Bass CDs
New Album: Guenter Asbeck Debut Album “Evolve”
Guenter Asbeck Releases Debut Album “Evolve”…
Bassist, composer and producer Guenter Asbeck is proud to announce the March 15th release of his debut album “Evolve”.
“Evolve” features a lot of top musicians from Guenter Asbeck’s circuit, special guest vocalist Selina Albright, special guest saxophonist Will Donato both from the US, drummer Dirk Sengotta (with whom Guenter performed more than a 1000+ gigs together as one of the go-to rhythm sections in Germany), guitarists Chris Vega, Dennis Hormes (top session player and guitar hero in his own right), top notch keyboardists Marin Subasic and Daniel Sok, and many more.
The title track sets the tone for the lyrical direction of the 11 songs on the album. Asbeck didn’t have a bassplayer’s album in mind in particular, but to stay open minded stylistically and write songs he would love to hear on a new album himself.
The 11-track debut takes its inspiration from the goal of becoming a better person, to transport a good vibe, positive views, hope, diversity, and also deliver nice and melodic pop music to the world.
After being a succesfull sideman (bassplayer and singer) for over twenty years in the German and European music scene (playing live with the likes of James Blunt, Gloria Gaynor, Jennifer Rush, Nathan East, Gerald Veasley, Michael Manson, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Je? Lorber, the late Chuck Loeb, Paul Brown, Peter White and many others) Asbeck felt the need to go center stage and tell his musical stories himself. It ?nally took 5 years of preparation, songwriting and production work to ?nish the debut album.
For mixing, he got in contact with 5time Grammy award winning mixing legend Chris Lord Alge in Los Angeles (who mixed songs like “Living in America” for James Brown, “Unchain my Heart” for Joe Cocker, and lots of albums for Nickelback, Rick Spring?eld, Muse and Green Day) to get four tracks mixed (“Evolve”, “Love Under Open Air” and the two versions of “Only With You”). Three other tracks (“Make It Work Again”, “Where Are You Now” and “Where Do You Go From Here”) were mixed by Chris Bolster (who worked on the Beatles’ “Love” and “Anthology” projects and for Paul McCartney, Take That and many others) at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London, UK on the TG analog mixing console the Beatles recorded their “Abbey Road”-album on in 1969.
“For me, the world is a better place with music you can dream and relax to, and even get a good vibe while listening. I would love to have the listener also see my music as a projection surface to their hopes and needs” says Asbeck.
Last December Guenter released the ?rst single beforehand called “Only With You – Radio Edit” with an accompanying lyric video:
The opener of the album, “Love Under Open Air” was composed by Asbeck for his wedding in 2005 with his wife Stefanie. The Beatles vibe is very obvious, and the track will also be the third single to be released later this year. “Only With You – Album Edit” is a powerful Rock/Pop song that underlines once more the unique feeling of love for someone special. “Evolve”, the title track shows a human being who wants to become a better version of himself/ferself and ?ts stylistically into the Rock/Pop genre. Very powerful vocals and bass/guitar/drum work.
“Where Do You Go From Here” tells the story of somebody who is the last to learn, that his wife is leaving him and is devastated at ?rst but rises to the occasion in the end.
The albums ballad “Don’t Give Up” (the second single with release date early April 2021) was written by Guenter and his songwriting partner Dennis LeGree in 2015, where the world was a di?erent place, and the goal was to give hope and understanding not to give up on yourself, no matter what you are going through at the moment. It ?ts in with the current times even more.
“Make It Work Again” is a funky song and also a duet written and sung by Guenter and Dennis LeGree with an outstanding saxophone solo by Will Donato.
“Meet John Doe” was inspired by the Hollywood movie from the fourties with the same name, and it tells a story about someone who forgets who he or she really is. The lyrics even come with a twist at the end.
“Slow Motion” is also a more poppy song with a decent hook to it. “Do You Remember When” shines with a great arrangement with orchestra and always changing instruments in every part. Nice one! “Where Are You Now” is the only song which is in a more sentimental mood and does re?ect more of a melancholic mood. The last song on the album is the single version of “Only With You”.
The album will be released on all digital streaming and download services worldwide on March 15th, 2021 (Günter’s birthday) and also on exclusive CD with deluxe 12page booklet on Amazon.
Album Cover Photo Copyright and Design by Gummel/Vonmaro 2021
Well-respected roots rock/Americana sidemen; drummer JIMMY LESTER (Billy Joe Shaver, Webb Wilder, Los Straitjackets), bass player/songwriter/singer/bandleader MARK W. WINCHESTER (Planet Rockers, EmmyLou Harris, Brian Setzer), and keyboard player KEVIN MCKENDREE (Lee Roy Parnell, Delbert McClinton, Brian Setzer) form super-groove-group LESTER WINCHESTER MCKENDREE to go it alone, together, on their debut collaborative release, THEY GOT IT ALL (Times Three Records/MAY 29, 2026).
