Uncle Dave is not the only one. I also play in the same manner as his.

If it ain't working for UD, it's not working for me, most likely. In my opinion, manual bass is super important. If you think about it, what is the most dominant or 2nd most dominant sound that carries tune in an arrangement piece ? It's the BASS. It's as simple as that. That BASS makes the whole thing work well and flows smoothly. Of course the comping and the drums matter a lot too. You can add a lot of accents with the bass and it carries a lot of power.