Archive for 2018 - Page 89

As a former member of both Oscar Peterson’s and Ray Brown’s bands, jazz drummer Jeff Hamilton knows how to make the piano trio format work. That’s evident in his latest release, Live From San Pedro. The album features pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Christoph Luty, who Hamilton writes “is known for his big, natural sound, melodic bass lines and solos,...

A year after launching the head and preamp pedal, Ashdown has expanded their OriginAL range with two kick-back bass combo amps: the OriginAL C112-300 and the OriginAL C210-300. Both units are rated at 300 watts with the main difference being different woofer combinations. “Each OriginAL combo is loaded with Ashdown Whiteline speakers, proven to deliver Ashdown’s signature bass tone, with...

There are a handful of legendary West Coast session cats that most of us are familiar with… Carol Kaye, Joe Osborn, Leland Sklar, Abraham Laboriel Sr., Nathan East, and Chuck Rainey, just to name a few. Dig a little deeper and you may come across the work of Neil Stubenhaus and the hundreds of records that he’s played on. One...

Sometimes you just need some raw, unfiltered energy, and you can always get it from a little Fishbone. Here’s a blazing clip of the band playing “Kung Fu Grip” on KEXP in late 2016. Bassist Norwood Fisher tears through the song with his signature slap style and some insane double-thumbing.

Ever since we first featured the band back in October, we’ve been psyched about Sons of Apollo. The supergroup is made up of Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Jeff Scott Soto, and the amazing bass work of Billy Sheehan. They released their debut, Psychotic Symphony, last year and now they’ve announced an international tour. The outing will start...

Dusky Electronics has expanded their lineup with the Mandorla, a boost pedal inspired by vintage boost pedals from the ’60s. The pedal is designed to work well on guitar, bass, and keyboard while offering control over the bass frequencies with a “meat” knob. “The concept for the Mandorla is to play to the inherent, delicious nonlinearity of the MOSFET transistor...

A proper setup on your bass can make a world of difference in the way it responds to your playing. That’s why it’s so important to have gurus like Jason Brown around to figure out exactly what every bass needs. Brown is not only a luthier that specializes in the double bass, he’s a seasoned player that has three decades...

Stuart Clayton is having a busy year. Each week, he’s posting a “Bass Lick of the Week.” In this seventh episode, Stuart turns his attention to slap bass. “This week’s exercise is a slap bass groove that will allow you to focus on fretting hand slaps and popping double stops. It was performed on a GB Guitars Rumour 4-string,” Stuart...

Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand has returned with their fifth studio album, Always Ascending. The album, anchored by bassist Bob Hardy, is the first to feature their newest member Julian Corrie, who took the place of Nick McCarthy. Always Ascending offers a fresh feel thanks in part to the lineup change as well as the band taking their time...

GoGo Tuners has unveiled the Drop Spot, a USB rechargeable 9V lithium battery power supply for pedals. The portable device is capable of powering multiple pedals, pedalboards, and high current effects by offering 9V, 700ma power. The company’s slogan of “Green you’re in and Red you’re out” applies to the Drop Spot as well. Indicator lights go from green to...

Q: What should I play at soundcheck? I always feel like I should be impressive or something when the sound tech says “okay, let’s hear the bass,” But maybe just pulsing on the open E string is enough? What’s your soundcheck agenda? A: This is the perfect opportunity for me to: a) make a suggestion as to the best use...

Sons Of Apollo has released their latest video featuring music from their album, Psychotic Symphony. “Alive” starts out with a mellow beginning before the band kicks it into gear. And once again, Billy Sheehan is sporting his Attitude double neck bass.