Boston will be the epicenter of a significant rumble in September when the “New Face of Bass” at Berklee officially debuts, led by a visage quite familiar to readers of Bass Player and attendees of Bass Player LIVE! Steve Bailey has succeeded Rich Appleman as the Chairman of the Bass Department at the renowned Beantown institution. He arrives along with John Patitucci, who will be in residence at the school one week per month. Bailey actually begins his tenure in June, learning the ropes from assistant chair John Repucci during the summer semester.

 

It will be an insane summer and fall for the fretless bass force, who is already on the road with Victor Wooten’s new septet in support of Victor’s upcoming simultaneous release of two CDs: Words and Tones, a vocal album, and Sword and Stone, an instrumental disc. Steve has been spending hours daily practicing trombone, an instrument...

Whoa. Last night's celebration of James Jamerson—who was receiving Samson's International Bassist Award—was over-the-top cool. Major props to all who played: James Jamerson, Jr., Nate Watts, Will Lee, Stu Hamm, JD DeServio, Robert DeLeo, and many more. Glenn Hughes sang of a few numbers, and it was downright staggering how good he sounded.

A touching tribute came from none other than Stevie Wonder, who also treated the crowd to a few tunes. "James would say to me, 'They say you're a genius, but you ain't shit,'" Stevie recalled, pointing out Jamerson's deep love and respect for jazz. "My left hand on the keyboard is because of James Jamerson's bass," he went on to say.

It's ON! Just checked in, got my badge, and am now soaking in a bit of SoCal sunshine before hitting the NAMM Show floor. The show doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, but I know I'll want to get a good lay of the land before the craziness begins. We'll be posting photos, videos, and blogs galore through Sunday, so be sure to check in frequently to see what's caught our eye. We've gotten word of a bunch of new bass products -- should be an exciting few days!

It's ON! Just checked in, got my badge, and am now soaking in a bit of SoCal sunshine before hitting the NAMM Show floor. The show doesn't officially begin until tomorrow, but I know I'll want to get a good lay of the land before the craziness begins. We'll be posting photos, videos, and blogs galore through Sunday, so be sure to check in frequently to see what's caught our eye. We've gotten word of a bunch of new bass products -- should be an exciting few days!

As a music journalist since 1982, I’ve been fortunate to speak to many of the greatest bassists of the last fifty years about the original works of art they created on their instruments and as composers. As a professional bassist since 1979, my path has been quite different, meaning I—like the majority of gainfully employed musicians the world over—have mainly played cover songs (and by extension, cover bass lines). Maybe that’s why I’ve been totally captivated over the past month by a collection of internet artists who are reimagining today’s Top 40 the way jazz musicians reinvented Broadway show tunes in the ’50s. It all started innocently at Bass Player LIVE!, when before his excellent effects clinic Tim Lefebvre handed me a CD he had guested on called Think Thoughts by Louis Cole and Genevieve Artadi, an experimental duo he is also performing with live. I spun the disc on the long ride home from a gig in Boston and really enjoyed the pair’s highly musical approach to electronica,...

Just days remain before what promises to be an historic Bass Player LIVE!

With just about a week to go, Bass Player LIVE! 2011 is shaping up to have the most star-studded lineup in the 12-year history of the event.

By Chris JisiChris Jisi (right) talks shop with Jess Oliver in his Long Island workshop.Although I didn’t get to meet Jess Oliver until the December of his remarkable life, when I traveled to his charming home and storied basement on

By Rod TaylorAnother great day at Wooten Woods. Victor’s brothers, Reggie and Roy (Futureman), showed up yesterday, and Victor and his sibs played a bit for us before lunch, accompanied by Bob Franceschini on sax. In the afternoon, Victor and

By Rod TaylorToday marks the first full day of Victor Wooten’s Music Nature Camp, located at Wooten Woods outside of Nashville, TN. Last night 60 campers used their instruments to introduce themselves to each other, which resulted in some interesting