Buzz
Sean O’Bryan Smith Gets Spiritual With “Reflection”
Bassist Sean O’Bryan Smith has released Reflection, a twelve-track collection of hymnals, spirituals, and gospel tunes arranged with a “soul-jazz groove.” More than a soul record, the bassist says the effort mirrors his own career. “Reflection is a tribute not only to great hymns and worship tunes, but also a nod to where I’ve come from as a musician and...
Bass of the Week: Blasius Bali Fretless 4-String
Hungarian boutique bass shop Blasius designed their Bali model for players who prefer a more classical sounding instrument. Knowing versatility is key, they also included electronics to give it the ability to sound modern, too. Here’s a gorgeous fretless 4-string version of the Bali, built with an 8-piece body of ash, maple and walnut. The bolt-on neck is a 9-piece...
New Grass: An Interview With Missy Raines
You wouldn’t typically think of bluegrass bass as pushing the limits, but Missy Raines isn’t your typical bluegrass bassist. A seven time winner of the International Bluegrass Music Association’s Bass Player of the Year Award, her penchant for musical experimentation took her from a traditional bluegrass background to a more progressive style that draws from jazz, pop, and a little...
Ozzy Osbourne with Geezer Butler: Paranoid, Live in Philadelphia (1989)
Ozzy Osbourne tapped his former Black Sabbath buddy Geezer Butler in 1988 to join him for his “No Rest for the Wicked” World Tour. Along with a young Zakk Wylde on guitar and drummer Randy Castillo, the group tore the roof off of the Tower Theatre in Philadelphia on June 4th, 1989 with the Sabbath classic “Paranoid.”
Mono Cases Unveils Vertigo Top-Loading Bass Guitar Case
Mono Cases has unveiled the Vertigo, which they state is the world’s first top-loading instrument case. Available in bass and guitar models, the design unzips from the headstock down on both sides for quicker access to your axe. The company’s Headlock neck suspension system got a redesign for the Vertigo and no longer requires strapping or buckling. It works by...
Gigging Life: Elevating Your Game with the Right Musicians (or Vice Versa)
Q: I’ve found myself in somewhat of a middle-ground with my gigs. Some gigs I have are with much better musicians than me, and I find that I actually play better with these guys. But many more of my gigs are just your everyday bar gigs. I’m noticing that I just can’t play the same way when the musicians around...
Philip Smith: Crazy House Funk
We’re big fans of bassist Philip Smith (aka KingOfPain) here at No Treble HQ. Here’s a new video from Philip, described by him as “some freestyle slap stuff behind a House loop on a Pedulla Bass. Fun fun fun on a Saturday night.” Fun indeed. And the commercial break is hilarious.
New Brecker Brothers Anthology Announced, Featuring Marcus Miller, Will Lee and Tony Levin
Late next month, the Brecker Brothers’ entire Arista Records catalog will be released in a new box set format. The Brecker Brothers: The Complete Arista Albums Collection collects the group’s six albums released on Arista between 1975 and 1981. None of the albums have ever been released on CD in the US. During the span of those albums, the Brecker...
Reader Spotlight: Allen Cummins
Meet bassist Allen Cummins, a musician from California who looks to be having a blast with his music. Allen is our player in the spotlight for the week of July 24, 2012. Bio: I have been a weekend warrior bass player since the age of 19, where I played Top 40 Rock for quite a few years. At 48, I...
Old School: 1960’s Kustom Model 200 “Tuck & Roll” Bass Amplifier
In this edition of Old School, bassist Mike Whited shares his classic 1960’s Kustom Model 200 bass amp, an amp Mike has shared a lot of miles with over the years. Kustom introduced the 200 model as an upgrade to their 100 model amp, offering it in black, blue, cascade, gold, red, white and charcoal. The company later introduced emerald...
Ron Carter and Russell Malone: “Samba De Orfeu”, Live
Jonah Jonathan shared this video with us, with the great Ron Carter performing “Samba De Orfeu” live with Russell Malone at Club Soda at Montreal International Jazz Festival. Nice. Have a video to share? Send it to [email protected].
Phil Lesh Done With Recording, Continues Touring With Furthur
Sounds like Phil Lesh is done with studio albums. In a recent interview with Billboard, the 72 year old bassist said Furthur – his current effort with fellow Grateful Dead alumni Bob Weir – has no plans to record new albums, citing their focus on continually evolving music. “Nobody’s mentioned it to me, and certainly it’s not anything I’m interested...