Al Jarreau with Marcus Miller: Tenderness Studio Session
The world lost another music icon this weekend with the passing of jazz vocalist Al Jarreau. His distinct voice and style were adored by many, and his dedication to his art inspired, even more, musicians. Bass legend Marcus Miller shared this video of Jarreau’s 1994 “Tenderness” live in the studio session on Facebook in memory of the singer. “I can’t...
Nordstrand Pickups Introduces the 2b+ Preamp
Nordstrand Pickups has introduced the 2b+, a 2-band boost only preamp they say offers flexibility and simplicity with lots of tone-shaping potential. “Offering more boost than our standard 2-band preamp the 2B+ can really beef up your lows and polish your highs,” Nordstrand writes. “There’s a dip switch for shifting the treble EQ point, and the adjustable gain trim pot...
Kiesel Guitars Introduces Amos Williams Signature Vader Bass
Kiesel Guitars teamed up with TesseracT bassist Amos Williams to create the Vader AW5 Signature headless bass. The new model is based on the Vader bass with several differences including a 34-inch scale 23-fret fingerboard, and a single high output HB series humbucker. As with all Kiesel and Carvin instruments, the AW5 is available with a number of options. Standard...
George Porter, Jr. Recording with Snoop Dogg
Legendary bassist George Porter, Jr. has played with a who’s who of the music industry, but that list has just gotten a little bigger. Porter, who championed the groove with The Meters, revealed that he’s been recording with rap icon Snoop Dogg. He shared the news on Facebook with a photo of himself with Snoop. “Had a blast working with...
Tech 21 Introduces the Q/Strip
Tech 21 unveiled the Q/Strip as part of their display at the 2017 NAMM Show. Developed in a DI format, the device acts as a preamp and direct box with the features of a recording console strip from the ’60s and ’70s. The Q/Strip features all-analog MOSFET circuitry, which gives “warmth, girth, and larger-than-life tones for which vintage consoles are...
Bill Wyman Chronicles The Rhythm Kings With New Box Set
Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has released a new box set chronicling the live performances of his band The Rhythm Kings. The Kings Of Rhythm Volume 4: Race With The Devil contains three DVDs and a CD of the 10-piece blues and soul band with Wyman at the helm. “The band has a core rhythm section but features a...
Snarky Puppy Announces European Tour with Special Guests
Snarky Puppy has announced an extensive tour of Europe that will take the band across the continent from April to June. The band, led by bassist Michael League, will kick things off in Budapest, Hungary on April 20th and eventually wrap things up on June 7th in Eindhoven, Netherlands. They’ll be joined by several of their fellow GroundUp label mates...
Victor Wooten Trio: Funky D
Victor Wooten and his trio with drummer Dennis Chambers and saxophonist Bob Franceschini warmed up for their recent Blue Note Club residency with another gig: the halftime show at a Knicks game. The three musicians performed the song “Funky D”, blowing away the enormous crowd in Madison Square Garden. Luckily there was a video made. This clip is the camera...
In Memoriam: Elliott Rubinson
More sad news to report today: Elliott “Dean” Rubinson, bassist and CEO of Dean Guitars, has passed away after a battle with brain cancer. “On behalf of everyone at Armadillo Enterprises, words cannot express how much we appreciate the kind words and condolences shared by many, regarding the loss of our dear friend and former CEO, Elliott Rubinson,” Dean Guitars...
Pigtronix Introduces the Disnortion Micro Pedal
Pigtronix has announced a micro version of their popular Disnortion pedal, which features all of the 18-volt headroom of the original analog Fuzz and Overdrive circuits into a smaller unit that runs on 9 volts. It also has a couple upgrades. “This new Micro version of the Disnortion hugely one-ups the original’s broad palette of touch-responsive dirt sounds by including...
Halo Orbit, Featuring Juan Alderete, Releases Debut Album
Halo Orbit’s new self-titled debut album is available now. The trio is anchored by bass heavyweight Juan Alderete (Mars Volta, Deltron 3030), with drummer Mark Guiliana (David Bowie’s Blackstar, Beat Music) and guitarist suGar Yoshinaga (Buffalo Daughter). Each member’s unique voice blends to create incredible sonic explorations that range from atmospheric improvisations to trance to hip hop to grunge. “Back...
Ibanez Introduces the Ashula SRAS7 Hybrid Fretted/Fretless Bass
Ibanez shocked many bassists again this year by introducing a new Ashula bass. The SRAS7 is a seven-string model that has a unique hybrid fretted/fretless design with three strings over a fretless purpleheart fingerboard and four strings over a fretted rosewood fretboard. The fretted portion is tuned to a standard E-A-D-G, while the fretless section is tuned A-D-G. Each section...