Buzz
Reader Spotlight: Dave Siff
Meet Dave Siff, a bassist and dad who takes playing bass and gigging seriously while also having a lot of fun. And he gets the role of bassist. Dave is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight (you could be next!) Here’s his story… Bio: I’m pretty much your run-of-the-mill suburban dad who refuses to grow up. Music is...
Dwarfcraft Devices Unveils The Grazer Pedal
Dwarfcraft Devices has expanded their effect lineup with the Grazer, which they describe as a granular repeater and glitch machine. “[It] builds sounds by continuously taking tiny samples from the input audio,” they explain. “The sounds range from off-kilter echoes to curious “buffer overload” skips, all the way up to harsh machine glitches.” The Grazer has a Size knob to...
Vulfpeck: Birds of a Feather, We Rock Together
Vulfpeck has announced their 2017 album, Mr Finish Line and released the first track from the upcoming release. Joe Dart lays down a groovy line behind this mellow tune, which also appears to feature Jack Stratton on the pancakes. For more on the album (and how to get it), check out Vulfpeck’s website..
Mastodon Releases “Cold Dark Place” EP
Hot on the heels of Emperor of Sand, Mastodon has returned with a new EP entitled Cold Dark Place. Anchored by bassist/vocalist Troy Sanders, the four-song album is compiled from previously unreleased tracks. Three of the four songs are from the album were recorded during the sessions for 2014’s Once More ’Round the Sun while the fourth track, “To to...
D’Addario Introduces Bass Tool Kit
Bassists looking to take care of their own instrument have a new set of tools to choose from. The D’Addario Bass Maintenance Kit includes a set of tools and cleaning equipment to keep your bass in shape. The case itself contains individual component compartments with pockets for extra strings and a magnet to hold loose screws, nuts, or washers. Inside...
Bass of the Week: Crom Custom Shop Romantic Warrior
Matias Crom sent us photos of his Romantic Warrior model, and I dropped everything I was doing. The 34-year-old, Italian-Argentinian luthier has been making baroque instruments like lutes and viols for the past 10 years, but he started making basses when he was 18 after hearing Primus. His unique influences are melded together in the bass, which features a beautifully...
King Curtis: Soul Serenade
I love all the footage from this 1971 performance by King Curtis & The Kingpins. The whole band is fantastic, and Jerry Jemmott shows us how it’s done. Here’s “Soul Serenade”. Be sure to also check out “Ridin’ Thumb” (my favorite of this excellent concert) and “Memphis Soul Stew“.
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in September 2017
September was a great month for new bass gear stories, as evident by all the reader interest in what we covered during the month. Here are the top 10 reader favorites for September. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing! 1. Chowny Bass Retrovibe EVO Davie 504 Signature Chowny Bass has introduced another artist signature model by teaming up with YouTube...
Han Beyli: Jeyran
I just discovered the music of Han Beyli thanks to this video. Han recently went into the studio at Berklee to record his original composition, “Jeyran,” which offers up some tremendous bass, vocals, horns, and more.
Will Lee’s Family: Georgy Porgy
In 2012, Will Lee performed at the Cotton Club in Tokyo, along with Steve Gadd, Chuck Loeb, Giulio Carmassi, and Oli Rockberger. Here’s a tune from that set, with the band covering Toto’s hit song, “Georgy Porgy.”
Etienne M’Bappe Anchors New John McLaughlin Live Album
In March of 2017, John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension played two nights of sold-out shows at the world-renowned London jazz club Ronnie Scott’s. It was a special occasion for McLaughlin, whose history with the club goes as far back as the 1960’s when he was a member of the house band. He and his band performed works from early...
The Lightbulb Moment: Drums and Bass – Complementary Flavors
Every so often, I’m asked about some of my favorite drummers to play with and why that is. Whether it’s for a gig referral or for the sake of conversation with my fellow musicians, it’s a question that doesn’t always have the same answer. The context of a gig, the type of music being played, and the other musicians involved...