This list of jazz bassists includes performers of the

double bass The double bass (), also known as the upright bass, the acoustic bass, the bull fiddle, or simply the bass, is the largest and lowest-pitched string instrument, chordophone in the modern orchestra, symphony orchestra (excluding rare additions ...

and since the 1950s, and particularly in the jazz subgenre of

jazz fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

which developed in the 1970s,

electric bass The bass guitar (), also known as the electric bass guitar, electric bass, or simply the bass, is the lowest-pitched member of the guitar family. It is similar in appearance and construction to an electric but with a longer neck and scale leng ...

players.

The most influential

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...

ists from the 1940s and 1950s include bassist

Jimmy Blanton James Blanton (October 5, 1918 – July 30, 1942) was an American jazz double bassist. Blanton is credited with being the originator of more complex pizzicato and arco bass solos in a jazz context than previous bassists. Nicknamed "Jimmie," Blant ...

(1918–1942) (a member of the

Duke Ellington Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington (April 29, 1899 – May 24, 1974) was an American Jazz piano, jazz pianist, composer, and leader of his eponymous Big band, jazz orchestra from 1924 through the rest of his life. Born and raised in Washington, D ...

band);

Oscar Pettiford Oscar Pettiford (September 30, 1922 – September 8, 1960) was an American jazz double bassist and composer. He was one of the earliest musicians to work in the bebop idiom. Jazz bassist Christian McBride called Pettiford "probably the most imp ...

(1922–1960), who is considered by bassists and musicologists to be the first bebop bassist and the transitional link from the swing era to bebop. Ray Brown (1926–2002), known for backing a number of

bebop Bebop or bop is a style of jazz developed in the early to mid-1940s in the United States. The style features compositions characterized by a fast tempo (usually exceeding 200 bpm), complex chord progressions with rapid chord changes and numerou ...

pers, including alto virtuoso

Charlie Parker Charles Parker Jr. (August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955), nicknamed "Bird" or "Yardbird", was an American jazz Saxophone, saxophonist, bandleader, and composer. Parker was a highly influential soloist and leading figure in the development of beb ...

;

Milt Hinton Milton John Hinton (June 23, 1910 – December 19, 2000) was an American double bassist and photographer. Regarded as the Dean of American jazz bass players, his nicknames included "Sporty" from his years in Chicago, "Fump" from his time on the ...

(1910–2000) and

George Duvivier George Duvivier (August 17, 1920 – July 11, 1985) was an American jazz double-bassist. Biography Duvivier was born in New York City, the son of Leon V. Duvivier and Ismay Blakely Duvivier. He attended the Conservatory of Music and Art, where ...

(1920–1985), who are the two most recorded bassists in jazz history, their respective careers spanning many eras and genres; a singular creative force was

Wilbur Ware Wilbur Bernard Ware (September 8, 1923 – September 9, 1979) was an American jazz double bassist.Feather, Leonard & Gitler, Ira (2007) ''The Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz'', p. 674. Oxford University Press He was a regular bassist for ...

(1923–1979) legendary bassist with Monk and others,

hard bop Hard bop is a subgenre of jazz that is an extension of bebop (or "bop") music. Journalists and record companies began using the term in the mid-1950s to describe a new current within jazz that incorporated influences from rhythm and blues, gospe ...

bassist

Ron Carter Ronald Levin Carter (born May 4, 1937) is an American jazz double bassist. His appearances on 2,221 recording sessions make him the most-recorded jazz bassist in history. He has won three Grammy Awards, and is also a Cello, cellist who has reco ...

(born 1937); and

Paul Chambers Paul Laurence Dunbar Chambers Jr. (April 22, 1935 – January 4, 1969) was an American jazz double bassist. A fixture of rhythm sections during the 1950s and 1960s, he has become one of the most widely-known jazz bassists of the hard bop er ...

(1935–1969), a member of the

Miles Davis Quintet The Miles Davis Quintet was an American jazz band from 1955 to early 1969 led by Miles Davis. The quintet underwent frequent personnel changes toward its metamorphosis into a different ensemble in 1969. Most references pertain to two distinct and ...

In the experimental post 1960s eras, which saw the development of free jazz and jazz-rock fusion, some of the influential bassists included

Charles Mingus Charles Mingus Jr. (April 22, 1922 – January 5, 1979) was an American jazz Double bass, upright bassist, composer, bandleader, pianist, and author. A major proponent of collective Musical improvisation, improvisation, he is considered one of ...

(1922–1979) and

free jazz Free jazz, or free form in the early to mid-1970s, is a style of avant-garde jazz or an experimental approach to jazz improvisation that developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s, when musicians attempted to change or break down jazz conventi ...

and post-bop bassist

Charlie Haden Charles Edward Haden (August 6, 1937 – July 11, 2014) was an American jazz double bass player, bandleader, composer and educator whose career spanned more than fifty years. Haden helped to revolutionize the harmonic concept of bass playin ...

(1937–2014). In the post-1970s era of

jazz-rock fusion Jazz fusion (also known as jazz rock, jazz-rock fusion, or simply fusion) is a popular music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric gui ...

, the

became an important jazz instrument; virtuoso

Stanley Clarke Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fus ...

(born 1951) played both the double bass and the electric bass. Fusion performer

Jaco Pastorius John Francis Anthony Pastorius III, also known as Jaco Pastorius (; December 1, 1951 – September 21, 1987), was an American jazz bassist, composer, and producer. Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bassists of all time, ...

(1951–1987) contributed to the development of a new approach to the fretless electric bass, adding a creative use of harmonics and chords, both while a member of the band

Weather Report Weather Report was an American jazz fusion band active from 1970 to 1986. The band was founded in 1970 by Austrian keyboardist Joe Zawinul, American saxophonist Wayne Shorter, Czech bassist Miroslav Vitouš, American drummer Alphonse Mouzon a ...

and in his solo recordings. In the 1990s and 2000s, one of the new "young lions" for jazz bass was

Christian McBride Christian McBride (born May 31, 1972) is an American jazz bassist, composer and arranger. He has appeared on more than 400 recordings as a sideman, and is a nine-time Grammy Award winner. McBride has performed and recorded with a number of jaz ...

(born 1972). In mid to late 2000s, another new "young lion" for jazz bass emerged:

Miles Mosley Miles Mosley is an American musician, record producer, and composer from Hollywood, California. He is known for his vocal and Bass guitar, bass performance, as well as his work as a composer, arranger, and music Record producer, producer. Mosley ...

(born 1980) a member of the acclaimed Los Angeles collective, the

West Coast Get Down The West Coast Get Down is an American jazz collective formed in Los Angeles in 2006. Its members include saxophonist Kamasi Washington, bassists Miles Mosley and Thundercat (musician), Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, drummers Ronald Bruner Jr. a ...

. For double bass players in other styles of music, such as Blues and Folk, see the

List of double bassists in popular music This list of double bassists in popular music includes double bass performers from a range of genres, including rockabilly, psychobilly, Country music, country, blues, Folk music, folk, Bluegrass music, bluegrass, and other styles. In these styl ...

A

Ahmed Abdul-Malik Ahmed Abdul-Malik (born Jonathan Tim Jr.; January 30, 1927 – October 2, 1993) was an American jazz double bassist and oud player. Abdul-Malik is remembered for integrating Middle Eastern and North African music styles in his jazz music.Kelsey ...

(1927–1993) *

Placide Adams Placide Adams Jr. (August 30, 1929 – March 29, 2003) was an American jazz double bassist, who worked prolifically with a wide circle of New Orleans jazz stars over his 50-year career. He was the son of the New Orleans pianist Dolly Adams, and ...

(1929–2003) *

Samuel Adams Samuel Adams (, 1722 – October 2, 1803) was an American statesman, Political philosophy, political philosopher, and a Founding Father of the United States. He was a politician in Province of Massachusetts Bay, colonial Massachusetts, a le ...

(born 1985) *

Osama Afifi Osama Afifi is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded and performed live with many artists such as U.S. and Canadian tours with Yanni during the " Reflections of Passion", " Revolution in Sound", and " Dare to Dream" concert tours; a Europea ...

* Moses Allen (1907–1983) *

Vernon Alley Vernon Alley (May 26, 1915 – October 3, 2004) was an American jazz bassist. Early life Alley was born in Winnemucca, Nevada, and played football in high school and college. His brother, Eddie Alley, was a drummer; they played together o ...

(1915–2004) *

Ben Allison Ben Allison (born November 17, 1966) is an American double bassist, composer, producer, bandleader, educator. In addition to his work as a performer, he co-founded the non-profit Jazz Composers Collective and served as its Artistic Director for ...

(born 1966) *

Bjørn Alterhaug Bjørn Alterhaug (born 3 June 1945) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, arranger, composer and professor of music Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) at the Department of Music in the University of Trondheim since 1972. Career Alterhaug was born in Mo ...

(born 1945) *

Hayes Alvis Hayes Alvis (May 1, 1907 – December 29, 1972) was an American jazz bassist and tuba player. Career Alvis began on drums but switched to tuba and bass after playing with Jelly Roll Morton in 1927–1928. He played tuba with Earl Hines from 192 ...

(1907–1972) *

Andreas Amundsen Andreas Amundsen (born 28 December 1980) is a Norwegian jazz bassist. Career Amundsen was born on the island of Senja, Norway. He attended the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonservatorium (2004–06), but did not graduate. He is distinguis ...

(born 1980) * Erik Amundsen (1937–2015) *

Arild Andersen Arild Andersen (born 27 October 1945) is a Norwegian jazz musician bassist, known as the most famous Norwegian bass player in the international jazz scene. Career Andersen was born at Strømmen, Norway. He started his musical career as jazz g ...

(born 1945) * Thomas Winther Andersen (born 1969) *

Reid Anderson Reid Anderson (born 15 October 1970) is a bassist and composer from Minnesota. He is a member of The Bad Plus with drummer Dave King, pianist Ethan Iverson, saxophonist Chris Speed, and guitarist Ben Monder. The original lineup of The Bad Plus ...

(born 1970) *

Bjørnar Andresen Bjørnar Andresen (1 April 1945 – 2 October 2004) was a Norwegian jazz musician (double bass, guitar, banjo), known for his improvisational and multicultural musical expression in a variety of publications. Career Andresen established the f ...

(1945–2004) *

Chuck Andrus Charles Edmund Andrus Jr., best known as Chuck Andrus (November 17, 1928 – June 12, 1997) was an American jazz double-bassist. Andrus was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts, raised in New England, and studied at the Manhattan School of Music. In the ...

(1928–1997) * Andrew Arnautov (born 1967) *

Roger Arntzen Roger Arntzen (born 3 June 1976) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from playing in bands like In The Country, In the Country (trio), In The Country, In the Country with Knut Reiersrud and Solveig Slettahjell, Ballrogg, Chrome Hill (band), Chrome ...

(born 1976) *

Jim Aton James G. Aton (1925 – September 16, 2008), best known as Jim Aton or Jimmy Aton, was an American jazz bassist, pianist, vocalist and composer. He worked with numerous notable artists including Billie Holiday, Anita O'Day and Bill Evans. He ...

(1925–2008) *

Edvard Askeland Edvard Askeland (born 10 December 1954) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from a series of album releases in various genres and for being regular in Dag Arnesens lineups in 1970–80, and within Cutting Edge. Career Askeland was born in Berg ...

(born 1954) *

Tine Asmundsen Tine Asmundsen (born 8 April 1963) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, known from her own band, Lonely Woman, playing with David Murray at Kongsberg Jazzfestival 2010. Career Asmundsen was born in Kongsberg, Norway. She started playing bass in Kongsb ...

(born 1963)

B

Harry Babasin Yervant Harry Babasin, Jr. (19 March 1921 – 21 May 1988) was an American jazz bassist. His nickname was "The Bear". Biography Babasin was born in Dallas, Texas to an American mother and an Armenian father. He attended North Texas State Universit ...

(1921–1988) *

Roy Babbington Roy Babbington (born 8 July 1940 in Kempston, Bedfordshire, England) is an English rock and jazz bassist. He became well known for being a member of the Canterbury scene progressive rock band Soft Machine. Biography Babbington started his mus ...

(born 1940) *

Don Bagley Donald Neff Bagley (July 18, 1927 – July 26, 2012) was an American jazz bassist. Career Bagley was born on July 18, 1927, in Salt Lake City, Utah. He received formal training on the double bass. He studied in Los Angeles and played in 1945 ...

(1927–2012) *

Steve Bailey Steve Bailey is an American bassist. He is the chair of the bass department at Berklee College of Music. Career Bailey began playing bass guitar at age 12 and started playing fretless bass after he ran over his fretted Stuart Spector with his ...

