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Archive for March 2012 - Page 10

Maguinho Alcantara Brecht and Eduardo Kusdra: Mandela
Bass Videos

Maguinho Alcantara Brecht and Eduardo Kusdra: Mandela

A drummer can be a bassist’s best friend. Here we find a cool clip of drummer Maguinho Alcantara Brecht and bassist Eduardo Kusdra playing their tune “Mandela.” The duo build the whole tune, which is in 5/4, with just drums, bass, and a unified sense of groove.

Jack Bruce and His Big Blues Band Announce UK Tour and Perth Festival of Arts Performance
Concerts & Tours

Jack Bruce and His Big Blues Band Announce UK Tour and Perth Festival of Arts Performance

Jack Bruce and His Big Blues Band will be hitting the road for a UK tour this month. The trek will be kicking off with a three day residency at Ronnie Scott’s in London before taking over the rest of the country. In addition to the tour, the group will be part of the lineup for the Perth Festival of...

Cort Guitars Announces the Return of the Curbow Series Basses
Basses

Cort Guitars Announces the Return of the Curbow Series Basses

Cort has a new Curbow Series of basses for 2012, including the four new models. The Curbow 41, Curbow 42, Curbow 51 and Curbow 52 each feature bolt-on necks, soft maple bodies and Bartolini electronics with slap-switch system. The 41 and 42 are 4-string models, and the 51 and 52 are 5-string. Cort developed the series in collaboration with bass...

Lemmy Kilmister Working on Solo Album
Player News

Lemmy Kilmister Working on Solo Album

Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister revealed that he’s working on a solo album in a recent interview with SF Weekly’s Dave Pehling. The veteran metal bassist says he’s most of the way through the effort, which will be chock full of guest artists. “I’m three-quarters of the way though a solo album right now. I’ve got two tracks with The Damned,...

Jeff Schmidt Solo Bass: Still Silhouette
Bass Videos

Jeff Schmidt Solo Bass: Still Silhouette

I was trading emails with bassist Jeff Schmidt the other day, and realized it has been a long time since we featured him. Way too long. This one goes way back to 2007, with Jeff performing his original tune, “Still Silhouette”. Jeff shared the tech behind his fretless’ synth-like sound, saying “it’s a long tail reverb into a harmonizer that...

Napalm Death Releases “Utilitarian”
New Albums

Napalm Death Releases “Utilitarian”

Grindcore band Napalm Death have released Utilitarian, their 14th studio album of original material. Anchored by bassist Shane Embury, the 16-track collection continues their tradition of extreme music with in-your-face riffs and aggressive vocals. “After some deliberation, we decided on ‘Utilitarian’ as the album title,” vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway said. “We generally try to avoid generic titles, and this seemed...

Traynor Introduces DynaBlock Series at NAMM
Amps

Traynor Introduces DynaBlock Series at NAMM

Traynor introduced their DynaBlock series of bass amplifiers at NAMM this year. Central to the line is the DNB 400 head, which is then implemented into 1×12, 1×15, and 2×10 combos. Rated at 400 watts, the head has active and passive instrument inputs to accommodate all basses. Tone controls on the amp include a 4-band EQ and a Low Frequency...

Guiding Your Own Practice: A Checklist for Improving Your Practice Routine
I Wish I Knew That

Guiding Your Own Practice: A Checklist for Improving Your Practice Routine

Confession: I played bass for years without ever practicing. I didn’t know what to focus on and certainly didn’t have enough discipline for it… I just wanted to play. I played along with records, I fooled around and discovered certain licks, and I hung out with musical buddies who would give me tips now and then; but I never actually...

Elvin Jones Trio, Featuring Jimmy Garrison: Sweet Little Maia (1968)
Bass Videos

Elvin Jones Trio, Featuring Jimmy Garrison: Sweet Little Maia (1968)

I don’t watch much TV, but I would if it was more like this 1968 clip from the Danish show Jazz Omkring Midnat. The Elvin Jones Trio, consisting of drummer Elvin Jones, bassist Jimmy Garrison and saxophonist Joe Farrel plays the tune “Sweet Little Maia.” The trio gets to really stretch out since there isn’t a chordal instrument, and Garrison...

Glenn Hughes and Black Country Communion Release Live CD, Prepare Next Studio Album
New Albums

Glenn Hughes and Black Country Communion Release Live CD, Prepare Next Studio Album

Black Country Communion have released a CD version of Live Over Europe as a follow-up to the DVD of the same name. Taken from their 2011 European tour, the 2-CD set features 17 tracks of the band’s original songs as well as two tunes from the band members’ previous work. Comprised of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason...

Bass of the Week: Rob Allen MB-2
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: Rob Allen MB-2

The Rob Allen MB-2 is a unique semi-hollow bass designed to combine the warmth of an upright with the punch of a solid body electric bass. Though it’s available in a fretted version, the MB-2 comes standard as fretless to keep with the organic feel. The bass is offered in three variations depending on the top selected: Maple, Walnut, or...

Rocking Steady: An Interview with Jack Casady (Part 1)
Interviews

Rocking Steady: An Interview with Jack Casady (Part 1)

As a member of the generation-defining bands Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, the impact Jack Casady’s bass playing cannot be overstated. His unmistakable tone and melodic bass lines have been the foundation for countless songs, not to mention the inspiration for countless bassists. While his previous accomplishments are nothing short of incredible, Casady isn’t one to rest on his laurels....