CLIFF BURTON Biographer Announces U.K., Italian Signings

U.K.-based author Joel McIver will be reading from his recent book, "To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton" (pictured below) at two Milan and London locations.

The first event takes place in Milan this coming Saturday (September 27), the 23rd anniversary of Burton's death in a coach crash in Sweden in 1986. The venue, the Alcatraz, is the city's foremost metal club and will host concerts by SLAYER and CANNIBAL CORPSE in the fall. McIver will guest on bass with a local METALLICA tribute band, ORION, sign copies of the Italian translation of "To Live Is To Die…" and participate in a question-and-answer session with clubgoers. The Italian branch of Metclub and Universal Records are also involved in the event, billed as "Cliff Burton Night" (see promotional video clip below).

The second event takes place at London's famed Crobar on Friday, October 2 and will feature a set by the renowned tribute band METALLICA. The Crobar was once hailed by FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl as "my favorite bar anywhere" and holds a unique position in British heavy metal culture.

"To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton" features a foreword written by METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett and has been internationally praised.

For more information, visit www.joelmciver.co.uk.

Ex Yngwie Malmsteen Bassist Marcol Jacob Dead at 45

Legendary vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (TALISMAN, JOURNEY, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) has issued the following statement:

"It is with deep regret and remorse I, along with fellow members of TALISMAN, am announcing our brother, longtime colleague and overall greatest musician we've ever played with, Marcel Jacob, is no longer with us as of today, Tuesday July 21, 2009. Marcel took his own life after many years of personal and health issues he was battling.

"We were mere days from starting what would have been our eighth TALISMAN studio album together, celebrating the 20 year anniversary of the band. I spoke with him just yesterday about finalizing the details that would get us started only to get the news this afternoon that my friend merely gave up on it all.

"I want him to be remembered as everything I have already mentioned above but more so, he helped influence so many musicians and songwriters. He was a quiet, gentle soul with a very intense passion for his craft. I have been associated with him since 1994 but it was when we started TALISMAN is when he truly became a brother, one of my dearest friends.

"It is far too early to say anything now but I plan to organize a memorial for his legacy, although not known by the masses, the ones who do see him as the genius I know he was.

"R.I.P. my friend, you will be sorely missed, you will be in my heart forever and I'll see you on the other side... I hope now you will get your dream and jam with Phil Lynott!!"

Jacob formed RISING FORCE with YNGWIE MALMSTEEN in 1978 and later became involved in the pre-EUROPE act called FORCE. Jacob was also a member of HUMAN CLAY, John Norum's (EUROPE) solo band and HUMANANIMAL. He was 45 years old.

blabbermouth.net

Bassist Ingebrigt Haker Flaten Experimental Jazz with a Norwegian Accent

Avant-garde jazz has almost always had its sacramental side. Theres a reason for the devotion that some listeners bring to the mid-1960s music of John Coltrane.

Or to the output of his fellow saxophonist Albert Ayler. The spirituality in these performances wasn't subtext or suggestion; it radiated out from a fervent core.

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten, an astute Norwegian bassist, has experience with the fiery side of free improvisation: hes among the most prolific figures on the European experimental scene. His own music hasnt often reflected clear spiritual concerns. But it did, to resounding effect, during the strikingly different duo sets he played on Friday night, at Monkey Town in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the 5C Cafe in the East Village.

The catalyst for this expression was Elise (Compunctio), a gemlike album released in Europe last year. Named after Mr. Flatens grandmother, it consists mainly of hymns from Norways populist Christian revival in the 19th century. These were the songs that Elise Flaten learned and sang, and Mr. Flaten, together with the imposingly proficient saxophonist Hakon Kornstad, treats them like valuable but usable heirlooms. (Now available through iTunes, the album can also be streamed free at kornstad.com.)

Mr. Flaten and Mr. Kornstad were just as respectful with this material at Monkey Town, performing with virtually no amplification. A song called For Himmerigs Land Maa Man Kjempe moved from a bowed-bass invocation to a mournful, slow-moving melody, played with depth and presence by both players; it wasnt a far cry from certain Ayler recordings. Paa Hinside Orken, which came next, was more introspective, heeding a strong tonal center; it called Coltranes Alabama to mind.

Like the album the set also included the Keith Jarrett ballad Death and the Flower and one song on which Mr. Kornstad traded his tenor saxophone for a flute with a clarinet mouthpiece. (The mongrel instrument, which he calls a flutonette, imported a suggestion of Middle Eastern microtonality.) But mostly the focus was on deceptively simple abstraction, and on the intuitive bond between the two players.

