Since we seem to have taken this thread entirely into "great keyboardists and/or keyboards", I am going to throw my hat in the ring for Bernie Worrell. He's in a category all his own, in my book. Bernie puts more personality into playing the supposedly cold and soulless synthesizer than just about anybody. Of the P-funk crew, George Clinton and Bootsy Collins justly get more attention for visual flamboyance and outsize personality, not to mention their musical achievements, but to me Bernie is the heart and demented brain of P-funk's music. I was just browsing live Pariiament clips on Youtube last night. You don't see Bernie much but you sure hear him. Not to mention how much he elevated "Stop Making Sense" - era Talking Heads.
And finally - since we're here for bass - Bernie played what I think is hands-down the greatest keyboard bass performance of all time:
funky, catchy, hooky, permanently memorable, adventurous (he basically plays the solos of the song on the synth bass too), and totally dominating the mix ... I'm talking about the almighty #1 hit "Flash light" of course.
Let's appreciate his life while he's still in it - there's a good chance he will become the umpteenth great talent stolen by 2016. Cancer again. Motherf***er.
