DRG RECORDS TO RELEASE JUDY GARLAND'S 1959 ALBUM 'THE LETTER' ON CD FOR THE FIRST TIME

DRG Records proudly announces the CD debut of Judy Garland's legendary 1959 album, The Letter, in its entire stereo splendor. Judy Garland made the finest recordings of her career for Capitol Records, but one of her most unique albums, The Letter, has remained inside their vaults for almost 50 years. Now this album is finally making its digital debut in its entirety on this eagerly anticipated CD which will be released by DRG Records on March 13th, 2007.

Telling the story of a relationship throughout its first meeting, a breakup, then reconciliation, The Letter contains narration of a letter written to Garland by her beau, played by acclaimed Academy Award nominee John Ireland. As Judy reads his letter, her thoughts mend with his, and she answers him musically, through ten songs, crafted by Capitol's main musical master, Gordon Jenkins, a beloved musical arranger & conductor, who also worked with Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.

This new CD was digitally remixed and remastered in 24-bit, directly from the original multi-track stereo session tapes, by David McEowen at Capitol Mastering in Hollywood. The CD's producer Scott Schechter says this digital debut reveals "a warmer, cleaner, brighter sound with much more presence to Garland's great vocals. Wait until you hear her almost operatic sound on some lines, such as And You Were Mine. Your heart will break, with her sounding like she's right in the room with you. The Letter becomes a whole new listening experience." Along with the sparkling sound, The Letter features four BONUS tracks, rare single versions of songs meant for radio play in 1959, and a lavish booklet that includes rare artwork and detailed liner notes by Schechter, preeminent Garland-Minnelli authority and author of the book "Judy Garland: The Day-by-Day Chronicle of a Legend." T

Tracklisting:
1) Beautiful Trouble
2) Love In The Village
3) Charley's Blues
4) The Worst Kind of Man
5) That's All There Is, There Isn't Any More
6) Love In Central Park
7) The Red Balloon
8) The Fight
9) At The Stroke of Midnight
10) Come Back

BONUS TRACKS (Single Versions):
11) Beautiful Trouble (alternate vocal take and musical ending)
12) That's All There Is, There Isn't Any More
13) The Worst Kind of Man (alternate musical ending)
14) The Red Balloon (alternate vocal take and musical ending)
Total Playing Time: 47:25

For over 25 years, DRG Records has been a leader in Broadway cast recordings, film soundtracks, jazz and legendary cabaret performers. Recently, DRG has taken on a large scale venture in releasing long-out-of-print & first-time-on-CD releases. The label has received numerous Grammy Awards and nominations for its cast recordings and vocalists. DRG is a division of KOCH Records and KOCH Entertainment, the fastest-growing music company and the market leader among independents in North America. For more information on the labels and roster of artists, please visit www.drgrecords.com and www.kochrecords.com

LORENNA McKENNITT LAUNCHES NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Lorenna McKennitt is planning a North American tour with a series of 26 concert dates in April and May. Hard on the heels of 21 European dates, the North American leg of the tour begins with two nights at Toronto’s Massey Hall (April 15 and 16) and ends with two consecutive dates at Victoria’s Royal Theatre (May 18 and 19). Along the way, McKennitt and her nine-piece band will visit three provinces, 12 states and the District of Columbia, bringing both selections from her latest release and favorites from past albums.

April 15 – Toronto, Canada @ Massey Hall
April 16 – Toronto, Canada @ Massey Hall
April 17 – Montreal, Canada @ Place des Arts
April 19 – Philadelphia, PA @ Academy of Music
April 20 – New York, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
April 21 – Boston, MA @ Wang Centre
April 23 – Reading, PA @ Sovereign Performing Arts Center
April 24 – Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
April 26 – Asheville, NC @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium
April 27 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
April 29 – Ann Arbor, MI @ Michigan Theater
April 30 – Kalamazoo, MI @ State Theatre
May 1 – Chicago, IL @ Civic Opera House
May 2 – Madison, WI @ Overture Hall
May 3 – Minneapolis, MN @ State Theatre
May 5 – Boulder, CO @ Macky Auditorium & Concert Hall
May 7 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
May 9 – Scottsdale, AZ @ Symphony Hall
May 10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Greek Theatre
May 11 – San Diego, CA @ Humphrey’s
May 12 – Oakland, CA @ Paramount
May 13 – San Rafael, CA @ Marin Civic
May 15 – Seattle, WA @ Paramount
May 16 – Bellington, WA @ Mt. Baker Theater
May 18 – Victoria, BC @ Royal Theatre
May 19 – Victoria, BC @ Royal Theatre

MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD TOUR DATES

Febuary 22 – Guadalahara, Mexico @ Teatro Diana
February 23 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Teatro de la Cuidad
February 24 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Teatro de la Cuidad
March 3 – Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
March 4 – Nashvlle, TN @ City Hall
March 6 – Raleigh, NC @ Lincoln Theatre
March 7 – Asheville, NC @ The Orange Peel
March 8 – Atlanta, GA @ Variety Playouse
March 9 – Jacksonville, FL @ Freebird Live
March 10 – Sunrise, FL @ Langerado Music Festival
April 13 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
April 14 – Denver, CO @ The Fillmore
April 25 – Albany, NY @ The Egg
April 26 – Tarrytown, NY @ The Music Hall
April 27 – Princeton, NJ @ McCarter Theatre
April 28 – Willmington, DE @ The Grand Opera House
April 29 – Alexandra, VA @ Birchmere

GEORGE BENSON & AL JARREAU SCORE BIG WITH ‘GIVIN IT UP’ AT THE GRAMMY AWARDS

Two songs from the Monster Music(R) SuperDisc(TM), High Definition Surround (HDS) release of George Benson and Al Jarreau's Givin' It Up were winners during the 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards, held on February 11, 2007, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles. The songs and categories for which Givin' It Up won 2007 Grammy Awards are:

* Mornin' for Best Pop Instrumental Performance
* God Bless the Child (featuring Jill Scott) for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

Benson and Jarreau were also nominated for Breezin’ in the Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals category. "What an incredible night!" said Noel Lee, The Head Monster, who served as executive producer on Givin' It Up and has been a friend of Benson's for more than 20 years. "George [Benson] and Al [Jarreau] worked so incredibly hard on Givin' It Up and I could not think of anyone else more deserving of taking home Grammy awards. We wholeheartedly congratulate both of these R&B legends on these tremendous industry recognitions."

Lee added that he believes, sonically, that Givin' It Up is the best sounding album from either of these artists. Givin' It Up is Monster Music's first newly recorded studio project and extreme care was taken to preserve the impact and naturalness of the moment. Givin' It Up sets a benchmark in audio quality, delivering the highest fidelity stereo and surround experiences in Dolby Digital and DTS for both home theater systems and iPod/MP3 players. Givin' It Up is now available at most consumer electronics stores and at MonsterMusic.com

In exclusive Monster High Definition Surround, the genius and artistry of George Benson and Al Jarreau -- and an incomparable group of special guests, including Herbie Hancock and Paul McCartney -- is more captivating than ever, providing an inner detail and nuance in their music like never before, as if the listener was there live in the studio. Whether it's Benson's unmistakable tasty guitar licks, or Jarreau's patented mouth percussion, the listener is virtually sitting in the all-star band's crossfire thanks to Monster's High Definition Surround technology. Other guest musicians include Jill Scott, Marcus Miller, Chris Botti, Patrice Rushen, and Stanley Clarke.

Monster Music SuperDiscs are the first music audio releases to be certified by THX for high quality sound, multiple surround experiences, and digital music files. Givin' It Up is the result of a joint venture between Monster Music, the newly created record division of high-end audio equipment supplier Monster Cable, and the Concord Music Group, which simultaneously released in the same day, a stereo CD version of the Benson/Jarreau collaboration. Givin' It Up was conceived as a state-of-the-art recording by John Burk, Concord Music Group Executive Vice President and Head of A&R. Burk, the album's producer, approached Monster Cable about partnering on the project to put its High Definition Surround SuperDisc touch on the proceedings.

Although they have occasionally cross paths at live gigs, Givin' It Up marks the first time Benson and Jarreau have worked in a recording studio together. In fact, Givin' It Up was borne out of a 2006 early summer, double- bill tour in which Benson and Jarreau took turns headlining.

Givin' It Up marks Monster Music's first release of newly recorded material, following several remixed and remastered reissues in High Definition Surround of albums, such as Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company, the classic Charlie Brown Christmas soundtrack by Vince Guaraldi, and an updated version of the same songs by contemporary jazz artists, and the 20-something, pop singer/songwriter/pianist phenomenon Peter Cincotti.

Benson, Jarreau and Burk shared ideas of what should go on Givin' It Up, whose 13 songs include well chosen covers representing recent decades of popular music ranging from Billie Holiday's God Bless the Child (1940s), Sam Cooke's Bring It on Home (1960s), Seals & Croft's Summer Breeze (1970s), Daryl Hall's Everytime You Go Away (1980s). It was purely studio serendipity that landed McCartney, who was working in the studio next door, for Bring It On Home. Givin' It Up also features sizzlin' jazz jams courtesy of Benson, Jarreau & company on two Miles Davis staples (Tutu and Four).

CHILL GROOVES & SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS: GERALD LEVERT, CD101.9 GUITAR & SAXES, MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD & MORE….

Gerald Levert’s last album recorded just before his death back in November 2006 has been released. It’s entitled, In My Songs, and it’s on the Atlantic label.

Other releases out this week include: Thomas Quasthoff – HappeThe Jazz Album: Watch What Happens; Ella Fitzgerald – The Very Best Of The Cole Porter Songbook & The Very Best Of The Rodgers & Hart Songbook; Van Morrison – Van Morrison At The Movies: Soundtrack Hits; Robin Thicke – The Evolution Of Robin Thicke; and Jaco Pastorius – Live And Outrageous (DVD).

New York’s CD101.9 Smooth Jazz is presenting Guitars and Saxes with Kirk Whalum, Jeff Golub, Gerald Albright, and Tim Bowman. The concert is set for March 24 at the Nokia Theatre in New York City.

Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood’s Out Louder will be released by Universal Music Group in Europe on April 16. A bonus disc will accompany the album, featuring live MSMW recording from their November 2006 performance at The Bowery Ballrooom in New York City. MSMW will tour Europe this summer. Tour dates will be announced shortly.

Michael Dorf, founder of the original Knitting Factory on East Houston St. in New York City, is producing a benefit concert concert to celebrate the 20th anniversary of "The Old Knit" at New York’s Town Hall on March 1. Featured artists will include John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, Medeski Martin & Wood, Mike Doughty, Joe Lovano, Marc Ribot, Lee Ranaldo, Don Byron, Lou Reed and others. The concert will benefit "The Stone," a non-profit performance space in The Lower East Side founded by John Zorn to support the avant-garde musical community. 100% of the box office receipts collected at The Stone go to the performing musicians, and each month the venue is curated by a different artist.

