Virtuoso Jazz Bassist John Patitucci Debuts Interactive Online Bass School

ArtistWorks, the first collaborative, global learning community comprised of master musicians and ambitious amateurs, announces the June 29th launch of the online, interactive Bass Super School" featuring the Rock & Pop Bass School with GRAMMY™ award-winning Rock/Pop/R&B bassist Nathan East (Eric Clapton/Stevie Wonder/Fourplay), the Jazz Bass School from GRAMMY™ award-winning Jazz bassist John Patitucci (Chick Corea/Herbie Hancock/Sting) and the Bluegrass Bass School from 7-time International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) award-winner, Missy Raines. The new ArtistWorks Bass Campus offers the everyday bass player unprecedented access to a “triple threat” of the world’s top bass players in three distinctly different musical genres and playing styles.

The Bass Campus utilizes ArtistWorks’ revolutionary Video Exchange™ Accelerated Learning Platform which enables members to film streaming video lessons at their own pace and then submit practice videos directly to their teaching artist for their feedback. Each submission is reviewed and responded to by the artist via video providing instruction on how the student can improve. These “Video Exchanges” are made available to the entire online community, creating a virtual classroom with an ever-evolving curriculum.

Nathan East is one of the most recorded contemporary bassists of all time, and has received a range of awards including: The British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors most prestigious Ivor Novello Award; Most Valuable Player (bass category) at the International Rock Awards; three time Bassist of the Year at the U.S. National Smooth Jazz Awards; National Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) MVP; as well as ASCAP Awards for most performed work. In 2007, Nathan was honored awarded a Congressional Record for his contribution to the worldwide music community.

“It’s exciting to me to know that I will be interacting with students personally,” says East. “When you record a DVD – it’s done. Now I will get to respond to students’ playing and be directly engaged in watching their progress.”

John Patitucci is one of the world’s most respected musicians and educators. He has toured with some of music’s biggest names, and has served as Artistic Director of New York City’s Bass Collective, and is involved with The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz and the Betty Carter Jazz Ahead program. He currently teaches at the Berklee College of Music and his awards include: NARAS MVP (bass); two GRAMMY™ awards; Best Jazz Bassist in Guitar Player Magazine's Readers' Poll and Best Jazz Bassist in Bass Player Magazine's Readers' Poll and his debut solo recording, John Patitucci was number one on the Billboard Jazz chart.

“I enjoy teaching and sharing my passion for music with my students – but I am always limited to the amount of students who can come to me,” says Patitucci. “My online bass school will me to teach students all over the world, without them ever having to leave home.”

In addition to being one of the most awarded instrumentalists in her field, Missy Raines is the only woman to win more than one instrumental award from the prestigious IBMA. She has toured internationally with Jim Hurst and The Claire Lynch band and formed Missy Raines and the New Hip to explore fusions of Jazz, Bluegrass, Pop and Funk styles of bass and their debut record Inside Out was released in 2009 on Compass Records.

“The additions of both Nathan East and Jon Patitucci absolutely establish the ArtistWorks Bass Academy faculty as one of the most diverse and inspiring in the world,” says Raines. “I cannot imagine being in better company.”

Nathan East’s School of Rock & Pop Bass, John Patitucci’s Jazz Bass School and Missy Raines’ Bluegrass Bass School are open to players of all ages and levels of proficiency. Subscription fees are reasonably priced at $90.00 for 3 months, $150.00 for 6 months and $240.00 for a 12-month subscription. For more information go to http://www.artistworksbass.com

Email: elizabethlang@rockarcadia.com

About ArtistWorks, Inc.

Founded in 2008 by former AOL executive David Butler, ArtistWorks, Inc. is a Napa California-based technology and music education company that provides a global online learning community of world-renowned artists and enthusiastic amateurs dedicated to unleashing the music that lies within all of us. Its Video Exchange Accelerated Learning Platform enables virtuoso musicians to "teach the world" by presenting their full method, technique or lesson list in HD video to subscribing students. Utilizing simple web cams, iPhones, iPads and more, students are able to submit videos for individualized video feedback and guidance - creating a two-way, online learning experience

ArtistWorks currently offers schools from such world-class, virtuoso artists as: Paul Gilbert (Rock guitar lessons), Andreas Oberg (Jazz guitar lessons), Martin Taylor(fingerstyle guitar lessons), Jason Vieaux (Classical guitar lessons), Howard Levy (harmonica lessons), DJ Qbert (DJ lessons), Christie Peery (piano lessons), Thomas Lang (Rock drum lessons), Billy Cobham (Jazz and Fusion drum lessons), Luis Conte (percussion lessons), as well as the ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass with Tony Trischka (banjo lessons), Missy Raines (double bass lessons), guitar player Bryan Sutton (flatpick guitar lessons), Andy Hall (dobro lessons), Mike Marshall (mandolin lessons), and Darol Anger (fiddle lessons).

