KCRW MUSIC FESTIVAL, MODERN DRUMMER FESTIVAL, COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL & OTHER NEWS

ROY AYERS - RED BLACK & GREEN
Roy Ayers upcoming CD Red Black & Green features some early funk work and covers of Ain't No Sunshine and Day Dreaming. Ayers will perform at Trumpets in Montclair, NJ on Friday April 1.

JOHNNY BRISTOL - MGM COLLECTION
Johnny Bristol's MGM Collection, which features Hang On In There Baby, Feeling The Magic and many others. The CD is due out in April.

FUNKADELIC ALBUM REISSUES
April will also see the release of no less than eight albums from Funkadelic, each has been remastered with bonus tracks added. The albums are: America Eats It's Young (a double LP featuring You Hit The Nail On The Head, A Joyful Process, Loose Booty, I Call My Baby Pussycat; Cosmic Slop (featuring Nappy Dugout, You Can't Miss What You Can't Measure and Can't Stand The Strain.); Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow (featuring Funky Dollar Bill and Free Your Mind); Funkadelic - their first album and it features the original 5-member group lineup of Eddie Hazel, Mickey Atkins, Tawl Ross, Bill Nelson and Tiki Fulwood; Let's Take It To The Stage, which showcases the hard grooving funk sound that would eventually emerge in the years to come; Maggot Brain (featuring a visionary funk sound); plus Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On; and Tales Of Kidd Funkadelic.
ISAAC HAYES - NEW HORIZON
Issac Hayes' New Horizon CD features a smooth soul sound on Moonlight Lovin' Menage a Trois, Out Of The Ghetto, Its Heaven To Me and Don't Take YourLove Away. The album was recorded at the famous Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia. This CD is a compilation of songs that have appeared on previous CD's and it will be out in April.

STEVIE WONDER - THIS TIME 2 LOVE PLUS OTHER REISSUES
If you are a fan of Stevie Wonder, not only will his Time 2 Love CD be available sometime in May, but a total of seven previously released albums will be available in April. All will be Japanese pressings: Down To Earth, Fingertips,I Was Made To Love Her, Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants, Uptight, Where I'm Coming From and With A Song In My Heart. These will all be available in April.

KCRW WORLD MUSIC FESTIVAL
KCRW's World Music Festival...A diverse lineup consisting of Basement Jaxx, Royksopp, David Byrne, the Arcade Fire, Yo-Yo Ma, Femi Kuti, Maxi Priest, Black Uhuru, Desmond Dekker, Bossacucanova and Mos Def will headline the upcoming KCRW World Music Festival. The event will be held throughout the summer at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, kicking off on June 26 and closing on September 28.

MODERN DRUMMER FESTIVAL
Modern Drummer Festival...Sheila E, jazz great Roy Haynes, Deep Purple's Ian Paice and Red Hot Chili Pepper's Chad Smith, are among those who will participate at the Modern Drummer Festival Weekend 2005. The event is set for May 28-29 at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark.

COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC FESTIVAL
Coachella Valley Music Festival 2005...Jamie Cullum and Cafe Tacuba, among many, many others will appear at the 2005 Coachella Valley Music Festival being held in Palm Springs,CA on April 30 and May 1.

TODAY'S NEWS

RIVIERA BEACH JAZZ & BLUES FESTIVAL
The city of Riviera Beach, FL will host the 5th Annual Riviera Beach Jazz & Blues Festival on Friday, April 1 and Saturday, April 2.
The event will take place on Singer Island in Riviera Beach, FL. The Jazz on the Beach Festival will feature top talent, including Chaka Khan, Nicole Henry, Roberta Flack, Isaac Hayes, Jean Carne, Phil Perry, and Mindi Abair, just to name a few.

DAVE KOZ NEW ALBUMS
Dave Koz is working on two upcoming albums: his next Capitol release is being produced by famed producer Phil Ramone; and his follow-up to his 2002 Grammy nominated Golden
Slumbers lullaby album. Golden Slumbers II: A Father's Love be issued on Rendezvous Entertainment, an independent label he co-founded.

CASSANDRA WILSON TOUR
Cassandra Wilson is scheduling a round of upcoming appearances in the coming days: Raleigh, NC on March 31; Atlanta on April 1; Orlando, FL on April 2; and Naples, FL. on April 3. She's also scheduled to perform with Al Jarreau on June 6 in Vienna, Austia, and a July 21 show in Istres, France. Wilson is currently in Los Angeles finishing work on her sixth Blue Note recording due out in the fall.

STEEL PULSE - TRUE DEMOCRACY & EARTH CRISIS
Rhino is set to release the first two albums from famed-reggae band Steel Pulse. True Democracy and Earth Crisis will be reissued June 7 in remastered and expanded form. The reissues add previously unreleased 12" and dub mixes of album tracks and new liner notes. Among the band's upcoming tour dates is a May 1 set at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival.

SONO JAZZ TRIO - BLACK BUTTERFLY
New Music...The Sono Jazz Trio releases the tentatively titled CD Black Butterfly which features the track The Boy Next Door from the 1944 movie Meet Me In St. Louis.

AL GREEN ALBUM REISSUES
A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned that The Right Stuff was set to release a series of Al Green reissues on June 7, but now we have just been informed that this has been pushed back to June 28. The albums are: Al Green Is Love, The Belle Album, Full of Fire, Have A Good Time, Livin' For You and Truth N' Time.

FRANK SINATRA CAPITAL RELEASES
Capitol releases two Frank Sinatra collections on June 7: The Classics Sinatra Collection and Vintage Sinatra.

NANCY WILSON BLUE NOTE RELEASES
Blue Note has scheduled a couple of Nancy Wilson albums that include The Great American Songbook, Guess Who I Saw Today and Save Your Love For Me for August 2.

RAUL MIDON - STATE OF MIND
Blue Note has also recently released singer-guitarist Raul Midon's debut album, State of Mind. Midon has previously worked with Louis Vega on a number of projects, including the Elements of Jazz album as well as on the soundtrack to the Spike Lee film She Hate Me.

JOHN BUTLER TRIO 2005 TOUR DATES
The John Butler Trio is currently in the midst of a tour to promote their album Sunrise Over Sea. On March 30 they will appear on The Late Show With David Letterman. Here is a sampling of the John Butler Trio tour dates:

April 20: Lyon, France (Urban Roots Festival)
April 21: Marseille, France (Urban Roots Festival)
April 22: Bordeaux, France (Urban Roots Festival)
April 24: Paris (Bataclan)
April 25: Evreux, France (L'Abordage)
April 27: London (Carling Academy)
April 29: New Orleans (Jazz & Heritage Festival)
May 1: Nashville (3rd & Lindsay)
May 5: Indianapolis (Vogue)
May 6: Atlanta (Fox Theatre)
May 7: Cincinnati (Taft Theatre)
May 8: Milwaukee (Eagle's Ballroom)
May 10: Seattle (Chop Suey)
May 11: Portland, OR. (Douglas Fir Lounge)
May 13: Joshua Tree, CA (Joshua Tree Music Festival)
May 14: Los Angeles (Troubadour)
May 15: San Diego (House of Blues)
May 18: Philadelphia (Theatre of Living Arts)
May 22: San Francisco (Great American Music Hall)
June 12: Manchester, TN (Bonnaroo)
June 16: Telluride, CO (Telluride Bluegrass Festival)
June 18: Lawrence, KS (Wakarusa Music Festival)

OTTMAR LIEBERT RECORDING NEW ALBUMS
Flamenco guitarist Ottmar Liebert is in the studio preparing two separate albums for release in the coming months, one of which will be a new holiday CD (his second).

MOBY - HOTEL
Moby's latest, entitled Hotel was released in Mar 22 on the V2 label.

AMOS LEE DEBUT ABLUM
The highly anticipated debut album from singer/songwriter Amos Lee was released on Mar. 1 via the Blue Note label. Amos Lee will be touring the U.S. during March and April alongside Bob Dylan.

SMOOTH JAZZ ON THE RADIO
New Music On The Radio...Here are some new Smooth Jazz chart and Radio debuts from the last couple of weeks. These are either songs or albums that have just been recently added to station rotations:

Hiroshima Obon (Heads Up International)
Michael Brandeburg Midnight (MJ Brandy Records)
Marcus Miller Silver Rain (Koch Records)
Chieli Minucci Got It Goin' On (Shanachie)
Steve Cole Spin (Narada)
Victor Wooten Soul Circus (Vanguard)
Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass Lost Treasures (Shout Factory)
Chuck Loeb When I'm With You (Shanachie)
Patches Stewart Blow (Koch Records)
Michael Higgins Daybreak (Cuate Records)

STEVIE WONDER - SO WHAT THE FUSS

STEVIE WONDER- SO WHAT THE FUSS
Stevie Wonder continues to make a strong impression at radio this week with his first new studio single in nearly a decade, So What The Fuss. The single is the #1 "Most Added Song" at both the Rhythm Crossover and Urban Adult Contemporary radio formats. This week's radio trifecta follows up last week's record breaking debut on the Billboard Monitor Adult R&B chart, with the explosive single registering the highest number of debut spins (418) in the chart's history. The single also garnered the largest overall spin increase in the decade-long history ofthe format. A Time To Love, the much anticipated studio album from Wonder, has launched the across-the-board smash single, So What The Fuss, with none other than legendary superstar Prince on guitar and En Vogue as the guest background vocalists. A Time To Love is scheduled to hit stores on May 3rd.

DAVE KOZ RADIO SHOW
The Easter Weekend Edition of The Dave Koz Radio Show... Dave Koz welcomes legendary saxophonist David Sanborn. Sanborn defined the saxophone in contemporary pop music through his work with Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, The Eagles and James Taylor, just to name a few. Sanborn has a new album out entitled Closer, which features selected music from Charlie Chaplin to James Taylor along with contributions of his own work. Sanborn is once again taking the lead as one of music's seminal figures and the single Tin Tin Deo proves that, as it continues to climb the Smooth Jazz charts. Dave will also feature guitarist Jeff Golub, who'll answer a listener question...Patti Austin shares what she listens to on her “downtime...”and get ready to jump back in time as he revisits the birth of a Smooth Jazz favorite.

