New Adventures in Electric Bass

The world of solo bass guitar has been through a tumultuous time in the last couple of decades. Nevertheless, a handful of completely different players have slipped into the public consciousness with a style that’s refused to be pigeonholed. The likes of Victor Wooten, Steve Lawson and Michael Manring, who combine all manner of plucking, picking, slapping and tapping, continue to showcase an expansive compositional approach that no one really understands, but which sounds pretty epic. Zander Zon’s progressive solo work hinges on a chordal fingerstyle approach coupled with altered tunings, harmonics and tapping, which help him achieve a variety of different sounds and textures. “I think I’m a bit unlike some other solo bassists in that I come from a classical background,” says Zander. “That has had a big influence on my compositions, but there are so many extraordinary musicians doing incredible things with the bass now and I’m proud to be a part of that. I really hope the genre continues to grow.” www.zanderzon.com