Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 794

Nikki Sixx and his band Sixx: A.M. have just released This Is Gonna Hurt, the album that accompanies his latest book of the same title. The release is a follow-up to 2007’s Heroin Diaries Soundtrack, which peaked at 62 on the Billboard 100. Joined by the Motley Crue bassist, Sixx: A.M. is rounded out by James Michael and DJ Ashba....

Level 42, led by bassist/vocalist Mark King, has released a new DVD from their 30th Anniversary Tour last year. The performance is taken from their October 22, 2010 gig at the Indigo2 in London and features the full 2010 set with songs ranging their history. The band officially formed in 1980 but had a 7-year split starting in 1994. King,...

Bassist Phil Palombi has just released RE: Person I Knew, a tribute to bass legend Scott LaFaro who tragically died in a car crash in 1961. Palombi recruited former Bill Evans drummer Eliot Zigmund and pianist Don Friedman, who was LaFaro’s roommate, to fill out the trio. The ties don’t end there, as Palombi got the unique opportunity to use...

BOSS has released the Micro BR BR-80 digital recorder, a portable audio station that combines an 8-track multi-track recorder, an eBand for practice, and a live recording mode. In addition to a 1/4” input and 1/8” line-in, the device features a built-in stereo condenser microphone for live to 2-track recording. All recorded material is tracked directly to the SD/SDHC memory...

Marcus Miller will be joining keyboardist George Duke and saxophonist David Sanborn for an extensive U.S. tour starting in Orlando, Florida and winding through the country to end in Hollywood, California. The trio, who will be performing as DMS, promise to bring a mix of funk, jazz and blues to the masses. Each member had crossed paths with each other,...

Esteban St. James of Von Saint Design is a bass lover like the rest of us, but even deeper his passion lies in vintage Ampeg SVT gear. He sent us Parts 1 and 2 of a 4-part YouTube series he made about the classic equipment. Part 1 deals with what “the sound” is and how to get it, while Part...

Bass builder Bud LeCompte has just unveiled a new line of vintage style basses under the moniker V-Groove Basses. The new models include the Nola and Provision basses, available in 4 and 5 string versions. Though custom options are available, the basses come standard with alder bodies and three piece 1/4 sawn maple necks. The fingerboards are either maple or...

The final performance by mambo legend Israel “Cachao” Lopez has been released as a two disc set, entitled The Last Mambo. The concert, which celebrated the bassist’s 80 years in music, was held at the Ziff Opera House a the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami Florida in 2007. The album has Cachao leading a 24-piece orchestra. The Cuban born Cachao...

Here’s No Treble columnist Damian Erskine taking a solo with Tony Furtado in 2005, at the Hatch Fest in Bozeman, Montana.

Sometimes it’s the simplest bass lines that stick with you the most. Here, bassist Gail Ann Dorsey proves it as she plays the iconic riff to “Under Pressure” with David Bowie at Madison Square Garden in 1997.

Hal Leonard has released Jazz Bass on Top: A Guide to Left-Hand Technique by Andy McKee, an instructional book for double bass aimed at improving fingerboard facility through 50 jazz songs. Presented in order of difficulty, the tunes range from “The Girl From Ipanema” to “Teen Town,” and teach walking bass lines as well as soloing techniques. McKee, who teaches...

The lineup for the 2011 Montreux Jazz Festival has been announced, and it will be a solid year for bass lovers. A few of the bassists set to perform include Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding, Larry Graham, Bootsy Collins, Christian McBride, Richard Bona and Marcus Miller, who will be performing as part of a tribute to Miles Davis. The fest is...