MOTOWN REMIXED TRACK LISTING & OTHER NEWS

MOTOWN REMIXED TRACK LISTING
Motown Classics Get The Remix Treatment...Motown Remixed is slated for release on May 24 and will feature 15 classic tracks remixed by a set of world-class DJ's. In addition, they will also release a Motown Unmixed edition (a la Verve). Interestingly enough, not all of the remixed tracks made the final cut and apparently those that did not will either find their way for release in Europe or remain in the vaults for a future remix collection. Hopefully the tracks will be available soon in MP3 format for downloads prior to the official release date. Here is the track list for Motown Remixed:

Jackson 5 I Want You Back (DJ Z-Trip)
Gladys Knight & The Pips I Heard It Through The Grapevine (The Randy Wilson Experience)
Marvin Gaye Let's Get It On (DA Producers)
Stevie Wonder Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours (DJ Smash)
Jackson 5 ABC (Salaam Remi)
Rare Earth I Just Want To Celebrate (Mocean Worker)
Temptations Papa Was A Rolling Stone (DJ Jazzy Jeff & Pete Kusma)
Smokey Robinson Quiet Storm (Groove Boutique: Rafe Gomez & David Baron featuring Roy Ayers)
Diana Ross & the Supremes My World Is Empty Withou You (Tranzition)
Temptations Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me (Easy Mo Bee)
Undisputed Truth Smiling Faces Sometimes (Futureshock Entertainment)
Smokey Robinons & the Miracles The Tears of A Clown (Hotsnax)
Eddie Kendricks Keep On truckin' (DJ Spinna)
Edwin Starr War (King Britt)
Rick James Mary Jane (DJ Green Lantern)

Remix pioneer Tom Moulton has worked on three tracks for the collection, however, none of them made it to the final release. These were: the Commodores Three Times A Lady, the Miracles Do It Baby, and the Supremes Stoned Love. Unfortunately none of these made the North American cut of the album. Could this mean that these might be available in the U.K.? If so, we'll keep you posted on where you can find these. Also, on May 10, Univesal Motown will release a "chill" vinyl edition with album versions of Papa Was A Rolling Stone, Lets Get It On and Quiet Storm.

INTERNATIONAL DANCE MUSIC AWARDS
International Dance Music Awards...the upcoming 2oth Annual International Dance Music Awards in South Beach, Florida have announced the talent for the award show. Performing this year will be: Brazilian Girls, Venus Hum, Plummet, Birdy Nam Nam, Lea Lorien, Craze, Christopher Lawrence, Infected Mushroom and Donald Glaude.

SPYRO GYRO AT JAZZIZ BISTRO
Spyro Gyra performs at the Jazziz Bistro at the Seminole Paradise at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Ft. Lauderdale, FL on March 30-31.

SOLOMON BURKE ON DAVID LETTERMAN
Solomon Burke has been booked to appear on the David Letterman Show on March 24 on CBS.

NORMAN BROWN'S SUMMER STORM 2005 TOUR

NORMAN BROWN'S SUMMER STORM 2005 TOUR
Summer Storm 2005: Norman Brown Tour Spotlights Top Jazz, R&B Line-Up...
Norman Brown, the Grammy®-winning guitarist and composer whose latest Warner Bros. Records release West Coast Coolin features the chart-topping hits I Might and Up 'N' At 'Em, will lead an all-star line-up of R&B and jazz artists on his upcoming Summer Storm 2005 North American tour. Launching in early May and including appearances at many of today's top festival venues, Summer Storm 2005 marks a pioneering musical blend of R&B and Smooth Jazz under the creative guidance of Brown. The artist's innovative musical synthesis has earned him a diverse following with such best selling albums as Celebration and Just Chillin', which garnered a 2002 Grammy® in the prestigious Best Pop Instrumental category.

Joining Norman Brown for this unique concert experience will be vocalist Peabo Bryson, best known for his duets with Natalie Cole, Roberta Flack and Regina Belle, as well as numerous solo hits. The Summer Storm 2005 roster will also include singer Brenda Russell, whose extensive career has spanned pop, jazz, R&B and blues. Rounding out the headliners will be virtuoso saxophonist Everett Hart, who has played with Wayne Henderson, George Duke and other top jazz and R&B luminaries.

Summer Storm 2005 will spotlight the distinctive guitar and vocals of Norman Brown in a wide-ranging repertoire showcasing many of the artist's original compositions.

"It's important to reach your fans, to give them an experience they will remember," Brown remarks on the impetus for Summer Storm 2005. "But music is also about expanding horizons, both for the audience and the artist. With the help of Peabo, Brenda and Everett, along with all of the other great musicians on this tour, I think we'll accomplish that and more."

The itinerary for Summer Storm 2005 is a follows. Additional dates will be announced as available.

May 28: San Diego, CA KIFM Anniversary Jazz Festival
May 29: Lake Tahoe, CA Jazz Trax Festival
June 3: Miami Beach, FL JVC Jazz Festival
June 4: Saint Petersburg, FL Jannus Landing
June 11: Los Angeles, CA Playboy JVC Jazz Festival
June 24: St. Louis, MO The Roberta Orpheum Theater
June 26: Detroit, MI WVMV 7th Annual Smooth Jazz Fest.
July 7: Seattle, WA KWJZ Festival
July 12: Long Beach, CA Long Beach Jazz Festival
July 20: Concord, CA Concord Chronicle Pavilion
July 25: Cleveland, OH Palace Theater
July 26: Kettering, OH Praze Pavillion for the Performing Arts
July 28: Apple Valley, MN Music In The Zoo
Sept. 23: Las Vegas, NV Texas Station Casino
Sept. 24: Healdsburg, CA Rodney Strong Winery

JAZZ FEST NEWS, KCRW, THIEVERY CORP & MORE

JACKSONVILLE JAZZ FESTIVAL
The City of Jacksonville presents the 2005 Jacksonville Jazz Festival from April 7-10. The 2005 entertainment lineup will be Spyro Gyra, Jazz Attack featuring Richard Elliot, Jonathan Butler, Peter White and Rick Braun, David Sanborn, Lalah Hathaway, Al Jarreau, Bunky Green, Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Yellowjackets, Stanley Clarke and George Duke, Christian Tamburr Quartet, Terence Blanchard, Chick Corea, Mindi Abair, Pieces Of A Dream, The Sax Pack featuring Marion Meadows, Jeff Kashiwa and Kim Waters, Chris Botti, Pamela Williams and David Benoit.

SEABREEZE JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 2005 Seabreeze Jazz Festival is set for April 15-17 at the Gulf Place Outdoor Amphitheatre in Seabreeze,FL. The entertainment lineup is Chris Botti, Norman Brown, Rick Braun, Peter White, Spyro Gyra, Brian Culbertson, Richard Eliiot, DownTo The Bone, Jonathan Butler, Kim Waters, Jeff Kashiwa, Marion Meadows, Urban Jazz Coalition and Jones And Company.

THIEVERY CORPORATION - REVOLUTION SOLUTION
Thievery Corporation has released an Itunes exclusive remix of Revolution Solution featuring Perry Farrell. Revolution Solution (Rewound Version) is a tripped out, steppers dub mix with haunting vocals from the aforementioned Perry Farrell. Tour dates for both North America and Europe are taking shape starting in May and continuing throughout the summer. Look for the North American datest o be announced soon.

KCRW-FM SANTA MONICA
Santa Monica's own KCRW 89.9FM is probably one of the more eclecticand innovative radio stations I have ever discovered. If it's cool, hip, and happening - they will play it. Of course, it's public radio so there are no boundaries. What I like about it is that it features alot of the music that is in the mix today, from house to brazilian to chill todance to lounge to jazz, and the list goes on. Trust me you will like it. Among the many shows available, a favorite of mine is Nocturna, which air most weekday evenings from 10PM to midnight and if you are not in the Los Angeles area, you can also listen on-line at www.kcrw.com. The website also includes a listing of past and recent programs that feature guest artists, music producers and DJs that you can stream. Some of those currently available are broadcasts with KerriChandler, Josh Wink, DJ Garth, Adam Freeland, NormanKay, Gilles Peterson, Philip Steir, Afrika Bambaataa, and Louis Vega, among many, many others. The Louis Vega hour featured the cuts from the Elements Of Life Extensions CD ,including some new releases and remixes, as well as anecdotes from Louis Vega about the musicians he has worked with and his upcoming tour. The Philip Steir segment featured many songs fromthe Warner Brothers remix project that was released last November. I highly recommend this groundbreaking station from Santa Monica, CA.

JOHN WHITEHEAD AIN'T NO STOPPIN' THE MUSIC FOUNDATION
Patti LaBelle, Gerald Lavert, Floetry and Melba Moore, among others will perform at a fundraiser on April 20 at Philadelphia's Kimmel Center. It will benefit the John Whitehead There's No Stoppin' the Music Foundation. Singer/songwriter John Whitehead (of McFaddenand Whitehead fame) was shot to death in May 2004, and thus his wife leanor, created the foundation. A special award presentation willhonor recipients including Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff andUniversal Motown' Sylvia Rhone.

TODAY'S NEWS

JESSICA KNOX 2005 TOUR
Urban soul and smooth jazz artist, Jessica Knox, is set to launch her 2005 tour in Santa Cruz, CA at the Crow's Nest on March 23, followed by The Moss Landing in Moss Landing, CA on April 7, and then off to Britannia Arms in Aptos, CA on April 16.

JOHN LEGEND - GET LIFTED
John Legend will be performing on Oxygen's Custom Concert Series. The concert will be filmed in New York City on Tuesday, March 22, and it will air exclusively on Oxygen on Sunday, March, 27 at 7pm/6C. His album Get Lifted is available on Sony Records.

BAD PLUS - BLUNT OBJECT: LIVE IN TOKYO
Bad Plus is set to release its latest album Blunt Object: Live In Tokyo and it includes a cover of Queen's We Are The Champions ,as well as Blondie's Heart Of Glass and the standard My Funny Valentine. Although you won't find the album in stores, you will find it on Bad Plus' website at www.thebadplus.com, on May 3. The album was recorded at the Blue Note in Tokyo in May 2004.

