Archive for 2012 - Page 63

Amazingly great stuff here, with a “Dave Marks bootleg” video of bassist Janek Gwizdala and his band performing live back in 2009. The band also includes Jojo Mayer on drums, Oli Rockberger on keys and Auden Waage on trumpet. Love the way this one starts out. What am I saying? I love it all.

Aaron Deal has officially replaced Paul Burnette as the full-time bassist for Darkest Hour, according to a statement on the band’s website. Burnette, who started a hiatus in August, is parting amicably to join Iron Reagan. “It’s with a heavy heart that we announce the official departure of long time friend and bassist, Paul Burnette,” the band’s statement read. “Paul’s...

Ibanez is now offering fretless versions of their SR370 and SR375 models. Aimed at providing fretless basses at a cost-effect price point, the company chose to start with the SR370 due to its maple body which they explain lends itself seamlessly to a fretless version. The SR370F and SR375F are 4- and 5-string basses, respectively, and are built with slim...

Last night, I got to experience a true musical treat: the Tedeschi Trucks Band at the historic Ryman auditorium in Nashville. The band is somewhat of a super-group of talent and each player has a distinctive voice that contributes to the overall awesomeness of the music. Listening to players like Oteil Burbridge and Derek Trucks, I witnessed first-hand how much...

Here’s my favorite Weather Report line-up, performing at a concert in Offenbach, Germany on September 29, 1978. Joe Zawinul, Wayne Shorter, Jaco Pastorius, and Peter Erskine doing what the band always seemed to be able to do with perfection. Or as Zawinul described it, “everybody solos and nobody solos”. Jaco does it all here – the slides, the funk, the...

Finnish bassist Jan-Olof Strandberg has released his seventh album as a leader entitled Made In Finland. The new effort also includes contributions from fellow bass heavyweight Michael Manring, along with keyboardist Kimmo Tapanainen, saxophonist Risto Salmi, drummer Kimmo Pörsti and guitarists Matias Kupiainen and Petteri Hirvanen. Included in the package is an hour long DVD with live studio performances by...

While checking out different luthiers’ websites, I came across the GMR Bassforce NT: a neck-through version of their flagship model. Based out of the UK, GMR’s Bassforce is proof of their constant work. “The shape is seen on Bassforce is a case of evolution of early models which started coming out from the workshop nearly 30 years ago,” explains GMR’s...

Since leaving The Roots in August, bassist Owen Biddle has been focusing on his project, Mister Barrington. Here’s a video from their latest album, II, for the song “Rawzz.” The trio’s experimental sound mixes electronica with hip hop and lots of crazy keyboard sounds.

Bassist Mike Cornelison spent years of intense study on the work of Jaco Pastorius while studying at Musicians Institute. After graduating MI with honors, Cornelison began compiling his studies and ultimately put together a book including 26 of the late bassist’s lines from various albums and acts over his career. The Book of Jaco – the Ultimate Compendium of the...

Fender continues to bring old school to the forefront with the announcement of a “Factory Special Run” of instruments with their retro Antigua finish. Introduced in the late 1960’s, the distinct color scheme was revisited in 1977 with more of a greenish shade. The new limited edition line includes both Jazz and Precision bass models. Both basses feature an alder...

Q: I notice bassists adding what I would call a “slur”, but I think the correct term would be trill at the end of lines and phrases. I really dig the effect, but my hands and mind are not naturally inclined to do this. What would you recommend to help me work on this? A: As with any technique, the...

Always a treat to get a video from bassist Aaron Gibson, which always features great bass, vocals and videography. Aaron sent us this video of him performing his tune, “A Thousand Hellos”. Aaron is offering the tune as a download via Bandcamp: