Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 199

Bass players have utilized Walrus Audio pedals for years, but now the company has unveiled its first unit dedicated to bass. The Walrus Audio Badwater is a preamp and DI pedal complete with an optical compressor, an overdrive, and a four-band EQ.

The world lost a visionary and pioneer of the bass world when Rick Turner passed away on April 17, 2022. Steve Lawson had a special relationship with Turner, and he’s just released a tribute album, simply called “Rick”.

Bonnie Raitt recently released her 21st studio album, entitled “Just Like That…” The album features longtime bassist and session legend James “Hutch” Hutchinson. We caught up with Hutch to get the scoop.

After revealing they had purchased Aguilar Amplification in January, Korg USA has announced the acquisition of another popular bass brand: Darkglass Electronics. Korg USA president Joe Castronovo delivered the news in a press release.

Punk bass icon Matt Freeman is opening a shop on Reverb to sell some of his bass gear, which he has collected over his career. The Rancid and Operation Ivy bassist will be selling his personal basses, pedals, and guitars.

Each year, the NAMM TEC Committee honors legendary musicians with the Les Paul Innovation Award. The recipient for 2022 is one of the most influential bassists of all time: Carol Kaye.

Primus has been paying homage to the classic Rush album A Farewell to Kings by playing it in its entirety during their “A Tribute To Kings” tour. Geddy Lee finally got to witness the show and weighed in on the performance.

The Smashing Pumpkins and Jane’s Addiction have teamed up for the Spirits on Fire tour, which will see the bands covering North America over October and November. For each group, it will be their first outing in some years.

Luthier Geoff St. Germaine of St. Germaine Guitars shared his latest bass build on the “Support Small Bass Builders” Facebook group, and it really caught my eye. This Condor 5 built for Gerald Kebreau features a sleek walnut body with a cocobolo top complemented by wenge and maple accent layers.

It’s time to crank it back up to 11 because a sequel to 1984’s “This Is Spinal Tap” is in the works. Director Rob Reiner as well as actors Michael McKean, Christopher Guest, and Harry Shearer (Derek Smalls) will be returning.

Shane Cooper & MABUTA have returned with their second full-length album, entitled “Finish the Sun”. The South African jazz group continues to expand their diverse sound by digging into genres from across the continent.

Last month it was revealed that Joe Satriani has been in talks with drummer Alex Van Halen about a Van Halen tribute tour. Now we’ve learned that longtime Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has also been approached about it.