Baritone Saxophone solo: Gerry Mulligan It is always good to transcribe and to learn solos by other instrumentalists than bass players and the following represents Bilbo’s first attempt to transcribe a full saxophone solo. Transcribing modern saxophonists can be fairly problematic for a bass player as players like Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano and Chris Potter…

Bass Player: Jaco Pastorius/Joe Zawinul The sleevenotes on the Weather Report album are unclear on the issue and it doesn’t clarify whether the ‘bass’ line on this tune involves Jaco in any way. Legend has it that Jaco was already becoming unreliable and Joe Zawinul, the leader and keyboard player of Weather Report had, by…

Bass Player: Eric Revis One of the most talented and accomplished musicians of his generation, Grammy Award-winning bassist and composer Eric Revis has firmly established himself as an important voice in jazz. Branford Marsalis states, “Eric’s sound is the sound of doom; big, thick, percussive.” Scores of musicians across various disciplines agree. Revis has performed…

Bass Player: Jeff Berlin Bilbo admits to being massively influenced by Jeff Berlin during his formative years and spent many hours playing cassettes back and forth trying to figure out the details. Berlin’s lines with Bruford are often complex and executed as such as pace that this approach was limited and Bilbo recalls the frustration…

Bass Player: Paul Chambers Another one of those sessions that is repackaged and repackaged again and again with different players presented as the session leader. This track has been released as part of the Paul Chambers Quintet album ‘Chambers Music’ but was probably originally recorded with Pepper Adams or Curtis Fuller as the session leader.…

Bass Player: Jasper Holby Danish bass player Jasper Holby moved to the UK in 2001 to study at the Royal Academy of Music and to get involved in the London Jazz scene. He has become a significant voice in the UK performing with various Ivo Neame ensembles, his own band Phornesis and as part of…

Bass Player: Bob Babbitt Bob Babbitt was one of the small number of bass players used by the Motown label to record the backing tracks for the hits of Stevie Wonder, Gloria Gaynor, Frank Sinatra, Robert Palmer and even Alice Cooper. The tune ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ is a staple of every wedding band ever assembled…

Bass Player: Paul Chambers Another one from Mr. P.C. From the 1958 LP from pianist Sonny Clark, this is Paul Chambers’s bass solo from the title track ‘Cool Struttin”. The band also features Art Farmer (trumpet), Jackie McLean (alto) and Philly Joe Jones on drums. The solo is brief but satisfying and is not overly…

Bass Player: John Patitucci From his 1995 solo album ‘Mistura Fina’, the tune ‘Long Story’ is a solo feature for double bass. Some interesting double stops and bluesy phrasing. A tough one to play cold but time spent with the transcription will give you an impressive party piece for life and something special to play…

Bass Player: Chuck Rainey Steely Dan started off as a band but songwriters Donald Fagan and Walter Becker quickly learned that they could get better results if they relied upon session musicians. The list of bass players they worked with throughout their existence was incredible but one of the mainstays was Chuck Rainey. As Walter…