Archive for May 2016 - Page 2

When Prince died on April 21st, the world lost another legend. The Purple One touched so many lives through his music that he was more than a musician; he was a cultural icon. Besides being a world-class bassist himself, Prince always kept top-notch low-enders by his side. Rhonda Smith, Mark Brown, André Cymone, Larry Graham, Ida Nielsen, Andrew Gouché and...

Today is Leland Sklar‘s birthday, and we’re celebrating with another great video. If ever you’re looking for a lesson in tone, taste, and time, just look up a video of Lee. (Even better, you should follow him on Facebook.) Here’s a duet he shared of “Jamaica Rendezvous” with the late singer/songwriter Tom Barger. Sklar lays down a tasty groove with...

The Killers have announced that Mark Stoermer will be taking a break from touring with the band to work on his own projects. The bassist, who has been part of the lineup since 2002, will still be a part of the band and involved in recording the group’s new album. “Mark has decided to take a break from The Killers...

Jorma Kaukonen’s Fur Peace Ranch and Arts Center has announced its lineup of bass workshops for 2016, and it’s bound to be a good year. Kaukonen’s Hot Tuna partner and regular FPR educator Jack Casady will return while bassists Kai Eckhardt and Bobby Vega will teach their own workshops this summer and fall. First up will be Eckhardt, who will...

There’s nothing like being in a symphony hall and experiencing the sound of a double bass. The tone of the instrument is enhanced by the beauty of the room and the reverence for hundreds of years of Western musical culture. The low, resonant notes fill the space like fresh coffee being poured into your favorite mug; they are rich and...

Today we’re celebrating the birthday of one of the greats – Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen – who was born on this day in 1946. Here’s the bass great performing “Oleo” with guitarist Joe Pass on October 24, 1992 at the Jazz Baltica festival in Germany. Happy birthday, NHØP. You are missed!

Bassist Dave Bronze, who appeared on Eric Clapton’s 1994 and 1998 albums From the Cradle and Pilgrim, has re-teamed with the guitar great for Clapton’s latest studio record, I Still Do. The new album featuring Bronze (Robin Trower, Art of Noise, Procol Harum, Dr. Feelgood) sees Clapton working with another old collaborator, producer Glyn Johns, who was at the helm...

Here’s a tour you won’t want to miss: Stuart Hamm will be hitting the road in June for his “Solo Bass Songs and Stories Tour”. The trek, which focuses on the Northeast and parts of Canada, will have the bass legend performing songs from his latest album, The Book of Lies, plus new music including his petite suite for solo...

Veteran bassist and educator Todd Coolman has worked with a who’s who of the jazz world. His resumé includes work with Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Ahmad Jamal, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, and James Moody (with whom he won Grammy), among others. In working with these incredible bandleaders, he’s gathered what it takes...

If you’re addicted to that fretless “mwah”, then you’re going to want to sit down for this one. Alex Bershadsky teamed up with pianist Rostik Lerman and drummer Shay Sasson to record Lerman’s composition “Tango Traumatico” and it’s got tons of creamy bass tone. The trio gets into a great tango groove with solid foundation from the bassist before he...

Mudcrutch, Tom Petty’s band before the Heartbreakers, has released its second album, 2, more than 40 years after the band’s 1975 breakup. Mudcrutch can almost be seen as an incubator for Petty’s later band, including future Heartbreakers Mike Campbell (guitar) and Benmont Tench (keyboards). Both men, and Petty, are part of the current incarnation of Mudcrutch, which reformed and released...

Peterson Tuners has introduced the BodyBeat Pulse Solo, a clip-on device that allows players to feel the beat from a metronome through vibration. The Pulse Solo uses the output of any metronome that has a standard 3.5mm headphone output jack, including metronome apps on mobile devices. It also works with Peterson’s own BodyBeat Metronome App for iOS to deliver three...