OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# Stanley Clarke

Stanley Clarke (born June 30, 1951) is an American bassist, composer and founding member of Return to Forever, one of the first jazz fusion bands. Clarke gave the bass guitar a prominence it lacked in jazz-related music. He is the first jazz-fusion bassist to headline tours, sell out shows worldwide and have recordings reach gold status. Clarke is the recipient of five Grammy Awards, with 15 nominations, three as a solo artist, one with the Stanley Clarke Band, and one with Return to Forever. Clarke was selected to become a 2022 recipient of the National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship.

## Quotes about Stanley Clarke

* Stanley Clarke has seemingly done it all and then some during his exceptional career as a bassist. Perhaps most noted for his jazz playing, Clarke also shined on the rock side, notably in the late 1970s with Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards in the New Barbarians. Clarke, known for playing his instrument more like an upright bass, has the almost uncanny ability to give his guitar an almost percussive sound.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
* While Stanley Clarke is both a master of the double bass and electric bass, and a dynamic visionary on both instruments, he's also an accomplished composer, as evidenced by many of his solo discs, the groove-heave 1976 release, School Days, as well as his film scores. Clarke is clearly a master of jazz-rock fusion, especially during his time with Return to Forever, but he can lay down a funk groove like no other, and he swings like a madman.
** Jon Solomon of Westword (November 14, 2013)
# Donald "Duck" Dunn

Donald "Duck" Dunn (November 24, 1941 – May 13, 2012) was an American bass guitarist, session musician, record producer, and songwriter. Dunn was notable for his 1960s recordings with Booker T. & the M.G.'s and as a session bassist for Stax Records. At Stax, Dunn played on thousands of records, including hits by Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Rufus Thomas, Carla Thomas, William Bell, Eddie Floyd, Johnnie Taylor, Albert King, Bill Withers, Elvis Presley, and many others. In 1992, he was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Booker T. & the M.G.'s. In 2017, he was ranked 40th on Bass Player magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Bass Players of All Time".

## Quotes about Donald "Duck" Dunn

* For those of a certain age and spanning older generations, Dunn might be most recognizable for his appearance in the beloved comedy The Blues Brothers. However, Dunn's contributions as a bass player and to the music industry are much more expansive and celebrated. Dunn was long considered one of the great session musicians of all time. From his days at Stax Records until his death in 2012 at 70, Dunn was one of the most sought-after bassists around the globe.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# James Jamerson

James Lee Jamerson (January 29, 1936 – August 2, 1983) was an American bassist. He was the uncredited bassist on most of the Motown Records hits in the 1960s and early 1970s (Motown did not list session musician credits on their releases until 1971), and is now regarded as one of the greatest and most influential bass players in modern music history. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000. As a session musician he played on twenty-three Billboard Hot 100 number-one hits, as well as fifty-six R&B number-one hits. In its special issue "The 100 Greatest Bass Players" in 2017, Bass Player magazine ranked Jamerson number one and called him the most important and influential bass guitarist.

## Quotes about James Jamerson

* The amount of Motown legends seems endless. Notably when talking about those in the background. That's where Jamerson comes in. A good amount of the bass work laid down during the glory days of Motown's dominance in the pop music world can be credited to Jamerson, whose technically solid and creative playing was a signature of the label's sound. The Hall of Famer was also one of the most prominent and revered session bassists during the 1960s and ‘70s. He played on legendary tunes such as "You Can’t Hurry Love," "My Girl," and "I Heard it Through the Grapevine." Talk about legendary.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# John Deacon

John Richard Deacon (born 19 August 1951) is an English retired musician who was the bass guitarist for the rock band Queen. He wrote several songs for the group, including Top 10 hits "You're My Best Friend", "Another One Bites the Dust" and "I Want to Break Free"; co-wrote "Under Pressure", "Friends Will Be Friends" and "One Vision"; and he was involved in the band's financial management. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Queen in 2001 and into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2003.

