Bassists - Page 94

Meet Glenn “SmittyG” Smith, a bassist from Texarkana who can play the spectrum of music from country to punk to jazz and everything in between. The reader spotlight is one of our favorite features on No Treble, and it is people like Glenn who really make it extra special. I’m sure you’ll enjoy his sense of humor as much as...

Dywane “MonoNeon” Thomas is not your average bassist. Formerly known as PolyNeon, Thomas’ unique style is a result of his main influences of ‘70s Soul and modern avant-garde music – which come together in some very interesting ways. What makes you new school? Well I never considered myself “new school”, but I guess I do have a some characteristics that...

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...

Catherine Popper has parted ways with the folk/blues rock-tinged group Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Popper, who joined the group in 2009, made the announcement on her Facebook page. “Hey everybody for the past two and a half years, [Grace Potter and the Nocturnals] has been my family away from my family. We’ve all grown so much together. So it’s...

Meet Ethan Sobotta, an extraordinarily diverse bassist living in Seattle who makes his living the way it should be: playing bass. Among the musical genres he lists are “Punk rock sea shanties and Appalachian death polka,” somehow performed by a single band. Ethan is our player in the spotlight for November 15, 2011.   Bio: I studied bass at the...

Meet Vuyani Wakaba, a bassist from South Africa now living and playing in Chicago. Vuyani is our player in the spotlight for November 8, 2011. Bio: South Africa’s Vuyani Wakaba is the bassist for the Chicago blues legend and Delmark Records artist Eddie C. Campbell. Vuyani is also the bassist and founder of the Chicago jazz fusion band Vuyani Wakaba...

After suffering a major stroke on Friday November 4th, bass legend Chuck Rainey is expected to have a full recovery, according to his wife Susan. “Thank U Dear Friends for all the prayers and healing Light,” Mrs. Rainey posted on Facebook. “Chuck had a stroke Friday night but the prognosis is good for a full recovery. Please keep him in...

Freekbass has released a new instructional video with a whopping 273 minutes of lessons. 50 Freekbass Licks You Must Know includes jam tracks, text commentary, tab and notation as well as power tab files. Aimed at intermediate students, the licks are designed to teach new techniques as well as build upon common ones. Freekbass also gives you tips on how...

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...

Meet Ollie Pietruch, a bassist, session musician and teacher from the UK who some liken to the late Cliff Burton. Ollie is our player in the spotlight for November 1, 2011. Bio: I started playing bass at the age of 15, and now five years down the line I have achieved distinctions for both years at Music College in the...

Meet Dan Willett a bassist and lifelong musician from the UK who says he still hasn’t grown up yet. We dig that. Bio: I’ve been a musician for nearly my entire life, having taken my first keyboard and music theory lessons at the age of four. These days, the bass is very much my main instrument, and in the Midlands...

Original Tool bassist Paul D’Amour has unveiled a new track from his latest project, Feersum Ennjin. Though the band has been around in some form since 2005, their debut self-titled album is due out November 22nd. It will mark the first hard rock release for the bassist since he left Tool in 1995, as he pursued a career in TV...