Jack Bruce and His Big Blues Band Announce UK Tour and Perth Festival of Arts Performance
Jack Bruce and His Big Blues Band will be hitting the road for a UK tour this month. The trek will be kicking off with a three day residency at Ronnie Scott’s in London before taking over the rest of the country. In addition to the tour, the group will be part of the lineup for the Perth Festival of...
Lemmy Kilmister Working on Solo Album
Motörhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister revealed that he’s working on a solo album in a recent interview with SF Weekly’s Dave Pehling. The veteran metal bassist says he’s most of the way through the effort, which will be chock full of guest artists. “I’m three-quarters of the way though a solo album right now. I’ve got two tracks with The Damned,...
Napalm Death Releases “Utilitarian”
Grindcore band Napalm Death have released Utilitarian, their 14th studio album of original material. Anchored by bassist Shane Embury, the 16-track collection continues their tradition of extreme music with in-your-face riffs and aggressive vocals. “After some deliberation, we decided on ‘Utilitarian’ as the album title,” vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway said. “We generally try to avoid generic titles, and this seemed...
Traynor Introduces DynaBlock Series at NAMM
Traynor introduced their DynaBlock series of bass amplifiers at NAMM this year. Central to the line is the DNB 400 head, which is then implemented into 1×12, 1×15, and 2×10 combos. Rated at 400 watts, the head has active and passive instrument inputs to accommodate all basses. Tone controls on the amp include a 4-band EQ and a Low Frequency...
Elvin Jones Trio, Featuring Jimmy Garrison: Sweet Little Maia (1968)
I don’t watch much TV, but I would if it was more like this 1968 clip from the Danish show Jazz Omkring Midnat. The Elvin Jones Trio, consisting of drummer Elvin Jones, bassist Jimmy Garrison and saxophonist Joe Farrel plays the tune “Sweet Little Maia.” The trio gets to really stretch out since there isn’t a chordal instrument, and Garrison...
Glenn Hughes and Black Country Communion Release Live CD, Prepare Next Studio Album
Black Country Communion have released a CD version of Live Over Europe as a follow-up to the DVD of the same name. Taken from their 2011 European tour, the 2-CD set features 17 tracks of the band’s original songs as well as two tunes from the band members’ previous work. Comprised of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, guitarist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason...
Bass of the Week: Rob Allen MB-2
The Rob Allen MB-2 is a unique semi-hollow bass designed to combine the warmth of an upright with the punch of a solid body electric bass. Though it’s available in a fretted version, the MB-2 comes standard as fretless to keep with the organic feel. The bass is offered in three variations depending on the top selected: Maple, Walnut, or...
Rocking Steady: An Interview with Jack Casady (Part 1)
As a member of the generation-defining bands Jefferson Airplane and Hot Tuna, the impact Jack Casady’s bass playing cannot be overstated. His unmistakable tone and melodic bass lines have been the foundation for countless songs, not to mention the inspiration for countless bassists. While his previous accomplishments are nothing short of incredible, Casady isn’t one to rest on his laurels....
Aguilar Introduces AG 4P-60 P-Style Pickup
Aguilar Amplification has unveiled the AG 4P-60 P-bass pickup, modeled after company president Dave Boonshoft’s personal 1964 Fender Precision Bass. The vintage-style pickup is described as having just the right amount of “mid-range nose” to cut through a band while retaining hefty low end. Designed as a direct replacement for Fender Precision and other P-style basses, the pickup is built...
Ashdown Unveils ABM-1000 and ABM-2000 Amps at NAMM
Ashdown has expanded their ABM line of amps with introduction of the ABM-1000 and ABM-2000. The pair couples the company’s ABM Evo III preamp with Class D amplifiers to pump out 1000 and 2000 watts, respectively. Ashdown ABM-1000 bass amp head Both amps carry a unique EQ that combines rotary knobs with a pair of dual sliders. The knobs cut...
Epifani Introduces AL Series Aluminum Combos and Cabinets at NAMM
Epifani has announced the AL combo and speaker line, utilizing hybrid aluminum enclosures. The new models have a pure aluminum shell paired with wood front and rear baffles, with the combos containing the company’s Piccolo 600 amplifier and DIST speaker technology. DIST allows for the combos to run at 4 ohms on their own and switch to 8 ohms when...
Dean Introduces Updated Ashley Purdy Signature Basses
Black Veil Brides bassist Ashley Purdy had a new pair of Dean Signature basses debut at the NAMM show this year, with the Spire “War Paint” and Cadi “Outlaw” models. Co-designed by the bassist and the company, the basses are revamps of the existing models, with special graphics added to suit Purdy’s style. When Purdy first joined up with Dean,...