News - Page 417

Legendary session bassist Willie Weeks will be hitting the road with Eric Clapton on a string of tour dates in support of guitarist’s latest CD, appropriately titled Clapton. The touring band will also feature Steve Gadd on drums, Chris Stainton on keys and Michelle John and Sharon White singing background vocals. The group will be kicking things off in Vancouver,...

Last week, we reported that Rush was expanding their Time Machine Tour to Europe, with rumors of more North American dates. Thankfully the rumors were true, and trio will be gracing the U.S. and Canada through March and April, 2011. Starting in Florida, the tour works its way up the East coast, including a stop at New York City’s Madison...

Spanish Flamenco bassist Antonio Ramos ‘Maca’ has released a new solo album, Mira Que Te Diga, which translates to “Let Me Tell You.” The 10-track LP is his first solo release, though he has worked with the top Spanish names in Flamenco, from Vicente Amigo to Raimundo Amador. Antonio is also adept at funk and jazz, as evidenced by his...

System of a Down has announced new tour dates, which will be the group’s first performances since August 2006. The shows will be scattered through Europe in June with more dates in the works. An official statement from the band’s website explains “We have no master plan of sorts — we are playing these shows simply because we want to...

Bela Fleck and the Fleckones are hitting the road for a special holiday tour of western USA and Canada, with Jeff Coffin and special guest Alash Ensemble. The “original Flecktones” have been hard at work on their next album, due out in late Spring 2011. The original Flecktones include Bela Fleck, Victor Wooten, Futureman and Howard Levy. Bela Fleck &...

In a recent interview with Artisan News Service, bassist Duff McKagan announced that Velvet Revolver is renewing their search for a new vocalist. The band, which also features ex-Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash, had to let singer Scott Weiland go in 2008 after “erratic onstage behavior and personal problems,” claiming he was not 100% committed to the group. The hunt...

Edo Castro has just released his third solo album, entitled Sacred Graffiti. The CD showcases Castro’s innovative bass looping and use of the Ebow to create introspective and artful songs. For the album, Castro called upon his Expandable Trio, consisting of guitarist Erik Lindquist and drummer Alex Aspinall, as well as bass virtuosos Michael Manring, David Friesen and Percy Jones....

Bassist Steve Uccello has been working with Australian percussionist/composer Nat Grant throughout the past year, and the duo has just released an album entitled Melbourne, Monterey. The 8-track collection features an array of string and percussion instruments with a healthy dose of electronics and sound effects to create a cool ambient vibe. The album name comes from the places it...

Rush has just announced a new string of UK dates next spring as part of their Time Machine Tour. The tour will start in Dublin, Ireland, the first time the band has performed there. The last stop of the announced dates includes the Festhalle in Frankfurt, Germany, and more European dates are likely to be announced soon. The tour includes...

Peter Hook is bringing his band, The Light, to the U.S. in December for a 10-stop tour. The group will play Joy Division’s Unknown Pleasures album in its entirety. Hook, who was bassist for the groundbreaking rock band during their four-year run, will actually be singing, while his son Jack plays bass. “When I decided to sing, I realized I...

Jazz bassist Anthony Crawford has released his debut CD, Urban Jazz, on Hydro 6 Records. The 11-track album is exactly what the title implies: a cool hybrid of Jazz, hip-hop, pop, funk, and smooth listening. The opening track and lead single, “Windy Days,” is a great R&B flavored tune with a bass melody that lets Crawford’s 6-string Roscoe really sing....

The Red Hot Chili Peppers have compiled a new book, chronicling their 27-year existence together as a band. The 256 page book, entitled An Oral/Visual History by the Red Hot Chili Peppers, is a compilation of their triumphs and tribulations as they worked their way up from the Los Angeles underground scene to headlining arena shows. It includes stories told...