(born 1960) * Victor Bailey (1960–2016) *

Fred Thelonious Baker Fred Thelonious Baker (born 4 June 1960) is an English guitarist and jazz bass guitarist from Tibshelf, Derbyshire. He is known for playing in Phil Miller's Canterbury scene band In Cahoots. Baker played the guitar until his mid-teens, at which ...

(born 1960) *

Tom Barney Tom Barney is an American bass guitarist. Career Barney first came to prominence in the late 1970s, when he appeared on different jazz albums by Turk Mauro and Walter Davis Jr., following to appear on records by such artists as Chaka Khan, J ...

Phil Bates Philip Bates (born 30 March 1953) is an English musician who has been a member of many notable bands, including Trickster and Quill, and was the lead guitarist, songwriter and joint lead vocalist for ELO Part II from 1993 through to 1999 and t ...

(born 1931) *

Carles Benavent Carles Benavent (born 1 March 1954) is a Catalonia, Catalan flamenco and jazz bass player. Biography Benavent was born in the Poble Sec neighborhood in Barcelona. He started playing the bass when he was thirteen years old, attracted by blues an ...

(born 1954) *

Joe Benjamin Joseph Rupert Benjamin (November 4, 1919 – January 26, 1974) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Benjamin played with many jazz musicians in a variety of idioms. Early in his career he played in the big bands of A ...

(1919–1974) * Max Bennett (1928–2018) *

Frode Berg Frode Berg (born 24 October 1971) is a Norwegian bassist known for his works in classical and contemporary music, jazz, pop, and rock. As a jazz musician, he is known primarily for his performances with Helge Lien Trio In classical and contempo ...

(born 1971) *

Chuck Berghofer Charles Curtis Berghofer (born June 14, 1937) is an American double bassist and electric bassist, who has worked in jazz and as a session musician in the film industry for more than 60 years, including working on more than 400 movie soundtracks. ...

(born 1937) *

Dan Berglund Dan Berglund (born 5 May 1963) is a Swedish musician who mainly plays the upright bass and is known within jazz and fusion. Biography Berglund was familiar with Swedish folk music as well as with pop and rock music. At the age of ten he start ...

(born 1963) *

Jeff Berlin Jeffrey Arthur Berlin (born January 17, 1953) is an American jazz rock bassist and composer. He first came to prominence in the 1970s as a member of the band Bruford, led by drummer Bill Bruford. Musical career Berlin was born on January 17, 195 ...

(born 1953) *

Artie Bernstein Arthur Bernstein (February 4, 1909 – January 4, 1964) was an American jazz double bassist. Born in Brooklyn, New York, he started his musical career playing cello on board cruise ships to South America, and also studied law at New York Univers ...

(1909–1964) *

Keter Betts William Thomas "Keter" Betts (July 22, 1928 – August 6, 2005) was an American jazz double bassist. Early life and education Born in Port Chester, New York, he was nicknamed "Keter", a short form of the word mosquito. He graduated from Port C ...

(1928–2005) *

Carlos Bica Carlos Bica is a Portuguese jazz bassist. Career Bica studied at the Academia dos Amadores de Musica in Lisbon and the Hochschule für Musik in Würzburg. He was "Musician of the Year" in Portugal in 1998 and in 2016. For his album ''Matéria-Pr ...

(born 1958) *

Charlie Biddle Charles Reed Biddle, (July 28, 1926 – February 4, 2003) was an American-Canadian jazz bassist. He lived most of his life in Montreal, organizing and performing in jazz music events. Early life and education Biddle was born and grew up in ...

(1926–2003) *

Alex Blake Alex Blake (born Alejandro Blake Fearon Jr., 1951) is a jazz bass player. Biography Blake was born in 1951 in Panama and moved to the United States at the age of seven, growing up in Brooklyn, New York. He began his career with Sun Ra's band A ...

(born 1951) *

(1918–1942) * Svein Olav Blindheim (born 1954) *

Jesper Bodilsen Jesper Bodilsen (born 5 January 1970) is a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Bodilsen was born in Haslev, Denmark. He was a student of Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen. Since the end of the 1990s he worked regularly with Ed Thigpen, with whom ...

(born 1970) *

Richard Bona Richard Bona (born 28 October 1967) is a Cameroon-born American multi-instrumentalist and singer. Early life Bona Penda Nya Yuma Elolo was born in Minta, Cameroon, into a family of musicians, which enabled him to start learning music from a ...

(born 1967) * Jimmy Bond (1933–2012) *

Walter Booker Walter Booker (December 17, 1933 – November 24, 2006) was an American jazz musician. A native of Prairie View, Texas, Booker was a reliable bass player and an underrated stylist. His playing was marked by voice-like inflections, glissandos and ...

(1933–2006) * Arthur "Juinie" Booth (1948–2021) *

Nelson Boyd Nelson Boyd (February 6, 1928, Camden, New Jersey – October 1985Social security register of deaths.) was an American bebop jazz bassist. Biography He was born in Camden, New Jersey, and played in local orchestras in Philadelphia around 1945, an ...

(1928–1985) *

Ronnie Boykins Ronald Boykins (December 17, 1935 – April 20, 1980) was a jazz double bass, bassist and is best known for his work with pianist/bandleader Sun Ra, although he had played with such disparate musicians as Muddy Waters, Johnny Griffin, and Jimmy Wi ...

(1935–1980) *

Wellman Braud Wellman Braud (January 25, 1891 – October 29, 1966) was an American jazz upright bassist. His family sometimes spelled their last name "Breaux", pronounced "Bro". Biography Born in St. James Parish, Louisiana, Braud settled in New Orleans ...

(1891–1966) * Ellen Brekken (born 1985) *

Brian Bromberg Brian Bromberg (born December 5, 1960) is an American jazz bassist and record producer who performs on electric and acoustic instruments. Biography Bromberg was born on December 5, 1960, in Tucson, Arizona. His father and brother both played ...

(born 1960) * Harvey Brooks (born 1944) *

Baron Browne Baron Browne (March 5, 1955 – September 2, 2021) was an American bass guitarist. Career Born and raised in Georgia, USA, Baron Browne gravitated to music at a very early age, learning to play his uncle's drumset at 7 years old. As a teenager ...

(1955-2021) * Cameron Brown (born 1945) * Paul H. Brown (1934–2016) * Ray Brown (1926–2002) * Steve Brown (1890–1965) *

Jack Bruce John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of Rock music, rock band Cream (band), Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a ...

(1943–2014) *

Bunny Brunel Bernard "Bunny" Brunel is a French-American bass guitarist who has played with Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. He is a founding member of the jazz fusion band CAB and is involved in musical instrument design and film and televi ...

(born 1950) *

Monty Budwig Monte Rex Budwig (December 26, 1929 – March 9, 1992) was a West Coast jazz double bassist, professionally known as Monty Budwig. Early life Monte Rex Budwig was born in Pender, Nebraska, on December 26, 1929.His full birthname was Monte Rex ...

(1926–1992) *

Tony Bunn Robert Anthony Bunn (born November 18, 1957) is an American bassist, composer, producer, and writer. Biography Tony Bunn was born into a musical family and began studying music in grade school. By the age of seventeen he was proficient on woo ...

(born 1957) *

Oteil Burbridge Oteil Burbridge (born August 24, 1964) is an American multi-instrumentalist, specializing on the bass guitar, trained in playing jazz and classical music from an early age. He has achieved fame primarily on bass guitar during the resurgence of t ...

(born 1964) *

Dwayne Burno Dwayne Allen Burno (June 10, 1970 – December 28, 2013) was an American jazz bassist born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania who became a first-call musician on the New York City jazz scene.Tamarkin, Jeff. "Bassist Dwayne Burno Dies at 43." ''JazzTim ...

(1970–2013) *

Lennie Bush Leonard Walter Bush (6 June 1927 – 15 June 2004) was an English jazz double bassist. Biography Bush was born in London. He contracted polio as a child and had a limp for the rest of his life. He studied and played violin before switching to b ...

(1927–2004) Clarke Wooten

C

* Eddie Calhoun (1921–1994) *

Red Callender George Sylvester "Red" Callender (March 6, 1916 – March 8, 1992) was an American string bass and tuba player. He is perhaps best known as a jazz musician, but worked with an array of pop, rock and vocal acts as a member of The Wrecking Cre ...

(1916–1992) *

Itzam Cano Itzam Cano (born 1977) is a Mexican jazz double bassist. Biography Cano was born in 1977 in Mexico City, Mexico. He studied ethnomusicology at the Escuela Nacional de Música from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. He studied electric ...

(born 1977) *

James Cammack James Alfred Conrad Cammack Jr. (born April 15, 1956) is an American jazz bassist from Cornwall, New York. Career For nearly thirty years, he played bass for Ahmad Jamal. His debut solo album, ''Both Sides of the Coin'', was released in 2012. B ...

(born 1956) * Alain Caron (born 1955) *

Dave Carpenter Dave Carpenter (November 4, 1959 – June 24, 2008) was an American bass player. During his early professional career he played with jazz musicians Buddy Rich, Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman. During the late 1990s he was a touring member of ...

(1959–2008) *

(born 1937) * Edo Castro (born 1957) *

Malcolm Cecil Malcolm Cecil (9 January 1937 – 28 March 2021) was a British jazz bassist, record producer, engineer, electronic musician and teacher. He was a founding member of a leading UK jazz quintet of the late 1950s, the Jazz Couriers,Clive Chaman Clive Chaman (born 5 September 1949) is a UK-based bass guitarist and session musician, born in Trinidad and Tobago. Background Chaman appears on recordings by UK artists including Brian Auger's Oblivion Express, Donovan, Chris Rainbow, Murray ...

(born 1949) *

(1935–1969) *

(born 1951) *

John Clayton John Clayton may refer to: Arts and entertainment Writing *John Clayton (architect) (died 1861), English architect and writer *John Clayton (sportswriter) (1954–2022), American sportswriter and reporter *John Bell Clayton and Martha Clayton, Joh ...

(born 1952) *

Jeff Clyne Jeffrey Ovid Clyne (29 January 1937 – 16 November 2009) was a British jazz bassist (playing both bass guitar and double bass). Clyne worked with Tubby Hayes and Ronnie Scott in their group the Jazz Couriers for a year from 1958, and was par ...

(1937–2009) * Avishai Cohen (born 1970) *

Greg Cohen Greg Cohen (born July 13, 1953) is an American jazz bassist who has been a member of John Zorn's Masada quartet and worked with numerous other noted musicians for over four decades. Career Cohen plays traditional jazz and other styles, includin ...

(born 1953) *

Ira Coleman Ira Coleman (born April 29, 1956) is a French-American jazz bassist. Educated at the Berklee College of Music, he appears on four albums by Paris-based pianist Laurent de WildeCarr, Ian; Fairweather, Digby and Priestley, Brian''Rough Guide ...

(born 1956) *

Scott Colley Scott Colley (born November 24, 1963) is an American jazz double bassist and composer. As of 2024, he had been nominated for 4 Grammy Awards, including Best Jazz Instrumental Album for '' Guided Tour'' in 2014 and '' Still Dreaming'' in 2019. Duri ...

(born 1963) *

Graham Collier James Graham Collier (21 February 1937 – 9 September 2011) was an English jazz Double bass, bassist, bandleader and composer. Life and career Born in Tynemouth, Northumberland, England, on leaving school Collier joined the British Army as ...

(1937–2011) *

Joe Comfort Joe Comfort (July 18, 1917 – October 29, 1988) was an American jazz double bassist. Biography A native of Los Angeles who was raised in Watts, Joe Comfort was taught trombone by his father and began his musical career with the Woodman Broth ...

(1917–1988) *

Todd Coolman Todd Coolman (born July 14, 1954) is a jazz double bass, bassist and a retired tenured Professor of Music at the Jazz Studies Program in the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College in Westchester County, New York. He is currently the Artistic Di ...

(born 1954) *

Curtis Counce Curtis Counce (January 23, 1926 – July 31, 1963) was an American hard bop and West Coast jazz double bassist. Biography Counce was born in Kansas City, Missouri and moved to California in 1945. He began recording in 1946 with Lester You ...

(1926–1963) * Anthony Cox (born 1954) *

Bob Cranshaw Melbourne Robert Cranshaw (December 3, 1932 – November 2, 2016) was an American jazz bassist. His career spanned the heyday of Blue Note Records as a house bassist to his later involvement with the Musicians Union. He is perhaps best known f ...

(1932–2016) * Gary Crosby (born 1955) *

Israel Crosby Israel Crosby (January 19, 1919 – August 11, 1962) was an American jazz double-bassist born in Chicago, Illinois, United States. One of the finest to emerge during the 1930s, he was also a member of the Ahmad Jamal trio for most of 1954 t ...

