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Top 5 underrated prog bassists

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Topic: Top 5 underrated prog bassists
Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Subject: Top 5 underrated prog bassists
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 14:21
Could be the last crappy thread like this? Just curious what your thoughts are

1. Ray Shulman (Gentle Giant)
2. Bryan Beller (The Aristocrats)
3. Jeffrey Hamond (Tull)
4. Dave Hope (Kansas)
5. Pete Trewavas (Marllion, Transatlantic)



Replies:
Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 16:31
John Myung (Dream Theater)
Lee Sklar (Billy Cobham, session player)
Pete Trewavas (Marllion, Transatlantic)
Dave Hope (Kansas)
John Glascock (Jethro Tull)


Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 17:06
Appears that we have similar picks.

Cheers mate


Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 18:00
Richard Bona (Pat Metheny Group, Zawinul Syndicate, Mike Stern)
Bunny Brunel (CAB, Patrick Moraz)
Randy Jackson (the same from American Idol) - (Jean-Luc Ponty)
Paul Jackson (Herbie Hancock and The Head Hunters)
John Patitucci (Chick Corea Elektric Band)


Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 18:21
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:

Appears that we have similar picks.

Cheers mate

Yeah, but you've got one I'm not really familiar with. So I've got some new lis'nin' to do.  Thanks.



Posted By: Grumpyprogfan
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 18:36

"Yeah, but you've got one I'm not really familiar with. So" I've got some new lis'nin' to do.  Thanks."



May I suggest Bryan's album "Thanks in Advance". Or The Aristocrats " Culture Clash".





Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 18:55
Helmut Hattler (Kraan, Guru Guru, Tab Two)
Gerald Luciano Hartwig (Embryo, Guru Guru, Karthago, Roman Bunka)
Patrice Congas (Christian Boulé)
Curtis Robertson Jr. (Steve Hillage, Randy Crawford)
Peter Kühmstedt (Guru Guru)


-------------


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta


Posted By: Barbu
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 19:00
Mario Légaré (Octobre)

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Posted By: patrickq
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 19:26
Lee Sklar and Randy Jackson — good calls.

Trevor Horn is also an excellent bassist. But I’m not sure he’s rated at all, never mind underrated.


Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 19:37
Originally posted by patrickq patrickq wrote:

Lee Sklar and Randy Jackson — good calls.

Trevor Horn is also an excellent bassist. But I’m not sure he’s rated at all, never mind underrated.

Speaking of not even rated, the best I've heard is John Turner of the obscure prog group Lord Only.  Dude totally kills.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWgjD70WHNs" rel="nofollow - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWgjD70WHNs


Posted By: dougmcauliffe
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 20:15
Dave Meros



Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 20:40
Originally posted by Grumpyprogfan Grumpyprogfan wrote:


"Yeah, but you've got one I'm not really familiar with. So" I've got some new lis'nin' to do.  Thanks."



May I suggest Bryan's album "Thanks in Advance". Or The Aristocrats " Culture Clash".




Good stuff there.  Thanks for the recommendations.  I see Bryan also has some instructional videos.


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 11 2019 at 22:14
Greg Lake is very much underrated (ELP gets trashed on PA for some reason).  

Ray Bennett of Flash, Gary Strater of Starcastle and Jon Camp of Renaissance were masters of the Rickenbacker.  

Mike Howlett of Gong always played some great licks. 

The late, great Lothar Meid of Amon Duul II is a longtime favorite. 


-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 00:18
1. Klaus Peter-Matziol (Eloy)
2. John Jowitt (Arena, IQ)
3. Nick Beggs (Steve Hackett , Steven Wilson , The Mute Gods)
4. Colin Edwin
5. Tim Esau (IQ)


Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 00:22
In no particular order:
Greg Lake (ELP, King Crimson)
Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door)
Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) who played the bass lines on Hammond organ pedals
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Lee Jackson (the Nice, Jackson Heights)



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Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 00:26
Originally posted by ExittheLemming ExittheLemming wrote:

In no particular order:
Greg Lake (ELP, King Crimson)
Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door)
Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) who played the bass lines on Hammond organ pedals
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Lee Jackson (the Nice, Jackson Heights)

 

Yep Lee Jackson , completely forgot about him . Really great bassist and not mentioned nearly enough.

Didn't know that about Vince Crane.

Back Door - Mid seventies Jazz Rock band?  I seem to remember that Carl Palmer had some involvement with this band and I'm not sure but I think some of the band may have featured on the track Bullfrog from ELP's Works Vol 2 album.


Posted By: ExittheLemming
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 00:48
Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Originally posted by ExittheLemming ExittheLemming wrote:

In no particular order:
Greg Lake (ELP, King Crimson)
Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door)
Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) who played the bass lines on Hammond organ pedals
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Lee Jackson (the Nice, Jackson Heights)

 

Yep Lee Jackson , completely forgot about him . Really great bassist and not mentioned nearly enough.

Didn't know that about Vince Crane.

Back Door - Mid seventies Jazz Rock band?  I seem to remember that Carl Palmer had some involvement with this band and I'm not sure but I think some of the band may have featured on the track Bullfrog from ELP's Works Vol 2 album.


The first two Back Door albums are essential British fusion in my book and yes, Ron Aspery (sax) and Colin Hodgkinson (bass) both play on the stellar Bullfrog track from Works Volume 2 (I've always wondered who contributed the keys/synths as they certainly don't sound anything like Keith) Carl Palmer produced Back Door's 4th album from 1976 (Activate) but it's erm... a bit sh*t.


