HERBIE HANCOCK – RIVER: THE JONI LETTERS

Herbie Hancock’s new album, “River, The Joni Letters” is due out on September 25. It’s a collection of Mitchell covers with guest appearances by Joni Mitchell (“Teal Leaf Prophect”); Leonard Cohen (“The Jungle Line”); Corinne Baily Rae (“The River”)’ Norah Jones (“Court And Spark”); Tina Turner (“Edith And The Kingpin”); and Luciana Souza (“Amelia”), as well as constributions from Wayne Shorter on sax, Dave Holland on bass, and Lionel Loueke on guitar.

Herbie Hancock will head back on the road later in the year and will perform the following concerts:
November 8 @ Fairfield Center, Fairfield CA
November 9 @ John Van Duzer Theatre, Arcata CA
November 10 @ Masonic Center in San Francisco CA
November 11 @ Campbell Hall, Santa Barbara CA
November 14 @ Centennial Hall, Tucson AZ
November 15 @ Lensic PAC, Santa Fe NM
November 16 @ Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix AZ

TERENCE BLANCHARD - A TALE OF GOD’S WILL (A REQUIEM FOR KATRINA)

Terence Blanchard’s A Tale Of God’s Will (A Requiem For Katrina), a beautifully haunting and impassioned song-cycle about the physical and emotional ravages incurred upon the City of New Orleans and its residents as a result of Hurricane Katrina, was recently released by Blue Note Records on August 14th. Featuring thirteen original compositions written by Blanchard and members of his band, A Tale of God’s Will is an evocative emotional journey of a city whose spirit lives on through the most devastating of circumstances - as told through the musical genius of one of New Orleans’ proudest residents – Terence Blanchard.

Recorded at Conway Studios in Los Angeles and Studio X and Bastyr University Chapel in Seattle, A Tale of God’s Will features a 40 piece orchestra string section in addition to Blanchard’s band (Derrick Hodge on bass, Aaron Parks on piano, Kendrick Scott on drums and Brice Winston on saxophone). While specific tracks from the CD were originally written for the Levees documentary, both the creative process for scoring the film and the physical experience of living through Katrina itself left no doubt in Blanchard’s mind that his next CD project would be a musical expression and expansion of these, of having gone through the Hurricane itself as well as through the aftermath of this terrible event, and that he would be helping to contribute to the rebuilding of the city - both musically and otherwise – in any way that he could.

“This moment must be seen,” says Blanchard, “Has to be seen by those people around the world who don’t know what has happened here. What is happening here. Yes. Still.”

Blanchard also called upon the talents of his bandmates to create music for the new CD – as heard on Derrick Hodge’s “Over There”, Aaron Park’s “Ashe”, Kendrick Scott’s “Mantra” and Brice Winston’s “In Time of Need”. Each track was written by the individual band member and offers their own unique perspective of the tragedy in New Orleans, yet all of the music flows together seamlessly to create an unbelievably poignant and inspiring whole work.

The past year has been an incredibly prolific one for the world-renowned film composer and trumpet player on a number of other levels as well. While working on A Tale of God’s Will, Blanchard also played a pivotal role in the moving of The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz from Los Angeles to New Orleans, a move that as Artistic Director he feels will benefit not only the city of New Orleans, but the students themselves who will be surrounded by the ever-present rich diversity of music in the Crescent City. In addition, Blanchard was chosen by the Monterey Jazz Festival to be their honorary Artist-In-Residence for 2007, teaching at the institute there several times throughout the year and of course performing all weekend at the upcoming festival itself in September of 2007.

July will see the release of Talk To Me, acclaimed Director Kasi Lemmon’s new film based on the life of radical disc jockey and political activist Petey Greene, played by Don Cheadle. Blanchard’s score for Talk To Me will be his 41st film score, following on the heels of Levees as well as his groundbreaking work for Universal Pictures/Imagine Entertainment’s Inside Man, in which he called upon the talents of not only his band, but an 80-piece orchestra.

Besides performing for sold-out audiences around the globe, Terence was a featured panelist and performer at this year’s Sundance Film Festival and served as a keynote speaker at the Billboard Film and Television Music Conference. One week out of every month finds Terence teaching at the Monk Institute, and he just recently performed at the 2007 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Flow: Living In The Stream of Music, the critically-acclaimed documentary that followed Terence and his band across four continents, was nominated for a Grammy (Best Long-form Music Video) in the 49th Annual Grammy Awards (his critically-acclaimed CD, Flow, was the recipient of two Grammy nominations in 2006).

Blanchard was born in New Orleans on March 13, 1962, and began playing piano at 5 years of age. In elementary school, he added on the trumpet and was coached at home by his opera-singing father. In high school, Terence came under the tutelage of Ellis Marsalis and Roger Dickerson, and after graduation, attended Rutger’s University on a music scholarship where one of his professors was so impressed by his talent that he brokered him a touring gig with Lionel Hampton’s band.

In '83, Wynton Marsalis recommended Terence as his replacement in Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers. Part of the Blakey legend was his ability to foster performances and individual personalities from the young, malleable talents he brought into his fold. Blakey utilized and nurtured the improvisation and compositional ideas of his band members to solidify his own unique artistic vision. The legacy of the working band as jazz workshop is at the essence of jazz, and Terence remains one of the few on the scene today who fully embrace that dynamic.

Two years later, Terence and fellow Messenger Donald Harrison split to form their own quintet. In '90, TB departed to pursue a solo career. During his tenure at Columbia, both his soundtrack to Mo’ Better Blues and his CD The Heart Speaks were nominated for Grammy Awards. Signed to the Sony Classical label in 1999, the trumpeter/composer gained acclaim as a bandleader and composer of movie and television soundtracks (including the Grammy-nominated Wandering Moon and a Golden Globe nomination for his score for Spike Lee’s The 25th Hour). In 2003 Terence signed with Blue Note Records and has released Bounce and Flow, the first two parts of a three-record trilogy.

Additional films that Terence has written the music for include Eve’s Bayou, Malcolm X, Barbershop, Their Eyes Were Watching God and Clockers.

The release of A Tale of God’s Will will be accompanied by a worldwide tour with Terence and his band, as well as dates featuring guest appearances by Spike Lee focusing on their film work together and in particular, the music of When the Levees Broke.

PAUL ANKA – CLASSIC SONGS MY WAY

Paul Ank’a latest release follows the lead from his previous CD (Rock Swings), as he continues to put his own classic swing on some of pop’s most widely known songs. Anka includes interpretations on Cyndi Laupers “True Colors” and Duran Duran’s” “Ordinary World”. The CD also includes yet another version of Sinatra’s “My Way” (written by Anka, among others). Previous press releases had indicated that there would be an ‘electronic’ duet with Sammy Davis, Jr.; however, it appears that this track never made the final cut. Hopefully it will be released at another time.

RARE & UNRELEASED TRACKS FROM ARETHA FRANKLIN

A selection of previously unreleased material from Aretha Franklin from the vaults at Atlantic are being assembled for an upcoming collection from Rhino Records. The double-disc "Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul" will be released Oct. 16, featuring B-sides, demos and outtakes from Franklin's 13-year history with the label. Previously unreleased tracks include "You Keep Me Hanging On," "Trying To Overcome," and "My Way," a rare cover of the Beatles' "Fool on the Hill" and demo versions of "I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)," "Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)" and "Sweet Bitter Love."

