Buzz
Ortus: An Interview with Jon von Boehm
Bassist Jon von Boehm has returned with his sophomore solo album, entitled . As opposed to his self-titled debut that featured a large cast of musicians, the new release focuses on the bassist’s unique compositions in a trio format with Michael Green on drums and John Gallo on guitar with guest spots by vocalist Jesse Rose Brassfield and bass guru...
Pat Torpey and Billy Sheehan: Big Drums Jam
Last month we lost the great Mr. Big drummer, Pat Torpey, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. His music, of course, will live on forever. Here’s an incredible jam taken from the drummer’s instructional video, Big Drums, featuring bandmate Billy Sheehan tearing it up. It’s no wonder the duo’s musical connection helped propel Mr. Big into stardom. Their groove locks...
In Memoriam: Peter “Mars” Cowling
More sad news to report today: Peter “Mars” Cowling has passed away. He was 72 years old. Fellow bassist Rodney O’Quinn helped break the news on his Facebook page. “On behalf of The Cowling/Clark Family, with a heavy heart, the music world, and especially the bass community has lost another great one,” he wrote. “Peter “Mars” Cowling, best known as...
MOD Kits DIY Unveils the Rock Bottom Bass Fuzz Pedal Kit
Bassists interested in building their own effects have a new option with the MOD Kits DIY Rock Bottom Bass Fuzz pedal kit. Designed for novice and experienced musicians, the kit comes with easy-to-follow instructions as well as all the necessary parts. “The Rock Bottom is a bass fuzz kit that delivers all the sizzle you’d expect from a vintage fuzz...
Incorporating What We Practice
Q: In your opinion, how does what we work on when practicing make it’s way into our playing? I’ve been thinking about the best ways to incorporate what I shed into my “vocabulary.” A: There are as many ways to incorporate what we practice into our actual musical vocabulary as there are ways to absorb abstract life concepts into our...
Diego Tarantino: Oh My Love
It has been a while since we featured a video by Diego Tarantino. Time to fix that. Diego just sent me his latest, where he takes the John Lennon tune “Oh My Love” and arranged it for bass and guitar. Impressive, as always.
Nicole Row Joins Panic! At The Disco
Earlier this year we reported that longtime bassist Dallon Weekes left the ranks of Panic! At The Disco. The band is back in action again with a new bass player: Nicole Row. Row made her debut with the band on March 19th at a secret show in Cleveland. Row is no new-comer to the music scene. She’s performed alongside Troye...
In Memoriam: Buell Neidlinger
Sad news to report today: bassist Buell Neidlinger has passed away after a heart attack. He was 82 years old. Born in New York City, Neidlinger’s family moved to Westport, Connecticut when he was two years old. He was a prodigy on the cello, switching to bass at 13. He was a student of Count Basie Orchestra bassist Walter Page,...
Kala Adds Three New Affordable U-Bass Models
Kala’s popular U-Bass has three new models for 2018 called the Wanderer, the Passenger, and the Journeyman. The trio are described as their most affordable models yet. Each ukulele-sized bass is made of mahogany with a satin finish and comes equipped with black die-cast tuners, Aquila Thundergut strings and a Kala UK-500B preamp with EQ and built-in tuner. The lineup...
The Fearless Flyers: Ace of Aces
Back in 2011, we featured the first Vulfpeck video. It was an instant hit here. Seven years later, the band has reached new heights. And now we have another band to follow as a result. Vulfpeck recently announced The Fearless Flyers, consisting of Vulfpeck members Joe Dart (bass) and Cory Wong (guitar) along with Mark Lettieri (guitar) and Nate Smith...
Alice in Chains Gear Up For Massive World Tour
Alice in Chains is getting ready to head out on a huge world tour. Anchored by Mike Inez, the band will be hitting the road starting April 28th at the House of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts and covering part of the U.S. through May. They’ll be heading overseas for June and July, only to return to North America for August...
Sadowsky Guitars Launches Re-engineered Blue Label Flatwound Strings
Sadowsky Guitars has re-engineered their line of flatwound strings including their sets for bass guitar. The new Blue Label Flatwound strings, which come in four and five-string sets, are described as “superb for fretless basses or that classic Motown sound.” “Our challenge was to create a string with a true vintage tone and feel that retains a strong fundamental to...