Archive for August 2014 - Page 6

Mr. Big has kept the reunion of its original lineup going and announced it will release a new album in September. Featuring Billy Sheehan on bass, the new album, …The Stories We Could Tell, debuts on September 23. The rest of the classic Mr. Big lineup — the one that produced the band’s massive early 1990s hit, “To Be With...

Rocco Prestia has been making the world dance since 1965 when he first joined Tower of Power. His infectious and distinctive 16th note groove became a foundation of fingerstyle funk bass playing that innumerable bassists have been trying to master for decades. Prestia was born and raised in California, where he got into music at an early age. He joined...

Phantom Pop bassist Dave Lowenthal sent us the band’s first single from their upcoming album. The tune is “Atlantic Ave”, penned by the bassist. The band is a 5-piece instrumental group from Brooklyn, NY who “combines elements of funk, soul, and R&B with the improvisation of jazz to create their own sound.” “Originally formed by Dave Lowenthal to create an...

Famed drummer Simon Phillips, known for his work as both a session player and in Toto, has released his first solo project in 14 years — the jazz/rock/fusion instrumental , featuring Ernest Tibbs on bass. Tibbs is a renowned session player (David Benoit, David Garfield, Pat Kelley and Kevin Toney) who also teaches at the Musician’s Institute. Phillips says he...

Aries Basses has added a new model to their lineup called the Aman II. The design is brings together elements of two of their existing basses with the front pulling from the Aman I and the semi-acoustic body style of their Conis bass. The Aman II is built with a chambered Mahogany body and spruce top. Its neck is a...

Q: I’m having a difficult applying what I’ve learned into playing. When I play, my fingers can’t seem to do what they did when I practiced. Is there any suggestion to making things stick? A: The first word that pops into my head is repetition. Lines, licks and harmonic devices – such as arpeggios, scales and so on – need...

I’m going to warn you… if you grew up in the 80’s, this story will probably make you feel old. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense. Shot over the course of three nights at Hollywood’s Pantages Theater in December, 1983, the footage captures the band during their tour in support of Speaking in...

Double bassist George Mraz, known for his work with a slew of jazz greats (Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, and Carmen McRae, just to name a few) has lent his talents to pianist Yelena Eckemoff’s latest, . The album, which is attributed to the Yelena Eckemoff Quartet, is the first to feature Eckemoff...

Meet Jason Rungapadiachy, musician who has been playing bass for more than two decades, starting with one of the best “why I started” stories we’ve heard. As you read Jason’s story, you’ll see he’s an accomplished player with a great attitude. And I bet you’ll laugh pretty hard too. He’s a pretty hilarious guy. Jason is No Treble’s reader in...

My friend Gil sent me a heads up for this week’s featured bass, and I’m glad he did. This intriguing instrument is a one-of-a-kind acoustic fretless 5-string bass built by Daniel Whitt of Whitt Guitars. “At Whitt guitars, I build guitars that inspire creativity, capture the imagination and throw everything for a loop,” the bass builder writes. “I don’t build...

Regular No Treble readers will probably recognize Alissia Benveniste from the killer videos we’ve shared in the past of her band. Here’s Alissia performing with Common Thread – a band she cofounded, described as “a collective of like-minded musicians from all over the globe, brought together by a passion for good vibes, music that makes you move, and a purpose...

Ever thought about what it would have been like if avant-garde composer John Cage had performed on the funkiest show on TV back in the 1970s? Well bassist/experimental composer Dywane “MonoNeon” Thomas Jr. has. And he, with the help of microtonal guitarist and composer, Michael Vick, has created a 5-track EP called, appropriately enough, John Cage on Soul Train. MonoNeon,...