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Archive for October 2018

Sharay Reed Releases “Be There: A Book of Bass”
Sheet Music & Instruction

Sharay Reed Releases “Be There: A Book of Bass”

Bassist Sharay Reed has self-published a new book called Be There: A Book of Bass. Available in PDF and audiobook formats, the book contains insight into the Chicago-based musician’s style and thoughts on music. “It’s taken me 30 years to learn it and 3 years to write it, but it’s finished and it’s got Bass,” Reed shared on Instagram. “This...

Licks and Fills from Right Hand Drive
Ask Damian Erskine

Licks and Fills from Right Hand Drive

In this video from the road, I decided to respond to an email requesting some contextual examples of how I might use a few of the “licks and fills” from my book, Right Hand Drive. After a handful of technical difficulties and the majority of my day off spent filming in a hotel room, I present to you… Real world...

Nicki Tedesco: Halloween Theme
Bass Videos

Nicki Tedesco: Halloween Theme

It’s Halloween, so it’s only fitting that we present you with a creepy bass rendition of the theme from Halloween by Nicki Tedesco to set the mood. The bassist doubles on upright and electric basses, using a few effects to help summon the spirit of Michael Myers. Happy Halloween!

Christian McBride Stretches Out on His “New Jawn”
New Albums

Christian McBride Stretches Out on His “New Jawn”

Christian McBride has been working with lots of different bands on his albums over the years with duos, his trio, a quartet, and even a big band. However, his newest release is a format unlike anything he’s done so far. His New Jawn (a slang term for “thing” from Philadelphia) features Josh Evans on trumpet, Marcus Strickland on saxophone, and...

KISS Unveils Initial Farewell World Tour Dates
Concerts & Tours

KISS Unveils Initial Farewell World Tour Dates

KISS has just revealed the first 44 dates of their upcoming “End of the Road” farewell tour. The outing, which was revealed in September, is ultimately scheduled to run for three years. The first leg will cover North America starting in Vancouver, British Columbia on January 31st before heading down the West Coast to circle the entire U.S. with a...

Elrick Bass Guitars Unveil the Icon Bass
Basses

Elrick Bass Guitars Unveil the Icon Bass

At this year’s Winter NAMM Show, luthier Rob Elrick showed us a new prototype he was working on that paid homage to a classic bass design. Now that instrument has come to fruition as the Elrick Icon Bass, which adds modern updates to an industry standard. “The Elrick Handcarved Icon Gold Series bass features bolt-on neck construction with a body...

Scary Pockets: Don’t Worry, Be Happy
Bass Videos

Scary Pockets: Don’t Worry, Be Happy

Scary Pockets keeps bringing the (re-imagined) hits with a new video. This time around, they take on the Bobby McFerrin tune, “Don’t Worry, Be Happy.” Sam Wilkes is back on the bass with the band for this one, which is fronted by guest vocalist Nikka Costa.

The GRAMMY Museum Presents “An Evening With Leland Sklar”
News

The GRAMMY Museum Presents “An Evening With Leland Sklar”

Leland Sklar will be appearing at the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles on November 8th for “An Evening with Leland Sklar.” The event will include an intimate chat with Sklar moderated by museum artistic director Scott Goldman followed by a performance. The legendary session bassist has contributed to over 2,600 albums with some of the world’s greatest artists: James Taylor,...

Glou-Glou FX Introduces the Pralines Pedal
Pedals & Effects

Glou-Glou FX Introduces the Pralines Pedal

France’s Glou-Glou FX has introduced a new filter/modulation/fuzz pedal called Pralines. Designed for guitar and bass, it has four independently controlled parallel filters that the company says offers a new approach to sound shaping. “Pralines can cover an extremely broad range of effects,” they write. “From classic modulation sounds like phaser, flanger, vibrato, or rotary-speaker to gated-fuzz, self-oscillation and bass-synth,...

Bass of the Week: Michael Bornhak Viennese Violone
Bass of the Week

Bass of the Week: Michael Bornhak Viennese Violone

This week we’re checking out a gorgeous new instrument with roots that date back hundreds of years. German luthier Michael Bornhak built this incredible Viennese-styled violone, which was an early form of the double bass, and took it out to the Black Forest to photograph it. Complete with beautiful inlays, the bass takes its cues from a baroque instrument. “It’s...

Jesús Rico Pérez: John Francis (Michael Manring Cover)
Bass Videos

Jesús Rico Pérez: John Francis (Michael Manring Cover)

Jesús Rico Pérez is back! In this new video, he takes on a recent tune by Michael Manring, which appeared on the official soundtrack for the film, Beneath The Bassline. Manring wrote the song as a dedication to Jaco Pastorius. You can check out the full soundtrack here, including Manring’s version.

In Memoriam: George Hawkins, Jr.
In Memoriam

In Memoriam: George Hawkins, Jr.

Sad news to report today: George Hawkins, Jr. has passed away after battling cancer for the past year. The bassist and vocalist was a seasoned member of the music community and worked with artists ranging from Jimmy Reed to Roger Waters to Michael McDonald, who shared his grief on Facebook. “Today I’m wrestling with the sad news that one of...