Lynn Seaton and Christian McBride: “Blues in the Closet”
It’s always a blast to see musical masters having fun jamming on a tune. Donovan Stokes sent me this video of Lynn Seaton and Christian McBride playing on the Oscar Pettiford song “Blues in the Closet” at the University of North Texas, where Seaton teaches Jazz Studies. The two bassists trade some of the tastiest blues licks you’ll ever hear...
Korn Releases “The Paradigm Shift”
Korn has released The Paradigm Shift, the band’s eleventh studio album and the first to feature guitarist Brian “Head” Welch since 2003. Blending elements of their old and new styles, bassist Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu says the mix is the best of both worlds. “The new record is everything we’ve wanted to be,” Fieldy shared. “Everybody is doing what they want...
SolidGoldFX Announces SuperDrive Beta Pedal
SolidGoldFX has introduced their first bass-specific effects pedal, the SuperDrive Beta. Designed with an EQ tailored for bass, the pedal offers tones from old school thump, to an “Ampeg inspired” drive. The SuperDrive Beta is built with a JFET preamp with subtle germanium clipping to double as an always-on tone shaper or a cutting fuzz. Controls include Gain, Tone, and...
Bass of the Week: Aquilina Basses DB
Sébastien Aquilina of Aquilina Basses is making some beautiful instruments. Case in point: the Aquilina DB, a suave singlecut design with French aesthetic. The neck-through bass is built around a sycamore and ash neck with carbon reinforcements, topped with a sycamore fingerboard. The body wings are mahogany with a stunning flamed sycamore that continues the theme. It’s fitted with a...
Alberto Rigoni: Dream Theater’s “Erotomania” Play-Along
From the tricky fingerings to the melodic phrasing, Alberto Rigoni absolutely nails John Myung’s part on the Dream Theater song “Erotomania” in this play-along. Dig that tone, too!
John Entwistle Band: Young Man Blues
Today we celebrate the life and music of John Entwistle, on his birthday. The Ox was a huge figure in the development of the bass guitar and is referred to as the greatest who ever lived. His classic bass lines for The Who inspired thousands to pick up the bass to emulate that huge signature tone. After The Who broke...
Crowbar Announces New Bassist
A month after bassist Pat Bruders left the band, the iconic New Orleans metal band Crowbar has announced their new bass player is Jeff Golden. “After 100’s of bass video submissions and many jam sessions, we have decided that Jeff Golden is the man!” the group announced on their Facebook page. The news comes as bandleader Kirk Windstein leaves the...
Guitar Bank: Fender Jazz Bass Shootout
There’s always been debate about the differences in quality between Fender basses made in different factories. Guitar Bank decided to settle it with a shootout video comparing Jazz Basses built in the USA, Mexico, and Japan with varying materials to make a straight comparison. Which one do you like the best? Share your thoughts in the comments.
Tony Levin, Marco Minneman and Jordan Rudess Release New Album
King Crimson’s Tony Levin, the Aristocrats’ Marco Minneman and Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess teamed up to make a prog rock album of epic proportions, appropriately entitled Levin Minnemann Rudess. The project started with producer Scott Schorr and Levin, who provides bass, Chapman Stick, and cello to the effort. “The producer of the album, Scott Schorr, was looking to do a...
The Who Featuring Pino Palladino: My Generation
It’s pretty telling when the top comment on a video by one of the world’s greatest rock bands is “Thumbs up if you? are here only to see Pino playing.” Here’s the one and only Pino Palladino rocking out with The Who on Later… With Jools Holland back in 2007. The bassist lays out some gnarly breaks with an octaver,...
In Memoriam: Butch Warren
Jazz bassist Butch Warren, who worked as a house bassist for Blue Note Records in the 1960s, has died. He was 74 years old. Born in Washington, D.C. in 1939, Edward Rudolph Warren Jr. grew up in a musical family. His father, a part-time jazz pianist, would invite touring black musicians to his home to offer them a better stay...
Stone Roses Working on New Album
After reuniting in 2011, it looks like The Stone Roses have a new album in the works. Bassist Gary “Mani” Mounfield revealed the news to Amelia Ward of the blog Gigslutz. “When posed with the question regarding new material, Mani said “Yeah we’ve been working on a few bits” and when asked about a new album release he stated, “2015...