News - Page 372

Saxophonist Doug Webb has released his latest, Midnight, with an all-star supporting cast including Stanley Clarke on bass, Larry Goldings on piano and Gerry Gibbs on drums. Webb’s career includes over 500 recordings and he’s played with Brian Bromberg, Horace Silver, Freddie Hubbard, Quincy Jones and countless others. He’s also recorded for hundreds of movies and TV shows, including fifteen...

Audio from bassist/composer Ben Allison’s entire set from the 2010 CareFusion Newport Jazz Festival is available for free online streaming through NPR Music. The show kicks off with a great bass solo intro to Allison’s composition “Green Al,” from his latest record, Think Free. The band includes Shane Endsley on trumpet, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Steve Cardenas on guitar and...

The Virginia Bass Forum saw the return of the multi-talented bassist Bryan Beller to Forte Music Studios in June. Participants who attended Bryan’s first Bass Forum clinic in August 2009 learned the value of being a versatile bass player. The Forum, now in its second year of events, is a monthly gathering for bassists featuring either bass clinics, performances, or...

Doug Wimbish has announced his 6th annual Wim-Bash, a day long musical event that builds up to Doug performing in three of his groups: Little Axe, Tack>>Head, and Living Colour. The show also includes 12 bands leading up to the “Soundsystem” himself. Wim-Bash 2010 takes place August 28 at Sully’s Pub in Hartford, CT from 1PM to 3AM. Tickets are...

Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea has started a fundraising page on Crowdrise.com to raise money for his Silverlake Conservatory of Music. Silverlake is a non-profit that grants scholarships to low-income students, as well as gives them instruments and lessons. “A few years back, I had the opportunity to visit my old high school and noticed how many of the...

Alfred Music has just released the Bass Line Encyclopedia by Tim Ferguson. The book is a reference for bass players to expand their knowledge of genres and styles, therefore increasing their versatility. It features over 100 bass lines in tons of styles, including Chicago blues, Texas blues, heavy metal, punk, funk, bebop, jazz, reggae, samba, bluegrass, and more. The lines...

Jean Baudin, the bassist famous for his “Super Mario theme song” performance on 11-string extended bass and other videos, has released a method book on bass tapping technique. The Mechanics of Tapping is a 58 page ebook aimed at beginning and intermediate bassists. The book covers Baudin’s approach to tapping with tab for both the left and right hand and...

The Gorilaz have announced an extensive North American fall tour in support of their March 2010 release, Plastic Beach. This is the third album from the animated group, which was created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and Tank Girl animator Jamie Hewlett. The tour will mark a rite of passage for the group, as it will be the first time...

Ozzfest 2010 is just around the corner, and Motley Crue’s Nikki Sixx wants you to join him for the Boston show. Crue is one of this year’s headliners, and Nikki is having a contest on his Sixx Sense website to win two concert tickets, roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations, ground transfers, and a “meet and greet” with the Motley bassist himself....

New Years Eve is a special time for Gov’t Mule and their fans. Since 1994, the band has been performing New Year’s celebrations, and in 1999, the band took the stage for the millennium celebration at the Roxy in Atlanta, Georgia. The night featured an incredible performance by the original Gov’t Mule line-up of bassist Allen Woody, guitarist Warren Haynes...

Hal Leonard’s fast growing Play Along series now has a new entry with songs by the Police. The Police: Bass Play-Along Volume 20 features eight popular Police tunes and includes bass tab notation, lyrics and vocal melody. The CD included offers an enhanced version for Windows and Mac computers so you can adjust the tempo of the songs without changing...

The iconic rock band Hot Tuna has just signed a deal with Red House Records, which is home to many other blues and roots based artists including Guy Davis, Lynn Miles, and Garnet Rogers. Hot Tuna, which was formed in 1969 by Jefferson Airplane bassist Jack Casady and guitarist Jorma Kaukonen, have just finished up their tour schedule and are...