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Archive for September 2009

Bass Gear

Diego Stocco’s “Experibass”

Innovation is a wonderful thing, especially in music. Sometimes you come across a project that is so cool and so different you have to share it. Through Twitter (thanks to @zoecello for RT-ing the video) I came across the Experibass project by Diego Stocco. The video and process are incredible. Stocco built a new type of instrument combining the violin,...

Ask Damian Erskine, Columns

Ask Damian Erskine: Getting Jazz

Q: What is the best way to “get” jazz. in school, we had a ton of theory shoved at us but it really seemed disconnected. Solos still get me to this day because while theoretically sound, they sound manufactured. A: There are certain styles that one must “marry” in order to play with any authority. Maybe not for a lifetime,...

Bass Videos

Adam Neely: God Bless the Child

Adam Neely is a graduate in jazz composition from Berklee College of Music. He’s also the winner of the prestigious 2009 Herb Pomeroy award for excellence in jazz composition as well as the winner of the 2006 Maryland Distinguished Scholar in the Arts award. And on top of that he is also one of the latest approved professors for Learn...

In Memoriam

RIP: Brian Redman

Trial bassist Brian Redman was involved in a fatal car accident this weekend. Trial has been an influential hardcore band since 1994, working “desperately to communicate their infusion of activism, emotion, anger and intensity in a world where people are more comfortable remaining sedate.” A recent MySpace blog post by guitarist Timm McIntosh eulogizes the loss of Redman: “Funny thing...

Reader Spotlight: André Bowman
Reader Spotlight

Reader Spotlight: André Bowman

Meet bassist André Bowman, our player in the spotlight for September 29th, 2009. Bio: Hailing from Buffalo, NY, I started playing bass at age 9, beginning with acoustic bass and picking up electric a couple years later. Receiving several awards throughout high school with the jazz band and orchestra, I continued my studies at Berklee College of Music, to which...

Columns, The Lowdown with Dr. D

The Lowdown with Dr. D.: Making the Switch from Electric to Upright (part 2 of 3)

Last time we talked about some of the general concepts involved in making the switch from Electric to Upright Bass. It’s a fairly big subject, so we are going to continue down this road for the next several installments. As I mentioned last time, an accomplished Electric player can often pump out a line on an Upright after only a...

Bass Videos

Massimiliano Atzeni: Vegetariano

Massimiliano Atzeni seems to be specializing in short Youtube videos featuring riffs, and ideas that are often looped. At the moment, there are probably around 150 short, looped riffs like that, so it was hard to choose one. It probably illustrates his ability just as well to go with one of his latest. He calls it “Vegetariano”: Check him out...

Bass Gear

Gear Watch: Cooperstand

Wouldn’t it be great to be able to throw your bass stand into your gig bag or backpack (without breaking the zipper)? Cooperstand has developed a new type of guitar/bass stand that is compact, versatile and can be operated with one hand. The Cooperstand is manufactured in Nashville Tennessee from assorted American hardwoods, designed to let your instrument stand securely...

New Albums

Oz Noy: Schizophrenic

Guitarist Oz Noy has released Schizophrenic, his latest album to feature his unique approach to music and guitar. Oz is joined by Late Show with David Letterman bassist Will Lee and SNL bassist James Genus, as well as guitarist Steve Lukather, and drummers Dave Weckl, Keith Carlock and Anton Fig. I caught a live performance of Oz Noy at 55...

Bass Lessons

Lesson: Stance on the Upright Bass

In this week’s lesson, Jon takes us through some key fundamentals in upright bass playing. Balance Balance is the key. It takes many pounds of pressure to hold a string against the fingerboard with enough firmness to get a good fundamental tone; this force needs to have a counterweight applied against it. The objective is to get maximum weight into...

Bass Videos

Gary Willis: “Self Defense” Solo

We came across this great video of bassist Gary Willis playing an incredible bass solo: Willis founded the jazz-fusion group Tribal Tech with Scott Henderson in 1984. He has also worked with other notable musicians including Wayne Shorter, Dennis Chambers, and Allan Holdsworth.

Weekly Top 10

Rewind: top bass lessons and videos, Ray Riendeau’s Rave, Ask Damian Erskine, new releases and more

In case you missed them, here are some of the most popular features from last week (September 21st through 26th). Jon Burr shows us how to make transposition much easier in his latest lesson: “By the Numbers“. Meet Phil Wain, our player in the spotlight. Damian Erskine discusses the topic of learning new styles. in his weekly Ask Damian Erskine...