## Quotes about John Deacon

* Perhaps the most mysterious member of Queen. Deacon was never one for the spotlight, but with his writing and composing contributions within the confines of Queen, Deacon had his share of legendary moments. He composed hits like "You’re My Best Friend" and "I Want to Break Free" and is likely best known for two of the most iconic bass intros of all time with "Another One Bites the Dust" and "Under Pressure." Arguably one of the most underrated members of an iconic band in music history, Deacon retired from playing in the late 1990s.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# Jack Bruce

John Symon Asher Bruce (14 May 1943 – 25 October 2014) was a Scottish musician. He gained popularity as the primary lead vocalist and ‍bassist ‍of rock band Cream. After the group disbanded in 1968, he pursued a solo career and also played with several bands.
In 1966, after a short time with Manfred Mann, he formed Cream with lead guitarist Eric Clapton and drummer Ginger Baker. He co-wrote many of their songs (including "Sunshine of Your Love", "White Room" and "I Feel Free") with poet/lyricist Pete Brown. After the group disbanded in the late 1960s, he began recording solo albums.
Bruce is considered one of the most important and influential ‍bassists ‍of all time. ‍Rolling Stone magazine readers ranked him number eight on their list of "10 ‍Greatest ‍Bassists ‍of All Time".He was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993, and was awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006, both as a member of Cream.

## Quotes about Jack Bruce

* It's safe to say that Bruce is the least prominent member of the legendary power trio Cream. That said, Bruce was more than capable of holding his own with bandmates Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker within the confines of the band that gave us iconic rock tracks such as "White Room" and "Sunshine of Your Love." Trained in classical music and proficient in jazz, Bruce also spent time playing the blues rock associated with Cream. His ability to adapt and excel in several genres of music was a massive part of his greatness. That versatility remains one of the defining characteristics of his professional legacy.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# Thundercat (musician)

Stephen Lee Bruner (born October 19, 1984), better known by his stage name Thundercat, is an American musician, singer, record producer, and songwriter from Los Angeles. First coming to prominence as a member of crossover thrash band Suicidal Tendencies, he switched his music with funk, soul, progressive R&B, psychedelia and jazz-fusion. He has since released four solo studio albums and is noted for his work with producer Flying Lotus and his appearances on Kendrick Lamar's 2015 album To Pimp a Butterfly. In 2016, Thundercat won a Grammy for Best Rap/Sung Performance for his work on the track "These Walls" from To Pimp a Butterfly. In 2020, Thundercat released his fourth studio album, It Is What It Is, which earned him a Grammy Award for Best Progressive R&B Album.

## Quotes about Thundercat

* The master of the six-string bass, Thundercat, whose father Ronald Bruner played drums for The Temptations and The Supremes, first left his mark with thrash/punk favorites Suicidal Tendencies. However, he's also worked with the likes of Kendrick Lamar, with whom he won a Grammy Award, Erykah Badu, and the late Mac Miller. In addition, Thundercat has released four widely-acclaimed solo albums as of 2023. He won his second Grammy for Best Progressive R&B Album for his 2020 release It Is What It Is.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# Peter Joseph Connors

Peter Joseph Connors (6 March 1937) is an Australian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of the Diocese of Ballarat.

## Quotes

* World Youth Day is always a wonderful opportunity for young people from around the world to build bridges of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures.
** With Pastoral Letter the Bishop of Ballarat encourages participation in World Youth Day in Sydney next year (23 October 2007) Fides News Agency
# Tina Weymouth

Martina Michèle Weymouth (/ˈweɪməθ/ WAY-məth; born November 22, 1950) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and a founding member and bassist of the new wave group Talking Heads and its side project Tom Tom Club, which she co-founded with her husband, Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz. In 2002, Weymouth was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Talking Heads.

