Bass Player Magazine returns for its eighth year in Los Angeles with the premier live bass-guitar event, Bass Player LIVE! 2015.
The event, which takes place November 7 and November 8 at SIR Studios, 6465 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, California, features exhibits by top gear manufacturers and clinics by world-class bassists.
An all-star concert featuring this year’s award recipients will take place November 7 at Musicians Institute, 6752 Hollywood Blvd.
Highlights include:
•A Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award presented to session legend Nathan East, who will accept his award and perform with his band at the All-Star Concert on November 7, and host a clinic at SIR on November 8. Following 35 years as a first-call LA studio ace, recording with everyone from Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie and Phil Collins to Eric Clapton, Fourplay and Daft Punk, East made his solo debut in 2014 with his self-titled album. His follow-up, The New Cool, with Bob James, was just released.
• A Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award will be given to Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister, who will accept his award at the All-Star Concert on November 7. Lemmy and Motörhead are celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2015 and just released their 22nd studio album, Bad Magic (UDR Music/Motörhead Music).
•A posthumous Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award presented to the family of the late Louis Johnson at the All-Star Concert, followed by a tribute set featuring Louis’s bass peers; plus a tribute clinic hosted by Brothers Johnson guitarist George Johnson at SIR November 8. Passing in 2015 at age 60, Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson forged a landmark career that found him furthering the art of bass playing (and slapping in particular) as a member of the Brothers Johnson ("Stomp," "Strawberry Letter #23") and as a top session bassist with Michael Jackson (Off the Wall, Thriller), Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney and many more.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
•Clinic appearances by Duran Duran’s John Taylor and Ben Kenney of Incubus.
•A clinic presentation by session legend Chuck Rainey, joined by fellow studio greats James Gadson on drums and Larry Nash on keyboards.
•A probing pedal and effects clinic by the Mars Volta bassist and author of BP’s “Tonal Vision” column, Juan Alderete.
•A throwdown clinic by gospel bass master Andrew Gouche and his band in support of his new album, We Don’t Need No Bass.
•Bass and vocal phenomenon Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock)—who received the Bass Player LIVE! “Young Gun” award in 2013—in her first BP LIVE! clinic since 2009.
•TV’s “face of bass,” award-winning producer and former American Idol and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno bandleader Rickey Minor will host his annual clinic.
• The Bass Player LIVE! debut of virtuoso bassist/producer and Rope A Dope recording artist Bill Dickens, who will present a clinic in support of his new album, Tha Truth.
Also slated this year is the return of Mike Merritt’s TV Bass Roundtable with The Late Late Show’s Hagar Ben Ari making her BP LIVE! debut; an All-Star rock roundtable clinic with dUg Pinnick and Blasko; and artist appearances by Verdine White, Stu Hamm, "Ready" Freddie Washington, Oskar Cartaya, Rhonda Smith, Janek Gwizdala, Jerry Jemmott, Bryant Siono, Jimmy Earl, Phil Chen, Bobby Vega, Sean Hurley, Steve Jenkins, Bunny Brunel, Rufus Philpot, Byron Miller, Scott Reeder, Tony Franklin, Marty O'Brien and more.
Among the participating manufacturers are Aguilar, Tech 21, Kala U-Bass, D’Addario, Ampeg, Ernie Ball Music Man, PRS, Dunlop, Mesa-Boogie, GHS, Hoshino/Ibanez, NS Design, Spector, LaBella, MTD, TecAmp, Hofner, Ashdown, TC Electronic, EBS, Kiesel, Roland/Boss, Ken Smith, Acoustic, F Bass, Earthquaker Devices, Wayne Jones Audio, Trickfish Amps, Red Witch, D Lakin, ESP, Sukop Basses, LoPHAT, Tsunami Cables, Bass Strings Online, Elixir and more.
Visit bassplayerlive.com for the latest information on tickets and appearing artists and manufacturers.
Tickets are on sale. Single-day and weekend packages for the Bass Player LIVE! clinics, exhibits and All-Star Concert are available and priced as follows:
- SIR Studios day pass for Saturday OR Sunday – $37.50 plus fees
- SIR Studios Saturday & Sunday pass + concert – $57.50 plus fees
Note: Each day pass purchase includes a complimentary subscription to Bass Player magazine.
The Bass Player LIVE! clinics and exhibits at SIR Studios in Hollywood will take place 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. November 7 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. November 8. Doors open 7 p.m. for the November 7 show at Musicians Institute; music begins 8 p.m.
