David Piltch
Fretless Questions, Player bio, photos, videos, music, and more – David Piltch fretless bass …continue reading »
Bill Laswell Interview
Bill Laswell Interview – Public Image Limited (PIL) Album, Fretless Bass and More
Article by Eric Larson, copyright 2019 all rights reserved
A while back I started a conversation with Bill Laswell curious to find out more about his bass playing and also an album he did with Public Image Limited, aka PIL. The album titled simply ALBUM is a favorite of mine and features some amazing fretless bass. In addition, this album also features Sex Pistols lead singer and PIL founder John Lydon, veteran drummers Tony Williams and Ginger Baker, legendary guitarist Steve Vai, and some other amazing musicians and technicians. …continue reading »
Mai Leisz Interview – Recording MaiGroup’s Metamorphosis and More
Mai Leisz Interview – Recording MaiGroup’s Metamorphosis and More
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2019 FretlessBass.com
As I was reviewing MaiGroup’s 2019 Metamorphosis album I was so blown away I had to ask a few questions about how it all came together. Mai Leisz was kind enough to answer a few interview questions about the album, the studio, the band, and more. To see the complete album review click here. Continue reading the interview below. …continue reading »
Colin Edwin
Colin Edwin – Player bio, photos, videos, music, and more
Featured photo by Melanie Haack
Fretless Questions: Colin Edwin
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2018 FretlessBass.com
I have recently had the privilege of interviewing the great Colin Edwin. I first discovered Colin’s impressive fretless bass playing while listening to Porcupine Tree’s “Pure Narcotic” and “In Formaldehyde”. His melodic approach to fretless bass on these songs sits perfectly in the music, and immediately caught my attention. But Edwin’s discography and ever-evolving bass style go far beyond Porcupine Tree, spanning nearly three decades with solo releases, various bands and collaborations, and other projects. …continue reading »
Mai Leisz Fretless Questions Interview
Mai Leisz Fretless Questions Interview
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2018 FretlessBass.com
Featured photo credit: Anna Webber
I am honored to have interviewed Mai Leisz (formerly Mai Agan), Estonian bass player and composer for MaiGroup, David Crosby and more. A very hardworking professional bass player, who caught the attention of Greg Leisz while he was on tour with Jackson Browne in Stockholm, Mai has crossed genres playing and writing with many artists, forming her own “MaiGroup”, and touring, writing, and recording extensively. Her fretless playing is sweet, melodic, and always respectful of the music. She plays a gorgeous 1981 Ibanez fretless bass that is seven years older than she is, yet her ability and musicianship go far beyond age, breathing new life into this vintage instrument, and the genres she crosses. It was a pleasure to learn more about her fretless bass playing and background.
Read the full interview here >>>
Mai Leisz
fretlessbass
Featured Player, Fretless Questions, Interviews, Player Bios Tagged Tags: mai agan, mai Leisz
Fretless Questions, Player bio, photos, videos, music, and more
…continue reading »
Interview: Dan K. Brown – The Fixx
Interview: Dan K. Brown – The Fixx
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2018 FretlessBass.com
Featured photo credit: Christina Jansen
Dan K. Brown of The Fixx is one of the most versatile and talented bass players around, and is one of my personal favorite players of all time. His extensive use of fretless bass throughout his decades with The Fixx has some of the most creative, melodic, rhythmic, and varied bass lines you can find anywhere. And his fretted playing is equally impressive. …continue reading »
Mark Egan & Arjun Bruggeman “Dreaming Spirits”
Mark Egan & Arjun Bruggeman “Dreaming Spirits”
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2018 FretlessBass.com
This new release from Mark Egan and Arjun Bruggeman, featuring Shane Theriot, gets better and better the more you listen. Originally intended to be a bass guitar and tabla album, the project evolved to include guitar and more. Mark Egan was as generous as always answering my questions about how this project and trio came together, giving me thorough details of the project and the players that contributed. There is plenty of beautiful fretless bass work, and the complimentary styles that flow between the musicians are impressive. Read more to be brought behind the scenes of this unique project.
Basses – Mark Egan
Tabla & Drums – Arjun Bruggeman
Guitars – Shane Theriot
FretlessBass.com: How did this trio and project come together? What was the initial concept for this album, and did it change along the way at all?
Mark Egan: I met tabla player, drummer and percussionist Arjun Bruggeman in 2008 when we recorded and toured with master Kirtan singer-chanter, Krishna Das. Arjun is a world percussionist and session recording artist …continue reading »
Bryan Beller
Fretless Questions, player bio, photos, videos, music, and more
…continue reading »
Interview: John Taylor – Duran Duran – Past and Present: Part 1
Interview: John Taylor – Duran Duran – Past and Present: Part 1
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2017 FretlessBass.com
In the 1980s Duran Duran took the radio waves, television sets, and the world by storm. Platinum albums, Grammys, and multiple music video awards followed their gold record debut. Tens of millions of album sales and sold out venues worldwide became the norm for the newly dubbed “Fab Five”. Though some may have predicted that this band would not escape the ’80s and continue this kind of success, the band has shown decade after decade that they were here to stay, proving the point in 2015 with the Top 10 release of their latest album Paper Gods, and the multi-year, continually extended, world-wide tour that has supported it.
I spoke with bassist John Taylor during the recording of Paper Gods. He spoke by phone from his home in Los Angeles, California, on business in the US, away from the London recording studio for a brief moment.
