Michael Manring - Monkey Businessman

[jozevgates]

Best bassist alive!

[6ckbass]

I'd like to see you do that on a fretless.

[lexusmaxus]

Yes he took Jaco one notch higher yet has the humility that doesn't outshine Michael Manring & Steve Bailey & Jaco convinced me to go fretless

[aassyr1111]

14 guitarists disliked this video :p

[nicklathambass]

Monkey Businessman is the absolutely perfect title for this song LOL :D

[MrDinhoflu]

uma merda

[greyfoxzero]

Certain techniques sound terrible on a fretless and vice versa. Most people are gonna say this sounds pretty terrible but the musicians seem to dig it. Pleasing both groups is the hard part.

[smoothbabic]

True that bass players as any other musicians are unique but the level of artistry is judgeable by the innovation of each player.

Manring trascends bounderies of composition, phrasing, sound, etc....

As a woodwind player i have yet to listen a guy that makes such 'soulful' music as this guy does.

[woggleboggle]

Kenny G?

[satchmandan]

Perhaps what a lot of people - however they express it - are trying to say is that there is something special going on here. Perhaps that a precision instrument like a fretless bass, combined with his eclectic grab bag of techniques and musical feeling, can make us marvel at his work - on so many tiers. Regardless of; intent, skill, or purely on the level of raw passion and emotion the artist conveys through the execution of his music - its how this rocks us all; musicians and spectators alike.

[MajorasFlask]

this tune is a masterpiece

[somenextguy22]

i dont have mother fucking credit card how do i buw this awesome dvd

[diablofn]

@somenextguy22

email him and ask him yourself!

[somenextguy22]

@diablofn sorry im a drug addict

[diablofn]

@somenextguy22 .....alright.

[fuckinlayne]

Some parts remind me of Les Claypool style. Oh yeah.

[edthehead83]

man look at those pants... and he is so much better than Wooten! haha.

[RottenHamburger]

NICE PANTS HAHAHAHHA LLLLOLOLOLOLOLLLULULLULUZ!

[teryeah29]

Sounds a bit Jaco-ish...

But does he ever perform with a band?

Solo Bass can be very boring after a while...

[diablofn]

@teryeah29 he does perform with a few bands. google!

[royiscool88]

@teryeah29 Jaco was his mentor

[LordTassBlues]

@teryeah29 he studied with jaco

[DORKYBA55ATTACK]

@teryeah29 The reason it sounds Jaco-ish is that at one point in time, Manring was Jaco's student.

[feedingfiction]

@teryeah29 HIs bass teacher was Jaco. And whats with all the solo bass haters on here?

[BassAce47]

@teryeah29 how in the world does this sound a bit jaco- ish??

[MrGritstoner]

@teryeah29 i am just not hearing jaco there tbh, if compared id say closest marcus miller

[dharmaseed]

@teryeah29 He did a CD back in the nineties featuiring Alex Skolnick, Tim Alexandr from Primus and Steve Smith (called 'Thonk'), not sure who else. He also did a couple under the name 'Attention Deficit' with Herb and Alex.

[gebass6]

@dharmaseed Steve Morse was also on the disc.

[royiscool88]

@teryeah29 He was an apprentice of Jaco's. They toured together and shit.

[binary132]

@teryeah29 check out his album Thonk.

[joesteed7]

he looks like he could be sienfelds brother

[LeVitor14]

I want a Hyperbass. :(

[Plantbrain]

He's playing all over the place....... stop by and see him play. This is really free and fun music, no limitations.

[Oswaldoaapp]

Oooh, I love Michael's playing, so emotional. And for those that are talkin' shit and comparing players, stop throwing shit and start practicing ur instrument. And if u are only listeners or "web nerds" be carefull with the things u write because i guess u don't have an idea of what this guy is doing. I know everyone is free to say whatever they want but come on, be objective.

[Talvegue]

Purple pants? He is better than Victor Wooten

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@wexarexthexstorm dude, calm ur hormones, it was a joke, but if u put it that way, I HAVEN`T HAD 1 IN ABOUT 20 YRS SO stfu!!

[wexarexthexStorm]

I love how a few months ago, I called this vid on being off, and got totally bashed for it. Now there are a ton of people agreeing. (FYI I like Manring but like all of the others it's just THIS piece that is off).