Additionally, a second disc will contain a duet with Ray Charles on "Ain't but the One," an alternate version of "Rock Steady" and outtakes from the "Young, Gifted and Black" and "Hey Now Hey (The Other Side of the Sky)" sessions. Aretha Franklin’s upcoming concert dates include the Montreux Jazz Festival -- Atlanta on Sept 1, and Sept. 18 at the Dream concert at New York's Radio City Music Hall

Here is the track list for ""Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul":


Disc 1:

"I Never Loved a Man (The Way I Love You)"
"Dr. Feelgood (Love Is a Serious Business)"
"Sweet Bitter Love"
"It Was You"
"The Letter"
"So Soon"
"Mr. Big"
"Talk to Me, Talk to Me"
"The Fool on the Hill"
"Pledging My Love/The Clock"
"You're Taking Another Man's Place"
"You Keep Me Hangin' On"
"I'm Trying to Overcome"
"My Way"
"My Cup Runneth Over"
"You're All I Need To Get By" (first outtake)
"You're All I Need To Get By" (second outtake)
"Lean on Me"

Disc 2:

"Rock Steady"
"I Need a Strong Man"
"Heavenly Father"
"Sweetest Smile and the Funkiest Style"
"This Is"
"Tree of Life"
"Do You Know"
"Can You Love Again"
"I Want Tto Be with You"
"Suzanne"
"That's the Way I Feel About Cha"
"Ain't But the One"
"The Happy Blues"
"At Last"
"Love Letters"
"I'm in Love"
"Are You Leaving Me"

CANDY DULFER'S CANDY STORE

Saxophonist Candy Dulfer will deliver her new CD Candy Store on the Heads Up International label on September 18th. The Dutch-born artist says she's been gratified by early response to the CD, which features a range of musical styles, from funk to Latin and reggae to hip-hop. Dulfer says she was able to make the album she wanted to make, writing and recording tunes with musical partners Ulco Bed, Thomas Bank, and Chance Howard before she had signed a new recording contract. After meeting Heads Up chief Dave Love at a European festival, she decided to send him a sample of her music, thinking he wouldn't feel it was right for the label. She was pleasantly surprised. Dulfer explained: "We kept writing but it was all very ... you know, a lot of diverse styles, just everything we felt like basically. And then I met Dave Love from Heads Up, and he said he wanted to sign me. And he said, 'Do you have some material already?' And I said, 'Well we got stuff but you probably won't like it because it's so totally out there and so different.' And he said, 'Well try me and just send it to me.' And I did, and he just loved it." No official single has been designated for radio, but smooth jazz fans will enjoy the Latin flavor of "La Cabana," the smooth "11:58," and the beautiful "Everytime." Candy Store also features a bonus track, a remix of her previous radio hit "Finsbury Park.”.

RAFE GOMEZ JOINS CW’S NEW YORK MORNING NEWS

Rafe Gomez, host of the popular syndicated smooth jazz show The Groove Boutique, joins the on-air staff of CW11, New York’s morning news show.Gomez joins the WPIX-TV morning team to offer up music on the show as well as recommendations for music to fit viewers' lifestyles. The popular DJ and radio personality will be the on-air DJ and lifestyle host effective September 6.

KIJZ-FM SWITCHES FROM SMOOTH JAZZ TO CLASSIC HITS

Clear Channel Radio has switched the Smooth Jazz format heard on KIJZ-FM in Portland, OR in favor of a Classic Hits format now called "Kool 105.9 FM."
Regional VP of Programming Tony Coles will program the station with
assistance from listeners, who can create their own 15-song playlists from
Kool's web site. According to industry reports, the ratings and ad support
just wasn't there to keep the smooth jazz format alive.

JOE SAMPLE, RANDY CRAWFORD & RICK BRAUN @ HENRIETTE DELILLE LEGACY CONCERT

Joe Sample will headline the 3rd Annual Henriette Delille Legacy Concert on September 15, 2007 at the Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston Island, Texas. The concert will also feature guest performances by the vocalist/singer Randy Crawford and smooth jazz trumpeter Rick Braun. Joe Sample and Randy Crawford are currently teamed on their new release, Feeling Good Sample’s latest release Feeling Good (PRA Records) featuring vocalist Randy Crawford marks a return collaboration between Sample and Crawford, who first worked together more than 30 years ago. Throughout this album the listener is drawn into the warm embrace of Joe and Randy’s musical heritage, a mixture of soul, jazz, gospel, pop, and a touch of the blues, a reflection of Sample’s desire to “live somewhere in the world where people hold onto their roots and their culture.” His 2002 release The Pecan Tree was also inspired by the music and culture of southeast Texas.

THE SOCIETY OF SINGERS LINEUP FOR ELLA AWARD PRESENTATION TO GLADYS KNIGHT

Melissa Etheridge, Smokey Robinson, Johnny Mathis and Kimberley Locke will be among the performers at the Society of Singers' (SOS) presentation of the 16th ELLA Award to the legendary soul, pop, gospel and R&B singer Gladys Knight. Comedian, actor and singer Wayne Brady will sing a song and also host the event, which will take place at the Beverly Hilton on September 10, 2007, and include a silent auction, live auction, dinner and includes surprise performances by stars who have not yet been announced. The benefit Co-Chairs for the event are Society of Singers president and chief executive officer Jerry F. Sharell and Universal Music Group's president and chief operating officer, Zach Horowitz. Honorary Co-Chairs for the event are Clarence Avant, Interior Music and Johnny Mathis.

Named after its first recipient, Ella Fitzgerald, the ELLA Award is given to singers whose significant musical accomplishments are equaled by their dedication to charitable and humanitarian causes both local and international. Previous recipients of the award, besides Ms. Fitzgerald herself, include Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Lena Horne, Rosemary Clooney, Tony Bennett, Placido Domingo, Celine Dion and Elton John.

A seven-time Grammy Award winner with Number One hits in the pop, R&B and Adult Contemporary formats, Gladys Knight has been honored by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, and many others. She has released close to 40 albums over the years, and had Top 10 hits in the '60s ("I Heard It Through the Grapevine"), '70s ("Midnight Train to Georgia") and '80s ("That's What Friends Are For"). She is also active in the American Diabetes Association, the American Cancer Society, the Minority AIDS Project and amFAR, among others.

Tickets for the ELLA Award dinner and award presentation range from $600 to $2,500, with all proceeds to benefit the Society of Singers, a non-profit organization that offers comprehensive services to meet the emergency financial needs of professional singers worldwide. For more information, please consult http://www.singers.org or call (818) 995-7100.

JIM BRICKMAN & THE SAVOY LABEL GROUP TOAST TH E HOLIDAY SEASON WITH ‘HOMECOMING’ DUE SEPT. 25

The magnetism of the year-end holidays goes hand in hand with the evocative musical output that has long defined pianist, composer and producer Jim Brickman and the much-lauded musician has done it again with his new recording for the holiday season, "HOMECOMING." Brickman who was recently crowned as the #1 Charting Artist at the Adult Contemporary radio format, created a multi-format musical confection collaborating with a diverse roster of guest performers such as Lonestar's Richie McDonald who is featured on the first single "Coming Home For Christmas"; the late Gerald Levert with one of his last vocal performances on the title track and jazz great Peter White and his distinctive guitar talents are showcased on "Joy." "HOMECOMING" is released September 25th on SLG Records (a unit of the Savoy Label Group).

"HOMECOMING," his 16th CD overall, differs from previous seasonal albums in that it has a more spiritual tone. The first single captures that feeling thanks to the contribution of Richie McDonald whose warm vocal brings a poignant emotion to "Coming Home For Christmas" (his collaboration with Brickman is his first project post-Lonestar). Brickman, McDonald and Victoria Shaw all collaborated as songwriters on "Coming Home For Christmas." The result is a gorgeous love letter of a song that captures the sentiment of being away from home and those you care about and anticipating a heartfelt reunion. A sample lyric reads: "When I think of you, I think of home/If I could make this plane go any faster, I'd be standing by your door." Just as Brickman's past collaborations with vocal stars such as Martina McBride (on the smash hit "Valentine") have resulted in incomparable chart success, "Coming Home For Christmas" looks to be the song of the season for Jim and Richie.

"I love doing holiday albums, because I find that I am never at a loss for material," Brickman says. "There are so many ways to interpret these familiar songs instrumentally. And the tone and sensibility of my music has always fit with the holiday season. It's such a joyous time of year, a time of gathering and emotional connection--and music is such a huge part of that."

The second vocal collaboration, title-track "HOMECOMING," is a duet with the late Gerald Levert. The two previously worked together on "My Angel," a track from the 2006 album ESCAPE. When the pair joined for "My Angel," Brickman suggested that they rework the song with a Christmas lyric. Unfortunately, Levert died in November 2006 at age 40, leaving "HOMECOMING" as one of his final vocal recordings.

The album also contains two original instrumental tracks, "Thanksgiving" featuring piano and strings, which conjures a fall family gathering; and "Bethlehem," a gentle, reflective hymnal. Instrumental covers include "I Heard the Bells," featuring Peter White on jazz guitar, "Joy" with David Klinkenberg on solo violin, and piano renditions of British carols "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "I Saw Three Ships," "Silent Night," album finale "Auld Lang Syne" and "Good King Wenceslas," an instrumental take on the age-old Christmas carol about a charitable king who offers the miracle of warmth through his footprints in the snow.

