This playlist is all about the bass … electric bass, that is. Since its introduction into jazz music in the late ’60s and early ’70s, the electric bass has become one of the genre’s most versatile and ubiquitous sounds, appearing in everything from bop to fusion, swing to funk and everything in between. Techniques like slapping and popping — in addition to electronic effects that transform the bass into a number of unique timbres — have brought the electric bass out of the background and into center stage. Here we present some of the legends of the instrument as well as a number of its contemporary innovators. Enjoy the low-end sounds from the likes of Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, Marcus Miller, Thundercat, Esperanza Spalding and so many more. Turn down the treble and get ready to dig in to the best electric bassists in jazz.
Feature image of Stanley Clarke courtesy the artist
