Archive for 2012 - Page 74

Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced that they’ll have a new album on the shelves on August 21. Last of a Dying Breed will be their first effort since 2009’s God & Guns, and promises to be a real fan-pleaser. “It was great to get back in the studio with [producer Bob Marlette] for this new album,” guitarist Gary Rossington said. “We...

Here’s bassist/vocalist Nik West performing her funky tune, “Wait a Minute”. The song is from the bassist’s album, Just in the Nik of Time. Love the scat singing with Nik doubling the line on bass.

The original line-up for Asia, anchored by bassist John Wetton, along with Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer, is gearing up for the British rock band’s 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new album, XXX and tour. XXX will be available in multiple formats, including a standard CD, a collector’s edition CD/2-DVD set and a limited edition vinyl....

Mike Watt, bassist for the Stooges, the Minutemen, fIREHOSE and others, has released Mike Watt: On and Off Bass, featuring photos, thoughts and diary excerpts culled from his archives over the last ten years. Watt, who has a deep interest in photography, has had his work featured at Track 16 Gallery, in his home town of San Pedro, California. The...

Ibanez has added to their BTB series of basses with the BTB675M and BTB676M, which sport maple fingerboard and an natural finish. The neck-thru bass is comprised of a 5-piece maple/bubinga neck and a light ash body with a walnut top. Five and six-string basses respectively, the BTB675M and BTB676M sport all the features of their predecessors, including deep cutaways,...

Usually when we see a video with Thomas “MarloweDK” Risell, he’s teaching us something. Today, we’re sharing a video where MarloweDK is letting loose, laying it down and getting funky. He said this is his “rehearsal” fusion band, playing a tune based on John Scofield’s “Chank”. I suppose that MarloweDK is teaching us something, even when he’s not. (And if...

Jazz bassist Eddie Gomez has released Per Sempre, a new album with his quintet. Recorded in Bologna, Italy during his 2009 tour, the album features original compositions by his band as well as an inventive version of the jazz standard “Stella by Starlight.” Drawing on his varying experiences, Gomez’s refined arco work blends beautifully with the timbres of the horns...

Epiphone is unveiling a new version of a classic with the Thunderbird Classic-IV PRO. The bass is set apart from its siblings by being equipped with a pair of Gibson TB Plus Humbucking pickups featuring ceramic magnets, which the company says produce “high gain, smooth tone and high-end definition.” The pickups are controlled with separate volume knobs as well as...

Regular No Treble readers will be familiar with Donovan Stokes from his column, The Lowdown with Dr. D, but you may not be as familiar with his playing. As a professor at Shenandoah University, Stokes is well versed in the classical realm of double bass playing, yet his own compositions draw on an array of genres. His stunning performances often...

Today is bass legend Ron Carter’s birthday, and we’d be remiss if we didn’t celebrate with some of his incredible playing. Here’s the bassist’s Golden Striker Trio, featuring pianist Mulgrew Miller and guitarist Russel Malone playing their namesake tune, originally performed by the Modern Jazz Quartet. Happy Birthday Ron Carter!

Bassist Lloyd Brevett, the pioneering upright player and founding member of the Jamaican ska group The Skatalites, passed away yesterday after being treated for seizures due to a stroke he suffered in March. He was 80. Brevett is one of the central figures in bringing ska music from Jamaica to the world, as one of the original members of The...

After 20 years of work making and repairing stringed instruments, Meaulnes Laberge formed ML Basses to focus on building electric basses. One of his striking instruments is the Volcan, an edgy yet elegant design available in 4- and 5-string configurations. Featuring bolt-on construction, the Volcan is built with a light maple body, three-piece maple neck and an Indian rosewood fingerboard....