Buzz
Florent Ghys: Multi-Tracked Upright Bass
In this exciting video, the French bassist Florent Ghys combines multi-tracking bass loops and video clips shot in his hometown of Bordeaux, France to create a unique work. It was featured at the June, 2010 Bang on a Can Marathon Concert in New York.
Rylee Releases Bass Fretboard Addict App
Michael Rylee has just released the Bass Fretboard Addict app for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch. The app is a fretboard trainer game designed to help “improve your visual, mental, and listening bass guitar skills” as well as your ability to read music notation. Using real bass guitar sounds, the app challenges you to find notes on the fretboard by...
New Book Of Photography Chronicles Les Claypool’s Career
A new book chronicling Les Claypool’s career through photos has been published in a limited run through San Francisco based Rock Out Books. To Defy The Laws of Tradition is a collection of over 750 photographs taken by Jay Blakesberg’s 10,000+ image archive of Claypool’s groups including Primus, Holy Mackerel, Sausage, Oysterhead, and the Frog Brigade. Claypool also contributes an...
Nikolai Fraiture Confirms New Strokes Album for March
Bassist Nikolai Fraiture has confirmed that the new Strokes album is almost complete and is set for a March release. In an interview with BBC Radio 1, Fraiture explained the group’s fourth album hearkens back to their “classic sound.” “Sonically, I feel it’s the album which should have been made between Room On Fire and First Impressions Of Earth,” he...
Return To Forever: After the Cosmic Rain (1974)
Here’s the original Return to Forever line up, performing for German TV in early 1974 – without an audience! Guitarist Bill Connors, who was soon replaced by Al Di Meola, is present along with Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and Lenny White. Sadly, the camera operators and/or editor decided not to focus on Clarke very much during the first half of...
Reader Spotlight: Leighton Allen
Meet Leighton Allen, a bassist from the UK and our player in the spotlight for January 5, 2011. Bio: I’m a bass player from the south of England, currently writing/playing with Steve Byrd 80’s session musician and ex-guitarist with Kim Wilde and Ian Gillian, amongst many many others. I have played many of the UK top venues and festivals with...
Plucking Patterns: Right Hand Exercises for Bass
Q: You covered playing chords on the bass and going beyond the roots. I use chords a lot when I compose/write and when I practice different things. I often find myself short when it comes to rhythms and different strumming patterns over the chords. Do you have some good ideas for strumming patterns? A: The rhythm you use is one...
What Blues Bass is All About: Russell Jackson with B.B. King
Russell Jackson joined B.B. King’s band in the late ’70s, staying with the legendary guitarist for seven years. In this early ’80s clip from French TV, the band plays an instrumental, then kicks into “Let the Good Times Roll,” with another segue into “Everyday I Have the Blues.” The whole band swings hard to Russell’s bouncy lines, as he lays...
Unearth Announces Benefit For Fallen Bassist
Unearth have announced that their first show of 2011 will be a benefit for their former bassist, Chris “Rover” Rybicki, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2010. The show will also feature Rybicki’s former bands. “We will be playing alongside another one of Rovers former bands No Choice as well as our friends in Screams of Erida and...
In Memoriam: Mick Karn
After a brave battle with cancer, former Japan bassist Mick Karn has passed away at the age of 52. The fretless bassist left an indelible mark on the ‘70s and ‘80s low-end scene with his unique style and phrasing. After glam rockers Japan split up, he collaborated with Bauhaus vocalist Peter Murphy in the group Dalis Car, as well as...
Dave Sitek To Sit In On Next Jane’s Addiction Album
The saga of the bass position in Jane’s Addiction continues as the group revealed that TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek will be contributing on the four-string for their next release, due out this summer. According to Spinner, the producer/multi-instrumentalist will also be writing material with the alternative rockers, but will likely only be a band member as far as...
King Curtis Live at The Shea Stadium, with Chuck Rainey
Last night, we featured a King Curtis video from the archives, with Jerry Jemmott. Today, we have another treat… a live clip of King Curtis and his band, opening for The Beatles at Shea Stadium in 1965. This time, Chuck Rainey is holding down the low end.