Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 732

Bassist Marcus Miller, guitarist Jean Paul “Bluey” Maunick, drummer Billy Cobham, trumpeter Enrico Rava, and pianist Stefano Bollani were each guests on the Radio 2, RaiTunes over an 8 month period. Each improvised to an a cappella version of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean.” The result is fantastic.

Bassist Darryl Jones teamed up with keyboardist John Beasley and drummer Ndugu Chancler to form 3 Brave Souls, a trio informed by funk, roots, and jazz. In fact, each of the members are alumni of Miles Davis’s band and as such bring together incredible groove with intellectual playing. The group has released their self-titled debut album. Jones, whose career credits...

G&L has announced their 2012 Special Collection, which includes three new limited edition basses. The lineup takes some of the company’s existing models and gives them a new “Nearly Naked” (NENA) finish in a Honey Ale color. G&L’s NENA is a super thin finish that uses a proprietary finishing technique for a naturally balanced appearance while staying durable. The basses...

When you get down to it, what’s music without context? New School bassist Seth Horan, who has been bringing the bass to the forefront with his solo singer/songwriter style for a decade now, says it is all about the song. After being introduced to virtuosic bass music while still a novice to the instrument, Horan’s style grew steadily through his...

Nick Latham, who goes by “BedroomBassist” on Youtube, has released his debut EP Can’t Sleep In Silence. Nick recorded a live playalong of his tune “Hammerhead” to introduce it. Nick is playing a Sandberg MarloweDK Signature Bass that he won – with a similar video of this song – from a video contest.

The long-awaited debut album from Spectrum Road is now available from Palmetto Records. Born out of the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute band, the foursome consists of bassist Jack Bruce, guitarist Vernon Reid, keyboardist John Medeski, and drummer Cindy Blackman. Even the band name is taken from a Tony Williams song, but Bruce says Spectrum Road has its own identity. Speaking...

This week we take a look at a unique bass made by Delgado Guitars out of Nashville, Tennessee. Proprietor Manuel Delgado is a third-generation luthier with specialties in acoustic instruments, and the Delgado Bass is no exception. The acoustic-electric bass has a hollow-body with about 2? in depth and a 34? scale. Though a variety of woods are available, the...

Daniel Rey’s tapping is masterful, especially in this tune “Danza de los Anunnakis.” Similar to his tune Palenque, Rey’s hands move effortlessly to make his bass sing.

Mesa Boogie unveiled some sweet new gear at Musikmesse this year, including a pair of new all-tube bass amps called the Prodigy and the Strategy. Rated at 120 watts and 300 watts respectively, the pair are both equipped with three 12AX7 preamp tubes and a class A/B multi-watt power amp. The Prodigy’s power amp section allows for running all four...

Slipknot has announced their first release since bassist Paul Gray’s untimely death. Antennas To Hell will be a best-of compilation with songs spanning their career from their 1999 self-titled debut to 2008’s All Hope is Gone, as well as a bonus CD of their performance at the Download Festival in 2009. Tickets are on sale for Knotfest, the band’s first...

Wild Customs has made a bass version of their Vulture guitar. The Vulture Bass’s retro design features a reverse headstock, angular body shape, and three pickups made by SP Custom. Stocked with passive electronics, each pickup has a volume control in addition to the master tone knob. The bass sports a sugar pine body with a maple neck and rosewood...

The first ever CBGB Festival is set to take place in various venues across New York City on July 5-8. The four-day celebration will include music at over 20 venues, business/industry conferences, film screenings, and a spirits day that will bring artisan distilleries for a day of drinking. The festival’s keynote address will be given by none other than former...