[innerpyschosis]

yo all music from any these people who are pros is good any how it all needs to be appreciated no matter who it is, it all sounds amazing

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@innerpyschosis ur so right, but wexarexthexstorm is right on 1 part, Manring is off in part of it...

(SEE THAT?? I`M AGGREEING WITH YOU!!!)

-frizzbee time!!

[MIUJACK]

Real amazing.

[Orphen01]

He could be better, but Wooten's pants are much more cooler.

[biggigjohnson]

this guy is way better than wooten. and he is a white guy with soul!

[tomaswarr]

@biggigjohnson whaaaat????? out of tune, poor language, bad timing, and no taste, better than Wooten, please....

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@biggigjohnson stfu plz

[diablofn]

and a lot of you DO NOT REALIZE the intent of michael's music. get this dvd. you'll understand and respect him a lot more. he says something along the lines, he likes to explore the possibility of feeling every emotion with music. try to look at music the way you'd look at a movie. you can laugh AT IT for it's novelty factor. you can enjoy it without it having to be so perfectly executed. the plot isn't always important, sometimes it's just the cinematography and execution.

[slydunbarr]

@diablofn ugly

i dont understand the way or felling of this man...too bad

[Yetuset]

@diablofn Exactly. I wish people weren't stupid and realized that. Like, I watch Victor Wooten's shit and you can hear he makes bunches of tiny mistakes during the more intense parts, but it's still great and I can still enjoy it because I'm still learning from it. :)

[Flemmingdoerken]

He is TOTALLY better than Victor Wooten!

And his pants are ugly.

Seriously though, who cares who's better (and who decides) ?

Wooten is awesome, Manring is awesome. Done deal.

[OXI070]

... fretless...

[Flemmingdoerken]

... marzipan...

[OXI070]

@Flemmingdoerken

:) Wooten played fretless... :))

(don't understand... are you bass player?:))

[Flemmingdoerken]

@OXI070 Yes I am a bass player :) I still don't really understand what you are saying, to be honest.. Are you saying Wooten is better because he played a fretless? Because Manring is also playing a fretless - in fact the bass he is playing in the video is a fretless. Are you sure you're not thinking about Jaco Pastorius? You said "played" as if Wooten isn't playing anymore.

Nope, I still don't understand you, I'm afraid :)

[OXI070]

@Flemmingdoerken

Excuse me for my comment! I'm sorry!

(... marzipan... good idea!:)

[Flemmingdoerken]

@OXI070 You know, I don't actually like marzipan :P

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@Flemmingdoerken LAWL!!

[Flemmingdoerken]

(That was my way of saying that your comment made no sense)

[jammon896]

its a good song hes in time and it all flows well so idk what anyone is complaining about if you don't like it don't listen

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@jammon896 count it from the beginning...

you`ll see...

(i`ve been waiting for you.........)

[darristheman]

The guy is not playing a strict time. It has more of a free time feeling. Imperfection is the doorway to innovation. Critics need not think too hard, you may have missed Manring's latest breakthrough

[komalklar]

absolut genial

[wexarexthexStorm]

and he is not better than victor wooten.

Thats a fuckin joke.

[aakkoin]

totally beutiful art... he learned from the best...

[Nitromountaineer]

Victor Wooten is also bad ass. The two guys focus on different styles, you can't compare them. There are tons of incredible musicians out there, why waste your time talking trash just to promote ONE as the best?

[wexarexthexStorm]

I think most of his "experimental" sounding accents, the minor jazz chord portions were actually just the wrong notes completely.

[Nitromountaineer]

@wexarexthexStorm

This is art, how can it be 'wrong'?

[wexarexthexStorm]

@Nitromountaineer

Well I just mean it seems that he's going for the chords but missing the notes, maybe I missed the concept which is my fault.

He obviously hit alot of people with his music so props to him, not my taste though.

[fromthistexasbreath]

i'm gonna take a guess that you're not a musician, because you have no clue what you're talking about.

"lacks tempo" ???? that doesn't even make sense. oh, and his intonation is damn spot on anyway.

[wexarexthexStorm]

Lacks in timing, his progressions don't have the same tempo.

Listen to it with a metronome on.

He's also just straight up missing key parts timing wise.

[fromthistexasbreath]

Are you serious? Have you actually heard of people playing in free time? Most solo musicians play pieces in free time, because sounding like you're a completely quantized machine when you're playing by yourself is boring. Are you going to say that Jaco Pastorius has "no tempo" when he plays Portrait of Tracy? Hell, it's safe to say that most youtube videos of good classical or jazz musicians playing solo are being played loosely, and not to a metronome.

