Archive for July 2014 - Page 6

Chicago has added another title to its long career, . The record features Chicago’s signature big horns, as well as plenty of lead vocal work from bassist/songwriter Jason Scheff, who has been with the group since Peter Cetera’s 1985 departure. Chicago’s songwriters acted as supervising producers on their individual songs, with help provided by coordinating producer Hank Linderman (Don Henley,...

While there are certainly deals out there, an upright bass can cost. Even a “student model” plywood bass, properly set up, can easily set you back around $2,000 US. The prices only go up from there. Needless to say, most of us would like to protect this investment. Here are some basics everyone should know about owning an upright bass....

Here’s an example of a singer/songwriter doing it right. The very talented Scott Varney builds his song “Slow Down” all by himself with a bass, a djembe, his voice and a looper. After getting a serious groove and sweet backup vocals going, Varney adds his lyrics overtop while comping chords on his bass. Make sure to check out the Sublime...

Judas Priest has returned with its first album since 2008, . It’s the 17th record from the metal stalwarts, featuring bassist Ian Hill, who is also known for bringing legendary metal vocalist Rob Halford into the band. Listen to the lead single, “March of the Damned,” as introduced by guitarist Glenn Tipton, to see what you think of one of...

We usually call these top 10 lists the “best in bass for the week”. And the #1 item on the list certainly fits that category perfectly. But late Friday afternoon, we learned of the passing of one of our heroes, Charlie Haden. Readers responded with a lot of heartfelt comments on No Treble and our Facebook page, and we enjoyed...

Seymour Duncan has announced a new line of pickups. Similar to pickups found on the city’s handcrafted basses, the new NYC Bass Pickups use a dual coil J-type pickup design with a double row of exposed Alnico pole pieces. They are also made for flexibility with a four conductor cable that allows for three wiring modes: parallel, series, or single-coil....

I’ve been spinning Ben Harper’s latest album – and his first collaboration with his mother Ellen – a lot lately. That album features Jesse Ingalls on double bass, who is part of Harper’s Relentless7 band. Here’s Ben with Ingalls and Relentless7 performing “By My Side” live the Machine Shop. Dig Ingalls’ Ric, and that sweet tone!

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young were having reunion tours as far back as 1974 — their first. The 1974 tour, which included 30 U.S. dates and one at Wembley Stadium in London, has been captured in a 3-disc CD set or Pure Audio Blu-Ray/1 DVD set, called . The sets also come with a long commemorative booklet. Graham Nash co-produced...

Digital Audio Labs has extended their line of Stompblox modular pedalboards with the Stompblox Riser and the Stompblox Extend. The new products are the first two modular expansion products that connect to the Stompblox system to expand its functionality. Intended to make the back row more accessible, Stompblox Risers are designed to snap into the pedalboard to raise certain sections....

Here’s another great metal bass play-through from Taken by the Tide’s Andrew Workman, who demonstrates how to play their song “Long Pig.” The track comes from their latest EP, Hands of Spite. Workman uses a healthy mix of fingerstyle, slapping, and tapping to get lots of textures out of his 7-string AC Guitars bass.

Blink 182 guitarist Tom DeLonge took to his Instagram page to announce that his band Angels & Airwaves has recruited former Thrice bassist Ed Breckenridge to join their ranks. “We welcome Ed Breckenridge to the gang- Formerly of the post-hardcore band #Thrice,” he wrote. “He is a perfect fit for this group of punk rock Gymnasts. A daily surfer, and...

American jazz bassist Charlie Haden, who made waves with artists like free jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman and pianist Keith Jarrett, has passed away after a prolonged illness, according to a statement from ECM Records. He was 76. Born in Shenandoah, Iowa in 1937, Haden was raised on a farm and started on bass at an early age. His family had...