(1919–1962) *

Bill Crow William Orval Crow (born December 27, 1927) is an American jazz bassist. Among other work, Crow was the long-term bassist in saxophonist Gerry Mulligan's bands in the 1950s and 1960s. Early life Crow was born on December 27, 1927, in Othello, ...

(born 1927)

D

Lars Danielsson Lars Danielsson (born 5 September 1958) is a Swedish jazz bassist, composer, and record producer. Biography Danielsson was born in Smålandsstenar, and was educated at the music conservatory in Gothenburg. He plays double bass, electric bass ...

(born 1958) *

Palle Danielsson Nils Paul "Palle" Danielsson (15 October 1946 – 18 May 2024) was a Swedish jazz double bassist born in Stockholm, Sweden. From 1974 to 1979, he was a member of Keith Jarrett's quartet. He was the brother of pianist Monica Dominique. Daniels ...

(1946-2024) *

Alec Dankworth Alexander William Tamba Dankworth (born 14 May 1960) is an English jazz bassist and composer. Early life and education Born in London, the son of John Dankworth and Cleo Laine, Alec Dankworth grew up in the villages of Aspley Guise and Wavend ...

(born 1960) *

Art Davis Arthur Davis may refer to: Entertainment * Arthur Davis (animator) (1905–2000), American animator and director * Art Davis (actor) (1913–1987), American musician, singer, and actor * Art Davis (bassist) (1934–2007), American jazz bassist * A ...

(1934–2007) * Kenny Davis (born 1961) *

Melvin Lee Davis Melvin Lee Davis is an American bass player, vocalist, keyboard player, producer, TV composer and engineer based in Orange County, California. He is the music director for Grammy-award winning artist Chaka Khan and has recorded with The Pointer ...

* Richard Davis (1930–2023) *

Chuck Deardorf Chuck Deardorf (April 3, 1954 – October 9, 2022) was an American musician. He was best known for playing double bass and bass guitar with the Deardorf Peterson Group. He also headed the jazz department at the Cornish College of the Arts. Ea ...

(1954–2022) *

Spanky DeBrest Jimmy "Spanky" DeBrest (April 24, 1937 in Philadelphia – March 2, 1973 in Philadelphia) was an American jazz bassist. DeBrest played with Lee Morgan in his early years in Philadelphia. In 1957 he was a member of Ray Draper's Quintet, Jackie Mc ...

(1937–1973) *

Santi Debriano Santi Wilson Debriano (born 1955 in Panama) is a jazz bassist, composer and music teacher.Riccardo Del Fra Riccardo Del Fra (born February 20, 1956, Rome) is an Italian jazz double-bassist, bandleader, composer, and arranger. Del Fra first played guitar, then switched to upright bass when he was sixteen years old. He studied at a conservatory, playe ...

(born 1956) *

Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson Fredrik Luhr Dietrichson (born 5 February 1988 in Haugesund, Norway) is a Norwegian Upright bassist. Career Dietrichson holds a Bachelor's degree in Music Performance by the Jazz program at Trondheim Musikkonsevatorium, where he and some f ...

(born 1988) *

Brandi Disterheft Brandi Disterheft (born 1980) is a Canadian jazz bassist and composer. Biography Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Disterheft grew up in the District of North Vancouver, British Columbia where she attended Handsworth Secondary Schoo ...

(born 1980) *

Dominique Di Piazza Dominique Di Piazza, born in Lyon, France, in 1959, is an bass guitar, electric bass player. Di Piazza discovered the bass in 1979. Already a self-taught guitarist, Di Piazza developed a distinctive, but unorthodox 'closed palm' technique of pick ...

(born 1959) *

Wayne Dockery Wayne Dockery (June 27, 1941 – June 11, 2018) was an American jazz double bassist who worked with George Benson, Sonny Fortune, Eddie Henderson, Hal Galper, Archie Shepp, Michael Brecker, and others. He appears on albums from at least 1971, ...

(1941–2018) *

Chuck Domanico Charles Louis Domanico (January 20, 1944 – October 17, 2002) was an American jazz bassist who played double bass and bass guitar on the West Coast jazz scene. Domanico was born in Chicago. He settled in Los Angeles in the mid-1960s. For ...

(1944–2002) * Leon Lee Dorsey (born 1958) * Mike Downes *

Mark Dresser Mark Dresser (born September 26, 1952) is an American double bass player and composer. Career Dresser was born in Los Angeles, California, United States. In the 1970s, he was a member of Black Music Infinity led by Stanley Crouch and performed w ...

(born 1952) *

Kermit Driscoll James "Kermit" DriscollSmith, Steve"Driscoll, Kermit".''Grove Music Online''. Oxford University Press. Retrieved 10 December 2022. (born March 4, 1956) is an American jazz bassist. He is known for his long association with guitarist Bill Frisell i ...

(born 1956) *

Ray Drummond Ray Drummond (born November 23, 1946, in Brookline, Massachusetts) is an American jazz bassist and teacher. He also has an Master of Business Administration, MBA from Stanford University, hence his linkage to the Stanford Jazz Workshop. He can be ...

(born 1946) * Sébastien Dubé (born 1966) *

Trevor Dunn Trevor Roy Dunn (born January 30, 1968) is an American composer, bass guitarist, and double bassist. He came to prominence in the 1990s with the experimental band Mr. Bungle. While performing with Mr. Bungle, he would dress similar to the S ...

(born 1968) *

Dominic Duval Dominic Duval (April 27, 1945 – July 22, 2016) was an American classical and free jazz bassist. Biography Duval's was born in New York City. His father Dominic Duval Sr. was a bassist. At Eastman School of Music, Duval double majored in C ...

(c. 1944 – 2016) *

(1920–1985) * Mbizo Johnny Dyani (1945–1986)

E

Audun Ellingsen Unterfahrt 2010-03-17-004

Nathan East Nathan Harrell East (born December 8, 1955) is an American jazz, R&B, and rock bass guitarist and vocalist. With more than 2,000 recordings, East is one of the most recorded bass players in the history of music. East holds a Bachelor of Arts ...

(born 1955) *

Kyle Eastwood Kyle Eastwood (born May 19, 1968) is an American jazz bassist and film composer. He studied film at the University of Southern California for two years before embarking on a music career. After becoming a session player in the early 1990s and le ...

(born 1988) *

Jimmy Earl James Christopher Earl (born 1957) is an American jazz bass guitarist who is a member of the ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' band. Early life and education In 1957, James Christopher Earl was born in Boston, Massachusetts, to James and Sylvia Earl. He i ...

(born 1957) *

Cleveland Eaton Cleveland Josephus Eaton II (August 31, 1939 – July 5, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist, producer, arranger, composer, publisher, and head of his own record company in Fairfield, Alabama, a suburb of Birmingham. His most famous accom ...

(1939–2020) *

Kai Eckhardt Kai Eckhardt (born 15 June 1961) is a German born musician and composer who plays bass, best known for his work with John McLaughlin, Vital Information, Torsten de Winkel, Billy Cobham and Garaj Mahal—a band he co-founded. Educated at the ...

(born 1961) *

Mark Egan Mark Egan (born January 14, 1951, in Brockton, Massachusetts) is an American jazz bassist and trumpeter known for his membership in the Pat Metheny Group and the Gil Evans Orchestra. He is co-founder of the jazz fusion band, Elements. Biogra ...

(born 1951) *

Johannes Eick Johannes Eick (born 22 April 1964) is a Norwegian bassist (double bass and electric bass guitar), the son of bassist and vibraphonist Jürgen Eick (b. 1937), and the older brother of musicians Trude Eick and Mathias Eick. In his youth he played ...

(born 1964) *

Mats Eilertsen Mats Eilertsen (born 4 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz musician and composer. He is known for recording with numerous bands, including the Maria Kannegaard Trio, Ola Kvernberg, Nils Økland, Eldbjørg Raknes, Anders Aarum Trio, Eirik Hegdal, S ...

(born 1975) *

Audun Ellingsen Audun Ellingsen (born 4 January 1979) is a Norwegian jazz musician (Upright bass) known from collaborations within bands like "Sphinx" and with musicians like Frøy Aagre, Erlend Slettevoll and Gisle Torvik. Career Ellingsen was born in Ørs ...

(born 1979) *

Audun Erlien Audun Erlien (born 22 February 1967 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (bass guitar, guitar and electronica), known from several albums in various genres. Career Erlien was raised in Tønsberg, Norway, and has been a mu ...

(born 1967) * Oytun Ersan (born 1978) *

Julian Euell Julian Euell (May 23, 1929 – June 3, 2019) was an American jazz bassist. Euell first began playing bass in 1944, and served in the Army from 1945 to 1947. He played with Sonny Rollins, Jackie McLean, and Art Taylor in 1947 but quit music from 1 ...

(1929–2019)

F

Charles Fambrough Charles Fambrough (August 25, 1950January 1, 2011) was an American jazz bassist, composer and record producer from Philadelphia. Fambrough was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers during the early 1980s. Suffering from kidney failure, conges ...

(1950–2011) *

Addison Farmer Addison Gerald Farmer (August 21, 1928, Council Bluffs, Iowa – February 20, 1963, New York City) was an American jazz bassist. He was the twin brother of Art Farmer. Early life Farmer was born an hour after his twin brother, on August 21, 1928, ...

(1928–1963) *

Malachi Favors Malachi Favors (August 22, 1927 – January 30, 2004) was an American jazz bassist who played with the Art Ensemble of Chicago. Biography "Favors's tendency to dissemble about his age was a well-known source of mirth to fellow musicians of his g ...

(1927–2004) *

Hadrien Feraud Hadrien Feraud (born August 16, 1984) is a French jazz bassist. Biography Hadrien Feraud was born into a musical family. His parents, who are also musicians, immersed him at a very young age in various musical environments including rock 'n ...

(born 1984) *

Ric Fierabracci Ric Fierabracci is an Italian‐born American bassist who has toured and/or recorded with such artists as Frank Gambale, Chick Corea, Sir Tom Jones, Dave Weckl, Billy Cobham, Bradley Joseph, Shakira, Nancy Sinatra, Planet X, The 5th Dimensio ...

(born 1963) *

Brent Fischer Brent Sean Cecil Fischer (born July 13, 1964) is an American composer, Arrangement, arranger, bandleader, bass guitarist and percussionist. The son of noted composer, arranger, and keyboardist Clare Fischer, Brent Fischer made his recording debu ...

(born 1964) *

Arnold Fishkind Arnold Fishkind, sometimes credited as Arnold Fishkin (born July 20, 1919 – September 6, 1999,) was an American jazz double bass, bassist who appeared on over 100 albums. Early life Fishkind was born in Bayonne, New Jersey, and grew up in Free ...

(1919–1999) *

Trygve Waldemar Fiske Trygve Waldemar Fiske (born 15 February 1987 in Frei Municipality, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), known from different Norwegian jazz bands and recordings. Career Fiske was educated on the jazz program at Trondheim Mus ...

(born 1987) *

Ingebrigt Håker Flaten Ingebrigt Håker Flaten (born 23 September 1971 in Oppdal Municipality, Norway) is a Norwegian double bass, bassist active in the jazz and free jazz genres. (in Norwegian) Store Norske Leksikon (in Norwegian) Career Flaten played electric ba ...

(born 1971) * Foley (born 1962) *

Joe Fonda Joe Fonda (born December 16, 1954) is an American jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, Eu ...

(born 1954) * Svein Folkvord (born 1967) *

Mo Foster Michael Ralph "Mo" Foster (22 December 1944 – 3 July 2023) was an English multi-instrumentalist, record producer, composer, solo artist, author, and public speaker. Through a career spanning over half a century, Foster toured, recorded, and p ...

(1944–2023) *

Herbie Flowers Brian Keith "Herbie" Flowers (19 May 1938 – 5 September 2024) was an English musician specialising in bass guitar, double bass and tuba. He was a member of groups including Blue Mink, T. Rex and Sky and was also a prolific session musician. ...

(1938–2024) *

Pops Foster George Murphy "Pops" Foster (May 19, 1892 – October 30, 1969) was an American jazz musician, best known for his vigorous slap bass playing of the string bass. He also played the tuba and trumpet professionally. Biography Foster was born to Ch ...

(1892–1969) *

Henry Franklin Henry "Skipper" Franklin (born Henry Carl Franklin on October 1, 1940) is an American jazz double bassist. Career Franklin played on Hugh Masekela's 1968 number one single, "Grazing in the Grass," as well as with Masekela's band at the Monte ...

