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Welshly Arms Review and Interview with Bassist Jimmy Weaver by Allee Futterer

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Welshly Arms Review and Interview with Bassist Jimmy WeaverDark. Stormy. A favorite drink of mine but also a set of adjectives I would use to describe weather that mixed with “cold” and “snowy”- I believe leads to creating fantastic music. Awful weather is what all the rock ‘n roll greats have in common. Ohio rockers Welshly Arms are no exception but when compared to their kinsmen, The Black Keys, give them a run for their money!

While that is a particularly radical statement for todays scene… I have my rather bias opinion (and a few others) to back me up. Their debut release “Welcome” is a 5-track EP that has already landed them a publishing deal with music licensing all-stars Position Music based in Los Angeles.

The dark undertones of this generally cheery music bring a sense of youth and adventure that one can only get from music. It’s the type of album that will make you think, “I want a cigarette and a whiskey” while you fully acknowledge you’ve never drank or smoked before. Leaving you feeling ultimately cooler than all your friends and have a sudden love for leather jackets and all things Steven Tyler.

Welshly Arms Review and Interview with Bassist Jimmy Weaver-2

After being mildly obsessed with Cleveland, Ohio’s Welshly Arms I was very excited to interview their bassist Jimmy Weaver…  What a rad dude!

Welshly Arms Review and Interview with Bassist Jimmy Weaver-3How long have you been playing?

I have been playing guitar since I was about 8 years old and bass for the last 8 years.

Why’d you start playing?

My dad was kind of a bad ass on the guitar and bass when I was growing up… so, naturally, I couldn’t resist.  I also had a neighbor girl that I really wanted to impress.

Who was your first love? (On bass….)

Noel Redding!

Best thing that’s happened to the band so far?

Two things come to mind…

First, our signing with Position Music has been a huge leap for us into the next level.  They are a great company with a lot of really cool people that are very dedicated to their artists.

Second, our first headline show in our hometown, Cleveland, sold out!  It was the first time I ever saw an entire room sing songs I’ve co-written as loud as they can.  The smiles, cheers, energy, and respect the crowd gave us is something I will never forget.

Gear? Endorsements?

Well, up until a year ago, I didn’t even own a bass.  I just used whatever the studio or other band members had lying around.  I actually think that was the best way to learn how to play the instrument.  The imperfections of each piece of crap that was available at the time taught me to really focus on my right hand and make sure I was hitting strings consistently and musically, while my left hand had to work extra hard to hit the right notes.  Then, on the morning of my wedding day last August, my wife surprised me with a ’78 Fender Jazz.  I was speechless!  I may have cried a little…with excitement of course.  That bass and I have been inseparable since then.

The amp setup I’m liking right now is a blackface Fender Bassman AB165 head paired with a 4X12 Marshall cab.  Right now it is loaded with a Celestion Lead 80 and Vintage 30 while the bottom two holes are empty.  I also use a Fender Bassman AA165 that I built.  It has a bit more dirty sound, which is always fun.

Endorsements?  Nothing yet…

Favorite Bass Players?

Noel Redding

John Paul Jones

Paul McCartney

How often do you practice bass? 

I lucked out and got a job that requires me to play everyday.  I work for American Greetings on their audio team, and write and record jingles for greeting cards all day. When I’m not doing that I’m producing other Cleveland bands and working with other aspiring artists around here as well as practicing and writing with Welshly Arms.

One of the cooler things about your band is that you guys are very much “homegrown” in all aspects. Aside from building all your own mics, could you elaborate on the whole process that you have gone through from being a garage band to being where you are today? And how you think that would have been different had you had “more help” along the way?

It all started with Sam and I laying down some demo ideas in his basement with drinks in hand.  He would come to the table with a melody and lyrics, and then we would build a song together out of it.  The most fun part was that we had no pressure and no time or money constraints.  We were just two guys having fun making music at his house.  The day we started working on “The Touch” was the day we knew we had to make a band with this style.  It seemed to come naturally.  We had the exact same vision and ideas for the song.  We also knew that Brett Lindemann and Mikey Gould were in need of a phone call.

Where do you see Welshly Arms going in the next few years? Where would you like to be in a few years?