The drum, bass and piano (with vocal) trio recorded over two “live” days at McKendree’s Rock House studio in Franklin, TN early this year, focusing on a collection of Winchester’s original songs the three had been performing together on local club dates, brand new material (the unique origins of which we’ll get to), as well as two instrumentals collaboratively conjured in the studio.
Originally feeling the power of their locked-in, feel-based natural groove while backing E. Street Band bassist Garry Tallent on his solo album and brief tour in 2017, Winchester says he wanted to feel that again. “On that tour, Garry would let his musicians do an original song or two of their own, and I never forgot how great it felt and sounded to sing my songs with Kevin and Jimmy, or how Jimmy and I backed Kevin’s instrumental piano romps.”
In recent years, as Lester Winchester McKendree began performing live, an evolution began taking place with regard to Winchester’s instrument of choice. “I was changing strings one day and started thinking about the band Morphine, and how their frontman Mark Sandman, rest in peace, played a 2-string bass. So I took a YouTube deep dive, got inspired, and only put two strings back on my own bass”, Winchester explains. The sonically unique, melodically interesting result made the decision for the band to record an album a no-brainer.
Songwriters will often say a guitar new to them will “have songs in it”, or that writing on an instrument one is not totally familiar with can open up new creative possibilities. Winchester described it this way: “Songs just started falling out of that thing. Sandman played with a slide, but I just used my long fingers. The 2-String is tuned in fifths, and I started finding melodies and riffs, and for the first time ever, really, wrote all the music to pieces before any lyrics came.”
About a year after stringing his own bass with only two, Eastwood Guitars serendipitously (for Winchester) brought to market a replica “Sandman Model” 2-String bass. Winchester immediately ordered one. “When I got it, it was tuned in a different key than my Silvertone, but sure enough, songs started falling outta that thing too.” The songs that ‘fell out’ of that Sandman Model 2-String bass, by way of Winchester’s creative mind, make up the bulk of THEY GOT IT ALL, and the sparse fire and crisp energy that McKendree’s piano and Lester’s drumming bring to these tunes infuses them with, well, ‘cool’. The 2-String bass running separately, but simultaneously through bass and guitar amps, gives the trio a guitarish crunchiness you wouldn’t expect with no 6-stringer in the fold.
All three of these accomplished musicians’ careers started commingling in Nashville in the late 1980s.
JIMMY LESTER, a Nashville, TN native, moved from Billy Joe Shaver’s band to the original drum chair for Webb Wilder and the Beatnecks. Lester also established himself as a master of surf-rock drum style as a founding member of Los Straightjackets, which coincided with the
formation of roots rock cult hero band The Planet Rockers, of which Winchester was a founding member on upright bass.
Originally from Monroe, NC, MARK W. WINCHESTER moved to Nashville in 1988. He went on to join Emmylou Harris’ Nash Ramblers, before a stint as a Music Row staff songwriter, where he penned a hit for Randy Travis (‘Would I?’). He later joined the Brian Setzer Orchestra, and has had several of his songs recorded by Setzer, including ‘Rooster Rock’ on which Setzer had Winchester sing lead vocal.
KEVIN McKENDREE, from the Washington D.C. area, came to Nashville as the piano man for Lee Roy Parnell and quickly established himself as a real-deal roots and blues keyboardist, eventually playing on multiple Grammy-winning albums. McKendree (as well as Winchester) played with blues mastermind Mike Henderson, Brian Setzer’s Rock-A-Billy Riot, and The Brian Setzer Orchestra. McKendree’s 20+ year partnership with Delbert McClinton, as musician/co-writer/producer/engineer, led to the 2020 Grammy-winning McClinton album TALL, DARK, & HANDSOME -recorded by McKendree at his Rock House studio.
It was there at the Rock House, with McKendree on keys and control board, that he, Lester, and Winchester, with no bosses, no agenda, and no pressure, laid down the live, loose, properly boned, expertly fleshed, lyrically interesting, groovy aural document that is THEY GOT IT ALL.
Maybe they do.
Visit online at www.markwwinchester.com
Oteil Burbridge & Lamar Williams Jr. Champion Love Over Hate in New Single “Hush” | New Album ‘The Offering’ Out May 1.
Bassist Oteil Burbridge and vocalist Lamar Williams Jr. continue the rollout of their forthcoming collaborative album The Offering, with the release of its second single, “Hush”. A slow-burning Southern soul meditation rooted in love, peace, and emotional clarity, the track is a centerpiece on the album with a potent, thematic statement, in Williams’ words to “block out all of that nonsense” and “remember that there is more love in the world than hate.” The full-length album arrives May 1 via Flóki Studios, recorded on Iceland’s northern coast and produced by drummer, engineer, and Soulive co-founder Alan Evans.