SERGIO MENDES, KEIKO MATSUI, HALL & OATES IN LAS VEGAS
Vegas Action...The legendary Sergio Mendes is appearing atthe Suncoast Hotel March 18-20; Keiko Matsui is at the Boulder Station Hotel on March 25-26, and at the Railhead Showroom on April 2. Hall & Oates will be at the Green Valley Ranch Hotel on April 8. Check out their latest CD Our Kind Of Soul as it is filled with covers of a bunch of classic '70's songs, such as the Spinners' I'll Be Around; Barry White's Can't Get Enough Of Your Love ; and the Five Stairsteps' Oooh Child.

PRAFUL - PYRAMID IN YOUR BACKGROUND
Praful has completed work on his latest album Pyramid In Your Background. It features 12 new songs and was produced by Praful's labelmates on Rendezvous, the duo of Adani & Wolf. It's set for release on May 17 and is described as jazz meets electronica, and features guest vocalists, Sandhya Sanjana from India and Katia Moraes from Brazil.

DAVE KOZ AND FRIENDS SUMMER NIGHTS TOUR
Dave Koz is scheduling his annual summer tour and has confirmed that Dutch saxman Praful, guitarist Marc Antoine and vocalist Jeffrey Osborne will join him on the next outing of the Dave Koz & Friends Summer Nights Tour.The tour schedule is being planned and is expected to hit at least 25 cities this year.

CHRIS BOTTI FUND RAISER
Chris Botti has signed on to perform at a $1,000-a-platefund-raiser dinner for Hilary Clinton. It will take place at the Hudson Theatre in Manhattan, New York on March 21.

URBAN KNIGHTS - URBAN KNIGHTS VI
The latest incarnation of the super group Urban Knights features guitarist Bobby Broom, keyboardist Kevin Randolph,bassist Maurice Fitzgerald, saxophonist Nick Bisesi and drummer Quinjuan Anderson. Album highlights includea guest turn by the legendary Ramsey Lewis on Close YourEyes To Remember, as well as a smooth cover of Usher and Alicia Keys' My Boo. The latest album Urban Knights VI is available on Narada Jazz.

BRAZILIAN GIRLS TOUR, WINTER MUSIC CONFERENCE & JAZZ RELEASES

BRAZILIAN GIRLS TOUR DATES
Brazilian Girls Upcoming Tour Dates..The Brazilian Girls continue their US tour with the upcoming appearances: The Bowery Ballroom, New York, NY on Mar. 16; Eternal in Austin,TX on Mar. 19; The International Dance Music Awards in Miami, FL on Mar. 24 (as part of the Winter Music Conference festivities); The Roxy in West Hollywood, CA on Mar. 29; and Bimbo's 365 Club in San Francisco, CA on Mar. 30.

WINTER MUSIC CONFERENCE
Winter Music Conference News...The annual Winter Music Conference is set to officially kickoff on Monday, March 21 through Monday March 28 on Miami's South Beach. DJ's, remixers, producers and artists from around the globe will convulge to meet, mix, and promote their latest projects and music trends. Personal favorites, Frankie Knuckles, David Morales, Jellybean Benitez, Louie Vega, Kenny Dope Gonzalez, Tony Humphries, Jamie Lewis, Arthur Baker, King Britt, Danny Tenaglia, Dimitri from Paris, Andy Caldwell, Steve "Silk" Hurley, Bob Sinclar and Julius Papp will highlight their talents on the turntable. If you are attending , look for scheduled performances by D-Train, Barbara Tucker, Melba Moore, Kimara Lovelace, Jon Secada, Brazilian Girls, Masters At Work, and many, many others.

VICENTE AMIGO - UN MOMENTO EN EL SONIDO
Flamenco guitartist Vicente Amigo releases his fifth solo album Un momento en el sonido, and La Tana (flamenco singer) makes her solo debut with Tu,ven a mi under the guidance of Paco de Lucia. She is currently touring with Paco de Lucia.

JAZZ AND SMOOTH JAZZ RELEASES
March/April Jazz Release Update...
O'2L Doyle's Brunch (Peak, 3/1)
Dee Dee Bridgewater J'Si Deux Amour (Universal, 3/1)
Sakesho Beautiful Day (JVC, 3/1)
Steve Kuhn Mostly Ballads and More (3/1)
Various Artists (Dave Koz, Al Jarreau, Earl Klugh, Boney James, more) Best Smooth Jazz Ever (Liberty, 3/1)
Soel Memento (Warner Bros., 3/1)
Marcus Miller Silver Rain (Koch, 3/8)
Nelson Rangell My American Songbook 1 (Koch, 3/8)
Michael "Patches" Stewart Blow (Koch, 3/8)
Paul Taylor Nightlife (Peak, 3/15)
Urban Knights Urban Knights IV (Narada Jazz, 3/15)
Steve Lacy The Gap (Verve, 3/15)
Mike Di Lorenzo Urbanized (Keep The Groove, 3/15)
Chieli Minucci Got It Goin' On (Shanachie, 3/22)
SakeSho We Want You To Say (Heads Up, 3/22)
Camiel Sunset (DIG) (Rendezvous, 3/22)
Ricardo Scales It's A New Day (Bay Sound, 3/22)
Billy Cobham & Culturemix Colours (In & Out, 3/28)
David Benoit Millennium Collection - 20th Century Masters (Hip-O, 3/28)
George Duke Duke (Bonus DVD) (Big Piano Music, 3/29)
Soulive Steady Groovin' (Bue Note, 3/29)
Various Smooth Jazz Essentials 2 (Native Language, 3/29)
Acoustic Alchemy American/English (Higher Octave, 3/29)
Hugh Masekela TBA (Heads Up)
Frank Catalano Street Jazz (A440 Music Group)
Fareed Haque Group Cosmic Hug (4/5)
Keiko Matsui Walls Of Akendora (Bonus DVD) (Narada, 4/5)
Russ Freeman Safe At Home (Justin Time, 4/12)
Victor Wooten Soul Circus (Vanguard, 4/12)
Onaje Allan Gumbs Remember Their Innocence (Ejano Music, 4/12)
Various (Jaared, Nick Colionne, Marcus Johnson, Bobby Lyle, more) Private Stock Volume 1 (Three Keys Music, 4/12)
Walter Beasley Greatest Hits (Shanachie, 4/26)
Cheryl Bentyne Let Me Off Uptown (4/26)
Hiroshima Obon (Heads Up, 4/26)
Oliver Mtukudzi Nhava (Heads Up)
Golden Slumbers A Father's Love (Rendezvous)
Patrick Yandall Just Be Thankful (Apria)
Steve Cole Spin (Narada Jazz)

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL, CONCERT NEWS & NEW RELEASES

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL
2005 Essence Music Festival...Aretha Franklin, Alicia Keys, Teena Marie, Frankie Beverly & Maze, Lionel Richie, Terence Blanchard, Jeffrey Osborne, The Wailers, Regina Belle, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, John Legend, Vivian Green, Carl Thomas, Mint Condition, Floetry, The Roots, and others headline the upcoming 35th Essence Music Festival. The event is set for July 1-3 in New Orleans.

BIRCHMERE & BARNES OF WOLFTRAP CONCERTS
Upcoming Washington, D.C. Area Concerts...Eliane Elias at Barnes Of Wolftrap on March 16; The Grover Washington Tribute with Gerald Albright, Richard Elliot, Paul Taylor and Jeff Lorber at Birchmere on March 16 and 17; Karla Bonoff at Birchmere on April 8; Jim Brickman at Barnes Of Wolftrap on April 12 and 13; Matt Bianco and Basia at Birchmere on April 12 and 13; David Sanborn at Birchmere on April 25; The Manhattan Transfer at the Birchmere on April 27 and 28; Hiroshima at Birchmere on May 2; Michael Franks at Birchmere on May 7; and Earl Klugh at Birchmere on May 16.

CASSANDRA WILSON RECORDING NEW ALBUM
Cassandra Wilson is completing work on her sixth album for Blue Note Records and is working with T-Bone Burnett as her producer. The blues-laden CD will feature guest musicians Keb Mo and Jim Keltner. Look for it to be released on August 30. Greg Osby just completed his latest which includes fellow-musicians Jeff "Tain" Watt on drums and Matt Brewer on bass.

WYNTON MARSALIS IN THE STUDIO
Wynton Marsalis' latest is being prepped for release soon and it features guests: altoman Wes Anderson, drummer Joe Farnsworth, bassist Carlos Henriquez, pianist Eric Lewis, and percussionist Orlando Rodriquez, among others.

VAN MORRISON - MAGIC TIME
Van Morrison has completed his latest project, Magic Time and it set for release in the UK on Exile/Polydor on May 16, and in the US on May 17 via Geffen Records.

MICHAEL FRANTI RECORDING WITH SLY & ROBBIE
Michael Franti has entered the studio in Jamaica with legendary producer and record label executive Chris Blackwell to start work on his new album. Also participating will be reggae masters Sly and Robbie and Brazilian-born producer Mario Caldato, Jr. This will be the first time in 20 years that Chris Blackwell has stepped back into the studio in a creative capacity with Sly and Robbie since the Grace Jones albums. The album is due in the fall of 2005.

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST SHOWCASE
South By Southwest Artist Showcase (SXSW)...The South By Southwest Showcase in Austin, TX will highlight the following new and emerging artists: Jason Moran: March 16 at Cedar Street Courtyard; Karen Ann: March 19 at Tambalao; Raul Midon: March 19 at Crown Plaza; and Amos Lee: March 19 at the Austin Music Hall.

CHRIS BOTTI TOURING
Chris Botti hits the American West Arena in Phoenix, AZ on March 17, then heads to Las Vegas to the Mandalay Bay on March 19. He'll be back in Vegas on April 8 and 9 as he headlines at the Sun Coast.

PETER WHITE TOURING
Peter White plays the SOS Club in Modesto, CA on April 9; the Maxwell King Center for the Performing Arts on April 18 in Melbourne, FL, and the One World Theatre in Austin, TX on April 22.

TONY BENNETT AT THE GOLDEN NUGGET
Tony Bennett signs to perform at the Golden Nugget Theatre in Las Vegas during May and September. Firmed dates are: May 27-29 and September 22-24, 2005.

