Weekly Top 10: 50 R&B Bass Grooves, Gospel Bass Lick, Odd Time Signatures, Plus Top Bass Gear, Videos and More

Besides bass, a common thread in this week’s top 10 list seems to be groove. And that’s just fine with us.

Plus, a top 10 list inside a top 10 list. Also fine by us.

Here are the top 10 most popular stories and videos for No Treble readers for the week of September 27 – October 3, 2014.

Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing.

Aretha Franklin: “Rolling in the Deep/Ain’t No Mountain” Late Show Performance

1. Aretha Franklin: “Rolling in the Deep/Ain’t No Mountain” Late Show Performance

Aretha Franklin took the stage this week as musical guest on the Late Show with David Letterman. The Queen of Soul, now 72, sang her version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” before she and the band segued into “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The legendary singer was once again backed by Jerry Jemmott…

Bass of the Week: Doner Designs Navy Bass

2. Bass of the Week: Doner Designs Navy Bass

This week we check out an incredible project led by the good folks at Doner Designs, a father and son team that pieces together themed instruments to donate to charity. Their latest bass – the Navy Bass – takes the cake…

Primus: To Defy the Laws of Tradition, Live 1989

3. Primus: To Defy the Laws of Tradition, Live 1989

Les Claypool has always marched to the beat of his own drum. That’s why we’re celebrating his birthday today with a clip of the trio playing “To Defy the Laws of Tradition” from their 1989 radio performance on Stanford’s KZSU…

Andrew Ford Releases “50 R&B Bass Grooves You Must Know”

4. Andrew Ford Releases “50 R&B Bass Grooves You Must Know”

Bassist and educator Andrew Ford wants to help you find your groove with his latest video course, 50 R&B Bass Grooves You Must Know

Federico Malaman: Doctor Mike

5. Federico Malaman: Doctor Mike

Bassist Federico Malaman sent me his brand new video of him doing a cover of a tune by another terrific Italian bassist, Pippo Matino. The tune is “Doctor Mike”, which Pippo wrote as a dedication to guitarist Mike Stern. The first video below is Federico’s cover. The second one is the original…

Reader Spotlight: Eliot Roby

6. Reader Spotlight: Eliot Roby

Meet bassist Eliot Roby. Eliot is a young bassist hailing from Canada, but he seems wise beyond his years. When asked why he chose to play bass, his answer was priceless. In short, he said he wanted something that gave him “a sense of individuality”, and he didn’t want to be like “those guys” (guitarists)…

Bass Lick Series: Gospel-Style Bass Groove

7. Bass Lick Series: Gospel-Style Bass Groove

Last time, we got down and dirty with a overdrive-charged rock bass groove. This time around, we’re going to get a bit more funky with a modern Gospel-style lick, complete with all the slurs and slides, thanks to MarloweDK…

Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in September 2014

8. Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in September 2014

Bass gear news in September included a lot of pedals. Several of them were reader favorites, making this month’s top 10 list. But it was a bass – the Ibanez/Korg joint venture SR Kaoss Bass – which really made some noise in September with reader views and shares…

The Stanley Clarke Band Plays it Happy on “Up”

9. The Stanley Clarke Band Plays it Happy on “Up”

Jazz instrumentalists have the luxury of playing music all over the emotional scale, says superstar jazz bassist Stanley Clarke. His latest album, Up, is on the cheerier end of that scale…

Getting Comfortable with Odd Time Signatures

10. Getting Comfortable with Odd Time Signatures

This week’s column is all about getting comfortable with odd time signatures. Great advice and practice ideas right here…

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