Archive for 2014 - Page 97

It’s always great to discover cool bass lines that you wouldn’t normally hear. I don’t listen to much pop, but Manuel Jiménez Gastélum sent in this cover of Chris Brown’s “Fine China,” and I dig it. The song has a funky distorted bass line that he absolutely nails and his tone is killer.

Silk-gloved bassist Etienne Mbappe’s album combines the Duala language of his native Cameroon, a huge groove and blazing bass. Mbappe, known for his work with legendary guitarist John McLaughlin, as well as his own solo music, is also the vocalist on the collection of joyous, danceable tunes. The groove on “Wondja” from Pater Noster is worth checking out, even if...

This week’s top 10 features more gear news and videos from the NAMM Show. But it was Damian Erskine’s new column that reigned supreme. One person asked about modes and scales thousands of bassists apparently wanted to know more about the topic as well. One of our favorites here at NT HQ also made the list: the latest Profiles in...

Rickenbacker has introduced the W Series of guitars and basses for 2014. The lineup is a spin on their classic models, including the 4003 bass, but are made with walnut bodies. Though the company states that it’s careful not to change too much from the formulas they use to make instrument, they say the walnut adds strength and natural character....

When Doug Johns got together with drummer Jordan Simmons, he described it as “just groovin’.” Here’s some of that groovin’, titled “Booty Groove”. Oh yeah.

Norwegian jazz bass great Arild Andersen has produced a studio album of ballads with drummer Paolo Vinaccia and tenor sax player Tommy Smith – the same trio responsible for the Live at Belleville album. features mostly work written by Andersen, but it does include a cover of Burt Bacharach’s classic, “Alfie.” In an interview with Jazz Times reproduced on his...

Thanks to the Winter NAMM Show, January is always a huge month for new gear stories. (So much so, we’ll still be covering the NAMM news into February). Here are the top 10 most popular gear stories in January, based on readership. Thanks as always for reading, commenting and sharing. And here’s to lots more gear news! 1. Cort Jeff...

A couple of weeks ago, we featured a video of Dane Alderson playing with Troy Roberts’ Nu-Jive, and it led me to check out more of the saxophonists videos. Mr. Roberts obviously has a knack for picking great bassists, because I was blown away by Eric England in this video for the song “Stoner.” The bassist floats a nice big...

The queen of African music and one of music’s most extraordinary bassists have joined forces. The record is Angelique Kidjo’s album, . She’s the queen, of course, and the bassist is Christian McBride, who has worked with everyone from Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock to pop/rock stars Sting and Don Henley. McBride is a longtime fan of Kidjo and he...

As we begin our journey as bass players, we are drawn to particular types of grooves. Perhaps our ears perk up with a soulful R&B line, the sound of a walking upright, or a rock tune where the bass is pedaling the roots. Many of us are intrigued by vibrant staccato grooves, the slaps and pops of 70’s funk, or...

The NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert series always seems to draw something special out of artists. The setting forces musicians to make a statement with a reduced set and limited instrumentation. Essentially, it shows viewers what a group is really made of, and the Robert Glasper Experiment used to the opportunity to prove they’re the real thing. The core of...

, Nashville Pussy’s first studio record since 2009’s From Hell to Texas, is being called the hard rockers’ band’s Back in Black by frontman Blaine Cartwright. Now, this record isn’t an album of mourning and rebirth following the death of a member like AC/DC’s classic album, but it is the first on-record appearance of bassist Bonnie Buitrago, who has been...