Charlie Haden Releases “Sophisticated Ladies”
Charlie Haden has just released latest album with Quartet West, entitled Sophisticated Ladies. The title is a play on the Duke Ellington tune, as the 12 tracks feature jazz standards sung by the genre’s best female vocalists, including Cassandra Wilson, Diana Krall, Melody Gardot, Norah Jones, Renée Fleming, and Haden’s wife, Ruth Cameron. Haden, who had a long standing association...
Yes Signs New Record Deal, Album Due Next Year
Legendary prog-rock band Yes has signed to a new worldwide recording deal with Frontiers Records, based out of Italy. The group will be recording their first new studio album in nearly a decade, following 2001’s Magnification. According to the release, fans can expect a release date in 2011, sometime before summer. The current Yes band members include founding bassist Chris...
Todd Smallie and Yonrico Scott Teach Jazz To Kids
Here’s a clip of bassist Todd Smallie and drummer Yonrico Scott laying it down during cultural day at Oakgrove Elementary School. The two, who make up part of the rhythm section for the Derek Trucks band, blow through the jazz standards “Tenor Madness”, “All Blues” and “The Chicken”. Notice the Grammy on the desk…
Michael Formanek Releases First Album in 12 Years
Twelve years after his last album, jazz bassist Michael Formanek has released his fifth CD as a leader, entitled The Rub and the Spare Change. The project started Formanek recruited a few musicians just to play with, and ended up being a recording of his quartet featuring saxophonist Tim Berne, pianist Craig Taborn and drummer Gerald Cleaver. “Beforehand, I just...
Pearl Jam’s Jeff Ament Opens Skatepark
Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament has opened a skate park in his hometown of Big Sandy, Montana. Ament funded the $40,000 project so he could “give the kids around here something to do,” besides school sports. The park is finished now, and Ament says he plans on buying some skateboards and gear to keep handy for kids who don’t have...
Gear Watch: EBS Classicline 110 and 112 “Mini Size” Bass Cabinets
EBS has extended their Classicline range of bass cabinets with the new 110 and 112 Vintage Style “Mini size” cabs. The cabs feature a vintage look as well as a vintage sound, with a warmer and rounder character than their Proline series. The smaller size cabs are made to match up with a compact head unit to make a more...
Another One for Woody: Allen Woody Tribute Concert Scheduled
After bassist Allen Woody‘s untimely passing in 2000, a tribute concert called “One for Woody” was held to honor him, featuring the Allman Brothers Band, Phil Lesh & Friends and more. Now, ten years after the original concert, a second show aptly titled “Another One for Woody” will take place to honor the fallen four-stringer and raise money for music...
Paul Jackson with the Strandberg Project: The Groove
Paul Jackson joined bassist Jan-Olof Strandberg for his album The Strandberg Project back in 2005, and this recently posted video shows the duo jamming it out again on the tune “The Groove.”
RIP Walter Payton
Famed New Orleans bassist Walter Payton Jr. passed away October 28 following a longtime illness. Payton, who is father to trumpeter Nicholas Payton, suffered a stroke early this year while on the road with the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, with whom he had been working with since as early as 1965. Besides his spectacular playing, the bassist touched lives through...
Jack Bruce Releases “City Of Gold: Live Performances” DVD
Jack Bruce has a new DVD out, entitled City of Gold: Live Performances. The 22 minute long DVD is a snapshot of Bruce between two performances over 10 years in 1991 in Sevilla, Spain and 2001 in Donington, UK. Bruce is joined by musicians including Phil Manzanera, Michael Schenker, Uli Roth and others on the four tracks that include “City...
Michael Anthony Opens Up on VH1’s That Metal Show
On a recent episode of VH1’s That Metal Show, Michael Anthony shared his story about why he’s no longer in Van Halen. The bassist, who now holds down the low end in the rock supergroup Chickenfoot, said that he was never asked about the band’s recent “reunion” tour, as well as their new album, due out early next year. Anthony...
Gear Watch: MTD Andrew Gouche Signature 635
Gospel legend Andrew Gouche has shared details of his new Signature MTD bass on his Facebook Page. The Andrew Gouche Signature MTD 635-24 is a 6-string, 35″ scale bass that features an alder body with a maple burl top and a maple neck with a purple heart fingerboard. The neck’s side dots are made from Luminlay, which allows them to...