ETTA JAMES, NEW ORLEANS JAZZ FESTIVAL, CAPE TOWN JAZZ FESTIVAL, JAMIROQUAI & MORE...

ETTA JAMES NEW ALBUM TO INCLUDE SONGS BY MARVIN GAYE, PRINCE, BOBBY WOMACK & FRANK SINATRA
With a new slimmed-down look, are rejuvenated stage show and celebrating an incredible five decades as a recording artist, music legend Etta James will showcase her enduring artistry on an amazing diversity of the eleven songs featured on her new RCA Victor album, All The Way. Due in stores March 14, 2006 and produced by Etta's sons Donto and Sametto and longtime musical associate Josh Sklair, All The Way includes a range of material that would prove challenging for even the most competent vocalists: "This is an album of songs that I've always loved, tunes that I heard and thought, 'wish I could have been the one to do that one first!'" explains the three-time Grammy winner, who has also been the recipient of a NARAS Lifetime Achievement Award, a Rhythm & Blues Foundation Pioneer Award and is a W.C.Handy Foundation honoree. "For the first time in my fifty-three years of recording, I really had control over an entire album, start to finish. And that feels really good! I got to make an album that I can listen to and say, "I really like this record!'"

During the month of its release, Etta will also be feted by NABOB (The National Association of Black Owned Broadcasters) with the organization's Lifetime Achievement Award at its 22nd Annual Communications Awards Dinner, a staple event held each year in Washington, D.C. Hosted by comedian and radio personality Steve Harvey, the show will be on March 10th and NABOB 2006 honorees will also include Alicia Keys, S. Epatha Merkerson, Maya Angelou, Albertina Walker and Robert L. Johnson with Aretha Franklin providing the evening's entertainment. James, honored with a much-deserved star on The Hollywood Walk Of Fame, adds her special vocal magic to songs originally recorded by Prince ("Purple Rain"), Marvin Gaye ("What's Going On"), Bobby Womack ("Stop On By") and Simply Red ("Holding Back The Years") alongside Leonard Bernstein's "Somewhere" (from 'West Side Story') and "All The Way," the standard most often associated with Frank Sinatra. For good measure, Etta also included R. Kelly's contemporary classic, "I Believe I Can Fly," James Brown's enduring "It's A Man's Man's Man's World" and John Lennon's "Imagine." Rounding out the musical solid set are "Calling You," (from 'Baghdad Cafe') and "Strung Out," a tune originally cut by R&B legend Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, with whom Etta toured during her teen years after being discovered by bandleader Johnny Otis in 1955.

The release of the 1993 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee's latest project, the follow-up to the 2004 Grammy-winning RCA Victor set Blues To The Bone, comes at a time when Etta is showing off her new look: after losing some 200 pounds in weight, the Los Angeles native grins, "Now I can flaunt my figure wherever I go. I can go shopping and buy those outfits I always wanted to wear!" The loss of weight has also dramatically changed Etta's always-exciting stage performances: "Now I can stand up on the stage again like I used to after five years of sitting down while I sang ... "

OTHER MUSIC NEWS…
Lionel Richie, Elvis Costello, Paul Simon, Yolanda Adams, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, Pete Fountain, Charmaine Neville and Fats Domino have been added to the lineup of the upcoming New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival taking place on April 28-30 and May 5-7…Jamiroquai is performing at the Piazza Castello at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy on Feb. 16. In addition, Jamiroquai will be heading to South America in March and April making the following tour stops: March 22 at Club Cuidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires; March 24 at Credicard Arena, San Paolo; March 25 at Claro Hall, Rio de Janeiro; March 27 at Polidro de Caracas, Caracas; March 29 at Rodzio de la Caro, Bogota; and April 1 at Autodromo, La Guasima, San Jose…Javier Limon has produced the self titled debut release of La Negra. The album is a mix of flamenco, jazz, tango and Brazilian music. Nino Josele and Jerry Gonzalez also collaborated on the project…Nina Pastori’s Maria get a rerelease and included on this version is Ave Maria (Hail Mary), which the cantori from Cadiz performed in front of Pope John Paul II during his last visit to Spain. This edition features a preview from an upcoming album by Nina Pastori – Joyas Prestadas, which will be released internationally later in the year…Rafe Gomez will be spinning his Groove Boutique sounds at The Cellar Bar in The Bryant Park Hotel in New York City between 6 and 10 o.m. on the following Wednesdays: Feb. 22, Mar. 1 and Mar. 8…Patti LaBelle along with Earl Klugh and George Clinton headline the CIAA ‘A Night at the Apollo’ in Charlotte, NC on March 2…The 7th annual Cape Town (South Africa) International Jazz Festival will once again take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on March 31 and April 1. Taking the stage this year will be Manu Dibango & The Soul Makossa Gang, Chucho Valdes Quartetr feat. Mayra Caridad, Charlie Haden Quartet West, Freddy Cole Quartet,Louis Vega & His Elements of Life Live Band feat Anana, Blaze & Luisito Quintero, Nestor Torres, Terence Blanchard, Joe McBride, Gerald Veasley, Kenny Blake, Miriam Makeba, Omar Sosa Quartet feat. Pee Wee Ellis, Jose Feliciano, The Moreira Project, Richard Bona, Tiale Makhene, Spencer Mbadu Sextet, Winston Mankunku Sextet with Robbie Jansen, Thandiswa Mazwai, Kwani Experience, Viktoria Tolstoy, Dan Patlan & The New Orleans All Star Blues Band, The James Schofield Trio feat. Billy Hart & Arno Krijger, Juan Carlos Romero Trio, Johnny Mekoa & His Herd and Mark de Clive-Lowe, among others.

JAZZ CHILL NEWS AND NEW RELEASES FROM GRAHAM CENTRAL STATION, NINA SIMONE, TEDDY PENDERGRASS, SERGIO MENDES, TOTO, SALOME DE BAHIA, LABELLE & MORE...

Releases out now…
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – The Hidden Land; Burt Bacharach – The Definitive Collection; Dee Dee Bridgewater – Dee Dee Bridgewater; Doris Day – The Love Album; Eric Kamen – Native Unit; Graham Central Station – Graham Central Station; Graham Central Station – Release Yourself; Graham Central Station – No ‘Bout-A-Doubt It; Graham Central Station – Now U Wanna Dance; Graham Central Station – Mirror; Graham Central Station – My Radio Sure Sounds Good To Me; Jaheem – Ghetto Classics; Jody Whatley – Looking For A New Love (Remixes); Liza Minnelli – The Definitive Collection; Miles Davis – Out Of Nowhere; Nina Simone – I Put A Spell On You; Nina Simone – Broadway-Blues-Ballads; Nina Simone – Nina Simone In Concert; Nina Simone – Pastel Blues; Nina Simone – High Priestess Of Soul; Nina Simone – Wild Is The Wind; Salome De Bahia – Brasil; Sergio Mendes – Timeless; Slow Train Slow – Illegal Cargo; Stacy Lattislaw – With You; Stacy Lattislaw – Sneakin’ Out; Talking Heads – Speaking In Tongues; Talking Heads – Little Creatures; Talking Heads – True Stories; Talking Heads – Naked; Toto – Falling In Between.

Legacy will release a Teddy Pendergrass live album, entitled Live From LA 2/14 on April 25.


Joseph Williams, Ian Anderson (from Jethro Tull), Lenny Castro, Steve Porcaro, L. Shankar and Roy Hargrove join Toto on their new release – Falling In Between. The new CD is out now and is available on Frontier Records. The final track listing includes Falling In Between, Simple Life, Dying On My Feet, Bottom Of Your Soul, Let It Go, Nowhere In Sight, Spiritual Man, Ain’t Your World, The Reefer Man and Hooked. We wish them lots of luck with plenty of deserved airplay on this project, so get on board radio and open up those playlists!

While we are on the subject of hot music, here are some old and new songs that we’ve heard recently that we like very much. Note that most of these (except for the Vincent Montana tracks) were heard on the highly recommended Internet radio station www.swissgroove.ch -
Alex Cortiz – Barfly; Average White Band – I Wanna Be Loved; Cal Tjader – Lucero; Llorca – I Cry (Alton Miller Remix); Tortured Soul – I Might Do Something Wrong; Vincent Montana Jr. – The Africa Track (Louis Benedetti Remix); and Vincent Montana Jr. – What Love Does (Louis Benedetti Remix).

Grammy award-winner and legendary club diva Jody Whatley revisits her own 1980’s signature song Looking For A New Love with her latest release on the Water Music label. A series of remixes are available here including the lead ROCAsound house mix, a formulaic Circuit-styled Chus & Ceballos Mix, the Deep House vibe on the Craig C. Mix, and the Chris Joss Vocal Mix.



Salome De Bahia’s latest release – Brasil – is filled with modern house and electronic percussion by French DJ and producer Bob Sinclar. Brasil reads like a Brazilian standards songbook by including such familiar melodies as Pais Tropical, Fiesta Para Um Rei Negro and Cada Vez, the latter made popular in the house circuit by Negrocan. There’s nods to tunes north of the border with Bahia’s take on Stevie Wonders Another Star, listed here as Sambala, and on Taj Mahal, there’s the familiar signature riff from another song that told us if we though Rod Stewart was sexy. We should just let him know. And there’s even a cover of Barry Manilow’s Copacabana. Bob Sinclar is widely known for his own productions and remixes, including his collaboration with Cerrone on Cerrone vs. Bob Sinclar.

