What’s new? New album out! Details here: https://linktr.ee/soulshotreggae
Quotes
If you’re interested in my music, my writing, my teaching, or my adventures, you’re in the right place. You can find out where I’m playing live. If you want to see some of my past work, you can find live videos here. You can also marvel at the astonishing number and variety of artists with whom I have recorded. (Great fun for record geeks. I’ve updated it recently.) You can read my blog posts on various topics. (For example, here’s the Ten Commandments series of tips for young musicians.) If you are interested in hiring me for live performances, recording (either online or at the facility of your choice), online lessons, record production, or other musical services, please contact me. If you are a fan, music historian, or journalist, I am happy to talk with you about my past work. Thanks for your interest!
"Effects pedals have on/off switches. Don't be afraid to use them more than once a night."Bulletins From A Working Musician
11/05/26
- I just finished recording a new album with Jeff Golkin & Forever Love at the wonderful Sound On Sound Studios in Montclair, NJ. It’s a collection of smooth jazz versions of Broadway tunes selected by Jeff. Mark Damon of The Pretty Reckless produced the sessions along with Jeff.
- I played with Monty Alexander at the Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival in September. This was my second trip to this beautiful island; the first one was with Dennis Brown and Lloyd Parks and We The People in 1981! I hope it’s not that long until I go back. The island and the people are lovely. Plus, I met Sean Paul’s mom and got to see one of my all time favorite guitarists, Steve Luthather, put on an absolute clinic with Toto. Yes, they played “Africa!”
- I went to the Netherlands in June to record with some of my old friends in Roots Radics for producer/pianist Jouke “Jojo” Yspeerd AKA JoJo Gladstone. We cut 26 live rhythm tracks in two days! What a pleasure to see my old friends from the Channel One days and do a record without staring at a computer screen.
- The Naya Rockers‘ all-star collaboration album, “Higher Education,” which I played on, is now available. Recorded at Floki Studios in Iceland, it features a number of great artists including Stephen Marley and Ivan Neville. I’m very happy with how it came out. You can check it out here. Vinyl available here.
- My son Liam Bassford and I recorded an all-acoustic album with the late, great Ernie Smith. It’s the first time we’ve ever recorded together and I’m really proud of the results. Sadly, it’s probably the last album he ever made. You can find it here.
- My collaboration with the great blues/roots guitarist Duke Robillard and Soulshot/Mark Berney, “Two Guitars—One Sound,” is available both as physical media and at online streaming services. Can you dig it? Right on! Here’s a review by the great Bob Bell. Thanks, Bob!
- The vinyl edition of my 2018 solo album “The Harder They Strum,” is available again, thanks to Chuck Wren at Jump Up Records. (The first pressing sold out.) You can buy it from me on Bandcamp or at Jump Up Records. Chuck has been keeping the ska flame alive for years now.
- My collaboration with the marvelous Joanne Williams on a song we wrote together, “Thankful,” now has over 17,000 views on YouTube. You can see the video here, and buy/stream the track on all major platforms. You can see Joanne with me live on select Derrick Barnett dates in the Tri-State area.
- As always, I am teaching guitar to the youth of my beloved Bronx at Mind-Builders Creative Arts Center. I am also available for private online lessons. Contact me here if interested.
- To keep up with me on Facebook, follow me at my Artist Page. For those of you on Instagram, you can follow me here.
Visit the Archived Bulletins for more.