Archive for April 2010 - Page 2

There seems to have been something of a resurgence in the jazz trio recently and Avery Sharpe Trio’s Live is another soulful piano, bass, drums recording with plenty of swinging goodness. Sharpe is familiar to most bassists as McCoy Tyner’s long-term sideman but since 2000, he has been focussing more on his own music. A remarkable player on both electric...

Here’s Andrea De Donato playing around with the his Eminence portable bass and the Electro Harmonix micro POG. The results are really cool.

The Bass Coalition has announced their first annual Summer Workshop to be hosted at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia on June 24th through the 26th. Included in the workshop events is the live round of the Bass Coalition Solo Competition, in which the first place winner receives a prize of $1000, thanks to sponsor Shank Strings. The three day summer...

Bootsy Collins has released a pilot video to promote a new documentary series called “Funk 101”. The video includes Bootsy and other funk masters talking about the legacy of the funk genre and its impact on society. He also released a teaser for Funk University, which begins enrollment this week. Classes begin on July 1. Visit Bootsy on the web...

Rhythmic Accuracy Last time we talked about one of the major physical components rhythm: feeling the beat internally. However, for the performer there are two components to rhythm, physical and mental. Accurate execution of musical rhythm requires the cultivation of both aspects. One important mental element needed to precisely perform rhythms is active subdivision. Subdividing Most of us understand that...

Norwegian Cruise Lines has a couple of electric bass openings for mid-summer into the fall. If you’re a solid sight reader and can work through the fall, this might be the gig for you. Norwegian Cruise Lines provides food, lodging, travel to and from the ship, and complete healthcare while onboard in addition to a salary. You will need a...

Here’s another great video of Gary Willis performing during a 2006 clinic in Rotterdam. This time, he’s playing the Pee Wee Ellis tune, “The Chicken”, popularized of course by Jaco Pastorius.

Here are the top 10 most popular features on No Treble last week, as determined by you! 1. Video: Leo Fender and the History of the Electric Bass Check out Davey4557’s short but amazing video on the history of the electric bass and Leo Fender. 2. Gear Review: Gear Review: Boss RC-20XL Loop Station Our resident loop expert, Russ Sargeant,...

Check out this live all-star performance, from Jazzfestival Bern, Switzerland in 1985. Bassist Ray Brown performs with Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, James Moody on tenor sax, Gene Harris on piano and Grady Tate on drums.

Epiphone has released the new Zenith bass, an instrument that pays homage to the jazz guitar tradition. Available as fretted or “lined” fretless, the key to this bass is its unique NanoFlex and NanoMag pickup combination. Designed by Shadow Germany, the NanoFlex is fit underneath the saddle to sense the vibrations of the strings as well as the body. It...

Italian bassist Stefano Forcella, also known as “Ste”, lists his biggest influences to be founding member of Jamiroquai, Stuart Zender, and Jonas Reingold of the Swedish band The Flower Kings. This is Ste’s playalong of The Flower Kings’ song “I am the Sun”, nailing it as always:

After recruiting Andrew Altman on bass earlier this year, Railroad Earth has announced their extensive tour dates for the spring and summer. The group will be based mostly on the east coast, with several festival dates, including Summer Camp, All Good, and FloydFest. Railroad Earth Tour Dates 2010: April 23 Asheville, NC— The Orange Peel April 24 Atlanta, GA—Variety Playhouse...