News - Page 449

There has been increased tension in The Kings of Leon, and the controversy is over royalties. The problem, in part, centers around the song writing credits for their upcoming fifth album. The band has taken to serious composition after their return from touring, but when bassist Jared Followill got the call from his brother Caleb that “I’m sitting here writing...

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones, featuring bassist Victor Wooten, are kicking off their end-of-the-year tour. Part of the tour will feature original Flecktone member, Howard Levy, through Europe and five dates in the US. Following that, the band will go on the road for their Holiday Tour with Jeff Coffin, with several dates including Alash. A new CD, Jingle All...

Fredericksburg Virginia is now hosting a monthly Bass Forum for bassists in the region. The Forum began in May 2009, and it has met four times now. Though the meetings started small, initially averaging about 15 people, participants are now commuting from both DC and Richmond to attend. In August, the Bass Forum was fortunate to host a clinic with...

Eagles’ bassist Timothy Schmit is releasing his fifth solo album, Expando, on October 20th 2009. Expando will feature guest artists Graham Nash, Dwight Yoakam and Kid Rock on background vocals, blues guitarists Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Keb’ Mo’, Van Dyke Parks on accordion, Gary Burton on vibes and keyboardists Garth Hudson of the Band and Benmont Tench of the Heartbreakers....

This year, there will be the ultimate battle-of-the-bands: School Jam USA 2009. School Jam USA is sponsored by NAMM, the not-for-profit association of the international music products industry, and its promotional partners MENC: the National Association for Music Education, Music For All, the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus and InTune Monthly magazine. Anyone with a band ages 13-18 can enter....

Rotosound will be offering free strings at the Mansons Guitar Show, where they are exhibiting. The strings will be awarded the first 20 bass players (and first 60 guitarists) who present a special show voucher (PDF), found on Rotosound’s web site. There will also be special deals on accessories, cables, and straps at their booth. Mansons Guitar Show is being...

Bassist David Pastorius and his band, Local 518, have released their second album in the U.S., Sense of Urgency. The album features Pastorius on bass with Local 518 members Al Brodeur on guitar and keyboards, Bjarne Jannik Kjaer on drums, steel drums and keyboards, Anthony Darmana on percussion and Dijeradoo and Dave Hoag on keyboards. Other performers on the CD...

Bassist Meshell Ndegeocello has just released Devil’s Halo through the Downtown record label. This is Ndegeocello’s eighth album to date and features live music energy, but thematically resting on loneliness and alcohol. Ndegeocello has explained part of her muse: “I live in Hudson, N.Y., and you can walk the whole town in about 10 minutes. The unifying factor is the...

South African psychedelic rock dub group BLK JKS (pronounced “Black Jacks”) have released a new album After Robots on the Secretly Canadian record label. The BLK JKS have been sharing performances with both Dirty Projectors and Afro-pop icon Femi Kuti. After Robots lives up BLK JKS description, you’ll hear raw township sounds mixed with reggae and blasts alternative rock. BLK...

New York’s Iridium Jazz Club has announced Jacofest, a four-night concert event honoring the late, great Jaco Pastorius. Bassists Victor Bailey and T.M. Stevens will be performing with many of Jaco’s former bandmates and colleagues, including trumpeters Miles Evans and Lew Soloff, saxophonists Alex Foster and Butch Thomas, trombonist David Bargeron, keyboardists Gil Goldstein and Delmar Brown, guitarist Billy “Spaceman”...

Jazz bassist Dave Holland is currently performing with his Overtone Quartet featuring saxophonist Chris Potter, pianist Jason Moran and drummer Eric Harland. Throughout Holland’s four-and-a-half decade career he’s also played with Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk, Chick Corea, Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock and Jack DeJonhette. Holland says he came to the bass by circumstance, “I was in my first band when...

Bassist Robin Duhe has a new album out, Life released on his own Blaise Two record label. Duhe was an original member in the band Maze, starting with them in 1974 and playing on almost all their albums. It’s his licks that open the tracks “Joy and Pain,” “Happy Feelin’s,” and “Golden Time of Day.” In 2004 Duhe stopped working...