Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 790

Esteban St. James of Von Saint Design is a bass lover like the rest of us, but even deeper his passion lies in vintage Ampeg SVT gear. He sent us Parts 1 and 2 of a 4-part YouTube series he made about the classic equipment. Part 1 deals with what “the sound” is and how to get it, while Part...

Bass builder Bud LeCompte has just unveiled a new line of vintage style basses under the moniker V-Groove Basses. The new models include the Nola and Provision basses, available in 4 and 5 string versions. Though custom options are available, the basses come standard with alder bodies and three piece 1/4 sawn maple necks. The fingerboards are either maple or...

The final performance by mambo legend Israel “Cachao” Lopez has been released as a two disc set, entitled The Last Mambo. The concert, which celebrated the bassist’s 80 years in music, was held at the Ziff Opera House a the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami Florida in 2007. The album has Cachao leading a 24-piece orchestra. The Cuban born Cachao...

Here’s No Treble columnist Damian Erskine taking a solo with Tony Furtado in 2005, at the Hatch Fest in Bozeman, Montana.

Sometimes it’s the simplest bass lines that stick with you the most. Here, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey proves it as she plays the iconic riff to “Under Pressure” with David Bowie at Madison Square Garden in 1997.

Hal Leonard has released Jazz Bass on Top: A Guide to Left-Hand Technique by Andy McKee, an instructional book for double bass aimed at improving fingerboard facility through 50 jazz songs. Presented in order of difficulty, the tunes range from “The Girl From Ipanema” to “Teen Town,” and teach walking bass lines as well as soloing techniques. McKee, who teaches...

The lineup for the 2011 Montreux Jazz Festival has been announced, and it will be a solid year for bass lovers. A few of the bassists set to perform include Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, Christian McBride, Richard Bona and Marcus Miller, who will be performing as part of a tribute to Miles Davis. The fest is...

After the passing of Allen Woody, Gov’t Mule played with a host of bassists, resulting in two albums and culminating an a 6+ hour concert that was released as The Deepest End. This performance is from that concert, and has Primus’s Les Claypool jamming with the group on “Greasy Granny’s Gopher Gravy” parts 1 and 2. Check out some of...

After showing the prototype at NAMM, Carvin has released the Brian Bromberg Signature Bass series, available in 4 and 5-string versions. The new Bromberg B24 and B25 models feature neck through construction with alder bodies and maple necks. AAAA flamed maple tops come standard, though you can get a solid color finish. The fingerboard is ebony and has Bromberg’s logo...

Today marks the 89th year since Charles Mingus was born. The outspoken bassist/composer left a wealth of music in his wake, which is preserved through the work of the Charles Mingus Institute. Among the groups dedicated to keeping his music alive is the Mingus Orchestra, a 10-piece group held down by bassist Boris Kozlov. In addition to his role as...

Bassist Bakithi Kumalo will be joining Paul Simon once again for a global tour in support of the new album So Beautiful or So What. The trek will take them from coast to coast in the U.S. before heading to Europe in June. Kumalo and Simon first worked together when the singer recruited a band for his classic album, Graceland....

Phil Jones Pure Sound has a new bass amp on the market, the D-600 Digital Amplifier. Taking after their D-200, the new model is rated at 600 watts while weighing in at merely 7 pounds. The dual channel setup give each path it’s own 5-band EQ and mute switch. Other features include an optical limiter and front-facing aux-in with separate...