Buzz
Grip Studios Introduces Zombie Grip Wall Hanger
Grip Studios has expanded their Axcent Hand Grip series with the Zombie Grip. The hand-shaped wall hanger can support basses, guitars, and other stringed instruments. Made in Detroit, the Zombie Grip is made from a durable resin with felt on the wrist area to protect your wall. TAH3 cushioned inserts in the hand protect your bass when hanging. The Grip...
Mike Frost Band: Come Together/Kashmir
Mike Frost sent in this awesome video of his band mixing two great classic rock songs with a funky attitude. Frost kicks off “Come Together” with a modified slap version of Paul McCartney’s iconic bass line before the band comes in. The jam evolves into a wild bass solo that Frost then uses to segue to Led Zeppelin’s “Kashmir.”
Head Cat Releases “Fool’s Paradise” Deluxe Edition
If you loved The Head Cat’s 2006 album Fool’s Paradise, then you will definitely want to pick up the of the record from the rockabilly supergroup composed of Lemmy (Motorhead, of course), drummer Slim Jim Phantom (of The Stray Cats fame) and guitarist Lenny B. Harvey (Lonesome Spurs, Rockats). The set not only includes the record of early rock classics,...
ZZ Top Postpones Tour for Dusty Hill Surgery
ZZ Top Bassist Dusty Hill has been sidelined after suffering from kidney stones. The bearded four-stringer will need surgery to remove them, which will force the band to postpone the launch of their summer tour. “ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill is slated to undergo surgery to remove two kidney stones this week, necessitating a delay in the start of the...
Amanda Ruzza and Mauricio Zottarelli: No Glasses, Part 2
Amanda Ruzza has teamed up with drummer Mauricio Zottarelli for a cool new project aptly called Ruzza/Zottarelli. The duo is releasing Glasses, No Glasses in September. The album also features keyboardist Leo Genovese, who has worked with Esperanza Spalding. All of the tracks were improvised on the spot. “Everything was live, with no overdubs. Only pure rock ‘n roll,” Ruzza...
Bass of the Week: Lowe Custom Guitars Chromasonic
Luthier Brad Lowe launched his custom instrument business in 2009 in order to combine his lifelong interests of the musical, visual, and industrial arts. His flagship bass model called the Chromasonic is proof that he’s on the right track. Available in 4- and 5-string versions, the bass is designed with a unique body shape that includes his “forearm facet” to...
Jansen Barbieri Karn: Sleepers Awake
Today we remember the great bassist Mick Karn, who was born on this day in 1958. The fretless bass legend passed away on January 4th, 2011. Following the break up of Japan, Karn continued working with keyboardist Richard Barbieri and drummer Steve Jansen on new music. Here they are performing the Barbieri tune, “Sleepers Awake”. Karn’s fretless work is quite...
Julie Slick and Marco Marchera Team Up for “Fourth Dementia”
Fourth Dementia, Julie Slick’s album of bass duets with Italian bassist/songwriter Marco Machera, is a work rooted in spontaneity. The pair met back in 2010 through the Three of a Perfect Pair Music Camp. The duo began collaborating in April of this year after the Crimson ProjeKCt’s European tour, where Slick played some dates in Tuscany. She and Machera quickly...
TC Electronic Announces Limited Edition Ditto Looper Gold
TC Electronic is re-issuing the original Ditto Looper with a limited edition gold-colored run of the compact looping pedal. Limited to 5,000 units, the pedal will retain the same features as its predecessor including its true-bypass, analog dry-through design. The Ditto Looper simplifies the concept of a looping pedal with a single footswitch for starting and stopping the loop and...
Thoughts On Multi-Instrumentalism
Q: What is your opinion on playing multiple instruments (for example double bass or piano) versus focusing on one instrument? I noticed a double bass in the background of one of your recent videos and wondered what your thought process had been when deciding to take up a new instrument. A: I was primarily a drummer until college, so from...
Jimmy Blanton: Bass Solo on “Sepia Panorama”
Even in the few years he was able to make a name for himself, Jimmy Blanton helped change the face of jazz bass. Blanton, who was cited as an influence by the likes of Ray Brown and Charles Mingus, drove the bass into the spotlight as a viable solo instrument by playing horn-like melodies, but he also changed the sound...
Hot Tuna Releases “Live at the Fillmore West, June 3, 1971”
It was the final Saturday night at the legendary San Francisco concert venue, Fillmore West. Who played that night — July 3, 1971? Well, Quicksilver Messenger Service closed the night, but Hot Tuna got the crowd going with its performance, captured on . The group, anchored as always by bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen were joined by violinist...