Buzz
Dean Reintroduces Stylist Cabbie Bass
After discontinuing the model in 2007, Dean has reintroduced the Stylist Cabbie Bass. The outlandish semi-hollow bass stands out with a yellow top and a black and white checkerboard design on the back and sides. The 4-string bass features a 32″ scale. Its maple neck sports a “C”-shape profile and is topped with a rosewood fingerboard adorned pearl off-set dot...
JJ Grey & Mofro: “Tame A Wild One” Live with Todd Smallie
I’ve been really getting into JJ Grey & Mofro on vinyl lately, and bassist Todd Smallie is a big part of that. Smallie was the first bassist in the Derek Trucks Band, which formed in 1994, and he always seems to pick all the right notes while maintaining such a great feel. Here’s a nice live performance of the tune...
Justin Meldal-Johnsen to Tour with Beck in 2014
Justin Meldal-Johnsen took to Twitter to make an announcement about his 2014 plans. The bassist/producer will be spending more time performing with Beck and a bit less time in the studio. “Nostalgia aside, I have a little announcement to make which hearkens back to my past a bit,” he wrote. “Starting now, I will be spending most of my time...
Epiphone Announces Limited Edition Jack Casady Signature Bass in Alpine White
Epiphone is celebrating legendary bassist Jack Casady once again with a limited edition version of his signature hollowbody bass. The limited edition 2014 Jack Casady Bass will come in Alpine White with a six-layer white/black body binding further accented by black plastic hardware. Casady, who turns 70 this year, helped design the bass and was most instrumental in building its...
Jill Scott, Featuring Adam Blackstone: “A Long Walk” and “Golden”, Live
Adam Blackstone is not only a monster bassist, he’s an amazing musical director. Currently working with pop stars like Justin Timberlake and Rihanna, here’s a great video of Jill Scott from VH1’s SoulStage with Blackstone laying down some serious groove. The song arrangements are absolutely killer, too.
Spend Money to Make Money: A Discussion for Bass Players
Yes, that’s right, the words of my college accounting professor ring true to this day. You need to spend money to make money. While we often think of this term in reference to the boring section of the local paper or as the guiding principle behind buying lemons to sell lemonade, it’s impossible to think of any business, and especially...
King Crimson: “Starless”, Live 1974
King Crimson is notorious for all of its lineup changes, but no one can deny that John Wetton was a major force in the group during their 1972-1974 run. His bass and vocals shaped the band’s Larks’ Tongues in Aspic, Starless and Bible Black and Red albums. Here he is with the band on French television performing “Starless” in 1974....
Ozomatli Releases “Place in the Sun”
Ozomatli’s eighth album, , sees the band returning to its beginnings, in a way, with engineer Robert Carranza (Eels, Jack Johnson, The Mars Volta) producing alongside the multi-genre Latin rock/global music/electro-cumbia/garage rock/jam band that has served U.S. State Department Cultural Ambassadors and even has its own day — Ozomatli Day — in Los Angeles each April 23rd. Bassist Wil-Dog Abers...
Bass of the Week: Alpher Instruments Mako Elite MBL 5
Chris from Alpher Instruments sent us a few shots of their latest creation, a Mako Elite MBL 5, and we were stunned. The sheer beauty of the deluxe walnut top in the company’s curvy Mako shape makes for one gorgeous instrument. Alpher makes their instruments by hand in their Yorkshire, England shop. This particular bass was commissioned by the Manchester...
Old School: 1968 Fender Precision Bass
There’s really nothing quite like the Fender Precision Bass. Introduced by Leo Fender in 1951, the P-Bass has had an immense impact on music ever since. Sebastian Casís, a bassist living in Santa Fe, Argentina, shares his 1968 Precision, causing all of us here to feel pretty jealous. How long have you owned it? Since 1990. How did you come...
Tobia Ciaglia: Live Bass Session
This one is sure to get your head bobbing. Italian bassist Tobia Ciaglia gets an awesome groove going with just his bass, a slide, and a wooden box.
Colin Edwin and Lorenzo Feliciati Team Up for “Twinscapes”
Italian jazz rock/nu-jazz bassist Lorenzo Feliciati (Naked Truth/Berserk!) and Australian progressive bassist Colin Edwin (Porcupine Tree/Metallic Taste of Blood) have joined forces as a bass duo on . The bassists first connected at a London gig in early 2013, just as Edwin was thinking about creating a dual-bass project. The pair rehearsed for a few days in the English countryside...