If we are going to branch out into international musicians, there are a metric shit-ton of awesomeness that most people in the US haven’t heard of. Africa, South America, and Asia have a lot. Australia has some badass rock but I think it’s pretty well known in these parts.
I remember seeing him on Late Night w/ David Letterman in the 80s and enjoying his performance. Didn’t realize that he played with Danny Gatton (one of the people I mentioned above). Small world.
I saw him perform at one of my visits to the annual Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Weekend.
My gal is red hot, your gal ain’t doodlysquat.
Robert Gordon and Link Wray did an album together that was awesome.
Yes it was (is).
I saw RG in the early 1980s in a very small club, basically just a bar. He rocked that joint.
mmm
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet out the door! 
This is such a HUGE topic, since what one of us thinks is unheard of, are others’ faves. It is kinda funny that someone posted Bela Fleck as someone well-known, whereas I’d wager a pretty small number of folk know the name - and fewer have heard/seen him.
Since a number of bassists have been mentioned, someone oughta mention folk who play REAL basses! I’ll offer Paul Kowert. Over the past couple of years he has become more well known from his work with Hawktail and Punch Brothers. But if you don’t listen to that sort of acoustic music (my fave), you might not know him.
And, of course, I presume everyone is familiar with his mentor, Edgar Meyer.
Heck, for all I know, folk may not have heard of Victor Wooten. Or Christian McBride.
I honestly don’t know how I could decide even on 10 acoustic/bluegrass/oldtime musicians I feel merit far wider recognition. So I won’t even try. Just pick someone you feel IS well known - whether it be Bela Fleck, Chris Thile, Bruce Molsky, Brittany Haas… - and check out whoever THEY have played with. It is a pretty sure bet their collaborators have some chops.
I saw Link Wray perform at a small bar 24 years ago, roughly 5 years before he died. He was ~70, but put on a helluva show. His young wife/gf was there and she got into a fight with a woman who was shooting video surreptitiously. Hair pulling, screaming craziness.
Link played on, totally ignoring the two women. We ignored them also. A great show!
How about Robert Randolph & The Family Band? This dude can tear up a steel guitar. Saw him in concert as a warm-up band for Trombone Shorty. He stole the show.
Well, if that’s the case, here’s some real bassists that may be unknown:
- Percy Heath
- Doug Watkins
- Wilbur Ware
- George Morrow
- Jimmy Garrison
- Teddy Kotick
- Oscar Pettiford
Looking up records they played on would lead one to great musical treasures.
I’m leaving out the well-known bassists, like Paul Chambers, Ron Carter, Ray Brown, Charles Mingus, and Jimmy Blanton.
Are you saying that an electric bass isn’t a real bass? That would be like saying that an electric guitar isn’t a real guitar. People mentioned earlier like James Jamerson and Abraham Laboriel, I assure, are REAL bassists who inspired countless other musicians to take up the instrument despite them not being a household name.
And Charlie Haden. And (my favorite) Steve Swallow.
(Swallow plays mostly electric, and I doubt if anyone would call him anything other than “real.”)
And Scott LaFaro. And Dave Holland:
https://youtu.be/YYTIXJuxvgY?si=7Zk8rA5Of_itMhiY
Joking folks, as I now play only upright. Calm down, now.
It’s okay. To most people under 50, you play a cello. 
Billy “MF” Strings…
and David Bromberg …
'nother Swallow fan here … you either love or hate his sound (which I onces heard described as “Polyester”) … I like it a lot …
.
and of course then there is NHOP!!! Oscar Peterson’s “other” bassist (Peterson and Pedersen)
wanna hear a fine-tuned jazz trio?
I can’t believe I forgot Scott LoFaro. When I listen to Bill Evans at the Village Vanguard, all I hear are the bass parts.
Re Waddy Wachtel - I never met him but I saw him “in the Rattlesnake Cafe, dressed in black, tossing back a shot of rye”. I’m no musician but agree he is a great guitar player.
Yeah - that’s what I was talking about. For the folk I hang with, Billy Strings became well known maybe 6-7 years ago, after his stretch w/ Don Julin. Now, he is about as big as anyone in bluegrass-ish circles. Hell - he plays arenas and won a Grammy 3 yrs ago.
And David Bromberg was reasonably well known in some circles some 50 years ago.
I agree that everyone should at least give those 2 a listen. But their inclusion just goes to show how unmanageable this topic is.
Agreed. Not only are these two not “probably never heard ofs”, they are downright famous in their genres.