SMOOTH JAZZ FORMAT TO HOPEFULLY SURVIVE?

Clear Channel continues to divest itself of their association with the Smooth Jazz format as they have announced that they are selling off its interest in research and consulting firm Broadcast Architecture to BA President, Allen Kepler. As of January 1, the company, which also operates its own Smooth Jazz network, becomes a stand-alone entity. In a recent statement, Kepler said, "I'm deeply grateful to Tom Owens, John Hogan and the management at Clear Channel for this extraordinary opportunity. While we'll miss being part of the Clear Channel family, we welcome the broad possibilities going forward with all of our radio partners, including Clear Channel. January 1, 2010 will mark my 20th anniversary with Broadcast Architecture. We're excited to be moving ahead with our current partners and making new friends over the next 20 years." Following this announcement, Broadcast Architecture revealed it has inked a deal with United Stations Radio Networks, Inc. The multi-year partnership makes USRN the affiliate relations and advertising sales arm for Broadcast Architecture’s Smooth Jazz Network throughout the domestic U.S. USRN President/COO Jim Higgins commented, "Our relationship with Broadcast Architecture goes back nearly 15 years, and we’re big believers in what they do. We also believe that there’s a fantastic opportunity in today’s radio climate to help them to expand the reach of their services as well as increase their revenue streams." Kepler added, "The team at United Stations completely understands our world both creatively and on the business side. Smooth Jazz remains the most unique format in radio and offers advertisers access to the most affluent and exclusive audience reached by the medium. We’re extremely excited about our future with USRN as our partner." Seems like there is some hope that Smooth Jazz will be around for some time, however, let’s keep our fingers crossed that going forward these programmers understand that the playlists need to be a lot broader and accepting of new and exciting music – which could be the only way to attract new listeners.

SEAL - HITS

Grammy-winning vocalist and songwriter Seal is about to release a collection of his greatest songs on one CD, Hits, to be released December 8, 2009 on Warner Bros. Records. Seal Hits will span the artist’s 20 year career and be comprised of sixteen of Seal’s biggest hit songs, along with two brand new tracks. These two new recordings, produced by David Foster, extend the concept of Seal’s hugely successful 2008 covers album, Soul, which has sold more than three million units worldwide and received international critical acclaim. Seal brings his unique and exquisite vocal style to “I Am Your Man” written by Ashford & Simpson, first recorded by Bobby Taylor, and the Sly and The Family Stone classic “Thank You.” Seal is currently in the studio recording a new album of original material to be released in 2010. The London-born Seal first emerged from Britain’s house music scene in the early ’90s providing vocals and lyrics for techno artist Adamski’s 1990 hit “Killer.” The Top Ten debut single, “Crazy,” followed and Seal would go on to earn critical acclaim and worldwide commercial success over five albums. Seal’s prodigious vocal gifts — his soaring, husky baritone that has become a signature on such hits as “Prayer for the Dying,” “Kiss From a Rose,” and “Don’t Cry” — amplify the emotion he brings to a song.

The track-listing for Seal HITS is as follows. Please note this is not a final album sequence.
1. I Am Your Man
2. Kiss From A Rose
3. Crazy
4. Fly Like An Eagle
5. Love’s Divine
6. A Change Is Gonna Come
7. Amazing
8. Killer
9. Prayer For The Dying
10. Get It Together
11. The Right Life
12. Future Love Paradise
13. Waiting For You
14. Free
15. Rolling
16. Don’t Cry
17. If You Don’t Know Me By Now
18. Thank You

http://www.seal.com/

JOHN MAYER TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

John Mayer has kicked off on a world tour tour and here is the full list of tour dates starting off in New York on November 17 and winding up on April 10, 2010 in Chicago.

Nov 17 @ The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
Nov 24 @ Sound Academy, Toronto, ON
Dec 11 @ Madison Square Garden, New Yorkm NY
Dec 29 @ Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego, CA
Dec 31 @ The Joint, Las Vegas, NV
Jan 15 @ Manchester Apollo, Manchester, UK
Jan 16 @ O2 Academy, Glasgow, UK
Jan 18 @ Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK
Jan 19 @ Wolverhampton Civic Hall, Wolverhampton, UK
Feb 8 @ North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, SC
Feb 9 @ BJCC Arena, Birmingham, AL
Feb 10 @ Sommet Center, Nashville, TN
Feb 12 @ Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI
Feb 13 @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON
Feb 16 @ Scotiabank Place, Ottawa ON
Feb 17 @ Bell Centre, Montreal ,QC
Feb 19 @ Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT
Feb 20 @ Verizon Center, Washington, DC
Feb 21 @ Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA
Feb 24 @ TD Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA
Feb 25 @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
Feb 28 @ Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI
Mar 1 @ Bradley Center, Milwaukee, WI
Mar 2 @ Xcel Energy Center, St. Pau,l MN
Mar 4 @ Qwest Center, Omaha, NE
Mar 5 @ Ford Center, Oklahoma City, OK
Mar 6 @ Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Mar 8 @ Frank Erwin Center, Austin, TX
Mar 9 @ American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX
Mar 10 @ New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
Mar 12 @ Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Mar 13 @ Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
Mar 15 @ Greensboro Coliseum Complex, Greensboro, NC
Mar 16 @ John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville, VA
Mar 17 @ Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA
Mar 19 @ Fed Ex Forum, Memphis, TN
Mar 20 @ Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO
Mar 22 @ Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
Mar 23 @ Pepsi Center, Denver, CO
Mar 25 @ Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
Mar 26 @ HP Pavilion, San Jose, CA
Mar 30 @ Rose Garden, Portland, OR
Mar 31 @ Key Arena, Seattle, WA
Apr 1 @ GM Place, Vancouver, BC
Apr 3 @ Pengrowth Saddledome, Calgary, AB
Apr 4 @ Rexall Place, Edmonton, AB
Apr 6 @ Credit Union Centre, Saskatoon, SK
Apr 7 @ MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB
Apr 8 @ Fargodome, Fargo, ND
Apr 10 @ United Center, Chicago. IL

CANDY DULFER - FUNKED UP & CHILLED OUT DELUXE EDITION

Nearly two decades after her GRAMMY®-nominated recording debut in 1990, saxophonist Candy Dulfer has earned a reputation as a high-energy performer with charisma and sex appeal to burn. Thundering out of the gate in 1990 with the million-plus-seller and GRAMMY-nominated debut album, Saxuality, she has since crafted a string of fine recordings and has worked alongside an impressive and diverse list of collaborators: Prince, Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Maceo Parker, Van Morrison, Beyonce, Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin, Joey DeFrancesco and many others. But along the way – both on stage and in the studio – she has offered numerous glimpses of her softer, quieter side. These two creative dimensions make up the whole of her diverse and eclectic approach to songwriting and performing. Dulfer bares it all – the brassy and edgy as well as the relaxed and mellow – with Funked Up & Chilled Out. The deluxe luxury edition 2-CD set, scheduled for international release only (sorry U.S. fans), features one disc loaded with the revved-up funk and R&B typical of her legendary live show, and another that simmers with the cooler, quieter groove that settles in after hours when it’s time to kick back and relax. Candy will be one of the special guests at the concerts of the Dutch group Bløf at the Heineken Music Hall in Amsterdam on December 3rd and 4th. Called ‘Bløf & Friends’, the band will perform their biggest hits and they will be joined by various musical friends. Besides Candy there will also be guest performances by Maria Mena, Tom Baxter and Daniël Lohues.

Candy Dulfer Tour Dates:
Nov 12 – Leverkusen, Germany @ Jazztage
Nov 20 – Maastricht, Netherlands @ Mass Music Jazz aan de Maas
Nov 25 – St. Petersburg, Russia @ Philharmonic
Nov 27 – Moscow, Russia @ International House of Music
Dec 3 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Heineken Music Hall
Dec 4 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Heineken Music Hall

MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD ON TOUR

Here's a breakdown of tour dates for Medeski Martin & Wood...

11/12/09: North Adams, MA - Mass MoCA
11/13/09: Boston, MA - House of Blues
11/14/09: New York, NY - Nokia Theatre
11/15/09: Syracuse, NY - Westcott Theatre
11/17/09: Kent, OH - Kent Stage
11/18/09: Grand Rapids, MI - Intersection
11/19/09: Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
11/20/09: Milwaukee, WI - The Eagles Club
11/21/09: Chicago, IL - House of Blues
12/03/09: Burlington, VT - Higher Ground
12/04/09: Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
12/05/09: Portland, ME - Port City Music Hall
01/27/10: Sydney Festival - The City Recital Hall
01/28/10: Sydney Festival - The Famous Spiegeltent
01/29/10: Melbourne, Australia - The Hifi
02/17/10: San Diego, CA/ House of Blues
02/18/10: Los Angeles, CA/ El Rey
02/19/10: Anaheim, CA/ House of Blues
02/20/10: Santa Cruz, CA/ Rio Theatre
02/21/10: San Francisco, CA/ Fillmore
02/23/10: Petaluma, CA/ The Mystic
02/24/10: Crystal Bay, NV/ Crystal Bay Club Crown Room
02/25/10: Eugene, OR/ McDonald Theatre
02/26/10: Portland, OR/ Roseland Theater
02/27/10: Seattle, WA/ Showbox at The Market

John Medeski's dates at The Stone, NYC
11/6: "Hum" featuring John Medeski, Calvin Weston, Billy Martin and Marc Ribot
11/7: "Concert of the Secret Guardians" featuring Tisziji Munoz (guitar), John "lam sobo" Medeski (keyboards), Ra-Kalam Bob Moses (drums), John Lockwood (bass), Don Pate (bass)
11/8: "Red Cred" featuring Ben Perowsky (drums), Chris Speed (sax), John Medeski (keyboards)

Billy Martins dates at The Stone, NYC
11/06: Billy with "Hum" featuring John Medeski, Calvin Weston and Marc Ribot
11/10: 8pm Mystery Riddim with Shahzad Ismailey, Kato Hideki electric players + Jed Koziner, Steve Honoshosky, Ronald Stockwell and Billy Martin acoustic percussion

Chris Wood's dates with The Wood Brothers
12/08: Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
12/09: Montreal, Quebec - Petit Campus
12/10: South Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Showcase Lounge
12/11: Syracuse, NY - The Westcott Theater
12/30: Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium *(s/f Yonder Mountain String Band)

BRIAN CULBERTSON - LIVE FROM THE INSIDE

Brian Culbertson’s new CD/DVD combo, Live From The Inside was recorded at the historical Capital Records Studio A in Hollywood, California. The new CD/DVD is a career retrospcetive and it includes a new song, “Go”. It’s a behind the scenes, intimate look into the world of Brian Culbertson! Take a trip into the recording studio, take a trip back to Brian’s hometown and high school, hit the road with Brian, and watch him record his live album. This CD/DVD comb includes special guests, bonus features, favorite Culbertson hits, and it set for release on November 10.

DVD CONTENT

01 Opening Credits

02 Say What?

03 Always Remember

04 B's Opening Statement

05 Hollywood Swinging

06 Do You Really Love Me?

07 Rehearsal Day 1

08 The House of Music

09 Life On The Road

10 Back In The Day

11 So Good

12 Rehearsal Day 2

13 Serpentine Fire

14 Decatur

15 Hookin' Up

16 Capitol Setup Day

17 All About You

18 Mountain Drive

19 Come To Me

20 Go

21 Chicago

22 Funkin' Like My Father

23 Venues

24 Let's Get Started

25 On My Mind

26 B's Closing Statement

27 Get It On

28 Credits

CD CONTENT

01 Get It On

02 Always Remember

03 Do You Really Love Me?

04 Come To Me

05 Go

06 All About You

07 Hookin' Up

08 Let's Get Started

09 On My Mind

10 Back In The Day

11 So Good

12 Our Love

Special Features:

*Full Interview With - Brian Culbertson; Dave Koz; Ray Parker Jr.; Eric Darius; Michael Lington; Eric Marienthal; Jim Culbertson; Lamar Jones; Wayne Bruce; Chris Miskel; Marqueal Jordan; Sheldon Reynolds

*Hangin' At ATL

*BC's PRVCY Photo Shoot

*Meet N' Greet

*Outtakes*Our Love (Bonus Performance Track)

BRIAN CULBERTSON'S A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS

For the fourth consecutive year, contemporary jazz favorite, Brian Culbertson, is taking BRIAN CULBERTSON'S A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS to venues across the country. This year, Brian has added his good friend and chart-topping sax-man, Michael Lington. AirTran Airways is returning as the tour sponsor. The show will feature uplifting and soulful performances of holiday favorites and tunes from Brian's holiday album, A Soulful Christmas (in stores now)! In addition, Brian will play songs from his new DVD/CD combo, Live From The Inside. This special package will be in stores on November 10 and was recorded in Studio A at Capitol Records in Hollywood, CA.

"I had an idea to do a variety of small jazz clubs this year because I love being up close to the audience," states Culbertson. "Over the past couple years, we've been only doing the large venues so I wanted to change it up and do a totally different 'intimate' show. I'm also very excited to be reunited with Michael Lington who spent two years with my band a few years ago. We have great chemistry together on stage and I just love the way he plays. The Christmas season is one of my favorite times of year and I can't wait to get back on the road and spread some holiday cheer!"

Current tour dates are as follows (more to come):
November 28 - Anthology - San Diego, CA
December 1 - Rams Heads On Stage - Annapolis, MD
December 3 - Infinity Music Hall and Bistro - Norfolk, CT
December 9 - The Fine Line - Minneapolis, MN
December 10 - Music Mill - Indianapolis, IN
December 12 - House of Blues - Cleveland, OH
December 14 - Catalina Bar & Grill - Los Angeles, CA
December 15 - Catalina Bar & Grill - Los Angeles, CA
December 16 - Catalina Bar & Grill - Los Angeles, CA
December 18 - Yoshi's San Francisco - San Francisco, CA
December 19 - Yoshi's San Francisco - San Francisco, CA
December 20 - Yoshi's San Francisco - San Francisco, CA

JAZZ AT LNCOLN CENTER

The Orchard, a full service media company specializing in the distribution of music and video entertainment, has announced that it has been selected by Jazz at Lincoln Center for marketing, national physical distribution, and worldwide digital distribution of both new and previously-captured recordings from the revered jazz institution. Jazz at Lincoln Center is widely acknowledged and applauded for being at the forefront of leading the development of jazz through performance and education. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal commented, "From the start, the organization has built jazz awareness from the bottom up." Jazz at Lincoln Center captures the incredible sound and vibrancy of live performances that take place at the venue in its home, Frederick P. Rose Hall. The performing arts complex in New York City consists of three impressive music venues – Rose Theater, The Allen Room, Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola and an education and recording center Rose Theater, The Allen Room and Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola use in-house state-of-the-art recording technology, allowing The Orchard to deliver the highest quality live jazz recordings around the world on its digital network. The first album under the agreement will be Portrait in Seven Shades, a newly-composed suite by jazz musician Ted Nash and recorded by the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis. Portrait in Seven Shades will be released on January 19, 2010. The suite premiered at Rose Theater in 2007 and will be performed as part of the "Jazz & Art II" concerts at Jazz at Lincoln Center on February 4-6, 2010.

With this signing, The Orchard is set to build and expand the JALC mission of continuing the education and performing art of jazz by introducing the music in digital and physical formats. As the catalog becomes available over the next several months, The Orchard will support releases with campaigns that employ the latest tools and forward thinking ideas in promotion- including iPhone Apps, exclusive digital video content in HD, and extra recording and dissemination of various other series that will raise awareness and expose Jazz at Lincoln Center’s celebrated performances to audiences worldwide.

Jazz at Lincoln Center is dedicated to inspiring and growing audiences for jazz. With the world-renowned Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and a comprehensive array of guest artists, Jazz at Lincoln Center advances a unique vision for the continued development of the art of jazz by producing a year-round schedule of performance, education and broadcast events for audiences of all ages. These productions include concerts, national and international tours, residencies, a jazz hall of fame and concert series, weekly national radio programs, television broadcasts, recordings, publications, an annual high school jazz band competition and festival, a band director academy, jazz appreciation curriculum for students, music publishing, children’s concerts and classes, lectures, adult education courses, student and educator workshops and interactive websites. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis, Chairman Lisa Schiff and Executive Director Adrian Ellis, Jazz at Lincoln Center produces more than 2,000 events each season in its home in New York City, Frederick P. Rose Hall, and around the world.

NEW RELEASES FROM EUGE GROOVE, CESARIA EVORA, ERYKAH BADU, BARRY WHITE, KID CREOLE & THE COCONUTS AND MORE...

Arnaldo Antunes - Ie Ie Ie
Barry White - Unlimited
Carly Simon – Never Been Gone
Carlyle Barriteau – Groovin’ At Sunset
Cesaria Evora – Nha Sentimente
ChinahBlac – Introducing Euenia Shata
Christopher Goze – A Day In Ibiza
Cosiner & James Andrews – Visions Of Cosiner & James Andrews
Dalindeo – Soundtrack For The Sound Eye
Danielle Haynes – Love’s Never Lost
Deep Jazz – Heaven & Earth
Dionne Bromfield – Introducing Dionne Bromfield
Erykah Badu – Live
Euge Groove – Sunday Morning
Fred Anderson – Live At Th Velvet Lounge
Hil St. Soul - Realease
Jesse Johnson – Verbal Penetration
John Zorn - Femina
Kid Creole & The Coconuts – Anthology Vol 1 & 2
Little Dragon – Machine Dreams
Maria Bethania – Encanteria
Maria Bethania – Tua
Natural Self – My Heart Beats Like A Drum
Nellie McKay – Normal As Blueberry Pie: A Tribute To Doris Day
Papik – Rhythm Pf Live
Piero Umiliari & Gato Barbieri – Una Bella Grinta
Raak Project - Score
Raul Midon - Synthesis
Rod Stewart – Soulbook
Seawind – Reunion
Seu Jorge – America Brasil Ao Vivo
Small Night Orchestra – The Immortality Of The Crabs
Soulballet - 2019
Sting – If On A Winter’s Night
Various Artists – After Work Jazz
Various Artists – After Work Lounge Cocktail Hour
Various Artists – Café Archy Chillout Collection 7
Various Artists – Café Archy Lounge Collection 6
Various Artists – Classic Chillout Album
Various Artists – DJ Nartak Lounge Mix
Various Artists – Erotic Lounge Vol. 8 Intimate Selection
Various Artists – Get Your Stereo Deluxed
Various Artists – Hotel De Mozambique Vol. 2
Various Artists – Milk Breaks 2
Various Artists – Music For Cocktails: Fashion Show
Various Artists – Planet Radio Early Morning Breaks
Various Artists – Putumayo Presents Espana
Various Artists – Spaced Out Jazz
Various Artists – Verve Today 2009
Various Artists – Vintage Café Deluxe Vol. 8
Whispers - Thankful
Zap Mama - Recreation

MARTINIQUE JAZZ FESTIVAL

Melodious musique de jazz will fill the air once more this fall as the Caribbean’s longest running jazz festival, the Martinique Jazz Festival, will be held November 26 to December 6. The festival, which dates back to 1983, has long provided a showcase for local and international artists to share their talents with a lively and appreciative crowd of music lovers from all corners of the globe. This year will be no exception, as a solid line-up of musicians are set to combine with interactive master classes, film screenings and exhibits to create the ultimate jazz experience under the warm Caribbean sun. Among the international artists scheduled to perform are Elizabeth Kontomanou (France), the Kenny Barron Trio (USA), and Lionel Loueke (Bénin/USA). A highlight of the event will no doubt be the performance of steel pan master, Andy Narell (USA), who will team with calypso legend, Relator (Trinidad) to perform innovative “PanJazz” selections from their new album, University of Calypso. Martinique Jazz Festival performances will be held primarily at L’Atrium, in the capital city, Fort-de-France, with additional concerts and events held in the towns of Sainte Anne, Sainte Marie, Lamentin, Riviere Salee, Sainte Luce and the La Pagerie Museum in Trois-Ilets, childhood home of Empress Josephine. Muriel Wiltord, director Americas for the Martinique Promotion Bureau/CMT USA, commented on the festival, stating: “Over the years, the Martinique Jazz Festival has attracted some of the biggest names in jazz and scores of their fans to our shores. We look forward to more of the same in 2009 and beyond.” Jazz luminaries who have performed at the Martinique Jazz Festival in years past include the Marsalis brothers, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Paquito d’Rivera, Chucho Valdes, and many more.

TONI BRAXTON SIGNS WITH ATLANTIC RECORDS

Atlantic Records has announced the signing of legendary R&B superstar Toni Braxton to its roster. The multiple Grammy Award-winning singer will unveil her hugely anticipated label debut on February 2nd, 2010. "Atlantic Records has a rich heritage of great soul voices, from Ray Charles to Aretha Franklin, from Otis Redding to Roberta Flack," said Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman. "Last year, we had the rare opportunity to bring another R&B icon into the Atlantic family, and for me it was an opportunity of a lifetime. Toni Braxton is not only one of the greatest voices of all time, but she is a charismatic superstar with an incredible list of achievements. She has sold over 40 million records worldwide, has had 15 Top Ten Billboard hits, earned six Grammy Awards, and the list goes on and on. Above all, there has always been that fantastic voice, filled with passion and beauty and soul. I believe that Toni has made the most spectacular album. It's the culmination of everything that has come before... a brilliant reflection of her experiences in music and in life. It's the start of an exciting new chapter -- one which all of us at Atlantic are so very proud to be part of."

"Yesterday," the first single from the album, is currently on sale at Braxton's official website. A companion video, directed by famed filmmaker Bille Woodruff, known for such classic Braxton clips as "Un-Break My Heart" and "He Wasn't Man Enough" -- was filmed earlier this month in Los Angeles and is currently in post-production with a premiere date to be announced later. The as-yet-untitled album looks to be Toni's most powerful and personal musical statement to date. Braxton personally chose to collaborate with a veritable who's-who of red-hot producers and songwriters, including Frank E (Madonna, T.I., Plies, Flo Rida), Steve Mac (Leona Lewis, Il Divo), Lucas Secon (Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls), Harvey Mason & Oak (Chris Brown, Joe, Mario), Troy Taylor (Trey Songz, Kevin Lyttle), Dapo Torimiro (John Legend, David Archuletta, Brandy), and David Foster (Whitney Houston, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion). What's more, the album features a guest appearance from Toni's new Atlantic labelmate, R&B/hip-hop sensation Trey Songz, who lends his distinctive vocal stylings to the aforementioned single, "Yesterday."

Toni Braxton has been at the forefront of modern R&B and soul since her 1991 debut single, "Love Shoulda Brought You Home" (featured in the film, Boomerang). Her self-titled debut, which followed in 1993, proved a true pop phenomenon, earning 8x-platinum certification from the RIAA for sales in excess of 8 million. The album also saw Braxton receiving her first round of Grammy Awards, including "Best New Artist" and two "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female" trophies, honoring the singles, "Another Sad Love Song" and "Breathe Again."

Secrets arrived in 1997 and indelibly confirmed Toni's status as a true international superstar. The 8x-platinum certified collection spawned a string of major hit singles, including the #1 hits, "You're Makin' Me High" and "Un-Break My Heart." The latter track became an instant pop classic, topping Billboard's "Hot 100" for 11 consecutive weeks, while also dominating a variety of other charts around the world. "Un-Break My Heart" and "You're Makin' Me High" earned Braxton two more Grammy Awards, for "Best Pop Vocal Performance, Female" and "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female," respectively.

Toni followed the stunning success of Secrets by embarking on a further career as a stage actress. She drew rave reviews for her history-making turn as "Belle" in Disney's Beauty and the Beast- the first African-American woman to star in a Disney musical production.

Braxton's long-awaited third album, The Heat, was released to worldwide acclaim in 2000. At year's end, Toni was named Billboard's "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Artist - Female," "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist - Female," "Top R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Artist - Female," while the gold- certified, chart-topping smash, "He Wasn't Man Enough," brought home still another Grammy Award for "Best R&B Vocal Performance, Female."

In 2001, Toni made her big-screen debut in 2001's hit comedy, Kingdom Come, earning a BET Black Oscar for her performance. 2002's More Than A Woman and 2005's Libra saw her continuing to expand her musical range of expression, while her 2006 collaboration with Il Divo, "The Time of Our Lives," was named the official anthem of the 2006 FIFA World Cup. That same year saw Toni making history once again, this time with Toni Braxton: Revealed, her blockbuster stage show at Las Vegas' Flamingo Hotel & Casino. Though initially slated for a brief three-month run, the show proved such a success that it was ultimately extended through mid-2008. As if all that weren't enough, Braxton was also among the top competitors on the 2008 season of ABC's Dancing with the Stars. She followed the reality series' success by appearing in the "Dancing with the Stars - The Tour 2008/2009" roadshow, which played to sold-out arenas across the country.

http://www.tonibraxton.com/

DAVE BRUBECK - A LIVING LEGEND

Declared a Living Legend by the Library of Congress, jazz pianist and composer Dave Brubeck will be capping off a banner year in his extraordinary career with a three-night run of six shows (8 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.) at New York's Blue Note on November 27-29 and being honored at the 2009 Kennedy Center Honors in Washington on December 6, the artist's 89th birthday. The 32nd Annual Kennedy Center Honors Gala Program will be broadcast on CBS television on December 29, 2009 at 9:00-11:00 p.m. (ET/PT). "Dave Brubeck's genius has dazzled us for six decades and has helped to define an American art form," said Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen A. Schwarzman. "This year, the Kennedy Center celebrates five extraordinary individuals whose unique and abundant artistry has contributed significantly to the cultural life of our nation and the world." (Other honorees this year are Mel Brooks, Robert De Niro, Bruce Springsteen and opera singer Grace Bumbry.)

2009 marks the 50th anniversary of Brubeck's Time Out, one of the most loved and best selling jazz albums of all time, and its centerpiece track, "Take Five," an eternally cool sonic tonic for an endless summer night which became the first million-selling jazz single in Billboard Hot 100 history.
Columbia Records/Legacy Recordings/Sony Music celebrated the album's 50th anniversary with a three-disc edition of Time Out featuring the original album (remastered for the first time since 1997) in its entirety, a CD of eight previously unreleased live performances from the 1961, 1963 and 1964 Newport Jazz Festival, and a DVD premiering a 30-minute documentary on the making of Time Out, with an exclusive Brubeck interview, extensive performance footage and more. "This package adds tremendously to the value of the original album," wrote the All Music Guide.

A new Legacy Edition of another classic jazz title from the Dave Brubeck Columbia Records catalog has been planned for release in 2010. Still actively performing throughout the year, Dave Brubeck and his Quartet helped launch the Time Out Legacy Edition with an incandescent mini-set at the Soho Apple Store in New York on Tuesday, July 21, 2009. History has a way of working with Dave Brubeck. By 1959, the year he recorded Time Out, the album that brought the jazz avant-garde into mainstream consciousness, he'd already been honored as the second jazz musician ever to appear on the cover of Time magazine, five years after Louis Armstrong became the first on February 21, 1949. Honored in 1996 with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, in 2008 Brubeck became the very first recipient of the U.S. State Department's Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy. In presenting the award, Secretary Condoleezza Rice stated that ''as a pianist, composer, cultural emissary and educator, Dave Brubeck's life's work exemplifies the best of America's cultural diplomacy."

Throughout his long career Dave Brubeck has received national and international honors, including the National Medal of the Arts from President Clinton, the Smithsonian Medal, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. He holds numerous honorary doctorates from American, Canadian, English and German universities, including an honorary degree in Sacred Theology from Fribourg University, Switzerland. Recently, Brubeck received the Distinguished Arts Award from the Ford Honors program of the University of Michigan and in 2006 received from Notre Dame their highest honor, the Laetare Medal. He is a Duke Ellington Fellow at Yale University, and was presented with the Sanford Medal by the Yale School of Music.

In the year 2000 the National Endowment for the Arts declared Dave Brubeck a Jazz Master. He was inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame in 2003. In 2007 he received a Living Legacy Jazz Award from Kennedy Center and the Arison Award from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts. His international honors include Austria's highest award for the Arts, a citation from the French government, and the Bocconi Medal from Italy. The London Symphony Orchestra, acknowledging their long association, presented him with their prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007.

www.LegacyRecordings.com

DANA HALL – INTO THE LIGHT

Born in Brooklyn and raised in Philadelphia, the 40-year-old Chicago-based drummer and composer Dana Hall studied aerospace engineering and percussion at Iowa State University. He spent two years with the Boeing Company before committing to music full-time. That decision led to a move to New York City in 1991, and for the next several years Hall freelanced with Roy Hargrove, Betty Carter, Joshua Redman, and George Coleman, among others. Based in Chicago since 1994, Hall is an Assistant Professor of Music at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and is pursuing a doctorate in ethnomusicology at the University of Chicago. (The subject of his dissertation is the soul music of Philadelphia and its relationship to the Black Power Movement.) The drummer has worked with Chicagoans such as Von Freeman, Malachi Thompson, Bobby Broom, Patricia Barber, and Kurt Elling, and for the last 15 years with the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, serving as its music director for the past two.

Dana Hall has been in demand as a sideman for nearly two decades, working with major names in jazz such as Joe Henderson, Branford Marsalis, Maria Schneider, Benny Golson, the Carnegie Hall Jazz Band, and Kenny Barron. He's also an educator, the musical director of the Chicago Jazz Ensemble, and--since 2006--leader of an all-star quintet featuring trumpeter Terell Stafford, saxophonist Tim Warfield Jr., pianist Bruce Barth, and bassist Rodney Whitaker. On his outstanding CD debut as a leader, "Into the Light," Hall chose to feature his working band, a versatile and simpatico unit that shares his penchant for a broad stylistic range and "trying to go to the 21st century," rather than playing "like it's 1964 all the time." Recorded in a single Sunday afternoon earlier this year, with most of the tunes first takes, the CD will be released by Origin Records November 17.

"'Into the Light' means a number of different things," says Hall. "It sort of has a religious connotation, when people think of going into the light and what they see when they're at the end of their lives. It can also mean just going into the unknown and having the courage and skill set to explore the unknown. And it can mean someone who's usually a sideman stepping out as a leader and stepping into the light as a composer, which is something a lot of people don't know about me."

Though the disc leads off with Herbie Hancock's "I Have a Dream," and closes with compositions by Whitaker and Warfield, Into the Light places Hall's writing at the heart of the proceedings--six originals including the ballad "Orchids"; "The Path to Love," a mid-tempo swinger; and "Jabali," an adventurous suite named for drummer Billy Hart. Hall was inspired by great drummers like Jeff Watts, Victor Lewis, Max Roach, and Billy Higgins who "thought about compositions and conceptualizing a recording from the first song through the last song, not just about showing off some great drum stuff."

Dana Hall's newest role is as a bandleader promoting a new CD with his favorite group of musicians. The quintet will appear in Cincinnati, at the Blue Wisp (1/29-30), with a hometown CD release event at the Green Mill 2/5-6; other bookings, in Cleveland, Washington DC, and New York, are being finalized. "Into the Light" has provided Hall and his band the opportunity "to finally document what we've been doing," says Hall. "Now we'll see if we can get some momentum going from that." Hall's musicianship, energy, and vision make momentum--and exciting music--inevitable.

http://www.danahallmusic.com/

WYNTON MARSALIS – CHRISTMAS JAZZ JAM

Musician, composer, band leader and educator, Wynton Marsalis, is back with Christmas Jazz Jam, his first holiday album in 20 years. Marsalis is partnering with Target ® to exclusively release this holiday essential currently available on iTunes and in stores nationwide on November 1st. The Pulitzer Prize and Grammy® Award-winning musician and composer is joined by his septet for his 78th recording as they breathe new life into Christmas classics. Rooted in the spirit of New Orleans and the gospel church, these new arrangements of holiday standards are drenched with down-home soul and joyous swing. Marsalis's trumpet is joined by Don Vappie on banjo and guitar; Wycliffe Gordon on trombone and tuba; Vincent Gardner on trombone; Victor Goines, Wessell Anderson, Walter Blanding and Paul Nedzela on reed instruments; a rhythm section comprised of Dan Nimmer, Herlin Riley and Reginald Veal with the vocals of Roberta Gumbel joining the band on "Mary Had a Baby" and "O Little Town of Bethlehem". Christmas Jazz Jam brings the American art of jazz improvisation to traditional songs loved worldwide. It provides a great opportunity to discover and enjoy contemporary jazz. Born in New Orleans in 1961, Marsalis has recorded over 70 albums encompassing both jazz and classical music. His prominent position in American culture was solidified in April 1997, when he became the first jazz artist to be awarded the Pulitzer Prize in music for his work Blood on the Fields. He is the co-founder of Jazz at Lincoln Center, the first non-profit organization devoted solely to jazz. He currently serves as the world-renowned arts organization's artistic director as well as music director of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra.

Christmas Jazz Jam Track Listing
1. Santa Claus is Coming to Town
2. Mary Had a Baby
3. Jingle Bells
4. Blue Christmas
5. Go Tell It On the Mountain
6. O Christmas Tree
7. O Little Town of Bethlehem
8. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
9. The Christmas Song
10.Good King Wenceslas
11. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
12. Greensleeves

SUPERNATURAL SANTANA: A TRIP THROUGH THE HITS

Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through The Hits, the exhilarating rock-n-roll concert experience featuring Carlos Santana and his band, will continue its successful run at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas in November 2009 and February 2010. Featuring an ever-changing set list and a new opening number since its May debut, concertgoers will continue to be wowed, even if they've already seen the show. Eleven additional performance dates from February 3 through February 21 will go on sale Saturday, Oct. 31 at noon, as part of Santana's multi-year deal with AEG Live. In addition, through 2010 The Joint will be the only venue west of the Mississippi where fans can see Santana. Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through The Hits marks the first and only rock-n-roll resident show in Las Vegas, and has Nov. 11-22, 2009 performance dates already on sale.

Showcasing the band's career-spanning classics such as "Oye Como Va," "Black Magic Woman," "Evil Ways," and "Maria Maria," Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through The Hits -- which was exclusively designed for The Joint -- takes fans on a multi-sensory journey through the most prolific Santana songs. Each show includes a unique take on the band's repertoire, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for show-goers. "This show is designed to bring everyone in the audience together as one," said Carlos Santana. "My wish is for it to be a night that will move you to dance, to cry, to laugh and to feel the totality and fullness of being alive."

Launching May 27, 2009, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Throught The Hits has been met with rave reviews. The Los Angeles Times said that Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through The Hits "proves what an unusual rock icon [Carlos Santana] is" and highlighted the "deeply energetic" performances of his long-time band members, who routinely have audience members dancing in the aisles. Santana plays approximately 36 times per year at The Joint, with a show time of 8 pm. Performances take place on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday (dark Monday, Tuesday and Thursday). Ticket prices start at only $51 and can be purchased by visiting the Hard Rock Hotel Box Office, as well as all Ticketmaster locations.

Forty years and as many albums later, Santana has sold more than 90 million records and has performed to more than 100 million fans at concerts worldwide. To date, Santana has won ten GRAMMY® Awards, including a record-tying nine for a single project, 1999's Supernatural (including Album of the Year and Record of the Year for "Smooth"). In 1998, the group was ushered into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, whose web page on their induction notes, "Guitarist Carlos Santana is one of rock's true virtuosos and guiding lights." Among many other honors, Carlos Santana has also been cited by Rolling Stone as #15 on their list of the "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time," and #90 on their 2005 survey of the "100 Greatest Artists Of All Time."

