Buzz
Fender Unveils Flea Signature Jazz Bass
Fender has teamed up with bass legend Flea to release the Flea Signature Jazz Bass. The new model is a recreation of the bassist’s Shell Pink 1961 Jazz Bass he received from a fan and used to record the Red Hot Chili Peppers albums Stadium Arcadium and The Getaway. “Shell Pink is the rarest of Fender’s classic Custom Color finishes,...
Custom Shop: SVS Designs
Many basses tend to have similar body shapes, but that’s not the case with SVS Designs. Each bass is drawn from the imagination of its owner and tweaked for real life use by luthier Shawn Shannon. With a background in extreme metal, it’s no surprise that the basses carry a certain extreme quality in their designs, although each bass is...
Shaun Martin: Madiba
Pianist Shaun Martin’s album features some great tunes, and a great band. Here they are, with bassist Keith Taylor having fun holding down the low end on the tune “Madiba”. This one grooves.
BadBadNotGood Releases “IV”
Canadian hip-hop-influenced jazz group BadBadNotGood has returned with its latest album, IV. The album, which features founding member Chester Hansen on bass, has a sound that approximates “jam session in space between Can, John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters, Weather Report, Arthur Russell & MF DOOM,” according to press info. Hansen tells JiggaJuice radio that the album is a result of...
The Pixies Name Paz Lenchantin as Permanent Member, Announce Album and Tour
The Pixies are back in full force. Besides announcing a new album with an accompanying world tour, the band stated that Paz Lenchantin is now a permanent member of the iconic outfit. The bassist has been the group’s touring fill-in since January 2014. Lenchantin followed Kim Shattuck, who had replaced founding bassist Kim Deal in 2013. “I was very nervous...
Promoting Yourself as a Bassist
Q: I’m currently playing for a punk band that has pretty good local success in that genre, however, having done this for a while I know no band lasts forever and I would like to aim higher. I would also like to get my name out as a bassist available for side projects, lessons, etc. I made a separate Facebook...
Mike Stern Band: KT
The Mike Stern Band always seems to feature an impressive lineup, and this one is no exception. In this clip, the band performs “KT” at the Blue Note Milano on November 4th, 2015. The group this time features Stern on guitar, Janek Gwizdala on bass, Randy Brecker on trumpet and Steve Smith on drums.
Biffy Clyro Tries to Top Itself on Latest Album
Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro has released its seventh studio album, Ellipsis. The album comes three years after the group’s previous high-water mark, 2013’s Opposites, a fairly epic album that the band wasn’t necessarily certain that it could pull off, according to a band interview in DIY magazine. “We’ve got a benchmark,” bassist/vocalist James Johnston said. “We have to be...
Reader Spotlight: Lazarus Michaelides
Meet Lazarus Michaelides, a bassist living and working in London on a variety of musical related projects. Lazarus’ story caught our eye for his appreciation for everything happening in the world of bass, while keeping it “simple” in his playing. Lazarus is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: Lazarus Michaelides is a freelance Bass...
Top 10: The Most Watched Bass Videos (June 2016)
We love the top 10 lists, especially since they’re based on reader responses to the things we post here. Here are the top 10 No Treble reader favorite bass videos for the month of June. Lots of great bass here, worth celebrating once again. Thanks for watching, commenting and sharing! 1. Jeff Berlin, Scott Henderson and Billy Cobham: Stratus Jeff...
Sound Struggle: Rise
When Sound Struggle’s new video hit my radar, it blew me away. Their song “Rise” starts out in a way that makes you think you know what the song is all about. Then something pretty epic happens. Then it changes again, and then it really gets epic. Anchored by bassist Joe Calderone, here’s the band in a performance backed by...
Miroslav Vitous Returns to Weather Report’s Music with New Album
Weather Report founding bassist Miroslav Vitous is revisiting his old band’s work on his latest album, Music of Weather Report. Czech bassist Vitous assembled a sextet to play the music of the famed fusion band, which he left in 1973. (His replacement was Alfonso Johnson, who was in turn, replaced by Jaco Pastorius). The result is a set shimmering with...