Archive for January 2014 - Page 6

I always enjoy the top 10 video recaps each month, but this one seems exceptionally great, don’t you think? These are the top 10 most watched videos for the month of December, 2013. Enjoy! 1. Pino Palladino: The Story Behind “Wherever I Lay My Hat” Bass Line “Wherever I Lay My Hat (That’s My Home)” was first recorded by Marvin...

Dane Alderson is one of my favorite bassists, and this video is a great example of why. Recorded with Troy Roberts’ Nu-Jive at the Charles Hotel in Perth in 2011, Alderson fills out the groove perfectly with a round, modern tone and tasteful fills. He then takes an extended solo starting at 6:15 with lots of great twists and turns...

The insane 1960s/70s-inspired soultastic grooves of Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings have returned with the aptly titled album . It’s the first album release since 2011’s Soul Time! for the 11-piece band led by bassist Bosco Mann. It’s also the first since vocalist Jones’ cancer diagnosis. Jones is back with ongoing treatment, and the band is promoting the record, which...

For all the do-it-yourselfers, Mod Kits DIY has introduced the Wahtz Wah Pedal Kit. The kit comes with all the pieces and instructions to build the effects pedal. The company says the Wahtz Wah Pedal kit creates a pedal with a classic wah tone “with a hint of extra bite and growl.” It features true bypass to prevent signal loss...

Complete independence of the left hand fingers is a laudable goal for every serious bassist, guitarist and string player. Below is a short beginning exercise designed to prepare us for playing double trills, (trills on two notes simultaneously). Strictly speaking, there are no double trills in the exercise below. However, it is a necessary step we must take if we...

I randomly stumbled upon the work of Matt Gruebner – aka Maxgroover – over the weekend. His solo bass performance of The Beatles’ “Hey Jude” really knocked me out. Matt is performing this on a Nash Jazz bass.

We reported last August that Nathan East was working on his first solo album. Now we know a date. Nathan East will be released on March 25, 2014. “It’s a celebration of my musical friends and my musical life over 30 years’ worth of experiences and influences,” East told Billboard. “The one thing I’ve learned is that I love a...

The NAMM Show is almost here, and that means the gear news is starting to spin up. No surprise some of these early gear stories made this week’s top 10. We also had some killer solo bass videos, including the #1 slot (Nico Aranda’s performance of “Get Lucky”), and Simon Fitzpatrick’s jaw-dropping “Flight of the Bumblebee”. Add to it the...

I really love bass cams. Sometimes they make you feel a little dizzy, but the perspective is so cool. Here’s a bass cam video of bassist László Demeter playing with his band, byron. Demeter pins down the low end for the song “Zeitgeist,” which was recorded during their New Year’s Eve gig at Clubul Taranului in Bucharest.

After debuting in early 2013 for a short East Coast tour, the Ringers are back with more performance dates. The supergroup is made up of Jimmy Herring, Wayne Krantz, Michael Landau, Gary Novak and bassist Etienne Mbappe. Their trek kicks off January 18th during two appearances at Florida’s Sunshine Music & Blues Festival. They then make their way north along...

Carvin has announced the BX700, an evolved version of their BX500 bass amplifier. The new head unit combines a Class A preamp with a Class D power section rated up to 700 watts at two ohms. Remodeled in a red-faced chassis, the BX700’s controls include three EQ sections. The Contour knob controls an adjustable preset EQ curve that is flat...

Our friend Helge Rudolph sent this one, saying “fresh stuff from Europe. Maybe you’ll like it?!” Heck yeah! This band is tight, and bassist Frans Vollink is laying down one nice groove.