Diana Ross and Michael Buble will perform for Muhammad Ali at Celebrity Fight Night XIII in Las Vegas on March 24. Diana Ross will lead the magical evening's entertainment. Ross, a Grammy-nominated, Golden Globe-winning and Oscar-nominated R&B performer and actress, first gained fame from her prominence in the 1960's girl group, The Supremes. Along with Ross, the 2007 Grammy-nominated, Jazz singing sensation who has had the No. 1 Jazz album on the Billboard charts for a record-smashing 78 weeks, Michael Buble, will perform under the direction of 14-time Grammy Award-winning producer David Foster as the Musical Director. Celebrity Fight Night is one of the nation’s elite charity events. The Celebrity Fight Night Foundation established The Muhammad Ali Awards as a way to acknowledge leaders in the sports, entertainment and business communities who best represent the qualities associated with the Champ and his fight to find a cure for Parkinson's disease.

SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO & FRANK SINATRA ENTERPRISES TO CREATE EXCLUSIVE NEW RADIO CHANNEL

SIRIUS Satellite Radio has announced a partnership with Frank Sinatra Enterprises to create a new, exclusive radio channel dedicated to the music, time and spirit of Frank Sinatra. Siriusly Sinatra, the 24-hour, seven-day-a-week, commercial-free channel, will air recordings spanning the entire spectrum of Sinatra's career, as well as other artists from the big band, swing and traditional pop genres. In addition to featuring regular blocks of Sinatra's music, Siriusly Sinatra will also feature a weekly show hosted by Nancy Sinatra, rare live concert performances, and special programs of archived material. SIRIUS and the Sinatra family will create The Chairman's Hour, hosted by Frank himself, based on archival material both spoken word and music.

Siriusly Sinatra, scheduled to launch soon on SIRIUS, will be the only channel available on radio that is produced by the Sinatra family. The channel will be unveiled officially at SIRIUS' studios in Rockefeller Center more than twenty years to the date after Sinatra gave New York its signature song (Feb. 7, 1985 New York, New York became the official anthem of New York City). Nancy Sinatra said, "America discovered my father on the radio. Now his earliest audience and his newest audience can hear his music, live performances, and exclusive interviews everywhere in North America. My family's arrangement with SIRIUS gives us the opportunity to create unique and broad programming never heard before on radio. Siriusly Sinatra brings my dad's voice into the future of audio entertainment."

"We've seen SIRIUS become the programming leader in satellite radio with a name and reputation that represents the best there is in radio content. We want to take advantage of the promise of satellite radio that allows you to create in-depth, focused and exclusive programming, and so we've made a SIRIUS choice," said Ms. Sinatra. "We look forward to Siriusly Sinatra on SIRIUS. It's a wonderful outlet for people to hear my father's musical legacy and other Sinatra surprises, many of which you have never heard," said Frank Sinatra Jr. "As a young child I remember the first time I heard my father's voice on the radio; Dad was driving and said, "That's what I do for a living." How thrilling to now launch Siriusly Sinatra where I can hear his voice anytime," said Tina Sinatra.

Scott Greenstein, SIRIUS President, Entertainment and Sports, said, "This is a unique and unparalleled musical collaboration with the Sinatra family that makes SIRIUS the radio home of Frank Sinatra. Frank's music is a vibrant and living treasure, and with the help of the Sinatra family, SIRIUS will create programming that millions of SIRIUS subscribers will not want to miss." Greenstein added, "Sinatra was the first to create concept albums and amassed a tremendous body of recorded work that our unique format and partnership with the family allows us to fully explore."

Frank Sinatra's career is unmatched in American popular music. A recipient of 13 GRAMMY® awards, Sinatra holds the distinction of singing on the first Billboard No. 1 single, I'll Never Smile Again (1940), which sold 900,000 copies. From his first released single in 1940, as the singer with Tommy Dorsey's band, to the 1980 release of Theme From New York, New York, Frank Sinatra had more than 200 hits on Billboard's pop singles chart. Reprise, the record company founded by Sinatra, recently released Sinatra: Vegas, the critically-acclaimed and best-selling box set of previously- unreleased, legendary Sinatra Las Vegas performances. Sinatra, a multi-media production, concluded a five-month engagement at the Palladium in London last year, and is scheduled to tour Europe and parts of Asia in the coming year.

CHILL GROOVES & SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS: THEIVERY CORPORATION, CAPETOWN INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL, FRANKIE KNUCKLES, ROBERT GLASPER & MORE…

Thievery Corporation will DJ a benefit for the Callum Robbins Family Fund @ The Black Cat in Washington, DC on Sunday, March 11. Thievery Corporation also guest on Satellite Party, the long-awaited new project from Jane Addictions’ Perry Farrell.

ESL Music has announced the release of Federico Aubele’s follow up to his debut, Gran Hotel Buenos Aires. His 2nd album, Panamericana will be released worldwide on May 8th. This time out, Aubele delves deeper into the rich, Latin sounds of his native Argentina with virtuoso guitar playing, hypnotic rhythms, smoky, dub atmospherics, and the sensual vocals of Amparo Sanchez of Amparanoia, newcomer Natalia Clavier, and a collaboration with Calexico. Look for several singles to precipitate the release and North American and European tour dates throughout the spring and summer.

Randy Crawford, Tortured Soul, Joe Sample, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Jerome Harris, and Danilo Perez have been added to the lineup for the upcoming Capetown International Jazz Festival 2007.

Stuart Wade, producer, writer and mastermind behind UK outfit Down To The Bone are releasing their seventh album, Supercharged, due for release in May 2007.

Kruder & Dorfmeister, Jazzanova, and Gilles Peterson perform at the Winter Music Conference Sunset Soiree’s in Miami Beach on March 22, 23, and 24.

Pianist Robert Glasper has a March 20 release date for In My Element on the Blue Note label. The CD features his trio with bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Damion Reid. In My Element includes seven new Glasper originals, as well as a tribute to the late, great hip-hop producer J Dilla, and a mash-up of Herbie Hancock's Maiden Voyage with Radiohead's Everything In It's Right Place.

Hopes Too High is the debut album from Marcell & The Truth. Their sound is an attractive blend of jazz and bluesy soul that has brought them comparisons to Frankie Beverly and Maze, and has resulted in a string of songs that are being picked up by radio stations around the world. www.soultracks.com is offering a free download of their single Maybe I’m Not The Man for all to enjoy.

Grammy winning mixer/producer/DJ Frankie Knuckles has been on the scene since the ‘70’s and he has been dubbed the "Godfather of House" by his legions of fans. His unique blend of sounds has graced recordings by everyone from Chaka Khan to Diana Ross to Toni Braxton. Along with remixing other artists, Frankie has made a few classic house tracks on his own. One of those is The Whistle Song. First released in 1991, this song was a number one smash in its original incarnation fifteen years ago. It has now been updated by Knuckles himself along with assistance from Eric Kupper.

JOHN LEGEND & CORINNE BAILEY RAE TOUR DATES

John Legend with special guest Corinne Bailey Rae will perform the following concerts: April 3 at Bren Events Center in Irvine CA, April 4 at Bayside Amphitheatre in San Diego CA, April 6 at Gibson Amphitheatre in Universal City CA, April 7 at Greek Theater in Berkeley CA, April 10 at Wells Fargo Theatre in Denver CO, April 12 at Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis MN, April 13 at Chicago Theatre in Chicago IL, April 14 at Fox Theater in Detroit MI, April 16 at Akron Civic Auditorium in Akron OH, April 17 at Hummingbird Center for Performing Arts in Toronto ON, April 19 at Orpheum Theatre in Boston MA, April 20 at Starland Ballroom in Sayreville PA, April 22 at New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark NJ, April 23 at MSG Theater in New York NY, April 25 at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville CT, April 26 at Tower Theatre in Upper Darby PA, April 28 at Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia MD, April 29 at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk VA, May 1 at Hard Rock Live in Orlando FL, May 2 at Seminole Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood CA, May 4 at Chastain Park Amphitheatre in Atlanta GA, and May 5 at New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans LA.

2ND ANNUAL NEFJZ JAZZ FESTIVAL IN PALM COAST, FL.

The North East Florida Jazz Association (NEFJA) and the City of Palm Coast are pleased to announce that the Dave Valentin Quintet will head the lineup for the 2nd Annual NEFJA Jazz Festival, which is set for March 23 - 25 in Palm Coast, Florida. The venue for the multi-stage event will be Matanzas High School. "For two decades, the NEFJA's goal has been to bring first-class, live jazz to northeast Florida," says NEFJA President Muriel McCoy. "There's nothing like listening to live jazz. We bring in good music at a price that is reasonable for the people in this area. Our primary purpose is to ensure the perpetuation of this unique form of American art by giving scholarships to promising young musicians."

NEFJA has been successful in their quest. For years, they have presented a series of well- attended concerts featuring local and world-class performers. Last summer, NEFJA took a huge step forward. They organized and presented their 1st Annual North East Florida Jazz Festival. It was a huge success with more than 800 people attending the event. The proceeds from the Festivals go towards providing scholarships to talented young musicians attending Florida colleges and universities.

The 2nd Annual Festival will open on Friday, March 23rd at 7:00 PM with a "Gala Under the Stars" featuring performances by NEFJA scholarship recipients. On Saturday, March 24, the Matanzas High School Steel Band will join a star-studded lineup of the Vincent Herring Quartet, the "Trombone Summit", Alex Nguyen Quartet, vocalist Queen Aaminah, and the NEFJA All Star Band. Highly acclaimed Latin jazz flutist and recording artist Dave Valentin and his Quintet will wrap up the evening's performances. Concurrently throughout the day, there will be open jam sessions in the courtyard. On Sunday, there will be a Jazz Brunch featuring the Doug Carn Big Band with vocalist Mary Louise. They will provide a variety of standards, blues and original compositions.

Widely recognized Hammond B3 Master, keyboardist, and recording artist Doug Carn also serves as NEFJA's Vice-President. "We are really excited about this year's lineup," he comments. "Years ago, you could only hear live jazz of this caliber at some of the finest venues in the country - and the world. Our goal has been to bring this level of performers home to northeast Florida. It's always been my hope and dream that we could have real good jazz right here without having to go to the big cities of the world."

In addition to performing at the Jazz Festival, Doug and other performers will conduct special workshops for music students attending Matanzas High School in Palm Coast. "As with our scholarship program," Carn continues, "we feel it's important to expose today's music students to jazz and to do everything we can to support them. They are the ones who will be taking jazz into the future".

