Archive for 2014 - Page 10

As a follow up to this series on harmonic substitutions, I thought that I would include a few choice pages from my book, The Improvisor’s Path, related directly to what we’ve been discussing. First, here are the pages that relate to my breakdown of some available scaler substitutions. Next is the Wayne Shorter tune, “Nefertiti” with a few scaler options...

In 2007, keyboardist and producer Jason Miles brought together a killer supergroup to perform classic soul hits at the Berks Jazz Festival in Reading, Pennsylvania. The band included vocalists Maysa, Susan Tedeschi and Mike Mattison (Tedeschi Trucks Band), saxophonists Karl Denson, Richard Elliot (Tower of Power), Dave Mann and Barry Danielian, guitarists Reggie Young and Sherrod Barnes, trumpeter Tony Kadlek,...

A performance by Bob Marley and the Wailers, filmed for German television the year before Marley’s death from cancer at age 36, is now available on the . The show, recorded in June 1980 in Dortmund, Germany features not only the charismatic, now-legendary Marley, but also Aston “Family Man” Barrett, bassist and bandleader for The Wailers. The restoration of the...

Meet Michele della Malva, a bass player who hopes to play for 1,000 years. Michele’s dad got him his start with music and playing, and though it was the wrong instrument (guitar), it paved the way for Michele to find the bass. Michele keeps busy playing in a variety of bands and is wrapping up work on his on solo...

Anaconda Basses has expanded their range of basses with the Super J, which luthier Andrew Taylor-Cummings calls his take on a classic J-style. “I didn’t want to do yet another straight copy, but rather build and improve on a classic,” he writes. “The body is downsized and more sculpted, allowing for better ergonomics and comfort. I wanted to add a...

Here’s a great clip of Spare Parts jamming on their song “Watch Your Step” live at Warehaus West in Chicago. The band grooves hard thanks to bassist Colin Scott, who utilizes fingerstyle, slap, and some intense strumming with effects to keep you on your toes.

Fans getting an itch to hear new music from JJ Grey and Mofro don’t have long to wait. The band has announced that its upcoming album, Ol’ Glory, is due out Feb. 25, 2015, and a tour to support the record will begin earlier that same month. If the trailer’s anything to go by, the new album features the deep...

Marcus Miller’s prolific, musically diverse career and his influence are detailed in a documentary to be released digitally in January 2015. Zycopolis, a French firm, produced the documentary, called Marcus, about the electric bassist and multi-instrumentalist (he’s also a keyboardist and clarinetist/bass clarinetist), who has left an indelible mark and several music genres. Miller worked with the late jazz legend...

This week we take a look at a new hollow-body creation from Bootleg Guitars called the Jazz Box 4. Finished in a beautiful translucent green, the bass features a body with maple for its top and back with a Spanish Cedar core. Its neck is a premium grade aged quartersawn Eastern hard rock maple topped with a rosewood fingerboard. Luthier...

On this day in 1941, the great Donald “Duck” Dunn was born. And that was a good thing for bass players ever since… he showed us the right way to hold it down. Here’s a video from Duck’s final U.S. performance, just two weeks before he passed away in 2012. The tune is Booker T. & The MG’s “Time is...

Fender lovers: It’s time to rejoice. Another book has arrived for you. by Tom Wheeler is filled with artifacts from Fender’s long history, including handwritten letters, production totals, and Leo Fender’s drawing-board sketches. Wheeler, who has written for Rolling Stone and Guitar Player Magazine, and was the founding editorial director of Bass Player, is now a professor at the University...

Brace yourself, here comes a whole lotta bass: the top 10 most popular stories and videos on No Treble for the week of November 15-21, 2014. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. Freelance Gigs: Five Tips for Bass Players The last “Tips” column (on avoiding injury), was a popular one. So let’s continue this series with some tips on...