In other Santana news, Carlos and the band have been in the studio and have begun working on the next Santana recording, tentatively due out in the late Spring/early Summer of 2010. The record will be released through RCA/J Records with Carlos and Clive Davis as the Executive Producers. Look for photos and recording updates in the months to come as we report on Santana (one of our favorite bands ever!). Also, Santana bandmates are working on their own solo projects. Bill Ortiz released a Jazz CD, From Where I Stand, and Karl Perazzo's salsa band Avance released a new CD, Incontrolable.

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FELA KUTI - THE BEST OF THE BLACK PRESIDENT

Over the next 18 months, all 45 Fela Kuti’s titles will be remastered and re-released in unique digi-packs with the original artwork. This reissue series will also mark the first time all of Fela's titles will be released on vinyl in North America, along with the first official release of the entire catalog of Fela's 1960s highlife band Koola Lobitos. The first release of the series, The Best Of The Black President compiles 13 of the most popular Fela compositions. The deluxe edition of the CD comes with a DVD featuring segments from the film 'Music is the Weapon', performances from the Berlin Jazz Festival and interviews with choreographer/director Bill T. Jones and Fela biographer Carlos Moore. The impact of Fela Anikulapo Kuti's music in Africa - and worldwide - cannot be overstated.

Hailing from Lagos, Nigeria, he was a revolutionary and Africa's musical genius, the creator of Afrobeat - a genre combining traditional African highlife, jazz, James Brown funk grooves and Latin rhythms into a unique, toxic mix that is wholly his own. Fela's politically inflammatory songs laid bare the corruption, violence, and greed of the ruling regimes across the continent and world. Fela was arrested over a hundred times by the Nigerian government. Ultimately 1000 soldiers invaded and destroyed the Kalakuta Republic – Fela's living and performing compound that he shared with his 27 wives and mother – sending nearly all of the inhabitants to the hospital, or worse. Despite the death of his mother in the siege, Fela never stopped fighting the powers of imperialism, colonialism and racism with, as the legendary Fela Kuti put it, music as his weapon.

As we previously reported (see separate blog posting), in support of this re-launch of Fela Kuti’s music, Giant Step Records has organized official Felabration events in more than 15 cities across North America throughout the month of October; this outstanding schedule of Felabrations has brought together some of the best DJs, musicians, and promoters around to celebrate the life, music, and birthday of Fela Kuti. With the support of DJs such as Rich Medina, DJ Spinna, Ron Trent, DJ Nu-Mark, DJ Day, Jeremy Sole, DJ Kemit, J-Justice, Adam Gibbons, DJ Sun, Chicken George and Frank Gossner, as well as artists such as Roy Ayers, WUNMI, Ikebe Shakdown, Baba Ola Jagun, Amon, and many more, these Felabrations have united the diverse communities and Tastemakers across the country that are instrumental in keeping Fela's music alive.

In addition to the re-release of the Fela Kuti’s catalog, and the Felabratiojns is a new Broadway show. Tony Award-winner Bill T. Jones is the director and choreographer of the new Broadway musical, FELA!, based on the life and music of the legend. The critically acclaimed musical will open at the Eugen O'Neill Theatre in New York on November 23. Sold-out crowds were left dancing in the aisles during its premiere last summer at Off-Broadway 37 Arts, as the world renowned Antibalas and otther members of the NYC Afrobeat community, under the direction of Aaron Johnson, performed Fela's music live onstage. "The timing couldn't be more perfect," says Knitting Factory Records label manager Ian Wheeler. "With the play opening, it made the most sense to start the reissue series in the fall. We are taking great care working with Fela's estate to make the reissue series the most true to the artist's original concepts than ever before. We have a lot of fun ideas up our sleeves too."

FEDERICO AUBELE - AMATORIA REMIXED

ESL Music artist, Federico Aubele’s sultry musical ode to love, Amatoria, gets the remix treatment as Amatoria Remixed. The original version of Amatoria is Federico Aubele’s newest and most personal album yet. Inspired by the classic and passionate sounds of bolero and Argentinian tango, Aubele infuses his distinctive Spanish guitar sound with sultry vocals and subtle electronic beats to create a unique collage of intimate love songs. Entirely self-produced, Amatoria features vocal collaborations with Natalia Clavier, Sabina Sciubba of The Brazilian Girls, and Miho Hatori of Cibo Matto. Amatoria Remixed features six superbly re-worked tracks, this short album is a gem for DJs and fans of beefy electronic rhythms. “Luna Y Sol” is transformed by Lance Herbstrong into an exercise in throbbing basslines and stomping percussion, while Gianma provides upbeat breaks and house remixes of “Otra Vez” for the dancefloor. ESL cohorts Ancient Astronauts serve up a dub-hop version of “Este Amor” while Son of Kick turns “Suena Mi Guitara” into an epic electro-glitch dancefloor smasher. Pablo Anglade closes this set with a gliding minimal-techno version of “Amatoria” infused with Federico’s hypnotic guitar work. Amatoria Remixed is available now for digital download and purchase worldwide. In the meantime Federico Aubele has scheduled a series of tour dates in support of this collection.

Oct 30 @ The Rivoli, Toronot, Canada
Oct 31 @ Schuba’s, Chicago, IL
Nov 1 @ Schuba’s, Chicago, IL
Nov. 3 @ The Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN
Nov 8 @ Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV
Nov 28 @ Oran Mor, Glascow, Scotland
Nov 29 @ The Social, London, UK
Nov 30 @ Academy 2, Dublin, Ireland

ALESSANDRO MAGNANINI – SOMEWAY STILL I DO

New from Italy’s Schema label is the debut album from Alessandro Magnanini, entitled Someway I Still Do. If you previously enjoyed the music of Mario Biondi’s A Handful Of Soul album, then you will enjoy this as it follows the same vein. Magnanini is the songwriter responsible for “This Is Who You Are” and “No Mercy For Me” (both from Biondi’s A Handful Of Soul). Magnanini utilized the great pop productions from the past for his main sources of inspiration, where the melodies are predominately easy listening in style, but with a cool jazz approach. The melodies are uniquely identified along with arrangements by Claus Ogerman, among others, and are reminiscent of those that you may have heard in the style of Astrud Gilberto, the orchestral atmospheric arrangements of Shirley Bassey, and the playful evocative sounds of Henry Mancini. Alessandro Magnanini has enlisted the talents of beautiful and dreamy voices to convey his message, and they are Liam McKahey, Jenny B., Stefania Rava, Rosalia De Souza, and Renata Tosi. The entire album is comprised of original compositions which make up this imaginary soundtrack. It’s definitely worth a listen.

Someway Still I Do Track Listing:
1. Open Up Your Eyes (featuring Jenny B.)
2. Living’ My Life (featuring Liam McKahey)
3. So Long, Goodbye (featuring Jenny B.)
4. Secret Lover (featuring Jenny B.)
5. Greeting From Here
6. But Not For You (featuring Liam McKahey)
7. Someway Still I Do (featuring Liam McKahey)
8. Stay Into My Life (featuring Renata Tosi)
9. L’Estate E’ Qua (featuring Rosalia De Souza)
10. Suddenly
11. Something Fine (featuring Stefania Rava)
12. Blind Date Blues

NICOLA CONTE - THE MODERN SOUND OF NICOLA CONTE - VERSIONS IN JAZZ DUB

With just one year after releasing the internationally successful Rituals album, Italian jazz-head Nicola Conte returns with a double-cd entitled The Modern Sound Of Nicola Conte – Versions In Jazz Dub. This new release compiles a series of re-worked, remixed, and fully new arranged tracks that he has produced in the last few years. From Italy to Brasil, Latin America, the USA, Japan and back to Scandinavia and Germany, The Modern Sound Of Nicola Conte – Versions In Jazz Dub takes us on a journey into the most tasteful sounds you can get when it comes to Bossa flavored Jazz, Latin excursions and soulful grooves. To complement the masterful takes on other musicians’ recordings, 8 of the 26 tracks on this impressive collection are Nicola’s own. Some have never before released before, and stem from the sessions to his sought after albums, Other Directions and Rituals. Working with some of the world’s finest musicians, Nicola’s The Modern Sound Of Nicola Conte – Versions In Jazz Dub, features household names such as Mark Murphy, Till Brönner, and The Five Corner Quintet, who like Nicola Conte, are dedicated to preserve the spirit of the best in 1950’s and 1960’s jazz, while percussionists Roberto Roena and Luisito Quintero represent two generations of Latin rhythm fever. The music of The Bobby Hughes Combination and American group Thunderball (from Thievery Corporation’s ESL Records) both comes from a more eclectic and electronic background, but Nicola turns their respective tracks into elegant Jazz takes nevertheless. This he does also with Japanese guests such as Akiko, Maki Mannami and the Sunaga T Experience. On Nicola’s reworkings of the various tracks and on his own takes, you hear him alongside his fabulous sessions musicians like Pietro Ciancaglini, Daniele Scannapieco, Lorenzo Tucci, Pietro Lussu, Gaetano Partipilo, Rosario Giuliani and Sandro Deida, Fabrizio Bosso, Flavio Boltro, and the Finn Teppo Mäkynen and Timo Lassy. On vocals you hear the talents of Lisa Bassenge, Maki Mannami, Kim Sanders, Alice Ricciardi, José James and Philipp Weiss. Nicola Conte is not only one of today’s most elegant Jazz producers but also a perfectionist in sound. Listening to the 26 tracks of The Modern Sound Of Nicola Conte – Versions in Jazz Dub you will learn to love the extraordinary sound and music qualities provided. While many artists will remix music simply by using software tools and letting the computer do the work, Nicola Conte’s method of re-recording live takes with his own musicians make his Versions In Jazz Dub a most enjoyable pleasure and a welcome addition to his artistic catalogue.

Track list
1. Mark Murphy - Stolen Moments (Midnight Mood Rework)
2. Thunderball - Elevated States
3. Akiko - Mood Indigo
4. Fertile Ground - Yellow Daisies
5. re:jazz - Quiet Night (Out Of Cool Version)
6. Nicola Conte - When I Wish Upon A Star
7. Bitter:Sweet - Heaven (West Coast Vibes Remix)
8. Nicola Conte feat. Jose James - All Or Nothing At All
9. Nicola Conte Jazz Combo - New Blues
10. Maki Mannami - Lotus Sun
11. The Dining Rooms - Flamenco Sketches (New Rhumba Version)
12. Nicola Conte - Charade
13. Nicola Conte Jazz Combo - Castles In The Rain
14. Till Bronner - So Danço Samba (Nicola Conte Rework)
15. Sabrina Malheiros - Terra De Ninguem
16. Nicola Conte Jazz Combo - Solo
17. Marco Di Marco - Take Off (Campi's Idea Version)
18. The Five Corners Quintet - Corner (Nicola Conte Rework)
19. Roberto Roena - Take Five (Nicola Conte Remix)
20. Bobby Hughes Combination - Kerma Elastica (Nicola Conte Remix)
21. Povo - You Are
22. Luisito Quintero - Our Love
23. Nicola Conte Jazz Combo - Groovy Samba
24. Sunaga t Experience - No Reason No Rhyme (Mode For Tatsuo)
25. Sunaga t Experience - A Healing Blue
26. Nicola Conte Jazz Combo - Black Is The Graceful Veil (Acoustic Version)

THE DECEMBER CONCERT CALENDAR

Matisyahu @ Webster Theatre, Hartford, CT, Dec 1
David Sanborn @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Dec 1
Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ Rams Head, Annapolis, MD, Dec 1
Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White @ The Blue Note,
Tokyo, Japan, Dec 1-2

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
King Center For The Performing Arts, Melbourne, FL, Dec 2

Matisyahu @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Dec 2
Zero 7 @ Club Soda, Montreal, QC, Dec 2
Zero 7 @ Phoenix, Toronto, ON, Dec 3
Matisyahu @ Bogart’s, Cincinnati, OH, Dec 3
The Three Degrees @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Dec 3
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Pageant, St. Louis, MO, Dec 3
Medeski Martin & Wood @ Higher Ground, Burlington, VT, Dec 3

Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ Infinity Music Hall & Bistro,
Norfolk, CT, Dec 3

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Dec 3

Candy Dulfer @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Dec 3-4

David Sanborn Group @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Dec 3-5, 10-12

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Playhouse Square Center/Palace Theatre, Cleveland, OH, Dec 4

Branford Marsalis @ Avalon Theatre, Easton, MD, Dec 4
Zero 7 @ Metro, Chicago, IL, Dec 4
Medeski Martin @ Wood @ Lupo’s, Providence, RI, Dec 4
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Midland, Kansas City, MO, Dec 4

Chris Botti @ Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN, Dec 4-5

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones @ N. Charleston Performing Arts Center,
N. Charleston, SC, Dec 5

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Chicago Auditorium, Chicago, IL, Dec 5

Zero 7 @ Epic, Minneapolis, MN, Dec 5
Medeski Martin & Wood @ Port Mucis Hall, Portland, ME, Dec 5
Average White Band @ BB Kings, New York, NY, Dec 5
Branford Marsalis @ New Jersey PAC, Newark, NJ, Dec 5
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Orpheum Theatre, Memphis, TN, Dec 5
Average White Band @ BB Kings, New York, NY, Dec 5
Boney James @ Boulder Station, Las Vegas, NV, Dec 5
Michael McDonald @ Buffalo Bill’s, Las Vegas, NV, Dec 5
Ledisi @ Nokia Live, Grand Prairie, TX, Dec 6

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones @ Curtis M. Phillips Center,
Gainesville, FL, Dec 6

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH, Dec 6

Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Nokia Theatre, Dallas, TX, Dec 6

Sadao Watanabe, Kenny Garrett @ The Blue Note,
Nagoya, Japan, Dec 6-10

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Ferguson Center For The Arts, Newport News, VA, Dec 7

Matisyahu @ St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI, Dec 7
Zero 7 @ Ogden Theatre, Denver, CO, Dec 7
Corinne Bailey Rae @ HIRO Ballroom, New York, NY, Dec 7
Zero 7 @ Belly Up, Aspen, CO, Dec 8
Matisyahu @ The Armory, Rochester, NY, Dec 8

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
The Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT, Dec 8

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Community Theatre, Morristown, NJ, Dec 9

Zero 7 @ Depot, Salt Lake City, UT, Dec 9
Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ The Fine Line, Minneapolis, MN, Dec 9
Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ Music Mill, Indianapolis, IN, Dec 10

Natalie Cole @ Concert/Filming Mormon Tabernacle,
Salt Lake City, Utah, Dec 10-13

Acoustic Alchemy @ Pizza Express Jazz Club,
London, UK, Dec 10-23; 27-31

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Nob Hill Masonic Center, San Francisco, CA, Dec 11

Will Downing @ Star Palace Theatre, Merrillville, IN, Dec 11

Zero 7 @ Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR, Dec 11
John Mayer @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Dec 11
McCoy Tyner @ Symphony Theatre, Chicago, IL, Dec 11
UB40, Eddy Grant @ 02 Arena, London, UK, Dec 12
Zero 7 @ Showbox, Seattle, WA, Dec 12

Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ House of Blues,
Cleveland, OH, Dec 12

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego, CA, Dec 12

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Dec 13

Chris Botti @ Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, Dec 13
Zero 7 @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Dec 13

Ledisi @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Dec 14-15

Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ Catalina Bar & Grill,
Los Angeles, CA, Dec 14-16

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Wells Fargo Center For The Arts, Santa Rosa, CA, Dec 15

Zero 7 @ Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, Dec 15
Zero 7 @ Orpheum, Los Angeles, CA, Dec 16
Zero 7 @ House Of Blues, San Diego, CA, Dec 17

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Plaza Theatre, El Paso, TX, Dec 17

Natalie Cole @ Beau Rivage Resort, Biloxi, MS, Dec 17-18
Ledisi @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Dec 17-20

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Radisson Hotel Ballroom, Sacramento, CA, Dec 18

Torture Soul @ Double Door, Chicago, IL, Dec 18
Kenny G @ Memorial Auditorium, Spartanburg, SC, Dec 18

Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ Yoshi’s,
San Francisco, CA, Dec 18-20

Natalie Cole @ Universal Studios Florida, Orlando, FL, Dec 19
Will Downing @ Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA, Dec 19

Eric Benet @ TBA, Seoul, South Korea

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Cerritos Center For The Performing Arts, Cerritos, CA, Dec 19-20

Natalie Cole @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Dec 21
Eric Benet @ TBA, Tokyo, Japan, Dec 21

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theatre, Mesa, AZ, Dec 22

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA, Dec 23

John Mayer Trio @ Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego, CA, Dec 29

Eric Benet @ TBA, Yokosuda, Japan, Dec 27
Eric Benet @ TBA, Yokota, Japan, Dec 28
John Mayer @ Copley Symphony Hall, San Diego, CA, Dec 29

McCoy Tyner @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, Dec 29-31
Ledisi @ Yoshi’s, San Francisco, CA, Dec 29-31

Bobby Caldwell @ Scullers Jazz Club & The Doubletree,
Boston, MA, Dec 31

John Mayer Trio @ The Joint, Las Vegas, NV, Dec 31
Kim Waters @ Hyatt Regency Resort, Huntington Beach, CA, Dec 31

Rick Braun, Brian Bromberg, Richard Elliot, David Benoit,
Philippe Saisse, Chuck Loeb @ JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort &
Spa, Tucson, AZ, Dec 31

FREE DOWNLOAD OF COOL URBAN JAZZ CD

Shanachie record label is offering a free download on Amazon.com of a smooth jazz sampler album that includes a track from singer and East St. Louis native Phil Perry. The sampler album is called Shanachie: Cool Urban Jazz, and also includes songs from drummer Norman Connors, saxophonist Kim Waters, singer Maysa, The Sax Pack, saxophonist Everette Harp, Streetwize, and saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa.You can download the whole album or individual tracks in .mp3 form for free here. Shanachie Records was founded in 1976 by Richard Nevins and Dan Collins and is one of the largest independent record labels in the world, and is currently distributed E1 Music. Starting as speciality fiddle music label they released work by Celtic groups such as Planxty, Clannad, and The Chieftans. Other genres on the label include Latin American, African music, soul, country, ska and smooth jazz. In 1989 they acquired Yazoo Records from Nick Perls which allowed them to release vintage jazz and blues recordings. The Shanachie roster includes Euge Groove, Everette Harp, The Sax Pack, Ted Winn, Calvin Richardson, Down To The Bone, Leela James, Swing Out Sister, Craig Chaquico, Norman Connors, Inner Circle, Jeff Kashiwa, Melba Moore, and Phil Perry.

NEW RELEASES FROM BRAND NEW HEAVIES, JOSS STONE, GILLES PETERSON, YOLANDA JOHNSON & MORE...

Brand New Heavies – Live In London
Brazilian Groove Band – Anatomy Of A Groove
Brian McKnight – Evolution Of A Man
Brigitte Fontaine – Prohibition
Cayetano – The Big Fall
Clonious – Between The Dots
Don Tiki – South Of The Boudoir
Giselle Smith – Giselle Sith & The Mighty Mocambos
Houston Person – Mellow
Jason Lindner – Now Vs. Now
Jazzin’ Park – A Day In The Life
Jazzra – Soulounge
Joss Stone – Colour Me Free!
M-Swift Presents 24 Carat – Blue In Black
Mayer Hawthorne – Strange Arrangement
Medeski Martin & Wood – Radiolarians III
Mike Reid – People Place: Things About Us
Natalie Cole – Merry Christmas, Darling
Nicolay – City Lights Volume 2: Shibuya
Opolopo – Beyond Jipanagu
Oscar Castro-Nieves - Bossa Nova Celebration All-Stars Live At The Blue Note Tokyo
Ray Lugo’s LES Express – I Dream Of Bahia/Get On Up
Ryuichi Sakamoto – Playing The Piano
Various Artists – Cuban Pearls 4: Latin Jazz
Various Artists – Gilles Peterson Presents Havana Culture: New Cuban Sound
Various Artists – Impossible Ark: A Compilation
Various Artists – Jazz Swings Motown
Various Artists – Kay Rush Unlimited VIII
Various Artists – Sister Bossa Vol. 9 – Cool Jazzy Cuts Wit A Brazilian Flavour
Various Artists – Soul Unsigned Vol. 3
Various Artists – Spaced Out Jazz
Various Artists – Tru Thoughts 10th Anniversary
Various Artists – Twilight Jazz
Yolanda Johnson - Breathing

AL/CAPONE BAND - MR. SMOOTH

Who says the sound of smooth jazz is dead, well not so for Mr. Smooth, the new smooth jazz CD from the Al/Capone Band charted at number 45 on the Smooth Indie Star its first week of reporting. The CD, a mix of smooth jazz, fusion, R&B, funk and Latin music, is now being aired on 47 radio stations around the country. Kudos out to all those stations that still embrace the smooth jazz format. "Mr. Smooth brings the listener many styles of music on one CD," says Jeep Capone, Al/Capone's band leader and drummer. "Although we're found under the smooth jazz genre, our band crosses the lines giving us a unique sound that appeals to a wider audience. I think it's that smooth blend of musical styles that makes all the difference." One popular cut from Mr. Smooth, Jamatude, is receiving air play on the 47 stations and three more songs from the eleven-song CD have already been edited for radio, and are on their way to more stations. Mr. Smooth is presented by The CC Entertainment label and receives air play through All That Jazz. Al/Capone is a high-energy six-piece smooth/pop jazz band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The music is contemporary and melody driven while always remaining true to its jazz roots. The band's website, http://www.caponelive.com/ contains personal biographies of the band members, history, Al/Capone band merchandise, upcoming performance venues, and the official band newsletter. You can also visit The Vault, to listen to past recordings from the Al/Capone Band.

For more information click to http://www.caponelive.com/

ZERO 7 TO TOUR IN THE U.S.& CANADA

Zero 7, the Grammy Award-nominated downtempto-styled musical duo comprising of Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker are set to tour commencing on November 26 in the United States. Zero 7 will perform the following concerts: November 26 at 9:30 Club in Washington DC; November 27 at Terminal 5 in New York NY; November 28 at House of Blues in Boston MA; November 29 at TLA in Philadelphia PA; November 30 at Rams Head in Baltimore MD; December 2 at Club Soda Montreal QC; December 3 at Phoenix in Toronto ON; December 4 at Metro in Chicago IL; December 5 at Epic in Minneapolis MN; December 7 at Ogden Theatre in Denver CO; December 8 at Belly Up in Aspen CO; December 9 at Depot in Salt Lake City UT; December 11 at Wonder Ballroom in Portland OR; December 12 at Showbox in Seattle WA; December 13 at Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver BC; December 15 at Warfield Theatre in San Francisco CA; December 16 at Orpheum in Los Angeles CA; and December 17 at House of Blues in San Diego CA. Zero 7 have been popularly featured in various film and TV soundtracks, as well as lounge music compilations such as The Chillout Project by Filipino DJ Anton Ramos, and the Hotel Costes compilation CDs. Their music appearances in movies and television are also apparent, most notably their songs "Destiny" (Blue Crush, Raising Helen, Smallville, Roswell, Obsessed), "Give It Away" (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), and "In The Waiting Line" (Garden State, Sex and the City House, Numbe3rs).

MOTOWN - THE COMPLETE NO. 1'S & MOTOWN 50 - THE DVD

New (and just in time for the holidays) is the 10-CD box set Motown: The Complete No. 1's (Motown/UMe) which brings together every Motown No. 1 hit, from every U.S. and international chart and from every genre - a staggering 192 tracks-plus 10 bonus tracks whose cover versions were No. 1, for a total of 202 No. 1 recordings. Housed in a replica of the original Motown headquarters, Hitsville U.S.A., Motown: The Complete No. 1's spans generations of musical memories, beginning with 1961's R&B No. 1 "Shop Around" from The Miracles, and the label's first Pop No. 1, "Please Mr. Postman" from The Marvelettes. From The Supremes' five consecutive No. 1's, starting with "Where Did Our Love Go," to The Temptations' immortal "My Girl," this is the soundtrack to the sixties, seventies and beyond, concluding with 2000's "Bag Lady" from Erykah Badu. Heard too are Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops, Martha & the Vandellas, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Jackson 5, Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Commodores, Rick James, Lionel Richie, Boyz II Men, and more.

Motown Records changed the sound of popular music and also its face. With Motown artists appearing on television's music and variety shows, the label put African-Americans in the spotlight like no other music company ever had. In this 50th anniversary year of Motown's founding, Motown 50 - The DVD (Motown/UMe), to be released November 3, 2009, presents 18 classic and often rare television performances from 1965 through 1971 featuring some of the label's greatest artists performing their biggest hits. Some of the DVD's highlights include the Marvelettes on Teen Town with Motown's first Pop #1 hit "Please Mr. Postman"; a luminous live "The Tears Of A Clown" by Smokey Robinson & the Miracles on The Andy Williams Show; The Supremes with a hardly seen "Back In My Arms Again" on The Mike Douglas Show; and Martha & the Vandellas performing "Dancing In The Street" on The Ed Sullivan Show and "Nowhere To Run" while on the Ford Mustang assembly line for a Murray The K TV special, a famed clip where they show deft footwork while avoiding workers continuing to build cars.

Motown: The DVD includes highlights from national Hollywood-based shows - such as Hullabaloo, from which the DVD shows the Marvelettes singing their 1966 hit "Don't Mess With Bill" and Hollywood A-Go-Go, featuring a young Marvin Gaye doing the "Hitch Hike" - to local and syndicated series. From Los Angeles' Shivaree is Brenda Holloway's "Every Little Bit Hurts"; from Philadelphia's Hy Lit Show is a rare color clip of the Contours grinding to "Do You Love Me"; from Cleveland's Upbeat are David Ruffin's "My Whole World Ended (The Moment You Left Me)" and Edwin Starr's "War"; and from Motown's own Detroit come Swingin' Time with Kim Weston's "Take Me In Your Arms (Rock Me A Little While)" and Stevie Wonder's "Uptight (Everything's Alright)" and the short-lived Teen Town with the Temptations' "My Girl."

Gaye is also heard on the Live From The Bitter End series from New York City with a suave version of "Ain't That Peculiar." Gladys Knight & the Pips lay down an electric "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" for the 1972 Save The Children Concert from Chicago. Two performances hail from across the Atlantic: the Four Tops with an exciting "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)" on the Belgian show Tienerklanken and Jimmy Ruffin with "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted" for the German TV series Beat Club.

To enhance the experience, Motown 50 - The DVD allows the listener to choose the audio: original broadcast audio and, where available, original single mono mix, remastered stereo or 5.1 Surround. Additional features include vintage interviews with Motown founder Berry Gordy, the Four Tops, Smokey Robinson, Gladys Knight & the Pips and others, interspersed between clips; plus bonus material that includes the full interview segment from a Teen Town special with Berry Gordy and Motown's head of sales, Barney Ales; personal, never-before-released footage from a seventies Motown picnic; and an entertaining retrospective of news, entertainment and advertisements from 1959, the year Motown was launched.

The celebration of Motown 50 continues around the globe with events, special programming, exhibits, etc. An irresistible force of social and cultural change, Berry Gordy's legendary Motown Records made its mark not just on the music industry but society at large, with a sound that has become one of the most significant musical accomplishments and stunning success stories of the 20th century. No other record company in history has exerted such an enormous influence on both the style and substance of popular music and culture. That influence is still being felt today, from pop to hip-hop, as Motown celebrates the 50th anniversary of the company's founding. Today, Motown is part of the Universal Music Group, with its classic recorded music catalog managed by Universal Music Enterprises (UMe).

http://www.classic.motown.com/

BRIAN MCKNIGHT - EVOLUTION OF A MAN

E1 Music has announced the release of Evolution Of A Man, the new studio album by R&B singer and radio broadcaster Brian McKnight, on October 27th, 2009. The first single off of the album, "What I've Been Waiting For," is already Top 10 at Urban A/C radio and continues to climb! Additionally, Brian McKnight has a syndicated urban radio show "The Brian McKnight Show," which can be heard in 47 markets. He also hosts a Top 5 rated show 2 years running with "The Brian McKnight Morning Show," on KTWV, The Wave Smooth Jazz radio. Brian's latest project, "The Brian McKnight Show," his new late night television talk show, debuted on September 26th, 2009 and is syndicated in over 200 U.S. markets. Throughout his career Brian McKnight has released 11 albums throughout his career, 7 of them having gone Platinum, and has sold over 20 million albums worldwide. He has toured successfully for over a decade and has collaborated with performers across every genre including Justin Timberlake, Mariah Carey, Puffy, Christina Aguilera, Rascal Flatts, Nelly, Vanessa Williams, Willie Nelson and Kenny G.

Evolution Of A Man Track listing:
1. The Brian McKnight Show
2. Just A Little Bit
3. I Betcha Never
4. What I've Been Waiting For
5. When Ur Lovin' Me
6. Never Say Goodbye
7. Stay Tuned
8. Next 2 U
9. I Miss You
10. Always Be My Baby
11. Baby It's You
12. While
13. Another You
14. Not Alone

To listen to the single "What I've Been Waiting For," click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjN1cFh81H8&feature=channel_page
www.brian-mcknight.com

NATALIE COLE - MERRY CHRISTMAS, DARLING

Multi-channel retailer HSN has teamed up with Natalie Cole for her newest Christmas release, Merry Christmas Darling. The shopping network kicked off the holidays in style when renowned vocalist Natalie Cole appeared live on HSN this past October 17. Cole performed songs from a special two-disc CD set featuring her chart-topping release Still Unforgettable, which launched in 2008, along with Merry Christmas, Darling, an exclusive collection of classic holiday favorites. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year", "Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!", "It's Beginning to Look Like Christmas", "Merry Christmas Darling" and "My Favorite Things" will all be featured on the special holiday disc. "Having Natalie Cole on HSN is the perfect way for our customers to get into the holiday spirit," said Andy Sheldon, HSN's Executive Vice President of Television and Executive Creative Director. "We are thrilled to have her performing live on HSN and have created a beautiful, intimate setting for her to sing these holiday standards for a studio audience, as well as millions of viewers." Ms. Cole, the daughter of legendary artist, Nat 'King' Cole, is a nine-time Grammy Award winner and has also received Album & Record of the Year Awards for Unforgettable...With Love, the predecessor to Still Unforgettable. Still Unforgettable, Cole's 21st studio album, won two Grammys this year and was Cole's first time producing. Cole's career dates back to 1975, when she introduced herself to the music scene with the #1 hit, "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)".DMI Music CEO/Chief Creative Officer Tena Clark was executive producer of both Merry Christmas, Darling and Still Unforgettable, with Ms. Cole and Gail Deadrick serving as co-producers. Ms. Clark is also responsible for bringing Natalie Cole to HSN for this holiday exclusive. The exclusive set, a must-have for holiday entertaining and gifting alike, is also available for $19.90 (plus $2.99 for shipping & handling) on hsn.com, keywords: Natalie Cole.

ERIC BENET'S SEXY SOUL TOUR

Eric Benét is heading out for a 19-city tour called the “Sexy Soul Tour” beginning October 29th in Houston’s Verizon Wireless Theatre. Benét has long been considered one of the most romantic live performers out there with a legion of devoted fans. The handsome R&B Grammy nominated crooner will be joined by Mint Condition and Ledisi. Benét's most recent ultra-romantic CD, “Love and Life,” debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart at No. 11 and was a collaboration with longtime production partner Demonte Posey. People Magazine, which gave “Love and Life” 3 1/2 stars, glowed, “Fans of the female persuasion will rejoice when they hear the R&B singer/songwriter regain his footing.”

