Archive for 2015 - Page 10

Frescia Belmar has always been drawn to music, despite being part of what she describes as a “non-musical family”. The path to bass was not a quick one for her, but that eventually became her instrument of choice. Frescia is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s her story… Bio: Frescia Belmar is a young innate talent. Her...

Time flies when you’re having fun, and as each month comes to a close, it means it is time for our monthly bass gear roundup. Here are the top 10 reader favorite gear stories for November, 2015. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. Stash Stainless Bass Guitars’ Two New Models Stash Stainless has expanded their innovative bass offerings with...

On December 1st, 1951, Jaco Pastorius – the man many of us consider the greatest bass player ever – was born. “We all say it: He’s our Hendrix,” Juan Alderete said in the recently released film, JACO. In honor of his birthday today, we revisit a classic solo from a 1978 Weather Report concert, where Jaco quotes Hendrix and a...

The Who’s June 26 concert in London’s Hyde Park is now available for purchase on CD and video as Live In Hyde Park. The show – part of the band’s 50th anniversary tour – featured original members Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Bassist Pino Palladino played parts made famous by the late John Entwistle. At the June 25 Hyde Park...

This week we’re checking out a sleek black custom bass called the Gotham by Spain’s Ramos Guitars. The seven-string brute is built with a mongoy body and fretless ebony fingerboard for a dark theme and an air of mystery. Featuring neck-through construction, its three-piece maple neck is reinforced with graphite for added strength. Ramos fitted the bass with a Delano...

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 address three subjects in this series about Multi-Stop Travel: Physical Preparation, Personal Packing (luggage)...

Jesús Rico Pérez is one of our favorite solo bassists around here. So it is always thrilling to see a new video from him. In this video, Jesus performs his composition, “Peace Prayer,” for piccolo fretless bass. Enjoy.

2015 marks Fourplay’s 25th anniversary, so it’s only fitting that its latest album is called Silver, in recognition of the milestone. Superstar bassist Nathan East is one of the jazz group’s four members, and he enthused about the album in an interview posted on The Huffington Post: “I love this album! We tapped into the real spirit of the quartet...

Another week in the books, which means it is time to celebrate the top 10 on No Treble this week. Here are the reader favorites for the week of November 21-27, 2015. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing! 1. Bass Lesson: The Tritone Substitution Matrix When learning to play your bass, an overkill of theory can often paralyze your...

Blackstar Amps has unveiled the Tone:Link, a Bluetooth audio receiver that allows any amp or device with a line-in jack to use Bluetooth for streaming. It works with bass amps, guitar amps, PAs, home stereos, headphones and car speakers. “By plugging into the line-in jack of any guitar amp, Tone:Link offers music playback with up to a 65 foot wireless...

The Winery Dogs are enjoying great success with their second album, Hot Streak. Here’s the supergroup of Billy Sheehan, Richie Kotzen and Mike Portnoy performing two from their songs from their debut album – “Elevate” and “The Other Side” – live at Sonisphere 2014 at Knebworth Park in England on July 5th, 2014. This has to be the definition of...

Two dates on Rush’s R40 concert tour have been captured as the concert film and live record R40 Live. The set, compiled from sold-out June 17 and 19 shows at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, shows the Canadian trio, featuring bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee, working backwards through its extensive catalog, from its most recent recordings to its earliest ones. The band’s dedication...