[wexarexthexStorm]

@fromthistexasbreath

holy shit man I know but you can't say A TON of this guys progressions are COMPLETELY OFF TIMING!!!!!!!

actually listen to the whole song. 75% of it is off.. Literally off completely. It's totally lame..

Anyway whatever I don't care lol.... say what you want... this is youtube.

[4stringFanatico]

dude i promise you if ur wer to jamm with this guy as a n actual BASS player not a SOLO bass player, he would kill ur ass holding down the low end. if u think ur better than this dude, post a video. il fukin wait.

[wexarexthexStorm]

@4stringFanatico

He has better songs, this one is terrible. Morning Star is much better.

This performance is just lacking in key places. I've said it maybe it's just not my taste.

But this is youtube, so honestly, suck it.

The thing is, HE is better than this.

Count him in and keep time. He is VERY off.

[royiscool88]

He's not off at all.

[wexarexthexStorm]

@royiscool88

count it.

[royiscool88]

I did it's not off. It got a jazz fusion feeling to it so certain parts seem to fast but he falls back in to it.

[wexarexthexStorm]

@royiscool88

I know what you mean, not my favorite but I appreciate it. Although around 2:00, he goes off at every bar. One bar he goes faster, next slower, faster.

Either way, I like his other shit, this is definately his worst piece. But why can't someone have one bad piece.

[Cornbreadddd]

This is definitely a poor performance of this piece, but the album version is amazing, definitely my favorite song by him. But he is definitely off on this video performance of it.

[diablofn]

@Cornbreadddd i wouldn't call it poor, maybe, but it's not fantastic. but this isn't my favorite of manring pieces.

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@wexarexthexStorm

I totally believe what you say, but PLEASE next time, back up your argument with proper spelling!!

(definately)

[wexarexthexStorm]

@L4WrDfR1ZzB33

Haha, a tad picky are we? I spelled one word wrong... Considering I've been finished school and did science and haven't had an English class in years, I'd say it's NOT TOO BAD!!

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@royiscool88

he is off a little, but wexarexthexstorm still needs spelling touch-ups...

GO DIABLOFN!!!

[wexarexthexStorm]

@4stringFanatico

I'm listening to it over and over again to understand why you guys freak out so much at the smallest critique.

Honestly CHILL THE FUCK OUT..

It's not that bad until 1:33, but after that, it's off in so many ways, and just bad taste, with those fills. Just seemed like he wanted to sell a VHS real quick.

[connorbassplayer]

michael isnt that kinda guy. by the look on his face and by knowing his personality, it seemed like the fills were a comedic release, almost like a shakespearian technique. i like the song.

[nycbassist76]

the song is called monkey businness man he was going for"off" you're problem is you're musically deaf

[wexarexthexStorm]

You just said I was right, and I'm musically deaf.

If he's going for off, and I say he's off, I'm right.

You're an idiot.

[BleuShan]

do a cover with a fretless then we'll talk.

[L4WrDfR1ZzB33]

@wexarexthexStorm wow can you go argue on a diffferent video.... maybe ONE OF YOUR OWN!!!!!

[wexarexthexStorm]

intonation is spot on BECAUSE IT"S A FRETLESS it's not hard to set up a fretless for intonation.

[wexarexthexStorm]

I just found this

Michael Manring - Morning Star

and it's actually good, he just can't play a fretless.. he really can't, He tries to abuse the fact that it's a fretless with the lame accents and fillers but ugh it RUINS the flow and the melody EVERY TIME!!!

Morning star is good though.

And suck a dick I'm a bassist. Read my other comments noob.

[wexarexthexStorm]

@Nitromountaineer

It is a fretless but still, I just find it lacks tempo and a bit of accuracy, whatever my last comment stands, props to him none the less.

[johncraig1379]

BTW did anybody notice the big grin he has anytime he plays? Hilarious! Of course, I'd smile all the time like that if I was as good at the bass as he is. Maybe someday I will be...God willing. LOL

[nightmare2570]

oh my fucking god

[DRAWINGFLIES]

He's playing a Zon Hyperbass. Those "things" are levers he uses to change the tunings while he plays if he wishes.