I want to be out in the world sharing the music of Welshly Arms.  I have the most fun when I’m on stage with those guys, and I want to be doing it everyday.  I also see us continuing to write and record music for future records and other mediums.  I’ve always wanted to see a song that I’ve been a part of writing/producing, played over movie credits!

Being from Ohio and in a similar genre I’m sure you get compared to the black keys quite often… What are your feelings on this?

It’s definitely a compliment.  They are from Ohio –We are from Ohio.  They are handsome – We are??? Well anyways…  They like dirty sounding vocals – We like dirty sounding vocals.  I truly think people compare us to them because the genre we lie in is so new and unsaturated, and the Black Keys are the closest thing that they know of.  We do get a lot of inspiration from the Black Keys, but I also feel we have our own spin on that style of music.

A birdie told me that you’re all massive Will Ferrell fans and that the name “Welshly Arms” came from one of his skits.. Is this true? 

Yes

Haha yes you could say that!

How did you guys know that it was the right name for the group? 

Actually, the name choice was the result of a few beers and some joking around.  When “Welshly Arms” was thrown out there, we all laughed and then thought, “actually, it works!”

Upcoming tours? LA?

Right now we are starting work on a full-length album.  Once that is all wrapped up, I definitely see a tour of some sort happening.  And yes, LA needs to happen soon.  Have you seen a winter in Cleveland?

Please follow the links below to check out Welshly Arms! 

Itunes itunes.apple.com/us/album/welcome-ep/id615312525

Amazon amazon.com/Welcome/dp/B00BUOPSQ6/ref=sr_shvl_album_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368992613&sr=301-1

Facebook facebook.com/welshlyarmsband

Twitter: https://twitter.com/welshlyarms

Bass CDs

New Album: Iron Axxis, 2286

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New Album: Iron Axxis, 2286

Iron Axxis, 2286…

New York’s metal scene is growing and mighty, and bringing the genre to new heights is instrumental metal band Iron Axxis.

Iron Axxis is gearing up for the release of their forthcoming album 2286. Due out March 29, 2024, the album highlights the band’s unique progressive, guitar-driven songwriting. “The sound is closer to Dream Theater than Van Halen, but there are some neat tips of the hat to Eddie, with some playful bends and whammy bar horse whinnies, while the track also crosses into Vai-esque meditative phrases and Holdsworthian scalic runs.” (GuitarWorld)

The band states, “‘‘2286’ is our first full-length album release. The album blends the high-risk Influences of the ‘guitar & bass guitar virtuosos’ of yesteryear and looks into the future by incorporating modern metal.. for a futuristic take on ‘guitar music. The listener will hear that ‘2286’ runs deep with their favorite metal influences with badass heavy riffage, thundering bass lines, and monstrous drum grooves, all while exploring metal through a wide cinematic lens, which ultimately takes it up a notch to an untamed guitar universe. “

Iron Axxis was forged from a friendship between Anupam Shobhakar and Phil Duke, two metal heads. They have worked together on previous recording studio projects and were in Book of Harmony, which was signed to Sony affiliates. Hailing from Brooklyn, they began to develop Iron Axxis at their studio in 2022.

Visit online at ironaxxis.live

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New Solo Album: Derek Frank, Origin Story

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New Solo Album: Derek Frank, Origin Story

Former Gwen Stefani/Shania Twain Bassist Announces New Solo Album “Origin Story”…

Veteran session/touring bassist Derek Frank is thrilled to announce the release of his new instrumental album “Origin Story” on March 25th, 2024. 

Origin Story is Derek’s third album as a solo artist, and his second album project with multiple Grammy award-winning producer Jim Scott (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Tom Petty, Wilco, Sting, Red Hot Chili Peppers). He is joined by his touring band, which includes guitarist Joshua Ray Gooch (Derek’s longtime bandmate with Shania Twain), keyboardist Carey Frank (Social Distortion, Tedeschi Trucks Band), drummer Randy Cooke (Smashmouth, Brit Floyd), percussionist Demian Arriaga (Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers), along with keyboardist Matt Rohde (Janes Addiction, The Chicks), guitarist Anthony King (Buffy Sainte-Marie), Vegas horn Section The Fat City Horns, featured guests Karl Denson (saxophone), Brent Mason (guitar), among others. 

