Buzz
Soilwork Announces New Bassist
Swedish melodic death metal outfit Soilwork has announced a changing of the guard in the low end. Longtime bassist Ola Flink has amicably parted ways with the group 17 years after he first joined. The bassist, who appeared on all of Soilwork’s releases since 1998’s Steelbath Suicide, will be taking time to focus on other endeavors, a press release stated....
Multiple Basses or Just One? A Discussion for Working Bass Players
Q: I’m a fairly busy bass player working with five or six different bands ranging from funk to soul to hip-hop/neo-soul to jazz to disco to metal and a few function bands which encompass just about everything else! For the last four years, I’ve mainly used one sound (neck pickup, flatwound strings) on one bass for everything. But I recently...
The Bassmonsters: Sweet Child O’ Mine
I recently returned from the International Society of Bassists convention where there was a week’s worth of double bass performances, clinics, and masterclasses from the world’s foremost players. One of the performances that stuck out was by the Bassmonsters, a double bass quartet that plays arrangements of rock, pop, and metal songs. The group takes on Metallica, Michael Jackson, The...
The Robert Glasper Trio Reunites for New Live Album
Pianist Robert Glasper has reunited with his trio, which includes bassist Vicente Archer (Terence Blanchard, Kenny Garrett, Wynton Marsalis, Stanley Jordan, Amos Lee) for the acoustic jazz record Covered (The Robert Glasper Trio Recorded Live at Capitol Studios). The trio, with drummer Damion Reid, is the same one that recorded Canvas in 2005 and In My Element in 2007. The...
Reader Spotlight: Tony Gregory
Tony Gregory was five years old when his dad put a bass in his hands. That was all it took. Today, Tony plays in two bands in and around Connecticut. He’s this week’s reader in the spotlight, and here’s his story. Bio: I was born in Brooklyn NY in the 70’s, and my pop played guitar in a folk rock...
Pedulla Announces Mark Egan Signature Model Limited Anniversary Edition
Pedulla is continuing their 40th anniversary celebration with a reissue of fusion bassist Mark Egan’s Signature model. The Pedulla Mark Egan Signature Model Anniversary Edition is a five-string bass retains the features of the original bass with modern features that weren’t available when it was first released. The bass has a 19mm string spacing and has a body that is...
Adam Nitti: Not Of This World
Adam Nitti sent me this incredible video of him playing on the title track from his latest album, Not Of This World. “Not of this world” is as good a description as any for this. Be sure to check out the solo!
Classic Michael Hedges Album, Featuring Michael Manring, Gets Vinyl Reissue
The late Michael Hedges’ landmark 1984 acoustic guitar album, Aerial Boundaries, has been reissued on 180-gram vinyl. The album, considered groundbreaking for acoustic guitar, also featured a bass heavyweight — bassist/composer Michael Manring, who was not only Hedges’ regular bassist, but also house bassist for Windham Hill Records, for which Hedges recorded. Manring, who has played with a wide variety...
Bass of the Week: Amazon Custom Bass Imperial 5
This week we take a look at the Imperial 5 by Brazilian bass shop Amazon Custom Basses. The beautiful singlecut bass is built with a mahogany body topped with piopo. Its five-piece neck is fitted with a maple fingerboard and bound with ivory. Electronics on the bass include a pair of EMG 45DC pickups matched to an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp....
A Quick Warmup for the Left Hand
Sometimes we need to warmup in a hurry. When I need to warmup in two minutes or less I do exercises like the ones below. Some things to remember when doing these: Start slowly and speed up as you go Keep the fingers light and flexible, don’t press any harder than necessary Don’t’ go any faster than feels easy, slow...
Stu Hamm Band: The Book Of Lies, Live
Prior to the release of his latest release, The Book of Lies, Stu Hamm previewed the album during a performance at the Baked Potato. Here’s an awesome clip of the title track with Hamm laying it down like only he can. The bassist’s trio includes guitarist Carl Verheyen and drummer John Mader.
Gruv Gear Introduces Fump Bridge Muter/Dampener
Music accessory company Gruv Gear has expanded their string dampening products with the Fump, a muting device that slides over the strings against the bridge of your bass. The Fump works with four- and five-string basses and can be applied or removed in seconds. Check out the company’s demo: The Gruv Gear Fump is available now direct for $19.99. Gruv...