Bass Videos
The Latest Bass Music Video Finds: Reggae and Dub Bass / Bass Videos With Mark von Bergen
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In no musical genre does bass play a greater role than in Jamaican music. From the mid-50s through today, popular Jamaican music has gone through stylistic changes, starting with early ska, moving to rock steady, then to roots reggae and dub, and later to modern ska and dancehall. Today all of these styles, and many sub-styles, continue to have a major influence on popular music throughout the world. And in all of these styles, bass is the defining instrument.
In this issue and the next, we will focus on reggae bassists, specifically masters of the roots reggae and dub styles. One must check flashy chops and outside harmonies at the door to play these styles. Here simple two-bar repeating patterns are often the rule, especially in dub. If the bass patterns are often so simple and reggae even today is so popular, why can one name only a few true masters of the style? Playing reggae bass is more than just rolling off the treble, slapping a set of flatwounds on your bass, and donning a red, green, and gold stocking cap. What separates the great reggae bass players from the rest is rhythmic feel – and it is virtually impossible to imitate. Let’s look at some of the great reggae bassists in this installment, and next time we will examine masters of dub.
Aston “Family Man” Barrett
Family Man is generally considered the father of reggae bass. He began as a first-call studio bassist in the late-60s in Jamaica and, together with his brother Carlton Barrett on drums, went on stardom with Bob Marley’s Wailers in the 70s. Today he continues to tour with the Wailers. This clip shows Fams with Bob Marley and the Wailers performing “Natural Mystic.” Check out the deep groove that precedes the tune.
Robbie Shakespeare
A disciple of Family Man, Robbie and his riddim twin Sly Dunbar on drums have constituted one of the most prolific and influential rhythm sections as well as production teams in all of popular music over the last three decades. While the duo has made a mark in a wide variety of styles with everyone from Bob Dylan to No Doubt to Herbie Hancock, Robbie’s style of bass has never strayed far from the roots reggae style born in the 70s in the Trenchtown-Kingston area. Here Sly & Robbie perform “What is Life?” with Black Uhuru. Serious dub begins at about the 3:58 mark.
Errol “Flabba” Holt
Flabba is the bassist in one of reggae’s longest-running back-up bands, Roots Radics, and has also recorded with the Itals, Bunny Wailer, Gregory Isaacs, Culture, Israel Vibrations, and Dub Syndicate and other Adrian Sherwood projects out of England. Flabba is shown here with Roots Radics and Israel Vibrations from 1993.
Survey of Reggae Styles
Here is an entertaining and informative video by educator Ed Friedland, in support of on his book on the different styles of Jamaican bass titled “Bass Builders: Reggae Bass” (Hal Leonard Corporation, 1998). Check out the over-the-top hat and “wig.” Jah Rastafari, anyone? No one?
This month, we discuss right-hand techniques to minimize injury while playing bass.
Dr. Randall Kertz is the author of The Bassist’s Complete Guide to Injury Management, Prevention and Better Health. Click here to get your copy today!
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Adam Russell, bassist for Story of the Year, hasn’t slowed down for a second.
With the band’s latest album A.R.S.O.N. dropping on February 13, 2026, they’ve not only delivered new music but also pushed their creativity further through a series of visually striking videos, several of which Adam himself co-directed and edited.
In this interview, we dive into the making of the new record, explore how Adam shapes his signature bass sound, and get the inside scoop on the band’s upcoming Camp Screamo Tour with Silverstein and Origami Angel.
Here’s Adam Russell.
Photo: Ryan Stephens
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Get ready for a conversation with one of Southern rock’s enduring forces, Tim Neilsen. For over 35 years, Drivin N Cryin has been delivering a powerful blend of grit, melody, and heart, and they’re not slowing down anytime soon. With their brand-new album “Crushing Flowers” set to drop on April 10th, the band is gearing up for another exciting chapter.
At the core of that signature sound is bassist Tim Nielsen, whose driving grooves have helped define the band’s identity and earned them a place in the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.
In this interview, we sit down with Tim to talk about the new album, the secrets behind his unmistakable tone, and what lies ahead for Drivin N Cryin.
Here is Tim Nielsen.
Photos: Chris Neilsen, Carlton Freeman, Ted Lanthangue, and courtesy Tim Neilsen
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Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr. Champion Love Over Hate in New Single “Hush” | New Album ‘The Offering’ Out May 1.
Bassist Oteil Burbridge and vocalist Lamar Williams Jr. continue the rollout of their forthcoming collaborative album The Offering, with the release of its second single, “Hush”. A slow-burning Southern soul meditation rooted in love, peace, and emotional clarity, the track is a centerpiece on the album with a potent, thematic statement, in Williams’ words to “block out all of that nonsense” and “remember that there is more love in the world than hate.” The full-length album arrives May 1 via Flóki Studios, recorded on Iceland’s northern coast and produced by drummer, engineer, and Soulive co-founder Alan Evans.
While much of The Offering grew out of Burbridge’s banjo-based writing, “Hush” emerged from he and Williams’ shaping a deliberate sonic vision. Burbridge says they were “trying to capture a more old school Memphis, Macon, Muscle Shoals vibe,” leaning into a Southern soul feel that fits Williams’s phrasing. The end result is a song that is unhurried with a deep pocket that allows the groove and the song’s message breathe and stand at the forefront.
The album features an all-star lineup of drummer John Morgan Kimock, percussionist Weedie Braimah, organist Melvin Seals of the Jerry Garcia Band, pianist and violinist Jason Crosby, guitarists Tom Guarna and Jaden Lehman — musicians whose overlapping histories connect the Allman Brothers Band, Dead & Company, the Jerry Garcia Band, Soulive, and West African percussion traditions.
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When I heard that American Vanity, formerly known as Burn the Jukebox, was gearing up to release a new album this summer, it felt like the perfect moment to catch up with bassist and vocalist Virginia Franks.
With a fresh name unveiled just this past January and a clear shift in musical direction, the band is entering an exciting new chapter, one defined by both sonic evolution and a deeper, more focused message.
In this conversation, Virginia opens up about the inspiration behind the upcoming record, how she crafts her distinctive bass tone, what fans can expect from their upcoming tour, and where she sees both herself and the band heading next.
Join me as we dive into it all.
Here is Virginia Franks.
Photo, Devin Kasparian
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