## Quotes about Tina Weymouth

* Tina Weymouth can hold her own among the best bass players in the world. That's been the case for quite a long time. Weymouth’s punk-tinged, funk-infused bass lines have influenced countless women to pick up a bass and follow a path that is not foreign in the modern day. Whether we're talking about her work with Talking Heads or her own band Tom Tom Club (with husband and fellow Talking Heads drummer Chris Frantz), Weymouth has always delivered the goods. She plays with confidence and continues to innovate.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# Francesco Coccopalmerio

Francesco Coccopalmerio (6 March 1938 –) is an Italian prelate of the Catholic Church who served as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Milan and as the president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

## Quotes

* A divided Church is against the will of Jesus Christ and is anti-missionary and anti-evangelizing. We should use every means possible, such as prayer, to fulfill Jesus' will. Loving the Church, for priests, means realizing that this is not going well. We need to maintain Christ's spirit and bear witness to unity.
** Interfaith relations in the realization of the Church's mission, focus of the International Conference of Canonists in Czestochowa (11 September 2009) Fides News Agency
* If I knew with moral certitude that this is a sin, maybe I would not have put myself in that condition. But now I already find myself there: How can I go back? It is one thing to begin, another to interrupt.
** Cardinal Coccopalmerio Explains His Positions on Catholics in Irregular Unions (1 March 2017)
# Bootsy Collins

William Earl "Bootsy" Collins (born October 26, 1951) is an American bass guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Rising to prominence with James Brown in the early 1970s before joining the Parliament-Funkadelic collective, Collins established himself as one of the leading names and innovators in funk with his driving basslines and humorous vocals. He later formed his own P-Funk side project known as 'Bootsy's Rubber Band'. He was a frequent collaborator with other musicians from a variety of genres, including dance music (Deee-Lite's "Groove Is in the Heart"), electronic big beat (Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" and "The Joker"), and alternative metal (Praxis), among others. He is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, inducted in 1997 with 15 other members of Parliament-Funkadelic. In 2020, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Collins number 4 in its list of the 50 greatest bassists of all time.

## Quotes about Bootsy Collins

* One of the special characters in music history. Collins got his first real shot at stardom while a member of James Brown’s famous backing band. He contributed to such Brown classics as "Sex Machine" and "Super Bad." From there, Collins took that soul background and his "space bass" with a funk vibe over to George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic. In addition to playing with those two juggernauts of sound, the Hall of Famer has collaborated with the likes of Talking Heads and Keith Richards. Collins has also taught the bass and has been featured in music videos and on television sitcoms.
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# Patrick Michael Neary

Patrick Michael Neary (March 6, 1963 –) is an American prelate of the Catholic Church who serves as bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud.

## Quotes

* I became a beekeeper and loved it. I did that most of high school until I went to college, and then I had to give it up, but I miss it! I don't miss getting stung, but it wasn't that often. Bees are like people — they're temperamental; if the weather's nice, they're happy, if it's not nice, they're kind of grumpy.
** Meet the 10th bishop of the Diocese of St. Cloud (15 December 2022) The Central Minnesota Catholic
# Samir Nassar

Samir Nassar (5 July 1950–) is a Maronite prelate who is the current archeparch of the Archeparchy of Damascus.

## Quotes

* We have to change the situation. Everybody is closing his country against the neighbor. We have to open these frontiers to each other and live in one community, one fraternity of people. This is the meaning of Christian life, this the meaning of our religion.
** Syria: Church perseveres in spite of war (20 February 2020)
* You have to plant hope, but you have to have hope for it to be planted. Optimism and hope, sometimes we don't have it.
** Archbishop Nassar of Damascus celebrates faith, fraternity in partnership with archdiocese (27 January 2023) Catholic Spirit
* Many new martyrs have been added during this heavy crisis that has torn Syria apart since 2011. Silent prayers filled with tears find refuge in the ultimate meaning of Christian witness, the First Martyr, our ultimate Wall of Lamentation, our only Hope.
** Archeparch Nassar: Syrian Christians lost their main assets, family and vocations (31 July 2023) Asia News
# Tony Neelankavil

Tony Neelankavil (23 July 1967 –) is an Indian prelate of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church who serves an auxiliary bishop of the Archeparchy of Trichur.

## Quotes

* I cannot but be thankful for the strong Christian context I come from. It has always been my source of inspiration for my theological thinking. However, there is a danger of identifying oneself too much with one's own context so that one takes for granted his/her everyday life - whether it be religious or otherwise. There is the danger of theology being very self-complacent.
** Testimonial by Mgr. Tony Neelankavil, India (2018) KU Leuven
# Abraham Nehmé

Abraham Nehmé (8 October 1927 – 9 December 2022) was a prelate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church who served as the Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Homs.

