I'd have to agree. Les Claypool is so amazing it's really scary. In fact, after Cliff Burton died and Metallica was auditioning bassists, they turned down Les Claypool because he was too good, and they told him to go start his own band.
Joey

I agree 100%. Les Claypool is the best bassists I've ever heard and I also heard that Metallica thing. He just blows my mind away. He is definitely the best bassist... undisputedly. He is the Jimi Hendrix or the Tom Morello of bass.

role models that have influenced me since i started playing- sting, he is very simple but his music expresses so much, a musician genius. jaco pastorius- undoubtingly the best bassist ever, before he past away. les claypool- unique and extremely clever, victor wooten-may be the best alive right now, extremely fast and inovative.

where can I hear Les Claypool?

les is in Primus and another band i can't remember what its called. More Les weirdness.

OH is that him? I remeber seeing him in a Primus video had it in my head the whole day. Didn't hear much but I heard a couple of seconds of him and it was in my head for a long time. I remeber him watching him wail away at the strings looked as diffucult as it did cool. thanks for the reply

I don't really have what you would call a role model but there are several bassists I really like. Darryl Jones, Geddy Lee, Alfonso Johnson, Paul Chambers, Pino Palladino, Lee Sklar, etc. Come to think of it I like just about any player who plays with perfect timing, creativity, and knows when and when not to play too much. Although Victor Wooten is incredible and probably the best alive, I find his solo albums are like listening to an octopus play drums. There is just too much! :)

Coltrane...

Les claypool is amazing.
Rob Trujillo is just sick.
Jaco pastorius... AMAZING
Flea... just awsome.
Jon Paul. PSYCO FUNK
Fat Mike(nofx) bad a-- riffs.

Anyone who has really listened to Coltrane can't help but be afeected heavily by his music. Blue Train, Lush Life, Naima, Giant Steps, and many others still amaze me and thrill me. My original influence was Tommy Shannon of Double Trouble, Stevie Ray's rhythm section. Other influences include Victor Wooten, Miles Davis, John Paul Jones of Zeppelin, and Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals bassist Juan Nelson.

Glenn-
I just picked up some Coltrane re-issues; ASCENSION has been stuck in my cd player for about 2 weeks now(it's only taken me 25 years to really be able to sit down with it).