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Posted By: patrickq
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 01:13
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Greg Lake is very much underrated (ELP gets trashed on PA for some reason).
<snip>
I think ELP gets plenty of props. But when I trash them, the reason is usually that their music can be overblown. I mean, who ever heard of prog rock being pretentious?


Posted By: progmatic
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 02:48
Percy Jones hands-down

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PROGMATIC


Posted By: someone_else
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 03:12
Nick Beggs
Jeeff Désilets (Hamadryad)


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Posted By: AlanB
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 05:18
Randy George (Neal Morse Band)
Martin Turner (Wishbone Ash)


Posted By: Ridgeback
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 05:23
Percy Jones - totally agree
Jonas Hellborg
Gary Willis (tribal tech)
Nick Beggs


Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 05:52
1. Ray Shulman
2. Ray Shulman
3. Ray Shulman
4. Ray Shulman
5. Ray Shulman

Originally posted by someone_else someone_else wrote:

Nick Beggs

Great call! Too shy shy... fantastic bass line in that song!


-------------

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021


Posted By: BaldJean
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 06:18
Originally posted by ExittheLemming ExittheLemming wrote:

In no particular order:
Greg Lake (ELP, King Crimson)
Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door)
Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) who played the bass lines on Hammond organ pedals
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Lee Jackson (the Nice, Jackson Heights)


as to Colin Hodgkinson:




-------------


A shot of me as High Priestess of Gaia during our fall festival. Ceterum censeo principiis obsta


Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 07:31
Originally posted by ExittheLemming ExittheLemming wrote:

In no particular order:
Greg Lake (ELP, King Crimson)
Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door)
Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) who played the bass lines on Hammond organ pedals
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Lee Jackson (the Nice, Jackson Heights)


I didn't consider Geezer because I was trying to stay within core prog.  But across all genres, he may be the single most underrated bassist ever. 

I would also add John Paul Jones.  He's fairly well known, but rarely gets the credit he deserves. Plant, Page, and Bonham get all the ink, but I daresay JPJ is the best at his position of all of them and the group would never have been what they were without him. 


Posted By: Manuel
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 07:33
Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Greg Lake is very much underrated (ELP gets trashed on PA for some reason).  

Ray Bennett of Flash, Gary Strater of Starcastle and Jon Camp of Renaissance were masters of the Rickenbacker.  

Mike Howlett of Gong always played some great licks. 

The late, great Lothar Meid of Amon Duul II is a longtime favorite. 
Excellent list. All great and underrated for sure.


Posted By: Magmatt
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 15:08
+ for Jon Camp
all the Tull bassists who toiled in anonimity.



Posted By: dwill123
Date Posted: July 12 2019 at 15:12
I'm going to add one more which should have been in my original five, Hadrian Feraud.  I first saw him in John McLaughlin's 4th Dimension and thought John had found another superstar musician.  Then as quick as that Feraud disappeared.  Appearing sporadically here and there.  I have no explanation.  Check out the video.
 


Posted By: richardh
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 00:03
Originally posted by ExittheLemming ExittheLemming wrote:

Originally posted by richardh richardh wrote:

Originally posted by ExittheLemming ExittheLemming wrote:

In no particular order:
Greg Lake (ELP, King Crimson)
Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door)
Vincent Crane (Atomic Rooster) who played the bass lines on Hammond organ pedals
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Lee Jackson (the Nice, Jackson Heights)

 

Yep Lee Jackson , completely forgot about him . Really great bassist and not mentioned nearly enough.

Didn't know that about Vince Crane.

Back Door - Mid seventies Jazz Rock band?  I seem to remember that Carl Palmer had some involvement with this band and I'm not sure but I think some of the band may have featured on the track Bullfrog from ELP's Works Vol 2 album.


The first two Back Door albums are essential British fusion in my book and yes, Ron Aspery (sax) and Colin Hodgkinson (bass) both play on the stellar Bullfrog track from Works Volume 2 (I've always wondered who contributed the keys/synths as they certainly don't sound anything like Keith) Carl Palmer produced Back Door's 4th album from 1976 (Activate) but it's erm... a bit sh*t.
 

I never really got much past Coloseum II as far as the whole jazz rock fusion thing goes but anyway just ordered the first three albums as part of a double CD package. Thanks for the info!


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 00:44
Originally posted by Magmatt Magmatt wrote:

+ for Jon Camp
all the Tull bassists who toiled in anonimity.


Nice!  

 I saw Tull twice (TAAB and Minstrel tours), and Jeffrey Hammond-Hammond was a beast!  Amazing considering he was taught the instrument by Anderson & really wasn't all that into the rock-music scene. 

Glenn Cornick opened for Tull on the TAAB tour, he was another under appreciated master!  His work in "Paris" was excellent!


-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 02:22
Anyone else think Rick Laird isn't overrated, isn't underrated, but rather "just there"?

-------------

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 08:13
Originally posted by Fischman Fischman wrote:

John Glascock (Jethro Tull)

He was far better and more interesting in CARMEN. Shame that he gets mentioned for JT, where he was a minor player and not a main driving force.


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 08:32
Hi,

I look at bass players, not always within the context mentioned here, which is closer to favorite music than it is ... real music ... and there is a difference there. Some folks listed here I would not consider since they were mere time keepers on par with the drummer, and not "musicians" on their own, "independent" track, that added so much to the piece of music ... think of Pastorius and his freedom moving around the music ... no one here goes around saying that he is not a great player. Think of Stanley Clarke and his forays into so much music, and no one here is going to say that he is not valuable and a huge force in RETURN TO FOREVER. Heck, think of BOOTSIE and how he told a riff to go get "fudged" by ripping it with effects!

