Guitar and Bass Conversations

Davy Mooney talks to Jazz Guitar Today’s Bob Bakert about his new project, “The Word” Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Go to jazzguitartoday.com  and bassmusicianmagazine.com  more interviews and lessons.

There is a lot of very exciting music happening in LA. Circle The Earth hails from this fair city with Mike McBay as a founding member and the driving force on the low end.  Mike is not only a bass player but also practices medicine and applies his life knowledge to guide the band’s efforts. Just like their hometown, Circle the Earth is a very diverse band in a multicultural and generational sense...

In our earliest years (about 17 years ago) he contributed to Bass Musician with numerous bass-relevant pieces. He is an amazing and talented bass player who also writes music, does arrangements, is a producer, teaches, and has played with a ton of great musical acts. Join me as we hear about David’s musical journey, how he gets his sound, and details about his signature Skjold design basses. He sh...

Just over a decade our good friend Vuyani Wakaba interviewed Chicago bassist Chuck Webb. Since then, Chuck has been super busy. One of his main occupations has been playing bass for musical theater. He is currently playing bass for the Phillip Company US tour of Hamilton. Join me as we get caught up with Chuck and hear details about his experience playing in the pit for my favorite Broadway show....

Last December (2024) some of our very good friends invited us to the Smith Center here in Las Vegas to check out a band I was unfamiliar with, the Huntertones. From the moment they took the stage this six-piece band came out swinging with super high energy and one of the tightest, most entertaining collections of music I have ever heard. Driving the low end, Adam DeAscentis did a superb job of tyi...

We go way back with bassist Adam Nitti. He was an early contributor to Bass Musician Magazine with his bass technique pieces. We have enjoyed his music, reviewed his albums, and noted his educational projects; we have followed his trajectory almost as long as we have been in existence. Seeing his bigger-than-life photo at the Ibanez booth during the NAMM shows behind his beautiful signature basses...

Hailing from Detroit, Jerome Rimson has been laying down the low end for over 55 years. During that timeframe, he has played with some of the biggest names of our time and excelled as a producer, arranger, songwriter, and vocalist. As you might imagine, Jerome is a wealth of information as he is part of the ongoing history of our beloved electric bass. Join me as we hear about Jerome’s musical jou...

Nashville is one of the most iconic music scenes in the United States.  Hailing from this super-active city, we have Ryan Jennings, bassist and vocalist for Teddy and the Rough Riders. The band just released their latest album “Down Home” on vinyl and CD, and is loaded with the band’s unique Country Rock flavor. Ryan also plays bass for Emily Nenni who has been going strong in the Country Music ar...

I am a big fan of Brazilian music and I remember briefly meeting bassist Pops Magellan at a NAMM show years ago and knew our conversation warranted a longer discussion. For this cover interview, I sat down with her to learn more about her musical journey, laying down the low-end for Adam Lambert, her new EP “Damage”, how she gets her sound and so much more. Here is Pops Magellan Photos, Jack Lu Th...

Emma Anzai… I am always excited to chat with bass players from around the world. Emma Anzai is a founding member and the bassist for Australia’s Sick Puppies, who have been going strong playing Rock since the late 1990s.  Emma also plays bass for Evanescence. Join me as we hear about Emma’s musical journey, how she gets her sound, and her plans for the future. Photo Credit: Alice Fischer This inte...

Kebonye Nkloso… I am always fascinated to hear about music from other parts of our planet as much has yet to reach my ears.  Hailing from Botswana, Skinflint has been rocking its kind of heavy metal since 2006 with Kebonye Nkloso as the bassist and a founding member. They were inspired by many of our time’s great heavy metal bands but chose to branch into specific music based on African spirituali...

Steve Freeman and Bill Hart have been friends and music education collaborators for decades - they talk to JGT's Bob Bakert.   Steve Freeman is the founder of the Atlanta Institute of Music and Media in September 1985 with the goal of bringing Howard Roberts style school known as GIT Guitar Institute of Technology founded in Hollywood California.  Steve and Bill Hart, who was a long-time, som...