Since his 1994 debut album, "No Words," Brickman's signature romantic style has made him a marquis name among contemporary instrumental hit makers, selling six Gold and Platinum albums, and delivering three No. 1 and twelve Top 10 adult contemporary radio hits. Among his numerous accolades are a SESAC Songwriter of the Year award, Canadian Country Music Award for Best Vocal/Instrumental Collaboration, a Grammy nod for Best Pop Instrumental Album for "Peace" and a gospel Dove Award for "The Gift." He has had consistent No. 1 debuts on Billboard Magazine's New Age Albums chart and two No. 1s on Top Kid Audio.

Brickman has also collaborated on numerous vocal events with the likes of Martina McBride, Olivia Newton-John, Michael W. Smith, Jane Krakowski and Rebecca Lynn Howard, fostering crossover success on the country, Christian, contemporary jazz and smooth jazz singles charts.

As usual, Brickman will unwrap his latest melodic gifts with a robust holiday season tour, beginning Nov. 23 through the New Year, with nearly three dozen dates confirmed.

JOHN MCLAUGHLIN TOUR DATES

John McLaughlin will perform the following concerts:
September 13 @ Carolina Theatre, Durham NC
September 14 @ House of Blues, Chicago IL
September 15 @ Wall to Wall Guitar Festival, Urbana IL
September 16 @ Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis MN
September 19 @ Boulder Theater, Boulder CO
September 20 @ Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara CA
September 21 @ Lyons Stage, Monterey CA
September 22 @ San Francisco Jazz Festival, San Francisco CA
September 23 @ John Van Duzer Theatre, Arcata CA
September 25 @ The Egg, Albany NY
September 27 @ Town Hall in New York NY
September 28 @ Lisner Auditorium, Washington DC
September 29 @ Zoellner Arts Center, Bethlehem PA
September 30 @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside PA
October 2 @ Theatre Maisonneuve, Montreal QC
October 4 @ Dominion Chalmers United Church, Ottawa ON
October 5 @ Massey Hall, Toronto ON

NEW RELEASES

Dizzy Gillespie – Live At The 1965 Monterey Jazz Festival (Concord)
Ella Fitzgerald – The Very Best Of The Duke Ellington Song Book (Verve)
Ella Fitzgerald – The Very Best Of The Gerswhin Song Book (Verve)
Jethro Tull – Live At Montreux 2003 (Eagle Vision)
Louis Armstrong – Live At The 1958 Monterey Jazz Festival (Concord)
Miles Davis – Evolution Of The Groove (Columbia/Legacy)
Miles Davis – Live At The 1963 Monterey Jazz Festival (Concord)
Rascals – The Very Best Of The Rascals (Rhino)
Roberta Flack – Softly With These Songs: The Best Of Roberta Flack (Rhino)
Sarah Vaughan – Live At The 1971 Monterey Jazz Festival (Concord)
Stevie Wonder – Number Ones (Motown/UME)
Thelonious Monk – Live At The 1964 Monterey Jazz Festival (Concord)
Various Artists – Live At The Monterey Jazz Festival: Highlights, Vol. 1 (Concord)

STEPHEN MARLEY TOUR DAYES

Stephen Marley will perform the following concerts: September 2 at BB King's Blues Club in New York NY, September 13 at House of Blues in New Orleans LA, September 15 at Austin City Limits Festival in Austin TX, September 18 at The Rave in Milwaukee WI, September 25 at Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix AZ, September 26 at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine CA, September 28 at Coors Amphitheatre in Chula Vista CA, September 29 at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View CA, October 1-2 at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles CA, and October 5 at Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas NV. All dates September 25 through October 2 are with the Dave Matthews Band.

MADELINE PEYROUX - "HALF THE PERFECT WORLD"

Jazz singer Madeleine Peyroux has lined up a series of new concert dates over the next few months, including a string of dates on the West coast, followed by two weeks in Brazil, and then a few weeks of shows in the Midwest and the Northeast.
Peyroux has gained a reputation for avoiding the spotlight: After her first album was released in 1996, she dropped out of sight for years, doing street performances in Paris and rarely performing under her own name in clubs. She raised eyebrows in 2005 when she was reported missing after failing to appear at promotional events in the UK, and a private detective was hired to find her -- only to discover she was in New York with her manager, which embarrassed her record company.

At the BBC Jazz Awards in July, Peyroux was named the Best International Jazz Artist. She also recently made an appearance on Live From Abbey Road, on the Sundance Channel.

Her latest album is Half the Perfect World.

Madeleine Peyroux tour dates:
August 25 - Healdsburg, CA - Rodney Strong Vineyards
August 26 - Saratoga, CA - Mountain Winery
August 28 - Arcata, CA - John Van Duzer Theatre
September 14 - Ouro Preto, Brazil - Festival de Jazz
September 15 - Belo Horizonte, Brazil - Teatro Ipatinga
September 18 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Via Funchal
September 20 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Casa Fasano
September 22 - Brasilia, Brazil - Centro de Concencoes Brasilia
September 26 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Teatro Municipal
September 28 - Porto Alegre, Brazil - Bourbon Hall
October 2 - Salvador de Bahia, Brazil - Teatro Castro Alves
November 7 - Columbus, OH - Southern Theatre
November 8 - Ann Arbor, MI - University of Michigan
November 10 - Chester Springs, PA - Performing Arts Center
November 11 - Roanoke, VA - Jefferson Center
November 13 - South Orange, NJ - South Orange PAC
November 14 - Harrisburg, PA - Whitaker Center
November 15 - Collingswood, NJ - Scottish Rite Auditorium
November 17 - New London, CT - Garde Arts Center
November 18 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse

NEW RELEASE: LIONEL RICHIE

An upcoming new CD/DVD combo from Lionel Richie is due on September 11. The CD will contain 19 performances, including several new live footage of previously unreleased tracks. The DVD will also contain some behind-the-scenes content and also 3 music videos from his recent albums.  Entitled, Live in Paris, it will be part of PBS August pledge drive.

THE BIRD AND THE BEE

On September 25, the Bird and the Bee will return with Please Clap Your Hands, a five-song EP that finds the band’s irrepressible sound—which Rolling Stone described as “audible sunshine”—evolving on four new originals including the lead single “Polite Dance Song,” and a cover of The Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love.”

The Bird and the Bee has also confirmed that they will be touring with Rilo Kiley as the opening performer for the indie pop band on seven concert dates in October.

The Bird and the Bee’s effervescent version of “Carol of the Bells,” will be featured on the holiday compilation Stockings by the Fire, which will be available exclusively at Starbucks Company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada starting on November 8. Their song “Again & Again” will also appear on the upcoming soundtrack Grey’s Anatomy, Volume 3, due out September 11 on Hollywood Records.

The past year has been an eventful one for the Bird and the Bee, the Los Angeles band led by singer Inara George and keyboardist/producer Greg Kurstin. The Los Angeles Times named them one of “10 Bands on the Horizon for 2007” and their self-titled debut was released in January to rave reviews. The New Yorker called the album “a sure delight” and Billboard proclaimed it “a delicious revelation.” They were featured on major television shows including The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and Grey’s Anatomy, toured throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, opened concerts for the UK singer Lily Allen, and even made their Carnegie Hall debut in June.

Please Clap Your Hands is made up of four new originals by George and Kurstin that take their danceable blend of ‘60s California pop and Brazilian Tropicalia to further heights, and a sublime cover version of The Bee Gees’ “How Deep Is Your Love,” which features background vocals from Australian singer Sia. Once again George has penned all the lyrics with Kurstin performing nearly all the instruments, but this time the EP also features contributions from members of their touring band including drummer Joey Waronker, guitarist Gus Seyffert, and background vocalists Willow Geer, Megan Geer Alsop, and Alex Lilly.

PLEASE CLAP YOUR HANDS – TRACKLIST
1. Polite Dance Song
2. Man
3. The Races
4. So You Say
5. How Deep Is Your Love

TOUR DATES

10/6/2007 Palladium Ballroom (opening for Rilo Kiley) Dallas, TX
10/7/2007 Stubb's (opening for Rilo Kiley) Austin, TX
10/9/2007 Rialto Theater (opening for Rilo Kiley) Tucson, AZ
10/10/2007 Marquee Theater (opening for Rilo Kiley) Tempe, AZ
10/12/2007 SOMA (opening for Rilo Kiley) San Diego, CA
10/13/2007 The Joint at The Hard Rock (opening for Rilo Kiley) Las Vegas, NV
10/15/2007 Civic Auditorium (opening for Rilo Kiley) Santa Monica, CA

EXODUS –30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Bob Marley & The Wailers’ classic Exodus is being re-released by Island Records in a 30th Anniversary Edition. It’s due out on September 25.

