Archive for March 2012 - Page 6

Oh so good… Here’s the trio known as Medeski Martin & Wood teaming up with John Scofield at the 1997 North Sea Jazz Festival. This was the year the quartet first got together, performing on Scofield’s A Go Go album, which helped MMW gain broader exposure. In this performance, bassist Chris Wood is holding down one sweet groove on his...

Iron Maiden will be taking North America by storm once again this summer with the Maiden England tour. The trek marks the third outing in the History of Iron Maiden tour series, and will closely mirror their original 1988 Maiden England concert video of the same name, by recreating the production and content. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson says the band enjoys...

There’s been an on-going discussion about what constitutes a bass, and specifically how more than four strings is “breaking the rules.” Well, what if there’s only one string? Enter the Atlansia Solitaire. Based in Nagano, Atlansia is known for outlandish designs – so much so that their website has to specify that the instruments are “Made in Japan on Planet...

Pat Wilkins of Wilkins Guitars is a man who can appreciate the Old School. After getting his start in amps in the ’70s, he soon switched to guitar building, where he eventually started his own brand. Most recently, Wilkins has turned to recreating vintage basses, right down to the smallest detail. Of course, his work also includes custom work and...

Richard Bona is not only a phenomenal bassist, he’s the complete musician. Here’s Richard and his band performing in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain in 2004. Of course, there’s plenty of amazing bass and singing, plus a nifty slap solo in between.

While supergroups seem to be forming left and right these days, this one has got our attention. Spectrum Road is a band consisting of bass legend Jack Bruce, Living Colour’s Vernon Reid, drummer Cindy Blackman-Santana and keyboardist John Medeski of Medeski, Martin and Wood. The group originally played together in 2008 as the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute band, and a...

New for 2012, Dean is now offering Shinedown bassist Eric Bass’s Signature Hillsboro bass in Metallic Gold. Sharing the qualities of his black signature model, the bass features a swamp ash body, bolt-on maple neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with pearl block inlays. The bass’s hardware includes an ABM bridge and Die Cast tuners, while the pickup is a Dean...

Q: I prefer playing the bass using my fingers, but I see a lot of bassists these days using a pick. What’s your take on that? A: As with all things that come down to taste and music, I say: “follow your ears!” If you don’t like the sound of a pick, or it just doesn’t feel right, don’t bother...

Bassist Grant Tyrie shared this video of him with vocalist Kat McDonald performing the aptly named tune, “Beautiful”. Grant said the performance was performed and filmed in a single live take. The song is a pared down version of the track from Little Buddha’s debut album, . (And yes, that’s a Fodera Victor Wooten Yin Yang bass Grant is playing.)

Between the Buried and Me bassist Dan Briggs has announced that his new project, dubbed Trioscapes, will be making its album debut on May 8, 2012 with the release of Separate Realities. The group was formed last year after Briggs got in touch with tenor saxophonist Walter Fancourt and drummer Matt Lynch to work up a rendition of the Mahavishnu...

Meet Jonathan Moody, a player who works from the pit – literally – playing a variety of musical styles using an impressive line-up of gear. One of the coolest parts to the story: Jonathan is a second generation bassist, following in the footsteps of his mother who taught him how to play initially. Jonathan is our player in the spotlight...

Ah, videos showcasing bass… is there anything better? If there is, it has to be the top 10 most watched bass videos on No Treble, during the month of February, 2012. Enjoy. 1. Doug Alexis: The Chicken Facebook friend Art Araya shared this remarkable and unique video of bassist Doug Alexis performing his own take on “The Chicken”. The tune,...