Intronaut’s Joe Lester Joins Secret Chiefs 3 For Summer Tour
Fretless bassist Joe Lester has announced he will will be holding down the low end for Secret Chiefs 3 this summer. The Intronaut bassist made the announcement on his Facebook page. “Those who know me well could easily tell you that Secret Chiefs 3 are one of my all-time favorite bands,” he wrote. “Their utterly unique marriage of disparate musical...
Bass of the Week: Moscato Guitars Funk Bass
Luthier Jean-Luc Moscato designed his Funk Bass model with the groove in mind. Built around a pair of his single-coil pickups, the instrument is described as the best choice for slap lovers. “[The] Funk Bass is a perfect combination of [a dual] single-coil pickups configuration and high range manufacturing‘s lovers,” his website states. “Find a typical sound of Funk Music...
Bryant Fabian Marsalis Releases “Do For You?”
The killer jazz trio of saxophonist Lance Bryant, drummer Jason Marsalis, and bassist Christian Fabian have teamed up to release Do For You? The album, which also features guest artist Gates Thomas on keys, is rooted in the jazz tradition and tinged with the blues. It includes eight original tunes with four written or co-written by Fabian. His big, warm...
Cliff Burton’s Father Donates Royalties To Music Scholarships
Cliff Burton’s playing has inspired generations of players, and now we know that his royalty checks have been helping, too. In a new interview with the Metallica podcast Alphabetallica, the bass legend’s 92-year-old father Ray revealed that he’s been donating the fallen bassist’s royalties to fund local music scholarships. “One of the things from the royalties that I get,” he...
Willcox Guitars Unveils USA Custom Shop Saber Bass
Willcox Guitars has expanded their lineup with a USA Custom Shop series. The full-service shop allows players to pick out their own tonewoods, tops, finishes, and hardware. The first custom shop Willcox instrument is the USA Saber Bass, which is available for order now in four, five, and six-string versions. “Just like the production model Saber Basses, Willcox offers HexFX...
Chris DeAngelis: Bass Arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Living For The City”
Stevie Wonder’s songs have a magic that carries across the musical spectrum. Chris DeAngelis proves this once again with a killer bass and percussion version of “Living For The City.” Originally released on Wonder’s Innervisions, the song has a killer bounce that the bassist captures on his four-string before taking a nasty solo over top.
Janek Gwizdala Publishes eBook on Bass Chords
If you’re curious about playing chords on the bass or you just want to hone your skills, you’re in luck. Janek Gwizdala has released Chordal Harmony: A Comprehensive Guide to Chords on Bass. The extensive eBook includes bass and treble clef notation as well as TAB for learning the exercises. Furthermore, accompanying HD video will help demonstrate and explain the...
Nu-X Announces Loop Core Deluxe Pedal
Musicians interested in looping have a new option with the Nu-X Loop Core Deluxe. Building upon their original Loop Core, the deluxe model steps things up with frequency compensation, 24-bit recording, switchable buffer bypass/true bypass and cab simulation output. It can record up to 8 hours with unlimited layers with 99 phrase memories to save your tracks. Dual outputs allow...
Amptweaker Expands JR Distortion Series
Amptweaker has grown their distortion pedal line with several new, compact JR Distortion models. The new set includes the Bass TightFuzz Jr and the Bass BluesFuzz Jr. “Like the other JR pedals, they’re housed in a smaller lightweight ‘phase 90’ sized package, but still include most of the popular tones available with their big brothers,” Amptweaker writes. “The bass versions...
Unify: An Interview with Billy Sherwood
When Billy Sherwood first formed the band World Trade with Guy Allison, Bruce Gowdy, and Mark T. Williams in 1988, he probably didn’t know that it would help lead him to his current musical situation. The band’s demos caught the ear of Yes’s Chris Squire, leading the two to work together throughout the years. The legendary bassist chose Sherwood as...
Motörhead: Heroes
Lemmy Kilmister may be gone, but he’ll not be forgotten. Motörhead is gearing up to release a cover album called Under Cöver in September, and they’ve just released this incredible video for their version of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” The band was keen to put their own spin on their favorite songs through the years, putting them through the “Motörizer.” “It’s...
Jeff Berlin Reimagines “Joe Frazier” for 30th Anniversary Limited Edition Vinyl
Jeff Berlin’s classic song “Joe Frazier” has always been an inspiration for bassists. Originally released on his album “Pump It”, the track features killer unison riffs and an amazing bass solo. Now Berlin is celebrating the track with a 30th-anniversary edition 12-inch vinyl that will feature the original recording plus a completely reimagined version. “My new version of ‘Joe Frazier’...