MACY GRAY, BEBEL GILBERTO, JAZZANOVA, MANDRILL & WAR APPEARANCES

Madrill & War @ The Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, Aug. 25
Macy Gray & The Brand New Heavies @ Webster Hall, New York City - Sept. 12.
Bebel Gilberto @ Webster Hall, New York City – Sept. 18
Jazzanova @ Cielo, New York City – Oct. 11

OTTMAR LIEBERT –3 NEW RELEASES & TOUR DATES

‘One Guitar', enchanting guitar virtuoso Ottmar Liebert's first solo recording continues to receive great accolades across the country. Liebert & Luna Negra continue their touring schedule this summer on both coasts. Mr. Liebert's performances continuously sell out and bring audiences to their feet delivering inspired shows. (See tour dates listed below).

Liebert's sales pedigree is more than impressive -- historical for a guitarist. One look at his RIAA certifications let's you know how deep and wide his audience is. He has had 12 Gold and 6 Platinum certifications in the last 10 years. In addition, Ottmar Leibert is also ranked #3 of the Top Artists on the Rhapsody website. 'One Guitar' has achieved a 5 Star rating on Amazon. This fall Liebert is featured in the September issue of 'Cowboy's & Indians' -- considered the Vogue of the West in their music section. Luna Negra includes Liebert on - Flamenco and Electric Guitars, Jon Gagan - Bass Guitars, Dave Bryant - Percussion, Stephen Duros - Flamenco Guitar and Keyboard. In addition to Liebert's newest release, band members Stephen Duros and Jon Gagen have also released their new recordings entitled 'Thira' and 'Transit 2' respectively. More information is available on the website www.lunanegra.com and the SSRI Listening Lounge.

Liebert has enjoyed a stellar career enjoyed by few guitarists of our time. Liebert's newest release "One Guitar" is filled with gorgeous soulful performances and a palette full of intimate moods and lush landscapes. "One Guitar" is now available in retail stores nationwide distributed by Burnside Distribution. Recorded solo with no overdubs, Ottmar delivers his amazing guitar prowess with a 2002 Flamenco Negra by Lester DeVoe of Nipomo, California. This 13 song release was "70% improvised" says Liebert, which contributes to the more personal nature and intimate environment that takes the listener to a different place. In addition to his performance and recording talents, Liebert is an accomplished photographer and savvy in the graphic communication arts. His release of the limited edition box set of 'La Semana' has received the 2006 Gold Star Award for CD/DVD packaging (beating HBO's DVD package for Deadwood and Universal Home Entertainments DVD package for the Marx Brothers). 'Creativity' is an annual publication by Collins Design, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, and one of the oldest and most established graphic design competitions.

Last November Ottmar returned from a 5 week pilgrimage to Kham in Eastern Tibet. The journey entailed both service in clinics for nomads - several western physicians were attending to sick people - and visits to Tibetan holy places. There was a high adventure quotient as well as the group walked across a pass at 16,500 feet altitude that cannot be found on any map. The music business is a vastly changing industry and Ottmar has been an artistic leader in taking control of all aspects of his art and career.

Since 1990, Ottmar Liebert has released a total of 22 albums, including live releases, Christmas CDs, 10 CDs of original music, a DVD and remixes. His debut album, 1990's Nouveau Flamenco, featuring the stunning "Barcelona Nights," sold double-platinum and has become the biggest-selling guitar album of all time, redefining Flamenco music and marking Liebert as one of the most talented, influential and creative guitarists and performers to surface in years.

Liebert, well known the world over, was born in Cologne, Germany to a Chinese-German father and Hungarian mother. He traveled extensively through Europe and Asia intent on fully absorbing each musical tradition he encountered. Liebert was, and remains, influenced by everything around him, from museums, to nature, to books.

"One Guitar" takes this extraordinary artist another step forward to further illuminate us about his amazing gift of talent and to stand out as simply different. "Ottmar's guitar playing is reminiscent of many of the greats: Andres Segovia, Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin. Like a true virtuoso, his playing is original, gently aggressive, and most importantly, heartfelt and beautiful."

Tour Dates
8/25/07, Sunoco Performance Theatre,Harrisburg, PA
8/26/07, Westhampton Beach Performing Arts,Westhampton, Beach, NY
8/27/07, Ram's Head, Annapolis, MD
8/28/07, Scullers,Boston, MA
8/29/07, 8/30/07, B.B. Kings,New York, NY
8/31/07, The Ridgefield Playhouse,Ridgefield, CT
9/1/07, The Birchmere,Alexandria, VA
9/29/07, The wave Festival at the Greek Theatre with India Arie,Los Angeles, CA

DEAN MARTIN'S "FOREVER COOL" A HIT

Around the world, entertainment superstar Dean Martin has the market cornered on charisma, easygoing charm, playful wit, and gracious humility, all of which combine to make him infinitely cool to each new generation of fans. The new CD was released worldwide on August 14 by Capitol/EMI, Martin's new all-star collaborations album, Forever Cool, debuts at #39 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart, with first week sales totaling 17,242. Available in CD and deluxe CD/DVD packages and digitally, Forever Cool has also enjoyed widespread critical acclaim and strong first-week showings on youth-leaning charts from iTunes, Amazon.com and Borders, among others. I bought the CD on the day of release and I just love it - - as a matter of fact it’s in my CD play (in my car) and is on constantly.

At iTunes, Forever Cool reached #3 on the Vocal chart during its first week. Ranked #5 overall at Borders for the week in a youth-heavy Top 10 Albums chart, Forever Cool was joined by the soundtracks to High School Musical, Hanna Montana and Hairspray and new and recent releases from Amy Winehouse, Dave Matthews Band and Common among the chain's top sellers for the week. At Amazon.com, the CD peaked at #22 and the deluxe CD/DVD peaked at #72 in overall popular music sales during their debut week, fueled by multiple custom programs at the online retailer, including a Flashplayer trailer, a "Music For Entertaining" feature and an August Bonus Book feature.

Dean Martin's inter-generational popularity has never been more evident. Across the online spectrum, Dino's star power has skyrocketed to new heights. At MySpace, he counts more than 16,500 friends, and his recently-revamped, interactive official Website (http://www.deanmartin.com) has had 154,000 hits in the past week alone. AOL Music, ARTISTdirect and MP3.com have featured Forever Cool alongside High School Musical and Dave Matthews Band. Last week, Yahoo! Music, which boasts more than one million visitors per day, premiered the new music video for Forever Cool's "Baby-O," a playful romp pairing Martin with 19-year-old American Idol finalist Paris Bennett. TV's "Entertainment Tonight" has joined the Forever Cool party with significant coverage, including two feature profiles during the album's release week, and a third to air on "Weekend ET" this weekend. "No matter what age you're at, you kind of want to be cool, and there was nobody cooler" said Dean Martin's Forever Cool collaborator Kevin Spacey.

Prior to the release of Forever Cool, the phenomenal sales of Capitol/EMI's 2004 collection Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, which collects 30 of Martin's key recordings for both Capitol and Reprise on one CD, provided the strongest signal yet of Dino's continued prominence in the pop-music firmament. I highly recommend this release as well. As the week's highest-charting new entry, it was Billboard's "Hotshot Debut", and it has sold more briskly than any previous Martin recording, going gold within months and platinum within a year. Dino also hit the Top 5 on Apple's iTunes Music Store album chart. As writer Bill Zehme observed in a 2004 Playboy feature, "Dean provides smooth, winking succor to generations anew."

More than 40 years after knocking the Beatles' "A Hard Day's Night" out of the #1 chart position with "Everybody Loves Somebody" in 1964, Dean Martin continues to enthrall music fans around the world. Said famed producer Phil Ramone, "I think Dean's whole re-birth, so to speak, is that young people have realized how cool he is and how funny he is ... and he could sing.” Said Martin's daughter, Gail Martin, "It gives me a warm glow to know that everybody -- all ages, all generations -- just seem to adore him and want more of him. That's exciting, and it doesn't surprise me."

