black keys

These four, wildly diverse low-enders are on the high road. They play blues, rock, jazz, and more, and share a common love for bringing uncommon sounds and ideas to their work, live and in the studio.

In the magical kingdom of strings, bass is the scepter of groove—the all mighty bottom that serves as the sonic anchor, the people mover, the heartbeat. And it can be much, much more. These four players are among today’s more inventive and uncommon stylists on the instrument, and if you don’t know their work, we’re pleased to bring you this crash course.

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Changing their spots, the Black Keys—Pat Carney and Dan Auerbach (foreground)—embraced collaboration full-on for their new album, with the tongue-in-cheek title Ohio Players.

Photo by Larry Niehues

On their new album, Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney loosen up and pay tribute to all of their roots—chasing the intuitive Zen of collaboration.

You know that feeling you get when you find a hundred-dollar bill on the ground? That jolt of joy that makes a bad day better and a good day even more awesome? That’s the feeling I get when I hear the new Black Keys album, Ohio Players. Except, in some ways it’s more like stumbling on a diamond.

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Rig Rundown Best-Ofs: Top 10 Les Pauls!

From the Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach to Joe Bonamassa, Jason Isbell, Greta Van Fleet, and more—10 Gibson guitars like no others.

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