Festival headliner Dave Valentin started playing Latin percussion at the age of five and performed professionally at the age of eleven. He switched to flute at the age of sixteen and studied under Hubert Laws, one of the best jazz flutists in the world. Since then, Valentin has become known throughout the world for his unique brand of crossover jazz, which combines the influence of pop, R & B, and Brazilian music with Latin jazz. A 1985 Grammy nominee, Valentin was the first artist to sign with the popular GRP label and has subsequently recorded with other well-known jazz labels. Also performing at the Jazz Festival will be such jazz notables as the Vincent Herring Quartet and the Trombone Summit. Alto saxophonist, Herring, is a veteran of the Nat Adderly Quintet and carries on the tradition of Cannonball Adderly. He has released several best-selling recordings in the past decade. The Trombone Summit will feature well-known Teddy Adams, along with Fred Wesley, a veteran of the James Brown Band, and Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra's master trombonist, Stan Wilkerson.

Other outstanding jazz artists being featured at the Jazz Fest will be the Doug Carn Big Band; the University of North Florida's international trumpet competition winner, Alex Nguyen, who will co-lead his exciting group with veteran drummer Von Barlow who has performed and recorded with Roy Ayers, Jack Wilson and Ray Charles; New York vocalist Queen Aaminah; and the NEFJA All Star Band comprised of NEFJA scholarship recipients.

TONI BRAXTON FILES IN NEW YORK STATE COURT AGAINST EX-MANAGER FOR FRAUD

Attorneys for Toni Braxton, the singer and Grammy Award winner, have announced that they are moving Ms. Braxton's lawsuit to New York State Court against Barry Hankerson, her former manager, and Blackground Records, LLC, for fraud and breach of contract. Peter L. Haviland, trial counsel for Ms. Braxton, said he had decided that New York State court was the most appropriate and expeditious venue for the lawsuit, which was originally filed in federal district court on January 12. Mr. Haviland said that today's filing in New York State Court could supercede the federal filing, which would be withdrawn. "We think this is the fastest route to getting Toni Braxton free and clear of Barry Hankerson," said Haviland, "since we avoid wasting time on any possible dispute over federal jurisdiction of her claims." The lawsuit alleges that Mr. Hankerson, her former manager, was guilty of a conflict of interest and fraud when he caused Ms. Braxton to leave Arista Records and join Hankerson's own label, Blackground. The lawsuit seeks $10 million in damages and a voiding of the Recording Agreement between Ms. Braxton and Blackground Records.

JILL SCOTT RELEASES CD OF TOP COLLABORATIONS; EARNS 10th GRAMMY NOD FOR ANOTHER CLASSIC COLLABORATION; THIRD SOLO ALBUM OUT SUMMER ‘07

On the heels of the announcement of celebrated vocalist Jill Scott's 10th GRAMMY nomination for her collaboration with legends George Benson and Al Jarreau, God Bless The Child, Hidden Beach/Universal Records releases an album of all Jill Scott's top collaborations, in stores Tuesday, January 30, 2007. Acclaimed for her ability to smoothly weave pop, R&B, jazz, and even operatic styles, Jill Scott: Collaborations is a tour de force of cool. Included on the album is the GRAMMY-nominated partnership with jazz greats Benson and Jarreau, as well as two other tracks honored this year -- her duet with famed jazz trumpeter Chris Botti, Good Morning Heartache (Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalists) and the sensual Daydreamin’, off of Lupe Fiasco's Food & Liquor (Best Rap Album), which the two recently performed on The Late Show with David Letterman. The album features guest spots from these collaborators and hip-hop heavyweights: Common, Mos Def, will.i.am, and Will Smith, as well as legendary performers such as Kirk Franklin, The Isley Brothers, and Sergio Mendes. The genre-hopping album is Jill Scott and her signature stylings at their best.

Next up Jill Scott heads to the studio for work on her third studio album, due out in Summer 2007. She recently made the scene at Sundance in support of her role in the Dakota Fanning movie "Hounddog," in which she plays Big Momma Thornton, the artist who originally sang the Elvis Presley hit. Acting has become a new joy for Scott, who will begin production on two Tyler Perry movies this year.

In 2005, Jill Scott won her first GRAMMY for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for Cross My Mind, from her sophomore album, Beautifully Human: Words & Sounds Vol. 2, nominated for Best R&B Album that same year. It was the follow-up to 2001's critically acclaimed Who Is Jill Scott?: Words & Sounds Vol. 1, which earned Jill four GRAMMY nominations, including a Best New Artist nomination.

KIRK WHALUM TOUR DATES

February 16 – Dallas, TX @ Concord Baptist Church
March 4 – Honolulu, HI @ Waikiki Shell
March 16 – Memphis, TN @ Buckman Performing Arts Center
March 18 – Reading, PA @ Berks Jazz Festival
March 23 – Atlanta, GA @ Hyatt Regency Atlanta
March 24 – New York, NY @ Nokia Theater
March 25 – Reading, PA @ Berks Jazz Fest
April 6 – Baltimore, MD @ Mount Pleasant Church
April 13 – Jacksonville, FL @ Ritz Theatre
April 14 – Destin, FL @ Seascape Golf and Beach Resort

HARRY CONNICK JR. CAPTURES THE MANY MOODS OF NEW ORLEANS ON TWO NEW ALBUMS, ‘OH MY NOLA’ & ‘CHANSON DU VIEUX CARRE’

Columbia Records has released Oh, My NOLA, the new album of New Orleans-inspired music from Harry Connick, Jr., In addition, Marsalis Music/Rounder Records also released a companion album of instrumentals by Connick's big band, Chanson du Vieux Carre. New Orleans is a city of paradox. sin, salvation, sex, sanctification, so intertwined yet so separate. The blurred lines from the dark blue of Mardi Gras night to the periwinkle of Ash Wednesday morning," is the way Connick summarizes the gritty and grandiose, soulful and magical Crescent City, where the musical culture is second to none. "Jazz, gospel, brass band, rhythm and blues, country, funk aren't all the styles played in New Orleans," he emphasizes. "But they're the ones I wanted to play around with." And "play around with" them he does, to brilliant effect, on Oh, My NOLA.

Oh, My NOLA was recorded in June, days after Connick had completed his historic run in "The Pajama Game," which is documented in the original cast recording comprising half of the two-disc set Connick on Broadway, Volume 1. With the assistance of his great Big Band, plus the added input of a few special guests, Connick has created an unprecedented musical cornucopia of songs inspired by and associated with the Crescent City for his new album.

Several of the songs will bring New Orleans instantly to mind, although Connick and his associates have inevitably found ways to provide a new perspective on these old favorites. "I put a New Orleans groove on Jambalaya, instead of a traditional Cajun or Zydeco feeling," he says of the old Hank Williams hit, "then we move into an entirely new tempo for an entirely new groove -- big-band swing." Careless Love, an even older warhorse, was arranged and performed spontaneously, at the end of the album's final session, with a trio of Connick on vocals and piano, Jonathan Dubose on acoustic guitar and Arthur Latin playing only bass drum and tambourine; while Working in the Coal Mine gained new life through Latin's imaginative overdubbing. "Arthur worked his magic with all of his percussion toys," Connick reports, "and each part he played told a different story of each different worker in that mine." For Something You Got, Connick allowed several of the horn players in his band to take a breather and came up with what he calls "a traditional, old-school arrangement for four horns and rhythm section."

Personal tributes also add to the heartfelt aura of Oh, My NOLA. These include Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey, the favorite song of Connick's Uncle Ray (whose photo graces the cover of Connick's album She), and Lazy Bones, one of the songs that Connick's mother would sing to him when he was a child. Several of Connick's musical idols also receive their props: Let Them Talk is a nod to the great James Booker; Hello Dolly, identified worldwide with Louis Armstrong; and Elijah Rock, one of Connick's favorite recordings by the New Orleans gospel giant, the late Raymond Myles.

Oh, My NOLA also features four new originals reflecting the paradoxical nature of the city Connick celebrates. We Make a Lot of Love is all about romance, and a song that Connick began work on while recording his popular collection of love ballads, Only You. The title track, "a brand new song about a very old city," makes room for one of New Orleans' master musicians, banjo player Bill Huntington, as well as three of its young lions -- trumpeter Leon "Kid Chocolate" Brown, trombonist Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and pianist Jonathan Batiste. Connick's other two original compositions are among the most moving of his career. Do Dat Thing is both a celebration of New Orleans culture ("The title means whatever you want it to mean," Connick insists; "You've just got to know how to do it") and a tribute to the city's late musical greats, many of whom are mentioned specifically by name. More powerful still is All These People, inspired by the suffering Connick witnessed when he visited New Orleans in the days immediately following Hurricane Katrina. "The song is all about the people who were left stranded at the Convention Center, with the verses describing what I saw as I was taken through by a kind fellow I had met on the street earlier that day named Darryl." The track features Connick in duet with the great Sony Urban Music/Epic Records gospel singer Kim Burrell.

The companion album, Chanson du Vieux Carre, was recorded for Marsalis Music/Rounder Records in 2003. The disc features Connick's longstanding big band in a similar mix of New Orleans classics, including compositions by New Orleans legends Armstrong (Someday You'll Be Sorry), Sidney Bechet (Petite Fleur), Paul Barbarin (Bourbon Street Parade) and Professor Longhair (Mardi Gras in New Orleans) as well as three Connick originals. While Connick does not sing on this album, there are vocal spots for trumpeter Leroy Jones and trombonist Lucien Barbarin.

All These People was the first single to be released from Oh, My NOLA, and 100% of Connick's royalties from its sale, as well as a portion of his royalties from the sales of both albums will benefit the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village. This project, conceived by Connick and his longtime friend and colleague Branford Marsalis, will consist of single-family homes and elder-friendly duplexes as well as the Ellis Marsalis Center for Music, named for the modern jazz pioneer and patriarch of the Marsalis clan who counts Connick among his legion of successful music students. New Orleans Habitat for Humanity began dedicating completed houses and delivered keys in the Musicians' Village to needy families shortly before Oh, My NOLA was recorded.

For all of the work that remains to be done, there is a basic spirit of optimism and celebration that permeates both discs and that is best captured in Connick's version of Yes We Can Can on Oh, My NOLA. "Allen Toussaint was prophetic on this one," he says of the song's legendary composer. Yes We Can Can perfectly fits the bill of a post-Katrina New Orleans. This should be the theme song of our great city." It also summarizes the manner in which Connick views life -- with positive spirit, a focus on solutions rather than casting blame, and a humanity that knows no boundaries. It is this same spirit that makes Oh, My NOLA and Chanson du Vieux Carre such honest and affirmative experiences.

SonyBMG Music Entertainment, Marsalis Music and Rounder Records are proud supporters of the New Orleans Habitat Musicians' Village and will contribute a portion of the proceeds of these records to the Village. For more information, visit http://www.habitat-nola.org and click on Musicians' Village or http://www.NOLAmusiciansvillage.org.

