Buzz
Sting: Demolition Man (Live)
Today we celebrate the birthday of Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner (better known as Sting). As many here, I was a big fan of The Police back in the day, so it was cool to hear that Sting was doing a “Back to the Bass” tour in 2011. Here’s Sting on that tour performing “Demolition Man,” a song he wrote and...
Dream Theater Breaks Fourth Wall on New Live DVD
Dream Theater experienced a homecoming when it played the Boston Opera House earlier this year and The Berklee College of Music Orchestra and Choir made a guest appearance. The band has a deep association with Berklee. Guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung are Berklee alumni. Drummer Mike Mangini was a professor at the school before joining Dream Theater. The...
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in September 2014
Bass gear news in September included a lot of pedals. Several of them were reader favorites, making this month’s top 10 list. But it was a bass – the Ibanez/Korg joint venture SR Kaoss Bass – which really made some noise in September with reader views and shares. As always, these lists come with a warning: may cause G.A.S. Thanks...
Getting Comfortable with Odd Time Signatures
Q: Lately I’ve been finding myself in situations where tunes with odd time signatures are called up on gigs. I’m finding it a challenge to switch gears on the fly and be able to come up with a grooving bass line and not lose the one. How do you handle – and prepare – for these types of situations? A:...
Diskord: Horrid Engine
Norwegian group Diskord is about to release a mini-LP called Oscillations, and the group has offered a look at the release with a video for their song “Horrid Engine.” The band’s over-the-top heavy sound is anchored by bassist Eyvind Axelsen. “The music can perhaps be described as progressive, slightly weird, death metal with old-school elements and a quite prominent bass,”...
The Stanley Clarke Band Plays it Happy on “Up”
Jazz instrumentalists have the luxury of playing music all over the emotional scale, says superstar jazz bassist Stanley Clarke. That might mean pieces that are way up, way down, or esoteric. You would be right if you guessed that his latest album with The Stanley Clarke Band, , is on the cheerier end of that scale. Why did he go...
Reader Spotlight: Eliot Roby
Meet bassist Eliot Roby. Eliot is a young bassist hailing from Canada, but he seems wise beyond his years. When asked why he chose to play bass, his answer was priceless. In short, he said he wanted something that gave him “a sense of individuality”, and he didn’t want to be like “those guys” (guitarists). More on this below, along...
Bass Lick Series: Gospel-Style Bass Groove
Last time, we got down and dirty with a overdrive-charged rock bass groove. This time around, we’re going to get a bit more funky with a modern Gospel-style lick, complete with all the slurs and slides. This groove is based on B minor Aolian, which is a great key and mode for this setting, especially on a 5-string bass, which...
Aretha Franklin: “Rolling in the Deep/Ain’t No Mountain” Late Show Performance
Last night, Aretha Franklin took the stage as musical guest on the Late Show with David Letterman. The Queen of Soul, now 72, sang her version of Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep” before she and the band segued into “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough.” The legendary singer was once again backed by Jerry Jemmott, who began performing with Ms. Franklin...
Mr. Big’s Classic Lineup Releases “…The Stories We Could Tell”
Feel the need to hear some new music from Billy Sheehan and Mr. Big? Consider that need sated. Sheehan and the rest of the original lineup of Mr. Big (including vocalist Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert and drummer Pat Torpey) reformed in 2009, and is the second release (2011’s What If… was the first) from the revitalized rockers. The opening...
Black Sabbath to Record New Album and Plan Final Tour
It looks like Black Sabbath will be returning to the studio again in 2015, according to Metal Hammer’s interview with Ozzy Osbourne. The band, anchored by bass wizard Geezer Butler, will reportedly record one more album with a final tour cycle. “The whole Sabbath experience this time around was great,” Ozzy told Metal Hammer. “We all made friends, we didn’t...
Bass of the Week: Doner Designs Navy Bass
This week we check out an incredible project led by the good folks at Doner Designs, a father and son team that pieces together themed instruments to donate to charity. Steve and Richard Doner started playing bass and guitar, respectively, in 2008 as a bonding experience that grew into tinkering with upgrades and modifications. Now their hobby is benefiting their...