Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 353

Kneebody has returned with a new album called “Chapters,” which marks a new era for the band. It’s the first release since the announcement that bassist Kaveh Rastegar would be stepping out of the group. Now Nate Wood is handling the bass and drums.

Fuzzrocious Pedals has introduced a new pedal to their lineup called the Egg Sack. The unit features the boost, drive, and distortion portion of their Playing Mantis that was introduced earlier this year.

Ringo Starr is a guy that gets by with a little help from his friends. His new album, “What’s My Name,” teams him up once again with his old bandmate Paul McCartney. Nathan East, John Pierce, and Kaveh Rastegar also perform on the record.

Bergantino Audio Systems has expanded its Holographic (HG) series with a new cabinet called the HG312. Weighing in at 49 pounds, the 750-watt bass cab features a sealed design with three 12-inch neodymium magnet woofers and a compression driver.

Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On” is a must-have album for bassists. Its songs are textbook examples of grooving by the late great Bob Babbitt and James Jamerson. Now you can hear Jamerson craft those bass lines in a newly reissued live album from 1972.

Kasim Sulton’s Utopia will be hitting the road for a tour in 2020. The bassist and his group will be performing hand-picked songs from the 10 Utopia albums on which he played.

Neil Young has played with plenty of bands over the years, but Crazy Horse is the one that keeps coming back. Now Young and Crazy Horse have teamed up again for “Colorado,” a ten-song album that is their first since 2012’s “Psychedelic Pill.”

Petros Klampanis has released a new album, “Irrationalities,” that puts the bassist in a new texture for his original compositions. Known for his lush string arrangements, Klampanis opted to make a trio recording.

Here’s a new bass from Jens Ritter Instruments created with Ish Guitars. The Princess Isabella Concept bass brings together Ritter’s Princess Isabella body with the “Concept” design, which streamlines it for a minimalist look.

Jazz bassist and educator Danny Ziemann has launched a new publishing company, awesomely named Low Down Publishing. The venture will offer incredible instructional books, but it is also an avenue for teachers to publish their own work.

Electro-Harmonix has rolled out another reissue of a classic version of the Big Muff circuit. The 1973 V2 Ram’s Head Big Muff Pi is described as a faithful re-creation of the original pedal.

Nekromantix has been playing psychobilly around the world for thirty years, and they’re celebrating with a new release called “3 Decades of Darkle.” Founder, bassist, and vocalist Kim Nekroman leads the trio through the band’s nine-album catalog.