Eric Benet Sexy Soul Tour Fall 2009 Schedule
October 29 - Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless
October 31 - Atlanta, GA @ The Fox Theatre
November 1 - Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
November 5 - Cincinnati, OH @ The Music Hall
November 6 - Cleveland, OH @ The Palace Theatre
November 7 - Detroit, MI @ The Masonic Temple Theatre
November 8 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Riverside Theatre
November 12 - Minneapolis, MN @ The State Theatre
November 13 - Chicago, IL @ The Arie Crown
November 19 - New York, NY @ The Beacon Theatre
November 20 - Philadelphia, PA @ The Academy Of Music
November 21 - Norfolk, VA @ The Chrysler Theatre
December 3 - St. Louis, MO @ @ The Pageant
December 4 - Kansas City, MO @ The Midland
December 5 - Memphis, TN @ The Orpheum Theatre
December 6 - Dallas, TX @ The Nokia Theatre
December 19 – Seoul, South Korea @ TBA
December 21 – Tokyo, Japan @ TBA
December 27 – Yokosuka, Japan @ TBA
December 28 – Yokota, Japan @ TBA

THE NOVEMBER CONCERT CALENDAR

Lee Ritenour @ TBA, Friedrichshafen, Germany, Nov 1
Federico Aubele @ Shuba’s, Chicago, IL, Oct 31
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ Oven Auditorium, Charlotte, NC, Nov. 1
Joe Sample Trio @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan Nov 1-5
Matisyahu @ The Pageant, St. Louis, MO, Nov 2
Lee Ritenour @ TBA, Munich, Germany, Nov 2
Candy Dulfer @ Jazz Lights, Lunen, Germany, Nov 2
Melba Moore @ The Triad, New York, NY, Nov 2
Laura Izibor @ Highline Ballroom, New York, NY, Nov 3
Lee Ritenour @ TBA, Darstadt, Germany, Nov 3
Federico Aubele @ Varsity Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, Nov 3
Inner Circle @ Downtown Brew, San Luis Obispo, CA, Nov 3
Ivo Neame, Jim Hart @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK, Nov 3
Matisyahu @ House Of Blues, Chicago, IL, Nov 3
Dizzy Gillespie All Stars @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 3
The Temptations @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Nov 3-4
Victor Bailet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 4
Inner Circle @ Moe’s, Santa Cruz, CA, Nov 4
Geoff Eales, @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK, Nov 4
Gerald Albright @ The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Nov 5
Geoff Eales @ The Forge, Basingstoke, UK, Nov 5
Inner Circle @ Harlow’s, Sacramento, CA, Nov 5
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Music Hall, Cincinnati, OH, Nov 5
Lee Ritenour @ Aalenar Jazzfest, Aalen, Germany, Nov 5
Dave Stapelton Quintet @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK, Nov 5
Marc Broussard @ The Parish, Austin, TX, Nov 5
Natalie Cole @ Salem Civic Center, Salem, VA, Nov 5
Matisyahu @ Slowdown, Omaha, NE, Nov 5
Candy Dulfer @ Metropool, Hengelo, Netherlands, Nov 5
Susan Tedeschi @ Ram’s Had, Annapolis, MD, Nov 5
Chris Botti @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 6
Inner Circle @ Rockit Room, San Francisco, CA, Nov 6
Will Downing @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC, Nov 6
Natalie Cole @ Sandler Center, Virginia Beach, VA, Nov 6
Marc Broussard @ The House Of Blues, Houston, TX, Nov 6
Gerald Albright @ Rams Head, Annapolis, MD, Nov 6
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Plaza Theatre, Cleveland, OH, Nov 6
King Sunny Ade @ Knight Concert Hall, Miami, FL, Nov 6
McCoy Tyner @ Terrace Theatre, Washington, DC. Nov 6
U-Nam, Michael Paulo @ The Cellar, Long Beach, CA, Nov 6

Susan Tedeschi @ Westhampton Beach PAC,
Westhampton Beach, NH, Nov 6

Paquito D’Rivera Quintet @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Nov 6-9
Gerald Albright @ Halton Theater, Charlotte, NC, Nov 7
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Masonic Temple Theatre, Detroit, MI, Nov 7
Natalie Cole @ Chris Everett Event, Boca Raton, FL, Nov 7
Inner Circle @ Bill’s Casino, Lake Tahoe, NV, Nov 7
George Duke, Anita Baker @ Nokia Theater, Los Angeles, CA, Nov 7
Lee Ritenour @ Ingolstader Jazzstage, Ingolstadt, Germany, Nov 7
Matisyahu @ Five Points Music Hall, Birmingham, AL, Nov 7
Kenny G @ Coliseo de Puerto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nov 7
Susan Tedeschi @ Narrows Center, Fall River, MA, Nov 7
Patti Austin @ Bermuda Jazz Festival, Bermuda, Nov 7
Steely Dan @ Star Plaza, Merriville, IN, Nov 7
Steely Dan @ Northrop Auditorium, Minneapolis, MN, Nov 8
Kenny G @ Altos de Chavon, La Romana, Dominican Republic, Nov 8
Matisyahu @ House Of Blues, New Orleans, LA, Nov 8
Teena Marie @ BB Kings, New York, NY, Nov 8
Federico Aubele @ Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV, Noc 8
Lee Ritenour @ den Atelier, Luxembourg, Germany, Nov 8
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, Nov 8
Susan Tedeschi @ Lebanon Opera House, Lebanon, NH, Nov 8
McCoy Tyner @ Terrace Theatre, Washington, DC, Nov 8

Smokey Robinson @ Philharmonic Center For The Arts,
Naples, FL, Nov 8

The Funk Brothers @ Borderline, London, UK, Nov 9

The Funk Brothers, Sherrie Payne, Lynda Laurance @
Jazz Café, London, UK, Nov 10

Matisyahu @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC, Nov 10
The Stylistics @ indig02, London, UK, Nov 10
Geoff Eales @ Floral Pavilion, New Brighton, UK, Nov 10
Patti Austin @ Cal State University, Northridge, CA, Nov 10
Lee Ritenour @ Kammgarn, Kaiserslautern, Germany, Nov 10
Keiko Lee @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Nov 10-11
Steely Dan @ Taft Theatre, Cincinnati OH, Nov 10-11

The Funk Brothers, Mable John, Chris Clark, Brenda Holloway @
Jazz Café, London, UK, Nov 11

Matisyahu @ The Fillmore, Charlotte, NC, Nov 11
Alexander O’Neal, Kenny Thomas @ 02 Academy, London, UK, Nov 11
Geoff Eales @ St. Mary’s Chambers, Rawtenstall, UK, Nov 11
Santana @ Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, Nov 11,13-15,18, 20-22
Andy Dulfer @ Jazzstage, Leverkusen, Germany, Nov 12
Matisyahu @ The Handlebar, Greenville, SC, Nov 12
Candy Dulfer @ Jazztage. Leverkusen, Germany, Nov 12
The Funk Brothers, Thelma Houston @ Jazz Café, London, UK, Nov 12
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The State Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, Nov 12
Geoff Eales @ Queen Elizabeth School, Kirkby Lonsdale, UK, Nov 12

George Benson @ National Academic Opera & Ballet,
Yerevan, Armenia, Nov 12

The Funk Brothers, Thelma Houston, Brenda Holloway, Chris Clark,
Sherrie Payne, Lynda Laurance, Mable John @ The Dome,
Doncaster, UK, Nov 12

McCoy Tyner @ Royce Gall, Los Angeles, CA, Nov 12
The Wailers @ Alys Robinson Stephens PAC, Birmingham, AL, Nov 12
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Mass MoCA, North Adams, MA, Nov 12
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The House Of Blues, Boston, MA, Nov 13
Geoff Eales @ Wakefield Sports Club, Wakefield, UK, Nov 13
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Arie Crown, Chicago, IL, Nov 13
Jazzanova @ Sullivan Room, New York, NY, Nov 13

King Sunny Ade @ Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium,
San Rafael, CA, Nov 13

The Funk Brothers, Thelma Houston, Brenda Holloway, Chris Clark,
Sherrie Payne, Lynda Laurance, Mable John @ HMV Hammersmith
Apollo, UK, Nov 13

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 13-14
Steely Dan @ Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, Nov 13-14

Tavares, Joe Bataan, Black Ivory, Blue Magic, Heatwave
@ Fernwood Hotel, Bushkill, PA, Nov 13-15

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Nokia Theatre, New York, NY, Nov 14
George Benson @ Kremlin Palace, Moscow, Russia, Nov 14
Matisyahu @ Music Farm, Charleston, SC, Nov 14
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Westcott Theatre, Syracuse, NY, Nov 15
Matisyahu @ Orange Peel, Asheville, NC, Nov 15
Polo Orti Quartet feat. Gary Burton @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 15
George Benson @ Heydar Aliyev Palace, Baku Azerbaijan, Nov 16
Matisyahu @ Buster’s Billiards, Lexington, KY, Nov 16
Branford Marsalis @ Queen Elizabeth Hall, London, UK, Nov 16
Steely Dan @ EJ Thomas Auditorium, Akron, OH, Nov 16-17
John Mayer @ The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, Nov 17
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Kent Stage, Kent, OH, Nov 17
Brad Mehldau Trio @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 17-18
Matisyahu @ Norva Theatre, Norfolk, VA, Nov 18
Freda Payne @ RRAZZ Room, San Francisco, CA, Nov 17-22
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Intersection, Grand Rapids, MI, Nov 18
George Benson @ Emirates Golf Club, Dubai, UAE, Nov 18

Warren Hill, Jonathan Butler, Nick Colionne, Jeff Golub, Euge Groove @
The Ritz-Carlton Golf & Spa Resort, St. James, Jamaica, Nov 18-22

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Vogue, Indianapolis, IN, Nov 19
George Benson @ Venue TBD, Manama, Bahrain, Nov 19
Queen Latifa @ California Center For The Arts, Escondido, CA, Nov 19
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, Nov 19
Matisyahu @ House Of Blues, N. Myrtle Beach, SC, Nov 19
Lee Ritenour @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 19-20
Steely Dan @ Tower Theatre, Philadelphia, PA, Nov 19-20
Ashford & Simpson @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Nov 19-22
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Eagles Club, Milwaukee, WI, Nov 20
Natalie Cole @ Memorial Auditorium, Sacamento, CA, Nov 20
Troyka @ Southbank Centre/Clore Ballroom, London, UK, Nov 20
Chris Botti @ Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ, Nov 20
Tortured Soul @ Double Door, Chicago, IL, Nov 20
Troyka @ Jazz Café, Camden, London, UK, Nov 20
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Academy Of Music, Philadelphia, PA, Nov 20

Candy Dulfer @ Mass Music Jazz aan de Maas, Maastricht,
Netherlands, Nov 20

Chris Botti @ Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA, Nov 21
Jeffrey Osborne @ BB Kings, New York, NY, Nov 21
Hiroshima @ Orleans, Las Vegas, NV, Nov 21
Natalie Cole @ Northern Quest Casino, Spokane, WA, Nov 21
Matisyahu @ Sonar, Baltimore, MD, Nov 21
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ The Chrysler Theatre, Norfolk, VA, Nov 21
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The House Of Blues, Chicago, IL, Nov 21
Jeffrey Osborne @ BB Kings, New York, NY, Nov 21
Kenny G @ McCallum Theatre, Palm Springs, CA, Nov 21
Bobby Caldwell @ Fox Theatre, Visalia, CA, Nov 21

Bela Fleck & The Flecktones @ Bergen Performing Arts Center,
Englewood, NJ, Nov 21

George Benson @ Sala Santa Cecilia, Rome, Italy, Nov 22
Kenny G @ The Grove, Anaheim, CA, Nov 22
Jeffrey Osborne @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, PA, Nov 22
Matisyahu @ The Palladium, Worchester, MA, Nov 22
U-Nam, Gregg Karukas @ The Cellar, Long Beach, CA, Nov 22
Jeffrey Osborne @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Nov 22
Steely Dan @ Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, Nov 22-23
George Benson @ Teatro Augesteo, Naples, Italy, Nov 23
Matisyahu @ Higher Ground, Burlington, VT, Nov 23
George Benson @ Teatroteam, Bari, Italy, Nov 24
Phillipe Saisse Palladino Trio @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 24
Matisyahu @ Northern Lights, Clifton Park, NY, Nov 24
Chris Botti @ Hillbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, Nov 24
John Mayer @ Sound Academy, Toronto, ON, Nov 24
George Benson @ Teatro Metropolitan, Catania, Italy, Nov 25
Candy Dulfer @ Philharmonic, St. Petersburg, Russia, Nov 25
Steely Dan @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Nov 25-26
Marcus Miller @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Nov 25-27
Zero 7 @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC, Nov 26
Zero 7 @ Terminal 5, New York, NY, Nov 27
Will Downing @ Lyric Opera House, Baltimore, MD, Nov 27
Candy Dulfer @ International House Of Music, Moscow, Russia, Nov 27

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Saenger Theatre, Mobile, AL, Nov 27

Dave Brubeck @ The Blue Note, New York, NY, Nov 27-29

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White @ The Blue Note,
Tokyo, Japan, Nov 27-30

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Van Wexel Performing Arts Center, Sarasota, FL, Nov 28

Zero 7 @ House Of Blues, Boston, MA, Nov 28
Matisyahu @ Borgata, Atlantic City, NJ, Nov 28
Federico Aubele @ Oran Mor, Glasgow, SCT, Nov 28
Inner Circle @ Congress Theater, Chicago, IL, Nov 28
Will Downing @ The Landmark Theatre, Richmond, VA, Nov 28
Brian Culberton, Michael Lington @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Nov 28
Steely Dan @ Salle Wilfred-Pelletier, Montreal, QC, Nov 28-29
Matisyahu @ Olympia Theatre, Montreal, QC, Nov 29
Zero 7 @ TLA, Philadelphia, PA, Nov 29
Federico Aubele @ The Social, London, UK, Nov 29

Dave Koz, Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Dreyfoos Hall, West Palm Beach, FL, Nov 29

Matisyahu @ The Phoenix, Toronto, ON, Nov 30

Dave Koz, David Benoit, Rick Braun, Brenda Russell, Peter White @
Philharmonic Center For The Arts, Naples, FL, Nov 30

Zero 7 @ Ram’s Head, Baltimore, MD, Nov 30
Federico Aubele @ The Academy 2, Dublin, IRE, Nov 30
Shalamar @ indig02, London, UK, Nov 30

NEW RELEASES: CAFE LOUNGE, CHILL-OUT JAZZ, LONDON CHILL, NEW YORK SMOOTH, PARIS LOUNGE & MORE...

4 Hero & Others – Extensions
Adrian Crutchfield – Private Party
Alfred Shorter Jr. – Just Between Friends
Aretha Franklin – Just A Matter Of Time: Classic Columbia Recordings
Bobby Hutcherson – Wise One
Brenda Holloway – The Early Years: Rare Recordings
Bria Valente - Elixir
Brian Setzer Orchestra – Songs From Lonely Avenue
DJ King Flow – It’s Hard Being Fifteen
Danice A. Nelson & Mark Drummond – 2 Smooth 4 Words
David Boswell – I Like That
Dionne Bromfield – Introducing Dionne Bromfield
Elan Troutman – This Time Around
Forro In The Dark – Light A Candle
Greg Adams – East Bat Soul
Helena Jessie – The Law Of Attraction
Jason Weber – Five 5
Joe - Signature
Jukka Eskola – Walkover
Martin Kember - Cycles
Melanie Fiona – The Bridge
Michael Buble – Crazy Love
Mimi Jones – A New Day
Nina Simone – Original Album Classics: Nuff Said/To Love Somebody/Black Gold/It Is Finished/And Piano
Pink Martini – Splendor In The Grass
Quiet Nights Orchestra – Chapter One
Rhythm ‘N’ Jazz – Party Nights
Robert Glasper – Double Booked
Sarah Brightman – Amalfi Sarah Brightman Love Songs
Steve Baxter – Sugar On The Bone
Toni Hill – Only Love
Various Artists – Berlin Lounge
Various Artists – Café Lounge: Cigarette Copenhagen Blue
Various Artists – Chill-Out Jazz
Various Artists – Jazz Swings Motown
Various Artists – London Chill
Various Artists – New York Smooth
Various Artists – Nu Moods
Varous Artists – Om Lounge: 15th Anniversary Edition
Various Artists – Paris Beats
Various Artists – Six Senses By Claude Challe
Various Artists – Twilight Lounge
Walter Beasley- Free Your Mind

STING - IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT...LIVE FROM DURHAM CATHEDRAL

On November 24, Deutsche Grammophon will release a special, live concert performance on DVD entitled, Sting: A Winter's Night...Live from Durham Cathedral. Filmed at the magnificent Durham Cathedral near Sting's hometown of Newcastle-upon-Tyne in Northern England, the DVD features music off his forthcoming album, If On A Winter's Night... in-stores, October 27. Recorded in HD and produced by Universal Music Classical Management & Productions (UMCMP), in association with Thirteen for WNET.ORG, the program will premiere on PBS's Great Performances series on Thanksgiving night, Thursday, November 26 at 9 p.m.

Sting: A Winter's Night...Live from Durham Cathedral captures the artist in the unique setting of England's most famous cathedral. Standing on a peninsula overlooking the River Wear in Durham, the one thousand year old UNESCO world heritage building is one of the most iconic landmarks of Northern England. Inside Durham Cathedral, the architecture and atmosphere is as equally inspiring and it is in this setting that Sting was joined by guest musicians including local Newcastle artists Kathryn Tickell (Northumbrian pipes and fiddle), Peter Tickell (fiddle) and Julian Sutton (Melodeon). Other performers from around the world also include Dominic Miller (guitar), Vincent Segal (cello), Scottish harpist Mary Macmaster, Ira Coleman (bass), Chris Gekker (trumpet), David Mansfield (violin and mandolin), Cyro Baptista, Bashiri Johnson and Rhani Krija (percussion) and vocalists Laila Biali, Lisa Fischer, Jo Lawry, and Steven Santoro. Producer, Robert Sadin conducted the ensemble of 35 musicians, which includes additional string and brass sections.

Both the new album and DVD conjure the mood and spirit of the season with a diverse collection of songs, carols and lullabies spanning the centuries. Featuring traditional music of the British Isles as its starting point, Sting and guest musicians interpret stirring, folk-based melodies including "The Snow it Melts the Soonest" (traditional Newcastle ballad), "Soul Cake" (traditional English "begging" song), "Christmas at Sea" (traditional Scottish song) "Gabriel's Message" (14th century carol), "Balulalow" (lullaby by Peter Warlock) and "Now Winter Comes Slowly" (Henry Purcell). Two of Sting's own compositions are also featured: "Lullaby for an Anxious Child" and "The Hounds of Winter," which originally appeared on his previous release Mercury Falling. In addition, the DVD programme features a setting of the "Coventry Carol" in which Sting and musicians are joined by the Durham Cathedral Boys' Choir, as well as songs not included on the album - Peter Warlock's haunting "Bethlehem Down", a lively arrangement of the traditional song "I Saw Three Ships" and Sting's own "Ghost Story".

http://www.sting.com/

JOHN MAYER - BATTLE STUDIES

John Mayer will perform at the Beacon Theatre on Tuesday, November 17 at 9pm to celebrate the release of Battle Studies, his first studio album in three years. The special event, which will also air live in HD that evening on Fuse, is presented by Fuse, Madison Square Garden’s national music television network, and MSG Entertainment. To kick off the live telecast of “John Mayer Live From the Beacon Theatre,” Fuse will support the release of his new album with programming throughout November, including a personal and revealing one-on-one interview special with the artist. Fuse host Steven Smith sits down with Mayer for a candid conversation about his new album, his latest collaborations and plans for the future. Fuse will air additional shows such as “Loaded: John Mayer,” a half-hour of John Mayer’s greatest music videos including his latest single Who Says, plus encore presentations of “John Mayer Live From the Beacon Theatre” and the interview special.

As of today, John Mayer fans can log on to Fuse.tv/johnmayer to find photos, tweets, live blogging and more. The site will feature exclusive live behind-the-scenes footage backstage, during the sound check and after the show, giving fans a can’t miss, one-of-a-kind multi-screen event. “Fuse and MSGE are utilizing their distinct relationship to celebrate a great musician and his new album by connecting John Mayer with his fans in a unique way only we can deliver,” said Mike Bair, president, MSG Media. “Whether they’re at the Beacon Theatre or in their living room watching the concert on Fuse in HD, music lovers will experience a can’t miss performance as well as exclusive and compelling programming both before and after the show on-air, online and via mobile.” “The magic of seeing John Mayer live in one of our iconic venues is something that cannot be duplicated, but it can be shared,” said Jay Marciano, president, MSG Entertainment. “To take what would be an experience originally designed for 2,800 people to more than 65 million households across the U.S. through our national music network, Fuse, and couple that with unique programming and online elements is just one of several ways that artists that play our venues are able to connect with their fans in meaningful ways.”

John Mayer's Battle Studies, scheduled to be released on Columbia Records on November 17, the same day as the live event, will be the fourth studio album for the seven-time Grammy Award winner. The album was co-produced by John Mayer and Steve Jordan and debuts three years after his critically acclaimed 2006 album, Continuum. The album incorporates 70’s and 80’s California rock/pop influences and includes a collaboration with music sensation Taylor Swift, on the track "Half of My Heart."

The legendary and newly-restored Beacon Theatre recently hosted the grand re-opening of the theatre following a 7-month, $16-million restoration and featured seminal artist Paul Simon with special guest Art Garfunkel. This intimate rock room has recently played host to many of the music industry’s most highly anticipated and sought after shows including the 40th anniversary spring run of the Allman Brothers Band with various special guests; the Martin Scorsese documentary film of the Rolling Stones, “Shine a Light”; and a performance by the legendary and reclusive folk artist Leonard Cohen to name a few. John Mayer fans will now have the opportunity to see the band at the 2,800-seat Beacon Theatre on the same day that Mayer’s studio album, Battle Studies, is released.

www.local-83.com
www.fuse.tv/johnmayer.

KEVON EDMONDS - WHO KNEW

Singer Kevon Edmonds is making a dramatic return to recording after nearly a decade of absence with the dreamy "Oh," the 1st single that is quickly moving up the charts towards Top 10 on Billboard's Hot Adult R & B Airplay Chart and on Hot R&B/Hip Hop Singles Chart from his Make Entertainment CD, Who Knew (distributed by EMI). Produced by Greg Curtis, the song howcases Edmonds' yearning high tenor in a manner that will have ladies swooning all over again. The beloved song stylist is set to appear and perform on The MoNique Show (check local listings for announcement of guests) and the revamped Soul Train Awards, airing Sunday, November 29th at 9:00 p.m. on BET's new network, CENTRIC (formerly BETJ).

"Oh" speaks to relationships," Edmonds shares, "It's about reconnecting with that person that you're involved with and moving forward in a positive way. People today aren't as grounded as they used to be... They don't go into the union of marriage cognizant of what is truly required. Too often we allow little things to put a wedge between us. I've lived long enough to see people I've known who divorced then look back with regret realizing they didn't stick together long enough to make things work. This speaks to people about fighting for a good thing through the rough patch. If you're fortunate enough to have love in your life, you've got to recognize it and work to hold on to it." As with most songs Edmonds sings, he took into careful consideration the impact that the song would have when he performed it before an audience. "There's an intro I do live that speaks to the importance of how I just described the song," he continues. "I was thinking about the way Rick James opened 'Fire and Desire,' but my way. When I get through, you're ready for somebody to drop some serious love music on you." Kevon has been doing just that throughout his distinguished career.

With two decades of faithful, soulful service under his belt, Kevon Edmonds is among R&B/Pop music's most adored vocalists and songwriters. As the founder and lead singer of vocal trio After 7, Kevon serenaded lovers around the globe with such hits as "Ready or Not" and "Can't Stop" (both reaching #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 R&B Chart and attaining Top 10 status on Billboard's Pop singles Chart). His voice remains a favorite among fans of movie and television thanks to After 7's hits "Nights Like This" (from The Five Heartbeats movie), "Gonna Love You Right" (from Sugar Hill) and the Adult Contemporary smash "Not Enough Hours in the Night" (from the Beverly Hills 90210 television soundtrack). With After 7, Kevon scored a multi-platinum selling debut album, two Gold albums, three Gold singles, seven Top Ten radio singles and three Gold soundtracks. Kevon then co-executive produced his solo debut, 24/7 alongside his brother, pop music icon Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds. The title track of the 1999 release, "24/7," rose to #2 at R&B radio, crossed over to Pop, and sent the 24/7 CD to Gold status.

Now living in Nashville, the Indianapolis-born vocalist completed a soulful new project with the help of hot producers/songwriters Greg Curtis, Kadis & Sean, Kevin Randolph, Damon Thomas and Jayshaw Champion, his talented nephews Jason Edmonds and Dave Edmonds, along with Aaron Pettigrew and Karl Antoine. Edmonds explains, "I wanted to create a body of work that will take listeners on a musical journey - bridging the gap between the R&B of old and R&B of today. I had my ear on a couple of young producers, but I was not using them to pursue a 'youthful' sound. My goal is to open the ears of today's young R&B listeners so they can hear where the music they listen to really comes from. I simply want to bring back the magic of love and romance." To illustrate his point, Edmonds refers to a remake of "Never Let You down" that he recently recorded for the project Silky Soul Music…An All-Star Tribute to Maze featuring Frankie Beverly. "I recently performed that song at a show in Rozelle, New Jersey," Edmonds shares. "I spoke to the crowd about the importance of paying tribute not to just our fallen soldiers but those still with us. Frankie Beverly is one of those. His band Maze is the Black equivalent of the Grateful Dead in the way they bring out faithful fans every time they do a concert - whether they have a new album out or not! He's impacted the fabric of our culture for a stretch of time."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WcL2ONdq4wY

BARRY WHITE - UNLIMITED

Unlimited, produced by UMe in association with the Barry White estate, is an 5-disc extraordinary rarities collection celebrating Barry’s depth as an artist songwriter, producer and genius Groove Master – and honoring his memory in the year he would have turned 65 years old. Unlimited presents 72 tracks from when he stepped out with his own sound, with Love Unlimited in 1972, through his final studio album, the Grammy®-winning Staying Power, released in 1999. Highlighted throughout the four CDs are extended and/or rare versions of his hits – newly mixed and/or edited with great care by Jack Perry, BW’s longtime friend and collaborator – as well as never-compiled personal favorites and LP tracks. Of particular delight to Barry White fans is two discs’ worth of rare Barry productions for a dozen different artists, including Tom Brock, Love Unlimited, Love Unlimited Orchestra, Gene Page, Jimmie & Vella Cameron, Westwing, Jay Dee (a.k.a. Jackie Lee), White Heat and Gloria Scott, who is represented by an unreleased cut and a rare non-LP single – one of six single-only tracks in this set. A special DVD included in Unlimited offers every video from Barry White’s tenure on A&M Records – the hits “Practice What You Preach,” “Sho’ You Right,” “Come On” and eight more – as well as rare bonus clips, including a live duet with Luciano Pavarotti that has become a YouTube phenomenon; each clip has bonus commentary from Jack Perry. The set is housed in lavish packaging befitting Barry’s deluxe grooves. Inside, the set including an essay and selected commentary by Barry himself, and by Perry, with additional notes from Quincy Jones – revealing the stories behind the songs and the man who made some of the funkiest, most romantic music of all time.

Disc 1
1. I’m Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby - Alternate Version
2. Never Never Gonna Give Ya Up - Alternate Version
3. Honey Please, Can’t Ya See - Alternate Version
4. Can’t Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe - Alternate Version
5. You’re The First, The Last, My Everything - Alternate Version
6. I’ll Do For You Anything You Want Me To - Alternate Version
7. What Am I Gonna Do With You - Alternate Version
8. Let Me Live My Life Lovin’ You Babe
9. You See The Trouble With Me
10. Let The Music Play - Alternate Version
11. Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long - Alternate Version
12. Your Love–So Good I Can Taste It
13. I’m Qualified To Satisfy You - Alternate Version
14. I’ve Got So Much To Give

Disc 2
1. Playing Your Game, Baby - Alternate Version
2. It’s Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me -Alternate Version
3. You Turned My Whole World Around
4. Your Sweetness Is My Weakness – Alternate 12-Inch Version
5. It Ain’t Love, Babe (Until You Give It) - Special Disco Version
6. Ghetto Letto
7. Sheet Music - Alternate Version
8. Ella Es Todo Para Mi (She’s Everything To Me)
9. Barry & Glodean – Our Theme, Pts. 1 & 2
10. Love Song
11. Good Dancin’ Music
12. You’re What’s On My Mind - Non-LP Single
13. Super Lover - Undercover Mix
14. Don’t Play Games

Disc 3
1. Love Unlimited Orchestra/Midnight And You - Alternate Version
2. Love Unlimited Orchestra/Baby Blues
3. Love Unlimited Orchestra/Love’s Theme - Alternate Version
4. Love Unlimited Orchestra/My Sweet Summer Suite - 12-Inch Promo Version
5. Love Unlimited Orchestra/Theme From King Kong - 12-Inch Disco Version
6. Love Unlimited Orchestra/Sweet Moments - Non-LP Single
7. Love Unlimited Orchestra/Whisper Softly
8. Love Unlimited Orchestra/Welcome Aboard
9. Love Unlimited/Walkin’ In The Rain With The One I Love
10. Love Unlimited/It May Be Winter Outside (But In My Heart It’s Spring) - Alternate Version
11. Love Unlimited/Under The Influence Of Love - Alternate Version
12. Love Unlimited/I Belong To You - Alternate Version
13. Love Unlimited/He’s All I’ve Got
14. Love Unlimited/High Steppin’, Hip Dressin’ Fella - Alternate Version

Disc 4
1. Tom Brock/I Love You More And More
2. Tom Brock/If We Don’t Make It Nobody Can - Non-LP Single Version
3. Jay Dee/Strange Funky Games And Things
4. Jimmie & Vella Cameron/Be Fair To Me
5. Gene Page/Satin Soul
6. Gloria Scott- Just As Long As We’re Together (In My Life There Will Never Be Another) - Alternate Version
7. Gloria Scott/I’ve Got To Have All Of You- Previously Unreleased
8. Smoke/Oh Love (Well, We Finally Made It) - Non-LP Single
9. Jay Dee/You’ve Changed
10. White Heat/Take A Look At Yourself (Before You Frown On Someone Else)
11. Black Satin Featuring Fred Parris/How I Wish We Could Do It Again
12. Westwing/Falling In Love Is A No No – Non-LP Single
13. Tom Brock/Have A Nice Weekend Baby
14. Danny Pearson/What’s Your Sign Girl
15. Quincy Jones Featuring Al B. Sure!, James Ingram, El DeBarge & Barry White/The Erotic Garden
16. Tina Turner Featuring Barry White/In Your Wildest Dreams

DVD
1. Sho’ You Right
2. I Wanna Do It Good To Ya
3. When Will I See You Again
4. Follow That And See (Where It Leads Y’all)
5. Put Me In Your Mix
6. Barry White Featuring Isaac Hayes/Dark & Lovely
7. Practice What You Preach
8. Come On
9. I Only Want To Be With You
10. Just The Way You Are
11. I Wanna Do It Good To Ya – Wet Remix
12. Let The Music Play – Funkstar’s Club Deluxe Mix Video
13. Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up – Live From Brussels
14. Barry White & Luciano Pavarotti/You’re The First, The Last, My Everything Live

BOBBY HUTCHERSON - WISE ONE

Easily one of jazz's greatest vibraphonists, Bobby Hutcherson epitomized his instrument in relation to the era in which he came of age the way Lionel Hampton did with swing or Milt Jackson with bop. He isn't as well-known as those two forebears, perhaps because he started out in less-accessible territory when he emerged in the '60s playing cerebral, challenging modern jazz that often bordered on avant-garde. Along with Gary Burton, the other seminal vibraphone talent of the '60s, Hutcherson helped modernize his instrument by redefining what could be done with it — sonically, technically, melodically, and emotionally. In the process, he became one of the defining (if underappreciated) voices in the so-called "new thing" portion of Blue Note's glorious '60s roster. Hutcherson gradually moved into a more mainstream, modal post-bop style that, if not as adventurous as his early work, still maintained his reputation as one of the most advanced masters of his instrument. Bobby Hutcherson’s new release, Wise One, is a prime example of slow-building and soulful vibes from Hutcherson - working here in set of tracks with a heavy influence from John Coltrane, including some key classics from the Coltrane songbook, plus a few standards that have had famous readings by The Great One! Hutcherson's vibes ring out with a sense of majesty that we don't remember before – carried along by some great work from the rest of the group -- Anthony Wilson on guitar, Joe Gilman on piano, Glenn Richman on bass, and Eddie Marshall on drums – players who hit a sweet modal groove on some of the best numbers, with a quality that almost takes us back to some of our favorite Hutcherson moments of the 70s. Titles include "Wise One", "Like Sonny", "Equinox", "Spiritual", "Dear Lord", "All Or Nothing At All", "Nancy", and "Aisha".

FELABRATIONS 2009!

In support of the Knitting Factory Records re-launch of Fela Kuti’s music catalogue, as well as the debut of the FELA! show on Broadway, Giant Step Records is organizing official Felabration events in more than 15 cities across North America throughout the month of October; this outstanding schedule of Felabrations will bring together some of the best DJs, musicians, and promoters around to celebrate the life, music, and birthday of Fela Anikulapo Kuti (October 15, 1938 - August 2, 1997). These events will unite the diverse communities and Tastemakers across the country that are instrumental in keeping Fela’s music alive. The original Felabrations date back to the early 1970s when Fela and his band took over the courtyard of the Empire Hotel in Lagos, Nigeria, and performed several nights a week to thousands of worshipping fans. “The Shrine,” as the courtyard came to be known, became a very popular nightspot and the audience was made up of everyone from the youths of Lagos to professors, civil servants, government officials and even soldiers. And of course, the Shrine was a center for much more than music. To quote Michael E. Veal in his book, Fela: The Life and Times of an African Musical Icon, “more than a mere entertainment club, Fela considered it an actual shrine to his ideological heroes - a space in which his political inclinations fused with musical incantations to assume spiritual dimensions.” Now, Felabration is an annual festival dedicated to the promotion of Afrobeat and African culture and to the preservation of Fela’s legend and artistry. Fela would have been 71 on October 15.

Felabrations October 2009 Event Listings
10/12 - HOUSTON
Rocksteady Mondays presents: Felabration! w/ DJ Sun & DJ Chicken George @ The Flat

10/12 - PORTLAND
Felabration! w/ Rev. Shines, DJ Santo & more @ Someday Lounge

10/14 - NEW YORK CITY (BROOKLYN)
Voodoo Funk & Giant Step present: Felabration! w/ DJ Frank Gossner and Ikebe Shakedown @ The Knitting Factory

10/14 - MIAMI
The Electric Pickle, Champion Sound, & Giant Step present: Felabration! w/ DJs Mr. Brown, Sire Esq, & A-Train + special guest Djinji Brown @ The Electric Pickle

10/14 - OAKLAND
Soul.Profess presents: RECESS / Felabration! w/ special guest DJ Cecil & live performance by Delina Brooks @ AIR Lounge

10/15 - NEW YORK CITY (DOWNTOWN)
Jump’n'Funk, Libation, FELA! & S.O.B.’s present: Felabration! w/ DJ’s Rich Medina & Ian Friday @ S.O.B.’s

10/15 - LOS ANGELES
Afro Funke’ presents: Felabration! w/ DJ Nu-Mark, Amon (on percussion), resident DJs Jeremy Sole & Glenn Red, host Rocky Dawuni + special guests @ Zanzibar

10/15 - SEATTLE
SunTzu & Giant Step present: Blueprint / Felabration! w/ SunTzu Sound DJs, special guest Ohmega Watts, & more @ Grey Gallery & Lounge

10/15 - MEXICO (Playa Del Carmen)
Uhuru Afrika presents: Fela Lives! w/ DJs Adam Gibbons, Sabine, & more @ Mi Casa Es Su Casa Holiday

10/15 - PHILADELPHIA
Flygirrl presents: Candyland / Felabration Tribute w/ DJ Mike Nyce @ The Arts Garage

10/16 - LOS ANGELES
Footlong Development & Frolab present: Jump’n'Funk w/ DJ Rich Medina + opening set by DJ Marvski @ Tantra

10/16 - CHICAGO
Listen:Up presents Felabration! w/ DJ Ron Trent & DJ Spinna @ The Shrine

10/17 - SAN FRANCISCO
Giant Step presents: Jump’n'Funk w/ DJ Rich Medina @ 330 Ritch

10/17 - WASHINGTON, D.C.
ESL & Giant Step present: Felabration! w/ DJ Day & live performance by The Donvonte McCoy Sextet feat. Mavis Water @ ESL

10/17 - DENVER
Afroblu presents: Felabration! w/ DJ Santos, resident DJs RJ Duran & CES, and special guests @ The Union

10/24 - BOSTON
Uhuru Afrika presents: Fela Lives! w/ DJ’s: Adam Gibbons, Max Pela, KC Hallett aka KCiv, percussion by Sidy Maiga, & special performance by WUNMI @ All Asia Bar

10/24 - ATLANTA
Spread Love, Jump’n'Funk, & Hot Ice present Felabration! w/ Roy Ayers, Rich Medina, DJ Kemit, Mausiki Scales & Common Ground Collective, DJ Ausar @ 595 North

10/31 - NEW YORK CITY (HARLEM)
Uhuru Afrika + Soul Funktion present: Fela Lives! w/ DJs: Adam Gibbons, Offbeat, DJ OBah, live percussion by Sidy Maiga, and live performance by Amayo’s Fu-Arkestra @ The Shrine

THE SOUL LOUNGE 6

The Soul Lounge series returns with a 3-CD package with 40 tracks in all. This collection is overflowing with contemporary soul cuts from both sides of the Atlantic - great material from UK labels Dome and Expansion. The Soul Lounge 6 presents an overview of the best of the underground -- or an essential way to augment your collection with some well-selected bits from favorite albums. Titles include "Change For Me (Joey Negro mix)" by Eric Roberson, “Last Night” by Seek, ”In Motion” by Tortured Soul, “Everybody Loves the Sunshine” by Incognito, “Life” by Hil St. Soul, "Stop Breaking My Heart" by Rahsaan Patterson, "Life" by Hil St Soul, "Radio" by Heston, "Wonderful" by Brenda Boykin, "When You Call My Name" by Frank McComb, "Salt Sea" by Julie Dexter & Khari Simmons, “Radio” by Heston, “Get Away” by Angela Johnson feat. Gordon Chambers, “Part Of My Life” by Anthony David, “Never Ending” by Joslyn, “God Created Woman” by Martha Redbone, "Get Something" by Andreus, "Sweet Baby" by George Duke, “When You Call My Name” by Frank McComb, "Friend Of Mine" by Cooly's Hot Box, "Calma (Louie Vega mix)" by Bah Samba, “Starship” by Conya Doss, "Home To You (Ethan White rmx)" by Tortured Soul, "Perfect Love" by Full Flava with Alison Limerick, “Get Somethin’ by Andreus, “Higher Love” by Maysa”, "Break Up 2 Make Up" by Sam Bostic, “The Message” by Brenda Russell, "The Traveller (part 2)" by Haggis Horns, and “Wonderful” by Brenda Boykin, “Natural” by Don-E, "Pastime Paradise" by Sunlightsquare.

NEW RELEASES FROM FRANK SINATRA, MELBA MOORE & PHIL PERRY, N'DAMBI, STING & MORE...

