Skip to main content

Archive for December 2011 - Page 8

Blues Endings: Tips for Avoiding the Train Wreck
Blues Bass

Blues Endings: Tips for Avoiding the Train Wreck

Early on in my musical career, a wise man once told me that the mark of a good band is one that starts together and ends together. This doesn’t mean that whatever is played in the middle doesn’t matter, but it alludes to the importance of how well-rehearsed the players are or how well they feel each other out if...

Philip Smith: Funky Bass Scratch Track
Bass Videos

Philip Smith: Funky Bass Scratch Track

Bassist Philip Smith posts these awesome “scratch tracks” with some great grooves. This one, simply titled “Funky Bass Scratch Track” Philip says, “This is a scratch track (mistakes and all) for a tune I’m putting together. Let me know what you think. Maybe I can do a colab or something with some tasteful YouTube drummers and guitarists out there.” Drop...

Bass of the Week: JanAid Guitars’ Bob Abbott Yolanda 5
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: JanAid Guitars’ Bob Abbott Yolanda 5

Named after a butterfly found in southern Spain, the JanAid Yolanda 5 bass draws inspiration from nature. This week, we check out the latest incarnation of the bass, which is also a signature model for Baltimore-based player Bob Abbott. The Yolanda 5 was built with a variety of woods, utilizing their “defects” to create a a piece of art. The...

Versatility: A Conversation with Christian McBride
Interviews

Versatility: A Conversation with Christian McBride

As the jazz standard goes: “Things ain’t what they used to be.” The music industry as a whole is changing, but even so, truly remarkable artists will always shine through. Christian McBride is one of those artists. Raised in Philadelphia, McBride moved to New York City at the age of 17 to step up his music career. Through hard work,...

Mike Flynn: “Very Early” Fretless Bass Solo
Bass Videos

Mike Flynn: “Very Early” Fretless Bass Solo

Here’s Mike Flynn performing a tasty fretless bass solo to the Bill Evans tune, “Very Early”. Mike shared that this is one of his all time favorite standards. He’s performing with his Jeff Chapman custom fretless, with a little bit of reverb and a small amount of chorus to achieve a stereo effect.

Shonna Tucker Parts Ways With Drive-By Truckers
Player News

Shonna Tucker Parts Ways With Drive-By Truckers

After eight years with the band, bassist Shonna Tucker has left the Drive-By Truckers. The split, which appears to be amicable, was announced by Tucker on the group’s website. “It’s time for me to move on to the next great thing, whatever that may be,” Tucker wrote. “I want to thank each and everyone of you, with my whole heart...

Red Hot Chili Peppers to be Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Add More U.S. Tour Dates
News

Red Hot Chili Peppers to be Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; Add More U.S. Tour Dates

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are among the 2012 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees, alongside Guns N’ Roses, Donovan, the Beastie Boys, Laura Nyro, and the Small Faces/The Faces. The group, which formed in 1983, will be honored during the Induction Ceremony in Cleveland, Ohio on April 14th, 2012. Founding member Flea posted on the band’s website about...

The Best of “Ask Damian Erskine”
Ask Damian Erskine

The Best of “Ask Damian Erskine”

Damian Erskine‘s “Ask Damian” column is our longest running here on No Treble, and for good reason. Readers ask great questions (hint: send Damian your questions), readers love reading Damian’s responses, and Damian has a way of breaking things down that makes it all come together. Damian is touring the globe this month, so we’re giving him a break during...

Marcus Miller: Power, Live at the 2008 Lugano Jazz Festival
Bass Videos

Marcus Miller: Power, Live at the 2008 Lugano Jazz Festival

Marcus Miller is one bad dude, and here’s just a little more evidence. In this clip, taken from Switzerland’s Lugano Jazz Festival in 2008, the bass icon rips through the aptly named tune “Power.” The rest of his band includes Alex Han on Saxophone, Jason “JT” Thomas on Drums, and Federico Gonzales Pena on Keyboards.

Korn Dips Into Dubstep with The Path of Totality
New Albums

Korn Dips Into Dubstep with The Path of Totality

In a step away from the norm, Korn has released The Path of Totality, a dubstep-influenced album that takes their typically grungy distorted sound and adds electronica to the mix. The group, anchored by bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu, brought in dubstep artists like Skrillex, Excision and Noisia to create their new hybrid songs. “The basis of our band has always...

Reader Spotlight: David Daw
Reader Spotlight

Reader Spotlight: David Daw

Meet David Daw, a bassist from Kingston, NY who also owns a studio, repairs instruments and even raises Great Danes. David is our bassist in the spotlight for December 6, 2011. Bio: I have been playing bass 30 years. I play 4- and 5- string MTD’s, exclusively since 1994. Starting in the early 80’s, I played in heavy metal bands,...

Glockenklang Goes Lightweight with the Blue Soul Bass Amp
Amps

Glockenklang Goes Lightweight with the Blue Soul Bass Amp

Glockenklang has released details on the Blue Soul, their new 650-watt Class D amp that weighs in at just 5 kg (approximately 11 pounds). With a focus on warmth and detail, the German amplification company says it rings clear as a bell. The Blue Soul features a pair of switchable inputs, with a gain knob and a variable input trim...