Some excellent points made, especially as this pertains to arranger keyboards . . . I rarely will do a walking left hand bass unless the particular jazz song calls out for it . . . There are some styles that do provide a really nice bass line with the arranger, and then my left hand can focus on many other things! Now, on a piano, that’s a different story . . . But again, depends on the song and the style for me.
I also played accordion for a few years, loved it!!!

But I think you're missing the point here. Playing bass pedals is not something replaced by technology and left in the dustbin of history; it's a legitimate part of a playing technique usually reserved for the playing of conventional/traditional ORGANS. If real ORGANS are still around 100 years from now (and they probably will be as long as there are large, wealthy, mostly Catholic, cathedrals), so will PEDALS!!! Although technology has introduced standalone or MIDI pedals that can be played with (or without) ANY instrument, keyboard or otherwise, that doesn't change the basic concept that bass pedals are a part of an instrument known as an ORGAN and that any competent or classically trained organist would not only be able to play them but would EXPECT them to be present on his instrument. So Donny, back to your original question, 'who's interested in bass pedals?'; primarily organists and a few others who'd like a little extra flexibility in their playing. One other thing; you may have noticed (as an old B3 player) that the audience seems intrigued with watching pedal footwork, which of course adds to the 'visuals' in your performance.

chas

Before going solo, Billy Joel had a metal duo with just him, on Organ and a drummer.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7s8PHnCTGI
Wah wah pedals, screaming overdrive, manual bass ... not my taste, but worth a listen to see what 4 hands, and 4 feet can do live.

Yea but 40 years ago was very different musically then today....

Some things, like talent, creativeness, technical (playing) ability, don't change with time (ask Tony Bennett).

chas

I played organ bass pedals for years when working with an organ. The secret to the leg pain is setting in the right position. Set so your foot falls naturally straight down over the g pedal. Then just rotate the leg side to side.

As for now I agree with DonM. I play with the auto bass so I can do other things with my hands.

For years, I played double neck guitars and bass pedals. On one long standing gig, I played the bass neck along with a "sing-along-" entertainer type...Preston Weber, probably the highest paid entertainer who worked in Lexington. When it came time for a solo, I switched to pedals and played the guitar neck.

For 5 years, I played an Auto Orchestra, where you held the proper bass note and triggered 7ths, minors, etc. with the heel and toe of your right, volume pedal foot.

I did a single with a double neck 6 and 12. I had the 12 string neck into a 147RV. I had a drum machine and a set of pedals.

When my long-time organ player was having lots of physical issues, I played a Rhodes finger bass over an early Honer Clavinova.

Ah, the things you do to get girls!

Russ

...and the disappointment when they leave with the drummer . I think girls like drummers because it guarantees that they will be the smartest one in the relationship .

chas

Fran is right on the money with his remarks. I was one of the lucky ones who learned to play music on an accordion and, as a result, learned how to compose bass lines, learned chord structuring, the cycle of fifths and basic theory and harmony etc. I play both now...piano AND accordion, but the accordion training is what I use in in piano performance and not the other way around.

I try to play LH bass on the keyboard everyday but still don’t do so live yet....
Auto accompaniment bass is good for some styles of music but it has serious limitations..... Auto accompaniment can anticipate what the next chord will be. A good bass player, especially in jazz walking bass or salsa uses a leading tone on the last beat of the measure for a smooth transition to the next chord change.