Archive for 2012 - Page 34
Michael League, Cory Henry, and Nathaniel Townsley: Continuum
It’s hard to cover a Jaco tune without sounding like you’re just trying to cop him, so Michael League bravely set out to do his own unique version of “Continuum.” With Cory Henry on organ and Nathaniel Townsley on drums, the Snarky Puppy mastermind tackles the tune without sacrificing his own unique voice. Get ready for a great groove, incredible...
Elton John Band Adds Bassist Matt Bissonette to Line-Up
Elton John has chosen Matt Bissonette to play bass in his band following the passing of Bob Birch, who died in August. The bassist is currently rehearsing with the “Candle in the Wind” singer in preparation of an upcoming North American tour that begins September 11th in Jackson, Mississippi. Bissonette, who’s resume includes work with David Lee Roth, Joe Satriani,...
Rudy Sarzo Joins Queensrÿche
A few months after parting ways with Blue Oyster Cult, Rudy Sarzo has joined the ranks of Queensrÿche, or at least singer Geoff Tate’s version of the band. Tate split from the group earlier this year and announced the new lineup on the group’s website. Joining Tate and Sarzo ar Bobby Blotzer, Glen Drover, Kelly Gray and Randy Gane. Sarzo...
New School: Trip Wamsley
Trip Wamsley has been pushing the convention of bass playing for years by experimenting with extended range basses, piccolo tuning, and out-of-this world technique. He’s one of those guys who can seemingly play anything with ease. Besides his phenomenal playing, his style is creativity knows no bounds. His creativity is found in his supportive bass lines as well as his...
Renaud Garcia-Fons: Tiny Desk Concert
Whenever there’s a new video featuring bassist Renaud Garcia-Fons, I’ll drop everything to watch it. NPR recently hosted Garcia-Fons in their Tiny Desk Concert series where the bassist showed the world his approach to bass, music and his love for various genres. Garcia-Fons kicks things off with “Aqa Jan”, a tune we featured back in early 2011.
Rush’s “Clockwork Angels” Tour Kicks Off Today
Rush is kicking off their North America tour today in Manchester, NH. The tour is in support of Clockwork Angels, the group’s 20th studio album, released in June. The 33-date tour covering the U.S. and Canada will run through December, and following a five month break, the trio hits the road once again to tour across Europe. Clockwork Angels debuted...
Bass of the Week: Luthman Natural
Luthman is a company that puts out some pretty intricate work yet also knows simple elegance, the latter of which is evidenced in their Natural model. Handmade in France by luthier Thierry Etienne, the Natural has a unique, fluid body style with customizable options. Available in 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-string configurations, standard features on the Natural include an ovangkol...
Bass Transcription: Evan Marien’s Arrangement of Jaco Pastorius’ “Havona”
Evan Marien‘s fantastic take on the Jaco Pastorius-penned classic “Havona” was high on my list of pieces to transcribe for this monthly feature. Evan’s breathtaking melodic soloing on the chord changes simultaneously calls to mind the spirit of the original, while showcasing his own unique melodic voice. Skip to the transcription and video “Havona” has a 22-bar form consisting of:...
John Entwistle: Isolated Bass on The Who’s “Sea And Sand”
No Treble reader Miles Graf-Brennen shares this epic isolated bass (mostly) track of John Entwistle, performing along with the Who on “Sea And Sand”. We’ll let Miles set it up: “This is a pretty random choice, because the bass part on this album are so critical to both its lyrical emotion and its rocking drive. Listening to the isolated bass...
Aphex Launches Audio Xciter App
Professional audio technology company Aphex has introduced the Audio Xciter Music App, a mobile application designed to improve the quality of digital audio through the use of their proprietary Xciter digital signal processor. The app, which works with music as well as audio books and podcasts, makes audio sound more dynamic with Low, Medium, and High presets as well as...
Vox Introduces Apache Series Bass Guitars
Vox has expanded their bass lineup with the Apache series of basses, which pick up where their predecessors from the ’60s left off. The new travel instruments are separated by body shape, as the Apache 1 Bass features Vox’s classic Teardrop shape while the Apache 2 Bass features their Phantom body style. Both models have an onboard amplification system complete...
Creating Bass Lines: Getting Your Mind Right
Q: I’m struggling with the thought process behind coming up with bass lines. What advice would you give for ways to approach and think about constructing lines? A: This is another question that is ripe for comments, as everyone probably has something unique to them going through their minds when developing a bass line. To start, a lot of what...