Bass Guitar | The Musicians blog

Remember Mott The Hoople?…

In the late 60s and early 70s Mott The Hoople was (of course) an English rock (with some glam slants) band that had R&B chops as their roots. They provided some very interesting and strong original sounds for sure.

Unfortunately for these old time rockers some of its original members have passed on…

Drummer Dale “Buffin” Griffin died January 2016 after being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s… And in January 2017 Mott the Hoople Bassist, Peter Overend Watts Died due to throat cancer.

Their radio cut, “All the Young Dudes” (written by David Bowie) will continue on as a mainstay of their cult rock music.

Here’s a video from one of their last concerts (via 2013) – and below you can read further about their career in a special blog released by By Nick DeRiso for Ultimate Classic Rock .com.

Jam On!
-Ron

“Watts helped start the Buddies with Mick Ralphs, a band that evolved into Mott the Hoople after periods in which it was known as the Doc Thomas Group, the Shakedown Sound, then Silence. They became Mott the Hoople after Hunter joined in 1969.”…

Bass Player Stranded in Tour Van…

Sometimes good ol’-fashioned parody deserves some place within the musician network. If you’ve been on tour before, you know that it’s important to keep your sanity by fooling around and playing fun pranks on each other.

Now, this article (below) claims more of a ‘tongue and cheek’ mention of a tour prank… akin to the Onion News.

In any case, many of us can totally relate to the lightheartedness of this matter.

Oh this poor bass player. (hehe)

Jam On!
– Ron

(via https://thehardtimes.net)

After 20 minutes of searching the venue for the van’s owners, Nunez and a few onlookers decided to take action. “We knew we had to act fast,” she said. “We tried to talk to him, but he seemed disoriented and would not stop looking at his phone…

Read and Enjoy it Here:
https://thehardtimes.net/2016/06/24/irresponsible-musicians-leave-bassist-hot-van/

Rock Guitarist, Sister Rosetta Tharpe was ahead of her time…

It’s interesting to note some of the long ‘lost’ guitar players, before there was a lot of media to push the entertainment industry. It’s especially interesting if one of our earliest pioneers on the ax was non-other than a hip woman.

Sister Rosetta Tharpe was ahead of her time. Well, ahead of many cats to follow… including Hendrix, Elvis, Chuck Berry to name just a few. She played a good deal of gospel… you could even call it, gospel metal at that time.

During the 1940s through the Sixties, her recordings played a highly significant role in the creation of rock. Presley, J Lee Lewis, Cash and Litl’ Richard cited her as an inspiration.

Here’s to the women of original rock…
Jam On!
-Ron

(via and by Forgotten Guitar)

As a musician, she was simply ahead of her time. Maybe even by several decades.

Born in 1915 in Cotton Plant, Arkansas, Tharpe developed her distinctive style of singing and playing at age 6, when she was taken by her evangelist mother to Chicago to join Roberts Temple Church of God in Christ. At 23 she left the church and moved to New York. While performing there, she was signed by Decca Records. For the following 30 years she performed extensively to packed venues across the U.S. and Europe and recorded more than a dozen albums…

Read and Learn more about Sister Rosetta here…
https://forgottenguitar.com/2015/11/10/sister-rosetta-tharpe-and-her-62-gibson-les-paul-renamed-sg-in-1963-custom-performing-up-above-my-head-in-the-1960s/

Paul Kantner of Jefferson Airplane died at 74…

We’ve lost another one… Paul Kantner was (of course) founding member of the 60’s psychedelic rock band, Jefferson Airplane. Not sure what comes to your mind, but as a guitar player, I get the feeling of cool ‘riffs’ and ‘hooks’ when I listen to Airplane…

Paul Kantner, among the titans of the San Francisco music scene, passed away (Jan. 28 2016). Kantner was 74 and experienced a cardiac arrest. Paul was inducted in the Rock Hall of Fame in 1996 as a collaborate with the Jefferson Airplane with the 1967 “Surrealistic Pillow” album.

This article from the Chronicle goes into great details on Paul’s background…
Jam On!
-Ron

(credit given: By Aidin Vaziri via San Francisco Chronicle)

As quoted from the article…
“The band was formed in 1965 in a Union Street bar called the Drinking Gourd, when Balin met Mr. Kantner and expressed his interest in creating a “… folk-rock” band. It didn’t take long for the Airplane to attract a sizable local following, enough so that when fledgling promoter Bill Graham opened his legendary Fillmore Auditorium, the Jefferson Airplane served as the first headliner.”

More here…
https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/Jefferson-Airplane-s-Paul-Kantner-dies-at-74-6791483.php?t=b26db710676c5a3c1f&cmpid=fb-premium

Yes co-founder and bassist Chris Squire died…

On June 28, 2015 at the young age of 67, after a battle with leukemia, the rock band ‘Yes’ (and unfortunately for the music industry) lost it’s founding member and very influential bass player, Chris Squire.
A quote from this article mentions… “Despite their critics, ‘Yes’ clearly belongs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Their omission is one of the greatest injustices. They were on the voting list in 2013 but didn’t get in.”
Oh how the Rn’R H of F is missing out on one of the greatest rock bands of all. Anyway, I’m sure their board will come to their senses and finally include Yes in their deserved position.
Jam On!
-Ron

by Larry Atkins via: theHuffingtonPost.com

“In describing the sound of Yes, Peter Keepnews of The New York Times said, “Yes, formed in 1968, was known for its blend of rock, jazz, folk and classical influences and also for its complex time signatures and pristine vocal harmonies. One of the first of the so-called progressive (or prog) rock bands — among the others were King Crimson and Emerson, Lake & Palmer — it went on to become the most successful and longest-lasting.”…

Jefferson Starship’s 50th Reunion…

Although Grace Slick won’t be attending, bass guitar player Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, will be holding a one-time tribute celebration to commemorate the anniversary at this year’s Lockn’ music festival in Arrington, Virginia.
Jefferson (Airplane) Starship retains its roots in the San Francisco Bay area and are on the list of one of the classic 60’s rock bands.
This article provides more details on the reunion, sort-of-speak…
Jam On!
–Ron Greene

<> at NJPAC – Prudential Hall on July 16, 2015 in Newark City.

By David Sands via; ForBassPlayersOnly.com

The Grateful Dead isn’t the only trailblazing psychedelic rock group hitting a mind-altering milestone this year. This fall, Jefferson Airplane will also be soaring into its 50th anniversary…

4 Good Bass Guitar Practice Routines…

These very same tips for practicing and expanding on the Bass Guitar can be applied to your guitar and keyboard. A reminder of the basics is handy now and then to remain tuned-up on our instruments…
Ron-

(By Robert Paul – via Street Articles)
Ever wonder what you should be practicing? Is what I’m practicing really helping me become a better player? Very good questions to be asking yourself. If you’re serious about developing your skill as a bass player, a good practice routine is essential…
Get the ‘4’ Bass Guitar Practice Elements here ->

https://www.streetarticles.com/music-instruction/4-elements-to-a-healthy-bass-guitar-practice-routine