Archive for July 2018 - Page 3

Q: I’ve heard some jazz (usually newer stuff) that I like and I’m thinking that I should work on it. You and others also mention that it’s a good thing to practice in general, too. But it’s so confusing and most things I find online (and your columns) are usually too advanced for me. How should I start? A: The...

We’re used to seeing (and sharing) excellent bass covers by Karl Clews. But this time, he’s doing his own thing with help from vocalist Troy Jackson. “Here’s something that Troy Jackson and I collaborated on a few weeks ago: I set myself the task of writing and recording an original song using just basses (in this case, a Palatino EUB...

The Chris Robinson Brotherhood is in the middle of a summer tour, but they’re not ready to get off the road for the year just yet. The band has announced an extensive fall tour that will cover all of October and half of November. The tour kicks off October 3rd in South Burlington, Vermont at the Higher Ground Ballroom. It...

Welcome back to another column, and today we’re diving further into jazz-related harmony with a look at starting to get inside two of the most useful modes from the melodic minor scale. The full line is demonstrated right after the opening title credits, with a little backing groove, and then during the video, I dissect and explain it for you....

It has been a while since we’ve seen a video from Jesús Rico Pérez, but he’s back. “This is my version of ‘Bràighe Loch Iall,’ a traditional Scottish tune, originally for bagpipes; I´ve arranged my way for fretless bass,” he shared. As always, Jesús plays masterfully, and dig that tone!

Outside My Window may be jazz bassist Jeff Denson’s 12th release as a leader or co-leader, but it’s also one of his most diverse. This time around his vocals are given as much weight as his impressive bass playing as he performs original songs as well as covers by Jeff Buckley, Abbey Lincoln, Peter Gabriel, and Soundgarden. “I was a...

Last week, Corey had it with all the political posts on Facebook and asked to see some basses instead. The No Treble community responded with hundreds of basses including this cool instrument called the Morgan from Colibrí Guitars and Basses. “My name is Rodrigo Castellanos and I have been building basses for the last 13 years,” the luthier shared. “11...

I first saw this video of a tune written by David Piggott on Facebook. I asked him if we could share it, and he made it available to us. The tune is called “Overcome”, and it is an exceptional duo between David and Martel Padgett.

Obscura’s new album Diluvium, which completes their four-album concept cycle, is now available and it’s a killer. The technical death metal band held no punches in putting the album together, which features the insane fretless seven-string bass work of Linus Klausenitzer. We were able to talk with the bassist earlier this year to clue us into the concept. “It’s about...

Germany’s Ortega Guitars has unveiled the QUANTUMloop. The device is a looper pedal with a built-in multi-digital percussion stompbox featuring 16 factory samples plus four customizable sample slots. The QUANTUMloop offers up to five minutes of loop time with an unlimited amount of overdubs. Other features include a solid mahogany wood housing, a trigger input, and controls for the dynamic...

Readers always get a kick out of the Blues Beatles and their re-imagined covers of Beatles’ tunes (we do too). Here’s the band performing “Love Me Do,” with some excellent bass playing and backing vocals by Bruno Falcão. I’m also digging the organ and the sax on this one.

Between the Buried and Me have followed up Automata I from earlier this year with it’s conclusion, Automata II. The two-part concept album is based around the idea of being able to view the dreams of others. “Automata II sees us at our most dynamic and most creative,” says bassist Dan Briggs. “It feels like turning a page into a...