Harry Connick, Jr. & His Big Band: My New Orleans Tour 2007 Confirmed dates:
February 23rd: Mizner Park, Boca Raton, FL
February 24th: Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL
February 25th: Carnival Center, Miami, FL
February 26th: Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, Orlando, FL
February 27th: Mercer Theater, Savannah, GA
March 1st: Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC
March 2nd: North Charleston Performing Arts Center, Charleston, SC
March 3rd: Township Auditorium, Columbia, SC
March 4th: Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC
March 7th: Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA
March 9th: BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL
March 10th: Knoxville Auditorium, Knoxville, TN
March 11th: Palace Theater, Louisville, KY
March 13th: Tennessee PAC, Andrew Jackson Hall, Nashville, TN
March 14th: Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN
March 15th: Chicago Theater, Chicago, IL
March 17th: Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO
Additional tour dates to be added.

For more information:
http://www.habitat-nola.org
http://www.harryconnickjr.com
http://www.columbiarecords.com
http://www.rounder.com

MARY J. BLIGE & LIONEL RICHIE JOIN THE ESSENSE 2007 MUSIC FESTIVAL LINEUP

R&B's reigning queen Mary J. Blige and chart-topping R&B veteran Lionel Richie will each join the 2007 Essence Music Festival for headlining performances on Saturday, July 7, 2007, it was announced recently by Essence Communications Inc. As the nation's largest annual African-American event celebrating Black music and culture, the 2007 Essence Music Festival will welcome these two talented and world-renown artists back to New Orleans to take center stage at the Louisiana Superdome.

"It is tremendously exciting to announce that Mary J. Blige and Lionel Richie will be 'Coming Home' with the Essence Music Festival in 2007," said Michelle Ebanks, President, Essence Communications Inc. "The Essence Music Festival genuinely appreciates both of these gifted performers. Mary J. Blige is a phenomenal artist celebrating a banner year and Lionel Richie is a legendary talent enjoying extraordinary success back at the top of the charts making these two performances not to be missed!"

Continuing to dominate the charts with her album The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige is recognized as one of today's brightest R&B stars. Blige was the winner of nine Billboard Music Awards and two American Music Awards in 2006, and has been nominated for eight Grammy awards in 2007. Blige's 2007 performance marks her seventh appearance at the Essence Music Festival over the past 12 years.

Legendary singer, songwriter and Grammy award winner, Lionel Richie delivered his latest album Coming Home in 2006 to both critical acclaim and great commercial success. Nominated for two Grammy awards in 2007, including "Best R&B Album" and "Best Male R&B Song", Coming Home represents Richie's return to his R&B roots and coincidently serves as the theme of the 2007 Essence Music Festival in honor of the homecoming of the "biggest party of the year" to New Orleans.

"The Essence Music Festival is like a family reunion for me," commented Lionel Richie. "My last performance there was phenomenal. The energy and warmth of such an enormous, yet familiar, crowd is absolutely overwhelming and I am so excited to be 'Coming Home'." Mary J. Blige and Lionel Richie will join a stellar line-up, which includes Beyonce, who was previously announced as headlining talent for Friday, July 6, 2007. More exciting and talented performers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Tickets for the evening concerts are on sale immediately at ticketmaster.com, (800) 488-5252. For updates on performers, hotel accommodations, ticket prices and weekly promotions log on to http://www.essence.com.

PAETEC JAZZ FESTIVAL TO PREMIERE IN BALTIMORE AUGUST 9-11,2007

The nation's newest major jazz festival, PAETEC Jazz, (www.paetecjazz.com) is coming to Baltimore, promising to heat up the music scene this summer for three music-packed days August 9- 11. Festival officials announced the new event at a news conference this morning at Baltimore's City Hall hosted by Mayor Sheila Dixon. "Considering the enduring history that jazz has in Baltimore, this is indeed a great day for the City," said Mayor Sheila Dixon. "I'm proud to partner with PAETEC Jazz Festival's producers, John Nugent and Marc Iacona, and commend Arunas Chesonis of PAETEC, Inc. for helping showcase Baltimore through this great new event. We're inviting jazz lovers from around the globe to experience a musical encounter unlike anything that's ever happened in Baltimore. From Billie Holliday to Cab Calloway, jazz has set the musical tone for Baltimore for decades and the PAETEC Jazz Festival gives us yet another opportunity to highlight the offerings of our world class city."

PAETEC Jazz Festival Baltimore, will be held in multiple indoor venues and outdoor stages set against the impressive backdrop of Baltimore's Inner Harbor and downtown. A diverse program of more than 40 concerts will embrace all genres of creative improvised music and feature Grammy-winning headliners as well as some of the world's finest emerging artists. Venues confirmed to date include Pier 6 and Power Plant Live! The artist lineup, schedule, and ticket sale information will be announced in May.

MADELEINE PEYROUX TOUR DATES

Madeleine Peyroux will perform the following concerts: February 16 at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa CA, February 18 at Pepperdine University in Malibu CA, February 20 at Mesa Arts Center in Mesa AZ, February 21 at Lensic Performing Arts Center in Santa Fe NM, February 22 at Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth TX, February 24 at Paramount Theatre in Austin TX, February 25 at Verizon Wireless Theatre in Houston TX, February 27 at House of Blues in New Orleans LA, March 1 at Mobile Civic Center in Mobile AL, March 3 at Atlanta Symphony Hall in Atlanta GA, March 4 at James K. Polk Theatre in Nashville TN, March 6 at Tampa Theatre in Nashville TN, March 7 at Parker Playhouse in Fort Lauderdale FL, March 9 at Carolina Theatre in Durham NC, March 10 at Orange Peel in Asheville NC, March 11 at Historic Charleston Music Hall in Charleston SC, and March 13 at McGlohon Theatre in Charlotte NC.

CHILL GROOVES & SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS: VESTA, RAFE GOMEZ, TRI-C JAZZ FEST, BILLIE HOLIDAY & MORE…

Shanachie releases vocalist Vesta new CD, Distant Lover, a collection of timeless R&B classics originally made famous by Marvin Gaye, The Spinners, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Deniece Williams, Sly Stone and others.

The 28th Annual Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland features a host of all-star performers from April 19-29 including Tony Bennett, Dianne Reeves, George Duke, Chris Botti, Steve Tyrell, Marty Ehrlich Quartet, Charles Mingus' Epitaph Orchestra, Frank Morgan, Winard Harper Sextet, Joe Lovano, Hank Jones, Lewis Nash, George Mraz, Kenny Barron, Helen Sung Trio, The Barber Brothers, Eddie Baccus, Sr. and others.
Recognized both nationally and internationally as a premiere educational jazz festival, Tri-C JazzFest Cleveland continues its tradition of grooming the next generation of jazz enthusiasts through its extensive offering of performances, clinics, workshops, and educational programs.

Guitarist Chuck Loeb is at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, MA on February 15. Loeb will also be taping an appearance for the tv show Sunday With Liz Walker on WBZ-TV on February 14.

This year’s upcoming Berks Jazz Fest will feature an All-Star Jam featuring Rick Braun, Gerald Veasley, Richard Elliot, Chuck Loeb, Nick Colionne, Warren Hill, Joe McBride, Steve Oliver, and Rayford Griffin, among others. It’s set for March 22.

On March 25, WJJZ Smooth Jazz 97.5 will present a fan appreciation concert in celebration of WJJZ’s return to the airwaves. The concert lineup will feature Chuck Loeb featuring the Berks Jazz Fest Horns plus the WJJZ All-Stars featuring Jeff Kashiwa, Kim Waters, Steve Cole, Gerald Veasley and other guests.

Linda Ronstadt will perform at the Fox Theater in Hutchinson, KS on April 21.

A new remix collection is slated for Billie Holiday and is due for release sometime in April.

Till Bronner (trumpet), Alan Broadbent (piana), Dieter Ilg (bass), Chuck Loeb (guitar), and Thomas Quasthoff (bass-baritone) have grouped as the Thomas Quasthoff Band for a series of concerts in March. The concerts will be in support of Thomas Quasthoff’s new jazz CD Watch What Happens. The group is slated for the following concerts: March 7 at Carnegie Hall in New York City; March 12 at Musikverein in Vienna, Austria; March 17 at Kolner Philharmonie in Cologne, Germany; and on March 19 at Admiralspalast in Berlin, Germany.

Pat Metheny and Brad Mehldau have expanded into a quartet for their second album together, apply dubbed Quartet. Due March 13 via Nonesuch, the 11-track project finds them joined by bassist Larry Grenadier and drummer Jeff Ballard from Mehldau's trio. Those musicians played on two tracks from last year's Metheny/Mehldau album. The quartet will tour in support of the upcoming album beginning March 21 in Mesa, Ariz. Dates are on tap through April 15 in Red Bank, N.J.

CHAKA KHAN & CHARLIE WILSON TO PERFORM AT WOMEN OF POWER SUMMIT

Legendary soul diva Chaka Khan and former front man for The Gap Band Charlie Wilson will perform during a special dinner and concert at the 2nd annual Black Enterprise Women of Power Summit hosted by State Farm®. Sponsored by Verizon, the concert will take place on Friday, Feb. 9, 2007 and conclude the four-day leadership event designed for women executives of color. Comedian Steve Harvey, host of "The Steve Harvey Morning Show," will introduce the evening's entertainment. He will also broadcast his popular radio show live from the Arizona Biltmore Resort & Spa on Thursday, Feb. 8 and Friday, Feb. 9 from 4:00 a.m.-8:00 a.m. MST (6:00 a.m.-10:00 a.m. EST). The two-day broadcast will take listeners inside the career-empowering Summit and feature special guest experts who will offer tips for women's success in business.

"We're delighted to have Chaka, Charlie, and Steve at our second annual Women of Power Summit," says Allison Jones Maitlandt, vice president, marketing and events. "At Black Enterprise, we always strive to make our events both enlightening as well as entertaining; and having such celebrated talents is a treat we know our attendees will enjoy."

Khan, an eight-time Grammy Award winner whose distinct vocal style has inspired Mary J. Blige, Erykah Badu, Whitney Houston, and Kanye West, among others, is known for hits such as Tell Me Something Good, Sweet Thing, and I'm Every Woman.

Wilson, lead singer of the pioneering 70s trio The Gap Band (You Dropped a Bomb on Me, Burn Rubber, Why You Wanna Hurt Me, and Yearning for Your Love), debuted a solo album, Charlie, Last Name Wilson, in 2005. It featured collaborations with artists Justin Timberlake, Snoop Dogg, and Black Eyed Peas writer/producer Will.i.am.

NORAH JONES SETS TOUR DATES

With her new Blue Note album, Not Too Late, poised to debut next week at No. 1 on The Billboard 200, Norah Jones has announced the dates for her spring North American tour. The outing begins April 13 in Wallingford, Conn., and will wrap May 12 in Montreal. Jones will also play April 28 at Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Norah Jones has earned the most pre-orders ever recorded by Amazon.com according to a report released on January 30. The album, Not Too Late, also scored number one rankings on iTunes in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, and Switzerland. In early December, EMI positioned the Norah Jones track, Thinking About You, as an open mp3 on Yahoo Music, though sales results have not been disclosed.

