Bassists - Page 89

Bass legend Ron Carter‘s list of credits and musical accomplishments are among the most impressive – if not the most impressive – among bassists in music history. His appearances on more than 2,500 albums make him one of the most-recorded bassists in jazz history, joining the ranks of Milt Hinton, Ray Brown and Leroy Vinnegar. Carter is nearing his 75th...

In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, Duff McKagan opened up about his thoughts on his upcoming induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Guns N’ Roses. “I don’t [know what’s going to happen]. I know I’m going to go. I can’t, at all, speak for anybody else. And won’t. I’ll be there with...

Olivier Babaz is a bassist who pushes his technique to expand his musicality, even if it means playing several instruments at once. The bassist first caught our attention in a video where he plays bass, kalimba, and shaker all at the same time. Born and raised in Paris, Babaz moved to Canada in 2010. Besides working on his own music,...

Meet bassist Freddy Hernandez, who took up the double bass at age 12. Freddy is the son of former Oingo Boingo drummer Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez. Freddy has an interesting gigging life, performing in an orchestra, his father’s “Johnny Vatos Boingo Dance Party”, on various TV commercials and other bands as well. We love Freddy’s attitude towards music, well described in...

BBC 2-Scotland recently aired this hour-long documentary on the life and music of bassist Jack Bruce. The documentary includes interviews with Bootsy Collins, U2’s Adam Clayton and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, as well as Bruce’s band mates Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Bruce returned to Scotland for the documentary, and re-recorded six songs he calls pivotal to his...

Between the Buried and Me bassist Dan Briggs has announced that his new project, dubbed Trioscapes, will be making its album debut on May 8, 2012 with the release of Separate Realities. The group was formed last year after Briggs got in touch with tenor saxophonist Walter Fancourt and drummer Matt Lynch to work up a rendition of the Mahavishnu...

Meet Jonathan Moody, a player who works from the pit – literally – playing a variety of musical styles using an impressive line-up of gear. One of the coolest parts to the story: Jonathan is a second generation bassist, following in the footsteps of his mother who taught him how to play initially. Jonathan is our player in the spotlight...

Jazz bassist Joe Byrd has passed away at the age of 78, following injuries from a car accident. Byrd was best known as the bassist for his brother Charlie Byrd’s trio and was featured on the album Jazz Samba with Stan Getz, which is credited as the first major bossa nova album on the American jazz scene. Born in Chuckatuck,...

Armin Metz really caught some attention when we posted the video for his solo bass composition “Sanskar Valley” (see below). As bassist for Imogen Heap, Metz has done his share of playing stages as a sideman, but the spotlight has been moving to him with his expansion into the realm of solo bass. How did you discover your new school...

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...

Meet Austin Underhill, a twelve-year vet of the low end who has one of the best lines we’ve heard when describing what he does for a living: “a freelance bassist both day and night”. Austin is our player in the spotlight for the week of March 6, 2012. Bio: Home grown in Napa, California, Austin has been playing bass since...

Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister revealed that he’s working on a solo album in a recent interview with SF Weekly’s Dave Pehling. The veteran metal bassist says he’s most of the way through the effort, which will be chock full of guest artists. “I’m three-quarters of the way though a solo album right now. I’ve got two tracks with The Damned,...