Good funky standards?!
Question: looking for some help, im a young bass player, been playing about to years. Im looking to start learning standards stuff like blue monk is double i love a good funky song like chameleon or the chicken any recomendations oh any advice for bassist as a whole are welcome
Answers: looking for some help, im a young bass player, been playing about to years. Im looking to start learning standards stuff like blue monk is double i love a good funky song like chameleon or the chicken any recomendations oh any advice for bassist as a whole are welcome
Chameleon (Paul Jackson on bass) and The Chicken (Jaco on bass) are a great start. Here are some others:
Birdland and Teen Town by Weather Report (Jaco on bass)
The Street Beater (Sanford and Son Theme) by Quincy Jones (Chuck Rainey on bass)
Silly Putty (on Journey to Love) by Stanley Clarke
Sneakin' Up Behind You by the Brecker Brothers (Will Lee on bass)
Sinister Minister by Bela Fleck and the Flecktones (Victor Wooten on bass) - anything by Victor is amazing!
Any new stuff by Richard Bona - I saw him live with Mike Stern and he is amazing!
These are but a few, but they are some of my favorites.
"Sassy Strut" is one good funk standard.
For Latin funk, you can try "On Broadway" (originally by George Benson).
But the best of the funk standards is "Mister Magic" (originally by saxophonist Grover Washington Jr.).
More funk standards include....
"Brickhouse" (The Commodores)
"Give It To Me Baby" (Rick James)
"Super Freak" (Rick James)
"Ladies Night" (Kool and the Gang)
"Give Me Some Lovin'" (Blues Brothers Band)
"I Feel Good" (James Brown)
"I Feel The Earth Move" (Carole King)
"Love and Happiness" (Al Green)
"Let's Groove Tonight" (Earth, Wind and Fire)
"September" (Earth, Wind and Fire)
Note: Listen to a Victor Wooten recording. He is the newest of the great bass guitarists who plays in the contemporary funk style. And he is good.
The two "funky bass" standards I learned in the '80s were Grover Washington Jr.'s "Winelight" and the theme song to Barney Miller.
Funky as in jazz? I can only recommend bassists. You'll have to search from there: How about:
Stanley Clarke, possibly with Chich Coreas Return To Forever (I recommend Light As A Fire or Romantic Warrior.)or the co-led and with George Duke, The Clarke/Duke Project
Jaco Pastorious, possibly some Weather Report (particularly the song Birdland) or the album he did with Pat Metheny. Or even the stuff he did with Joni Mitchell.
The Crusaders, particularly Chain Reaction
Victor Wooten with Bela Fleck & The Flecktones
Not really jazz, but how about Larry Graham with Sly & The Family Stone or Graham Central Station?
Also not jazz, but Taste Of Honey was great. They were a female led disco band that I actually loved. I usually hate disco but loved them.
Also maybe pre headhunters Herbie Hancock.
Cannonball Adderley
Ramsey Lewis 60ish music
''Brother Sister'' by The Brand New Heavies. (Andrew Levy on bass).
Marcus Miller is the FUNKIEST bass player. You might wanna check him out. ''Bruce Lee'' is my favorite song by him.
Here are some more of my favorites with COOL bass lines:
''Brooklyn Heights'' by Down To The Bone.
''Chicago Song'' by David Sanborn.
''Paradise'' by Sade. (Paul S. Denman on bass).
''Expansions'' by Lonnie Liston Smith.
''Fallin' Like Dominoes'' by Donald Byrd.
''Running Away'' by Roy Ayers.