A few months back, we ran our annual Bassist Of The Year competition, in which bass players from all over the world uploaded video clips of their skills. Our celebrity judges this time were Tracy Wormworth of the B52s, Living Colour’s Doug Wimbish and former Kyuss bassist Scott Reeder. After they picked their favourite entries and the public placed their votes, our winner was the mighty Danny Sapko, whose entry impressed all of us with his excellent funk playing and intuitive feel for the groove.
The slick fingerstyle that Danny showcased in his video clip encompassed all the tricks of the modern bass arsenal – strummed chords, the floating thumb technique, tapping and the expected slap and pop – while the line itself was catchy as hell. Although he made a point of showing us his ferocious picking speed with a flurry of 32nd notes right at the end, his playing remained tasteful throughout.