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Craig Butterfield Archives

Progressive Bluegrass Chamber Group EZRA Release Self-Titled Debut
New Albums

Progressive Bluegrass Chamber Group EZRA Release Self-Titled Debut

I’ve been fascinated by Craig Butterfield’s playing ever since we posted his jaw-dropping “Donna Lee” video. Now, he’s part of an an acoustic supergroup called EZRA, which just released their debut album.

Boomtown Trio: Darkness Prowling
Bass Videos

Boomtown Trio: Darkness Prowling

Craig Butterfield has teamed up with the Boomtown Waifs to form the Boomtown Trio. “Darkness Prowling” hearkens back to old fiddle tunes with blazing unison lines by Kristen Harris and Butterfield.

Craig Butterfield and Jesse Jones: Lulu’s Theme
Bass Videos

Craig Butterfield and Jesse Jones: Lulu’s Theme

Craig Butterfield first caught our attention with a burning note-for-note playalong of Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee.” but he can do more on the upright than shred. Here’s a beautiful tune called “Lulu’s Theme,” written by multi-instrumentalist Jesse Jones, who accompanies on guitar. Butterfield brings tons of emotion to the gorgeous, sweeping melody to pull on your heartstrings.

Craig Butterfield and Jesse Jones: Pisces
Bass Videos

Craig Butterfield and Jesse Jones: Pisces

The amazing Craig Butterfield is back with another jaw-dropping video. He’s once again teamed up with mandolinist Jesse Jones for an upcoming album, entitled Pisces. Here’s the duo tearing through the title track, with Butterfield burning up the fingerboard. The bassist gets creative during the breakdown with a pizzicato line punctuated by hand percussion on the bass’s body.

Craig Butterfield and Jesse Jones: Gas Station
Bass Videos

Craig Butterfield and Jesse Jones: Gas Station

We’ve featured plenty of great videos from Craig Butterfield over the years, so when the double bassist sends an email I get excited. This video is a bit of a different context from his previous ones and showcases Butterfield in a duo with mandolinist Jesse Jones on the tune “Gas Station.” The duo find a nice groove with a warm,...

Craig Butterfield: Chick Corea’s “Got a Match?” Bass Orchestra and Drums Arrangement
Bass Videos

Craig Butterfield: Chick Corea’s “Got a Match?” Bass Orchestra and Drums Arrangement

Clear your schedule, because you’ll want to work on your chops after watching this. Craig Butterfield has released a new video for Chick Corea’s “Got a Match?” While Butterfield shreds in thumb position, he accompanies himself as a veritable one-man orchestra style in an adaptation of the big band chart by Mike Bogle. Adding to the groove is drummer Marc...

Craig Butterfield: Bass Quartet Arrangement of Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia”
Bass Videos

Craig Butterfield: Bass Quartet Arrangement of Frank Zappa’s “Peaches En Regalia”

We’re big fans of Frank Zappa here at No Treble HQ. So when Craig Butterfield sent in his all bass version of “Peaches En Regalia,” we were stoked. As is par for his videos, Butterfield nails all the parts with unbelievable accuracy. All of the percussion, bass lines, melodies and solos are perfectly in place, and in a fashion that...

Craig Butterfield: Biréli Lagrène’s “Made in France”
Bass Videos

Craig Butterfield: Biréli Lagrène’s “Made in France”

Clear your schedule, because you’re going to want to hit the woodshed after watching this one. USC bass professor Craig Butterfield sent us his latest video of a multi-bass arrangement of Biréli Lagrène’s “Made in France”, which he overdubbed all the parts for by himself. Butterfield tackles the guitarist’s tune with a tight groove, beautiful harmonics, and some lightning fast...

Craig Butterfield: Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” on Double Bass
Bass Videos

Craig Butterfield: Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” on Double Bass

Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” is just one of those tunes that act as a benchmark for skill. Ever since Jaco’s take on it from his debut album, bassists have been giving it a shot. Here’s a mind-blowing version by University of South Carolina double bass professor Craig Butterfield, playing along with Parker’s original recording. Not only does he nail the...