Eric Kamen’s new album – Native Unit – features flowing melodies to compelling sweeps, and the songs on Native Unit transport the listener into a unified dimension of world, new age and R&B grooves. My Father’s Mandolin is established by a steady hip-hop beat and rhythmic strumming of the bouzouki. Flamenco guitar leads over angelic chimes and rolling percussion on Arenys By The Sea. The track. Mykonos At Midnight was recently selected as Best Instrumental Songs of the Year by The Muse’s Muse in 2005 and offers contagious and melodic guitar music. Recently, the Muses’ Muse named Native Unit the Best Instrumental CD of the Year. "The project will appeal to hardcore hip-hop fans, jazz enthusiasts, and world music lovers alike…" raves The Muse’s Muse. Kweevak Music Magazine praises, "A magical blend…melding the edge of hip-hop with the soul of R&B."

In other news…Legendary band, Earth, Wind & Fire, have joined the lineup to perform at the 2005 Essence Music Festival. The festival is set for July 1,2 and 3, and will take place in its new interim home, state-of-the-art Reliant Park in Houston, Texas. Earth, Wind & Fire are joining previously announced artists: Frankie Beverly and Toni Braxton. Additional talent will be announced in the coming weeks…The Fujitsu Jazz Festival will present The Magic Of Toots on March 16, starring Toots Thielemans with a cast of renowned artists, Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Eliane Elias, Paquito D’Rivera, Oscar Castro-Neves, Joe Lovano and some special surprise guests who will celebrate Toots and his music. The Magic Of Toots concert event will speak of the beauty, warmth, virtuosity and soul of a one-of-a-kind artist who – at 83 – still stands at the ‘top of his game’. Music Director, Kenny Werner, Toots’ longtime duo partner – the ‘Maestro’ as he calls him – will take you on a journey, weaving in and out with Toots and his star-studded program…Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash are in the process of planning a reunion album as LaBelle, set for release in 2007. The trio have already recorded two songs thus far – Preaching To The Choir and Dear Rosa. Both songs appear in the film Preaching To The Choir starring Patti LaBelle. Nona Hendryx is also hard at work on her first album in 10 years with a release date later in the year… Aezra recording artist, Billy Miles, has been honored with an NAACP nomination in the Outstanding Jazz Artist category. Her debut CD, Billy Miles, is a stylish brew of jazz, pop, soul and trip-hop. The lead single of the CD, Sunshine, was an iTunes Song Of The Week, a #6 R&B track and it has charted on HOT AC, AAA and Smooth Jazz radio…Barry Manilow will follow-up his chart-topping success The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties with an album featuring songs from the sixties. His hit CD debuted last week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with sales of 156,000 copies in the U.S.according to Nielsen SoundScan.

MICHAEL FRANKS - RENDEZVOUS IN RIO & UPCOMING TOUR DATES

Michael Franks has has just finished mixing his new release, Rendezvous In Rio, set for release sometime this summer. It includes some wonderful arranging, producing, and musicianship from many of his longtime friends and co-conspirators: Jeff Lorber, Chuck Loeb, Scott Petito, Jimmy Haslip, and Charles Blenzig, with whom he wrote the title tune. In the meantime, you can catch Michael on tour on the following dates:

March 11 - Colorado Spring, CO - Broadmoor Resort
March 17 - Chandler, AZ - Chandler Center for the Arts
April 7-9 - Las Vegas, NV - Sun Coast Casino
August 20 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Bowl - JVC Jazzfest

CHRIS BOTTI & DAVID SANBORN UNITE FOR TOUR

Best-selling jazz trumpeter Chris Botti- whose What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life? has just won a Grammy Award, will join forces with the legendary multiple Grammy-winning jazz fusion saxophonist David Sanborn for a run of very special tour dates beginning February 15 at the Civic Center in Des Moines, Iowa (see itinerary following). Botti and Sanborn will be accompanied by a powerhouse backing band featuring fellow Grammy-winners Billy Childs on piano and drummer Billy Kilson. Bassist James Genus will perform on the ensemble's February dates with Kenny Davis coming on-board to play bass during the March leg of the tour. Billy Childs won two Grammys this past week: Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s), along with Gil Goldstein and Hector Pereira, for his work on What Are You Doing For The Rest Of Your Life? from Chris Botti's #1 Jazz album, To Love Again and Best Instrumental Composition for Into The Light from the Billy Childs Ensemble album, Lyric. Drummer Billy Kilson, who first worked with Botti on 2004's best-selling When I Fall In Love album, may be heard drumming on the Dave Holland Big Band's Overtime, which won this year's Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album Grammy.

Botti won his first Grammy recognition for his role as producer on the 1994 Brecker Brothers release, Out of the Loop, which picked up that year's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums award. The versatile David Sanborn has won a total of six Grammy Awards – in categories including Jazz, Pop, and R&B -- over the course of his remarkably diverse musical career. During the course of the tour, Chris Botti will be dropping by PBS affiliates across the country to promote his Pledge Drive Special, "Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special Guests," set to premiere during the March Pledge Week (check your local listings). "Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special Guests," shot December 1 and 2, 2005, over a Thursday-Friday run at LA's fabled Wilshire Theatre, inspired the Los Angeles Times Don Heckman to write, "It was apparent, from the first notes Chris Botti played at the Wilshire Theatre on Friday, that the sold-out house was in for a special evening ... Botti's latest album, To Love Again – as well as the previously released When I Fall In Love – features extraordinary lineups of vocal guest artists. Six showed up for the concert - Sting, Jill Scott, Paula Cole, Renee Olstead, Paul Buchanan, Gladys Knight and Burt Bacharach . A full concert version of "Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special Guests" is slated for DVD release in late March.

Chris Botti February - March Tour Dates:
Wednesday, February 15, 2006 Des Moines IA Civic Center w/David Sanborn
Thursday, February 16, 2006 Omaha NE Orpheum Theatre w/David Sanborn
Friday, February 17, 2006 Dallas TX "SAVOR DALLAS" FEST w/David Sanborn
Saturday, February 18, 2006 Kansas MO Beaumont Club w/David Sanborn
Sunday, February 19, 2006 Muncie IN Emens Auditorium w/David Sanborn
Monday, February 20, 2006 Harrisburg PA Whitaker Theatre w/David Sanborn
Tuesday, February 21, 2006 Harrisburg PA Whitaker Theatre w/David Sanborn
Wednesday, February 22, 2006 Cleveland OH Playhouse on the Square w/David Sanborn
Thursday, February 23, 2006 Washington DC Warner Theatre w/David Sanborn
Friday, February 24, 2006 Glenside PA Keswick Theatre w/David Sanborn
Saturday, February 25, 2006 Baltimore MD Lyric Opera House w/David Sanborn
Sunday, February 26, 2006 Waterbury CT Palace Theatre w/David Sanborn
Monday, February 27, 2006 Decatur AL Princess Theatre
Friday, March 03, 2006 St. Louis MO Touhill PAC
Wednesday, March 08, 2006 Beaver Creek CO The Vilar Center
Thursday, March 09, 2006 Colorado Springs CO Pike's Peak Center
Friday, March 10, 2006 Sioux Falls SD Washington Pavilion
Saturday, March 11, 2006 Minneapolis MN State Theatre
Wednesday, March 22, 2006 Redding CA Redding Convention Center w/David Sanborn
Thursday, March 23, 2006 Sacramento CA Radisson Hotel Ballroom w/David Sanborn
Friday, March 24, 2006 San Francisco CA Masonic Hall w/David Sanborn
Saturday, March 25, 2006 Fresno CA Saroyan Theatre w/David Sanborn
Sunday, March 26, 2006 San Diego CA Spreckles Theatre w/David Sanborn
Tuesday, March 28, 2006 Sahuarita AZ Desert Diamond Casino w/David Sanborn
Wednesday, March 29, 2006 Palm Desert CA McCallum Theatre

CHICK COREA TO PERFORM FREE WORLD JAZZ CONCERT

Multiple Grammy Award winner and National Endowment of the Arts Jazz Master Chick Corea will perform a free concert with his band Touchstone and Spanish flamenco dancer, Auxi Fernandez, in a special pre-Valentine's day event on Sunday, February 12th at 2:30 pm at the Hollywood Virgin Megastore located in the Hollywood and Highland Complex. An autograph session will immediately follow the performance.

The free concert will include selections from Corea's newly released album, The Ultimate Adventure (Concord Records, 2006), an exotic blend of Spanish, North African and Middle Eastern melodies inspired by the fantasy novel of the same name written by best-selling author L. Ron Hubbard. "The Ultimate Adventure" book is being co-released in a retro-stylized paperback version of the novel that recreates the original pulp magazine cover design and story illustrations (Galaxy Press, 2006). This is set to be the first in a line of over 100 pulp fiction books to be released by Galaxy Press at a rate of four per month starting in March.

This is Corea's second successfully realized concept album based on a work by L. Ron Hubbard. In 2004, Chick reunited his early 1980s Elektric Band for a trip "To the Stars." "While I was in the performance stage of 'To the Stars,' I started looking for some more of Hubbard's books to work with, and found this wonderful story that has a southern Spain, Northern African, Arabian background to it. And as I began reading the book again... because I had read it before... I realized how neatly the Touchstone band would be able to realize the music," Corea said.

Other master musicians who appear with Corea on the CD include, legendary jazz flutist Hubert Laws, Grammy-winning world percussionist Airto Moerira, Flamenco bassist Carlos Benavent, Egyptian percussionist Hossam Ramzy, saxophonist Tim Garland, percussionist Rubem Dantas, drummer Tom Brechtlein, sax/flute player Jorge Pardo, guitarist Frank Gambale, and drummers Steve Gadd, and Vinnie Calaiuta.

BERKS JAZZ FESTIVAL, ALFONZO BLACKWELL, THE OASIS - SMOOTH JAZZ, MAGIC 106.7 SMOOTH JAZZ

The 16th annual FirstEnergy Berks Jazz Fest this year will feature the City Rhythm Orchestra presenting the music of Frank Sinatra,a Michelle & Brian Culbertson collaboration, keyboardist Joe McBride, sax player Kenny Blake and vocalist Liz Longley, plus Dianne Reeves, Joe Sample, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Ramsey Lewis, David Benoit, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Candy Dulfer, Gerald Veasley, Kurt Elling and the Robert Cray Band. In addition, three spectacular ensemble shows - The Music of Marvin Gaye & and Motown; Ivan Lins & Friends; and a Tribute to Wes Montgomery - top the lineup. The event runs from March 17-26 at multiple venues throughout Berks County.


ALFONZO BLACKWELL - SOULFULSMOOTHJAZZ.COM & SOULFULCLASSICS.COM
Alfonzo Blackwell is an incredible force in the internet radio industry. He has begun this year in classic style that is surely a stunning and rare commodity. Blackwell has forged ahead of the pack in the internet radio-smooth jazz/chill and classic soul and RnB formats to deliver stellar musical content and much more. Through his superb musical direction and great leadership at SoulfulSmoothJazz.com Radio and SoulfulClassics.com Radio, he has garnered considerable praise and accolades for fostering a refreshing new platform for artists of today as well as for legendary artists. With Blackwell’s close attention to detail and hard work, our favorite smooth jazz artists such as Dave Coz, Brian Culbertson, Acoustic Alchemy and many others have supported SoulfulSmoothJazz.com Radio and participated in exclusive interviews with the fastest growing station of its kind. Visit the illustrious websites to tune-in to the smooth and soulful blends of music and you will come away with so much more than you ever imagined. Kudos to the SoulfulSmoothJazz.com Radio Team, SoulfulClassics.com Radio Team and their musical director-Alfonzo Blackwell. Visit: www.soulfulsmoothjazz.com and www.soulfulclassics.com

THE PLANET'S #1 SMOOTH JAZZ - THE OASIS
With the lack of a smooth-jazz station on commercial radio in St. Louis, MO after the former WSSM (106.5 FM) went off the air last April, former WSSM employees Terry Fox and Jason Church have launched "The Oasis," a.k.a. "The Planet's #1 Smooth Jazz." The station, available on the internet only at www.foxmusicmachine.com, offers two high-quality streams (one dial-up, the other broadband) and a playlist that boasts "three or four hundred" artists. Aside from smooth-jazz mainstays like Kenny G, Sade, Dave Koz, Chris Botti, George Benson, Steely Dan and Michael Bublé, the station also includes tracks by John Coltrane, Sarah Vaughan, Grover Washington Jr. — musicians, in other words, who commercial smooth-jazz stations might not necessarily program.

MAGIC 106.7 SMOOTH JAZZ
Greater Media Announces Multicasts In their Boston MarketGreater Media has announced the details of its digital multicast channels for the Boston and as a result Smooth Jazz returns to the Boston airwaves after a six-year hiatus with the debut of MAGIC 106.7’s Smooth Jazz Channel. The side channel will be a blend of traditional and contemporary jazz, fusion, and new adult contemporary music. Listeners will also have the opportunity to tune in online at www.magic1067.com and click on the Smooth Jazz Channel icon.

VAN HUNT - ON THE JUNGLE FLOOR

On April 4th, Capitol Records will release Van Hunt's On The Jungle Floor, the follow-up to his self-titled debut album. Hunt, who is currently nominated for a Grammy award for "Best Urban / Alternative Performance," perform at the Grammy's with an all-star group that included Maroon 5, Will.I.Am of The Black Eyed Peas, John Legend and Joss Stone in the Grammy(R) Awards' tribute to Sly And The Family Stone. The 48th Annual Grammy(R) Awards will aired on CBS, Wednesday, February 8th.

Where 2004's Van Hunt introduced the Dayton-born singer/songwriter's organic brew of rock-laced R&B, On The Jungle Floor adds funkier, freakier flavors that recall influences as disparate as the Isley Brothers, the Smiths, Rick James and the Stooges. (Hunt, in fact, includes a blistering, blues-drenched cover of the Stooges No Sense of Crime on the album.) Bill Bottrell (Madonna, Michael Jackson) co-produced On The Jungle Floor with Hunt, who once again wrote, arranged and performed most of the songs himself. Van Hunt's first album was one of the most acclaimed pop debuts in recent years. The New York Times described it as "the perfect soundtrack for any seduction" while Rolling Stone simply stated that with the release of Van Hunt, "the bar has been raised." Artists including Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, Joss Stone and Adam Clayton of U2 sang his praises and Hunt performed on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," "The Ellen DeGeneres Show," "The Tavis Smiley Show" and "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Touring both as a headliner and opening for such artists as Coldplay, Kanye West and Seal, he earned a reputation as a master performer. In advance of his forthcoming tour, Hunt recently previewed material from the new album at the Sundance Film Festival.

In a world of overproduced, overstylized R&B and pop records, Hunt has learned the merits of keeping his music raw and direct. "All you can do is try to find the best representation of a song," he says. "I want to maintain the spontaneity, and make sure that the spark that was there at the outset is still shining." With On The Jungle Floor, Van Hunt sets those sparks
flying.

Track Listing - Van Hunt's On The Jungle Floor
1. If I Take You Home
2. Hot Stage Lights
3. Daredevil, baby
4. Ride, Ride, Ride
5. Being A Girl
6. Suspicion
7. Mean Sleep
8. Priest or Police
9. Character
10. No Sense of Crime
11. At The End of A Slow Dance
12. The Thrill of This Love
13. Hole in My Heart
14. The Night Is Young

2 NEW ALBUMS FROM ROY HARGROVE & A DJ-MIXED ARTIST SET FROM CARL COX

NEW FROM VERVE - 2 NEW ROY HARGROVE CDs
On Tuesday, May 2, 2006, Verve Records will release Distractions and Nothing Serious, two new recordings from Roy Hargrove. Distraction features vocalist Renee Neifville (formerly of the R&B duo Zhane), D’Angelo, and The RH Factor – his neo-soul/jazz fusion outfit which made it’s debut with 2003’s groundbreaking record, the internationall successful Hard Groove. The RH Factor consists of drummers Willie Jones and Jason "JT" Thomas, bass players Lenny Stalworth and Reggie Washington, guitarist Todd Parsnow, keyboard players Charlie McCambell, Bobby Sparks and Renee Neufville, and sax players Keith Anderson and David "Fathead" Newman.

On Nothing Serious, you’ll find Hargrove doing his straight jazz thing. For this album, The Roy Hargrove Quintet consists of Hargrove on trumpet, Ronnie Matthews on piano, Dwanyne Burno on bass, Willie Jones III on drums, and Justin Robinson on alto sax and flute.

Hargrove will continue to perform and tour with both groups following the dual release of Distractions and Nothing Serious.

DJ CARL COX TO RELEASE SECOND SIGN ON APRIL 4, 2006
KOCH Records has announced the release of Second Sign, the new DJ-mixed artist album by DJ Carl Cox, on April 4th, 2006. Second Sign contains 15 original Carl Cox tracks produced in conjunction with heavyweight electronic producers like Fatboy Slim aka Norman Cook, Josh Wink, Roni Size, Mistress Barbara and others. Cox has mixed up styles one would never think of putting together - house, soul, punk, techno and drum and bass.

Known as one of the best DJs in the world, Carl Cox has been part of Britain's dance scene from the heady days of disco through to the global clubland of the '90s, with temporary pit-stops covering hip hop, the rare-groove movement and the immense rave revolution of the late '80s.
Cox has plans to host his own stage at 2006's "Ultra Music Festival" in Miami, Florida, and will returns to DJ in Ibiza in the summer. Cox will also be performing at the Coachella festival on April 30th, 2006.

The track listing for Second Sign is:
1. That's the Bass (Cox's Rock Drums Mix) feat. Norman Cook)
2. Space Calling
3. Give Me Your Love feat. Hannah Robinson
4. Feel The Real w/Light of the World
5. Room 713
6. If I Fall (Would You Let Me?) Phats and Small Mix feat. Onallee
7. On Fire feat. Mistress Barbara
8. Ain't It Funky Now
9. Dirty Bass feat. Christian Smith
10. It's the Machines feat. Josh Wink
11. Vibes of Energy feat. Kevin Saunderson
12. Give Me Your Love (Valentino Kanzyani EarresistAble Mix)
13. Open Book feat. Roni Size and Onallee
14. Got What You Paid 4! Feat. Saffron
15. If I Fall (Would You Let Me?) (Drum and Latin version) feat. Onallee

BEBEL GILBERTO, CANADIAN SMOOTH JAZZ AWARDS, ST. LUCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL, JUSTIN GUARINI, NEW JAZZ AND CHILL RELEASES, LENNY WILLIAMS & STEPHANIE MILLS

BEBEL GILBERTO AT SUPPERCLUB SAN FRANCISCO
Brazilian singer Bebel Gilberto will perform a limited engagement of two intimate evenings at San Francisco’s Supperclub in the South of Market area. Shows are slated for Feb. 12 and 14. Supperclub of San Francisco is an innovative multi-sensory fine dining experience rooted in excellent food, creativity and experimentation. While the primary focus is on food, Supperclub also serves as a blank canvas for artists of all kinds including sculptors, fashion designers, performers, dancers, DJ and more. San Francisco is the first U.S. city for the Supperclub brand, which began with Supperclub Amsterdam, then expanded to Rome, a cruise ship and a catering company.

