Archive for 2009 - Page 39

Another Look at Melodic Construction in Improvisation What do we play? Where does it come from? How do we make our own melody? The melody of the song or tune The rhythmic structure An alternative positive melodic statement derived from the harmonic or rhythmic environment, or a melody from another song that fits the “changes” The development, embellishment, and ornamentation...

There’s not a lot of bass in the first part of Meshell Ndegeocello‘s live recording of “Faithful”, but what bass is there is pretty sweet. Make it beyond the halfway mark, and there’s a nice little bonus jam, where Meshell really gets going. We don’t get many opportunities to run videos of Meshell (not many to choose from), which is...

In case you missed it, here are some of the most popular features from last week (August 16th through 22nd). Features & Columns Bass Chords lesson It’s time to focus on the guitar aspect of bass guitar and learn to play chords. Player Spotlight: Alun Vaughan Meet bassist Alun Vaughan, our player in the spotlight for August 18, 2009. Ask...

In February of 2009 Saltman Knowles released Return of the Composer on Pacific Coast Jazz records. Bassist Mark Saltman leads the group with pianist William Knowles to create unique jazz album featuring the voice as an additional instrument (using vocalese). The result is an album with interesting melodic lines, spirited rhythms and excellent musicianship building off a strong foundation. Saltman...

August 20th, 2009 marked the tenth anniversary of the untimely passing of bassist Bobby Sheehan. In the late 1980’s Sheehan co-founded the band Blues Traveler and helped set the foundation for the modern jam-band scene. Since his passing, Blues Traveler has continued to honor his memory, both in their studio work and onstage. “The song ‘Pretty Angry’ came about immediately...

This video was put together by one of our own contributors, Russ Sargeant! As Russ explains, “Very rough around the edges, too long, sound glitches and loop too quiet … BUT… battling against sound routing gremlins, this is my first video of an improvisation using my looping gear: Mobius, Boss FC-50 Midi Foot Controller and Korg Toneworks Bass Effects. Hope...

In a recent interview with The Tribune, Creedence Clearwater Revisited bassist Stu Cook talks about his perspective on the band’s music and his musical career. The Creedence Clearwater Revisited band was formed a few years ago by Cook and original CCR drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford. The “Revisited” band includes John Tristao on guitar and vocals, lead guitarist Tal Morris and...

Bragi Olafsson, former bassist for the Sugarcubes (who were responsible for making Bjork a star), turned to another art form after leaving the band: literature. Olafsson is the author of several books of poetry and short stories, and four novels. His novels include Time Off, The Pets, Party Games and The Ambassador, which was a finalist for the 2008 Nordic...

Check out this video of Bill Clements, playing with one hand! Clements lost his right arm in an industrial accident in 1989. He released his first CD, Undergroundalienbass in 2005. His bass is also unique, using a “fret-groove” system where the frets are actually concave and carved out of the neck rather than laying on top. You can check out...

Alfred Music Publishing has released The Best of Jack Bruce: 13 Classics from Cream and Beyond, a new transcription book featuring 13 songs from bass legend Jack Bruce. The book includes both full notation and TAB. Eleven songs are from Bruce’s recordings from Cream’s Fresh Cream, Disraeli Gears, and Wheels of Fire albums, and two are from Bruce’s own solo...

Janek Gwizdala is a very accomplished bass player who’s skills have him wearing many hats as a musician. He has played with some of the most respected players in the business and rightfully so. Janek is one of my personal favorites because he has a way of playing what feels right for whatever musical situation he is in, not to...

This great latin jazz video features bassist Roberto Aymes, performing killer solos over “Besame Mucho”, with his band the Roberto Aymes Art Latin Jazz Quartet. The band features Aymes on bass, Jaime Reyes on piano, Mario Bastarrica on percussion and Salvador Merchand on drums. This tune swings! You can check out more on Aymes at his web site.