Articles by Ryan Madora - Page 11

If you’ve been to a wedding in the past five years, either as a guest or a band member, there’s a good chance you’ve heard or played a handful of Bruno Mars and Amy Winehouse hits. Producer Mark Ronson is the mastermind behind many of these now-standard-repertoire tunes such as “Valerie” and “Locked Out Of Heaven.” With a background in...

Every so often, I’m asked about some of my favorite drummers to play with and why that is. Whether it’s for a gig referral or for the sake of conversation with my fellow musicians, it’s a question that doesn’t always have the same answer. The context of a gig, the type of music being played, and the other musicians involved...

While the name Ron Carter makes a frequent appearance on No Treble, I decided it was time to officially add him to the list of Bass Players To Know. Inspired by an NPR “Fresh Air” interview of Antonio Carlos Jobim, it was clear to me that Carter’s playing can be heard all across the jazz spectrum, from the early days...

Every now and then, a fellow bass player asks me what it’s like to write the “Bass Players To Know” column for No Treble. My mind immediately goes to the moments of researching, writing, and editing… the hours sitting in front of my computer screen, the obsessive re-readings, and the wildly diverse Spotify searches. Once I snap out of the...

In the past several years, there has been a renaissance in the world of roots music—artists are reviving the classic approach to country and folk, mixing it with traditional rhythm and blues, and integrating the soulful and mysterious vibe of New Orleans. The term “Americana” has spread across radio formats and late night shows, highlighting the releases that don’t necessarily...

Your phone lights up with a text message about a gig next Saturday night… score! You’re available, the money is decent, and your drummer friend recommended you. It’s an overall win! You accept the gig and receive a follow up text: “Let’s rehearse Tuesday night.” Thankfully, you’re free, but you realize that you only have 48 hours to learn all...

Diving into the deep end of the LA session pool, there are plenty of bassists (in addition to those in “The Wrecking Crew”) who have achieved successful and eclectic recording careers. Without a doubt, Red Callender is one of them. With an extensive background in jazz as both an upright bassist and tuba player, he can be heard on recordings...

Cauliflower, that kind-of-like-broccoli-but-perhaps-less-exciting vegetable, was completely absent from my childhood. I honestly didn’t know what it was, other than something my mother breezed over in the produce section of the super market. She was not a fan of the baby-tree-like vegetables and therefore, it was often excluded from the communal veggie tray at parties and officially barred from our refrigerator....

After the recent passing of Gregg Allman, it was only fitting to binge listen to some Allman Brothers records. Swept away by the lengthy jams, slide guitar solos, and beautifully in-sync double drummers, this band helped define Southern Rock and usher in a new era of blues. The man keeping it all together was Berry Oakley, whose bass lines to...

It is a lifelong goal of mine to understand the subtleties of music — the sound of records coming from particular eras and locals, the specific timbre of different instruments, and the nuances that reflect the personality of every player. There’s no better way to hone in these subtleties than by comparing and contrasting songs and catalogs that are of...

If you’re familiar with ‘The Wrecking Crew,” the group of session musicians that dominated the LA recording scene in the 1960s and ’70s, you’ve probably heard of Carol Kaye and our latest bassist to feature, Joe Osborn. These players jumped from session to session, providing the sonic backdrop to popular culture and racking up credits on top ten hits. Osborn...

There comes a time in every player’s life when we listen to a song and are able to identify a perfectly executed lift in tonal center. The energy heightens, the chorus takes on a slightly new character, and the band keeps grooving with a new sense of intention. This extraordinary moment can only be one thing: a key change. Take...