ALEXANDER ZONJIC TO HOST THE CANADIAN SMOOTH JAZZ AWARDS
Jazz flutist Alexander Zonjic will host the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, scheduled for April 7 in Mississauga, Ontario. Zonjic has been nominated for two awards, and keyboardist Bob James will be honored with the George Benson Lifetime Achiever Award. Other nominees include Chris Botti, Feist and Michael Buble. This year’s ceremony will feature performances by Warren Hill, Steve Oliver, Paul Brown, Carol Weisman, Brian Hughes and Dave Sereny. Alexander Zonjic also hosts a morning show on Detroit’s smooth jazz station, 98.7 WVMV-FM.

SEAL AND NANCY WILSON TO HEADLINE ST. LUCIA JAZZ FESTIVAL
The 15th edition of the St. Lucia Jazz Festival is slated for May 5-14, 2006, with headliners Seal, Babyface, Nancy Wilson, Poncho Sanchez, and Al Green. Since its establishment in 1992, the St. Lucia Jazz Festival has grown in magnitude and stature to become one of the pre-eminent Jazz festivals in the world, and attracting world famous artists from the entertainment world. This years’ event will be staged by the St. Lucia Tourist Board and produced by BET Event Productions, a division of Viacom subsidiary Black Entertainment Television (BET).

JUSTIN GUARINI RELEASES A SMOOTH JAZZ ALBUM
Justin Guarini (of American Idol fame) has released a smooth jazz album. The new self-produced, independent CD, Stranger Things Have Happened, includes a smooth jazz version of My Funny Valentine. Other songs include I’ll Take Romance, I Didn’t Know What Time It Was, Just Squeeze, Night And Day, Stranger Things Have Happened To Me, Young And Foolish, Sing and All Of You.

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY JAZZ AND CHILL RELEASES…
Stanley Turrentine – Inflation; Steve ‘The Scotsman’ Harvey & Others – Everyday People Project Vol. 1; Samba Jazz Trio – Agora Sim!; Timo Lassey – African Rumble/High At Noon; Rosalia De Souza – Brasil Precisa Balancar; Freda Payne – Stares And Whispers; Peggy Lee – Peggy Lee Sings Leiber And Stoller; Amana Melome – Indigo Red; Haroldo Mauro Jr. – Bossa Na Pressao; Mike Theodore Orchestra – Cosmic Wind/High On Mad Mountain; Jon Lucien – I Am Now/Mind’s Eye/Rashida; Poussez – Poussez; The Persuaders – Made To Be Loved; Brass Construction – Got To Be Loved (remixes by Kenny Dope); Marlena Shaw – Out Of Different Bags; Erica & Chiquinho Timoteo Et Les Show Rio – Brazil 77; Coco Lagos – Descargas/Ritmo Caliente; Michel Legrand – Legrand Nougaro; Sambasonics – Jorge Ben Beat; Pharoah Sanders – Pharoah Sanders Anthology: You’ve Got To Have Freedom; Roy Ayers – Vibrations; Luiz Macedo – Bossa Electromagnetica; Sadao Watanabe & Charlie Mariano – Iberian Waltz; Edu Luke – Cosmo Bamba; Alzo – Alzo; Geraldo Pino – Heavy Heavy Heavy/Let’s Have A Party/Afro Soco Soul Live; Starpoint – All Night Long; Barbara McNair – Livin’ End; Chet Baker – Complete Original Chet Baker Sings Sessions; Cecilia Stalin – Straight Up; Bridget St. john – Thank You For; Rick Smith – We Should Be Lovers; Gruppo Jazz Marza – Communicazione Sonoroa; Debbie Jacobs – High On Your Love; Kleer – License To Dream; Jafrosax – New Standard Of The Future; Invisible Session – To The Powerful; Blue Magic – Magic Of The Blue; Yvon ‘Kapi’ Andre – The Afro Caribbean Project; Chick Corea – The Ultimate Adventure; Jason Miles – What’s Going On? Songs Of Marvin Gaye; Beth Orton – Comfort Of Strangers; Gino Vannelli – These Are The Days; and Roberta Flack – The Very Best Of Roberta Flack;

LENNY WILLIAMS & STEPHANIE MILLS
Both Lenny Williams and Stephanie Mills have recently released new albums. Lenny Williams, known for one of the greatest love songs ever recorded, Cause I Love You, has a new CD entitled My Way. Stephanie Mills, who had more than her share of successes many years ago is back with Born For This. Both CDs are out now.

STEVEN OLIVER, AMILCAR, VAN MORRISON, RICK ARROYO, KENNY G & THE GRAMMYS

STEVE OLIVER TO RELEASE HIS 4TH ALBUM – RADIANT ON MARCH 21, 2006
Radiant contains a collection of spiritually uplifting songs that celebrate life and music. While showcasing Steve Oliver's fascinating mix of virtuoso guitar work, driving grooves and soulful singing, the album also exposes the artist's seemingly extraterrestrial ability to vocally create a virtual orchestra of instrumental sounds. While his previous recordings included numerous tracks featuring fairly lavish production, this time Oliver committed the project's design to a slightly scaled back approach placing much more of an emphasis on his guitar and voice.
The album's opener Feeling Good is an absolute expression of its title and will leave you in that exact frame of mind. Once set up for fun, you've gained passage to an Oliver trademarked musical voyage, so climb aboard and enjoy. As if asked to now hoist life's anchor and cast off all lines, the second cut, Tradewind, beckons our submission in a gentle breezy mode. Yet once underway the sails of this composition become full and the winds whistle a jam that funks up the decks and tricks out the rigging. After catching your breath, the artist's interpretation of Buffalo Springfield's classic For What it's Worth will leave you leaning against the mast, singing along, recalling the course of that day and pondering the current relevance of its manuscript. Next up is Good To Go, a track which joyfully transports us further toward the equator and into a sea of Latin/World Music. Schools of sizzling guitar passages and white caps laced with trippy vocal percussion are at every turn of the helm in this chart.

Moving into calmer waters, the moody atmospheric gem Shadow of The Moon seemingly drifts in from the horizon and subtly gains our attention by featuring seductive soundings from Stevie Wonder's longtime trumpet player and studio confidant Steve Madeo. Cool is next on the log and brings aboard sax hero and former Al Jarreau first mate Michael Paulo. Teaming up with Captain Oliver, Mr. Paulo passionately assists in bringing us back to cruising speed while heading toward deeper waters. The infectious vocal and pop arrangement of Bend or Break follows and deeper waters it is. If ever there were a doubt as to Oliver's ability to circumnavigate the musical globe, this song will dispel any such yarn. The acoustic pleasures of Across the Water, the buoyant and flowing Reach the Sky, and Shine, a track ably enhanced by the adventurous rhythmic patterns of Christian Poezach, all follow in splendid succession.

Pulling into port, Oliver bids us retrospective farewell by delivering Radiant Dreams, a poignantly poetic reflection on life's overall voyage and its sometimes elusive treasures.
Steve Oliver averages between 150-200 live gigs a year. Frequently billed at major music festivals as the "Special Guest Artist," Oliver has recently achieved "Headlining" status at many. Perhaps most notable would be his being selected to headline the 2005 Playboy Jazz Festival's Memorial Day presentation at the world famous Pasadena Rose Bowl.

This artist is also receiving a good deal of international recognition these days. One such example is his being nominated, alongside genre superstars Chris Botti, Richard Elliot and superproducer/guitarist Paul Brown, as "Best International Artist" by the 2006 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards committee. The event will be held in on April 7th in Toronto and Oliver has accepted an invitation to perform at the ceremony.


AMILCAR TOPS THE NEW AGE/AMBIENT/WORLD RADIO MUSIC CHARTS
New Vibes Music announced today that its artist Amilcar was among the top 100 New Age/Ambient/World Radio Charts with his album Vacuuming the Forest during 2005, according to New Age Reporter (NAR) figures.The New Age Reporter (NAR) is a major resource for new age, ambient, world radio /Internet airwaves chart. The top 100 charts are compiled from radio playlists submitted each month during 2005 by over 100 broadcasters around the world that report to the NAR network. Amilcar’s can be heard on radio stations throughout the US including NPR, as well as Canada, Europe and Asia. His CD is available in stores, Amazon.com, Cdbaby.com and individual tracks can also be downloaded from iTunes, MSN, MusicMatch, Rhapsody, and many other digital sites.

VAN MORRISON 2006 TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
Van Morrison has announced five dates in support of his new Lost Highway Records release Pay The Devil. Dates are March 3 at the Masonic Hall (San Francisco, CA); March 4 at the Waltern Theatre Los Angeles, CA); March 6 at the Nokia Theatre (Dallas, TX); March 7 at the Ryman Theatre (Nashville, TN); and March 8 at the Opera House Boston, MA).

RICK ARROYO – ON FIRE IN THE DESERT
Pianist, drummer, percussionist, arranger, and composer, Rick Arroyo will be talking about his musical journey and playing music from his new CD release - On Fire In The Desert, on the Vince Priester Radio show. Don't miss it at xradio.biz/lasvegas Tuesday February 14 at 8 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Rick has recorded and or played with Luis Conte, Bill Laster, Karen Briggs, Dick Mitchell, Dan St. Marsais, Tata Palau, Johnny "Dandy" Rodriguez, Luis Miranda, Bobby Matos, Johnny Polanco, Eddie Resto and David Romero. He has shared the stage with The Yellow Jackets, Fatburger, The Rippingtons, Gerald Albright, Carl Fontana, Everrett Harp, Gilberto Santa Rosa Cubanismo, Nils and many others, and has opened for Tito Puente, Willie Chirino, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Jesus Alemany, David Benoit, Richard Elliott, Michael McDonald, Donna Summer, The Beach Boys, Sammy Hagar and many others.

