Starting on drums in 1995, Martin later went on to learn electric and upright bass, later earning a degree in Bass Performance. Martin has played bass professionally in bands and on a freelance basis in genres including jazz, funk, rock, and Andean music. His go-to instruments are a Lakland 55-94 5 string bass and an upright bass built by luthier Martin Sheridan, as well as his Markbass 12″ combo amp. At zZounds, he works as a Quality Control Specialist for the call center. Besides music, Martin loves craft beer, hiking, and grilling.
Son Step – “Right Times”
Philadelphia’s own Son Step has spent the past few years making incredibly interesting music. Their 2012 album Here Comes Dreamboat is rife with dissonant rhythms and harmony. That is what first drew me to Son Step. Their music is very unique in its timbre as well as rhythm and song construction. The song “Right Times” […]
Matt Ulery – “There’s a Reason and a Thousand Ways”
Matt Ulery has made a name for himself as one of Chicago’s top jazz bass players. Not only is he a noted sideman, but a bandleader and composer. Ulery’s 2014 album Into the Ivory is a great showcase for his compositional prowess. The second track on the album, “There’s a Reason and a Thousand Ways,” in […]
tUnE-yArDs – “Bizness”
tUnE-yArDs have been gathering more and more steam with each album they release. For the uninitiated, the song “Bizness” from their 2011 release Whokill is a great snippet of their unique sound. A duo made up of Merrill Garbus and Nate Brenner, tUnE-yArDs create their music by layering loops of percussion, ukulele, horns and vocals on top […]
Ask zZounds: Active and Passive Basses
Active vs. Passive Basses: What’s the Difference? Bass pickups fall into one of two categories: active and passive. This distinction in pickups is such a fundamental part of electric bass construction that most bass amps have separate inputs for active and passive basses. Of course, electric basses can be broken up by a number of criteria, like number […]
The Bad Plus – Suspicious Activity?
The Bad Plus cemented their reputation as giants of the modern jazz world with their 2005 release, Suspicious Activity? At first glance The Bad Plus looks like a traditional piano trio, however looks are deceiving in their case. Rather than being driven by one person with interchangeable personnel, they are a true musical collective. By […]
Martin’s Picks: Warwick GPS Streamer & Radial Bassbone V2
Warwick GPS German Pro Series Streamer Stage I 4 Electric Bass As a Warwick fan, I’ve been eagerly awaiting the new Pro Series line. I was not disappointed in the German Pro Series basses — they are made in the same factory in Germany as Warwick’s higher-end basses, using the same high-quality woods and manufacturing […]
New Gear Report: Ampeg SCR-DI & Orange OB1-500
Ampeg SCR-DI Bass DI Direct Box with Scrambler Overdrive Bass players know how important a DI is. Nine times out of 10, if you’re hearing bass at a medium-large venue, you’re hearing the bass through a DI box into the house speakers. Same thing for a lot of recording sessions I’ve gone to. Oftentimes they […]