Mr. Flaten later explored a different sort of interplay with the cellist Daniel Levin at the 5C Cafe: freeform and busy, with the power of unhinged commotion. Both musicians reveled in garbled textures, plucking and scraping, detuning their soundboard pegs, slapping their strings. It was easier in this context to appreciate the sheer breadth of Mr. Flatens technique and the ferocity of his attack.

There was nothing inherently spiritual about this outpouring: it was unadulterated free jazz, known to some adherents as energy music. But perhaps because of the imploring conviction of Mr. Flatens previous set, this one felt similarly driven. His strenuous exertions, equaled at every turn by Mr. Levin, suggested some kind of penance.

Ingebrigt Haker Flaten performs with the trumpeter Jawwaad Taylor on Monday at Local 269, 269 East Houston Street, Lower East Side; (212) 228-9874

Continue....

Renowned Bassist Stanley Clarke Returns to UArts for Honorary Degree During Presidential Inauguration

PHILADELPHIA, PA - The University of the Arts will bestow an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts upon one of its most distinguished alumni, world-renowned jazz bassist and composer Stanley Clarke, at the inauguration of Sean T. Buffington as president of the University on April 18.

After studying double bass at the Philadelphia Musical Academy, now The University of the Arts, Clarke went on to earn a Grammy Award, several other Grammy and Emmy nominations, and a place at the top of numerous reader and critic polls during his nearly 40-year career as a bass virtuoso.

Teaming with Chick Corea, Lenny White and Al Di Meola in the influential jazz fusion group Return to Forever, Clarke won a Grammy award for 1975's No Mystery, and earned two gold records. He has been honored with Bass Player Magazine's Lifetime Achievement Award; was named Rolling Stone's first “Jazzman of the Year;" received Playboy's Music Award as the best jazz bassist for 10 straight years; and is a member of Guitar Player Magazine's “Gallery of Greats." He has been honored with the key to Philadelphia and put his hands in cement as a 1999 inductee into Hollywood's “Rock Walk" on Sunset Boulevard.

“In the 1970s when electric bass was taking center stage with powerful jazz-rock 'fusion' bands, Clarke went against the grain in achieving his initial reputation, by excelling as an upright acoustic bassist with a robust, sustained tone and facile technique," said Richard Lawn, dean of the UArts College of Performing Arts. “He has enjoyed a successful career because he did something 'different,' which is precisely what we strive to teach our students on a daily basis - lead, don't follow, take chances, do something different. We are honored to have had a role in Clarke's development and take great pride, particularly now that our music program is jazz- and contemporary American music-focused, in recognizing him for his outstanding achievements with an honorary doctorate."

One of the few bassists to play acoustic and electric bass with equal ability, Clarke has worked with some of the top bandleaders of the time - Horace Silver, Art Blakey, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, Pharaoh Saunders, Gil Evans, Stan Getz and Corea. He's collaborated with guitarist extraordinaire Jeff Beck, Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones and Stuart Copeland, drummer for the Police. He has toured with George Duke, Bela Fleck and Jean Luc Ponty.

Since the 1980s, Clarke has also created film and television show scores, earning Emmy nominations for his score to “Pee Wee's Playhouse" and title themes for “Hull High" and “Knightwatch." He is currently scoring the critically acclaimed series “Lincoln Heights" on ABC Family Channel, in addition to composing the show's theme song. Clarke won the BMI Film Music Award for his score to the Oscar-nominated film Boyz 'n' the Hood, and has composed music for such films as What's Love Got To Do With It, Passenger 57, Poetic Justice, Little Big League, Romeo Must Die, The Transporter, Undercover Brother and Roll Bounce. Clarke was the composer for the Showtime series “Soul Food." All told, he has over 65 film credits and is one of the most in-demand composers in Hollywood.

On October 16, 2007, Clarke's newest CD, The Toys of Men, a collection of 13 tracks examining the emotional sweep of war, was released and, within a week, it jumped to No. 2 on Billboard Magazine's Contemporary Jazz Chart.
http://www.uarts.edu/inauguration

Former MEGADETH Bassist On DAVE MUSTAINE: 'Things Are Peaceful Between Us'

Kris Melton of Rock Fist Reviews recently conducted an interview with bassist David Ellefson (MEGADETH, F5, HAIL!). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Rock Fist Reviews: Dave Mustaine was the original guitarist for METALLICA. While MEGADETH gained fame, they never received quite the same amount of attention. Did that reality affect Dave and thus the rest of the band as well?

