Archive for 2016 - Page 12

Bassists looking to get orchestral jobs have a new resource thanks to Jason Heath’s new book, Winning the Audition. Heath, who hosts the Contrabass Conversations podcast, interviewed musicians from the world’s top orchestras to get the scoop on what it took to get their gigs. “This book is broken down into eight chapters covering the evolution of the modern audition...

Lake Street Dive have announced an extensive US tour slated to start in February. The tour will kick off February 16th in Boston, Massachusetts before covering the East Coast and heading west to end up in Los Angeles, California on March 21st. The band, anchored by bassist Bridget Kearney, will be continuing their trek in support of their latest release,...

If there’s one thing I can’t stand, it’s traffic. Anyone living in, visiting, or planning to move to Nashville has become burdened by the time wasting, frustrating, 4-hour rush hour that is seemingly inescapable. I’m no stranger to the woes of metropolitan areas, the growing pains of urban development, and the high concentration of oversized vehicles, but this city has...

Bassist Joy Anthony M shared this video with us, and it is a beautiful tribute. “Beautiful and cool sunrise at Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain. Felt appropriate to do this video,” Anthony shares. “A personal tribute to two late greats, Victor Bailey and Jaco Pastorius. Hope you dig!”

Erik Scott has released his fourth solo album, In The Company of Clouds. The former Alice Cooper and Flo & Eddie bassist has expanded on his own personal style that mixes his past rock influences in with new age, jazz, and world styles. Scott weaves ambient soundscapes that highlight his sweet fretless bass as the center point. “The CD you’re...

It is a Thanksgiving tradition here to celebrate five bass videos we’re thankful for from our archives. Here are the top five reader favorite videos from 2016. Happy Thanksgiving, and enjoy… 1. Tal Wilkenfeld: Under the Sun Back in March, Tal Wilkenfeld visited Paste Studios in New York and recorded this live performance of “Under the Sun”. Like the Tal’s...

Vulfpeck’s “Dean Town” really blew us all away when it was released on their latest album, The Beautiful Game. Bassist Isac Danielsson decided to take on the tune in this play-along video. If you’re interested in giving it a try, Isac has shared his transcription.

The extended range specialists at Strictly 7 Guitars have officially launched a new line of bass guitars. The series includes three models: the Copperhead, the Sidewinder, and the Python. “The Copperhead was the original bass model we started in 2013 with Simone Bertozzi of Mnemic,” the company writes. “We needed it to produce a low F frequency with some balls...

Q: I have been feeling a bit defeated lately. I want to be a professional bassist more than anything but whenever I watch YouTube, I feel like I just don’t have what it takes. I see nothing but a sea of players with blazing chops, piano like chordal abilities, solo players who sound like an orchestra (with loopers, etc..) and...

Be careful: Pianist Arshak Sirunyan and his Quartet Nuance get dangerous on the song “Don’t Try This at Home”, recorded live in Silver Spring, Maryland earlier this year. Bassist Cheikh NDoye kicks the song off with an insane groove that sets the mood for the song. The rest of the band includes drummer Raul Pineda and guitarist John Lee, who...

Bangladeshi bassist Bassbaba Sumon has released the first half of his debut solo bass album, entitled Soul Food (Part 1). The five-song instrumental album features culinary-inspired titles with heavy hitting guests including Felix Pastorius, Robert “Bubby” Lewis, Josh Cohen, Bob Franceschini, J.D. Blair, Mark Don and Erfan Nazezadeh. Utilizing only bass and drums, Soul Food mixes hard rock, world music,...

Meet Robert Letourneux, a bassist for the past 9 years or so following a few decades of playing guitar. He can be found playing around Central Massachusetts in a Tom Petty tribute band and having a lot of fun. Bob is this week’s reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I was born in 1954 and raised in Montreal,...