Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 809

Overwater Basses has unveiled three new basses: the J-Series 4 Classic, Perception Std Deluxe 4, and their first ever 6-string Singlecut. The J-Series 4 Classic features a 34″ scale and sports a Swamp Ash body, 1-piece Maple neck, and Rosewood bound fretboard. The electronics are all custom Overwater, including OW Hum Cancelling Pickups and an OW 2-band passive/active system. The...

Spanish Flamenco bassist Antonio Ramos ‘Maca’ has released a new solo album, Mira Que Te Diga, which translates to “Let Me Tell You.” The 10-track LP is his first solo release, though he has worked with the top Spanish names in Flamenco, from Vicente Amigo to Raimundo Amador. Antonio is also adept at funk and jazz, as evidenced by his...

Bass history was made when Marcus Miller and Larry Graham performed together at Billboard Live Tokyo in September. Luckily for everyone who wasn’t there, a fan caught the duo performing “Release Yourself” on camera.

System of a Down has announced new tour dates, which will be the group’s first performances since August 2006. The shows will be scattered through Europe in June with more dates in the works. An official statement from the band’s website explains “We have no master plan of sorts — we are playing these shows simply because we want to...

Bob Cranshaw will be honored at the upcoming “Giants of Jazz” concert to be held in South Orange, New Jersey. The Giants of Jazz focuses on celebrating under appreciated players in jazz, and Cranshaw is surely in that category. In addition to working with legendary saxophonist Sonny Rollins on and off for over 50 years, Cranshaw was the house bassist...

In a recent interview with Artisan News Service, bassist Duff McKagan announced that Velvet Revolver is renewing their search for a new vocalist. The band, which also features ex-Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, had to let singer Scott Weiland go in 2008 after “erratic onstage behavior and personal problems,” claiming he was not 100% committed to the group. The hunt...

Bootsy Collins brings the words of Jimi Hendrix to life in a new 90-minute film included in the West Coast Seattle Boy Box Set. The DVD, entitled Voodoo Child, is Hendrix’s life told using the legendary guitarist’s own words and includes rare footage, photos, and personal drawings. “Every word in the film had to be what Jimi had said… It...

Edo Castro has just released his third solo album, entitled Sacred Graffiti. The CD showcases Castro’s innovative bass looping and use of the Ebow to create introspective and artful songs. For the album, Castro called upon his Expandable Trio, consisting of guitarist Erik Lindquist and drummer Alex Aspinall, as well as bass virtuosos Michael Manring, David Friesen and Percy Jones....

Former Rolling Stones bassist Bill Wyman has announced that he will be answering fan questions online as part of a new column on his official website. Wyman, who laid down the low end for the Stones from 1962 to 1992, will post responses to fan queries as well as reply directly. To kick off the column, Wyman is having a...

David Friesen bares his soul for this awesome solo bass piece that starts with a beautiful melody then morphs into a meditative groove jam with the help of a looper. The performance is from the 1995 Poznan Jazz Fair.

Bassist Steve Uccello has been working with Australian percussionist/composer Nat Grant throughout the past year, and the duo has just released an album entitled Melbourne, Monterey. The 8-track collection features an array of string and percussion instruments with a healthy dose of electronics and sound effects to create a cool ambient vibe. The album name comes from the places it...

Check out bassists Will Lee and Darryl Jones performing Jaco’s “Teen Town” in unison! Joining the duo is a killer line up including Kenwood Dennard on drums, Delmar Brown on Hammond, Clifford Carter on keys, David Mann?on sax and Oz Noy on guitar.