Who's Your Favorite Bass Players; Why?

That's an easy one - Stewart Cook - bass player for Credence Clearwater Revival! I liked his style - not to mention that he was my roomate and fraternity brother at San Jose State. Lots of good times together - and he didn't get a giant ego when the group started to make some real money!
It might be pointed out the CCR was one of the few 1960s/1970s rock groups that didn't get screwed financially by the record labels. Stew's father was an attorney, and he made sure the group got first rate legal representation at all times. They also signed with Fantasy Records, a mostly regional record label that was locally owned.

Let's not forget Jonas Hellborg,Dominique DiPiazza and Kai Eichard.

All of the above with Jay Anderson, Marc Johnson and Michael Manring. Michael Manring "Drastic Measures" is my favorite bass player cd. Why? The music is a little classical jazz and the few solos there are no overdubs.

Okay, how about Charles Fambrough--his groove. Charnet Moffett because he's all that. Oscar Pettiford--he has chops to burn. Avery Sharp--he's got great ideas. Santi Debriani--he can hang with the Ellington band or Oliver Lake. I'm pretty good (in my college days--and I have recordings to prove it!). Red Mitchell because of his humanity AND he tuned his bass like a cello. Oh yeah, and Red Callendar for his swing; Milt Hinton--he's The Judge (he was actually one of the very first jazz bassists, switching from tuba to four string!). How about Jamil Nasser? He's got PHAT TONE! Don't forget Slam Stewart and the arco/vocal solos! You know, Dave Eubanks is pretty good--he's the brother of Kevin Eubanks, guitarist of "The Tonight Show" fame. Sheesh! I almost forgot about Cecil McBee--low reg! And what about CHARLES MINGUS??????????????????? His playing was great, especially in the bebop days, but, of course, his compositions are 2 dye 4! And there are some others, like Walter Booker, Dave Holland, Ron Carter, Al Makibbon, Gary Mapp, John Ore, Todd Coolman, Bill Douglass, Cameron Brown (I had some lessons from him in Italy), JIMMY GARRISON (Trane!), Tommy Potter, Leroy Vinegar (West Coast soul), CHARLIE HADEN, Ray Drumhand, Buster Williams (Super fat tone!)--all of these cats have given me pause in order to consider that BASS is the foundation of music, and, probably, life. Thanks, all.

Johnny

Gobs of great bassist out there. Crazy 4 beefed up the list pretty good w/ the last post, Here are a few more:
Jannik Top- Zeul vibrato pioneer (and king)/Magma
Keith Macksoud-Present/5uu's (sorta takes up where Top left off)
Pad Conca-Blast/Otolithen
Fred Hopkins-Air/Craig Harris/Karl Berger... made lots of real good rubbery acoustic bass sounds.
Calvin Hill-Max Roach (Pictures in a Frame is a good start)
Mark Helias-Huge resume, his solo discs are all good
Mario Pavone-Thomas Chapin/also a great composer, also lots of excellent solo releases.
Miroslav Vitous- Weather Report...The discs w/ Rypdal & Dejohnette are great.
Stomu Takeshi-Another big resume, Erik Friedlander Topaz is a good one.
Fred Baker-Phil Miller/Pip Pyle (was incredible at the prog festival in Seattle last Aug.)
Mark Dresser-Huge high quality output, try Sakoto Fuji, Bell the Cat.
Glen Moore-Oregon/his Nude Bass Descending disc is one of his best.
Stuart Leibig-Nels Cline/Bone Structure, try Bone Structure or his Pomegranite disc.
Dave Willey-Thinking Plague/Hamster Theatre, (super talented hard working composer & multi instrumentalist)
Alphonso Johnson-Weather Report/Allan Holdsworth (King Crimson blew it by not picking him up when he auditioned),try his 1st two solo discs or A.H. Velvet Darkness.
Hellmut Hattler- A big part of what made KRAAN so damn great, try Wiederhoren or Live 74 (or go to Nearfest on 6/29)
Jamaladeen Tacuma-Ornette Coleman, some of the solo discs are spotty, Mirakle w/ Derek Bailey is good.
Melvin Gibbs-Ronald Shannon Jackson/Rollins Band/Harriet Tubman (H.T. Prototype is a smoker).
Fima Ephron-Lost Tribe/Dave Fiuczynski (his solo disc aint' bad either)
Mick Karn-Japan/Mark Isham, the Polytown disc is my favorite thing he's done
Eberhard Weber-This guy should have been listed 5 times already, Following Morning and Colors of Chloe are essential.
Hugh Hopper-Soft Machine/StomuYamashta, cool fuzz bass pioneer
Kato Hideki- He's on tons of recordings, but Bass Army really kicks arse.
Chihiro S.-Lacrymosa Kind of like the best Pohjola but a little darker and intricate.
Kent Kessler-Vandermark 5/NRG Ensemble (NRG Calling All Mothers is a good starter)
Skuli Sverrison-Holdsworth/Mo Boma/Jim Black (try Jim Black Alasnoaxis)
Gerald Veasley (I think alot of his stuff is generic swill, but what he does on Odean Pope's Out For a Walk is a work of hurculean glandular genius.
Wilbo Wright-UI (get the Two Sided Sharpie for big deluxe slabs of e.bass)
Jean Jaques Avenel-Steve Lacy (the Lacy/Roswell Rudd, Monk's Dream is a helluva' good score)
Rob Nieske (his 3 disc is packed w/ carefully arranged improvised/composed mid sized ensemble works that really hold up)
Sasaki Hisashi-Ruins, seeing this guy live dwarfs most live bass player experiences, HUGE vocabulary and he has his rig down cold.
Billy Swann-Muffins, another twisted fuzz bass king.
Kermit Driscoll-Bill Frisell/New and Used/Mahavishnu Project, (can't go wrong w/ New and Used, if yer' into challenging, interesting and obviously for the most part premeditated stuff.
Trevor Dunn-Mr. Bungle/Jettison Slinky/Zorn, his Trio Convulsant disc is an amazing volcanic ripper (kind of like an Ornette version of Bozzio's Blacklight Syndrome).