Archive for April 2013 - Page 2

Any musician will tell you that stealing an instrument is one of the worst things you can do to someone. The bass community has seen its fair share of famous instruments gone missing, but fortunately we can report one more that’s found its way home. Former Jefferson Starship bassist Pete Sears took to his Facebook page to share the incredible...

When Jaco Pastorius joined Weather Report, they were close to finishing Black Market, which had been recorded up to that point by bassist Alphonso Johnson. Jaco played on two tracks on that album, which included one of his own compositions, “Barbary Coast”. Here’s a live performance early on in Jaco’s tenure with the band, performing that tune at the Montreux...

Hal Leonard has released Jazz Bass Classics, a new book featuring 16 note-for-note transcriptions of jazz classics. Transcriptions cover bass lines by Scott LaFaro, Paul Chambers, Ray Brown, Bob Cranshaw, Chuck Israels, Ron Carter and Wilbur Ware. The 168 page book focuses on both double and electric basses, with standard notation and tab. Jazz Bass Classics Song List: Autumn Leaves...

It’s 6pm… time to get the gear in the car, enter the club’s address into the GPS, and get on the road. It takes exactly five minutes and three trips to pack: one trip for each cabinet (the two fit side by side in the trunk), and one trip for the amp head, bag o’ stuff, and bass (all of...

When Joachim Mahoudeaux shared this video with us, he said very few words. “This french band is simply amazing!” The band is Oceakyl… an unusual trio we really dig. Started by bassist/multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Olivier Carole, who recruited bassist Emeline Fougeray and drummer Mogan Cornebert, the group has been performing together since 2009. The polyrhythms, which are quite intricate at times, are...

Black Sabbath has announced a full 20-city North American tour in anticipation of their upcoming album, 13. The outing will build on their current World Tour, which kicked off April 20 in New Zealand and takes the legendary act from Texas to Virginia to British Columbia to California and several spots in between. 13 will be the band’s first new...

Brett Wall has been making his own basses ever since he started playing. He dropped us an email with a couple of his latest creations including what he calls The ThunderBacker. The dual-course, 8-string bass brings together elements of a Rickenbacker, a Thunderbird and a Precision bass for a unique blend and stunning design. The Ric-inspired body is made of...

No Treble reader Ian Pettersson sent us this video of Imelda May, which features some mighty fine bass playing by Al Gare. Ian said, “I remember you featured Imelda May a while back with her song ‘Johnny’s Got A Boom Boom‘. Have a listen to this beauty. A fine example of the old ‘less is more’ rule!” No doubt about...

Jazz bassist/vocalist Kristin Korb has released What’s Your Story?, a retrospective album that answers the same question it presents. Korb revisits twelve songs of personal significance with the aid of drummer Jeff Hamilton and guitarist Bruce Forman, creating a stellar trio that build organic and thoughtful grooves. Each of the tracks offers a fresh take on time-tested tunes, while “Always...

Jens Ritter has expanded on the idea of his R8-Singlecut bass with the R8-Concept Fretless Bass. The new models set themselves apart by utilizing the Ritter Backside Tuning System, which puts the tuning machines on the back of the bass’s body while accepting standard single-ball strings. Another distinguishing feature is the R8-Concept’s extended fingerboard, which reaches all the way down...

Q: I seem to have an issue with consistency. I seem to be able to pull certain licks and lines together when practicing, but it always falls apart when I’m actually playing with the band. Any tricks to develop consistency? A: Tricks? No. But I do have some thoughts. 1. Context I had a realization after something similar to what...

I don’t remember when we first discovered the music of Aaron Gibson, but ever since that day he’s been one of my favorite bassists. It has been a while since Aaron posted a video, because he’s been devoting more of his time to animating rather than writing music. The tune is “Waiting”, Aaron’s own composition from his solo album, Becoming...