Archive for 2014 - Page 35
Achieving Rock Solid Time on Bass
Q: I was wondering if you could touch on the topic of time, the most important part of being a bassist. Are there ways to get rock solid time anywhere from 60 bpm to 300 bpm other than just playing with a metronome? If so what do you suggest? A: Aside from my usual answers: a) repetition (hundreds of hours...
Jaco Pastorius: Rare Live Footage with Brian Melvin (1986)
While I knew Jaco Pastorius spent time in California with Brian Melvin, where they recorded some albums around 1986, I had no idea Melvin released a documentary about his time with Jaco until today. This clip comes from Brian Melvin’s Reflections: On Music & Friendship with Jaco Pastorius, which offers up some rare footage of Jaco performing a year or...
Book Turns Bird’s Sax Solos Into Bass Lines
Are you a lover of Charlie “Bird” Parker’s iconic jazz sax solos and yearn to play them on your bass? Then, you need to check out this book — . The 96-page book from Hal Leonard Corp. offers instruction on how to play some of Parker’s most well-known solos. Just take a look at the song list: Anthropology Au Privave...
Reader Spotlight: Simon Svensson
Meet Simon Svensson, a musician fully engaged in making his own unique music – and big sound – as a solo bassist. That’s not to say he isn’t following the more traditional role of bassist, but he is striving to create something new with his playing. Simon is No Treble’s reader in the spotlight for the week of September 1,...
Gear Review: Cort Jeff Berlin Signature RITHIMIC Bass
Okay, bass lovin’ people, how about a bass that strives to be… plain? Well not completely plain, but just a basic, good bass. Kind of refreshing since most new basses to hit the market usually make strides to separate themselves from the herd, and then ask us to believe it, then buy it at a premium. Not saying that Cort...
Mike Stern Band with Tom Kennedy: Wishing Well
I remember watching the Mike Stern Band’s when it came out, and while the entire concert is excellent, Stern’s “Wishing Well” really caught my attention. Stern is joined on this concert by bassist Tom Kennedy, saxophonist Bob Franceschini and drummer Dave Weckl. I was lucky to see this exact lineup in one of many of Stern’s shows at Blues Alley...
Opeth’s 11th is Heavy on Melody
Swedish progressive metal band Opeth has released the follow-up to its acclaimed 2011 album, Heritage. , featuring the bass work of Martín Méndez, is the 11th album from the group, which originated as a death metal outfit. Méndez and vocalist-guitarist-producer Mikael Åkerfeldt wrote all the songs on the album, which Åkerfeldt says found the group focusing on melodies more than...
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in August 2014
Time for another bass gear roundup, featuring the gear news most popular with No Treble readers in the month of August, 2014. As always, we’re required to issue this warning: this list may cause GAS. 1. Ernie Ball Music Man Premier Dealer Network Neptune Blue Bass Series Ernie Ball/Music Man is now taking orders for their Neptune Blue edition of...
Bass of the Week: Epiphone Allen Woody Rumblekat
Allen Woody wasn’t just a phenomenal bass player, he was an avid collector of vintage basses. The bassist – who laid down the low end for The Allman Brothers and Gov’t Mule – owned over 450 basses before his untimely passing in 2000. Before he passed away, he worked with Epiphone on what would become a signature bass called the...
Morning Bound: I Did Fine
Ever since Morning Bound released the video for their first self-titled single, I’ve been craving more. Now the trio, consisting of vocalist Tammy Scheffer, bassist Panagiotis Andreou and drummer Ronen Itzik, has just posted a new video for the second single from their EP called “I Did Fine.” Their beautiful use of dynamics and textures make this track as much...
ZZ Top Cancels Tour Dates After Dusty Hill Injury
It’s been a rough year for Dusty Hill. Last month, the ZZ Top bassist was sidelined for surgery to remove kidney stones. Now the band has announced that the rest of their co-headlining tour dates with Jeff Beck have been canceled after Hill fell and injured his hip. Live Nation officials stated he fell inside the band’s tour bus, adding...
Weekly Roundup: RIP Rawbiz, Top Bass How To’s, Fender Rascal, Michael League Transcription and More
Summer is ending, and it looks like everyone is getting back to work. Our top 3 stories this week were all in the “how-to” categories. But there were still some great videos and gear stories that made the top ten. We were also saddened to report about the passing of Tim “Rawbiz” Williams this week. Here are the top 10...