Articles by Kevin Johnson - Page 864

Alice in Chains, Deftones, and Mastodon are all teaming up for a newly announced fall 2010 trek entitled the “BlackDiamondSkye” Tour. The three bands will make their way across North America in support of each of their newest albums from which the tour name was derived: Alice in Chains’ Black Gives Way to Blue, Deftones’ new Diamond Eyes, and Mastodon’s...

The line up and theme have been announced for the Detroit International Jazz Festival, which is billed as the largest free jazz festival in North America. The festival’s theme is “Flame Keepers- Carrying the Torch for Modern Jazz,” and will include tributes to six “trailblazers of modern jazz,” including Art Blakey, Ray Brown, Miles Davis, Horace Silver, Betty Carter, and...

Rush recently announced a tour, as well as a new documentary, Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage. The film, produced by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in NYC on April 24, and will make its television debut on June 26th on VH1 and VH1 Classic. In a recent interview with Philadelphia radio station 94 WYSP,...

Weezer has announced that they will be releasing a deluxe reissue of their 1996 album, Pinkerton as well as an “Odds and Ends” collection of rare tracks and b-sides sometime later this year. “It’s a ton of B-sides from a big period of time,” bassist Scott Shriner explains. “Rivers (Cuomo) has been mostly in charge of picking which songs are...

Guns N’ Roses bassist Tommy Stinson has posted a blog update after returning from a South American tour with GnR. “All things considered, I’d say South America was a success,” he reports. “I have a few new scars, one less bass, one less favorite coat (damn thieving baggage handlers!), a few less brain cells, and a new appreciation for Cipro....

Noteflight has announced the release of Crescendo, an online music notation software that uses your web browser to help edit, display, and play back music you write as well as share it with others in an online community setting. Crescendo builds upon the already popular and free Noteflight software by introducing tablature support, score templates, lots of new virtual instruments...

YellowJackets bassist Jimmy Haslip has teamed up with guitarists Michael Landau and Robben Ford and drummer Gary Novak to release an album under the moniker “Renegade Creation“. The album, released by the Blues Bureau record label, features eight vocal tunes sung by Landau and Ford as well as two instrumental tracks. The group’s music is a melding of blues, rock,...

The Bass Coalition has announced their first annual Summer Workshop to be hosted at Shenandoah University in Winchester, Virginia on June 24th through the 26th. Included in the workshop events is the live round of the Bass Coalition Solo Competition, in which the first place winner receives a prize of $1000, thanks to sponsor Shank Strings. The three day summer...

Bootsy Collins has released a pilot video to promote a new documentary series called “Funk 101”. The video includes Bootsy and other funk masters talking about the legacy of the funk genre and its impact on society. He also released a teaser for Funk University, which begins enrollment this week. Classes begin on July 1. Visit Bootsy on the web...

Epiphone has released the new Zenith bass, an instrument that pays homage to the jazz guitar tradition. Available as fretted or “lined” fretless, the key to this bass is its unique NanoFlex and NanoMag pickup combination. Designed by Shadow Germany, the NanoFlex is fit underneath the saddle to sense the vibrations of the strings as well as the body. It...

After recruiting Andrew Altman on bass earlier this year, Railroad Earth has announced their extensive tour dates for the spring and summer. The group will be based mostly on the east coast, with several festival dates, including Summer Camp, All Good, and FloydFest. Railroad Earth Tour Dates 2010: April 23 Asheville, NC— The Orange Peel April 24 Atlanta, GA—Variety Playhouse...

Tired of hauling your rig over several trips from your car? Gruv Gear has introduced their new V-Cart Solo, a versatile cart designed for transporting heavy gear and equipment while staying ergonomic and maneuverable. Featuring a multi-position handle and sliding support arm, the V-Cart solo morphs into 3 configurations to fit your transportation needs. The modes include a 4-wheeled tilted...