Buzz

Ever had trouble seeing your position markers on a dark stage? A Japanese company has created a solution called the Luminlay. Available in green or blue, the Luminlay is a highly luminous material that you inlay into the side of your neck where you want your markers. The material is then charged in seconds by an LED flashlight (also available...

The Wailers, who played with Bob Marley during his lifetime, are on the road in a trek that takes them across the U.S. The legendary reggae band is on tour in celebration of bassist Aston “Family Man” Barrett, who co-founded the band and has stayed with the group for 40 years. It was Barrett’s musical leadership that helped Marley and...

Walking Bass (and Getting Away from Tab)

Q: I’d like to learn to create walking bass lines. I don’t read music so tabs would be preferred. A: Learning to walk is immensely helpful in so many ways. It helps you see the inter-connectivity between chords, helps develop a good time-feel and helps you explore how the arc of a line can affect the feel of the music....

Here’s Italian bassist Paola Venturini doing her version of Ave Maria by Bach/Gounod: For more of Paola Venturini check out her web site.

In early January, we reported that Slayer frontman Tom Araya was scheduled to have back surgery, and that the band’s American and Canadian Carnage Tour had to be rescheduled. Araya had his procedure on May 20th, and the masters of metal have announced their make-up dates, which will occur after a European trek. In his first interview since going under...

Reader Spotlight: Oscar Harris

Meet Oscar Harris, a bassist from Columbus, Ohio, and our player in the spotlight for April 6, 2010. Bio: Oscar Harris is the Lead vocalist/bassist/songwriter for the band Unisoul, and the owner of Rokcity Studios. Oscar began his career as a musician as a rocker in a cover band playing a ’67 Fender P Bass. His musical style emulated the...

Ex-Hole and Smashing Pumpkins bassist Melissa Auf der Maur has just released her new album/multimedia project, Out of Our Minds. The project consists of the music album, music video, film, and comic. You can order variations on the package at Melissa’s web site. “OUT OF OUR MINDS | OOOM began as a song,” Auf Der Maur writes on her web...

Here’s a cool trio, I wish there were more like these out there. Jorge Pardo on the flute is joined by Carles Benavent with his characteristic sound on the bass and Tino di Geraldo on the drums.

Freebass, the three-bass supergroup hailing from Manchester, has released their debut EP entitled Two Worlds Collide. The band consists of Peter Hook (Joy Division/ New Order, Gary “Mani” Mounfield (The Stone Roses/Primal Fear), and Andy Rourke (The Smiths). The album also features guest vocals by Tim Burgess of the Charlatans, Pete Wylie of the Mighty Wah, and Howard Marks. The...

The Institute of Contemporary Music Performance (ICMP) has announced that Billy Sheehan has signed on to lead an interactive bass masterclass. The event will be held on April 28th at the ICMP’s Kilburn facility in London. “Billy’s masterclasses are designed to be as inspirational as they are informative, teaching students how to improve their playing and develop their style,” said...

Lesson: Building an Improvised Composition for Solo Bass with a Looping Device

One exciting way of use a looping device with your bass is to enhance a composition. A recorded phrase can become a backbone over which to improvise. For example, a phrase can take the form of a tapped rhythm (e.g. using muted strings), a short rhythmic phrase lasting only one or two bars or a longer phrase dependent on your...

Marcus Miller and Hadrien Feraud: NAMM ’08 Jam

Here’s a nice little jam session between Marcus Miller and Hadrien Feraud at the Markbass booth during NAMM 2008.