Al Jarreau – The Very Best: An Excellent Adventure
Andrew Nes – Try Something New
Art Sherrod Jr. - Seasons
Barbra Streisand – Love Is The Answer
Breakestra – Dusk Till Dawn
DJ Cam Presents InLove-Stories
DJ Cam Quartet – Diggin’
Earth Wind & Fire – The Collection
Earth Wind & Fire – The Music Of Earth Wind & Fire
Fire (Mats Gustafsson) – You Like Me Five Minutes Ago
Frank Sinatra – Christmas With Sinatra & Friends
Frank Sinatra – The Collection
Frank Sinatra – The Music Of Frank Sinatra
Freddie Jackson – Diamond Collection
Gerald Wilson - Detroit
Guiltypleasures – Lovestories
Hakon Kornstad – Dwell Time
Havard Stubo Quartet – Way Up (Way Down)
IPA – Lorena
Isley Brothers – The Music Of The Isley Brothers
Jason Adasiewics Rolldown – Varmint
Jazztronik – Early Years 2003-2006: Pathway Through The Decade
Jiva & Others – Reloved & Beloving: The Remix Album
Kenny G – The Music Of Kenny G
Khari Lemeul – Morning Music
Kim Davis – Live, Learn, Love
Latimore – All About The Rhythm And The Blues
Luther Vandross – The Collection
Manhattan Transfer – The Chick Corea Songbook
Manu Dibango – Makossa Man: The Very Best Of Manu Dibango
Maria Muldaur – Maria Muldaur & Her Garden Of Joy
Marie Digby – Second Home
Melba Moore & Phil Perry – The Gift Of Love
MeShell Ndegeocello – Devil’s Halo
Michael McDonald – This Christmas
Miles Davis – The Collection
Miles Davis – The Music Of Miles Davis
N’Dambi – Pink Elephant
Nicolay – City Light Vol. 2: Shibuya
Poncho Sanchez – Psychedelic Blues
Ramsey Lewis – Songs From The Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey
Ray Charles – Genius Hits The Road
Robin Duhe – Life
Rodrigo Amado/Kent Kesslet/Paal Nilssen-Love – Abstract Truth
Santana – Marathon: 30th Anniversary Edition
Saunders sermons- Classic Delight
Seamus Blake - Bellwether
Soil & “Pimp” Sessions – 6
Soul 4 Introducing Mattia Cigalini – Arriving Soon
Speedometer – Soul Groovin’
Sting – If On A Winter’s Night
Sweep – I’m Ready
Tina Turner – Tina Live
Tracy Hamlin – Better Days
Uptown Funk Empire – Empire Strikes Back
Various Artists – Brazilution: Summer Edition 2009
Various Artists – Erotic Lounge Vol. 8
Various Artists – Havana Lounge: Musica de Cuba
Various Artists – Prive: The Lounge Anthology
Various Artists - Real Ibiza Chill Out Vol. 3
Various Artists – Samba Club Night
Various Artists – Soul Togetherness 2009
Wadada Leo Smith – Spiritual Dimensions
Wayne Jones – Saturday Street

DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS - A SMOOTH JAZZ CHRISTMAS

Dave Koz, the Grammy-winning saxophonist is planning the next excursion of the annual Smooth Jazz Christmas tour. He’ll join forces with the tour's original cast--trumpeter Rick Braun, pianist David Benoit, guitarist Peter White and keyboardist Brenda Russell--for the trek, which begins Nov. 27 in Mobile, AL. The holiday outing will visit theaters in 21 cities before concluding Dec. 22 in Mesa, AZ. Details are shown below. Koz and friends will perform tracks from their respective catalogs, as well as songs from the tour's namesake album, A Smooth Jazz Christmas By Dave Koz & Friends, which was released in 2001. Koz has also released two other holiday collections: 1997's December Makes Me Feel This Way and 2007's Memories Of A Winter's Night. Last September, the he released his first retrospective, Dave Koz Greatest Hits, which includes "You Make Me Smile," "Can't Let You Go (The Sha La Song)" and "Faces of the Heart."

Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour Dates
November 2009
27 - Mobile, AL - Saenger Theatre
28 - Sarasota, FL - Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
29 - West Palm Beach, FL - Dreyfoos Hall
30 - Naples, FL - Philharmonic Center for the Arts

December 2009
2 - Melbourne, FL - King Center for Performing Arts
3 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
4 - Cleveland, OH - Playhouse Square
5 - Chicago, IL - Auditorium Theatre
6 - Columbus, OH - Palace Theatre
7 - Newport News, VA - Ferguson Center for the Arts
8 - Waterbury, CT - Palace Theater
9 - Morristown, NJ - Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts
11 - San Francisco, CA - Nob Hill Masonic Center
12 - San Diego, CA - Copley Symphony Hall
13 - Palm Desert, CA - McCallum Theatre
15 - Santa Rosa, CA - Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
17 - El Paso, TX - The Plaza Theatre
18 - Sacramento, CA - Radisson Hotel Sacramento
19, 20 - Cerritos, CA - Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
22 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Arts Center

JOSHUA BELL - AT HOME WITH FRIENDS

Joshua Bell’s new album, At Home With Friends, the Grammy Award-winning violinist fulfills a life-long career dream of recording a CD of instrumental and vocal duets with a diverse group of artists including Chris Botti, Sting, Josh Groban, Kristin Chenoweth, Regina Spektor, Anoushka Shankar, Marvin Hamlisch, Tiempo Libre, among others. Bell is one of America’s most celebrated violinists and has changed the face of classical music since he first appeared on stage with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of 14. Among the more than 30 CDs Bell has recorded, his performances for Sony Classical film soundtracks also include The Red Violin, which won the Oscar for Best Original Score; the Classical Brit-nominated Ladies in Lavender; and the Academy Award-winning film Iris, in an original score by James Horner. Bell’s most recent soundtrack recordings for Sony Classical are Angels & Demons and Defiance. September 29, At Home With Friends took the #1 spot on both Billboard's Classical and Classical Crossover charts, and the #2 position on the Heatseekers Chart.

The concept of At Home With Friends was inspired by Bell's long-time practice of holding 'musical soirees' at his New York residence - eclectic gatherings of musicians, actors, comics, literary figures and others who convene for the sheer joy of sharing their art in an informal setting. With this in mind, Bell has spent the past four years designing and building his home in Manhattan to accommodate the ideal 'stay-at-home' venue. With more than 30 original albums to his credit, Bell has captured the public's attention like no other classical violinist of his time, enchanting audiences worldwide with his breathtaking playing and tone of rare beauty, as performed on his legendary Stradivarius violin made in 1713. Equally at home as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestra leader, Bell has earned countless awards and honors for his work as a concert stage performer and recording artist. He has won multiple Grammy awards and was awarded the prestigious Avery Fisher Prize. His 2004 album Romance of the Violin was named the "Classical CD of the Year" by Billboard Magazine, with Bell named "Classical Artist of the Year." In the national spotlight since age 14 (when he made his acclaimed orchestral debut with Riccardo Muti and the Philadelphia Orchestra), and a recording artist since age 18, Bell has been an exclusive Sony Music artist for more than a decade.

Acclaimed for the wide range of music he has chosen to record, Bell's output ranges from mainstream classical concertos by Sibelius and Beethoven, a live recording with the Berlin Philharmonic (Tchaikovsky concerto), the bluegrass inspired Short Trip Home - from the jazz influenced Gershwin Fantasy, to the Bernstein-inspired West Side Story Suite and many others. His interest in film is particularly notable, having performed all the violin solos in The Red Violin, helping the film win an Oscar for the "Best Original Score" (written by John Corigliano). He has received recognition beyond his awards that are not common to most classical artists, having been the first musician to have a classical music video played on VH1, to appearing as himself on Sesame Street and alongside Meryl Streep in Music of the Heart.

At Home With Friends Track Listing:
I Loves You Porgy - featuring Chris Botti, trumpet
Come Again - featuring Sting, vocals
Oblivion - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Cinema Paradiso - featuring Josh Groban, vocals
Para Ti - featuring Tiempo Libre, various
My Funny Valentine - featuring Kristin Chenoweth, vocals
Maybe So - featuring Edgar Meyer, Double-bass, Sam Bush, Mandolin and Mike Marshall, Guitar
Grieg: Sonata No. 3 - featuring Sergei Rachmaninoff (Zenph re-performance)
Eleanor Rigby - featuring Frankie Moreno, piano & vocals
O, Cease Thy Maiden Fair - Nathan Gunn, baritone
Il Postino - featuring Carel Kraayenhof, bandoneon
Left Hand Song - featuring Regina Spektor, piano & vocals
Chovendo Na Roseira - featuring Dave Grusin, piano
Look Away - featuring Edgar Meyer, bass and Chris Thile, mandolin
Variant Moods: Duet for Sitar & Violin (abridged version) - featuring Anoushka Shankar, sitar
I'll Take Manhattan - featuring Marvin Hamlisch, piano

http://www.sonymasterworks.com/
http://www.joshuabell.com/

BARBRA STREISAND'S NUMBER ONE ALBUM! - LOVE IS THE ANSWER

Barbra Streisand's album Love is the Answer debuts #1 on the US charts by selling 180,415 for the week of September 29th. She has increased her prior record of length of time between her first #1 album (People, 1964) and her most recent. This unprecedented success ties her with the Beatles for 3rd place behind Frank Sinatra (41) and Rolling Stones (36) for top 10 album first week sales. Setting numerous records that may never be exceeded, her new album topped a powerful field of new albums to win #1. Although no other artist or act had matched her prior record of four straight decades at #1, the new achievement may be a bar that can never be equaled. Streisand is the #1 female album-selling recording artist in history and the only woman to make the Top 10 all time best selling artists list. Her accomplishments include 50 gold, 30 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums. Barbra's previous number #1 albums include: People (1964), The Way We Were (1974), Greatest Hits Volume II (1979), Guilty (1980), The Broadway Album (1985), Back to Broadway (1993) and Higher Ground (1997). The first full-length collection of new studio recordings from Barbra Streisand since 2005's Guilty Pleasures, and first new Barbra Streisand album since Live In Concert 2006, Love Is The Answer presents the artist as a cabaret and jazz singer of emotional clarity, depth and maturity, offering the listener a warm and intimate selection of late night meditations on love's powers, heartbreaks and solaces. Among the many accolades for the album, Anthony Tommasini in The New York Times wrote: "like a great jazz singer, lending an earthy emotional cast to the moment."Last week, Streisand returned to the New York's legendary Village Vanguard (where she auditioned 48 years ago) and performed songs from Love is the Answer for an intimate crowd of friends and lucky fans. As stated in The New York Times: "Concerts by Ms. Streisand are rare, but the scale of Saturday's show was exceptional enough to briefly upend the natural social order of celebrity events." An artist of unparalleled accomplishments in multiple entertainment fields, Streisand has made her mark as an award winning actress of stage and screen, recording artist, concert performer, movie producer, film director, screenwriter and songwriter. Having earned two Oscars (Best Actress and Best Song), five Emmys, ten Golden Globes, eight Grammys, a special Tony Award (in 1970 as "Star of the Decade"), and two Cable Ace awards, she is the only performer to hold honors from all of those institutions. In addition, Streisand is a recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, the National Endowment for the Arts National Medal of Arts, the prestigious Peabody Award, and a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. In the past year, Barbra Streisand was awarded the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor for Exemplary Lifetime Achievement in The Performing Arts. Her most recent motion picture, "Meet The Fockers," became and remains the only live-action comedy to exceed the half billion dollar box office mark.

MICHAEL BUBLE - CRAZY LOVE

Michael Bublé’s Crazy Love is his first studio album after a two and a half year absence, will be released on October 9th the same day he will be performing live on The Oprah Winfrey Show, it was confirmed by 143/Reprise Records. The multi-Grammy winning and multi-platinum recording artist will also be singing on The Today Show live on October 13th. “Crazy Love” includes two original songs written by Bublé and collaborators Amy Foster-Gillies and Alan Chang. The first single, the Bublé penned “Haven’t Met You Yet,” already a hit at radio, is currently No. 10 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary (A/C) charts. The video for “Haven’t Met You Yet” premiered last week on AOL. “Crazy Love” includes Bublé’s always original spin on classics including, “Cry Me A River,” Dean Martin’s “You’re Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” Ray Charles’ “Georgia on My Mind” and “All of Me.” The title song is a cover of the Van Morrison gem “Crazy Love.” Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings make a guest appearance on the 60’s hit “Baby (You Got What It Takes).” The album contains 12 tracks (and 1 bonus track), including two original songs. A special edition of the CD will be released via his website only, like he has done for It's Time, Call Me Irresponsible, and the recently released Madison Square Garden. This version will be a two-CD edition containing the standard album on one CD, a remix album on the other one. It will also contain a DVD and a 32 page booklet. The album was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica and recorded in Vancouver, Brooklyn, NY and Los Angeles. Michael Bublé’s previous CD, the Grammy winning, Call Me Irresponsible (from 2007) was a number one album in over 15 countries. He has sold over 22 million CDs over the course of his career

7DIGITAL LAUNCHES IN U.S.

7digital, the digital media delivery company and home of the MP3, has announced its official launch in the United States. The arrival of 7digital provides U.S. consumers with access to millions of DRM-free songs in the MP3 format – including content from Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, EMI Music and independent labels – which can be played and shared across any music-enabled device. “7digital is the ultimate resource for music aficionados and we’re excited to bring our service to the United States with an extremely compelling consumer offer,” said Ben Drury, CEO of 7digital. “The high-quality, DRM-free MP3 format is what consumers demand, enabling music lovers to enjoy their favorite content anywhere, at any time.” MP3 downloads from us.7digital.com are compatible with any music player including iPods, iPhones, BlackBerries, MP3 players and mobile phones. 7digital has licensed over 6 million songs for digital distribution globally. “7digital is a compelling and innovative offering that provides consumers more freedom of choice on where to find and purchase their music online,” stated Amanda Marks, executive vice president and general manager of Universal Music Distribution. “And we are looking forward to working with 7digital to ensure that consumers continue to have access to the widest selection of music possible whenever, wherever and however they want.” Said Michael Nash, executive vice president, digital strategy and business development, Warner Music Group, “7digital has been a terrific partner for us and a proven hit with consumers in the UK, so we look forward to working with them to bring U.S. music fans another source of high-quality digital music, not only on 7digital.com, but through their compelling mobile applications as well.”

DETROIT LOSES SMOOTH JAZZ STATION - WVMV SWITCHES TO TOP 40

Detroit’s smooth jazz radio station, WVMV, spent the weekend stunting (or paying the way for a format change), and this morning made the flip to Top 40 at “Amp Radio.” The former smooth jazz station went into stunt mode on Friday, with a website at http://www.987takeover.com/ hosting a contest inviting listeners to guess the new station’s name. Smooth Jazz 98.7 WVMV made a switch to a Top 40 format at 5PM EST on Friday, October 2 with “98.7 Wheelz The Hits You Grew Up With!” Then Guns N' Roses' “Welcome To The Jungle” aired before it was interrupted by audio of Kanye West’s recent MTV incident. When Kanye said Beyoncé made one of the best videos of all time, an announcer cut in and said, "Okay, we'll play Beyonce," and then “Sweet Dreams” kicked in and 987Takeover.com was born. This was followed by Black Eyed Peas “I Got A Feeling,” Eminem “Lose Yourself," Pitbull “I Know You Want Me,” Miley Cyrus “Party In The USA,” Cobra Starship “Good Girls Go Bad,” Jay-Z “Run This Town,” Taylor Swift “Love Story,” Britney Spears “Radar,” Keri Hilson “Knock You Down," Kings of Leon “Use Somebody,” Justin Bieber "One Time," Drake "Best I Ever Had," Boys Like Girls "Love Drunk," Lady Gaga "Poker Face" and Jay Sean "Down." As a smooth jazz station, WVMV-FM was ranked a respectable No.11 in the market, but it was also CBS Radio's lowest-rated music station and a format that doesn't rate as well under Arbitron's portable people meter system. As AMP Radio, WVMV will play “All The Hits,” going head to head with Clear Channel’s WKQI-FM, the top-rated station in the market with a 6.0 average quarter-hour share, per Arbitron’s ppm ratings for August. The AMP brand has been successful for CBS Radio since its February debut with AMP Radio in Los Angeles challenging Clear Channel's Top 40 stalwart, KIIS-FM. Since the flip, KAMP-FM in L.A. has doubled its ratings and has been tied for No.8 in the ratings. To kick-of the new programming, AMP Radio is playing 10,000 songs in a row with limited commercial interruption. Artists on the play list include Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, Rihana, T.I., Kanye West, Usher, Britney, Pink, Kelly Clarkson and Katy Perry, among others. WVMV's former Smooth Jazz programming has moved to the FM's HD2 subchannel and can be heard online at http://www.smoothjazzdetroit.com/.

ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY - THE VERY BEST OF ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY

British smooth jazz band, Acoustic Alchemy, return with the release of The Very Best Of Acoustic Alchemy, as guitarists Greg Carmichael and Miles Gilderdale celebrate a successful two decades with the second Best Of compilation. Ever evolving, yet instantly recognizable, they have become a true force in contemporary smooth jazz. Acoustic Alchemy have just posted some tour dates extending out to June 2010. Their highly entertaining live show featuring Greg and Miles is supported by Fred White on keyboards and the Grainger brothers on base and drums.

Acoustic Alchemy Upcoming Tour Dates
Oct 8 @ Boulton Center, Bayshore, NY
Oct 9 @ Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA
Oct 10 @ Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA
Oct 11 @ Tupelo Music Hall, Londonberry, NH
Oct 13 @ BB King’s, New York, NY
Oct 15 @ Town Crier, Pawling, NY
Oct 16 @ The Egg-Swyer Theater, Albany, NY
Oct 17 @ Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT
Oct 18 @ The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
Oct 20 @ Blair Mansion, Silver Spring, MD
Dec 10 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 11 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 12 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 13 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 14 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 15 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 16 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 17 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 18 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 19 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 20 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 21 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 22 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 23 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 27 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 28 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 29 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 30 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK
Dec 31 @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK

2010 Tour Dates
Feb 12 @ Latvian National Symphony, Riga, Latvia
Feb 26 @ Cerritos Centre, Cerritos, CA
Feb 28 @ Villa Montalvo, Saratoga, CA
June 25 @ one World Theater, Austin, TX

DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS A SMOOTH JAZZ CHRISTMAS

Dave Koz & Friends A Smooth Jazz Christmas will be back on the road once again this year. In celebration of the tour's 12th anniversary, this year's Dave Koz & Friends A Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour will feature a reunion of the original cast. Multi-Grammy nominee and saxophonist extraordinaire Dave Koz will be joined by Rick Braun, David Benoit, Peter White and Brenda Russell on the 21-date holiday outing, which launches November 27th in Mobile, AL and concludes on December 22nd in Mesa, AZ. The quintet will perform hits from their respective catalogues and join together on a variety of holiday favorites - including many from their album, A Smooth Jazz Christmas By Dave Koz & Friends. Koz has also released two other holiday collections, December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997) and Memories of a Winter's Night (2007).

Dave Koz latest album is Dave Koz - Greatest Hits, released in the Capital label last September, and is his first-ever retrospective album. The album includes Koz classics such as "You Make Me Smile," "Faces of the Heart," "Can't Let You Go (The Sha La Song)" featuring the late Luther Vandross and "Honey Dipped" plus four brand news songs, it bowed at No. 1 on both Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and iTunes' Jazz Album chart. The lead single "Life In The Fast Lane," was No. 1 on the Smooth Jazz chart for seven weeks. It was followed by "Bada Bing," which hit No. 2, and Koz's latest single, "And Then I Knew," which just went to radio. "And Then I Knew" was produced by Rob Cavallo (Dave Matthews Band, Green Day).

Dave Koz & Friends A Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour 2009
With Special Guests Rick Braun, David Benoit, Brenda Russell & Peter White

11/27 Mobile, AL Saenger Theatre
11/28 Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
11/29 West Palm Beach, FL Dreyfoos Hall
11/30 Naples, FL Philharmonic Center for the Arts
12/2 Melbourne, FL King Center for Performing Arts
12/3 Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
12/4 Cleveland, OH Playhouse Square Center/Palace Theatre
12/5 Chicago, IL Chicago Auditorium
12/6 Columbus, OH Palace Theatre
12/7 Newport News, VA Ferguson Center for Arts
12/8 Waterbury, CT The Palace Theatre
12/9 Morristown, NJ Community Theatre
12/11 San Francisco, CA Nob Hill Masonic Center
12/12 San Diego, CA Copley Symphony Hall
12/13 Palm Desert, CA McCallum Theatre
12/15 Santa Rosa, CA Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
12/17 El Paso, TX Plaza Theatre
12/18 Sacramento, CA Radisson Hotel Ballroom
12/19 Cerritos, CA Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
12/20 Cerritos, CA Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
12/22 Mesa, AZ Mesa Arts Center/Ikeda Theatre

JOHN MAYER - BATTLE STUDIES

John Mayer's Battle Studies will be released on November 17th, 2009 on Columbia Records. The seven-time Grammy Award winner's fourth studio album was co-produced by John Mayer and Steve Jordan and debuts three years after his critically acclaimed 2006 album, Continuum. Incorporating the warmth, melodies and simplicity of 70's and 80's California rock/pop, Battle Studies is a confessional, relaxed and liberated album recorded in a private home in California where Mayer lived and worked over the course of six months before wrapping at the famed Capitol Studios in Los Angeles.

The album's first single, "Who Says" challenges conventional standards of what one can accomplish or undertake -- despite society's constraints. Battle Studies also showcases universal themes on "Heartbreak Warfare," "Assassin," and "War of My Life," while flexing guitar chops on "Rock Song," and a reinterpretation of "Crossroads." The famously collaborative guitar player also invited one of music's brightest new talents, Taylor Swift, to appear on "Half of My Heart."

"I approach music like a director doing a period piece," says Mayer. "Where Continuum was R&B and Soul, Battle Studies was written with the timelessness of Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac and Neil Young in mind. The melodies and message are concise and from-the-gut with the efficiency of simplicity."

A John Mayer North American tour is currently being planned and will follow the release of Battle Studies in early 2010, details to be announced soon. In the meantime, two rare performances by John Mayer Trio (John Mayer, Steve Jordan, Pino Palladino) have been announced for December -- December 29th in San Diego at the Copley Symphony Hall and a New Year's Eve show on December 31st in Las Vegas at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

The consistency with which John Mayer combines wordcraft and melody has earned him rarefied status in popular culture as a genuine and respected songwriter and musician. Since his acclaimed debut in 2001 with Room For Squares, each release has earned John Mayer additional accolades. Through 2003's Heavier Things, his work with John Mayer Trio in 2005, Continuum's 2006 release and now, Battle Studies, John Mayer has established himself as a musician and collaborator who exceeds genre boundaries. The guitarist, vocalist and songwriter has earned seven Grammy Awards and sold nearly 12.5 million albums worldwide.

In May 2007, Time Magazine placed John Mayer on their Time 100 list of the most influential contemporary thinkers, leaders, artists and entertainers. For two consecutive years, Rolling Stone Magazine featured John Mayer on the cover of their annual "Guitar" issue -- first with the May 2008 "Living Guitar Legends" issue and then as part of February 2007's "Guitar Heroes" round-ups featuring Mayer with peers and icons alike.

Pairings with a range of artists are a defining trait of the musician whose collaborative streak is well-known. From rock to blues, hip-hop to jazz to country, Mayer has performed and/or recorded with Eric Clapton, BB King, Buddy Guy, T-Bone Burnett, Herbie Hancock, Dixie Chicks, Jay Z, Alicia Keys and Taylor Swift. In 2005, Mayer famously toured and recorded with power players Pino Palladino and Steve Jordan as John Mayer Trio, whose live album TRY! featured searing blues and rock. As on Continuum, John Mayer again took the helm as the co-producer of Battle Studies, his fourth studio album, which will be released November, 17, 2009.

Source: Columbia Records

RAY CHARLES - THE GENIUS HITS THE ROAD

When Ray Charles left Atlantic Records for ABC-Paramount, his first move was to gather up a dozen vintage songs about U.S. destinations. The resulting album, The Genius Hits the Road, in turn gave Charles his first No. 1 hit, a soulful reading of Hoagy Carmichael's "Georgia On My Mind." The album, which also contains such travel songs as "Alabamy Bound," "California, Here I Come," "Deep in the Heart of Texas" and "Blue Hawaii," marked the start of Charles' long association with producer Sid Feller and featured band longtime accompanists saxmen David "Fathead" Newman and Hank Crawford, plus the Raeletts.A deluxe reissue of The Genius Hits the Road, augmented by six bonus tracks, digital re-mastering and new liner notes by Bill Dahl alongside original notes by Rick Ward. "This was the first album we made together," said late producer Feller. "(Ray) wanted to do songs either about states or cities. A lot of the material he knew himself. He'd give me some titles and then check through catalogs and publishers for other ones that had names of cities or states."The Genius Hits the Road was recorded in two lengthy New York recording sessions in March 1960. "Georgia On My Mind" was first on the evening's agenda. The song's lyricist Stuart Gorrell actually found his inspiration in Carmichael's sister Georgia rather than the state, but the words pay tribute to either. It was Charles' first No. 1 hit, earning him two of four Grammys that year. The album also contained a version of Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger's "Blue Hawaii," recorded originally for the 1937 movie Waikiki Wedding starring Bing Crosby. A year after Charles recorded it, the song became the title track to a 1961 Elvis Presley film.The 12 songs of The Genius Hits the Road were by no means the only travel tunes Charles recorded in his ABC-Paramount tenure. The expanded edition reissue adds six more. The best known of these is Charles' No. 1 version of Percy Mayfield's "Hit the Road Jack," which joins Les Brown's "Sentimental Journey," Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky," Tony Joe White's "Rainy Night in Georgia," Paul McCartney's "Long and Winding Road," John Denver's "Take Me Home, Country Roads" and Charles' own "I Was on Georgia Time."The Genius Hits the Road vaulted to No. 9 on Billboard's pop charts during a 50-week run that began in October 1960. But this particular road was just the beginning of a new journey for Brother Ray.

Source: Concord Records

RAMSEY LEWIS - SONGS FROM THE HEART: RAMSEY PLAYS RAMSEY

Concord Jazz presents Songs From the Heart: Ramsey Plays Ramsey, the debut Concord Jazz CD from iconic pianist/bandleader Ramsey Lewis. At the age of 74, Ramsey Lewis has not only continued to be active in the jazz world, but he's also forging ahead with a newly inspired creative instinct as a composer. This re-envisioned artistic sensibility is showcased on his new album, which is a remarkable, refined collection of 12 new originals that he composed over a period of two years. The collection includes music from two commissioned world premiere performances at the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Illinois, just north of Chicago. Eight songs come from the score of 2007's ballet To Know Her...written for the Joffrey Ballet Company and four pieces come from 2008's Muses and Amusements suite performed with the Turtle Island Quartet.

Songs From the Heart, Lewis' first trio recording in five years, features eight pieces with bassist Larry Gray and drummer Leon Joyce, and four piano solo performances. To Lewis, the CD marks a turning point in his storied career: he's found new life as a composer. "Initially nothing was compelling me to go into the studio," says the three-times-Grammy-winner Lewis, who in addition to his 80-plus album career (seven went gold) is also a Chicago-based radio personality and host of the PBS TV series Legends of Jazz. "But since I'd been composing so much and people were responding positively to the new songs, I decided to do an entire album of my own material instead of recording music by other artists."

In regards to his newfound love of composing, he adds, "I'm like a kid on Christmas morning all over again. For me, it's all about the music. It's what makes me sleep well and jump out of bed in the morning to work on new melodies. I can't wait." Lewis says that his early hits-most prominently his mid-‘60s international breakout tunes "The ‘In' Crowd," "Hang on Sloopy" and "Wade in the Water"-in some ways spoiled him. "Darn those hits," he says jokingly. "In the early days with the trio I wrote more, but once you get so popular you tend to get a little lazy. It comes to a point where you compose three or four songs for a new album, then one or two seems to suffice."

In 2006, Welz Kauffman, the president/CEO of Ravinia, suggested that Lewis, the jazz artistic director there, compose a score for the Joffrey. The pianist met with the ballet company's then- executive director Jon Teeuwissen and then set forth to work on an hour's worth of material. He was in for a rude awakening. "I sat down at the piano and all I could think of was Tchaikovsky and Prokofiev and music for classical ballet," he says. "As I sat at the piano with no ideas, my wife Jan told me, ‘I'm hearing you and you're suffering. Why don't you just turn on a tape recorder and play?' I told her, ‘But I'm trying to compose.'"

However, Lewis took her advice and began to discover melodies as he improvised. His breakthrough song is the CD's leadoff track, the lyrical "To Know Her Is to Love Her." More tunes quickly followed even without using the tape recorder ("It was almost like writing shorthand," says Lewis), and he presented the eight compositions to Joffrey choreographer Donald Byrd. "He liked my old hits, but he had nothing but superlatives for the new material," says Lewis, who notes that one tune, "Clouds in Reverie," was a version of a piece written for the previous year's Ravinia project, One Score, One Chicago: New Scenes From Childhood.

Joffrey choreography began in April 2007 for the June 2007 performance. A month before the premiere Lewis saw his first rehearsal. The troupe put his recorded demos on and began to dance. "The way they moved brought tears to my eyes," says Lewis. "When I started out in bands when I was 16, people danced to our music. This took me back 50 years, and here I was writing for dancing again."

At Ravinia, the performance garnered a rousing applause from the audience and critical plaudits from the press. Lewis says, "My son pointed out to me that this was the first concert of mine he had seen that got a standing ovation without me having to play the hits. That told me something about focusing more intently on composition."

Kauffman was so impressed that he immediately commissioned Lewis to write new works for Ravinia in 2008. He decided to compose for a string quartet to accompany his trio. On the recommendation of his good friend and fellow pianist Dr. Billy Taylor, Lewis enlisted the Turtle Island Quartet to perform a suite of eight new originals, including the relaxed-swinging "The Spark" and the bowed ballad "The Conversation." Of the former, Lewis says, "I like the energy in this song. I was thinking of a groove-not rock, but something that had an element of excitement and forward motion while at the same time was melodic."

From the ballet score, Lewis explains that the emotive tune "Touching, Feeling, Knowing" is based on a folk melody he heard when he visited Soweto, South Africa. "It's a simple melody that I used as the basis for this song. When we play it, it reminds me of South Africa." In regards to the appropriately titled "The Way She Smiles," Lewis says, "That's one of those songs that just happened. I woke up one morning and was thinking of a New Orleans groove."

One of the added bonuses of Lewis' prolific writing has been an enrichment of his pianistic talent. "The composing has informed my playing," says Lewis. "I'm looking at harmony and melody in a different way. I've noticed that my solos have become deeper and more contemplative." On Songs From the Heart, Lewis takes the solo spotlight four times, including the film noir-ish "Long Before She Knew" and reflective muse "The Glow of Her Charm."
The latter arrived when Lewis was working on an intro to the song "In the Still of the Night" that he was performing one evening in Washington, D.C. He was in his hotel room on a grand piano, determined to find a prelude. Once again, his wife offered her wisdom. "Jan was listening to me and said, ‘What's that? That's a song, not an introduction. You've got a new song.' And, if course, she was right."

On Songs From the Heart, Lewis offers graceful music, played with a light, gentle, joyful touch, and focused on melody. Writing in the CD liner notes, Lewis pointed out that in the CD's initial planning stages, all artistic and record company parties agreed that Songs From the Heart should be characterized by "heartfelt, lyrical and inspirational" music "that my fans had come to expect."
In the liners, Lewis also noted, "Our desire was to convey a sense of beauty, joy, simplicity and lyricism...I am extremely proud of the results." He adds, "Looking back at all the music that I've written over the last few years, I think I'm coming up with something unique. I think I'm developing a style."

Source: Concord Records

PONCHO SANCHEZ - PSYCHEDELIC BLUES

If music were about pictures, percussionist Poncho Sanchez's music would best be described as a kaleidoscopic swirl of some of the hottest colors and brightest lights to emerge from either side of the border. At any given show, on any given record, fragments of Latin jazz, swing, bebop, salsa and other infectious grooves collide and churn in a fiery swirl, with results that are no less than dazzling. All of these sounds and more come together in Psychedelic Blues, Sanchez's twenty-fourth recording on Concord Records. "The last couple records have gone a little heavy on the soul music, which has gone over really well in our live shows, but we wanted to do more of a straightahead Latin jazz record this time - something in the tradition of our earlier Concord records that we made back in the ‘80s."

With that strategy in mind, Sanchez enlisted guitarist Andrew Synowiec to change up the sound on a few tracks. Synowiec, a regular member of the L.A.-based Gordon Goodwin Big Phat Band, landed the gig about five minutes into his audition. "He came through the door with just a guitar and an amplifier," says Sanchez. "No effects pedals or other gadgets. He plugged and started to play, and I said, ‘No more auditions. We're using this guy.'" Along with Synowiec is the same lineup that has backed Sanchez on several records and countless live shows: keyboardist/arranger David Torres; saxophonist Javíer Vergara; trumpeter/flugelhornist Ron Blake; trombonist/arranger Francisco Torres; bassist/vocalist Tony Banda; timbalero George Ortiz; and percussionist/vocalist Joey De León. Even a couple alumni from earlier configurations of Sanchez's band - baritone saxophonist Scott Martin and percussionist Alfredo Ortiz - step back in to lend a hand on Psychedelic Blues. A few of these seasoned players go back more than 30 years with Sanchez, back to some of his earliest gigs as a local fixture in the Los Angeles club circuit.

Although born in Laredo, Texas, in 1951 to a large Mexican-American family, Sanchez grew up in a suburb of L.A., where he was raised on an unusual cross section of sounds that included straightahead jazz, Latin jazz and American soul. By his teen years, his musical consciousness had been solidified by the likes of John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Cal Tjader, Mongo Santamaria, Wilson Pickett and James Brown. Along the way, he taught himself to play guitar, flute, drums and timbales, but eventually settled on the congas. At 24, after working his way around the local club scene for several years, he landed a permanent spot in Cal Tjader's band in 1975. "I learned a great deal from Cal," says Sanchez, "but it wasn't as though he sat me down and taught me lessons like a schoolteacher. Mostly it was just a matter of being around such a great guy. It was the way he conducted himself, the way he talked to people, the way he presented himself onstage. He was very elegant, very dignified, and when he played, he played beautifully. The touch that he had on the vibes - nobody has that sound. To me, he was - and is, and always will be - the world's greatest vibe player." Sanchez remained with Tjader until the bandleader's death in 1982. That same year, he signed with Concord for the release of Sonando!, an album that marked the beginning of a prolific musical partnership that has spanned more than 25 years and has yielded two dozen recordings.

Psychedelic Blues, the latest product of that partnership, opens with the simmering "Cantaloupe Island," a Herbie Hancock composition recast in a Latin jazz groove. A number of soloists step forward here, most notably Torres on trombone and Synowiec on guitar - all weaving effortlessly above a firmly anchored rhythm section. Premier Latin trumpeter Arturo Sandoval - Sanchez's friend since their first gig together at a festival in Sardinia, Italy, some twenty years ago - makes a guest appearance via a rendition of Freddie Hubbard's "Crisis." The track showcases Sandoval's respect and reverence for the American bebop maestro who had passed away just a few months before the Psychedelic Blues sessions.

