New Albums - Page 180

Bass legend Larry Graham has released Raise Up, his latest effort with Graham Central Station, following a 13 year recording hiatus. The iconic bassist of Sly and the Family Stone and his own group enlisted the help of Prince – a long time collaborator of Graham’s, as well as songwriter/guitarist/producer Rafael Saadiq. And while it has been 13 years since...

The Bad Plus have released their eighth studio album, Made Possible, on the Entertainment One Music label. The effort may mark a new era for the band as they chose to include electronic percussion and synthesizers, which is a first for their traditionally acoustic sonic palette. The new layer was brought in mostly by bassist Reid Anderson, who played synthesizer...

Tom Tom Club has returned with their first new material in 12 years, entitled Downtown Rockers. Founded by the husband-wife team of bassist Tina Weymouth and drummer Chris Frantz, the Talking Heads shoot-off group’s latest offering stays true to their quirky, danceable style while paying homage to the music scene of downtown New York in the ’70s. “The reason why...

Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris has stepped out on his own with the release of British Lion, his solo debut. As we reported back in July, the 10-track album is the result of the music Harris has written and recorded in secret in between recording and touring with Iron Maiden over the past few years. “It’s taken years for this...

After a lengthy hiatus, No Doubt has released Push and Shove, their first studio album since 2001. While still heavily influenced by Jamaican music, the band took a turn towards the synth-pop bands of the ’70s and ’80s. The writing process also proved to be a new direction, especially for bassist Tony Kanal, who took a page out of Peter...

If legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson ever likened you to bassist Ray Brown, you’re obviously doing something right. That’s just the case for Brandi Disterheft, whose new album Gratitude is available now on Justin Time Records. The 27-year-old Canadian bassist, who has studied with Rufus Reid, Don Thompson, Niels-Henning Orsed Pederson and Ron Carter is well versed in the jazz...

Two years after her self-titled solo debut, Julie Slick has returned with Terroir, which is now available on BandCamp. Full of lush soundscapes, inspired compositions, and incredible bass playing, the 10-song album’s title offers several dimensions to the album’s meaning. ”Terroir is a French word, meaning ‘from the earth,’” she explains. “It is used to describe the qualities of a...

The Wood Brothers have released the second installment of their live set with the release of Live, Volume 2: Nail & Tooth. The duo recorded the live sets during their 20-date U.S. tour, featuring covers from some of their biggest influences, including songs by Sister Rosetta Tharpe and Allen Toussaint. Bassist Chris Wood, who also handles vocals and harmonica and...

Contemporary jazz quartet Fourplay have released their thirteenth album, entitled Esprit De Four. Originally formed in 1991, the band currently consists of bassist Nathan East, drummer Harvey Mason, keyboardist Bob James and guitarist Chuck Loeb. This is Loeb’s second recording with Fourplay and the band is taking advantage of the new direction. “In the songwriting and recording process, we were...

Steve Lawson has released Invenzioni, the first of three albums with guitarist Mike Outram. Recorded in 2010, the album was the first time the duo had ever played together, though the music would suggest otherwise. “We’d never played together, we just set up our stuff and started playing,” said Outram. “What you hear is two people playing music together for...

Backed by legendary session bassist Joe Osborn, 14-year old guitar wunderkind Matthew Davidson has released his first EP entitled Step Up. The four song collection was produced by Osborn, who also adds low end to the mix with his Fender Jazz. The bass legend took Davidson under his wing several years ago after hearing him perform at the Shreveport, Louisiana...

Dave Matthews Band has released Away from the World, the band’s eighth studio effort and first since the 2009 release, GrooGrux King. Matthews, who formed the band in 1991, recently told NPR that he’s surprised he’s made it this far. “I can remember saying ‘I can’t imagine that I’m going to be doing this when I’m 45’ — and I’m...