Mute everything but the drums, plug in & lock your bass playing to the bass drum = single root note until you're in the pocket.
When you really are in the groove break out to the octave occasionally to see if you can stay in the pocket.
A few years later try some pentatonic scales.
Playing across the beat means you have to KNOW where the beat is.
I'm gonna go the other way and say you can't learn it from a book. If you do, it'll sound like you're playing from a book, and that aint what it's about.
Badass bass is one area where you have to learn from the masters. Listen to the kings of bass for what you want to play and cop their licks.
No, but it was a bridge (Leo Quan)!
Listen to James Brown, Tower of Power, Bobby Vega, Bootsy Collins (especially the songs with James Brown), James Jamerson, the 70s funk bands. There's really too many to name, just get on youtube.
Bassically, Michael