Ryan Madora Publishes “Bass Players To Know” Book

If you take your instrument seriously, there are players you should know. Being familiar with the greats and understanding their contributions will make you a more whole musician. And that’s exactly why Ryan Madora’s “Bass Players To Know” column on No Treble has been such a hit. Now, she’s written an incredible book that acts as a guide for this journey.

Bass Players To Know: Learning From The Greats features 35 bassists that have helped the instrument’s evolution, including Ray Brown, Jack Bruce, Cliff Burton, Duck Dunn, Louis Johnson, Edgar Meyer, Willie Weeks, and many others. “It’s all about digging deep,” Madora explains. “This book assumes that you’ve heard of the players that are frequently featured or referenced in the bass media and that you’re ready to diversify your musical palette.”

The new book is based on her long-running No Treble column but has been reworked and edited to an easily digestible format. “Each chapter provides a brief introduction, a concise biography to note the players’ career highlights, a discussion of their individual style, and three listening examples from their recorded catalog,” she notes. Madora also created a fantastic Spotify playlist so you can easily reference songs from the book. (Check it out here.)

“I’m hoping that ‘Bass Players To Know’ will allow people to discover the records that will ultimately shape their musical identity,” says Madora. “When I was a teenager, watching the movie Standing In The Shadows Of Motown did that for me. It inspired me to grab my bass, play for hours, and realize how I wanted to sound on the instrument. I hope this book will speak to people in a similar way.”

Bass Players To Know: Learning From The Greats is available now as a paperback from Amazon. It will be released as an eBook in early 2020. If you’d like to purchase an autographed copy of the book, visit the Bass Players to Know website for details!