Buzz
Berklee Indian Ensemble: 5 Peace Band
I’ve watched this video more times than I can count (and I’m still watching). The Berklee Indian Ensemble, with Guy Bernfeld on bass, performed “5 Peace Band,” and they absolutely nailed it. “The Berklee Indian Ensemble is delighted to present ‘5 Peace Band’ featuring renowned Indian composer and vocalist, Shankar Mahadevan,” the video description reads. “Composed by John McLaughlin, ‘5...
Bryant Fabian Marsalis Releases “Do For You?”
The killer jazz trio of saxophonist Lance Bryant, drummer Jason Marsalis, and bassist Christian Fabian have teamed up to release Do For You? The album, which also features guest artist Gates Thomas on keys, is rooted in the jazz tradition and tinged with the blues. It includes eight original tunes with four written or co-written by Fabian. His big, warm...
Tedeschi Trucks Band with The Wood Brothers: Sweet Virginia
Kevin and I caught the Wheels of Soul Tour stop at Wolf Trap in Virginia last month, which featured Tedeschi Trucks Band, The Wood Brothers, and Hot Tuna. Needless to say, it was a night of incredible music and bass playing, thanks to Tim Lefebvre, Chris Wood, and Jack Casady. One of the highlights of the night was when the...
Cliff Burton’s Father Donates Royalties To Music Scholarships
Cliff Burton’s playing has inspired generations of players, and now we know that his royalty checks have been helping, too. In a new interview with the Metallica podcast Alphabetallica, the bass legend’s 92-year-old father Ray revealed that he’s been donating the fallen bassist’s royalties to fund local music scholarships. “One of the things from the royalties that I get,” he...
Willcox Guitars Unveils USA Custom Shop Saber Bass
Willcox Guitars has expanded their lineup with a USA Custom Shop series. The full-service shop allows players to pick out their own tonewoods, tops, finishes, and hardware. The first custom shop Willcox instrument is the USA Saber Bass, which is available for order now in four, five, and six-string versions. “Just like the production model Saber Basses, Willcox offers HexFX...
Chris DeAngelis: Bass Arrangement of Stevie Wonder’s “Living For The City”
Stevie Wonder’s songs have a magic that carries across the musical spectrum. Chris DeAngelis proves this once again with a killer bass and percussion version of “Living For The City.” Originally released on Wonder’s Innervisions, the song has a killer bounce that the bassist captures on his four-string before taking a nasty solo over top.
Janek Gwizdala Publishes eBook on Bass Chords
If you’re curious about playing chords on the bass or you just want to hone your skills, you’re in luck. Janek Gwizdala has released Chordal Harmony: A Comprehensive Guide to Chords on Bass. The extensive eBook includes bass and treble clef notation as well as TAB for learning the exercises. Furthermore, accompanying HD video will help demonstrate and explain the...
Bass Transcription: Bruce Thomas’ Bass Line on Elvis Costello and the Attractions’ “Lipstick Vogue”
As there was a very positive response to last month’s transcription of “Oliver’s Army,” I thought that the No Treble readers might like another chance to have a look at Bruce Thomas’ work. This track contains a much busier bass line than “Oliver’s Army”, and Bruce tips his hat to some of his influences within the course of the song....
Sébastien Dubé & Friends: The Wrong Suitcase
Our friend Lloyd Goldstein shared this video on Facebook, saying “Two of my most favorite expressive artists in the whole world. I hope you enjoy this!!!” We love it. Sébastien Dubé and his band perform “The Wrong Suitcase.” That bass tone! Sébastien Dubé
Nu-X Announces Loop Core Deluxe Pedal
Musicians interested in looping have a new option with the Nu-X Loop Core Deluxe. Building upon their original Loop Core, the deluxe model steps things up with frequency compensation, 24-bit recording, switchable buffer bypass/true bypass and cab simulation output. It can record up to 8 hours with unlimited layers with 99 phrase memories to save your tracks. Dual outputs allow...
Amptweaker Expands JR Distortion Series
Amptweaker has grown their distortion pedal line with several new, compact JR Distortion models. The new set includes the Bass TightFuzz Jr and the Bass BluesFuzz Jr. “Like the other JR pedals, they’re housed in a smaller lightweight ‘phase 90’ sized package, but still include most of the popular tones available with their big brothers,” Amptweaker writes. “The bass versions...
Unify: An Interview with Billy Sherwood
When Billy Sherwood first formed the band World Trade with Guy Allison, Bruce Gowdy, and Mark T. Williams in 1988, he probably didn’t know that it would help lead him to his current musical situation. The band’s demos caught the ear of Yes’s Chris Squire, leading the two to work together throughout the years. The legendary bassist chose Sherwood as...