Meet Laura Lee: a mystery inside an enigma, as well as a unique bassist.

When I first heard the music of Khruangbin,

THE LOWDOWN

Q Tips Christian McBride releases a new EP

GEAR UP

Essential new basses and related products are on the way

IN THE GROOVE PIXIES,DOOLITTLE (4AD, 1989)

Let’s dig out a bass-heavy LP from the vault. This month: Pixies’ masterpiece Doolittle

Richard Jones

The Stereophonics bassist looks back at five albums from his 25-year career. It’s a journey through the low end

I WAS THERE!

A historic moment in bass world – recalled by those who were there to see it

USE DI BOXES CORRECTLY

The benefits of going direct

WHAT’S YOUR ANGLE?

Head over to the top end of your bass

IMPROVE YOUR GROOVE

Joe Hubbard takes us through ways to exploit

THE LEE WAY

The hottest new band in years is Khruangbin, the Texas-based trio whose music stretches from dub via country to cinematic soundscapes and beyond. Anchoring the band philosophically and musically, bassist Laura Lee has wisdom for us all about making a band work while basing it on a solid set of ethics

FÖREVER TWENTY-ONE

After 40 years and millions of album sales, Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe is still getting flak from certain quarters. “People say I’m not a real bass player,” he tells Hywel ‘Too Fast For Love’ Davies

SUMON SAYS

How many bass players do you know who have survived multiple bouts of cancer, a near-fatal road accident, a stroke and more than 30 surgeries, and are still performing at the top of their domestic music industry? Meet Bassbaba Sumon from Bangladesh

STILL YOUNG

Dave Young is one of Canada’s most celebrated jazz bassists, having played over the last 50 years with Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Barron and others. Now 82, he’s as creative as ever. What’s his secret?

SWEDE SENSATION

Leftfield rockers Placebo have returned with an album that was recorded in reverse, explains Stefan Olsdal

BACK IN BLACK

Melanie Makaiwi of Black Sabbitch has some useful advice for back-pain sufferers. Seriously

FINE TUNED

New York-based bassist Michael Feinberg is on a mission to evolve jazz. We find out how he plans to do it…

Incoming

Which bassist is equally inspired by Mingus and Maiden? Which one reveres The Meters and The Damned? And which bassist lost a bet and was reborn as a wolf? Meet Paul Shine of Dead Writers, Grant Curry of Flood Twin, Kamikaze Boy of Man With A Mission and Andy Champion of Living In Shadows. We think one of those might be a stage name

GEAR Reviews

Welcome to our expert road-tests of state-of-the-art bass gear

FENDER Player Plus Active Meteora

The Editor tackles the new Player Plus Active M-Bass

DRAGONFLY CS-5/345

A custom five-string from Japan is always worth investigating, says Mike Brooks

PHIL JONES BASS X4 NanoBass Combo

How does a bass amp featuring nanotechnology size up? Kevin Johnson weighs in

FLATTLEY Bass Chief and Bass Poison Ivy

Add colour to your tone and pedalboard, advises Joel McIver

Bass Lessons

Making you a better bass player in every issue, our state-of-the-art team of educators will guide you every step of the way. Say hello to them here!

BP Notation Legend

The following is a guide to the notation symbols and terminology used in Bass Player magazine

THE SOUL-FINGER SIXTH IN USE

I SPY…

USE CHROMATIC SHAPES IN PENTATONICS

FIVE OF THE BEST

REMEMBER YOUR RESOLUTION

STEP UP!

USE THE RAMP FOR CREATIVE IDEAS

THIS MONTH

STEINBERGER L2

Dan Veall’s new column focuses on a desirable bass, amp or effect. Let’s kick it off with the original headless bass