New Albums - Page 146

The record that set the bar higher for orchestral jazz, Gary Burton’s has been reissued after being mastered from the original analog recordings. Originally released in 1973, the record featured vibraharp player Burton, with jazz bassist extraordinaire Steve Swallow, guitarist Michael Goodrick, drummer Ted Seibs, and the NDR-Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Gibbs, who also composed the music inspired by...

Drive-By Truckers’ 12th album, , is almost exclusively the result of just 13 days of recording by a compact lineup that features bassist Matt Patton, who joined the band in 2013. (Only one song was recorded at a different time.) “This lineup is so direct,” said Mike Cooley, one of the band’s primary singer-guitarist-songwriters (the other is Patterson Hood.) “It...

Phish bassist Mike Gordon has released his fourth solo album, . It’s the first of his solo albums to feature an outside producer, Paul Q. Kolderie. Gordon’s collaborator on the record, guitarist Scott Murawski says hiring Kolderie (who has worked with Radiohead and The Pixies) was the right idea. “The payoffs are all over the place.” The album promises plenty...

If you miss 1970s/80s style jazz-funk, the groove-laden supergroup Rock Candy Funk Party has got something for you — the DVD/CD package . The group includes Mike Merritt, who has been the bassist in Conan O’Brien’s late-night shows since 1993. The other players are album producer Tal Bergman (drums), Joe Bonamassa (guitar), Ron DeJesus (guitar), Renato Neto (keys), and Daniel...

Grammy-winning instrumental fusion band Snarky Puppy, led by bassist/composer/producer Michael League is hot right now. And if you want to hear what the group sounded like pre-Grammy (Best R&B Performance for its work with Lalah Hathaway) the DVD/CD set We Like It Here might just be the place to start. Recorded live in Kytopia Studios in Utrecht, Holland from Oct....

Fans of Beck’s 2002 classic album Sea Change will feel right at home with the intimate psychedelia of , which reunites the singer/songwriter with the band that backed him in the studio and on the road from 1996-2000 and 2003-2003. The players on Beck’s 12th studio album include bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen (also known for work with Nine Inch Nails, Air,...

“You just didn’t expect them to be as funky, or as greasy as they were.” That’s how Aretha Franklin describes The Swampers, the legendary house band at FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, in the star-studded documentary . The band, including bassist David Hood, then went on to co-found the iconic Muscle Shoals Sound Studios in 1969, solidifying the tiny...

Italian bassist and songwriter Marco Machera has released his sophomore album, . The effort includes a host of special guests, including fellow bassist Tony Levin on “Out of Blue,” drummer Pat Mastelotto, guitarist Markus Reuter and more. With an interesting cast of characters, Machera offers up a quirky take on pop music. “Dime Novels is a beast. Pretty much like...

Lake Street Dive is often called a string band with soul, and its latest album lives up to the description, as well as the acclaim the folk band has received in its young career. , out on Signature Sounds Recordings, features an eclectic pop style created by double bassist Bridget Kearney, vocalist Rachael Price, drummer Mike Calabrese and guitarist Mike...

Progressive metal band Cynic, and its bassist, Sean Malone, have released the group’s long-awaited record, , Cynic’s first in three years – and its first full-length album since 2008. Malone, aside from his Cynic and solo work, is also an author, having penned four music books, including Music Theory for Bassists and A Portrait of Jaco: The Solos Collection. It’s...

Fans of The Allman Brothers Band’s 1990’s lineup can travel in the wayback machine and experience some of its famed concerts. documents the band’s first long run at the theatre. It, and DVD release , shows off the band after it reconstituted itself for its 1989 20th anniversary with new players, including bassist Allen Woody. (Woody left the band in...

Helms Alee is an experimental metal band with a deep understanding of bass. The experimental metal trio not only includes bassist/vocalist Dana James, but its guitarist Ben Verellen, is a former bassist. He’s also the man behind Verellen Amplifiers’ Meatsmoke, a 300-watt all-tube bass amp. (James also uses the Meatsmoke for Helms Alee.) Helms Alee’s third album, , recorded on...