Who are some of your favorite session musicians??

I know session players aren't really used today like they were back in prior decades but in my lifetime some of the session musicians I heard on some of my favorite songs have made a lasting impression to me. I'm sure they have to others here too!!

What i'd like to see is the forum posting some of their favorite session musicians by instrument. The list doesn't have to be long but if there is a memorable solo by any of your favorites please list it!!

Here's just a small sample of mine:

KEYBOARDS:
Richard Tee ( I just loved his signature Fender Rhodes sound)
Don Grolnick (his solo on Mangione's IF YOU KNOW ME ANY LONGER THAN TOMMORROW still gives me chills
Joe Sample (any solo)

DRUMS:
Steve Gadd (any session)
Jeff Porcaro (trademark shuffle sound)
Bernard Purdie (where would those DAN song's been without him)

GUITAR
Eric Gale (livened up many jazz albums with his Gibson solos)
Steve Lukather (man some of the solos on so many albums, I guess I really liked his solos on Boz Scaggs albums)
Larry Carlton (any, but special mention must go to KID CHARLAMAGNE on SD!

BASS:
Marcus Miller (any)
Louis Johnson (any)

this is just a small list of mine. I'm anxious to hear your faves!!

David

 

Hal Blaine - Drums
Glen Campbell - Guitar
Carol Kaye - Bass
Leon Russell - Keyboards

 

Vinnie Colaiuta - Drums. Sting's "Seven Days" & Nik Kershaw's "Cowboys And Indians", just amazing.

Tony Levin - Bass. Peter Gabriel's "Don't Give Up" is my favorite Levin track.

Larry Carlton - Guitar. Steely Dan's "Royal Scam" album is peppered with great guitar stuff.

Steve Gadd, Bernard Purdie, Jeff Porcaro and Simon Phillips are pure class.

 

Nicky Hopkins - Keyboards ("Session Man" on The Kinks "Face To Face")
Michael Landau - Guitar
Dennis Coffey - Guitar
Chris Spedding - Guitar
Elliott Randall - Guitar
Tim Renwick - Guitar



Ed Hurdle
HeavyDistortion

 

Drums - Jim Keltner
Bass - Tony Levin (w/ John Lennon, Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel), Tony Butler (with Pete Townshend), Billy Bremner (Pretenders)
Guitar - Robbie McIntyre (Pretenders)

 

Did you mean Robbie McIntosh?

 

Jim Keltner was a in house drummer (so to speak) for John Lennon, George Harrison & Ringo Starr. You can hear Keltner all over their singles and Lp's of the 70's. Did Paul McCartney ever use him?

 

Steve Cropper
James Burton
Jim Keltner (Loved watching him play on the Zevon special)
Hal Blaine
Carol Kaye
Al Kooper

 

Plas Johnson -- saxophone.

 

Can anyone rival the Nashville session musicians from the late 50's / early 60's?

Boots Randolph
Floyd Cramer
Hank Garland
Murrey Harmon
Bob Moore
Anita Kerr Singers

and several more !!!

 

D'oh. That's him. Also played with Paul of late.
And I'll second all the funk brothers, having just seen Shadows of Motown.
And also on bass, Pino Palladino.... he played the bass solo at the beginning of Shadows of Motown and nailed it! he did a darn fine job w' the Who last summer too.

 

Under extreme circumstances to boot.

 

Hal Blaine-Drums
Amos Garret-Guitar
Clarence White-Guitar

 

Paul Carrack - who plays the Hammond like Paul?
Tony Levin - bass/sticks
Chester Thompson - drums/percussion

 

Hank Garland played excellent guitar licks on "Little Sister"

 

Bobby Graham


mud-

 

Bass: George Duvivier

Drums: Grady Tate


AJH

 

You folks do listen to R&B, soul and Motown, right?

James Jamerson

 

count me in as a fan of the section.

renny

 

Guitar: David Lindley
Drums: Jim Keltner
Bass/stick: Tony Levin

 

I have to confess that this is one of my favorite subjects! Just a few off the top of my head.

The Funk Brothers
Brent Mason
Steve Gadd
Larry Carlton
Carlos Vega (God rest his soul)
Les Paul
Floyd Cramer
Dann Huff
Grant Geisman
John Clayton
Jeff Hamilton
Tommy Tedesco

(And many many more)