## Quotes

* We feel completely abandoned by the Christians of the West, and we risk suffering the same fate as the Christians of Iraq. I am almost certain that if the Islamists come into power, we will not be very comfortable!
** Syria: “We feel abandoned by the Christians of the West” (March 2012)
# Carol Kaye

Carol Kaye (née Smith; born March 24, 1935) is an American musician. She is one of the most prolific recorded bass guitarists in rock and pop music, playing on an estimated 10,000 recordings in a career spanning over 65 years.
Kaye began playing guitar in her early teens and after some time as a guitar teacher, began to perform regularly on the Los Angeles jazz and big band circuit. She started session work in 1957, and through a connection at Gold Star Studios began working for producers Phil Spector and Brian Wilson. After a bassist failed to turn up to a session in 1963, she switched to that instrument, quickly making a name for herself as one of the most in-demand session players of the 1960s, playing on numerous hits. She moved into playing on film soundtracks in the late 1960s, particularly for Quincy Jones and Lalo Schifrin, and began to release a series of tutoring books such as How To Play The Electric Bass. During the peak of her years of session work, Kaye became part of a stable of Los Angeles–based musicians known as The Wrecking Crew. She appeared in the 2008 documentary The Wrecking Crew.

## Quotes about Carol Kaye

* Kaye’s stellar professional music career began with the sounds of jazz and big band before becoming one of the most sought-after pop/rock session bassists and guitarists, beginning in the late 1950s. During a career that covered over a half-century, Kaye’s bass work was featured alongside music giants like Phil Spector, Brian Wilson, and Quincy Jones. A long-time teacher of the electric bass, Kaye played on Nancy Sinatra’s classic "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" and contributed to the famed Mission: Impossible theme. How's that for a legacy?
** Jeff Mezydlo of Yardbarker (February 2025)
# Hanna Rahmé

Hanna Rahmé (born 18 July 1960) is a Lebanese prelate of the Maronite Church who serves as the eparch of the Eparchy of Baalbek-Deir El Ahmar.

## Quotes

* Locals have the right to live in peace. Let these young outlaws who abandoned God come to their senses.
** Maronite bishop stopped at gunpoint in a country where anarchy reigns (August 12, 2015)
# Paul-Emile Saadé

Paul-Emile Saadé (9 July 1933 – 21 September 2022) was a Lebanese prelate of the Maronite Church who served as the Eparch of the Eparchy of Batroun.

## Quotes

* Whenever the judge is weak politically and militarily speaking he goes to persecute the minorities to cover his own weakness.
** - H. Exc. Mons. Paul-Emile SAADÉ, Bishop of Batroun of the Maronites (LEBANON) (14 October 2010) Press Office of the Holy See
* Their homeland is the land of their ancestors. The homeland is not a hotel.
** Beyond a 'tea and cookies' dialogue with Islam (October 15, 2010)
# Fadi Abou Chebel

Fadi Abou Chebel (19 October 1969–) is a Lebanese prelate of the Maronite Catholic Church who serves as the current Apostolic Exarch of the Apostolic Exarchate of Colombia.

## Quotes

* I felt how much God loves me to have chosen me a second time after having chosen me a first time to join the order and become a priest, I feel blessed because the church has entrusted me with this new mission.
** Lebanese priest to lead new Maronite Catholic Exarchate of Colombia (3 February 2016)
# Paul-Mounged El-Hachem

Paul-Mounged El-Hachem (8 September 1934 – 7 October 2022) was Maronite prelate of the Catholic Church who worked in the diplomatic service of the Holy See.

## Quotes

* The idea of secularization is not possible in the Middle East. The idea of secularization is a concept that does not exist in the Middle East for both Christians and Muslims because in the Middle East people are by nature religious. It is much better to speak about citoyenneté, "citizenship for all" whereby the citizens are allowed to pursue their own religious values. Islam is not just religion but is both religion and culture. Every act of a Muslim has both a religious and cultural value.
** Retired Nuncio: West Needs to Better Understand Islam (20 April 2012)
# François Eid

François Eid (24 July 1943 –) is a prelate of the Maronite Church who served as the bishop of the Eparchy of Cairo.