Too many of these are just riff players, and riffs are not what "music" is all about ... there is a lot more to it, than just a riff ... where does it go? ... nowhere means you simply do not have the musical ability to extend what you are doing, and this is something that Europeans are "better" at mostly because of their history of classical music ... they are comfortable with long pieces of music ... over here in the "western world" (that is USA and UK), it's like these folks never heard classical music, and have no idea what to do with it ... other than talk about a guitarist doing the blues again ... and not showing us anything new.

If I have a personal favorite, it probably would be the late LOTHAR MEID ... whose playing was so different, and almost always "against" the melody and the main flow of the song, giving it a contrast that made the piece of music special ... and some of my favorite moments are in WOLF CITY where the transitions in a couple of places, are just simple, single notes ... that carry your feeling forward ... it's uncanny, and similar to Jaki Leibezeit in FUTURE DAYS and in the transition from CHAIN REACTION to QUANTUUM PHYSICS in the next album, where, it is the silent touch and feel that carries the music ... and there is no drummer I have EVER met, that can discuss SILENCE ... and how to work within it ... except BILL BRUFORD ... but this is about bass players.

There are others ... but not always within the rock context ... DAVID DARLING is just phenomenal. CHARLIE HADEN, specially with EGBERTO GISMONTI is just insane ... totally out of this world ... and, unfortunately, within the rock music context, I still think that JOHN PAUL JONES and JOHN ENTWISTLE are/were probably the most inventive of all, since they were not about the "riff", in two bands that specialized in expanding things and taking it far and away from just a riff ... which is what "progressive music" started being about, but nowadays, we seem enamored with returning to the riff and almost all the players are "riff'ers".

There are a few really special players out there for me ... RICHARD SINCLAIR is one of them. MIKE HOWLETT is the other, perhaps one of the steadiest and cleanest player I have ever seen, and in concert ... he's just clean and strong, and he can play with drummers like PIERRE MOERLIN, who were kinda known to go left and right and away from the "riff" to do something special to make the piece of music stronger. Very few people have the ear, to be able to ADD to a piece of music like that ... sort of like you can add a kazoo and make it sound fabulous!

One other one, is DON SCHIFF ... from THE ROCKET SCIENTISTS. He has never gotten the credit for the work he has added to this band, and instead other folks got the credit and attention for the playing of the CHAPMAN STICK ... but with all due respect to the other folks and the famous one, DON is not about the pyrotechnics of the playing of the instrument ... he is about adding to the music what it needs to make it better and stronger, a very under rated and ignored concept in music, because we spend so much time rating the "riff'ers" and not the music.

I like JOHN MYUNG, for example, and his playing is very strong ... but in the end, you get the feeling that all he can do is go around and round the scales and notes ... and NEVER get out of that to bring up something special because the guitar is just flying as it is ... and he needs to go fly his own kite for a while! That leaves JOHN underrated and not as strong and interesting as he might be, and seems to have the ability to do and be ... but won't get it, when he has to spend his time supporting the guitar ... and can't have time away from it. The death of a bass player ... within a band that does not know "music" ... only knows something about their own "style" ... and these folks are graduates of a music school? WEIRD!


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 09:39
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by Fischman Fischman wrote:

John Glascock (Jethro Tull)

He was far better and more interesting in CARMEN. Shame that he gets mentioned for JT, where he was a minor player and not a main driving force.

Good Point!


Posted By: Fischman
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 09:42
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Hi,

I look at bass players, not always within the context mentioned here, which is closer to favorite music than it is ... real music ... and there is a difference there. Some folks listed here I would not consider since they were mere time keepers on par with the drummer, and not "musicians" on their own, "independent" track, that added so much to the piece of music ... think of Pastorius and his freedom moving around the music ... no one here goes around saying that he is not a great player. Think of Stanley Clarke and his forays into so much music, and no one here is going to say that he is not valuable and a huge force in RETURN TO FOREVER. Heck, think of BOOTSIE and how he told a riff to go get "fudged" by ripping it with effects!

Too many of these are just riff players, and riffs are not what "music" is all about ... there is a lot more to it, than just a riff ... where does it go? ... nowhere means you simply do not have the musical ability to extend what you are doing, and this is something that Europeans are "better" at mostly because of their history of classical music ... they are comfortable with long pieces of music ... over here in the "western world" (that is USA and UK), it's like these folks never heard classical music, and have no idea what to do with it ... other than talk about a guitarist doing the blues again ... and not showing us anything new.

If I have a personal favorite, it probably would be the late LOTHAR MEID ... whose playing was so different, and almost always "against" the melody and the main flow of the song, giving it a contrast that made the piece of music special ... and some of my favorite moments are in WOLF CITY where the transitions in a couple of places, are just simple, single notes ... that carry your feeling forward ... it's uncanny, and similar to Jaki Leibezeit in FUTURE DAYS and in the transition from CHAIN REACTION to QUANTUUM PHYSICS in the next album, where, it is the silent touch and feel that carries the music ... and there is no drummer I have EVER met, that can discuss SILENCE ... and how to work within it ... except BILL BRUFORD ... but this is about bass players.

There are others ... but not always within the rock context ... DAVID DARLING is just phenomenal. CHARLIE HADEN, specially with EGBERTO GISMONTI is just insane ... totally out of this world ... and, unfortunately, within the rock music context, I still think that JOHN PAUL JONES and JOHN ENTWISTLE are/were probably the most inventive of all, since they were not about the "riff", in two bands that specialized in expanding things and taking it far and away from just a riff ... which is what "progressive music" started being about, but nowadays, we seem enamored with returning to the riff and almost all the players are "riff'ers".