(born 1940) *

David Friesen David Friesen (born May 6, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. He plays double bass and electric upright bass. Career Friesen began playing bass while serving in the United States Army in Germany. He played with John Handy and Marian McPartl ...

(born 1942)

G

Larry Gales Lawrence Bernard Gales (March 25, 1936 – September 12, 1995) was an American jazz double-bassist. Life Gales began playing bass at age 11, and attended the Manhattan School of Music in the late 1950s. In that decade and the beginning of the ...

(1936–1995) *

Renaud Garcia-Fons Renaud Garcia-Fons (born 24 December 1962) is a French bassist and composer. Career Garcia-Fons started his musical studies at an early age. At five years old he picked up playing the piano, switched to classical guitar at eight, then turned to ...

(born 1962) * Juan Garcia-Herreros (born 1977) * Ed Garland (1895–1980) *

Kåre Garnes Kåre Garnes (born 8 November 1954 in Bergen, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), known for his collaborations with Bergen jazz legends like Dag Arnesen, Knut Kristiansen, Per Jørgensen, Olav Dale and Ole Thomsen, and in a ...

(born 1954) *

Jimmy Garrison James Emory Garrison (March 3, 1934 – April 7, 1976) was an American jazz double bassist. He is best remembered for his association with John Coltrane from 1961 to 1967. Career Garrison was born in Miami, Florida, and moved when he was 1 ...

(1934–1976) *

Matthew Garrison Matthew Justin Garrison (born June 2, 1970) is an American jazz bassist. Since 2011, he has run ShapeShifter Lab in Brooklyn, New York, with Fortuna Sung. Described by ''the New York Times'' as "an electric bass virtuoso", he has toured with ...

(born 1970) * Vivien Garry (1920–2008) *

Leonard Gaskin Leonard Gaskin (August 25, 1920 – January 24, 2009) was an American jazz bassist born in New York City. Gaskin played on the early bebop scene at Minton's and Monroe's in New York in the early 1940s. In 1944 he took over Oscar Pettiford' ...

(1920–2009) *

Victor Gaskin Roderick Victor Gaskin (November 23, 1934 – July 14, 2012) was an American jazz bassist. Gaskin was born in The Bronx, New York (state), New York and moved to Los Angeles in 1962. He started playing with Paul Horn (jazz musician), Paul Horn a ...

(1934–2012 * John Geggie *

Terje Gewelt Terje Gewelt (born 8 June 1960) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass). Career Gewelt was born in Oslo and raised in Larvik, a small town on the southeastern coast of Norway. He started playing guitar at the age of 10, switched to elect ...

(born 1960) * Eddie Gibbs (1908–1994) *

John Giblin John Giblin (26 February 1952 – 14 May 2023) was a Scottish musician who worked as an acoustic and electric bass player spanning jazz, classical, rock, folk, and avant-garde music. He was a member of Simple Minds from 1985 to 1988, and w ...

(1952–2023) * Steve Gilmore (born 1961) *

Ole Amund Gjersvik Ole Amund Gjersvik (born 10 December 1963) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (upright bass) and composer, central on the Bergen jazz scene and known from a number of record releases. Career Gjersvik was born in Bergen, Norway, where he studied at th ...

(born 1963) *

Lincoln Goines Lincoln Goines (born 1953) is a double bassist and bass guitarist from Oakland, California. Biography A mainstay of the New York City jazz/Latin/studio scene since the early 1980s, Goines' career includes performance credits as sideman to Sonn ...

(born 1953) *

Doc Goldberg Edward "Doc" Goldberg was an American jazz bassist. He played in the Glenn Miller Orchestra and the Will Bradley Trio, alongside Freddie Slack on piano and Ray McKinley on drums. Before that, he played in George Hall's orchestra. He also played ...

Eddie Gómez Edgar Gómez (born October 4, 1944) is a Puerto Rican jazz double bassist, known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio from 1966 to 1977. Biography Gómez moved with his family from Puerto Rico at a young age to New York, where he was raised. ...

(born 1944) *

Coleridge Goode George Coleridge Emerson Goode (29 November 1914 – 2 October 2015) was a British Jamaican-born jazz bassist best known for his long collaboration with alto saxophonist Joe Harriott. Goode was a member of Harriott's innovatory jazz quintet thro ...

(1914–2015) * Calum Gourlay (born 1986) * Sebastian Gramss (born 1966) * Dave Green (born 1942) *

Larry Grenadier Larry Grenadier (born February 6, 1966, in San Francisco) is an American jazz double bassist. Early life Grenadier's father was a trumpet player in World War II army bands and later in Europe but stopped playing professionally before his chi ...

(born 1966) *

Drew Gress Drew Gress (born November 20, 1959) is an American jazz double-bassist and composer born in Trenton, New Jersey and raised in the Philadelphia area. Biography Gress studied at Towson State University and Manhattan School of Music. In the late ...

(born 1959) *

Tony Grey Tony Grey (born March 25, 1975, in Newcastle, England) is an English bass player, composer, producer, author and award winning music educator; Grey studied at Berklee College of Music in Boston and graduated receiving the "Outstanding Performer ...

(born 1975) *

Henry Grimes Henry Grimes (November 3, 1935 – April 15, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist and violinist. After more than a decade of activity and performance, notably as a leading bassist in free jazz, Grimes completely disappeared from the music sc ...

(1935–2020) * Duke Groner (1908–1992) *

Finn Guttormsen Finn Guttormsen (born 16 July 1968 in Mosjøen, Norway) is a Norwegian Jazz musician (upright bass), known for his dedicated contributions to the Farmers Market and recently to the Silje Nergaard Band, and musicians like Trygve Seim, Øyvind Br ...

(born 1968) *

Ketil Gutvik Ketil Gutvik (born 4 July 1972 in Ålesund, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (guitar) known on the Oslo's jazz scene since 1992. Career Gutvik is a graduate of "The Trondheim Kommunale Musikkskole" (1987–92) and the Norwegian Academy of ...

(born 1972) *

Barry Guy Barry John Guy (born 22 April 1947, in London, England) is an English composer and double bass player. His range of interests encompasses early music, contemporary composition, jazz and improvisation, and he has worked with a wide variety of or ...

(born 1947) *

Janek Gwizdala Janek Gwizdala (born 19 November 1978) is an English jazz bassist. Biography Gwizdala initially preferred drums, but switched to bass guitar after hearing Laurence Cottle. Gwizdala later moved to the U.S. to attend Berklee College of Music. Rec ...

(born 1978) Percy Heath

H

(1937–2014) *

Bob Haggart Robert Sherwood Haggart (March 13, 1914 – December 2, 1998) was an American dixieland jazz double bass player, composer, and arranger. Although he is associated with dixieland, he was one of the finest rhythm bassists of the Swing Era. Music ...

(1914–1998) * Al Hall (1915–1988) *

Stuart Hamm Stuart Hamm (born February 8, 1960) is an American bass guitar player, known for his session and live work with numerous artists as well as for his unconventional playing style and solo recordings. Career Born in New Orleans, Hamm spent his chil ...

(born 1960) *

Aslak Hartberg Aslak Rakli Hartberg alias Alis (born 1 May 1975 in Oslo, Norway), is a Norwegian rapper and bass player, and was the leading figure in the Norwegian hip hop band Klovner i Kamp. He is the brother of cartoonist Flu Hartberg. Education Hartbe ...

(born 1975) *

Jimmy Haslip James Robert Haslip (born December 31, 1951) is an American bass guitarist who was a founding member of the jazz fusion group the Yellowjackets, which he left in 2012. He was also an early user of the five-string electric bass. Early life and ...

(born 1951) *

Hellmut Hattler Hellmut Hattler (born 12 April 1952 in Ulm, West Germany) is a German jazz and rock bassist and composer. Hattler took much of his early influences from Jimi Hendrix. As a child, he received violin lessons, and in the 1960s, he played guitar. ...

(born 1952) *

Michel Hatzigeorgiou Michel Hatzigeorgiou (born 1961) is a Belgian bass guitarist. He was born in Belgium from Greek parents. He started playing bouzouki at the age of 9, then switched to electric guitar at 11 and finally to electric bass at 14. He could have or shou ...

(born 1961) *

Tim Hauff Timothy Andrew Hauff (born 1952) is an American jazz double bassist, electric bassist and educator. Early years Hauff was born into a musical family in Sioux City and raised in the small nearby community of Merrill. Hauff's brother and a sister ...

(born 1952) *

Nick Haywood Nick Haywood is an Australian jazz double bassist, composer, and music educator in Melbourne. He has worked with Don Burrows, Dale Barlow, Paul Grabowsky, Bernie McGann, and James Morrison, and with many international jazz musicians, includin ...

(born 1961) *

Percy Heath Percy Heath (April 30, 1923 – April 28, 2005) was an American jazz bassist, brother of saxophonist Jimmy Heath and drummer Albert Heath, with whom he formed the Heath Brothers in 1975. Heath played with the Modern Jazz Quartet througho ...

(1923–2005) *

Spike Heatley Brian John Heatley (17 February 1933 – 10 November 2021), better known as Spike Heatley, was a British jazz double bassist. Early life Heatley was born in Muswell Hill, North London in February 1933. Career He appeared with Vic Ash's sextet ...

(1933–2021) *

Mark Helias Mark Helias (born October 1, 1950) is an American double bass player and composer born in New Brunswick, New Jersey. He started playing the double bass at the age of 20, and studied with Homer Mensch at Rutgers University from 1971 to 1974, then ...

(born 1950) *

Jonas Hellborg Jonas Hellborg (born 7 June 1958) is a Swedish bass guitarist. He has collaborated with John McLaughlin, Ustad Sultan Khan, Fazal Qureshi, Bill Laswell, Shawn Lane, Jens Johansson, Anders Johansson, Ginger Baker, Michael Shrieve, V. Selvaga ...

(born 1958) *

Michael Henderson Michael Earl Henderson (July 7, 1951 – July 19, 2022) was an American bass guitarist and vocalist. He was known for his work with Miles Davis in the early 1970s on early fusion albums such as '' Jack Johnson'', '' Live-Evil'', and '' Aghart ...

(1951–2022) *

Shifty Henry John Willie "Shifty" Henry (4 October 1921 – 30 November 1958) was an American musician, double bass and bass guitar player, and blues songwriter. He also played flute, violin, viola, saxophone, and oboe and was in demand as a session musician a ...

(1921–1958) *

Svante Henryson Svante Henryson (born 22 October 1963) is a Swedish composer, cellist, bass guitarist and double bassist, active within jazz, classical music, and hard rock. Biography Childhood and studies Svante Henryson was born in Stockholm and grew up in U ...

(born 1963) *

(1910–2000) *

Derrick Hodge Derrick Hodge (born July 5, 1979) is an American composer, musical director, bandleader, producer bassist and advocate. To date he has been awarded two Grammys, named a Sundance Composer Fellow, received a Motif Award; one of world's highest h ...

(born 1979) *

Colin Hodgkinson Colin Hodgkinson (born 14 October 1945, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England) is a British rock, jazz and blues bassist, who has been active since the 1960s. Career Hodgkinson played in several bands, but was even more prolific as a sessio ...

(born 1945) *

Sigurd Hole Sigurd Hole (born 13 July 1981) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass) from Rendalen Municipality, Rendalen living in Oslo. Biography Sigurd Hole was born in Elverum Municipality, Norway, and has worked in jazz ensembles and presetented ...

(born 1981) *

Dave Holland Dave Holland or David Holland may refer to: *Dave Holland (bassist) David Holland (born 1 October 1946) is an English double bassist, bass guitarist, cellist, composer and bandleader who has been performing and recording for five decades. He has ...

(born 1946) *

Major Holley Major "Mule" Holley Jr. (July 10, 1924 – October 25, 1990) was an American jazz upright bassist. Early life and education Holley was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. He attended the prestigious Cass Technical High School in Detroi ...

(1924–1990) * Scotty Holt *

Fred Hopkins Fred Hopkins (October 11, 1947 – January 7, 1999) was an American double bassist who played a major role in the development of the avant-garde jazz movement. He was best known for his association with the trio Air with Henry Threadgill and Ste ...

(1947–1999) *

Jim Hughart James David Hughart (born July 28, 1936) is a jazz and pop bass player. Biography Hughart was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, and is the son of Frederick (Fritz) Hughart, bassist with Minneapolis Symphony and San Diego Symphony ...

(born 1936) *

Spike Hughes Patrick Cairns "Spike" Hughes (19 October 1908 – 2 February 1987) was a British musician, composer and arranger involved in the worlds of classical music and jazz. He has been called Britain's earliest jazz composer, and was a pioneer of te ...

