Ron Carter Biography Now Available In Audiobook
Jazz master Ron Carter’s biography, Finding The Right Notes, is now available as an audiobook. Written by Dan Ouellette, the aural version is read by Carter himself and include musical intros to each chapter. Its total running time is over twelve hours. Finding The Right Notes chronicles Carter’s life from his beginnings in Michigan to his rise in the jazz...
Dug Pinnick Releases “Tribute to Jimi: (Often Imitated but Never Duplicated)”
Jimi Hendrix inspired countless musicians to pick up their instruments and become better at their craft. One of those musicians was Dug Pinnick, who has just released a new tribute album to the legendary guitarist. Tribute to Jimi: (Often Imitated but Never Duplicated) covers eight of Hendrix’s most iconic songs including “Fire”, “Purple Haze”, “Voodoo Child (Slight Return)”, and more....
DC Pedals Announces 5-Channel Bluetooth Effects Looper
DC Pedals has announced the 5-Channel Bluetooth Looper, an innovative new effects looper that allows for programming and control from your smartphone. “Focused on the working musician, the 5-Channel Bluetooth Looper is a true-bypass switching system with five loops, 100 direct accessible presets, 100 MIDI accessible presets, MIDI input and MIDI output, and our patented Bluetooth wireless programming and control,”...
Phish Announces 2018 Tour Dates
Phish has announced their touring plans with a fourteen-show outing that will bounce around the United States. Anchored by bassist Mike Gordon, the iconic jam band will kick things off in Albany, New York before heading to Virginia, Tennessee, Illinois, and Nevada. Each location will have at least two nights of music. The news expands upon their existing summer dates...
Dave Holland Releases “Uncharted Territories”
Jazz bassist Dave Holland has returned with a new album with a very appropriate title. Uncharted Territories is an exploratory album that reunites the band leader with longtime friend and saxophonist Evan Parker. Pianist Craig Taborn and percussionist Ches Smith round out the album. “In addition to quartet improvisations, they also broke off into every possible subset of duo and...
Alexander Pedals Introduces The Defender
Alexander Pedals has expanded their Neo Series with the Defender, a pedal that packs multiple digital drives into a single pedal. The effects are controlled with a full panel of secondary effects. “The Defender is capable of anything from a transparent overdrive with slapback delay to a wall of synth fuzz made even more bodacious with octaves included,” the company...
Stanley Clarke Reveals New Album for 2018
45 years after his debut album as a leader, Stanley Clarke has announced his next release. The Message will feature the bass master alongside his longtime touring band of young innovators – Cameron Graves, Beka Gochiashvili, and Mike Mitchell – as well as several special guests like rapper Doug E. Fresh and trumpeter Mark Isham. Clarke collaborated with each of...
Bass of the Week: Nelson Instruments Paramount
This week we’re checking out the Nelson Instruments Paramount, a killer bass that’s oozing vintage appeal. Its funky maple body is matched to a quarter sawn hard maple neck and set with hot hide glue, which Nelson says offers extras sustain and rigidity. The secret sauce to the bass is in its pickups, Nelson adds. “The Paramount comes standard with...
Jeff Ament Releases “Heaven/Hell”
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament has released his third solo album, entitled Heaven/Hell. The album came about after writing several songs that didn’t fit into the rest of Pearl Jam’s style. “I usually end up having a group of songs that goes to the band, and then there are songs that don’t feel right, or they feel too personal,” he...
ENKI Unveils AMG-2 Electric Bass Guitar Case
ENKI has gotten into the bass protection business with the AMG-2 Electric Bass Guitar Case. Built to hold two basses, the case can handle extended and multi-scale instruments. “The ENKI AMG-2 Bass Case is built with an extremely tough lightweight Roto-Molded Polyethylene Shell and a luxurious EVA foam insert providing excellent impact resistance and travel convenience,” the company writes. It...
Rhonda Smith Joins Jeff Beck for Summer Tour
Rhonda Smith will be joining Jeff Beck once again on tour this summer for the “Stars Align” tour, which will have the legendary guitarist performing with Paul Rodgers and Ann Wilson. The outing will also include a handful of Beck solo shows. The tour will kick off July 18th in West Valley City, Utah at the USANA Amphitheatre before working...
Darkglass Electronics Upgrades Vintage Series Pedals for 2018
Darkglass Electronics has been introducing lots of new gear, but now they’re revamping some of their existing units. The company’s Vintage Series pedals have gotten an upgrade for 2018 including the Vintage Ultra v2 and the Vintage Deluxe v3. The Vintage Ultra v2 retains the features of the original but has been upgraded with their new cabinet simulation technology. It...