Jason Heath Releases “Winning The Audition”
Bassists looking to get orchestral jobs have a new resource thanks to Jason Heath’s new book, Winning the Audition. Heath, who hosts the Contrabass Conversations podcast, interviewed musicians from the world’s top orchestras to get the scoop on what it took to get their gigs. “This book is broken down into eight chapters covering the evolution of the modern audition...
Lake Street Dive Announces U.S. Tour Dates
Lake Street Dive have announced an extensive US tour slated to start in February. The tour will kick off February 16th in Boston, Massachusetts before covering the East Coast and heading west to end up in Los Angeles, California on March 21st. The band, anchored by bassist Bridget Kearney, will be continuing their trek in support of their latest release,...
Erik Scott Releases “In The Company Of Clouds”
Erik Scott has released his fourth solo album, In The Company of Clouds. The former Alice Cooper and Flo & Eddie bassist has expanded on his own personal style that mixes his past rock influences in with new age, jazz, and world styles. Scott weaves ambient soundscapes that highlight his sweet fretless bass as the center point. “The CD you’re...
Strictly 7 Guitars Announces Python, Copperhead, and Sidewinder Basses
The extended range specialists at Strictly 7 Guitars have officially launched a new line of bass guitars. The series includes three models: the Copperhead, the Sidewinder, and the Python. “The Copperhead was the original bass model we started in 2013 with Simone Bertozzi of Mnemic,” the company writes. “We needed it to produce a low F frequency with some balls...
Arshak “Quartet Nuance”: Don’t Try This at Home
Be careful: Pianist Arshak Sirunyan and his Quartet Nuance get dangerous on the song “Don’t Try This at Home”, recorded live in Silver Spring, Maryland earlier this year. Bassist Cheikh NDoye kicks the song off with an insane groove that sets the mood for the song. The rest of the band includes drummer Raul Pineda and guitarist John Lee, who...
Bassbaba Sumon Releases “Soul Food (Part 1)”
Bangladeshi bassist Bassbaba Sumon has released the first half of his debut solo bass album, entitled Soul Food (Part 1). The five-song instrumental album features culinary-inspired titles with heavy hitting guests including Felix Pastorius, Robert “Bubby” Lewis, Josh Cohen, Bob Franceschini, J.D. Blair, Mark Don and Erfan Nazezadeh. Utilizing only bass and drums, Soul Food mixes hard rock, world music,...
Bass of the Week: Cunningham Bass & Guitarz RLJ-5 Splendour Jazz Bass
Jamaica-born, Australia-based luthier Dwight Cunningham creates some stunning basses, including this gorgeous RLJ-5 Splendour Jazz Bass. The semi-hollow bass features a myrtle and alder body loaded with a Nordstrand Bigman pickup in the bridge position with a split coil in the neck position. Its seven-piece neck is crafted from Myrtle, Indian Rosewood, Maple and Mahogany. The lined fretless fingerboard is...
Iron Ether Updates Xerograph Deluxe Pedal
Iron Ether Electronics is continuing to redesign their pedals for 2016 with an updated version of the Xerograph Deluxe. The synthesizer-inspired stompbox now includes an expression attenuator knob for setting the sweep, top-mounted jacks, and a second footswitch dedicated to the envelope filter. “[The new] stomp switch activates/deactivates the envelope follower, allowing you to seamlessly move from envelope filter sounds...
Alter Bridge Announce 2017 North American Tour Dates
Alter Bridge will be bringing “The Last Hero” tour back to North America in 2017 after they wrap up their European trek this winter. The band will be starting in Mobile, Alabama on January 21st and working their way between the U.S. and Canada for a solid month. The Last Hero is the band’s fifth studio album. In our recent...
Eastwood Custom Shop Unveils the Classic 5 Bass
Eastwood will be introducing a five-string version of their Classic hollow body bass as part of their crowdfunding platform. The Classic 5 Bass will be built with a bound laminated maple body, maple top, and bound f-holes. Similar to the four-string, the fiver is fitted with a pair of EW-Retro humbuckers controlled with a 3-way switch. Its knobs are set...
Hugo Doyon-Karout: Playthrough of Beyond Creation’s “Neurotical Transmissions”
Hold on tight: Beyond Creation’s Hugo Doyon-Karout sent us this playthrough for Beyond Creation’s “Neurotical Transmissions”, and it’s a killer. The bassist tears through the track on his six-string fretless with blistering tapping lines. Check that right-hand technique, too!
Sting Releases “57th and 9th”, Announces World Tour
Sting has returned with his first rock-oriented album in thirteen years. 57th and 9th came together in an impulsively over a few weeks earlier this year and ranges in topic from Syrian refugees (“Inshallah”) to climate change (“One Fine Day”) to the loss of musical heroes (“50,000”). “There’s a child in all of us that looks at cultural icons and...