## Quotes

* I believe that the formation of future African priests to the one belonging to Our Lord Jesus, Teacher and Model, represents the only alternative to form these priests into instruments of peace and reconciliation. Thus, their mission should not be considered as the place for a competition of personal, family or tribal interests, rather, to the contrary, a place for the encounter between brothers beloved by the Lord and called upon to build together, in Charity, His Kingdom of Peace and Justice.
** - H. Exc. Mons. François EID, O.M.M., Bishop of Cairo of Maronite Rite (EGYPT) (6 October 2009) Press Office of the Holy See
* Confessionalism in the Islamic societies where many Christians live and bear witness in the Middle East deeply affects their spirit and their behavior. From this stems confinement, withdrawal from others and hostility. These Christians are not "indigenous citizens". To the contrary, they belong fundamentally and organically to the social fabric and national identity of their respective countries. This is why they are called upon to live their faith and to bear witness to it.
** Intervention of Mons. François EID, Bishop of Cairo of the Maronites (EGYPT) (13 October 2010) Vatican Radio
* Our country is already immersed in that terrible conflict. And this, for Lebanon, can be devastating.
** Patriarch Rai: sectarian militias will lead the country to ruin (15 July 2013) Fides News Agency
* The Lebanese martyrs have to be celebrated even if the Turks do not want to. The Maronite Church supports the need to restore a national feast for the martyrs, and that can help preserve the unity of the Lebanese people.
** The Maronite Bishops ask for the feast of the "Lebanese Martyrs" to be restored (7 May 2015) Fides News Agency
# Boutros Gemayel

Boutros Gemayel (29 June 1932 – 21 August 2021) was an emeritus Maronite Archbishop of the Archeparchy of Cyprus.

## Quotes

* There may be no other Lebanese but you who wants civil war in Lebanon. Do not threaten us with war.
** Gemayel tells Hezbollah chief: “No one wants war except you” (March 19, 2021)
# Ad Abi Karam

Ad Abi Karam (28 March 1937–) is a Lebanese prelate of the Maronite Church who served as the eparch of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Sydney.

## Quotes

* How could Eastern Christians of the Expansion help Christians of the Middle East? We believe that confirming Eastern Christians of the Expansion in their Eastern identity and heritage would generate a dynamic drawing them to their roots, bursting in them the spirituality and faith of their forefathers so that they become an essential source of "spiritual support and solidarity" to their fellow Christians in their homeland. My pastoral experience embodied this vision.
** Intervention of Mons. 'Ad ABIKARAM, Bishop of Saint Maron of Sydney of the Maronites (AUSTRALIA) (2010)
# François Elias Beyrouti

François Elias Beyrouti (3 July 1971 –) is a Lebanese prelate of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church who serves as the bishop of the Eparchy of Newton.

## Quotes

* We ourselves need to be disciples of Jesus first, before we can call others to discipleship. It's from this that all the ministries of our Church will flow. God is constantly calling people to ministry in the Church, he's not asleep. We will never have a shortage of vocations if we create the listening environment of discipleship so that the called can answer.
** Enthronement of a New Melkite Bishop (13 November 2022) National Catholic Register
# Guy-Paul Noujaim

Guy-Paul Noujaim (7 July 1935–) is a Lebanese prelate of the Maronite Church who served as an auxiliary bishop of the Eparchy of Joubbé.

## Quotes

* I think the addict has a bad opinion of himself and of others. When he sees that somebody loves him and appreciates him, he begins to love life. Then, slowly, he can go forward in life. This needs time.
** ‘Mother of Light’ Helps Addicts Find Healing and Hope (December 1, 2017)
# Paul Abdel Sater

Paul Abdel Sater (20 September 1962–) is a Lebanese prelate of the Maronite Church who serves as a Curial bishop of the Patriarchate of Antioch.

## Quotes

* Until now, people who wish to live in freedom were always able to come to Lebanon and experience this freedom. Sadly, I believe the international community does not appreciate the true value of Lebanon. It is rare to find it in the Middle East and it needs to be preserved by the international community.
** Archbishop of Beirut: ‘We want to know the truth about the explosion’ (October 7, 2020)