It’s not often you get to witness a performance that feels both masterfully polished and deeply personal. “Father Son: An Evening with Nathan and Noah East and Friends” delivered exactly that when it recently rolled through Las Vegas.

Nathan East is undeniably one of the most iconic, versatile, and prolific bass players of our time. With a résumé that spans decades and genres, his musicianship has become part of the soundtrack of modern music.

Following naturally in his footsteps is his son, Noah East, an accomplished pianist and organist whose growth as a musician feels both organic and genuinely earned. Growing up in a musical household may have opened doors, but Noah has clearly put in the work to cultivate his own voice, one that’s mature, confident, and increasingly commanding.

Last year, the father-son duo released their aptly titled album, Father Son, a project that beautifully captures their musical chemistry.

In a recent conversation I had with Nathan (full interview going live in Bass Musician Magazine on April 1st), he spoke enthusiastically about taking the project on the road. When he mentioned a Las Vegas date, I immediately secured tickets.

The show took place at Myron’s at The Smith Center for the Performing Arts, one of the city’s most inviting listening rooms. The venue’s art deco ambiance and pristine acoustics make it ideal for a performance of this intimacy and sophistication. With its comfortable table seating, guests can enjoy food and beverages while remaining fully immersed in the music, a perfect setting for an evening of jazz-infused artistry.

The lineup for the evening featured Nathan on upright and electric bass, Noah on piano and Hammond B-3 organ, Donald Barrett on drums, and Michael “Nomad” Ripoll on guitar. Together, they formed a tight, well-oiled unit that impressed from the first downbeat. There was an ease on stage, an unspoken communication, that only seasoned musicians can achieve.

The set list offered a thoughtful blend of jazz standards, selections from Father Son, and songs associated with some of the biggest names Nathan has collaborated with over the years, including Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, and Daft Punk. The audience was treated to a seamless 90-minute performance with no intermission, just continuous, captivating music.

As expected, Nathan’s bass work was exceptional. His note choices and phrasing elevated every arrangement, serving the music with taste and authority. Noah’s virtuosity was evident throughout the night on both piano and organ, though it was on the Hammond B-3 where he truly seemed to shine. His touch, dynamic control, and tonal choices revealed a musician well beyond his years.

“Nomad” Ripoll’s guitar work was equally compelling, with several moments to stretch out and deliver expressive, fiery solos. Meanwhile, Donald Barrett’s drumming was tight, precise, and deeply musical. He drove the band with subtle power and, during his solo feature, displayed jaw-dropping technique that drew wide smiles from his bandmates and enthusiastic applause from the audience.

In the end, “Father Son” is more than a concert; it’s a celebration of legacy, mentorship, and shared passion. It’s rare to see generational artistry unfold in real time with such authenticity. This is a must-see show, and I’ll certainly be in the audience again the next time they return to Las Vegas.

You can check to see if they will be in your area by going to nathaneast.com or facebook.com/NathanEast/.

GENZLER® AMPLIFICATION is proud to announce the new MAGELLAN®ULV series of ULTRA * LIGHT * VERTICAL bass cabinet designs. With decades of cabinet design and build expertise, these new models are by far the lightest, most compact bass cabinets Jeff Genzler has ever offered. 

These great-sounding cabinets are tuned and ported to reproduce the depth and clarity of any bass instrument, with tight low-end support, vocal, mid-range definition, and available top-end shimmer. 

The MG-ULV cabs are all vertical designs, with a minimal stage footprint, and are constructed from a new ultra-light, multi-layer, poplar plywood, for its warmth, density, and strength, and all cabinets feature full internal acoustic dampening. 

The MG-ULV series features: 

• All vertical cabinet designs, front ported for better projection and depth 
• High-powered Neodymium speakers and tweeters 
• Ultra-light, multi-layer, poplar plywood construction 
• Small, compact stage footprints 
• Full, internal acoustic dampening 
• 12dB/octave crossover with Tweeter Level control 

QUITE SIMPLY … THE LIGHTEST, MOST COMPACT, ALL PLYWOOD CONSTRUCTION BASS CABINETS – MADE IN THE USA 

The series consists of 3 models with exceptional weight-to-performance ratios. 

MG-ULV-112T 
NEO—1X12” w/Tweeter, 350W, 8 ohm 
WT: 19.5 LBS 
DIMENSIONS: 18 1/8”H x 14 ¼”W x 14”D 
USA MAP: $1,099.99 

MG-ULV-210T 
NEO-2X10” w/Tweeter, 600W, 8 ohm 
WT: 25 LBS DIMENSIONS: 26 1/8”H x 14 ¼”W x 14”D 
USA MAP: $1,359.99 

MG-ULV-212T 
NEO-2X12” w/Tweeter, 700W, 4 ohm 
WT: 35.5 LBS 
DIMENSIONS: 29 ¾”H x 14 ¼”W x 14”D 
USA MAP: $1,599.99 

GENZLER AMPLIFICATION, staying in tune with the player community, has responded with the new MAGELLAN® ULV series; addressing player’s needs for the lightest weight, most compact bass cabinets possible, without sacrifice in tone, power, warmth, and durability. 

Discover what the warmth of wood can bring to the ultra-light bass cabinet segment. 