KENNY G RELEASES THE ESSENTIAL KENNY G 2-DISC CD
With his warm and wondrous tone and texture, Kenny G is the Gentleman of Jazz. His saxophone takes us to places that quicken our senses and delight our imagination. As a teenaged member of Barry White's Love Unlimited Orchestra, Kenny learned about sensuality and seduction from a master, and over the course of his spectacular career he's applied those lessons to make smooth and sophisticated odes to romance, passions and spirituality. In the process he's become the world's best-selling instrumental and jazz musician. His latest is The Essential Kenny G, and it coincides with the 20th anniversary of the release of Duotones, his 5x-platinum breakthrough album of 1986, the 2-CD Essential Kenny G pays tribute to the biggest-selling instrumental musician and the biggest-selling jazz musician of the modern era with the most extensive collection of his career.

CD101.9 GRAMMY AWARD SHOWCASE
CD101.9's Deborah Rath will talk to Grammy-nominated artists including Stevie Wonder, Jeff Lorber, George Duke, Dave Samuels, Bill Evans, Herbie Hancock, Diana Krall and Chris Botti from the comfort of their homes, recording studios and tour buses as they prepare for the 48 th Annual Grammy Awards February 8th. The special Grammy showcase will feature music and insight from behind the scenes on the eve of the award show Tuesday February 7th 9pm – 10pm only on Smooth Jazz CD101.9 in New York.

THE TOP 100 SMOOTH JAZZ SONGS OF 2005

Here's a listing of the Top 100 Smooth Jazz songs of 2005 as compiled by trade publication Radio & Records. The rankings are based on U.S. radio station airplay.

1. NILS - Pacific Coast Highway (Baja/TSR)
2. SOUL BALLET - Cream (215)
3. TIM BOWMAN - Summer Groove (Liquid 8)
4. KENNY G - Pick Up The Pieces (Arista/RMG)
5. MICHAEL LINGTON - Two Of A Kind (Rendezvous)
6. DAVE KOZ - Let It Free (Capitol)
7. BONEY JAMES/JOE SAMPLE - Stone Groove (Warner Bros.)
8. STEVE COLE - Thursday (Narada Jazz/EMI)
9. PAUL TAYLOR - Nightlife (Peak)
10. EUGE GROOVE - XXL (Narada Jazz/EMI)
11. RICHARD ELLIOT - People Make The World Go Round (Artizen)
12. CHUCK LOEB - Tropical (Shanachie)
13. MINDI ABAIR - Come As You Are (GRP/VMG)
14. NORMAN BROWN - Up 'N' At 'Em (Warner Bros.)
15. MARION MEADOWS - Sweet Grapes (Heads Up)
16. KENNY G/EARTH, WIND & FIRE - The Way You Move (Arista/RMG)
17. PAUL BROWN - Moment By Moment (GRP/VMG)
18. RICHARD ELLIOT - Your Secret Love (GRP/VMG)
19. PAUL HARDCASTLE - Serene (Trippin' 'N' Rhythm)
20. WAYMAN TISDALE - Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now (Rendezvous)
21. GERALD ALBRIGHT - To The Max (GRP/VMG)
22. CHRIS BOTTI - Back Into My Heart (Columbia)
23. PAUL JACKSON, JR. - Never Too Much (GRP/VMG)
24. DAVE KOZ - Love Changes Everything (Capitol)
25 . NORMAN BROWN - West Coast Coolin' (Warner Bros.)
26. KEN NAVARRO - You Are Everything (Positive)
27. BRIAN CULBERTSON - Hookin' Up (GRP/VMG)
28. GEORGE BENSON - Softly, As In A Morning Sunrise (GRP/VMG)
29. JEFF LORBER - Ooh La La (Narada Jazz/EMI)
30. PAUL JACKSON, JR.- Walkin' (Blue Note/EMC)
31. FOURPLAY - Fields Of Gold (RCA Victor/RMG)
32. VANESSA WILLIAMS - You Are Everything (Lava)
33. ANITA BAKER - How Does It Feel (Blue Note/Virgin/EMC)
34. CHRIS BOTTI - No Ordinary Love (Columbia)
35. QUEEN LATIFAH - California Dreamin' (Vector)
36. 3RD FORCE - Believe In Me (Higher Octave/EMI)
37. EUGE GROOVE - Get Em Goin' (Narada Jazz/EMI)
38. WALTER BEASLEY - Coolness (Heads Up)
39. RAY CHARLES/DIANA KRALL - You Don't Know Me (Concord)
40. DAVID SANBORN - Tin Tin Deo (GRP/VMG)
41. PIECES OF A DREAM - It's Go Time (Heads Up)
42. HALL & OATES - I'll Be Around (U-Watch)
43. SEAL - Walk On By (Warner Bros.)
44. KIM WATERS - In Deep (Shanachie)
45. ANITA BAKER - You're My Everything (Blue Note/Virgin/EMC)
46. BONEY JAMES - Here She Comes (Warner Bros.)
47. ALICIA KEYS - If I Ain't Got You (J/RMG)
48. JONATHAN BUTLER - Fire & Rain (Rendezvous)
49. AVERAGE WHITE BAND - Work To Do (Liquid 8)
50. PETER WHITE - How Does It Feel (Columbia)
51. MINDI ABAIR - Make A Wish (GRP/VMG)
52. DAVID PACK - You're The Only Woman (Peak)
53. DONNY OSMOND - Breeze On By (Decca)
54. WAYMAN TISDALE - Ready To Hang (Rendezvous)
55. PAUL BROWN - Cosmic Monkey (GRP/VMG)
56. MARION MEADOWS - Suede (Heads Up)
57. JOYCE COOLING - Camelback (Narada Jazz/EMI)
58. PAMELA WILLIAMS - Fly Away With Me (Shanachie)
59. MICHAEL MCDONALD - Tracks Of My Tears (Motown)
60. KEM - I Can't Stop Loving You (Motown/Universal)
61. JEFF GOLUB - Simple Pleasures (Narada Jazz/EMI)
62. NELSON RANGELL - Don't You Worry 'Bout A Thing (Koch)
63. MARC ANTOINE - Madrid (GRP/VMG)
64. ALEXANDER ZONJIC - Leave It With Me (Heads Up)
65. CHIELI MINUCCI - The Juice (Shanachie)
66. GREG ADAMS - Firefly (215)
67. BRIAN SIMPSON - It's All Good (Rendezvous)
68. BOZ SCAGGS - Lowdown (Unplugged) (Virgin)
69. RICK BRAUN - Shining Star (Artizen)
70. MARIAH CAREY - We Belong Together (Island/IDJMG)
71. BONEY JAMES - 2:01 AM (Warner Bros.)
72. WARREN HILL - Still In Love (Popjazz/Native Language)
73. ACOUSTIC ALCHEMY - Say Yeah (Higher Octave/EMI)
74. MICHAEL MCDONALD - I Heard It Through The Grapevine (Motown)
75. MATT BIANCO/BASIA - Ordinary Day (Decca/Universal)
76. ADANI & WOLF w/ERNEST RANGLIN - Daylight (Rendezvous)
77. KIM WATERS - Steppin' Out (Shanachie)
78. DEF JAZZ/GERALD ALBRIGHT - Hey Young World (GRP/VMG)
79. DIDO - White Flag (Arista/RMG)
80. CAMIEL - I'm Ready (Rendezvous)
81. JOYCE COOLING - Daddy-O (GRP/VMG)
82. PETER WHITE - Dreamwalk (Columbia)
83. MICHAEL BUBLE - Home (143/Reprise)
84. PIECES OF A DREAM - Night Vision (Heads Up)
85. RUSS FREEMAN - East River Drive (Q/Atlantic)
86. STEVE OLIVER - Chips & Salsa (Koch)
87. SOUL BALLET - She Rides (215)
88. CHUCK LOEB - Pocket Change (Shanachie)
89. PETER WHITE - Turn It Out (Columbia)
90. MARCUS MILLER/ERIC CLAPTON - Silver Rain (Koch)
91. THA' HOT CLUB - I'm Gonna Love You Just ... (Shanachie)
92. RENEE OLSTEAD - A Love That Will Last (143/Reprise)
93. RICHARD SMITH - What'z Up? (A440)
94. ERIC MARIENTHAL - Lefty's Lounge (Peak)
95. HERBIE HANCOCK/JOHN MAYER - Stitched Up (Hear Music/Vector)
96. GREGG KARUKAS - Riverside Drive (N-Coded)
97. EVERETTE HARP - Can You Hear Me (A440)
98. KIRK WHALUM - Any Love (GRP/VMG)
99. NILS - Summer Nights (Baja/TSR)
100. NAJEE - 2nd 2 None (Heads Up International)

MOTOWN ARTISTS REUNITE, HEATHER HEADLEY, TOM TALLITSCH, BIRD YORK, SIMPLY RED, WASHINGTON DC/MARYLAND CONCERTS & VINCENT MONTANA JR.

MOTOWN ARTSTS REUNITE
Legendary Motown artists - including The Four Tops, The Miracles, The Contours, The Dramatics, The Former Ladies of the Supremes, Freda Payne, Brenda Holloway, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas, The Velvelettes, plus Paul Hill and John Legend are set to take part at the Motown Music Fest, Saturday, February 4, Super Bowl eve at the Detroit Masonic Temple. The artists will be backed musically by the legendary Funk Brothers considered by many to be the true sound of Motown.

