In a world where Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube are literally saturated with teens and younger kids who have bass chops capable of scaring most grown bassists into an early grave, the prospects of ever becoming the next to achieve Jameson- or Jaco-level status seem bleak. Last week, a friend sent me a video of a very young girl ripping through John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” solo as Coltrane played along in the background. She sounded great, and so did Coltrane! I, too, learned that solo in my late teens, so I know firsthand how hard it is to play up to speed, but she did it with a smile and made it look easy.When I first began learning the instrument at 14 (I’m still learning), like most young people I was attracted to shiny things. For me, that particular shiny thing was Mark King of Level 42’s otherworldly ability to slap a bass at what seemed like the speed of light. His amazing technique was indeed so shiny that it was able to pull me from the guitar to the bass. I spent what seemed like an eternity (probably a year in adult years) learning how to slap really fast, and for my first two years as a bass player, slap was all I did!Many years later, I learned something else that was difficult to grasp, which becomes rarer by the day: “The bass” is not only an instrument, clef, or stave (nearer the bottom of most scores), it’s more importantly a role, or more aptly put, a function essential to almost all modern music. It’s the root of it all. Bass plays a role that forms a unique bridge betwixt rhythm, harmony, melody, and groove. The greatest bassists have all understood this fact in their own ways, and many of these masters never lusted for, and understood that they did not require, Paganini-like gymnastic mastery in the lower hertz. Don’t get me wrong … I personally love and have even pursued technical mastery. Thus, I’m a lover of great bass, sax, and whatever else solos. But those two things—soloing and becoming a technician—are not necessarily immediately related to the “bass function.”As we go back in time to the root, the number of players who focused on function over flashy technique, and support over soloing seems to increase. I soon learned there was more to bass than slapping. (I also learned that slapping—though not quite at the speed of light—went back decades before Mark King.) I had no idea of the long and storied history of bass, and how this fit into the African American musical canon, which included blues, jazz, gospel, rock ’n’ roll, R&B, funk, soul, disco, hip-hop, house, and a seemingly never-ending procession of subgenres—which is to say most American music.“The bass” is not only an instrument, clef, or stave (nearer the bottom of most scores), it’s more importantly a role, or more aptly put, a function essential to almost all modern music.Eventually, with the help of American mentors Rich Nichols and Steve Coleman, my quest to understand bass, and music in general, would lead me to Philadelphia (and, later, to Harlem, NYC). Through Rich, a Philly native who also happened to be manager and patriarch of the Roots, I became an integral part of the exciting mix of music happening in Philadelphia in the late ’90s and 2000s. This formed the foundation of my education as a producer and provided opportunities for me to produce records for many well-known names in hip-hop, soul, funk, pop, etc. Through Steve—a Chicago native who moved to NYC in the ’70s and was responsible for creating the M-Base movement, which many consider to be the font of at least 50 percent of today’s NYC jazz scene—I learned about America’s rich jazz tradition. Between decades of touring, hanging out listening to much older musicians, and the wealth of things that Steve and others taught me directly, this formed the foundation of my music education. It gave me the tools to begin the Creative Music Program, which served as a foundation for many young creative musicians coming out of Philadelphia.Philadelphia is home to some of America’s greatest bass legends, and it was once I moved to the city that I met Jymie Merritt, a relatively unsung hero of the bass, but a legend if there ever was one. Not only was Jymie a master of the upright, but he was also an early pioneer of the electric bass within jazz, and a fantastic composer. I met so many other great American bassists who, like me, continue a tradition and culture which stretches all the way back to the days of tubas, wash tubs, and broomsticks—a time somewhere between the abolition of slavery and Louis Armstrong first meeting the horn. These are players such as Henry Grimes, Stanley Clarke, Charles Fambrough, Victor Bailey, Jamaaladeen Tacuma, Reggie Workman, Christian McBride, Gerald Veasley, Reggie Washington, Anthony Jackson, Matt Garrison, Rich Brown, Richard Bona, and many others.Stay tuned! I’ll surely be focusing on some of these and many farther afield subjects in future Root of It All columns.

