Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 360

KISS may be busy on their sprawling farewell tour for the foreseeable future, but Gene Simmons will be making time this year for an art exhibit. On October 12th, Simmons will unveil a collection of 20 of his own basses at the Animazing Gallery.

Fender launched nine new models to its Squier Classic Vibe series at the Summer NAMM Show. That includes four new basses: the Classic Vibe ’50s Precision, the Classic Vibe ’70s Precision, the Classic Vibe ’60s Mustang, and the Classic Vibe Jaguar.

311 has returned with their 13th album, “Voyager,” which features their classic blend of genres plus some new influences. The band, anchored by Aaron “P-Nut” Wills, continue to blend rock and reggae while adding in pop, metal, and prog influences.

Ampeg is celebrating five decades of the SVT bass amp with the Heritage 50th Anniversary SVT, which is launching at the 2019 Summer NAMM Show. The unit combines the SVT’s “most celebrated circuits” with the 1969 “Blue Line” and 1970s Magnavox-era circuits.

Ted Gould III has worked with New Orleans legend Zigaboo Modeliste, Jon B., Prince Damons, and more. (He’s even written for No Treble.) Now the veteran bassist has released his debut album as a bandleader under the moniker Brother Theodore.

David Ellefson’s line of signature instruments has gotten a new spin with two new bassists: the 4-string X Series Signature David Ellefson Concert Bass CBXM IV and 5-string X Series Signature David Ellefson Concert Bass CBXM V.

Here’s a killer performance of “Tumba” by Chick Corea with Vinnie Colaiuta and John Patitucci from the Blue Note in Tokyo in 1992. The trio plays over several Latin grooves, even kicking into swing for a while.

Four decades-spanning, rare live albums from Paul McCartney have been reissued in a variety of formats. The albums – “Amoeba Gig,” “Paul is Live,” “Choba B CCCP,” and “Wings Over America” – have been remixed and remastered into new vinyl, CD, and digital editions.

Singular Sound has expanded its product lineup with a new looper pedal called The Aeros Loop Studio. The unit is a six-track stereo looper that has a touch-enabled screen, hands-free mixing, and simultaneous parallel and sequential looping.

Sublime with Rome is back with their third album, entitled “Blessings.” It’s the first album to feature drummer Carlos Verdugo. The band, which began ten years ago with original Sublime drummer Bud Gaugh, is still anchored by original bassist Eric Wilson.

Mel Bay has published a new bass instructional book by Peter Washburne entitled “Extreme Bass Grooves.” The 40-page book is designed to engage your creativity while exploring the fretboard.

Julien’s Auctions has announced an auction set for October that will feature a massive amount of music gear owned by late Steely Dan co-founder Walter Becker. The auction is set for October 18th and 19th.