Player News - Page 23

Stanley Clarke has announced that he will release a new album under the title The Stanley Clarke Band on June 15, 2010. This will be the jazz legend’s 28th solo record. Joining Clarke on the album will be Japanese pianist Hiromi Uehara, keyboardist Ruslan Sirota, and drummer Ronald Bruner, Jr. Hiromi also appeared on Clarke’s last release, Jazz in the...

R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills will be among those playing a memorial concert to pay tribute to Alex Chilton, who passed away earlier this year. Mills cites Chilton, who sang for the influential 70’s band The Box Tops and Big Star, as a main influence. Chilton died of a heart attack, just before he was heading to Austin, Texas for the...

Rush recently announced a tour, as well as a new documentary, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. The film, produced by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC on April 24, and will make its television debut on June 26th on VH1 and VH1 Classic. In a recent interview with Philadelphia radio station 94 WYSP,...

Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson has posted a blog update after returning from a South American tour with GnR. “All things considered, I’d say South America was a success,” he reports. “I have a few new scars, one less bass, one less favorite coat (damn thieving baggage handlers!), a few less brain cells, and a new appreciation for Cipro....

Bootsy Collins has released a pilot video to promote a new documentary series called “Funk 101”. The video includes Bootsy and other funk masters talking about the legacy of the funk genre and its impact on society. He also released a teaser for Funk University, which begins enrollment this week. Classes begin on July 1. Visit Bootsy on the web...

Former Fab-Four member Paul McCartney has broken his ties with EMI, the record company with which he has been associated for 50 years. Though the Beatles catalog is still in EMI’s control, McCartney has made a licensing deal with Concord Music Group to reissue his solo works, including his albums with Wings and various other projects. McCartney’s no stranger to...

Hey fellow bassists! We want to know: how many of our bass playing friends are a in a gigging band? Tell us about it in the comments below, including a brief band bio, styles, and/or links to your gig calendar or band page.

Melissa Auf Der Maur, like many artists, were unable to travel due to the recent volcanic activity in Iceland. Auf Der Maur missed last week’s London Cargo show, but is making it up with a last minute concert tonight. Tickets from the originally scheduled show are still valid. Auf Der Maur is also screening her new film, Out Of Our...

Nikki Sixx has announced that he is working on a new concept album with his trio, SIXX: A.M., which also features James Michael and D.J. Ashba. The group is “getting close” to deciding on the first single from what will be their sophomore album, and the follow up to their debut, The Heroin Diaries. According to his Myspace page, the...

Bassist/composer Ben Allison has been forced to cancel his band’s European tour due to “massive flight cancellations” caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland. The trek, which was scheduled from today through April 24th, would have included stops in Italy, Spain, and Netherlands. The next scheduled appearance of the Ben Allison band is set for the Newport Jazz Festival in...

Ever wonder what Jason Newsted has been up to lately? After leaving Metallica in 2001, the bassist has worked on various projects including EchoBrain and Voivod, but a shoulder injury in late 2006 brought about a new artistic outlet: painting. In a recent interview with Dunlop, Newsted explained that while he could not play he began to create visual art...

Slipknot bassist Paul Gray will be filling in on bass with metal supergroup HAIL! on their upcoming European and Asian tour dates. The slot opened up after David Ellefson returned to Megadeth. Ellefson approves of his replacement. “I’ve known Paul for a long time and he’s just a great guy. Slipknot is huge and they have had an enormous impact...