AL GREEN REISSUES ON RIGHT STUFF LABEL
The Right Stuff reissues a batch of Al Green titles on June 7. You can look forward to Livin' For You (1973); Al Green Is Love (1975); Full Of Fire (1976); Have A Good Time (1976); The Belle Album (1977); and Truth n' Time (1978).

BLUE NOTE RELEASES
Blue Note releases set for May 24 include a series of The Very Best of...from Chet Baker, Lou Rawls, Sonny Rollins and Jimmy Smith.

SOUNDS OF JAZZ & MARCUS MILLER/ERIC CLAPTON COLLABORATE

TIME WARNER SOUNDS OF JAZZ
Sounds of Jazz 2005...Jimmy Sommers, Chieli Minucci with Special EFX, The Joyce Cooling Group and Catman Doodze headline the Time Warner Cable Sounds of Jazz 2005, being held in Jaycee Park in Cape Coral, Florida on March 19. Local smooth jazz radio station, WZJZ 107.1 is this years sponsor.

MARCUS MILLER- SILVER RAIN
Eric Clapton guests on Marcus Miller's latest Silver Rain which is due on Apirl 12. Clapton performs with Miller on the title cut which is a reggae-jazz tinged piece which features vocals by Clapton.

ATLANTIQUITY TRACK LISTING

ATLANTIQUITY TRACK LISTING
Atlantic Records Remixes...More remixes are on the way via the Atlantic Records vaults for a disc of classic 1970's soul, funk and jazz by contemporary remixers. It's due out on May 10 from Rhino/Atlantic. Donny Hathaway, Carmen McCrae, Chic and many others are featured on Atlantiquity as defined by Los Angeles radio and club DJ Garth Trinidad. Here is the full Atlantiquity track list:

Kleer Tonight (Sa-Ra Remix featuring the Sa-Ra All Stars & Me'Shell Ndegeocello)
Slave Watching You (Vikter Duplaix Remix)
Eddie Harris Bold And Black (DJ Nu-Mark Remix)
United 8 Getting Uptown To Get Down (Quantic Remix)
Average White Band Pick Up The Pieces (Charlie Dark Remix)
Sister Sledge We Are Family (Daz-I-Kue Remix)
Donny Hathaway Little Ghetto Boy (Freddy L. Remix)
Chic A Warm Summer Night (King Britt Remix)
Spinners I'll Be Around (Kev Brown Remix)
Carmen McCrae Just A Little Lovin' (GB Remix)
Faze-O Riding High (Remix featuring Tiombe Lockhard & The Army Of Love)
Yusef Lateef Nubian Lady (Metisse Remix)

BRIAN CULBERTSON, ST. KITTS MUSIC FESTIVAL, SMOOTH JAZZ 105.9 & MORE

BRIAN CULBERTSON TOUR
Brian Culbertson Tour Info...Multi-faceted musician Brian Culbertson plays Constitution Hall in Washington, DC on March 25; the Atlanta Civic Theatre on Atlanta, GA on March 26, the Gulf Place Outdoor Amphitheatre in Santa Rosa Beach, FL on April 16; and Kimballs East in Emeryville, CA on May 6. His seventh solo effort, Come On Up includes an inspired cover of the Earth Wind & Fire hit Serpentine Fire, and spotlights the soulful vocals of R&B crooner Rahsaan Patterson on Fly High and the sexy, sultry sound of trumpeter Rick Braun on Last Night. Other guest artists include Marcus Miller, Steve Cole, Norman Brown and many, many more.

ST. KITTS MUSIC FESTIVAL
Lonnie Liston Smith and Ronnie Laws have been added to the lineup for the ninth St. Kitts Music Festival, to be held June 23-26 on the Caribbean island. This event will also feature performances by Pieces Of A Dream, David Rudder, Black Stalin, the Grandmasters, Wyclef Jean and Boyz II Men.

SMOOTH JAZZ RELEASES
New Releases Worth Mentioning...Nicholas Bearde's All About Love; Cascadu Caribbean Odyssey and Demo Cates Smooth...Try Something New.

DAVE KOZ RADIO SHOW
This weekend on the Dave Koz Radio Show, Dave welcomes keyboardist and founding member of one of the finest groups in smooth jazz. They have a new album out entitled Work To Do, which marks the bands 20th anniversary. Carl Evans, Jr. of Fattburger is this week's guest. Also on the show, Brenda Russell, guitarist Marc Antoine, and Boney James. Check your local listings for stations and times or go to www.radiokoz.com.

SMOOTH JAZZ 105.9 - PRIVATE STOCK VOLUME 1
Three Keys Music releases Private Stock Volume 1 which is a new album compiled of remixes of songs that have never really actually seen the light of day. Private Stock contains both rare gems and never before released songs by Jarrad Anthony, Nick Colionne, David Dyson, Jaared, Marcus Johnson, Bobby Lyle, Alyson Williams and Yahzarah. It's in stores April 12th. Marcus Johnson performs this weekend at the legendary Blues Alley in Washington, DC. If you live in the D.C. area then you probably already know that he can also be heard on Smooth Jazz 105.9. You can listen to WJZW Smooth Jazz105.9 from 5am to 8:30am. Alyson Williams' It's About Time is available at retail and online exclusively through Avex Distribution and Brown Sugar Records. Alyson Williams has also been confirmed to perform on Showtime At The Apollo. The single Tomorrow is being shipped to radio and her new club anthem Superstar Broadway Remix featured on Private Stock, has been shipped to record pools and DJs around the country.

GUITARS & SAXES TOUR, LOUIS VEGA AND MORE

GUITARS & SAXES TOUR
Mindi Abair and WaymanTisdale are joining Jeff Golub and Warren Hill on this year's Guitars & Saxes tour. Abair and Tisdale replace departing 2004 members Marc Antoine and Euge Groove. The 2005 tour is scheduled to kick off sometime in April.

NATE JAMES - SET THE TONE
Newcomer Nate James has released a single entitled Set The Tone which has made the airwaves in England (notably at 102.2 Jazz FM). His album Set The Tone is due for release this coming summer.

MATT BIANCO - SHEPERD'Ss BUSH EMPIRE
Matt Bianco is set for the first ever London appearance onMarch 24 at the Sheperd's Bush Empire.

LOUIS VEGA - SOUL HEAVEN: LONDON AND IBIZA
From London to Ibiza...Yet another new release is now available from Louis Vega as he mixes up another storm of house and tribal beats to kick up the action. The CD is entitled Soul Heaven: London and Ibiza and it features the following songs: Disc 1: 1. Brand New Day - Little Louie Vega; 2. Days Like These [Spinna & Ticklah Mix]; 3. I Can't Get No Sleep [Copyright Mix] - Masters at Work; 4. Diamond Life - Louie Vega; 5. Can't Stop - Angela Johnson; 6. Back Together [Main Classic Mix] - Ron Carroll; 7. I Got Somebody New [Ritual Mix] - Clara Hill; 8. Vow [Full Vocal Mix]; 9. Divided/United; 10. Change for Me [Joey Negro Club Mix]; 11. I Go Back [Tee's Master Mix] - Harry "Choo Choo" Romero; 12. Dance - Earth People; 13. Freedom Medley: The Anthem [Filter 14 Silent Mix]/What a Sensation - Marlon D.; 14. Cloud 9; 15. Cloud 9 [Quentin Harris Shelter Mix]; Disc 2: 1. I Got Somebody New [Ritual Mix] - Clara Hill; 2. Madan [Exotic Disco Mix] - Salif Keita; 3. Cerca de Mi (Beats) - Raúl Midón; 4. Black Action 5. Cerca de Mi [Nico's Mix] - Raúl Midón; 6. Africa/Brasil - Little Louie Vega; 7. Awade [Joes Jungle Sounds Dub] - Instant House; 8. Elle [Criola Mix & Skin Beats] - DJ Gregory; 9. lo Lai [Maw Beats]; 10. Koloke [West African Guitar Groove] - Joe Claussell; 11. Dem People Go - Dennis Ferrer; 12. Tropical Soundclash - DJ Gregory; 13. Phunk Carnival - Mike Delgado; 14. Thank You [Acapella] - BeBe Winans; 15. Don't You Go Away; 16. Work; 17. E-Samba - Junior Jack; 18. I Feel Love - Donna Summer; 19. Don't Know Malendro - DJ Gregory; and 20. Street Player - Chicago.

SANTANA, NORMAN BROWN, CANDY DULFER, PETE BELASCO & MORE

MARCUS JOHNSON - LESSONS IN LOVE
Marcus Johnson's latest album is Lessons In Love. He and his band are appearing on March 11 and 12 at the Blues Alley in Washington, DC. His latest single Love is currently in rotation at WHUR-FM.

JAARED - HANGTIME
Sax player Jaared latest is Hangtime and you can catch him live on March 10 at the Marriot Suites Hotel in Bethesda, MD, and on March 11 at Opus 88 in the McLean Hilton-Tyson's in Tyson's Corner, VA.

SANTANA 2005 TOUR
Santana Tour Update: In addition to the previously announced shows (see posting dated Feb. 11), Santana has added additional dates in Tampa, FL; Miami, FL; Columbia, MD; Quebec City, Canada; and Montreal, Canada. Tickets for these shows are available now.

CANDY DULFER UPDATE
Candy Dulfer recently appeared in concert with Van Morrison in Vredenburg in the Netherlands. She's also recently completed guest work on two upcoming albums; Maceo Parker and Monique Bakker's new CD. Each should be released sometime in the coming months. No word yet on whether she will resume touring with Prince when he heads to Europe next.

ULTRABLUE - DUSK TO DAWN
Pete Belasco, Gabriela Anders, Nestor Torres, Randy Brecker and Philip Hamilton provide guest turns on a new CD from the group Ultrablue. Back in 2003, the group released the album Dusk 2 Dawn which featured members John Smatla and Dave Stryker, plus appearances by sax player David Mann and Pete Belasco. The new album is set for release during the summer.

NORMAN BROWN'S SUMMER STORM AT THE PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL
Brenda Russell, Everette Harp and Peabo Bryson have signed on to tour with Norman Brown as Norman Brown's Summer Storm. The tour hits the road on May 28 and will play at the Catalina Island JazzTrax and Playboy Jazz Festivals in California, among many others.

PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL & OTHER CONCERT NEWS

LIZZ WRIGHT IN CONCERT
Lizz Wright hits the Ritz Theater in Hawley, PA on April 7; followed by Reg Lenna, Jamestown, PA on April 8; The Roxbury Arts Center, Roxbury NY on April9; and The Kimmel Center in Philadelphia, PA on May 6.

JEFFREY OSBORNE IN DETROIT
Jeffrey Osborne will appear at the Music Hall Center in Detroit, MI on April 21.

BEBEL GILBERTO TOUR
Bebel Gilberto is scheduled for The Esplanade in Singapore on March 31; and then heads for Japan where she'll perform at The Tokyo International Forum on April 3 and Namba Hatch is Osaka on April 6.

AL DI MEOLA & THE RITE OF STRINGS
Al Di Meola appears with the Rite of Strings at the Taper Auditorium in Seattle, WA on April 27.

DAVID SANBORN AT NORTH FORK
David Sanborn is at the North Fork Theatre in Wesbury, NY on April 23.

GERALD ALBRIGHT TOUR
Gerald Albright is appearing at the Terrace Theatre at Long Beach P.A.C. in Long Beach, CA on March 12. He's also part of the Groovin' For Grover tour along with Richard Elliot, Paul Taylor and Jeff Lorber as they hit the Birchmere in Alexandria, VA on March 15 and then at the Berks Jazz Festival appearing at the Sheraton Hotel Ballroom in Wyomissing, PA on March 18.

GEORGE DUKE AT SYCUAN RESORT & CASINO
George Duke is at the Sycuan Resort & Casino in El Cajon, CA on April 7.

STEEL PULSE AT SUNFEST
Reggae band Steel Pulse play the Auditorium Shores in Austin, TX on March 17. and SunFest in West Palm Beach, FL on April 29.

SMOOTH JAZZ RELEASES
New high energy contemporary smooth jazz group Airborne releases Heavy Vibes. The CD is filled with an abundance of musical styles, from Caribbean and Latin influences to jazz fusion and urban funk. It's out now on Tilt Records. Pianist Dan Siegel returns with his first all-new studio recording in over six years with the CD Inside Out. Boney James, Brian Bromberg and Jeff Kashiwa guest on the smooth and urban grooves sounding release (it's available on Native Language Records) on March 9.

PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 27th Annual Playboy Jazz Festival is set for the weekend of June 11 and 12 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. Musicians set to appear on Saturday, June 11 include Boney James, Joshua Redman and the Elastic Band, Keb' Mo', Norman Brown, Jon Faddis, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Israel "Cachao"Lopez and Y Su Orquestra, Joey DeFrancesco, KennyBurrell, Crusaders cofounder Stix Hooper and his groupViewpoint, and the Jazz Tap and Caravan Project. Scheduled to appear on Sunday, June 12 are guitarist and vocalist George Benson; an all star Saxophone Summit featuring Michael Brecker, Joe Lovano and Dave Lieberman; Dr. John, salsa vocalist Gilberto Santa Rosa; the Heath Brothers, featuring Percy, Jimmy and Albert "Tootie" heath; Chico Hamilton and Euphoria, Roy Ayers, Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band and new R&B singer Ledisi.

MONTREUX JAZZ FEST, MILES DAVIS, B.B. KING & MORE

EARL KLUGH & RONNIE LAWS ON BLUE NOTE
Blue Note will issue two previously released Earl Klugh albums, 1976's EMI self-titled album and 1977's Capitol release Living Inside Your Love. Also set for release is Ronnie Laws 1980 Liberty release Every Generation. The release date for each is June 21.

MILES DAVIS COLUMBIA/LEGACY RELEASES
More Miles To Come...The ever-popular Miles Davis will have even more reissues released this year as Columbia/Legacy Jazz release Miles Davis' 1957 Columbia debut ' Round About Midnight, in a 2-CD anniversary edition. The package will include a bonus CD of unreleased live recordings with a lineup that includes Philly Joe Jones, Paul Chambers, Red Garland, John Coltrane and of course Miles Davis.

B.B. KING AT MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL
Legendary blues guitarist B. B. King is currently on an extensive tour with dates scheduled through July 5 at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. He'll soon start recording a new duets album, which will feature him alongside Van Morrison, U2, Sting and Elton John, among others. The album will be released later in the year on the Universal Music Group label.

The 39th Montreux Jazz Festival will take place from July 1-16, 2005, with the official program lineup to be unveiled at an April press conference that will be held both in Montreux and Zurich, Switzerland.

MNDI ABAIR - COME AS YOU ARE
Mindi Abair's Come As You Are CD...This outstanding second album from the contemporary jazz saxophonist and composer is full of irresistible grooves, and it even features her vocals on several tracks. The songs High Five, I Can Remember and Make A Wish are the highlights on this very cool disc.

EARTH WIND & FIRE & PAT METHENY TOUR INFO
Earth Wind & Fire are set to appear at the Greater Richmond Convention Center in Richmond, Virginia on March 12, and the Pat Metheny Group continues The Way Up Tour with a stop at Richmond's Landmark Theatre on March 22.

The Groove Boutique, Superfly Remix & More!

The Groove Boutique of Rafe Gomez...Kudos to Rafe Gomez for his brilliant selections which comprise the masterful and tasteful The Groove Boutique:Volume 1. If you like laid back jazz, while at the same time groovy, uplifting and sensual beats, then this one is one that we recommend foryour collection. Rafe Gomez is responsible for the Groove Boutique, a two-hour Saturday night jazz mix that is heard on 101.9FM New York Chill. The program is also packaged and syndicated around the country to a number of smooth jazz radio stations. The CD contains 15 continuous mix tracks which include: Orange Factory Body Tight; Clan Greco Tilt; Slide Five RhodeTrip; The Headhunters Headhunting; Ramsey Lewis All Around The World; Jimjam Lizards; Copa 7 So Lucios, Praful One Day Deep; Soulive Ne-Ne; Alfonzo Blackwell Looking Fine; Chris Botti The Last Three Minutes; Monet Spirit; Slow Train Soul Naturally; Rebecca I Will; and a track from Rafe Gomez himself, Icy. We recommend checking out www.grooveboutique.com for more information.

Bela Fleck News...Bela Fleck is currently in Africa recording an album with native musicians and the sessions will ultimately be released as a DVD documentary and CD. He's scheduled for appearances with Bryan Sutton and Cassey Driessen as the Acoustic Trio on March 26 at the Suwannee Festival in Live Oak, Fla. He's also set to appear alongside jazz bassist Stanley Clarke and violinist Jean Luc Ponty during the summer months at differentconcert venues. Later in the year, he is planning 10 dates with his collaborator/bassist Edgar Meyer. They previously performed together ontheir 2004 album Music For Two. Meanwhile, The Flecktones have a new albumin the can and it will be released in 2006 as the group hits the road once again.

The Curtis Mayfield Remix Collection... Mayfield Remixed is due for release by Rhino Records on March 15 and it features 10 of Mayfield's best remixed by some of today's top mixmasters. Here is the track listing...Superfly (Louis Vega EOL Mix); Do Do Wap Is Strong Here (Ashley Beedle Re-Edit); Move On Up (Eric Kupper Vocal Mix); We're A Winner (Grandmaster Flash Remix with The Impressions); Little Child Runnin' Wild (King Britt Scuba Mix); Freddie's Dead: Theme From Superfly (Blaze Roots DJ Mix with Blaze Roots); If There's A Hell Below, We're All Going To Go (Don't Worry) (Maurice Joshua Nu Soul Mix); We Got To Have Peace (Eddie Baez Laid Back Mix); People Get Ready (Stone Bridge Club Remix with The Impressions); and Pusherman (Mixmaster Mike Pusher's Nephew Mix).

New Releases, Airplay News & More

Did you know that Praful of One Day Deep fame is also a member of Adani &Wolf and that they are the same guys behind Project 2000? Adani & Wolf actually produced Praful's One Day Deep album. On their latest album Les Seigners, they enlisted the help of guitarist Ernest Ranglin (he onceplayed with Bob Marley), singer Billie Godfrey and of course Praful. The overall feel of the album is sensual with a funky and jazzy feel. In addition to a cover of Gino Vannelli's People Gotta Move, a couple of tracks have the feel of those old French and Italian movie soundtracks of yesteryear.

Zero 7 and Thievery Corporation are both getting increased airplay on NewYork's Smooth Jazz and Chill station (101.9FM). Thievery Corporation have six songs on the playlist: Until The Morning, Liberation Front, A Simple Story, Pela Janela, The Richest Man In Babylon and Barrio Alto, while Zero 7 have five songs in rotation: Destiny, Home, In The Waiting Line, Spinning and The Space Between.No word yet on when the station will start to stream on the web.

New & Recent Radio Airplay Adds...New to smooth jazz airplay in recent weeks are: Average White Band Latest & Greatest (Liquid 8); Lisa Lauren ItIs What It Is (Planet Jazz); Frank Catalano Street Jazz (A440 Music Group); Quintin Gerard W. Fnkysax (O.T.S.); Alexander Zonjic Seldom Blues (Heads Up International); Bobby Wells Bayside (Bobby Wells Music); Bobby Caldwell Perfect Island Nights (Music Force Media Group); Andre Ward Steppin' Up(Orpheus); Renee Olstead Renee Olstead (Reprise); Ronny Jordan After 8 (N-Coded); Gabriel Mark Hasselbach First Name Basis (Wind Tunnel); Madeleine Peyroux Careless Love (Rounder Records); Nelson Rangell My American Songbook, Vol. 1 (Koch Records); Chuck Loeb When I'm With You (Shanachie); Maysa Smooth Sailing (N-Coded); and Vanessa Williams Everlasting (Lava).

New Music...Here are some recent releases: Michael Buble In Time (WarnerBros.); Bebe Winans Dream (Stillwaters); Bob James Trio Take It From TheTop (Koch Records); Alma Mimic Introducing Alma (CTA Records); Inger Marie Gundersen Make This Moment (Kultur & Spetakkel); Jim Pearce Washington Square Park (Jim Pearce Music); Scott Witfield Minute Game (SummitRecords); Harry Watters Love Songs (Summit Records); Jim Cifelli Groove Station (Short Notice Music); Corey Christiansen Awakening (Mel BayRecords); Alex Levin Trio Night And Distance (Self Produced); Ani DeFranco Knuckledown (Righteous Babe); and Stefano di Battista Parker's Mood (BlueNote).