The title track is a fast-moving mambo, originally written by Sonny Henry and arranged here by Francisco Torres, who attaches a surprise at the end of the track. "Francisco really souped it up," says Sanchez. "The song has some nice horn lines, and some great jazz riffs, and then it ends in a bolero. So the song burns almost all the way through, and then at the end it shifts into a ballad."
The intriguing centerpiece to the album is a Willie Bobo medley featuring "I Don't Know" (a Sonny Henry piece commonly associated with Bobo), the laid back "Fried Neckbones and Some Homefries" and the slightly more urgent "Spanish Grease." All three of these songs merge effortlessly to create a nostalgic nod to the revered Latin and Afro-Cuban jazz percussionist of the ‘60s and '70.

Further into the set, Sanchez and the band turn "Silver's Serenade" - originally a swing tune by Horace Silver - into a mambo with personality to burn, thanks in large part to solo work by Francisco Torres. When Poncho himself steps forward to deliver some syncopated conga lines, the net result is an infectious groove. The salsa-flavored closer, "Con Sabor Latino," is an old song by Rene Touzet, a native of Cuba who became a well known Latin bandleader in Los Angeles in the ‘50s and ‘60s. In many ways, the song is Sanchez's tribute to some of the musical memories of his childhood. "My older brothers and sisters used to see Touzet play at the Hollywood Paladium," he says. "Back then, Chico Sesma was the only Latin disc jockey on the radio in southern California, and ‘Con Sabor Latino' was his theme song."

Whether it's salsa, straightahead jazz, Latin jazz, or even elements of soul and blues, the mesmerizing array of sounds and colors from Poncho Sanchez's youth have telegraphed across the decades and continue to inform his creative sensibilities to this day. "There's room for a lot of different sounds in our music," he says. "I think people have come to know that that's what Poncho Sanchez is all about. We put it all together in a pot, boil it together and come out with a big stew. This isn't some marketing strategy to sell records. These are the sounds I grew up with. So when I play this music, I'm not telling a lie. I'm telling my story. This is the real thing."

Source: Concord Records

NEW DJAY3 ADD-ON TO ITUNES

Every once in a while you see a new product out there that is really exciting and new, and so here is something that I am looking to pickup and enjoy. Algoriddim, which is a leader in next-generation music software for the Mac, today announced the release of djay 3, the completely revamped version of its fun and innovative music software application for Mac and iTunes. A host of unprecedented new features, including an Automatic Tempo & Beat Detection, Auto-Cut Scratching and extensive MIDI Support, combined with the program's redesigned user interface, make djay 3 the perfect tool for beginners and pros alike.

Previous djay editions have given iTunes users access to a brand new skill set, providing them with the tools to play live, create and record mixes at home, or during parties and events. Now, with djay 3's sophisticated on-the-fly tempo and beat detection, users can easily match the playback speed of two songs for a perfect transition. In addition, Auto-Cut, a breakthrough in digital scratching, allows the user to scratch music like a pro, completely in sync with the song's beat and rhythm. These, alongside djay 3's many other innovations, are straightforward enough to enable a total novice to discover the world of DJing and a professional artist to take their mixes to new heights - all without the need for additional external equipment.

With the click of a single button, djay 3's enhanced Automix lets users sit back and enjoy their own parties while the software mixes the music on its own - non-stop and fully-automatic. If users prefer a hands-on approach, they can step in any time to showcase their creativity and produce cutting-edge musical experiences using djay 3's versatile and easy-to-use FX tools. Combined with its innovative support of Multi-Touch gestures on a notebook's trackpad, djay 3's immersive interface recreates the feeling of a real turntable DJ setup.

"Feedback from our previous djay releases has proved that music fans at any level embrace the idea of adding their own creative touch to their favorite tunes," said Karim Morsy, CEO of algoriddim. "With this newest version of djay, we've taken the effects that professionals take years to learn and simplified them into easy, intuitive maneuvers. Even the best performers will be able to appreciate djay 3's ease-of-use and high-quality sound, and we're sure that iTunes users everywhere will recognize just how fun and easy it can be to mix and scratch their own music collection."

djay 3's Top New Features Include:
- Automatic Tempo & Beat Detection: Easily matches two songs for a perfect transition;
- Auto-Gain: Automatically adjusts the volume of two songs to the same level;
- Beat-matched Looping and Audio FX: Spices up your mix with new stunning, high-quality effects;
- Auto-Cut Scratching: Lets you scratch like a pro in sync with the song's beat and rhythm;
- Enhanced Automix: Let's you queue up your favorite tracks in advance; and
- MIDI Learn: Allows you to plug in your favorite MIDI controller and easily map all features in djay.

djay 3's Improved and Updated Features Include:
- Multi-Touch Trackpad Scratching: Lets you use a mouse or two-fingered gesture on a notebook trackpad to mix and scratch songs with pristine sound quality;
- Automix: Automatically mixes playlists with seamless DJ-style transitions that require no supervision;
- Seamless iTunes Integration: Automatically pulls songs, cover art and playlists from iTunes when launched; and
- Drag & Drop Mixing: Lets you easily mix tracks from iTunes that are dragged and dropped onto the virtual turntables.

djay 3 is available for a free 15-day trial or for purchase from http://www.djay-software.com/. It is also available for purchase from Apple retail locations for $49.95 or EUR 39.95 (+ VAT).

Created exclusively for the Mac, djay seamlessly integrates with your iTunes library and makes it easy to mix your favorite music. Perform live, create and record mixes at home, or let djay mix any playlist automatically with seamless, professional transitions. Unprecedented ease-of-use, combined with powerful and innovative features like Drag & Drop mixing, Automatic Tempo & Beat Detection and Multi-Touch Trackpad Scratching, make djay the perfect tool for beginners and seasoned pros alike. djay supports all major audio formats, including MP3, AAC, WAV, AIFF, Audio-CD and DRM-protected songs from the iTunes Music Store.

BAABA MAAL - TELEVISION

Celebrated Senegalese master-musician Baaba Maal follows up 2001's Grammy-nominated Missing You with his new multi-lingual album, Television. A subtle blend of electronic dance elements with timeless West African musical traditions, Television was recorded in London and Dakar over the last three years, during which time Baaba has kept up his rigorous global touring commitments, including his work on the large-scale Africa Express project, in collaboration with Damon Albarn. Baaba Maal worked on Television's eight songs with various musicians, but most specifically in a collaboration with singer Sabina Sciubba and keyboardist Didi Gutman, both members of New York's Brazilian Girls. The African-crossover "International" features a poetic listing of exotic cities across the globe by Sciubba. Working on the song "Tindo," whose subject is the guidance meted out to Senegalese children as to their future responsibilities, Baaba Maal found that Sabina's responses, sung in Italian, accurately mirrored his own lyrics: "I see language as an instrument. Sabina told me that she could just feel the meaning of the words that I was singing. This is the power of music - it can give you advice even if you do not understand the language."

Baaba Maal Tour Dates
Oct 8 – Los Angeles, CA @ UCLA
Oct 17 – New York, NY @ Joe’s Pub
Oct 22 – Antwerp, Belgium @ Zuiderpershuis
Oct 24 – Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
Oct 25 – Cologne, Germany @ Kantine
Oct 26 – Hamburg, Germany @ Markthalle
Oct 27 – Berlin, Germany @ Astra
Oct 29 – Munich, Germany @ Muffathalle
Oct 30 – Zurich, Switzerland @ Rote Fabrik
Oct 31 – Vienna, Austria @ Porgy and Bess

2010 Tour Dates
Apr 6 – Toronto, ONT @ Telus Center
Apr 8 – Madison, WI @ Wisconsin Union Theatre
Apr 10 – Chicago, IL @ Venue TBD
Apr 13 – Arcata, CA @ Buchanan Hall
Apr 14 – Chico, CA @ Laxson Auditorium
Apr 15 – Davis, CA @ Mondavi Performing Arts Center
Apr 17 – Los Angeles, CA @ Royce Hall Auditorium
Apr 18 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Campbell Hall
Apr 20 – Berkeley, CA @ Zellerback Auditorium
Apr 22 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Scottsdale Center For The Performing Arts
Apr 24 – New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival
Apr 25 – Houston, TX @ Houston International Festival
Apr 27 – Chapell Hill, NC @ UNC Chapel Hill Memorial Hall
Apr 29 – Washington, DC @ Lisner Auditorium
Apr 30 – New York, NY Fillmore East
May 1 – Somerville, MA @ Somerville Theatre
May 2 – Lebanon, OH @ Lebanon Opera House

BEBEL GILBERTO - ALL IN ONE

“All In One” is Bebel Gilberto’s seductive debut for Verve Foreceast. Known for her adventurous blends of Brazilian, European and electronic pop styles, Gilberto continues to blur musical boundaries. But the sensual rhythms of her native country dominate the production courtesy of Carlinhos Brown, Didi Gutman (Brazilian Girls), Mark Ronson, Daniel Jobim and John King of the acclaimed Dust Brothers. Unlike her previous albums, “All In One” is a more personal endeavor. In addition to silky originals, the album includes imaginitive covers, such as the Ronson produced and Stevie Wonder-penned "The Real Thing," the album's club-ready highlight, featuring a propulsive groove provided by The Dap-Kings. Bebel also recorded Bob Marley's "Sun Is Shining" and Carmen Miranda's "Chica Chica Boom Chic." The latter song, with Carlinhos Brown's percussive-heavy arrangements, is Gilberto's tribute to Miranda. Most of the record is sung in Portuguese, Gilberto’s native language, and was conceived, developed and recorded in her home studio. Gilberto also performs a duet with Daniel Jobim (the grandson of Antonio Carlos Jobim) on “Bim Bom,” a song that was first recorded by her father, bossa nova legend Joao Gilberto.

Bebel Gilberto’s first international hit debut “Tanto Tempo” was released in 2000 and it helped spark a resurgence in American interest in Brazilian music, and it sold millions worldwide. She met with critical acclaim, enjoying global success with the hits “Batucada” and “Technova.” Over the years, she has collaborated with artists including Arto Lindsay, Kenny G, Thievery Corporation, David Bynre, and Nina Miranda. “All In One” will be released on September 29.

HARRY CONNICK JR. - FOR YOUR SONGS

For Your Songs, his newest collection on Columbia Records, Connick expands his vision to encompass 14 classic popular songs; his instrumental pallet through a striking integration of a string orchestra and his swinging Big Band; and his basic approach to recording. Clive Davis, the legendary producer and Chief Creative Officer of Sony Music Entertainment, is the driving force behind the change. "The term 'producer' is normally kind of nebulous in my environment," Connick says. "He might set up the sessions and ensure that we get the best possible sound. Tracey has done that, and acted as a sounding board; but I always made all the musical decisions. As my co-producer on this album, Clive was very involved in the overall concept, song selection and choice of tempos. And, although he didn't come to the studio when we recorded, he gave me lots of comments on the mixes."

It was Davis who suggested that the album be built around pop classics. "He wanted to feature me as a singer," Connick notes, "and we threw ideas for songs back and forth for four or five months. He had ideas on the arrangements as well, including a couple that I would have never thought of. It was a new role for me, and it was invigorating." The songs that Connick and Davis selected include some of the best known work of singer/songwriters Billy Joel ("Just the Way You Are"), Lennon-McCartney ("And I Love Her") and Elton John ("Your Song"), as well as classics made immortal by the likes of Nat Cole ("Mona Lisa"), Frank Sinatra ("All the Way") and Elvis Presley ("Can't Help Falling in Love with You"). "Besame Mucho," sung in both Spanish and English, is a long-time favorite of Connick's father, while "Some Enchanted Evening" was included after Connick heard it performed in the current revival of South Pacific. Regardless of the source, however, Connick approached each title with his usual musicality and interpretive strength.

"Although I have wrestled with this for some time, I don't think that anyone's version of a great song, however classic, should preclude my singing it," he insists. "I respect the originals, but believe that there is always room for another interpretation. I take each song in its rawest form, as it appears on the sheet music, and go from there." When it came to choosing the proper tempos, Davis' input was critical. "The one thing that Clive repeatedly pounded into my brain, which I had been thinking about myself for a while, was how easy it is for tempos to become too slow. He made an interesting point one day when he said that 'it's not always about a performance.' In other words, don't let a song get so into your head that your version only has personal meaning. He really kept my focus on the songs."

Davis also suggested that Connick orchestrate the album, rather than turning arranging chores over to someone else. "I was fine with that, and even kind of excited," Connick admits. "To use a film analogy, it would have been like an actor showing up on a movie set, knowing that the director and producer had worried about everything else. But Clive persuaded me to do it myself." It was a wise decision, as Connick displays a unique and subtle manner of balancing the sensitivity of strings and the punch of his big band. "I have never really been able to do that kind of writing throughout an entire record," he acknowledges. "It's a more spacious approach, with the orchestra in service to the singing; and it was a kick to sing over those charts."

Connick's vocals are also in service to the songs, as are the contributions of his featured guests Branford Marsalis (heard on "All the Way"), Wynton Marsalis ("Can't Help Falling in Love with You" and "Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)") and Bryan Sutton ("Can't Help Falling in Love with You" and "And I Love You So"), as well as longtime Connick Big Band stalwarts Leroy Jones ("(They Long to Be) Close to You") and Jerry Weldon ("Mona Lisa"). "As a singer, I'm pretty straight with the melodies, and when the soloists asked me what I wanted them to do, I explained that this record is supposed to be straight. Playing a melody straight can be deceptively hard. As my bass player Neal Caine pointed out, the album was a great lesson in discipline, and a great way to understand your function in the overall process. On this record, as a pianist, there were times when I would go to play my part with the tape rolling and hardly play anything, because it was all already there."

http://www.harryconnickjr.com/
http://www.columbiarecords.com/

NEW RELEASES FROM DZIHAN & KAMIEN, HARRY CONNICK JR., IVAN LINS, MARCOS VALLE & MORE...

Aaron Bing – Secret Place
Alessia Piermarini – PG Major 7
Amanda Brecker – Brazilian Passion
Avenue H – On The Floor
BTS – A Groove For Candy
Balam – 4 Floors Up
Beverley Knight – 100 Percent
Bloodstone – Bloodstone
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Best Of The Early Singles
Brittany Bosco – Spectrum 2.0
Calvin Richardson – Facts Of Life: The Soul Of Bobby Womack
Cesars Salad – Latin Beat
Chad Taylor – Circle Down
Chill Factors – The Venus Effect
Chris Hunter – Bop City
Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Soul Messin’
Dan Siegel – Sphere
Dennis Gonzalez – Matter Of Blood
Dzhihan & Kamien – Music Matters
Elan Mehler – After Suite
Eric Bolvin – Workin’ It
Eric Robertson – Music Fan First
Esperanza Spalding – Newport Jazz Festival
Fink – Sort Of Revolution
Freddie Washington – In The Moment
Gagle – Slow But Steady
Harry Connick Jr. – Your Songs
Isley Jasper Isley – Broadway’s Closer Than Sunset Boulevard
Ivan Lins – Ivan Lins & The Metropole Orchestra
J. Dee – Smooth On The Move
Jaafer – Travel Light
James Buchert – Electronic Space Odyssey – Transcending Lounge Music
Jazzanova - Kaleidoskop
Jimmy Ruffin – Ruff ‘N’ Ready
Jon Secada - Expressions
Kindred Spirits Ensemble – Love Is Supreme
Kovshik – Beep Tape
Kylie Auldist – Made Of Stone
Marcos Valle & Celso Fonseco – Paginal Central
Mayer Hawthorne – Strange Arrangement
Mike Clinco - Neon
Nils Philips - Rejunction
Obie Jesse – New Atmosphere
Peripheral Enterprise Sound - Unorthodoxy
Peven Everett – Party Of The Year
Phillip Martin - Realization
Quadron – Quadron
Ray Charles – The Genius Hits The Road
Ron Otis – Upfront
Rosalia De Souza – D’improvviso
Russell Taylor – Confessional
Sakura – Real Love
Silky Smooth Music – The All-Star Tribute To Maze Feat. Frankie Beverly
Sky D’or – Inner Music
Timewarp Inc. - Funstrumentals
Uptown Funk Empire – Empire Strikes Back
Various Artists – Chillout In Blue
Various Artists – Hotel Costes Vol. 12
Various Artists – Late Night Lounge
Various Artists – Luxury Lounge 3.0
Various Artists – Sister Bossa Vol. 9
Various Artists – Smooth Jazz Chill Out Lounge
Vusik – Cinematic Scenery Is Here
Wet Cookies – Soul Protection
Whitney Houston – I Look To You
Zero 7 – Yeah Ghost
Zero Cult – Dreams In Stereo

U-NAM & THE ONE SOUL JAZZ SERIES

International Recording Artist U-Nam will be hosting The One Soul Jazz Series every Sunday evening from 6PM-9PM beginning October 18 with Special Guest Oli Silk at The Cellar in Long Beach, California. U-Nam will open the show with his 6-piece band of world renowned musicians and feature chart topping keyboardist Oli Silk. Silk’s current hit, “Chill or Be Chilled” from his current CD entitled, The Limits the Sky, climbed to #3 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart and remained in the Top 10 for 4 months. He has been a featured keyboardist with Peter White’s Band, Euge Groove and Marc Antoine to name a few. Hailing from Paris, France, U-Nam best known for his #1 instrumental single, “Street Life” from the CD entitled, Back FromThe 80’s topped Billboards Top 10 charts for an entire year. U-Nam’s recently released CD, Unanimity is sure to take the world by storm with his unique guitar sound and funky soul filled melodies.

U-Nam was born Emmanuel Abiteboul in 1970 in Paris, France where he picked up the guitar at age 12 and studied for three years at the Paris-based CIM – the first European school for jazz – between 1986 and 1989. At age 19 he turned professional, becoming a fixture at various Paris studio sessions. He continued to produce and make music before releasing “The Past Builds the Future” on the Trippin’N’Rhythm record label in 2005, scoring a smooth jazz hit with “I’m Only U-Nam.” For the past ten years, while focusing on his solo career, U-Nam has also devoted himself to songwriting, production and remixes, working for national and international acts such as Barry White, Honeyz, Luis Fonsi, Alsou, Kool & the Gang, Billy Paul, and CNote. U-Nam’s biggest success has come with Pop/Rock vocalist Cindy Daniel, whose 2006 CD titled “J’avoue” reached No. 1 in album sales in Quebec, Canada. U-Nam produced the project.

On October 25, U-Nam will host the Official Grand Opening of the Jazz Series and will be celebrating his Birthday at The Cellar as well. VIPs and Press from all over the country are expected to attend along with several surprise guest musicians for a great night of Smooth Jazz and Funk. Other artists scheduled to appear with U-Nam are Michael Paulo (November 8) and Gregg Karukas (November 22). The Cellar is located in downtown Long Beach and offers an intimate vibe not unlike the nightclubs of a bygone era. Owner, Chef Paul St Bernard offers his signature dishes that include home style cooking at affordable prices. At $15 general admission and $25 VIP seating, The Cellar is offering award winning entertainment for a reasonable price compared to most.

ACCUJAZZ RADIO ADDS BRAZILIAN CHANNEL

AccuJazz is an all-Jazz radio station designed to showcase the exciting potential of the new medium of Internet radio. It contains over two-dozen jazz channels based on categories of style, instrument, composer, region and decade. Each channel is further customizable by the option to "deselect" artists the listener would rather not hear. A new subchannel is added every week. The variety of channels and their customizable nature makes AccuJazz a jazz radio experience unlike any other. AccuJazz is provided by AccuRadio, a top-10 webcaster with over 300 channels and 400,000 unique listeners per month. Every month, 5 notable new releases are featured on the AccuJazz.com home page and are featured heavily in the AccuJazz programming. There are over 15,000 songs playing on the many AccuJazz channels, and new music is always being added. The AccuJazz Main Channel reflects the most current jazz charts and is programmed by Lucas Gillan, a working musician and avid jazz fan based in Chicago. Now AccuJazz Internet radio has just launched a new streaming channel devoted to the Bossa Nova style of music originally created by Antonio Carlos Jobim. Listeners can enjoy a playlist consisting of over 600 songs playing on the channel. The playlist includes timeless bossa nova by Joao Gilberto, Charlie Byrd, Stan Getz, Bebel Gilberto, Astrud Gilberto, Dexter Gordon, Joe Henderson, and jazz-tinged MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira) by artists such as Joao Bosco, Gilberto Gil, Beth Carvalho, and Caetano Veloso. Brazilian expatriates such as Eliane Elias, Jovino Santos Neto, Luciana Souza and Claudio Roditi also make up a large portion of the playlist. "Brazilian Jazz" brings the tally of AccuJazz channels to 48, joining other popular channels like "Piano Jazz," "Decade: 50s," "Straight Ahead," and "Jazz Fusion." As with all AccuJazz channels, listeners can customize their experience by pausing, skipping songs, and "deselecting" artists they would rather not hear.

AccuJazz.com

THE OCTOBER CONCERT CALENDAR

Bela Fleck @ Princeton Conservatory, Princeton, NJ, Oct 1
Joyce, Joao Donato @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 1
Ottmar Liebert @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Oct 1
Maxi Priest @ BB Kings, New York, NY, Oct 1
Peter White @ Jazztrax, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 1
All Stars Collective, Jocelyn Brown @ Le Manoir, London, UK, Oct 1
Van Morison @ Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier, Montreal, QC, Oct 1

Peter White @ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival,
Catalina Island, CA, Oct 1

Dennis Edwards & The Temptations Revue, Russell Thompkins Jr. &
The Stylistics, Peabo Bryson, Deniece Williams, Jimmy Ruffin,
Billy Paul, Freda Payne, Jean Knight, Percy Sledge @
The Journal TV Net Theatre, London, UK, Oct 1-2

Earl Klugh @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, Oct 1-3
Bela Fleck @ Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA, Oct 2
Maxwell @ Verizon Center, Washington, DC, Oct 2
Kenny G @ Cheyenne Civic Center, Cheyenne, WY, Oct 2
Pjil Perry @ Bishop Arts Center, Dallas, TX, Oct 2
Natalie Cole @ The Venue At Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN, Oct 2
Medeski Martin & Wood @ Austin City Limits, Austin, TX, Oct 2
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, TX, Oct 2

Oli Silk, Nick Colionne @ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival,
Catalina Island, CA, Oct 2

Peter White @ Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Amphitheater,
Newport Beach, CA, Oct 2

Brian Culbertson, Larry Graham, Funk All-Stars @ Billboard Live,
Osaka, Japan, Oct 2-3

Ahmad Jamal @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Oct 2-3
Eldar @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 2-3
Ramsey Lewis @ Yoshi’s, San Francisco, CA, Oct 2-4
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Winstar Casino, Thackerville, OK, Oct 3
Kenny G @ Union Colony Civic Center, Greeley, CO, Oct 3
Natalie Cole @ Motorcity Casino-Sound Board, Detroit, MI, Oct 3
Maxwell @ Wachovia Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA, Oct 3
Bela Fleck @ The Egg, Albany, NY, Oct 3
Peter White @ Thornton Winery, Temecula, CA, Oct 3

Najee, Kyle Eastwood, Cindy Bradley, Paul Brown, Marc Antoine
@ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 3

Earl Klugh, Chris Standring, Michael Lington, Greg Karukas
@ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 4

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Meyerson Symphony Hall, Dallas, TX, Oct 4
Thievery Corporation @ House Of Blues, Dallas, TX, Oct 4
Charlie Wilson @ Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, NV, Oct 4
Ron Carter Quartet @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 4-9
Bela Fleck @ University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, Oct 5
Maxwell @ Phillips Arena, Atlanta, GA, Oct 5
Maxwell @ Time Warner Calbe Arena, Charlotte, NC, Oct 6
Natalie Cole @ The Rose Theater, Brampton, ON, Oct 6
Bela Fleck @ Williams Center, Easton, PA, Oct 6
Thievery Corporation @ House Of Blues, Houston, TX, Oct 6
Bobby Caldwell @ Birdland, New York, NY, Oct 6-10
Patti LaBelle @ Seminole Hard Rock Live, Hollywood, FL, Oct 8
Bela Fleck @ University of Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, Oct 8
Maxwell @ United Center, Chicago, IL, Oct 8
Baaba Maal @ UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 8
Thievery Corporation @ House Of Blues, Orlando, FL, Oct 8
Mindi Abair @ Catalina Island Jazz Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 8
Susan Tedeschi @ Skowhegan Opera House, Skowhegan, ME, Oct 8
Acoustic Alchemy @ Boulton Center, Bayshore, NY, Oct 8
Susan Tedeschi @ Topsfield Fair, Topsfield, MA, Oct 9
Larry Carlton, Robben Ford @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Oct 9
Natalie Cole @ The Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA, Oct 9
Patti Austin @ Smooth Jazz Cruise Chelsea Piers, New York, NY, Oct 9
Maxwell @ Scottrade Center, St. Louis, MO, Oct 9
Basia @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Oct 9
Thievery Corporation @ The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL. Oct 9

Phillip Martin, Tim Bowman @ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival,
Catalina Island, CA, Oct 9

Acoustic Alchemy @ Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA, Oct 9-10

Pieces Of A Dream, Four 80 East, Jesse Cook, Nils
@ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 10

Susan Tedeschi @ Community Theatre, Morristown, NJ, Oct 10
The Rippingtons @ Bouldet Station, Las Vegas, NV, Oct 10
The Wailers @ NY Harvest Festival, Hancock, NY, Oct 10
Natalie Cole @ Zoellner Arts Center, Bethlehem, PA, Oct 10
Tania Maria @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Oct 10
Branford Marsalis @ Sandler Center, Virginia Beach, VA, Oct 10
Thievery Corporation @Ritz Theatre, Tampa, FL, Oct 10
Patti Austin @ Smooth Jazz Cruise, New York, NY, Oct 10
Larry Carlton, Robben Ford @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 10-14

David Sanborn, Jonathan Butler, Candy Dulfer, Najee, Mike Phillips,
Brian Culberston, Patti Austin @ Capitol Jazz Supercruise, Oct 10-17

Bonnie Raitt @ Koger Center, Columbia, SC, Oct 11
Geoff Eales @ The Forge, London, UK, Oct 11
Jackiem Joyner @ JazzTraxx, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 11
Will Downing @ Prime Time Theatre, Sayreville, NY, Oct 11
Acoustic Alchemy @ Tupelo Music Hall, Londonberry, NH, Oct 11
Susan Tedeschi @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT, Oct 11
Thievery Corporation @ Tabernacle, Atlanta, GA, Oct 11

Norman Brown, Paul Taylor, Matt Marshak, Cindy Bradley
@ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 11

Bela Fleck @ Memorial Hall, Chapel Hill, NC, Oct 11
Steely Dan @ Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA, Oct 12-13
Bonnie Raitt @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC, Oct 13
Maxwell @ Toyota Center, Houston, TX, Oct. 13
Basia @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Oct 13
Acoustic Alchemy @ BB King’s, New York, NY, Oct 13
Marc Broussard @ Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Oct 13
Bonnie Raitt @ Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TX, Oct 14
Mica Paris @ Jazz Café, London, UK, Oct 14
Pat Martino Quartet @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Oct 14
Marc Broussard @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Oct 14
Bela Fleck @ Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA, Oct 15
Keiko Matsui @ Catalina Island Jazz Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 15
Quasimode @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Oct 15
Poncho Sanchez @ Kyoto Grand Hotel, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 15
Acoustic Alchemy @ Town Crier, Pawling, NY, Oct 15

Keiko Matsui @ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival,
Catalina Island, CA, Oct 15

Mindi Abair Peter White @ Rehoboth Beach Autumn Jazz Festival,
Rehoboth, DE, Oct 15

Basia @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 15-19
Bela Fleck @ Goshen College, Goshen, IN, Oct 16
Steely Dan @ Pechanga Resort, Temecula, CA, Oct 16
Acoustic Alchemy @ The Egg-Swyer Theater, Albany, NY, Oct 16
Marc Broussard @ The Concert Hall, New York, NY, Oct 16
Maxwell @ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 16
Eric Darius, Cindy Bradley @ JazzTraxx, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 16
Bonnie Raitt @ Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah, GA, Oct 16

Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Vacaville Performing Arts Theatre,
Vacaville, CA, Oct 16

Cindy Bradley, Eric Darius @ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival,
Catalina Island, CA, Oct 16

Al Green @ BB Kings, New York, NY, Oct 16-17
Matisyahu @ Flames Central, Calgary, ON, Oct 17
Steely Dan @ Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, CA, Oct 17
Acoustic Alchemy @ Infinity Hall, Norfolk, CT, Oct 17
Bonnie Raitt @ House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC, Oct 17
Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Heritage Theatre, Campbell, GA, Oct 17
Marc Broussard @ Stage One, Fairfield, CT, Oct 17
Baaba Maal @ Joe’s Pub, New York, NY, Oct 17

Jackiem Joyner, Kim Waters, Craig Sharmat, Bernie Williams
@ Catalina Island JazzTraxx Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 17

Susan Tedeschi @ Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise,
San Diego, CA, Oct 17-24

George Duke, Jessy J, Drew Davidson, Gail Johnson @ Catalina Island
JazzTraxx Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 18

Sheila E., Pete Escovedo, Dave Koz, Patrice Rushen, Ndugu Chancler @
Vista Del Mar Jazz Fest, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 18

Bela Fleck @ Gusman Hall, Miami, FL, Oct 18
Acoustic Alchemy @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Oct 18
U-Nam, Oli Silk @ The Cellar, Long Beach, CA, Oct 18
Branford Marsalis @ Eastman Theatre, Rochester, NY, Oct 18
Matisyahu @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Oct 18
Marc Broussard @ World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA, Oct 18
Queen Latifah @ California Center For The Arts, Escondido, CA, Oct 19
Matisyahu @ McDonald Theatre, Eugene, OR, Oct 19
Matisyahu @ Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA, Oct 20
Acoustic Alchemy @ Blair Mansion, Silver Spring, MD, Oct 20
Bela Fleck @ Ideda Theater, Mesa, AZ, Oct 20
Geoff Eales @ Dempsey’s, Cardiff, UK, Oct 20
Marc Broussard @ S.P.A.C.E., Evanston, IL, Oct 20
Bonnie Raitt @ Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL, Oct 20
Omara Portuondo @ Palace Of Fine Arts Theatre, San Fransisco, CA, Oct 20
Steely Dan @ San Jose Civic Auditorium, San Jose, CA, Oct 20-21
Thievery Corporation @ Royal Oak Music Theatre, Detroit, MI, Oct 21
Matisyahu @ House Of Blues, Anaheim, CA, Oct 21
Lee Ritenour @ Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA, Oct 21
Matisyahu @ The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA, Oct 22
Bonnie Raitt @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Oct 22
Bela Fleck @ Royce Hall, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 22
Candy Dulfer @ General Musik Direktion, Graz, Austria, Oct 22
Marc Broussard @ The Rutledge, Nashville, TN, Oct 22
Baaba Maal @ Zuiderpershuis, Antwerp, Belgium, Oct 22
Bobby Caldwell @ Billboard Live, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 22-25
David Sanborn @ Yoshi’s, San Francisco, CA, Oct 22-25
Phil Perry @ John Lyman Center, New Haven, CT, Oct 23
Marc Broussard @ Center Stage In The Round, Atlanta, GA, Oct 23
Omara Portuondo @ UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 23
Bonnie Raitt @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, Pompano Beach, FL, Oct 23
Thievery Corporation @ Kool Haus, Toronto, ON, Oct 23

Bettye LaVette @ James Lumber Center For The Performing Arts,
Grayslake, IL, Oct 23

Lee Ritenour @ Catalina Bar & Grill, Hollywood, CA, Oct 23-25
Steely Dan @ Masonic Hall, San Francisco, CA, Oct 23-25
Bettye LaVette @ McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn, IL, Oct 24
Matisyahu @ Kick Gas Festival, San Diego, CA, Oct 24
Candy Dulfer @ Infiniti Arena, Kosice, Slovakia, Oct 24
Geoff Eales @ Lifford Hall, Broadway Worcs, UK, Oct 24
Baaba Maal @ Paradiso, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Oct 24
Will Downing @ The Canon Center, Memphis, TN, Oct 24
Michael Lington @ Santa Fe, Las Vegas, NV, Oct 24
Marc Broussard @ Bass Performance Hall, Fort Worth, TX, Oct 24
Van Morrison @ Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT, Oct 24
Kim Waters @ Georgia Institute Technology, Atlanta, GA, Oct 24
Bonnie Raitt @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL, Oct 24
Bela Fleck @ Chan Center, Vancouver, BC, Oct 24
George Benson @ Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, NY, Oct 24
Chris Botti @ Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY, Oct 24
Thievery Corporation @ Metropolis, Montreal, QC, Oct 24
Matisyahu @ Marquee Theatre, Tempe, AZ, Oct 25
Baaba Maal @ Kantine, Cologne, Germany, Oct 25
Will Downing @ Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, Oct 25
Candy Dulfer @ PKO, Bratislava, Slovakia, Oct 25
Melba Moore @ The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis, MO, Oct 25
Natalie Cole @ Konzerthaus, Vienna, Austria, Oct 25
Thievery Corporation @ The House Of Blues, Boston, MA, Oct 26
Baaba Maal @ Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany, Oct 26
Marc Broussard @ The Mint, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 26-27
Matisyahu @ The Fillmore, Denver, CO, Oct 27
Natalie Cole @ SalaPalatuiul, Bucharest, Romania, Oct 27
Regina Carter @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Oct 27
Steel Dan @ Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, Oct 27
Baaba Maal @ Astra, Berlin, Germany, Oct 27
Bobby Caldwell @ Billboard Live, Osaka, Japan, Oct 27-29
Dave Koz, Jonathan Butler @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 27-31
Bela Fleck @ San Francisco Jazz Festival, San Francisco, CA, Oct 28
Inner Circle @ Roxy Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 28
Thievery Corporation @ The Norva, Norfolk, VA, Oct 28
Geoff Eales @ Canterbury Festival Club, Canterbury, UK, Oct 28
Kurt Elling, Ernie Watts @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Oct 28
Van Morrison @ MGM Grand, Mashantucket, CT, Oct 29
Baaba Maal @ Muffathalle, Munich, Germany, Oct 29
Steely Dan @ Wells Fargo Theatre, Denver, CO, Oct 29
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ Verizon Wireless, Houston, TX, Oct 29
Natalie Cole @ Congress Hall, Warsaw, Poland, Oct 29
Matisyahu @ People’s Court, Des Moines, IA, Oct 29
Phil Perry @ Sambuca, Atlanta, GA, Oct 29
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Tbilisi Concert Hall, Tbilisi, GA, Oct 28
Marc Broussard @ Café du Nord, San Francisco, CA, Oct 29

Thievery Corporation @ Charlottesville Pavilion,
Charlottesville, VA, Oct 29

Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White @ The Blue Note,
Milan, Italy, Oct 29-30

Quincy Jones, Patti Austin, Erykah Badu, James Ingram, Wyclef Jean,
John Legend, Michael McDonald, Kenny Rogers, Naturally Seven,
Greg Phillinganes, Paul Jackson, Jr.
@ Bermuda Jazz Festival, Bermuda, Oct 29-31

Chris Botti @ Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington, DC, Oct 29-31
Marc Broussard @ Tractor Tavern, Seattle, WA, Oct 30
Baaba Maal @ Rote Fabrik, Zurich, Switzerland, Oct 30
Federico Aubele @ The Rivoli, Toronto, ON, Oct 30
Bobby Caldwell @ Doshin Hall, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Oct 30
Inner Circle @ Canes, San Diego, CA, Oct 30
Thievery Corporation @ Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA, Oct 30
Kenny G @ The Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Oct 31
Thievery Corporation @ Terminal 5, New York, NY, Oct 31
Geoff Eales @ Pizza Express, Maidstone, UK, Oct 31
Federico Aubele @ Shuba’s, Chicago, IL, Oct 31
N’Dambi @ Muse Café Theater, Dallas, TX, Oct 31
Eric Benet, Ledisi @ Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, Oct 31
Inner Circle @ Soho, Santa Barbara, CA, Oct 31
Phil Perry @ Roper Performing Arts Center, Norfolk, VA, Oct 31
Baaba Maal @ Porgy & Bess, Vienna, Austria, Oct 31
Natalie Cole @ Avo Sessions, Basel, Switzerland, Noc 31
Lee Ritenour @ Jazznojazz Festival, Zurich, Switzerland, Oct 31
Bill Frisell 858 Quartet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Oct 31
Matisyahu @ Pabst Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, Oct 31George Duke @ Stadsschouwburg, Amsterdam, Holland, Oct 31

GABRIELA ANDERS - BOSSA BELEZA

E1 Music has announced the release of "Bossa Beleza" from Argentinean-born artist Gabriela Anders. This soulful collection of classic Bossa Nova songs from Anders, now a local New Yorker, has been released in Japan and will be available in the U.S. on September 29th, 2009. Gabriela's entire life has revolved around music. Her training began at an early age learning and playing the piano and classical guitar in her native Buenos Aires. Her father was jazz saxophonist Jorge Anders, who filled her childhood home with Afro-Cuban and Jazz influences, such as Stan Getz and Dexter Gordon. Gabriela's career really took off once she came to New York. A recent high school graduate, she found herself working with top producer Sergio George, and had the opportunity to record with Marc Anthony, Grover Washington Jr., Celia Cruz and Tahlia. Her first album, "Wanting," had a unique combination of pop, Latin, and jazz, prompting Vogue and People to describe her music as exotic and bold. Back in 2004 she had amazing success with a Billie Holiday tribute album entitled "Last Tango in Rio." Her music has also been featured in a Mercedes-Benz television ad campaign. On "Bossa Beleza" one hears Bossa Nova at its best with Brazilian classics such as "Dindi," "Folhas Secas," "One Note Samba" and "Agua de Beber." It's clear that artists such as Jobim and Gilberto have made quite an impression on this young star. But Anders is still an American girl who also has fun on this album with classic covers such as "Satisfaction" by the Rolling Stones and "September" by Earth, Wind and Fire. "Bossa Beleza" also features three original Anders compositions, completing this very special addition to the shelf of international lounge classics.

http://www.gabrielaanders.com/
http://www.kochrecords.com/

BARRY WHITE - NUMBER ONES & UNLIMITED BOX SET

Barry White's deep, mesmerizing voice, romantic rhythms and satiny late-night love songs elevated the singer-songwriter-producer into a global icon. In celebration of his phenomenal career, Hip-O/UMe in association with the Barry White estate will release Number Ones, his first-ever collection of No. 1 hits, on September 15, 2009, three days after what would have been his 65th birthday (Sept. 12; Barry died July 4, 2003). In addition, Unlimited, a 5-disc, limited edition, career-spanning, rarities box set, will be released October 27. Number Ones brings together all of White's No. 1 hits as a solo artist and as leader of the instrumental ensemble Love Unlimited Orchestra plus his No. 1 production for his girl group Love Unlimited. Five bonus tracks that just missed the top spot and/or have become hip-hop sample favorites are also included.