Ellefson: You'd have to ask him on his side of it, but for me my attitude was I was always thankful for METALLICA, because without them I probably wouldn't be here. Not only am I a fan of what METALLICA does and has done, but just as a contemporary of theirs in the scene I have great respect and admiration for how they ran their business. They were just a big, well-oiled machine. And, as a result, they got huger and huger. They really captured the minds of millions of people. And I think the first ones to the party are always the winner. I think to some degree the ones that come after that probably will never gain that much success, but that's not to say...

Read More... http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=119175

Bassist Dennis Irwin - 1994 Interview Unearthed

n March of 2008, the jazz world lost the irreplaceable Dennis Irwin, a bassist who was a remarkable musician; a beautiful person generous with his time and his heart; and a scholar and facilitator of musical experiences without equal. Since his passing there have been tributes to this world-class sideman, which enumerate the details of his career. Not too many people know that Irwin began playing bass at 19, after years of classical clarinet and playing drums in marching bands and alto sax in R&B settings. He was first attracted to, and able to play bass in, a lot of free jazz settings.

Irwin has enlightening things to say about the psychoacoustic aspects of playing. His remarkable attention to aesthetics--and extensive experience playing chamber music--yield valuable musical lessons for players and listeners alike. He also discusses using gut strings, playing with Junior Cook, what was at the time the current generation of players, and his own philosophy of playing as a privilege and a spiritual duty.

AAJ Contributor Lora Rosner interviewed Irwin in 1994 and, while plenty went on between then and the tragic time of his passing, in this piece Irwin provides background information on how he came to be one of the busiest bassists in modern jazz, while largely operating under the radar.

Check out Dennis Irwin: Respect the Tradition at AAJ today!
http://www.dennisirwin.org/

Renown Bassist Lindsey Horner Embarks on Artistshare Project "Undiscovered Country"

The renowned and versatile bassist Lindsey Horner has embarked on his first ArtistShare project. This project will truly be a multinational one, as almost every single musician is from a different country, and each has an incredibly diverse experience and musical backgrounds.

Undiscovered Country, in Lindsey's own words:

I am embarking on a new project that will bring together many of my past influences as well as some of my favorite musicians who have been most important to me up to this point in my musical journey. We will record and perform some new music conceived and written especially for this unique group of players. I am calling this project “Undiscovered Country" because it will bring together musicians from the various places I have lived and been inspired by and also because the entire process is new, one in which you as the listeners are an important part of what happens. The title, Undiscovered Country, is from Shakespeare (see Hamlet, the “to be, or not to be", speech) and while the reference there is to death, I am choosing to see it in this context as a willingness, or even a need, to step off into the unknown; not recklessly or lightly but to do so fortified and accompanied by strong allies while using the lessons of the times and places and people I have known on my own journey.

The musicians are:

Lindsey Horner: Bass
Erwin Vann: Saxophone
Augustin Foly: Guitar
Colter Harper: Guitar
Allison Miller: Drums
Jeff Berman: Percussion
Rob Thomas: Violin
Special Guest: Legendary Irish Singer Andy Irvine

For more detailed information on the project and the specific musicians Lindsey has chosen to be a part of “Undiscovered Country", please visit his ArtistShare project page!

http://www.allaboutjazz.com/

THIS year's Melbourne International Jazz Festival, under a new management, brought many innovations, especially in its wider-ranging programming. Arti

THIS year's Melbourne International Jazz Festival, under a new management, brought many innovations, especially in its wider-ranging programming. Artistic director Michael Tortoni and his unflagging, youthful program director Sophie Brous presented an impressive program of more than 60 events. One welcome change was a free opening night concert featuring respected US bassist Charlie Haden, 71, the artist in residence, with 12 of Australia's top players.

Selecting Haden to perform his earlier arrangements, with stellar Australian musicians replicating his Liberation Music Orchestra, was an inspired idea. He chose some more accessible numbers including Amazing Grace and We Shall Overcome among more complex pieces.

The bite and style of many fine soloists extended the interest, particularly trombonist Shannon Barnett's powerfully shaped contributions, as well as tenor saxophonists Jamie Oehlers'senergetic flights and Julien Wilson's lyrical imagery. A magical moment came when bassist Sam Anning exchanged exhilarating solos with the old master, who shouted appreciatively of Anning's abilities: "Yeah man!"

Haden displayed an intuitive choice of phrases, making minimal use of the upper register and producing a beautifully sonorous tone at the deeper end.

The organisers retained and expanded a series of masterclasses as well as Jazz for Kids concerts and introduced a Future Leaders award for students in years 10 to 12.