There are a few really special players out there for me ... RICHARD SINCLAIR is one of them. MIKE HOWLETT is the other, perhaps one of the steadiest and cleanest player I have ever seen, and in concert ... he's just clean and strong, and he can play with drummers like PIERRE MOERLIN, who were kinda known to go left and right and away from the "riff" to do something special to make the piece of music stronger. Very few people have the ear, to be able to ADD to a piece of music like that ... sort of like you can add a kazoo and make it sound fabulous!

One other one, is DON SCHIFF ... from THE ROCKET SCIENTISTS. He has never gotten the credit for the work he has added to this band, and instead other folks got the credit and attention for the playing of the CHAPMAN STICK ... but with all due respect to the other folks and the famous one, DON is not about the pyrotechnics of the playing of the instrument ... he is about adding to the music what it needs to make it better and stronger, a very under rated and ignored concept in music, because we spend so much time rating the "riff'ers" and not the music.

I like JOHN MYUNG, for example, and his playing is very strong ... but in the end, you get the feeling that all he can do is go around and round the scales and notes ... and NEVER get out of that to bring up something special because the guitar is just flying as it is ... and he needs to go fly his own kite for a while! That leaves JOHN underrated and not as strong and interesting as he might be, and seems to have the ability to do and be ... but won't get it, when he has to spend his time supporting the guitar ... and can't have time away from it. The death of a bass player ... within a band that does not know "music" ... only knows something about their own "style" ... and these folks are graduates of a music school? WEIRD!

Yes, Myung is fantastic, but seems rather hamstrung by his place in the group. I always thought he should be allowed to cut loose more often.  Geddy Lee gets equal musical billing with Alex Lifeson--Petrucci should to the same for Myung--it's probably the only possible way DT could actually get better than they already are.  


Posted By: progmatic
Date Posted: July 13 2019 at 14:46
A couple of others: Chas Cronk, Tony Levin

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PROGMATIC


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 02:09
Originally posted by progmatic progmatic wrote:

A couple of others: Chas Cronk, Tony Levin

Excellent!  When I was first learning to play bass guitar, I started with Chas Cronk's amazing bass line to the Strawbs tune "Hero and Heroinne!"  Nearly 50 years later, I'm still at it!  Thumbs Up




-------------
I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 02:43
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Hi,

I look at bass players, not always within the context mentioned here, which is closer to favorite music than it is ... real music ... and there is a difference there. Some folks listed here I would not consider since they were mere time keepers on par with the drummer, and not "musicians" on their own, "independent" track, that added so much to the piece of music ... think of Pastorius and his freedom moving around the music ... no one here goes around saying that he is not a great player. Think of Stanley Clarke and his forays into so much music, and no one here is going to say that he is not valuable and a huge force in RETURN TO FOREVER. Heck, think of BOOTSIE and how he told a riff to go get "fudged" by ripping it with effects!

Too many of these are just riff players, and riffs are not what "music" is all about ... there is a lot more to it, than just a riff ... where does it go? ... nowhere means you simply do not have the musical ability to extend what you are doing, and this is something that Europeans are "better" at mostly because of their history of classical music ... they are comfortable with long pieces of music ... over here in the "western world" (that is USA and UK), it's like these folks never heard classical music, and have no idea what to do with it ... other than talk about a guitarist doing the blues again ... and not showing us anything new.

If I have a personal favorite, it probably would be the late LOTHAR MEID ... whose playing was so different, and almost always "against" the melody and the main flow of the song, giving it a contrast that made the piece of music special ... and some of my favorite moments are in WOLF CITY where the transitions in a couple of places, are just simple, single notes ... that carry your feeling forward ... it's uncanny, and similar to Jaki Leibezeit in FUTURE DAYS and in the transition from CHAIN REACTION to QUANTUUM PHYSICS in the next album, where, it is the silent touch and feel that carries the music ... and there is no drummer I have EVER met, that can discuss SILENCE ... and how to work within it ... except BILL BRUFORD ... but this is about bass players.

There are others ... but not always within the rock context ... DAVID DARLING is just phenomenal. CHARLIE HADEN, specially with EGBERTO GISMONTI is just insane ... totally out of this world ... and, unfortunately, within the rock music context, I still think that JOHN PAUL JONES and JOHN ENTWISTLE are/were probably the most inventive of all, since they were not about the "riff", in two bands that specialized in expanding things and taking it far and away from just a riff ... which is what "progressive music" started being about, but nowadays, we seem enamored with returning to the riff and almost all the players are "riff'ers".

There are a few really special players out there for me ... RICHARD SINCLAIR is one of them. MIKE HOWLETT is the other, perhaps one of the steadiest and cleanest player I have ever seen, and in concert ... he's just clean and strong, and he can play with drummers like PIERRE MOERLIN, who were kinda known to go left and right and away from the "riff" to do something special to make the piece of music stronger. Very few people have the ear, to be able to ADD to a piece of music like that ... sort of like you can add a kazoo and make it sound fabulous!

One other one, is DON SCHIFF ... from THE ROCKET SCIENTISTS. He has never gotten the credit for the work he has added to this band, and instead other folks got the credit and attention for the playing of the CHAPMAN STICK ... but with all due respect to the other folks and the famous one, DON is not about the pyrotechnics of the playing of the instrument ... he is about adding to the music what it needs to make it better and stronger, a very under rated and ignored concept in music, because we spend so much time rating the "riff'ers" and not the music.