White reluctantly stepped in front of the microphone to make his national recording debut as a solo artist in 1973. In just the next two years he scored four gold No. 1 hits: "I'm Gonna Love You Just A Little More, Baby" (#3 Pop/#1 R&B), "Never, Never Gonna Give Ya Up" (Cash Box #1 R&B, Billboard #7 Pop/#2 R&B), "Can't Get Enough Of Your Love, Babe" (#1 Pop/#1 R&B) and "You're The First, The Last, My Everything" (#2 Pop/#1 R&B). At the same time, his classic "Love's Theme" from Love Unlimited Orchestra, on which he played piano in addition to writing and producing, was a #1 Pop/#10 R&B smash - making Barry White the only artist ever to have No. 1 hits with a vocal and an instrumental record in the same year.

The rest of the decade brought "I Belong To You" from Love Unlimited (#1 R&B), "What Am I Gonna Do With You" (#8 Pop/#1 R&B), "Let The Music Play" (#4 R&B), the gold-selling "It's Ecstasy When You Lay Down Next To Me" (#4 Pop/#1 R&B), "Your Sweetness Is My Weakness" (#2 R&B) and the jazzy "Playing Your Game, Baby" (#8 R&B). From his Love Unlimited Orchestra, there was the #1 Disco/Dance combo single "My Sweet Summer Suite" and "Brazilian Love Song."

Number Ones also includes "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)," his 1989 gold-certified No. 1 R&B collaboration with Quincy Jones, Al B. Sure!, James Ingram and El DeBarge. White scored in 1991 with "Put Me In Your Mix" (#2 R&B) and returned to the top of the charts with 1994's gold-seller "Practice What You Preach" (#1 R&B), co-written by second-generation star Gerald Levert. Later in the '90s, Barry won a new audience when his music was used in the hit television series Ally McBeal. An additional bonus track is "Sho' You Right," one of his personal favorites that became a Top 20 R&B hit in 1987.

A rarities collection celebrating Barry's depth as a songwriter and producer, the 4-CD/1-DVD Unlimited box set presents tracks from when he stepped out with his own sound, with Love Unlimited in 1972, through his final studio album, the Grammy(R)-winning Staying Power, released in 1999. Highlighted on the CDs are extended and/or rare versions of his hits, never-compiled personal favorites and LP tracks, and rare BW productions from a dozen different artists, including Gloria Scott, Tom Brock, Love Unlimited, Love Unlimited Orchestra, White Heat and others. The DVD offers every video from his tenure on A&M Records ("Practice What You Preach," "Sho' You Right," "Come On" and eight more) and rare bonus clips, including a live duet with Luciano Pavarotti that has become a YouTube phenomenon; each clip has bonus commentary from Jack Perry, White's longtime friend, co-producer and musical director. Liner notes in the lavish packaging - including an essay and commentary by Barry White himself and by Perry, with additional notes from Quincy Jones - reveal the stories behind the songs and the man who made some of the funkiest, most romantic music of all time.

www.ilovethatsong.com

QUINCY JONES & FRIENDS @ BERMUDA JAZZ FESTIVAL

"Quincy Jones and Friends" will be staged over three days from October 29-31, 2009, in a spectacular setting on the tip of the island of Bermuda, surrounded by crystal blue waters and performed under the stars. On the final night, October 31st (Halloween) there will be a special performance of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" - 25 years after the best-selling album of all-time was first produced by Quincy Jones. The Bermuda Music Festival, sponsored by the Bermuda Department of Tourism, broke all attendance records last year when Beyonce and Alicia Keys performed on the island. This October, the Festival will take its musical presentation to another level by showcasing the many talents of living legend Quincy Jones - a 27 time Grammy Award winner, with a record 79 Grammy nominations. The prolific Jones will conduct, arrange and perform with artists who share his passions, many of whom he has mentored or guided at different points in their careers.

The lineup - like Quincy's own career - mixes a broad variety of talent, range and style. The elite group of musicians share both musical roots and - in some cases personal ties - with the man who has collaborated with talents as diverse as Frank Sinatra, Will Smith and Ella Fitzgerald. The 2009 Bermuda Music Festival artists, with over 45 Grammies between them, are:

Patti Austin - A beloved singer and member of Quincy's extended family, Patti has worked with Quincy since she was 4 years old. Proud to be Patti's godfather, Q produced her #1 hit "Baby, Come to Me" - a duet with James Ingram. She later teamed up with Ingram once again for chart-topper "How Do You Keep the Music Playing." Patti's other work with the Quincy "family" includes collaboration with both Quincy and Michael Jackson on "Off The Wall" and "The Wiz."

Erykah Badu - Acclaimed, multiple Grammy winner who is known as the "First Lady of Neo-Soul." Her work blends many musical genres - something which Quincy will do in Bermuda - and includes elements from R&B, hip hop and jazz, weaving unusual musical influences together to create a rich texture of sound. In many aspects she remains the quintessential Hip-Hop B-Girl, although she no longer rhymes.

James Ingram - Versatile soul musician and acclaimed vocalist, James and Quincy have collaborated in many ways, including their stunning "cold open" of the 1984 Grammy Award telecast, performing "Just Once." He co-wrote "P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)," recorded by Michael Jackson on his blockbuster Thriller. James and Quincy's other hits include "Secret Garden" (written and produced by Quincy), which hit #1 on the Billboard AC chart and "One Hundred Ways" for which James won the Grammy for Best R&B Vocal.

Wyclef Jean - A multi-platinum Haitian-American musician, actor, producer and social entrepreneur. He recently performed at the 2009 Montreux Jazz Festival, where he was introduced by Quincy Jones, and dedicated his set to Quincy. The two musicians share a deep commitment to philanthropy and Wyclef is a Haitian Goodwill Ambassador. Through the foundation he created, Yele Haiti, Wyclef supports projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development. Wyclef has just finished recording for the upcoming Quincy Jones Tribute Album, out shortly on Interscope Records.

John Legend - Six-time Grammy award winner, recording artist, musician and actor, Quincy just penned John's entry in the 2009 TIME 100 Most Influential People issue (http://tinyurl.com/ckckjk), where he stated that Legend has "a dedicated work ethic born of (his) desire and God-given talents to be the best at (his) craft that (he) could be." Jones and Legend recently recorded the ballad "Tomorrow," which will be featured on Jones' forthcoming tribute album.

Michael McDonald - Michael is known around the world as a founding member of both the Doobie Brothers and Steely Dan. A gold and platinum-selling American R&B/soul singer and songwriter, he teamed up with James Ingram on the album "It's Your Night," produced by Quincy Jones. His duet with Ingram, "Yah Mo Be There" won the Grammy for Best R&B Performance by a Duo.

Kenny Rogers - One of the first four artists to appear in "We Are the World," the best-selling single of all time, produced by Quincy Jones. With an instantly identifiable raspy voice, Rogers' songs "Lady," "The Gambler," "She Believes in Me," "Islands in the Stream," are beloved around the world. Though theoretically a country singer, Rogers has delivered chart-topping memorable songs for more than five decades to fans among rock, pop, soul and country audiences.

Naturally Seven - An innovative R& B music group with a distinct a cappella style that they call "Vocal Play." Quincy is currently working on contemporary remakes of the songs "Relax Max" and "Soul Bossa Nova" with Naturally Seven. This past summer, they stunned audiences new to their work with their special tribute to Michael Jackson at the Quincy Jones 75th Birthday Celebration during the Montreux Jazz Festival.

The artists will perform with an international orchestra, assembled by Quincy and comprised of some of the music world's most respected talents: Greg Phillinganes, music director, writer, arranger, producer and 34-year veteran musician; R&B guitarist Paul Jackson Jr.; and John Robinson, Q's drummer since 1979 and the drummer for Barbra Streisand from 1993 through the present. Local Bermudian musicians will also join these global talents for a truly unique collaboration.

LAURA IZIBOR FALL 2009 TOUR DATES

Atlantic recording artist Laura Izibor has announced a busy schedule of fall concert dates. The critically acclaimed Irish soul singer will join John Legend as special guest on his upcoming US tour, kicking off on September 16th at Humphrey's Concerts By The Bay in San Diego. Izibor also has slated a number of major headline shows, including eagerly anticipated dates in Los Angeles, West Palm Beach, and New York City (see itinerary below). The tour marks the recent release of Izibor's much-admired debut album, "Let The Truth Be Told." The collection is highlighted by the singles, "From My Heart To Yours" and "Don't Stay." The latter track is looking like a major hit for the Dublin-based singer, having quickly ascended to the top 20 at Urban Adult Contemporary radio outlets nationwide. In addition, the "Don't Stay" companion video has just been added into "Power" rotation at VH1 Soul and is "Soul Approved" rotation at BETJ.

Izibor, who just received a prestigious "Best Newcomer" nomination from the MOBO Awards, the UK's annual celebration of music of black origin - will make her late night TV debut with a September 28th performance on CBS' "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson." The track proved a multi-format hit upon its release last spring, reaching the top 10 at Urban AC. The companion video clip for "From My Heart To Yours" also scored major rotation at BETJ and VH1 Soul, which named Laura one of their "You Oughta Know" artists.

A tireless performer, Izibor recently finished up a US tour supporting Maxwell, having already shared stages with such greats as India.Arie, Aretha Franklin, Al Green, John Legend, James Brown, Angie Stone, and Atlantic labelmate Estelle. The Maxwell tour earned Laura ecstatic press across the country. The Philadelphia Inquirer praised Izibor for "delivering an invigorating performance full of soul, with an international twist... the Irish-born Izibor spun tunes of unrequited, misplaced, and adoring love into a 13-song performance full of piano-built feel-good music, slow melodies, and lush coos." The Palm Beach Post found it " ...difficult to believe someone so young could have the breadth of experience necessary to write such songs of deep reflection and insight," adding that Laura "performs her songs with such emotion that she draws you right into the experience with her."

Izibor has already drawn tremendous praise from a wide range of national and international publications, including Rolling Stone, which featured her among its "Artists To Watch." Ebony declared Laura to be the "Soul of Ireland," noting that her music "brings to mind the echo of older, soulful songstresses like Aretha Franklin," while Essence hailed the album as "a sweet, sophisticated debut filled with catchy tunes about female empowerment and ballads about achy love that have the right amount of blues, grit and gospel emotion."

Born and raised in Dublin, Izibor became enthralled with the sounds of classic soul and R&B at an early age. By 15, she had honed her vocal talent to such a high level that she won Ireland's prestigious RTÉ 2fm Song Contest. It wasn't long before Laura began working on what would ultimately become "Let The Truth Be Told," recording her self-penned songs in such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dublin. From the sassy "Shine" to the deeply personal "If Tonight Is My Last," "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD" is rich with authenticity and passion, its songs revealing Izibor's uniquely heartfelt take on life and love.

LAURA IZIBOR - ON TOUR 2009
All Dates w/John Legend Except * Headline Shows

SEPTEMBER
16 - San Diego, CA @ Humphrey's Concerts By the Bay
17 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy *
18 - Las Vegas, NV @ Red Rock Casino
19 - Temecula, CA @ Pechanga Resort & Casino
20 - Tucson, AZ @ Music Hall/Tucson Convention Center
22 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Palm Beach Improv *
24 - Charlotte, NC @ Utopia Soundstage *
25 - Biloxi, MS @ Beau Rivage Theatre
26 - Little Rock, AR @ Robinson Center
28 - Salina, KS @ Stiefel Theatre for the Performing Arts
30 - Houston, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

OCTOBER
2 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits Festival
3 - Thackerville, OK @ Winstar Casino
4 - Dallas, TX @ Meyerson Symphony Hall

NOVEMBER
3 - New York, NY @ Highline Ballroom *

http://www.lauraizibor.com/
www.myspace.com/lauraizibor

ENNIO MORRICONE - ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

Legendary Italian maestro Ennio Morricone will conduct the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra in an evening of music drawn from his most famous film scores -- including "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly"; "The Untouchables"; "Cinema Paradiso"; "Once Upon a Time in America"; "The Mission"; "Once Upon a Time in the West"; "A Fistful of Dollars"; "Sacco and Vanzetti"; "The Battle of Algiers"; "A Fistful of Dynamite"; and "U Turn" - at Hollywood Bowl on October 25. The evening, which also includes participation by the Angeles Chorale, is billed as "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood," and will be Morricone's only U.S. concert appearance of the year. Ennio Morricone's rise to film music prominence and worldwide acclaim began in 1964 when he teamed up with friend and former classmate, director Sergio Leone, for a series of westerns (the Italian-produced "spaghetti westerns"), beginning with "A Fistful of Dollars" in 1964. Morricone's innovative scores for Leone's films incorporated gunshots, whip cracks, whistling, wordless vocals, Jew's harp, and electric guitars. The spare, evocative soundscapes shot through with memorable instrumental motifs changed the way westerns sounded forever and have influenced Hollywood soundtracks ever since. Most recently, Morricone's music can be heard in Quentin Tarantino's just-released World War II romp "Inglourious Basterds."

In addition to receiving an Honorary Oscar in 2007 and five previous Academy Award nominations, Morricone has been showered with awards and accolades including five BAFTAs (the British equivalent of the Oscar), eight Nastro D'Argento and seven David di Donatello awards in his native Italy, and France's Legion of Honor Knighthood in 2009. His Oscar nominations were for scores to such wide-ranging films as Terrence Malick's "Days of Heaven," Roland Joffé's "The Mission," Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables," Barry Levinson's "Bugsy," and Giuseppe Tornatore's "Malena."

Morricone was born in Rome on November 10, 1928, earned a degree in composition from the National Academy of Santa Cecilia in 1954 and has since scored more than 450 films. He scored his first film, "Il Federale," in 1961 and his unique collaboration with Sergio Leone extended to the westerns "For a Few Dollars More," "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" -- the 1967 soundtrack LP was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2009 -- "Once Upon a Time in the West," "A Fistful of Dynamite," and the gangster epic "Once Upon a Time in America." Morricone - who scored 20 films in 1968 alone - has composed music for everything from comedies (all three "La Cage aux Folles" films) and cult thrillers (Mario Bava's "Danger: Diabolik" and Dario Argento's "The Bird with the Crystal Plumage," "The Cat o' Nine Tails," and "Four Flies on Grey Velvet") to historical dramas (Gilo Pontecorvo's "The Battle of Algiers," Bernardo Bertolucci's "1900") and science fiction (Brian De Palma's "Mission to Mars," John Carpenter's "The Thing").

Along the way, he has also worked with such acclaimed directors as Pier Paolo Pasolini ("The Decameron," "120 Days of Sodom"), Giuseppe Tornatore ("Cinema Paradiso," "The Legend of 1900"), Pedro Almodovar ("Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!"), Roman Polanski ("Frantic"), John Boorman ("Exorcist II: The Heretic"), Wolfgang Peterson ("In the Line of Fire"), Mike Nichols ("Wolf"), Lina Wertmuller ("Violent City"), Samuel Fuller ("White Dog"), Warren Beatty ("Bulworth"), and Oliver Stone ("U-Turn").

"Inglourious Basterds" is not the only Tarantino film to incorporate Morricone's work. The director is such a fan of Morricone's music that he's integrated many of the maestro's previous compositions into the soundtracks for both "Kill Bill" films and his "Death Proof" portion of "Grindhouse." Morricone's influence also extends into the realm of pop music: Hugo Montenegro's version of the main theme to "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" hit No. 2 on the U.S. charts in 1968 -- and a 2007 tribute album ("We All Love Ennio Morricone") featured interpretations of the maestro's works by such diverse artists as Bruce Springsteen, Herbie Hancock & Quincy Jones, Yo-Yo Ma, Metallica, Andrea Bocelli, Sarah Brightman, Chris Botti, and Celine Dion, whose contribution "I Know I Loved You" sports lyrics written by Marilyn & Alan Bergman to "Deborah's Theme" from "Once Upon a Time in America."

DAVE KOZ ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

In a career spanning two decades, Dave Koz has established himself as a platinum-selling artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, radio host, and instrumental music advocate. A six-time Grammy® nominee, the list of artists he has played with bears testament to his talent and includes such musical luminaries as Burt Bacharach, Ray Charles, Natalie Cole, Celine Dion, Kenny Loggins, U2, Barry Manilow, Michael McDonald, Luther Vandross, and Rod Stewart. Now Dave Koz is about to get his own star at the Hollywood Walk Of Fame on September 22. His will be the 2,389th on the legendary Walk Of Fame.

Many of his own hits — smash singles such as “You Make Me Smile,” Koz’s signature song, “Castle of Dreams,” “Can’t Let You Go” featuring the late Luther Vandross, “Together Again,” “Honey-Dipped,” “All I See Is You,” and “Faces of the Heart,” which was the theme song for “General Hospital” for more than 10 years — were collected in his first-ever retrospective album, Dave Koz – Greatest Hits, which bowed at No. 1 on both Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and iTunes’ Jazz Album chart in September 2008. “Life In The Fast Lane,” one of four new songs included on the album, spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the Smooth Jazz chart and “Bada Bing” hit No. 2. Koz’s latest single, “And Then I Knew,” produced by Rob Cavallo (Dave Matthews Band, Green Day) just went to radio.

Born and raised in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley, Koz initially picked up the saxophone to gain entry into his big brother's band. What began as a ploy became a lifelong obsession. After earning his degree in mass communications from UCLA, Koz decided to become a professional musician and toured with Bobby Caldwell’s band, keyboardist Jeff Lorber, and pop singer Richard Marx. His 1990 self-titled solo debut album on Capitol Records was the first in a body of best-selling work, which includes the gold-certified Lucky Man (1993), Off The Beaten Path (1996), The Dance (1999, certified gold), Saxophonic (2003) and the holiday-themed albums December Makes Me Feel This Way (1997), Dave Koz & Friends - A Smooth Jazz Christmas (2001) and Memories Of A Winter’s Night (2007). In 2007, Koz released At The Movies, a lush, romantic celebration of timeless melodies from cinema that spent 12 weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Contemporary Jazz chart. Produced by the legendary Phil Ramone, it was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Pop Instrumental Album” category and included “Over the Rainbow,” which was also nominated for a Grammy. His fans eagerly anticipate his annual summer and fall tours and many have had the opportunity to join him at sea as well – the Holland America Cruise Line has offered several Dave Koz-branded cruises. The Dave Koz & Friends A Smooth Jazz Christmas tour, which celebrates its 12th anniversary this year,will launch on November 27 in Mobile, AL. The 21-date outing will continue through the holiday season, concluding in Mesa, AZ on December 22.

Koz also serves as the host of a weekday afternoon radio show that’s nationally distributed on the Smooth Jazz Radio Network; and, on weekends, as the host of the Dave Koz Radio Show, now in its 15th year and syndicated in approximately 120 markets. As an entrepreneur, Koz founded Rendezvous Entertainment. As a philanthropist, he has served for 17 years as global ambassador for the Starlight Children’s Foundation. He recently partnered with Vinum Cellars, a Napa Valley boutique winery, and Whole Foods Market® to introduce three types of KOZ wines. He is donating all his proceeds from KOZ wines – available exclusively at Whole Foods Market stores in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada – to help Starlight continue its vital mission. Koz completed a four-year term on the Grammy Foundation Artists Committee, has served as National Trustee for the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS) and is an ongoing member of the Board Of Governors for the Grammy® Foundation.

MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD FALL TOUR DATES

American jazz trio, Medeski Martin & Wood (or MMW), consisting of John Medeski on keyboards and piano, Billy Martin on drums and percussion, and Chris Wood on double bass and bass guitar has scheduled their next round of tour dates. The band draws on influences from a number of musical traditions, from funk to Hip Hop, and is known for an unconventional style sometimes described as "avant-groove". MMW has found moderate mainstream success, often working with noted guitarist John Scofield and touring on the jam band circuit.

Sept 6 - Baltimore, MD @ Traffic Jam Festival @ Sonar

Sept 11 - Bridgeport, CT @ Klein Memorial Auditorium

Sept 13 - Columbus, OH @ The Newport Music Hall

Sept 15 - Nashville, TN @ The Cannery Ballroom

Sept 16 - Knoxville, TN @ The Bijou Theater

Sept 17 - Birmingham, AL @ The Workplay Theater

Sept 18 - Atlanta, GA @ The Variety Playhouse

Sept 19 - Charlotte, NC @ The Neighborhood Theatre

Sept 20 - Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel

Oct 2 - Austin, TX @ Austin City Limits

Oct 28 - Tbilisi, GA @ The Tbilisi Concert Hall

Nov 12 - North Adams, MA @ The Mass MoCA

Nov 13 - Boston, MA @ The House of Blues

Nov 14 - New York, NY @ The Nokia Theatre

Nov 15 - Syracuse, NY@ The Westcott Theatre

Nov 17 - Kent, OH @ The Kent Stage

Nov 18 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection

Nov 19 - Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue

Nov 20 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Eagles Club

Nov 21 - Chicago, IL @ The House of Blues

FIONA JAY HAWKINS - BLUE DREAM

The headlines may read like a dream tale now, but the road to musical success has been long for Australia's reigning New Age composer and pianist, Fiona Joy Hawkins who is about to become that country's first indie artist to release an album on SA-CD. Hawkins began playing piano at age eight, but she was in her thirties before she could get back to her music as a career; she is making up for lost time by composing and producing some of the most exciting music available today, as presented in BLUE DREAM and the rest of the Little Hartley Music catalog. Hawkins, whose music crosses genres from classical to world fusion, found embarking on a musical career later in life a bit daunting. "It was lonely, doing this from rural Australia. Most people never returned my phone calls or letters. Sometimes, I'd email or post comments on websites like Luka Bloom's…I never expected that he was actually reading them, and would eventually ask if he could perform on my album."

Hawkins persevered with composing and recording, releasing her first album PORTRAIT OF A WATERFALL in 2005. It went to #1 on the New Age Radio (NAR) Charts, made the top five in the MusicOz Awards for the classical genre, and was a finalist for Best Piano Album at the 2005 NAR Lifestyle Music Awards. Encouraged by her bit of success, Hawkins followed with ANGEL ABOVE MY PIANO, which won Best Piano Album at the NAR Lifestyle Music Awards in 2006. Her third album, ICE: PIANO SLIGHTLY CHILLED also rose to #1 on New Age Reporter's Top 100 New Age/Ambient/World Radio/Internet Airwaves Chart, and also won a Best Dance Dub/Club NAR Award in 2008. After those three commercially viable and critically-acclaimed albums, the phone began to ring. Hawkins' most exciting telephone conversation was with Will Ackerman, founder of Windham Hill Records, during which he asked if she'd like to record her next album at his studio in Vermont.

"Fiona Joy Hawkins' BLUE DREAM began as the most ambitious project of my entire career and resulted in one of the most remarkable collaborations this genre has ever known. BLUE DREAM is unique and I'm as proud of it (and Fiona) as anything I've ever worked on in my 35-year career of Grammy® Awards and gold and platinum records," Ackerman shares. Hawkins wrote and recorded BLUE DREAM at Ackerman's Imaginary Road Studios on a Steinway piano. The project was ambitious in scope: a 68 minute suite of music performed by an all-star ensemble, incorporating world fusion elements and instrumentation, with lyrics in Gaelic and Lugandan. "I wrote the music for this album in six months," notes Fiona. "It was a very emotionally turrbulent time in my life and the music reflects how I felt as I was looking backwards and looking forward. The album goes from quiet contemplative piano to full orchestral, to world sounds, rhythms, jazz influences and back again to the 'Bach moment' - all in a breath."

In addition to Hawkins and Ackerman, the musical talent on BLUE DREAM includes Luka Bloom, Lilith, T-Bone Wolk (Hall & Oates), Eugene Friesen (Paul Winter Consort), Jeff Haynes (Pat Metheny), Marc Shulman (Jewel and Suzanne Vega), Heather Rankin (The Rankin Family), Philip Aaberg, Jeff Oster, Jill Haley, Samite Mulondo, Sapphron Obois and other top players.
The album was produced in surround sound, and is available in traditional CD format as well as SA-CD. According to Hawkins, the team didn't try to re-create an accurate live sound stage effect, but rather a Soundscape Experience that creates more of a dream effect. The album was engineered and mixed by Corin Nelson and mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. In Ludwig's opinion, "Fiona Joy Hawkins plays with great imagination and beauty. Every measure of this sensitive recording is carefully considered, it takes the listener on a wonderful journey." Since charting with the highest rank in the history of the International NAR Charts and winning a MusicOZ Award, BLUE DREAM awakened Hawkins career to a worldwide publishing deal and a record deal in Australia with ABC Records. While she is fielding label offers from other countries, she will proceed with an independent release of the BLUE DREAM SA-CD from her Little Hartley Music imprint.

THIEVERY CORPORATION TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED!

Thievery Corporation has just announced a string of U.S. tour dates for the month of October. The tour will feature the usual cast of characters performing old favorites from the back catalog as well as tracks from the band's latest album Radio Retaliation. Come out and support the band in a city near you!

9/19: @ Pier 6 Pavillion, Baltimore MD
10/4: @ House of Blues, Dallas TX
10/6: @ House of Blues, Houston TX
10/8: @ House of Blues, Orlando FL
10/9: @ The Fillmore, Miami FL
10/10: @ Ritz Theater, Tampa FL
10/11: @ Tabernacle, Atlanta GA
10/21: @ Royal Oak Music Theatre, Detroit MI
10/23: @ Kool Haus, Toronto ON
10/24: @ Metropolis, Montreal QC
10/26: @ House of Blues, Boston MA
10/28: @ The Norva, Norfolk VA
10/29: @ Charlottesville Pavillion, Charlottesville VA
10/30: @ Electric Factory, Philadelphia PA
10/31: @ Terminal 5, New York NY

The Ancient Astronauts will be opening for Thievery Corporation at the Dallas, Houston, Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Atlanta shows. More opening act announcements to come!

JON SECADA - EXPRESSIONS: THE JAZZ ALBUM

On September 22, 2009, Secada returns to his roots (no, not his Latin roots, his Jazz roots) with the release of "Expressions: The Jazz Album" (The Orchard), which will coincide with the kick-off of a week-long engagement at Feinstein's at Loews Regency in New York, a national PBS television special with Jim Brickman ("Beautiful World") and, his fourth season starring on "Latin American Idol." Jon Secada is known by millions as an international superstar who has sold over 20 million records worldwide, written and produced his own hits as well as those for such artists as Gloria Estefan, Ricky Martin and Jennifer Lopez. What many do not know is that Jon received his Master's Degree in Jazz Vocal Performance from the University of Miami and finds much of his musical inspiration and passion for this album from such vocalists at Tony Bennett, Frank Sinatra, Johnny Hartman and Joe Williams. "Expressions: The Jazz Album" is a stunning collection of new songs, classic standards and Secada hits - all with a twist and Jon's own jazz-flavored arrangements. Songs include the evergreen favorites "Chances Are" and "What A Wonderful World," the Secada hits "Angel" and "Just Another Day" and, some new tunes including "Find Me In Your Dreams," a touching tribute to his children. In addition, Jon is joined by such legendary and respected musicians as Mike Levine (piano), Alex Berti (bass) and Lee Levin (drums), as well as featured guest performances by Dave Koz (tenor saxophone), Ed Calle (tenor and soprano saxophone) and Jason Carder (trumpet).

After starting his career as a songwriter and background vocalist for superstar Gloria Estefan, Jon's 1992 self-titled debut album sold more than six million copies worldwide and was certified triple platinum in the U.S.A, where it reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 chart. He later scored a Top 5 hit with the single "Just Another Day," and three more top 30 hits, "Angel," "I'm Free," and "Do You Believe in Us?" The Spanish-language version of the album, "Otro Dia Mas Sin Verte," became the Number One Latin album of 1992 and earned Jon his first Grammy Award, for Best Latin Pop Album. This landmark success was followed in 1994 by Jon's second album, "Heart Soul and Voice," which went Platinum in the U.S.A. and spun off the Top 10 hit "If You Go" and a Top 30 hit "Mental Picture." His third album, "Amor," was released in 1995 and earned the singer his second Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Performance. In 1995, Jon took a step out of the music spotlight and on to the Broadway stage where he dazzled audiences and critics as the first-ever Latin Danny Zuko in the revival of "Grease." In 2003 Jon returned to Broadway and received more critical acclaim for his starring role as the Emcee in the Sam Mendes production of "Cabaret." Following Broadway, Jon went on to star in a tour of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." When he returned to pop music in 2006 with "Same Dream," once again Secada received more rave reviews and the CD was hailed by Billboard as "the kind of meticulously produced album that most of us thought were a thing of the past." Jon, a musician who is always on the cutting edge, is followed by more than 250,000 members on Twitter, and can be seen live during a week-long preview of material from "Expressions" at the intimate club, Feinstein's at Loews Regency, in New York from September 15 through September 19, 2009. For more information regarding the new CD, live shows or Latin American Idol, click to: www.jonsecada.com

CYNTHIA SCOTT - FOR ONE BRIGHT WORLD

Cynthia Scott, a former Ray Charles Raelette, has made history on the Jazz Week Charts with her first all original female vocal CD entitled For One Bright World. Never before has an all original female vocal CD hit the Jazz Week Chart, until recently, when Cynthia Scott's new album, "Dream For One Bright World" achieved this status. Scott says she is "thrilled that the album reached this level of success so quickly and that audiences gravitated to it as she hoped they would." Jazz singer songwriter Scott's new CD features a range of material with Scott as the principal composer. She believes that the album resonated with audiences due to the universal themes on the CD, and her ability to tap into the heart of the world's concerns.

"Audiences sense that all is not well in today's world, and I've put these concerns into the music," says Scott, a native of Arkansas, who developed her love of music early on while singing in church. As a jazz ambassador, "my goal is to try to lift the world with my music and to encourage and inspire all of us to treat each other as equals. Trying to connect soul to soul to audiences worldwide." The messages in the music, range from heart felt emotions to dealing with personal tragedy. "Did I Know You," recalls the times that she spent as a concerned caregiver to her mother living with Alzheimer's. "Shades of Ray," pays homage to the great Ray Charles and expresses Cynthia's deep admiration for the man who gave Scott her big break as a Raelette back in 1972. On the opening track "IF THE SHOE FITS" she simply suggests that you release your pain, let it go and set it free. Cynthia also offers a tribute to singers that inspired her like Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McCrae, Peggy Lee, Billie Holiday, Dinah Washington and others on "The Singer." The title track "DREAM FOR ONE BRIGHT WORLD" was written for the children all over the world and showcases third, fourth and fifth graders from PS32 Brooklyn, NY joining in at the end to echo this message of unity.


DREAM FOR ONE BRIGHT WORLD features a range of material written by Scott, who credits co-writers Norman Simmons and Nicholas Morrison for their creative input on some of the songs she performs on the CD, reflecting Scott's thought that" jazz is just life." Accompanied by such great musicians as Lonnie Plaxico on acoustic bass, John di Martino on piano and keyboard, Bill Easley on tenor/alto/soprano saxophones and flute, Yoron Israel on drums, Jeff Haynes on percussion, Wayne Escoffrey on tenor, Andrae Murchison on trombone and Etienne Charles on trumpet, Scott's extraordinary vocals get the attention they deserve with tasteful colors and distinct nuance. Released in 2009 on Ttocs Music, DREAM FOR ONE BRIGHT WORLD was produced by Scott along with executive producer Ronald Reel. The CD shipped to radio in June 2009, and hit #1 with Media Guide as the most added to jazz radio play lists around the USA. It reached #2 for chart bound before the release date. Scott says, "She knew an original independent project would be a big risk with Jazz radio, but she was determined to record and release her stories." The CD currently resides in the bullet Top 50 Jazzweek chart for several weeks. The album is available on her website, http://www.cynthiascott.com/, itunes, cdbaby, amazon and other select stores.

Cynthia Scott has performed for audiences from New York to Africa, Europe and Asia and has worked with musicians including Wynton Marsalis and Ray Charles, who discovered her. She's performed at The Kennedy Center, served as a 2004 Jazz Ambassador in conjunction with The Kennedy Center and The State Department. Scott was the first to sing and test the new Rose Room at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City. Scott has self- produced five CD's. "Dream For One Bright World" is her first completely original album, and plans for the next project are in the works. She holds a Master's degree from the Manhattan School of Music, and advises others "not to overlook the importance of an education while pursuing their dream." Scott, a native of El Dorado, Arkansas, currently lives in NYC.

