The 25 Most Valuable Basses

[via http://www.vintageguitar.com]

Check out [this] article over on Vintage Guitar! They put up a list of the most valuable bass guitars, including pics and descriptions.

Fender took 3 out of the top 5 plus the #1 for a 1960-62 Fender Jazz Bass.

Check out that link above for the full list!

Buddy Guy Performs 'Damn Right, I've Got the Blues' on Letterman

Legendary blues great Buddy Guy is still going strong with the blues, and is one of the surviving pillars of the genre.

He just performed his classic song from the same titled Grammy winning album 'Damn Right, I've Got the Blues' on the 16th of January on the David Letterman show.

It sounds just as fresh from 22 years ago!

Have You Ever Been Mistreated?

... then you know just what I'm talkin' about.

This blues standard, called "Five Long Years" written and performed by Eddie Boyd, went to number one in the Billboard R&B charts in 1952. This song was covered by dozens of artists, such as Freddie King and Eric Clapton.

It describes the normal working man, coming home to his woman, who as most women do, had the nerve to throw him out, despite his hard efforts to please her.

Here's the live version performed by Boyd himself in 1965:

'It's Been a Long Time Baby' - William Clarke

This is a sweet tune by blues harpist and vocalist William Clarke; he had his breakthrough in the early 90's but sadly died in 1996 from heart failure.

It's pretty long at almost 7 minutes, but this blues is best heard all the way through.

Fender's New American Vintage Basses

It's been pretty hush hush for a while, but Fender finally announced their new updated American Vintage bass product line.

Since the early 80's Fender had the same vintage series ('57 & '62 for the Precision Bass, and '62 & '75 for the Jazz Bass); this is the first time they revamp the line, with new vintage years; '58 & '63 for the Precision Bass, and '64 & '74 for the Jazz Bass. They feature period correct details, hardware, finish, and pickups. There are some vintage custom color options, such as Faded Sonic Blue on the 63 P-Bass and Lake Placid Blue on the 64 J-Bass (with matching headstock!!)

I'm loving them! Need to get a '63 P-Bass in Olympic White now!!! Below are all the series with all the color options. Go to Fender's American Vintage site for videos and detailed specs. Which one would you choose?

 1958 Precision Bass

1963 Precision Bass

1964 Jazz Bass

1974 JazzBass

48 Years Ago: Bob Dylan Records 'Subterranean Homesick Blues'

In what became Bob Dylan's never ending nightmare, he finally picked up the electric guitar and moved to a more blues and rock based electric sound. This did not bode well with his fans who consider him an acoustic folk hero.

 But he never turned back, and kept on going. This track, Subterranean Homesick Blues, was recorded on this day in 1965 for the album 'Bringing it all Back Home'.  It features surreal lyrics, a 'talking blues' flow and awesome 60's electric sound.

Also noting that the video clip was very innovative for it's time. Here it is below!

15 Jazz Albums To Look Out For In 2013

Over on NPR's A Blog Supreme, they listed 15 albums to look forward to this year.

Some artists include Joe Lovano, a Miles Davis unreleased live bootleg album, and Wayne Shorter.

Check out the whole list [here].

Legolas Meets Louis Armstrong

She's a Mean Mistreatin' Mama

"You remember, baby - when I knocked upon your door

You had the nerve to tell me - that you didn't want me no more"


The great standard by the king of the electric slide guitar, Elmore James!

2013 Dubai Jazz Fest Final Lineup

I've expressed my dissapointment at the lineup of the Dubai Jazz Fest this year, which includes 4 major pop bands that are non-jazz related (Deep Purple, Three Doors Down, The Script, and One Republic).

Finally the full lineup has been revealed as below:

It's nice to see Lebanese jazz artist Guy Manoukian on the list; he's a superb player.

The lineup is smaller than last year's festival, but there is a nice focus on blues, from Toni Lynn to Barrence Whitfield.

You can buy your tickets now on their official site, and the full program can be downloaded [here].