Other variations included free sound walks with live dadaist music at the National Gallery of Victoria; performance and conversations between sound artist Oren Ambarchi and New York guitarist Nels Cline at the NGV Ian Potter Centre; various screenings of jazz on film at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image; and a performance by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra of a new work by conductor Matthias Pintscher.

Daily free concerts in Federation Square were performed by local groups including the talent-laden Victorian College of the Arts' big band and Sydney's Vampires, fronted by award-winning young saxophonist Jeremy Rose.

On Tuesday Haden - in another incarnation - led his group of 25 years, Quartet West, featuring tenor saxophonist Ernie Watts, pianist Larry Goldings and the stylish, unobtrusive drumming of Rodney Green. Watts's locked-on solos moved effortlessly into whistling harmonics and raced all over the horn. They presented a range of works by Charlie Parker, Ornette Coleman and others, plus a jaunty, traditional calypso.

The supporting group in the acoustically superior Melbourne Recital Centre was a sensational local trio of trumpeter Eugene Ball, guitarist Stephen Magnusson and that rarest of beings, a drummer with delicate touch, Joe Talia. They moved seamlessly from floating serenity to a higher energy, and interpreted Lush Life building a slow, haunting beauty with subdued trumpet notes of liquid silver.

By Wednesday the festival's diversity was apparent. Fans could go from the emotionally moving and talented amateurism of the Choir of Hard Knocks to the outer reaches of the jazz universe. Here, US composer-saxophonist Tim Berne fronted a sextet of our highly accomplished locals, embarking on the controlled chaos of Berne's futuristic, atonal compositions.

US saxophonist Joshua Redman appeared on Thursday with his trio, with Reuben Rogers on bass and drummer Greg Hutchinson. They opened with a quick and crisp rendition of The Surrey with the Fringe on Top, setting the scene for an evening of high-calibre playing. The trio included several originals from its new CD, Compass. Redman played soprano and tenor saxes with great style and absolute control. Unexpectedly, the trio played Redman's calming jazz arrangement of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata.

A much anticipated event on Friday night saw Paul Grabowsky perform his commissioned composition Shirley Avenue, leading a quartet from the console of the Melbourne Town Hall organ.

Scott Tinkler played trumpet, Genevieve Lacey played a variety of recorders and Nico Schauble was on drums. The music was avant garde and at times a sound collage. It was an interesting experiment, but the mighty organ often overwhelmed the fragile recorder.

A trio of Americans Haden, pianist Ethan Iverson and guitarist Bill Frisell was up next, in an unaccustomed grouping, and after a tentative start found a comfortable groove for some bop standards.

There were some problems at the festival. US pianist Cecil Taylor cancelled because of illness, concert times clashed and there were occasional difficulties with acoustics and amplification. Bennetts Lane, the venue for nightly jam sessions and several main performances, couldn't accommodate the numbers and, sadly, many were turned away.

For all that, the festival was a success with record attendances. Despite a program that contained players not strictly qualifying as jazz artists, the overall concept and performance level at the Melbourne festival rivalled the nation's foremost at Wangaratta. Interesting that both are in Victoria.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/

Steve Harris Hint New Album By Iron Maiden

Iron Maiden bassist Steve Harris is one smart cookie. He knows to strike when the iron is hot and at this point, his band are just about volcanic. Last year's worldwide Somewhere Back In Time tour was a sold-out phenomenon, the ensuing flick, Flight 666, is receiving rave reviews and these New Wave Of British Heavy Metal stalwarts are at an all-time high.

Therefore, he's ushering his fellow band-mates back into the studio late this year in hopes of releasing what will be their 15th full-length in a long and storied career. If they're successful, expect the "Irons to be Upped" for a 2010 tour.

"At the end of the year we'll be writing again, rehearsing and recording at the beginning of next year,” guitarist Adrian Smith related to My Park Magazine. “Then we'll be back out on the road again next year. Kevin Shirley [producer] will be working on it with us and we'll probably be doing it somewhere where we've done a lot for recording in the past."

Naturally, there are a lot of expectations riding on this as yet untitled affair. The band's last outing, 2006's A Matter Of Life And Death, was adored by fans and press alike, prompting the sextet to play it in its entirety on tour. That hasn't happened with a Maiden album in, well, decades, so it's a lot to live up to.

"There's always a bit of pressure to follow up the last album. In a way it's good because it motivates you. We never get complacent; we always try our best for our own sake, as much as anything else. As far as pressure for another album, we just do what we do. We've been doing it long enough now. We know what we're doing," Smith laughs.

http://www.exclaim.ca/

Metallica to play with 2 Bassists

Hoping to avoid a drama-filled, awkward onstage reunion like those at past Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremonies, Metallica graciously invited ex-bassist Jason Newsted to join them on Saturday night when they get enshrined in the Hall.

