Buzz
Geddy Lee Teams with Alex Lifeson for Fundraising Wine Tour
Now that Geddy Lee has some more free time, he’s certainly using it wisely. After announcing a new book for this year, he’s also teaming up with his Rush bandmate Alex Lifeson again for “Grapes Under Pressure lV: Geddy and Alex’s Excellent Harvest Adventure.” The event is a wine tour hosted by Grapes for Humanity to raise funds to benefit...
Tower of Power: Tiny Desk Concert
Ten days ago, NPR tested the limits of their Tiny Desk concert space with a visit from Tower of Power. The band treated the audience to three tunes: “On the Soul Side of Town,” “So Very Hard to Go,” and “What Is Hip?” Marc van Wageningen had some big shoes to fill too, taking over for Rocco Prestia while he...
Hal Leonard Publishes Music Theory for Bass Players
If you’re looking for a new book to bone up on your music theory, Hal Leonard has published a new book on the subject dedicated to bassists. Music Theory for Bass Players is a 160-page book aimed at helping you get the most out of your playing. Written by Steve Gorenberg, it has chapters starting with the musical alphabet and...
Ghost-Note Announces New Tour Dates with MonoNeon
Ghost-Note has announced a new North American tour in support of their latest album, Swagism. Formed by Snarky Puppy percussionists Robert “Sput” Searight and Nate Werth, the band will be filled out by a killer cast including keyboardists Xavier Taplin and Vaughn “V-Keys” Henry, guitarist Peter Knudsen, saxophonist Jonathan Mones, and bass wizard Dywane “MonoNeon” Thomas, Jr. The trek will...
Establishing Your Rates as a Working Bass Player
Q: I have been networking, going to jams, and have actually started to make some headway in my local scene. I’ve just gotten a call about doing a regional week-long tour. The money seems a little low, though, and I’m worried about setting a bad precedent. I’d like to do the tour but don’t want to establish that as my...
Scott Mulvahill: Teen Town on Upright Bass
Scott Mulvahill is a beast of a double bass player in Nashville, but just because he’s in the country music capital of the world doesn’t mean he can’t shred some jazz. In this clip he tackles the masterful Jaco Pastorius song, “Teen Town” on the upright. “The bass nerds know what I’m talking about. It’s our favorite gameboy-disco-jazz-bass-shred classic,” he...
Jimmy Haslip Anchors Jeff Lorber Fusion’s “Impact”
Jeff Lorber Fusion is back with a new album entitled Impact. The jazz fusion keyboardist is once again joined by six-string bassist Jimmy Haslip, who helps to fill out the bottom end of the record. Fans can expect more of the Lorber’s musical exploration just as they always have. “It’s really been what my music has been about since my...
Reader Spotlight: Roey Haviv
Meet Roey Haviv, who keeps busy teaching and playing in Charlotte, NC. Roey has quite the collection of gear, including some basses with both interesting stories and unique features. He’s also a pedal nerd. Roey is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I was born in Israel and moved to the US to continue...
Azusa Features Ex-Dillinger Escape Plan Bassist Liam Wilson
Dillinger Escape Plan may have called it quits, but bassist Liam Wilson is far from done with music. He’s just announced a new band called Azusa, which also features Extol’s Christer Espevoll and David Husvik with Sea + Air vocalist Eleni Zafiriadou. The group has just announced a new album, Heavy Yoke, will be released on November 16th. “This album...
Elephant Gym: “Finger” and “Midway”
They can be annoying, but sometimes algorithms get it right. YouTube suggested this video of Elephant Gym performing their songs “Finger” and “Midway” live at the Megaport Festival and I was hooked. The Taiwanese band is composed of siblings Tell Chang Kai-hsiung and Tif Chang Kai-ting with drummer Tu Chia-chin. Tif takes the lead on the bass, laying down luscious...
Pablo Elorza Publishes New Instructional Book, Patterns
We have shared some great lessons and videos by Pablo Elorza on No Treble in the past. Now he’s released a new instructional book called Patterns that explains how small motifs can expand your vocabulary. “A pattern is a small melodic idea that can be repeated, developed and adapted to any musical situation,” he writes. “Patterns seeks to explore the...
Xotic Announces All-Brass Patch Cables
Xotic unveiled a new set of cables with the pedal user in mind. The Xotic All-Brass patch cables come in six-inch and twelve-inch lengths with slender plug design. “The All-Brass plugs, engineered with brass and nickel plated, ensure optimal signal transfer with low capacitance for a clear, more defined sound,” the company writes. “Designed to save space, the thin pancake-style...