Buzz
Way Of The Groove with Pastorius Brothers: “Havona” Live
Recorded earlier this summer, here’s Jaco Pastorius’ twin sons and their “Way of the Groove” band performing their father’s tune “Havona”. This combo was originally formed following a gig celebrating Jaco in 2002, with Felix on bass, Julius on drums, Colin James on sax and keyboards and Adam Lucas on guitar. Dig Felix’s extended solo on this one.
Lynyrd Skynyrd Releases “Last of a Dyin’ Breed”, with Johnny Colt on Bass
Lynyrd Skynyrd has faced a lot of changes over the years, starting with the hardest one of all in 1977, when a plane crash took the lives of three of their members. The band later reformed ten years later for a reunion tour, and several iterations of the band have carried on the Skynyrd name since then. The current line...
Bass of the Week: Bassline Worp
In experimenting with neck designs, German luthier Rüdiger Ziesemann was looking for a way to improve sustain in his Bassline brand designs. He came up with a radical neck profile with extended mass and a groove on the back for your thumb. The concept was first introduced into his electric upright model called the Universal, but bass guitarist wanted in...
What Makes a Great Bassist? Part 1: Playing For The Song
It’s easy to get wrapped up in the “hows” of bass playing: scales, chords, arpeggios, slapping, tapping, harmonics… Maybe you’re working on getting that one awesome lick just right so you can use it someday. With so much information to digest, sometimes it’s best to take a step back and remember what it is we’re actually working toward. What is...
Andy Saxton: A Fire Inside
Andy Saxton really brings it in his tune, “A Fire Inside.” The hard-hitting, bass-up-front song features the bassist going nuts with slapping and tapping to drive unrelenting metal rhythms. The track comes from his new EP, Drum and Bass.
KISS Releases “Destroyer Remix” and Oversized Collector’s Book
KISS is kicking things up a notch for 2012 with set of new releases, starting with Destroyer: Resurrected. The album is a remixed version of the band’s multi-platinum 1976 record, featuring the songs “Detroit Rock City,” “Shout It Out Loud,” and “God of Thunder.” Remixed by original producer Bob Ezrin, the new release adds goodies for uber-fans, including a new...
Sonuus Set to Ship Wahoo Dual Analog Filter Pedal
Sonuus is now accepting pre-orders for The Wahoo, a dual analog filter stomp box. The pedal, which was introduced at Winter NAMM 2012, allows for each filter to be configured as low-pass or band-pass and independently in wah, envelope, LFO, and pitch-tracking modes. Among the pedal’s innovations is a pedal sensor that the company says gives extreme precision and won’t...
Getting Started with the Nashville Number System
Q: I am classically trained, so I’m used to Roman numerals to designate chords (I, IV, V7, etc.). I have become aware of lead sheets using numbers 1, 4, 5’ 1/5). Are you aware of any music I could download that uses this system? A: What you’re referring to is the Nashville Number system. The good news is that it’s...
Alberto Rigoni: Funky Metal Bass Riff
Alberto Rigoni is gearing up for the release of his upcoming album, Three Wise Monkeys with a few teaser videos. Here’s a clip of a funky metal bass riff from the song “Free Falling”. Rigoni’s group also includes vocalist Jonas Erixon, drummer Mark Cross and guitarist Simone Mularoni. Three Wise Monkeys is releasing in October.
Medeski Martin & Wood Announce New Live Album and New Tour Dates
Medeski Martin & Wood are releasing Free Magic, a new live album next month, offering up live performances during their first-ever acoustic tour in 2007. The album will feature the trio on five tracks, anchored by bassist Chris Wood, along with keyboardist John Medeski and drummer Billy Martin, in a highly improvised setting. “There’s a rhythmic and sonic connection that...
Reader Spotlight: Adam Stevens
Meet Adam Stevens, a bass player living in Toronto who has been raised right – as a bassist with parents who helped develop and broaden his love for music. Adam is our player in the spotlight for the week of August 21, 2012. Bio: I grew up in a small town north of Toronto, surrounded by music my whole life....
Bass Line Construction: Rhythm and Repeating Patterns
Let’s take a look at some of the fundamentals in bass line construction. In this lesson, we’ll improvise on some funk in the key of C. A quick note and correction: when I say “seventh” in the video, I mean flatted seventh. You’ll see the annotation when that comes up in the video. Here’s a break down of the notes/intervals...