HEATHER HEADLEY – IN MY MIND
Her debut album, This Is Who I Am in 2002, achieved gold status and earned Heather Headley two Soul Train Awards, for Best R&B Soul Album of The Year and Best Solo R&B/Soul New Artist. On this release, Headley is joined by some of music's most compelling producers, as she returns to the music limelight with her sophomore effort In My Mind. A superb mix of soul, dancehall, exquisite balladry and fire breathing gospel, In My Mind proves the agile Heather can not only wrap herself around a song, but also throw her arms around the entire recording process. Whether it's the sultry title cut, the playful/pampering Me Time, or the gospel-laced showstopper Change, In My Mind is the kind of soulful, sonically charged diary where lessons-learned meet musical purpose accomplished, grabbing the listener at its mesmerizing center of gravity, which just happens to be the one and only Heather Headley herself.

TOM TALLITSCH - DUALITY
Saxman Tom Tallitsch has released an inviting contemporary instrumental jazz CD titled Duality. Tallitsch offers his own compositions and standards on Duality. He puts himself in good company covering standout tracks such as Visions by Stevie Wonder and Wayne Shorter’s Infant Eyes. While going through his own personal jazz ‘rights of passage’ by covering standards, Tallitsch makes his own history with full bodied tracks like Propellerhead, which clocks in at over eight minutes and exceptional runs of instrumental pleasure titled Mablestates. Duality allows the judicious jazz connoisseur a simple yet colorful listen provided by the guitar of Dave Manley, and the relaxing earthy sax of Tallistch. The two instruments unify their sound with gentle and prolific interplay, making it evident that they were the only two instruments needed for this recording to flesh out the album and perpetuate a perfect sync between the two musicians.


BIRD YORK - WICKED LITTLE HIGH
Singer, Bird York, whose mesmerizing and haunting tune, In the Deep from the movie, Crash is nominated for an Academy Award. Her CD Wicked Little High is set for release on February 21. York’s music has been heard on TV shows such as House, Family Law, Nip/Tuck, Curb Your Enthusiasm, O.C., and recently the cancelled The West Wing.

SIMPLY RED ADDS NEW TOUR DATES
7 Simply Red summer UK shows have been added to their tour and the dates are: Friday 30th June Cardiff - Coopers Field, Cardiff Castle; Sunday 2nd July Leeds - Harewood House; Friday 7th July Maidstone (Kent) - Leeds Castle; Friday 14th July Bath - The Rec; Saturday 15th July Petworth (West Sussex) - Petworth House; Sunday 16th July Warwick - Warwick Castle; and Friday 21st July Nr Norwich - Blickling Hall. There are 11 other European summer shows already scheduled and more dates will be added soon so keep checking here for our news and tour updates.

GERALD VEASLEY, DAVID SANBORN, VANESSA RUBIN & OTHERS SCHEDULED FOR WASHINGTON DC/MARYLAND AREA CONCERTS
Upcoming February concerts for the Washington, DC and Maryland areas… Bleu Orleans at the University of Maryland’s Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center on Feb. 4; Gerald Veasley and Kirk Whalum at the Birchmere on Feb. 6 and at Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis on Feb. 7; Eric Reed at the Kennedy Center’s Terrace Theater on Feb. 11; Sharon Clark at Twins on Feb. 14; East Coast Jazz Festival featuring Frank Morgan, David "Fathead" Newman, Rebecca Parris, Vanessa Rubin, Giacomo Gates and Russell Malone at the Doubletree Hotel in Rockville on Feb. 16-19; David Sanborn and Chris Botti at the Warner Theatre on Feb. 23; Steve Turre at the Kennedy Center Terrace Theatre on Feb. 26-26; John Abercrombie and Marc Copeland at Blues Alley on Feb. 26; and James Blood Ulmer at Blues Alley on Feb. 27.

VINCENT MONTANA JR. – THE AFRICAN TRACK
Vincent Montana Jr. releases yet another hidden gem right out of the vaults!. Montana has just unveiled an unreleased track recorded back in 1979 entitled, The African Track, on the Philly Sound Works label. The release features 3 mixes reworked by Louis Benedetti (DJ Mix, Beats and Bonus Beats), plus the original version by Vincent Montana Jr. Louis Benedetti, by the way, has been confirmed to appear at the Southport Weekender 38 on May 5, 6 and 7.

MICHAEL BUBLE TO EMBARK ON TOUR

Multi platinum singing sensation Michael Bublé is scheduled to begin a 30-city tour, dazzling audiences across the country including an appearance at New York's famed Radio City Music Hall. Prior to his returning to the stage, the dashing Vancouver native, who has received rave reviews for his poignant and thrilling renditions of American standards and dynamic live shows, will be making several high profile TV performances including "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" (Jan 31st), a live appearance in Rockefeller Plaza on NBC's "The Today Show" (Feb 3rd), and the ABC-TV hit series, "Dancing With The Stars" (Feb 17th). The tour follows the extraordinary successes of Michael Bublé's DVD Caught In The Act, Hallmark's current 2006 Valentine's Day Album With Love and his Reprise Records CD It's Time, which has sold a stunning 4 million copies around the world, was nominated for two Grammy® Awards including Best Traditional Pop Album, and contains the No. 1 Bublé penned tune Home. Bublé, whose Reprise Records CD It's Time has been twice Grammy nominated, will be performing on Feb. 10th - 14th at the Las Vegas Hilton in celebration of Valentine's Day. The movie-star handsome Canadian shot to fame three years ago with his self-titled debut CD. He has circled the globe a dozen times since then and has had number-one records in over 9 Countries. Here are the tour dates:

Date City
---- ----
3/1 Uncasville, CT
3/3 Wash, DC
3/4 NYC, NY
3/5 Atlantic City, NJ
3/7 Richmond, VA
3/8 Atlanta, GA
3/10 Cincinnati, OH
3/11 Chicago, IL
3/12 Grand Rapids, MI
3/14 Tulsa, OK
3/15 Oklahoma City, OK
3/17 Ft. Worth, TX
3/18 Austin, TX
3/19 San Antonio, TX
3/21 Tucson, AZ
3/24 San Diego, CA
3/25 San Francisco, CA
3/26 Sacramento, CA
3/28 Sal Lake City, UT
3/29 Denver, CO
3/31 Minneapolis, MN
4/4 Portland, ME
4/5 Providence, RI
4/7 Albany, NY
4/8 Verona, NY
4/9 Baltimore, MD
4/11 Norfolk, VA
4/12 Raleigh, NC
4/14 Columbus, OH
4/15 Detroit, MI

CHRIS STANDRING, UB40, DEODATO, SLY STONE, GROOVE BOUTIQUE & CHILL WITH CHRIS BOTTI PLAYLISTS & MORE!

CHRIS STANDRING TO RELEASE SOUL EXPRESS ALBUM
Trippin ‘n’ Rhythm Records has signed the English guitarist, Chris Standring. The label’s President/CEO Les Cutmore comments, ‘Chris has always been about introducing hip, new and fresh ideas to the format, a philosophy which we share as a label, which makes him a perfect fit at the company. With his proven success at radio, his work ethic, his popularity at retail and his dynamic live performances, we feel that Chris is ready to take the next step to his rightful place as one of the ‘new guard’ of smooth jazz guitarists." The first single, I Can’t Help Myself, from Standring’s label debut, Soul Express, will be going to radio on Feb. 20. Release date for the album is May 9, 2006.

TINA DICO – IN THE RED
Tina Dico, known as the voice of Zero 7, delivers In The Red, an emotionally honest record, full of finely wrought tunes an d riverting, bold choruses. Inspired by artists such as Tracy Chapman, Leonard Cohen, Radiohead, The Verve and Joni Mitchell, for Tina Dico, music is her way of trying to connect to people. It is this desire to connect that sets Tina at a level above the rest, where with each listen, you find yourself hearing more than just music, but something deeper.

UB40 CELEBRATES 25 YEARS AS A BAND
UB40’s newest release – Who You Fighting For?, celebrates the 25th anniversary of the band’s recording debut but is just its second disc since 1998’s Labour Of Love. This is a choice slice of reggae and soul in the dancehall mode that has already generated a pair of top 40 hits back home. There is a nice range of material here, including some timely messages (the title track, Sins Of The Father). There are also some tender love ballads such as Kiss And Say Goodbye and Gotta Tell Someone.

2006 JVC JAZZ FESTIVAL MIAMI BEACH
The city of Miami is set to host the annual JVC Jazz Festival Miami Beach, a five-day event, slated for May 17-21. The JVC Jazz Festival is a music festival that celebrates the various musical styles and tastes of Miami Beach. A minimum of 10 events involving both new talent and established artists are to include free concerts at the Euclid Oval on Lincoln Road, three showcase concerts, club concerts and an opening night event.

DEODATO AND KEVYN LETTAU HEADLINE THE 1ST PHILLIPINE INTERNATIONAL JAZZ AND ARTS FESTIVAL
The 1st Phillipine Internationl Jazz and Arts Festival was held on the weekend of January 21 and 22. Deodato and Kevyn Lettau (with her quartet), performed together for the first time at the Airport Casino Filipino Amphitheater. Kevyn Lettau, who has toured the world many times with her distinct contemporary jazz and Brazilian vocal style was paired with Brazilian-born musical prodigy Eumir Deodato, who has 16 platinum records to his name. The multi-talented composer is best remembered for his rendition of Richard Stauss’ classical opus Also Sprach Zarathustra, commonly known as the theme to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Oyssey. He has done studio work for Astrud Gilberto and wrote the arrangements for Beach Samba. He has also arranged music for Frank Sinatra, Roberta Flack and Aretha Franklin. Venturing into producing albums in the 1970’s, he has worked with Kool and The Gang, Bjork, among others. In all, he has produced 500 albums.

EMUSIC.COM TO CARRY MUSIC FROM RENDEZVOUS ENTERTAINMENT
Rendezvous Entertainment now has its entire catalog carried by eMusic.com, one of the web's premiere digital music services! eMusic.com will carry all of Rendezvous' albums and provide them as mp3 downloads that will work on any music player including the iPod! The best part is that you get to keep the downloaded music even if you cancel your subcription.Rendezvous is extremely excited about this new venture and encourages everyone to try the service.

