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Archive for April 2018 - Page 8

Jay Leonhart Releases “Don’t You Wish” with Tomoko Ohno
New Albums

Jay Leonhart Releases “Don’t You Wish” with Tomoko Ohno

Bassist/vocalist Jay Leonhart has teamed up with pianist Tomoko Ohno for a new album entitled Don’t You Wish. Leonhart, who bassists may know from his songs like “It’s Impossible to Sing and Play The Bass” and “Bass Aboard a Plane“, offers up his humorous tales of the musician’s life. “I am a jazz bassist with interests that roam far and...

Nordstrand Audio Unveils the NordyMute
Accessories & Strings

Nordstrand Audio Unveils the NordyMute

Nordstrand Audio has expanded their bass offerings with the NordyMute, a bass mute featuring a foam body and wood cover. Available in four or five string versions, the device imparts a darker tone for an old school vibe. “The essence of the NordyMute’s effect is akin to upright-like inhibition of resonance, a kind of execution of sustain—its body subject to...

Groove – Episode #40: Chris Wood
Groove Podcast

Groove – Episode #40: Chris Wood

Wikipedia can be funny sometimes. When you look for Chris Wood, he is listed as a “jazz musician” (this happens when there are multiple people with the same name). I wonder if Wood considers himself a jazz musician? Most know him as a founder, experimental player and musician visionary within the band Medeski Martin & Wood. Others may know him...

Aaron Germain and Mary Fettig: Sublimation
Bass Videos

Aaron Germain and Mary Fettig: Sublimation

Our friend Aaron Germain sent us this video featuring his original composition for bass and flute, entitled “Sublimation.” We love the interplay between the instruments.

François Moutin and Kavita Shah Team Up for “Interplay”
New Albums

François Moutin and Kavita Shah Team Up for “Interplay”

The duo of a double bass and voice is one of the most powerful musical configurations. That’s clear on the new album, Interplay, by François Moutin and Kavita Shah. Sometimes intimate and sometimes exuberant, the 11-song collection ranges from jazz classics like “La Vie en Rose” to modern instrumental tunes like Dafnis Prieto’s “Blah Blah”. “There’s a nakedness to playing...

Ibanez Unveils the BTB845V Bass
Basses

Ibanez Unveils the BTB845V Bass

Back in 2015, Ibanez introduced a five-string bass to their Bass Workshop Series they called the Volo. The bass featured a shorter 33-inch scale and was tuned E to C for a higher range. Now Ibanez has brought the model back as the BTB845V. The spirit of Volo lives on through the new bass has a few differences in materials....

Staying Motivated Without Playing Opportunities
Ask Damian Erskine

Staying Motivated Without Playing Opportunities

Q: I read your column for years, but I don’t know if you have answered this already: I have been playing bass for many years and, due to circumstances beyond my control, I cannot find people in my hometown to play (long story, small Greek city). I am taking some jazz theory lessons (via Skype), but I am stuck in...

Talking Heads: Psycho Killer, Live 1978
Bass Videos

Talking Heads: Psycho Killer, Live 1978

This video popped up in my Facebook feed, and it brought back some great memories. Back in 1978, the Talking Heads performed on the British television music show “Old Grey Whistle Test.” Here’s the clip of “Psycho Killer” from that broadcast, with Tina Weymouth holding it down.

Sons of Apollo Release “Alive/Tengo Vida” EP
New Albums

Sons of Apollo Release “Alive/Tengo Vida” EP

Sons of Apollo are gearing up for their world tour with a special EP release of their single, “Alive.” The album contains six versions of the song including the original track, a radio edit, an acoustic rendition, plus each of those versions in Spanish, which retitles the track to “Tengo Vida.” “It was discussed we should do a Spanish language...

Dmitry Lisenko Releases “Percussive Acoustic Bass” Video Course
Sheet Music & Instruction

Dmitry Lisenko Releases “Percussive Acoustic Bass” Video Course

Dmitry Lisenko has been wowing No Treble readers for the past few years with his impressive acoustic bass guitar playing. Now he’s sharing his technique in a new video course called Percussive Fingerstyle on Acoustic Bass. The bassist’s unique style of playing incorporates lots of percussion on the body of the bass to fill out the song. “By understanding the...

ESP Introduces Flamed Maple LTD B-204 and LTD B-205 Basses
Basses

ESP Introduces Flamed Maple LTD B-204 and LTD B-205 Basses

ESP updated their LTD line this year with upgraded versions of their most popular basses. The LTD B-204FM and LTD B-205FM take the flagship models and add a flamed maple top in translucent See Thru Red and See Thru Blue finishes. Other new features include an improved control layout and a new fingerboard wood: roasted jatoba. Each model is built...

Andrea Balasso: Baba Club
Bass Videos

Andrea Balasso: Baba Club

Andrea Balasso sent me this video of a tune that appears on his new album, Time To Leave. We’re digging this! What a groove. The tune also features Marco Andrighetto on drums and Giovanni Forestan on sax.