Buzz
Adam Nitti & Friends: Butterfly
Adam Nitti sent us a great video of his band performing Herbie Hancock’s “Butterfly” at the Blue Canoe in Tupelo, MS in July. The song of course is awesome. The band is tight. And Adam throws in some seriously incredible solos. Enjoy.
Ron Carter Releases Work with WDR Big Band
Jazz bassist Ron Carter is legendary. His work is on more than 2,500 recordings, including ones with Miles Davis and Gil Evans. And now, the first recordings of his compositions with a big band have been released on My Personal Songbook, credited to Ron Carter and The WDR Big Band, recorded in early 2013 in Germany. Carter describes the result...
Mesa Engineering Introduces Subway Bass Series
Mesa Engineering has gotten into the world of lightweight amplifiers with their new Subway Bass Series. The lineup includes the company’s first ultra-lightweight Class D amplifier and a pair of bass cabinets loaded with neodymium speakers. Heading up the series is the Subway D-800, an 800-watt amplifier that weighs in at five and a half pounds. Mesa says the amp...
Viaceslav Svedov: Desert Eagle
Videos by Viaceslav Svedov have been in short supply lately. But that all changed when he shared this “remake” video of him performing Celso Zymon’s “Desert Eagle”. We’re glad Viaceslav is back.
Dead And Company, Featuring Oteil Burbridge, Announce Full Tour
After announcing their lineup and a single Halloween concert, Grateful Dead alumni group Dead and Company has revealed a 10-date run this fall. The band will kick things off in Albany, New York at the Times Union Center before a two-night run at Madison Square Garden and several other East Coast dates. Their final dates are set for the end...
Paul McCartney Offers Free Music Download
Want some free music? Paul McCartney is getting ready to continue reissuing his solo catalog with remastered versions of Tug of War and Pipes of Peace on October 2nd. To celebrate, the legendary bassist is giving away a free download of the 1982 single “Take It Away.” Though “Take It Away” appears on Tug of War, the remastered single edit...
Bass Players To Know: Colin Greenwood
I must admit, writing the “Bass Player To Know” series can be somewhat self indulgent… I selfishly spend hours listening to and researching some of my favorite players, expanding both my knowledge base and musical collection. Every column rekindles my fascination with a particular player and sparks the desire to investigate others of a similar style or musical era. I...
Cheikh Ndoye: Ngoni Bass
Bassist Cheikh Ndoye shared this awesome video of his work on the African Contrabass, also known as the bass ngoni. The West-African traditional instrument is fretless with three strings. Ndoye, who was born in Senegal, did some of his own modifications to get it to fit his style. “The traditional instruments are very hard to tune without the tuners,” he...
Pedalboard Supplies Introduces Pedal-Links Effect Mounting System
Bassists using pedalboards have a new option for keeping their effects in place with the Pedalboard Supplies Pedal-Links Effect Mounting System. Pedal-Links utilize the housing screws found on the bottom corners of most pedals to fasten them to your pedalboard. The fasteners are used by removing the housing screws, threading the screw through the Pedal-Link’s eyelet, then re-fastening it into...
Groove – Episode #9: John Campbell
Lamb of God was one of the headliners at this year’s three-day hard music festival known as Heavy Montreal. Bassist John Campbell was willing and able to sit down in the blazing sun to talk about everything from why he used to play with only three strings on his bass, to the sad situation that found his singer Randy Blythe...
Mark Marxon: Goodbye Yellow Brick Road
Mark Marxon sent this video to me recently (on his birthday!) Mark arranged Elton John’s “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road” as a chill solo bass piece – complete with some smooth lines, chords and harmonics. Really enjoyed this one. Nice work, Mark – and happy belated birthday.
NOISE Audio Design Unveils The Perfect Storm Bass Preamp
Veteran tube amplifier tech Blackie Pagano of NOISE Audio Design has unveiled The Perfect Storm, a limited edition high-transconductance, high-current tube bass guitar preamp. The sleek preamp takes its moniker from a realization Pagano had after receiving a box of Russian-made 6C45pi tubes, which are sensitive to audio signals and, despite their small size, run the same currents of larger...