Buzz
Charred Walls of the Damned Releases Third Album
Metal band Charred Walls of the Damned has released it third studio album, Creatures Watching Over the Dead, which bandleader Richard Christy (drums) composed over the past five years. “When I write for Charred Walls I never really plan anything out. I just start playing riffs and if something sounds really cool, I’ll build a song from there. My only...
Weekly Top 10: Talking Technique, Creative Bass Lines, New Bass Gear, Top Videos and More
Happy Sunday. Another great week from the land of the low end. Check out the top 10 reader favorites this week. Thanks for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Talking Technique: The Pistol Grip If you’ve followed this column for a while, you know we place a lot of emphasis on good technique. In this lesson, Ariane discusses the disadvantages...
Filmmakers Announce “Darryl Jones: Like a Rolling Stone” Documentary
Filmmakers Eric Hamburg and Rick English have announced a project called Darryl Jones: Like a Rolling Stone. The documentary will focus on the bass legend’s career as well as follow him during the making of his debut solo album. Jones has played with Sting, Miles Davis, Madonna, and more, though he is currently best known as bassist for the Rolling...
Weather Report with Victor Bailey: D Flat Waltz, Live in Japan (1985)
Our thoughts are with Victor Bailey as he struggles with serious health issues. Yesterday, Wayne Shorter shared a video of Weather Report performing in Japan in 1985. This particular clip of “D Flat Waltz” really took me back to a time spinning vinyl and admiring Victor’s work as a teenager. And it wasn’t just his work with Weather Report, but...
Steve Swallow Helps Turn Country Into Jazz on John Scofield’s Latest
Jazz bassist Steve Swallow (Carla Bley, Gary Burton) has once again worked with guitarist John Scofield on the jazz-country album, Country for Old Men. The album sees Scofield, who produced, and his band paying homage to country artists like George Jones, Dolly Parton, Merle Haggard, James Taylor, and Hank Williams, as they transform country tunes into jazz pieces. Here’s a...
Bass Gear Roundup: The Top Gear Stories in September 2016
September is in the books, so it is time to look back at the most popular gear stories for the month. Here are the top 10 most read bass gear stories, as voted by reader views. Thanks for reading, commenting and sharing. 1. Gibson 2017 EB Bass T Model Gibson has unveiled their 2017 instrument lineup, including the new Gibson...
Frank and Joris Brunot: Pulling Me Through/Beautiful
Bassist Frank Brunot and guitarist/vocalist Joris Brunot teamed up to play make this awesome musical mixture of “Pulling Me Through” by Todd Dulaney and “Beautiful” by Mali Music. The tone of the music is gorgeous, and Frank’s bass playing is beyond fantastic.
Ron Carter Records Trio Album With Bad Plus Pianist
Ethan Iverson, pianist for The Bad Plus, always wanted to make an album with the prolific bassist/cellist/composer Ron Carter. And so now he has on The Purity of the Turf, which sees Iverson working in a trio with Carter and drummer drummer Nasheet Waits. The record is on Criss Cross records, which releases jazz recordings made by groups working together...
The Dillinger Escape Plan Announce Fall Tour
Earlier this month, the Dillinger Escape Plan announced they will be taking an indefinite hiatus after the release of their upcoming album, Dissociation, and its accompanying tour cycle. Now the band has revealed the list of seemingly final tour dates that will take them across the U.S. from coast to coast and back. Anchored by bassist Liam Wilson, the band...
The Lightbulb Moment: Small Adjustments, Big Results
We’re all looking for ways to get more bang for our buck, especially when it comes to practicing. We watch videos, scroll through forums, and read columns about how to establish a better practice routine (you may be doing this right now). So, for what it’s worth, here are my two cents. Frankly, most of us don’t like to practice...
Anderson .Paak and The Free Nationals: Put Me Thru
This one just knocked me out. Anderson .Paak took his band, The Free Nationals, into the Rock Revival Showroom to do a live session. Here’s the group performing “Put Me Thru,” – from the album – with some added crunchy goodness. Bassist Kelsey Gonzalez lays it down on this one.
Aidan Hampson Releases Diva Bass Line Transcriptions
Top bass transcriber Aidan Hampson has turned his attention to the divas, releasing a book, “The Best Diva Basslines,” devoted to the bass lines the have supported the work of some of popular music’s most celebrated female singers. The track list spans more than 50 years and range from Etta James’ jazz classic “At Last” to Adele’s “Set Fire to...