Best of 2013: The Top Bassist Interviews, Old School Basses and Feature Stories
We try to share at least one special feature each week on No Treble, spanning various forms of interviews (Stories Behind the Songs, Track By Track and traditional interviews), special gear features (like Old School and Gear Roundups) and other stories worth telling.
Here are the ten most popular features on No Treble in 2013, based on readership.
1. Bass on a Budget: 14 Basses Under $500
Here are 14 basses we’ve covered in the first half of 2013, with price tags of $500 or less….
2. Stories Behind the Songs: Leland Sklar
With over 2,500 albums under his belt, Leland Sklar is more than a seasoned pro. He’s a legend. A staple of L.A. studio scene, Sklar put his stamp on music of all genres for over four decades. Sklar shared the stories behind his favorite tracks he’s played on as well as No Treble readers’ favorites…
3. Felix Pastorius Talks About Recording with Jaco’s Bass
When Felix Pastorius joined the Yellowjackets to fill in for Jimmy Haslip, the move was supposed to be temporary. When Haslip ultimately decided not to return, Pastorius stayed on and went into the studio for the group’s 2013 release, A Rise In The Road. But the story is even bigger than that…
4. Setting Yourself Up For Success In The Practice Shed
If you are really serious about improving your bass playing, at some point you are going to realize that you need to have a solid practice plan in place. Merely working on a random variety of exercises or picking up your bass arbitrarily will not put you on the fast track. Guest columnist Adam Nitty shares his unique views to help you achieve success…
5. Stories Behind the Songs: Will Lee
As a part of the CBS Orchestra, Will Lee’s bass playing is heard by millions of people every week on The Late Show with David Letterman. Millions more listen to him every day thanks to his prolific recording career that spans over 1,700 albums. With such a deep well of musical experience, we reached out to Lee for a retrospective of some of his favorite songs he’s recorded…
6. Old School: 1958 Fender Precision Bass
When we first met Phil Smallwood, he mentioned to us something about his old gear. The next day, he showed up at No Treble HQ with a 1958 Fender Precision Bass. We tried to figure out a way to ask him if we could borrow it, but opted instead to get some photos and the story…
7. Track By Track: Evan Brewer Talks “Your Itinerary”
Bassist Evan Brewer made his return in 2013 with his second solo album, Your Itinerary. The effort represents a big change from his bass-only debut, Alone, and features eight full arrangements of original songs with drums, keyboard, guitar, and more. Here’s a track-by-track analysis of the album by the man himself…
8. Old School: 1973 Acoustic Control Corporation Black Widow Bass
Our Facebook friend Cuzin’ Locust Johnson (AKA Mark) shares some old school goodness with us – his 1973 Acoustic Control Black Widow Bass. Acoustic Control Corporation’s Black Widow bass began in 1972, along with a guitar model of the same name…
9. Track by Track: Chuck Rainey Talks “Interpretations of a Groove”
Fifteen years since his last album, Chuck Rainey released his latest solo effort this year, Interpretations of a Groove. The album almost didn’t happen though. Rod Taylor sat down with Chuck to get the story behind this album, track-by-track…
10. Living the Dream: An Interview with Bryan Beller
The last time we got to chat with Bryan Beller, it was several months before his freakishly good power trio The Aristocrats released their debut album. We caught up with him to get the scoop on the new Aristocrats album, his gear and his advice for up-and-coming bassists…
