Buzz
New Live David Bowie Album Features George Murray
After an initial release for Record Store Day, the new David Bowie live album Welcome to the Blackout London ’78 is now available on multiple platforms. The release captures the singer’s magic during the Isolar II tour a year after the release of his iconic records Low and Heroes. Bowie’s band included guitarists Adrian Belew and Carlos Alomar, drummer Dennis...
Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay Special Basses Now Shipping
Earlier this year, Ernie Ball Music Man announced they were revamping their flagship Stingray bass. Now the Stingray Special is shipping. The model, which was originally released in 1976, has been reimagined with a host of new features while retaining its identity. The body has been contoured and the neck joint has been sculpted for improved access to the upper...
The Lao Tizer Band: Ramble On
Pianist Lao Tizer sent us this video – his fifth in a series – featuring one hip cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Ramble On.” Lao shared: “This video showcases an All-Star lineup featuring vocalist, Tita Hutchison (Rick Rubin, Foreigner), Grammy-nominated bassist, Ric Fierabracci (Billy Cobham, Chick Corea, Blood Sweat & Tears) and soloists, violinist extraordinaire, Karen Briggs (Stanley Clarke, Chaka Khan)...
Maurizio Ūber Basses Introduces the Fretless-Only MūB-F Model
Maurizio Ūber Basses, aka MūB, has unveiled a new model called the MūB-F, a fretless-only bass they say was designed from the ground up to be “a true fretless bass as opposed to a bass without frets.” “A fretless bass is a different instrument. It is played differently, with more attention to nuances and subtleties, with fewer boundaries and a...
Vulfpeck: Vulf Pack
It is always great to see a new video from Vulfpeck pop up. In this clip, Joe Dart and the band not only lay down a funky groove, they also have the dance moves!
Unearthed John Coltrane Album Features Jimmy Garrison
In one of the most exciting discoveries in jazz, a new John Coltrane album has been unearthed and released as Both Directions at Once: The Lost Album. The recording comes from reference tapes kept by the saxophonist’s first wife that were cut in March of 1963. It features seven songs including two never-before-heard originals. Coltrane’s band on Both Directions is...
Blasko Launches New Podcast
If you’re into heavy metal, you’re going to want to listen to this. Blasko has a new podcast called “A New Level” that explores the genre by way of interviews with titans in the industry. The bassist, who has worked with Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, Danzig and more, is also an artist manager and approaches the podcast with the idea...
Fender Introduces Flea Signature Jazz Bass Active Model
Fender used the Summer NAMM Show to unveil a host of new instruments, including a new signature bass with Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea. It’s his second bass with the company after they released a Jazz model two years ago. “Our artist signature active bass with Flea was designed to complement the Shell Pink Flea Jazz Bass — a...
The Melvins: Live at House of Strombo
We always like to say the only thing better than one bassist is two. The Melvins acted upon that notion with their latest album, Pinkus Abortion Technician, which features both Jeff Pinkus and Steven MacDonald. The band has also been touring with their two-bass configuration and luckily their set at the House of Strombo was captured on film. The band...
YOB Releases “Our Raw Heart”
Doom metal band YOB have always been about reflection and meditation, but their latest release is their deepest yet. Guitarist/vocalist Mike Scheidt spent months battling acute diverticulitis, a devastating intestinal disease, that almost cost him his life. During his recovery, he wrote Our Raw Heart. “I had no idea, really, if the band was going to be able to continue...
Westminster Effects Announces the Wittenberg Bass Preamp/DI Pedal
Westminster Effects has unveiled three new preamp/DI pedals for Summer NAMM, including the bass-specific Wittenberg Bass preamp. The three-knob pedal has a volume control, a Frequency control for setting the center frequency, and an EQ control for setting how steep the EQ’s curvature is. It has a standard 1/4-inch input and output as well as an XLR output. The Westminster...
Groove – Episode #43: Marco Mendoza
The first time I saw Marco Mendoza play bass live was with Whitesnake. Whatever you think about Whitesnake’s music (personally, I am a child of the 80s and a lover of that genre), they are a force of hard, heavy and blues power that is not to be reckoned with (if you can get past those wild hair metal videos...