New Albums - Page 97

In a somewhat unlikely pairing, Sting and Shaggy have teamed up to release 44/876. The album’s title is taken from the area codes for the U.K. and Jamacia, respectively, to represent each musician’s background. “I think on paper it’s pretty unlikely. We have very different vocal styles,” the former Police bassist admits. “Yet when we actually do sing together, it’s...

The legendary reggae rhythm section of Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare (aka Sly & Robbie) have teamed up with Norwegian jazz trumpeter Nils Petter Molvaer to release Nordub, an album that blends “the colorful atmospheres of Norwegian Jazz and the energetic grooves of Jamaica.” The band, which is rounded out with Eivind Aarset on guitar and Vladislav Delay on electronics,...

Grindcore masters Napalm Death have compiled 31 songs for an album called Coded Smears and More Uncommon Slurs. Taken from tracks recorded between 2004 and 2016, the compilation brings together rarities and exclusive songs for over 90 minutes of music. Bassist Shane Embury spoke on the album earlier this year. “We can’t believe how much we have achieved in support...

Peter Erskine and his Dr. Um band are back at it, and this time they’re “On Call”. The new double album features a CD of studio recordings plus a CD of a live performance in Ochiobello, Italy on July 30, 2017. The former Weather Report drummer’s band once again includes pianist John Beasley, saxophonist Bob Sheppard, and bassist Benjamin Shepherd....

Finally, the wait is over. Spinal Tap bassist Derek Smalls has released his debut solo album, entitled Smalls Change (Meditations Upon Ageing). The bassist, portrayed by Harry Shearer, tapped an incredible roster of musicians for the album including Peter Frampton, Donald Fagen, Dweezil Zappa, Rick Wakeman, Richard Thompson, Steve Lukather, Joe Satriani, Waddy Wachtel, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Paul Shaffer, Steve...

Another recent King Crimson performance has been released as a live album. Live In Vienna, December 1st, 2016 is a three-disc set that has the two set evening spread across discs one and two with the third offering encores and ambience. “Disc three includes a series of soundscapes edited into newly sequenced pieces,” the album’s notes explain. “Drawn from the...

Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen has released a new live album called In-House Science. The largely improvised jazz album features his trio consisting of Tommy Smith and Paolo Vinaccia from a stellar 2016 performance. “[The trio’s] energies are arguably best captured in a live context, and here the three musicians deliver a characteristically smoking performance at the Villa Rothstein in Bad...

Chicago has been steadily rocking the world since the ’60s. Now the band is celebrating with Chicago: VI Decades Live, a 4CD/1DVD set that captures the band across the 1960’s, 1970’s, 1980’s, 1990’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s. While the set does not include current bassist Jeff Coffey, it does feature longtime low-enders Peter Cetera and Jason Scheff. The first two discs...

The Dead Daisies have released their fourth studio album, Burn It Down, featuring the bass work of the mighty Marco Mendoza. This time around Mendoza is joined by his newest rhythm section partner, Deen Castronovo, who joined the band last year. The rest of the lineup includes guitarists Doug Aldrich and David Lowy with vocalist John Corabi at the helm....

Failure has released the first of a set of new EPs that will culminate in a full-length LP this fall. In The Future is the band’s first new music since their 2015 comeback, The Heart Is A Monster and will set the stage for the 2018 releases, which will focus on the disconnect between technology and humanity. “Living inside a...

Bassist/vocalist Jay Leonhart has teamed up with pianist Tomoko Ohno for a new album entitled Don’t You Wish. Leonhart, who bassists may know from his songs like “It’s Impossible to Sing and Play The Bass” and “Bass Aboard a Plane“, offers up his humorous tales of the musician’s life. “I am a jazz bassist with interests that roam far and...

The duo of a double bass and voice is one of the most powerful musical configurations. That’s clear on the new album, Interplay, by François Moutin and Kavita Shah. Sometimes intimate and sometimes exuberant, the 11-song collection ranges from jazz classics like “La Vie en Rose” to modern instrumental tunes like Dafnis Prieto’s “Blah Blah”. “There’s a nakedness to playing...