This article is written by Toru Hoshino, a jazz bassist and instructor based in Japan who teaches online lessons to students worldwide. In this article, he recommends a bassist whose phrasing he keeps coming back to.
A band that’s come up a lot recently in my online community, the “Bebop Practice Group,” is the Eddie Higgins Trio.
It’s a jazz piano trio, but it’s genuinely easy to listen to. A lot of the repertoire is standards, which also makes it a great recommendation for anyone who’s just starting to get into jazz.
I listened to this group a lot myself when I first got into jazz, and coming back to it again recently because of the community discussion, I’m reminded all over again how good it is.
What really stands out to me is the playing of bassist Jay Leonhart.
His phrasing sounds simple and singable on first listen — but underneath that, there are tricky little movements, a wide range of ghost notes, hammer-ons, pull-offs, and accents woven in throughout. The more you listen, the more you notice. He’s a genuinely cool bassist to study.
If you’re thinking “I want to get into jazz but don’t know where to start,” this trio is a great first pick.
Here’s a recording of the trio playing “Like Someone in Love” — a standard that comes up constantly at jam sessions, so it’s well worth getting familiar with.
Like Someone in Love
Studying a bass line like Jay Leonhart’s by ear is one thing — actually working those ghost notes and accents into your own playing is another, and that’s exactly the kind of detail a teacher can help you nail down.
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.