Buzz
OnkartGromt Unveils Three New Bass Pedals
Norway’s OnkartGromt has expanded their pedal lineup for bassists with three new models: the FunkyFellow envelope filter, the TurboTore EQ, and the Tremolando tremolo. Each of the pedals is fitted with a unique OLED screen that gives a visual representation of the effect’s parameters. In the case of the FunkyFellow, the screen shows the frequency response live. The filter has...
Bass To Infinity: An Interview with Buster Williams
With nearly six decades in the business, Buster Williams has just about seen it all. He’s worked with some of the world’s best instrumentalists (Herbie Hancock, Miles Davis, Sonny Stitt, and Gene Ammons to name a few) and the world’s best vocalists (Nancy Wilson, Sarah Vaughan, Dakota Staton, and Carmen McRae, to name a few). As you can imagine, he’s...
Brady Watt & the Lifetronics: Captain Marvel
Last month we featured a video by Brady Watt & the Lifetronics performing “Roots Around My Ribcage” – a video that made the top 10 reader favorite list for the month. Here’s another live clip by Brady and the band performing Chick Corea’s tune, “Captain Marvel.”
Peter Hook & The Light Announce 2018 Substance Tour
At the end of 2016, Peter Hook & The Light embarked on a North American tour to perform Joy Division and New Order’s legendary Factory Records compilation albums “Substance” live, sequentially and in their entireties. Now they’re bringing it back for another round of tour dates from April to June. Hook, who shares bass duties with his son Jack Bates,...
Warwick Unveils 2018 Limited Edition Masterbuilt and Teambuilt Basses
Every year, Warwick produces a limited edition bass from their custom shop. This year they’re also releasing a Pro Series Teambuilt limited edition model. The Warwick Streamer Stage I LTD 2018 is part of their Custom Shop Masterbuilt Limited Edition basses. Available in four of five-string versions, the bass is built with a swamp ash body topped with a 1-inch...
Martin Miller & Tom Quayle: Mana
I’ve always dug Janek Gwizdala’s compositions. Guitarists Martin Miller and Tom Quayle dig them too. So they decided to take on Janek’s tune, “Mana.” Along with bassist Benni Jud and drummer Felix Lehrmann, these guys nailed it.
Mud Morgenfield Releases “They Call Me Mud”
Mud Morganfield has returned with a new album entitled They Call Me Mud. The son of blues icon Muddy Waters, Morganfield draws heavily on the Chicago blues sound while mixing in classic R&B. “Certainly, there will be comparisons to his dad, but that can be expected and rightly so,” co-producer Rick Keher explains. “Mud comes as close to the Muddy...
Tsakalis AudioWorks Introduces Phonkify and Galactic Pedals
Tsakalis AudioWorks has released two new pedals: the Phonkify envelope filter and the Galactic multi-modulation pedal. As with all of their units, each of the pedals are handmade in Greece. The Phonkify is inspired by funk and soul music from the 60’s and 70’s. “[It has] two modes of juicy envelope filter (Smooth & Nasty) which turns into wah at...
What To Practice When You Don’t Have Gigs
Q: My question to you is this: what do you do when you’re not playing with a group and have no gigs on the horizon, particularly what to practice? Without a set of songs or even a style to give the context of what the bass should be playing, I find myself grasping for inspiration on what to practice. Also,...
Nate Smith’s Kinfolk: NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert
I’m a huge fan of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert series, thanks in large part to discovering artists I hadn’t heard before. Here’s a great example of that. Drummer Nate Smith’s Kinfolk project performed last November, showcasing a wide range of styles by a versatile band. I particularly love the rhythms of the opening tune, “Skip Step”. The band includes bassist...
Jimi Hendrix, Noel Redding, and Billy Cox Play Bass on “Both Sides of the Sky”
Even 48 years after his untimely passing, there’s still music being uncovered from the Jimi Hendrix vault. Both Sides of the Sky is a new album featuring 13 studio recordings, ten of which have never been released. The album is described as “completing a trilogy of albums [with Valleys Of Neptune and People, Hell & Angels] presenting the best and...
Fender Adds Bluetooth Streaming to Rumble Series Amps
Fender updated their Rumble V3 Series of bass amps with the Rumble Studio 40 and the Rumble Stage 800. The new amps bring the same wireless capabilities and presets as their Mustang GT guitar amplifiers to bass players in 40-watt and 800-watt packages. “The amplifiers are also compatible with the free Fender Tone app,” Fender says, “making it easier than...