Buzz
George Duke to Premiere Concerto for Christian McBride
How many people can say that George Duke wrote a symphonic jazz piece for them? Well, add Christian McBride to that list. Duke, the legendary keyboardist/singer will be premiering the work, Concerto for Christian McBride, during a free performance on September 24th at UCLA with the Symphonic Jazz Orchestra and McBride himself. Conducted by Mitch Glickman, the 67-piece orchestra will...
John Montagna: Theme for WTF With Marc Maron
When Marc Maron put out a request for a theme song for his radio show, bassist John Montagna sprung into action. John uses a combination of basses (a Robelli “Violin Bass” and a Spector Q4Pro fretless), some toys, and other hilarity and musicianship in his recording of “Are We Doing This?”, which Maron selected. Thanks to my good friend Seth,...
Coheed and Cambria Part Ways With Michael Todd
Coheed and Cambria have parted ways with longtime bassist Michael Todd, according to a statement the band issued August 4th. “After a lot of thought, introspection and discussion, Coheed and Cambria will be continuing our journey without bassist Michael Todd,” the message read. “We have spoken to him and this is a mutual decision between both parties. Michael was a...
Dream Theater Announces New Album, Tour Dates
In preparation for their next album, Dream Theater have announced a run of North American tour dates starting September 24th at the Warfield in San Francisco. This will be the group’s first venture without drummer Mike Portnoy, who left the band in September 2010 and subsequently replaced by Mike Mangini. The new album, A Dramatic Turn of Events, is due...
Recording Acoustic Bass with Steve Bailey
Recording double bass can be a real hassle. As anyone who has tried it can tell you, it takes time to find the right balance of definition and depth. Luckily, Steve Bailey spent tons of time figuring out what works for him, and made this video to share his techniques. Bailey not only explains his mic placement, but also goes...
Aerosmith Bass Play-Along
Hal Leonard’s newest in their Bass Play-Along series focuses on the music of Aerosmith and bassist Tom Hamilton. Aerosmith Bass Play-Along Volume 36 is a 72 page book, presented in the standard Play-Along format, with tab and an accompanying CD. The CD is formatted in both standard audio, playable in any CD player, as well as enhanced for use on...
Fender Introduces Bronco 40 Bass Amp
Fender has introduced the Bronco 40, a bass amplifier with built-in effects and amp modeling. The 1×10 combo also includes Fender’s FUSE software and USB connectivity, allowing it to function as an audio interface with DAWs as well as tweak and swap presets online. Rated at 40 watts, the amp has 24 on-board presets using 8 amp models including the...
How To Be a Great Blues Bass Player (Part 1)
Ok, I admit it; I’m not the person that you think of when you envision a “blues bass player.” I’m exactly five feet and one quarter of an inch tall, I’m a 24-year-old girl from a suburban neighborhood in Philadelphia, and, as many people point out, the bass is bigger than I am. I don’t know whether it was the...
Stanley Clarke and Armand Sabel-Lecco: Live (2004)
We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: the only thing better than one great bassist is two great bassists. Recorded during the 2004 North Sea Jazz Festival, here’s bassist Armand Sabel-Lecco performing alongside Stanley Clarke.
Snapshots Foundation Posts Carol Kaye Interview
The Snapshots Music & Arts Foundation has posted an extensive 6-part interview with legendary session bassist Carol Kaye, whose playing can be heard on thousands of tunes ranging from Sonny and Cher’s “The Beat Goes On” to The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations.” The interview ranges on topics including Kaye’s background, why she picked up bass, the art making music, and...
G&L Introduces Limited Edition Korina Collection ASAT Bass
G&L has unveiled a new special run of instruments called the Korina Collection. Limited to 100 pieces for each model, the company explains that Korina was chosen for its tone and collector’s value. Holding down the bottom end of the line is Korina Collection ASAT Bass. As with the Korina Collection guitars, the ASAT Bass features a 2-piece Korina body...
Health & Fitness for The Working Bassist – Part 4: You’ve Got Some Nerve
Strapped — Proper Strap Construction and Use Typically bassists are used to having a heavy weight around their necks. Earlier in this series we studied problems related to the wrists and forearms, which are usually muscle and tendon related (tendons attach muscles to bones, hence when overuse occurs it is from the pulling that the tendons do to the muscles)....