Buzz
Jam Session Etiquette
Q: I have never been to a random, strangers-in-the-night jazz jam as a bass player and a lot of jams tend to have their set bass player (ahem – often the organizer of said jam – ahem). What’s the etiquette if you just want to walk a few tunes with everybody? A: First of all, I love your, “random, strangers-in-the-night”...
Niodel: 6
I love musicians that experiment and think outside the box. Here’s a great example of that with a video by Niodel. The duo of bassist Paolo Cipollini and drummer Mattia Bellotti get their sound by mixing in live electronics and “sound expansions” to create eerie and sublime sonic textures. Here’s a clip they simply call “6”:
Thumbscrew’s Latest Release Benefits From Residency
Jazz trio Thumbscrew, featuring double bassist Michael Formanek, honed the music for its latest album, Convallaria, at the Pittsburgh residency program City of Asylum. “I’ve done some composition residencies working on my own. But we were all there together, working on music every day, trying things out. I miss that from my younger days,” Formanek said of the residency spent...
Reader Spotlight: Kurt Skrivseth
Meet Kurt Skrivseth a multi-instrumentalist who plays bass and guitar in the band Pale People. Kurt has overcome some pretty amazing physical challenges with playing bass, as you’ll see in this story… Bio: I’m a 27 year old bassist from Montana. I’ve played in numerous local bands, big bands, jazz combos, cover bands, corporate gigs and musical theater productions. Shortly...
Talking Style: Flavoring the 3:2 Clave
In this episode, we’ll continue to explore the Afro-Caribbean influence on the music that we know as Rock and Roll and R&B. I’m going to show you just a few ways that I use note length and some other “flavor packets” to spice up the 3:2 Clave and give it my own style and personality. I’ve included some transcriptions of...
Christian McBride: Berklee Bass Department Clinic
Today is Christian McBride‘s birthday, and he’s giving us a gift. In this video, Christian plays (with Berklee Bass Chair Steve Bailey) and shares some tips on intonation during a clinic. Happy birthday, Christian!
Two Full 1970 Shows from Frank Zappa Released in “Road Tapes” Series
Not many full shows from Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention are available from mid-1970, making the Road Tapes, Venue #3 package a special one. The set includes two complete July 5, 1970 shows from Tyrone Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota. At the time, Jeff Simmons handled bass for the Mothers, which also included Flo & Eddie, George Duke,...
Bass of the Week: Jersey Girls Goose Bordeaux
This week we’re checking out a Goose bass by Jersey Girls Homemade Guitars. This particular bass – built by the team of luthiers Kaz G, Akiko Oda and Eiko Goto – is called the Bordeaux for the lovely wine colored finish over its light ash body. Its hard maple neck is topped by a fingerboard made from Karin, also known...
Working with Printed Transcriptions
Studying transcriptions of masterful performances can provide a wealth of learning material for a musician. Musically speaking, we will gain the most by completing our own transcriptions, entirely by ear, of course. However, there is still a great deal to be gained by working from published transcriptions by other musicians, provided we approach them in the right way. Certainly there...
Ben Titus: Looping Bass Arrangement of “Radioactive”
Bassist Ben Titus sent in this awesome looping arrangement of the Imagine Dragons hit “Radioactive”, and I’m glad he did. He gets a gorgeous tone from his six-string and creates a perfect pad with his chord voicings.
In Memoriam: Marshall “Rock” Jones
Sad news to report today: Ohio Players bassist Marshall “Rock” Jones has passed away after battling cancer and recently suffering a stroke. He was 75 years old. Jones was a founding member of the Ohio Players precursor band The Ohio Untouchables in 1959, though he left after getting in a fistfight 1964. Another shakeup led to Jones rejoining in 1970....
Weekly Top 10: Robert “Bubby” Lewis Bass Gear Contest, Talking Technique, Top Bass Videos, Lessons and More
This week’s top 10 reader favorite list features a lot to be excited about from the world of bass. Here are the top 10 most read stories, most watched videos and more for the week of May 21-27, 2016. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Contest: Win a Robert “Bubby” Lewis Bass Gear Prize Pack from Gallien-Krueger, MTD,...