Les Claypool with Gov’t Mule: Greasy Granny’s Gopher Gravy
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...
Carvin Releases Brian Bromberg Signature Bass
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...
Charles Mingus’s 89th Birthday Celebrated With Streaming Performance
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...
Bakithi Kumalo to Tour with Paul Simon
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 Releases D-600 Dual Channel Digital Bass Amp
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...
Legoland Empire Releases EP Featuring Trip Wamsley
Bassist Trip Wamsley shared on his Facebook page that Legoland Empire has released Guard the Point, a new 4-track EP on Bandcamp. Wamsley, whose playing on the album ranges from funky grooves to gnarly distorted riffs, describes the album as masterminded by former Wild Cherry bassist Allen Wentz. The group also includes Neil Alexander on keys and guitarist Rob Michael....
Warwick Announces WA Bass Amps and WCA Cabinets
Warwick has unveiled the WA bass amp series, a line based on their Hellborg series but at a lower price point. Available as rack mountable or in sleeves, the WA300 and WA600 amp heads pump out 300 and 600 watts respectively and feature 10-band EQs with additional Bass and Treble controls. A one-knob adjustable compressor is built-in for dynamic control....
Ben Allison Releases Action-Refraction
Bassist/composer Ben Allison has released his tenth album as a bandleader, entitled Action-Refraction. The disc features Allison’s takes on songs by his favorite artists, including PJ Harvey, Donny Hathaway, Thelonious Monk, Neil Young, Samuel Barber and Roger Nichols. This is a new approach for the composer as only one of the tracks, Broken, is an original. The idea for the...
Kala Announces Solid Body U-Bass
Kala Brand Music Co. has released a solid body version of their U-Bass. Though the original model was a bass-version of a ukulele, the Solid Body U-Bass takes a step to more closely resemble a bass guitar. Featuring a 21” scale, the bass is available in 4 and 5-string versions and fretted or fretless. It utilizes Kala’s proprietary polyurethane strings,...
The Gap Band: Live At Sinbad’s Summer Jam Music Festival
I was thinking about the late great Robert Wilson the other day and found this video of the Gap Band in 1999 at Sinbad’s Summer Jam. The audio could be a little better, but the Robert and the band are smokin’ through their hits, starting with “Burn Rubber on Me.” Make sure to check out the end of the set,...
Squier Releases Matt Freeman Precision Bass
Rancid bassist Matt Freeman now has his own Squier signature Precision Bass, modeled after his favorite personal bass. Freeman explains that “[it] is a ’77 P Bass that I picked up in 1987 for, like, $400 when I was in Operation Ivy. I went all over the world with that bass. And I still have it and I actually play...
Rare Live Cliff Burton Solo (1986)
The Metal Den has just posted a Youtube clip including audio of Cliff Burton’s bass solo from a Metallica concert at the Coliseum Ballroom in Davenport, Iowa on May 30, 1986. The solo is part improv, with Burton adding the themes from the track, “(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth.” Hailed as one of the greatest bassists of all time, Burton died in...