Jones is set to perform the following concerts: April 13 at Chevy Theatre in Wallingford CT, April 14 at Orpheum Theatre in Boston MA, April 15 at Merrill Auditorium in Portland ME, April 17 at Performing Arts Center in Providence RI, April 18 at Madison Square Garden in New York NY, April 20 at Tower Theatre in Philadelphia PA, April 21 at Borgata Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City NJ, April 23 at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington DC, April 24 at War Memorial Auditorium in Greensboro NC, April 26 at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville TN, April 27 at Tabernacle in Atlanta GA, April 28 at Jazz & Heritage Festival in New Orleans LA, April 30 at BJCC in Birmingham AL, May 1 at Murat Theatre in Indianapolis IN, May 2 at Fox Theatre in St. Louis MO, May 4 at Michigan Theatre in Ann Arbor MI, May 6 at Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis MN, May 8 at Chicago Theatre in Chicago IL, May 9 at State Theatre in Cleveland OH, May 11 at Massey Hall in Toronto ON, and May 12 at St. Denis Theatre in Montreal QC.

THE POLICE TO REUNITE; STING SETS SOLO CONCERT TOUR DATES

According to radio station CFMI in Vancouver, BC, The Police have rented Lions Gate Studios for a rehearsal space in anticipation of a summer tour. It would be the band's first excursion in more than 20 years, and the details will be announced in February. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the release of Roxanne, and a number of product-oriented offerings are in the works, including a boxed set and several DVDs. In addition, there has been an official announcement that The Police will perform during the opening segment of the 49th Annual Grammy Awards program.

Sting, in the meantime, has already committed to perform the following concerts in advance of a Police tour: February 18 at Salle Pleyel in Paris France, February 19 at Stadt-Casino Grosser Musiksaal in Basel Switzerland, February 22 at Teatre del Maggio in Florence Italy, February 23 at Teatro Arcimboldi in Milan Italy, February 25 at Herkulessaal in Munich Germany, February 27 at Jahrhunderthalle Hoechst in Frankfurt Germany, February 28 at Musikhalle Saal 1 in Hamburg Germany, March 1 at Concertgebouw in Amsterdam Netherlands, March 3 at Queen Elizabeth Hall in Antwerp Belgium, March 5 at Philharmonie in Berlin Germany, March 7 at Tonhalle in Dusseldorf Germany, March 8 at Festpielhalle in Baden-Baden Germany, March 10 at Konzerthaus in Vienna Austria, and March 12 at Beethovensaal in Stuttgart Germany.

PATTI AUSTIN TOUR DATES

February 10 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ CB Smith Park, Pembroke Pines
March 4 – Honolulu, HI @ Waikiki Shell
April 14 – Palm Desert, CA @ McCallum Theatre
April 15 – Cerritos, CA @ Cerritos Center for the Arts
April 18 – Cerritos, CA @ Cerritos Center for the Arts
April 21 – Winston Salem, NC @ Reynolds Auditorium
May 11 – Charlotte, NC @ Belk Theatre
May 12 – Charlotte, NC @ Belk Theatre

MICHAEL BUBLE CLARIFIES GRAMMY AWARDS STATEMENTS

Canadian singing sensation Michael Bublé was recently quoted in an interview criticizing the upcoming Grammy Awards telecast. The Vancouver native, who has had the No. 1 traditional Jazz album on the Billboard charts for a record-smashing 78 weeks, released the following statement through his recording label Reprise Records: "I'm extremely honored to have been nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Pop category. I did indeed make my feelings known that the category should be broadcast live during the award ceremony. This category honors the interpreters of some of the greatest songs ever written. There are millions of people like me who love and respect this music. I jokingly said that Tony Bennett is going to win anyway so why should I go? This is not sour grapes. I worship, love and respect Tony Bennett. He is my idol. I voted for him and he deserves to win. I mean no offense to the Grammy Awards, the Grammy nominees or the NARAS organization."

CHILL GROOVES & SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS: ENNIO MORRICONE, IVAN LINS, GERALD LEVERT, PAT METHENY, MICHAEL LINGTON, THE BIRDS AND THE BEES & MORE…

Alan & Marilyn Bergman will celebrate their 50-year collaboration with a sold-out Lincoln Center concert in New York City on Friday, February 2. The Bergmans are among the most prolific and highly acclaimed popular songwriter teams in American history, having penned some of the most cherished songs of the last 50 years, many of which have been covered by a variety of jazz musicians, including The Way We Were, The Windmills of Your Mind, How Do You Keep the Music Playing, and What Are You Doing The Rest of Your Life. The concert will feature a roster of artists that includes the ever-so-busy (and special guest) Tony Bennett, plus Lucie Arnaz, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Capathia Jenkins, Sandy Stewart, Lari White, Lillias White, Nicki Richards, and Melissa Errico.

Grammy Award-winning record producer, singer and songwriter Steve Tyrell performs legendary standards and hits from his Great American Songbook on February 2 at the Parker Playhouse in Ft. Lauderdale, FL.

Brazilian guitarist, singer and composer Jose Augusto appears at the Miami-Dade County Auditorium in Miami on February 4.

Rendezvous recording artist Jessica Callahan performs at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles, CA on February 5; at the Dublin Heritage Center in Dublin, CA on February 11; at the Triple Door in Seattle, WA on February 16 and 17; and at Room 5 in Los Angeles, CA on March 13.

Chicago will perform the following concerts: February 8 at the Ruth Eckerd Hall in Clearwater FL, February 9 at Hard Rock Live in Orlando FO, and April 11 at the Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks CA.

French-born pianist Jean Michel-Pilc will add his own jazzy style to interpretations of works by Schubert, Ellington, Gershwin and Monk, at his February 8 concert at the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in Miami, FL.

Ivan Lins is at the Arturo Sandoval Jazz Club on Miami Beach on February 8 and 9.

In My Songs, the studio album that Gerald Levert wrapped just prior to his death of a heart attack last Nov. 10, arrives Feb. 13 from Atlantic Records. Describing In My Songs as a classic R&B album with a perfect mixture of heartfelt feeling and emotion, Levert’s manager, Leonard Brooks, says it underscores the singer’s his creative and energetic force.

Gladys Knight appears at the Bergen Performing Arts Center (bergenPAC) in New Jersey on Valentine’s Day, February 14.

Michael Lington performs at the Annenberg Theatre in Palm Springs, CA on February 23, and at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, AZ on March 2. Lington, by the way, has also just launched his own line of fine Dominican-blend cigars known as Michael Lington Classic. For more information click to www.michaellingtoncigars.com.

Celebrated Italian film composer Ennio Morricone will receive an Honorary Academy Award at the 70th Academy Awards ceremony on February 25 for his "magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music." Morricone has been nominated for five Academy Awards during his career. Morricone is slated to tour the US for a series of concerts and is releasing a new album.

The Bird And The Bee’s self-titled debut album is available in stores now from Blue Note Records. Made up of vocalist Inara George, daughter of Little Feat front man Lowell George, who has been aptly referred to as "a modern day Audrey Hepburn with the voice of an angel," and keyboardist/producer Greg Kurstin, who after studying jazz piano with Charles Mingus’ pianist Jaki Byard returned to pop music, lending his talents to recording and touring with the likes of Beck, The Flaming Lips, Lily Allen, Peaches, and many more, the bird and the bee take elements of everything from the Beach Boys to 60's Brazil to electronica, spinning them into an irrepressible collection of ten sunshine-drenched, semi-psychedelic ditties.

Elisabeth Withers’ debut album, It Can Happen To Anyone, has been released on the Blue Note Records label.

Guitarist Pat Metheny will release a new quartet CD in March along with pianist Brad Mehldau. Metheny and Mehldau are also about to commence a nationwide tour together in March.

Toots & The Maytals will perform the following upcoming concerts: March 9 at Jannus Landing in St. Petersburg FL, March 10 at Freebird Live in Jacksonville Beach FL, March 11 at Langerado Music Festival in Sunrise FL, March 16 at The Rave in Milwaukee WI, and March 18 at House of Blues in Chicago IL.

Philippe Saisse is at the Buckman Performing Arts Center in Memphis, TN on March 16.

WKCR has gained a new dj -- Mathieu Schreyer, now in his second week -- hosts On The Corner, every Friday night from midnight to 3am. Mathieu comes from his Sunday night residency at L.A.’s Zanzibar, where he is better known as Mr. French. Join him on a global rhythm trip of passion and soul.

Rendezvous Entertainment artist Brian Simpson is at the Seascape Golf and Beach Resort in Destin, FL on April 13.

Jonathan Butler is set to appear at the following venues: April 15 at Gulf Place Amphitheater in Santa Rosa Beach, Fl; April 19 at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, AZ; April 21 at Hills Park at Summerlin in Las Vegas, NV; May 12 at the Thornton Winery in Temecula, CA; May 31 at Merriweather Post Pavillion in Columbia, MD; June 2 at Keswick Theater in Glendale, PA; and on August 11 at the Long Beach Jazz Fest in Long Beach, CA.

Kyle Eastwood will be performing at the San Juan Oaks Golf Club in Hollister, CA on June 15; at the Marriot Star Pass Resort on Tucson, AZ on June 15; and get this - - - at the McCallum Theatre in Palm Desert, CA on February 23, 2008. Talk about planning ahead!

Sony BMG Music Entertainment has agreed to settle Federal Trade Commission charges that it violated federal law when it sold CDs without telling consumers that they contained digital rights management software. According to the FTC, which announced the tentative settlement with Sony BMG, the anti-piracy software limited the devices on which the music could be played to those made by Sony Corp. or Microsoft Corp. The agreement requires that Sony BMG let consumers exchange the CDs containing the concealed software purchased before Dec. 31, 2006, for new CDs that are not content-protected through June 31, 2007, as well as reimburse consumers up to $150 to repair damage that resulted directly from consumers' attempts to remove the software installed without their consent. The settlement in no doubt will cost Sony BMG in the millions.

The Recording Academy(R) teamed up with Sony BMG Music Entertainment to release the 2007 GRAMMY(R) Nominees CD, which celebrates many of the year's GRAMMY-nominated artists and songs Scanning at more than 77,000 units this week (via Soundscan) -- this year's compilation has started off very strong with a #1 debut on the Billboard Top Compilation Albums and a #4 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Albums Chart. The disc contains many of the most widely recognized GRAMMY categories. The 23 tracks from the 2007 GRAMMY Nominees CD represent nominees from the Record Of The Year, Album Of The Year, Best New Artist, Best Male Pop Vocal Performance, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals categories. The CD is made possible by a special arrangement with all of the major music distribution companies and rotates distributors from year to year. The 49th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on Feb. 11, 2007, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and broadcast on the CBS Television Network at 8 p.m. (ET/PT).

