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Archive for September 2017

Will Lee’s Family: Georgy Porgy
Bass Videos

Will Lee’s Family: Georgy Porgy

In 2012, Will Lee performed at the Cotton Club in Tokyo, along with Steve Gadd, Chuck Loeb, Giulio Carmassi, and Oli Rockberger. Here’s a tune from that set, with the band covering Toto’s hit song, “Georgy Porgy.”

Etienne M’Bappe Anchors New John McLaughlin Live Album
New Albums

Etienne M’Bappe Anchors New John McLaughlin Live Album

In March of 2017, John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension played two nights of sold-out shows at the world-renowned London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s. It was a special occasion for McLaughlin, whose history with the club goes as far back as the 1960’s when he was a member of the house band. He and his band performed works from early...

The Lightbulb Moment: Drums and Bass – Complementary Flavors
The Lightbulb Moment

The Lightbulb Moment: Drums and Bass – Complementary Flavors

Every so often, I’m asked about some of my favorite drummers to play with and why that is. Whether it’s for a gig referral or for the sake of conversation with my fellow musicians, it’s a question that doesn’t always have the same answer. The context of a gig, the type of music being played, and the other musicians involved...

Curtis Mayfield: Freddie’s Dead (Live)
Bass Videos

Curtis Mayfield: Freddie’s Dead (Live)

Here’s some old school funky goodness from a live, early ’70s performance of Curtis Mayfield and his band performing “Freddie’s Dead.” Joseph “Lucky” Scott puts on a master class of some textbook groove on this one.

Prophets Of Rage, Featuring Tim Commerford, Releases Debut Album
New Albums

Prophets Of Rage, Featuring Tim Commerford, Releases Debut Album

Last year, fans of heavy music that grooves were elated at the formation of Prophets of Rage. The rap-rock supergroup includes three members of Rage Against the Machine (guitarist Tom Morello, drummer Brad Wilks, and bassist Tim Commerford), two members of Public Enemy (DJ Lord and Chuck D), and one member of Cypress Hill (B-Real). Created in reaction to the...

Old School: 1972 Peavey VTA-800
Old School

Old School: 1972 Peavey VTA-800

Derrick Cook emailed us with a story about an astonishing piece of gear: “I have a one of a kind Peavey VTA-800 that was handmade by Hartley Peavey as a prototype only in 1972 – 400-watt tube head 8×6550. It’s the only one ever made,” he shared. We asked him for more on this rarest of rare pieces of equipment....

Bob Reynolds: Can’t Wait for Perfect
Bass Videos

Bob Reynolds: Can’t Wait for Perfect

I recently discovered tenor saxophonist Bob Reynolds and his band on a recent Youtube binge, and I was glad I did. Here’s the band performing at the Blue Whale Jazz Club in Los Angeles, California, on January 21, 2016. The tune, “Can’t Wait for Perfect,” is from Reynolds’ album, Guitar Band and features some groovy lines by bassist Kaveh Rastegar....

The Foo Fighters Return with “Concrete And Gold”
New Albums

The Foo Fighters Return with “Concrete And Gold”

The Foo Fighters are back with their ninth studio album, Concrete and Gold. The album features an eclectic array of styles that came to leader Dave Grohl in a burst of inspiration, standing in stark contrast to 2014’s Sonic Highways. Bassist Nate Mendel holds it all together, no matter the writing arrangements. “It’s really been pretty consistent over the years,”...

Rob van den Broek Dives Deep in “The Gibson Bass Book”
News

Rob van den Broek Dives Deep in “The Gibson Bass Book”

Rob van den Broek is a bassist and a luthier. He’s also a huge fan of Gibson’s basses, which led him to publish The Gibson Bass Book. The 180-page book documents over 80 Gibson basses and 70 Epiphone basses with more than 400 pictures. The story begins in the late 1930’s with the company’s first upright electric bass before jumping...

Working Through the Hiccups in a Band
Ask Damian Erskine

Working Through the Hiccups in a Band

Q: My band and I have started playing out in bars and clubs, and one thing keeps me on edge: No matter how much we prepare and rehearse, there are always hiccups. How do the pros know how to deal with things going wrong (like someone going to the wrong section of the tune, the drummer drops a beat or...

Gabriel Severn: Not of This World
Bass Videos

Gabriel Severn: Not of This World

I’ve seen Gabriel Severn show up on Facebook more and more lately. And it is no surprise. The 12-year-old bassist is playing well beyond his years. In this clip, Gabriel takes on Adam Nitti’s “Not of This World.” Watch out world!

Reader Spotlight: Roy Eraca
Reader Spotlight

Reader Spotlight: Roy Eraca

Meet Roy Eraca, who got his start on bass after making a promise to improve his grades (he did, and his reward was a new bass guitar). Since then, Roy has gone from being a “closet player” to a gigging one. Roy is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight (you could be next!) Here’s his story… Bio: When...