But earlier this week, Newsted, grateful to get the chance to play alongside his longtime bandmates for the first time in eight years, told Billboard.com that he would be the sole bassist during the band's two-song set of classic tunes following their induction. On Wednesday (April 1), however, a spokesperson for the group's label clarified that both Newsted, who played with the band from 1986-2001, and current bassist Robert Trujillo will both be performing with the group after Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea welcomes them to the Hall.

The label spokesperson declined to elaborate on whether both bassists would be onstage at the same time. According to Billboard.com, the group is planning to fly in from Paris after shows on Wednesday and Thursday night to rehearse with Newsted at Friday's soundcheck.

Drummer Lars Ulrich told Billboard.com that the band wanted the occasion to feel like a "family reunion," so they invited staffers from their previous labels, Megaforce and Elektra, journalists and photographers who'd chronicled their rise over the years, as well as producers and musician friends. They also reportedly invited founding guitarist Dave Mustaine (from whom they are estranged), who was not able to attend due to scheduling conflicts. But former bassist Ron McGovney will be there, as will Ray Burton, the father of late bassist Cliff Burton, who will accept on his son's behalf.

MTV will be all over Saturday night's ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, which will also include the induction of Run-DMC by Eminem, as well as Jeff Beck, Little Anthony & the Imperials and Bobby Womack.

http://www.mtv.ca

Bill Black Joins Hall Of Fame With Metallica and Run DMC

CLEVELAND - Metallica, a heavy-metal machine whose menacing sound has inspired headbangers for nearly three decades, is detouring from its latest world tour for its biggest gig yet. Twenty-eight years after forming and having survived some of the darkness found in their raging music, the San Francisco-based band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, headliners of an eclectic 2009 class.

"It's still somewhat surreal," singer-guitarist James Hetfield said. "The other part of it will be us kicking in the door a little bit. We've got a lot of other friends that we'd like to bring in to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. There's a lot of heavy music that belongs in there."

Metallica will be inducted along with rap pioneers Run-DMC, virtuoso guitarist Jeff Beck, soul singer Bobby Womack and rhythm and blues vocal group Little Anthony and the Imperials. Rockabilly singer Wanda Jackson will be inducted as an early influence. Drummer DJ Fontana and the late bassist Bill Black - both of Elvis Presley's backup band - and keyboardist Spooner Oldham will enter in the sidemen category... Read more

Joe Lally Announced Tour In North America

Fugazi bassist Joe Lally has announced a fairly massive North American tour this summer in support of 2007’s appropriately titled album, Nothing is Underrated. The tour, which kicks off in Fresno, California on April 23, will see the soft-spoken bassist performing all around the USA's west coast, as well as making a lone trip to Italy in May.

Towards the end of the tour, Lally will be joined by former Karate front-man Geoff Farina’s new project, Glorytellers. This leg of the tour will see the musicians make Canadian stops in Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

Of course, like Ian Mackaye's the Evens, any mention of Joe Lally comes with the hope that a top-secret Fugazi reunion has just been announced, which, of course, it hasn’t.

http://www.exclaim.ca/

Jason Newsted Consider To Be With Voivod

A bittersweet note comes from Sonic Unyon as it announces that June 23 is the confirmed release date for the next Voivod album. The sweet: it's new Voivod. The bitter: it might very well be their last album of new material ever.

It was only a matter of time before the inevitably shallow vault of recorded music emptied after the death of founding member/guitarist Denis “Piggy” D'Amour in 2005. While that store offered us 2006's Katorz and has elicited enough guitar riffs for vocalist Denis “Snake” Bélanger, bassist Jason Newstead (Yes, Newstead. We'll sort that out in a moment.) and drummer Michel “Away” Langevin to create Infini's 13 tracks, it appears that this is the last hurrah unless the band decide to forge ahead with current live guitarist Dan Mongrain as D'Amour's creative replacement. Such will probably be the case, as the Voivod of today seems to be rather loose on who is or isn't in the band. Former Metallica bassist Jason Newstead is still considered to be a member of Voivod, playing and mixing Infini, while the live version of the band features founding member Jean-Yves “Blacky” Thériault. We told you we'd straighten it out.

For the album's release, Sonic Unyon (and Relapse in the U.S.) states the CD version will be packaged in a deluxe digi-pack with Langevin's enigmatic artwork and a double-LP will be pressed later.

And how did Voivod create a posthumous album? As with Katorz, the band took D'Amour's demo guitar tracks from his laptop unaltered and wrote/recorded around them utilizing the likes of engineer Glen Robinson and Enrique Gonzalez Müller.

