Rocking Steady: An Interview with Jack Casady (Part 2)
Ever wonder how a Rock and Roll Hall of Famer writes bass lines? How can somebody stay in the industry for over 50 years and still stay fresh? What’s the key to musical growth? In part 1 of our interview with Jack Casady, we talked with the legendary bassist about his influences, his achievements, and some of his views on...
Bass Battle: Live Looping Session #3
Iuliu-Bogdan Diaconeasa, aka Bass Battle, sent us this cool bass looping video. We thought it was an awesome, chill song, and his note explains it. “The song is still in progress and this is a looping version that I made on a beautiful Sunday morning at home,” he said. “I [think of] this as a love song [though] I didn’t...
Epifani Unveils UL3 Series Bass Cabinets
In addition to the AL Series, Epifani has introduced the next incarnation of their flagship UL series cabinets with the UL3 line. The UL3’s differ from the previous generation in that they have ceramic drivers, lighter weight enclosures, and textured paint finishes. The series includes 4×10, 3×10, 2×10, and 1×12 models, as well as a DIST 112 model, which features...
Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi Sextet: Toys, with Buster Williams (1972)
About a week ago, we shared an awesome video of Herbie Hancock & The Headhunters (anchored by the awesome rhythm section duo of bassist Paul Jackson and drummer Mike Clark), performing “Spank-A-Lee” in 1974. This time around, we’re going back two years earlier, to feature Herbie’s “Mwandishi Sextet”, anchored by bassist Buster Williams. In between his time with Miles Davis...
Revolver To Honor Gene Simmons with Golden God Award, Name Best Bassist Nominees
Revolver Magazine has announced the nominees for their 4th Annual Golden Gods awards show, which honors members of the hard-rock and heavy-metal community. The Golden God award, which is given to one special honoree each year, will be presented to KISS bassist Gene Simmons for “embodying the spirit of hard rock and metal.” “It’s an honor and privilege to accept...
Legendary Reggae Duo Sly & Robbie Release “Blackwood Dub”
The legendary Jamaican rhythm section duo of drummer Sly Dunbar and bassist Robbie Shakespeare have released Blackwood Dub. The 10-track collection of instrumental songs was written by the Sly and Robbie and has a sense of groove that just won’t quit. The duo, who have helped to shape the face of Reggae and rock/pop music, recorded the album at the...
Traveler Guitar Unveils the Ultra-Light Bass
New for 2012 is the Traveler Ultra-Light Bass, an extremely lightweight and compact bass guitar. The whole instrument measures 33 3/4? in length and weighs in at a mere three pounds and 6.5 ounces. Built from a solid piece of Eastern American Hard Maple, the Ultra-Light Bass features a removable metal lap-rest and a built in thumb rest for comfort....
Genz Benz Introduces Contour 500 Series Combo Bass Amps
Genz Benz has introduced the Contour 500 series of combo amplifiers, including a 1×15″ model and a 2×10″ model. Built with power and weight in mind, the CTR500-115T and CTR500-210T push out 300 watts at 8 ohms while weighing 48 pounds and 52 pounds, respectively. The line also includes a pair of matching extension cabinets that raise the power output...
Maguinho Alcantara Brecht and Eduardo Kusdra: Mandela
A drummer can be a bassist’s best friend. Here we find a cool clip of drummer Maguinho Alcantara Brecht and bassist Eduardo Kusdra playing their tune “Mandela.” The duo build the whole tune, which is in 5/4, with just drums, bass, and a unified sense of groove.
Jack Bruce and His Big Blues Band Announce UK Tour and Perth Festival of Arts Performance
Jack Bruce and His Big Blues Band will be hitting the road for a UK tour this month. The trek will be kicking off with a three day residency at Ronnie Scott’s in London before taking over the rest of the country. In addition to the tour, the group will be part of the lineup for the Perth Festival of...
Lemmy Kilmister Working on Solo Album
Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister revealed that he’s working on a solo album in a recent interview with SF Weekly’s Dave Pehling. The veteran metal bassist says he’s most of the way through the effort, which will be chock full of guest artists. “I’m three-quarters of the way though a solo album right now. I’ve got two tracks with The Damned,...
Napalm Death Releases “Utilitarian”
Grindcore band Napalm Death have released Utilitarian, their 14th studio album of original material. Anchored by bassist Shane Embury, the 16-track collection continues their tradition of extreme music with in-your-face riffs and aggressive vocals. “After some deliberation, we decided on ‘Utilitarian’ as the album title,” vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway said. “We generally try to avoid generic titles, and this seemed...