Chris Brandt has been my bass tech for well over a decade. His knowledge and skills as a tech are second to none, but he also...
Ric Fierabracci “Hemispheres” www.ricfierabracci.com I was anticipating this release from Fierabracci, having heard his name quite a bit and knowing his impressive resume spanning everything from...
Meet Reviewer Damian Erskine Matthew Garrison “Improvisio” www.garrisonjazz.com This new release (of equal billing) featuring Matthew Garrison (bs), Jeff Sipe (dr) & Alex Machacek (gtr) is...
Meet Reviewer Damian Erskine Jaco Pastorius “The Essential” www.jacopastorius.com I know… I can hear you all the way from here. It goes something like, “ok. Did...
Meet Reviewer Damian Erskine Doug Johns “Doug Johns” www.dougjohns.com I’ll admit, I hadn’t heard of Doug Johns before. Again, I’m amazed at the wealth of “undiscovered”...
Meet Reviewer Damian Erskine Alex Bershadsky “Junk” www.myspace.com/alexanderbershadsky Israeli Fret-less Bass phenom, Alex Bershadsky, is sure to secure himself a slot in the minds of bass...
It’s possible that many of the people reading this have found themselves in a position where they’ve had to play a song that they’ve never heard...
“Making the simple complicated is commonplace; making the complicated simple, awesomely simple, that’s creativity” -Charles Mingus Charlie Haden’s tone and minimalism have made him one of...
Today music fans are not only listening in the comfort of their homes but they are also watching. Thirty years ago, there may have been one...
The first topic I’d like to cover in this slap series is what I call double thumbing. I guess I’m “old school” when it comes to...
In my pursuit of understanding tonality, I discovered that I play way too many notes. I’m reminded of a comment about my 11 string bass, when...
I remember entering a metro talent search when I was in high school. I was a Stanley Clarke fanatic and even performed in a custom made...
Let’s see, a healthy dash of salt — well maybe a little more. Next some fresh ground pepper and a couple of cloves of garlic, then...
When I received the news of the recent death of Joe Zawinul age 75, I was shocked and shaken, to say the least. It had been...
In our last training session (click here to view Part 1) we downloaded and listened to Autumn Leaves, learned the melody, then practiced embellishing and filling...