While Infini will be released though, don't expect the band to perform songs live. That is saved solely for their catalogue material. Bélanger sums it up this way, “If we don’t play live again then the songs die with Piggy and he wouldn’t want that. His genius deserves to be heard by new and life long fans.”

http://www.exclaim.ca/

Duff Mckagan On Tour With Foo Fighters

Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler and Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan will be joined by Foo Fighters touring keyboardist Rami Jaffee at the upcoming Rock 'n'Roll Fantasy Camp, scheduled to run from April 29th through May 3rd in Hollywood. Other guest counselors include Todd Rundgren, former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick, Yes drummer Alan White, original Chicago drummer Danny Seraphine, ex-Vixen bass player Share Ross and others. According to a press release, a limited number of spots are still available for the sessions, while tickets are also being sold for the closing night concert at the Whisky-A-Go-Go.

Tyler gave us a sample of the advice he plans to give the aspiring musicians at the camp: "You know, I used to think that, you know, you studied and rehearsed -- my father went to Juilliard (Music School) -- but it's none of that. That ain't it at all. As a matter of fact, does anybody ever think Mick Jagger could really sing? Or Janis Joplin? It was more about feeling, and it was more about, you know, her passion and getting that across to the people."

According to a press release, Tyler and the others will take questions from and share career stories with camp attendees throughout the session, which includes seminars from well-known rock musicians, a recording opportunity at Capitol Studios and the closing concert at the Whisky.

Participants in the camp form separate bands, each of which receives intensive coaching from a different rock star.

Previous guest counselors have included Velvet Revolver's Slash, Roger Daltrey of the Who and Brian Wilson from the Beach Boys.

Info on camp registration can be found at rockcamp.com.

http://www.kbsradio.ca/

Demon Kiss

A city councillor who made headlines last year for his moral outrage over Motley Crue's appearance at Bayfest is again calling for more "wholesome" entertainment at the summer music festival.

"This is not good for the community," said David Boushy, adding that bands like KISS, headliners at this year's Bayfest, send a bad message to young people.

"I think the promoters underestimate the opposition to bands like that -- they're vicious. I want what's wholesome for the community. I want what's best for the community."

KISS' reputation as a live act includes explosions, fire breathing and blood spitting. The band's tongue-wagging bassist, Gene Simmons, who is known as "The Demon," publicly claims to have slept with more than 4,000 women.

"Of course I have concerns about these bands," said Boushy. "It's tough for teenagers -- I don't think they need that. I want a wholesome environment where they can believe in something good."

Last year, Boushy's warning that Motley Crue's "pornographic" antics would tarnish the city's image prompted an outpouring of support for the band, as well as outrage that a politician would try to control events in a city-owned park.

Boushy tried unsuccessfully to convince Sarnia council that the municipality should have some say about which acts perform at the mega-music festival.

A handful of letter writers to The Observer supported Boushy's stance.

The councillor didn't attend the Motley Crue concert last year but said he parked nearby to hear what went on.

"I was disgusted," he said. "Every other word was a swear word. I wonder why people would pay so much to see that."

Still, Boushy says he endorses the festival, which brings about $9 million into Sarnia each summer.

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"It's good for local business; I am in favour of that," he said. "I just don't endorse the Motley Crue kind.

"I'm not going to buy a ticket to see (KISS)," he added. "A lot of people won't be."

Bayfest organizer Michele Stokley said individual KISS VIP tickets have already sold out. "That area went very quickly. These are the diehard fans that want to be up close," she said.

Stokley said Boushy come down to Centennial Park and see the show for himself.

"These bands, they do a lot of good," she said, noting that Simmons has started a Canadian record label to give exposure to up and coming artists.

"I think (Boushy) should come out and enjoy the show; look at all the different age groups."

Stokley said overall ticket sales are ahead of last year at this time, with special passes -- rock weekend, country weekend, and all-shows -- being the most popular.

"We priced it so that people would travel, and stay," she said, adding she's received inquiries from as far away as Spain.

Meanwhile, Bayfest staff continue to field calls from fans asking about the latest rumours.

"People think it's not the real Gene Simmons coming or that it's not the real Stone Temple Pilots," said Stokley. "None of that is true."

http://www.theobserver.ca/

Llyod Parkes hits Officially

These days, Lloyd Parkes is known primarily as a bass guitar player (after all, not many musicians have their name in the band's). But before he lays down the grooves at a show as part of Lloyd Parkes and We The People, he always takes time to welcome the audience 'Officially', with the song of that name.