The current owner of the Arlington, Texas home that was once owned by late PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott recently listed the property for $750,000.

Vinnie Paul designed the 3,784-square-foot home, which sits on 1.5 acres and offers expansive views of Arlington, downtown Fort Worth and Las Colinas.

Chris Johnston, co-owner of Texas Best Home Buyers and who is selling the home with his son, Christopher, told The Dallas Morning News the property will interest music and sports lovers, as well as local history buffs.

“I’ve been in real estate a long time, and I’ve never seen anything like this house,” Johnston said. “It was not built to be a family home. It was meant to be a party house.”

The secluded hilltop house, which was completed in 1995, features 40-plus-foot ceilings, four bedrooms, four and a half baths, two game rooms and a secret/safe room. The home has four newer, over-sized Lennox Elite AC units and a gas-operated Generac generator. The backyard features a large pool with waterfall and a spa that spills into the pool. Two fire pits are on each end of the waterfall.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn’t pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Vinnie Paul and his brother “Dimebag” Darrell Abbott co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

According to TMZ, Vinnie Paul left the bulk of his estate to his longtime girlfriend Chelsey Yeager and his best friend; Charles Jones got 38% while Chelsey walked away with 37%. The rest was split between Vinnie’s tour manager (10%), drum tech (5%), producer (5%) and friend (5%). In addition, Vinnie gave his interest in Dimebag’s estate to the guitarist’s longtime girlfriend Rita Haney.

In 1996, Vinnie Paul — whose full name was Vincent Paul Abbott — and his brother opened a strip club in Dallas that became popular with athletes and visiting musicians. When the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars won the 1999 Stanley Cup, many of the team’s players partied afterward at Vinnie’s house. According to The Mercury News, one player attempted to throw the Cup into the swimming pool from a balcony, but it fell short and landed on the concrete — leaving a three-inch dent that had to be pounded out.

A public memorial for Vinnie Paul was held on July 1, 2018 at Bomb Factory in Dallas, Texas.

Up until his death, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for the murder of Dimebag.

Not long before his death, Vinnie laid down the drum tracks for HELLYEAH’s sixth album, “Welcome Home”, which was released in September 2019.

Check it out, our company was mentioned in The Dallas Morning News!!! …

Posted by Texas Best Home Buyers on Thursday, February 3, 2022

JUDAS PRIEST’s Ian Hill and Rob Halford have told Billboard that they would be happy to stand alongside founding guitarist K.K. Downing at a hypothetical Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction later this year. “It’s not a problem to us, no,” Hill said. “Ken was an integral part of this band for a very, very long time. He deserves to be there along with the rest of us.” Halford predicted that, “It won’t be as awkward as Ace [Frehley] and Peter [Criss with KISS’s Rock Hall induction]. I don’t think it’ll be awkward at all. I think you have to let all of that go because it’s the night that matters. It’s the moment that matters — but, again, the proverbial saying, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

JUDAS PRIEST was on the ballot for Rock Hall induction in 2020, but failed to receive enough votes to make that year’s class.

Having been eligible for induction since 1999, PRIEST was also on the ballot for the 2018 class of the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, but was ultimately left out of the inductee list.

On Wednesday (February 2), it was announced that JUDAS PRIEST is among the nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame’s class of 2022. Inductees will be announced in May. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 2022 induction ceremony will take place this fall. The date, venue, and on-sale information will be announced later.

Once again, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame has named the individual bandmembers that will enter should their group get inducted.

For JUDAS PRIEST, they picked current members Halford (vocals), Hill (bass), Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums), along with former members Downing (guitar), Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

In 2019, Halford was asked by Fox Sports 910’s “Freak Nation” if fans could expect to see any of the former PRIEST members joining the band on stage during a hypothetical Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction. He responded: “With something like the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, there’s a tinge of ‘what if’ [and] ‘whatever.’ It’s an open book.