VAN MORRISON TOUR DATES

Van Morrison will perform the following concerts: February 21 at Gibson Amphitheatre in University City CA, February 23 at Marin Veteran's Auditorium in San Rafael CA, March 10 at Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen Denmark, April 6-7 at Bridgewater Hall in Manchester UK, April 13 at New Theatre in Oxford UK, and April 14 at Millennium Centre in Cardiff UK.

EMI RELEASES NEW VAN MORRISON COMPILATION

Van Morrison's company Exile Productions has announced an exclusive licence with EMI Music for worldwide release of a new compilation entitled Van Morrison At The Movies, coinciding with an Oscar week award celebrating Van's compositions as used in film. The US -- Ireland Alliance will honour Van Morrison for his compositions as used in the movies at a special event staged in Los Angeles on February 22. Held at the Wilshire Ebell, the event will feature Oscar-winning actor Al Pacino presenting the award, which highlights the depth and breadth of Van's compositions, including such classics such as Moondance, Brown-Eyed Girl, Have I Told You Lately, Days Like This, Bright Side Of the Road, Gloria, and many more. Van will play a short musical set at the event, which is hosted by actress Roma Downey. Films using Van Morrison's music include Thelma & Louise, The King Of Comedy, An Officer And A Gentleman, Bridget Jones' Diary, Born On The Fourth Of July, among others, while directors of the calibre of Martin Scorsese, James L. Brooks, Oliver Stone, Taylor Hackford, Lawrence Kasdan and John Landis have queued up to request his songs for inclusion in their work.

To coincide with this honour, EMI Music will release a new compilation, Van Morrison At The Movies, the previous week. Containing 18 of his best-known songs as used in film, plus his version of Pink Floyd's Comfortably Numb as featured in 'The Departed,' the album also includes Gloria and Baby Please Don't Go from his days with Them, plus collaborations with The Band on Caravan (from 'The Last Waltz') and The Chieftains on Irish Heartbeat from Mark Joffe's 'The Matchmaker.' The Los Angeles event is only the second in the history of the US-Ireland Alliance. Entitled "Oscar Wilde: Honouring Irish Writing in Film," it serves as a pre-Academy Awards party, and other honourees are screenwriter William Monahan and writer/director Terry George. The U.S.-Ireland Alliance is a non-profit organization created to foster ties between the U.S. and Ireland, and they have lined up sponsorship for the event from the Irish Film Board, Walt Disney Studios and Culture Ireland. Trina Vargo, founder and president of the Alliance, said the event was created to "bring together leaders in the Irish film community with their Hollywood counterparts at a fun, casual Irish party."

The US Ireland Alliance website is at http://www.us-irelandalliance.org. Tony Wadsworth, Chairman and CEO of EMI Music, UK & Ireland, said, "This award is fully deserving for a writer and creator of Van Morrison's calibre. EMI is thrilled to be involved in this new compilation, which highlights Van's immeasurable talent and his consistent ability to write songs that have moved generations of music lovers. We hope it will be the start of a long-term association with Van and his music."

STACEY KENT SIGNS WITH BLUE NOTE

Blue Note in Paris has signed U.S. jazz singer Stacey Kent to a worldwide recording deal. Kent previously recorded six albums on U.K. label Candid Records. She also featured on The Lyric (Token), the album released in 2005 by her husband, British tenor saxophonist Jim Tomlinson. The Lyric won best album at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards. "Blue Note is the label that just felt right," Kent tells Billboard.biz. "It is the label I dreamed of when I was a kid. I feel like Steffi Graf must have felt the first time she played against Martina Navratilova." Kent, who lived in France for a year in the 90's, acknowledges a special relationship with French audiences. "We did very well there," confirms Candid Records CEO Alan Bates, who says her last album Boys Next Door, released in 2003, shipped more than 100,000 copies in France. Kent's new album will be recorded next spring in London, where she lives, and is due out in September 2007. She will perform across Europe in 2007 (booked by Paris-based Loop Productions).
Source: Billboard Magazine

CORINNE BAILEY RAE TOUR DATES

Corinne Bailey Rae will perform the following concerts: February 23 at Paradiso in Amsterdam Netherlands, February 24 at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels Belgium, March 1 at Rolling Stone in Milan Italy, March 4 at Volkshaus in Zurich Switzerland, March 6 at Tanzbrunnen in Cologne Germany, March 8 at Grand Rex in Paris France, March 10 at Grosse Freiheit 36 at Hamburg Germany, March 11 at Theatrehalle in Stuttgart Germany, March 13 at Carling Apollo Manchester in Manchester UK, March 14 at Carling Academy Newcastle in Newcastle UK, March 16 at Leeds University in Leeds UK, March 17 at Carling Birmingham Academy in Birmingham UK, March 19 at Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow UK, March 21 at Guildhall in Southampton UK, and March 22 at Carling Apollo Hammersmith in London UK.

CANDY DULFER CONCERT TOUR EXPANDED

Since the C.O.E.D. show at the Paradiso in Amsterdam is almost sold out, there will be an additional show in Holland by C.O.E.D. with Sheila E. and Candy Dulfer. The extra show will be on Sunday March 11th at Tivoli in Utrecht. Due to popular demand more shows have been added to the European tour of C.O.E.D. (Chronicles Of Every Diva) with Sheila E. and Candy Dulfer. They will now also play shows in Rankweil (Austria) and Reinach (Switzerland). Dulfer was recently a special guest at the show 'A tribute to Ray Charles' on Sunday January 21st at the Schouwburg in Leiden, The Netherlands. Contrary to some reports on the Internet Candy will not be performing at the Jazz at the Hilton Festival in Amsterdam next month. Prior to the departure of the All Star Smooth Jazz Cruise, Candy also participated in the All Star Jazz Fest, a special event featuring George Benson and the headliners from the Jazz Cruise. This concert took place at the Moody Gardens Convention Center in Galveston (TX) on Saturday January 27th.

JOHN SCOFIELD TOUR DATES

John Scofield will perform the following concerts: March 28-31 at Jazz at the Bistro in St. Louis MO, April 2 at Sheraton Hotel in Salt Lake City UT, April 6 at Macky Auditorium in Boulder CO, April 10 at Dana Auditorium in Greensboro NC, April 11 at Barns at Wolf Trape in Vienna VA, April 12 at State Theatre in State College PA, April 13 at Ridgefield Playhouse in Ridgefield CT, April 19 at Georgia Theatre in Athens GA, April 20-21 at Sandoval's Jazz Club in Miami Beach FL, April 27 at Lawlor Events Center in Reno NV, May 4 at Asylum Hill Congregational in Hartford CT, June 5-10 at Blue Note in New York NY, and August 15 at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles CA.

38th ANNUAL NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL LINE-UP ANNOUNCED

Harry Connick Jr., Al Jarreau, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan, Norah Jones, ZZ Top, John Legend, Van Morrison, Brad Paisley, Jill Scott, Ludacris, Dr. John, Bonnie Raitt, New Edition, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Irma Thomas, Jerry Lee Lewis, Counting Crows, Allman Brothers Band, Allen Toussaint, George Benson, Pharoah Sanders, George Thorogood, Stephen Marley featuring Jr. Gong, Better Than Ezra, Joss Stone, Banda el Recodo, Calexico, Taj Mahal, Johnny Rivers, Lucinda Williams, Branford Marsalis, Richie Havens, Soulive, Cowboy Mouth, Percy Sledge, Tony Joe White, Gillian Welch, Bobby Jones & the Nashville Super Choir, T-Bone Burnett, Rebirth Brass Band, Galactic, Mose Allison, Marcia Ball, Roy Hargrove, Chuck Leavell, Arturo Sandoval, The Holmes Brothers, Snooks Eaglin, Dr. Lonnie Smith, The New Orleans Social Club, James Carter, The Radiators, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Lucky Peterson, Darrell McFadden, Sonny Landreth, Danilo Perez, Ivan Neville, Dottie Peoples, Davell Crawford, Ba Cissoko of Guinea, George Porter, Jr., Joseph "Zigaboo" Modeliste, Tab Benoit, Les Amazones of Guinea, World Saxophone Group, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Buckwheat Zydeco, Anders Osborne, Elder Baab & the Madison Bumble Bees of Winnsboro, Eddie Bo, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Rosie Ledet, Amanda Shaw, The Iguanas, Marva Wright, Walter "Wolfman" Washington, Deacon John, Donald Harrison, Nicholas Payton, Terence Blanchard, Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews & Orleans Avenue, Bob French, Elysian Fieldz, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, Ellis Marsalis and over 500 more groups will gather in New Orleans for the 38th annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell, April 27-29 and May 4-6, Festival organizers announced today.

"Jazz Fest is an invitation to move your body and your soul," said Quint Davis, producer/director of the event. "New Orleans is the best place in the world to listen to music and to sing and dance in an open and loving atmosphere, and this year we're presenting more music than ever. As always Jazz Fest is going to give Festivalgoers the best opportunity to participate in this city's powerful and joyful integration of culture and community."
Annually drawing tens of thousands of fans each of its six days of activities, the Festival will again be held at the Fair Grounds Race Course and run from 11:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. Ten stages of simultaneous music programming are complemented by an important, unparalleled Food Fair offering more than 100 varieties of authentic Louisiana cuisine and a stunning array of one-of-a-kind crafts available around the grounds in the Festival's juried crafts areas.

As previously announced, Harry Connick Jr., the New Orleans-born superstar who's two new CD's, Oh, My NOLA and Chanson du Vieux Carre, put a musical spotlight on the city, will be the closing artist at the 2007 Festival, appearing Sunday, May 6 on the Acura Stage. In the coming weeks, the Festival will announce other details about the event (daily schedules, performance times, lists of food and crafts vendors and more). The most up-to-date information will be available at the Festival's official website, http://www.nojazzfest.com .

The Festival's two official posters will feature a portrait of Jerry Lee Lewis, the Ferriday, Louisiana Rock and Roll legend, by the Lafayette, Louisiana artist Francis Pavy; and a portrait of Philip Frazier, leader and tuba player of the Rebirth Brass Band, by Terrence Osborne, a perennial standout artist in the Festival's Congo Square African Marketplace. Information on the posters is available at the Festival's website and at http://www.art4now.com .

The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Inc. will hold its 2007 Gala fundraiser on Thursday, April 26. Al Jarreau, the incomparable vocalist, will give his only Jazz Fest performance. The Rebirth Brass Band and Wanda Rouzan will also perform.

