Buzz
The Lightbulb Moment: Touch Of Gray
Cauliflower, that kind-of-like-broccoli-but-perhaps-less-exciting vegetable, was completely absent from my childhood. I honestly didn’t know what it was, other than something my mother breezed over in the produce section of the super market. She was not a fan of the baby-tree-like vegetables and therefore, it was often excluded from the communal veggie tray at parties and officially barred from our refrigerator....
Beck: Debra, Live (1999)
I got the chance to see Baby Driver last weekend, which was an excellent movie with an even better soundtrack. (And hey, Flea was one of the actors!) Without giving away any spoilers, Beck’s song “Debra” was featured, which reminded me of just how great the bass line is on this groovy tune. In this clip from 1999, Beck performs...
Marcone and Philp Publish Updated Edition of “Managing Your Band”
If you’ve ever been in a band, you know the hardest part is managing it. If that’s something you’ve been struggling with, Stephen Marcone and David Philp have some advice in the new sixth edition of their book, Managing Your Band – Artist Management: The Ultimate Responsibility. The 344-page book is aimed at helping DIY musicians and personal managers to...
Groove – Episode #31: Shem Von Schroeck
Most people know Shem Von Schroeck as the longtime bass player in Kenny Loggins’ band. At the beginning of this summer, Shem got word that he landed the coveted bass gig in Toto. The prolific and proficient bass player has also worked with everyone from Don Felder of The Eagles to Christopher Cross. He’s been playing since the age of...
Tool: The Pot, Live (2017)
Like just about everyone else on the planet, I’m eagerly anticipating the new Tool album. Luckily there are plenty of great live videos coming out to keep me going. Here’s a clip of the band playing “The Pot” on June 7th, 2017 in Clarkson, Michigan. It was their first time playing the song live in over five years, but you...
Donald “Duck” Dunn Biography and Transcription Book Coming Soon
It’s hard to talk about the giants of bass without bringing up Donald “Duck” Dunn. As a session bassist for Stax-Volt, he laid down the groove to hits by Booker T. & the MGs, Otis Redding, Sam & Dave, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, Elvis Presley, Isaac Hayes, and more. Many will also remember him as the bassist for the Blues...
Reader Spotlight: Adam Dowd
Meet Adam Dowd, a bassist from the UK who spends his time performing and teaching “the rock stars of tomorrow” at East Riding College. Adam is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I have been many things to many people over the years! I consider myself a “bassist for musical experiments.” My current role...
Getting Your Students to Practice
Q: I’m a semi-professional bassist who has been taking more students lately. I find that it’s a good way to challenge myself, maybe help somebody along in their path, and it’s a nice way to make a little extra bread. I’ve been struggling lately, though. It seems that most of my students are attentive during the lesson but don’t seem...
Dispatch: Only the Wild Ones
WFUV is a constant source of great music for me. In this video, Dispatch performs “Only the Wild Ones” in WFUV’s studio. Dispatch bassist/guitarist Pete Francis Heimbold is taking time off, so Matthew Embree is filling in here, and for the band’s tour in 2017.
Emma Electronic Updates the DiscomBOBulator Envelope Filter
Emma Electronic has updated their flagship envelope filter for 2017. The DB-2 DiscumBOBulator builds on its predecessor, which was released nearly 20 years ago, with new features for increased versatility. Specifically, it has an increased frequency range, improved tracking, increased headroom, and a new dedicated clean boost that can run with or independent of the filter. The pedal ranges from...
Marco Pistone: Joe Frazier Playthrough
Jeff Berlin posted an update on Facebook yesterday announcing that he’s working on a new recording of his tune, “Joe Frazier.” That made me think back to the 80’s when Jeff’s album Pump It! was on my turntable quite often. That tune, in particular, got a lot of attention. And so I went on the hunt for some videos of...
Bass of the Week: Hernan Gordon Astor Bass
Our new Facebook group has been great for connecting with bassists. One of the early posts was by Hernan Gordon from Argentina, who shared a pair of basses he built for himself. They are called Astor and Lautaro in dedication to his children. This week we’re checking out the Astor bass, which Gordon created based on a Fodera design. The...