New Albums - Page 173

Tom Kennedy newest acoustic CD, Just Play is out today. Bringing together many of the people Kennedy has performed with over the years, the album has a truly all-star cast of musicians. The core band is Renee Rosnes, Dave Weckl and George Garzone along with guests Mike Stern, Tim Hagens, Lee Ritenour, John Allred and Steve Wirts. The CD’s nine...

Veteran bassist Charnett Moffett has released Spirit of Sound, his thirteenth album as a leader and companion to his solo release, The Bridge which debuted in April. While Spirit of Sound is not a solo bass album like The Bridge, it does center heavily on Moffett’s bass virtuosity. The new album finds Moffett building upon the “Harmolodic Free Jazz” concepts...

Thundercat, aka bassist Stephen Bruner, has returned with his second full-length album, Apocalypse. Continuing Bruner’s unique hip hop meets jazz meets indie rock style, the effort centers on the cycle of life and all its ups and downs. The topic has been heavy on the bassist’s mind since the passing of his close friend and fellow musician, Austin Peralta, who...

One thing a band with the Yellowjackets’ longevity is likely to experience is change. The 32-year run has seen their fair share of change, with the most recent one happening with the bass chair. Back in January 2012, we broke the news that Felix Pastorius – son of the late Jaco Pastorius – was replacing Jimmy Haslip. Haslip reportedly wanted...

After eight years since his debut effort as a leader, Steve Jenkins has returned with Steve Jenkins and the Coaxial Flutter, an album that blends the bassist’s progressive rock and jazz fusion influences with “strong undercurrents of metal and electronic music.” The eight-song collection features Jenkins on a multitude of instruments and has guest appearances by Vernon Reid, John Shannon,...

In 1975 and 1976, former Fab Four bassist Paul McCartney and his band Wings took the world by storm with the “Wings over the World” tour, a 66-date trek across Australia, Europe and North America. It was the largest tour the band would ever undertake, and it resulted in the triple live album Wings Over America. A concert film entitled...

The wait is finally over. Black Sabbath have released 13, their first studio album featuring original members Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler since 1978’s Never Say Die. The band, which officially reunited in late 2011, is rounded out by Rage Against the Machine drummer Brad Wilk, who fills in for Bill Ward. Ward left the reunion in February...

Queens of the Stone Age has released …Like Clockwork, their first album in six years. The album’s title comes from the hard-fought process, an effort that began as far back as 2008 but was met with numerous obstacles. “We’d have these great victories and then something would go south for a bit,” leader Josh Homme told Rolling Stone, “and we’d...

Alice in Chains has released their fifth studio album, and the second since their 2005 reunion. And while The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here carries the group’s signature sludge metal sound, the band says the effort is an evolution of their sonic palette. “We made a unique record that’s completely different from anything we ever did,” guitarist Jerry Cantrell told Rolling...

While currently on his Out There Tour, Paul McCartney is continuing to reissue his classic material with a new version of Wings Over America. The release is a remastered take of the 1976 triple album that captured the band during their Wings Over America tour of the same year. With performances including “Maybe I’m Amazed,” “Live and Let Die,” and...

Trombonist Michael Dease has released his fifth album as a leader, entitled Coming Home. The 11-track release showcases the jazz side of his upbringing in Augusta, Georgia with a healthy mix of standards and original tunes. Dease recruited bass legend Christian McBride to anchor the album, citing his tastefulness and virtuosic playing. “Everything he plays feels so good,” Dease said....

Electronica duo Daft Punk have taken a turn towards humanity with their latest album, Random Access Memories, which almost exclusively uses live instrumentation. The 13-track effort brings together a spectacular cast of guest musicians including Julian Casablancas, Pharrell Williams, Paul Williams, Nile Rodgers, Chilly Gonzalez and others. “Making music with musicians and bringing back a certain craftsmanship, that was totally...