Weekly Top 10: New Bass Gear, More On Harmonic Substitutions, “Marcus” Doc, Top Bass Videos and More
This was a huge week for bassist birthdays: Donald “Duck” Dunn, Edgar Meyer, Bob Babbitt and John McVie.
We also celebrated Thanksgiving here in the U.S., with some of our favorite videos.
That, plus some new gear, Damian’s third and final installment on his Harmonic Substitutions series, news of a documentary on Marcus Miller and the bass of the week added up to a big top 10 list of bass.
Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing!
1. Anaconda Basses Introduces Super J Basses
Anaconda Basses has expanded their range of basses with the Super J, which luthier Andrew Taylor-Cummings calls his take on a classic J-style. “I didn’t want to do yet another straight copy, but rather build and improve on a classic,” he shared…
2. Esperanza Spalding: Hold On Me (Live)
This just feels perfect for a chill day like today. Of course, when it is Esperanza Spalding, I don’t need any excuse. This is Esperanza performing “Hold On Me” live in 2012…
3. Breaking Down Harmonic Substitutions: Part 3 – Practice Material
As a follow up on harmonic substitutions, Damian Erskine wraps up the series with a few choice pages from his book, The Improvisor’s Path, related we’ve been discussing…
4. Bass of the Week: Bootleg Guitars Jazz Box 4
This week we take a look at a new hollow-body creation from Bootleg Guitars called the Jazz Box 4. Finished in a beautiful translucent green, the bass features a body with maple for its top and back with a Spanish Cedar core…
5. Donald “Duck” Dunn and Steve Cropper: Time is Tight (Final U.S. Performance)
On November 24th, 1941, the great Donald “Duck” Dunn was born. And that was a good thing for bass players ever since… he showed us the right way to hold it down. Here’s a video from Duck’s final U.S. performance, just two weeks before he passed away in 2012…
6. Janek Gwizdala Publishes “All The Good Stuff – How I Practice” Instructional eBook
Janek Gwizdala has a new instructional book out. All the Good Stuff – How I Practice revolves around his practice regimen, and the book is full on getting the most out of your instrument, your hands and your ears. Gwizdala dives into more than practicing with tips on getting focused, inspiration, pacing, and more…
7. Spare Parts: Watch Your Step
Here’s a great clip of Spare Parts jamming on their song “Watch Your Step” live at Warehaus West in Chicago. The band grooves hard thanks to bassist Colin Scott, who utilizes fingerstyle, slap, and some intense strumming with effects to keep you on your toes…
8. Chick Corea and Friends, with Eddie Gomez: Humpty Dumpty
Steve Bailey recently sent me a cool video of bass players congratulating Eddie Gomez on his recent honorary doctorate from Berklee School of Music. A recurring theme in everyone’s praise was Eddie’s playing on the song “Humpty Dumpty,” which led me to revisit the song and find a few versions, including this one…
9. EC Pedals Announces Superswitcher 2
EC Pedals has announced the Superswitcher 2, a compact switcher for controlling multiple effects or amps at once. The pedal has eight audio loops for pedals (seven mono and one stereo), as well as an effects loop module, two relay switches for controlling amp channels, and MIDI in and outs…
10. Marcus Miller Documentary Announced
Marcus Miller’s prolific, musically diverse career and his influence are detailed in a documentary to be released digitally in January 2015. Zycopolis, a French firm, produced the documentary, called Marcus, about the electric bassist and multi-instrumentalist (he’s also a keyboardist and clarinetist/bass clarinetist), who has left an indelible mark and several music genres…
