Archive for May 2018 - Page 4

Jazz master Ron Carter’s biography, Finding The Right Notes, is now available as an audiobook. Written by Dan Ouellette, the aural version is read by Carter himself and include musical intros to each chapter. Its total running time is over twelve hours. Finding The Right Notes chronicles Carter’s life from his beginnings in Michigan to his rise in the jazz...

Following up the previous BPTK, (Rutger Gunnarrson), I found it only appropriate to highlight another late 1970’s popular music icon from across the pond. This time, we focus on the great John Illsley of Dire Straits. A longtime member of the band, his bass lines provide the perfect backdrop to Knopfler’s guitar playing and singing. Always aiming to serve the...

The Blues Beatles are back with another video, once again doing their own thing with a classic Beatles song. In this clip, they take on the Beatles’ 1964 hit, “Can’t Buy Me Love.” As always, Bruno Falcão lays down the low end.

Jimi Hendrix inspired countless musicians to pick up their instruments and become better at their craft. One of those musicians was Dug Pinnick, who has just released a new tribute album to the legendary guitarist. Tribute to Jimi: (Often Imitated but Never Duplicated) covers eight of Hendrix’s most iconic songs including “Fire”, “Purple Haze”, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, and more....

DC Pedals has announced the 5-Channel Bluetooth Looper, an innovative new effects looper that allows for programming and control from your smartphone. “Focused on the working musician, the 5-Channel Bluetooth Looper is a true-bypass switching system with five loops, 100 direct accessible presets, 100 MIDI accessible presets, MIDI input and MIDI output, and our patented Bluetooth wireless programming and control,”...

Stuart Clayton’s year-long “Bass Lick of the Week” series just hit episode #36. This time around, Stuart is focusing on an up-tempo slap groove exercise. As always, Stuart is offering up the backing track and a PDF worksheet containing the notation/TAB and instructions on how to play the line on his Bassline Publishing website.

Phish has announced their touring plans with a fourteen-show outing that will bounce around the United States. Anchored by bassist Mike Gordon, the iconic jam band will kick things off in Albany, New York before heading to Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, and Nevada. Each location will have at least two nights of music. The news expands upon their existing summer dates...

Anthony Jackson is one of the most versatile bass players in the music scene and a real innovator in the 6-string bass (or contrabass guitar) that he developed in the seventies. He is known as a session musician working with artists like Diane Ross, Chaka Khan, Steely Dan, and Steve Khan, but he made a very important body of work...

Vulfpeck has just released their video for the tune, “Grandma,” which appears on their album, . The song offers up some silky smooth old school goodness, thanks in part to Joe Dart.

Jazz bassist Dave Holland has returned with a new album with a very appropriate title. Uncharted Territories is an exploratory album that reunites the band leader with longtime friend and saxophonist Evan Parker. Pianist Craig Taborn and percussionist Ches Smith round out the album. “In addition to quartet improvisations, they also broke off into every possible subset of duo and...

Q: Damian, here’s a question that might not apply to all, but it would definitely apply to many who are trying to make a little side money by teaching. I live in a rather small rural community surrounded by a number of moderate-sized towns. What, if any, suggestions would you have to make the prospect of learning bass guitar more...

Roosevelt Collier just released another video in support of his new album, Exit 16. Once again, he’s joined by Michael League on bass. The album was released on March 9th. .