Two interesting clips: and playing
 
Some thoughts:
1) So Will Lee is an awesome bass player, great vocalist, then he pulls out a harmonica and blows incredible harp . . . awe-insipring.
 
2) I was thinking, How intimidating to be playing bass with Will Lee singing Unless you're someone like Jimmy Johnson (who I've heard mentioned here a lot, but hadn't heard much of musically).
 
This is a very well-recorded video and the bass sounds great. My idea of the perfect tone for the song. Great players at their craft!

Here are a couple of clips of Jimmy with Allan Holdsworth. I believe they are from around 1986. The bass sits nicely in the mix and there are some good shots of Jimmy playing.  
 
Keith
 

 

Here's one of my favorites of Jimmy playing with James Taylor.
 

How about some funky Jimmy? The solo from 2:00-3:30 is some pretty tasty playing.  
 
Rio Funk with Lee Ritenour.  Definitely worth watching until the end, because Phil Perry does something I've never heard another man ever, ever do justice to- he belts out a version of Rock Steady (starting at about 4:50) that would make Aretha smile.  
 

 The solo from 2:00-3:30 is some pretty tasty playing.  
 
Um, yeah, you could say that: the hair on my forearms still has not gone down. How is it I've never listened to this guy until today? Wow.

Tom,
 
Check the showcase section- find Artists and their Alembics and you'll find a long thread on Jimmy Johnson- best part is that Jimmy posts regularly and answers questions, etc.

Now have you heard of him?
 
I would certainly not presume to speak for Jimmy, but I get the sense he prefers to let his playing do the talking for him.  He does not post a website, and stops in here, where he prefers to speak on a musician to musician basis, for which we are all very grateful.  I hope I have respectfully and correctly spoken to this.
 
The 'Rio Funk' clip is exactly why I always gravitate to guys like Double J and Anthony Jackson:  They play to the song.  
 
No doubt about it, he got 'all of it', certainly;  but no amount of NAMM-show, super chopped, slap happy fireworks that derails the whole train will EVER replace mature  
musicianship that serves the song.
 
I can accept I could never play like that, I just wish I could have that grasp of inversions and talking from both ends of the neck, something Jimmy has made his own, those leaps are just terrifying.  
 
It did make feel a little better, that just like some of my old gigs, right when you're really mining a groove, somebody has to tack on a cover tune at the end !
 
J o e y
 
(Message edited by bigredbass on April 24, 2011)