Behold the Seer: An Interview with Jeff Hill
Jeff Hill may be the newest member of the Chris Robinson Brotherhood, but he’s no novice. The skilled bassist cut his teeth on rock and jazz in Chicago and New York City for years before becoming a go-to player for artists like Rufus Wainwright, Shooter Jennings, Linda Thompson, and more. Now his fantastic groove and tone are featured in the...
Hartke Unveils Enhanced HyDrive Bass Cabinets
Ten years ago, Hartke unveiled a new series of bass cabinets featuring their HyDrive speakers. Now they’re celebrating the 10th anniversary with four new models in the HyDrive HD Series Bass Cabinets. It consists of four new models: the HD112, the HD115, the HD210, and the HD410. Each is fitted with HyDrive speakers, which are a hybrid design combining paper...
Benefit CD for Marc VW Now Available
The music world was shocked in January when Tower of Power bassist Marc Van Wageningen and drummer David Garibaldi were struck by a train on their way to a gig at Yoshi’s Night Club in Oakland, California. Thankfully, they both survived, though Van Wageningen (aka Marc VW) was put in the hospital in serious condition. One week after the accident,...
NS Design Announces the NS WAV Omni Bass
NS Design’s WAV series got a little bigger this year with the addition of the NS WAV Omni bass, which debuted at the 2017 Summer NAMM show. The new model brings the Omni design, which has an upright bass design with the 34-inch scale of an electric bass, to the company’s most affordable WAV series. Available in four and five-string...
Gaudi Features Levin, Laswell, Edwin and More on New Album
London-based music producer Gaudi has tapped a wealth of bassists for his latest album, entitled Magnetic. Drawing inspiration from the RareNoise Records catalog, the composer blends electronica, rock, jazz, and ambient music for a tapestry of sounds. “It is not a departure from the Gaudi we know and love,” a press release states, “however, Magnetic is a celebration of bass...
Bass of the Week: Guild Starfire II
This week we’re checking out the Starfire II from Guild. The iconic semi-hollow bass first debuted in 1967 where it was used by artists like Jefferson Airplane’s Jack Casady and the Grateful Dead’s Phil Lesh. It was reintroduced in 2015 to the delight of many a bass player. Central to the Starfire II’s design is a pair of Guild BS-1...
King Crimson Announces U.S. Fall Tour
If you missed King Crimson’s mighty “double quartet formation” earlier this year, you’re in luck. The iconic prog-rock band has unveiled tour dates for the fall that will cover the East Coast and Midwest with a special Texas concert in the mix. “The new dates see the group performing in some states and cities that have not been visited in...
Ibanez Adds More BTB Bass Models for 2017
Ibanez has further expanded their BTB model range with several incarnations. This summer they expanded the BTB700 series with four and seven-string models, plus their BTB Premium line will now have options for figured maple tops. The BTB is typically a five or six-string bass, but the BTB740 and BTB747 take things one step further as a four-string and a...
Shane Cooper: Bamako Love Song
West African music has a special place in my heart, so I got excited when I saw this video of Shane Cooper performing his solo double bass song, “Bamako Love Song”. Cooper, who is based in South Africa, was inspired by the city of Bamako, which is the capital of Mali. He pulls from West African rhythms and melodic ideas...
Mr. Big Releases “Defying Gravity”
Mr. Big is back with a new album, entitled Defying Gravity. Their ninth album features the band’s original lineup of Eric Martin, Paul Gilbert, Billy Sheehan, and Pat Torpey as well as further drum work by Matt Starr. It is also the return of them working with producer Kevin Elson. While the album includes a song called “1992” that recounts...
Guild Introduces the Jumbo Junior Bass
Bassists looking for a super short scale bass have a new option with the Guild Jumbo Junior Bass, a four-string acoustic/electric. It has just a 23¾-inch scale. Part of Guild’s Westerly Collection, the Jumbo Junior bass is built with a solid Sitka spruce top with arched flamed maple for the back and sides. “We chose [the combination] to mirror the...
The Wood Brothers Announce Fall Tour Dates
The Wood Brothers have been hard at work this summer with the Tedeschi Trucks Band for their Wheels of Soul Tour. Now the trio, anchored by bass guru Chris Wood, has announced their tour plans for the fall with dates in October and November. The trek kicks off after another supporting gig with the Tedeschi Truck Band at the Beacon...