Archive for 2017 - Page 94

I love finding talented young bassists from around the world. Here’s a great drum and bass take on the traditional song “Vary Sy Rano” from Madagascar by bassist Ranto Rakotomalala and drummer Titan Randriamasindrazana. Rakotomalala has a great sound and feel to make for a fun performance.

Experimental bassist MonoNeon is starting 2017 off with a brand new EP entitled Seflie Quickie 2wooo. The 6-song album is described as “avant-garde funk and hip-hop [that gives] you a sonic glimpse inside MonoNeon’s surrealism brain.” MonoNeon was the last bass player to work with the superstar Prince, and as such you can hear the Purple One’s influence on “It’s...

The last month of 2016 saw a lot of bass gear news. Here are the top 10 No Treble reader favorites for the month. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. Fender American Professional Series Basses Fender has unveiled the American Professional Series, which takes the place of their recently discontinued American Standard line. The new series will, of course,...

Funktastic is the perfect name for Mike Zabrin’s band, and this new video is just another example of why. “Here We Go Again” is the first single off of the band’s upcoming album Something In The Water, which is due out this spring. The track is full of slick bass lines, tight horns, and silky vocals. As if the band...

Sleep, anchored by bass heavyweight and vocalist Al Cisneros, has announced a spring 2017 tour. The trek will kick off January 27th with a pair of dates with The Melvins at the Fond Theater in Los Angeles, California before heading to Texas, Tennessee, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania. After their U.S. leg, Sleep will fly across the Atlantic to participate in...

This week we’re taking a look at the Hex 4 by BNJ Guitars. The sleek, blacked-out, semi-hollow bass is built with a lime and mahogany body finished in a matte black and matched with an ebony fingerboard. It’s fitted with red strings that really pop against the black background. BNJ fits the Hex 4 with an MM/J pickup configuration by...

Last July, I published a Talking Technique lesson called “Beautiful Practice“. It recently made a reader’s favorite list for 2016 here on No Treble thanks to your likes, shares, and comments. Thank you for that! The lesson brought together music theory, comprehensive fretboard knowledge, and lots of technique aspects. I thought we’d bring the lesson back with a twist, namely...

Aidan Hampson has released a new book of bass line transcriptions, this time focusing on the work of legendary session ace Nathan East. As one of the most recorded bassists in history, East played on recordings with Eric Clapton, Daft Punk, Michael Jackson, and more. “With such a wealth of material to choose from, selecting his best work was not...

On November 11th, 2016, the bass world was stunned by the news of the passing of Victor Bailey. Our tribute to him was one of the most read stories of the year, with bassists and fans offering up their own thoughts on the legendary bassist. Throughout the year, we featured some videos which showcase just why we’re all such big...

News of Marcus Miller joining the super group Mega Nova with Carlos Santana, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Cindy Blackman Santana was one of the top stories on No Treble this year. Marcus was also in the news with the release of the new Sire Marcus Miller M7 Series of basses. Add to that some sweet videos featuring Marcus, and...

No Reader Favorites list would be complete without Victor Wooten. Vic ignited the bass playing world this year with his appearance on progressive metal band Octavision’s tune “Three Lives.” Fodera announced the Victor Wooten Yin Yang Deluxe Series III Bass in October, followed by Vic’s announcement of a 2017 tour. 1. Victor Wooten Joins Progressive Metal Band Here’s something you...

Tim Lefebvre is prominently featured on David Bowie’s final album, Blackstar, which released in early January. Later, Tim became a full-time member of the Tedeschi Trucks Band, who also released an album in January. If that’s not enough, 3Leaf Audio also introduced the Octabvre Mini Octave Pedal in March. Tim’s excellent bass playing was on display in a handful of...