“I know what you’re alluding to, and as I’ve had to [say] in the past, it’s just a case of ‘wait and see,'” he continued. “But it’s a celebration, and it’s 50 years of PRIEST, and, man, it’s gonna be great. Should we get in, it’s gonna be amazing.”

After host Kenny Sargent brought up the original KISS lineup’s controversial 2014 Rock Hall induction which was at least partly overshadowed by the musicians’ decision not to perform, Halford said: “[PRIEST is] not the first band that this has happened to, and on the day, some things turn out the way a lot of people want ’em.

“I was thinking about this the other day,” Halford added. “And this thing came into my head: ‘Jim, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, or of the one.’ Spock [in] ‘Star Trek’. When he goes in the radiation room. Isn’t that great? … That’s a t-shirt, or an inspirational card.”

Downing previously told Rockin’ Metal Revival that there is a very good chance that he would perform with his former bandmates again if PRIEST gets the nod. “Oh, I think absolutely,” he said. “I mean, why wouldn’t you, really? It’s a special thing. We’re all of an age now. These opportunities only come once in a lifetime. And it seemingly takes a lifetime to get into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I’ve always said, there’s no such thing as a young legend, right? [Laughs] So, while we’re still here, it would be great to receive that accolade and put on a great performance and put that one to bed.”

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band’s 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as “a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music,” while the second was “angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties.”

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was “a key reason” he wasn’t invited to rejoin PRIEST after Tipton’s decision to retire from touring.

In his 2018 autobiography “Heavy Duty: Days And Nights In Judas Priest”, Downing wrote that he told Tipton and PRIEST co-manager Jayne Andrews that he had “hated” them both “since 1985.” Last year, he explained his outburst to Classic Rock magazine: “I was angry. Glenn had formed a relationship with Jayne from day one, and it felt a bit like a John-and-Yoko situation. I didn’t like that.”

British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON have released their instrumental version of “Moon Over Castle”. The track is lifted from “Find Your Line (Official Music From Gran Turismo 7)”, which will be available via Columbia Records and Sony Interactive Entertainment on March 4 for the PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.

In tandem with the song release, Columbia Records and Sony Interactive Entertainment unveiled a visualizer that showcases the Willow Springs course of “Gran Turismo 7” featuring “Moon Over Castle”. Watch the video below.

The high-octane soundtrack features original music inspired by the highly anticipated video game “Gran Turismo 7”. The star-studded lineup of artists includes BRING ME THE HORIZON, ROSALÍA, MAJOR LAZER, NOTHING BUT THIEVES, FANATIX, KIM DRACULA, LONDON GRAMMAR, JAWSH685, LOUS AND THE YAKUZA, LIL TJAY and DISCIPLES.

“Gran Turismo” is a video game developed by Polyphony Digital Inc., a subsidiary of Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. Having launched in Japan first in 1997, the multi-award-winning franchise is regarded as the best and most authentic driving simulator due to true-to-life graphics, authentic physics technology and careful attention to detail. Polyphony and its famed creator Kazunori Yamauchi have revolutionized the racing game genre.

Last September, BRING ME THE HORIZON launched a new single titled “DiE4u”. Recorded remotely during the pandemic with frontman Oli Sykes stuck in Brazil and keyboardist Jordan Fish in the U.K., “DiE4u” was part of the second phase of the “Post Human” EP campaign.