(1908–1987) * Stig Hvalryg (born 1960)

I

* Dieter Ilg (born 1961) *

Peter Ind Peter Ind (20 July 1928 – 20 August 2021) was a British jazz double bassist and record producer. Early life Ind was born in Middlesex. His father was a builder. Ind began to learn the violin at the age of eight and played in his school orches ...

(1928–2021) *

Dennis Irwin __NOTOC__ Dennis Irwin (November 28, 1951 in Birmingham, Alabama - March 10, 2008) was an American jazz double bassist. He toured and recorded with John Scofield and the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra among others, and played on over 500 albums. B ...

(1951–2008) *

Jeff Irwin Jeff Irwin (born September 12, 1977) is an American musician and multi-instrumentalist. He has performed with Griffin House, Cerys Matthews, Derek Webb and Sandra McCracken, Mat Kearney, Taylor Sorensen & the Trigger Code, and Counting Crows. ...

(born 1977) *

Ike Isaacs Ike Isaacs may refer to: * Ike Isaacs (guitarist) (1919–1996), Burmese-British jazz guitarist * Ike Isaacs (bassist) (1923–1981), American jazz bassist {{Hndis, Isaacs, Ike ...

(1923–1981) *

Chuck Israels Charles H. Israels (born August 10, 1936) is an American jazz composer, arranger, and bassist who is best known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. He has also worked with Billie Holiday, Benny Goodman, Coleman Hawkins, Stan Getz, Herbie Hanc ...

(born 1936) *

Carl Morten Iversen Carl Morten Iversen (1 May 1948 – 19 October 2023) was a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), and the son of jazz violinist Arild Iversen (1920–65). He was known from numerous recordings and had long been central to the Oslo Jazz scene. ...

(born 1948) *

David Izenzon David Izenzon (May 17, 1932 – October 8, 1979) was an American jazz double bassist. Biography Izenzon was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. He graduated from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, now Carnegie Mellon University, ...

(1932–1979)

J

* Ali Jackson (died 1987) * Alvin Jackson * Anthony Jackson (born 1952) *

Chubby Jackson Greig Stewart "Chubby" Jackson (October 25, 1918 – October 1, 2003) was an American jazz double-bassist and band leader. Biography Born in New York City, Jackson began at the age of seventeen as a clarinetist, but quickly changed to bass in ...

(1918–2003) * Paul Jackson (1947–2021) *

Randy Jackson Randall Darius Jackson (born June 23, 1956) is an American record executive, television presenter and musician, best known as a judge on ''American Idol'' from 2002 to 2013. Jackson began his career in the 1980s as a session musician playing b ...

(born 1956) * Kristian B. Jacobsen (born 1992) * Michael Janisch (born 1979) *

Neil Jason Neil Jason, is an American musician, songwriter, producer and composer. In a career spanning more than 40 years, he has worked with some of the biggest recording artists, including John Lennon, Billy Joel, Roxy Music, Mick Jagger, Pete Townshend, ...

Harald Johnsen Harald Gill Johnsen (19 March 1970 – 24 July 2011) was a Norwegian jazz double bassist, known for his contributions in bands like Køhn/Johansen Sextet and Tord Gustavsen Trio, and a series of recordings with such as Sonny Simmons, Sigurd ...

(1970–2011) *

Alphonso Johnson Alphonso Johnson (born February 2, 1951) is an American jazz bassist active since the early 1970s. Johnson was a member of the jazz fusion group Weather Report from 1973 to 1975, and has performed and recorded with numerous high-profile rock and ...

(born 1951) * Bill Johnson (1872–1972) * Gordon Johnson (born 1952) * Louis Johnson (1955–2015) * Marc Johnson (born 1953) *

Darryl Jones Darryl Jones (born December 11, 1961) is an American bassist. He has been recording and touring with the Rolling Stones since 1993. He has also played in bands with Miles Davis and Sting, among others. Career Darryl Jones was born on Decemb ...

(born 1961) *

Isham Jones Isham Edgar Jones (January 31, 1894 – October 19, 1956) was an American bandleader, saxophonist, bassist and songwriter. Career Jones was born in Coalton, Ohio, United States, to a musical and mining family. His father, Richard Isham Jon ...

(1894–1956) * Percy Jones (born 1947) * Sam Jones (1924–1981) *

José José José Rómulo Sosa Ortiz (17 February 1948 – 28 September 2019), known professionally as José José, was a Mexican singer. Also known as ''El Príncipe de la Canción'' (The Prince of Song), his performance and vocal style have influenced ma ...

(1948–2019) *

Anders Jormin Anders Bertil Michael Jormin (born 7 September 1957) is a Swedish bassist and composer. Jormin established a musical partnership with Bobo Stenson in the mid-1980s which led to international recognition playing with Charles Lloyd, in the early ...

(born 1957) * Hans Otto Jung (1920–2009)

K

Olaf Kamfjord Olaf Kamfjord (born December 8, 1962, in Tønsberg, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (double bass and guitar bass) and composer, known from co-operations within bands like " Ab und Zu", "Herrene i haven", "Out To Lunch" and "Roy Nikolaisen ...

(born 1962) * Konrad Kaspersen (born 1948) *

Red Kelly Leonard Patrick "Red" Kelly (July 9, 1927 – May 2, 2019) was a Canadian professional hockey player and coach. Kelly played on more Stanley Cup-winning teams (eight) than any other player who never played for the Montreal Canadiens; Henri R ...

(1927–2019) * Tom Kennedy (born 1960) * Norman Keenan (1916–1980) * James King (1942–2012) * Gary King (1947–2003) * Mark King (born 1958) * John Kirby (1908–1952) * Andy Kirk (1898–1992) *

Bjørn Kjellemyr Bjørn Kjellemyr (born 4 December 1950 in Bamble, Norway) is a jazz double bassist, known from a variety of musical contexts like Terje Rypdal & The Chasers, Joe Henderson, Bob Berg, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Pat Metheny, Mike Stern, Dag Arnesen, K ...

(born 1950) *

Larry Klein Larry Klein is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is based in Los Angeles. He began his career as a bassist, playing with jazz artists Willie Bobo, Freddie Hubbard, Carmen McRae, Joe Henderson, Bobby Hutcherson, Way ...

(born 1956) * Rob Kohler (born 1963) *

Kristin Korb Kristin Korb is an American jazz double bassist and vocalist. Biography Korb studied at Eastern Montana College and the University of California, San Diego The University of California, San Diego (UC San Diego in communications materia ...

Teddy Kotick Theodore John Kotick (June 4, 1928 – April 17, 1986) was an American jazz double bassist. Kotick never recorded as a leader, but he appeared as a sideman with many leading jazz musicians, including Charlie Parker, Buddy Rich, Artie Shaw, Horace ...

(1928–1986) *

Peter Kowald Peter Kowald (21 April 1944 – 21 September 2002) was a German free jazz and free improvising double bassist and tubist. Career A member of the Globe Unity Orchestra, and a touring double-bass player, Kowald collaborated with many European f ...

(1944–2002) *

Ashley Kozak Ashley Kozak (c.1930 – 2008) was a British jazz bassist, record producer and artists' manager, best known as having been Donovan's manager alongside Grahame Corbyn. Career 1950s After working and recording with Tony Crombie and his orchestra in ...

(c. 1930 – 2008)

L

Abraham Laboriel Abraham Laboriel López (born July 17, 1947) is a Mexican-American bassist who has played on over 4,000 recordings and soundtracks. ''Guitar Player'' magazine called him "the most widely used session bassist of our time". Laboriel is the fathe ...

(born 1947) *

Scott LaFaro Rocco Scott LaFaro (April 3, 1936 – July 6, 1961) was an American jazz double bassist known for his work with the Bill Evans Trio. LaFaro broke new ground on the instrument, developing a countermelodic style of accompaniment rather than playi ...

(1936–1961) *

Tim Landers Timothy Gerard Landers (born November 1, 1956) is an American bassist best known for his contribution to the 1970s-80s jazz-fusion genre and his work with Al Di Meola, Billy Cobham, and Gil Evans. Landers is a session musician and was a member of ...

(born 1956) * Rick Laird (1941–2021) *

Jim Lanigan Jim Lanigan (January 30, 1902 - April 9, 1983) was an American jazz bassist and tubist. Lanigan learned piano and violin as a child, and played piano and drums in the Austin High School Blue Friars before specializing on bass and tuba. Lanigan ...

(1902–1983) *

Dominic Lash Dominic Lash (born 18 January 1980 in Cambridge, England) is a Bristol based double bassist and film theorist. He was formerly a central figure in the musicians' collective Oxford Improvisers. Important long-term musical collaborators include A ...

(born 1980) *

Chris Laurence Chris Laurence (born 6 January 1949) is an English musician. Born in London, he studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and primarily works with jazz and classical music. In the classical world he was principal double bass with th ...

(born 1949) * James Leary (1946–2021) *

Ray Leatherwood Ray Leatherwood (April 24, 1914 – January 29, 1996) was an American jazz double-bassist and session musician. Leatherwood's career began in territory bands around Texas, including the Mustang Band. Late in the 1930s he worked with Joe Venuti, ...

(1914–1996) *

Jay Leonhart Jay Leonhart (born December 6, 1940) is an American double bassist, singer, and songwriter who has worked in jazz and popular music. He has performed with Judy Garland, Bucky Pizzarelli, Carly Simon, Frank Sinatra, and Sting. Leonhart is noted ...

(born 1940) * Jennifer Jane Leitham (born 1953) * Jack Lesberg (1920–2005) * Herbie Lewis (1941–2007) * Julius Lind (born 1977) *

Wilbur Little Wilbur "Doc" Little (March 5, 1928 – May 4, 1987) was an American jazz bassist known for playing hard bop and post-bop. Little originally played piano, but switched to double bass after serving in the military. In 1949 he moved to Washington, ...

(1928–1987) *

Joe Long Joseph Louis LaBracio (September 5, 1932 – April 21, 2021), better known by his stage name Joe Long, was an American musician. He was best known for his tenure as the bass guitarist and vocalist for the Four Seasons from 1965 to 1975, having ...

(1941–2021) *

Israel "Cachao" López Israel López Valdés (September 14, 1918 – March 22, 2008), better known as Cachao ( ), was a Cuban double bassist and composer. Cachao is widely known as the co-creator of the mambo and a master of the descarga (improvised jam sessions). ...

(1918–2008) *

Orlando "Cachaíto" López Candelario Orlando López Vergara (February 2, 1933 – February 9, 2009), better known as Cachaíto, was a Cuban bassist and composer, who gained international fame after his involvement in the Buena Vista Social Club recordings. He was nickn ...

(1933–2009) * Al Lucas (1912–1983) *

Curtis Lundy Curtis Lundy (born October 1, 1955) is an American double bass player, composer, producer, choir director and arranger. Lundy is best known for his work as part of jazz vocalist Betty Carter's band. He is the brother of vocalist Carmen Lundy, w ...

(born 1955) *

Brian Lawrence Brian Michael Lawrence (born May 14, 1976) is an American former professional baseball starting pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the San Diego Padres and New York Mets. He is currently the pitching coach of the South Bend Cu ...

(born 1976)

M

Bob Magnusson Bob Magnusson (born February 24, 1947, in New York) is an American jazz bassist. Career Magnusson studied French horn for 12 years before switching to bass in 1967. He toured with Buddy Rich's Orchestra in 1968 and played with the San Diego Symph ...

(born 1947) *

Michael Manring Michael Manring (born June 27, 1960) is an American bass guitarist from the San Francisco Bay Area. Biography Michael Manring was born in Annapolis, Maryland,Tom Mulhern, ''Bass Heroes: Styles, Stories & Secrets of 30 Great Bass Players : from ...

(born 1960) *

Wendell Marshall Wendell Marshall (October 24, 1920 – February 6, 2002) was an American jazz double-bassist. Marshall was Jimmy Blanton's cousin. He studied at Lincoln University, then served in the Army during World War II. Following his discharge, he perfo ...

(1920–2002) *

Ron Mathewson Rognvald Andrew Mathewson (19 February 1944 – 3 December 2020) was a British jazz double bassist and bass guitarist. During his career, Mathewson performed with Ronnie Scott, but also recorded with Stan Getz, Joe Henderson, Joan Armatra ...

(1944–2020) *

Per Mathisen Per Mathisen (born 7 October 1969) is a Norwegian jazz bassist and composer who has worked with Terri Lyne Carrington, Geri Allen, Gary Thomas, Bill Bruford, Alex Acuña, Gary Husband, Ralph Peterson, Nguyen Le and Terje Rypdal. He is marri ...

