No Treble Archive for July 10th

Put on your headphones, or better yet – plug this into your surround sound system. Nathan Navarro just sent us this video, which features him playing a Wilcox bass with a breakout box that essentially routes each string to its own output.

Helen Svoboda has released a new album called “Vegetable Bass”. The double bassist and vocalist used her debut solo effort as a chance to explore the “intricate combination of the overtone series and the human voice.”

Geddy Lee has announced a new run of stops for his book tour. This time he’ll cover the U.S. with six dates in mid-July. The outing is continuing to support “Geddy Lee’s Big Beautiful Book of Bass,” which he wrote after Rush’s final shows.

This week’s “Ask” question centers around bass instruction books: which ones Damian prefers to teach from, and which ones were instrumental to his learning. Check out his list of recommendations.

Jazz|Green just shared the complete performance of Marcus Miller and his band at Estival Jazz Lugano 2019. The set includes tunes from Marcus’s latest album, “Laid Black,” and more.

Organist Mike LeDonne has released a new trio album called “Partners in Time” with Lewis Nash on drums and Christian McBride on bass. Recorded at the Van Gelder Studio, the album ranges from traditional straight-ahead swing to modern style jazz.

Meet John W Lauler, who has an interesting tale in his path to picking up the bass (more on that below). John stays busy in the Chicago music scene, performing a range of styles almost every night of the week. John is this week’s No Treble reader in the spotlight. Here’s his story… Bio: I’m a bassist living in Chicago,...

Boss has announced the WL Series of wireless systems for bass, guitar, and other electronic instruments. The line has three models – the WL-20, WL-20L, and WL-50 – that the company says offer “ultra-low latency and rock-solid stability.” Each unit has a built-in rechargeable battery in the transmitter that allows for up to 12 hours of continuous playing time. The...

The members of Lake Street Dive met in the early 2000’s at the New England Conservatory. NEC had the group visit the campus as part of the conservatory’s ongoing concert series, in support of the band’s new album, Free Yourself Up. Here’s the group – featuring once again the terrific bass lines and backing vocals of Bridget Kearney – performing...

After returning to the fold two years ago, Crowbar bassist Todd Strange is once again leaving the band. Crowbar made the announcement on social media. “Crowbar will be performing Odd Fellows Rest 20th anniversary show at Southport Music Hall August 4th,” they write. “We did it at Roadburn Fest in The Netherlands, and want to share this classic in our...

This week we’re checking out a unique instrument made by Rikkers Guitars. Made in the Netherlands, the Treeline is a lightweight single-cut design derived from their Powerline model. “The Treeline is a tribute to wood as a natural product. No trees no life – let alone custom basses,” Rikkers writes. “The single-cut construction allows for optimal energetic transmission of the...

Here’s something to help start your week off right: the top 10 No Treble reader favorite videos of the month. Thanks for watching. 1. Jeff Berlin: Shenandoah Jeff Berlin recently shared this video on Facebook, and it knocked me out. “While filming some lesson videos, I decided to improvise a rendition of the American classic, ‘Shenandoah,’” he shared… 2. Thundercat:...

I love genre-bending music, and the New York Gypsy All Stars are kings of blending styles from around the world. It also helps that Panagiotis Andreou is a monster bass player. Besides an unshakeable groove, Andreou has a way of finding some of the nastiest effects to propel a song. Here’s a live clip of the band playing “Cloud Nine”...

Time for another round of the weekly top 10, where we celebrate the most reader favorite stories, how-to’s, videos and more. Thanks as always for reading, watching, commenting and sharing. 1. Talking Technique: Beautiful Practice This lesson is called “Beautiful Practice” for a reason. Our exercise this week creates a lush harmony and texture all while working out our theory...

After 40 years holding down the low end for AC/DC, bassist Cliff Williams has announced he will retire after the band’s current tour. Williams, who replaced Mark Evans in mid-1977, cites the recent departure of other longtime members guitarist Malcolm Young, drummer Phil Rudd, and vocalist Brian Johnson as part of the reason for stepping down. “It’s been what I’ve...

Franklin Peredo never ceases to amaze me. His latest video is for the song “Funktopia Robotica” and it features the bassist’s crazy right hand technique to make the music sound like the title suggests. It’s not that he’s strumming, thumping, popping and tapping – it’s that he does it so fluidly you forget about the techniques and listen to the...

Longstanding jazz-funk outfit Incognito — the band’s been around for 37 years — features not only the work of its bassist, Francis Hylton, on its 17th studio album, In Search of Better Days, but also original Jamiroquai bassist Stuart Zender. Zender guests on the album’s opening track, “Love Born in Flames” (you’ll see Hylton on keyboards in the video below)....

Today we’re checking out the Ibanez BTB33. Ibanez has been making great instruments for decades now, and has been a mainstay for musicians in all styles. No news there. This bass is unique for it’s particular purpose, which is for the bassist that likes to solo, comp chords and be on the front line. This bass comes set up as...