PRODUCTION SHIPPING—EARLY FEBRUARY 2026 

Visit online at genzleramps.com 

DR Handmade Strings, Inc. is proud to announce its highly engineered new Pink Dragon Multi-Scale Bass strings. Combining the sound, feel, and extra-long life of Dragon Skin+ with an exciting NEON Pink finish, these new strings will bring out the best tone and look of any multi-scale bass, including those with up to 37” B strings.

Making a B string longer isn’t enough. To hear the full tone and clarity of the lowest notes of your bass, you need DR’s patented Accurate Core Technology (ACT). ACT upgrades the architecture of the strings, allowing them to vibrate to their full potential. NEON Pink K3 Coating protects the strings, without choking off the sound – and gives them a light reactive signature NEON Pink look to complement your stage show. Available for 4, 5, and 6-string basses.

For more information, visit online at www.drstrings.com

Blackstar announces the BEAM MINI, a compact desktop amplifier designed for electric, bass and acoustic guitar players seeking high-quality tone, portability and intuitive control. Previewing at NAMM 2026 and launching worldwide on 24 March 2026, BEAM MINI combines Blackstar’s decades of amp design expertise with advanced component-level digital modelling, powerful DSP and a sealed, acoustically tuned cabinet to deliver immersive sound in a small, portable format suitable for home, studio and on-the-go use.

Designed to remove barriers between players and inspiration, BEAM MINI delivers best-in-class guitar tone alongside high-quality Bluetooth audio playback. Despite its compact size, the amp features two 60mm full-range drivers, two passive bass radiators and Blackstar’s Super Wide Stereo technology, creating an expansive, room-filling sound that belies its dimensions. Developed in collaboration with one of the UK’s leading acoustics experts, the sealed cabinet is engineered to provide accurate, articulate guitar tones and exceptional music playback.

At the core of BEAM MINI is advanced component-level modelling, delivering the dynamic response and feel associated with traditional tube amplifiers. The amp features twelve component-level electric guitar amp models, including six Blackstar designs and six Ampton recreations of iconic amplifiers, alongside three bass amps, two acoustic voices, an acoustic simulator and Blackstar’s patented ISF control. Each model has been meticulously voiced by Blackstar’s UK engineering team to deliver authentic tone and responsiveness.

Control is designed to be immediate and intuitive. Players can shape their sound directly on the unit using the SpeedDial and Light Beam Display, offering instant visual feedback without navigating menus. Deeper editing and expanded creative options are available through the Beam app, which provides access to a growing library of professional-grade amp, cabinet, microphone and pedal models, as well as thousands of user- and artist-generated patches.

BEAM MINI also incorporates XpressFX, allowing players to adjust the intensity of multiple effects simultaneously with a single movement of the SpeedDial. A studio-quality headset microphone input with built-in reverb enables recording vocals and guitar together, making the amp suitable for songwriting, streaming and content creation. Blackstar’s IR-driven CabRig technology provides speaker and microphone simulation designed to recreate the immediacy and feel of a real amplifier in the room, offering flexibility for live, studio and practice applications.

Built for portability, BEAM MINI features an IP66 dust-tight and weatherproof design and offers over 18 hours of playtime on a single charge. Through the Beam app, users can access official artist patches from a growing roster of players, share their own tones with the global community and explore backing tracks and video lessons designed to support practice and learning.

Designed as a complete, compact desktop solution for practice, songwriting, recording or casual play, BEAM MINI is intended to deliver uncompromising tone wherever inspiration strikes. For more information about BEAM MINI and Blackstar’s full product range, visit www.blackstaramps.com.

Spector Musical Instruments celebrates its 50th anniversary with the unveiling of a singular Custom Shop creation: a one-of-one 50th Anniversary NS-5 bass that honors five decades of craftsmanship, innovation, and history. Created as a commemorative showpiece, this exclusive instrument reflects Spector’s journey from its Brooklyn origins through its defining milestones, and will be presented publicly in a dedicated display case at NAMM, offering attendees a rare opportunity to experience the brand’s legacy through a single, historic instrument.

Built on Spector’s iconic NS-5 platform, the 50th Anniversary Custom Shop Bass features a neck-thru-body construction paired with solid, master-grade maple wings. The instrument is finished in a striking gold stained finish, chosen to symbolize the significance of Spector’s 50-year milestone. A defining visual element of the bass is its full-fingerboard and headstock inlay, designed in collaboration with Pearl Works, which employs a postcard-and-stamp motif to chronicle Spector’s history. The inlay artwork spans the entire fingerboard and headstock, illustrating key chapters in the brand’s evolution, from its early Brooklyn years to its present-day home in the Catskills. The bass is built on a 35” scale length, further reinforcing its modern performance foundation beneath the commemorative aesthetic.

As a historical and visual centerpiece, the 50th Anniversary Custom Shop Bass was conceived primarily as a storytelling instrument. This one-of-one bass stands apart from Spector’s production offerings, existing as a museum-grade instrument designed to visually represent the brand’s 50-year journey.

Summing up the project, Spector’s Global Brand Manager John Stippell stated “It has been amazing to work with Pearl Works to deliver this narrative inlay chronicling Spector’s storied history. We’re all thrilled to show off such a stunning bass for our 50th anniversary and continue on for another 50!” 

For more information about Spector Musical Instruments and its 50th anniversary celebration, visit NAMM Booth #6802 or online at www.spectorbass.com