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Archive for February 2010

Player News

Dave Holland releases new Archive Series of albums

Dave Holland is helping celebrate his new web site by releasing the beginning of a new set of live performances, called the Archive Series. The best part is that the Archive Series Vol. 1: The Dave Holland Quintet ‘07 is on sale for only $1 through today. The album is a previously unreleased concert recording from a 2007 European tour...

Bass Gear

Gear Watch: Kustom KB Series Amplifiers

Kustom Amplification has introduced a brand new line of bass amps, called the KB series. The line consists of five combo amps, ranging from 10 to 200 watts, and a 200-watt head, which is available as rack-mountable or in a standalone wooden cabinet. Kustom describes the KB series as based on producing great tone, without “useless bells and whistles.” Each...

What's Spinning

What’s Spinning for… Michael Manring

Michael Manring is this week’s guest columnist for “What’s Spinning” Thanks so much for your interest in the music I’ve been listening to lately. In addition to having precious little time for casual listening these days, my listening habits are a bit odd. I find that even for pieces of music I’m crazy about, if I listen once every few...

Victor Wooten and Jeff Berlin Jam Session
Bass Videos

Victor Wooten and Jeff Berlin Jam Session

Two masters at work. ‘Nuff said.

Zander Zon Releases “Sonorous”
New Albums

Zander Zon Releases “Sonorous”

UK-based bassist Zander Zon rose to fame on Youtube by posting some videos of his compositions and solo bass performances. To date, his videos have been viewed close to 600,000 times. Zander first began playing the bass in 1999 after a musical upbringing in which he was classically trained on the cello for 10 years. After hearing Jaco Pastorius, Victor...

Player News

Korn’s Fieldy Puts Finishing Touches On His “Not-So-Heavy” Solo Album

Korn bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu has announced that he is nearing completion on a new solo album, entitled Bassically, which he plans on releasing later this year. He says the music will be a sharp contrast to the heavy sound he is known for. In an interview with AOL’s Noisecreep, he said, “I’d say it’s like a jazz fusion funk...

Bass Lessons

Optimized Techniques for Marathon Gigs

How many times have you played a continuous four hour gig? Have you ever had to go from the studio to a gig? Or play two gigs in one day? If you have, you understand the important of having an optimized playing technique. If you have not, and are going to try, you need to prepare yourself to be as...

Bass Videos

Kraan & Helmut Hattler: Vollgas Ahoi (1977)

Here’s an unsung name of pick-playing bassist: Helmut Hattler. Founder of the German krautrock-turned-fusion band, Kraan, Hattler made a name for himself, in Germany especially, playing with a pick. When I think of pick-players, the first name that springs to mind is Chris Squire of the band Yes, the next name is Hattler. Here is Kraan’s tune Vollgas Ahoi (featuring...

Events

10th Annual Summer Camp Music Festival to feature Victor Wooten and more

The Summer Camp music festival to be held in Chillicothe, Illinois promises to be another groovy, bass-filled weekend, with such acts as Victor Wooten, moe., Gov’t Mule, Railroad Earth, Steel Pulse, and many more. The festival, which is celebrating its 10th year running, is a green event which seeks to “reduce [its] carbon footprint, support local business and reduce, reuse,...

Ask Damian Erskine: Gigging with No Preparation Time?
Ask Damian Erskine

Ask Damian Erskine: Gigging with No Preparation Time?

Q: How do you prepare for a gig when you have a short amount of time to learn tunes? A: For me, it is more important that I have the tune internalized and have the vibe inside. The second thing is any hits that I’ll need to be aware of. If I can feel the tune, I can use my...

Bass Videos

Jeff Corallini: Avé Maria

Jeff Corallini, a bassist from France, is quite an accomplished bass player on fretted, fretless and upright basses, including 4-, 5-, 6- and 7-stringed instruments (if that’s not enough, he also plays guitar and sings). Here’s a nice little tapping/frettless arrangement of J.S. Bach’s Avé Maria. On two 7-string basses :) He has two solo CD’s out and is working...

Player News

James LoMenzo keeps busy after Megadeth, with Hydrogyn

Metal head James LoMenzo has been keeping busy, despite having just left the ranks of metal legend Megadeth. LoMenzo will be recording on the new Hydrogyn album, sharing bass duties with Jake Wolf. The album is in the process of being recorded, and will be ready for release this summer, along with a tour by the band. LoMenzo’s resume also...