Buzz
A. R. Rahman with Mohini Dey: Thee Thee & Malargale
Back in October, Berklee put on a concert with (and in tribute to) A. R. Rahman. Here’s a clip from that concert of the tune “Thee Thee & Malargale,” featuring members of The Berklee Indian Ensemble. The best part for us: the tune is a showcase for bassist Mohini Dey.
Julian Lage Trio Announces 2018 Tour Dates
Modern jazz bass master Scott Colley will be joining guitarist Julian Lage for his upcoming European and North American tour dates. Lage’s trio, filled out by drummer Kenny Wollesen, will be trekking in support of their new album, Modern Lore, due out next year. The group will begin the year in Italy, winding through Europe until January 20th. They’ll hit...
GHS Strings Announces Pressurewound Bronze Bass Strings
GHS Strings has introduced a new line of strings called the Pressurewound Bronze Bass for acoustic/electric bass. The newly designed strings aim at eliminating harsh tones associated with bronze strings. “Many acoustic/electric bass players know that the traditional bronze strings that come standard on these basses have harsh overtones and a lot of string noise,” the company writes. “GHS created...
Bass Players To Know: Lloyd Trotman
As a soul music enthusiast, one of the greatest assets to my record collection has been the Atlantic Rhythm And Blues 1947-1974 compilation. It documents the early years of popular American music, the rise of the R&B genre, and the classic recordings that continue to show up in film, television, and radio. The musical selections are accompanied by a chronological...
Jaco Pastorius Big Band: Sophisticated Lady
On this day in 1951, Jaco Pastorius was born. We’re celebrating with this clip from his big band performance in Tokyo on September 1, 1982, which features Jaco and Toots Thielemans on Duke Ellington’s “Sophisticated Lady.” Happy birthday, Jaco. We miss you.
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in November 2017
Time to celebrate some popular new bass gear, AKA the top 10 reader favorite gear stories for the month. Here are your favorites for November 2017. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing. 1. Fender New Mod Shop Bass Colors Fender’s Mod Shop has expanded their option offerings for the Fall. The online instrument configurator has added a new limited edition...
Elevator Man: An Interview with Lorenzo Feliciati
Like much of his music, Italian bassist and composer Lorenzo Feliciati’s new album, , blends his loves of jazz and rock together in an amazing and eclectic way. However, the new release has a decidedly prog-rock flavor that evokes the likes of King Crimson and Allan Holdsworth while remaining entirely fresh. That’s not an accident. “While a varied stylistic approach...
Sting: Message In A Bottle, Live in Paris
Sting recently released a new concert video called Live at the Olympia Paris, and it’s just more proof that he’s still on top of the game. Filmed in April 2017, the performance includes plenty from his latest release, 57th and 9th, but it also goes back to the hits. “Message In A Bottle” has always been a great song –...
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds Returns with “Who Built The Moon?”
Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds has released their third studio album, entitled Who Built the Moon? The release is anchored by two bassists: Samuel Dixon and Jason Falkner. Each lays down muscular, driving bass lines to make the rock album danceable. That makes sense especially for Dixon, who has also played for and produced artists like Adele, Sia, Christina Aguilera...
Neunaber Audio Effects Unveils the Inspire Tri-Chorus Plus Pedal
Neunaber Audio has introduced the Inspire Tri-Chorus Plus, a pedal that offers eight stereo chorus effects. Featuring true bypass and mono or stereo i/o, the pedal ranges from classic to modern sounds. “Some of Inspire’s effects are my take on the classic effects that come to mind when you think of tri-chorus, while others are new and unique combinations,” says...
Practicing Slower Tempos
Q: I don’t know about you, but when I was a younger and less experienced player, I used to dread playing the faster, up-tempo passages or songs. But that all seemed to resolve itself with practice, and now as an older – hopefully wiser – player, I have come to realize what I have should have been worried about were...
Frescia Belmar: Gracias a la Vida
Frescia Belmar paid tribute to Chilean songwriter Violeta Parra in October with this incredible solo version of the song “Gracias a la Vida”, which translates to “Thanks to Life.” Celebrating what would have been Parra’s 100th birthday, Belmar wrote, “Happy Bday Violeta! Grateful for such a beautiful legacy you’ve left to the world!” She captures the beauty of the song...