Bachman Jazz, Dr. May and More
Three items of interest to PG readers this morning: Randy Bachman''s latest jazz collaboration, Brian May''s Ph.D, and the music lineup at Sturgis
Taking Care of Jazz
Randy Bachman of BTO and The Guess Who fame shows more of his jazz instincts on his latest release, Jazzthing II, a collaboration with the renowned New Guitar Summit. The release is a sequel to Bachman’s 2004 CD Jazzthing.
Bachman’s chops are incredibly tasty on their own, but alongside those of New Guitar Summit players Jay Geils, Duke Robillard and Gerry Beaudoin, the disc is practically a buffet for the ears. Guitar quartets are rare but this release promises to change that. The foursome tackles standards and original Bachman material. The disc features a particularly creative rendition of the BTO classic, “Takin’ Care of Business.”
Geils, Duke and Robillard are scheduled to appear at the upcoming Premier Guitar Festival in Boston, September 15-16.
For more information:
RandyBachman.com PremierGuitarFestivals.com
Dr. May... Well, almost
In addition to rocking stadiums and making hit records, legendary Queen guitarist Brian May knows a thing or two about science. In fact, he recently submitted his doctoral thesis in astronomy. The 60-year old studied at Imperial College in London before leaving academia to write and perform rock ‘n roll licks. His return to scholarly endeavors marks the longest gap in doctoral studies in the school’s history.
His thesis, “Radial Velocities in the Zodiacal Dust Cloud,” is 48,000 words long. His defense is scheduled for August 23rd.
For more information:
Sturgis Rocks
The world''s biggest biker rally is also one of the biggest musical events in the country. Sturgis Motorcycle Rally 2007 kicked off Sunday with the typical expectation of drawing 500,000 people. As usual, a packed lineup of musical acts at official events and local bars/clubs will play a big role in making the week a success.
The biggest names on the event''s official lineup play what is called Rock''n the Rally, a gig considered to be the world''s largest amphitheater performance. Appearing this year are Tanya Tucker, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, 38 Special, The Outlaws, Godsmack, Ted Nugent, Fuel, Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Smashmouth, Eddie Money and Zwarte. Many other stages in the area feature familiar names. For example, the Boneyard Saloon is featuring Seven Mary Three, Vince Neil, Quiet Riot, LA Guns, Firehouse, Warrant, The Georgia Satellites, Blue Oyster Cult, the Marshall Tucker Band, and John Kay & Steppenwolf among others. Downtread, featuring Premier Guitar staffer Brett Petrusek, will play the Boneyard''s out door stage Thursday at 8pm.
The 67th annual gathering in South Dakota has official events scheduled through Sunday, August 12th.
For more information:
SturgisMotorcycleRally.com
TheBoneyardSaloon.com