I like JOHN MYUNG, for example, and his playing is very strong ... but in the end, you get the feeling that all he can do is go around and round the scales and notes ... and NEVER get out of that to bring up something special because the guitar is just flying as it is ... and he needs to go fly his own kite for a while! That leaves JOHN underrated and not as strong and interesting as he might be, and seems to have the ability to do and be ... but won't get it, when he has to spend his time supporting the guitar ... and can't have time away from it. The death of a bass player ... within a band that does not know "music" ... only knows something about their own "style" ... and these folks are graduates of a music school? WEIRD!

Serious question(s) - do you play bass guitar and/or any other instrument? 

If so, how much experience do you have with said instrument(s)?


-------------

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021


Posted By: BarryGlibb
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 04:27
Originally posted by progmatic progmatic wrote:

A couple of others: Chas Cronk, Tony Levin


Tony Levin is not underrated by anyone!


Posted By: Cristi
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 04:34
Originally posted by BarryGlibb BarryGlibb wrote:

Originally posted by progmatic progmatic wrote:

A couple of others: Chas Cronk, Tony Levin


Tony Levin is not underrated by anyone!

of course he is not, what's next, people are going to say Chris Squire is underrated?!


Posted By: jamesbaldwin
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 04:46
John Gustafson, Quatermass and Roxy Music.

-------------
Amos Goldberg (professor of Genocide Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem): Yes, it's genocide. It's so difficult and painful to admit it, but we can no longer avoid this conclusion.


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 07:41
Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:


Serious question(s) - do you play bass guitar and/or any other instrument? 

If so, how much experience do you have with said instrument(s)?

Ohhh, I have a few basses hanging around.

But my playing was never taken to a "professional" level, because the majority of folks I was around with, not only did not know music, they could never LISTEN TO ANY OF IT, and were only interested in a riff and thinking that 5 notes on top of a riff made a song! Gary Green, of GG has said that they never wrote anything ... they just played! And that SHOWS ... what at the time would be considered "anti-music", just like there was stuff around then called "anti-movie" and other artistic endeavors trying hard to get off the track of copycopycopycopydifferentnotecopycopycopy ... thing! It tells you that a lot of the things they did were right out in the open in their early days ... but we're so RIFF oriented and defined, that we can not consider someone free forming their way any more ... and the early history of PROGRESSIVE MUSIC is simply full of that experience and experiment ... but heck, did you check "krautrock" lately? It wasn't only music ... but theater, film, literature ... and other disciplines ... but how would anyone know that if all you look for is just another riff?

All in all, music has been my life for all of my 69 years, from my parents collection of classical music (over 2500 LP's), all the way to my collection at one time (3K LP's -- now 1500 LP's and 1500 CD's). I am very well versed in music of 100 to 1000 different kinds, not just 3 styles and sounds that define some "progressive" folks here, which is the least PROGRESSIVE idea of any.

Your question, makes it sound like I don't know what I am saying or feeling. Maybe you ought to listen to some musicians ... like Mani saying he doesn't play rhythm or a bass guy ... he's playing with the lead guitar! Or the best one, in a private conversation ... was Pierre Moerlin in Portland ... I couldn'
t give a damn about what all the others were doing! He didn't mean to sound bad, but it told you that what he was asked to do was boring and just kid's homework, compared to what he really wanted to do to the music to make it better!

If only we stop thinking that "rhythm" ... and "pop musak" is what music is all about ... the lack of respect for classical music and its history here, is ridiculous, and completely out of line!


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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 07:42
Originally posted by jamesbaldwin jamesbaldwin wrote:

John Gustafson, Quatermass and Roxy Music.

Loved that Quatermass album ... and I can play that stuff, too, on my bass ... really great album, and one that was copied by a more famous person in another band, that took that same song ... and destroyed it!


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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: Quinino
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 16:11
I like Hugh Hopper.


Posted By: jamesbaldwin
Date Posted: July 14 2019 at 17:29
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by jamesbaldwin jamesbaldwin wrote:

John Gustafson, Quatermass and Roxy Music.

 really great album, and one that was copied by a more famous person in another band, that took that same song ... and destroyed it!

Who?


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Amos Goldberg (professor of Genocide Studies at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem): Yes, it's genocide. It's so difficult and painful to admit it, but we can no longer avoid this conclusion.


Posted By: Frenetic Zetetic
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 02:37
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:


Serious question(s) - do you play bass guitar and/or any other instrument? 

If so, how much experience do you have with said instrument(s)?

Ohhh, I have a few basses hanging around.

But my playing was never taken to a "professional" level, because the majority of folks I was around with, not only did not know music, they could never LISTEN TO ANY OF IT, and were only interested in a riff and thinking that 5 notes on top of a riff made a song! Gary Green, of GG has said that they never wrote anything ... they just played! And that SHOWS ... what at the time would be considered "anti-music", just like there was stuff around then called "anti-movie" and other artistic endeavors trying hard to get off the track of copycopycopycopydifferentnotecopycopycopy ... thing! It tells you that a lot of the things they did were right out in the open in their early days ... but we're so RIFF oriented and defined, that we can not consider someone free forming their way any more ... and the early history of PROGRESSIVE MUSIC is simply full of that experience and experiment ... but heck, did you check "krautrock" lately? It wasn't only music ... but theater, film, literature ... and other disciplines ... but how would anyone know that if all you look for is just another riff?

