Melodies.
Jazz bassists are changing their tunes. Many jazz bassists, myownself included (big time), are even changing the way they construct their lines in the rhythm section. With the advent of the interplay between Bill Evans and Scott LaFaro, we are more free in the notes we can play. We can keep the groove in terms of quarter notes but we no longer have to play the root note on the bottom as much as we used to.
Scott Colley and Drew Gress are just two examples of bassists you can listen to to hear this.
I hear the notes in my bass lines more like "counter-melodies" any more.
The first time I heard my mentor, Red Mitchell, play those beautiful lines behind Hampton Hawes in about 1956......man, those strong lines were not only strong, they were beautiful little melodies that sounded better than most bass player's solos.
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