See OP title. I could think of a lot of one-guy-and-a-guitar/piano acts.
But . . . ??
I saw a bass player put on an hour long solo set and keep a crowd totally enthralled. He was/is a big time jazz player but I’m blanking on the name. This would have been late 80s-early 90s.
Not sure if it would go over mainstream. I saw him at a seminar at a guitar show.
The closest I can think of was Back Door, which was bass/vocalist, saxophone, and drums. Bassist Colin Hodgkinson was the frontman of the group.
Not a solo bass, and no vocalist, but Gravity was an all-tuba jazz group. It was formed by Howard Johnson, the go-to guy for rock and roll tuba (and I don’t mean that as a joke – he played with The Band, Taj Mahal, and Levon Helm, as well as leading the band on Saturday Night Live for many years).
I’d think that, overall, the bass needs other instruments to work.
Cream, with Jack Bruce.
Bobby McFerrin?
That one Sailing on a Sea of Green (cheeze) Jelly, 90’s, Pac-West Bassist, that can half muff, boink, slap, and plug the bass like no other. Sings some pretyy silly songs.
Not Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who is currently pursuing his degree in Music(ology) from USC. Probably a sophomore by now… He might could on graduation form a band to llok out for… long ago.
Actually, he’s probably into his 3rd. and 4th. year right now. Does he have the credits, did he graduate on something new and important to the continuance and teachings of the Sonic Sciences?
Man, you sound pretty good right now. What time is it where you are?
Why I sittin’ here at 5 in the mornin’? You come around like it’s livin’ for the pimpin’.
Not Pop/Rock, and no vocals, but Michael Manring, by a long way the best bass player I have ever seen, has managed to create solo albums of “New Age” bass playing although he doesn’t consider himself a genre artist. Here he is playing in someone’s lounge room on the Hyperbass he helped to invent. This is his website.
I’m pretty sure Cream had a guitarist.
I can’t say I’ve ever been one… no.
Primus
Oh, Yea.
Dare I say that English chap, Phil Collins… his guitarist went another way, and was never quite as popularly successful.
A bassist was the fucked-uppinesss behind the Fleetwood Mac Cult.
Rob Wright from the Canadian band Nomeansno used to perform as Mr. Wrong, playing bass and singing with no accompaniment.