The Best Folk Bassists Of All Time Ranked

Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted orally, music with unknown composers, music that is played on traditional instruments, music about cultural or national identity, music that changes between generations (folk process), music associated with a people’s folklore, or music performed by custom over a long period of time. It has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. The term originated in the 19th century, but folk music extends beyond that. Here are all of the best Folk Bassists of all time ranked.

See more: The Best Female Guitarists Of All Time Ranked

See more: The Best Female Bassists Of All Time Ranked

14. Dave Pegg

“Both of the bands Dave Pegg played in, Fairport Convention and Jethro Tull, have a history of remarkable bassists (take a bow, Ashley Hutchings and the late Glenn Cornick). But Pegg stands out for his dexterity, his swing, and his ability to ignore any folk/rock boundaries.”

13. Jimi Hendrix

“James Marshall “Jimi” Hendrix was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential electric guitarists in the history of popular music, and one of the most celebrated musicians of the 20th century.”

12. Aimee Mann

“Some might be tempted to disqualify Aimee Mann here, simply because she’s played so little bass since her days with ’Til Tuesday. While her singing and songwriting has become more impressive on every level since, she’s had a regular bassist (Paul Bryan) in her solo band and mostly plays rhythm guitar onstage. But with Both, her occasional collaboration with Ted Leo, we’re reminded how dazzling Mann is as a bassist, turning out fast punk basslines with a songwriter’s sense of melody.”

11. Dave Holland

“Holland appeared on legendary Miles Davis albums of the ’60s like Filles de Kilimanjaro, In a Silent Way, and Bitches Brew. In 1972, he recorded Conference of the Birds, his first project as a leader.  Since then, Holland has maintained a full touring schedule as bandleader and sideman, influencing all modern jazz bassists with his precise technique and experimental musicality.”

10. Ted Dwane

“Ted Dwane is a British musician and photographer, best known for being the bassist of the Grammy Award-winning British folk rock band Mumford & Sons. Before this he was the bassist in experimental folk band Moulettes”

9. Justin Vernon

“Justin DeYarmond Edison Vernon is an American singer, songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the primary songwriter and frontman of indie folk band Bon Iver”

8. Danny Thompson

“Daniel Henry Edward Thompson is an English multi-instrumentalist best known as a double bassist. He has had a long musical career playing with a large variety of other musicians, particularly Richard Thompson and John Martyn.”

7. Tony Garnier

“One of Garnier’s gifts is his ability to interpret a song in a variety of ways. With Bob Dylan, an artist notorious for changing arrangements on a whim, Garnier is able to adapt and refine his approach to what we know to be classics. His attention as a listener and player, as well as his encyclopedic knowledge of various styles, makes him the perfect fit for playing with a chameleon of an artist.”

6. Edgar Meyer

“While we feel that all these bassists are geniuses, Edgar Meyer was actually deemed one, by the MacArthur Foundation in 2002. One listen to his virtuosic arco and pizzicato compositions and it becomes evident why. His work with Yo-Yo Ma, Béla Fleck, Chris Thile, and James Taylor has solidified his place as one of the greatest upright bassists of all time.”

5. Russ Savakus

“Russell Savakus was an American session bass player, violinist and singer. Savakus recorded with numerous artists in and around the 1960s folk and folk-rock movement in New York.”

4. Chris Hillman

“Christopher Hillman is an American musician. He was the original bassist of and one of the original members of the Byrds, which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby and Michael Clarke.”

3. Richard Thompson

“Richard Thompson OBE is an English singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Thompson first gained prominence in the late 1960s as the lead guitarist and songwriter for the folk rock group Fairport Convention, which he had co-founded in 1967”

2. Jeff Beck

“Beck ranked in the top five of Rolling Stone and other magazine’s list of 100 greatest guitarists. He is often called a “guitarist’s guitarist”. Rolling Stone describes him as “one of the most influential lead guitarists in rock”. Although he recorded two hit albums (in 1975 and 1976) as a solo act, Beck has not established or maintained the sustained commercial success of many of his contemporaries and bandmates. He has recorded with many artists.”

1. Tal Wilkenfeld

“Tal Wilkenfeld first caught the global bass community’s attention back in 2007, when a bass solo with Jeff Beck went viral. Her jazz sensibilities, combined with impeccable groove, time, and phrasing, caught the imaginations of aspiring and professional bassists worldwide.”