[Nickiefive]

wat bass is he playin n what are those things on the bridge and headstock

[techytimbo]

Awesome musician... very poor camera-men.

[MrMaestro777]

Not the camera man's fault. Blame the director!

[techytimbo]

may be so.

[johncraig1379]

I agree.  The one in front of him covered up his fretting hand with the mic stand on a part when he was doing a super-fast fingertap part. Look at 1:34. Did you notice that too?

[e1337air]

cool pants

[eurabio]

love his pants, want a pair. still I like his playing more. a bit more.

[Andwwea]

Seen this live, AMAZING ;;

[schubbmaster]

amazing, he's a great guy

i love the part from 1:09 to 1:34

thank you for uploading!

[Yngwie2112Matarrese]

Ive never seen anyone who can make a fretless sound that good(and fretted)

[methodinsane]

Jaco did a more than good job!

[jonzguitar]

Now this is more like it. This is more original than some of his other stuff, which sounds almost exactly like Michael Hedges (who played acoustic guitar and Harp guitar R.I.P Michael).

[takewhatswrongand]

The similarities to Hedges's -- the one, the only, and endlessly missed -- are certainly there. That said, the two of them "converged" onto this indescribable style relatively independently in the late 1970s, and then collaborated on "Breakfast in the field" -- so it's hard to say, who sounds like whom here.

[nycbassist76]

i love manrings solos......but i really wish he would play the other songs off of thonk with the musicians steve smith herb steve morse and alex skolnic

[nemakur]

he really does have weird pants

haha just messing diablofon :D

[Wetter02]

All this talk about who is the better bassist.... come on guys, every bass-player is unique.. you can't compare them. Different styles of music, image, sound etc.

Michael is best at what he does, Wooten is best at his thing.... Flea, Jaco, Miller, Clarke.... they are all different. GET THAT!

[simon23tnr]

nice..:)

[MajorasFlask]

i used to listen to the recording, it really changes how i remember the song watching him play it now. such skill.

[diablofn]

some comments seem kinda random and...well...like there should be a comment that it is in reply to, and that is because i remove dumb assed comments like "IS THIS GUY BETTER THAN VICK WOOTEN?" and leave peoples' responses.

[cygnuxman]

... yes.

[diablofn]

lol

[cygnuxman]

yeah ive "talked" to him recently via email and hes a really cool guy. probably the coolest guy ever... next to jesus.

[ConfinedAbrasion]

nah man, jesus couldnt play bass like this.

[cygnuxman]

but jesus died for your sins.

i dont think anything tops that.

[ConfinedAbrasion]

Yeah who doesnt die for other peoples sins these days. Get up with the times dude!

[SwedishBass]

Yeah, because the virgin birth and resurrection myths are unique to only christianity...

[trevmm]

totally different player to wooten i prefer wooten but manring is a great player to check out my channel for more

[diablofn]

woop woop check his channel for more

[nycbassist76]

why is everyone looking for the best? why can't you just enjoy the great music...it's not a competition ...victor wooten isn't better or worse they're equally talented

[JonP1961]

check the facial expression at 1:02. LOL

he's having so much fun!

saw him live with McGill and Stevens in a small (~50 people) venue.

go see him live.... NOW!!! :D

[Chonch51]

Ya I saw him at a my neighbor's house concert one year and him and another bass player by the name of Seth Horan jamed out! I'll never forget it.

[unrealrush7]

this is some good death metal

[Darknives]

wtf? lol

[SpreadingLoveAround]

The main Monkeybusiness ;)

[basketballfg]

what does having no frets do to the sound of the guitar or how u play it?

[JIOREO]

where do I start... insane accuracy of fingering positions is needed to play in tune. The generally warm tone translates from the stringf/fingerboard surface interface because there is no audible metallic (frets) attack preceding it. The resulting low action (strings to fingerboard) aids fluidness and can translate personal expression more directly. A non-fretted instrument like a cello, violin, or upright bass is more like our own voice (no pre-set stops for notes) Hope that helps.

[basketballfg]

thanks a lot. i was not expecting an explanation as good as that : )

[118carlisle]

sliding to frets on a fretless sounds so awesome, it sounds like history.

[scott172]

totally changed the way i look at fretless

[markacola]

at about 1:00 he changes notes by loosening the string, and then re tightening it, and again at about 4:00, super leet skills there, is that fret less bass or what?