(born 1969) *

Cecil McBee Cecil McBee (born May 19, 1935) is an American jazz bassist. He has recorded as a leader only a handful of times since the 1970s, but has contributed as a sideman to a number of classic jazz albums. Biography Early life and career McBee was b ...

(born 1935) *

(born 1972) *

Ron McClure Ron McClure (born November 22, 1941) is an American jazz bassist. Early life McClure was born in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. He started on piano at age five, and later played accordion and bass. McClure studied privately with Joseph I ...

(born 1941) *

Andy McKee Andy McKee (born April 4, 1979, in Topeka, Kansas) is an American fingerstyle guitar player who has released six studio albums, three extended plays, and one live album to date. A number of YouTube videos featuring McKee's highly-technical gui ...

(born 1953) *

Al McKibbon Al McKibbon (January 1, 1919 – July 29, 2005) was an American jazz double bassist, known for his work in bop, hard bop, and Latin jazz. In 1947, after working with Lucky Millinder, Tab Smith, J. C. Heard, and Coleman Hawkins, he replac ...

(1919–2005) * Sondre Meisfjord (born 1975) *

Chucho Merchán Jesús Alfredo Merchán (born December 24, 1952)), known professionally as Chucho Merchán, is a Colombian session jazz and rock bassist and guitarist. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Cambridge University in 1980. He has performed ...

(born 1952) *

Jymie Merritt Jymie Merritt (; May 3, 1926 – April 10, 2020) was an American jazz bassist, bandleader, and composer. Merritt was a member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers group from 1957 until 1962. The same year he left Blakey's band, Merritt formed his own ...

(1926–2020) * Björn Meyer (born 1965) *

Pierre Michelot Pierre Michelot (3 March 1928 – 3 July 2005) was a French jazz double bass player and arranger. Early life Michelot was born in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, Paris on 3 March 1928. He studied piano from 1936 to 1938, and switched to playing ...

(1928–2005) *

Big Miller Big or BIG may refer to: * Big, of great size or degree Film and television * ''Big'' (film), a 1988 fantasy-comedy film starring Tom Hanks * ''Big'', a 2023 Taiwanese children's film starring Van Fan and Chie Tanaka * ''Big!'', a Discovery ...

(Clarence Horatius Miller) (1922–1992) * Harry Miller (1941–1983) *

Marcus Miller William Henry Marcus Miller Jr. (born June 14, 1959) is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer. He has worked with trumpeter Miles Davis, pianist Herbie Hancock, singer Luther Vandross, and saxophonists Wayne Shorter and David Sa ...

(born 1959) *

(1922–1979) *

Red Mitchell Keith Moore "Red" Mitchell (September 20, 1927 – November 8, 1992) was an American jazz double-bassist, composer, lyricist, and poet. Biography Mitchell was born in New York City. His younger brother, Whitey Mitchell, also became a jazz ...

(1927–1992) *

Whitey Mitchell Gordon "Whitey" Mitchell (February 22, 1932 – January 16, 2009) was an American jazz bassist and television writer/producer. He was born in Hackensack, New Jersey. Life and career Mitchell was the brother of bassist Red Mitchell. He began on ...

(1932–2009) * Guro Skumsnes Moe (born 1983) *

Charnett Moffett Charnett Moffett (June 10, 1967 – April 11, 2022) was an American jazz bassist and composer. He was an apparent child prodigy. Moffett began playing bass in the family band, touring the Far East in 1975 at the age of eight. In the mid-1980s, ...

(born 1967) *

Joe Mondragon Joe Mondragon (February 2, 1920 – July 1987) was an American jazz bassist. Early life Mondragon was born in Antonito, Colorado, and raised in the Española Valley region of New Mexico. Mondragon was of Apache and Hispanic origin. Career M ...

(1920–1987) *

Monk Montgomery William Howard "Monk" Montgomery (October 10, 1921 – May 20, 1982) was an American jazz bassist. He was a pioneer of the electric bass guitar and possibly the first to be recorded playing the instrument when he participated in a 1953 session r ...

(1921–1982) *

Glen Moore Glen Moore (born October 28, 1941) is an American jazz bassist, who occasionally performs on piano, flute and violin. Moore was born in Portland, Oregon, United States. His performing career began at age 14 with the Young Oregonians in Portlan ...

(born 1941) *

Michael Moore Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author. Moore's work frequently addresses various Social issue, social, political, and economic topics. He first became publicly known for his award-winning debut ...

(born 1945) * Al Morgan (1908–1974) * Thomas Morgan (born 1981) *

Peck Morrison John A. "Peck" Morrison (September 11, 1919 – February 25, 1988) was an American jazz bassist. Morrison was classically trained, and was competent on trumpet and percussion in addition to bass. He played in military bands in Italy during World ...

(1919–1988) * George Morrow (1925–1992) *

John Mosher John Mosher (1928–1998) was an American jazz bassist, classical bassist and composer who worked, recorded and toured with a wide range of primarily West Coast artists from the 1950s through the mid-1990s. Early years A native of Sioux City, ...

(1928–1998) *

(born 1980) *

George Mraz George Mraz (born Jiří Mráz; 9 September 1944 – 16 September 2021) was a Czech-born American jazz bassist and alto saxophonist. He was a member of Oscar Peterson's group, and worked with Pepper Adams, Stan Getz, Michel Petrucciani, Stepha ...

(1944–2021) *

Jo Berger Myhre Jo Berger Myhre (born 29 May 1984 in Sandefjord, Norway) is a Norwegian musician who plays upright bass and bass guitars, known from performing with the likes of Splashgirl, Blokk 5, Ingrid Olava, Solveig Slettahjell Slow Motion Quintet and F ...

(born 1984)

N

Buell Neidlinger Buell Neidlinger (March 2, 1936 – March 16, 2018) was an American cellist and double bassist. He has worked with a variety of pop and jazz performers, prominently with iconoclastic pianist Cecil Taylor in the 1950s and '60s. Biography Neidling ...

(1936–2018) *

Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard Magnus Skavhaug Nergaard (born 20 November 1989 in Tranby, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian Jazz musician (double bass, upright bass & bass guitar), known from bands like Monkey Plot, Mummu, Ronja and Ich Bin N!ntendo. Career Nergaard is ...

(born 1989) *

Rune Nergaard Rune Nergaard (born 26 May 1983 in Bodø, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), known from bands like Bushman's Revenge, Marvel Machine, Scent of Soil, and Team Hegdal. Career Nergaard was educated on the jazz program at Tr ...

(born 1983) *

Steve Novosel Steven Novosel (born 1940) is an American jazz double bassist and educator whose 40-plus year career has spanned numerous genre, from traditional jazz to swing, bebop, mainstream and avant garde. Early life and musical development Born in Farrel ...

(born 1940) * Andy Nevala (born 1972)

O

* Jordan O'Connor (born 1972) *

Patrick O'Hearn Patrick John O'Hearn (born September 6, 1954) is an American multi-instrumentalist, composer, and recording artist. Known primarily as a bass guitarist and keyboardist, O'Hearn came to prominence with Frank Zappa and co-founded the early 1980s ...

(born 1954) * Linda Oh (born 1984) *

Ugonna Okegwo Ugonna Okegwo (born March 15, 1962) is a German-Nigerian jazz bassist and composer based in New York City. Biography Born in London, Okegwo is the son of Christel Katharina Lulf and Madueke Benedict Okegwo. In 1963 the family moved to Münst ...

(born 1962) *

Darek Oleszkiewicz Darek Oleszkiewicz (born February 20, 1963), also known as Darek Oles, is a jazz bassist, composer, arranger, and educator. Biography Oleszkiewicz was born in Wrocław, Poland, on February 20, 1963. He lived in Kraków in the early 1980s, then m ...

(born 1963) *

Eivind Opsvik Eivind Opsvik (born 1973 in Oslo, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass) and composer, the son of the Norwegian interior and furniture designer Peter Opsvik. Career Opsvik is a graduate of the Norwegian Academy of Music (1993� ...

(born 1973) *

John Ore John Ore (December 17, 1933 – August 22, 2014) was an American jazz bassist. Ore attended the New School of Music in Philadelphia from 1943 to 1946, studying cello and followed this with studies on bass at Juilliard. In the 1950s he worked wit ...

(1933–2014)

P

Walter Page Walter Sylvester Page (February 9, 1900 – December 20, 1957) was an American jazz multi-instrumentalist and bandleader, best known for his groundbreaking work as a double bass player with Walter Page's Blue Devils and the Count Basie Orchest ...

(1900–1957) * Caterina Palazzi (born 1982) *

Pino Palladino Giuseppe Henry "Pino" Palladino (born 17 October 1957) is a Welsh musician, songwriter, and record producer. A session bassist, he has played bass for a number of acts such as the Who, the John Mayer Trio, Gary Numan, Paul Young, Don Henle ...

(born 1957) *

Truck Parham Charles Valdez "Truck" Parham (January 25, 1911 – June 5, 2002) was an American jazz double-bassist. Parham was born in Chicago and was first a professional sportsman: he was a boxer and played football with the Chicago Negro All Stars. He pl ...

(1911–2002) * William Parker (born 1952) *

(1951–1987) *

Johnny Pate John William Pate (born December 5, 1923) is an American former musician, a jazz bassist who became a producer, arranger, and leading figure in Chicago soul, pop, and rhythm and blues. He learned piano and tuba as a child and later picked up th ...

(born 1923) *

John Patitucci John Patitucci (born December 22, 1959) is an American jazz bassist and composer. Biography John James Patitucci was born in Brooklyn, New York. He began playing the electric bass at age 10, performing and composing at age 12, and at age 15, s ...

(born 1959) *

Mario Pavone Mario Pavone (November 11, 1940 – May 15, 2021) was an American jazz bassist, composer and bandleader. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead offers that Pavone was not only "great bass player ut also abig-hearted mensch." Early life Pavone was bor ...

(1940–2021) * Alcide "Slow Drag" Pavageau (1888–1969) *

Gary Peacock Gary George Peacock (May 12, 1935September 4, 2020) was an American jazz double bassist. He recorded a dozen albums under his own name, and also performed and recorded with major jazz figures such as avant garde saxophonist Albert Ayler, piani ...

(1935–2020) *

Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (; 27 May 1946 – 19 April 2005), also known by his abbreviated nickname NHØP, was a Danish jazz double bassist. Biography Pedersen was born in Osted, near Roskilde, on the Danish island of Zealand, the son o ...

(1946–2005) *

Aladár Pege Aladár Pege (8 October 1939 – 23 September 2006) was a jazz musician from Hungary. He was well known for his work and was dubbed "the Paganini of double bass". He was chosen as best soloist of Europe in 1970, performed at Carnegie Hall an ...

(1939–2006) * Ralph Peña (1927–1969) *

Gene Perla Gene Perla (born March 1, 1940) is an American jazz bassist. Career At the Berklee School of Music and the Boston Conservatory Perla concentrated on piano before moving to double bass. In 1969 he spent one year as a member of the Woody Herman Or ...

(born 1940) *

(1922–1960) *

Barre Phillips Barre Phillips (October 27, 1934 – December 28, 2024) was an American jazz double bass, bassist. A professional musician since 1960, he moved to New York City in 1962, then to Europe in 1967. From 1972 he was based in southern France, where in ...

(1934–2024) *

Martin Pizzarelli John Paul Pizzarelli Jr. (born April 6, 1960) is an American jazz guitarist and vocalist. He has recorded over twenty solo albums and has appeared on more than forty albums by other recording artists, including Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Rose ...

(born 1963) *

Lonnie Plaxico Lonnie Plaxico (born September 4, 1960) is an American jazz double bassist. Biography Plaxico was born in Chicago, into a musical family, and started playing the bass at the age of twelve, turning professional at fourteen (playing both double ba ...

(born 1960) *

Terry Plumeri John Terryl "Terry" Plumeri (November 28, 1944 – March 31, 2016) was an American musician, classical composer, orchestra conductor, double bassist, lecturer, teacher, producer, and film score composer. Early life Plumeri was born in Greensbor ...

(1944–2016) *

Robert Popwell Robert Lee "Pops" Popwell (December 29, 1950 – November 27, 2017) was an American jazz fusion, smooth jazz bass guitarist and percussionist. Career Known as "Pops", he played with The Rascals, The Young Rascals , The Crusaders (Houston group), ...

(1950–2017) *

Tommy Potter Charles Thomas Potter (September 21, 1918 – March 1, 1988) was an American jazz double bass player, best known for having been a member of Charlie Parker's "classic quintet", with Miles Davis, between 1947 and 1950. Born in Philadelphia, Penn ...

