What do you think of Marcus Miller?

[Ender_rpm]

Larry Graham's tone and Marcus's are variations on the same theme.

 

 

Sorry, should have specified. Sly-era LG. I like meat on my tone:D

[BEAD]

...to other people, sure...but to the player? I've been thru keys & guitar and there's no place I'd rather write & perform than on eletric bass. Sorry. But that's a feel thing, pure and simple. In my world, nothing is better geared for solo play like electric bass.

 

As a player, sure.

 

As a listener?

 

The last time Manring played around here I think it was at a restaurant. Isaac 42 was there along with like 15 other people.

 

That's like if I said, "hitting two rocks together is, for me, the most excellent composing and soloing tool, therefore hitting two rocks together is a good soloing tool."

[BEAD]

As a player, sure. As a listener? The last time Manring played around here I think it was at a restaurant. Isaac 42 was there along with like 15 other people. That's like if I said, "hitting two rocks together is, for me, the most excellent composing and soloing tool, therefore hitting two rocks together is a good soloing tool."

 

 

Actually, nevermind.

 

Bass is the most exciting solo instrument ever.

 

There's a reason people flock to see solo bassists instead of acoustic guitarists or pianists.

[RoboChrist]

Well I like Marcus a great deal, but I'm sorry to say..his solo work largely SUCKS ASS in my opinion. Nothing but overproduced vapid bass wankery.

However...


He did some noteable playing as a sideman for Grover Washington and Sanborn and some positively stellar bassmanship on Miles' early 80's stuff.
I would recomend these four albums to you:

Miles Davis, The Man With The Horn



Miles Davis, Star People



Miles Davis, We Want Miles



David Sanborn, Straight To The Heart



The Miles stuff features another amazing bassist Tom Barney as well as Mike Stern, John Scofield, Bill Evans (sax), Al Foster, and Mino Cinelu and they are very heavy, we're not talking lightweight dinner jazz here..be warned

[s4001]

Well I like Marcus a great deal, but ...

 

 

I tend to agree. Marcus shines best when he's making someone else sound good.

[xbassman]

+1. Mind you , after reading this thread I spent a good hour looking up his videos and youtube, and discovered the origin of the single most annoying bass tone (to me) in the known galaxy. After Fieldy of course. When he is kayting down the "bass" part here ( Marcus, Stanley, and Victor ) its bad ass, but once he starts into the higher registers, its just meh. That "My action is so low it sounds like I'm slapping" thing just bugs me. But I'm more of a JPJ/ Larry Graham guy

When I listen to that I thought what the hell is wrong with Stanley and Victors tone!
Marcus' tone is maybe a little too scooped for my taste, but still has BIG BALLS!

That said.... all three kick some major a$$!!!

[82Daion]

If I'm going for virtuoso-type playing, I tend to look to Clarke first, then Marcus, then Wooten.

 

Marcus is kind of like the Jimmy Page of bassists-great in his own right, but diluted by the number of people trying to cop his style/sound/etc. He does have a great sense of time and a deep pocket, but I can't take too much of his solo stuff.

 

As others have said, in an ensemble, that's when he's at his best, IMHO.