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Reader Spotlight: Michael Modeste
Meet Michael Modeste, a jazz-turned-metal bassist from Hartford, Connecticut. Michael is our player in the spotlight for September 6, 2011. Bio: I am the bass player in a metal band called Dead by Wednesday. I’m a finger style bass player with a jazz background that somehow fell into the world of heavy metal. I’ve studied privately with John Patitucci and...
Review: Rudder’s Live Rockwood Music Hall NYC DVD
Following on from their first two left-field grooving studio albums Matorning and Rudder, the funky band have released a DVD recorded last year in New York. I got the chance to ask the band the rationale behind the release of the DVD. Bassist Tim Lefebvre shares, “Well, we wanted to document the vibe of the month long tour of Europe...
Question of the Week: What is your favorite bass line?
What is your favorite bass line? (or at least one of them) Answer below in the comments, or on our Facebook page.
The Bass Gang: Rock ‘n Roll Nr. 9
The double bass quartet known as The Bass Gang is one creative bunch. Here’s a 2007 performance by the bassists, performing Hiroyuki Shinshi’s “rock and roll” take on Beethoven’s Symphony Nr. 9.
Roger Glover Releases “If Life Was Easy”
Deep Purple’s Roger Glover has released his fifth solo album called If Life Was Easy. The bassist wrote or cowrote all of the 16 tracks, which was reportedly recorded in 2007 and features his daughter Gillian among others. Glover, who is about to tour Europe with Deep Purple, says the eclectic mix of songs are reflections on his recent life....
Gretsch Revamps Electromatic Junior Jet Basses
Gretsch will launch revamped versions of their Electromatic range of instruments this month, including the Jet Junior and Jet Junior II basses. Updates to the series include improved pickups, inlays, and more. Both the Junior Jet and Junior Jet II basses feature bolt-on construction with a short 30.3″ scale, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard and 20 medium jumbo frets. Hardware on...
BeatStudio: A Look at the Track Builder App for iOS
I have not been a huge fan of any of the iOS drum machines or drum-along “screen tapper” drums-set style apps. But BeatStudio, by Frontier Design Group, brings something new to the table that is really useful and is changing my opinion of this sort of app. Not only does BeatStudio offer multitrack recording abilities, quantization, editing and an array...
A Taste of Honey: Boogie Oogie Oogie (1978)
Like it or not, disco produced some great bass lines. Jeff Kerestes shared this music video of A Taste of Honey, featuring bassist/vocalist Janice-Marie Johnson, on our Facebook page. The song, “Boogie Oogie Oogie,” is a classic example of groovy bass from the ’70s. “I just came across this video,” Jeff said. “Classic bass line! Great female bass player.” Agreed!
Rewind: Bass of the Week, The Best Jaco Covers, Les Claypool Interview and the Best Bass Gear and Videos
Our Bass of the Week last week – Lemmy Kilmister‘s Rickenbacker Limited Edition Signature 4004LK – took the top honors as the #1 feature on No Treble. Readers also enjoyed the top 10 Jaco Pastorius covers and play-alongs, as well as our exclusive interview with Les Claypool. Ryan Madora checks in with her latest Blues Bass column, focusing on blues...
In Memoriam: Laurie McAllister
Laurie McAllister, who played bass in the final lineup of the iconic all-girl rock band the Runaways, has passed away at the age of 54. McAllister joined the Runaways in November 1978, replacing Victory Blue and becoming the 6th bassist in the band’s four year history. On her Facebook page, she listed her time in the band as the “Best...
Pat Metheny: Bright Size Life, Live with Richard Bona
Here’s some incredible fretless playing by Richard Bona with the Pat Metheny Group in the mid-2000’s. Bona pays his respects to Jaco, who played on the original take, while adding his own flair and chops to the tune.
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Add Dates to Rocket Science Tour
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones have announced additional tour dates for their tour in support of Rocket Science. The tour kicked off in June, and will continue in 2012. The tour features the original Flecktones line up, including banjoist Bela Fleck, bassist Victor Wooten, drummer Roy “Futureman” Wooten and the return of harmonica player Howard Levy. Bela Fleck & The...