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Groove – Episode #37: Cody Wright
Candidly, there are few bass players who sound as original as Cody Wright. In fact, when I first heard him play several years back, I was immediately transported back in time. It was the exact same audio sensation that came over me when I first heard Jaco Pastorius and Billy Sheehan play. It was not just great (and fast) bass...
Vulfpeck: Dean Town (Live)
Vulfpeck’s “Dean Town” is one of the all-time favorites around here. So it was super cool to see the band share this live performance of the tune, which took place during the “Wisdom of Crowds Tour 2017” in Dublin, Ireland. I was also super impressed with the audience, who pretty much sang it note for note and kept up with...
Alex Lofoco Releases Debut Solo Album, “Beyond”
Italian-born, London-based bassist Alex Lofoco has just released his debut album, Beyond, although you wouldn’t know it’s his first solo album from the music. Sometimes biting and sometimes intimate, the intricate music brings lots of influences and was created with an A-list team of musicians. “The album is a mix of fusion rock, jazz, progressive, latin and heavy-metal, featuring an...
Troubleshooting a Clicking Sound From Your Bass
Q: I read your column on active vs. passive basses. I have been playing for a lot of years and am having issues with any Bartolini preamp/pickup combination that I use. I think one thing missed in the article was active vs passive pickups (or maybe I overlooked that). Anyway, I’m hearing a clicking sound. I know what you’re thinking:...
Level 42: “Something About You” – Live (2016)
Level 42’s Mark King is a master of slap bass. His complex rhythmic and melodic bass lines are tough enough to tackle alone, but he manages to sing at the same time. The folks at Java Jazz Festival just shared this performance of “Something About You,” which took place in 2016. The band is in top form, and King’s performance...
Juraj Griglák & Company Live Album Now Available
Bassist Juraj Griglák has released a new live CD with a killer band. Juraj Griglák & Company Live features Bobby Sparks, Poogie Bell, and Chris Hemingway performing five of the bass player’s songs from a May 2015 concert at Barmuseum in Martin, Slovakia. “I listened to a recording from a concert in Martin and I found out that there are...
Bass of the Week: Sadowsky Guitars NYC Will Lee 5-String
One of the great things about writing the Bass of the Week column is that builders send us photos of some of their best work. This recent Sadowsky NYC Will Lee 5-string hit my inbox and stopped me in my tracks. Built with a chambered swamp ash body, the bass’s candy apple orange finish and black pearl pickguard are enough...
New Year’s Resolutions for Bass: 5 Ingredients to Get You Results
I ran a survey a few weeks back asking bass players what they struggled with the most. With an overwhelming majority, the response had to do with practicing. Specifically, how to: Practice effectively so as to see improvement. Not be distracted. Know what to work on next or where to even start. Some people formulated it perfectly, asking for very...
Ben Titus and Brittany Frompovich: These Walls
Ben Titus and Brittany Frompovich took the stage at Roy Vogt’s 7th Annual Thunder Row Bass Invitational and performed this excellent bass and vocals cover of the Tedeschi Truck Band’s “These Walls.” Thanks to our friend, Vuyani Wakaba, for shooting the video, and to Brittany for sending it to us.
Bass Battle Branches Out with “Electric Play”
Bass Battle, aka Bogdan Diaconeasa, has released a new album, but this one is a little different from his previous efforts. While it still has some killer bass on it, Electric Play focuses on the guitar. “Guys, for some of you, this new release could sound a little bit paradoxical, a project called Bass Battle with a new album has...
2017 Reader Favorites – #1: Joe Dart
Outside of his incredible bass playing, no one knew much about Joe Dart. That changed in August when he sat down with Mitch to record episode #32 of Groove – the No Treble podcast. (That episode was the most popular of 2017 too.) And as always, Vulfpeck shared a healthy dose of videos over the year featuring Dart’s solid grooves....
2017 Reader Favorites – #2: Geddy Lee
Geddy Lee wowed everyone by filling in for the late Chris Squire at Yes’s induction to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame earlier this year. The video footage from the show was one of the hottest videos of the year. In other news, Geddy teamed up with Tech 21 for a for Signature SansAmp GED-2112, which we announced during the Winter NAMM show.