Bluey and his Incognito bandmates perform live on their newest DVD Incognito - In Concert: Ohne Filter, while their latest U.S. release Adventures in Black Sunshine (available on Narada Jazz) is getting considerable airlplay statewise.

Joe Claussell's Main Mix of Toni Braxton's Spanish Guitar appears on the artists' upcoming CD Unbreak My Heart: The Remix Collection. The set is due April 12 on LaFace/Legacy and it will include remixes as well as five previously unreleased tracks.

New Chill Compilations, Tour Info & Forthcoming Music

XM Satellite Radio Celebrates Wes Montgomery and Flora Purim...In acknowledgement of their upcoming birthdays, XM Satellite Radio will feature the music of Wes Montgomery and Flora Purim on March 3, 2005. Various selections of their music will be played throughout the day on XM channel 70.

Upcoming Aretha Franklin, Dionne Warwick & Stevie Wonder Albums...Both Aretha Franklin and Dionne Warwick are in the studio working on new albums slated for release in the coming months. Coincidentally, both albums with will feature duets with various artists. Dionne's album is entitled My Friends And Me and will feature duets alongside Gladys Knight, Elton John and Stevie Wonder. Aretha's will feature Gloria Estefan, among others. Stevie Wonder's long awaited release A Time 2 Love is finally due out on May 3, 2005.

The Crusaders and Regina Carter Tour Asia...The Crusaders are on tour in Japan with the following dates scheduled: March 2-3 at the Blue Note in Fuoka, Japan; March 7-12 at the Blue Note in Tokyo, Japan; and March 14-15 at the Blue Note in Osaka, Japan. Regina Carter plays the Hong Kong Cultural Center Concert Hall on March 11 in Wanchai, Hong Kong and theShanghai Concert Hall in Shanghai, China on March 13.

Wayne Shorter On European Tour... Upcoming performances are scheduled forMarch 3 at the National Concert Hall (Dublin, Ireland); March 8, Halle AuxGrains (Brussels, Belgium); March 9, Cirque Royal (Brussels, Belgium); March 14, Konserthuset (Oslo, Norway); March 15, Stavanger Konserthus(Stavanger, Norway); March 18, Stokholm Konserthuset (Stokholm, Sweden); March 19, Koln Philharmonic (Koln, Germany); and March 20, Konzerthaus(Vienna, Austria).

New Chill Compilations Out Now...For those in the mood for some lounge, 24 Hours In Paris features artists like Sporto Kantes, Cocosuma, I:Cube,Chateau Flight, DJ Gregory, Alexkid & Klanguage. Marco Fullone compiled G Lounge-Milano, Vol. 2, (lounge/house), and this double-CD features tracks and remixes for artists such as Blaze, Llorca, Brent Laurence, Markus Enochson, John Dahlback, Jay 'Sinister' Sealy vs. Earth Wind & Fire, J-Jaywith Jo Jo Hailey, Julius Papp, Scott Wozniak, Gregory Del Piero, Dr.Kucho!, Claude Monnet, DJ Gregory Suges feat. Syreeta Neal and Grant Nelson. Music from the latest Emmanualle movie is now available in the form of Claude Challe pres. Emmanualle. It features various artists performing astring of downtempo, mellow and jazzy tunes from the film. Studio-Finest In Lounge & House presents tracks from Rodney Hunter, Quantic, Marcos Valle, Amp Fiddler, Can7, Ultra Nate, and Inaya Day. Jimpster: Selected Remixes 2000-2003 is from remixer/producer Jamie and features a collection of his best and includes Lisa Shaw, John Beltran, Reunion, Fragile State, BlueSix, Intelligent Jazz and many more. Truby Trio: Recreated includes production and remixes by the likes of Louie Vega, Tiefschwartz, FreeformFive, Fabrice Lig, Whignomy Brothers, Yam Who!, Senor Coconut and Sumo. It's a double-CD full of hot grooves! Om Lounge, Vol. 9 features Jazzanova, Kaskade, Rebirth, Jeff Bennett and Beanfield. And finally, on Most Rated Disc 2, Bini & Martini provide a deep house and tribal mix onthe Defected label featuring Praise Cats, M Gee, Martin Solveig, DannyMarquez & Perry, B-Glory featuring Jocelyn Brown, Jon Cutler featuring E-Man, Soulsearcher and Copywright.

Upcoming Jazz Festivals, New Releases & More

Sony and BMG are set to release a series of Jazz Moods CDs from the following artists on April 19: Aretha Franklin Jazz Moods - 'Round Midnight (Columbia);Chet Baker Jazz Moods - Cool (Columbia); Dexter Gordon Jazz Moods - 'Round Midnight (Columbia); Esther Phillips Jazz Moods - Hot (Epic); Stanley Turrentine Jazz Moods - Cool (Epic) and
Tony Bennett Jazz Moods - Cool (Columbia).

New and Upcoming Releases...Beegie Adair An Affair To Remember; Bill Connors Return; Bill Frisell Richter 858 (Hybrid SACD); Bireli Lagrene & Gipsy Project Move; Bobby Caldwell Perfect Island Nights; Brian Bromberg Metal; Caribbean Jazz Project Here & Now: Live In Concert; Cassandra Wilson Traveling Miles (Miles Davis Tribute); Dafinis Prieto About The Monks; David Binney Bastion Of Sanity; Denis Solee With The Beegie Adair Trio Sinatra On Sax; Don Ellis Tears Of Joy; Don Ellis Connection; Grachen Moncur III Exploration; Groove Collective Live: Brooklyn, NY 04.20.02; Jeff Coffin Bloom; Jeff Parker Relatives; Joe Johnson Life Of The Party; Julie Dexter Conscious; Kazu Matsui The Stone Monkey; Ken Navarro Love Colored Soul; Klaus Schulze Mirage; Lettuce Live In Tokyo; Martin Taylor Valley; Mica Paris If You Could Love Me; Michel Camilo Solo; Niles Pacific Coast Highway; O2L Doyle's Brunch; Pamela Williams Sweet Saxsations; Paul Taylor Nightlife; Ravi Coltrane In Flux; Roomfull Of Blues Standing Room Only; Ted Greene Solo Guitar; Urban Nights Urban Knights 6; and Vince Guaraldi Alma-Ville.

The First Annual Sonoma Jazz Festival will take place Memorial Day Weeked (May 26-29, 2005) in Sonoma, California. Headliners include Diana Krall, TonyBennett, Boz Scaggs, Steve Winwood, Regina Carter and Lizz Wright. Tickets go on Sale Feb. 28.

The Jazz Channel and St. Lucia Tourist Board present the 14th annual St. Lucia Jazz Festival, April 29th-May 8th, 2005. The lineup to date for St. Lucia Jazz 2005 includes R&B artists New Edition, The Isley Brothers featuring Ron Isley, Chanté Moore and Kenny Lattimore; UB40, Beenie Man; Pharoah Sanders, Chris Botti, Kevin Mahogany, Earl Klugh; and Dave Koz.

Worth Checking Out ...

DJ Smash Presents Phonography 2 on the Blue Note label. This 14-track DJ mixed compilation features a variety of innovative, percussive and electronica tracks by such artists as Soulive feat. Talib Kwell, Don Byron, Jason Moran, Bobby McFerrin, St. Germain, Charlie Hunter feat. Mos Def, Greg Osby, Bob Belden Project feat. Jimi Tunel, Medeski Martin & Wood, Bob Belden Project feat. Cassandra Wilson & Dianne Reeves, Goran Kajfes, Marc Moulain, Henri Salvador and Wild Magnolias.

The sound of Salsoul, Philly International and MFSB are still alive thanks to composer, arranger and vibe player Vince Montana Jr. He was responsible for developing the classic Philly Sound of the mid-seventies that saw Lou Rawls, The Trammps, The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass, Loleatta Holloway and many others find success on the charts. He most recently has worked on projects with Masters At Work and India, among others. His latest album Heavy Vibes is an anthology of his music catalogue and is reminiscent of the Salsoul Orchestra and MFSB sound that he pioneered. The 2-CD set is fresh and energetic and includes various remixes and songs such as Heavy Vibes, It Looks Like Love and What Happened To The Music.

Other CDs worth mentioning...Soul Magic by Uschi Classen (soulful and nu eclectic jazz); The African Divas by Frederic Galliano (fusion of African music with electronic club elements); Squaredancing In A Roundhouse by legendary Chicago house DJ Derrick L. Carter; Pansoul by Motorbass (minimalist grooves of past and present disco); Re: by Reunion (NuJazz, grooving and danceable), Around The House by Herbert & D. Siciliano; and Cerrone featuring Jocelyn Brown , You Are The One / Hooked On You (vocal house and deep jazzy house), with remixes by Jamie Lewis and Dimitri From Paris available from Purple Music. On the smooth jazz side, West Coast Coolin' by Norman Brown, Journey by Fourplay, Diary by Torquato Moriano, Lazy by Regina Belle, Midnight Moon by Craig Chaquico, Soul Shadows by Joe Sample, and Firelfy by Greg Adams.

If you are in the Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area then you should know that WDNA-FM Public Radio in Miami, Florida presents Nu-Groove New Directions In Music every Saturday from 4-6PM ET on 88.9FM. The program is hosted by Ari and features the best of chill, house, funk, broken-beats, lounge, latin groove, brazil beats, and electronica. You can listen to them on the web at www.dna.org and best of all it's commercial free!

Hot on the heels of the Verve, Blue Note and Warner Brothers remix offerings, Motown Remixed is set to be released on March 29th. The disc will include Marvin Gaye's Lets Get It On (remixed by Paul Simpson and Miles Dalto), the Jackson 5's I Want You Back (Z-Trip), Eddie Kendricks' Keep On Truckin' (DJ Spinna), the Supremes My World Is Empty Without You (Tranzition), and as previously reported, Smokey Robinson's Quiet Storm (Rafe Gomez & David Baron, and featuring Roy Ayers on vibes).