And the response indicates the staying power of a song that topped both the JBC and RJR charts for six weeks in 1970. Still, it was a second coming of the same song - almost.

Parkes told The Sunday Gleaner that Officially, a love song in which he declares to a lady that their relationship has to be 'up front', was a slight reworking of Feel a Little Better, which he had written and recorded a few years earlier. The slight adjustment of adding the line "if you want to be my queen you've got to be officially" proved to be a charm.

Both songs were recorded with the same set of musicians, Neville Grant (drums), Ansell Collins (keyboards), Radcliffe Bryan (lead guitar), Phillip Grant (rhythm guitar) and Parkes on bass, with the Rocking Horse duo (including Keith Poppin) providing harmony. Officially was recorded at Randy's, North Parade, in a high-noon session.

When the session was finished, Parkes knew he had a good song, but not necessarily a number one song. He was distributing it himself (Officially came out on his own Parkes label) and the record store people always encouraged him to push it.

Wonderful feeling

The number-one announcement was made at night. "I remember the night it went number one. Allan Magnus was one of the people who believed in that song. The night he said it was number one it was a great, wonderful feeling," Parkes told The Sunday Gleaner.

He points out that it also became a slang, where somebody would say that they were going to do something 'officially'.

Still, Parkes went on to focus on the bass guitar. "Because I was an established bass player, I ease off the singing for a while and start to concentrate on the instrument," Parkes said. His choice is not an indication of a greater love for one over the other, but Parkes points out that in playing an instrument "you are always sure you can put on your pot. You don't have to wait on a hit song".

Ironically, learning the guitar came out of singing. "I came out of the Studio One stable. I used to sing with the Termites (with Wentworth Vernon). We did a song called Do the Rocksteady which was a top 10 song in the mid-60s. While I was in that group, that guy could play guitar. He showed me the first three chords on three chords, G, C, D," Parkes told The Sunday Gleaner.

Seizing an opportunity

And progressing to the bass was a matter of seizing an opportunity.

"I was a rhythm guitarist in a band. One night the bass player did not show up. I told the bandleader (Bobby Aiken) I could play it. Him say 'yu sure yute'?" Parkes recalled. And the then 19- or 20-year-old Parkes said "yes".

"I never looked back from the bass," he said.

Officially was not written for anyone in particular, as Parkes says "my imagination goes wide and deep". As has Officially. "Internationally now, it is one of my biggest songs. People love it all over the world," Parkes said, naming Japan and Australia among the places where he has been to and found that his voice had gone before him - 'Officially'.

Officially was not written for anyone in particular, as Parkes says, "my imagination goes wide and deep". As has Officially.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/

Bassist Jazz Don Thompson leads award nomination.

Toronto's Don Thompson dominated the nominations for Canada's eighth annual National Jazz Awards with seven nods, including musician of the year.

The B.C.-born Thompson, ano, bass and vibraphone, is in the running for several categories including bassist of the year, composer of the year, instrumentalist of the year, jazz recording of the year (For Kenny Wheeler ) and arranger of the year.

His Don Thompson Quartet is in competition for acoustic band of the year. He was playing bass guitar.

The Juno-award winning Thompson has lived and worked in Toronto since 1969. Once an artist in residence at bassist player the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1996, the musician has worked with the likes of Moe Koffman, Ed Bickert and Lenny Breau.

Right behind Thompson is another Toronto bassist, Roberto Occhipinti, who is up for six trophies including bassist of the year, guitarist of the year, instrumentalist of the year and musician of the year.

Cuban-born pianist Hilario Duran has five nominations while Vancouver's Brad Turner, a keyboardist and trumpeter, is competing in four categories. which were also a bass player

Duran joins Occhipinti and Thompson in the arranger of the year category as well as musician of the year.

CBC Radio 2's Katie Malloch, who hosts Tonic, is up against Len Dobbin, Larry Green, Walter Venafro, Jaymz Bee and Heather Bambrick for broadcaster of the year.

Other bass player and bassist from other bands were invited to the shows as well.

MEGADETH Bassist Checks In From Denmark - Mar. 3, 2009

MEGADETH bassist James Lomenzo has issued the following update from the "Priest Feast" tour, also featuring JUDAS PRIEST and TESTAMENT:

"The 'Priest Feast' has been better then expected. There's been great back stage camaraderie between the bands and their crews, it's a great thing to be part of. Everybody's working together to make the best possible show for you all who are coming down.

