2011 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #10: Flea

Flea

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea makes the No Treble reader favorites list once again this year. Flea and the Chili Peppers had a big year, announcing their first tour in five years and a new album and the release of that new album, I’m With You. Topping off a busy year, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Flea worked on projects outside the Chili Peppers, including the release of some live tracks by the supergroup Rocket Juice and the Moon, featuring the bassist and Damon Albarn, and participating on Tom Waits’ Bad as Me (along with Les Claypool).

A few Flea-tribute videos topped the lists this year, including Alex Myers’ RHCP “Around The World Bass” bass play-along, Davie504’s “Simple FleaBass Funk”, and Viaceslav Svedov’s all-bass cover of “Hump de Bump”.

Check out our complete Flea archive.

2011 Top 5 Most Viewed Flea-Focused Features:

Stanley Clarke, Stu Hamm, Bunny Brunel, Billy Sheehan, Flea, Alex Al, Brian Bromberg, Jimmy Johnson, Wayman Tisdale and Marcus Miller: “School Days” Live

1. Stanley Clarke, Stu Hamm, Bunny Brunel, Billy Sheehan, Flea, Alex Al, Brian Bromberg, Jimmy Johnson, Wayman Tisdale and Marcus Miller: “School Days” Live

Stanley Clarke’s 2002 concert performance at Musicians Institute in Hollywood closed with a bang, with a stage full of bassists performing Clarke’s “School Days” for the audience…

Flea Confirms New Red Hot Chili Peppers Album Details

2. Flea Confirms New Red Hot Chili Peppers Album Details

After years of anticipation, we now have a confirmed release date for the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album after Flea broke the news via his Twitter account. “It gives me profound pleasure deep in the fiber of my being to announce the August 30 release date of the new red hot chili peppers’s record,”…

Tom Waits Releases Bad As Me, Featuring Flea and Les Claypool

3. Tom Waits Releases Bad As Me, Featuring Flea and Les Claypool

Singer/songwriter Tom Waits has released his seventeenth studio album, Bad As Me, which is also his first compilation of all new material in seven years. The distinctive vocalist recruited a host of talented artists, including bassists Flea, Les Claypool, James Whiton, Larry Taylor, Marcus Shelby and Zack Sumner. Waits’ eclectic style is going strong as…

Flea: Funk, Punk, Rock, Slap, Interview

4. Flea: Funk, Punk, Rock, Slap, Interview

Taken from a VHS tape released in 1999, here’s Flea with River Phoenix, discussing the techniques and influences behind the bassist’s unique style. Funk, punk, rock, super fast slap (and slower versions)… it is all here.

Supergroup Rocket Juice and the Moon, Featuring Flea and Damon Albarn, Release Live Tracks

5. Supergroup Rocket Juice and the Moon, Featuring Flea and Damon Albarn, Release Live Tracks

The group known as Rocket Juice and the Moon has uploaded seven songs from their debut performance at the Cork Jazz Festival. Consisting of Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, Blur/Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn, and Fela Kuti drummer Tony Allen this supergroup announced their union late last year. Their world-music influenced style draws heavily from…

Get daily bass updates.

Get the latest news, videos, lessons, and more in your inbox every morning.

Share your thoughts