Mark King Auctions Gear, Memorabilia for Charity
Level 42 bassist Mark King is auctioning off some of his memorabilia and gear to benefit the Beaulieu House, a respite care center that helps children and young people with severe learning and physical disabilities. Among the items is King’s 30th anniversary Ashdown MK500 head and the first Status KingBass he took on tour, which was featured on the 2001...
NEA Names Charlie Haden As Jazz Master
Charlie Haden has been named as a recipient of the Lifetime Honors award from the National Endowments for the Arts, a recognition they describe as the “nation’s highest honor in the fold and traditional arts.” Haden started playing bass on his family’s folk and country radio show and eventually became a jazz legend, performing with Keith Jarrett, Ornette Coleman and...
Javier Moreno Releases “Brisa”
Spanish jazz bassist Javier Moreno has released his debut album, Brisa. Moreno enlisted the talents of pianist George Dulin, drummer Tony Moreno, and sax virtuoso George Garzone for the eight song collection of original compositions, which is capped with an inspired open improv between the bassist and Garzone. The album covers a wide spectrum of textures while the ensemble floats...
Five Finger Death Punch Announce New Bassist
The members of Los Angeles-based Heavy Metal band Five Finger Death Punch have announced their newest member to be bassist Chris Kael. Kael will be filling the gap left by Matt Snell, who was released from the band in December for unspecified reasons. The band, which is nearing completion on their third studio album and follow up to 2009’s War...
Christian McBride Tours With Inside Straight
Christian McBride will be taking his band Inside Straight on the road starting June 25th, with dates spread out about Canada, the U.S. The jazz bassist will also be making an appearance at Tommy LiPuma’s 75th Birthday Celebration in Switzerland. McBride, who is adept at both upright and electric, recruited Steve Wilson, Warren Wolf, Peter Martin and Ulysses Owens, Jr....
Samson Releases CT20 Clip-On Tuner
Samson has a new clip on tuner called the CT20, featuring a dual 360 degree ball jointed clip for viewing at almost any angle. It clips on to your headstock (bridge if you play upright), and has a full color LCD display for ease of visibility. The tuner detects pitch with either the built-in mic or the piezo sensor, and...
Nikolai Fraiture Says The Strokes Working On New Material
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone, The Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture revealed the the band is back to working on a new album, just two months after releasing Angles. The band’s last effort came after a nearly five year hiatus, during which time each member worked on other projects. This newest creativity has the same spark as came with...
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones Extend North American Tour
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones have announced extended tour dates in support of their latest album, Rocket Science. The trek, which began in May, is now set to stretch into September with shows in Canada and the U.S. Several of the performances will be at festivals, including the Montreal Jazz fest and the Shenandoah Valley Music Festival. The current incarnation...
An Interview With Anthony Wellington
Though he learned bass without taking lessons, Anthony Wellington has become one of the most renowned and respected bass and music educators. Through teaching at virtually every bass camp and Bassology, his own Maryland-based bass studio, Wellington teaches about 100 students per week. Although Wellington views himself as an educator first, it’s no wonder that Wellington’s passion and dedication has...
Rex Brown No Longer in Down
Former Pantera bassist Rex Brown will no longer be a part of metal supergroup Down, according to drummer Jimmy Bower. In an interview with MetalChroniques.fr, Bower explained that the band parted ways with Brown for his own good with Crowbar’s Patrick Bruders stepping in to fill up the low end. “It’s a real delicate situation, because what he went through...
NSP Releases BreakOut Stomp Pedal
New Signal Process has released the BreakOut Stomp, a new pedal designed for bassists and guitarists to interface iOS devices with their rig. Housed in a die cast aluminum chassis, the Stomp comes with a hand made 12-foot pro audio Mogami detachable cable so you can put your iPod or iPad in a safe and accessible spot while you perform....
In Flames Releases “Sounds of a Playground Fading”
Swedish death metal outfit In Flames has released their tenth studio album, Sounds of a Playground Fading. It’s the group’s first effort without founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad, who quit in February 2010. “It’s the first album without Jesper, but we had a really good time in the studio,” bassist Peter Iwers said in an interview with StormBringer.com. “We were a...