Bassist and all-around good guy Or Lubianiker just sent me his latest video. This time around, it is one of Or’s own compositions, which he performed with help from his Project RnL bandmates Eyal Amir (keyboards) and Sharon Petrover (drums). Enjoy “In Orbit”.

As we continue to mourn the loss of Yes bassist Chris Squire, we can also take delight in one of his latter-day performances with the band he founded in the late 1960s. When the legendary progressive rock group played in Mesa, Arizona on Aug. 12, 2014, Squire, — who died June 27, 2015 of acute erythroid leukemia — was the...

This week we check out the Custom AG by Belgian luthier Paul Belgrado. Finished in a root beer color nitrocellulose finish, the bass gives an air of classic ideas with a modern approach. The AG is built with an alder body, maple neck, and madagascar rosewood fingerboard. It gets its meaty sound from a pair of Lindy Fralin double coil,...

Here’s something I never thought I’d see. Studio legend Carol Kaye gave KISS bassist Gene Simmons an impromptu bass lesson at Sunset Sound studios in Hollywood, and luckily cameras were rolling to catch it.

Q: I recently moved to a new city, and I am starting to meet new musicians rather quickly (or at least, faster than I expected). I put an ad on Craigslist to meet and jam with bands – blues, rock, funk, jazz stuff. I received a reply from a band that needs a full time dedicated bass player. I like...

There’s so much to like about this video, it’s hard to figure out where to begin. Bart Soeters made this video to showcase the diverse sounds of the bass. Accompanied by Joris Holtackers on drums and keys, Soeters uses 19 (!) basses throughout the jam to show the wide variety of tones and feels that each bass achieves. If you...

Thundercat, aka bassist Stephen Bruner, has returned with his second full-length album, Apocalypse. Continuing Bruner’s unique hip hop meets jazz meets indie rock style, the effort centers on the cycle of life and all its ups and downs. The topic has been heavy on the bassist’s mind since the passing of his close friend and fellow musician, Austin Peralta, who...

Meet Heyko Gülicher, a bassist from Germany who takes on the big task of anchoring a Jamiroquai tribute band dubbed Jamirolike. He says he fell in love with the bass “from the first time [he] played Peter Gunn on an E string”. Heyko is our player in the spotlight for the week of July 10, 2012. Bio: I’ve been brought...

Is there anything better than an awesome bass video? How about ten awesome bass videos? Here are the most watched videos on No Treble last month. Enjoy. 1. Billie Jean’s All Stars, Featuring Marcus Miller What do you get when you have five jazz masters improvise to an a cappella version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”? An Italian radio show...

I’ve been listening to Vulfpeck’s EP, Mit Peck a lot lately. The band – which is the Vulfrecords Records’ house rhythm section – is so funky, thanks in large part to bassist Joe Dart who just lives in the pocket. But the whole group just grooves, with drummer Jack Stratton, keyboardist Woody Goss and guitarist Theo Katzman. This tune, “Prom”,...

At only 20 years old, Erena Terakubo is off to an amazing start. The Japanese alto saxophonist has made her North American debut with New York Attitude, tapping some legendary jazz musicians for the occasion: bassist Ron Carter, pianist Kenny Barron, drummer Lee Pearson and trumpeter Dominic Farinacci. Carter’s unmistakable swing permeates and pushes each track as Terakubo practically sings...

Le Fay Basses has unveiled the Herr Schwarz Grant Stinnett D-Tuner Model, a 34” scale bass with a D-Tuner on each string. This allows for alternate tunings on the fly. The bass is handmade at the Le Fay shop in Germany and features an Ash body, 5-piece Maple neck and Rosewood fingerboard. The hardware and electronics are also made by...

Rocco Prestia shows his usual funky self in this live performance with Fred Horn’s Steady Fready band. The group is performing the Maceo Parker tune “Southwick”. Thanks to Facebook friend Per Ivar Øye who shared this video with us.

Here’s a cool clip from the 2008 Detroit International Jazz Festival Artist-in-Residence program, with Christian McBride.

Michael Henderson is no stranger to having his music sampled. The bassist, who toured with Stevie Wonder and recorded with Miles Davis during his electric years, has had clips of his music used in songs by Jay-Z, Eminem, Notorious B.I.G., and more. He also knows, however, when his music is being used without his permission. Henderson has filed a lawsuit...

David Ellefson, bassist for F5, continues with his Rock Shop series on YouTube with “The Discipline of Practice”. Ellefson explains the many benefits to disciplined practice and ways to make the process enjoyable as well as productive.

Wilco has released their seventh album, Wilco (The Album), on NoneSuch Records. The album came together after the band’s January 2009 involvement in an Oxfam International benefit project in Auckland, New Zealand. Wilco is an alternative rock band out of Chicago IL, including original members Jeff Tweedy (vocals) and John Stirratt (bass), with guitarist Nels Cline, drummer Glenn Kotche, and...

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails has announced band will play a final “handful of shows” in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles beginning August 22. June 12 was supposed to mark the end of the NIN US tour with Jane’s Addiction, but Reznor published a post stating: ““the NIN/JA tour felt like we had to rush through sets due...