While much of The Offering grew out of Burbridge’s banjo-based writing, “Hush” emerged from he and Williams’ shaping a deliberate sonic vision. Burbridge says they were “trying to capture a more old school Memphis, Macon, Muscle Shoals vibe,” leaning into a Southern soul feel that fits Williams’s phrasing. The end result is a song that is unhurried with a deep pocket that allows the groove and the song’s message breathe and stand at the forefront.
The album features an all-star lineup of drummer John Morgan Kimock, percussionist Weedie Braimah, organist Melvin Seals of the Jerry Garcia Band, pianist and violinist Jason Crosby, guitarists Tom Guarna and Jaden Lehman — musicians whose overlapping histories connect the Allman Brothers Band, Dead & Company, the Jerry Garcia Band, Soulive, and West African percussion traditions.
CONNECT WITH OTEIL BURBRIDGE
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Pops Magellan unveils her debut live EP, DAMAGE (Live at EastWest Studios), a three-track performance project recorded at the legendary EastWest Studios. Captured in Studio One using one-take camera performance, the session offers a raw and intentional introduction to Magellan’s artistic world as a solo artist, bandleader, and producer.
The live EP features three compositions from her DAMAGE era:
“Misunderstood,” featuring Taylor Graves and Robert Sput Searight
“Deep Thoughts,” featuring Noa Kahn
“Drive Complaining,” featuring Robert Sput Searight and Artur Menezes
Originally released as a series of live performance videos on YouTube, the session now lives as a body of work, highlighting Magellan’s ability to merge high-level musicianship with groove-driven, emotionally resonant compositions. Each track unfolds as a conversation between players, balancing technical precision with spontaneity.
Recorded in a single day at EastWest, the session reflects Magellan’s commitment to capturing music in its most honest form. With a focus on raw live interplay, DAMAGE (Live at EastWest Studios) sets a clear tone: this is an artist building her identity in real time.
The session features a handpicked group of collaborators. Robert Searight, founding member of Ghost-Note, brings his signature groove, alongside virtuoso Noa Kahn, acclaimed guitarist Artur Menezes, and Grammy winner Taylor Graves, who co-produced two songs on the original EP.
“It was a way to start a strong foundation for the world I’m building.” says Pops. “I wanted to make something beautiful, strong, and honest, something I’d be proud of looking back.”
Pops leads every aspect of the project, from curating collaborators to shaping the sonic and visual identity. The result is a refined yet powerful debut live statement that positions her at the intersection of musicianship, artistry, and modern performance culture.
With more music on the way and live shows to be announced soon, DAMAGE (Live at EastWest Studios) marks the beginning of a larger vision still unfolding.
Stream DAMAGE (Live at EastWest Studios) HERE
Watch the Live Session HERE
Martin Wind celebrates 30th Anniversary and release of new CD “September”…
Bassist/ Composer Martin Wind celebrates the 30th anniversary of his move to NYC with the release of his new album “September” (Laika Records) at these Tri-State concerts:
April 9: Smalls, NYC (sets at 6 and 7:30 pm)
April 10: Puffin Cultural Forum, Teaneck, NJ (7 pm)
April 11: Deer Head Inn, Delaware Water Gap, PA (7 – 10 pm):
He will be joined by the partners of his acclaimed Gravity Trio – Peter Weniger on tenor saxophone and Jonas Burgwinkel on drums.
The trio’s special guest will be pianist Glenn Zaleski, who’s been playing for artists such as saxophonist Melissa Aldana and vocalist Cécile McLorin Salvant, among others. Together, Martin and Glenn used to work frequently with the late, great clarinetist and saxophonist Ken Peplowski.
The group will be performing selections from the new CD “September,” which is now available as of March 6 on all streaming platforms and for sale at
www.laika-records.de and www.martinwind.com (U.S. only).
As leader and co-leader, Wind has released more than 30 albums, among them Turn Out the Stars – Music Written or Inspired by Bill Evans (2014), My Astorian Queen (2021), and New York Bass Quartet – Air (2022), which DB Magazine heralded as “a bass manifesto”.
Also available as of January 30: Newvelle Records release of Martin Wind’s LP “Stars” featuring the
All-Star line-up of Anat Cohen (clarinet), Matt Wilson (drums) and Maestro Kenny Barron on piano.
Bassist Nate Edgar and The Nth Power have released their latest single, available on all major streaming platforms.
“Simple Life” showcases Nate’s deep-pocketed, country-funk groove, locking in seamlessly with bandmates Nick Cassarino (guitar/vocals) and Nikki Glaspie (drums/vocals). The tune also features the brass power of The Soul Rebels.
“Simple Life” is the second single from The Nth Power’s upcoming album, out May 1. The album “Never Alone” marks the band’s first release on the GroundUp music label, and includes contributions by:
Nicholas Payton
Skerik
Courtney Smith
Dominique Xavier
Jon Deas
And The Soul Rebels
The Nth Power:
thenthpowermusic.com
https://ffm.bio/thenthpower
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/the-nth-power/657446657
https://soundcloud.com/the-nth-power
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC95_b9RpVDiTUt1EpPI3OEQ