BRIT and Grammy-nominated quintet BRING ME THE HORIZON is one of the most electrifying and successful rock bands to emerge from the U.K. The group released its gold-certified sixth studio album, “Amo”, in 2019, which debuted at No. 1 in 17 markets and was named “one of the most anticipated albums of 2019” by Billboard, with NME describing it as “bold, brilliant and boundary-pushing.” “Amo” garnered the band their second Grammy nomination for “Best Rock Album” after the LP’s first single, “Mantra”, earned them a nod for “Best Rock Song” in 2018. The Sheffield five-piece also received its first BRIT Award nomination for “Best Group” last year. BRING ME THE HORIZON has sold over four million albums globally to date, played sold-out shows in over 40 countries, including two sold-out nights at London’s O2 and one night at The Forum in Los Angeles, wowed a traditionally non-rock crowd at Glastonbury Festival in 2016 and 2018, and stole the show at high profile festivals across Europe all summer 2019. “Amo” followed 2016’s critically acclaimed, platinum-certified “That’s The Spirit”, which entered the U.K. charts and the U.S. Billboard album chart at No. 2. They have now also amassed over one billion video views on YouTube. BRING ME THE HORIZON is vocalist Oli Sykes, guitarist Lee Malia, bassist Matt Kean, drummer Mat Nicholls, and keyboardist Jordan Fish.

Screaming Butterfly Entertainment, in conjunction with Ellefson Films, have released a second sizzle reel for the upcoming feature-length documentary film “This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza”. The one-minute, 20-second clip features interviews with the Menza family, former MEGADETH members Chris Poland and Jeff Young, LAMB OF GOD/MEGADETH drummer Chris Adler, former MEGADETH tour manager Skip Rickert, Nick’s drum tech Rob Corsie, legendary rock and roll photographer Gene Kirkland, film director Bob Nalbandian and James Rota and Emily Burton of FIREBALL MINISTRY.

The film is being produced/directed and edited by Holly Mollohan from Screaming Butterfly Entertainment.

Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of Nick’s life.

Mollohan said: “‘This Was My Life: The Story of Nick Menza’ is now deep into the production phase of the film. The generous support of the fans during our Indiegogo campaign, as well as the amazing participation of the interviewees has enabled us to gather some truly unique memories and stories. For this, we are truly grateful. The recent Los Angeles portion of interviews went extremely well and we look forward to traveling to Seattle and New York City in the coming months for the next set of interviews. This project is proving to be an interesting and rewarding one, and we look forward to sharing Nick’s story.”

Ellefson added: “The making of the Nick Menza documentary has been such a joy for all of us, like a sort of MEGA family reunion where we share stories, laughs and even a few tears around Nick and what he meant to so many of us. I think this film and soundtrack will touch the hearts of the fans and viewers in the same way, as we remember his larger-than-life character behind the drum kit, but also his lovable charm and warmth that made him the beloved one of a treasured musical legacy.”

The Menza family said: “We are excited for the fans to see the life Nick lived before, during, and after MEGADETH, it was quite the journey. Stay tuned for an epic documentary. As Nick would say, ‘It’s gonna be RAD.'”

Menza’s longtime personal manager Robert Bolger said: “Nick loved his fans and always said without the fans none this would be possible. I really think Nick’s fans will enjoy this journey through his life. Thank you everyone for the continued support in keeping Nick’s legacy alive.”

“This Was My Life” will be the first-ever film to memorialize Menza’s legacy and celebrate his life exactly how it was. It is described in a press release as “an unflinching exploration into the life of one of the most successful thrash-metal drummers of all time, authorized by the Menza family. From his childhood all the way through to the end of his life Including a true blow-by-blow account of the repeated failed attempts of the classic ‘Rust In Peace’ lineup.”

“This Was My Life” will feature rare and never-before-seen photos and video footage from Nick’s archived VHS tape collection, personally filmed by Menza himself from 1988 through 1991. Included will be exclusive content showcasing Nick working at the studio, personal home movies, casual time and party time with his fellow bandmembers, as well as other well-known artists of the era that Nick toured with.

The cover photo for the film was shot by Los Angeles music photographer Alex Solca and designed by Brazilian artwork designer Alcides Burn of Burn Artworks.

Late in the evening on May 21, 2016, Nick collapsed after suffering a heart attack during a concert with Chris Poland and Robertino “Pag” Pagliari in their band OHM: at The Baked Potato in Studio City, California and was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital. The Los Angeles County Department of Medical Examiner-Coroner said Menza died of hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease.