“3 of a Perfect Pair” Camp to Feature Tony Levin
Tony Levin will be part of the faculty at the “3 of a Perfect Pair” Music Camp, which will also feature fellow King Crimson allies Adrian Belew and Pat Mastelotto. The camp is open to all musicians (and non-musicians) and provides an opportunity for face-to-face interaction with the musicians including masterclasses, chats, and even bonfires. Levin, Belew, and Mastelotto will...
Ernie Ball Offers Test Run of Music Man Stingray 5-String Bass with 19mm Spacing
Based on popular demand, Ernie Ball is offering a limited test run of the SLO Special 5, a Music Man Stingray 5-string bass with 19-mm string spacing. The company says it must receive 125 pre-orders between now and July 12, 2011 to put the instruments into production. If the orders are met, it will become a regular product. The Stingrays...
The Wood Brothers: Shoofly Pie
In advance of their upcoming third album, the Wood Brothers have released a music video for the first single called “Shoofly Pie.” Featuring bassist Chris Wood (of Medeski, Martin, and Wood), the music is a cool southern-rock-tinged groove with a psychedelic twist for the video.
Yes Releases Fly From Here
Yes has released their first studio album in 10 years entitled Fly From Here, which is available now through download with physical copies coming July 12. The project started over a conversation between bassist Chris Squire and producer Trevor Horn about a song called “We Can Fly From Here” that the group worked on but didn’t make the cut for...
Deep Purple “Phoenix Rising” DVD Released
Deep Purple’s history is examined in Phoenix Rising, a DVD/CD package that includes the film “Gettin’ Tighter,” which tells the band’s story revolving around its Mark IV lineup and eventual demise through in-depth interviews, never told stories and backstage footage. In addition to the 90-minute documentary, 30 minutes of never-before-seen concert footage from their 1975 performance at Tokyo’s Budokan Arena,...
Tony Campos Joins Soulfly
Former Static-X bassist Tony Campos has joined the ranks of the metal outfit Soulfly, replacing Bobby Burns. Burns, who was in the band for seven years, left last July. Though the group had been performing with a fill-in, Campos will be the permanent bassist, with his first Soulfly show will be on July 31 at the Lokerse festival in Lokeren,...
Custom Shop: Verellen Amplifiers
So far in the Custom Shop series, we’ve asked luthiers about building custom bass guitars. This time we got the chance to talk to Ben Verellen to look into a perhaps lesser-known market: custom amplifiers. Based in Seattle, Washington, Ben Verellen of Verellen Amplifiers grew up playing bass and eventually decided to go to school for electrical engineering. Through a...
The O’Jays: For The Love of Money
Here’s another iconic bass line that everyone should know, penned and recorded by Anthony Jackson for the O’Jays. This clip shows bassist Curtis Teel adding his own groove to it to make people shake their money makers for this performance on Soul Train in 1974.
311 Announces Unity Tour 2011, Release New Single
In gearing up for their new album due mid-July, 311 has announced an extensive amphitheater tour about the U.S. The Unity Tour 2011 begins July 6th in Wichita, Kansas and will include support from Sublime with Rome, DJ Soulman, and DJ Trichrome. The schedule also has the band’s first 3-day 311 Pow Wow Fest, which has the group hosting acts...
Monolith Loudspeakers Releases MAGMA 1.0 Bass Preamp
Monolith Loudspeakers and Effects has released the MAGMA 1.0, a dual channel bass preamp built on solid state CMOS technology. Each channel is identical and has it’s own input, as well as an A/B input for blending. The back of the unit has effects loops for both channels, as well as two master line outs, a direct output, and footswitch...
Evan Brewer Releases Solo Bass Album “Alone”
Bassist Evan Brewer has released his debut solo bass album, Alone on Sumerian Records. The album is truly a solo bass album, as Brewer notes he is the only person on the album, and every sound is made by his bass. “I just think of [the bass] as a tool,” he said. “You don’t necessarily have to use it to...
Luminlay Unveils SGT Series Fluorescent Position Markers
Luminlay has introduced the SGT series of luminescent inlay markers to their product line, including the SGT-40 and SGT-50. The new fluorescent markers are designed for the top of fingerboards, where previous incarnations were built as side dots. Available in green, the SGT-40 and -50 are dot inlays made of a highly luminous material that is charged in seconds by...