I was reading through the course booklet and was happy to find the last page with all the bass players to check out. But, alas, there seems to have been a slight oversight because I could hardly find a woman’s name.
So let’s add to that list and give women on bass a stage on this forum and some inspiration for me and others. I’ve seen some come up in another thread but I do think they deserve a special mention and I’d love to see them all together.
I’ll start with young Polish jazz musician Kinga Głyk:
The first woman who comes to mind for me is Carol Kaye (she IS mentioned on the last page of the booklet). Anyone who wants to know more about her should check out the documentary The Wrecking Crew. It’s about the session musicians who were the original players on many of the top hits of the 1960’s -70’s. At their peak, Carol says they were working so much and were in such high demand, that she alone was making more money than the US President!
Tina Weymouth is my idol. Her husband (then boyfriend) drummer Chris Frantz, talked her into learning to play bass. As a fledgling bassist, she co-founded Talking Heads along with Chris and front man David Byrne, and after the demise of Talking Heads, formed Tom Tom Club with her husband Chris.
I love Tina and Chris. The Tom Tom Club was around before the demise of the Talking Heads. I went to a couple of heads concerts back in the day, and in the middle of the concert Byrne would leave the stage, and we would get a set out of the Tom Tom Club, and he would return and they would finish out.
Tomo is one of my favorite bassists (and principle songwriter). She plays for Scandal, a major act in East Asia. There are so many female bands in Japan right now.
Here is my favourite female bass player, Johnette Napolitano, not only is she a great bass player but here vocals on all of Concrete Blondes work is amazing
Click on link to see her playing “Heal it Up”
Brian - YouTube
Suzi Quatro was the first female bassist I had ever heard of way back in my teens. Now I listen to a lot of Tal Wilkenfeld who I had never heard of before she played with Jeff Beck. I’m glad she became a solo artist instead of disappearing into the studio, there may be a chance of seeing her live this way.
