Archive for June 2016 - Page 3

Again spotlighting the anchor of a power trio, this Bass Players To Know features Chris Wolstenholme, bassist for Muse. Since the mid-90’s, Muse has released innovative and intelligent music that continues to push the boundaries of rock. Their larger-than-life stage presence, persistence in the industry, and brilliant multi-instrumentalism continues to result in hit records and sold out performances. Wolstenholme brings...

My good friend – and excellent bassist – Tim Starace sent me this clip of YYNOT’s latest Rush-inspired original. This one is called “Kingdom Come”, and features Tim on bass, Rocky Kuner on vocals, Billy Alexander on guitar, keys and vocals, and Anthony Morra on drums.

Vibraphonist/composer Warren Wolf has released his third solo album, Convergence. The record features the work of virtuoso bassist and five-time Grammy Award winner Christian McBride and other big names in modern jazz, including drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts, pianist Brad Mehldau and guitarist John Scofield. McBride also produced the album and serves as a mentor to Wolf, who was a member...

Guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilk and bassist Tim Commerford of Rage Against the Machine fame have teamed up with Public Enemy’s Chuck D and Cypress Hill’s B-Real to form Prophets of Rage. The politically themed band blends elements of each of the members’ respective groups. If you’re wondering what that sounds like, check this out: Now the five-piece machine...

Claus Freudenstein has unveiled the US version of his Freudenstein Minibass, a miniature contrabass designed for teaching children as young as five years old. It has a 70cm string length and comes in multiple colors. The bass is made of plywood and is braced inside. Freudenstein also has an accompanying book, entitled “Mini Bass”, for getting youngsters started. The Freudenstein...

The first time I saw Victor Wooten perform live, it was with this line up of Béla Fleck and the Flecktones. So it was cool to find this clip from the 2006 Heineken Jazzaldia festival. Here’s a great showcase of Victor and saxophonist Jeff Coffin from that show.

U2 concluded its Innocence and Experience tour with an epic performance in Paris, captured in the 2.5-hour concert film, iNNOCENCE + eXPERIENCE Live in Paris, available on Blu-ray and DVD. The Blu-ray set includes the film, with guest performances by Eagles of Death Metal and Patti Smith, as well behind-the-scenes footage, additional music videos and live tracks. As he has...

Rock Stock Pedals have introduced the Dark Horse, a new silicon fuzz pedal for bass and guitar. With wide fuzz and gain ranges, the company says it has a wide palette from “cool lo-fi tones to all out saturated, high-gain fuzz.” The Pedal has three controls – Volume, Treble, and Sustain – for dialing in your tone. Rock Stock points...

Q: I have a question and was wondering if you could point me in the right direction. Lately I’ve been thinking about a career change. Quick background: I graduated from Missouri State University two and a half years ago with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing. I’m not happy at my current job, and a part of me has always regretted...

Since Nenad Vasilic began sending his Balkan bass videos, I’ve taken more interest in the music from that region. That’s why I was excited to get an email from bassist Audun Ramo with the title “Balkan Slap”. “I’ve been working on slap techniques for the double bass related to world music – and more specific the music from Balkan –...

Brian Rading, who laid down the low end for Canada’s Five Man Electrical Band, has passed away after fighting throat cancer. He was 69 years old. Rading co-founded the band in 1963 in Ottawa. Originally called The Staccatos, the group changed their name after a handful of albums on Capitol Records of Canada. Rading was instrumental in choosing the name...

Meet Janette Kidd, a bassist from Scotland who has had an interesting career – in and out of music. One of my favorite parts of her story is how she turned a guitar into a bass (way before our how-to video), which set her on a path for life. Janette is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s...