News - Page 233

After honing his craft with some of the top jazz musicians in the world, bassist Corcoran Holt has released his debut solo album called The Mecca. Holt, who is a regular with sax legend Kenny Garrett’s band, dishes out a mix of original songs and standards with unshakeable bass lines. Besides a solid foundation, Holt offers thoughtful solos throughout the...

As a former member of both Oscar Peterson’s and Ray Brown’s bands, jazz drummer Jeff Hamilton knows how to make the piano trio format work. That’s evident in his latest release, Live From San Pedro. The album features pianist Tamir Hendelman and bassist Christoph Luty, who Hamilton writes “is known for his big, natural sound, melodic bass lines and solos,...

Ever since we first featured the band back in October, we’ve been psyched about Sons of Apollo. The supergroup is made up of Mike Portnoy, Derek Sherinian, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Jeff Scott Soto, and the amazing bass work of Billy Sheehan. They released their debut, Psychotic Symphony, last year and now they’ve announced an international tour. The outing will start...

Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand has returned with their fifth studio album, Always Ascending. The album, anchored by bassist Bob Hardy, is the first to feature their newest member Julian Corrie, who took the place of Nick McCarthy. Always Ascending offers a fresh feel thanks in part to the lineup change as well as the band taking their time...

Ray Brown was a master jazz bassist that could carry entire songs, with or without chordal instruments. One of his most notable recordings of the latter situation has just been reissued on vinyl for its 60th anniversary. Sonny Rollins’s Way Out West features the trio Brown on bass, Rollins on sax, and Shelly Manne on drums. It was taken from...

Karl Alvarez and The Descendents have announced a spring tour to continue support for their 2016 album Hypercaffium Spazzinate. The massive tour will take them from April 12th in Tampa, Florida to November 17th in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Check out Alvarez’s tasty bass work in the video for “Without Love”: The Descendents 2018 Tour Dates:

There’s more troubling news abound for industry giant Gibson Guitars. After announcing plans to sell off their downtown Memphis factory, rumors have been flying that they may be facing bankruptcy in the coming months. In an article for the Nashville Post, Geert De Lombaerde laid out the dire state of affairs. “The situation facing the iconic Nashville-based music instrument maker,...

The Wood Brothers have returned with their sixth album entitled One Drop of Truth. The 10-song album deviates from their previous efforts by presenting each song as its own masterpiece, diving into a variety of styles and influences. “Often, when you’re making an album in the traditional way, there will be a unifying concept, whether that be in the approach...

Old school gamers got super excited in 2016 when it was announced that the classic Sega Genesis game “Toejam and Earl” was going to get a new chapter called “Back in the Groove.” The game is still being finished up, but the super funky soundtrack performed by Cody Wright is now available. Wright recreates some of the original grooves while...

Ever since Ozzy Osbourne announced he will stop touring after a massive farewell tour, we’ve been waiting for the North American dates. Now the first set has been revealed. Ozzy, who will be joined by longtime bassist Rob “Blasko” Nicholson, will first hit two festivals in Florida in April before heading out at the end of August. The trek will...

Chris Hillman’s first two solo albums have been reissued on a new CD called The Asylum Years. The country-rock pioneer started his solo career with 1976’s Slippin’ Away, with Clear Sailin’ following the next year. Though Hillman laid down the low end for the iconic bands The Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers, he only played bass on two tracks...

Attention Frank Zappa fans: the complete Roxy performances are now available in a seven-CD box set. Recorded in December 1973, Zappa’s concerts at the Roxy Theatre in Hollywood are considered a high-water mark of his career with his band The Mothers in top shape. The lineup for The Mothers at the time included keyboardist George Duke, bassist Tom Fowler, trombonist...