Forever Cool's 14 tracks pair Martin's original vocals with new arrangements and an all-star group of collaborators in a salute to the unparalleled talent and charisma of the man known around the world as Dino. The album's inspired new recordings, woven together with several rare and previously unreleased clips of Martin's witty studio banter, feature Grammy winner Joss Stone, two-time Oscar(R) winner Kevin Spacey, saxophonist Dave Koz, Grammy winner Shelby Lynne, trumpeter Chris Botti, international superstar Robbie Williams, "American Idol" finalist Paris Bennett, country music star Martina McBride, French entertainment icon Charles Aznavour, Italian chart-topper Tiziano Ferro and other music greats. The new album swings, swaggers, rocks, rolls and whispers, gently closing with a previously unreleased a cappella version of "Lullaby" sung by Martin. "It's like a cocktail party on a record," said Forever Cool executive producer Jane Ventom, "where all sorts of wonderful, unique guests get up and make music with the host."

Forever Cool's production team includes EMI Music Marketing vice president of A&R Jane Ventom and Dean Martin's business manager Laura Lizer as executive producers and Rob Christie as producer, with recording and mixing by co- producer and 15-time Grammy winner Al Schmitt (Norah Jones, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Quincy Jones, etc.). Select tracks were produced by 12-time Grammy winning producer Phil Ramone (Tony Bennett, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, etc.), Grammy-winning producer, arranger and conductor Patrick Williams (Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Barbra Streisand), and Bobby Colomby (Chris Botti). The album's tracks were recorded and mixed at Capitol Studios in Hollywood.

"Offstage, I want to be like Dean Martin -- funny, handsome, charmin...," said Robbie Williams. "I've got it nailed (laughs)." Echoed Shelby Lynne, "I'm not gonna lie. I'd love to be Dean Martin." Martin's effortless vocalizing has become a modern shorthand for cool, as evidenced by the use of his songs in films like Goodfellas, Casino, Swingers, Out of Sight, L.A. Confidential, A Bronx Tale and Payback, as well as top- rated television programs, including "The Sopranos," "Ugly Betty" and "Dancing With The Stars." Martin's music has also been featured in major brand TV advertising for Nissan, Microsoft, Marriott Hotels, Carl's Jr., Heineken, this year's Superbowl-premiered Budweiser commercial with "Ain't That a Kick In the Head," and many others.

"He made music that's going to stand the test of time and be around forever," said Spacey. "People will always be listening to Dean Martin." Dean Martin's approach to life with an easy smile, a graceful melody and an aura of unflappable cool is a style that was made to last forever.

For more information, click to Dean Martin's official Website: http://www.deanmartin.com.

SEAL TO RELEASE “SYSTEM”

Grammy-winning vocalist and songwriter Seal will release a new album, "System," on Warner Bros. Records on November 13, 2007. It is the best-selling artist's fifth studio album and first since 2003's "Seal IV."

The London-born Seal first emerged from Britain's house music scene in the early '90s providing vocals and lyrics for techno artist Adamski's 1990 hit "Killer." The Top Ten debut single, "Crazy," followed, and Seal would go on to earn critical acclaim and worldwide commercial success over four albums with a genre-defying fusion of soul, pop, rock, R&B, and propulsive grooves. "System," with its shimmering melodies, glistening layers of synths and acoustic guitar, and supple, electronic beats, "is a return to my roots," Seal says. "I wanted to go back to the guitar, to the very first instrument I wrote 'Crazy' and 'Killer' on, and get back to the fundamentals of what I really love to do."

To help him deliver what he calls "a quintessential Seal album," Seal turned to British musician and songwriter Stuart Price, who co-wrote and produced Madonna's "Confessions on a Dancefloor," as well as Grammy-winning remixes for No Doubt and Coldplay. "It was quite evident from the first track that Stuart and I were on the same page," Seal says, "that I'd found someone who was able to elaborate on and execute my vision for this record. He loved the songs and I loved his production technique and we just took it from there. He's one of those rare people who plays instruments, understands music theory, and gets what a singer goes through when he is singing a song."

Indeed Seal's prodigious vocal gifts -- his soaring, husky baritone that has become a signature on such hits as "Prayer for the Dying," "Kiss From a Rose," and "Don't Cry" -- amplify the dreamy atmosphere on new tracks "Swoosh," "Amazing," ("System's" lead-off single), and "Wedding Day," an emotional ballad Seal wrote the morning he wed supermodel Heidi Klum, with whom he has three children.

"Family, my wife and children, that's my reason for being," Seal says. "Everything is done with them in mind, so perhaps that's the reason this new album is up-tempo. It does feel like a celebration of life. I am finally in a content and happy place to the point where I feel like I need to sing about it. It's made me want to address things that are close to home. That's why the album is called 'System.' It's saying that against the odds, we have chosen to take control of our emotional system. Not being a victim of a system that's already in place, but creating our own."

To read Seal's personal blog, listen to streaming audio, and watch music video clips, please visit his website at www.seal.com.

The track-listing for "System" is as follows:
1. "Swoosh"
2. "Amazing"
3. "Just Like Before"
4. "Loaded"
5. "Wedding Day"
6. "System"
7. "Silence"
8. "The Right Life"
9. "Rolling"
10. "Immaculate"

VAN HUNT MAKES HIS BLUE NOTE RECORDS DEBUT

Blue Note Records has released Grammy-award winning recording artist Van Hunt's The Popular Machine. The digital EP will give fans a preview of Hunt's forthcoming self-produced, full-length album, Popular, which Blue Note will release on January 15, 2008. The four-track EP will include "turn my TV on" and "the lowest 1 of my desires" from the upcoming album plus acoustic versions of hit single "Character" and "The Night is Young;" the latter two are from Hunt's 2006 album, On The Jungle Floor, which debuted at #1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart.

Van will be debuting songs from the EP and January's Popular release at several unplugged shows in Los Angeles in August. Here are Van Hunt’s concerts dates:
8/23 - Temple Bar - Santa Monica, CA
8/26 - Zanzibar - Santa Monica, CA

SIMPLY RED NEWS

Simply Red is scheduled to appear on the Magic 105.4 radio show in Regents Park on September 9th. Simply Red are headlining at the Malta Music Festival on November 2nd, tickets are due to go on sale this Friday. Also, the official story of Simply Red "If You Don't Know Me By Now" will be released by Carlton Books on September 10th. In addition the DVD 'Stay - Live At The Royal Albert Hall' will be released on October 22nd.

UPCOMING RELEASE: PAUL HARDCASTLE

Trippin’ Records has just informed us that a new Paul Hardcastle CD is being prepared for release in February 2008. His last album, Jazzmasters V recently went straight to number #1 on the Billboard charts.

MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL ATLANTA

The lineup for the Montreux Jazz Festival Atlanta has been announced and this year’s festival will feature a diverse range of performers representing everything from blues and R&B to jazz and funk music. The 2007 Montreux Jazz Festival Atlanta will be held Labor Day weekend, August 31 through September 2, 2007, at Underground Atlanta.

The Montreux Jazz Festival Atlanta will kick-off on Friday, August 31 with the ‘Blues, Bourbon & Barbeque Boat Ride, a new addition to the festival weekend. The great music continues throughout the weekend with amazing artists such as songwriter and vocalist, Chrisette Michele, jazz vocalist Ledisi, producer extraordinaire and retro-funk/hip-hop vocalist Sleepy Brown, Radio Disney stars Jacob Latimore, Kacie Lynch and Dylan Cheek, soul singer Leela James and more. The Montreux Club Crawl keeps the music going after hours in Underground Atlanta. Six clubs in Kenny’s Alley, House, Irish Pub, Island Oasis, Jamaica Jamaica, Motions and Sugar Hill.

The FREE Montreux Jazz Festival Atlanta will be a weekend packed with fun activities that the entire family can enjoy. In addition to a variety of music from stages on Upper Alabama, in Kenny’s Alley and a stage inside Underground Atlanta, local music artists such as Jason Bitten, Delores Major, Wayne McDowell, Theresa Morton and Myrna Clayton will be featured. The weekend’s festivities will also include an interactive Kid’s Zone, arts & crafts and food vendors.

The 2007 Montreux Jazz Festival Atlanta Line-up for Labor Day Weekend
*Line-up and times are subject to change. Line-up as of 8/13/07. 

