# The one bassist Ray Charles always relied on: “Play it slow and still groove”

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/the-one-bassist-ray-charles-always-relied-on-play-it-slow-and-still-groove/
- Published: 2026-07-24T10:01:18+00:00
- Updated: 2026-07-28T22:27:34+00:00
- Original publisher: Far Out
- Original article: https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/the-one-bassist-ray-charles-always-relied-on/
- Topics: Music

## Key points

- Ray Charles considered Carol Kaye an exceptional bassist.
- He valued her slow-playing groove as much as speed.
- Kaye played on an estimated 10,000 tracks.

## Summary

Ray Charles regarded session musician Carol Kaye as his preferred bassist, particularly valuing her ability to maintain a convincing groove on slower songs. The article argues that this demonstrates why technical speed alone is not a measure of musicianship: restraint, timing and feel are equally important.

Kaye, credited with playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings, recalled working with Charles on both fast material, including ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’, and slower ballads. When she asked why he hired her for comparatively simple bass parts, Charles reportedly said that playing slowly while retaining the groove required a truly good player; the article presents Kaye’s versatility and distinctive musical personality as evidence of that judgement.

---
Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.