Buzz
Bass of the Week: Mike Lull JT4/JT5
Mike Lull mashed up his M-series body and T-bass pickups to create the JT4 and JT5, a bass with a modern yet familiar feel and “T-bass boom.” And while the body is a modern take on a classic style, Lull designed the pickups by trying to get the same sound of an original Thunderbird bass while creating his own T-Bass....
No-Metric’s SOS: Blistering Slap Bass, Tight Band, Killer Solos
Bassist Fernando Molinari sent in this great video of his band No-Metric playing their tune “SOS.” Molinari kicks things off with a blistering slap riff to get the band in the groove. He also takes a beautiful solo after things cool off around the 3:30 mark.
Jason Newsted Issues Update on New Band, New Music
Jason Newsted has checked in with a new update since announcing his “return” late last month. According to a new video from his studio, the former Metallica bassist has formed a new heavy metal band called Newsted. “I’m singing lead vocals and playing bass again,” he shared. “We’re busy working on our second batch of new songs that we’ll be...
Transcription: Colin Hodgkinson’s Catcote Rag
This month’s transcription ties in nicely with the recent feature on underrated bassist Colin Hodgkinson. Colin is a superb bass player, and very unique. During the late sixties and early seventies, he played some truly astonishing bass parts with his trio Back Door, and was even said to have been a big influence on Stanley Clarke when Back Door opened...
Bass Love: Thanks to Our Sponsors
No Treble’s sponsors are key to helping make this online magazine go. Their support of the bass community is terrific, and the people behind these companies are incredible across the board. We’re proud of association with them, for both reasons. We hope you’ll join us in thanking them by checking them out, dropping them a note in the comments, and...
Spyro Gyra with Scott Ambush: “Deep End” Live
Scott Ambush wows on this Spyro Gyra performance of “Deep End,” taken from the 2003 North Sea Jazz Festival. His whole solo is killer, but the note at 3:53 really just makes it for me.
Muse Announces More World Tour Dates
After being nominated for two Grammy awards earlier this month, Muse has announced further tour dates for the remainder of 2012 and a good portion of 2013. The band released The 2nd Law in October and has concerts lined up across the globe through July of next year in support of the album. Newly announced shows include a third night...
Singing and Playing: A How-To Guide for Independence for Bass Players
Q: I have great vocal chops, which I exercise frequently in my alter ego solo acoustic guitarist thing. I play bass in a blues/R&B band and have the best vocal talent in the band. But I can’t sing over a bass line to save my behind. Can this be learned? Any tips? A: Keep in mind that I am one...
Paul McCartney Joining Nirvana for Benefit Concert
In what has to be one of the more bizarre stories of the year, Paul McCartney is taking the stage with the surviving members of Nirvana for tonight’s 12-12-12 concert. Sir Paul is filling in for the late Kurt Cobain as part of the event to raise money for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. McCartney will be joining Dave Grohl,...
Uriah Duffy & Friends: “Paranoid” (Black Sabbath Cover)
Earlier this year, Uriah Duffy took part in a concert where each band was asked to take a song from an historic album and put their own spin on one of the tracks. The album of choice was Black Sabbath’s Paranoid. We’ll let Uriah explain in his own words: “This was so cool & every act was super unique, putting...
Esperanza Spalding Wins Smithsonian Magazine American Ingenuity Award
Photo by Carlos Pericas The awards for Esperanza Spalding keep coming. This time around, the bassist/vocalist/composer has won Smithsonian Magazine’s American Ingenuity Award in the category of performing arts. This is the first year of the awards, which honor “nine groundbreaking individuals in technology, performing and visual arts, natural and physical sciences, education, historical scholarship, social progress and youth achievement.”...
It’s Official: Rush to be Inducted into Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
Long overdue, but it has been done. Rush will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2013. It never seemed very important to the trio on whether or not this day would come. This rings loud in what is one epic response from Geddy Lee: “It’s a terrific honor and we’ll show up smiling… It made...