Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 109

Multi-instrumentalist and musical genius Jacob Collier has completed his Djesse album series with the newly-released “Djesse Vol. 4.” The star-studded record covers an enormous amount of musical ground with jazz, pop, latin, and even some heavy metal.

Sting made his name as the bassist and vocalist for a power trio called The Police, and now he’s getting back to the format. He’s announced a new tour called “STING 3.0” featuring a new trio with longtime guitarist Dominic Miller and drummer Chris Maas of Mumford & Sons fame.

Five years after her solo debut, former Sonic Youth bassist Kim Gordon has returned with her sophomore album, “The Collective.”

This week we’re checking out a killer Progress Series IV Standard 5-string bass by Overwater Basses. Its swamp ash body has a gorgeous walnut top that’s matched with a walnut headstock cap, walnut fingerboard binding, and walnut block inlays.

T.M. Stevens has died after a long illness. He was 72 years old. Stevens was a unique player that was comfortable and excelled in a wide range of genres. As such, he played with an incredible list of musicians.

Mark Egan has just released “Cross Currents,” a new trio album featuring the talents of drummer. Shawn Pelton and guitarist Shane Theriot. Described as the bassist's most versatile and ambitious album to date, the music covers a lot of ground with styles including funk, ambient, swamp rock, second-line, Cajun, and Indian.

Nordstrand Audio has added a new pickup model called the PolyVox. The multi-coil pickups are described as “the ultimate expression of Carey [Nordstrand’s] lifelong search for the most inspiring and musically evocative bass tone.”

Grez Guitars has expanded their Mendocino series instruments with a Bass VI model. The new semi-hollow axe is built using salvaged old grown redwood top for a “classic aesthetic and voice while delivering modern high-performance hardware and playability.”

Jazz bassist and educator Danny Ziemann has announced a new free online workshop called Elite Ears: A 5-Day Journey to Limitless Listening for Musicians.

Lorenzo Feliciati has unveiled a new trio project called Kamayan. Their debut album is described as a “declaration of love for electric jazz” with influences from Weather Report, Pat Metheny Group, and Yellowjackets.

Donny Benét has released his sixth album, “Infinite Desires,” which marks the first on his own label, Donnyland Records. The album continues his celebration of retro pop, funk, and disco with synthesizers, drum machines, and some deep bass lines.

Cort Guitars has introduced the Artisan Space 5, a five-string bass that revives their headless line of instruments from the 1980s. The modernistic bass brings contemporary features and enhancements to the mix, of course.