Archive for 2010 - Page 92

Last week we covered how to have effective practice sessions, even when you’re busy, posted some cool new (and from the archive) videos from Guy Pratt and Pino Palladino, shared some new gear news from Keith McMillen and Ibanez, new releases, player news and more. Here our the top 10: 1. Lesson: Efficient 20 Minute Practice In this lesson we’re...

Michael Manring has just announced his latest tour and clinic schedule. In other news, guitarist Tim Farrell’s latest CD includes a guest performance by Manring. Check out Codas. Tour and clinic dates: February 19-20, 2010, 9:00am – 8:30 pm daily Bass Workout California BASS, Bay Area Sound Studios 6pm Concerts open to the public. $10 at the door Faculty: Michael...

Here’s a great live performance of Medeski Martin & Wood, filmed at the Umbria Jazz Festival. The tune, “Think”, starts off with some nice bass and gets cooking from there. Medeski Martin & Wood is the trio formed by John Medeski on keys, Billy Martin on drums and Chris Wood on bass.

The instrument and gear makers at Gear4music.com have debuted a new bass amp in their White Horse line. The BP35 Bass Guitar Amp shares the same sound and controls as the larger White Horse amps, but in a more compact version featuring a 10” speaker. Bright and boost switches in conjunction with a 3 band EQ give you the ability...

Rudder, featuring Tim Lefebvre on bass, Chris Cheek on saxes, Henry Hey on keys and Keith Carlock on drums, is hitting the road in March for a tour across Europe. The tour is in support of their latest release, Matorning (read our review). Dates: Mar 1: Porgy & Bess in Vienna Mar 3: Charlie Wrights in London Mar 4 &...

Here’s a cool behind-the-scenes video of bassist Christian McBride, taking viewers on a quick tour of his home, rehearsals and reminiscing about his tours and other musicians.

Early last month, we reported on bassist Johnny Grubb’s departure from the popular jam band Railroad Earth. The band has recently filled the vacant bass position with Andrew Altman, formerly of the Codetalkers. RRE posted a message on their site saying, “He initially made an impression on the band when The Codetalkers opened for Railroad Earth in North Carolina a...

How often do you hear people claim that it’s not how much your practice but how efficiently you practice? There are always claims that practicing 15-30 minutes every day versus a 3 hour session every Saturday will have a more positive impact on your playing ability – but how do you make the most of those 15-30 minutes? In this...

Bobby & the Midnites was a side project for Grateful Dead guitarist/singer Bob Weir, with one album release in 1981. Here’s the band in a live performance of “Bahama Mama”, featuring Alphonso Johnson on bass, with Bobby Cochran on guitar, Billy Cobham on drums and Dave Garland on keys and sax.

Nathaniel Ayers, the musician who inspired the movie “The Soloist”, has recorded his first album. Ayers plays cello, piano, bass and trumpet on the release and is also joined by Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist, Flea, and two Los Angeles Philharmonic musicians, keyboardist Joanne Pearce Martin and violinist Robert Gupta. The CD, Putting on Ayers, will be available in several...

Keith McMillen Instruments has just released a video featuring their revolutionary product, the K-Bow, on a bass. The K-Bow is a specialized bow that utilizes Bluetooth technology to transmit data to its own comprehensive suite of software on your computer. The software then manipulates different effects, tones, loops, and more to give you a fluid and inspiring way to create...

Q: Would you describe what you strive for when setting up your bass? A: I actually just covered this in Bass Guitar Magazine (UK) recently. Here is my blurb from the magazine… The overall playability of my instrument is everything to me. If I have to fight the feel of my bass, I’ll have a harder time “letting go” and...