All in all, music has been my life for all of my 69 years, from my parents collection of classical music (over 2500 LP's), all the way to my collection at one time (3K LP's -- now 1500 LP's and 1500 CD's). I am very well versed in music of 100 to 1000 different kinds, not just 3 styles and sounds that define some "progressive" folks here, which is the least PROGRESSIVE idea of any.

Your question, makes it sound like I don't know what I am saying or feeling. Maybe you ought to listen to some musicians ... like Mani saying he doesn't play rhythm or a bass guy ... he's playing with the lead guitar! Or the best one, in a private conversation ... was Pierre Moerlin in Portland ... I couldn't give a damn about what all the others were doing! He didn't mean to sound bad, but it told you that what he was asked to do was boring and just kid's homework, compared to what he really wanted to do to the music to make it better!

Because no offense, as someone that made a living as a bass player for several years, your posts reek of arm-chair-observation-as fact. The way you attempt to cleverly use vernacular to disguise your lack of genuine experience on topics - whilst simultaneously attempting to come off as an expert - is extremely obvious to me. Then, on top of that, having the gall to tell me to "listen to more music" before even hearing my reply?

I'm very aware that this is outside the scope of this thread but as a frequent poster I'm saying it anyway:

You are undoubtedly, far and away one of the single-most pretentious, haughty, arrogant posters on this forum community on a consistent basis.

You have every single right in the world to your opinion. I will never argue that point. However:

You're attempting to argue a position of authority on bass playing based on the number of "records you've listened to", as if that's any objective standard measure of anything outside of your opinion.

"Listening" to thousands of records isn't the same thing as playing a bass on stage in front of people night after night after night after night, nor being in a recording situation, and adapting to what the big picture needs as a whole. Normally this wouldn't bother me but your attitude on this topic oversteps its bounds as an authority way, way too much when it's obvious that you're comparing apples to oranges, then insisting your resulting fruit salad is the objective standard for quality bass playing. 

I even gave you a chance at gaining some ground by asking if you have experience with other musicians (thus giving your claims a little credibility), and you still proved me right:

So you play(ed)? Cool. Oh, other people couldn't get with it though, right?

Of course it was "other people" who "didn't get" the music that only your incredibly talented brain (which you spend so much time here defending in your wall of text posts...like, every time you post) can comprehend! Plebs! Don't they know diatonic scales are so pre-school level? I bet they like tones that sound good together and create melody, too! Amateurs!

Then, you do the same exact thing insisting other PA users "only like 3 styles of prog" and "thus aren't really progressive" because you like 100's and 1000's more styles than they do! If only they could keep up with your arbitrary standards of eclectic, refined quality! Oh, how the world would be such a magical, perfect place for all!

Were you a college professor at one point? I get serious liberal arts vibes from you every single time you post. Or perhaps a disgruntled ex-Philosophy professor. Either way, your posts read like you write them from a throne composed of "bad" essays written by students who don't agree with you on what constitutes a sound wave.

...And God forbid people like riffs! We can't have that! Prog rock only borrows some of it sound from rock and roll which GASP is riff based! Those heathens! Knowing what they like (in your wardrobe, of all places)! How dare they?!

Everyone sucks because they don't appreciate classical to the degree you do though, right? So the above is only logical from your perspective. It doesn't sound like you know what you're talking about besides reinforcing your own opinion as fact, and poorly so IMHO. In fact, that seems to be your entire posting MO here on PA.

I say this because of how much you endlessly pontificate in the majority of your posts, waxing and waning pretentious rhetoric as fact over several paragraphs of information (like a rejected TIME magazine article from 1973 attempting to remain artsy and relevant through use of language regarding prog rock) instead of condensing it down into two or three for average human beings to read, understand, and feel like debating with you. I've seen several other posters give me a "he does that here" type "look" in several threads with you.

You appear to do that a lot on this forum; haughty derision and pretentious articulation of a concept - a pattern of sound - then insisting "riffs" are sh*t...on a progressive rock website...because not enough classical in the stew you happen to be sipping from...LOL. Get over yourself, ESPECIALLY if you're truly a 69+ year old adult interacting with people most likely half your age on the internet.

Either that or you're genuinely bipolar/schizo, in which case everything makes a lot of sense and I don't hold anything against you.


-------------

"I am so prog, I listen to concept albums on shuffle." -KMac2021


Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 03:36
Greame Murray of Pallas fame is onebofbmy favourite Rickenbacher wielders, hes toneband creativety does bot get enough priase on PA or other places. I also like the bass player in Journey, but also Dougi Thompson in Supertramp is seriously overlooked bass player

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Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 03:36
Originally posted by Quinino Quinino wrote:

I like Hugh Hopper.
hes great

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Posted By: Mascodagama
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 05:46
Originally posted by dwill123 dwill123 wrote:


I'm going to add one more which should have been in my original five, Hadrian Feraud.  I first saw him in John McLaughlin's 4th Dimension and thought John had found another superstar musician.  Then as quick as that Feraud disappeared.  Appearing sporadically here and there.  I have no explanation.  Check out the video.
 

He's been playing with a group Spirit Fingers (founded by keyboardist Greg Spero) who had a s/t album out last year. Great chops-heavy fusion, worth checking out.

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Soldato of the Pan Head Mafia. We'll make you an offer you can't listen to.
http://bandcamp.com/jpillbox" rel="nofollow - Bandcamp Profile


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 06:47
Originally posted by Quinino Quinino wrote:

I like Hugh Hopper.
 

He's also in the Richard Sinclair album (Caravan of Dreams) and it makes it spectacular … shame that few folks here will ever listen to it, because they have to have their "prog" fix first!


