John Ferrara and Seth Moutal: Mouth Say Tongue
Bassist John Ferrara and percussionist Seth Moutal have released their second composition, and it’s mesmerizing. “This one is an original composition with me tapping polyrhythms and doing auxiliary percussion with my feet, and Seth playing a hand drum and aux percussion with his feet,” Ferrara shares. While that sounds complicated, it’s a natural and great feeling groove. “Mouth Say Tongue”...
Bass of the Week: Ray Ross Bass No. 27
Luthier Aaron “Ray” Ross has been cooking up a new style of bridge this year, and he’s created an amazing bass to showcase it. His 27th bass features the new saddle-less “universal bridge.” “Coming up with something new is a violent, painful way to create, this took 4 months of agony and hand work,” Ross writes. “I was a little...
Oz Noy, Will Lee, and Stefano Volpe: Wisps
Will Lee is rounding out 2017 with a funky little video for the song “Wisps”. Written by drummer Stefano Volpe, it also features Lee’s jamming buddy Oz Noy on guitar. The bassist kicks off the video with his signature brand of humor before laying down a nicely syncopated groove. Volpe shared his gratitude on Facebook by writing, “Mr. Will Lee...
Jayme Lewis: This Christmas
Jayme Lewis knows how to celebrate the holidays with some killer cover songs. After tackling “Thriller” for Halloween, the bassist is back with his band and a funky rendition of Donny Hathaway’s classic “This Christmas.” “Merry Christmas! 2017 was a stellar year here at TheBassist.net and I hope it was full of joy and blessings for you and yours!” Lewis...
In Memoriam: Lenny Stallworth
David “Lenny” Stallworth, who anchored Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor and toured with Maceo Parker, has passed away. Raised in Moss Point, Mississippi, Stallworth started playing bass at 11 years old and one year later joined his first band: The Super Soul Movement. At eighteen he joined the show band Poo Nanny and toured the Chitlin’ Circuit where he got the...
Royal Blood Announce U.S. Headlining Tour
Bass and drum duo Royal Blood have announced they’ll be coming to the U.S. for a headlining tour in 2018. Fronted by bassist/vocalist Mike Kerr, the band will be hitting the road in support of their latest album, How Did We Get This Dark? The tour kicks off in Brooklyn, New York before heading to Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Georgia, Florida,...
Wolfgang Muthspiel Quintet: Father and Sun
Larry Grenadier takes the melody and an awesome solo on this live version of “Father and Sun” by the Wolfgang Muthspiel Quintet. He also creates a spacey groove with drummer Brian Blade to propel the ethereal song.
Death By Audio Introduces Absolute Destruction Pedal
If you’re looking to blow up your bass sound, Death By Audio has you covered with their new Absolute Destruction pedal. Utilizing a power amplifier IC, the unit offers a distortion as well as what its name implies. “Showing little to no respect for what instruments normally sound like, or even what many people want them to sound like, we...
Berklee Bass Department: Deck The Hanukkah
It’s time for one of our favorite holiday traditions again. Steve Bailey and the Berklee Bass Department have once again sent us a video for the season, and it’s another great one. This year’s track is a mashup entitled “Deck the Hanukkah” that features Bailey, Victor Wooten, John Patitucci, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and Aaron Hanson on some blazing rap...
The Levin Brothers Announce Live Album, Tour Dates
Tony Levin and his brother Pete have followed up their debut album with a new live release, entitled Special Delivery. Produced three years after the Levin Brothers’ self-titled debut, the new album captures the duo along with saxophonist Erik Lawrence and drummer Jeff Siegel during their 2017 tour. The quartet tackles mostly original tunes penned by the Levins and Erik...
Björn Meyer: Trails Crossing
Here’s a gorgeous solo bass song written and performed by Björn Meyer. Born in Sweden and based in Switzerland, the bassist’s “Trails Crossing” comes from his latest album, Provenance, which is the first ECM record devoted to solo electric bass.
Fodera Unveils 35th Anniversary Monarch 4 Deluxe Bass
Fodera is gearing up for 2018 by announcing the 35th Anniversary Monarch 4 Deluxe. Celebrating the company’s flagship design, the new bass is described as combining classic Fodera tone and looks with modern electronics and playability. “For this bass, we’ve adopted an early Fodera wood combination of a Mahogany body, Quilted Maple top, and a Pau Ferro fingerboard. In the...