Archive for April 2010

Rush recently announced a tour, as well as a new documentary, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. The film, produced by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC on April 24, and will make its television debut on June 26th on VH1 and VH1 Classic. In a recent interview with Philadelphia radio station 94 WYSP,...

Here’s a crazy clip shared by Will Marks. This video features Johnny Winter performing a cover of the Stones’ “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. But that’s not why we’re posting it. Wait for the guitar solo, where bassist Jon Paris and Winter trade instruments, while each is still strapped in. Even more impressive, Paris plays the guitar solo behind his back!

Weezer has announced that they will be releasing a deluxe reissue of their 1996 album, Pinkerton as well as an “Odds and Ends” collection of rare tracks and b-sides sometime later this year. “It’s a ton of B-sides from a big period of time,” bassist Scott Shriner explains. “Rivers (Cuomo) has been mostly in charge of picking which songs are...

Alfred Music Publishing has partnered with Mag Rack, a video-on-demand lifestyle network, to make free music lessons available through a variety of cable and dish network providers. The program starts today, with access to blues and vocal lessons. On May 13th, bass (and drum) lessons will begin airing. “The music lessons that Alfred Music Publishing has created are perfect for...

As bass players, we brethren of the low end are aware of something that normal listeners, and even other musicians, take for granted. We know that a song starts and stops with us. We know that a great drummer can make or break a band in general, but once that slot is filled with a solid player he can’t really...

In today’s video, Marcus Miller shares his experience working with Miles Davis and Miles’ impact on music, and ends with a solo tribute.

Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson has posted a blog update after returning from a South American tour with GnR. “All things considered, I’d say South America was a success,” he reports. “I have a few new scars, one less bass, one less favorite coat (damn thieving baggage handlers!), a few less brain cells, and a new appreciation for Cipro....

Noteflight has announced the release of Crescendo, an online music notation software that uses your web browser to help edit, display, and play back music you write as well as share it with others in an online community setting. Crescendo builds upon the already popular and free Noteflight software by introducing tablature support, score templates, lots of new virtual instruments...

Q: I have a question regarding funk slap bass techniques. Are there any certain key techniques to doing this? I listen to a lot of bass-heavy funk lines in music and want to play them, but the speed at which they are able to do that stuff is incredible. I have often wondered if I am too heavy with my...

Listening to a lot of Pat Metheny’s music inspired Greg Fairweather (aka Shipbassguy) to do the following bass solo version of the jazz standard “There Will Never Be Another You”.

YellowJackets bassist Jimmy Haslip has teamed up with guitarists Michael Landau and Robben Ford and drummer Gary Novak to release an album under the moniker “Renegade Creation“. The album, released by the Blues Bureau record label, features eight vocal tunes sung by Landau and Ford as well as two instrumental tracks. The group’s music is a melding of blues, rock,...

Meet Mario Sangermano, our player in the spotlight for April 27, 2010. Bio: I started playing electric bass at age 11, and he played in many high school neighborhood bands, performing rock and jazz. I studied theory with my grandfather who was a professional violinist in Italy, and later studied Jazz and Commercial Music at the American Conservatory of Music...