After years of touring the world with artists such as Gwen Stefani, Shania Twain, Shakira, Air Supply, and others, veteran LA bass player Derek Frank decided it was time to take a slight detour from the life of a “hired gun” musician and focus on his own instrumental quintet. Described as “Seventies-Inspired Funky Instrumental Jams With Fewer Bass Solos Than You Would Expect”, Derek and his band blend funk, blues, soul, jazz, southern rock, and seventies soundtrack music into a genre all their own. 2020 saw the release of “Eleven Years Later”, Derek’s first solo album since his 2009 debut “Let the Games Begin…”, and now Origin Story is set for release on March 25th, 2024 on all download and streaming platforms. The 2-disc vinyl version (with bonus live tracks) will be available sometime in May 2024. 

In concept, Origin Story is an instrumental homage to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, the city where Derek was born, grew up, discovered his love for music, and decided what he wanted to be when he grew up. 

For more information, visit online at derekfrank.com 

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New Album: Tom Kennedy, New Start

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New Album: Tom Kennedy, New Start

Tom Kennedy, New Start…

Autumn Hill Records is pleased to announce the March 22nd release of Tom Kennedy’s New Start.  Autumn Hill Records is a worldwide leader in instrumental music, boasting 11 billion streams and counting, and Tom Kennedy ranks as one of the top electric and acoustic bass players on the planet.  The new album features the Grammy-winning and Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Dave Weckl, as well as performances from Eric Marienthal, Randy Brecker, Mike Stern, Bill Evans and others. It is the sixth solo album from Tom Kennedy.  New Start will be available digitally on all major streaming and download platforms March 22nd, 2024. 

Kennedy writes that “The legendary pianist Keith Jarrett once said of his recorded music, ‘If there were words to express it, there would be no need for the music.’ Ironically, Keith’s sentiment provided the perfect verbiage for describing the process I’ve experienced in creating the music for this album.  These compositions did not come to me in complete thoughts, but rather as bits and pieces of melody, harmony, or rhythm to build from, much as in a live improvisation.  A single note or chord could inspire a pathway to a new section or critical transition of a song, and at times a completely orchestrated idea would just pop into my head.  No method, no foresight…just the music.”

Kennedy’s musical roots were on the acoustic bass, an instrument he started playing at age 9 and took to so naturally that within a few years, he was performing with internationally known players such as Freddie Hubbard, James Moody, Nat Adderley, Sonny Stitt and Stan Kenton. At age 17, Tom would create a musical alter ego when he began playing the electric bass. Intrigued by the endless possibilities of the instrument, he began developing his now signature style best described as deep, soulful grooves merging seamlessly into acrobatic, horn-like soloing.

Gaining a reputation that soon traveled beyond his native St. Louis, Tom relocated to New York City, where he quickly gained work with multiple groups. Further accolades came through a recording with guitar great Bill Connors and tours with tenor saxophonist Michael Brecker in the world-renowned jazz-fusion group Steps Ahead. Additional tours and recordings with Brazilian pianist Tania Maria and guitarist Al DiMeola followed. In 1998, Tom became an integral part of Modern Drummer Hall of Famer Dave Weckl’s band, a group he toured, composed and recorded with for over nine years. Tom and Dave have continued to perform and record together on various of Tom’s own albums as well as projects for other artists, including Mike Stern, Didier Lockwood, Dave Grusin and Lee Ritenour.  They’ve been performing this music live for the last two years during tours of The Dave Weckl/Tom Kennedy Project.

Visit Online

www.autumnhillrecords.com
www.tomkennedymusic.com

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New Album: EZRA’s Self-titled Debut Album

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New Album: EZRA's Self-titled Debut Album

EZRA released their self-titled debut album with Adhyâropa Records…

Founded by award-winning composer and multi-instrumentalist Jesse Jones, EZRA is a collective of classical, jazz, rock, and bluegrass musicians focused on the creation of genre-crossing and style-inclusive new music. The ensemble consists of world-renowned mandolinist Jacob Jolliff, banjo virtuoso Max Allard, and bassist extraordinaire Craig Butterfield, with Jones on guitar- and keyboard-related instruments.

