Bassists - Page 42

Robert “Pops” Popwell, who played with The Young Rascals and The Crusaders, has passed away. He was 70 years old. Born in Daytona Beach, Florida in 1946, Popwell started his career in the ’60s. He quickly got work in the jazz and R&B worlds. In 1970 alone, he recorded with Doris Duke, Hubert Laws, Deryll Inman, The Atlanta Disco Band,...

Kenny Passarelli’s place in music history was cemented when he co-wrote Joe Walsh’s “Rocky Mountain Way,” but that just scratches the surface of his career. He also worked with Elton John, Hall and Oates, Stephen Stills, Tommy Bolin, Dan Fogelberg, Yusuf Islam (Cat Stevens), and more. Naturally, he has more than a few stories to tell. The bassist grew up...

American Head Charge bassist Chad Hanks has died after fighting a terminal disease. He was 46 years old. Hanks co-founded the Minneapolis-based band in 1997 and, along with frontman Cameron Heacock, was one of only two consistent members throughout the group’s history. He’s featured on the band’s self-released debut, Trepanation, as well as The War of Art, The Feeding, and...

We know that many No Treble readers are big fans of Bruce Thomas of The Attractions, as the recent transcriptions of his bass lines have been popular features. So it’s good to hear that he’s been in the studio again. He has recorded a new album called in collaboration with singer-songwriter Spencer Brown, with ten new tracks and a cover...

Meet Matt Thomas, who decided he wanted to play guitar at first, and decided maybe “four strings would be easier.” He later determined this wasn’t the case, but he stuck with it. Today, he enjoys gigging after his day job is done. Matt is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight (you could be next!) Here’s his story… Bio:...

Jack Conrad, who played bass for The Doors and wrote songs for many artists, has passed away from a massive heart attack. He was 69 years old. Conrad’s diverse musical career started in the ’60s. He recorded for the Petula Clark album I Know A Place in 1965 and started writing songs. He collaborated with Paul Williams for his albums...

Meet Jeremy Middleton, a busy bassist living in the Nashville area who got his start thanks to his dad taking him to gigs as far back as he can remember. Jeremy is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight (you could be next!) Here’s his story… Bio: I grew up in southwest Ohio with a guitar-playing dad who took...

The Los Angeles-based metal outfit Fireball Ministry is back with their fifth studio album. Remember The Story, which is their first since their 2010 self-titled release, is also the first to feature the monster bass work of Scott Reeder. Reeder was 25 when he joined the recently reformed The Obsessed, with whom he recorded two albums. In 1992 he left...

Meet Jon Packard, a bassist who spent his career in the Air Force and played around the world in military bands. While Jon started out as a piano player, the love for the low end made him switch to the bass. Jon is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight (you could be next!) Here’s his story… Bio: I...

Founding Celtic Frost bassist Martin Eric Ain has died from a heart attack. He was 50 years old. Born in the United States, Ain joined the Swiss extreme metal band Hellhammer in 1983. The group became deeply influential on black metal and is considered a pioneering band in death metal. They disbanded in 1984 with members founding another influential band:...

Prepare yourselves, you puny humans. Gwar is making their triumphant return on October 20th with The Blood of Gods, an 11-track album chronicling the band’s history of war against the creatures of Earth. If you’ve never seen the Richmond, Virginia-based band, their on-stage antics may come as a shock. The group portrays an elite fighting force of aliens with oversized...

Meet Rachel Rhodes, a musician who started life in Austin, Texas and now lives in France playing music and working on mobile games. While she started on other instruments, she credits her dad with showing her the way, with plenty of James Jamerson, Chuck Rainey, David Hood, and others in rotation. Rachel is this week’s No Treble reader in the...