Duke Ellington Orchestra: A “Very Special” Version of “Take the A Train”
When my Facebook friend Doofybass Kris shared this, I couldn’t wait to share it here. Not only does this 1964 clip of Duke Ellington and his orchestra include a rare glimpse at famed jazz composer Billy Strayhorn, the performance features bassist Ernie Shepard in what Duke calls a “very special operatic version” of “Take the A Train.” The song starts...
Aguilar to Introduce Tone Hammer 350 in 2012
Aguilar will be introducing a new ultra-lightweight amp to the Tone Hammer series in 2012, with the all new 350 model. Weighing in at only three pounds, the 350-watt head follows suit in the series by utilizing the company’s Tone Hammer preamp, originally found in the Tone Hammer D.I./preamp pedal. Controls on the Tone Hammer 350 include drive, bass, treble...
ChaotH from UneXpecT: Words
Here’s an awesome clip of 9-string bassist ChaotH (aka Frédérick Filiatrault) playing the song “Words” from his band UneXpecT’s album Fables of the Sleepless Empire. ChaotH, who admits that his hair is the source of his bass playing power, takes full advantage of his extended range instrument with some beautiful chordal playing reminiscent of some Tony Levin’s Chapman Stick work...
Carvin Introduces MB210 Combo Bass Amp
Carvin has added a 210 model to their micro bass combo amp series. The MB210 carries an internal head unit, a pair of 10” speakers, and a neodymium titanium tweeter, all while weighing a mere 36 pounds. Alone, the MB210 delivers 200W at 8 ohms, but can push up to 250W at 4 ohms with the addition of an 8...
Gothenburg Bass Quartet: O, Tannenbaum
Here’s a warming rendition of “O, Tannenbaum,” performed by the Gothenburg Bass Quartet. (Beware, the group also doubles as the Gothenburg Kazoo Quartet!) The four members play in front of a beautifully decorated Christmas tree… no, wait. That’s a bass flight trunk. Charles DeRamus shows the decorating of the trunk, saying it took “11 hours, which is a new Swedish...
Tool Expands Winter Tour with New Dates
Tool has released more dates for their upcoming North American winter tour, including more shows on the East Coast. New performances are slated for the New England area as well as North Carolina and Florida. It’s also been announced that the progressive metal outfit Intronaut will provide opening support on their early shows. Though the band is secretive about their...
Bass of the Week: Marleaux Diva
Gerald Marleaux’s artistic flair really shines through in his Diva model, a fretless bass with an avant-garde body shape and three-octave rosewood fingerboard. Designed to have an acoustic resonance reminiscent of an upright bass, the neck-through bass is built with a three-piece padauk neck with a custom choice of woods for the body wings and top. The Diva includes a...
John Carey Releases Revelry Now
New York bassist John Carey has released his fourth solo album, entitled Revelry Now. The project contains Carey’s takes on pop and rock standards, including Elvis Presley’s “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me,” and the Beatles’ “Don’t Let Me Down.” Revelry Now provides a beautiful, intimate listening experience. Carey recruited singer Fawn Segerson and drummer Frank...
Dirty Loops: Baby (Justin Bieber Cover, with Bass Awesomeness)
This one is blowing UP! Dirty Loops has done it again. This time the Swedish trio has created a pumped-up version of Justin Bieber’s hit “Baby,” with an absolutely killing solo from bassist Henrik Linder at the 1:41 mark. Dirty Loops has a reputation for taking pop songs we can’t stand and making them awesome. If you haven’t heard of...
Todd Matthews: “Little Drummer Boy” the Way We Like It: for Solo Bass
Editor’s note: we’re celebrating the holidays this week with some awesome (and sometimes funny) holiday videos. Be sure to check back every day for some holiday cheer, bass-style. If you’ve been looking for a great video of Santa dancing while playing bass, look no further. Double bassist Todd Matthews sent us this video of his “Holiday Looping,” where he gets...
Tommy Stinson: The Next GN’R Album will Come Quicker Than Chinese Democracy
Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson says the follow-up to Chinese Democracy should come “much quicker” than its predecessor, which was a project 15 years in the making before it was released in 2008. “You know, I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with Chinese Democracy, we could get around...
Kala Expands S-U-B Series with Cherry Burst U-Bass Option
Kala has added a new Cherry Burst finish to its S-U-B line of solid body U-Basses. The new bass shares all the characteristics of its brethren, including a solid body, a 21″ scale, a Shadow active pickup system, a 2-band EQ, Hipshot-licensed tuners and proprietary polyurethane strings. Kala, a ukelele company, first introduced the U-Bass in 2009 and has since...