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Archive for 2011 - Page 4

Nick Mason: Jingle Bells Solo Tap Bass
Bass Videos

Nick Mason: Jingle Bells Solo Tap Bass

Editor’s note: we’re celebrating the holidays this week with some awesome (and sometimes funny) holiday videos. Be sure to check back every day for some holiday cheer, bass-style. We first featured bassist Nick Mason recently, with his all-bass arrangement of Randy Newman’s “You’ve Got a Friend in Me“. And then we spotted this fun holiday-inspired performance by Nick, two hand...

John Carey Releases Revelry Now
New Albums

John Carey Releases Revelry Now

New York bassist John Carey has released his fourth solo album, entitled Revelry Now. The project contains Carey’s takes on pop and rock standards, including Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” and the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down.” Revelry Now provides a beautiful, intimate listening experience. Carey recruited singer Fawn Segerson and drummer Frank...

Dirty Loops: Baby (Justin Bieber Cover, with Bass Awesomeness)
Bass Videos

Dirty Loops: Baby (Justin Bieber Cover, with Bass Awesomeness)

This one is blowing UP! Dirty Loops has done it again. This time the Swedish trio has created a pumped-up version of Justin Bieber’s hit “Baby,” with an absolutely killing solo from bassist Henrik Linder at the 1:41 mark. Dirty Loops has a reputation for taking pop songs we can’t stand and making them awesome. If you haven’t heard of...

Reading Requirements: Bass and Treble Clef?
Ask Damian Erskine

Reading Requirements: Bass and Treble Clef?

Q: I can already read treble clef fairly instinctively, having played the clarinet for years. I started playing jazz (on bass) a few months ago, and now can find my way around most lead sheets, but my question is: should I bother to learn bass clef, when treble clef feels more natural to me? I rarely have a need to...

Todd Matthews: “Little Drummer Boy” the Way We Like It: for Solo Bass
Bass Videos

Todd Matthews: “Little Drummer Boy” the Way We Like It: for Solo Bass

Editor’s note: we’re celebrating the holidays this week with some awesome (and sometimes funny) holiday videos. Be sure to check back every day for some holiday cheer, bass-style. If you’ve been looking for a great video of Santa dancing while playing bass, look no further. Double bassist Todd Matthews sent us this video of his “Holiday Looping,” where he gets...

Tommy Stinson: The Next GN’R Album will Come Quicker Than Chinese Democracy
Player News

Tommy Stinson: The Next GN’R Album will Come Quicker Than Chinese Democracy

Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson says the follow-up to Chinese Democracy should come “much quicker” than its predecessor, which was a project 15 years in the making before it was released in 2008. “You know, I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with Chinese Democracy, we could get around...

Reader Spotlight: Michael Olson
Reader Spotlight

Reader Spotlight: Michael Olson

Meet Michael Olson, a self-described “perfeshinul bassist” from Fort Collins, Colorado who makes his day all about music. Michael is our player in the spotlight for December 20, 2011. You have to check out the “Band & Gigs” section below – that story is awesome. Bio: I have been a professional bassist since the day I got out of music...

Kala Expands S-U-B Series with Cherry Burst U-Bass Option
Basses

Kala Expands S-U-B Series with Cherry Burst U-Bass Option

Kala has added a new Cherry Burst finish to its S-U-B line of solid body U-Basses. The new bass shares all the characteristics of its brethren, including a solid body, a 21″ scale, a Shadow active pickup system, a 2-band EQ, Hipshot-licensed tuners and proprietary polyurethane strings. Kala, a ukelele company, first introduced the U-Bass in 2009 and has since...

Alex Bershadsky: Ma’oz Tzur
Bass Videos

Alex Bershadsky: Ma’oz Tzur

In celebration of Hanukkah, we’ve got an incredible bass-only version of the traditional Jewish liturgical poem performed by Alex Bershadsky. The Israeli-raised bassist layers a lyrical fretless line on top of his chordal fretted work to create a rich and introspective arrangement of the song. This arrangement can be found on the new Zon Guitars Holiday Rumblings album.

Mark Evans Releases Memoir, “Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC”
Player News

Mark Evans Releases Memoir, “Dirty Deeds: My Life Inside/Outside of AC/DC”

In 1975, bassist Mark Evans joined AC/DC, Australia’s hardest working rock band, when he was just 19 years old. Over the next few years, the band recorded four best-selling albums and the band shot up the ranks to headlining, world-tour super-stardom. Evans, who held down the low end for the band between March 1975 and June 1977, has authored a...

Mike Lull Unveils Jeff Ament JAXT4 Signature Bass
Basses

Mike Lull Unveils Jeff Ament JAXT4 Signature Bass

Mike Lull Custom Guitars has announced the Jeff Ament JAXT4 Signature bass, to be available starting in January 2012. The Pearl Jam bassist worked closely with Lull on the specifications of the bass, which is a modified version of Lull’s T4. One of the key features to the JAXT4 is it’s oversized body, which is 20% larger than Lull’s regular...

Dr. D’s Guide to Improving Your Walking Bass Lines
The Lowdown with Dr. D

Dr. D’s Guide to Improving Your Walking Bass Lines

I regularly see students who are unhappy with their walking bass lines. Perhaps they don’t like how their lines lead (or don’t lead) from chord to chord. Perhaps they find themselves falling into predictable patterns over and over again. Perhaps their range is limited. Perhaps they just don’t find their lines satisfying. All of this can occur even when the...