson.  He also did Kim Burrell's first project.  And Kenny (the young cat playing for Karen) has only been playing for approximately five years now)  Reminds me of Bill Dickens and the late Anthony Harmon with his seven-string.

Offline techking

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« Reply #15 on: May 13, 2005, 03:47:30 PM »
:? How do you guys feel about Andre' Gouche?

Offline jlynnb1

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« Reply #16 on: May 13, 2005, 08:26:36 PM »
can't believe I forgot about Gouche. he's a beast, no doubt. one thing about him, the second you hear him, you know it's him, very unique feel.

Offline reggie_harris

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« Reply #17 on: May 15, 2005, 08:07:53 PM »
I love Andrew Gouche's style very much. Same goes for Abe Laboriel, Fred Hammond and Terrence Palmer. They are all in the GOLD zone in my book. Particularly I liked Andrew's and Abe L's work on Andre Crouch's "No Time to Lose".


reggie_harris

Offline DaReal

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« Reply #18 on: May 16, 2005, 12:16:41 AM »
maaannnn...T. Palmer and Big Mo Fitz gotta be the two sickest out there. Mo got a crazy pocket (if only i can be blessed with some of his LINT i'd be all right) and T.P.  does some crazy stuff got me like WOAH. I realized if you play for Fred, you gotta be sick.

Offline BIGNATEDOGG

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« Reply #19 on: May 16, 2005, 02:03:37 PM »
Well I agree wit Jazzfender...

1st of all...you cant say somebody's the best till you done heard em all and aint nobody heard em all...you just heard who you done heard thas it...

2nd of all...technically gospel music is music which is about the gospel of Jesus Christ vs. say a salsa which is a particular genre indigenous to latin america...you can have gospel jazz or gospel reggea or gospel soul so a bassist proficient in any genre can play gospel music..and kill a particular song...so when we say Gospel bassist does that include Pattitucci who even Reggie Young (Im sure) will say is better than He is and who has some inspirational cuts...
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