After playing with a few bass players within the last year, I have come to this conclusion as far as what I look for in a bass player:
With the way I play guitar ( which is kind of all over the place. A little Robert Frippy in a way ), it should mainly focus on creating a solid foundation that grounds everything, and has some uniqueness to it, as well. It should gel with the guitar part. Gelling with the other instruments is the number one thing for a bass, IMO, but also to take the lead at times so the guitar can experiment with different soundscapes and techniques.
With the way I play guitar ( which is kind of all over the place. A little Robert Frippy in a way ), it should mainly focus on creating a solid foundation that grounds everything, and has some uniqueness to it, as well. It should gel with the guitar part. Gelling with the other instruments is the number one thing for a bass, IMO, but also to take the lead at times so the guitar can experiment with different soundscapes and techniques.