JAZZ CHILL MUSIC NEWS

Miles Davis had made the final list of the 2006 class of inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The induction is to be held March 13 at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel. A&M Records co-founders Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss will receive a lifetime achievement award in the non-performer category. Inductees in the side-men category have yet to be announced. Artists are eligible for the Rock Hall 25 years after the release of their first album. The 2005 class featured Buddy Guy, the O'Jays and Percy Sledge.

The Chicago-based electronica artist Mark Andrushko of Delicate Noise debut CD titled Diversion is his first solo release and gives a taste of precise engineered electronica. 12 songs that combine trip-hop, atmospheric, minimalism and synth-pop, Delicate Noise is a fresh voice of electronic music. Future Music Magazine has said, "Influenced by Massive Attack and Depeche Mode, this music is indeed delicate if not exactly noise. Slow tempo electronica with spoken effected vocals and a nicely ambient mix with plenty of space. Atmospheric stuff put together with a lot of care."

Diana Krall doing Christmas songs on the aptly titled Christmas Songs is sure to please her fans, jazz lovers, and anyone looking for a smooth-sounding, wholly predictable holiday disc. Krall delivers exactly what one would expect with these 12 mainstream tunes, seven of which are backed by the Clayton/Hamilton Jazz Orchestra.

Hallmark announced today that Michael McDonald's Through the Many Winters, A Christmas Album, has gone Gold. The ten-track album reached Gold status (500,000 copies sold) two week safter its release and a full week before Thanksgiving, a holiday that is acknowledged to kick off Christmas shopping. Hallmark is the only specialty retailer to have achieved Platinum and Gold certification of their CDs, sold only at their retail outlets. Hallmark CDs are sold exclusively by more than 4,000 Hallmark Gold Crown(R) stores and are available for a limited time. Each CD has a focused, seasonal or event.

eMusic, the world's No. 2 digital music download service, selling more than 3 million tracks monthly, today announced its first retail promotional partnership with computer and electronics retailer CompUSA. Under the agreement, CompUSA consumers will get 100 free eMusic downloads with the purchase of any item at any of their 244 retail stores across the United States. All songs in eMusic's vast and rich 900,000 track catalog are available to CompUSA customers under this promotion. In addition, CompUSA will sell prepaid download cards for eMusic songs that allow customers to buy tracks on an a la carte basis-and own them forever-at a substantially lower price than other mainstream services. Cards will be available for 15 songs priced at $7.50 ($.50 per song); 20 songs at$9.99 ($.50 per song); and 65 songs at $29.99 ($.46 per song).

David Hoffman and Paul Adams team up as the Neurons for Dance and afro-influenced percussion, jungle beats and worldly jazzy grooves. Club deejays will love the adventurous Wild Men of Bornerneo. Funky rhythms, turntablist scratching, stellar trumpet playing, and exotic flute characterize the amazing Funky Tao Duty.

Robin Avery recently released her second album—The Way You Hold Me - a smooth jazz album that adds pop, Caribbean, and R&B flavors. All but two of the tracks were co-written by Avery and her life partner, keyboardist and producer Paul Banman. With a variable lineup that features Banman on keyboards, Avery delivers an album loaded with charming melodies. Saxophonist Warren Hill joins the ensemble for the cover of Drive.