Buzz
Review: Marcus Miller’s “A Night in Monte Carlo”
Having and developing an individual voice is so important in music. Michael Jackson, Cannonball Adderley, Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter: we recognize all of them within a few notes. And Marcus Miller is someone with an instantly recognizable style on bass; he has found his own voice in music in his composition, arrangement and production. His music sounds natural and flows...
Evan Brewer: One Bassist, Two Basses
Here’s a clip of Evan Brewer tapping out an original tune on two basses. The song is the third track from his upcoming solo bass CD. Thanks to Shannon Buck for sharing this with us!
Jack Bruce Releases “Live at the Milky Way”
Jack Bruce and the Cuicoland Express’s Live at the Milky Way has been released by EMI and is now available worldwide. The 2-disc album comes from a 2001 performance at The Melkweg in Amsterdam. Bruce’s band, the Cuicoland Express, included guitarist Vernon Reid, Bernie Worrell on organ, drummers Robby Ameen and Horacio Hernandez, and Richie Flores on Congas. Hardcore Jack...
Exploring Alternate Chord Voicings
Q: Do you have any thoughts on how I can explore some alternate chord voicings? I’m having a hard time going beyond the typical root position chord shapes. A: Yes! I recently posted a Youtube video in which I work through a Steve Swallow tune (“Falling Grace”) in real time and demonstrate a great exercise for discovering new voicings. This...
Esperanza Spalding and Bobby McFerrin Duet at Grammys
Here’s an electrifying clip of Best New Artist Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding with vocal phenom Bobby McFerrin performing at the Grammy pre-telecast ceremony, which they co-hosted. Esperanza’s playing is a great mix of jazzy and funky, and McFerrin deserves bonus points for picking up the bass line while she takes a solo halfway through.
Dave Pajo Quits Interpol
Less than a year after replacing founder Carlos D, Interpol is once again switching bassists, as Dave Pajo quit the group. The announcement came from a statement on the band’s website. ”I would like to announce that I will no longer be performing live with Interpol on their upcoming campaign,” Pajo stated. “I’ll be taking a break from touring to...
Reader Spotlight: Bob Bartram
Meet Bob Bartram, a bassist from Baltimore, Maryland and our player in the spotlight for March 1, 2011. Bio: I’m a bass player from Baltimore, Maryland who has been playing local gigs with various bands for quite a while now. I work full time and am a husband and father of two, so this is definitely a hobby. I can’t...
Ashdown Introduces Drophead DP-200 and LB-30 Combo Amps
Ashdown Engineering has introduced a new all tube head, the DP200H, as well as two new tube “flip-top” combos incorporating the new head and the company’s Little Bastard with 15” speakers. The DP-200 Drophead H features the preamp from the company’s 427 Small Block head, utilizing two ECC82 tubes, a ECC99, and two ECC82 tubes, while the power amp includes...
Evan Marien: “Between Worlds” Solo Bass
Here’s Evan Marien performing a solo bass version of the title track from his album, released in 2009. I’ve always enjoyed the studio version, and this version offers a nice build up thanks to the layers and looping.
Seether Announces Spring 2011 Tour
South African rockers Seether have announced an extensive spring tour schedule spanning the U.S. East Coast and Midwest. The trek comes in support of their upcoming album, Holding on to Strings Better Left to Fray, available May 24. Bassist Dale Stewart explains the new record mixes it up by featuring writing contributions from the whole group, but still has the...
Janek Gwizdala Releases Limited Time Live Album
Janek Gwizdala has released Live at the 55bar-Special Collector’s Edition, a limited time release of 14 previously unheard tracks from the live performances at 55bar in New York. Other recordings from this show were released on Gwizdala’s 2008 album, Live At the 55bar. Collector’s Edition is available on Gwizdala’s Bandcamp page for only 48 hours, and will be gone Tuesday...
Practicing Scales
The last installment of the Lowdown inspired a question from a reader about the “proper way to practice scales.” That would all depend on your specific goal, whether it be a technical or a musical one. There are innumerable ways to practice scales, and a plethora of material available to give you guidance. At the early levels, much more than...