Guitarist Dave Stryker Talks To JGT's Bob Bakert about his new 'movies' project. Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Go to jazzguitartoday.com  and bassmusicianmagazine.com  more interviews and lessons.

Jazz Guitar Today's Bob Bakert talks to guitarist Henry Acker. Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Go to jazzguitartoday.com  and bassmusicianmagazine.com  more interviews and lessons.

Lately, I have been discovering quite a few multi-instrumentalists who create their music by playing all the instruments involved. The most amazing aspect of this to me is how proficient they are and how the bass plays a significant role in their music. Dave Perry is one such talented musician, and plays all the instruments in the band “Fear of Water”. Not only does he compose and perform all his...

Henry Johnson quite simply is a guitarist's, guitarist.  I can amplify that by saying that he is the guitarist that I have had the most requests to interview - “Hey, have you ever thought about Henry Johnson, he’s amazing”! I heard it a hundred times...  I have known of Henry for a long time and admired his playing and wanted to get him in Jazz Guitar Today - but our roads kept missing each o...

I always enjoy the opportunity to talk to very seasoned career bass players. Hank Horton is a heavy-hitter vocalist, producer, and bassist who fits into that category. Hank has a diverse skillset where he can play electric for Jeff “Skunk” Baxter (and a ton of other renowned musicians), play upright in the Detroit Symphony, or be excellent in a Broadway pit.  I also understand that Hank has been u...

Blues Traveler has always been one of my favorite bands. Whenever “Run Around” would pop up on MTV, I would always drop whatever I was doing to watch. Now, The band is celebrating the 30th anniversary of their Grammy award-winning album “Four” (I still have my copy from back in the day) with a very cool limited edition purple vinyl record set. Since that early hit record, the band has been going s...

Do you remember back in the day when a certain song came on the radio that just made you feel happy but you didn’t know who was playing? This was the case with “Heaven” by Los Lonely Boys. I was glad when I finally found out who the band was as I could look for more of their music. BTW, this tune still makes me smile from the opening few bars. After more than a decade, the news of a new album titl...

I just had the opportunity to interview a very talented player, who you might already know, Suzy Starlite. She is our newest contributor here at Bass Musician, and her “Walking the Bass Line” series , is a wealth of incredible information, including gear, history, and insight into the bass world. Join me as Suzy talks about some of the points from her article and so much more. This interview first...

I am always impressed by musicians who can play and sing simultaneously. I am even in greater awe of these multi-instrumentalists who are highly proficient on many instruments. Richie Kotzen is one of these very talented musicians. His upcoming (September 27, 2024) album “Nomad” is proof as he plays every instrument in all but two tracks and does it amazingly well.  Richie’s main strength is as a...

I always enjoy the opportunity to talk to fellow bass players as they travel on their musical journey. Jonny Rubin, AKA Dr. Funk has been at this since he was a kid and has made the huge leap across the pond to make a go at it in sunny southern California. Join me as we hear about his musical past, present and future. Photo courtesy of Jonny Rubin This interview first appeared in Bass Musician Mag...

JGT Podcast: Jazz Guitar Today's Bob Bakert talks to guitarist David Becker about his unique compositions and performances. Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Go to jazzguitartoday.com  and bassmusicianmagazine.com  more interviews and lessons.

If you are an electric bass player, this is an exciting time to be alive as this relatively new instrument evolves around us. Some creative individuals have taken an active role in this evolution and made giant leaps in their own direction. Lee Barker is one of these inventive people having created the Barker Bass.  Fortunately, Lee is also an excellent writer (among so many talents) and has recen...

Once again, editor Bob Bakert engages in a conversation with the jazz guitarist Fareed Haque, including an update on his health. September 2024 Laugh Love Law Real conversations. Real people. Real impact. A podcast about life, law and... Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Go to jazzguitartoday.com  and bassmusicianmagazine.com  more interviews and lessons.