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Best of 2012

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #1: Marcus Miller

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #1: Marcus Miller

This is the third straight year (out of three) that Marcus Miller has made our top ten reader favorites list. But this is the first time he’s been #1. This was a big year for Marcus with plenty of highs. None was likely higher than the release of Renaissance, an album we consider one of his all-time best, which says...

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2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #2: Esperanza Spalding

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #2: Esperanza Spalding

Esperanza Spalding is another bassist who routinely makes our annual reader favorites list, and for good reason. The exciting bassist/vocalist/composer keeps releasing amazing records, winning awards and honors, and showcasing her skills in various videos we feature here. Here are the top five most viewed Esperanza Spalding stories and videos over the course of 2012. Be sure to also check...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #3: Victor Wooten

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #3: Victor Wooten

Another well deserving and permanent fixture on our annual reader favorite lists is Victor Wooten. The highlight for us was the release of his two new albums, Words and Tones and Sword and Stones – both in heavy rotation here at NT HQ. Another highlight for us was Rod Taylor’s three-part interview with Victor – each focused on a different...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #4: Geddy Lee

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #4: Geddy Lee

Rush enjoyed a pretty monster year in 2012, which landed Geddy Lee as the #4 bassist on our annual reader favorite list. Thing started with the release of Clockwork Angels, the band’s 20th studio effort and one that found the band back on the charts. Most recently, the band was finally awarded an honor they should have seen a long...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #5: Jaco Pastorius

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #5: Jaco Pastorius

There hasn’t been a single year that Jaco Pastorius hasn’t made the annual reader favorite list, speaking to the continued and long-term impact of the bass legend. In 2012, big news came out: a new Jaco documentary was in the works, financed by Robert Trujillo. 2012 also marked a sad event: the 25th anniversary of Jaco’s passing. We reflected on...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #6: Pino Palladino

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #6: Pino Palladino

For decades, Pino Palladino has laid down some of the most incredible bass lines in the most diverse musical settings imaginable. Our video features of Pino over the years have generated lots of views, comments and shares, which helps him remain a fixture on our top ten reader favorite lists… this year being no exception. Though it didn’t make the...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #7: James Jamerson

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #7: James Jamerson

If there’s one constant on our annual reader favorites’ list, that would be the great James Jamerson. If there’s one constant in our most liked videos we feature, it would be the ones featuring the isolated bass lines from legendary tunes. Combine those two things, and you have a person who makes the list with very entries over the course...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #8: Felix Pastorius

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #8: Felix Pastorius

There’s a trend happening here today… the first three bassists on this years’ top 10 readers’ favorite countdown are all first-timers. Felix Pastorius made this year’s list thanks in large part to a pretty major accomplishment, and a story we broke first: Felix taking over for Jimmy Haslip in the Yellowjackets. The son of the late, great Jaco Pastorius, we...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #9: Tony Levin

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #9: Tony Levin

Tony Levin is a busy bassist, and 2012 found him more releasing albums, a photo book, and gearing up for more touring. That, plus our popular interview with him and Julie Slick helped propel this bassist to #9 on the readers’ favorite list for the year. Like Jack Bruce, this is Levin’s first appearance on the list. Here are the...

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #10: Jack Bruce

2012 Readers’ Favorite Bassists – #10: Jack Bruce

Believe it or not, this is the first year Jack Bruce has made the top 10 reader’s favorite list of bassists. We didn’t believe it at first either. The announcement of a couple of new signature basses helped tip the scales in 2012, in addition to some excellent videos of Jack performing in various settings over the years. Here are...

Best of 2012: The Top 10 Most Popular Bassist Interviews

Best of 2012: The Top 10 Most Popular Bassist Interviews

We had more interviews in 2012 than ever before. While we loved every single one of them (readers did too), these ten made up the most read list for the year. Be sure to check out the interview archives for even more. 1. The New Bass Buzz: an Exclusive Interview with Felix Pastorius Just before we interviewed Felix Pastorius, we...

Best of 2012: The Top 10 Basses of the Week

Best of 2012: The Top 10 Basses of the Week

Fifty-two times a year, we celebrate low-end instruments ranging from beautiful to bizarre in our weekly Bass of the Week spotlight. Here are the top 10 most read and shared Basses of the Week for 2012. Sorry for the GAS. 1. Bass of the Week: Atlansia Solitaire There’s been an ongoing discussion about what constitutes a bass, and specifically how...