Archive for 2015 - Page 49

Just when you think you’ve seen it all, somebody like Alex Spradling comes along and blows your mind. The bassist tackles saxophone legend John Coltrane’s lightning fast solo from “Countdown” on his double bass. Spradling’s economy of motion makes the blazing lines come off as a fluid stream of notes as his left hand glides over the strings.

Progressive metal band Symphony X has released its ninth studio album, Underworld. With bassist Michael LePond (Affector, Rattlebone, Mike Bino Project) holding down the low end, the album takes its inspiration from the classic Dante poem the “Divine Comedy,” particularly its “Inferno,” as well as the ancient Orpheus myth, said Symphony X guitarist and songwriter Michael Romeo. “So there’s the...

Meet bassist Jeffrey Bryan Rijnsburger, a man who hails from the place with the “famous Dutch windmills”. But more important than that, Jeffrey is pursuing the dream of playing music. Here’s his story. Bio: I’m originally from Zaandam, the place with the famous Dutch windmills. Outside providing backing vocals wherever needed, I’m a 100% dedicated to bass and try to...

Bassists looking for a portable bass to travel, practice and perform on have a new option. Measuring in at just 21 inches, the Wing Bass is an instrument that feels and plays like the top range of a bass guitar. “The concept is simple,” the company shared.

In 1993, Maceo Parker and his band took the stage at The Fabrik in Hamburg, Germany. That performance ended up being filmed and later released as . During that performance, the group played “Shake Everything You’ve Got”, and the bass playing of Jerome Preston made the song live up to its name.

Although Roger Waters released Amused to Death in 1992, its look at an entertainment-obsessed society still rings true, which helps make the remastered version of the album even more powerful. The record, featuring a slew of bassists (Waters, John Patitucci, Guo Yi, Tim Pierce, John Pierce, Randy Jackson, and Jimmy Johnson) has been given a new 5.1 surround sound remix...

There’s something uniquely beautiful about the double bass, and Nick Lloyd knows how to accentuate it. This week we check out his 3/4 Lloyd Standard Model featuring gorgeous woods and interesting twist. The bass’s design includes walnut back and sides with a classic flatback. “Previously I came across some beautiful, centuries-old Italian basses made from Walnut,” the luthier explains. “I...

Just about all of Les Claypool‘s bass lines are catchy and fun to play, but “Lee Van Cleef” is one of my favorites. The song, which pays homage to the actor with allusions to Claypool’s childhood, centers around a springy slap bass line on the D and G strings. Check out this clip of Primus performing it on the Jimmy...

Latin jazz bassist John Benítez has launched a new set of instructional books focused on his own bass method. The John Benítez Bass Method Volume 1:- Freedom In The Clave: A Rhythmic Approach To Bass Playing focuses on strengthening your rhythmic confidence with a set of rhythmic independence exercises over a clave. Written with Ian Stewart, the book aims bolster...

This week we get to celebrate a little more on the gear front, thanks to the Summer NAMM show and the announcements made there. But that’s not all that makes up this top 10 list… We have two expert columns – one by Damian Erksine on stage sound and the other by Dr. D on making the most of bass...

Acoustic Image has announced it will be reintroducing the Clarus SL and Clarus SL-R single-channel amp heads as part of their 4plus Series. The compact units weigh in at just over 2 1/2 pounds while dishing out 600 watts of power into 4 ohms. A core update to the models is the inclusion of Acoustic Image’s FLEX-style four-channel EQ, with...

I stumbled upon the Boston-based band Ripe recently, and I was glad I did. I’ll admit, at first I was impressed with vocalist Robbie Wulfsohn. But after giving them a listen, I quickly became a fan of bassist Mauricio Morales. Here’s the band performing their tune “Talk To The Moon” live at the Berklee Internet Radio Network. The tune features...