News - Page 375

Rock group Van Halen has postponed all their tour dates following their June 26th concert in New Orleans, making a total of 31 performances to be rescheduled. Now anchored by bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, the band hasn’t released an official statement, though the insider website Van Halen News Desk has dismissed rumors of band feuding by stating the group is...

Bassist John Carey has released his newest solo effort, Oh So Funky, an album full of music by The Meters. Summoning the spirit of George Porter’s playing, Carey recruited a top-notch band for the project including drummer Anton Fig, guitarist Oz Noy, and Andy Narell on steelpans, who fills the original role of organ. Late Show bassist Will Lee also...

Jazz/rock supergroup Return to Forever is releasing a 3-disc set of music culled from over 200 performances from last year’s world tour. The group, originally formed in the early ’70s had reunions in 1983 and 2008, before a new line-up joined together in 2010. That line-up – including existing RTF members Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke and Lenny White – joined...

Prog rock supergroup Flying Colors is gearing up for a European tour this fall, in support of the band’s debut album, released in March. Formed by ex-Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy, Flying Colors is anchored by bassist Dave LaRue, and features Neal Morse on keys and vocals, Casey McPherson on lead vocals and guitar, and Steve Morse on lead guitar....

ALO describes their latest album, Sounds Like This, as a “swing back” to their older sound. Anchored by Steve Adams’ thick yet bubbly bass work, the album presents an upbeat jam vibe while mixing rock and funky beats. Besides going into the studio without set songs, Sounds Like This was recorded in the band’s hometown of San Francisco, which Adams...

Alfred Music Publishing has published Foo Fighters: Ultimate Bass Play-Along, the newest edition in the company’s Ultimate Play-Along series. Featuring eight Foo Fighters tunes, the book and two enhanced CD set offers authentic transcriptions of Nate Mendel‘s bass lines, and is also available in guitar and drum editions. The CDs include two audio tracks per song – one offers a...

Hal Leonard has released Volume 30 of their Bass Play-Along Series, focusing on the early years of rock and roll. Early Rock: Bass Play-Along includes tab for eight songs, as well as the melody and lyrics for each. The book comes with a companion CD, offering the bass track and separate backing tracks for playing along. As with the other...

The Summer Slaughter Tour has announced their schedule, set to their annual metal-fest on the road starting July 20, 2012 at the House of Blues in Los Angeles, California. Headlined by death metal band Cannibal Corpse, the tour this year also includes appearances by Between the Buried and Me, The Faceless, Periphery, Veil of Maya, Job for Cowboy, Goatwhore, Exhumed,...

After working together for nearly 50 years, pianist Steve Kuhn and bassist Steve Swallow have teamed up once again for Wisteria, an 11-track collection, rounded out by drummer Joey Baron. The album’s title is taken from the name of a song by Art Farmer, whom Kuhn and Swallow both worked for in the ’60s. On Wisteria, Swallow’s rich electric bass...

Lynyrd Skynyrd have announced that they’ll have a new album on the shelves on August 21. Last of a Dying Breed will be their first effort since 2009’s God & Guns, and promises to be a real fan-pleaser. “It was great to get back in the studio with [producer Bob Marlette] for this new album,” guitarist Gary Rossington said. “We...

The original line-up for Asia, anchored by bassist John Wetton, along with Geoff Downes, Steve Howe and Carl Palmer, is gearing up for the British rock band’s 30th anniversary with the announcement of a new album, XXX and tour. XXX will be available in multiple formats, including a standard CD, a collector’s edition CD/2-DVD set and a limited edition vinyl....

Jazz bassist Eddie Gomez has released Per Sempre, a new album with his quintet. Recorded in Bologna, Italy during his 2009 tour, the album features original compositions by his band as well as an inventive version of the jazz standard “Stella by Starlight.” Drawing on his varying experiences, Gomez’s refined arco work blends beautifully with the timbres of the horns...