Buzz
John Mayer Trio: Good Love Is On The Way (Live)
We’re huge fans of the John Mayer Trio, thanks in large part to the versatile Pino Palladino. Here’s an excellent clip of the band performing “Good Love Is On The Way” back in 2007. Pino is laying it down and throwing in the tastiest fills along the way.
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in January 2018
January is always a stellar month for gear stories, thanks to the annual NAMM Show. This year is no different. While we’re still working on tons of new gear stories from the show, many appeared on No Treble in January. Here are the top 10 reader favorites. Be sure to check out all our continuing NAMM coverage too! 1. Ibanez...
Groove – Episode #38: Billy Sheehan
Welcome to our first-ever live recording of Groove – The No Treble Podcast which took place at the NAMM Show in Anaheim (and was recorded in front of a live audience at the NAMM Idea Centre), this past week. Our guest this month can best be described as a living legend. Not only has Billy Sheehan played in some of...
Kauppinen-Oksanen-Lähdesmäki: Cereal Killer Clown
No Treble reader Ari-Pekka Kauppinen sent us this video of his new trio saying, “Our music is a blend of old school fusion with modern influences. Our band is all about fearless improvisation while having fun playing together and I think this video captures that attitude and joy nicely.” We’re digging this!
Primus and Mastodon Team Up for Expansive Tour
The bass will be riding high this spring as Primus and Mastodon have announced a co-headlining tour. With Les Claypool and Troy Sanders at the helm of each band, the tour is not to be missed. The lengthy trek kicks off May 6th at Red Rocks in Colorado before heading South, up the Northeast, through the Midwest, and down the...
Ashdown Engineering Introduces Bluetooth-Enabled Bass Combo Amp
Ashdown Engineering has expanded their AAA line of bass amps with the AAA EVO 120-BT, a lightweight combo that offers 120 watts of power with a 15-inch driver and a tweeter. The new model sets itself apart by featuring Bluetooth functionality that allows for streaming music to your amp. “The AAA EVO 120-BT features deep, foot switchable tube emulated overdrive...
Focusing on Musical Growth
Q: I know you’ve written a lot about ways to invent new exercises and different ways to find new challenges for yourself, but sometimes I’m not sure what I’m working towards exactly other than just trying to get better. I suppose that’s enough but… any thoughts? A: Actually, yes. The big turning point in my development came with an important...
Zander Zon: Zombie
Zander Zon has a new tribute, featuring a new device he’s added to the mix. “The Cranberries are such a memorable band from my teenage years and, strangely, I had been listening to this song for a couple weeks before the sad news broke that their lead singer, Dolores O’Riordan, had passed away unexpectedly,” he shared. ” So I decided...
Sadowsky Reveals the MetroExpress Bass Series
Sadowsky Guitars unveiled a new line of basses called the MetroExpress series at the Winter NAMM Show this year. The line will be made in Japan with the company’s own preamp, pickups, strings, and hardware. “The MetroExpress is made in Japan to Roger Sadowsky’s exacting standards under the supervision of Yoshi Kikuchi,” Sadowsky writes. “Roger and Yoshi began working together...
Federico Malaman & Marcus Miller: NAMM Jam
During the 2018 NAMM Show, Federico Malaman and Marcus Miller got together for a spontaneous jam at a Markbass event showcasing Marcus’s signature amp. Federico said, “For me, it was PURE JOY!!!”
Bass Transcription Analysis: “I Start With The Blues” Bob Mintzer Sax Solo, Part 4
Our fourth installment on Bob Mintzer’s “I Start With The Blues” solo is a discussion of the crucial chord on bar 8 of a typical jazz blues. Almost always this is a vi chord – so in an F Blues like this one, it’s a D7 ( D dominant 7). In Letter A Bar 8 finds a D7 #9 chord...
Bass of the Week: Schorr Guitars The Owl Bass #011
While scrolling on Facebook, I came across the Owl Bass by Schorr Guitars and had to learn more. Its half-minimal, half-futuristic design exudes a funky style with a cool finish to boot. “Schorr Guitars is a one-person operation,” luthier Nicolai Schorr tells us. “I build instruments in Berlin, Germany based on my models – The Owl and Neptune – to...