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 07:10
Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

...
You are undoubtedly, far and away one of the single-most pretentious, haughty, arrogant posters on this forum community on a consistent basis.

AND, of course, it takes one to know one, right?

My notes and ideas have come, largely from theater, film and the spoken arts. Almost all musicians, only met one that didn't fit the idea, are 100% afraid of experimentation, and specially exercises that can lead to experimentation that would help create something new … and this was, for a long time, the thrust of the ECM label, that got so many folks comfortable with each other … you lock them up in a white room and leave them alone … maybe with some coffee … rotgut for you probably!

Nowadays, a description of an exercise that works wonders with actors … is not, SUPPOSEDLY, any good for a musician … easy to see why … you (likely) can not play beyond the notes and chords that you are familiar with … and … what chord is that in that the guitarist is doing, kind of thing, when so much of the music in the 60's, including jazz was almost about being opposite that as far as possible … but today, we're all supposed to be conformists, just the way you wrote them!

I'm probably the quietest and humblest person you ever could meet for a cup of tea … but I know what I SEE, and I know what I have experienced in my life with actors, on stage and with some musicians, and I study the history of a lot of music … not just your notes and chords … there are vastly different schools out there that do not follow the "notes and chords" concept that easy … witness the Berlin School that gave rise to so much of the synthesizer folks and music … you probably have no idea how many folks said it wasn't music, up to a reviewer calling TD "washing machine music" … and if you are so stuck up as to not even know the difference between a washing machine and music (well --- it does have music that can be used in krautrock, you know?) … then you are an idiot and are allowing another idiot to rant stupidly.

I'm merely defending the "experimentalists", because too many musicians dismiss them and think they are stupid because it all has to have notes and chords! You don't like that, because you have no "control", and would have a hard time defining what to play next! You want it easy as pie … challenging you is not possible … you have gotten lazy in your older days!

Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:


...
You're attempting to argue a position of authority on bass playing based on the number of "records you've listened to", as if that's any objective standard measure of anything outside of your opinion.

"Listening" to thousands of records isn't the same thing as playing a bass on stage in front of people night after night after night after night, nor being in a recording situation, and adapting to what the big picture needs as a whole. 

I never claimed to be an expert on anything … and your comment is a perfect example, of how you don't like folks to challenge your status quo!

My experience, is not limited to having listens … but almost all your professors learned music the same way … but they know "more" than you do, of course!

My experience is related to something that you could not understand … and think that your stage experience is all there is to life … stage experience is the same, be it film, theater or music … the discipline is needed to help make it better … the real issue is that rock and jazz music, do not .. make use of a "director" to help formulate the music, and musicians are in love with the easy stuff they can get stuck on. Have you heard the last 10 pieces of music to find the same drum beat and style? That's listening to you, not just counting!

My status quo is "OPEN" and has been from day one, otherwise things like this and that and THIRD EAR BAND and other odd balls, would never make it to my ears … just an odd example, since no one listens to it, anyway!

My favorite moment in "listening", believe it or not, was in 1972 when my roommate played me something that made me sick, and I had to go to the bathroom … and when I came back, he said … sit down … let's try this again … and it was fine. Since that day, there has never been a single piece of music that has undone me … or surprised me … and I had a very large collection of all the old electronic stuff that came from movies, all the way back to FORBIDDEN PLANET. That piece of music was TD's Mysterious Semblance at the Strand of Nightmares!

Originally posted by Frenetic Zetetic Frenetic Zetetic wrote:

...
...And God forbid people like riffs! We can't have that! Prog rock only borrows some of it sound from rock and roll which GASP is riff based! Those heathens! Knowing what they like (in your wardrobe, of all places)! How dare they?!

You are sooooooo  out of line … you have no idea … it has nothing to do with the "riff" and what it sounds like … has to do with folks thinking that one riff makes a song … and nothing else … the next time you mis-represent your comments, kindly take them to the cleaners first … you are not reading a single word of what I have written … that's OK … I'm a writer anyway … you have no idea what that means, I don't think!

And how much music people know and study. One riff does not define Mozart or Beethoven … so now, in the 21st century all music has to have a riff so we know that Stravinsky was wrong in not having any riffs in his music!

I think your "logic" needs some studying!


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Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 09:04
Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by Quinino Quinino wrote:

I like Hugh Hopper.
 

He's also in the Richard Sinclair album (Caravan of Dreams) and it makes it spectacular … shame that few folks here will ever listen to it, because they have to have their "prog" fix first!
What does that mean?


Posted By: progmatic
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 09:09
I forgot Danny Thompson. Love his playing on standup bass.



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PROGMATIC


Posted By: chopper
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 09:25
Originally posted by progmatic progmatic wrote:

I forgot Danny Thompson. Love his playing on standup bass.

I don't really think he can be classified as "underrated".


Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: July 15 2019 at 13:31
Percy, always Percy.

Among those who crashed and burned in their youth I am always blown away when I hear the contributions of Doug Rauch (Santana et al.)

Danny Thompson and Victoria are in a league all their own.

I love Moshkito's suggestion of David Darling.

Nicky Beggs is astonishing; I love when a bass can lead or establish and hold the melody. 

Of the modern prog bassists I have to admit to being quite fond of the work Antoine Fafard has been doing.


-------------
Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 17 2019 at 08:05
Originally posted by chopper chopper wrote:

Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by Quinino Quinino wrote:

I like Hugh Hopper.
 

He's also in the Richard Sinclair album (Caravan of Dreams) and it makes it spectacular … shame that few folks here will ever listen to it, because they have to have their "prog" fix first!
What does that mean?

