Archive for 2012 - Page 90

Adrenaline Mob, the band formed by ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Symphony X vocalist Russell Allen and guitarist Mike Orlando, have released their first full album, Omerta. As we mentioned last month, Disturbed bassist John Moyer has joined as a full-time member of the group. Moyer replaced the band’s original bassist, Paul DiLeo (Fozzy), who left to pursue another project....

A perfect video and song for a Sunday afternoon (or any time, really). In November, 2010, John Scofield took the stage with bassist Steve Swallow and drummer Bill Stewart at Forum Leverkusen. Here’s the trio performing “Someone To Watch Over Me”. So great to see the master bassist still bringing it after all these years of wowing us. Swallow takes...

Ansir Music has unveiled all-new designs for their custom basses, with the introduction of the Imperial line. The Imperial and Imperial SL models feature ergonomic contouring and the company’s patented “Ansir Industry Standard Playing Angle,” which puts the neck in a more natural playing position. While the two models are very similar, Ansir founder Jody Michael explained the SL (or...

BBC 2-Scotland recently aired this hour-long documentary on the life and music of bassist Jack Bruce. The documentary includes interviews with Bootsy Collins, U2’s Adam Clayton and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, as well as Bruce’s band mates Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker. Bruce returned to Scotland for the documentary, and re-recorded six songs he calls pivotal to his...

Petros Klampanis sent us this video of his solo bass arrangement for the jazz standard ballad “Skylark.” This track is also featured on his solo debut album, Contextual. Klampanis plays the head in a “Boleroish” way before busting out the looper at the end for a mesmerizing vamp.

Bassist and private instructor Brian Emmel has been teaching bass for over 20 years. As he set out to teach young kids how to play the bass, he realized there was nothing on the market that suited them. So he decided to write L’il Brats Bass Method, a method book designed for kids 9 years and up. “In the last...

Bulgarian boutique electronics company N-Audio has released a new Tube Preamp DI Box. Built to expand the abilities of a DI to include a preamp, the device features a pair of tubes and an output transformer with two independent secondary coils that allow for two balanced outputs: one XLR and one 1/4?. The guys at N-Audio explain the preamp is...

First things first, I’m not trying to open a “metronome debate.” I’m also not trying to lecture people about using (or not using) a metronome during their practice sessions. Instead, I’m going to shed some light on why and how metronomes can be useful tools when it comes to practicing and experimenting with your instrument. We’ll examine the differences between...

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...