Archive for March 2010 - Page 5

FEA Labs has announced the FEA Growler pedal to their product line. The Growler is designed as an enhancement pedal that adds second harmonic warmth to add “growl and punch” to their tone. The pedal generates an analog harmonic octave tone to blend with your bass’s natural tone. The pedal features a dual-channel setup that allows you to switch between...

Meet Lou Castro, our bassist in the spotlight for March 16th, 2010. Bio: I’ve worked or played with Arthur Adams, Mandrill, Vivian Campbell, Keiko Matsui, Wayne Newton, Chuck Berry, Johnny Tillotson, Don Was, Mitchell Froom, Dave Smallen, etc. Location: North Hollywood, CA, USA Day gig: This is my day job! Years experience: I’ve been playing since 1969! Bands & Gigs:...

Inventive, deeply melodic and resonant, Reclamation is a great record featuring strong writing and arrangements, a unique string trio line-up and three unique voices. Stephan Crump is a fabulous jazz bassist and is joined by Jamie Fox and Liberty Ellman on guitars in a trio which has been together for some time. This is their second album. The interplay, sensitivity...

This is the swinging Vienna Art Orchestra playing “L’art goes funk” featuring the two amazing Austrian bass players Georg Breinschmid on double bass and Robert Riegler on electric 6-string bass. Notice how the two bass players take turn playing the groove as the song changes. Very cool. For more information about the Vienna Art Orchestra visit their web site.

Andy Fraser of the groundbreaking ’60s and ’70s band Free will have one of his basses put on exhibit in Cleveland, Ohio’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Fraser, who was a founding member of Free, was also the co-writer of their biggest hit, “All Right Now.” The bass is a “one of a kind” custom made by Z-Guitars of...

Return to Forever drummer Lenny White has announced his first solo album in a decade, Anomaly. White will be joined by bassists Stanley Clarke and Victor Bailey, and a host of others. Anomaly finds White returning to his pioneering jazz-rock roots that helped to define the early 70’s fusion movement, and looking forward. “We need to restart a revolution so...

Every so often there is a passage, phrase or “lick” that we just can’t seem to execute as well as we would like, no matter how many times we practice it under tempo. This should be a sign that we need to change our approach. Slow practice an excellent and valuable tool, but it is just one of many ways...

NAMM Bass Bash videos keep coming… Here’s a great one, featuring the bass trio of Ray Riendeau, Damian Erskine and Evan Marien, with drummer Martin Diamond, performing Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City”.

Here are the top 10 most read articles on No Treble for the week of March 7, 2010. 1. Gigs: Smashing Pumpkins Hold Open Auditions for New Bassist Ever wanted to play along side Billy Corgan in the Smashing Pumpkins? Well your big chance has arrived! Corgan has announced that the band will be having open auditions for a new...

Funk master Bootsy Collins has just announced that he will be opening the “Funk University,” and that the first semester of classes will begin on July 1, 2010. Professor Bootsy will lead a group of outstanding musicians in teaching funk to intermediate and advanced players in an online setting. The Funk University classes will be held over the web via...

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke has announced the name of his new supergroup, which includes Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and tour dates for the band. The group, Atoms for Peace, also includes Joey Waronker of R.E.M., Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark, and Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich. They have announced a 9-date tour, beginning in New York and...

Today’s video comes from ARTE TV’s “One Shot Not” program, with Hindi Zahra and Richard Bona performing Bob Marley’s “Wait In Vain”. See more on Arte TV’s web site