[dpg25]

It's a Zon Hyperbass. Yes, fretless. There's a good video of Manring talking about it on here somewhere. Search for 'Michael Manring explains the Hyperbass".

[8ulls3y3]

yep, he has I guess 8 D-tuners installed in its hardware, they are levers that instantly drop one string's intonation to a given new tuning. Every string has one on the bridge and one on the peghead. Insane!

[bratblaster]

i love how manrings isnt serious at all when he plays in the pocket

im a metal artist so i know where im coming from when i say that music is to like serious now like sure music is all about being expressive but none ever

show the happier side of music now even the lighter indie stuff its still sad or angry once u listen to the lyrics

[ironwall666]

Then listen to some Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, and drink a Jazzier diet man.

[pillsauve]

Oh man what awesome pants!

[RasenganLicha]

this man is the best

[muscleturtle]

why havent I heard of candy rat!!! some of these guys are soooo dop!!!

[Vergucci]

Yeah!!! Have u heard of Donr ross? or Antoine Dufour? They rock!!!

[Mathilde7]

Great ass! :D

[mmandreazz]

guy surely doesn't care about his clothes...

awesome bassist though

[tecoomexicano]

Hahahahaha!

[chype]

Im sure its just the light but even if the jeans are pink it takes a real man to wear pink.

[jcjean1306]

Omg really good... And the pants = jeans.. Its only the light that make the colour look strange.

[bazael182]

Pants!

[southwst]

i love 1min36!!!! so weirde

[memochilango]

a ver, Manring viene a México, me recomiendan hacer un esfuerzo e ir al concierto? Que canción recomiendan escuchar?

[jcastillopiano]

Manring es uno de los mejores bajistas contemporáneos, algunos diríamos que el mejor; si te gusta la buena música y disfrutas habilidades técnicas e interpretativas fuera de lo común, no te arrepentirás en absoluto.

[memochilango]

gRacias carnal, yo admiro mucho a los bajistas rifados ( entwistle es mi ídolo) tengo qu eir a ese concierto

[irwansulistyawan]

bassist edan mantep kren uuy

[limeyamos]

playing chords in tune on any fretless instrument is hard, manring is amazing.

[DrMcSex]

Ingenious.

Btw: I love his pants!

[NevWhite77]

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh­hhh hell yes.

This is bass!

[mrvomit44]

Oh..

ANd his ATTITUDE on stage is the best.

No "Fake modesty",

not "i'm a god" either.Really a True Musician.

[PhoenX19]

He's clearly having a lot of fun! ^^

[mrvomit44]

Man he is so Beyond.

i'm no huge fan,because of my ignorance maybe(for now).

But from what i heard til now ,

When the other famous "flashy-technical"-bassists are just "amazing" ,

he is so MUSICAL in those superior techs.

you can almost everytime distinguish ,on the Other Famous bassists ,the Line Between "show off" and Music

..In Manring That Line Simply does'nt Exist!That's so JAW_drapping 0-0..

[thingy86]

manring owns the fretless bass no questions asked in my opinion.

[Slackerx89]

me neither

[SaxAppeal14]

Manring is awesome dude. I swear, i just found his music 3 weeks ago, and he never ceases to amaze me. He gives a good name to fretless basses xD

[jjaaccoo]

Jaco would be proud.

[UmbrellaSword]

Shiny.

[CoffeeJanitor]

Nah, man. I'd go so far as to say they're almost equals, but imo, Wooten has much more range and technical ability...Who's music you like more is up for grabs.

[fubarthegryphon1221]

trumped wooten a million times over

[ZombieHordeLord]

1.35

a passage that most bass player in the world can only DREAM to play

[IllusionaryMind8]

4:07 rofl... cameraman think he is stealth

[PhoenX19]

Kinda looks like he's filming Manring's ass. XD

[mesegu]

mad, funky-fresh chops

[destruction143]

All this tapping and slapping on a fretless bass gave me a... smile.

[adrian5b]

no one like Manring

[deadhead812]

SOOOOOOOOOOOOO FUNKY FRESH!!!!!!!!

[Tralman1965]

Hands down the greatest bassist ever!

[ehsanul]

i care what pants he's wearing!

jk, but one other thing: seriously hilarious song name :D

[deadhead812]

Seriously fitting song name

[monkeymanagogo]

LOLOLOL the first few seconds with the annotation

[PlayDead311]

wow this stuff is the real deal