Buzz
Asia’s High Voltage Performance Released as Live CD/DVD Set
The July 2010 High Voltage Festival in London marked the first time Asia performed its multiplatinum 1982 debut album in full in Europe. Four years later, that show is now available in a . The performance featured the original band lineup (including singer, songwriter and bassist John Wetton), hits like “Heat of the Moment” and “Only Time Will Tell” and...
Fender Introduces Classic Player Rascal Bass
Back in 2013, Fender Master Builder Jason Smith created the retro styled Rascal Bass to display at the NAMM Show. “I wanted to build a short-scale bass that was reminiscent of some of the Kay and Danelectro basses,” Smith stated. This week Fender announced that the Rascal Bass would be put into full production as part of their Classic Player...
Led Zeppelin: How Many More Times, Live 1969
John Paul Jones doesn’t get the credit he deserves. His organic lines and fat tone are what tied Led Zeppelin together. Case in point, here’s a great clip of the band live on Danish TV in 1969 playing through “How Many More Times.” Though the cameraman focuses on Plant and Page, it’s Jones and Bonham who are laying down some...
Americana Stars Shine on John Cowan’s “Sixty”
Progressive bluegrass singer and bassist John Cowan has assembled a who’s who of roots music for his latest album, . Cowan, who also plays bass in The Doobie Brothers, is known for his work with New Grass Revival, Sam Bush, The Sky Kings and his own John Cowan Band, as well his abilities as a session player and vocalist. And...
Mono Cases Slims Down with Bass Sleeve Gig Bag
“Being a musician requires traveling with a lot of gear, but sometimes we want to downsize and travel lighter,” says Mono Cases CEO Daniel Kushner. And that’s the idea behind the company’s latest offering called the Bass Sleeve. The minimalist design gig bag is a slimmed down version of the Mono’s Vertigo Hybird case and is built around the same...
Bass Transcription: Michael League’s “Continuum”
“Continuum” is one of the most well known songs for bass players, and I’d argue it is one of the greatest tunes on Jaco Pastorius’s self-titled debut album. After listening to this performance of Michael League three times in a row, I decided to transcribe his version.
Louis Armstrong, Featuring Arvell Shaw: How High The Moon
Here’s a fantastic video of Louis Armstrong handing the spotlight over to bassist Arvell Shaw for a bass feature on “How High the Moon,” from a 1963 performance in Sydney, Australia. Shaw pulls out all the stops during the nearly 7-minute romp. “Show business,” he says, just before breaking out his bow to play all the way up into the...
Bass and Drum Duo Royal Blood Release Eagerly Awaited Debut Album
Royal Blood, which has been generating buzz in the music press and online for almost a year, now has its . The U.K duo creates a massive rock vibe, even though the only instrumentation comes from vocalist Mike Kerr’s bass and Ben Thatcher’s drums. In our interview with Kerr, he said the group’s epic sound came “more [from] curiosity than...
Focusrite Introduces Scarlett Solo USB Recording Interface
For bassists looking to record, Focusrite has just announced the Scarlett Solo, a USB interface with dual inputs and outputs. The device is a continuation of the Scarlett series and retains the recording capabilities in a smaller package. The Scarlett Solo has a mic pre and high headroom instrument input for flexibility. Other features include direct latency-free monitoring, 24-bit audio...
Fingernail Care: A Discussion for Bass Players
Q: As I’m getting pretty deeply into a right hand technique using a ramp, light touch, etc… I’d like to hear your thoughts on fingernail care, particularly for your plucking hand. I keep mine pretty short (it’s hard to open canned drinks), and I’m guessing yours might be similar. Also wondering if you so anything to keep up your nail...
In Memoriam: Tim “Rawbiz” Williams
Tim “Rawbiz” Williams, who played with artists from Toni Braxton to Suicidal Tendencies, has passed away. Suicidal Tendencies announced the new on their Facebook page. “It’s with complete sadness that we have to announce the passing of bassists Tim “Rawbiz” Williams,” the band wrote. “Tim played bass for Suicidal Tendencies for almost four years until recently. Tim was a monster...
Vulfpeck: 1612
Vulfpeck is back with a brand new album, Fugue State – and it is killer. This video features the second track on the album, “1612”. Joe Dart is laying down the killer groove as usual, and singer Antwaun Stanley makes a return appearance. Jack Stratton is on guitar (and composed the tune), Theo Katzman is on drums and Woody Goss...