Archive for December 2012 - Page 3

Bassist Bas Shiver has shared a video with a dual purpose. First, a sweet arrangement of “Let it Snow” for bass. Then, he teaches you how, so you can add it to your holiday festivities. The Christmas ornament is optional, but recommended.

Eagles bassist Timothy B. Schmit is recovering after having surgery for throat and neck cancer late last month. The news was confirmed by his assistant Julie Freeman in a message to the band’s fan site Eaglesfans.com. Freeman stated that Schmit was diagnosed in October and flew to New York for surgery right after The Eagles’ November 17th concert in Las...

David Ellefson revealed that he’s working on an autobiography entitled My Life With Deth, which is expected to be released next year. Written with Joel McIver, the book will chronicle the Megadeth bassist’s years of addiction, recovery and return to faith. “My autobiography is not the usual tale of rock ‘n’ roll woe, but rather something I hope will truly...

Damian was blown away by this video and sent it my way. Watch it and you’ll see what he was talking about. This is multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier performing his arrangement of the traditional English Christmas carol, “I Saw Three Ships”. As Jacob says, the tune is “Performed and produced by a variety of Jacob Collier’s.” Including one on upright.

Iron Butterfly bassist Lee Dorman has passed away at the age of 70. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department reports that Dorman was found dead in his vehicle and that no foul play is suspected, though a coroner’s investigation is under way. Dorman spent over 30 years with Iron Butterfly and was a fairly consistent member throughout the band’s numerous splits...

They say that the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. Well then, here goes… I’m a bookworm. So much so that it takes an enormous amount of will power to pry myself away from a good novel before being late to work. It’s easy to get caught up in a story, to lose track of time,...

I had no idea Adam Stevens also played upright until now. The bassist who has already been impressing all of us with his skills on electric shared this fun video of him performing an impromptu holiday bass jam. “I had a bit of time before a festive jazz trio gig I played last night, so I thought I’d set up...

Simon Little has teamed up with pianist Jez Carr and saxophonist Mike Haughton to release Foreground Music, Vol. 1, an album of beautiful and freely improvised music. While its rolling textures and seemingly mind-meld moments make it sound like they’ve worked together for a lifetime, the eight track collection was recorded the second time the group had ever played together...

This week we take a look at Spanish custom shop o3 Guitars’ Palladium bass. Available in 4-, 5- and 6-string versions, the bass takes its moniker from the chemical element, which is a “rare and lustrous silvery-white metal.” All of o3’s basses are hand made, so each is customized. Standard features include an ebony fingerboard, mahogany body, and a 5-piece...

Last month we shared a bass cam video of Periphery bassist Adam “Nolly” Getgood performing “Make Total Destroy” live at Manchester Academy. The clip was a hit with our readers, who especially took note of Getgood’s ridiculously awesome tone. Getgood got his musical start on piano before turning his attention to guitar, where years of practice paid off in immense...

I just discovered bassist Ed Lift, who goes by the screen name Zon 4. And I was glad I did. Zon 4’s style is very reminiscent of Zander Zon’s – and perhaps even inspired by Zander. Both bassists play Zon basses strung with piccolo strings and tackle beautifully arranged solo bass pieces. Here’s Zon 4 performing a medley of Christmas...

Veillette Guitars is now offering the Flyer Bass, a lightweight acoustic-electric bass guitar designed to strike a balance between the acoustic and electric worlds. Designed after the company’s Flyer guitar, the bass features bent sides and a floating top and back to deliver acoustic tone, feel, and response while its 18-volt active piezo system offers full-range amplified tone. Veillette attributes...