Weekly Top 10: TSA vs. Bassists, Aston Barrett, James Jamerson and More of the Best in Bass

For this week’s top 10 list, 90% of it is the sort of terrific stuff we love covering in the world of bass.

Unforunately, we have to start things off with the most read and most shared story of the week: the TSA not being so nice to some notable bassists.

Things get better from there… we promise (need proof? two of the top 10 feature James Jamerson).

Here are the top 10 most read stories and most watched videos for the week of June 22-28, 2014. Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing.

TSA Not So Bassist Friendly

1. TSA Not So Bassist Friendly

Apparently when traveling, no one is safe from the TSA. Christian McBride took to Facebook to express his outrage after his bow was taken from his case on the way to a gig in Canada, three weeks after John Patitucci had a nightmare situation himself…

Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: James Jamerson’s Bass Line Visualized

2. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough: James Jamerson’s Bass Line Visualized

Vulfpeck’s Jack Stratton sent me another one of his cool visualization videos highlighting another impressive bass line by the one and only James Jamerson. This time around, the tune is the performance of “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”…

Saving Your Ears: A Discussion for Gigging Bass Players

3. Saving Your Ears: A Discussion for Gigging Bass Players

In this week’s “Ask” column, Damian Erskine answers a reader’s question about a serious topic: hearing (and hearing loss). He offers up some great advice, and readers offer their own great advice too…

New Documentary Sets Out to Find James Jamerson’s Stolen “Funk Machine” Bass

4. New Documentary Sets Out to Find James Jamerson’s Stolen “Funk Machine” Bass

The mystery of Jame Jamerson’s Funk Machine whereabouts are getting the spotlight in a new documentary entitled “James Jamerson & the Legend of the Funk Machine.” Filmmakers Paul Crutcher and Tom Neal are out to spread the gospel of Jamerson, and they’re on the hunt to find his treasured instrument…

Federico Malaman: Solo Bass Arrangement of Sting’s “Seven Days”

5. Federico Malaman: Solo Bass Arrangement of Sting’s “Seven Days”

Here’s a bassist who never fails to impress me. Federico Malaman sent in this video of his solo bass version of Sting’s “Seven Days.” After playing a tasty arrangement of the melody, Malaman sets up a loop and lets loose with some soulful soloing…

Trip Wamsley: Redneck Monolith

6. Trip Wamsley: Redneck Monolith

This song is about as crazy as you might expect from its title. Trip Wamsley dishes up some ear-bending music in this solo bass piece called “Redneck Monolith,” which he recently recorded as part of Gallien-Krueger’s series of artist videos…

Lee Ritenour with Anthony Jackson: P.A.L.S.

7. Lee Ritenour with Anthony Jackson: P.A.L.S.

This week marked the birthday of one of the long-time bass greats, Anthony Jackson. With a catalog as large as his, it is hard to pick a video to share. But this one is just so remarkable, we decided to share it in celebration…

Lingsma Introduces Electric Upright Bass

8. Lingsma Introduces Electric Upright Bass

Netherlands-based luthier Lingsma has announced the availability of their new Electric Upright Bass model, or EUB for short. The bass’s design centers around a compact wooden resonator block, which the company says is designed to vibrate at the same resonances as the body of an acoustic upright bass and create a warm, rich sound…

Hal Leonard Releases Updated and Expanded “Bass Handbook”

9. Hal Leonard Releases Updated and Expanded “Bass Handbook”

Originally published in 2006, Adrian Ashton’s Bass Handbook: The Complete Guide to Mastering the Bass Guitar has been updated and expanded in a new edition published by Hal Leonard. The 272-page book kicks off with forward by John Paul Jones…

Legend: An Interview with Aston “Family Man” Barrett

10. Legend: An Interview with Aston “Family Man” Barrett

No reggae bass lines have been as influential as those written by Wailers bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett. We caught up with Family Man to get his perspective on the music’s value, his gear and a bonus special announcement on the band’s future plans…

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