news bits
POSTPONED
Van Halen postpones
31 Tour dates
Minneapolis, MN — Starting
with the scheduled July 7 concert in Uncasville, Connecticut,
Van Halen has “postponed” 31
dates through September. While
a source told Rolling Stone that
band members “hate each other,”
David Lee Roth stated in a video
that the band was getting along
just fine and will make up the
dates after touring internationally, adding, “we bit off way
more than we can chew.”
LESSONS
paul gilbert
launches online
School
Los Angeles, CA — In conjunction with Artist Works, Paul
Gilbert launched an interactive
online guitar school in May.
Students subscribe to videos
and lessons from Gilbert, and
can submit video performances
or questions via webcam or
smartphone for Gilbert’s critique and guidance. The school
is open to players of all levels.
Gilbert says, “My Rock Guitar
School lets me have a real conversation with people who are
passionate about playing guitar.”
Women’s Music
Summit Scheduled
for August 27-31
Big Indian, NY — The
Music Masters Camp Series
has announced the inaugural
Women’s Music Summit. The
five-day camp will feature Kaki
King, Meshell Ndegeocello,
Melissa Auf der Maur, Marnie
Stern, Malina Moye, and
Bibi McGill in master classes,
ensemble workshops, seminars,
and jams. The Women’s Music
Summit will take place at the
Full Moon Resort in the Catskill
Mountains from August 27-31.
OBITUARY
bassist donald “duck” dunn:
1941 – 2012
Tokyo, Japan — The musical world was dealt
a devastating blow with the passing of Donald
“Duck” Dunn on May 13 at the age of 70. He
died in his sleep after performing two shows at
the Blue Note in Tokyo.
The term ‘”legendary” is often overused,
and Dunn, humble and modest, would have
shrugged off the label. His legacy, however,
spans three generations of music and truly
deserves the title of legend for his style, influence, and uncompromising musicality.
Born in 1941 in Memphis, Tennessee, Dunn
picked up the bass at age 16. In his words, he
figured there were enough good guitar players:
“I grew up with Steve Cropper … what was
needed was a bass.” Not long after high school,
the childhood friends scored the hit “Last Night”
with their band the Mar-Keys. Cropper left the
group to become a studio musician at the new
Stax Records label in Memphis, and three years
later he convinced Dunn to do the same.
Dunn’s solid foundation was a huge component to the sound coming out of Memphis in
the 1960s. Dunn and Cropper teamed up with
Al Jackson, Jr. and Booker T. Jones to form
one of the most historically important and
musically respected rhythm sections of all time.
Booker T. & the MG’s were hit-makers in their
own right, but also backed greats such as Rufus
Thomas, Wilson Pickett, Eddie Floyd, and Otis
Redding. Dunn’s thick bass on such timeless
hits as Redding’s “(Sittin’ on) the Dock of the
Bay,” Floyd’s “Knock on Wood,” and Pickett’s
“In the Midnight Hour” has been emulated
by countless scores of bassists. The Stax house
band also backed Redding’s performance at the
1967 Monterey Pop Festival—a performance
that became a benchmark in music history.
Known for his in-studio arrangements, Dunn
produced and played on scores of records by
the likes of Muddy Waters, Levon Helm, Bob
Dylan, Rod Stewart, and Tom Petty throughout the ’70s and ’80s. He also played with Eric
Clapton at Live Aid in 1985. Handpicked by
John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd, Dunn (along
with Cropper) was recruited to be a member
of the Blues Brothers, and the movie of the
same name introduced millions of people to
the music that Dunn helped create a generation
earlier. His later work consisted of backing Neil
Young, and touring with both Booker T. & the
MG’s and the original Blues Brothers lineup. In
2007, Dunn and the other members of Booker
T. and the MG’s were awarded a Lifetime
Achievement Grammy. The group was inducted
to the Musicians Hall of Fame in 2008.
Photo courtesy of API Photography/Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
Steve Cropper shared the news of Dunn’s passing on his Facebook page: “Today I lost my best
friend, the world has lost the best guy and bass
player to ever live.” Dunn’s fat P-bass tones and
musical stamp are forever linked with some of the
greatest popular music ever created, and his bass
lines will be played on for generations to come.
Duck, we thank you for your generous gift to the
world, a world in which you will remain “
legendary.” Godspeed, kind soul. —Steve Cook
OBITUARY
”Shaft” guitarist
charles “Skip” pitts
dies at 65
Memphis, TN —
Best known for the
iconic wah work
on “Theme From
Shaft,” Charles
“Skip” Pitts died on May 1 after
a battle with cancer. Pitts was a
mainstay of the soul scene for
four decades with Isaac Hayes’
band and was a session guitar-
ist for Stax Records heard on
recordings from Al Green, Sam
& Dave, and more. In recent
years, he recorded and toured
with his band the Bo-Keys.
WEIRD
Austin guitarist Sets
World Record for
longest guitar Solo
Austin, TX — After 24 hours
and 55 minutes, Austin guitarist
David DiDonato surpassed the
previous world record for longest guitar solo ever. The performance was held at Austin’s
Red 7 and streamed online.
DiDonato was allowed to take
5-minute breaks once per hour
during the effort, which surpassed the previous record of 24
hours and 17 minutes.
