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Michael Benjamin Plays Charlie Parker’s “Confirmation” on Bass

Michael Benjamin says “Most Bassists attempt ‘Donna Lee’, but to this day I haven’t seen anybody pull out ‘Confirmation’ on the bass. I hope this inspires you bass players out there!” Time to practice.

Alfred Releases “No Brainer: Play Bass” Instructional Book

Alfred Music’s No-Brainer series of instructional books has been expanded to cover the low end with the new No-Brainer: Play Bass edition. The bass method is designed for the beginner interested in becoming a working musician by starting with how to hold the bass up through music theory. It also includes lessons on licks in the styles of famous bassists...

Reader Spotlight: Paul Vienneau

Meet Paul Vienneau, a bassist from Nova Scotia, and our player in the spotlight for October 5th, 2010. Bio: I come from a musical family and started bass at 12 years old, after playing drums for four years. My older brother introduced me to jazz, fusion, funk, etc., while my friends and I listened to AC/DC, Rush, KISS, etc. I’m...

A Review of Scott Colley’s “Empire”

Empire, the latest from Scott Colley, is a very special record and must be a front runner for jazz record of the year. Colley has carefully assembled a great team of musicians to interpret his compositions. Empire builds a range of sustained moods and often intense and slow-building, burning grooves. There’s more than a hint of Americana of the kind...

Tony Franklin: Morning Raga (The Mother’s Call)

Here’s a clip of Tony Franklin playing one of his original songs at Bass Bash in 2006, accompanied by guitarist Greg Koch and drummer John Calarco.

James LoMenzo to Replace Billy Sheehan for Ramones Benefit Concert

Black Label Society / Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo will replace Billy Sheehan for the upcoming benefit concert for the newly created Marky Ramone Drum Scholarship. Sheehan has had to pull out of the event due to commitments in Europe. “I’m a real big fan of the Ramones, and this was unexpected,” Sheehan said “Good luck on this amazing concert!” The...

Official Lemmy: The Movie Trailer Released

A trailer for Lemmy: The Movie has been released as plans for the official movie release are still being worked out. The documentary, which follows the story and life of Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister, was premiered earlier this year at the South by Southwest Festival, and has only had a handful of screenings since. The film is directed and produced...

Rhythm Series: Improving Your Time

Having good “time,” or sense of pulse, is an essential skill for all musicians and bassists in particular. So much of what we do is reliant upon having a solid, steady and accurate pulse. In fact, I find a highly developed sense of time to be as important as a highly developed sense of pitch, perhaps more so. Ideally, of...

The Beatles: Hey Bulldog (Isolated Bass)

Here’s Paul McCartney‘s bass track on “Hey Bulldog”, in all its glory. This track was taken from the “Yellow Submarine” DVD.

Here are the most read, most popular stories and features on No Treble for the week of September 26 – October 2, 2010. Video: Primus: Tommy The Cat on Jimmy Kimmel Live Player News: Dream Theater’s John Myung on Band’s Future and “Greatest Bassist” Title New Release: Tony Grey: Unknown Angels Player Spotlight: Skip Taylor New Release: Rush: 2112 &...

Gear Watch: EWS Bass Mid Control Pedal

EWS has released their newest bass pedal, the Bass Mid Control. The aptly titled box controls the mid frequencies with an EQ that is adjustable between 120Hz-3kHz. The EWS BMC lets you cut or boost by +/- 12dB to shape your sound in the ever important mid range. The pedal can be powered by a 9-volt battery as well as...

Incubus Bassist Ben Kenney Releases Fourth Solo Album

Incubus bassist Ben Kenney released his fourth solo LP on Friday, via his own label, Ghetto Crush Industries. Burn the Tapes is a true show of self-reliance, as Kenney plays bass, guitar, drums, and sings, not to mention producing and engineering the album. The release also includes a DVD containing skits, fan questions, and live performances. The first 500 copies...