Buzz
Travel Tips for Bass Players
Q: I am going on my first tour with a band. Do you have any travel tips? Any travel tips relating to driving or flying tours would be appreciated! A: I most certainly do, as I’m sure readers of this column do as well. In no particular order, here are some things that come to mind: Flying Checking your bass...
Jaco Pastorius Trio: “Black Market” (March 1986)
In 1986, Jaco Pastorius toured Europe in a trio with guitarist Bireli Lagrene and different drummers. While there are recordings out there documenting some of these performances (including this one), videos from that period always seemed highly unlikely – thanks to it being the mid-80’s, when technology was pretty lousy compared with today’s standards. Thankfully someone dragged their video gear...
Reader Spotlight: Connor McClelland
Meet Connor McClelland, a bassist from Queens NY who is pursuing the dream. Connor got his start on a $70 Toys R Us bass (his gear list has improved since then), and he refers to playing bass as his “my piece of sanity.” We like that attitude. Connor is the No Treble reader in the spotlight for the week of...
Bass Centre Introduces Jaco Pastorius Tribute Bass
The Bass Centre is paying tribute to the late great Jaco Pastorius with their new Portrait Bass. Based on their Jive Bass, the latest addition to the Bass Collection range features a lined fretless rosewood fingerboard and Solar Flare finish. The Portrait Bass also comes without a pickguard, similar to how Jaco kept his instruments. The bass’s basswood body is...
Jenna Jackley and Ryan Haines: Lean Into Faith
Guitarist/vocalist Jenna Jackley and bassist Ryan Haines have teamed up again to present some creative music. Haines offers up a cool and complimentary bass line to Jackley’s beautiful vocals on this performance of “Lean Into Faith”.
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in June
Here are the top ten most read, commented and shared bass gear stories on No Treble for the month of June, 2013. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. Expanding Hands Music Now Offering Funk Fingers Funk Fingers are available once again thanks to a licensing agreement between Tony Levin and Expanding Hands Music. Levin invented the Funk Fingers after...
Focus on Breathing: An Essential Guide for Bass Players
So many of us play with unneeded tension and spend a great deal of time trying to remedy this. We spend untold hours searching for the freedom of motion that will allow us to transcend our instrument. One aspect of tension that is sometimes overlooked is a player’s breathing. If you have never paid attention to how you breathe when...
Marco Desgagné and Abe Laboriel Jr.: Bass & Drums Duet
Bassist Marco Desgagné sent us this video of his duet with drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., where the two lock in and get down, get funky, and tear things up.
Jack Bruce Signs With Esoteric Antenna, Announces New Album
After nearly ten years, Jack Bruce is getting back into the studio with plans to release a new album in 2014. The bass legend has signed to Esoteric Antenna, a label of the Cherry Red Recordings Group, and has announced that he is currently in the writing and recording stage of the project. “It is an absolute honour to be...
Newsted Previews New Album with Free Download
After a hugely successful EP, Newsted is previewing their first full-length album Heavy Metal Music with a free download of the first single, “Heroic Dose.” The band, fronted by bassist Jason Newsted, formed late last year and has quickly gained a strong following. “I’m doing this because I want to do this,” Newsted told us in an interview. “I only...
Weekly Top Ten: The Best in Bass for the Week of June 23
Close to thirty articles, videos and special features get published on No Treble every week. But only 10 can make this list, and you all decide based on what you read the most. Here is your Top 10 list of the most popular stories and videos on No Treble for the week of June 23, 2013. Thanks as always for...
Clarke Copeland Band: School Days
In celebration of Stanley Clarke’s birthday, we thought we’d celebrate with a recent take of a Stanley classic. Here’s the Clarke Copeland Band performing “School Days” last year at the Jazz Festival in Sète. Happy birthday, Mr. Clarke!