Tony Levin;
He has played on over five hundred albums, including those of King Crimson, Cher, Alice Cooper, John Lennon, Sarah McLachlan, Stevie Nicks, Pink Floyd, Lou Reed, Buddy Rich, The Roches, Todd Rundgren, Seal, Yes and Warren Zevon. He has also toured with artists such as Paul Simon, Gary Burton, James Taylor, Herbie Mann, Judy Collins, Carly Simon, Peter Frampton, Anderson Bruford Wakeman Howe, Tim Finn, Richie Sambora, and Claudio Baglioni. Tony Levin is this posters' personal favorite( google the song " Elephant Talk" and you'll see what I'm talkin' 'bout"). Well here you go, I made it easy for y'all, watch it all !!!! and then watch it a few more times, it'll stay in your head and make you a better human , hahaha !!!;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcbSjC9tAY8
Nathan East( Eric Clapton & many others) is a close second. Dude is damn near flawless, everytime, everywhere.
Of course Jaco (Miles Davis, Weather Report, Pat Metheny, Sam & Dave, David Sanborn, Herbie Hancock, Joni Mitchell, Mike Stern & others) is up there as well, along with the "Ox" John Entwistle(The Who).
I just can't stop with these amazing musicians of thunderous godliness.
This list must go on and it resumes with;
Larry Graham( Sly & The Family Stone) , Flea (RHCP,etc), Chris Squire(YES), Victor Wooten(Bela Fleck,etc.), Roger Glover(Deep Purple), Phil Lesh (The Grateful Dead), Billy Sheehan( Steve Vai, etc), Bootsy Collins(James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic,Dee-Lite,GrooveGrass Boyz, Buckethead), Michael Manring(Michael Hedges, Windam Hill), Geddy Lee(Rush), Geezer Butler(Black Sabbath), Marcus Miller(Miles Davis, Luther Vandross, David Sanborn), Stanley Clarke( Animal Logic, Jeff Beck,Jean-Luc Ponty & Al DeMeola, etc.), Jeff Berlin(Zappa), Stu Hamm (Satriani,etc), Les Claypool(Primus, etc),Jack Bruce( Cream, etc.), Steffan Lessard( DMB),Paul McCartney(of cousre!!!) and so many more to list but the time doesn't allow .........
Give everything but up.