Customer Reviews

The Evolving Bassist

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"The Evolving Bassist" has come to be the standard bass method book in the world of jazz. In it, Rufus Reid explains his "concept" of playing bass, moving beyond merely playing quarter notes to progressive and thoughtful bass lines.

As the title of the book indicates, this is a process. The book is designed for players of any level to develop a well-rounded approach to the bass.

The main portion of the method includes etudes, scales, and standard patterns for Latin bass lines, Rock bass lines, etc. Also included are many practical hints, answers to frequently asked questions, discography, and transcriptions of a number of Mr. Reid's compositions.

"The Evolving Bassist" is all around an excellent aid for the growing jazz bass player.

I came to bass playing in my late 30s after a lifetime of playing mainly guitar, banjo and mandolin, and I went through a lot of books looking for a clear and solid foundation for upright jazz playing.

Of all the methods out there, Reid's is the one that has really stood the test of time, and for good reason. He starts the reader off with basic scales and simple patterns for playing over changes. From there it's on through more complex scales and patterns and finally, soloing, illustrated with a number of transcribed classics.

Combine this book with the Simandl book for basic technique (and a good library of jazz albums), and you have just about everything needed to guide the beginning bass player through the intermediate stage. For a player who already had a basic classical technique, this book alone is just about all that's needed to learn to play jazz.

Rufus Reid's revised edition of the classic "Evolving Bassist" is a literal tour de force and a must have for all bass players regardless of what level of proficiency they play at. The companion DVD (available separately and highly recommended) is a gem in which Rufus jams with two of the finest contemporary musicians illustrating various aspects of the text. The DVD is worth the price just as a performance video.

While loosely defined as a method, the "Evolving Bassist" is really more of a well thought out approach to playing the instrument. The skills taught follow several threads of theory and practice, but it's not a beginner tutorial even though very early players will benefit from the material...and continue to benefit throughout their playing career. If one is desirous of a more basic text in the jazz genre then you must get "The Michael Moore Bass Method", probably the best tutorial currently available; the classical "Simandl" material notwithstanding. The two books and the "Evolving..." DVD really are complimentary and easily stand at the forefront of a limited field. Highly recommended.

This is a great book for any jazz instrumentalist who plays in concert pitch. Because of the many etudes written in quarter notes, it'd probably even be a good way to practice transposing on the fly. It's ideal for understanding bass lines, reading in bass clef, and absorbing underlying jazz solo ideas and structures. According to my practice diary, I started studying from it about ten months ago. My playing has improved and changed since using this book, and I don't even play the bass (I've been playing jazz guitar for 20+ years). It's helped me outline chords better, think in a lower register, and think about function while playing--like use of passing tones in jazz, etc. Reid's encouraging remarks, scattered throughout the book, are a warm, personal touch, which I think would be very good for a young musician to read. I admire Rufus Reid as a player, and think he did a real service to jazz musicians when he wrote this book. THIS WOULD MAKE A GREAT GIFT FOR ANY JAZZ MUSICIAN!

When I was in high school in the 1980s, I studied bass. Not that I could play it. I have Cerebral Palsy. For our purposes, my mind could do the walking. My fingers could not.

But The Evolving Bassist was one of the main texts my teacher used. Buy this, and it will keep you busy for a very long time, whether you study double or electric bass.

Rufus Reid is a jazz bass player, and this book teaches you through jazz. It goes from the most basic whole, half, quataer, eighth and sixteenth note exercises, and slowly shows you how to build walking lines. These increase in complication, and if you hit the end of this book, no easy task, you will be at least a good jazz player, ready to play whatever type of music you want.

I never did get there- I and my spastic little ten appendages went to university and learned two more instruments--a typewriter and, later, a computer. You judge the results.

I did, however, get to both see and meet Reid: he taught at what was then William Paterson College-now university, and used to play there on Sunday afternoons. Twenty minutes from where I grew up. He also has at least one good album out, Rufus Reid Trio: Perpetual Stroll [ LP Vinyl ]

Learning to improve my jazz playing (being a mainly classical player) is made easier by this book, Reed was a brilliant bass methodologist and there is a lot to learn in this book.

I think this is a good book for those already able to find their way around a bass fingerboard. This book has lots to offer for those interested in improving their jazz technique. However, I needed to take lessons in order to learn correct fingerings/positions before getting into this book.

This is a great book to be played, not read! Following the book will result in a more thorough understanding of the bass fingerboard as it applies to the harmonic foundation of bass playing.

I first bought this book in 1979 and have been using a version of it since then with my bass students. This new edition is very good and the DVD isa great asset. Rufus is an understanding teacher and if you get a chance to attend one of his master classes, don't pass them up.

This book plus the dvd is a must to the beginning double bassist. I havent found much on the subjet and when I came across this book and dvd I was totally mesmerized. Excersizes r great the way its set up is really cool. A very inspiring methode. Rufus Reid is very clear in what he says and teaches.
If you think its expensive well its worth the investment.