Interviews - Page 18

Gigs tend to dry up for bassists during the winter months (besides holiday work), making it the perfect time to start composing new music for the spring. Whether you’re a seasoned composer or just starting out on the bass, writing music will help you grow as a player and musician. We compiled some advice from the world’s top bass players...

Ben Allison has had several names for his various bands, but Think Free may be one of the most apropos to his creative style. The bassist/composer crafts adventurous songs that defy simple categorization or labeling. He’s also a free-thinker in terms of forging his career path. After years of working for a record label, he branched out to create his...

Alter Bridge’s fifth studio album, , is a continuation of the band’s heavy-yet-melodic style. That sound is anchored by the thick bass work of Brian Marshall. The bassist, along with guitarist Mark Tremonti and drummer Scott “Flip” Philips, was a founding member of Creed before forming Alter Bridge in 2004. Vocalist Myles Kennedy rounds out the group, who spent this...

Matt Ulery has just released , an ambitious album that features three distinct musical formats. Billed as Ulery’s Loom/Large, the core of the album features his regular Loom quintet bookcased by a jazz orchestra and his “festival” band. While each band brings a different sound to the table, the organic nature of the bassist’s compositions tie the 13-song collection into...

Blackberry Smoke is often hailed as the triumphant return of true Southern Rock, and maybe rightfully so. The five-piece, Atlanta-based band brings all the right flavors with authenticity and a penchant for writing memorable hooks, but they aren’t pigeonholed into one style. They have wide influences that seem to inform their powerful songs in unique ways. That idea is especially...

As musicians, our main goal is to express ourselves as freely and truly as possible. One listen to Derrick Hodge’s and you’ll know he achieved that, but it goes deeper. Each song has an openness that seems to touch on the listener’s own emotions, like tapping into a social consciousness. The Second is, in fact, the bassist’s second solo album,...

Veteran electronic jam band STS9’s latest release, The Universe Inside, is something new for the band. It’s their first full-length LP in nearly seven years and features more vocal songs than their typically instrumental output. It’s more influenced by pop of the ’70s and ’80s. It’s also the first to be anchored by bassist Alana Rocklin, who lays down fierce...

Ida Nielsen has gone by several names, including Ida Funkhouser and Bassida, but one thing has always stayed consistent: her rock solid funk style. The Danish bassist was building her own artistic empire with her band and a pair of solo albums when Prince handpicked her to be his bassist. Starting in 2010, Nielsen toured the world with The Purple...

Suicidal Tendencies has a legacy of great bassists. Louiche Mayorga, Tim “Rawbiz” Williams, Stephen “Thundercat” Bruner, and Metallica’s Robert Trujillo have all held the throne, just to name a few. Earlier this year, bassist Ra Diaz stepped up to the plate to carry on the tradition. It’s been a bit of a dream come true for the Chilean-born, Los Angeles-based...

When I had the pleasure of working on a Profiles in Tone interview with metal legend Alex Webster, he sent me a few examples of his favorite bass tones in metal. If I can trust anyone’s ear for metal bass, it’s Alex’s. One clip that particularly caught my ear was a video of a band doing a playthrough of their...

Veteran bassist and educator Todd Coolman has worked with a who’s who of the jazz world. His resumé includes work with Horace Silver, Gerry Mulligan, Stan Getz, Benny Golson, Art Farmer, Tommy Flanagan, Ahmad Jamal, Lionel Hampton, Benny Goodman, and James Moody (with whom he won Grammy), among others. In working with these incredible bandleaders, he’s gathered what it takes...

After dropping their Primal EP last year, Entheos is returning with their full-length release The Infinite Nothing on April 1st. The band – comprised of singer Chaney Crabb, guitarist Malcolm Pugh, drummer Navene Koperweis and bass wizard Evan Brewer – have spent the year refining their sound in the studio and on the road. Brewer’s top notch bass work is...