Archive for August 2016 - Page 4

Q: I’m just starting out and I can’t figure out if I should play French or German bow? – Marisol G. A: One of the seemingly most controversial, yet entirely manufactured non-controversies among double bass players is whether one should play using an overhand (aka “French”) bow or an underhand (aka “German”) bow. Note: “German” and “French” are used here...

Bass monster Evan Brewer shows his awe-inspiring bass line for Entheos’s “New Light” in this bass-centric playthrough. If you know Evan, you know this one is going to be a wild ride. He varies between several advanced techniques, including the heaviest slap line you’ve ever heard and a harmonically rich two-handed tapping section, to create a beautiful contrast in the...

Living Colour drummer Will Calhoun has assembled a group of top jazz musicians for his tribute to jazz drumming great, the late Elvin Jones. Celebrating Elvin Jones features virtuoso bassist Christian McBride, saxophonist Antoine Roney, keyboardist Carlos McKinney, trumpeter Keyon Harrold, and other players, like Jan Hammer, who played as part of Jones’ trio. Jones was known for his work...

This week was an exciting one for us – we debuted Rufus Philpot’s new lesson series, Creative Bass Lines. No Treble readers enjoyed that as well as Ariane Cap’s new Talking Technique lesson on double stops. That, plus some new bass gear, some epic videos and more make up this week’s list of reader favorites. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting...

After introducing the EFX version earlier this year, Radial is continuing to work on its Bigshot pedal series with a new redesign of the Bigshot i/o. The stompbox is a instrument selector that allows for switching between two basses plugged into the same amp. Each input can be selected quickly via footswitch. Input 2 is fitted with a level control...

Ubass connoisseur Magnus Sjöquist sent us an all-bass version of a Swedish folk song called “Visa från utanmyra”, and it’s beautiful. “My version is inspired by the lovely version by Swedish pianist Jan Johansson and upright bassist Georg Riedel,” he told us. “It is featured on the album Jazz på svenska (Jazz in Swedish) released in 1964.” Sjöquist plays both...

Carlos Santana has formed a new jazz-rock supergroup called Mega Nova, and it promises to be incredible. The legendary guitarist has recruited an equally legendary band including keyboardist Herbie Hancock, saxophonist Wayne Shorter, drummer Cindy Blackman Santana, and bassist Marcus Miller. Mega Nova will make their debut during a one-off concert at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California on...

NS Design has teamed up with Mi-Si Electronics Design to introduce the NXTa Active series of instruments, including versions of the company’s Omni Bass and Double Bass models. Central to the new series is the introduction of battery-free, high-performance active electronics. The circuitry works is powered by plugging into a wall socket for one minute at a time. “Operationally, for...

Stuart Clayton just added a new video showcasing his work in progress on the new edition of Giants of Bass. In this video, he tackles the style of Flea – particularly the style of the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Blood Sugar Sex Magik era. Dig the tone on that 1976 Music Man StingRay!

Indie folk band Blind Pilot has released its third studio album, And Then Like Lions. Luke Ydstie handles bass on the album, which the Wall Street Journal praised. “And Then Like Lions has a lyrical sweep reminiscent of esteemed heartbreak-and-recovery albums like Lou Reed’s Magic and Loss and Arcade Fire’s Funeral, which are excellent company for the band and its...

While their summer tour may be winding down and the Fur Peace Ranch workshops are wrapping up, Hot Tuna is still in full gear. The dynamic duo of Jack Casady and Jorma Kaukonen have announced a Fall run of acoustic and electric performances that will focus on the East and West Coasts. Electric Hot Tuna dates will include the drumming...

One of my favorite pastimes is reading album credits. Who played on that song? This guy did the whole record! They were also the backing band for those guys! It’s music trivia galore and these discoveries are sweet little surprises that build the timeline of music history. It’s often fun to play guessing games, to hone your ear to particular...