Buzz
Bass Transcription: Miki Santamaria’s “Thinking Out Loud” Solo Bass Arrangement
This bass transcription was suggested to me by No Treble founder Corey Brown, serving to remind me of Miki Santamaria’s fantastic solo arrangements of pop songs for bass guitar.
Jason Everett: The Return
Jason Everett, aka Mister E, sent us this clip of his song “The Return,” which features the bassist playing on his fretless seven string. “‘The Return’ is a recent composition and is the fourth and final movement of my epic composition ‘Moksha: The Elimination of All Duality,'” Everett writes. “[Moksha] is the sonic story of a soul that lives in...
Royal Southern Brotherhood Connects With Soul History on “Don’t Look Back”
Blues-rock-funk supergroup Royal Southern Brotherhood visited the almost-magical environment of Muscle Shoals, Alabama, to produce Don’t Look Back: The Muscle Shoals Sessions. The band, featuring stalwart Louisiana player Charlie Wooton (ZABADODAT) on bass, is a powerhouse of blues/funk players, including Cyril Neville (The Meters, The Neville Brothers) on percussion and vocals; Yonrico Scott (Derek Trucks Band, Yonrico Scott Band) on...
Playing without a Chordal Instrument
Q: I was curious about your approach to playing jazz without a piano player or guitarist. I lead a secret, soon to be a quintet because our piano player is moving away. I respect the kind of stuff presented by Charlie Haden in his work with Ornette Coleman, but aside from the free really “out there” jazz, I’m at a...
Spyro Gyra: De La Luz (Live)
Back in March, Spyro Gyra took the stage at Blue Note Milano. Anchored by bassist Scott Ambush, the band performed this tune, “De La Luz”. Terrific performance!
The Stones Give “Sticky Fingers” Extensive Reissue
The Rolling Stones’ Sticky Fingers is an iconic album, from its Andy Warhol-designed cover featuring a fly that really zipped open, to its songs, like “Brown Sugar,” “Wild Horses,” “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” and “Bitch.” Now, the 1971 record has been reissued in all its glory, to coincide with the Stones’ North American “Zip Code” Tour, in a vinyl...
Reader Spotlight: Deoindra Harrell
Meet Deoindra Harrell, a young bassist who caught our attention with her love for bass. It is a love that runs so deep she said, “I honestly feel like I could care less what bass I’m playing, just as long as I have a bass guitar in my hands.” To us, that’s what it is all about. Deoindra is the...
Ibanez Introduces Gary Willis Fretted Signature Bass
Ibanez has added a new fretted model to the Gary Willis Signature series. The GWB35FDBKF is the first fretted Willis signature model and will be available as a limited edition instrument. The five-string bass is built with a three-piece maple neck topped with an ebony fretboard with off-set white dot inlays. The basswood body is finished in a flat black,...
Fernando Molinari: Destrambelhado
Fernando Molinari sent us this smoking playalong clip of the song “Destrambelhado” from his first CD. The bassist mixes fingerstyle, slap, and strumming to drive the fusion track.
Apogee Unveils Groove USB Digital-To-Audio Converter
Digital audio company Apogee has unveiled the Groove, a portable USB digital-to-analog converter and headphone amp for listening to music on your computer. The device utilizes their recording quality audio conversion to provide ample power and sound quality. “A [digital-to-analog converter] takes the digital information on your computer and translates it into analog sound you can hear through your headphones...
Bass of the Week: Martin Keith Guitars Elfin Hollowbody
Martin Keith took on the singlecut body design with his Elfin model, and this week we take a look at its hollowbody version. The five-string bass is built entirely like an acoustic instrument with functionality for electric players. The Elfin’s body, which measures 14 inches wide and 3 inches deep, is built with maple sides and back and a braced...
Isaias Elpes: Sexual Healing (Reimagined)
Isaias Elpes sent me this video of an interesting and reimagined take on Marvin Gaye’s “Sexual Healing.” Playing to the vocal track, Isaias adds bass, guitar and keys to his version through his “Meetings Project”. “Music is more than an artistic expression is the possibility of the improbable and timeless meeting,” he shared. This is the second video for this...