Buzz
Petros Klampanis: Blackbird
“Blackbird” is a song many bassists cover, but Petros Klampanis takes it in his own direction in this video with vocalist Sofia Ribeiro and percussionist Marcelo Woloski. Starting with an intimate bass/voice duet, the song soon kicks into a beautiful groove with Ribeiro’s voice soaring over top. The song is also available on the bassist’s album Contextual.
Marco Machera Releases “Dime Novels”, Featuring Tony Levin
Italian bassist and songwriter Marco Machera has released his sophomore album, . The effort includes a host of special guests, including fellow bassist Tony Levin on “Out of Blue,” drummer Pat Mastelotto, guitarist Markus Reuter and more. With an interesting cast of characters, Machera offers up a quirky take on pop music. “Dime Novels is a beast. Pretty much like...
Reverend Guitars Introduces Mercalli 4 Bass
Reverend Guitars used the NAMM Show this year as an opportunity to introduce a 4-string version of their Mercalli bass. The bass had previously only been available as a 5-string. The Reverend Mercalli 4 is built with a korina body and a five-piece maple and walnut neck that’s finished in a satin amber. It comes with several options, including a...
Fernando Lamadrid: Grasa Original
The last time we featured a video by Fernando Lamadrid (“Mollete Express“), everyone went crazy. That included Stuart Clayton, who transcribed the tune to challenge us all. Fernando is back with a new video for the tune “Grasa Original” he just recorded in the studio with drummer Rick Arencibia. Man, this is good.
Lake Street Dive Release “Bad Self Portraits”
Lake Street Dive is often called a string band with soul, and its latest album lives up to the description, as well as the acclaim the folk band has received in its young career. , out on Signature Sounds Recordings, features an eclectic pop style created by double bassist Bridget Kearney, vocalist Rachael Price, drummer Mike Calabrese and guitarist Mike...
Orange Amplification Announces OB-1K Bass Amplifier
Orange Amplification introduced the new OB-1K bass amplifier at the NAMM Show this year. The 1000-watt solid-state amplifier is inspired by bi-amping and splits the signal into two separate paths. The first side offers a tight, clean bass sound while the second features two stages of controllable gain and is rich in upper harmonics. Each channel can be toggled or...
Miki Santamaria: Solo Bass Arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed”
Miki Santamaria never ceases to amaze us, and it would seem he raises the bar with each new video. Here he is performing his solo bass arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Overjoyed”, a song he calls one of his favorites. The bass is a Yamaha BB2024X, and he’s using reverb from Garage Band. Amazing.
George Porter, Jr. Returns to UK With Tour
George Porter, Jr. will be returning to tour the UK for the first time in years. The bassist will be taking his band The Runnin’ Pardners on a four-date run of Brighton, Manchester, Nottingham, and London. Porter is famed for founding the legendary New Orleans band The Meters and can be heard on such classics as “Cissy Strut,” “Just Kissed...
Bass of the Week: Jon Willis’ Billy Sheehan “Wife” Bass Replica
Jon Willis shared a photo of his pride and joy on our Facebook page, and needless to say I was floored by the instrument. But the story behind it is even better. The bass is a near perfect replica of Billy Sheehan’s famous Wife bass, which the Mr. Big bassist used from his very first gig in 1971 until the...
I’ll Take You There: An Interview With David Hood
Think about your favorite bass line. Sing it in your head. Picture yourself hearing it on the radio… you’re driving in the car and suddenly you hear this groove pulsating from the speakers. At that moment, you bop your head, tap your fingers, and forget about where you’re going. You don’t worry about the work that’s at the office, the...
Milt Jackson & Ray Brown: “Slippery”, Live at Montreux 1977
Here’s another great video of Ray Brown doing what he does best. This clip is taken from his performance at the 1977 Montreux Jazz Festival with Milt Jackson. With the help of a star-studded band, the duo tackles “Slippery,” which is also found on Brown’s album Something for Lester. The rest of the band includes Clark Terry on trumpet, Eddie...
Cynic Returns with “Kindly Bent To Free Us”
Progressive metal band Cynic, and its bassist, Sean Malone, have released the group’s long-awaited record, , Cynic’s first in three years – and its first full-length album since 2008. Malone, aside from his Cynic and solo work, is also an author, having penned four music books, including Music Theory for Bassists and A Portrait of Jaco: The Solos Collection. It’s...