Verve Remixed 3 Track Listings & More

Verve Remixed 3 details...we finally have the track information for this much-anticipated release. All in all, the mood is visionary, danceable, and groovilicious as some of the worlds most adventurous remixers have mined the Verve vaults for another incredible disc. Note that the two previous editions (Verve Remixed and Verve Remixed 2) have both sold in excess of 500,000 copies combined. Verve Remixed 3 includes the following 13 songs:

Nina Simone Little Girl Blue - Postal Service Remix
Billie Holiday Speak Low - Bent Remix
Anita O'Day Sing, Sing, Sing - RSL Remix
Sarah Vaughan Fever - Adam Freeland Remix
Shirley Horn Come Dance With Me - Sugardaddy Remix
Blossom Dearie Just One Of Those Things - Brazilian Girls Remix
Astrud Gilberto The Gentle Rain - RJD2 Remix
Sarah Vaughan Peter Gunn - Max Sedgley Remix
Jimmy Smith Stay Loose - Lyrics Born Remix
Hugh Masekela The Boy's Doin' It - Carl Craiig Remix
Nina Simone Lilac Wine - The Album Leaf Remix
Billie Holiday Yesterdays - Junior Boys Remix
Dinah Washington Baby, Did You Hear? - Danger Mouse Remix

According to Billboard Magazine, Ray Charles' Genius Love Company album skyrockets from position 15 to number 1 on the Billboard 200 Album Chart, increasing sales 202% from the previous week with 224,000 copies sold last week. Genius Loves Company has thus far sold 2.4 million copies since its release.

New and noteworthy releases from the Bluenote label... as Bluenote RVG releases Ray Charles: O Genio: Live In Brazil DVD. It features Ray Charles in great form with his big band and the Raelettes from a 1963 concert taped in Brazil. 26 performances in all on this 105 minute disc in black and white.

Bluenote CD releases due on 3/1 include Tina Brooks True Blue; Grant Green Feeling The Spirit; Herbie Hancock Speak Like A Child; Wayne Shorter Night Dreamer and Ike Quebec Heavy Soul.

Lenny White, Stanley Clarke, Wayne Shorter and Michel Petrucciani's 1989 all-star concert The Manhattan Project is now available on DVD (58 minutes/color), and also on the Bluenote RVG label.

Verve Records releases vocalist/guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel's fourth album Deep Song on 3/1. This outing includes an all-star lineup as Kurt is joined by high-profile musicians Brad Mehldau on piano, Joshua Redman on tenor sax, along with Larry Grenadier on bass and either Al Jackson or Jeff Ballard on drums.

Rick Braun and Chuck Loeb play at the Lite 100.5FM Smooth Jazz Concert Series at the SBM Auditorium at Manchester Community College, in Manchester CT on Mar. 15. In the meantime, Chuck Loeb will perform at the Sun Valley Mall in Concord CA on Saturday, Feb. 26 at 6PM.

Lenny Williams' latest release My Way includes a current rendition of the Tower of Power classic, So Very Hard To Go. Lenny Williams was Tower Of Power's lead singer during their breakout period in the '70s. He has recorded some 20 releases since leaving the band.

The Tower of Power are on the road with bookings out as far as 2006!. Next month they hit Pennsylvania (Rex Theatre, American Music Theatre, Keswick Theatre, Kirby Center For The Performing Arts); Maryland (Rams Head Live); New Jersey (State Theatre); New York (Inter-Media Art Center); Vermont (Paramount Theatre); Massachusetts (Scullers Jazz Club); and Connecticut (Mohegan Sun Casino). In June, they'll appear with Tom Jones at multiple venues in the US and Canada.

Jocelyn Brown's latest release, Black Skin Blue-Eyed Boys, is available as a single with a remix by Joe Jam and Joe Samba on the Afro Vision label.

The Latest News

The Thievery Corporation's new album The Cosmic Game was released this week (Feb. 22). The new album and has garnered excellent reviews from critics. The duo of Rob Garza and Eric Hilton have concocted a diverse array of dancehall MC's, smokey-voiced chanteuses and Brazilian percussionist to create an ambitious piece of work. They perform a DJ set this Friday (Feb. 24) in New York at the Hiro Ballrooom in the Maritime Hotel.

Al Di Meola performs a live set this evening (Feb. 23) on XM Satellite Radio in the Beyond Jazz channel (72) at 11PM ET. The legendary guitarist performs songs from his latest studio release Flesh On Flesh, as well as some of his classic songs from the past.

Jazz songstress Angela Scappatura releases her debut CD A Littel Bit of Sugar. The singer/songwriter is currently touring in support of the release.

Chanteuse Nora York's new release What I Want has been released and showcases her refreshing talents. She is currently appearing at Joe's Pub in New York.

Herbie Hancock's next album is set for release on Sept. 13 via Nashville-based Vector Records. The set will pair Hancock with Sting, Annie Lennox, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, Damien Rice and Trey Anastasio. The pianist is currently in the midst of a tour with Directions in Music, featuring saxophonist Michael Brecker and trumpeter Roy Hargrove.

Sheile E appears at the Modern Drummer Festival on May 28-29, 2005 in Newark NJ at Prudential Hall at NJPAC. Sheila E will perform with Santana bandmates Karl Perazzo and conga master Raul Rekow. Other renowed drummer slated to perform at the festival include Chad Smith, Ian Paice, Keith Carlock, Rodney Holmes, Jason Bittner, Zoro, Jojo Mayer, Chris Adler and Danny Carey

New! News! News!

This weekend on the Dave Koz Radio Show...this weekend's program welcomes Greg Adams who's had quite an impressive resume in the business. He performed and recorded with some of the biggest names in music like Santana, Huey Lewis and the News, Luther Vandross, The Eurythimics, Bonnie Raitt, B.B. King and many more great talents, and is also one of the founding members of Tower of Power. His latest release is Fly. Euge Groove also joins the show. Check your local listings for stations and schedule.

This year's upcoming 15th Annual Berks Jazz Festival will feature a lineup including performances by Boney James, Chris Botti, Jeff Golub, Steve Cole, Michael Lington, Joyce Cooling, and the Miles to Miles Tribute with Jason Miles.

Diana Krall will open the 20th Annual TD Canada Trust Vancouver International Jazz Festival. The festival begins June 24 and runs through July 3, 2005. Diana will perform on Friday, June 24 at 8PM at the Orpheum Theatre.

Dreyfus Records releases the Bireli Lagrene Gipsy Project CD Move on Feb. 22.

Herbie Hancock's Speak Like a Child will be released on the Blue Note RVG Edition label on Mar. 1. The album was originally recorded in 1968.

Verve Remixed 3 Update

No word yet on which songs or artists are being remixed, however, we do know that mixers Carl Craig, Postal Service, Bent, RSL, Adam Freeland, Sugardaddy, RJD2, Max Sedgley, Lyrics Born, The Album Leaf, Junior Boys and Danger Mouse are tied to the project. The Verve release is set for April 5.

New Jazz & Then Some

Charlie Hunter & Bobby Previte's Groundtruther, Drums of Death (with DJLogic)
Bugge Wesseltoft, Moving
DJ Spooky, Drums Of Death (with Dave Lombardo & Vernon Reid)
Matt Bianco & Basia, Matt's Mood (3/08)
Patches Stewart, Blow (3/22)
William Parker, Luc's Lantern (3/22)
George Duke, DUKE (3/29)
Rainer Truby, Abstract Jazz Journey (3/29)

Herb Alpert & Pat Metheny Reissues

The Shout! Factory music label has embarked on an ambitious plan of re-releasing a series of classic Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass albums, many of which are being made available on CD for the first time ever. This month you will find The Lonely Bull (1962); South Of The Border (1964); and Lost Treasures (1965), which includes previously unreleased tracks and hard to find rarities all picked by Alpert himself. In the coming months expect an expanded edition of the 1965 release Whipped Cream & Other Delights (in April); to be followed by three more releases in June: Going Places (1965); What Now My Love (1966); and S.R.O. (1966).

Nonesuch will soon release five remastered versions of previously released Pat Metheny sets, including several with bonus tracks. The CDs are: Song X (1985); Still Life (1987); Letter From Home (1989); We Live Here (1994); and Quartet (1996). Each were previously available on the Geffen label. His latest group CD is The Way Up.

Now Playing On Smooth Jazz Radio

We've collected a selection of some of the more popular songs that are currently being played on Smooth Jazz radio stations all around the world. Some are old and some are new, but the one thing they each have in common is that they are worth being noticed (and played of course). Here is our list: Andy Summers featuring Sting 'Round Midnight; Matt Bianco featuring Basia Ordinary Day; Lee Ritenour featuring Maxi Priest Waiting In Vain; Kenny G Pick Up the Pieces; Dave Koz Let It Free; Chuck Loeb Tropical; Jeff Lorber Ooh La La; Charlie Hunter & Norah Jones More Than This; Vanessa Williams You Are Everything; Larry Coryell & Wes Montgomery Angel On Sunset; Adani & Wolf featuring Ernest Ranglin Daylight; Tha' Hot Club I'm Gonna Love You Just a Little More Baby; Everette Harp Can You Hear Me; Pete Belasco Deeper; Mindi Abair Come As You Are; Bobby Caldwell Can't Get Over You; Tim Bowman Summer Groove; Kenny G featuring Earth, Wind & Fire The Way That You Move; Michael McDonald Tracks Of My Tears; Seal Walk On By; David Sanborn Tin Tin Deo; Greg Adams Firefly; Randy Crawford Give Me The Night (Chill Mix); Fourplay Fields Of Gold; B-Tribe Sometimes; Pamela Williams Fly Away With Me; Chris Botti No Ordinary Love; Hall & Oates I'll Be Around; Pieces Of A Dream It's Go Time; Anita Baker How Does It Feel; 3rd Force Believe In Me; Paul Brown Moment By Moment; Michael Lington Two Of A Kind; Lin Roundtee featuring Tim Bowman For Your Love; Smokey Robinson Quiet Storm ( Rafe Gomez Chill Remix); Kirk Whalum & Wendy Moten All I Do; Kenny Garrett Simply Said; Alexander Zonjic Leave It With Me; and Richard Elliot Your Secret Love.