EZRA’s debut album EZRA includes nine works by Jones, and was recorded while Jones was on a one year sabbatical from his composition professorship at Oberlin Conservatory. Jones, who is also a luthier, used much of his sabbatical to build some of the instruments he plays on the album. He then invited longtime collaborator Butterfield, together with Jolliff and Allard, for an intense week of rehearsals and recording in Oberlin. It was the first time all four musicians had been in the same room, much less played together, but things fell into place from the first notes.

This speaks to the musicianship and camaraderie of all involved, but it is also due to the fact that Jones had been collecting these pieces for years, waiting for the right moment, and the right musicians. Jones says, “I sat alone in my living room for at least a decade playing through the dozens of compositions I had in my head. When I met Craig, who shared a lot of similar classical, roots, and folk interests, I decided to stretch myself and see if I could hang (musically) with a world-class musician like him. We hit it off, and from 2013 through 2019 we co-wrote and recorded three albums as a duo. I grew immeasurably as a musician as a result.”

Jones continues, “When the pandemic closed everything down, I found myself back in my living room, writing tune after tune alone with my instruments. In 2021, I fortuitously reconnected with an old friend, the phenomenal mandolinist Jacob Jolliff, and around the same time became acquainted with banjo wunderkind Max Allard. I jumped on the chance to get these guys together and record nine of the tunes I had lying around. The result was beyond what I could have imagined and was heaps of fun to rehearse and record.”

“Fabulous playing! So great to hear the next generation of string wizards dive in and continue the tradition forward.” — Mike Marshall

Jones began building instruments in 2020, studying with Alan Chapman of Chapman/Fisher Guitars. In the last year and a half, Jones has built a variety of instruments, including a quarter-tone Irish bouzouki, a 13-tone small instrument, a Pardessus, several steel string guitars, four classical guitars, two ukuleles, three mandolins (two of them experimental, single string designs), and a mandola.

On the track “Jarrah,” Jones plays the banjo-tuned guitar he built using jarrah wood, a deep red wood he particularly enjoys working with: “I have just a small block of it and used it for the rosette/headstock — when I got the instrument up and running, a tune fell from it into my hands, and I named it “Jarrah” after the wood.”

Jones explains that a lot of his compositions come about that way: “I play a lot of different instruments, and when I go down the rabbit hole on one of them (say the banjo in double C tuning), I tend to fall into several new tunes, almost by accident — Banjaleena, Dix-Neuf (at least the 4/4 melody part), Smoke in the Valley, and Garden Gate all came as I was searching and discovering new shapes and sounds on the banjo (the parts Max plays). “Cowboy Walks” just emerged from the first classical guitar I made.”

Though Jones wrote all nine compositions for the debut album, EZRA’s focus is centered around collaboration. Working up the arrangements together was part of the process (and the fun). Recorded and engineered by Paul Eachus at First Church in downtown Oberlin and mastered by Dave Sinko (Punch Brothers, Béla Fleck, Edgar Meyer), EZRA’s debut album captures lightning in a bottle.

EZRA is available on all services. For more information, visit online at ezraquartet.com

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New Album: Alberto Rigoni, Unexpected Lullabies

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New Album: Alberto Rigoni, Unexpected Lullabies

Alberto Rigoni, Unexpected Lullabies…

In an exhilarating revelation, the musical genius Alberto Rigoni has announced his latest masterpiece, “Unexpected Lullabies”, set to hit the airwaves on June 4th, 2024.

This album isn’t just any release; it’s a bold exploration of sound, merging the soothing essence of lullabies with the raw energy of rock-metal to create a musical hybrid that’s absolutely groundbreaking. Rigoni’s latest venture is a heartfelt ode to the circle of life, dedicated to newborns everywhere, symbolizing hope and the beautiful continuity of life with the poignant message: “There are no just tragedies in this world, life is going on!”

*A Stellar Lineup of Musical Legends*

What makes ‘Unexpected Lullabies’ even more exciting is the assembly of musical titans. The album features the legendary bassist Michael Manring, the keyboard wizardry of Alessandro Bertoni (of the Graham Bonnet Band) and Vitalij Kuprij (known for Artension and Trans-Siberian Orchestra), and many more yet-to-be-revealed guest artists.

Unexpected Lullabies is now available on pre-order from Shop Sliptrick at deadpulse.com/product/alberto-rigoni-unexpected-lullabies/

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