"The crowds that have been attending have really got me stoked. The energy's been electric (eye). Yesterday at sound check in Gothenburg , I was called to the stage by one of our crew, ...'JLo, report to the stage...' As I walked around to the back, I passed by Chuck (two first names) Billy [TESTAMENT] who remarked, 'Did someone just call you JLo?' He seemed amused and indicated that my crew might be acting just a bit insubordinate. I shrugged and said, 'No, that's what they call me.' 'Called me it back in Brooklyn too, way before there was a big butted Latina with the same acronym.' He kind of shook his head like, 'I don't know...' So, I reminded him of the few choice items from his past that he (or was it some one else?) divulged in his dressing room the other night... I won't reveal any of it here 'cause like you, I like the big, bad-ass Chuck Billy persona just as he is now. Besides, who needs to get on his bad side?

"Anyway, great show in Gothenburg. It was fantastic to see Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD, KING DIAMOND) and some of the KING DIAMOND clan back stage. Most of us went out out to a local bar afterwards and had a grand time. All in all, a real 'metal' event.

"Here in Denmark (we got in around 8 AM), we continue our quest to complete the new album. We set up in Dave's [Mustaine] room again and knocked out some guitar solos and embellishments for two of the songs. Things are taking shape at a comfortable pace and we're all really stocked with what we're coming up with.

"So, it's gettin' to the wee hours here and there's more metal ahead of us. Looking forward to the show in Horsens, Denmark. I don't think I've ever played here before so it will be great to see my Danish friends tear it up here."

On January 7, MEGADETH commenced the recording process for its twelfth studio album at the band's own Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California. The CD is once again being helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy "Undie" Sneap, who produced MEGADETH's last album, "United Abominations" (May 2007, Roadrunner Records).

Tentatively due later this year via Roadrunner Records, MEGADETH's forthcoming LP will be the group's first with guitarist Chris Broderick, who replaced Glen Drover at the end of 2007.

DEATH ANGEL Plays First Show With New Bassist; Video Available - Mar. 2, 2009

Capital Chaos has uploaded video footage (see below) of San Francisco Bay Area metallers DEATH ANGEL performing the song "Voracious Souls" on March 1, 2009 at The Kennel Club in Sacramento, California. Also on the bill were IRRITANT, SEXCIETY, PSYCHOSOMATIC and FORMULA.

DEATH ANGEL in Janaury announced the addition of bassist Sammy Diosdado to the group's ranks. Sammy is a Bay Area native who previously played with the San Francisco hardcore band THE SICK and is a member of the rock and roll outfit ALL TIME HIGHS which is fronted by DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda. With his in-your-face punk assault on bass and on stage, he was the perfect fit to fill the shoes of former bassist and founding member Dennis Pepa.

In a recent interview with Australia's PyroMusic.net, Mark Osegueda was asked how Sammy Diosdado is working out. "He's great," Mark replied. "He's really nailing all the songs down."

"[Sammy and I] We played together in ALL TIME HIGHS, so we've known each other for a while," he added. "When we put it out that we needed a bass player, we tried a few guys out and then Sammy decided that he wanted to try out. That being said, I love Sammy but I never brought his name to the table because I didn't want people to say, 'You just want your guy!' (laughs) Andy [Galeon, drums] brought him in for the audition and even after that I wasn't the guy who said, 'Let's bring him in.' After he'd played, in all honesty, everyone said he was the guy they were most comfortable with, and I just said, 'Yes!' (laughs)."

Dennis Pepa played his last show with DEATH ANGEL on October 28, 2008 at the Grand Ballroom in San Francisco, California. Photos of the concert are available at this location (all pictures taken by Alan Ralph).

Jack Black, Jazz Bassist Charlie Haden Making Opry Appearance

Film star Jack Black will appear with his father-in-law, legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden, this weekend at Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. Haden, an original member of the Ornette Coleman Quartet in the late '50s, has won three Grammys and has worked with a wide variety of musicians including John Coltrane, Herbie Hancock, Hank Jones, Pat Metheny and Ringo Starr. He returned to his roots in traditional country music in 2008 with the album, Rambling Boy, featuring his four children and Black, Rosanne Cash, Elvis Costello, Vince Gill, Bruce Hornsby, Ricky Skaggs & the Whites, Dan Tyminski, Jerry Douglas, Sam Bush, Stuart Duncan and Bryan Sutton. Saturday's (Feb. 28) Opry show will feature Skaggs, Del McCoury and the Infamous Stringdusters. Among those expected to perform with Haden include Bush, Duncan, Sutton, Mark Fain, Rob Ickes and Jim Mills. Black, who sings "Old Joe Clark" on Rambling Boy, is married to Tanya Haden, a professional cellist.

http://www.cmt.com/