Triptych 3, Shulgin's Songbook: Exceeding Genre Limitations

Relative to jazz in general, the genre "smooth jazz" often entails less complexity and more accessibility. However, Alexander Shulgin - the famous Russian composer and former member of the band "The Cruise" - succeeds in creating an album that is both complex, yet accessible, and thus pleases both musicians and non-musicians alike. With an all-star line-up that includes, John Patitucci, Billy Cobham, and Bob Mintzer, Part 3 of Shulgin's songbook "Triptych" has plenty to offer.

One of the album's strength's is Shulgin's willingness to experiment with different instrumentations, which keeps the album feeling fresh throughout. On the tune "Winter," Gregoire Maret is featured on harmonica, and it creates a totally different color than what the listener is used to up until that point. In addition, sax player Snake Davis often plays the flute instead of sax, and this also contributes to making the album diverse in terms of color and sound.

The use of the stand-up bass also adds a welcomed new sound to the album. On "Summer", John Patitucci plays stand-up, and it is a nice change from the electric bass (even though Janek Gwizdala is fantastic as well). Naturally, Shulgin gives Patitucci room to solo, and as usual, Patitucci plays in a way that is appropriate for the song (the sign of a talented studio musician). Meanwhile, drummer Gary Husband provides subtle and tasty snare work in the beginning, and then appropriately moves to brushes for Patitucci's solo.

Another admirable aspect of this album is that Shulgin gives his musicians room to really show off their abilities. Towards the end of "Winter", Maret displays his chops on the chromatic harmonica. It's tough to name the great harmonica players that are around today. For me, Stevie Wonder and Howard Levy (former member of Bela Fleck & The Flecktones) are the first two that come to mind. However, after hearing Maret on this track, I would certainly add his name to that list, for his solo is nothing short of virtuosic. On "Brazilian Summer", bassist Janek Gwizdala plays a blazing solo while singing along to his improvised melody (ala bassist Richard Bona).

A Look At "Triptych, Part 3: Alexander Shulgin's Songbook"

On the track "Airplane", Bob Mintzer is featured on saxophone. The head is quite simple, but his solo is what makes the tune. He glides over the changes with effortless ease and Shulgin gives him room to show off those skills that made him famous in groups like The Yellowjackets, and The Word of Mouth Big Band (led by the late, great Jaco Pastorious). At times, with certain songs that feature some of jazz's best, I feel that Alexander Shulgin was simply saying "Hey, look who I got to play on my album!" Regardless, that's perfectly fine with me.

Though the album definitely has the sound and often the feel of smooth jazz, it has the musicianship of classical music or bebop. Alexander Shulgin is a composer that clearly knew what he was doing when he was putting together a band. Even the lesser-known musicians are still excellent players and they add a lot to the album. For instance, on the infectious "Catch" (appropriately titled), Richard Niles provides great guitar work and a tasty solo, utilizing a clean jazz tone.

Although part 3 of "Triptych" has a lot going for it, it's the musicians that really carry the load more than Shulgin himself. Though several of the compositions are quite interesting and complex, it's the players that really bring them to life. In the end, the genre "smooth jazz" still might be the best classification for Part 3 of "Triptych", for the overall sound is quite typical of smooth jazz. However, because it is played at the highest level, by some of the greatest musicians in the world, it stretches the genre beyond its usual limitations.

www.myspace.com/shulginalexander www.facebook.com/pages/Alexander-Shulgin/58197470874

Track Listing 1. Osen' (Autumn) 2. Lovi (Catch) 3. Samolet (Airplane) 4. Nebesa (Heavens) 5. Zima (Winter) 6. Noch' Nezhna (Night is Tender) 7. Polyot na Vozdushnom Share (Balloon Flight) 8. Nebo nad Piterom (Sky over St.Petersburg) 9. Riga-Moskva 10. Leto (Summer) 11. Pevitsa (Singer) 12. Posmotri vokrug sebya (Look around) 13. Vesna (Spring) 14. Brazil'skoe Leto (Brazilian Summer)

Performers John Patitucci: double bass Bob James: keyboards Billy Cobham: drums Bob Mintzer: sax Richard Niles: guitar Gregoire Maret: harmonica Janek Gwizdala: electric bass Kim Chandler: backing vocal Richard Cottle: keyboards Snake Davis: sax & flute Gary Husband: drums