Archive for December 2011 - Page 9

Jaco Pastorius wrote it and performed it. Many bassists have re-imagined it. Richard Bona may have turned in my favorite remake version of “Teen Town” yet with this live performance. I love what he does with the fretless. What do you think? Drop a note in the comments below.

The Roots have released their latest album, undun, today, marking a couple of firsts for the group. undun is the first album with bassist Mark Kelley, who replaced Owen Biddle earlier this year. The release is also the group’s first concept album, “retelling of the short life of of Redford Stephens (1974-1999)”. Before joining the Roots, Kelley performed with Meshell...

Bassist Tod Ellsworth got his hands on this 1968 Gibson EB-2D bass about a year ago, expanding his gear and his sound with this unique instrument. The EB2D was first introduced by Gibson in 1966, at a time when electric basses were rising in popularity. The “EB-2D” designates the pickup configurations for this bass: an EB2 neck humbucker from the...

It is not uncommon for students of improvisation to approach their practice without a real plan. They simply start trying to improvise a solo, without really focusing on When, How or What to play, hoping things will simply get better over time. I was certainly guilty of this. It’s one reason I developed my expandable “Tune Treatment” mentioned in an...

Here’s a great live performance of Steely Dan’s tune “Kid Charlemagne”, for VH-1’s Storytellers. In this version, bassist Tom Barney really brings it!

Last week we celebrated Jaco Pastorius’ 60th birthday with our own tribute and the most popular Jaco videos we’ve featured here on No Treble over the years. Readers responded with their own stories, making this quite a celebration for the bassist who changed it all, and who we dearly miss. On the lessons front, Thomas “MarloweDK” Risell returns with his...

Watson Guitars has just launched a new pickups company, specializing in a variety of bass pickups. Run by former Nordstrand employee Michael Cooper, Watson Pickups’ new line offers products ranging from vintage replacements to completely custom creations for extended-range instruments. Cooper designed the entire line. “My current favorite design is a tap-able modern P pickup,” Cooper explains, “which fits into...

Bassist Suzi Quatro started her musical career at the age of fourteen, playing in the all-female band, The Pleasure Seekers and Cradle, with her sisters. Her father got her started, giving Quatro as 1957 Fender Precision as her first bass. Quatro has another claim to fame: starring in the sitcom Happy Days as Leather Tuscadero, the younger sister to Pinky...

Here’s something to help get you in the holiday spirit. Tri-Fi, featuring bassist Phil Palombi, have released a new holiday album entitled A Tri-Fi Christmas. The piano trio’s seasonal record contains their personal spins on twelve Christmas classics including “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and “Joy to the World.” “Even though we recorded it in the middle of summer, we...

Nordstrand has released the 2B-MM preamp, an accurate reproduction of an early pre-Ernie Ball Music Man 2-band preamp. The preamp comes prewired, and while it works as a direct replacement for early Music Man basses, the company explains it works well for many instruments. As with the original design, the 2B-MM’s bass control only boosts and the treble boosts and...

Steve Lawson is the epitome of new school. After beginning to play solo bass in the late 1990s, Lawson has been utilizing his love of technology and community to not only expand the scope of the instrument’s identity, but also to bring players together in discussions through social media. Steve’s advocacy for a “do-it-yourself” career, including releasing your own music...

Charles Mingus’ grandson Kevin Ellington Mingus has set out to make a film exploring his grandfather’s life. Mingus on Mingus will be a full-length documentary including interviews with the musicians from bassist/composer’s band and his family and friends, to get a deeper understanding of the jazz icon. Mingus, who passed away in 1979, had a reputation of being unpredictable and...