SLY STONE HONORED AT 48th GRAMMY AWARDS
Sly Stone will resurface again this year as this year’s 48th Grammy Awards will pay tribute to one of the century’s true musical innovators and icons: Sly And The Family Stone. This Grammy salute come on the heels of the announcement of the release of Different Strokes By Different Folks, an album of timeless hits of Sly And The Family Stone covered and remixed by the artists performing the Grammy tribute. Different Strokes By Different Folks is due in stores February 7th on Epic/Legacy Recordings, one day before the 48th Grammy Awards on Wednesday, February 8th at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, airing on CBS Television Network. In what is a true sign of Sly's personal belief in this project, he gave his full approval to the artists and producers on Different Strokes by Different Folks to use the original Sly And The Family Stone master tapes for their new recordings, augmenting and altering them in a kind of reverse sampling. Though the last time the world saw Sly Stone was when he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1993. Artists and producers involved in the project include Isaac Hayes, Joss Stone, Janet Jackson, D’Angelo, Randy Jackson, Nile Rodgers, Steve Jordan, John Legend, Van Hunt, Buddy Guy, John Mayer, and Steve Tyler.


THIEVERY CORPORATION - SOUNDS FROM THE THIEVERY HI-FI
The classic debut album from electronic music pioneers Thievery Corporation.This special edition has been re-packaged as a digipak and now features two exclusive bonus tracks: Sun, Moon, and Stars and Sleeper Car.

TWO NEW CHRIS JOSS 12" RELEASES
DISCOTHEQUE DANCING 12"
It’s the first single from Chris Joss’s full length album You’ve Been Spiked. Discotheque Dancing is a Hammond infected, breakbeat swinger and gets the remix treatment from Ursula 1000 on the A side while Wrong Alley Street (part 1)s blaxploitation funk get redone by the Fort Knox Five on the B side.

A PART IN THE SHOW 12"
Following up Chris Joss' smashing first vinyl single, taken from his album You've Been Spiked, is A Part in That Show showcasing a stunning new remix by Kraak & Smaak and the rare classic Bombay by Bus. The A side sees Dutch breakbeat hooligans Kraak & Smaak transforming the slinky funk of the original A Part in That Show into a raucous afro-beat floor filler. On the flipside is the eastern flavored acid breakbeat roller Bombay by Bus, not available on LP, followed up by the blissful sonic vertigo of title track You've Been Spiked.

THE GROOVE BOUTIQUE PLAYLIST FOR JANUARY 29, 2006
00 Soul – Suena De Novia
Sade – Kiss Of Life
Jason Miles & James Williams – Heavy Love Affair
Rayford Griffin – Lids And Squares
Urb – Changes
Simply Red – Sunrise
Ronny Jordan – Summer Smile
Ronnie Laws – Solid Ground
Jerry Van Rooven – The Great Train Robbery
Down To The Bone – Downtown Shuffle
Steely Dan- FM
Ed Jones Quartet – Homegrown
Bob James – Take Me To The Mardi Gras
Ron Levy – Zim Zam Zoom
Corduroy – Ponytail
Boney James & Rick Braun – Grazin’ In The Grass
Gerald Veasley – On The Fast Track
Swing Out Sister – Twilight World
Stanton Moore – Boogaloo Boogie
David Sanborn – Big Foot
Anderson Soares – A Temp Dira
Joe Sample – Mystery Child
Camiel – Sigueme
Marvin Gaye – I Wanna Be Where You Are

CHILL WITH CHRIS BOTTI PLAYLIST FOR THE WEEK OF JANUARY 28, 2006
Check your local smooth jazz stations for actual date and time of when the Chill With Chris Botti
show is scheduled. Here is the playlist for the week of January 28, 2006.

David Stellmach – Spring Break (Rendezvous Lounge II)
Chris Botti & Sting –What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life (Rendezvous Lounge II)
Montefiori Cocktail – Gipsy Woman (Rendezvous Lounge II)
Burt Bacharach & Chris Botti – In Our Time (At This Time)
Moby – Dream About Me (iTunes Original)
Butti 49 – Kalas (Elemental Chill 1: Fire)
Adani & Wolf – Where Would I Be (Rendezvous Lounge II)
Mark Gorbulew – Dreamville (Rendezvous Lounge 1)
John Hopkins – Private Universe (Chilled Ibiza II)
Collective Soul Members – Mystique (Da-Nang Surplus Compilation)
Bent – I Can’t Believe It’s Over (Ariel)
Brother Lode – Nightlight (Cabana Beach Club 1)
Plastyc Budda – Voyer De Luxe (Café Del Mar – Dreams)
Stereo Action Unlimited – Trumpet Deluxe (Hotel Costes)
Tosca – Boss On The Boat (Chillin’ At The Playboy Mansion)
Camiel – El Alba (Sunset & Rendezvous Lounge II)
Steen Thottrup – Save A Little Prayer (Café Del mar 12)
Chris Coco – Yachts (A Man Called Adam Remix – Chillin’ At The Playboy Mansion)

THE BEST IN CHILL MUSIC 2005

If you are looking for the best in chill, ambient, house, dance, groove and bossa to compliment your collection, but don’t know which CDs to go out and purchase – well here is the best of what was released in 2005 and what we recommend you go out and buy.

Alice Russell – My Favorite Letters
American Rag Cie (Various Artists)
Anoushka Shankar - Rise
Aqualung – Strange And Beautiful
Beat Phanatic – The Gospel According To Beat Fanatic
Beat Pharmacy – Earthly Delights
Bebel Gilberto – Remixed
Bliss – Quiet Letters
Bloc Party – Silent Alarm Remixed
Boards Of Canada – The Campfire Headphase
Boom Bip – Blue Eyes In The Red Room
Boozoo Bajou – Dust My Broom
Brazilian Girls – Brazilian Girls
Brian Eno – Another Day On Earth
Cantoma - Cantoma
Carmen Rizzo – The Lost Art Of The Idle Moment
Chemical Brothers –Push The Button/Boxer Remix EP
Conjure One – Extraordinary Ways
Da Nang Surplus (Various Artists)
Deep Dish – George Is On
Departure Lounge– World Grooves (Various Artists)
Dining Rooms – Experiments In Ambient Soul
Doves – Some Cities
DubTribe Sound System - Baggage
Engineers - Engineers
Everything But The Girl – Adapt Or Die 10 Years Of Remixes
Fantastic Sounds Of St. Tropez (Various Artists)
Gabin – Mr. Freedom
Gorillaz – Demon Days
Greenskeepers - Pleetch
Grey Area – And Then The Clouds
Hawke – Love One Another
Helicopter Girl – Voodoo Chic
Highend Sound – Urban Lounge Supreme
HVW8 Presents Music Is My Art (Various Artists)
Impulsive- Revolutionary Jazz (Various Artists)
Ivy – In The Clear
Jazzanova – The Remixes 2002-2005
John Arnold – Style And Pattern
Kaos – Hello Stranger
Kaskade – House Of Om
Kholba – Nice Traps
Lisa Shaw – Cherry
LTJ Bukem – Earth Volume 7
Midival Pundtz – Midivil Times
Minotaur Shock – Maritime
Mizell Brothers Of Blue Note (Various Artists)
Moodfood – Ice
Morten Varano – Step Up
Mushroom Jazz 5 (Various Artists)
Mylo – Destroy Rock And Roll
Nickodemus – Endangered Species
Nicola Conte – Other Directions
Nouvelle Vague – Nouvelle Vague
Oliver Peoples 4 (Various Artists)
Om reboot (Various Artists)
Paul Van Dyk – Politics Of Dancing 2
Pitch Black – Ape To Angel
Prefuse 73 – Surrounded By Silence
Putamayo: Latin Lounge (Various Artists)
Quantic Soul Orchestra – Pushin’ On
Ray Charles Ives – Clandestine Pedestrian
Reworked (Various Artists)
Robert Strauss – Quasars And Phasars
Royksopp – The Understanding
San Francisco Under A Groove (Various Artists)
Si Se – More Shine
Square One – Field Gentian
Soul G & Tony Match – Round Trip 2 Tokyo
Suphala – The Now
Telepopmusik – Angel Milk
Thievery Corporation – The Cosmic Game
Tosca – J.A.C.
Trans Global Underground – Impossible Broadcasting
Ulrich Schnauss – Far Away Trains Passing By
Verve Remixed 3 (Various Artists)

MARK FARINA, JAZZMASTERS, INCOGNITO, LEWIS TAYLOR, ISAAC HAYES, HERBIE HANCOCK, FRANKIE BEVERLY & KEM

MARK FARINA - MUSHROOOM JAZZ 5
In this fifth installment of the Mushroom Jazz series, Mark Farina once again manages to blend funk, soul , and hip-hop so effortlessly that sometimes it's hard to tell where one track leaves off and another begins. 21 tracks in all are included from artists such as J. Boogie, Colossus, DJ Spinna and Pete Rock, and tracks like Sound Provider's Autumn Evening Breeze and DJ Numark's Charlie 2na Comin' Thru.

NEW JAZZMASTERS ALBUM DUE
The new Jazzmasters album !! Following on from the highly successful Jazzmasters 4 album which saw the track ( Puerto Banus ) go to #1 on the industry's leading Chart , Radio and records . This new album has all the ingredients to become even more successful and when you hear the amazing smooth and silky vocals of Helen Rogers you are hooked in !! And yes, You have the smooth groove's with the amazing sax playing of Snake Davis.... Check out and listen to the first single exclusively on www.trippinrecords.com before it’s officially released. We can expect this album at the end of June / July 2006.

