Jason Newstedt of Metallica: Monday YouTube Fix

I saw Metallica perform at the Worcester Centrum on December 22, 1991 as a junior in high school.  I was blown away by their intensity and musicianship.  While all four of them were phenomenal, it was the bass and drums that were really driving the bus that night.

The number one challenge I face as a tuba player, whether it be as a soloist, in a brass quintet, or in a large ensemble, is articulation and clarity.  This is the case for all bass clef instruments.

This clip is the isolated bass track from Metallica's Jason Newstedt on the song "Blackened" from their album ...And Justice For All.  It is a great example of how super clean articulation can aid a bass clef instrument in groove and drive.  If you play any instrument in any genre with this kind of intensity, you tend to get compensated for your interests.

Enjoy!

Jason Newsted's bass track for blackened on its own, enjoy. \m/

Steve Dumaine: Monday YouTube Fix

Steve Dumaine is the tuba player in the National Symphony here in Washington, DC but has many talents beyond his immense orchestral abilities.  I first met Steve when we were both in high school in New England.  He played the Vaughn-Williams Tuba Concerto with the Greater Boston Youth Symphony Orchestra back then and pretty much scared me with how good it was.

This clip is not him playing the Vaughn-Williams or anything close to it! This performance is from the 2008 Army Tuba Conference and features Steve playing a solo by the original bass player for Metallica, Cliff Burton.  I saw Metallica perform at the Worcester Centrum back in 1991 and it remains to this day one of the best rock concerts I've ever attended.  1991 was after Cliff Burton had passed away, but Steve does a great job of getting to the essence of Cliff's playing in this clip.

And my favorite part of this clip, for humor reasons, may very well be at the 2:00 mark.  Steve Dumaine is a beast on the tuba!

Enjoy!