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Archive for December 2015 - Page 6

Zander Zon: Star Wars Medley
Bass Videos

Zander Zon: Star Wars Medley

You may have heard that a new Star Wars film hits the big screen this week (as in, 1,000 times a day or more). Leave it to Zander Zon to combine some of our all-time favorites – bass, Star Wars and the music of John Williams – into one terrific video. “I’m a massive Star Wars fan and growing up...

Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ Goes Super Deluxe
New Albums

Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ Goes Super Deluxe

Tusk was an unusual, unwieldy, experimental double album when Fleetwood Mac released it in 1979. A new deluxe edition of the album ups the ante even further, combining the original double LP on 180-gram vinyl with a 5.1 surround mix on audio DVD and five CDs. The CDs include an alternate version of the album from mostly unreleased session outtakes;...

Bass of the Week: Letts Basses Yves Carbonne Signature 2-String Bass
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: Letts Basses Yves Carbonne Signature 2-String Bass

Many people know bassist Yves Carbonne for his incredible playing on extended range instruments with up to 12 strings. Most can enjoy the music, but some can’t get past the number of strings on his bass. After musing online about the merits of how many strings a bass should have, Carbonne teamed up with luthier Jon Letts to create the...

Multi-Stop Travel With Your Bass – Part 2: Packing/Luggage/Bass
The Lowdown with Dr. D

Multi-Stop Travel With Your Bass – Part 2: Packing/Luggage/Bass

Most people realize that there are special considerations when flying with your upright bass. These considerations are significantly expanded if your musical journey requires a series of planes, trains, and automobiles, before you arrive back at your home door. With this in mind, I’d like to continue my discussion from last time by talking about some of the precautions I...

Esperanza Spalding with Emily’s D+Evolution: One
Bass Videos

Esperanza Spalding with Emily’s D+Evolution: One

Back in October, Esperanza Spalding performed with Emily’s D+Evolution on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The tune is “One”, and it is spectacular.

MonoNeon Releases Five-Song EP
New Albums

MonoNeon Releases Five-Song EP

The name of the latest release of short pieces from bassist/experimental musician MonoNeon (Prince, Ne-Yo), a.k.a. Dywane Thomas Jr. kind of says it all: Selfie Quickie. Three of the five songs on the EP clock in at less than two minutes, while the remaining songs run no longer than 2:55 and 3:11, respectively. Selfie Quickie is a collection of funk,...

Weekly Top 10: Whole Tone and Other Scales, The End of Rush?, Talking Technique, Top Bass Videos and More
Weekly Top 10

Weekly Top 10: Whole Tone and Other Scales, The End of Rush?, Talking Technique, Top Bass Videos and More

This week, readers enjoyed two great how-to’s – one from Damian Erskine on when to use whole tone and other scales, and Ariane Cap’s second entry in her new “Talking Technique” series. Add to that the reader favorite bass videos (including a bonus top 10 list), plus news from the world of Rush, our interview with Kung Fu bassist Chris...

Fredric Effects Announce the Deeply Unpleasant Companion Bass Fuzz Pedal
Pedals & Effects

Fredric Effects Announce the Deeply Unpleasant Companion Bass Fuzz Pedal

Fredric Effects have introduced the Deeply Unpleasant Companion, a bass fuzz pedal that builds upon the Shin-Ei FY-2 Companion Fuzz. The new model has a modified circuit to preserve more low end frequencies, plus a new clean blend function for mixing your direct signal with the dirty signal. The pedal also has a volume boost circuit to avoid volume drop...

Keelan Jones with Cory Henry: Sunday Stroll
Bass Videos

Keelan Jones with Cory Henry: Sunday Stroll

Snarky Puppy keyboardist Cory Henry joins drummer Keelan Jones in this funky performance of “Sunday Stroll”, recorded on November 29, 2014 from Jones’ . Tony Russell lays down a sweet a bass line on this one. Love the horns and that funky Moog!

Mogwai Celebrates Its History with Compilation Set
New Albums

Mogwai Celebrates Its History with Compilation Set

Mogwai has released a compilation album, Central Belters, to celebrate its 20th anniversary. The three-CD or six-LP set from the Scottish band, featuring bassist and co-founder Dominic Aitchison (Crippled Black Phoenix and Stage Blood), includes highlights from every phase of its career — from the band’s 1997 debut album to through its 2014 album Rave Tapes. The set also includes...

Bass Players to Know: Willie Weeks
Bass Players To Know

Bass Players to Know: Willie Weeks

Time and time again, I must pay homage to the movie that sparked the flame of my musical obsession… the one that introduced me to a style with more passion and groove than I had ever experienced, with an eclectic history and diverse idioms, and with more influence than any other American genre: Blues Brothers… 2000. While some may say...

Joanna Dudkowska: The Beginning
Bass Videos

Joanna Dudkowska: The Beginning

Bassist Joanna Dudkowska sent us this video of the tune “The Beginning”. She told us she had just received her Marleaux Consat Custom and recorded this in celebration. Not only does she play that, but she puts down some nice fretless work as well.