(1918–1988) *

Pino Presti Giuseppe Prestipino Giarritta (born 23 August 1943), professionally known by his pseudonym Pino Presti, is an Italian conductor, arranger, bassist, composer and record producer from Milan. He is a 5th-dan black belt in Shotokan Karate. Pres ...

(born 1943) *

Rocco Prestia Francis Rocco Prestia Jr. (March 7, 1951 – September 29, 2020) was an American bassist, best known for his work with the funk band Tower of Power. Biography Born in Sonora, California, Prestia started playing electric guitar as an adolescen ...

(1951–2020) *

Jodi Proznick Jodi Proznick (born October 23, 1975) is a Canadian jazz bassist, composer, educator and producer. In 2019, she was named Jazz Artist of the Year at the Western Canadian Music Awards and has been nominated for three Juno Awards. She is a recipie ...

(born 1975)

R

Chuck Rainey Charles Walter Rainey III (born June 17, 1940) is an American bass guitarist who has performed and recorded with many well-known acts, including Aretha Franklin, Steely Dan, and Quincy Jones. Rainey is credited for playing bass on more than 1,00 ...

(born 1940) *

Steinar Raknes Steinar Raknes (born 22 March 1975) is a Norwegian jazz bassist, composer, and the younger brother of Jazz singer and pianist Eldbjørg Raknes. He is considered to be one of the most talented double bass players of his generation in Norway, an ...

(born 1975) *

Gene Ramey Gene Ramey (April 4, 1913 – December 8, 1984) was an American jazz double bassist. Ramey was born in Austin, Texas, United States, and played trumpet in college, but switched to contrabass when playing with George Corley's Royal Aces, The Mo ...

(1913–1984) *

Hugo Rasmussen Hugo Rasmussen (22 March 1941 – 30 August 2015) was a Danish bassist. Rasmussen is best known for his album ''Sweets to the Sweet'' (1978). ''Sweets To the Sweet'' was re-released in 2001 on Danish label Music Mecca. Biography He worked with ...

(1941-2015) *

Nat Reeves Nat Reeves (born May 27, 1955) is an American jazz bassist. He resides in Hartford, Connecticut, and teaches at The Hartt School of the University of Hartford. He also performs internationally with a number of jazz artists. Band leaders Reeves ...

(born 1955) *

Rufus Reid Rufus Reid (born February 10, 1944, in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American jazz bassist, educator, and composer. Biography Reid was raised in Sacramento, California, where he played the trumpet through junior high and high school. Upon graduation ...

(born 1944) *

Marius Reksjø Marius Julian Reksjø (born 3 October 1973 in Horten, Norway) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician (Double bass, upright bass), known from cooperation within Bugge Wesseltoft's Jazzland Community and the band Beady Belle with his wife Beate ...

(born 1973) *

Eric Revis Eric Sebastian Revis (born May 31, 1967) is a jazz bassist and composer. Revis came to prominence as a bassist with singer Betty Carter in the mid-1990s. Since 1997 he has been a member of Branford Marsalis's ensemble. Discography Source As leade ...

(born 1967) *

Jim Richardson James Anthony Richardson (born 16 February 1941, Tottenham, London) is an English jazz and rock bassist and session musician. He was a member of the progressive rock band If. Career An original member of pioneering British jazz-rock band, If ...

(born 1941) * Georg Riedel (1934–2024) *

Steve Rodby Steve Rodby (born December 9, 1954, in Joliet, Illinois) is an American jazz bassist and producer known for his time with the Pat Metheny Group. Biography Rodby was born in Joliet, Illinois, into a musical family. His father was a music teache ...

(born 1954) *

Reuben Rogers Reuben Renwick Rogers (born November 15, 1974) is a jazz bassist from the Virgin Islands. Biography Born November 15, 1974, and raised in the Virgin Islands, Rogers was exposed to varieties of music that included calypso, reggae, gospel an ...

(born 1974) *

Howard Rumsey Howard Rumsey (November 7, 1917 – July 15, 2015) was an American jazz double-bassist known for his leadership of the Lighthouse All-Stars in the 1950s. Biography Born in Brawley, California, United States, Rumsey first began playing the piano ...

(1917–2015) *

Daryl Runswick Daryl Runswick (born 12 October 1946) is a classically trained English composer, arranger, jazz musician, producer and educationalist. Career Runswick was born in Leicester, and educated at Wyggeston Grammar School for Boys and Corpus Christi ...

(born 1946) *

Curley Russell Dillon "Curley" Russell (March 19, 1917 – July 3, 1986) was an American jazz musician, who played bass on many bebop recordings. He was born in Trinidad. He was nicknamed "Curley" for his curly hair. A member of the Tadd Dameron Sextet, he ...

(1917–1986)

S

Nobel Peace Price Concert 2009 Esperanza Spalding1

Harvie S Harvie Swartz (December 6, 1948), known professionally as HarvieS, is an American jazz double-bassist. He learned piano as a child and did not begin playing bass until 1967, when he was nineteen years old.Scott Yanow, Harvie Swartzat Allmusic H ...

(born 1948) *

Igor Saavedra Igor Saavedra (Santiago de Chile, May 31, 1966 ) is a player and pioneer of the extended-range bass (ERB) guitar. , he has dedicated his musical career to the study and performing of the eight string extended-range bass guitar and is considered ...

(born 1966) *

Eddie Safranski Eddie Safranski (December 25, 1918 – January 10, 1974) was an American jazz double bassist, composer and arranger who worked with Stan Kenton. He also worked with Tony Bennett, Charlie Barnet, Benny Goodman and Bobby Darin. From 1946 to 1953 he ...

(1918–1974) * Ole Marius Sandberg (born 1975) *

Joe Sanders Joseph L. Sanders (October 26, 1896, Thayer, Kansas - May 14, 1965, Kansas City, Missouri) was an American jazz pianist, singer, and band leader associated with Kansas City jazz for most of his career. Sanders was best known for co-leading the C ...

(born 1984) * Jacky Samson (1943–2012) *

Fernando Saunders Fernando Saunders (born 17 January 1957) is an American musician, singer and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He is perhaps best known for his longtime partnership with rock musician Lou Reed, from 1982 to 1987 and again from 1996 to 20 ...

(born 1957) *

Tony Saunders Anthony Scott Saunders (born April 29, 1974) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1997 to 1999. He was the first player selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 1997 Major League B ...

* Patrick Scales (born 1965) *

Tony Scherr Tony Scherr is an American jazz and folk rock bassist, guitarist, singer-songwriter, and record producer. Biography Scherr was born in New Haven, Connecticut, and is a graduate of the Hammonasset School. He played with Woody Herman as a teenage ...

Lynn Seaton Lynn Seaton (born July 18, 1957 in Tulsa, Oklahoma) is a jazz double bass, bassist associated with bebop and Swing music, swing. He has appeared on over 125 albums, including ''Nirvana (Pizzarelli album), Nirvana'' by Bucky Pizzarelli, and the G ...

(born 1957) *

Clarence Seay Clarence Seay (born January 7, 1957, Washington, DC) is an American jazz bassist and composer. He was the bassist with the Wallace Roney Quintet for over 15 years. Seay, also known as "Big C", is a disciple of the Paul Chambers school of jazz ...

(born 1957) *

Karl E. H. Seigfried Karl E. H. Seigfried is a German–American jazz, rock, and classical bassist, guitarist, composer, bandleader, writer and educator based in Chicago. Seigfried has performed and taught on the double bass "in virtually all musical styles – f ...

(born 1973) * Pat Senatore (born 1935) *

Avery Sharpe Avery Sharpe (born August 23, 1954) is an American jazz double-bassist, electric bassist, composer, educator and founder of the artist-owned record label, JKNM Records. Sharpe has a distinguished percussive and rhythmic approach on double bass. ...

(born 1954) *

Arvell Shaw Arvell Shaw (September 15, 1923 – December 5, 2002) was an American jazz double-bassist, best known for his work with Louis Armstrong. Life and career He was born on September 15, 1923, in St. Louis, Missouri. Shaw learned to play tuba in high ...

(1923–2002) * David Shapiro (1952–2011) *

Todd Sickafoose Todd Sickafoose is an American jazz and rock musician, composer, and producer/engineer from San Francisco, California. He is best known for playing acoustic bass and keyboards with Ani DiFranco but has also led his own group, Todd Sickafoose's ...

(born 1974) *

Alan Silva Alan Lee da Silva (born 22 January 1939, in Bermuda) is an American free jazz multi-instrumentalist, best known as a double bassist. He has recorded on keyboards, violin, cello and trumpet among other instruments. Biography Silva was born a ...

(born 1939) *

John Simmons John Simmons may refer to: Politicians * John H. Simmons (died 1843), American politician from Maryland * John Simmons (Oklahoma politician) (died 1940), American politician, mayor of Tulsa from 1916 to 1918 * John Simmons (Missouri politician), ...

(1918–1979) *

Andy Simpkins Andrew Simpkins (April 29, 1932 – June 2, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Richmond, Indiana, he first became known as a member of the group The Three Sounds, with which he performed from 1956 to 1968.allmusic biography/ref> After ...

(1932–1999) *

Len Skeat Leonard Skeat (9 February 1937 – 9 March 2021) was a British jazz double-bassist, and the younger brother of Bill Skeat, a saxophone player (1926–1999). Biography He was born in East End of London, and worked with the Ted Heath band. During ...

(1937–2021) * Audun Skorgen (born 1967) *

Baard Slagsvold Baard Henrik Slagsvold (born 31 August 1963 in Elverum, Norway) is a Norwegian pop and jazz musician (vocals, piano, double bass and drums), and are particularly known as the bassist and singer in the pop trio Tre Små Kinesere (1989–2005). ...

(born 1963) * Carson Smith (1931–1997) *

Putter Smith Patrick Verne "Putter" Smith (born January 19, 1941) is an American jazz bassist, music teacher, author, and actor. Early life Smith was born in Bell, California, near Los Angeles, and began playing the bass at the age of eight, inspired by his ...

(born 1941) *

Rhonda Smith Rhonda Smith is a Canadian bassist, best known for her work with Prince and Jeff Beck. Biography Smith was born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Her family moved to Montreal when she was a child. She and her three siblings were encouraged to ...

* Sean Smith (born 1965) *

Teddy Smith Theodore Smith (January 22, 1932, in Washington, D.C.—August 24, 1979, in Washington, D.C.) was an American jazz double-bassist. Smith played with Betty Carter in 1960, and with Clifford Jordan (with whom he recorded the LP ''Bearcat'' in ...

(1932–1979) *

Esperanza Spalding Esperanza Emily Spalding (born October 18, 1984), sometimes professionally known with the stylized name of esperanza spalding, is an American bassist, singer, songwriter, and composer. Her accolades include five Grammy Awards, a Boston Music Aw ...

(born 1984) *

Victor Sproles Victor Sproles (November 18, 1927 in Chicago – May 13, 2005) was an American jazz bassist. Sproles worked in the 1950s with Red Rodney and Ira Sullivan and appears on the Sun Ra recordings '' Super-Sonic Jazz'', '' Sound of Joy'' and ''Deep Pur ...

(1927–2005) * Neal Starkey * Leroy "Slam" Stewart (1914–1987) *

Øyvind Storesund Øyvind Storesund (born 9 March 1975 in Bø i Telemark, Norway) is a Norwegian Rock and jazz musician (upright bass) known from playing in the Norwegian bands Cloroform and Kaizers Orchestra. Career Storesund replaced the former bassist Jon S ...

(born 1975) *

Ben Street Ben Street is an American jazz double bassist. Street has performed and recorded with many renowned artists, including John Scofield, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Mark Turner, Ben Monder, Michael Eckroth, Sam Rivers, Billy Hart, Danilo Perez, Aaron P ...

Jon Rune Strøm Jon Rune Strøm (born 29 January 1985) is a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass, bass guitar). Biography Strøm was born in Namsos Municipality, and was raised on an island in the north-western coast of Norway. His early influences included ...

(born 1985) *

Neil Stubenhaus Neil Stubenhaus is an American bass guitarist. Career He started his musical training playing drums and switched to bass guitar at the age of 12. In one of his early bands, The Neighbourhood in 1969, he played with future Kiss guitarist Vinnie V ...

(born 1953) *

Ted Sturgis Ted "Mohawk" Sturgis (25 April 1913 – 18 October 1995) was an American jazz bassist. Life and career Born in Cape Charles, Virginia, Sturgis started his music studies on piano at age five. He also played alto saxophone, guitar and drums in addi ...

(1913–1995) *

Ike Sturm Ike Sturm (born 29 June 1978 in Wisconsin) is a bassist, composer, and bandleader in New York. He serves as Music Director for the Jazz Ministry at Saint Peter's Church in Manhattan. Biography Raised in a musical home in Wisconsin, Sturm learne ...