Leon Ware's New R & Bossa

Singer-songwriter Leon Ware has released his latest album "A Kiss In The Sand" which is a blend of R&B and Brazilian jazz, or "R&Bossa," as described by Ware. The new album (his 10th) features bassist Victor Bailey and James Ingram and is a throwback to the "quiet storm" genre and will appeal to both the smooth jazz and adult R&B stations. If you are in the Los Angeles area, Leon Ware will be appearing tonight (Feb. 16) at the Catalina Bar & Grill.

Youssou N'Dour Wins Grammy Aard

Senegalese singer and musician, Youssou N'Dour won his first ever Grammy Award for his album "Egypt," the winner for the best contemporary world music album The album is a mix of traditional drumming of Senegal's Wolof ethnic group, African-rooted Cuban sounds and American soul and rock. The album to date has sold over 400,000 copies worldwide.

London's Jazz FM to Become Smoother

102.1 Jazz FM in London will relaunch itself as Smooth FM within the next six months in an attempt to appeal to a much wider audience of listeners. The station is obviously having an identity crisis by currently calling itself "Jazz FM" while playing a wide ranger of R&B and Motown, in fact, you'll hear everything but jazz (at least during the daytime hours). By rebranding, the station will continue fill their daytime schedule music from artists such as Marvin Gaye, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, George Benson, Diana Krall and Michael Buble, among others. One would hope that they could sprinkle more "chill"sounds in their format.

New Jazz Releases

Here are some new recently announced CDs and DVDs set for release during February and March:

NEW JAZZ CDs
Andy Summers - The X Tracks - features jazz tracks from 1997-2000 (Fuel 2000 Records; Feb. 8)
Astrud Gilberto & Shigeharu Mukai - So & So - two-CD set available on Feb. 14 (Columbia/Japan)
Astrud Gilberto & Stanley Turrentine - Astrud Gilberto with Stanley Turrentine - features two previously unreleased bonus tracks (CTI/Epic; Feb. 15)
Bob James - Explosions - from 1965 with Barre Phillps & Robert "Cleve" Pozar (Calibre ESP-Disk; Mar. 22)
Carmen McRae - Fine and Mellow - 2 CDs (Navarre: Mar. 29)
Chieli Manucci - Got It Goin'On! (Shanachie; Mar. 22)
Chuck Loeb - When I'm With You (Shanachie: Feb. 22)
Jane Monheit - In The Sun (Silverline: Mar. 22)
Jeff Lorber - Flipside (Narada: Feb 15)
Luiz Bonfa - Solo In Rio 1959 - includes 14 bonus tracks (Smithsonian/Folkways)
Marcus Miller - Silver Rain - features Gerald Albright, Kenny Garrett, Kirk Whalum, Macy Gray and Gregoire Maret (Koch; Mar. 8)
Monty Alexander - Live At The Iridium! (Telarc)
Nina Simone - Baltimore (CTI/Epic; Feb 15)
Nina Simone - Fodder On My Wings (Sunnyside 1144: Mar. 15)
Sakesho - We Want You To Say... - with Andy Narell, Mario Canonge, Michel Alibo and Jean Philippe Fanfant (Heads Up; Mar. 22)
Stan Getz - Tempus Fugit (Recall: Mar. 8)
Tito Puente - Doctor Feel Good - 2 CDs (Navarre: Mar. 29)
Yellowjackets - Altered State - both CD and SACD hybrid available (Heads Up; Mar. 22)

NEW JAZZ DVDs
Al Di Meola - One of These Nights - recorded live in Germany 2004 (Music Video Dist.; Feb. 15)
Cassandra Wilson - Travelling Miles (Blue Note: Feb 15)
Dianne Reeves - Live In Montreal - recorded live at the Montreal International Jazz Festival (Image Entertainment)
Lena Horne - An Evening With Lena Horne - from the Supper Club in New York City, Sept. 1994; with the Donald Harrison quintet and the Count Basie Orchestra (Blue Note)
Various Artists - Jazz Legends Live 8 - features Bob James, Lee Ritenour and Carmen McCrae (Quantum Leap; Feb. 15)

The Brazilian Girls Tour Dates

We've got the full tour schedule for the Brazilian Girls as they trek across the US and Canada to promote their debut Verve Forecast album. Their innovative sound has been getting lots of airplay on internet radio and people are starting to notice. If you have the chance to see them live here is where they will be in the coming weeks:

Feb. 16: Cleveland, OH (Fusion)
Feb. 17: Toronto, Canada (The Revival)
Feb. 18: Detroit, MI (Shelter)
Feb. 19: Chicago, IL (Metro)
Feb. 21: Minneapolis, MN (Quest)
Feb. 24: Baltimore, MD (13th Floor)
Feb. 25: Washington, D.C. (9:30 Club)
Feb. 26: Philadelphia, PA (The Five Spot)
March 2: Seattle, WA (Chop Suey)
March 4: San Francisco, CA (Cafe du Nord)
March 6: Los Angeles, CA (Knitting Factory)
March 8: Los Angeles, CA (Temple Bar)
March 10: Montreal, Canada (Main Hall)
March 12: Boston, MA (Paradise Rock Club)

Ray Charles Sweeps 47th Grammy Awards

The late and great Ray Charles scored 8 wins at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards last night including Record of the Year and Album of the Year for Genius Loves Company. Other winners were Norah Jones (Best Pop Vocal Performance for Sunrise and for Best Pop Collaboration for Here We Go Again w/Ray Charles); Jill Scott (BestUrban/Alternative Performance for Cross My Mind); Bill Frisell (Best Contemporary Jazz Album for Unspeakable); Nancy Wilson (Best Jazz Vocal Album for RSVP - Rare Songs, Very Personal); Herbie Hancock (Best Jazz Instrumental Solo for Speak Like a Child); Charlie Haden (Best Latin Jazz Album: for Land ofthe Sun); and a series of Various Artists won Best Pop Instumental Album for their performances on the little-known and little heard Henry Mancini: Pink Guitar.

Concord to Release New Steely Dan CD

Concord Records is set to release the latest Steely Dan CD "Piano Jazz' on March 15. The 16-track set is taken from a recent appearance on Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" show on National Public Radio. Steely Dan's Walter Becker and Donald Fagen are joined on the CD with pianist Marian McPartland, bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Keith Carlock. Songs include Steely Dan's' 'Josie','Black Friday' and 'Chain Lightning", plus a bunch of timeless jazz standards like 'Moon Indigo' and 'Limbo Jazz'. Their last album"Everything Must Go" debuted at number 9 on the Billboard 200 chart back in 2003.

New Miles Davis CDs Available

Columbia Records is in the process of re-releasing a batch of Miles Davis albums in either remastered editions and in the DualDisc format, as well as offering a few unreleased surprises from their vaults. So far, 4 albums have been issued since January with more on the way in the coming months. In January, Columbia released: Amsterdam Concert (Import); Kind Of Blue (DualDisc); My Funny Valentine: Miles Davis In Concert: and Tribute To Jack Johnson (The Original Recording Remastered. If you are a Miles Davis collector, then you will welcome these new rarities being issued on CD:

Seven Steps To Heaven - recorded in New York and Los Angeles in 1963 (Columbia/Legacy; Mar. 15)
Miles Davis In Europe - recorded at the Festival Mondial Du Jazz Antibes, Juan Les-Pin, France on July 27, 1963 (Columbia/Legacy; Mar. 15)
The Best Of The Seven Steps To Heaven Box - recorded 1963-64 (Columbia/Legacy; Mar. 15)
Four And More: Recorded Live In Concert - recorded at the Philharmonic Hall in New York City on Feb. 12, 1964 (Columbia/Legacy; Mar. 15)
Miles In Tokyo - recorded at Kohseinenkin Hall, Tokyo, Japan on July 14, 1964 (Columbia/Legacy; Mar. 15)
Miles In Berlin - recorded at the Berlin Philharmonie, Germany on Sept. 25, 1964 (Columbia/Legacy; Mar. 15)
Juan Les-Pins Sessions - on 2-CDs and recorded July 1969 (Columbia/Legacy; fall 2005 release)
Live At The Cellar Door - three 2-CD sets (Columbia/Legacy; fall 2005 release)

Free MP3 Downloads

Just in case you were not aware, Amazon.com offers free MP3 music downloads. They literally have thousands of tracks available encompassing every format that you can think of - from jazz, pop, country, dance, electronic, soundtracks, classical and more. New songs are added weekly and you will find both emerging as well as established ones. Best of all it's all legal.

Carlos Santana Tour Information

Carlos Santana has signed on to appear at the upcoming Oscars Awards show on February 27. He will perform the Oscar-nominated best song " Al Otro Lado Del Rio" from the film 'The Motorcyle Diaries". According to his official Website, his new Arista album is due out in the spring with a summer tour planned. Here's a listing of Santana's North American tour dates:

Feb. 11: Los Angeles (The Avalon) Tsunami Benefit Peapod with Herbie Hancock, Earth, Wind & Fire, James Brown, Macy Gray, Justin Timberlake, and the Black Eyes Peas.

May 30: Tampa FL (Ford Ampitheatre)
June 1: Miami, FL (American Airlines Arena)
June 7: Columbia, MD (Merriweather Post Pavilion)
June 8: Philadelphia, PA (Penn's Landing)
June 11: Atlantic City, NJ (Borgata Casino)
June 12: Atlantic City, NJ (Borgata Casino)
June 14: Holmdel, NJ (PNC Bank Arts Center)
June 15: New York, NY (Madison Square Garden)
June 17: Mansfield, MA (Tweeter Center)
June 18: Wallingford, CT (Oakdale Theatre)
June 21: Montreal, Canada (Bell Centre)
June 22: Quebec, Canada (Colissee Pepsi Arena)
June 24: Toronoto, Canada (Molson Amphitheatre)
June 25: Clarkson, MI (CTE Energy Music Theatre)
June 26: Cuyahoga Falls, OH (Blossom Music Center)
June 29: Minneapolis, MN (Xcel Center)
July 2: Chicago, IL (Taste of Chicago)
July 3: Milwaukee, WI (Summerfest)