Archive for 2016 - Page 57

You know Tony Levin for his extensive bass work with King Crimson, Peter Gabriel and innumerable sessions, but aside from being a music composer and lyricist, he’s also a writer who has kept an online “Road Diary” for two decades (its newest incarnation is here). He has now released a book of poetry, “Fragile as a Song.” Bill Bruford, who...

Warwick’s Custom Shop has been putting out some beautiful instruments. Our bass of the week is one of their latest creations: a Streamer Stage II sporting a 1-inch Macassar Ebony top. The masterbuilt bass features neck-through construction centered around a 7-piece wenge and purpleheart neck. Its Tigerstripe Ebony fretboard is inlaid with dragon heads below the 12th fret and yin-yangs...

This lesson is called “Beautiful Practice” for a reason. Our exercise this week creates a lush harmony and texture all while working out our theory and technique at the same time. The theory portion of this week’s lesson is that we’ll be playing diatonic triads in open voicings. If that sounds foreign to you, don’t worry. We’ll be breaking down...

No Treble reader Michelangelo Brandimarte shared this video with us of his bass and vocals duo, Up&Down. Joined by vocalist Claudia Pantalone, they cover “Twisted” and “The Dry Cleaner from Des Moines”. This one swings!

Joseph Patrick Moore’s Decade II 2006-2015, is a compilation of remasters of the bassist/composer/producer’s work, which melds contemporary jazz with funk, rock, pop, urban, spiritual and electronica music. Moore’s last previous compilation record, Decade 1996-2005, was released in 2006. Moore is known for his work with Stewart Copeland (The Police), Earl Klugh, Bob James, Chris Duarte and Michael Tolcher, as...

This was a week for how-to’s. Three of the reader favorite top 10 were just that: Damian’s “Soloing When The Band Drops Out”, Blyss’ “Talking Style: Rhumba Blues” and Dr. D’s “Some Thoughts on Playing at Fast Tempi” all making the list. No Treble readers also enjoyed some great videos and new bass gear too. Unfortunately, this week also included...

Charles Berthoud is getting a lot of attention on his new video. After watching it, we can see why. Here’s “Reflections” – a composition Charles wrote for solo piccolo bass.

Renowned bassist/vocalist/composer Richard Bona, originally from Cameroon and known to some fans as “The African Sting,” has released an album with his Afro-Cuban project Mandekan Cubano. The album, Heritage, is his first studio release since 2013’s Bonafied. Heritage explores the music, dance, rituals, and oral history of Cuba, and the established themes in Bona’s art – using music to address...

Elrick Bass Guitars has expanded their Expat Series with satin black matte finishes. The sleek, blacked-out aesthetic will be available on their e-volution four and five-string basses. Made in the Czech Republic, the handmade basses are inspected and setup by Elrick. They feature select swamp ash bodies, three-piece maple necks, and wenge fretboards. Electronics include U.S. Bartolini pickups and electronics,...

It’s always exciting to see a new Jesús Rico Pérez video hit the feed. Here’s Jesús’ latest – a tune he calls “Looking Back”, which showcases his great composition skills and remarkable tone once again.

Legendary bassist Ron Carter and saxophonist Houston Person have collaborated for more than 25 years, and their latest release aptly describes their musical relationship: Chemistry. Carter is known for his prolific recording — he’s appeared on more than 1,100 jazz sessions – his time in the Miles Davis Quintet, and his compositions, as well as for his extensive work with...

It’s the beginning of the month, which means it is time for us to look back at the popular gear stories we ran last month. Here are the top 10 No Treble reader favorite stories from June, 2016. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing. And sorry for the GAS. 1. Fender Limited Edition American Standard “PJ” Bass Fender’s Magnificent Seven...