For more information click to
http://www.nojazzfest.com
http://www.ticketmaster.com
http://www.NewOrleansOnline.com

BELA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES TOUR DATES

Bela Fleck and the Flecktones will perform the following concerts: February 1 at Orpheum Theatre in Memphis TN, February 2 at Rose State College in Midwest City OK, February 3 at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa OK, February 5 at The Pageant in St. Louis MO, February 7 at Fort Lewis College in Durango CO, February 8 at Belly Up in Aspen CO, February 9 at Vilar Center for the Arts in Beaver Creek CO, February 10 at Paramount Theatre in Denver CO, March 9 at Langerado Music Festival in Sunrise FL, March 13 at Teatro Morelia in Morelia Mexico , March 14 at Teatro Diana in Guadalajara Mexico, March 15 at Teatro de la Ciudad in Monterrey Mexico, March 16-17 at Teatro de la Ciudad in Mexico City Mexico, March 20 at Auditorio Ibirapuera in Sao Paulo Brazil, March 22 at Teatro Municipal in Santiago Chile, March 23 at Gran Rex Theatre in Buenos Aires Argentina, March 24 at Sala Las Americas in Cordoba Argentina, March 31 at West Coast Blues & Roots Festival in Adelaide Australia, April 3 at Corner Hotel in Richmond Australia, April 6-7 at East Coast Blues & Roots Festival in Byron Bay Australia, April 8 at Port Nepean Music Experience in Pt. Nepean Australia, April 9-10 at The Basement in Sydney Australia, June 22 at Telluride Bluegrass Festival in Telluride CO, June 28 at Symphony Center in Chicago IL, June 29 at Syracuse Jazz Festival in Syracuse NY, June 30 at Carnegie Hall in New York NY, August 31 at Summer Music Series in Lowell MA, September 1 at LL Bean Discovery Park in Freeport ME, and September 2 at Rhythm & Roots Festival in Charlestown RI.

LAUREN WOOD TO RELEASE NEW SOLO ALBUM ‘LOVE, DEATH & CUSTOMER SERVICE’

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter, producer, audiophile and animal fancier Lauren Wood has been making beautiful music for over three decades. Best known for her global hit Fallen on 1990's blockbuster Pretty Woman soundtrack (Wood was the only unsigned act on the multi-platinum disc) and '79's Please Don't Leave, a Top 40 duet with Michael McDonald, she's acclaimed for distinctive, sultry vocals, literate songwriting and the superior sonics of her self-produced solo work. Citing her "moving delivery" and "spare but infectious arrangement," Billboard's Larry Flick has previously written, "Wood has an earthy, deep voice capable of soaking subtext into just about every syllable she utters." Lauren Wood now returns to the spotlight with the new album Love, Death & Customer Service (LDCS) on her own label Bad Art Records, set for an official release in early January, 2007.

Early praise this time out includes fellow vocalist Patti Austin's comment that, "LDCS is the freshest CD I've heard in years ... and in the midst of a world where every singer sounds the same, Lauren has the freshest voice I've heard in years." Musician Dave Koz said, "Lauren Wood is simply a huge talent ... LDCS is filled with soul-satisfying songs with a unique blend of messages ... You'll get to the end and immediately want to have another go." It's Wood's first disc since 1999's Lauren Wood, and her jump from an eponymous release to the more evocatively titled LDCS honors major life changes including -- respectively -- the end of a long relationship and the start of a new one; the recent passing of Lauren's father, other family members, friends and a beloved pet; and existential vexation with post-modern life. "It's a reflection of the universe -- having to deal with endless automation before reaching a person who is indifferent," she laughs. "It makes me insane!"

It's a sentiment, of course, to which many can relate, as is the case with the insights and authentic emotions expressed via Wood's intelligent and moving songcraft on LDCS's 13 tracks. The lead single, Contradictions, is an elegantly delivered, jazzy gem spotlighting her signature alto that explores the paradoxes inherent in human relationships -- "You push, you pull/It's no good, then it's wonderful ... " The scintillating song -- was serviced to Smooth Jazz radio nationwide the week of January 2 -- also features the musicianship of Little Feat's Billy Payne on synth strings and Wood's cousin, viola virtuoso Novi Novog (her bandmate in Chunky, Novi & Ernie, with whom she released two Warner Bros. LPs), among other "friends of Lauren's."

Other stand-out tracks include Wood's hep and sparkling reinvention of the Zombies' classic Time Of The Season, one of only two non-Wood-penned songs -- the other is a lush and lovely cover of Joan Armatrading's Can't Let Go. The wry and offbeat alt-pop number Come And Live With Me -- LDCS's most recently written tune -- is already getting advance airplay at College Radio. Also notable is the inspired album closer, Walk Toward The Light, an over 8-minute composition, complete with gospel choir, which Wood says is about, "the sadness and the celebration that happens when you celebrate a person's life."

LDCS was recorded and mixed -- the latter by Michael Verdick -- in the artist's own studio. The mastering process -- with Kris Solem at Futuredisc -- took over one year, something Lauren says was a marathon even for her exacting audiophile standards, which are industry-renowned. "To allow the album to stand up to other records made today," she explains, "I needed to get it louder without losing the wide stereo and dynamics. It needed to be both loud and soft. What I found, though, was that the compressors took out the separation and clarity -- and the air out of my voice. I wanted this to be a beautiful, delicate, orchestral record, so we ended up doing massive experimentation before we got it right." Wood, who'd planned to become a visual artist before a crush on Paul McCartney led her to a life in music, was equally meticulous about art-directing the album's graphics and booklet, which features a cover painting of Lauren and her dog Norman by Bubbles the Artist (in collaboration with GRAMMY® winner Allee Willis).

Lauren Wood's previous trio of solo albums and two with Chunky, Novi & Ernie, her extraordinary success with Fallen -- which she calls "the little song that could" -- and other career highlights including recordings with artists as diverse as Frank Zappa, Cher, Sammy Hagar, Lani Hall, Nicolette Larson and Gladys Knight and singing the theme song for the long-running sit-com Just Shoot Me are a testament to her depth and range. On LDCS, she hits another creative high note with, in the words of popular WQNR-FM/The Rock Program Director and morning show host "Wildman" Steve Bronson, "an album with incredible energy and substance. From the smooth jazz-funk feel of Steely Dan to quirky pop tunes that bring to mind David Byrne or Ani DiFranco, to love songs with the depth and emotion of Kate Bush, she brings it all off with heartfelt sincerity coupled with a delightful sense of humor."

NORAH JONES NEW CD, ‘NOT TOO LATE’ OUT NOW

Norah Jones has released her third and most personal statement to-date. With Not Too Late, Norah’s songwriting takes center stage, allowing for a much more complete picture of Norah herself, her personality, her humor, her mind. Many of the musicians on Not Too Late will be familiar to Norah’s fans, including guitarists Jesse Harris, Adam Levy, Robbie McIntosh, and Kevin Breit, drummer Andy Borger, and singer Daru Oda, with many special guests lending their talents as well, from M. Ward to jazz organist Larry Goldings to Kronos Quartet cellist Jeff Ziegler. Not Too Late further establishes Norah Jones as a timeless artist with a distinctive sound, loyal and expanding fanbase, and a level of artistry that will continue to grow and delight listeners for years to come.

CHILL GROOVES & SMOOTH JAZZ NEWS: CORINNE BAILEY RAE, BOZ SCAGGS, CARMEN CUESTA-LOEB, JOHN LEE HOOKER & MORE…

Capital is re-releasing Corinne Bailey Rae’s debut album in a Deluxe Edition due on February 6. It will contain seven additional songs (including three covers, two original songs from the movie Venus, starring Peter O’Toole, and two extra original songs).

Guitarist Chuck Loeb heads into the studio as part of the band Metro to cut tracks for a new CD. Metro features Chuck Loeb, keyboardist Mitchel Forman, drummer Wolfgang Haffner, bassist Will Lee. The new Metro CD will be released in late 2007 or early 2008. For more information click to www.metrojazz.com.

Shout Factory is reissuing two John Lee Hooker albums on March 27: The Best Of Friends and Jealous. Both albums contain previously unreleased studio outtakes, along with new liner notes. The Best Of Friends is a collection of duets recorded over the years, including pairings with Carlos Santana, Van Morrison, Bonnie Raitt, Eric Clapton, Robert Cray and Ben Harper. Jealous (from 1986) contains two bonus tracks.

Carmen Cuesta-Loeb’s new CD, You Still Don’t Know Me will be released in January on Skip Records, and features the late Michael Brecker on Todo Para Ti (All For You).

Legacy is set to re-release Boz Scaggs’ breakthrough album, Silk Degrees on February 27. The CD will include previously unreleased live songs performed at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles in 1976 of What Can I Say, Jump Street and It’s Over.

New "Essential" reissues are expected in May from Gil Scott-Heron, John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Maynard Ferguson, plus an expanded edition of Charles Mingus’ Tijuana Moods..

Van Morrison, Norah Jones, Harry Connick Jr., Dr. John, Steely Dan, John Legend, Allen Toussaint, and Jill Scott have been added to the line-up for the 38th Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Other performers include Bonnie Raitt, Jerry Lee Lewis, Pharoah Sanders, Lucinda Williams, George Benson, the Allman Brothers Band, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Joss Stone, Rod Stewart, Stephen Marley and Taj Mahal, among many others. The festival is a two-weekend event scheduled for April 27-29 and May 4-6. The festival will be held at its usual location at the Fair Grounds Race Course, which includes 10 stages for live music events. Tickets went on sale January 25 with proceeds benefiting the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports various community development activities.

DIONNE WARWICK TO REPLACE BURT BACHARACH ON NEW ZEALAND TOUR

The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has contracted legendary American singer, Dionne Warwick to replace Burt Bacharach who broke his collar bone over the holiday period and has had to withdraw from his New Zealand tour. Multi-Grammy award winner, Warwick has moved generations of audiences. The Guardian newspaper wrote of a London concert last month "The music is wonderful. Her rich, woody voice has deepened with age, lending a splendidly full-bodied finish to everything from Anyone Who Had a Heart to 1980s charity-belter That's What Friends Are For." NZSO Chief Executive, Peter Walls, said, "While it is disappointing that Burt Bacharach cannot travel to New Zealand, Dionne Warwick is a spectacular replacement. Her concerts will cause a huge amount of excitement." Warwick last performed in New Zealand in 1995 at the Mission Vineyard concert and more recently has performed with Kiwi Lucy Lawless (Xena, Warrior Princess) in the hit American TV show Celebrity Duets. Because of other scheduled concerts in the United States, Dionne Warwick's first concert in New Zealand will be in Christchurch on January 30.

