News - Page 324

Double bassist George Mraz, known for his work with a slew of jazz greats (Oscar Peterson, Charles Mingus, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, and Carmen McRae, just to name a few) has lent his talents to pianist Yelena Eckemoff’s latest, . The album, which is attributed to the Yelena Eckemoff Quartet, is the first to feature Eckemoff...

Ever thought about what it would have been like if avant-garde composer John Cage had performed on the funkiest show on TV back in the 1970s? Well bassist/experimental composer Dywane “MonoNeon” Thomas Jr. has. And he, with the help of microtonal guitarist and composer, Michael Vick, has created a 5-track EP called, appropriately enough, John Cage on Soul Train. MonoNeon,...

D.C.-based reggae band SOJA has released its sixth album, . Featuring bassist/vocalist Bobby Lee, SOJA’s latest is the followup to its most successful record, 2012’s Strength to Survive. The record features not only the work of Jamaican producer Supa Dups (Bruno Mars, Rihanna, Eminem) but also guest appearances by Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley and Michael Franti. Amid the Noise and...

Spoon’s eighth album, , is the band’s first in four years. It also marks the Texas band’s shift from an indie label (Merge) to a major (Loma Vista, an imprint of Universal Music Group) and the addition of a new member — Alex Fischel on guitar and keyboards. During that four-year hiatus, bassist Rob Pope (also of The Get Up...

Gerald Albright is well-known as a jazz saxophonist, but on his latest album, , he’s also revealing to the world his abilities as a bassist. “A lot of people don’t know that I play bass, flute and some of the other instruments… so we decided to make it – no pun intended – a slam dunk project, and bring all...

If you’re like us, you’ve been patiently waiting for Dirty Loops to tour North America. The wait is finally over. Anchored by bassist Henrik Linder, the Swedish trio will kick off a 20-date North American outing at Irving Plaza in New York City on October 21st. From there they will cover the Northeast including a pair of Canadian dates in...

Darkest Hour’s includes songwriting with an otherworldly quality, courtesy of its two newest members, drummer Travis Orbin and bassist Aaron Deal (formerly of Salome), according to guitarist Michael Schleibaum. It’s the 11th album for the D.C.-area metal/hardcore outfit. The single “By the Starlight” provides ample evidence what Schleibaum was talking about, concerning the songwriting. Darkest Hour is available on and...

Les Claypool is once again auctioning off his personal bass to benefit Jacob’s Heart, an organization that offers children’s cancer support services. Similar to the instrument he auctioned in 2012, the bass is his own Pachyderm design. “This particular bass #122312003 was delivered to me on December 29th, 2012,” Claypool states. “I’ve always found that maple instruments have a very...

Have you always loved Dave Ellefson’s bass work in Megadeth and the metal band’s bass sound in general? If you want to replicate it yourself, check out the new from Hal Leonard. The 64-page book features a CD containing all the songs covered in the book, as well as backing tracks. You can also change the tempo of the CD’s...

Gov’t Mule has added a slew of tour dates to their “20 Years Strong” tour. The band, anchored by bassist Jorgen Carlsson, will follow up their current dates with a show at the Palace Theater in Cleveland, Ohio on September 12. The southern-fried jam band will then continue in the Midwest before heading west for dates in Washington, Nevada, and...

Progressive metal band Intronaut has announced they’ll be taking a break from writing a new album in order to celebrate their 10th anniversary with a tour. The band, rooted by fretless bassist Joe Lester, will kick off their victory lap on November 6th at the DNA Lounge in San Francisco, California before winding along the West Coast and into the...

Most rock fans know JJ Cale’s music because his songs became hits for other people — “Call Me the Breeze” for Lynyrd Skynyrd, and “After Midnight” and “Cocaine” for Eric Clapton. Clapton has said that Cale, who died in 2013, is one of rock history’s most important figures, and from the group he has gathered for , his assessment rings...