Donovan Stokes: Solo Bass Arrangement of “Gentle Rain” by Luiz Bonfá
Donovan Stokes (aka Dr. D and a regular contributor here) recorded his solo bass arrangement of “Gentle Rain” by Luiz Bonfá for the upcoming Shenandoah Conservatory Jazz Faculty Sampler CD. Luckily, Kevin Johnson was around to film it.
Joseph Patrick Moore Releases “XYZ Factor”
Bassist/composer Joseph Patrick Moore, well known for his contemporary jazz style, has just released a new experimental EP blending that very style with electronica. The result is a three song collection known as XYZ Factor. The three-track EP kicks off with “Yield” (video below), featuring an ambient electronic beat backed by Moore’s bass, with what the bassist describes as a...
Reader Spotlight: Joaquina “Roqui” Lluma
Meet Joaquina “Roqui” Lluma, a multi-instrumentalist who currently resides in Denver, Colorado and calls music her day job, night job, weekend job and holiday job. One of our favorite lines in this interview feature: Joaquina says she uses “a TC Helicon distortion/distresser for my backing vocals sometimes when I’m feeling frisky.” Bio: I was born and raised in Buenos Aires,...
Top 10: The Best Bass Videos (November 2011)
We featured several reader-submitted videos in November (one of our favorite things to do!), showcasing the awesome No Treble community of bassists, and the videos they love. This included a Bass Play-Along Week, where bassists play along to their favorite tracks and show off their transcribing and performance skills. Another week featured all-bass covers of famous tunes. Readers responded with...
George Lacson: Solo Bass Performance of Alicia Keys’ “Unthinkable”
George Lacson turns in this nice solo bass arrangement and performance of “Unthinkable”, written by Drake and originally produced and performed by Alicia Keys. George’s Warwick Streamer Stage 5-string is tuned B-D-G-D-G for this tune.
Nick Mason: “You’ve Got A Friend in Me” Solo Bass Performance
Bassist Nick Mason put together a great all-bass arrangement of the Randy Newman song, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, made popular by the original Toy Story. Nick said he was inspired to arrange this piece after seeing Toy Story 3. If you’re interested in working on this one yourself, you’re in luck. Nick has posted a chart for download...
Top 10: Our Most Read Stories, Bass of the Week, Best Bass Gear & Videos, Plus the Christian McBride Interview
In gear, our Bass of the Week – JanAid Guitars’ Bob Abbott Yolanda 5 – brought out a lot of comments as many custom basses do – equally loving and not so loving. That helped propel the feature to the #1 most read article for the week on No Treble. Our coverage of Glockenklang’s Blue Soul Bass Amp, G&L’s new...
In Memoriam: Dan “Bee” Spears, Willie Nelson’s Longtime Bassist
We’re sad to report the passing of Dan “Bee” Spears, the longtime bassist for Willie Nelson’s Family Band. Spears performed with Nelson on albums including Stardust, The Troublemaker, Shotgun Willie, Red Headed Stranger and others. The Austin American-Statesman reported that Spears fell as he exited his motor home, and died due to exposure. He was 62. “We are deeply saddened...
Zon Guitars Releases All-Bass Holiday Album, “Holiday Rumblings”
Zon Guitars is getting in the holiday spirit with an all-new holiday album featuring the Zon artist roster. Zon Guitars: Holiday Rumblings feature bassists Michael Manring, Ray Riendeau, Jonni Lightfoot, Alex Bershadsky, Scott Harlan, Zander Zon, Mike Dimin and Chuck Bianchi all performing their bass-focused takes on traditional holiday music. The CD is available now in limited quantities from the...
Philip Smith: Funky Bass Scratch Track
Bassist Philip Smith posts these awesome “scratch tracks” with some great grooves. This one, simply titled “Funky Bass Scratch Track” Philip says, “This is a scratch track (mistakes and all) for a tune I’m putting together. Let me know what you think. Maybe I can do a colab or something with some tasteful YouTube drummers and guitarists out there.” Drop...
Mike Flynn: “Very Early” Fretless Bass Solo
Here’s Mike Flynn performing a tasty fretless bass solo to the Bill Evans tune, “Very Early”. Mike shared that this is one of his all time favorite standards. He’s performing with his Jeff Chapman custom fretless, with a little bit of reverb and a small amount of chorus to achieve a stereo effect.
The Best of “Ask Damian Erskine”
Damian Erskine‘s “Ask Damian” column is our longest running here on No Treble, and for good reason. Readers ask great questions (hint: send Damian your questions), readers love reading Damian’s responses, and Damian has a way of breaking things down that makes it all come together. Damian is touring the globe this month, so we’re giving him a break during...