News - Page 411

Hal Leonard has introduced a new bass method, designed for children who want to learn the bass guitar, Bass for Kids: A Beginner’s Guide. The 32-book format includes 17 songs in layouts that allow the student to focus on one concept at a time. Lessons include selecting a bass, holding a bass, hand position, reading music notation and counting. Bass...

A new book chronicling Les Claypool’s career through photos has been published in a limited run through San Francisco based Rock Out Books. To Defy The Laws of Tradition is a collection of over 750 photographs taken by Jay Blakesberg’s 10,000+ image archive of Claypool’s groups including Primus, Holy Mackerel, Sausage, Oysterhead, and the Frog Brigade. Claypool also contributes an...

Unearth have announced that their first show of 2011 will be a benefit for their former bassist, Chris “Rover” Rybicki, who was killed by a drunk driver in 2010. The show will also feature Rybicki’s former bands. “We will be playing alongside another one of Rovers former bands No Choice as well as our friends in Screams of Erida and...

American rock band King’s X has released their first-ever live concert DVD, Live in London. The release, offered in a deluxe 2 CD/1 DVD box set or as a 2 CD release, was filmed in January 2009 at the Electric Ballroom in London. The band, featuring bassist/vocalist Dug Pinnick, guitarist/vocalist Ty Tabor and drummer/vocalist Jerry Gaskill, say the UK audiences...

12 Medium-Easy Jazz, Blues & Funk Etudes is a new series of books by Yellowjackets sax man Bob Mintzer written for all instruments, including bass. Designed for beginner- to intermediate-level musicians, this book covers 12 jazz, blues and funk etudes composed by Mintzer in a variety of jazz styles, tempos, and time signatures. A play-along CD is included, along with...

The Jelly Jam, a prog-rock trio featuring Dream Theater’s John Myung on bass, has had its first two albums re-released as high-resolution MP3 downloads on the Molken Music website. The band, rounded out by King’s X guitarist/vocalist Ty Tabor and Dixie Dregs drummer Rod Morgenstein, put out their eponymous debut in 2002 followed by The Jelly Jam 2 in 2004....

Bob Gallway’s bass instructional book J.S. Bach for Electric Bass has been updated to now include a companion CD. The book includes three duets and five solo pieces written by Bach and arranged by Gallway for bass. The CD is provided to facilitate mastery of the solo pieces and serve as accompianment for the duets. Tablature is included. Songs included:...

Bassist Nick Urlacher has announced he is leaving metalcore act The Word Alive as a life change. “I’ve decided to leave The Word Alive my friends,” he wrote in an online statement. “I will miss all of our friends, family and fans I’ve had the utmost pleasure and honor to meet along my travels with The Word Alive. My life...

Jack Bruce has announced he will be performing with the Tony Williams Lifetime Tribute Band in January and February 2011. The group, which also features guitarist Vernon Reid, organist John Medeski and drummer Cindy Blackman, will be holding several day residencies in three major jazz venues in New York, Oakland, and Seattle. The group pays homage to the late Tony...

Alfred has expanded on their Jazz Play-Along Series to include new volumes with books and play-along CDs tailored for bass clef instruments, and the entire rhythm section. The rhythm section editions contain written parts for bass, piano, and drums, and offers solo opportunities for those instruments. The publisher has also included an easy play-along series crafted for the novice improviser....

As we get set to start our third year covering the greatest instrument on the planet, we’ve been reflecting on the first two. When you start something like this because you love it, you’re biggest hope is that you’ll find other people who love it just the same, and that you produce something worth viewing and sharing. Thanks to you,...

Motorhead has announced an expansive new tour for early 2011 that will weave through North America from the end of January through March. The 27-date tour will mark the band’s 35th anniversary, during which time bassist/vocalist Lemmy Kilmister has been the sole constant member. The trek will also be in support of their upcoming album, The World is Yours, set...