News - Page 385

Since its announcement, the Black Sabbath reunion has had nothing but difficulty after difficulty. Plans for a world tour and new album were put on hold after lead guitarist Tony Iommi was diagnosed with Lymphoma, while drummer Bill Ward recently declared his contract unsignable. There’s been no official statement on Ward’s departure, but bassist Geezer Butler weighed in on the...

Kill Devil Hill’s long awaited self-titled debut is now available from SPV/Steamhammer. The band, comprised of ex-Pantera/Down bassist Rex Brown, drummer Vinny Appice, guitarist Mark Savon and vocalist Jason “Dewey” Bragg finalized its lineup in March of 2011 with the addition of Brown. “Vinny is a brilliant drummer, and of course, I was immediately interested when he asked me whether...

John Mayer has returned with Born and Raised, his first album since 2009 as well as his infamous 2010 Playboy interview that put him in the media doghouse. Taking a page from folk rock from the ’70s, Mayer channels the spirit of singer-songwriters like Neil Young with rich acoustic guitars and harmonica throughout. The album is underpinned by bassist Sean...

Bassist/composer Linda Oh follows up her 2009 debut with her second solo effort, Initial Here, an eclectic blend of music as diverse as the bassist’s background. Oh was born in Malaysia to Chinese parents and was raised in Western Australia. Her cultural heritage is what she draws upon for Initial Here. Her early musical training was in classical bassoon, and...

Following up to their Grammy winning debut album, Revelator, the husband-wife led Tedeschi Trucks Band releases Live – Everybody’s Talkin’ today. Anchored by bassist Oteil Burbridge, the 11-piece group performs tunes from Revelator with some added twists, plus some covers of tunes by Stevie Wonder, Muddy Waters, Bill Withers, Joe Cocker and others. A new tune, “Nobody’s Free”, also makes...

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...