…continue reading »
Interview: John Taylor – Duran Duran – Past and Present: Part 2
Interview: John Taylor – Duran Duran – Past and Present: Part 2
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2017 FretlessBass.com
<< Click here for Part 1 of the interview
I directed this part of the conversation with John Taylor of Duran Duran to their latest album and reflections on career longevity. At the time of this interview Taylor had no idea that their project, still being formed in the studio, would be a Top 10 hit in the US, the UK, and multiple other countries. He had no idea that the album would get rave reviews and worldwide attention. And he had no idea that the tour to support it would continue two years after the album release, with multiple tour extensions still happening.
…continue reading »
Tony Levin Interview – New Album From LEVIN MINNEMANN RUDESS: “From the Law Offices of Levin Minnemann Rudess”
Tony Levin Interview – New Album From LEVIN MINNEMANN RUDESS: “From the Law Offices of Levin Minnemann Rudess”
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2016 FretlessBass.com
It was an honor to catch up recently with Tony Levin, the legendary bassist, who is an extremely busy man. Tony was the first bassist to answer our “Fretless Questions” many, many years ago, and has always been very approachable and friendly to FretlessBass.com. We can’t thank him enough for taking the time to tell us about the new album from LEVIN MINNEMANN RUDESS: From the Law Offices of Levin Minnemann Rudess.
FB: I’ve been listening to the new album from LEVIN MINNEMANN RUDESS: “From the Law Offices of Levin Minnemann Rudess” which was released July 15, 2016. I am very impressed! Much thanks for letting me listen to it pre-release.
How does the writing and recording of this album compare to the last album?
Tony Levin: We took a lot more time on this album, for the writing process. Partly because we were all on the road much of 2015, with various tours. Also, we’d got a sense on the first album of how the other players would react to the pieces, and so, at least in my case, …continue reading »
MuteMath Bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas – A Brief Interview
MuteMath Bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas – A Brief Interview
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2016 FretlessBass.com
If you have never heard MuteMath I suggest that you check them out. I was first told about this Grammy nominated band from New Orleans by a friend of mine. I had never heard of them. I listened to “Chaos” and “Break the Same” from their MuteMath album and immediately purchased it.
This band is phenomenal, but being a drummer and bass player, the rhythm section caught my attention immediately. Darren King is an unbelievable drummer with amazing energy and creativity, and a real showman. But I was really impressed with bassist Roy Mitchell-Cárdenas. …continue reading »
Pedulla Guitars 40th Anniversary Interview With Michael Pedulla
Pedulla Guitars 40th Anniversary Interview With Michael Pedulla
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2015 FretlessBass.com
For the past forty years the sound of Pedulla basses has been embedded in music of all genres. From Anne Murray to Eagles to Kiss. From Lynyrd Skynyrd to Elton John to Brooks & Dunn. From Mark Egan to Tim Landers to countless other players, Pedulla basses have been heard all over the world. If Michael Pedulla hadn’t combined his love for music, woodworking, and engineering in a small guitar shop near Boston in 1975, who knows how that music may have suffered? How would the musicians have been different, lacking the unique inspiration of a Pedulla, had he not committed his passions to building the best basses possible without compromise? Fortunately, as we enter into the year 2015, answers to those questions are not something to be pondered. …continue reading »
Terje Gewelt
Fretless Questions, player bio, photos, videos, music, and more …continue reading »
Mark Egan Interview – “About Now” Album, Tour, and More – Part 2
Mark Egan Interview – About Now Album, Tour, and More – Part 2
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2015 FretlessBass.com
I recently interviewed Mark Egan, focusing on his latest solo album About Now, and also covering some new projects that he is working on. This particular project was released in the spring of 2014, and features long time collaborators Danny Gottlieb on drums and Mitchel Forman on keyboards.
This is Part 2 of the interview where we focus more on the songwriting process itself. …continue reading »
Mo Foster – A History of His Fender Jazz Fretless Bass
Mo Foster – A History of His Fender Jazz Fretless Bass
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2015 FretlessBass.com
I have been in touch with the legendary bassist Mo Foster recently. I was telling him that I was a bit of a fretless bass collector, but assured him my collecting was not an addiction (I can stop any time I want to). His reply was perfect, “There is a concept known as Guitar Acquisition Syndrome, or GAS. It is a question and an answer: Q – What is the correct number of guitars? A – One more than you have already. Luckily I don’t suffer from it — the only instruments I have are the ones I play.”
The discussion started when I asked about his gear, and what fretless basses he has and uses. He told me …continue reading »
Mark Egan Interview – “About Now” Album, Tour, and More – Part 1
Mark Egan Interview – About Now Album, Tour, and More – Part 1
Article by Eric Larson, © Copyright 2014 FretlessBass.com
I recently interviewed Mark Egan, focusing on his latest solo album About Now, and also covering some new projects that he is working on. This particular project was released in the spring of 2014, and features long time collaborators Danny Gottlieb on drums and Mitchel Forman on keyboards.
Mark Egan is a bass guitar veteran and a hugely accomplished and influential fretless bass player. His career spans more than forty years. In addition to solo albums, he has worked with many different artists and groups (the Pat Metheny Group, Sting, Arcadia, Roger Daltry, Joan Osborne, the Gil Evans Orchestra, Marianne Faithful, David Sanborn, John McGlaughlin and Sophie B. Hawkins, just to name a few), and has a list of accomplishments a mile long, including television and movie credits, and platinum and gold records.
Egan has been touring and supporting the About Now album for a good portion of 2014 …continue reading »
Doug Lunn
Fretless Questions, player bio, photos, videos, music, and more
…continue reading »
Matt Bissonette
Fretless Questions, player bio, photos, videos, music, and more
…continue reading »
