Bassists - Page 92

In 1975, Mark Evans took the opportunity of a lifetime and joined an Australian pub band that would go on to be one of the greatest rock bands of all time: AC/DC. Just a week after joining, the band was gigging regularly, and within a year they were making the rounds in Europe. Evans’ turbulent years in the band included...

After some debate over the location, former Grateful Dead and current Furthur bassist Phil Lesh will be opening up a restaurant and performance venue called Terrapin Crossroads in San Rafael, California. The dining portion of the new venue will open in February with the “intimate” performance hall to begin shows soon there after. Though his original plan was to launch...

Meet Scott Whitley, a bassist from the UK who makes his living playing, teaching and recording. Scott is our player in the spotlight for January 10, 2012. Bio: Burnley born Scott Whitley is one of the most accomplished and innovative bassists in the UK today. Unlike many, Scott has never succumbed to fickle musical fashions of the day. Instead, he...

Esperanza Spalding is coming off of a monster year, which started in February 2011 when the bassist became the first jazz musician in decades to win the Grammy Award for Best New Artist (and, much to our pure joy, beating out Justin Bieber for the honor). That award was for Spalding’s 2010 release, Chamber Music Society, which reached number 1...

Paul McCartney‘s songwriting is legendary, but the inspiration for those compositions was never widely known. That’s about to change in February, when the former Beatle releases his newest album, Kisses on the Bottom, one that takes the bassist in new musical directions while keeping an eye on the past. Kisses on the Bottom is focused on jazz standards, or as...

Meet Dave Kurtiak, a 27 year veteran of bass who has a gigs with several bands and music projects around the Seattle area – and nearly all-improv. (Very cool). Dave is our player in the spotlight for January 3, 2012. Bio: Born in Bayonne, NJ to a musical family, it was no surprise when Dave picked up the bass at...

Pete Stevens, co-founder of Wal Basses, has passed away at the age of 65. The announcement came from the Wal Bass website. “It is with deepest sadness that we must pass on the news that Pete ‘The Fish’ Stevens, co-founder of Wal Bass Guitars,” the company stated. “As many in the Wal family will know, Pete had suffered from chronic...

Charles Fambrough January 1, 2011 Charles Fambrough, jazz bassist. Fambrough’s credits include working with Grover Washington, Jr., Airto Moreira, McCoy Tyner, Wynton Marsalis, and more. Mick Karn January 4, 2011 Mick Karn, former Japan bassist. Karn’s fretless bass and interesting, angular playing style left an impression on bassists around the world. Phil Kennemore January 7, 2011 Phil Kennemore, bassist for...

Zander Zon, who takes his name from the famed line of boutique bass guitars, follows the vein of solo bass. Employing piccolo strings and alternate tunings, the bassist builds thoughtful and challenging compositions as well as cool arrangements of popular tunes that have captured the imagination of YouTubers. What makes you new school? My focus as a musician is to...

Bluegrass legend Jody Rainwater has passed away at the age of 92. Born Charles Edward Johnson, the bassist was an early and influential member of the Foggy Mountain Boys, headed by Earl Scruggs and Lester Flatt. Scruggs and Flatt formed the Foggy Mountain Boys in 1949 and originally turned to Rainwater to be their booking agent. When founding bassist Cedric...

Meet Mark McHone, a bassist from Jacksonville, Florida who has traveled the country to play music and teaches kids who are the victims of budget cuts in music programs in school. Mark is our player in the spotlight for December 27, 2011. Bio: I started playing bass at 13 years of age. I am now 27. I have toured all...

Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson says the follow-up to Chinese Democracy should come “much quicker” than its predecessor, which was a project 15 years in the making before it was released in 2008. “You know, I just see us making a record much quicker, because, in hindsight, a lot of what happened with Chinese Democracy, we could get around...