Montreux Jazz Festival Atlanta Around The City 
‘Blues, Bourbon & Barbeque Boat Ride
Stone Mountain
Friday, August 31, 2007 
8:00 pm – Departure
11:00 pm – Arrives back at dock
Aretha Franklin w/Naturally 7
Chastain Park Amphitheatre
Saturday, September 1, 2007


Montreux Jazz Festival at Underground Atlanta
Saturday, September 1
Main Stage
1:00 pm – Gordon Chambers
2:30 pm – Film: Weather Report: Live @ Montreux 1976
4:00 pm – Ledisi
7:00 pm – Sleepy Brown


Fat Matt’s Blues Stage
3:00 pm - Bill Sheffield
4:15 Chicago Joe
5:15 Tommy Brown
6:15 Big Robert T
7:15 Lola


Montreux Jazz Festival at Underground Atlanta
Sunday, September 2
Main Stage
1:00 pm – Jacob Latimore/Kacie Lynch/Dylan Cheek
2:30 pm – Saskia Laroo
4:30 pm – Chrisette Michele
5:30 pm – Film: Marvin Gaye: Live @ Montreux 1980
7:00 pm – Leela James


Fat Matt’s Blues Stage
3:00 Frankie’s Blues Mission
4:15 The Cazanovas
5:15 T-Bone Smith
6:15 The Electromatics Featuring Jon Liebman
7:15 Chicken Shack with Eddie Tigner



  

FRANK SINATRA – A VOICE IN TIME

The Frank Sinatra box set - Frank Sinatra: A Voice in Time (1939-1952), is scheduled to be released on September 25.  This collection will be include historical Sinatra timeframes that include The Big Band Years, Teen Idol, The Great American Songbook, and The Sound of Things to Come.  This set will feature previously 11 unreleased air checks and two previously unreleased alternate takes.  All of the 80 tracks have been remastered and inlcude 120-page hardcover book.

MILES DAVIS - EVOLUTION OF THE GROOVE

In honor of Miles Davis' 81st birthday on Saturday, May 26, the long-awaited release of Evolution Of The Groove Miles Davis Remix EP premieres tracks with Nas, Carlos Santana, Olu Dara and an A-list contemporary music ensemble featuring Miles' nephew Vince Wilburn, Jr., on drums and programming, guitarist Pat Thrall (Pat Travers Band, Meat Loaf) and bassist Charley Drayton (Rolling Stones, Iggy Pop, Divinyls).

Executive produced by Steve Berkowitz and Vince Wilburn, Jr., and co-produced by Wilburn, Jr., Thrall, and Drayton, Evolution Of The Groove was recorded mainly at the Hit Factory in New York City. Nas' vocals on the track "Freedom Jazz Dance," co-produced by jazz funk legend Lenny White (Return To Forever), were recorded at DARP Studios in Atlanta, Georgia. Tracks on Evolution Of The Groove remix EP include "Freddie Freeloader," "Freedom Jazz Dance" featuring Nas, "It's About That Time" featuring Carlos Santana (this is a longer version that the one originally included on 2006's "Cool & Collected"), "Honky Tonk" and "Black Satin." Both an homage to Miles and a continuation of the spirit and intention of his music, Evolution Of The Groove imagines Miles Davis in the 21st century, the lyricism of his horn and the power of his musical vision blending with contemporary hip-hop, jazz and rock in provocative new ways and seductive new grooves

NEW RELEASES...

Billie Holiday – Remixed & Reimagined (Columbia/Legacy)
Bruce Hornsby, Christian McBride & Jack DeJohnette – Camp Meeting (Legacy)
Dave Brubeck – Indian Summer (Telarc)
David Ruffin – So Soon We Change (Collector’s Choice)
David Ruffin – Gentleman’s Ruffin (Collector’s Choice)
Dean Martin – Forever Cool (Capitol/EMI)
Delfonics – Live In Concert (DVD, Soul Concerts)
Diana Ross – Last Time I Saw Him (Hip-O Select)
Edwin Starr – Live In Concert (DVD, Soul Concerts)
Fats Domino – Greatest Hits: Walking To New Orleans (Capitol/EMI)
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes – Live In Concert (DVD, Soul Concerts)
James Brown – The Singles Volume 3 (1964-1965 (Hip-O Select)
Kirk Whalum – Ultimate Kirk Whalum (Mosaic Contemporary)
Melba Moore – Live In Concert (DVD, Soul Concerts)
Miles Davis – Steamin’ With The Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige)
Najee – Rising Sun (Heads Up)
Natalie Cole – Inseparable (Mosaic Contemporary)
Patti Austin – Patti Austin (Mosaic Contemporary)
Stewart Copeland – The Stewart Copeland Anthology (Koch)
Thelma Houston – A Woman’s Touch (Shout! Factory)

JOHN SCOFIELD TOUR DATES

Here are John Scofield’s upcoming tour datess:
August 18 @ Summer Music Series, Lowell MA
August 26 @ Deer Valley Resort, Park City UT
August 31 @ Chicago Jazz Festival, Chicago IL
September 1 @ Detroit Jazz Festival, Detroit MI
September 13 @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC
September 15 @ Roseland Theater, Portland OR
September 16 @ Earthdance, Laytonville CA
September 19 @ Hawkins Amphitheatre; Reno NV
September 20 @ Montalvo Arts Center; Saratoga CA
September 21 @ The Fillmore; San Francisco CA
September 22 @ The Fillmore; San Francisco CA
October 4 @ Regattabar; Cambridge MA
October 5 @ Regattabar; Cambridge MA
October 6 @ Spaulding Auditorium; Hanover NH
October 7 @ Stone Church; Newmarket NH
October 9 @ Kuumbwa, Santa Cruz CA
October 10 @ Yoshi's, Oakland CA
October 11 @ Yoshi's, Oakland CA
October 12 @ Yoshi's, Oakland CA
October 13 @ Yoshi's, Oakland CA
October 14 @ Yoshi's, Oakland CA
October 16 @ Blue Note, New York NY
October 17 @ Blue Note, New York NY
October 18 @ Blue Note, New York NY
October 19 @ Blue Note, New York NY
October 20 @ Blue Note, New York NY
October 21 @ Blue Note, New York NY

All dates August 18 through September 22 are with Medeski, Martin & Wood.

FREE DOWNLOADS!

Check out our new feature - free downloads. Come back and check out the Jazz Chill Corner everday as we now will feature free downloads. Enjoy the music! See the banner on the left column.

KOOP RETURNS WITH "KOOP ISLANDS"

The Atlantic recording group KOOP has announced details of their much-anticipated new album, "KOOP ISLANDS." The collection -- which follows the Swedish nu-jazz duo's 2003 breakthrough, "WALTZ FOR KOOP" -- arrives in stores across North America on October 9th.

KOOP -- aka Oscar Simonsson and Magnus Zingmark -- is a true original, known for their groundbreaking sample-based amalgamation of jazz, hip-hop, dance, and electronica. Where "WALTZ FOR KOOP" was fueled by the duo's love of breezy Sixties jazz, the new collection sees KOOP venturing to the Caribbean in search of new musical inspiration. "KOOP ISLANDS" conjures up the exotic sensations of a late-night yacht cruise to Jamaica, effortlessly melding the characteristic KOOP vibes with a blend of Latin-tinged rhythms and calypso melodies. Joining KOOP on their remarkable tropical journey are a number of guest vocalists, including Yukimi Nagano, Mikael Sundin, and ex-Galliano frontman Rob Gallagher (all of whom were featured on "WALTZ FOR KOOP"), as well as the acclaimed Norwegian singer-songwriter Ane Brun.

Among the many highlights of "KOOP ISLANDS" is the syncopated "Come To Me," featured earlier this year on an episode of ABC's blockbuster "Grey's Anatomy." In addition, the Big Band-flavored track was used in a series of ABC promos from early April through the May sweeps.

To herald the new album's upcoming release, KOOP will make a rare U.S. concert appearance, slated for August 15th at Los Angeles' famed El Rey Theatre. The show is presented by KCRW, and produced by Bossa:Nova. When performing, Simonsson and Zingmark magically transform KOOP from a two-man studio project into a full-scale orchestra, complete with multiple singers and up to 9 live instruments. KOOP themselves play piano/accordion (Simonsson) and sampler (Zingmark). Emerging from Stockholm's inventive jazz scene in the late 1990s, KOOP drew immediate notoriety for their unique and passionate musical fusion. "WALTZ FOR KOOP," the duo's second album, established KOOP as true pioneers, unafraid to blend such diverse styles as bossa nova, Detroit techno, and acid house into their own 21st Century retro-cool groove. In the four years since its initial release, the collection slowly but surely grew to become an international sensation, finding its way into the hearts of more than 160,000 record buyers around the globe. A number of world tours followed, as well as hundreds of remixes for artists ranging from like-minded British duo Zero 7 to legendary Afro-Peruvian songstress Susana Baca.

