Archive for October 2009 - Page 8

In one of my earlier lessons I talked about using melodic minor scales to create different degrees of altered tension over functional dominant seventh chords. I got a request from a No Treble reader named Mark, asking for ii-V-I applications. Mark, this lesson is for you! We’re going to focus on different ways to reharmonize the ii-V-I and how that...

This is a video from a 1984 performance by bassist Ron Carter playing “Willow Weep for Me.” Carter is one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, heard on more than 2,500 albums. Carter is probably best known for his jazz work, playing in the Miles Davis quintet with Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Tony Williams in the early 1960s...

Bassist Meshell Ndegeocello has just released Devil’s Halo through the Downtown record label. This is Ndegeocello’s eighth album to date and features live music energy, but thematically resting on loneliness and alcohol. Ndegeocello has explained part of her muse: “I live in Hudson, N.Y., and you can walk the whole town in about 10 minutes. The unifying factor is the...

Pedulla has just announced a new line of bass guitar: the Pedulla Nuance. Like all Pedulla bass guitars, the Nuance line is also hand crafted in the USA by Michael Pedulla. This model was developed to respond the subtleties in a player’s technique and has been tested by bassists Tim Landers, Mark Egan, and David Buda, all of whom are...

Q: What is and how do you play behind or ahead of the beat? Is it just rushing or dragging? A: Good time is an obvious starting point. A great bass player is in control of their internal clock. You should be adept at playing dead ON the beat, pulling behind, pushing ahead and everywhere in between. Playing behind the...

Josh, a bass trombonist (we’ll call that close enough) sent us this video of the Flecktones performing Chick Corea’s “Spain”. I’m sure he sent it because of the awesome bass playing by Victor Wooten, who takes over around the 2:30 mark.

At the performance in Madison Square Garden, Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz had his head shaved by Mark Hoppus of Blink 182. The head shaving was allegedly payment from Wentz to do anything to be on tour with Blink. Wentz has described how big of an influence Blink has had on him: “Ever since I heard Dude Ranch I...

TC Electronic has customized their RH450 head with a new sound design specifically for Tower of Power bassist Francis Rocco Prestia. The Staccato’51 has the same look and feel of the RH450, but there are plenty of new features to differentiate this model. World Ready Power Supply – a built in power supply that operates from 90-240V, no need to...

Meet bassist Jackie Clark, our player in the spotlight for October 6, 2009. Bio: Though gospel music is my first love, I was eventually hired to hold down the bottom for some of R&B biggest names beginning with Howard Hewett in 2001. That led to a few stints with other male vocalists such as Keith Washington and Glenn Jones. I’ve...

Our Twitter friend @kevcooke shared this video recommendation with us, saying “You MUST feature this video… Pino Palladino AND David Labruyere playing on this tune = DESPICABLE groove!!!” We agree, Kevin!

South African psychedelic rock dub group BLK JKS (pronounced “Black Jacks”) have released a new album After Robots on the Secretly Canadian record label. The BLK JKS have been sharing performances with both Dirty Projectors and Afro-pop icon Femi Kuti. After Robots lives up BLK JKS description, you’ll hear raw township sounds mixed with reggae and blasts alternative rock. BLK...

New York’s Iridium Jazz Club has announced Jacofest, a four-night concert event honoring the late, great Jaco Pastorius. Bassists Victor Bailey and T.M. Stevens will be performing with many of Jaco’s former bandmates and colleagues, including trumpeters Miles Evans and Lew Soloff, saxophonists Alex Foster and Butch Thomas, trombonist David Bargeron, keyboardists Gil Goldstein and Delmar Brown, guitarist Billy “Spaceman”...