CLEAR CHANNEL UNVEILS NEW HD2 RADIO MULTICAST FORMATS

Clear Channel Radio has announced that a full 320 of its radio stations in 81 markets are set to air HD digital multicasts. These additional stations represent the fourth wave of a larger launch begun in January 2006. The new channels will also be made available at the company's HD2 streaming site www.clearchannelmusic.com/hdradio/ as they go live. In each local market, Clear Channel Radio's HD2 multicasts either complement existing on-air programming or bring entirely new music or spoken-word genres to local listeners. In some cases, local programmers will draw from programming created by the Format Lab within the company's Content Research & Development Group. In other cases, the channels are programmed fully locally. Clear Channel Radio already has over 330 stations offering primary broadcasts in HD digital quality, underlying the company's commitment to the aggressive roll-out of HD digital radio. The company is currently projecting conversion of 600 of its stations by the end of 2008, which represents the majority of the remaining radio stations after the announced divestitures. The company is also a founding member of the HD Digital Radio Alliance - a joint initiative of leading radio companies to accelerate the roll-out of HD digital radio - and is devoting on-air promotion time as part of an industry-wide marketing effort, and making promotional spots available through its Creative Services Group.

Below is a list of the HD2 multicast formats that will be available from Clear Channel Radio stations in each local market:

Fresno KALZ-FM Hot AC Oldies-Jammin Oldies 96.7-2 KBOS-FM CHR/Rhythmic Extreme Hip Hop 94.9-2 KFSO-FM Spanish Oldies Tejano 92.9-2 KHGE-FM Country New Country 102.7-2 KRZR-FM Active Rock Classic Rock 103.7-2 KSOF-FM AC Vegas Gold 98.9-2 Grand Rapids WBCT-FM Country Classic Country 93.7-2 WBFX-FM Classic Rock Triple A 101.3-2 WMAX-FM Adult Hits Classic Alternative 96.1-2 WOOD-FM AC Classical 105.7-2 WSNX-FM CHR/Pop Dance 104.5-2 Allentown WAEB-FM CHR/Pop New CHR 104.1-2 WZZO-FM Rock Comedy 95.1-2 Omaha KGOR-FM Oldies 50's and 60's 99.9-2 KHUS-FM Country Rock-Metal 93.3-2 KQBW-FM Rock Active Rock 96.1-2 KXKT-FM Country Classic Country 103.7-2 Akron WKDD-FM Hot AC AC-Rhythmic 98.1-2 Sarasota WCTQ-FM Country Classic Country 106.5-2 WLTQ-FM AC Classical 92.1-2 WSRZ-FM Oldies 50s & 60s 107.9-2 WTZB-FM Rock Classic Alternative 105.9-2 Wilmington WDSD-FM Country Classic Country 92.9-2 WRDX-FM Classic Rock Triple A 94.7-2 Syracuse WBBS-FM Country Christian Contemporary 104.7-2 WPHR-FM Urban Smooth Jazz 106.9-2 WWHT-FM CHR/Pop Hip Hop 107.9-2 WYYY-FM AC AC Rhythmic 94.5-2 Harrisburg WHKF-FM CHR/Pop Alternative Rock 99.3-2 WRBT-FM Country Classic Country 94.9-2 WRVV-FM Classic Hits Deep Cuts Tracks 97.3-2 Monterey KDON-FM CHR/Rhythmic AC Rhythmic 102.5-2 KOCN-FM Rhythmic Oldies Oldies 50s and 60s 105.1-2 KPRC-FM Spanish Oldies Spanish AC 100.7-2 KTOM-FM Country Country Rock 92.7-2 Bakersfield KBFP-FM Spanish Oldies AC Rhythmic 105.3-2 KBKO-FM Country NEW! New Country 96.5-2 KDFO-FM Classic Rock Rock-Metal 98.5-2 KRAB-FM Active Rock Rock - Alternative 106.1-2 Baton Rouge KRVE-FM AC All 80's 96.1-2 WFMF-FM CHR/Pop CHR New 102.5-2 WYNK-FM Country New country 101.5-2 Toledo WIOT-FM Rock Active Rock- NITRO 104.7-2 WRVF-FM AC Triple-A 101.5-2 WVKS-FM CHR/Pop DANCE 92.5-2 Little Rock KDJE-FM Active Rock Rock Alternative 100.3-2 KHKN-FM Classic Country Americana 106.7-2 KHLR-FM Gospel Smooth Jazz 94.9-2 KMJX-FM Classic Rock Deep Rock Tracks 105.1-2 KSSN-FM Country New Country 95.7-2 Stockton KQOD-FM Rhythmic Oldies Tropical 100.1-2 *T

Clear Channel Radio is a leading radio company focused on serving local communities across the U.S. with more than 110 million listeners choosing Clear Channel Radio programming each week. The company's content can be heard on AM/FM stations, HD digital radio channels, on the Internet, via iPods, through Motorola's iRadio cell-phone service, and via mobile-navigation devices from Cobra, Garmin, Kenwood and others. The company's operations include radio broadcasting, syndication and independent media representation. Clear Channel Radio is a division of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. (NYSE:CCU), a leading global media and entertainment company. More information on the company can be found at www.clearchannel.com.

SERGIO MENDES, WILL DOWNING, BONEY JAMES, INDIA.ARIE & PIECES OF A DREAM HEADLINE JAZZ IN THE GARDEN FESTIVAL

The City of Miami Gardens (Miami, Florida) "Jazz in the Gardens" festival is back for its second consecutive year and has expanded to a 2-day event, Saturday March 24th and Sunday 25th, 2007 at Dolphin Stadium, home of the 2007 and 2010 Super Bowls. Confirmed artists include India Arie, Sergio Mendes, Boney James, Will Downing, Paquito D' Rivera, Luciano with special guest Dean Fraser and the Jah Messenjah Band, Pieces of a Dream and The Othello Molineaux Quartet with more top name artists still being added. Look out for local artists names to be released soon.

"Jazz in the Gardens" 2006 inaugural event was a tremendous success! Now in its second year, the 2007 Jazz in the Gardens music festival will be bigger and better, expanding to a two-day event and featuring major entertainers from around the world, offering a variety of jazz, Latin jazz, R&B and reggae to satisfy the diverse musical palettes of audiences throughout South Florida. We want people to know "Jazz in the Gardens" as a celebration of the music and culture that lives and grows in Miami Gardens. I invite people all over to join us in the celebration" says Miami Gardens Mayor Shirley Gibson.

This year's incredible line-up includes neo soul icon, multi-platinum and multi Grammy Award winning artist India Arie and the undisputed king of Brazilian jazz, Sergio Mendes, who shot to international stardom with his Brasil '66 and whose Mas Que Nada collaboration with pop stars The Black Eyed Peas helped earn him a Latin Grammy for Best Brazilian Pop Album. Joining them is two time Grammy nominated artist, Boney James, whose latest release, Shine has soared to the top of the Billboard Contemporary Jazz charts, claiming the # 1 jazz album in the country for seven (7) consecutive weeks. James says "The communal experience of playing live - that's why I became a musician in the first place. It never gets old for me". Following in the great tradition of the jazz baritone, Will Downing's sensual vocals will grace the "Jazz in the Gardens" stage, while South Florida favorites, Pieces of a Dream will bring their high energy show. The international contingent will be duly represented as Cuban legend Paquito D'Rivera comes to South Florida for the first time in years and Jamaica's reggae superstar Luciano will bring "Roots Music" to "Jazz in the Gardens" along with special guest Dean Fraser and the Jah Messenjah Band.

"Jazz in the Gardens" is the premiere event for The City of Miami Gardens, who this year engaged Miami based Concertz Event Management, Inc. to produce the event. Orchestrating an event of this magnitude, however, requires crucial alliances and community support. Dolphins Stadium has not only graciously provided its beautiful venue for the festival, but has generously partnered with Miami Gardens, sharing resources to ensure a successful event. Other local corporations are stepping up to support the event, joining Miami Gardens in establishing a reputation for providing a distinct cultural contribution to the region.

For more information about the event click to: http://www.jazzinthegardens.com or for more information about the City of Miami Gardens visit: http://www.miamigardens-fl.gov

CHUCK LOEB SETS CONCERT DATES & TEAMS WITH GERALD VEASLEY ON NEW CD

Chuck Loeb has a series of concert dates confirmed for the coming months and here they are…Chuck will be playing with his band at the Rams Head Tavern in Annapolis, MD on February 8; at Scullers Jazz Club in Boston, MA on February 15; and from March 7-19, he’ll be accompanying bass-baritone opera singer Thomas Quasthoff in a series of special jazz concerts in support of his new CD, The Jazz Album: Watch What Happens. Loeb will also participate at the Berks Jazz Fest in Reading, PA; and on March 22 he’ll be participating in the Berks All-Star Jam; and on March 25 he’ll be hosting the Fan Appreciation concert being sponsored by WJJZ 97.5 in celebration of their return to the smooth jazz airwaves. Loeb is also working with bassist Gerald Veasley on a new studio project. Loeb and Veasley are currently cutting tracks for this new release which will be out later this year on the Heads Up International label.

BRIAN CULBERTSON RADIO SHOW STATION LINEUP

Brian Culbertson has just been nominated for a Canadian Smooth Jazz Award for International Instrumentalist. And as we mentioned in a previous posting, Culbertson can now be heard on his new weekend radio show on the following radio stations:

Saturdays 6am-10am:
WNUA (Chicago) 99.5FM
KKSF (San Francisco) 103.7FM

Saturdays & Sundays 6am-10am:
KIJZ (Portland) 105.9FM
WZJZ (Ft. Myers) 107.1FM
WDSJ (Dayton) 106.5FM
KABQ (Albuquerque) 1350AM
KMYT (Temecula) 94.5FM
WSBZ (Ft. Walton Beach) 106.3FM
WJCD (Norfolk) 107.7FM

NEW BEBEL GILBERTO REMIX EP RELEASED

Bebel Gilberto’s latest is Bring Back The Love, which is the first track off of her upcoming new CD – Momento due out in April 2007. This release is a special digital only EP of remixes which will be available in two volumes. The song is remixed by Scandinavian "Space Disco" master Prins Thomas, up and coming texturalists Mungolian Jetset, Global Chillsters Bombay Dub Orchestra, and Electronic dance masters Stuhr. The Bring Back The Love Remix EP 1 is only available digitally and can be purchased at iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, and Napster, among other digital retail stores.

SHEILA E. AND CANDY DULFER TEAM UP FOR EUROPEAN TOUR

Candy Dulfer and Sheila E. have teamed for a series of European concerts as part of the all-female supergroup C.O.E.D. (Chronicles Of Every Diva). The group features Sheila E. (drums/vocals), Cassandra O’Neal (keys/vocals), Rhonda Smith (bass/vocals), Kat Dyson (guitar/vocals), and Candy Dulfer (sax). The group will perform shows in Switzerland, Germany, Bulgaria, and France. On March 12 they will perform at the Paradiso in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Separately, Candy Dulfer and her own band will also be performing an additional show during their upcoming USA tour this March and April. They will be performing at the Jazztrax Festival in Indian Wells, California in April 1.