This list of jazz bassists includes performers of the double bass and since the 1950s, and particularly in the jazz subgenre of jazz fusion which developed in the 1970s, electric bass players.
The most influential jazz double bassists from the 1940s and 1950s include bassist Jimmy Blanton (1918–1942) (a member of the Duke Ellington band); Oscar Pettiford (1922–1960), who is considered by bassists and musicologists to be the first bebop bassist and the transitional link from the swing era to bebop. Ray Brown (1926–2002), known for backing a number of beboppers, including alto virtuoso Charlie Parker; Milt Hinton (1910–2000) and George Duvivier (1920–1985), who are the two most recorded bassists in jazz history, their respective careers spanning many eras and genres; a singular creative force was Wilbur Ware (1923–1979) legendary bassist with Monk and others, hard bop bassist Ron Carter (born 1937); and Paul Chambers (1935–1969), a member of the Miles Davis Quintet.
In the experimental post 1960s eras, which saw the development of free jazz and jazz-rock fusion, some of the influential bassists included Charles Mingus (1922–1979) and free jazz and post-bop bassist Charlie Haden (1937–2014).
In the post-1970s era of jazz-rock fusion, the electric bass became an important jazz instrument; virtuoso Stanley Clarke (born 1951) played both the double bass and the electric bass. Fusion performer Jaco Pastorius (1951–1987) contributed to the development of a new approach to the fretless electric bass, adding a creative use of harmonics and chords, both while a member of the band Weather Report and in his solo recordings.
In the 1990s and 2000s, one of the new "young lions" for jazz bass was Christian McBride (born 1972). In mid to late 2000s, another new "young lion" for jazz bass emerged: Miles Mosley (born 1980) a member of the acclaimed Los Angeles collective, the West Coast Get Down.
For double bass players in other styles of music, such as Blues and Folk, see the List of double bassists in popular music.
A
Ahmed Abdul-Malik (1927–1993) Placide Adams (1929–2003) Samuel Adams (born 1985) Osama Afifi Moses Allen (1907–1983) Vernon Alley (1915–2004) Ben Allison (born 1966) Bjørn Alterhaug (born 1945) Hayes Alvis (1907–1972) Andreas Amundsen (born 1980) Erik Amundsen (1937–2015) Arild Andersen (born 1945) Thomas Winther Andersen (born 1969) Reid Anderson (born 1970) Bjørnar Andresen (1945–2004) Chuck Andrus (1928–1997) Roger Arntzen (born 1976) Jim Aton (1925–2008) Edvard Askeland (born 1954) Tine Asmundsen (born 1963)
B
Harry Babasin (1921–1988) Roy Babbington (born 1940) Don Bagley (1927–2012) Steve Bailey (born 1960) Victor Bailey (1960–2016) Fred Thelonious Baker (born 1960) Tom Barney Phil Bates (born 1931) Carles Benavent (born 1954) Joe Benjamin (1919–1974) Max Bennett (1928–2018) Frode Berg (born 1971) Chuck Berghofer (born 1937) Dan Berglund (born 1963) Jeff Berlin (born 1953) Artie Bernstein (1909–1964) Keter Betts (1928–2005) Carlos Bica (born 1958) Charlie Biddle (1926–2003) Alex Blake (born 1951) Jimmy Blanton (1918–1942) Svein Olav Blindheim (born 1954) Jesper Bodilsen (born 1970) Richard Bona (born 1967) Jimmy Bond (1933–2012) Walter Booker (1933–2006) Arthur "Juinie" Booth (1948–2021) Nelson Boyd (1928–1985) Ronnie Boykins (1935–1980) Wellman Braud (1891–1966) Ellen Brekken (born 1985) Brian Bromberg (born 1960) Harvey Brooks (born 1944) Baron Browne Cameron Brown (born 1945) Paul H. Brown (1934–2016) Ray Brown (1926–2002) Steve Brown (1890–1965) Jack Bruce (1943–2014) Bunny Brunel (born 1950) Monty Budwig (1926–1992) Tony Bunn (born 1957) Oteil Burbridge (born 1964) Dwayne Burno (1970–2013) Lennie Bush (1927–2004)
C
Eddie Calhoun (1921–1993
Red Callender (1916–1992) James Cammack (born 1956) Alain Caron (born 1955) Dave Carpenter (1959–2008) Ron Carter (born 1937) Edo Castro (born 1957) Malcolm Cecil (1937–2021) Clive Chaman (born 1949)(first recording was on Ram John Holder's 1969 London Blues album) Paul Chambers (1935–1969) Stanley Clarke (born 1951) John Clayton (born 1952) Jeff Clyne (1937–2009) Avishai Cohen (born 1970) Greg Cohen (born 1953) Ira Coleman (born 1956) Scott Colley (born 1963) Graham Collier (1937–2011) Joe Comfort (1917–1988) Todd Coolman (born 1954) Curtis Counce (1926–1963) Anthony Cox (born 1954) Bob Cranshaw (1932–2016) Gary Crosby (born 1955) Israel Crosby (1919–1962) Bill Crow (born 1927)