Grammy Nominee Shares Pro Advice in Book on Playing Upright Bass
Andy McKee, a jazz bassist nominated for two Grammys for his work with the Mingus Big Band, has authored a book to help others improve their playing. is designed for bassists of all skill levels, offering insight on a wide swath of topics, from improvising, soloing and practicing to instrument care, performance, and right-and-left-hand technique. McKee is also the author...
Big Star’s “#1 Record” and “Radio City” Reissued in Individual Remastered Versions
Let a bassist break down why Big Star was so important. The bassist, by the way, is R.E.M.’s Mike Mills, who penned liner notes for the reissues of two of the power pop trailblazers/originators’ albums — its 1972 debut, and its 1974 followup . Big Star was a band “who made records that sounded like rock and roll bands should...
Hal Leonard Publishes “Music Marketing for the DIY Musician”
The author of Billboard Books’ best-selling The Musician’s Handbook has some more advice to offer. This time, Bobby Borg, who has a long career as a musician, educator and author, is turning his eye and pen to going DIY with . Published as part of Hal Leonard Corp.’s Music Pro Series of guides and CDs, the book shares how innovative...
Avishai Cohen Trio Record Reissued on Vinyl
If you missed out on the Avishai Cohen Trio’s Gently Disturbed when it came out in 2008, or you just always wanted a vinyl version of the record, . The work, from the trio featuring the innovative Cohen on bass, Mark Guiliana on drums and Shai Maestro on piano, received a host of accolades for its near-redefinition of jazz. You...
Book Turns Bird’s Sax Solos Into Bass Lines
Are you a lover of Charlie “Bird” Parker’s iconic jazz sax solos and yearn to play them on your bass? Then, you need to check out this book — . The 96-page book from Hal Leonard Corp. offers instruction on how to play some of Parker’s most well-known solos. Just take a look at the song list: Anthropology Au Privave...
Opeth’s 11th is Heavy on Melody
Swedish progressive metal band Opeth has released the follow-up to its acclaimed 2011 album, Heritage. , featuring the bass work of Martín Méndez, is the 11th album from the group, which originated as a death metal outfit. Méndez and vocalist-guitarist-producer Mikael Åkerfeldt wrote all the songs on the album, which Åkerfeldt says found the group focusing on melodies more than...
Asia’s High Voltage Performance Released as Live CD/DVD Set
The July 2010 High Voltage Festival in London marked the first time Asia performed its multiplatinum 1982 debut album in full in Europe. Four years later, that show is now available in a . The performance featured the original band lineup (including singer, songwriter and bassist John Wetton), hits like “Heat of the Moment” and “Only Time Will Tell” and...
Americana Stars Shine on John Cowan’s “Sixty”
Progressive bluegrass singer and bassist John Cowan has assembled a who’s who of roots music for his latest album, . Cowan, who also plays bass in The Doobie Brothers, is known for his work with New Grass Revival, Sam Bush, The Sky Kings and his own John Cowan Band, as well his abilities as a session player and vocalist. And...
Bass and Drum Duo Royal Blood Release Eagerly Awaited Debut Album
Royal Blood, which has been generating buzz in the music press and online for almost a year, now has its . The U.K duo creates a massive rock vibe, even though the only instrumentation comes from vocalist Mike Kerr’s bass and Ben Thatcher’s drums. In our interview with Kerr, he said the group’s epic sound came “more [from] curiosity than...
The Bad Plus Create an “Inevitable Western” with Latest Release
The Bad Plus, on the heels of releasing its take on The Rite of Spring earlier this year, has now released its first album of original music since 2012’s Made Possible. is an album “rich with mystery,” according to the website for the leaderless avant-jazz piano-bass-drums trio. The group is devoted to exploring musical forms birthed from jazz, and those...
Motorhead’s Aftershock Reissued in a “Tour Edition”
Motörhead has added something extra to its 2013 Aftershock album — a live CD. The package, called , features not only the original album, but also the bonus material, culled from the band’s mini Best of the West Coast Tour earlier this year. The live recording features Aftershock tunes and Motörhead classics, like “Ace of Spades.” Fronted by bassist, singer...
Rhythm and Swing: Rodney Whitaker Releases “When We Find Ourselves Alone”
It’s all about the rhythm for Rodney Whitaker, the double bassist and head of Jazz Studies at Michigan State University who has released his eighth album, . The record features five originals and six arrangements of others’ work. But in the latter case, even standards become new when a different kind of rhythm is employed, Whitaker says in a short...