(born 1978) *

Christian Meaas Svendsen Christian Meaas Svendsen (born 26 February 1988) is a Norwegian jazz bassist. He has worked with Nakama, Paal Nilssen-Love Large Unit, Mopti, Momentum, Aksiom, Ayumi Tanaka Trio and Duplex. He runs Nakama Records. Career Svendsen started ...

(born 1988) *

Neil Swainson Neil James Sinclair Swainson (born November 15, 1955) is a Canadian jazz bassist. Swainson started his career in Victoria, British Columbia, when he supported visiting American musicians such as Herb Ellis, Barney Kessell, and Sonny Stitt. In ...

(born 1955) *

Steve Swallow Steve Swallow (born October 4, 1940) is an American jazz bassist and composer, known for his collaborations with Jimmy Giuffre, Gary Burton, and Carla Bley. He was one of the first jazz double bassists to switch entirely to electric bass guitar. ...

(born 1940)

T

Jamaaladeen Tacuma Jamaaladeen Tacuma (born Rudy McDaniel; June 11, 1956) is an American jazz funk avant-garde bassist, composer and producer born in Hempstead, New York. He was a bandleader on the Gramavision label and worked with Ornette Coleman during the 197 ...

(born 1956) *

Carl Frederick Tandberg Carl Frederick Tandberg (March 22, 1910 – August 26, 1988), was an American bassist who recorded with Glen Campbell and Frankie Ortega. Biography He was born on March 22, 1910, in Dorchester, Boston where his father, Thorvald Martin Tandb ...

(1910–1988) *

Sandra Riley Tang Sandra Riley Tang (born 25 December 1990), known mononymously as RRILEY, is a Singaporean artist and musician who made her debut into the industry in 2012 as a founding member of local pop quartet The Sam Willows. Career As part of The Sam W ...

(born 1990) * Ares Tavolazzi (born 1948) *

Billy Taylor Billy Taylor (July 24, 1921 – December 28, 2010) was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and from 1994 was the a ...

(1906–1986) * Dylan Taylor (born 1960) *

Henri Texier Henri Texier (; born 27 January 1945) is a French jazz double bassist. At the age of sixteen, fascinated by the double bass, Texier became a self-taught bassist, crediting Wilbur Ware most as an influence. He formed his first group with Georges ...

(born 1945) * Kostas Theodorou (born 1965) *

Danny Thompson Daniel Henry Edward Thompson (born 4 April 1939) is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Ma ...

(born 1939) * Don Thompson (born 1940) * Magne Thormodsæter (born 1973) *

Wayman Tisdale Wayman Lawrence Tisdale (June 9, 1964 – May 15, 2009) was an American professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and a smooth jazz bass guitarist. A three-time All American at the University of Oklahoma,

(1964–2009) *

Jannick Top Jannick "Janik" Top is a French bass player and composer, born in Marseille. Top plays the electric bass and the cello. In the 1970s, he was a lead member of the influential zeuhl band Magma, along with Christian Vander and Didier Lockwood. On ...

(born 1947) *

Brian Torff Brian Q. Torff (born March 16, 1954) is an American jazz double-bassist, songwriter and composer. Career Teacher Brian Q. Torff is a Professor of Music and the director of the music program at Fairfield University in Fairfield, Connecticut.

(born 1954) *

Frank Tusa Frank Tusa (born April 1, 1947) is an American jazz double-bassist, composer, educator. Tusa played guitar before switching to bass at age ten. He worked in a Broadway pit orchestra and then played while serving in the Army. Tusa worked with Paul ...

(born 1947) *

Bjørnar Kaldefoss Tveite Bjørnar Kaldefoss Tveite (born 12 October 1987 at Voss, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz upright bassist, known from bands like Hullyboo and Morning Has Occurred. Karriere Tveite linked musical ties with guitarist Marius Hirth Klovning already at ...

(born 1987) *

Tyler Joseph Tyler Robert Joseph (born December 1, 1988) is an American singer, rapper, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is best known as the frontman for the musical duo Twenty One Pilots, alongside bandmate Josh Dun. Across his career he has r ...

(born 1988)

U

Sigurd Ulveseth Sigurd Ulveseth (born 13 July 1953) is a Norwegian jazz musician (Upright bass) and Orchestra leader, known from a number of album releases. Career Ulveseth was born in Bergen. With his own quartet, he has released three albums. The band con ...

(born 1953) *

Phil Upchurch Phillip Upchurch (born July 19, 1941) is an American soul music, R&B, jazz and blues guitarist and bassist. Career Upchurch started his career working with the Kool Gents, the Dells, and the Spaniels, before going on to work with Curtis Mayfiel ...

(born 1941)

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Ole Morten Vågan Ole Morten Vågan (born 8 May 1979) is a Norwegians, Norwegian jazz musician and composer (double bass, upright bass), and the older brother of guitarist Petter Vågan. He is known from several recordings and is currently acting as artistic dir ...

(born 1979) * Hein van de Geyn (born 1956) *

Terje Venaas Terje Venaas (30 March 1947 – April 2025) was a Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass), known from dozens of recordings and a number of international collaborations. Life and career Venaas started playing music within several local bands in ...

(1947–2025) *

Mads Vinding Mads Vinding (born 7 December 1948, Copenhagen, Denmark) is a Danish jazz double-bassist. Music career Vinding began his professional career when he was 16 as the house bassist for Jazzhus Montmartre, a jazz club in Copenhagen. He has played ...

(born 1948) *

Leroy Vinnegar Leroy Vinnegar (July 13, 1928 – August 3, 1999) was an American jazz bassist. Born in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, the self-taught Vinnegar established his reputation in Los Angeles, California, during the 1950s and 1960s. His trademar ...

(1928–1999) *

Miroslav Vitous Miroslav may refer to: * Miroslav (given name), a Slavic masculine given name * ''Young America'' (clipper) or ''Miroslav'', an Austrian clipper ship in the Transatlantic case oil trade * Miroslav (Znojmo District), a town in the Czech Republic S ...

(born 1947) *

Louis Vola Louis Vola ( La Seyne-sur-Mer, France, 6 July 1902 – 15 August 1990, Paris) was a French double-bassist known for his work with the Quintette du Hot Club de France. He is the godfather of guitarist Francois Vola. As well as the Hot Club de ...

(1902–1990)

W

Ellen Andrea Wang Ellen Andrea Wang (born 10 October 1986 in Gjøvik, Norway) is a Norwegian jazz musician (double bass and singer) and composer. She is the cousin of singer-songwriter Marthe Wang. Raised in Søndre Land, Oppland, she released her debut album, ...

(born 1986) Ellen Wiki

(1923–1979) *

Butch Warren Edward Rudolph "Butch" Warren Jr. (August 9, 1939 – October 5, 2013) was an American jazz bassist who was active during the 1950s and 1960s. Biography Warren's mother was a typist at the CIA. His father, Edward Sr., was an electronics tech ...

(1939–2013) *

Peter Washington Peter Washington (born on August 28, 1964 in Los Angeles, California) is a jazz double bassist. He played with the Westchester Community Symphony at the age of 14. Later he played electric bass in rock bands. He attended the University of Calif ...

(born 1964) *

Rob Wasserman Rob Wasserman (April 1, 1952 – June 29, 2016) was an American composer and bass player. A Grammy Award and NEA grant winner, he played and recorded with a wide variety of musicians including Bob Weir, Bruce Cockburn, Elvis Costello, Ani di ...

(1952–2016) *

Doug Watkins Douglas Watkins (March 2, 1934 – February 5, 1962) was an American jazz double bassist. He was best known for being an accompanist to various hard bop artists in the Detroit area, including Donald Byrd and Jackie McLean. Biography Watkins ...

(1934–1962) * Hank Wayland (1906–1983) *

Eberhard Weber Eberhard Weber is a German double bassist and composer. As a bass player, he is known for his highly distinctive tone and phrasing. Weber's compositions blend chamber jazz, European classical music, minimalism and ambient music, and are regarded ...

(born 1940) * Sid Weiss (1914-1994) *

Rodney Whitaker Rodney Whitaker (born February 22, 1968) is an American jazz double bass player and educator. Biography Born in Detroit, Whitaker attended Wayne State University, and studied with Robert Gladstone, principal bass with the Detroit Symphony Orches ...

(born 1968) *

Andrew White Andrew White may refer to: *Andrew White (Australian politician) (1859–1936) *Andrew White (basketball) (born 1993), American basketball player *Andrew White (Irish cricketer) (born 1980), Irish cricketer, played for Northamptonshire and for Ire ...

(also sax, oboe) (1942–2020) * Chris White (1936−2014) *

Tal Wilkenfeld Tal Wilkenfeld (born 2 December 1986) is an Australian bassist, singer and songwriter. She has performed with artists including Chick Corea, Jeff Beck, Prince (musician), Prince, Incubus (band), Incubus, Eric Clapton, Herbie Hancock, Toto (band ...

(born 1986) *

Buster Williams Charles Anthony "Buster" Williams (born April 17, 1942) is an American jazz bassist. Williams is known for his membership in pianist Herbie Hancock's early 1970s group, as well as working with guitarist Larry Coryell, the Thelonious Monk reperto ...

(born 1942) *

David "Happy" Williams David "Happy" Williams (born September 17, 1946), is a US-based Trinidadian jazz double-bassist, who was a long-time member of Cedar Walton's group. Williams has also worked with many other notable musicians, including Woody Shaw, Bobby Hutchers ...

(born 1946) *

Gary Willis Gary Willis (born 28 March 1957) is an American bassist and composer known foremost as the co-founder (with Scott Henderson) of the jazz fusion band Tribal Tech. Aside from his work in Tribal Tech, Willis has worked with numerous other jazz music ...

(born 1957) *

Quinn Wilson Quinn Brown Wilson (December 26, 1908 – June 14, 1978) was an American jazz bassist and tubist. Wilson played violin as a child, and studied composition and arrangement in his youth. He had his first professional experience in the mid-1920s, ...

(1908–1978) *

Ben Wolfe Benjamin Jonah Wolfe is an American jazz bassist who has performed in groups with Wynton Marsalis, Harry Connick Jr., and Diana Krall. He is currently on the teaching faculty at The Juilliard School Jazz Division. Career Wolfe was born in Baltimo ...

(born 1962) * Chris Wood (born 1969) *

Jimmy Woode James Bryant Woode (September 23, 1926 – April 23, 2005) was an American jazz bassist. He played and/or recorded in bands with Flip Phillips, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, Coleman Hawkins, Nat Pierce, Sidney B ...

(1926–2005) * Victor Lemonte Wooten (born 1964) *

Reggie Workman Reginald "Reggie" Workman (born June 26, 1937) is an American avant-garde jazz and hard bop double bassist, recognized for his work with both John Coltrane and Art Blakey, in addition to Alice Coltrane, Mal Waldron, Max Roach, Archie Shepp, Tri ...

(born 1937) *

Eugene Wright Eugene Joseph Wright (May 29, 1923 – December 30, 2020) was an American jazz bassist who was a member of the Dave Brubeck Quartet. Career Wright was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was a cornetist at high school and led the 16-piece band D ...

(1923–2020) *

Herman Wright Herman Wright was a jazz bassist. He was born in Detroit, Michigan in 1932, and, in 1960, moved to New York City, where he resided until his death in 1997. He began on drums as a teen before ultimately settling on upright bass. He worked with Doro ...

(1930–1997)

Y

* Walt Yoder (1914–1978) * Dave Young (born 1940) *

Eldee Young Eldee Young (January 7, 1936 – February 12, 2007) was a jazz double-bass and cello player who performed in the cool jazz, post bop and rhythm and blues mediums. Born in 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, Young started playing upright bass at the age o ...

(1936–2007)

Z

Per Zanussi Per Zanussi (born 1977) is an Italian–Norwegian jazz musician (upright bass) and composer, known from several bands and releases such as with Hamid Drake, Louis Moholo, Paal Nilssen-Love, Bobby Bradford, Sabir Mateen, Franklin Kiermyer, Step ...

(born 1977) *

Chester Zardis Chester Zardis (May 27, 1900, in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States – August 14, 1990, in New Orleans) was an American jazz double-bassist. Zardis played bass from a young age, and studied without his disapproving mother's knowledge, under ...

(1900–1990) *

Stuart Zender Stuart Patrick Jude Zender (born 18 March 1974) is an English bassist. He is best known as a former member of the band Jamiroquai. Biography Early life Zender was born in Sheffield, England. He comes from a family with a musical background: ...

(born 1974)

References

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Bassists A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), keyboard bass (synth bass) or a low bra ...

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