MELBA MOORE & PHIL PERRY - THE GIFT OF LOVE

On September 29, 2009, soul diva Melba Moore and smooth jazz favorite Phil Perry team up for a new album of great duets on the inspirational The Gift of Love. Moore, a Tony Award-winning actress and vocalist who has topped the R&B Charts, starred on Broadway, TV and film (most notably in the storied musicals Hair and Purlie) and who was recently the subject on an episode of TV One's lauded documentary series Unsung and Perry, one of R&B's great balladeers known for his velvety-smooth falsetto, and who has worked with everyone from Patti LaBelle and Anita Baker to Peabo Bryson and George Duke, bring to life an unforgettable set of originals and classics. The dynamic duo are joined by producers Chris ‘Big Dog' Davis (George Clinton, Maysa, Najee) and Preston Glass (Earth, Wind & Fire, Natalie Cole and Kenny G) in association with co-producer David Nathan. The Gift of Love features a sublime mix of inspirational compositions that Melba Moore hopes will connect with individuals on a deep level. The Gift of Love marks Melba's first return to R&B since her 1990 recording Soul Exposed. Highlights on The Gift of Love include the duo's version of the Sounds of Blackness hit "Optimistic" which sets the tone for the album's upbeat and joyous vibe. Paying homage to one of music's greatest duos, Melba and Phil take on two 1968 Ashford and Simpson classics that were hits for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - "You're All I Need To Get By" (produced by Preston Glass) and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" (produced by Chris "Big Dog" Davis). "I think Preston outdid himself with his arrangement," says Melba, "What he did is powerful. Although "You're All I Need To Get By" is an R&B song it is inspirational. He captured the power of what it means when two people really fall in love and are committed to one another. The track sounds so joyful that you just want to dance!" The Gift of Love also features a soulful and down-home version of the John P. Kee song, "It Will Be Alright," in which Melba and Phil bare it all and testify their faith. "I love John P. Kee, the great gospel singer and composer," confesses Melba. The songbird adds, "This song illustrates the classic power of what gospel is and conveys that there is a God and that no matter what is going on, you will be alright. Chris Davis did a great arrangement on the song that just drives you into a higher place. The chord changes just pull you up and hopefully Phil and I do too." Melba delivers a riveting version of the ballad "I Believe." She turns it into a real torch song and one can envision her on Broadway bringing down the house with this show-stopping number. Another highpoint is the Spinners' classic "Sadie."

SMOKEY ROBINSON: TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN

Smokey Robinson is set to release a brand new album of original material, entitled Time Flies When You're Having Fun was released on August 25, 2009. The first single will be Robinson's cover of Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why." Included guests on Time Flies When Your Having Fun include Joss Stone, Carlos Santana, and India.Arie. The new songs recall various phases of his career, boasting old-school duets (such as "You're Just My Life," with India.Arie, and "You're the One for Me" with Stone), midtempo R&B-pop ("Girlfriend") and intimate soul ("Whatcha Gonna Do," "Love Bath" and the title track). Santana's inimitable guitar chimes in on the sensual jam "Please Don't Take Your Love." Smokey's one departure from self-penned material is his take on the Norah Jones hit "Don't Know Why," which he makes entirely his own. Back in June 26, Robinson received the prestigious Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) during the 22nd Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. The honor is bestowed on artists who have had a major impact on the legacy of Rhythm and Soul Music. Further recognition of that legacy came from Boston's Berklee College of Music, which in May conferred an honorary degree on Smokey; the Ivor Novello Awards, where he received the UK International Special Achievement Award in May; the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which inducted him with his group, The Miracles, in March (he'd already received a star as a solo artist several years earlier); and Elvis Costello's acclaimed TV series "Spectacle" on the Sundance Channel, during which the host spent a spellbinding hour chatting and singing with the music-world icon. In 2006 (the year of his last release, Timeless Love), he was among the five honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors.

THE AL/CAPONE BAND - MR. SMOOTH

The Al/Capone Band has announced the availability of their new jazz CD entitled, Mr. Smooth. The CD is a mix of smooth jazz (http://www.caponelive.com/), fusion, R&B, funk and Latin music and can be sampled and purchased on the band's new website, CaponeLive.com. The CC Entertainment label presents eleven new songs performed by a renowned group of musical all stars including Alex Ligertwood on vocals, Allen Young, as songwriter and horn player, all backed by the sophisticated drumming of Jeep Capone. "We're going back to our musical roots with Mr. Smooth," says, Gennaro, "Jeep", Capone, band founder and leader. "I'm thrilled to be playing the music I love with such great musicians. Our band members have performed with the likes of Santana, Average White Band, Lena Horn, Sting, David Sanborn and Miles Davis, so you just can't deny the magic," he declares. The CaponeLive website is an interactive resource to help visitors get to know the band and their music. Sample tunes from Mr. Smooth are available for easy listening. The Mr. Smooth CD is now available under the smooth jazz genre on Amazon.com, iTunes and at Best Buy stores. In addition, CaponeLive.com features contains personal biographies of the band members, the band's history, Al/Capone band merchandise, upcoming performance venues, The Vault containing past recordings from Al/Capone, and the official band newsletter. Al/Capone is a high-energy six-piece smooth/pop jazz band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The music is contemporary and melody driven while always remaining true to its jazz roots. An interview with Jeep Capone and Allen Young discussing the making of Mr. Smooth will be featured on http://www.radiospectives.com/ on September 8 beginning at 1:00 pm. For more information click to http://www.caponelive.com./

THE CARPENTERS - 40/40

In 1969, Karen and Richard Carpenter signed to A&M Records and released their debut album. Forty years later, the Carpenters are recognized not only as the most successful brother-sister act in music history and one of the best-selling acts of all-time but also as a pop culture phenomenon that continues to resonate today. Celebrating that legacy, the two-CD 40/40 (A&M/UMe), released October 20, 2009, produced by Richard Carpenter, brings together 40 of the duo's greatest hits and best-loved recordings, each digitally remastered.

40/40 includes all of the Carpenters' dozen Top 10 Pop hits, 19 of their 20 Top 40s and 23 of their 28 Top 75 Pop singles, from 1969's cover of the Beatles' "Ticket To Ride" to 1981's "Those Good Old Dreams." Among the 17 other tracks are covers of Leon Russell's classic "This Masquerade," Hank Williams' "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" and Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe," and a pair of recordings originally released in 1983, following Karen's passing earlier that year, "Now" and "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore."

The Carpenters' hit streak began with "(They Long To Be) Close To You" in 1970, which stayed at #1 on the charts for four weeks. Over the next four years, they reached #2 or #3 with such gems as "We've Only Just Begun," "For All We Know," "Rainy Days And Mondays," Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett's "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other" b/w "Bless The Beasts And Children" (featured in producer/director Stanley Kramer's film of the same name), the "Sesame Street" anthem "Sing" and "Yesterday Once More." In 1973 they snared a #1 with "Top Of The World" and the following year their third #1, a re-imagining of The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman." Added to four multiplatinum albums, one platinum album, and a 1973 singles collection that reached seven times platinum, the Carpenters had become the best-selling American act of the Seventies.

Change and experimentation followed, including "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song," "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" and a Top 10 Country hit with Juice Newton's "Sweet, Sweet Smile." 1981's "Touch Me When We're Dancing," from their last contemporaneous album, became their final Top 40 hit.

In recent years, artists from Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Shania Twain to Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Madonna have noted Karen Carpenter's influence on their careers. And when 40/40 was released earlier this year in Japan, the collection quickly shot to #1 and gold certification. The popularity of the Carpenters continues to grow 40 years after they had just begun.

www.ilovethatsong.com

DAVE KOZ LAUNCHES KOZ WINE

Internationally renowned saxophonist and six-time Grammy® nominee Dave Koz has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world over the past two decades through his recordings, radio shows, annual tours, cruises and now his wine – KOZ Wine. In his travels, Koz continually observed the strong connection between people’s love of jazz and their love of wine, echoing his own two passions. While hosting his annual Smooth Jazz cruise in 2008, Koz met one of his fans, Patrick Bradley, the President of Whole Foods Market for the Southern Pacific region. They shared their passion about wine and, on the open seas, the idea to start a wine brand was born. This is the first time Whole Foods Market has collaborated on a project such as KOZ Wine from start to finish. The company was involved from researching the vineyards, tasting the wines, developing packaging, shipping the product to the stores and the marketing. In fact, Koz accompanied Whole Foods Market team members to Santa Ynez, Mendocino and Napa to interview winemakers before they selected Chris Condos of Napa Valley’s boutique winery, Vinum Cellars. "Chris has an intense passion for the winemaking process, a wonderful sense of creativity and openness that I felt was really important in this collaboration," says Koz. "I’m certainly a student in this whole process, but I love it–I’ve learned so much in such a short amount of time and the more I learn the more I want to know. That this project directly benefits Starlight, my long-time charity, it's all the more sweet...doing good and drinking good will now go hand in hand!" says Koz. "Whole Foods Market is thrilled to be partnering with KOZ Wine, Vinum Cellars, and Starlight Children’s Foundation in launching 3 types of KOZ Wine exclusively at our stores in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada," says Bradley. "We are proud to be welcoming Dave and his wines into our stores and to be a part of Starlight’s mission to help brighten the world of seriously ill children and their families." As a humanitarian, Koz has served as global ambassador for the last 17 years to the Starlight Children’s Foundation and will be donating all his proceeds from KOZ Wine to help Starlight continue their vital mission. "With 17 years of steadfast support for Starlight under his belt, Dave’s impact on our children and families is truly unmatched," said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight. "He continually comes up with creative ways to support our organization, and this cause-marketing concept enables him to join forces with Starlight and Whole Foods Market to let seriously ill children and their families know they are not alone." KOZ Wine is now available at all Southern California Whole Foods Markets as well as in Nevada and Arizona. There are 3 different varietals: KOZ 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; KOZ 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc; KOZ 2007 El Dorado "Red Alto" Blend.

MATISYAHU - LIGHT

Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album Shake Off the Dust…Rise. With the release of Live at Stubb’s (2005), which reached #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and Youth (2006), which debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Top 200 and reached #1 on the Reggae Albums chart, Matisyahu gained considerable critical acclaim. Both albums subsequently went Gold and Youth was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. Now Matisyahu releases his third studio album Light (Epic Records) and the launch of his “One Day for Change” campaign. Always looking to inspire and positively motivate fans – the socially conscious artist has partnered with Kenneth Cole to create an online movement via Twitter and YouTube encouraging people to share ideas to positively change their communities in one day.

“One Day for Change” asks fans, as well as celebrities and musicians, to tweet “ideas for change” using the #onedaychange.net hash tag. Matisyahu will re-tweet his favorites on his own Twitter feed (@matisyahu, which now has over 720,000 followers!) and award a signed copy of Light to one tweeter each day. Participants are also encouraged to upload videos expressing their ideas for change to the “One Day for Change” YouTube page (www.youtube.com/onedayforchange) between August 25th and September 18th. On September 25th, a grand prize winner from the video uploads will be announced on www.onedaychange.net. The site, built by Republic Project, will feature all of the video submissions, tweets and exclusive content for the initiative and can be visited daily to view the latest entries. The winner will receive a Matisyahu branded camera provided by Flip Cam, and Matisyahu and Kenneth Cole will donate $5,000 towards the charity of the winning entrant’s choice. Other participants who upload videos will have a chance to win 1 of 4 Matisyahu branded cameras provided by Flip Cam.

Matisyahu’s single “One Day” was the inspiration for the “One Day for Change” campaign. “Consciousness and positivity spread like a wave.” Matisyahu explains, “It starts with one person doing one good thing and links like a chain, going from one positive thing to the next.” The video for “One Day” can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as7Y-mCiFaM&feature=channel

Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime), Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons (Depeche Mode, Ian Brown), Light is Matisyahu’s most diverse album to date.

30th ANNUAL DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL

Festival organizers have announced the complete lineup for the 30th Anniversary of the Detroit International Jazz Festival (DJF), Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7, in downtown Detroit. Subtitled "Keepin' Up with the Joneses," the 2009 Detroit Jazz Fest will celebrate Thad, Elvin and Hank Jones and other great jazz families, including The Clayton Brothers, the Brubecks, John & Bucky Pizzarelli, Larry & Julian Coryell, the Heath Brothers, Pete & Juan Escovedo, Brian, Karma & Savannah Auger, Detroit's McKinneys, and the Clark Sisters. Homecomings include visits by Sheila Jordan, Geri Allen, Louis Hayes, Charles McPherson, Bennie Maupin, Karriem Riggins and Dee Dee Bridgewater. "It's a combination of a family reunion and special homecoming for Detroit jazz greats," says executive director Terri Pontremoli.

Fans will not want to miss the opening night festivities. Starting with a rare appearance by Hank Jones in the Pepsi Talk Tent at 4:15pm, the festival will "beat the drum" with the Alma College 36-member Percussion Ensemble on the Chase Stage at 4:30pm; look back 30 years through a reunion of the Northwestern High School 1980 Alumni Band on the Meijer Education Stage at 5:30, and move the crowds through a second-line by the Nicky Boy Band and the Cleveland Museum of Art DIVA puppets. Performances by the Hank Jones Trio and Chick Corea's Trio with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White will top off the evening. "We urge the public to come early not only to get a seat, but to witness special presentations and a celebratory opening night video," says Terri Pontremoli.

The festival will premiere two major works on its 30th anniversary: "Detroit" - a six movement work for jazz orchestra by Detroiter Gerald Wilson; and "T H E Family, Detroit," a three-movement work dedicated to Thad, Hank and Elvin Jones, by 2009 artist in residence John Clayton. The "concerto grosso," funded by the Joyce Foundation, will be performed on closing night by the Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. "It is thrilling to me that both composers have championed Detroit and its rich jazz legacy through their music," says festival director Terri Pontremoli. "Now that I've heard the pieces, I can't wait to see the audience reaction. They're both awesome and unique."

Two tributes to important Detroit jazz musicians include: A treatment of Detroit trumpeter Donald Byrd's jazz-gospel recording A New Perspective - which also gives a festival nod to Blue Note on their 70th and showcases Mack Avenue artists Sean Jones, Tia Fuller, Ron Blake and Rodney Whitaker. They'll be joined by Perry Hughes, Rick Roe, Chris Kodish, Randy Gelispie, Chris Karlic, and a 16-piece gospel choir. The performance will be a part of the festival's traditional Come Monday gospel programming. Detroit's incomparable Lyman Woodard will also be tributed in a B3 blow out with Chris Codish, Ron English and Leonard King. Debuts include the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra with special guests Janis Siegel, Jimmy Heath and Ron Blake; and the Midwest debut of Bennie Maupin's Dolphyana, with Billy Hart, Jay Hoggard and Nester Torres.

Other one-of-a-kind presentations include a 100th birthday celebration for Benny Goodman by clarinetist extraordinaire Eddie Daniels and the WSU Big Band; Bottoms Up!, a "superbass" performance by John Clayton, Christian McBride and Rodney Whitaker; DJ Pete Rock with Karriem Riggins; and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut as a fourth instrument in Geri Allen's quartet. Outside of jazz, audiences will be treated to appearances by soul queen Irma Thomas, Booker T, Detroit's own gospel sister act, The Clark Sisters, and Motown's very own Contours featuring Sylvester Potts. Emerging artists in 2009 include vocalist Gretchen Parlato (2004 Thelonious Monk award winner); Alfredo Rodriquez, the stellar pianist recently discovered by Quincy Jones; vocalist Sachal Vasadani; and vocalist Jose James, who blew the audience away in 2008 as a special guest in the Marvin Gaye tribute. The Detroit International Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in North America, and it has become a major tourist attraction.

www.detroitjazzfest.com

MICHAEL BUBLE - CRAZY LOVE

"Crazy Love,” Michael Bublé's first CD in two and a half years featuring two original songs along with his always original take on 11 standards from various eras is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 9th, four days earlier than previously scheduled. The multi-Grammy winning artist spent time in recording studios in LA, Brooklyn, New York and his hometown of Vancouver for the last six months to make his "ultimate record about the inevitable roller coaster ride of relationships." The first single, "Haven't Met You Yet,” written by Bublé (with Alan Chang and Amy Foster) was released to radio on August 31st. Additional tunes on the album include "Cry Me A River,” "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” "Georgia On My Mind" and "Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)" which was performed with Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. The title song is a cover of the Van Morrison gem "Crazy Love.” The CD closes out with a haunting version of "Stardust" which is performed with the a cappella group Naturally 7. The album was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica.

Singer and songwriter Michael Bublé has sold over 22 million CDs worldwide. His previous CD, the Grammy winning "Call Me Irresponsible" (2007) was a number one album in over 15 countries. His 2005 CD "It's Time" holds the record as the longest running title to remain on the Billboard Traditional Jazz charts - a full two years. It sat in the Number One position for over 80 weeks. He has had two Number One singles, "Everything" and "Home," which was also a Number One hit for Blake Shelton on the Country charts.

MICHAEL BUBLÉ “CRAZY LOVE” TRACKLISTING:
Cry Me A River
All Of Me
Georgia On My Mind
Crazy Love
Haven't Met You Yet*
All I Do Is Dream Of You
Hold On*
Heartache Tonight
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
At This Moment
Stardust
Whatever It Takes (bonus track)
*co-written by Michael Bublé

NEW RELEASES FROM GILLES PETERSON, C.G. CAMERON, HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL, JESSY J & MORE...

Afterlife - Electrosensitive
All-4-One – No Regrets
BTS – A Groove For Candy
Balam – 4 Floors Up
Bombay Dub Orchestra – 3 Cities in Dub
Bruce McKenzie – After Dark
C.G. Cameron – Enticed Ecstasy
Cachao’s Mambo All Stars – Como Siempre
Cherry Vata – Via Vanilla
Cosmosis – Fumbling For The Funky Frequency
Creative Response – Chillout Response
Dani Trucheto - Sobremesa
Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour – Young Blood, Old Soul
Flying Lotus – LA EP 3
Gary Harris – Here For You
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes
Inner Sun – Farewell: Our Latest Dream
Jessy J – True Love
Joao Callado – Joao Callado
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band – The Remixes
Jojo Effect – Ordinary Madness
Larry Levan – The Final Nights Of Paradise
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Lenny MacDowell – Get Ready
Levert II - Dedication
Lhase De Sela – Lhasa
Little Dragon – Machine Dreams
Lucas Santtana – Sem Nostalgia
Michael Olatuja - Speak
Michelle Amador – Higher
Mike Clinco - Neon
Nile Rodgers – Advertures In The Land Of Groove
Nu Tropic – Kingdom Of Love
Phillip Martin - Realization
Quantic & His Combo Barbara – Tradition In Transition
Rhonda Thomas – Breathe New Life
Robert Glasper – Double Booked
Sakura – Real Love
Soul Bossa Trio – For Once In My Life
Stella Polaris – A Handful
Tom Abbs & Frequency Response – Lost & Found
Triogranico -Convivencia
Trestal –When I Sleep
Various Artists – Blue Note Trip Vol. 8 Maestro
Various Artists – Café Mambo Ibiza 2009 Mixed By Jose Padilla
Various Artists – Comme Il Faut: Two Sides Of Summer
Various Artists – Delicious Grooves
Various Artists – Erotic Chill
Various Artists – Gilles Peterson Brazilika
Various Artists – Goldenworks Remixed By Quasimode
Various Artists – Hot Buttered Jazz: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes
Various Artists – Intelligent Music Favorites, Vol. 8
Various Artists – L’espresso Café Chillout 2009 (Fresh & Chilling)
Various Artists – Lover’s Lounge
Various Artists – Nu Faces Project Volume 1
Various Artists – Soulful Finland Vol. 1
Wax – African Dreams

THE SEPTEMBER CONCERT CALENDAR

Kora Jazz Trio @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 1
Bettye LaVette @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Sept 1-2
Steely Dan @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Sept 1,3,4

Pieces Of A Dream @ Smooth Cruises Chelsea Piers,
New York, NY, Sep 2

Al Green @ The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, Sept 2
Al Green @ Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, CA, Sept 2
Sadao Watanabe @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 2-5
Bonnie Raitt @ Edgefield Winery, Troutdale, OR, Sept 3
Bettye LaVette @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Sept 4
Teena Marie @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grande Ronde, OR, Sept 4
Al B. Sure! @ The Studio, San Antonio, TX, Sept 4
Paquito D’Rivera @ Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Lenox, MA, Sept 4
Nile Rodgers & Chic @ HMV Forum, London, UK, Sept 4
Maysa @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Sept 4-6
Bonnie Raitt @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre, Bend, OR, Sept 5

Regina Carter, Nnenna Freelon @ Tanglewood Jazz Festival,
Lenox, MA, Sept 5

Bettye LaVette @ Long Beach Blues Festival,
Long Beach, CA, Sept 5

King Sunny Ade @ Shedd BBQ & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs, MS, Sept 5
Laura Izibor @ Electric Picnic, Portlaoise, Ireland, Sept 5
King Sunny Ade @ Bedford Blues Festival, Bedford, TX, Sept 6
Susan Tedeschi @ Snowy Range Festival, Laramie, WY Sept 6
Steely Dan @ MotorCity Casino, Detroit MI, Sept 6
New Cool Collective @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 6

Medeski Martin & Wood @ Traffic Jam Festival @ Sonar,
Baltimore, MD, Sept 6

Bonnie Raitt @ Hult Center, Eugene, OR, Sept 7
Charlie Haden Quartet @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 7-10
Vieux Farka Toure @ Mazzottis, Arcata, CA, Sept 8
Vieux Farka Toure @ WOW Hall, Eugene, OR, Sept 9
Natalie Cole @ The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 9
Chucho Valdes Quintet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 8-12
Vieux Farka Toure @ Center For The Arts Grass, Valley, CA, Sept 10
Tower Of Power @ Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 11
Manhattan Transfer @ El Portal Theatre, Hollywood, CA, Sept 11
New Cool Collective @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 11

Medeski Martin & Wood @ Klein Memorial Auditorium,
Bridgeport, CT, Sept 11

Junko Onishi Trio @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 11-12
Chuck Berry @ BB King’s, New York, NY, Sept 12
Charlie Haden @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 12

Vieux Farka Toure @ Power To The Peaceful,
San Francisco, CA, Sept 12

Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Radisson Hotel Groove,
Sacramento, CA, Sept 12

Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa,
Rancho Mirage, CA, Sept 12

King Sunny Ade @ Twin River Events Center, Lincoln, RI, Sept 12
Bettye LaVette @ Playing With Fire, Omaha, NE, Sept 12

Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Radisson Hotel Grove,
Sacramento, CA, Sept 12

Bela Fleck @ Bass Hall, Austin, TX, Sept 13
Vieux Farka Toure @ The Independent, San Francisco, CA, Sept 13

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Newport Music Hall,
Columbus, OH, Sept 13

Chucho Valdes @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 14-16
Vieux Farka Toure @ Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 15
Freddy Cole @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 15

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Cannery Ballroom,
Nashville, TN, Sept 15

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Bijou Theatre,
Knoxville, TN, Sept 16

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay,
San Diego, CA, Sept 16

Bonnie Raitt @ Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay,
San Diego, CA, Sept 17

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Workplay Theatre,
Birmingham, AL, Sept 17

Laura Izibor @ The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 17

Susan Tedeschi @ Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival,
Fredericton, NB, Sept 17

Vieux Farka Toure @ KTAOS Solar Center,
Taos, New Mexico, Sept 17

James Taylor Quartet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 17-19
McCoy Tyner @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Sept 17-20

Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Snoqualmie Casino,
Snoqualmie, WA, Sept 17

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Red Rock Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 18

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Variety Playhouse,
Atlanta, GA, Sept 18

Sheila E, Mindi Abair, Kat Dyson, Cassandra O’Neal @ The Blue Note,
Tokyo, Japan, Sept 18-21

King Sunny Ade @ Telluride Blues & Brews Festival,
Telluride, CO, Sept 19

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Neighborhood Theatre,
Charlotte, NC, Sept 19

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Pechanga Resort & Casino,
Temecula, CA, Sept 19

Thievery Corporation @ Pier 6 Pavilion, Baltimore, MD, Sept 19

Vieux Farka Toure @ Telluride Brews & Blues Festival,
Telluride, CO, Sept 19

Susan Tedeschi @ Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA, Sept 19
Bela Fleck @ Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI, Sept 19-20

Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Orange Peel,
Asheville, NC, Sept 20

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Music Hall/Tucson Convention Center,
Tucson, AZ, Sept 20

Geoff Eales @ White Swan, Statford-Upon-Avon, UK, Sept 20
Bettye LaVette @ Brisbane Festival, Brisbane, Australia, Sept 20-21
Boz Scaggs @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, Sept 21
Vieux Farka Toure @ Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, Sept 21

Sheila E @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 22
Laura Izibor @ Palm Beach Improv, West Palm Beach, Fl, Sept 22
Eddie Palmieri @ @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 22-26
Les McCann @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 23
Carole King @ Central Park East Meadow, New York, NY, Sept 23
Tower Of Power @ Kern County Fair, Bakersfield, CA, Sept 23
Laura Izibor @ Utopia Soundstage, Charlotte, NC, Sept 24
Geoff Eales @ Spice Of Life, London, UK, Sept 24

Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Western Washington
Fair/Puyallup Fair, Pyallup, WA, Sept 24

McCoy Tyner @ L’Astral, Montreal, Quebec City, Sept 24-26
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Beau Rivage Theatre, Biloxi, MS, Sept 25
Tower Of Power @ The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA, Sept 25
Van Morrison @ The Joint, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 25
Maxwell @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada, Sept 25
Bettye LaVette @ The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis, MO, Sept 25
Swing Out Sister @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 25-26

Keith Washington, Blue Magic, The Intruders @ Marriott Grande
Dunes Hotel, Myrtle Beach, SC, Sept 25-27

Bettye LaVette @ Singletary Center For The Arts,
Lexington, KY, Sept 26

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Robinson Center,
Little Rock, AR, Sept 26

Chris Botti @ Clark State Performing Arts Center,
Springfield, OH, Sept 26

Barbra Streisand @ Village Vanguard, New York, NY, Sept 26
Teena Marie @ Viejas Casino & Resort, Alpine, CA, Sept 26
Maxwell @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI, Sept 26
Bela Fleck @ Oregon Symphony, Portland, OR, Sept 26

King Sunny Ade @ Alys Robinson Stephens PAC,
Birmingham, AL, Sept 26

McCoy Tyner @ Palais Montcalm, Quebec City, Sept 27
Joyce, Joao Donato @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 27-30
Maxwell @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Sept 28

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Stiefel Theatre For The Performing
Arts, Salina, KS, Sept 28

Bela Fleck @ Royal Conservatory, Toronto, ON, Sept 29
Van Morrison @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Sept 29

Brian Culbertson, Larry Graham, Funk All-Stars @ Billboard Live,
Tokyo, Japan, Sept 29-30

Bela Fleck @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, Sept 30
Van Morrison @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Sept 30

John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre,
Houston, TX, Sept 30

Maxwell @ Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA, Sept 30

FRANK SINATRA - SINATRA: NEW YORK

A new Frank Sinatra release is on the way and it’s called "SINATRA: NEW YORK" which follows the singer onstage at various iconic New York City venues, living out one of his most famous lines: "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." The five-disc boxed set (4-CD/1-DVD) of previously unreleased live performances will be available November 3, at all retail outlets, including www.Sinatra.com, for a suggested list price of $79.99 (physical) and $34.99 (digital). The 71 previously unreleased performances gathered here (55 on CD/16 on DVD) capture the singer giving his electricifying best, reminding listeners why Sinatra's celebrated baritone has been hailed as "The Voice." The set, produced by Charles Pignone, features deluxe packaging with rare, never-before-seen photos, tributes from Martin Scorsese, Tony Bennett, Yogi Berra, and Twyla Tharp, liner notes by Nat Hentoff, and essays by William Friedkin, director of "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection"; George Kalinsky, official photographer for Madison Square Garden for over 40 years; Tom Young, engineer for Sinatra; Joe & Sal Scognamillo, owners of Patsy's Italian Restaurant in New York City; and Frank Sinatra Jr.

"SINATRA: NEW YORK" begins in February 1955, at the Manhattan Center, where Sinatra made a surprise appearance with Tommy Dorsey and his band during a concert celebrating the group's 20-year anniversary. Sinatra, who first became a star singing with Dorsey in the early '40s, sang a trio of his biggest hits with Dorsey: "Oh! Look At Me Now," "This Love Of Mine" and "I'll Never Smile Again," a song that spent 12 weeks at #1 in 1940. The remainder of the first disc was recorded in September 1963, at the United Nations. To celebrate U.N. Staff Day, Sinatra sang at the organization's Manhattan offices, accompanied only by pianist Skitch Henderson, who incidentally played on Sinatra's first solo recording session in 1942. During the show, the duo performed "I Have Dreamed" and "My Heart Stood Still" from "The Concert Sinatra," an album released earlier that year.

Sinatra "retired" in 1971, at the age of 55, but returned in 1973, with "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back." A year later, he launched a tour to benefit an international children's charity that included a show at New York's Carnegie Hall. The second disc features classics such as "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Come Fly With Me." Sinatra also performed Joe Raposo's "There Used To Be A Ballpark" and "You Will Be My Music" from "Ol' Blue Eyes."

From October 1974, the third disc contains the first night of Sinatra's two-night stand at Madison Square Garden. The second night was televised and dubbed 'The Main Event' concert. With the famous arena set up for a boxing match -- complete with ringside seats -- Howard Cosell introduced Sinatra before the singer took the stage wearing boxing gloves. Bill Miller conducted Woody Herman's Young Thundering Herd as the band accompanied Sinatra on signature hits ("The Lady Is A Tramp," "My Way"), ballads ("Let Me Try Again," "Angel Eyes"), and "Autumn In New York."

The final CD returns to Carnegie Hall for a sold-out June 1984 show, and Sinatra taps his extensive songbook for an eclectic evening of music that spans four decades: "Fly Me To The Moon"; "Pennies From Heaven"; "My Way"; and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." The second half of disc four, from Radio City Music Hall in June 1990, finds Sinatra performing with an orchestra conducted by his son Frank Sinatra Jr., and includes such hits as "Strangers In The Night," "Mack The Knife," and "Theme From New York, New York."

"SINATRA: NEW YORK" closes with a DVD containing the singer's June 25, 1980, concert at Carnegie Hall. At the time, the two-week engagement set a record for the venue by selling out in just a day. The shows followed the release of 1980's "Trilogy," Sinatra's ambitious triple-album comeback that featured "The Theme From New York, New York." Sinatra mixes "Summer Me, Winter Me" from that album with his hits "I've Got The World On A String" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." Foreshadowing the follow-up to "Trilogy" is "The Gal That Got Away"/"It Never Entered My Mind," a medley that would appear on "She Shot Me Down" in 1981.

"SINATRA: NEW YORK"Track Listing
Disc 1- Manhattan Center, 1955
1. Introductions: Martin Block and Tommy Dorsey
2. "I'll Never Smile Again"
3. "Oh! Look At Me Now"
4. "This Love Of Mine"United Nations, 1963
5. "Too Marvelous For Words"
6. "They Can't Take That Away From Me"
7. "I Have Dreamed"
8. Monologue
9. "A Foggy Day"
10. "My Heart Stood Still"
11. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"

Disc 2 - Carnegie Hall, April 8, 1974
1. Overture: "All The Way"/"My Kind Of Town"/"You Will Be My Music"
2. "Come Fly With Me"
3. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
4. "Don't Worry About Me"
5. "If"
6. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
7. Medley: "Last Night When We Were Young"/"Violets For Your Furs"/"Here's That Rainy Day"
8. Bows - "You Will Be My Music"
9. Monologue
10. "My Way"
11. "You Will Be My Music"
12. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
13. "Send In The Clowns"
14. "That's Life"
15. Bows - "My Way"
16. "There Used To Be A Ballpark"
17. "My Kind Of Town"
18. Bows - "My Way"

Disc 3 - Madison Square Garden, October 12, 1974
1. Overture: "It Was A Very Good Year"/"All The Way"/"My Kind Of Town"
2. "The Lady Is A Tramp"
3. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
4. "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?"
5. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
6. "Let Me Try Again (Laisse Moi Le Temps)"
7. "Send In The Clowns"
8. "My Kind Of Town"
9. Monologue
10. "Autumn In New York"
11. "If"
12. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
13. "Angel Eyes"
14. "The House I Live In"
15. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"
16. "My Way"
17. Bows - "My Way"

Disc 4 - Carnegie Hall, June 1984
1. "Fly Me To The Moon"
2. "Luck Be A Lady"
3. "This Is All I Ask"
4. "Come Rain Or Come Shine"
5. Monologue
6. "My Way"
7. "Teach Me Tonight"
8. "Pennies From Heaven" Radio City Music Hall, June 1990
9. "For Once In My Life"
10. "Strangers In The Night"
11. Monologue
12. "Mack The Knife"
13. "Summer Wind"
14. "Theme From New York, New York"
15. Bows - "Good-Bye"

DVD Recorded At Carnegie Hall, 1980
1. "I've Got The World On A String"
2. "The Best Is Yet To Come"
3. "The Lady Is A Tramp"
4. "When Your Lover Has Gone"
5. "This Is All I Ask"
6. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
7. "Summer Me, Winter Me"
8. "Street Of Dreams"
9. Medley: "The Gal That Got Away"/"It Never Entered My Mind"
10. "I Can't Get Started"
11. "Send In The Clowns"
12. "Come Fly With Me"
13. "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry"
14. "You And Me (We Wanted It All)"
15. "The Song Is You"
16. "Theme From New York, New York"

NEW RELEASES FROM JESSY J, SOUL BOSSA TRIO, GILLES PETERSON, HERB ALPERT & MORE...

