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...
Mr. Big Announces North American Tour
Mr. Big, anchored by bass genius Billy Sheehan, will be touring North America starting July 30th in San Diego, California. The trek, in support of their latest album What If, will mark the group’s first North American trek with it’s original members in 13 years. Founded in 1988, Mr. Big’s original and current lineup includes Sheehan, guitarist Paul Gilbert, vocalist...
Scott Clay: “Love Will Never Do” All Bass Cover
Our friend Greg Smith sent in this awesome 6-string solo bass clip with this note: “Here’s my buddy Scott Clay showing his six-string dexterity on Janet Jackson’s ‘Love Will Never Do’. Scott plays in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaches out of the Music Tree in Morgan Hill, CA.” Have a video to share? Send us a note at...
CJ Ramone Announces Summer Tour Dates
Former Ramones bassist CJ Ramone has announced a summer tour that will cover just about the whole continental U.S. The tour kicks off July 7th, 2011 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and wraps up on August 7th in Cleveland, Ohio. CJ joined the Ramones in 1989, replacing founding member Dee Dee Ramone. CJ is often credited as breathing life into the legendary...
Red Hot Chili Peppers Announce First Tour Dates in Five Years
The Red Hot Chili Peppers have announced their first tour dates after five years in support of their upcoming album, I’m With You, due August 30th. This string of dates has the quartet playing two festivals, Summer Sonic in Japan and Rock in Rio in Brazil, before hitting Europe starting in Germany on October 7th and wrapping up in Spain...
Jennifer Leitham Releases “The Real Me Live” DVD
Lefty jazz bassist Jennifer Leitham has released The Real Me Live on DVD. Directed by Mark Lewis, the performance was taken from the bassist’s performance at Franklin Park in Riverside, California in July 2010. The DVD is a compliment to her 2006 CD of the same name and features the same music. The Real Me Live includes a bonus music...
The Axe Balancer
Joe Naylor has introduced a new gadget for instruments with heavy necks, called the Axe Balancer. The product is a small, 7-ounce tungsten steel block with a non-reactive foam bottom that mounts to your bass under the strap button. The gadget acts as a counterweight at the farthest point from the headstock, preventing neck dive to save you from holding...
Motörhead: Stay Clean
Lemmy Kilmister is a rock icon. This clip of “Stay Clean” from Motörhead’s DVD is an example of why.