> bass players aren't paid to play quickly, they are paid to hear quickly.

Stanley Clarke probably disagrees :)

Seriously: I think it's a great quip.

One of the really annoying things that has led me to pursue other instruments is that, no matter how good I get, it's generically inappropriate for me to play like that most of the time.

I can play tunes by Jaco or Les Claypool, but I can't play that at a country, blues, or bluegrass gig. Or even most of the jazz gigs I've played, for that matter. :D

Indeed, I also tell people that we're not paid for the notes that we play, but for the notes that we don't play.

Bass players are paid for the plays they note, not the notes they play.