Articles by Evan Kepner - Page 17

Dean Turner, bassist and co-founder of the Australian rock band Magic Dirt, has lost his battle with lung cancer. Turner was 37 and is survived by his partner and two daughters. Along with being the bassist for Magic Dirt, Turner was also an in demand producer, recently completing Magic Dirt singer Adalita’s solo album. The Magic Dirt MySpace page has...

In February of 2009 Saltman Knowles released Return of the Composer on Pacific Coast Jazz records. Bassist Mark Saltman leads the group with pianist William Knowles to create unique jazz album featuring the voice as an additional instrument (using vocalese). The result is an album with interesting melodic lines, spirited rhythms and excellent musicianship building off a strong foundation. Saltman...

This video was put together by one of our own contributors, Russ Sargeant! As Russ explains, “Very rough around the edges, too long, sound glitches and loop too quiet … BUT… battling against sound routing gremlins, this is my first video of an improvisation using my looping gear: Mobius, Boss FC-50 Midi Foot Controller and Korg Toneworks Bass Effects. Hope...

In a recent interview with The Tribune, Creedence Clearwater Revisited bassist Stu Cook talks about his perspective on the band’s music and his musical career. The Creedence Clearwater Revisited band was formed a few years ago by Cook and original CCR drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford. The “Revisited” band includes John Tristao on guitar and vocals, lead guitarist Tal Morris and...

Bragi Olafsson, former bassist for the Sugarcubes (who were responsible for making Bjork a star), turned to another art form after leaving the band: literature. Olafsson is the author of several books of poetry and short stories, and four novels. His novels include Time Off, The Pets, Party Games and The Ambassador, which was a finalist for the 2008 Nordic...

Check out this video of Bill Clements, playing with one hand! Clements lost his right arm in an industrial accident in 1989. He released his first CD, Undergroundalienbass in 2005. His bass is also unique, using a “fret-groove” system where the frets are actually concave and carved out of the neck rather than laying on top. You can check out...

This great latin jazz video features bassist Roberto Aymes, performing killer solos over “Besame Mucho”, with his band the Roberto Aymes Art Latin Jazz Quartet. The band features Aymes on bass, Jaime Reyes on piano, Mario Bastarrica on percussion and Salvador Merchand on drums. This tune swings! You can check out more on Aymes at his web site.

My Bloody Valentine has partnered with Earplugshop to combat hearing loss at rock concerts. EarPlugShop is an organization dedicated to protecting hearing. Spokesperson Shaun Thornburgh said he respects the “ear-splittingly loud” rockers for tackling this very serious issue: “The band is highlighting how important it is to protect ears from damage which, once set in, is irreversible.” My Bloody Valentine...

EBS Sweden has released their latest pedal product, the Stanley Clarke Signature Wah-Wah. This pedal has been designed specifically for the bass according to Clarke’s musical requirements and personal taste. The result is a “a distinctive tone and a clear idea of how it should sound, we all knew what to expect. A unique pedal design that satisfies his exacting...

It’s time to focus on the guitar aspect of bass guitar and learn to play chords. Why bother with this technique? First, it will improve your ability to hear the chord structures other band-mates play and give your ear a head-start on making a strong line. Second, you’ll get to learn a lot about what goes on above the root...

We have found another gem in the archives… Bassist Kam Falk released his debut album Native Tongue in 2001, combining jazz, rock, World and classical music with a taste of the blues. A little background on Native Tongue, from the album notes: “After years of performing, recording and developing his craft with some of today’s most respected musicians, such as...

Mutemath has released their new album, Armistice, featuring bassist Roy Mitchell-Cardenas. From a recent review by Soul Audio: “Roy Mitchell-Cardenas turns in bass work that’s nothing less than stellar throughout the whole album, handling the pop oriented songs with economy and taste and the rock/indie parts with intelligence and enthusiasm. His bass playing percolates and boils, writhing along the underbelly...