NEW RELEASE: JOHN COLTRANE

Concord’s Prestige imprint will release a Interplay, a 5-CD box collection of John Coltrane’s side-man sessions, highlighting the late ‘50s Coltrane periods.  Various musicians are included in each of the sessions.  This box set will contain a 60-page booklet filled with photos and notes., and all the music has been digitally remastered from the original analogue tapes.  It’s scheduled for release on September 18.

KEN “SPIDER’ WEBB

For those of you who remember the voice of Ken ‘Spider’ Webb on WBLS back in the day, did you know that he can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio’s “Soul Town’ Channel 53, Monday through Friday from 6AM to 12PM EST? Ken ‘Spider’ Webb began his on-air broadcasting career in July 1971 when he became the very first morning drive-time man for New York’s WBLS-FM 107.5. By 1983, he had raised WBLS’ morning ratings to the number #1 position. Over the years, he has worked at WRKS-FM, WLIB-AM, WQCD-FM, and WWRL-AM. By the early 90’s Ken was involved in Internet streaming and continues to do so today with his own company, Webb Internet Radio. It’s an Internet radio and marketing and advertising company.

A PETER WHITE CHRISTMAS TOUR DATES

Peter White, Mindi Abair and Rick Braun have just finished work on their new holiday-themed CD. It will be released in November and it will concide with their 5th annual Christmas concert tour. Tracks on the CD will include “I Can’t Wait For Christmas”, and “The Best Part Of Christmas”. Tour dates are as follows:

November 24 – Huntington Beach, CA @ Hyatt Regency
November 25 – Santa Rosa, CA
November 27 – Annapolis, MD @ Ramshead
November 28 – Cleveland, OH @ Allen Theater
November 29 – Harrisburg, PA @ Sunoco Performance Theatre
November 30 – Huntington Station, NY @ IMAC
December 1 – Uncasvile, CT @ Mohegan Sun
December 2 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun
December 3 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
December 4 – Alexandria, VA @ The Birchmere
December 5 – Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theater
December 6 – Indianapolis, IN @ Music Mill
December 7 – Atlanta, GA @ Ferst Center for the Arts
December 9 – Destin, FL @ The Mattie Kelly Arts Centre
December 11 – Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckard Hall
December 12 – Jacksonville, FL @ The Florida Theatre
December 13 – Stuart, FL @ Lyric Theatre
December 15 – Dallas, TX @ The Palladium
December 16 – Houston, TX @ Verizon Theater
December 18 – Austin, TX @ One World Theatre
December 20 – Sacramento, CA @ Radisson Hotel Ballroom
December 21 – Fresno, CA @ Tower Theatre
December 22 – San Diego, CA @ Speckles

THIEVERY CORPORATION ADDS TOUR DATES

Thievery Corporation have added two more dates to their current mini-tour. They will appear at the Echo Project, Atlanta on October 13, and with their band at The House of Blues @ Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas on October 26. Thievery are setting plans for a full blown world tour in 2008 and are currently recording their upcoming album.

TONY BENNETT: THE MUSIC NEVER ENDS

Netflix the world's largest online movie rental service, today announced a multi-platform campaign for the release of "Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends." Developed through Netflix’s Red Envelope Entertainment banner, the deal includes exclusive television, retail and worldwide distribution agreements through partnerships with Thirteen/WNET New York, Target and Warner Home Video. “Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends” is produced by Clint Eastwood, in association with RPM Productions, and is edited by Joel Cox ("Million Dollar Baby"). The films chronicles and celebrates the life of legendary recording artist, 15-time Grammy(R) Award-winner and consummate performer, Tony Bennett. The films is written, directed and co-produced by veteran producer Bruce Ricker.

"Tony Bennett: The Music Never Ends" will be available to the more than six million Netflix subscribers for DVD rental and PC-based instant watching on September 25. Netflix will also merchandise the documentary to subscribers based on their rental history. Tony Bennett will actively promote the film through an extensive media campaign which will begin with the film's U.S. premiere on September 10 in New York. Target will share a day-and-date release with Netflix on September 25, with a six-week window as the exclusive retailer of the film.

Warner Home Video has acquired the rights to distribute the film within the U.S. and will release a two-disc special edition on November 13. This collector's edition of the documentary will include an extra 60 minutes of Tony Bennett concert footage from the 2005 Monterey Jazz Festival. VDI Entertainment has secured the rights to distribute Warner Home Video's edition of the film in Canada on the same date. Warner Home Video's strong interest in the film prompted the company to broaden their role in the project and take exclusive distribution rights for all media outside of North America.

PAOLO NUTINI ANNOUNCES MAJOR NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Recording artist Paolo Nutini has unveiled details of his upcoming North American tour, a two-month itinerary combining headlining dates with a series of co-headlining shows pairing the Scotland-born singer/songwriter with fellow British soul sensation Amy Winehouse. Nutini and his band kick off their tour in Buffalo, New York on September 7th, with the first of ten Nutini/Winehouse shows taking place at New York City's Central Park SummerStage on September 12th. Tickets for Nutini's own headlining shows -- which will run through the end of October -- go on sale Tuesday, July 24th via his website: www.paolonutini.com. [see below itinerary]

In the meantime, Nutini -- whose acclaimed debut album, "THESE STREETS," is proving a popular and critical phenomenon -- is appearing at some of summer's biggest festivals, including a recent performance at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Tennessee, and upcoming shows on August 4th at the Virgin Festival in Baltimore and August 5th at Lollapalooza 2007 in Chicago. Paolo and his band have also been appearing at a number of major UK festies, including: the Isle of Wight Festival 2007 on June 10 -- where Paolo dueted with Mick Jagger on "Love In Vain" during The Rolling Stones' festival-closing set; the Live Earth spectacular at Wembley Stadium on July 7th; his native Scotland's annual T In The Park on July 8th; and the upcoming V Festival 2007 on August 18th and 19th.

In other news, "Last Request" -- the latest single from "THESE STREETS" -- is proving a blockbuster at Triple A outlets nationwide, hitting #3 with a bullet on this week's chart. "New Shoes," the album's first single, was a #1 smash at the format, and a top 40 favorite at Hot AC, where it logged four consecutive months on the airplay chart.

On Tuesday, July 3rd, Nutini made his second in-concert appearance on NBC's "The Today Show," performing live in New York City's Rockefeller Plaza as part of the Toyota Summer Concert Series. Paolo -- whose song, "Million Faces," was featured on a recent episode of ABC's smash, "Grey's Anatomy" -- is also making waves at VH1, where the "Last Request" video is currently in "Medium" rotation. Earlier this year, VH1 named Paolo as one of its "You Oughta Know" artists, placing him among such previous VH1 YOK artists as James Blunt, KT Tunstall, Corrine Bailey Rae, the Fray, and Regina Spektor. "Last Request" recently had its all-day premiere on mtvU, where it is already among the channel's most popular new clips.

The 20-year-old tunesmith has been all over TV in recent months, with performances on a number of high-profile programs, including NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "Late Show with Conan O'Brien," and "The Today Show"; ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live"; and two visits to his fellow Scotsman Craig Ferguson's nightly CBS talker, "Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson." Moreover, Nutini's songs have been featured in such network series as NBC's "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip," the CW's "One Tree Hill," and ABC's "What About Brian" and "Men In Trees."

Released January 30th, "THESE STREETS" is quickly shaping up as one of the best-received debuts of 2007. Both People and USA Today awarded the album three-and-a-half stars, with the latter hailing, "the breath of talent (Nutini) shows... a series of thoughtful, evocative tunes that defy easy characterization." The New York Daily News noted that "voices like Nutini's come around just a few times in a generation. Better, 'THESE STREETS' shows he's found the songs to milk his for all its worth."

In addition, the New York Times' Jon Pareles offered high praise for Paolo's recent SRO show at New York's Bowery Ballroom. "(Nutini's voice is) cracked and raspy, with the edge of David Gray, the quavers of Jeff Buckley, and a streak of the blues. His phrasing is elastic and unpredictable; he jumps into lines after the beat and stretches them with syncopated moans... The songs take on a precocious gravity."

