Bassists - Page 106

Over the summer, Rufus Reid attended a workshop at Columbia University called the Jazz Composers Orchestra Institute, which he later recalled the highlight of his year that far. After proving time and again his mastery of writing for the small ensemble, Reid decided it was time to build his large ensemble composition chops. The workshop was so successful for him...

Meet Chuck Hoffman, a bassist from Des Moines, Iowa and our player in the spotlight for December 21, 2010. Bio: I started out playing trumpet in elementary school in Waterloo, IA, got interested in indie rock, jazz, and 20th century music in high school. I went to college with the idea of becoming a composer, but took up playing bass...

Former Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker will be joining the cast of the Broadway show “Million Dollar Quartet”, portraying Jay Perkins for twelve shows, from January 21st through the 31st, 2011. The musical is inspired by the recording sessions of December 4, 1956 in the Sun Record Studios, which included a jam session among Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl...

Jazz bassist Phil Palombi was given the opportunity of a lifetime. For a week, he was able to borrow Scott LaFaro’s 1825 Prescott bass to record a tribute album to the groundbreaking player. Palombi, who is an expert on LaFaro, realized there has not been a tribute album to the late bassist and decided to make one with Don Friedman...

In a recent interview with the Quietus, Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister revealed how he got his start on bass. Though he was originally a guitar player, a chance opportunity came up with the band Hawkwind after their bassist no-showed. ”I was mediocre at guitar,” Lemmy explained. “I couldn’t play lead to save my life, or yours. I went for a...

Meet Brandon Puckett, a bassist from Linton, Indiana, and our player in the spotlight for December 14, 2010. Bio: I grew up in a small town in Southern Indiana, where at the age of 10 started playing bass. We didn’t have a lot to do living out in a rural area, so also having the luxury of a guitarist and...

Bootsy Collins is reaching out to the community for donations in order to help children play music. The funk legend is asking for dollar donations to his Bootsy Collins Foundation, which is working to get instruments into the hands of children who want to play music. “I am asking my funkateer fans to make a dollar donation (or more) for...

Bass legend Stanley Clarke has started a new role in the music industry as his record label, Roxboro Entertainment Group, unveiled its first two releases this month. Guitarist Lloyd Gregory’s self-titled CD and multi-instrumentalist Kennard Ramsey’s Somos are available now for download from Amazon, with physical copies coming later this month. Though grounded in jazz, the label’s musicians come from...

Deftones has announced their latest fundraiser effort for their bassist Chi Cheng, who remains in a semi-comatose state following an automobile accident in November 2008. The band is offering a new and exclusive remix of the title track from the latest album, Diamond Eyes. The track is available through the One Love for Chi website, for $0.99. All of the...

Meet Keith “KDubbs” Williams, a bassist from San Jose, California and our player in the spotlight for December 7, 2010. Bio: I’m the former bass player for Maranatha Christian Center, San Jose, Ca. (1992-2002). I’ve worked with Ruff House/Columbia/Emi recording artist Keith Martin (toured with MC Hammer in the mid 90’s), and with the Black Panther of Hip Hop, Paris....

The 53rd Annual Grammy Award Nominations are in, and once again it’s been a good year for bassists. Some notable bassists have hit it big this year, including Esperanza Spalding, who is up for Best New Artist, and bass legend Stanley Clarke, whose latest release has garnered him two nominations. This is a historic year for the Grammy Awards, as...

After a month of anticipation, Bootsy Collins has revealed his limited edition artwork, which he labels as “eye-funk.” The two pieces released are labeled “The Monument” and “The Legacy”, both depicting a larger than life Bootsy towering over Cincinnati, with hidden images scattered throughout the scene. The art is numbered and signed by Bootsy, who also adds a “funk mantra”...