INCOGNITO - ELEVEN
Incognito’s new release Eleven is out now and for over 25 years, Bluey and company have rocked the U.K.'s club scene and U.S. contemporary jazz audiences with their sophisticated take on acid jazz. Debuting with the club smash single, Parisienne Girl, Incognito took the U.S. by storm with Tribes, Vibes and Scribes a few years later. Since then, Incognito have become one of contemporary jazz's most dynamic bands, wowing fans on both sides of the Atlantic with tight funk-inspired grooves. Continuing on with this landmark career, Incognito brings us their appropriately titled eleventh studio album, Eleven. The album, which features eleven sleek and '70s-inspired tracks, is a nod to their deep soul fusion roots. Swaying and swinging with big horns and groovy guitars, Incognito makes Eleven even more soulful with vocal tracks by Maysa (Leak) and Imaani. Inspired by their live shows in 2005, founder/mastermind/guitarist Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick recorded the album for the first time with his touring band. The result is a record that is distinctively Incognito and as fresh as ever. Incognito is in the midst of launching their U.S. tour and is scheduled to appear at Irving Plaza in New York City on Friday, February 17.

UPCOMING CONCERT APPEARANCES…Anthony Hamilton at The Canal Room in New York City on Wednesday, January 25, Lewis Taylor at The Bowery Ballroom in New York City on Thursday, January 26; DJ Cam at the Grand National @ Hiro Ballroom in New York City on Friday, February 15; Incognito with Maysa at Irving Plaza in New York City on Friday, February 17; Isaac Hayes at Irving Plaza in New York City on Thursday, February 20; Christina Aguilera joins Herbie Hancock onstage at the upcoming Grammy Awards to perform their duet from Hancock’s Possibilities album; and Frankie Beverly has been added to the lineup of the annual Essence Music Festival scheduled for July 1,2, and 3 in Houston, Texas.

KEM -ALBUM II
Motown Records' recording artist KEM is kicking off the new year with a bang - garnering accolades and two prestigious 2006 NAACP Image Award nominations for Outstanding Male Artist and Outstanding Song for his record breaking hit I Can't Stop Loving You. He has also been chosen as a featured performer for a series of live performances surrounding festivities for Super Bowl XL, which is to be held in his hometown of Detroit.The charismatic singer/songwriter virtually owned the #1 spot on the Urban AC and R&B Adult Monitor charts this past year with the sizzling first single from his gold-plus, Top 5 debuting CD KEM Album II.

The talented musician topped both charts for 7 consecutive weeks, the longest streak in both formats for any artist in 2005. The phenomenal run snared KEM an Adult R&B Artist Of The Year nod from radio trade tome R&R magazine, as well as a Song Of The Year nomination for I Can't Stop Loving You, from Billboard Magazine. The multi-talented performer will also be hitting the road on a seven week 'Find Your Way' Tour, named after his current hit single. The tour kicks off on February 9th in Richmond Va. KEM completed a highly successful tour this past summer in support of his hit album, and most recently released a special repackaged, dual CD/DVD offering which includes the album KEM Album II and a rare DVD featuring, among other highlights, live concert footage from KEM's acclaimed homecoming concert in Detroit, as well as rare behind the scenes footage, bonus interviews, and an international remix of KEM's worldwide,chart topping single.

JAZZ KEYBOARDIST BOB JAMES' NEW CD "URBAN FLAMINGO" SET FOR RELEASE FEB 21

Marks Grammy Award Winning Musician/Composer/Arranger's 2nd Solo Recording for KOCH Records

Bob James, Grammy Award winning musician/composer/arranger, is set to release his highly anticipated new album Urban Flamingo on KOCH Records on February 21st, 2006. Urban Flamingo is James' follow-up to his critically acclaimed 2004 solo label debut Take It From The Top. Continuing seamlessly with his fine art of collaboration, which has produced legendary recordings with such artists as Earl Klugh, David Sanborn and the mega popular supergroup Fourplay, Urban Flamingo features Bob with his Michigan-based quintet of bassist Al Turner, drummer Ron Otis, guitarist Perry Hughes and saxophonist David McMurray.

With Take It From The Top, James, who relocated to Michigan after years in Westchester County, New York - returned to the vibe of his early '60s recordings with a trio date featuring bassist James Genus and drummer Billy Kilson. That trio performs Urban Flamingo's traditional jazz minded Niles Ahead, but the core of the new ten-song collection features more funk, jazz and pop spirited grooves. Key tracks featuring this latest James Gang are the lively and percussive Choose Me, the mystical, slightly off meter Skidaway, a sensuous and smooth request to Make It More Blue and Bobary Coast, which crisply blends James' R&B and swing jazz sensibilities. The bluesy, fusion-tinged (with a touch of classical piano) title track and bright, vibrant Wingapo feature Turner and Otis keeping rhythm and edgy electric guitar solos by Wayne Gerard. Longtime James fans will also be delighted by two very familiar faces - his daughter, singer Hilary James, and bassist Nathan East, James' cohort in Fourplay. The soulful Phil Ramone-Michael Colina produced vocal ballad Lay Down With You beautifully recaptures the joyful spirit of father and daughter's 1995 classic duet album Flesh and Blood. On the elegant, Eastern flavored Endless Time, East's famous basslines and wordless vocals are caressed by a mystical harmony created by the Chinese er-hu.

Like his contemporaries Earl Klugh and David Sanborn, Bob James - who will be honored with the "George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award" by the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards in April, 2006 -- was putting the "smooth" into jazz over a decade before there was an official radio format for it. Along the way, he inspired several future generations of musicians who realized they didn't have to decide between jazz and R&B -- they could do both. The Marshall, Missouri native chose jazz first, bopping with his own trio at the University of Michigan and later New York City before being discovered by Quincy Jones at the Notre Dame Jazz Festival in 1963. He launched his recording career that year with Bold Conceptions, but didn't really take off till he started collaborating in New York with artists in Creed Taylor's CTI stable, including Hank Crawford and Grover Washington, Jr. James recorded four albums for the label before moving to CBS and forming his own imprint, Tappan Zee Records -- which he kept even after signing with Warner Bros. in the mid-'80s.

While establishing himself as a contemporary jazz giant via his solo albums and One On One, his first of three dual albums with Klugh, James achieved pop culture icon status via his memorable Theme From Taxi, which was originally Angela, a cut on his album Touchdown; James later wrote all the music for the famed TV series. Although tracks like Maputo from Double Vision, his Tommy LiPuma produced, Grammy winning dual album with David Sanborn, established James as a presence in the emerging smooth jazz format, he also expanded his artistic reach in the '80s with three classical albums for CBS Masterworks.

Sessions for the 1990 album Grand Piano Canyon evolved into Fourplay, the band featuring James, East, drummer Harvey Mason and guitarist Lee Ritenour (who left the band in 1998 and was replaced by Larry Carlton), which has been a major force in contemporary jazz for over 15 years. In the odd numbered years when James isn't recording and touring with Fourplay, he's constantly seeking fresh new collaborators. Before hooking up for the trio project Take It From The Top, he released Dancing On The Water (2001), which featured Keiko Matsui, Joe Sample, Dave Holland and Chuck Loeb; and Morning, Noon & Night (2002), which paired him with Loeb and hit smooth jazz producer (and fellow wine connoisseur) Paul Brown.

WORLD MUSIC DIVA COCO MBASSI RELEASES HER FIRST LIVE CONCERT DVD

Live 8 Africa Calling performer Coco Mbassi releases her first live DVD which includes performances in Freiburg, Germany and Douala, Cameroon. Dazzling, soulful and refined are some of the words that have been used to describe her voice.

The multiple award nominee and winner (RFI, BBC Radio 3, German CD Critics’ Award), known for her mellow and intricate music and her sultry and delicate vocals, symbolizes our global world as she elegantly blends African roots with Gospel, Soul, Classical and Jazz influences she acquired over the years.

From a young age, Coco was exposed to African modern and traditional music, Haendel, James Brown, the Jackson Five, as well as Mahalia Jackson and others. Years later, when she moved to Paris, she started singing backing vocals in Paris with most major World Music acts. She started touring worldwide in 1997 and has never stopped presenting her two albums Sepia and Sisea as she performs; Reading, Lafayette, Douala, Berlin, Singapore and even Adelaide will benefit from Coco’s enchanting music and voice.

Produced by Conserprod Ltd, Coco Mbassi Tour features the artist’s full band in concert, as well as acoustic performances of some songs. It also includes interviews and ‘behind the scenes’ and previously unseen footage of fun moments, rehearsals and even a trip to Cameroon, her homeland.

CHILL MUSIC WILL BE BACK ON THE AIR AT WQCD (CD101.9)

The next generation of audio was unveiled as Emmis Communications yesterday announced it’s first wave of High Definition (HD) second channels in several markets, including New York. In New York, WQCD-FM (CD101.9) will be airing "Chill" (also known as ambient or lounge music, Chill has roots in pop, world music, smooth jazz, and electronica; artists include Zero 7, Moby, Thievery Corporation, Bebel Gilberto, Jazzanova, and Groove Armada.

The HD Digital Radio Alliance, of which Emmis is a member, is a strategic alliance designed to accelerate the rollout of HD Digital Radio. HD Digital Radio eliminates the static, hiss and fades associated with analog radio signals. The wireless data feature enables text information on songs to be broadcast directly to receiver display screens. HD Digital Radio will initially be commercial-free, and no subscription is required. HD Digital Radio receivers are now available at various in-store and on-line retailers.

This second WQCD (CD101.9) Chill channel will be rolled out sometime soon in the coming months.