Damian Erskine Archives - Page 2

Jaco Pastorius’ music, as played in the past and closer to the present, are the focus of Now & Then, the two-CD import set from the Jaco Pastorius Big Band. The first disc of the Japanese import is the “Then” part of the package, featuring previously unreleased takes from Jaco’s 1981 “Birthday Concert.” The second disc is primarily culled from...

The internet is a wonderful thing. Gregor Fris from BasstheWorld.com put together this epic bass jam with 29 bassists from all over the world for a stunning display of the instrument’s diversity. The bassists in order of appearance are Federico Malaman, Lars Lehmann, Trip Wamsley, Or Lubianiker, Hyunmo Kim (aka “hjfreaks”), Ralf Gauck, Zander Zon, Nathan Navarro, Miki Santamaria, Nik...

Toronto-based contemporary jazz ensemble, The Brad Cheeseman Group, has released its self-titled debut album to acclaim from no less than bassist (and No Treble columnist) Damian Erskine. Erskine says the band, featuring Cheeseman on electric bass, offers “Fantastic music, expertly played and 100 percent devoid of ego-driven writing and playing.” The band, active since 2012, started gaining notoriety in 2013...

Damian Erskine has released, Within Sight, an album that explores the boundaries of the bass in jazz fusion. The long-awaited followup to 2010’s So To Speak features the bassist’s unique voice on nine original compositions that vary in tone and texture for an intriguing listen. “This album is my attempt to put it all out there,” Erskine writes. “The chance...

A couple of weeks ago, Damian Erskine sent me an email filled with excitement. Here’s an excerpt: You know about my trip to pick up my dad’s bass in St Louis, right? Well, Jim Widner (who cared for it for the past 25 years) pointed out a name carved in the front. Faint but clear: “Shaw”. Apparently this was Arvell...

There comes a time for every bassist where they feel they’re in a rut or have hit a plateau in their playing and creativity. It happens to the best of us. Bassist and No Treble contributor Damian Erskine’s new book The Improvisor’s Path is a surefire way to get yourself back into high gear. While Erskine’s first instructional book, Right...

Damian Erskine was No Treble’s first regular columnist, and he has been going strong every Wednesday afternoon since June, 2009. We feel very lucky to have him and based on readership, you all agree. Here are Damian’s top 10 most popular columns this year, based on readership. There’s a lot of great advice in here! 1. Butter Strings: A Guide...

Guitarist/composer Justin Morell’s new album Subjects and Compliments is an experimental exploration of the relationship between the jazz and classical idioms. Compositionally, Morell reaches into the past with fugue forms on some tracks while also blending in room for solos on others. The ensemble itself fits somewhere between a big band and jazz combo and chamber group with instruments ranging...

Damian Erskine’s Ask Damian column is our longest running column on No Treble. For over four years – and I believe a total of 216 columns so far – Damian’s column has also been one of the most popular, thanks to the unique way he breaks things down. Damian is looking for more questions to answer. So if you have...

A couple of months ago we featured bassist (and No Treble contributor) Damian Erskine, performing “Invitation” live with the Jaco Pastorius Big Band in Japan. There’s so much that’s great about these performances, including the fact that Damian shared the stage with his uncle, and long-time Jaco collaborator, drummer Peter Erskine. Here’s a fan shot video of the group performing...

How cool is this? Bassist (and No Treble columnist) Damian Erskine joins his uncle, drummer Peter Erskine, in a live performance with the Jaco Pastorius Big Band. This performance was part of Jaco’s 60th birthday celebration and took place last November in Kawasaki, Japan. Damian kills it!

Once again, we have proof that all you really need is bass. (Well, maybe with a little help from Andrew Fisenden, who is doing some nifty percussion work.) Here’s Damian Erskine, Federico Malaman and Dane Alderson performing at the TecAmp booth at NAMM last month. As we like to say, “the only thing better than one bass is three…” (or...