Archive for 2015 - Page 103

I don’t always listen to the heavier hitting rock genres, but when I do, I want it to be like the Damian Murdoch Trio. Damian Murdoch – the guitarist and leader of the band – sent us this video, which features some gnarly lines by bassist Harry Stöckl. The tune is from their 2013 debut album, Electric Tentacles.

Bass whiz Bobby Vega will be touring the Northeast with guitarist Steve Kimock as part of a tribute to Jerry Garcia in March. The tour kicks off on March 10th at New York City’s Highline Ballroom before heading down to Gypsy Sally’s in Washington, D.C. to snake up and down the East Coast. The trek wraps up at the Ardmore...

Another fantastic session bassist has left us. Tim Drummond, who worked with artists ranging from James Brown to Bob Dylan to Neil Young, has passed away at the age of 74. A cause of death has not been announced. Drummond was born in Canton, Illinois in 1940. He honed his craft in the clubs around Cincinnati, Ohio where he would...

Q: I was wondering if you had any new ways of practicing playing through changes? I have been working on my arpeggios and modes but feel like I’m just hitting a wall. A: I don’t know if this counts as a new way of playing through changes, but there are an endless number of options available to you. So many...

JJ Grey & Mofro’s “Your Lady, She’s Shady” – from the album This River – is one gritty, funky tune. Things get even funkier in this live version, with bassist Todd Smallie making it happen. This is from “Live at The Iridium – Front and Center” on PBS.

Toto’s first studio album in around a decade also marks the return on record of founding bassist David Hungate. Toto XIV, slated for a March 24 North American release, is band’s first record of new music since 2006’s Falling In Between. Hungate is the guy so many people have learned from and copied over the years, guitarist Steve Lukather said,...

As the person who reads all of the Reader Spotlight submissions we receive, I get to read a lot of great stories. This one, told by bassist and No Treble reader Alasdair McLachlan is one of my favorites. There’s just something cool about a person living the dream the way Alasdair appears to do, with such a great attitude and...

Want to know what’s great? A killer bass video. Want to know what’s really great? Ten killer bass videos. It just so happens we have such a list… the top 10 most watched videos on No Treble for the month of December, 2014. Thanks for watching and sharing!

Davide Tammaro is getting ready to release his upcoming album Ghosts and sent us this video to check out. The guitarist wisely recruited bassist/vocalist Panagiotis Andreou, who lays down a tasty line and solo for the song “Brooklyn.” Check out this video from the live studio session:

A new series of bass tutorial books from Hal Leonard aims to provide players of all styles with 100 essential lessons. The books in the Bass Lesson Goldmine Series — , , , and — offer detailed information in print and via streaming/downloadable audio. Audio CDs of performance demos are also available with the books. Duos author each book, with...

Bassist Danny Fox recently collaborated with luthier Xaver Tremel of Franz Bass Guitars to create a revamped version of the company’s Merak bass. The fretless four-string brings together elements of the original model with some specific tailoring to Fox’s style. The Franz Danny Fox Merak 4 is built with a walnut body that is chambered and curved for comfort. Its...

I get a lot of questions from aspiring musicians on how to make a career in music. There isn’t one answer to this, and everyone’s circumstances are different. However, below are some of my more general suggestions for those considering a life in music. Specialize I’m usually talking to upright bassists, so I generally suggest they become the “go to”...