Soul Summit and Bob Babbitt: What A Man
In 2007, keyboardist and producer Jason Miles brought together a killer supergroup to perform classic soul hits at the Berks Jazz Festival in Reading, Pennsylvania. The band included vocalists Maysa, Susan Tedeschi and Mike Mattison (Tedeschi Trucks Band), saxophonists Karl Denson, Richard Elliot (Tower of Power), Dave Mann and Barry Danielian, guitarists Reggie Young and Sherrod Barnes, trumpeter Tony Kadlek,...
Anaconda Basses Introduces Super J Basses
Anaconda Basses has expanded their range of basses with the Super J, which luthier Andrew Taylor-Cummings calls his take on a classic J-style. “I didn’t want to do yet another straight copy, but rather build and improve on a classic,” he writes. “The body is downsized and more sculpted, allowing for better ergonomics and comfort. I wanted to add a...
Spare Parts: Watch Your Step
Here’s a great clip of Spare Parts jamming on their song “Watch Your Step” live at Warehaus West in Chicago. The band grooves hard thanks to bassist Colin Scott, who utilizes fingerstyle, slap, and some intense strumming with effects to keep you on your toes.
Bass of the Week: Bootleg Guitars Jazz Box 4
This week we take a look at a new hollow-body creation from Bootleg Guitars called the Jazz Box 4. Finished in a beautiful translucent green, the bass features a body with maple for its top and back with a Spanish Cedar core. Its neck is a premium grade aged quartersawn Eastern hard rock maple topped with a rosewood fingerboard. Luthier...
EC Pedals Announces Superswitcher 2
EC Pedals has announced the Superswitcher 2, a compact switcher for controlling multiple effects or amps at once. The pedal has eight audio loops for pedals (seven mono and one stereo), as well as an effects loop module, two relay switches for controlling amp channels, and MIDI in and outs. The switcher is based on a Microchip MCU that allows...
Janek Gwizdala Publishes “All The Good Stuff – How I Practice” Instructional eBook
Janek Gwizdala has a new instructional book out. All the Good Stuff – How I Practice revolves around his practice regimen, and the book is full on getting the most out of your instrument, your hands and your ears. Gwizdala dives into more than practicing with tips on getting focused, inspiration, pacing, and finding solutions to musical problems. It’s filled...
Fishman Now Shipping Platinum Pro EQ and Platinum Stage Acoustic Preamps
Fishman is now shipping the Platinum Pro EQ and Platinum Stage acoustic preamps. The all-analog preamps have been redesigned with a discrete, high-headroom Class-A circuitry as well as a new switchable guitar/bass EQ that the company says makes them more musical for bass instruments. The Platinum Stage preamp has a four-band EQ with a sweepable mid-frequency and low frequency filter...
Chick Corea and Friends, with Eddie Gomez: Humpty Dumpty
Steve Bailey recently sent me a cool video of bass players congratulating Eddie Gomez on his recent honorary doctorate from Berklee School of Music. A recurring theme in everyone’s praise was Eddie’s playing on the song “Humpty Dumpty,” which led me to revisit the song and find a few versions. Here’s a clip of Eddie playing it alongside Chick Corea,...
Overwater Basses Announces J Series Scott Devine Bass Model
After releasing the Scott Devine Series bass in 2011, Overwater Basses has announced the J Series “Scott Devine Model.” The new model is based on the 4-string bass he uses in the majority of his YouTube bass lesson videos. “Based on the original custom 4 string bass we built for Scott back in 2010, encompassing all the physical attributes associated...
Maktub Project: The Sound of Silence
Bassist Davide Medicina shared this video of his band Maktub Project performing a reimagined version of Simon and Garfunkel’s classic hit, “The Sound of Silence.” Medicina describes their band as influenced by R&B, jazz and neo-soul, and it shows. The trio reharmonizes the song and adds a healthy dose of modern groove. Medicina lays a thick foundation while taking time...
Latin American Double Bass Workshop Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The 10th annual Encuentro Latinoamericano de Contrabajos will take place Saturday, November 22nd through Thursday, November 27th at the Tijuana Cultural Center in Tijuana, Mexico. The week-long Latin American bass workshop is presented by the Contrabajos de Baja California and will include quartets, group classes, masterclasses, a bass orchestra, and much more. This year’s guest artists include world-renowned bassists Catalin...
Reed James Engineering Introduces RJ Neo Buckers Bass Pickups
Reed James Engineering has expanded their line of neodymium pickups with the RJ Neo Bucker, a split coil design built in a soap bar shape with a reverse P-bass format. Utilizing the company’s Vintage Vibe Neo technology, the pickup boasts noiseless operation. The pickup is constructed with pole pieces powered by neodymium magnets. Other features include ABS plastic covers, a...