Buzz

Following a successful tour in 2009, Thump Music and Victor Wooten have announced they’re joining forces again this year. The clinic will be expanded this year, including stops in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Joining Wooten is Australian bassist Dane Alderson, who will be presenting a clinic of his approach to technique, practice, improvisation and more. Thump Music will...

As a part of the promotion of the new Green Day: Rock Band video game, Fender has announced the Rock & Roar Giveaway. The grand-prize winner receives an autographed Squier by Fender Mike Dirnt Precision Bass Gutar, a Fender Rumble 15 combo amp, and a copy of the new Green Day: Rock Band game. Five runner-ups will also win the...

Xiaohe Shi: A Bass Song About Beijing

Xiaohe Shi is a Chinese bass player living in Germany. This is his bass song about his hometown Beijing and about how a lot of its history, culture and tradition was lost in the building of the modern big city.

Bassist Reginald Means has created a product to help alleviate amp-tilting woes: the uni-stand. Means wanted to develop a device to let bassists easily position their amplifiers to best monitor their sound. He is a machine tool technology instructor and brought his vision to life. After years of prototyping it is now available. “I got tired of bending over and...

Kevin and I are loading up the notreble-mobile with lots of tunes, snacks and a bunch of No Treble stickers and heading south today for the big Summer NAMM show. It is a 10 hour drive (each way!), and it’s a sacrifice we’re willing to make so we can cover all the new bass stuff. If you’re going to be...

After announcing a summer tour, Primus will also be taking part in the 2nd annual Oddity Faire Tour, which is being billed as a “freak show like no other.” The tour is a multi-medium event, including musicians as well as other performers. The acts joining the trio for the trek will be rotating throughout the tour, but Mariachi el Bronx,...

Q: I’ve recently found myself really inspired by guys who play a lot less notes and leave a lot more space in the music, in particular Charlie Haden. I was wondering how you would approach playing less/leaving more space yet still creating a bass line that is interesting, enjoyable and challenging to play? I was also wondering if you thought...

This is the great Keith Horne soloing over the Miles Davis tune “All Blues”. Check out his amazing slap bass technique on that 6-string strung upside down!

Punk legend Mike Watt’s supergroup project, Floored by Four, has announced that they will be releasing a self-titled debut album, due out September 28 on Chimera Records. This will be their first recording together, a little over a year after their first live performance. The other band members include Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, former Cibo Matto keyboardist Yuka Honda and...

Reader Spotlight: Dirk McNasty

Meet bassist Dirk McNasty, our player in the spotlight for June 15th, 2010. Bio: As bassist for The Underground Blues Division, I’ve been fortunate enough to share stages with some of my heroes, such as, Chris Duarte, The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, and Steve Cropper. After years of playing, I’m finally in the band I’ve always dreamed of and couldn’t be...

A Review of “The Stanley Clarke Band”

In The Stanley Clarke Band, the great bassist has released a record which is the heir to the halcyon days of School Days, Stanley Clarke and Journey to Love. There are some extended, electric fusion pieces and a range of fresh sounding music. As the title hints, it’s very much a band record: Stanley’s line up features exciting young players...

I’ve seen a few renditions of Mozart’s Turkish March done on bass, but this one is my favourite so far. It is performed by Grzegorz Kosi?ski on his Spector 5-string. This must be very tiring on his right arm to play though as he (for the most part of the song) only uses one finger on his right hand!