Buzz
Rufus Reid Releases “Hues of a Different Blue”
Jazz bassist Rufus Reid has teamed up once again with pianist Steve Allee and drummer Duduka Da Fonseca for Hues of a Different Blue, a 14-track album that also features the talents of saxophonists JD Allen and Bobby Watson, trumpeter Freddie Hendrix, and Brazilian guitarist Toninho Horta. The songs are a nice combination of Reid’s originals with standards mixed in,...
VOX Announces AC1 RhythmVOX Mini Bass Amp
The amp makers at Vox have translated their mini guitar amp to the bass world with the introduction of the AC1 RhythmVOX Bass, a portable practice combo that weighs in at only 19.4 ounces. Similar to its predecessor, the new model includes 66 built-in rhythm/song patterns including 8-beat, blues, funk, reggae, irregular patterns, and more. The tempo and level for...
Custom Shop: JC Basses
Meet Jared Carpenter, the sole proprietor of California-based custom shop JC Basses. We first discovered his work after watching Seth Horan, whose custom bass features fanned frets and an eye-catching red finish. After picking up bass, Carpenter quickly realized he couldn’t get what he wanted from a production instrument and boldly decided to make his own, even without much woodworking...
Steve Bailey: Moonridge/Potpourri (Live)
Steve Bailey shows off his 6-string fretless (and mad skills) in this live performance of “Moonridge/Potpourri”. Bailey is backed by drummer Gregg Bissonette in this clip, taken from Bailey’s and Victor Wooten’s Bass Extremes DVD.
App Review: PocketGK
by PocketLabworks (in collaboration with Gallien Krueger) is the world’s first bass-exclusive iOS bass practice tool. The app was created in an effort to level the playing field for bass players, since there are so many guitar-exclusive apps out there. Features PocketGK features a bass amp with two channels: clean and Boost. Boost offers the Gallien Krueger GIVE circuit tone....
Nikki Sixx Releases “This Is Gonna Hurt,” with Book Signing Tour
Motley Crue/Sixx A.M. bassist Nikki Sixx has just released his second book, entitled This Is Gonna Hurt: Music, Photography and Life Through the Distorted Lens of Nikki Sixx. The 224-page book is a mixture of his photography and a journal that dives into his inner thoughts. “It’s definitely not an autobiography,” he told Billboard.com. “I don’t write with an editor...
Playing by Ear (and Self-Evaluation)
Q: I have been playing bass for about 12 years now, and over the last 5 years, I have been practicing more and more. I’m definitely seeing progress in the areas of practive, but sometimes I feel there are holes in my playing. For example, I get very nervous when I´m in a situation where I need to play by...
Eric Czar: 6 String Fretless Bass Sonata
Bassist Eric Czar recorded this beautiful, multi-tracked all-bass composition, using his 6-string fretless. The story behind the bass is interesting too… Eric took an old Ibanez SR-406 6-string bass he bought for $300 and ripped the frets out himself. His advice? “Don’t be fooled by the price tag!”
Korg Introduces Pitchclip Tuner
Korg has a new tuner on the market, dubbed the Pitchclip. As the name suggests, the device works by clipping it to the headstock. The Pitchclip uses a built in piezo sensor to detect vibrations and determine the pitch in the meter. Korg says the accuracy of the device is +/-1 cent. The device includes an LED display and is...
Reader Spotlight: Brad Bradly Jenkins
Meet Brad Bradly Jenkins, a bassist from Lafayette, Louisiana and our player in the spotlight for April 12, 2011. Bio: I hail from a Cajun family from hot and humid Lafayette, Louisiana. I’ve been playing for almost five years, and I’ve received no formal music training. Throughout my career as a bassist, I’ve always focused on experimentation, creating new sounds,...
Marcus Miller Featured on Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band’s “That’s How We Roll”
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band has released their fifth album, That’s How We Roll, on Telarc International. The collection has the 18-piece band showcasing 9 new original tracks from band leader Goodwin, as well as his arrangement of the classic Gershwin tune, “Rhapsody in Blue.” Bassist Rick Shaw holds down the low end throughout the album with the exception of...
The New Nashville Cats with Victor Wooten: Live (1991)
Mark O’Connor recorded in 1991, with the help of over fifty Nashville musicians. O’Connor wanted to “showcase the instrumental side of the Nashville recording scene.” Here’s one particular line-up of interest, with Victor Wooten, Brent Mason and Paul Leim in a live performance.