Listening List

Classical Bassists:

Gary Karr

Jeff Bradetich

Edgar Meyer

Francois Rabbath

Diana Gannett

Edicson Ruiz

Catalin Rotaru

Rinat Ibragimov


Jazz Bassists:

Jimmy Blanton:

Duke Ellington, Never No Lament: The Blanton/Webster Years

Duke Ellington, Solos, Duets and Trios


Oscar Pettiford:

Lucky Thompson, Tricotism

Thelonious Monk, Thelonious Monk Plays Duke Ellington

Thelonious Monk, The Unique Thelonious Monk

Thelonious Monk, Brilliant Corners


Slam Stewart

Slam Stewart, Bowin',  Singin' Slam

Art Tatum, Art Tatum's Finest Hour

Don Byas, Original 1945 Recordings


Paul Chambers

Miles Davis, Kind of Blue

Miles Davis, Workin' with The Miles Davis Quintet

Miles Davis, Relaxin' with The Miles Davis Quintet

Miles Davis, Cookin' with The Miles Davis Quintet

Miles Davis, Steamin' with The Miles Davis Quintet

John Coltrane, Giant Steps

John Coltrane, Blue Trane

Paul Chambers, Bass On Top


Ray Brown

Any recording by Ray Brown

Oscar Peterson, Oscar Peterson at the Stratford

Shakespearean Festival

Oscar Peterson, We Get Requests

Duke Ellington, This One's For Blanton

With Christian McBride and John Clayton, Superbass and Superbass 2


Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus, Blues and Roots

Charles Mingus, Ah Um

Charles Mingus, The Individualist

Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus and Max Roach, Money Jungle


Scott La Faro

Bill Evans, Waltz For Debby

Bill Evans, Sunday at the Village Vanguard

Bill Evans, Explorations


Ron Carter

Miles Davis, The Complete Concert 1964, My Funny Valentine

Plus Four and More

Miles Davis, Seven Steps to Heaven

Joe Henderson, The State of the Tenor


Niels Henning Orsted Pedersen

NHOP and Joe Pass, Chops

Oscar Peterson, Oscar Peterson and the Bassists (with Ray Brown)


Other Jazz Bassists to check out:

Esperanza Spalding

Wilbur Ware

John Pattituci

Stanley Clarke

Israel Crosby

Henry Grimes

Red Mitchell

Jimmy Garrison

Milt Hinton

Christian McBride

Sam Jones

Kristin Korb

John Clayton



© Todd Gowers 2024,  photographs ©Erika Langley