Buzz
Allmans Album Remastered, Reissued in Deluxe Editions
The Allman Brothers Band’s landmark 1970 album Idlewild South is getting the deluxe treatment 45 years after its initial release. The album, which features “Midnight Rider” and “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” as well as the playing of late bassist Berry Oakley (d. Nov. 11, 1972 from a motorcycle accident), is being released in three forms: a single remastered album;...
Reader Spotlight: Robert Harper
When it comes to funk, Los Angeles area bassist Robert Harper knows a thing or two – heavily influenced by such greats as Louis Johnson, Larry Graham, and Bootsy Collins. Robert grew up in the suburbs in a city called Carson where musical talent was in abundance and the avenues were wide open, participating in every school he attended Robert...
Advanced Bass: Diminished II V Substitution
A cool harmonic concept that bebop players have used for years is substituting dominant 7th chords – built in minor 3rds – over the V7 chord of the key. In this lesson, we’ll cover this concept to learn the possibilities of Diminished II V chord substitution over the II V I progression. Follow along with the video, and be sure...
Zander Zon: Star Wars Medley
You may have heard that a new Star Wars film hits the big screen this week (as in, 1,000 times a day or more). Leave it to Zander Zon to combine some of our all-time favorites – bass, Star Wars and the music of John Williams – into one terrific video. “I’m a massive Star Wars fan and growing up...
Fleetwood Mac’s ‘Tusk’ Goes Super Deluxe
Tusk was an unusual, unwieldy, experimental double album when Fleetwood Mac released it in 1979. A new deluxe edition of the album ups the ante even further, combining the original double LP on 180-gram vinyl with a 5.1 surround mix on audio DVD and five CDs. The CDs include an alternate version of the album from mostly unreleased session outtakes;...
Bass of the Week: Letts Basses Yves Carbonne Signature 2-String Bass
Many people know bassist Yves Carbonne for his incredible playing on extended range instruments with up to 12 strings. Most can enjoy the music, but some can’t get past the number of strings on his bass. After musing online about the merits of how many strings a bass should have, Carbonne teamed up with luthier Jon Letts to create the...
Multi-Stop Travel With Your Bass – Part 2: Packing/Luggage/Bass
Most people realize that there are special considerations when flying with your upright bass. These considerations are significantly expanded if your musical journey requires a series of planes, trains, and automobiles, before you arrive back at your home door. With this in mind, I’d like to continue my discussion from last time by talking about some of the precautions I...
Esperanza Spalding with Emily’s D+Evolution: One
Back in October, Esperanza Spalding performed with Emily’s D+Evolution on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The tune is “One”, and it is spectacular.
MonoNeon Releases Five-Song EP
The name of the latest release of short pieces from bassist/experimental musician MonoNeon (Prince, Ne-Yo), a.k.a. Dywane Thomas Jr. kind of says it all: Selfie Quickie. Three of the five songs on the EP clock in at less than two minutes, while the remaining songs run no longer than 2:55 and 3:11, respectively. Selfie Quickie is a collection of funk,...
Weekly Top 10: Whole Tone and Other Scales, The End of Rush?, Talking Technique, Top Bass Videos and More
This week, readers enjoyed two great how-to’s – one from Damian Erskine on when to use whole tone and other scales, and Ariane Cap’s second entry in her new “Talking Technique” series. Add to that the reader favorite bass videos (including a bonus top 10 list), plus news from the world of Rush, our interview with Kung Fu bassist Chris...
Fredric Effects Announce the Deeply Unpleasant Companion Bass Fuzz Pedal
Fredric Effects have introduced the Deeply Unpleasant Companion, a bass fuzz pedal that builds upon the Shin-Ei FY-2 Companion Fuzz. The new model has a modified circuit to preserve more low end frequencies, plus a new clean blend function for mixing your direct signal with the dirty signal. The pedal also has a volume boost circuit to avoid volume drop...
Keelan Jones with Cory Henry: Sunday Stroll
Snarky Puppy keyboardist Cory Henry joins drummer Keelan Jones in this funky performance of “Sunday Stroll”, recorded on November 29, 2014 from Jones’ . Tony Russell lays down a sweet a bass line on this one. Love the horns and that funky Moog!