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If you’d told me when I was a spotty teenager in 1989 that three decades down the line, I’d be sitting down with Geddy Lee to chat about bass guitars, playing to stadium crowds, and generally being an icon of the low end, I probably would have gazed at you with a blank stare, brain fully disengaged. Funnily enough, that’s what it’s actually like to talk to the Rush frontman; your cerebral cortex can’t quite fathom the situation that you’re in. Fortunately I had our writer Ellen O’Reilly on hand to do the interview—and it’s a beauty. You’re going to love it, Rush fan or not; Geddy talks us through bass issues that we all have, and decisions that we all make, in this issue’s fantastic cover story. As always…
BASSIST OF THE YEAR 2019 After a six-month search for our champion, Italian bassist Leo De Santi was named Bassist Of The Year 2019 at the UK Guitar Show in September, in association with Orange Amplification. Three finalists were selected by a stellar panel of celebrity judges—Metallica’s Robert Trujillo, Stu Hamm, Mark King, and Vulfpeck’s Joe Dart. The live final saw each finalist given a five-minute window to impress our judges, editor Joel McIver, progressive legend Nick Beggs, and noted performer and educator Ariane Cap. Leo has won an Orange Terror Bass head, two OBC112 cabs, an Orange O Bass and other prizes, while the other finalists Marine Courtin and Andreas Oxholm each receive an O Bass and goody bag. Congratulations, all! FAMILY ALBUMS Keep an ear out for two…
If you were fortunate enough to be at the Business Design Center in London’s Islington district in the UK on 21 and 22 September, you were in for a feast of bass goodness at the UK Guitar Show, Future Publishing’s combined guitar and bass event. It was essentially a new venture for us at Bass Player and Bass Guitar magazines, because we’re previously sponsored a standalone London Bass Guitar Show: When the LBGS was merged with Future’s existing guitar event and moved from the previous Olympia venue to the BDC in Islington, many long-time visitors predicted widespread catastrophes, a plague of locusts, the imminent implosion of Earth, and so on. However, we’re delighted to report that the show was packed to the gills, with a record number of tickets sold…
NEW ALBUM Strandberg Project, Progressive Construction (2018) Loaded with Jan-Olof Strandberg’s virtuoso slap and picked bass, this recent album is prog heaven for those looking for something a little different. OLD ALBUM Mortem, Ravnsvart (1994) Miserably brutal black metal isn’t for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for clanky old bass covered in buzzsaw guitar riffs, look no further. REALLY OLD ALBUM Wings, Band On The Run (1973) Macca didn’t quite match the Beatles’ godliness with Wings—but he took one heck of a stab at it with Band On The Run.…
Welcome back, bassists! If you’ve been following this column for the past few issues, you will now hopefully feel more than prepared in the run-up to heading out on stage. This time around, I’ll be taking a request from one of our readers, Bob Tantillo, who has asked how to avoid rushing tempos and how the rhythm section can help each other to pull the tempo back when it’s needed. Thanks for getting in touch, Bob. I think the first thing to acknowledge is that live music in most capacities benefits from our own innate human feel and timing. Even against a click track, our timing can be placed differently in order to help drive the track, deliver stability, or to create a more laid-back feel. These three circumstances, commonly…
NO TREBLE KEVIN JOHNSON One of bass’s most dynamic powerhouses remembered This month sadly marked the loss of bassist Larry Taylor, who passed away at 77 after a long battle with cancer. Born in Brooklyn, Taylor is perhaps best known as the founding bassist for Canned Heat, although he was an integral part of blues, pop, and rock music for his whole life. He began his career as a teenager touring with Jerry Lee Lewis and began landing work as a session bassist in the mid-60s. There he played on music for a load of blues greats, as well as TV sensations the Monkees, with whom he recorded ‘(Theme From) The Monkees’ and bassist favourite ‘Last Train To Clarksville’. Taylor formed Canned Heat in 1967, playing the Monterey Pop Festival…
