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TC Electronic Introduces Sub ‘N’ Up Octaver Pedal
TC Electronic has introduced the Sub ‘N’ Up, an octaver pedal that features their next-generation octave engine. The unit has one octave up control and two sub-octaves with a dry control to dial in your direct signal. The first sub control mixes in an octave down signal while the sub 2 control mixes in a signal two octaves lower for...
How to Reharmonize a Song
Q: I’ve heard jazz musicians talk about “reharms”, which are just reharmonization of a song (or so I’m told). Can you explain how to “reharmonize” a song? A: There was a time where I was also mystified by whatever the process of reharmonizing a tune might be. I figured that it must require some deep, deep level of understanding of...
Miles Mosley: How I Got The Gig
Bass monster Miles Mosley’s impressive resume is a who’s who of popular music. He’s shared the stage and studio with Chris Cornell, Common, Christina Aguilera, Jonathan Davis, Herbie Hancock, Gnarls Barkley, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Mosley recently opened up to Jammcard during their “How I Got the Gig” interview series about how he landed the role...
Matthew Garrison Gets Personal in Trio With Jack DeJohnette
Bass virtuoso Matthew Garrison; drummer, pianist and composer Jack DeJohnette; and saxophonist Ravi Coltrane, son of the legendary sax player/composer John Coltrane, have combined their talents as a trio. DeJohnette, who also happens to be Matt’s godfather, played with both Matthew and Ravi’s fathers a half-century ago, when he guested with Coltrane’s group. Matt’s father, Jimmy, was Coltrane’s bassist for...
Reader Spotlight: Nick Thorpe
Meet Nick Thorpe, a young bassist with an already impressive history. Nick is currently a high school student who is pursuing his music in a big way – and has goals to continue his studies at Berklee following high school. Nick is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I’ve been playing for almost 5...
Top 10: The Most Watched Bass Videos (April 2016)
One of our favorite top 10 lists is here – the monthly reader favorite bass videos. Here are the most watched videos on No Treble in April. Thanks for watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Jeff Healey with Marcus Miller: See The Light Ian Pettersson has sent us a handful of great videos, and he just sent us another. “An old...
Jesús Rico Pérez: Paloma
Jesús Rico Pérez is back with another beautiful solo bass video. “[This is an] old tune for my lil´ daughter, Paloma,” he shared. Stunning, as always.
Steve Swallow and Carla Bley Continue Musical Journey
Prolific jazz bassist Steve Swallow’s long musical association with his life partner, pianist Carla Bley, and saxophonist Andy Sheppard, continues with the trio’s latest, Andando El Tiempo. The five-track album features Bley’s compositions, including a three-part title piece, which addresses addiction recovery. Another piece takes inspiration from Mendelssohn and Paul Haines’ poetry. Check out this live Paris performance of the...
Bass of the Week: Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special SS
In 2011, Squier added to their retro-styled Vintage Modified series with the Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Special SS. The model riffs on the Fender Jaguar but pares things down on the controls as well as the scale. Squier describes the 30-inch scale bass as “short and sweet with a big sound”. Its overall design is based on the Fender Jaguar...
Talking Technique: Tapping into Tapping
Today we’re talking tapping! I get a lot of questions about tapping because of Oon, my duo with bassoonist Paul Hanson. I get to play chords, melodies, and grooves – sometimes at the same time. Tapping is a helpful technique to expand the possibilities of the bass, but it must be used with taste! Function comes first. This lesson will...
Olivier Babaz and Mark Nelson: L’appel Du Vide
Bassist Olivier Babaz is back with another bass and kalimba video that will make you question what’s physically possible. “L’appel Du Vide” is a track from his latest album, Odd Light, and features drummer Mark Nelson. The song features several groove changes that Babaz and Nelson navigate magnificently. Hold on to your hats.
Haken Releases “Affinity”
Progressive metal band Haken has released its fourth full-length studio album, Affinity. While bassist Conner Green appeared on the band’s 2014 EP Restoration, Affinity marks his first album effort with the band. Green took over bass duties with Thomas MacLean’s 2013 departure from the group. The Prog Report has already given the album high marks, calling the track “The Architect”...