Interviews - Page 24

Ever wonder how a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer writes bass lines? How can somebody stay in the industry for over 50 years and still stay fresh? What’s the key to musical growth? In part 1 of our interview with Jack Casady, we talked with the legendary bassist about his influences, his achievements, and some of his views on...

As a member of the generation-defining bands Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, the impact Jack Casady’s bass playing cannot be overstated. His unmistakable tone and melodic bass lines have been the foundation for countless songs, not to mention the inspiration for countless bassists. While his previous accomplishments are nothing short of incredible, Casady isn’t one to rest on his laurels....

Late last month we broke the news that Felix Pastorius would be joining the Yellowjackets, to fill the shoes of cofounder Jimmy Haslip while he takes a hiatus. This came as a shock to many fans as the switch would end the veteran bassist’s 30-year tenure with the group. The last name is no coincidence: Felix is the son of...

How do you make pop music cool again? One way is to have Dirty Loops cover it. Since posting their cover of Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” on YouTube, the Swedish trio has caught the attention of fans across the world. Their latest cover of Justin Bieber’s “Baby” has gotten over 1.3 million views in about a month’s time. A key...

In 1975, Mark Evans took the opportunity of a lifetime and joined an Australian pub band that would go on to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time: AC/DC. Just a week after joining, the band was gigging regularly, and within a year they were making the rounds in Europe. Evans’ turbulent years in the band included...

As the jazz standard goes: “Things ain’t what they used to be.” The music industry as a whole is changing, but even so, truly remarkable artists will always shine through. Christian McBride is one of those artists. Raised in Philadelphia, McBride moved to New York City at the age of 17 to step up his music career. Through hard work,...

Jeroen Paul Thesseling is a bassist constantly pushing himself to new heights. The Amsterdam native picked up his first 4-string bass in his teens, eventually going on to study at the Conservatory at Enschede in the Netherlands. Though his studies were varied, his love for heavy music prevailed as he started his career with the death metal band Pestilence. After...

The evolution of heavy metal has presented a plethora of extreme subgenres: thrash metal, death metal, tech metal… the list goes on and on. But while the term extreme metal covers lots of territory, you can’t talk about extreme metal bass playing without talking about Alex Webster. As a founding member of the iconic band Cannibal Corpse, Webster has spent...

The “Two of a Perfect Trio” Tour, which brings The Stick Men and Adrian Belew’s Power Trio together for a night of King Crimson-centric music, presents many parallels between the musicians, the most interesting being the dichotomy between bassists Tony Levin and Julie Slick. Levin has over 30 years of experience under his belt, much of that being dedicated to...

Les Claypool is a man that defies genres and labels. Since picking up bass at an early age, his influences of funk, prog rock and everything in between have melded to create his unique sound, which the bassist admits even he has trouble labeling. Of course, his creativity doesn’t stop at bass playing – Claypool is also an accomplished producer,...

Oberlin Conservatory professor and in-demand bassist Peter Dominguez shares his background and tips on how to grow as a musician, in this exclusive interview

Rounding out our interviews from the Gerald Veasley Bass Boot Camp is our conversation with Adam Nitti. Based in Nashville, the bassist and educator has run the gamut of the music industry, from session work to touring to producing to teaching and more. His credits include working with artists like the Dave Weckl Band, Steven Curtis Chapman, Susan Tedeschi, Mandisa,...