Chopper ... I forgot the emoticons ... it was a joke that all that stuff couldn't possibly be "progressive".

The album is far out ... and really neat, and if you are doing a radio type show, there are many songs that can be played ... really nice album!


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: moshkito
Date Posted: July 17 2019 at 08:13
Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

...
I love Moshkito's suggestion of David Darling.

I don't know what it is ... and I got a couple of his solo albums, and they are also rather nice and tasteful, and I have yet to find something of his that is "conventional" that does not stand up above everyone else.

Originally posted by BrufordFreak BrufordFreak wrote:

...
Nicky Beggs is astonishing; I love when a bass can lead or establish and hold the melody. 
...

He is excellent, and is probably the main reason why the Steven Wilson tour went so well ... I doubt that any other conventional bass player would have added to much to Steven's ideas, who has become well known for his megalomania ... and thinking that he is the musician and everyone else plays for him!

It's amazing that he has learned the Stick and its use so well, and added a touch to SW's work that was not there before, not that Colin did not have that touch ... he had a very different touch for PT ... but it was not exactly a "new touch" as much as it was a well defined moment to make the song or piece of music even better.

In the special on the tube, Nick explains to SW ... let me do this, and if you don't like it we can go back to the other way ... and based on what we heard in concert and on the album, it was obvious that Nick could color SW's music even more ... and some credit should be given to SW at that moment for realizing how good someone can be ... you gotta let them add to what you have, sometimes ... and helps define your work even better ... because you know that person "is there!".


-------------
Music is not just for listening ... it is for LIVING ... you got to feel it to know what's it about! Not being told!
www.pedrosena.com


Posted By: Icarium
Date Posted: July 17 2019 at 10:02
Colin Henry of Porcupine Tree does also seem to lack some prise, hes playing is cool and hes tone is solid as concrete.

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Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: July 17 2019 at 14:53
Anyone mention Mick Karn yet? 








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https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: Hrychu
Date Posted: July 18 2019 at 05:34
I'm not a fan of the term "underrated" and top something lists (because for me the order and contents change every day) of any kind but to me Józef Skrzek's bass playing deserves more recognition. He's mostly associated with keys but that guy was also a ripping bass player.

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“On the day of my creation, I fell in love with education. And overcoming all frustration, a teacher I became.”
— Ernest Vong


Posted By: santirodriguez
Date Posted: July 18 2019 at 09:50
I think that there are a lot of underrated bassist but my top four is:

Ray Shulman - Gentle Giant
Gustavo Montesano - Crucis
Jose Luis Fernandez - La maquina de hacer pájaros
Pedro Aznar - Seru Giran

I deeply recommend those bands if you haven´t heard of them


Posted By: dr wu23
Date Posted: July 18 2019 at 10:08
Originally posted by Icarium Icarium wrote:

Colin Henry of Porcupine Tree does also seem to lack some prise, hes playing is cool and hes tone is solid as concrete.

Yes...I have always liked his work with PT.
Good call....
I also  will say John Jowitt..who is not longer with IQ.


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One does nothing yet nothing is left undone.
Haquin


Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: July 18 2019 at 13:09
Originally posted by Hrychu Hrychu wrote:

I'm not a fan of the term "underrated" and top something lists (because for me the order and contents change every day) of any kind but to me Józef Skrzek's bass playing deserves more recognition. He's mostly associated with keys but that guy was also a ripping bass player.
 

I concur.


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https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: verslibre
Date Posted: July 18 2019 at 13:10
Originally posted by dr wu23 dr wu23 wrote:

Originally posted by Icarium Icarium wrote:

Colin Henry of Porcupine Tree does also seem to lack some prise, hes playing is cool and hes tone is solid as concrete.

Yes...I have always liked his work with PT.
Good call....
I also  will say John Jowitt..who is not longer with IQ.
 

Now there's a bassist who does deserve more recognition. I saw Arena live in '98 and John tore it up. 


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https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_ipg=50&_sop=1&_rdc=1&_ssn=musicosm" rel="nofollow - eBay


Posted By: Nephew Meat
Date Posted: July 18 2019 at 19:05
Tom Fowler - Frank Zappa

Mario Mutis - Los Jaivas


Posted By: cstack3
Date Posted: July 20 2019 at 00:29
I always thought Douglas Campbell "Dougie" Thomson of Supertramp was very underrated....Supertramp as a band doesn't seem to get many props on PA.  They did some fine music, and Dougie was a major part of it.

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I am not a Robot, I'm a FREE MAN!!


Posted By: BrufordFreak
Date Posted: July 20 2019 at 15:07
Forgot to mention Steve Rodby from Pat Metheny Group.

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Drew Fisher
https://progisaliveandwell.blogspot.com/


Posted By: Sacro_Porgo
Date Posted: July 27 2019 at 23:24
Mike Rutherford. Get 'Em Out By Friday looses half the excitement without that monster baseline.

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Porg for short. My love of music doesn't end with prog! Feel free to discuss all sorts of music with me. Odds are I'll give it a chance if I haven't already! :)


Posted By: novox14
Date Posted: July 29 2019 at 01:15
Ray Bennett - Flash
Gustavo Montesano - Crucis
Andre Bernardi - Eskaton
Doug Nethercote - Windchase
Marco Meduri - Jet Lag
Michel Dion - Toubabou


Posted By: Magog2112
Date Posted: July 25 2023 at 11:30
1. Neil Pepper (Galahad)
2. Tom Hyatt (Echolyn)
3. Jonas Reingold (The Flower Kings)
4. Pete Trewavas (Marillion)
5. John Jowitt (IQ)



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