Afterlife - Electrosensitive
All-4-One – No Regrets
BTS – A Groove For Candy
Balam – 4 Floors Up
Bombay Dub Orchestra – 3 Cities in Dub
Bruce McKenzie – After Dark
C.G. Cameron – Enticed Ecstasy
Cachao’s Mambo All Stars – Como Siempre
Cherry Vata – Via Vanilla
Cosmosis – Fumbling For The Funky Frequency
Creative Response – Chillout Response
Dani Trucheto - Sobremesa
Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour – Young Blood, Old Soul
Flying Lotus – LA EP 3
Gary Harris – Here For You
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes
Inner Sun – Farewell: Our Latest Dream
Jessy J – True Love
Joao Callado – Joao Callado
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band – The Remixes
Jojo Effect – Ordinary Madness
Larry Levan – The Final Nights Of Paradise
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Lenny MacDowell – Get Ready
Levert II - Dedication
Lhase De Sela – Lhasa
Little Dragon – Machine Dreams
Lucas Santtana – Sem Nostalgia
Michael Olatuja - Speak
Michelle Amador – Higher
Mike Clinco - Neon
Nile Rodgers – Advertures In The Land Of Groove
Nu Tropic – Kingdom Of Love
Phillip Martin - Realization
Quantic & His Combo Barbara – Tradition In Transition
Rhonda Thomas – Breathe New Life
Robert Glasper – Double Booked
Sakura – Real Love
Soul Bossa Trio – For Once In My Life
Stella Polaris – A Handful
Tom Abbs & Frequency Response – Lost & Found
Triogranico -Convivencia
Trestal –When I Sleep
Various Artists – Blue Note Trip Vol. 8 Maestro
Various Artists – Café Mambo Ibiza 2009 Mixed By Jose Padilla
Various Artists – Comme Il Faut: Two Sides Of Summer
Various Artists – Delicious Grooves
Various Artists – Erotic Chill
Various Artists – Gilles Peterson Brazilika
Various Artists – Goldenworks Remixed By Quasimode
Various Artists – Hot Buttered Jazz: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes
Various Artists – Intelligent Music Favorites, Vol. 8
Various Artists – L’espresso Café Chillout 2009 (Fresh & Chilling)
Various Artists – Lover’s Lounge
Various Artists – Nu Faces Project Volume 1
Various Artists – Soulful Finland Vol. 1
Wax – African Dreams

REGINA CARTER

Regina Carter’s career has been a veritable crescendo of success that shows no sign of letting up. She is on a mission: to make a meaningful musical contribution and do it on her own terms. Carter tours with relentless purpose and a seemingly endless supply of energy and over the past seven years, she and her group have brought audiences to their feet with exhilarating performances worldwide Just as prolific as her accomplishments on stage are Carter’s performances on record. Included in her discography, along with recordings with Patti Labelle Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill are recordings with vocalists, Cassandra Wilson and Carmen Lundy, trombonist, Steve Turre, pianists Kenny Barron and Danilo Perez, guitarist Rodney Jones, saxophonist James Carter, Quartet Indigo, led by cellist, Akua Dixon and the String Trio of New York.Her influences have ranged from R&B to East Indian, to classical music. As a college student, Carter took on a double major in classical music and African American music at both the prestigious New England Conservatory and Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performance. Regina currently has five discs under her own name, two on Atlantic Records, Regina Carter (1995) and Something for Grace (1997). In 1998 Regina changed record labels and in the spring of 1999 Rhythms of the Heart made it’s debut under the auspices of VERVE Records (Universal). Her fourth CD, Motor City Moments, was released in September 2000 and is a tribute to the musical legacy of her hometown of Detroit. Freefall, a collaboration with pianist Kenny Barron was released in the spring of 2001 and was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in February 2002. Paganini: After A Dream, was released in April 2003 and her latest CD, I’ll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey, made its debut, in June of 2006. On this disc, Regina pays homage to her late mother by performing music from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Regina Carter continues to reveal a distinctly diverse musical personality. She’s become one of the most popular young violinists in modern music today.

HAROLD LITTLE: DADDY'S GROOVE

Simply put, Harold Little knows jazz. With an education at D.C.'s renowned Duke Ellington School of the Arts and additional study at the University of District of Columbia's Jazz Studies Program, Little honed his craft for the improvisational genre. Having played with jazz icons Buck Hill, Calvin Jones, Webster Young, Eddie Gladden and Butch Warren, as well as "The Godfather of Go-Go", Chuck Brown, among others, the trumpeter has the experience to go with the "chops". He's a familiar site at popular venues around the Nation's Capital including Verizon Center, Takoma Station, Blues Alley, Half Note Lounge, BET, Republic Gardens, Zanzibar, H-R57, and Ft. Dupont Theatre. After a 5-year hiatus to "raise his children and do the 'good husband' thing", the artist is now spreading his wings with the release of his new project entitled Daddy's Groove. The new 5-song EP is a musical expression of the passion that exudes from Harold. Although he's played for countless gifted musicians, this is his solo debut recording. Blending influences from styles like Funk, Go-Go, Soul, R&B, and of course Jazz, Daddy's Groove is certain to put a pep in the step of any listener. Tracks like the title tune, "Daddy's Groove", a snappy and lively jazz track and the festive, shoulder-shaking "Blue Bossa" make this EP one to put in and let play. Harold smoothes things out a little with the stylish and soothing sounds of "Jo-Jo" while "Well You Needn't" is a bold, in-your-face track. It's no wonder that Harold Little has been playing a "mean trumpet" for close to twenty years. Other great musicians accompany him on Daddy's Groove including Frankie Addison (tenor saxophone), Gerry Gillespie (keyboards), Yusef Chisholm (bass), Mark Prince (drums) and Tommy Guns (percussions). Little is thrilled at the result he achieved with the performances on Daddy's Groove. He says, "The project began as a demo effort to shop for gigs around the Washington, D.C. area. It turned out so well that I decided to pursue the EP route to test the market. We've been playing together forever so the studio session was a piece of cake. The vibe was right and the music was tight so we put it down that night and it was a wrap. Such great musicians make it easy for any bandleader."

JESSE COOK: THE RUMBA FOUNDATION

E1 Music is set to release the new album by world music guitarist extraordinaire Jesse Cook. "The Rumba Foundation" will be released on September 29th, 2009. "The Rumba Foundation" brings Cook on a journey across time, space and sound. In the 1800s sailors travelled to Spain carrying a hot new rhythm from Cuba: Rumba. Gypsies took this dance rhythm and created their own hybrid: "Rumba Flamenco." 150 years later, Jesse makes it a round trip by bringing Rumba Flamenco back to its roots, but modernized in what might be his strongest work yet.
With this new release, Jesse melds his trademark Rumba Flamenco style with the music of Cuba, Haiti and Colombia, among others. With all of the instrumental pyrotechnics he employs, Jesse's emphasis is always on the melody and the infectious rhythms that make him an airplay favorite. Amidst all of his dazzling, soulful original compositions, Jesse adds a special highlight -- a spectacular arrangement of Paul Simon's classic "Cecilia," an adaptation that is as creative and catchy as anything he's ever recorded. Jesse Cook has sold over 1 million albums world wide, and over 400,000 in the U.S. alone. In 2008, he achieved something no one before him ever has. He dominated both the smooth jazz radio charts with his Top 3 single, "Café Mocha," and the Billboard New Age chart with his #1 album "Frontiers," which to date has spent over 70 weeks in the Top 10. Jesse Cook is a 2009 Acoustic Guitar magazine Player's Choice Silver Award winner, finishing second only to the legendary Paco De Lucia. At the same time, he continues to play sold-out concerts all over North America and indeed the world, electrifying audiences everywhere with energetic, virtuosic, and melodic concerts.

The Rumba Foundation Track Listing

1. Bogota by Bus

2. Santa Marta

3. Tuesday's Child

4. Manolo

5. Improv 1

6. La Rumba D'el Jefe

7. Improv 2

8. Gaita

9. Rain Day

10. Bombay Diner

11. Afternoon at Satie's

12. Cecilia

13. Homebound

MARC BROUSSARD: WELCOME TO MY LIVING ROOM

Atlantic recording artist Marc Broussard has unveiled details of his upcoming headline tour. The 15-city trek - dubbed "Marc Broussard: Welcome To My Living Room" - will see the Louisiana-based bayou soul troubadour performing acoustically in intimate venues across the country, accompanied by acclaimed guitarist Joe Stark (Sons of William) and drummer/percussionist Chad Gilmore. The tour begins on October 13th at the Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia, and then travels the U.S. through the November 6th finale at the House Of Blues in Houston, TX. The back-to-basics tour will be highlighted by songs from Broussard's earlier material on "Momentary Setback," "Carencro," and his most recent Atlantic Records debut, "KEEP COMING BACK." In addition, fans can expect a preview of new songs.

Broussard's third full-length collection, "KEEP COMING BACK," includes the hit single/video, "When It's Good (Feat. LeAnn Rimes)" and received beaucoup critical acclamation upon its release last September. "Justin T., take note: Marc Broussard is the real blue-eyed, blond, Southern soul singer," wrote Vanity Fair's Lisa Robinson. "He's been compared to Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, and Van Morrison, and his new album, 'KEEP COMING BACK,' features the outstanding 'Real Good Thing.'" Performing Songwriter also praised the collection, stating "Next time you hear a soul-music fanatic say, 'They don't make 'em like that anymore,' let them hear 'KEEP COMING BACK'... Broussard gives what amounts to a master class in soul singing."

MARC BROUSSARD On Tour 2009
Oct 13 - Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere Music Hall
Oct 14 - Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
Oct 16 - New York, NY @ The Concert Hall
Oct 17 - Fairfield, CT @ Stage One
Oct 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
Oct 20 - Evanston, IL @ S.P.A.C.E.
Oct 22 - Nashville, TN @ The Rutledge
Oct 23 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage In The Round
Oct 24 - Fort Worth, TX @ Bass Performance Hall
Oct 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
Oct 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
Oct 29 - San Francisco, CA @ Café du Nord
Oct 30 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Nov 5 - Austin, TX @ The Parish
Nov 6 - Houston, TX @ House Of Blues

LES PAUL: 1915-2009

Les Paul, acclaimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away on August 13 from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the thoughts and prayers from his dear friends and fans. Les Paul was 94.

One of the foremost influences on 20th century sound and responsible for the world's most famous guitar, the Les Paul model, Les Paul's prestigious career in music and invention spans from the 1930s to the present. Though he's indisputably one of America's most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His groundbreaking design would become the template for Gibson's best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. Today, countless musical legends still consider Paul's iconic guitar unmatched in sound and prowess. Among Paul's most enduring contributions are those in the technological realm, including ingenious developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general.

Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton's Radio Band in St. Louis. As Paul's mentor, Wolverton was the one to christen him with the stage name "Rhubarb Red," a moniker that would follow him to Chicago in 1934. There, Paul became a bonafide radio star, known as both hillbilly picker Rhubarb Red and Django Reinhardt-informed jazz guitarist Les Paul. His first recordings were done in 1936 on an acoustic--alone as Rhubarb Red, as well as backing blues singer Georgia White. The next year he formed his first trio, but by 1938 he'd moved to New York to begin his tenure on national radio with one of the more popular dance orchestras in the country, Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians.

Tinkering with electronics and guitar amplification since his youth, Les Paul began constructing his own electric guitar in the late '30s. Unhappy with the first generation of commercially available hollowbodies because of their thin tone, lack of sustain, and feedback problems, Paul opted to build an entirely new structure. "I was interested in proving that a vibration-free top was the way to go," he has said. "I even built a guitar out of a railroad rail to prove it. What I wanted was to amplify pure string vibration, without the resonance of the wood getting involved in the sound." With the good graces of Epiphone president Epi Stathopoulo, Paul used the Epiphone plant and machinery in 1941 to bring his vision to fruition. He affectionately dubbed the guitar "The Log."

Les Paul's tireless experiments sometimes proved to be dangerous, and he nearly electrocuted himself in 1940 during a session in the cellar of his Queens apartment. During the next two years of rehabilitation, Les earned his living producing radio music. Forced to put the Pennsylvanians and the rest of his career on hold, Les Paul moved to Hollywood. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army but permitted to stay in California, where he became a regular player for Armed Forces Radio Service. By 1943 he had assembled a trio that regularly performed live, on the radio, and on V-Discs. In 1944 he entered the jazz spotlight--thanks to his dazzling work filling in for Oscar Moore alongside Nat King Cole, Illinois Jacquet, and other superstars --at the first of the prestigious Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.

By his mid-thirties, Paul had successfully combined Reinhardt-inspired jazz playing and the western swing and twang of his Rhubarb Red persona into one distinctive, electrifying style. In the Les Paul Trio he translated the dizzying runs and unusual harmonies found on Jazz at the Philharmonic into a slower, subtler, more commercial approach. His novelty instrumentals were tighter, brasher, and punctuated with effects. Overall, the trademark Les Paul sound was razor-sharp, clean-shaven, and divinely smooth.
As small combos eclipsed big bands toward the end of World War II, Les Paul Trio's popularity grew. They cut records for Decca both alone and behind the likes of Helen Forrest, the Andrews Sisters, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Dick Hayes, and, most notably, Bing Crosby. Since 1945, when the crooner brought them into the studio to back him on a few numbers, the Trio had become regular guests on Crosby's hit radio show. The highlight of the session was Paul's first No. 1 hit and million-seller, the gorgeous "It's Been a Long, Long Time."

Meanwhile, Paul began to experiment with dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks, also altering the playback speed. This resulted in "Lover (When You're Near Me)," his revolutionary 1947 predecessor to multi-track recording. The hit instrumental featured Les Paul on eight different electric guitar parts, all playing together. In 1948, Paul nearly lost his life to a devastating car crash that shattered his right arm and elbow. Still, he convinced doctors to set his broken arm in the guitar-picking and cradling position. Laid up but undaunted, Paul acquired a first generation Ampex tape recorder from Crosby in 1949, and began his most important multi-tracking adventure, adding a fourth head to the recorder to create sound-on-sound recordings. While tinkering with the machine and its many possibilities, he also came up with tape delay. These tricks, along with another recent Les Paul innovation--close mic-ing vocals--were integrated for the first time on a single recording: the 1950 No. 1 tour de force "How High the Moon." This historic track was performed during a duo with future wife Mary Ford. The couple's prolific string of hits for Capitol Records not only included some of the most popular recordings of the early 1950s, but also wrote the book on contemporary studio production. The dense but crystal clear harmonic layering of guitars and vocals, along with Ford's close mic-ed voice and Paul's guitar effects, produced distinctively contemporary recordings with unprecedented sonic qualities. Through hits, tours, and popular radio shows, Paul and Ford kept one foot in the technological vanguard and the other in the cultural mainstream.

All the while, Les Paul continued to pine for the perfect guitar. Though The Log came close, it wasn't quite what he was after. In the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar would cultivate a partnership with Paul that would lead to the creation of the guitar he'd seen only in his dreams. In 1948, Gibson elected to design its first solidbody, and Paul, a self-described "dyed-in-the-wool Gibson man," seemed the right man for the job. Gibson avidly courted the guitar legend, even driving deep into the Pennsylvania mountains to deliver the first model to newlyweds Les Paul and Mary Ford.

With the rise of the rock 'n' roll revolution of 1955, Les Paul and Mary Ford's popularity began to wane with younger listeners, though Paul would prove to be a massive influence on younger generations of guitarists. Still, Paul and Ford maintained their iconic presence with their wildly popular television show, which ran from 1953-1960. In 1964, the couple, parents to a son and daughter, divorced. Paul began playing in Japan, and recorded an LP for London Records before poor health forced him to take time off--as much as someone so inspired can take time off. In 1977, Paul resurfaced with a Grammy-winning Chet Atkins collaboration, Chester and Lester. Then the ailing guitarist, who'd already suffered arthritis and permanent hearing loss, had a heart attack, followed by bypass surgery.

Ever stubborn, Les recovered, and returned to live performance in the late 1980s. Even releasing the 2005 double-Grammy winner Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, featuring collaborations with a veritable who's who of the electric guitar, including dozens of illustrious fans like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. In 2008, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to Les Paul in a week-long celebration of his life which culminated with a live performance by Les himself. Until recently Les continued to perform two weekly New York shows with the Les Paul Trio, at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, for over twelve years where a literal who's who of the entertainment world has paid homage. It has been an honor to have Les Paul perform at The Iridium Jazz Club for the past twelve years hosting such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and others and is a tragic loss to owner Ron Sturm both personally and professionally. Iridium intends to celebrate Les Paul's music and legacy every Monday night. Les Paul has since become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame

ISLAND 50th ANNIVERSARY

Reggae fans are being treated to a treasure trove of first-time digital releases with tracks and albums unavailable in any form for some 30 years exclusively on iTunes. The Island 50th Anniversary Reggae promotion, featuring special offers through August 17, marks an important milestone for the genre in the download world. Exclusively available on iTunes and released by Island/UMe will be six "Digital 45s" from the Congoes, Zap Pow and others; a new Bob Marley & The Wailers EP compilation; 10 out-of-print albums and previously unavailable digitally from the likes of the Heptones, Wailing Souls, and George Faith; and three new multi-artist collections. The "Digital 45s" are "Congo Man"/"Congo Man Chant" (Congoes), "Ballistic Affair"/"Ballistic Dub" (Leroy Smart), "Dreadlocks in Moonlight"/"Cut Throat" (Lee Perry), "To Be A Lover (Have Mercy)"/"Diana" (George Faith), "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"/"The Dealer" (Arthur Louis) and "This Is Reggae Music"/"Break Down The Barriers" (Zap Pow). The albums debuting for digital download are Night Food (The Heptones), Wild Suspense (Wailing Souls), To Be A Lover (George Faith), Black Roots (Sugar Minott), Classic Rockers (Augustus Pablo), Jezebel and Just In Time (Justin Hinds & The Dominoes), and the compilations Dubmission and Dubmission 2 -- The Remixes. The I Know A Place EP collects five tracks Bob Marley & The Wailers recorded with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The title track was first issued on the limited edition retrospective One Love in 2001, has been out of print since, and now makes its digital premiere on I Know A Place. "Who Colt The Game" was issued on the bonus disc that accompanied the U.K. edition of One Love and similarly has been out of print; "Smile Jamaica [version]" was culled from the 2001 Expanded Edition of Kaya. And both "Punky Reggae Party" [Jamaican 12" version] in its full "discomix" and the complete recording of "Keep On Moving" hail from the 2001 Exodus Deluxe Edition. Additionally, three new Island 50th Anniversary - branded 10-track compilations will be issued exclusively on iTunes. Roots Train boasts Junior Murvin, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Lee Perry, Jah Lion and others. Crucial Classics features vintage recordings from Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Toots & The Maytals, The Heptones and more, while Dreadlocks In Moonlight offers romantic reggae classics from Black Uhuru, Dillinger, Toots Hibbert, George Faith and Gregory Isaacs, among others.

BURT BACHARACH, KENNY LOGGINS, PEABO BRYSON, JANE MONHEIT FEATURED ON WHAT LOVE CAN DO

WHAT LOVE CAN DO is a project put together by Phil Ramone that brings together celebrated musicians such as Brian Wilson, Kris Kristofferson, Kenny Loggins, Burt Bacharach and many others each of whom have gone back into the studio to recreate one of their all-time hits as well as record a brand new song. It's a unique idea where artists, under the creative genius of Phil Ramone, record a fresh take on a timeless classic while also offering an up-to-date example of their artistry. Key Adult Contemporary stations such as KWAV (Monteray, CA) and WCDV (Baton Rouge, LA) have already embraced the first single, What Love Can Do by Brian Wilson. WHAT LOVE CAN DO was released on 429 Records on August 4. WHAT LOVE CAN DO is more than just a nostalgic look back for the artist and the listener but it's a heartfelt message from each artist involved that their music is more vibrant and evocative than ever. The lineup of artists participating in the project is truly stellar representing the pop, rock, folk and jazz genres.

WHAT LOVE CAN DO TRACKLISTING:

1) "God Only Knows" Brian Wilson

2) "Un Baile Del Corazon" Stephen Bishop

3) "Your Goodbye" Richard Marx

4) "A Love Song" Kenny Loggins

5) "Sunday Morning Coming Down" Kris Kristofferson

6) "I Still Remember" Burt Bacharach & John Pagano

7) "Rainbow Connection" by Paul Williams & Willie Nelson

8) "Hold On To The Nights" Richard Marx

9) "The Wonder" Kris Kristofferson

10) "I'll Remember Your Name" Kenny Loggins

11) "New Music From An Old Friend" Paul Williams & Jane Monheit

12) "Save It For A Rainy Day" Stephen Bishop & Eric Clapton

13) "Alfie" Burt Bacharach & Peabo Bryson

14) "How About Now" Kenny Loggins

15) "What Love Can Do" Brian Wilson

BARBRA STREISAND AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD

In what promises to be a once-in-a lifetime thrill for a hundred of her luckiest fans, Barbra Streisand will celebrate the release of Love Is The Answer - her new album of jazz standards and classics- by singing a selection of these songs on Saturday, September 26 at New York's legendary Village Vanguard, where she last performed in 1961 as the opening act for Miles Davis. Free tickets to this history-making experience will be made available only to fans who either pre-order the new CD or register an entry blank free of charge. Full details and rules can be found on barbrastreisand.com. Soon after her performance at the Vanguard some 48 years ago, Streisand began to build a reputation in Greenwich Village as an extraordinary newcomer on the scene, a not-to-be-missed star on the rise singing in clubs like The Lion and The Bon Soir. With its astounding acoustics and intimate vibe, The Village Vanguard -- an epicenter of the New York jazz scene since an all-jazz policy was implemented in 1957 - was, and is one of the most renowned musical venues throughout the world.'

According to the RIAA, Barbra Streisand is the #1 best selling female recording artist in history and the only woman to make the Top 10 all time best selling artists list, which includes Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Over the course of her career, Streisand has recorded 50 gold, 30 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums. An artist of unparalleled accomplishments in multiple entertainment fields, Streisand has made her mark as an award winning actress of stage and screen, recording artist, concert performer, movie producer, film director, screenwriter and songwriter. Having earned two Oscars (Best Actress and Best Song), five Emmys, 11 Golden Globes, 10 Grammys including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement and Grammy Legend Awards, a special Tony Award (in 1970 as "Star of the Decade"), two Cable Ace and three Peabody awards, she is the only performer to hold honors from all of those institutions. In addition, Streisand is a recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, America's National Medal of Arts and France's Legion of Honor. In December 2008 she became the first female director to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.

NEW MAXWELL BLACKSUMMERS’NIGHT TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

Maxwell will return to the road in late September for a series of select North American concert dates, his first since wrapping a sold-out summer tour in early August. Maxwell's highly anticipated autumn tour kicks off at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on September 25. Tickets for Maxwell's North American Fall Tour go on sale beginning August 14. Moving his classic R&B production from theaters to arenas for the second leg of his BLACKsummers'night North American tour, Maxwell's autumn concerts will feature multiple Grammy winning, R&B/rap artist Common providing main support, and 2009 Best Urban/Alternative Performance Grammy winner Chrisette Michele as opening act. BLACKSummers'night, the artist's long-awaited fourth studio album, entered the Billboard Top 200 at #1 following its release on July 7 and has achieved RIAA Gold status, having sold more than 500,000 copies since its release.

Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night Fall Tour w/ Common and Chrisette Michele:
Sept 25 –Toronto @ Air Canada Centre
Sept 26 - Detroit @ Joe Louis Arena (w/o Common)
Sept 28 - New York @ Madison Square Garden
Sept 30 - Richmond @ Richmond Coliseum
Oct 2 - Washington DC @ Verizon Center
Oct 3 - Philadelphia @ Wachovia Spectrum (w/o Common)
Oct 5 - Atlanta @ Phillips Arena
Oct 6 - Charlotte @ Time Warner Cable Arena
Oct 8 - Chicago @ United Center
Oct 9 - St. Louis @ Scottrade Center
Oct 12 - Dallas @ TBAOct 13 - Houston @ Toyota Center
Oct 16 - Los Angeles @ Hollywood Bowl
Oct 17 - San Francisco @ TBA

BLACKsummers'night is the second consecutive Maxwell album to enter the Billboard 200 at #1, the long-awaited successor to 2001's similarly chart-topping Now. With first week's sales of 316,499, according to SoundScan, BLACKsummers'night generated the best overall sales week of Maxwell's career. BLACKsummers'night peaked at #1 on the SoundScan Album Retailer chart and the Current R&B chart. Released on Tuesday, July 7, on CD and in a Limited Edition Deluxe CD/DVD set, BLACKsummers'night is already generating hit singles. The first, "Pretty Wings," rocketed to the #1 slot on America's Urban Adult radio stations after completing an earlier run as the nation's #1 Greatest Gainer/Most-Added song at the Urban Mainstream format. "Pretty Wings" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, and is currently #2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it's spent 13 weeks.

"Bad Habits," the lead track and second single from BLACKsummers'night, reached #1 Most-Added song at Urban Adult radio according to Mediabase, the music industry's first mass-airplay monitoring service. Both "Bad Habits" and "Pretty Wings" have made the Top 10 of America's Urban Adult Contemporary charts with "Bad Habits" peaking at #7 and "Pretty Wings" locking down the #1 slot. BLACKsummers'night reached #1 on the iTunes R&B Albums chart while "Pretty Wings" hit #1 on the iTunes R&B Singles chart. BLACKsummers'night is the sensuous opening installment of the artist's monumental BLACKSUMMERS'NIGHT trilogy. (The trilogy's subsequent chapters, blackSUMMERS'night and blacksummers'NIGHT, are slated for release in 2010 and 2011 respectively.)

BLACKsummers'night reunites Maxwell with long-time collaborator Hod David, who serves as co-producer and co-writer of the album. Striving for an emotional authenticity and real world sound for the album, Maxwell and Hod recorded the entire album live in the studio with an a-list ensemble of elegantly sympathetic musicians. Maxwell began redefining classic soul music for a new generation with the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, in April 1996. Fueled in part by the RIAA gold single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," the Grammy-nominated Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite was certified platinum in March 1997, less than a year after its release, and achieved double platinum status, in recognition of sales of more than 2 million copies in the US alone, in 2002. Maxwell followed up with his MTV Unplugged EP, released in July 1997 and certified gold in September 1999. His second full-length album, Embrya, was released in June 1998 and certified platinum in May 1999. Another Maxwell single, the hit "Fortunate," was certified gold in June 1999. His third studio album, Now, entered the Billboard 200 at #1 in August 2001. To date, Maxwell has achieved 10 gold and platinum certifications from the RIAA for his albums and singles.

HARRY CONNICK JR: YOUR SONGS

Columbia Records recording artist, singer and pianist Harry Connick Jr., has already released 24 albums under his own name, which have sold 25 million copies around the world. Although he has recorded various genres of music, from traditional pop to instrumental jazz to funk and blues, he has shown a deep and abiding affection for The Great American Songbook (and his own songs written in that classic style).

Connick's newest Columbia album, Your Songs, to be released on vinyl on August 25 and on CD September 22, both extends this tradition and compliments it. Like his best-selling Only You of 2004, Your Songs consists of Connick singing familiar songs with a full jazz big band and string orchestra, and, as with nearly all of Harry's previous albums, he wrote each of the orchestrations himself. (He also recruited two of his lifelong friends from New Orleans, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, as well as bluegrass guitar virtuoso Bryan Sutton, for guest appearances). On most of his albums, Connick is a virtual one-man band. "My usual pattern is I either write the songs or pick the songs," he says. "Depending on the configuration I arrange, orchestrate, conduct, sing, and then oversee the mixing and mastering. You might say that I'm very hands on."

However, what makes Your Songs different from all of Connick's previous projects is that this album represents the first occasion in which he has teamed up with a record company producer, the legendary Clive Davis. For nearly 50 years, Davis has been one of the leading lights of the music industry and more recently was promoted to Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Sony Music Entertainment after heading the BMG Label Group. Your Songs is a genuine collaborative effort in which Clive picked most of the songs, Harry arranged and orchestrated them, and then turned the reins in the studio over to his long time friend and producer, Tracey Freeman. "Clive expressed an interest in working with me," he recalls, "but I didn't know what that meant because I had never done a collaboration before."

Davis' concept was to put together a program of classic songs that were both as familiar and as contemporary as possible. Both by accident and design, the selections are skewed towards signature songs for iconic performers: Elvis Presley's "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You," Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa," Tony Bennett's "Who Can I Turn To?," Frank Sinatra's "All The Way," Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" and nine others. "Songs that everybody knows," was how Davis put it, rendered with what he describes as "accessible arrangements."

The opener "All The Way" is more intimate and lighter than we're used to hearing, with a beautiful tenor saxophone solo by Branford Marsalis. "And I Love Her" uses a hint of a bolero underpinning to make the Lennon-McCartney classic seem even more romantic than when sung by The Beatles. "The Way You Look Tonight" has been heard for most of the last 70 years as an uptempo swinger, but Harry brings it back to its original status as a slow and intimate love song. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was originally written by Ewan MacColl in the style of an Olde English folk song, then it was reborn as a 70s pop hit, but Connick sings it as a classic Broadway style love song, very emotionally direct, with his heart right on his sleeve. Elton John's "Your Song" is herewith given a finger-snapping beat.

For Burt Bacharach's "Close to You," which features the brilliant New Orleans trumpeter Leroy Jones, Connick notes, "I went in the studio, and I just started playing, and I wound up giving it a whole different groove. I kept the tempo, and I had a guitar play the famous intro vamp, and overall we gave 'Close To You' more of a Gospel feeling." Likewise, he added more of a jazz beat to Billy Joel's all-time classic, "Just The Way You Are."

The immortal Mexican love song "Besame Mucho" was done at the suggestion of Harry's father. "Mona Lisa" is treated more like a dance number than is customarily heard, while "Smile," which is usually done as a minor key lament, is also much more cheerful and upbeat. Harry starred in the acclaimed ABC TV film of South Pacific, but the show's great love song, "Some Enchanted Evening," was the property of another character; Harry makes up for that here by romping through a solid-four reading of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic.

"Who Can I Turn To" is dedicated to the song's composer, the late, great British singer-songwriter Anthony Newley. Don McLean's "And I Love You So," is unique in the annals of American pop in that it was a big number for both Perry Como and Elvis Presley; Connick sings it with a straightforward sincerity. Connick recruited Wynton Marsalis to play on "Can't Help Falling In Love." "I asked him to play the melody on an Elvis Presley tune. And he said, 'I get it! No problem.' But it wasn't a waste of his time because he played it perfectly, in a way that a lesser musician couldn't have done."

When Harry talks about the beauty of playing or singing a melody as simply and beautifully as possible, he's getting to the essential truth of what makes this album special. To be able to take familiar songs and make something fresh out of them - without eviscerating the qualities that make them great to begin with - is truly a rare gift. And it's a gift that Harry Connick, Jr. displays in abundance on Your Songs, making it one of the extraordinary efforts of his career.

THE TANGLEWOOD JAZZ FESTIVAL

The Boston Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Labor Day Weekend Tanglewood Jazz Festival September 4-September 6, 2009 at the Orchestra's summer home in the Berkshire Hills in Lenox, Massachusetts. Jazz greats highlighting this year's festival include Paquito d'Rivera, Regina Carter, Nnenna Freelon, Kenny Barron, Mulgrew Miller, John Pizzarelli, Jessica Molaskey, Kurt Elling, Harry Allen, Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein, Dave Holland, Steve Nelson, Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks, Antonio Hart, Gary Smulyan, Nate Smith, Alex Sipiagian, Jon Faddis, David Hazeltine, Wallace Roney, Sean Jones, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Harolyn Blackwell and Mike Garson. All shows will be held in Seiji Ozawa Hall.

On Friday, September 4, at 8 p.m. the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival will open with "An Evening with Paquito d'Rivera" in which the famed clarinetist performs pieces from his Latin jazz and classical repertoires. A 2005 NEA Jazz Master, winner of the 2008 Downbeat Reader's Poll for best clarinetist and guest artist on Yo-Yo Ma's most recent recording, Songs of Joy & Peace, d'Rivera has extensive expertise in both the jazz and classical music worlds.

On Saturday, September 5 at 2 p.m., John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey (in her Tanglewood debut) will tape their popular radio program, "Radio Deluxe," at the festival for later broadcast on more than 60 stations nation-wide. Normally broadcast from their living room "high above Lexington Avenue," the Tanglewood program will officially take Radio Deluxe on the road for the first time since the program's inception in 2005. The show's format, marked by the duo's urbane, sophisticated humor, inventive playlist, and extensive knowledge of the Great American Songbook, is expanding its repertoire to include such rock era voices as Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell. "Radio Deluxe" from Tanglewood will feature special guests Kurt Elling, Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein and Harry Allen.

On Saturday, September 5 at 8 p.m., jazz violinist and MacArthur Fellowship recipient, Regina Carter will perform with her quartet in a program titled "Reverse Thread," which includes material from her Paganini project plus music from Mali, Senegal, and Uganda. O Magazine said "Carter is a knockout violinist who leads a knockout band."

Following Ms. Carter will be Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon and classical vocalist, Harolyn Blackwell, in "Dreaming the Duke," a program that celebrates the legacy and influences of the great Duke Ellington with innovative solo pieces, duets with chamber and jazz quartets and intimate vocal-piano selections. Noted pianist and arranger, Mike Garson, whose work with David Bowie and in jazz and classical genres has earned him high praise as an arranger, will perform as accompanist and musical director. They will perform classical Ellington standards and selections from Ellington's famed "Black, Brown and Beige Suite."

The Sunday afternoon concert on September 6 will open at 2 p.m. with a rare and exclusive piano duet featuring Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller on two nine-foot Steinways performing spontaneous improvisations on original and jazz standard compositions. Performed at the 2005 Marciac Jazz Festival in France, this program has only been performed a few times in the U.S. and in Europe. Barron recently received the BNY Mellon Jazz 2008 Living Legacy Award by the Bank of New York/Mellon.

Barron and Miller will be followed by one of the most enduring large jazz ensembles in the U.S., the Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Founded by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, the orchestra received a Grammy Award in 2009 for its recording, Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard (Planet Arts Records) in the "Best Large Jazz Ensemble" category. For over four decades the Orchestra has performed on Monday nights at the world-famous jazz club, the Village Vanguard in New York.

Closing the festival on Sunday, September 6, at 8 p.m. will be trumpeter Jon Faddis and his Quartet with guest trumpeters Sean Jones and Wallace Roney. "The Majesty of the Trumpet" is a celebration of the role of the trumpet in jazz throughout the past century, from Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and more.

Following Jon Faddis will be bassist and big band leader, Dave Holland, with his all-star band including Chris Potter, Jaleel Shaw, Gary Smulyan, Steve Nelson, Nate Smith, Alex Sipiagian and Robin Eubanks. A native of the United Kingdom, Holland worked extensively with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Jack DeJohnette and Herbie Hancock in addition to performing with chamber orchestras and classical composers.

Jazz Café artists this year include saxophonist Benny Reid, pianist and vocalist Michael Kaeshammer, pianist Evgeny Lebedev, vocalist Steven Santoro and violinist Ben Powell. Jazz Café events are free with a ticket to the main stage event.

For more info click to: www.tanglewoodjazzfestival.org.

BRENDA RUSSELL - IN THE THICK OF IT

Brenda Russell’s latest, In The Thick Of It, is a must-have 30th anniversary celebration. It’s a 16 track career-spanning collection from the multi-talented, grammy-nominated New York soul singer/songwriter. With a voice that caresses like melted caramel and lyrics that touch the deepest recesses of your emotions, singer/ songwriter Brenda Russell proves that a glowing talent only deepens with time. This greatest hits collection includes such gems as "Piano In The Dark," "If Only For One Night," “Dinner With Gershwin” and the much-loved anthem "Get Here," In The Thick Of It is released in coordination with the U.K.’s Jazz FM.

The album includes many of her finest recordings from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, right up to the present day, with booklet notes by Brenda herself recounting the stories behind the songs. Included on the album is the haunting “Le Restaurant”, with David Sanborn as guest, “Walkin’ In New York” (more recently covered by Manhattan Transfer) and “Make You Smile”, a collaboration with Bluey from Incognito, recorded in the UK, plus the early A&M hits that introduced her music to a worldwide audience.Other artists she has collaborated with, or those who have recorded her songs over the years, include Luther Vandross (“If Only For One Night”), Donna Summer (“Dinner With Gershwin”), Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick. Roberta Flack, Michael McDonald, David Foster, Patrice Rushen, Rufus and Lalah Hathaway.In The Thick Of It

In The Thick Of It Track Listing

1. Walkin' In New York

2. Make You Smile

3. In The Thick Of It

4. So Good So Right

5. Piano In The Dark (feat. Joe Esposito)

6. Get Here

7. If Only For One Night

8. Catch On

9. It's A Jazz Day

10. Too Cool For The Room

11. Let Somebody Know

12. Expect A Miracle

13. Le Restaurant (feat. David Sanborn)

14. I Know You By Heart

15. Matters Of The Heart16.No Time For Time