The Guitar Channel

More Virgil Donati Band Highlights - The Baked Potato May 29th 2010

More highlights from drummer Virgil Donati's May 29th gig at the Baked Potato. Featuring Charles Altura on guitar, Dennis Hamm on keys and Doug Shreeve on bass.

See also: Virgil Donati Band Highlights - The Baked Potato May 29th 2010

Virgil Donati Band Highlights - The Baked Potato May 29th 2010

Highlights from drummer Virgil Donati's May 29th gig at the Baked Potato. Featuring newcomer Charles Altura on guitar, Dennis Hamm on keys and Doug Shreeve on bass.

Seven The Hard Way: New prog-rock band featuring Tony MacAlpine and Virgil Donati

Spotted this on Truth In Shredding - Planet X and Devil's Slingshot bandmates Virgil Donati (drums) and Tony MacAlpine (guitar) have a new band called Seven The Hard Way. Here is an official announcement from Donati's website:

"Seven the Hardway is a 5-piece progressive rock/metal band based in Southern California and formed in 2009 by guitar virtuoso Tony MacAlpine (Steve Vai, Planet X, CAB), drum master Virgil Donati  (Planet X) and renowned vocalist Mark Boals (Uli Jon Roth, Royal Hunt, Yngwie Malmsteen).

The band’s highly anticipated 10-track eponymous debut will be released in September 2010 on Mascot/Provogue Records, and their fall European tour kicks off soon after the album’s release.

The band’s live show will consist of their entire album, a jaw-dropping drum solo from Donati, along with select covers of Tony MacAlpine’s well-known instrumentals.

Joining MacAlpine, Donati and Boals on the album are bass player Doug Shreeve and Argentinian newcomer Estefania Daniel on guitar.

A music video for the band’s first single “Guilty” (music and lyrics by Virgil) will premiere on YouTube in June."

CAB to re-release Live at The Baked Potato Double CD

Fusion uber-group CAB will re-release their 2006 album Live at The Baked Potato next month. This excellent 2-CD set includes all of the bands staples, plus a killer version of Billy Cobham's "Stratus." The lineup on this release includes band mainstays Bunny Brunel on bass, Tony MacAlpine on guitar, and Virgil Donati on drums, with David Hirshfelder playing keyboards. I've had this one for awhile now; definitely worth picking up if you want to hear some great live jazz fusion.

CAB: Live at The Baked Potato

via No Treble

Planet X tour dates with Tony MacAlpine

Saw this on Truth in Shredding: Planet X have scheduled the following European tour dates for the coming fall. Band members include founders Derek Sherinian on keys and Virgil Donati on drums, Planet X alum Tony MacAlpine back on guitar, and new bassist Doug Shreeve.

September
26 - Zoetermeer, Netherlands
27 - Weert, Netherlands
28 - London, UK
29 - Paris, France

October
1 - Lubeck, Germany
2 - Aschaffenburg, Germany
3 - Cologne, Germany
4 - Lorsch, Germany
5 - Munich, Germany
5 - Vienna, Austria
7 - Basel, Switzerland
9 - Poland
10 - Poland 

Chris Buck video with Brett Garsed and Virgil Donati

Bassist Chris Buck has a new trio CD on the way featuring guitarist Brett Garsed and drummer Virgil Donati. This video (from a DVD promoting Carvin B4 Bass and Mesa Boogie Amps) features the first song from the new project - "3CROWS."

via Truth In Shredding

New Derek Sherinian album coming soon

Prog-fusion keyboardist Derek Sherinian has a new album on the way entitled Molecular Heinosity. As is always the case with Sherinian's albums, he has an impressive lineup of guests on the disc. Guitarists Zakk Wylde, Brett Garsed, Rusty Cooley, and Taka Minamino all make appearances, along with bassists Tony Franklin and Jimmy Johnson, and drummers Virgil Donati and Brian Tichy. Check out Sherinian's MySpace page for sound clips.

Release dates are as follows: 

Japan - February 25th
Taiwan - March 1st
Germany, Austria, Switzerland - March 20th
Europe - March 23rd
North America - March 24th

CAB releases new album in India

CAB's new album THEATRE DE MARIONNETTES has been released in India. The album features Bunny Brunel on bass, Tony MacApline on guitar, Virgil Donati on drums, plus three keyboardists - Patrice Rushen, Brian Auger, and special guest Chick Corea. Two of the album's tracks were written by Indian composer/producer Sandeep Chowta. It appears the album has only been released in India thus far - check out this Facebook group for more info including store locations where the album can be purchased. If I find an online retailer offering the album I'll post an update.

12/14/08: I've added some full-size pics of the CD packaging above.

12/23/08: Good news! The album can now be purchased online through Abstract Logix!

More Alex Machacek gigs with Sipe and Fountain

Guitarist Alex Machacek will be playing some more live dates with drummer Jeff Sipe and bassist Neal Fountain (the same trio responsible for the excellent Official Triangle Sessions release from Abstract Logix). Dates and locations for these and other upcoming Machacek gigs are posted below.

Machacek/Fountain/Sipe
Alex Machacek - guitar
Neal Fountain - bass
Jeff Sipe - drums

Oct. 9th, 2008 @ Five Spot - 9 PM
1123 Euclid Ave, Atlanta, Georgia 30307

Oct 10th, 2008 @ Loki Festival - 3 PM
112 Watagnee Tr., Horse Shoe, North Carolina 28742

Oct 10th, 2008 @ The Bohemian - 10 PM
2B Stone Avenue, Greenville, South Carolina 29609

Virgil Donati Band
Oct. 11th, 2008 @ Baked Potato - 9.30/11.30 PM
3787 Cahuenga Blvd West, Studio City, California 91604

Virgil Donati - drums
Matt Rhode - keys
Rufus Philpot - bass
Alex Machacek - guitar

Planet X
Virgil Donati - drums
Derek Sherinian - keys
Rufus Philpot - bass
Alex Machacek - guitar

Nov.6 /7/8, 2008 @ Athina Live
Athens/Greece

Nov. 14th, 2008 @ Jivan Festival
Yerevan/Armenia

Planet X European tour dates with Alex Machacek

I heard about some upcoming Planet X tour dates a couple of weeks ago, but the info was unconfirmed at that time. Now keyboardist Derek Sherinian has confirmed the dates (which were originally posted on drummer Virgil Donati's site), and revealed that Alex Machacek will be playing guitar (not Brett Garsed as many had speculated), and Rufus Philpot will play bass. Here are the dates:

November 6th, 7th, 8th, 2008 - Athina Live - Athens, Greece
November 14th, 2008 - Jivan Festival - Yerevan, Armenia

CAB - Highlights from The Baked Potato

Drummer Virgil Donati has posted this highlight video of a CAB gig that took place this past July at The Baked Potato. This iteration of CAB includes Bunny Brunel on bass, Tony MacAlpine on guitar, Otmaro Ruiz on keys, and Donati on drums.

via Truth in Shredding

Brett Garsed - "Undoing" India rehearsal

More footage from Brett Garsed's India clinic rehearsals with drummer Virgil Donati. This is Garsed's song "Undoing" played on a Gibson CS-336. Kudos to Truth in Shredding for this one.

In other news, Indian film music director Sandeep Chowta has stated he will be working on various projects with Donati and Garsed in the future. Sounds interesting...