Bass Player: John Francis ‘Jaco’ Pastorius III Jaco invented the fretless bass. Well, actually, no; he didn’t. He wasn’t even the first bass player in Weather Report to use a fretless bass. What he did was to present the world with a sound that was so overwhelmingly influential that it has come to define what…

Bass Player: Jeff Berlin ‘Age Of Information’ was the opening track from the third Bruford album ‘Gradually Going Tornado’. When these LPs came out in the late 70s and early 80s, the playing of Jeff Berlin was a breath of fresh air and he and his contemporaries, Jaco Pastorius and Stanley Clarke, were redefining what…

Bass Player: Chris Squire One of the most iconic Prog Rock recordings of all time, ‘Close To The Edge’ is widely regarded as the most important recording in the Yes catalogue. The album features the classic Yes line-up of JOn Anderson (vocals), Stee Howe (guitars), Rick Wakeman (keyboards), Bill Bruford (drums) and, last but by…

From: Brand X – Product Bass Player: John Giblin When people talk about UK Jazz Rock legends Brand X, there is a tendency to think about the iconic fretless bass player, Percy Jones. Where Brand X was concerned, however, Jones was only half the story and, during the band’s career, another bass player snuck in…

From: Michel Camilo Big Band – One More Once Bass Player: Anthony Jackson Six String Bass pioneer Anthony Jackson has been Michel Camilo’s bass player of choice for decades, having featured the bass player on his first professional recording in 1984 until his most recent appearances with the bass player before ill health forced AJ…

Bass Player: Jon Poole U.K Prog rockers Lifesigns was formed in 2008 by vocalist/keyboard player John Young, bass player Nick Beggs, drummer Frosty Beedle and, unusually for bands under normal circumstances, soundman Steve Rispin who is considered by the LIfesigns camp to be a full member of the band. Beggs remains one of the first…

By Jeff Berlin A full transcription of Jeff Berlin’s bass part to the tune ‘20,000 Prayers’ from his first album under the band name ‘Jeff Berlin and Vox Humana’ ‘Champions’ from 1985. The piece is a tough read and a tough play but worth spending time on.