Roots Archives Forum

A key element in roots is the bass player. I just wanted to know who do u think is the arguably the best bass player out there

I'm torn between Flabba Holt and Lloyd parks

Hard choice there.
What about Fully Fullwood.
Jah Live!!

Jahbriel

hi guys
it's always a subject to argument among my friends
iam a hardcore wailers.so arguably it has to be family man barrett.and then comes val douglas who is one of the unsung heroes of reggae bass playing,then comes loyd parks and fully fullwood,haile maskell of the rastafarians etc...
in jamaica only not including the uk which can boast of dennis bovell and ras oban ex-aswad band bass player
hard choice indeed which is very subject
kindest regards
fadel

can't say who is best. fully, flabba, familyman, and lloyd parks are definitely up there. I will add robbie shakespeare and leroy sibbles to the list.

Check out Ooklah The Moc's Bass player "Jah Gumby" Probably one of the best modern bass players around.

i will always have a list of class of jamaican bass players that is as follows:jackie jackson,familyman barrett,val douglas,lloyd parks,fully fullwood,earl bagga walker(not to forget the veteran ska avatar lloyd brevette who is the reference )leroy sibbles,ranchie mc lean.then comes a second list made of robbie flabba holt,junior dan etc...
the first list is made of the most versatile and whose basslines are really varied.i will definetely give you some lps that some of the bass players perform in to see what i mean.take the case of "hail him" by burning spear for family man,mighy diamonds'deeper roots album for fully fullwood,cedric myton's"face the music"and pablo moses"pave the way"and the abbyssinians"forward on to zion"for val douglas,mighy diamonds'planet earth for lloyd parks etc...to see their versatility and the variations iam talking about for theoses in the first list ,as opposed to the almost flat basslines that people like robbie(through black uhuru and most of the taxi label releases)and flabba holt(with the roots radics)have accustomed us to.of course this is very subject as i mentioned earlier that i have a specific leaning for family man barrett as a wailers hard core fan;even though robbie has been responsible for some of the greatest basslines that were played in the 70's("equal rights","man from wareika"by rico rodriguez,the aggravators and most of jack ruby's productions etc...
kindest regards
fadel

Familyman and Flabba Holt are my favourites

Some of the best i've heard

Aston "Family man" Barret
Leroy Sibbles
lloyd park
Fully Fullwood
Flabba Holt
Robbie Shakespear
dennis bovell

RawD

I'd say Robbie has the strongest - along with the most versatile and colourful - technique in the business, but Familyman has the best feel. His basslines' timing is perfectly relaxed, which can propel a riddim into a whole new level of skank-ability.

So, as a music listener, my choice would probably be Robbie Shakespeare. As a reggae fanatic, however, I'd have to say Aston "Familyman" Barrett.

whoever is playing the bass on the song I'm listening at the time is my favorite!