Born and raised in Paisley, Scotland, Nutini has quickly become a true star in the UK, where he recently received a "Best Male Solo Artist" nod from the annual Brit Awards. Produced by Ken Nelson (Coldplay, Ray LaMontagne, Badly Drawn Boy), "THESE STREETS" made a spectacular top 3 chart entry upon its July 2006 release, fueled by reams of critical celebration and the undeniable power of Paolo's impassioned blue-eyed soul.

Hailed by Billboard as one of their "Five To Watch," and named one of Rolling Stone's "10 Artists To Watch 2006," Nutini released his North American debut EP, "THE LIVE SESSIONS," last September to instant rave reviews, including a declaration from the New York Daily News' Jim Farber naming Paolo "the most thrilling new singer of the season."

PAOLO NUTINI
North American Tour - Fall 2007
*co-headlining with Amy Winehouse

SEPTEMBER
7 Buffalo, NY Albright-Knox Art Gallery
8 Toronto, ON Toronto Islands Park
9 Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau
10 South Burlington, VT Higher Ground Ballroom
12 New York, NY Central Park SummerStage*
13 Philadelphia, PA Tower Theatre*
14 Austin, TX Stubb's Bar-B-Q
15 Austin, TX ACL Festival/Zilker Park
18, 19 Los Angeles, CA The Wiltern LG*
21, 22 San Francisco, CA Warfield Theatre*
23 Del Mar, CA Del Mar Fairgrounds
24 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre*
25 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre*
26 Portland, OR Roseland Theater
28 Minneapolis, MN State Theater*
29 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom*

OCTOBER
1 Detroit, MI St. Andrews Hall
2 Cleveland, OH House Of Blues
4 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
5 Baltimore, MD Rams Head Live
6 Boston, MA Avalon Ballroom
8 Pittsburgh, PA Mr. Smalls Theater
10 Indianapolis, IN Egyptian Room
11 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
12 Madison, WI Barrymore Theatre
13 Des Moines, IA Val Air Ballroom
14 Saint Louis, MO The Pageant
16 Omaha, NE Sokol Auditorium
17 Kansas City, MO Uptown Theatre
19 Park City, UT Harry O's
21 Tempe, AZ Marquee Theatre
23 Dallas, TX House Of Blues
24 Houston, TX Warehouse Live
26 Nashville, TN Wildhorse
27 Atlanta, GA Tabernacle
28 New Orleans, LA Voodoo Island

TONY BENNETT SINGS THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK

Tony Bennett jumps into the Great American Songbook arena with the September 25 release of Tony Bennett Sings the REAL American Songbook, Volume 1 is set for release on September 25..  Nice.  The CD will include 15 cuts.  Also, the book - Tony Bennett in the Studio: A Life of Art and Music, will be released in October.  In addition to this, Snowball, a classic Christmas holiday album of standards from Tony Bennett, will be re-released on September 25 in a Deluxe Edition that will be prepared with a bonus DVD that features selections from a network TV special (Tony Bennett: A Family Christmas) and will include 7 song performances.

THE VERY BEST OF MICK JAGGER

THE VERY BEST OF MICK JAGGER, the first overview of his distinguished solo career, is set for release in the U.S. on October 2, on Atlantic/Rhino Records. It's a vivid reminder of the compelling gifts that brought Jagger fame in the first place. As an embodiment of all that rock 'n' roll can mean, he is virtually without peer and that is made plain on this compelling 17-track collection, which includes three previously unreleased performances.

But Mick, for better or worse, is also one of those figures who has far eclipsed the realm of rock 'n' roll to become one of the most recognizable names and faces in the world, as celebrated for who he is as for what he's accomplished. Indeed, he is a "musician and songwriter," one of the greatest singers in rock 'n' roll history, and a restless, adventurous artist.

The earliest track on the album is "Memo From Turner," a raw, R&B burner (showcasing Ry Cooder on slide guitar) that was featured in the seminal 1970 film "Performance," in which Jagger also starred. The most recent track, "Old Habits Die Hard," also references Jagger's film career. It originally appeared on the soundtrack (produced by Jagger and former Eurythmic Dave Stewart) of the 2004 film "Alfie," and it won a Golden Globe® for "Best Original Song." In between those two peaks, separated by more than three decades, Jagger released four solo albums: "She's The Boss" (1985), "Primitive Cool" (1987), "Wandering Spirit" (1993), and "Goddess In The Doorway" (2001). Ten selections from those albums appear on THE VERY BEST OF, including "God Gave Me Everything," which Jagger cowrote with Lenny Kravitz; "Joy," on which Bono contributes a guest vocal; "Sweet Thing," the singer's irresistibly sensual 1993 single; and "Evening Gown," a paean to lasting love that closes out this set.

THE VERY BEST OF also includes two dynamic collaborations on Motown songs, a favorite source of material for Jagger over the years. Reggae legend Peter Tosh, one of the founding members of The Wailers, was among the first artists signed to Rolling Stones Records in the late '70s. For Tosh's 1978 album, "Bush Doctor," he and Jagger collaborated on a seductive duet on The Temptations' hit, "(You Got to Walk And) Don't Look Back," which was written by Smokey Robinson and Ronald White.

Then, in 1985, Jagger teamed up with David Bowie to scorch Martha & The Vandellas' classic "Dancing in the Street," which was released as a single as part of the Live Aid effort to raise funds for famine relief in Ethiopia. The song went to #1 in England, and the video for it premiered at the Live Aid concert in Philadelphia.

The sizzling "Too Many Cooks (Spoil The Soup)," was produced by John Lennon and recorded by Jagger in 1973 in Los Angeles. The track features an all-star lineup that includes guitarists Danny Kortchmar and Jesse Ed Davis, keyboardist Al Kooper, bassist Jack Bruce, drummer Jim Keltner, and, on background vocals, singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson. It has never previously been released.

The album's two additional previously unreleased tracks are demos from Jagger's "Wandering Spirit" session with producer Rick Rubin. Jagger had sketched out "Charmed Life" (with his daughter Karis on backing vocals) but then decided the track didn't fit with the rest of the album. The rhythmically charged version on THE VERY BEST OF has been remixed by producer Ashley Beedle. "Taking the bare bones of the song and getting to the finished version with Ashley Beedle was a great creative collaboration," remarks Jagger.

Meanwhile, as they were making "Wandering Spirit," Rubin suggested that Jagger spend a day recording with The Red Devils, a torrid L.A. blues band. "The difficult decision I was faced with when listening to the tracks I recorded with The Red Devils, and having to choose only one, reminded me what a great band they were," says Jagger. One of the results of that session is Jagger's previously unreleased rollicking version of Sonny Boy Williamson's "Checkin' Up On My Baby."

While, for the most part, Jagger shuns self-revelation in his songs, this collection constitutes as rich a portrait of the singer as can be imagined. It shows him embracing a wide variety of musical forms -- blues, reggae, rock 'n' roll, dance music, ballads -- and impressing his own inimitable mark on them. It shows him addressing matters of the body and the spirit and celebrating all the ways that music engages us in our lives and in the lives of others. It shows Mick Jagger as a musician, singer, and songwriter, in short, and that's finally who he is. The very best of him is very good indeed.

"It was such a disparate time with lots of ups and down -- fortunately mostly up -- like you do generally have in life," explains Jagger. "For me, it's a great thing to listen to since all the songs speak to a certain time and make things come alive for me."

THE VERY BEST OF MICK JAGGER will be available at all retail outlets and at www.rhino.com for a suggested list price of $18.98. The album will also be available at digital retail outlets for a suggested price of $11.99, with ringtones available for six of the tracks.

THE VERY BEST OF MICK JAGGER
Track Listing

1. God Gave Me Everything
2. Put Me In The Trash
3. Just Another Night
4. Don't Tear Me Up
5. Charmed Life*
6. Sweet Thing
7. Old Habits Die Hard
8. Dancing In The Street
9. Too Many Cooks*
10. Memo From Turner
11. Lucky In Love
12. Let's Work
13. Joy
14. Don't Call Me Up
15. Checkin' Up On My Baby*
16. (You Gotta Walk And) Don't Look Back
17. Evening Gown

*Previously Unreleased

CAPITOL/EMI TO RELEASE ‘HOLLYWOOD’S GREATEST HITS’, 2-CD SET

Some of the greatest film directors and composers working today, including Francis Ford Coppola, Ang Lee, Spike Lee, John Barry, Gustavo Santaolalla and David Shire, celebrate the impact music has on our movie-going experience in "Lights! Action! Music!", a new television documentary premiering exclusively on WLIW New York Public Television tonight at 9:30pm ET. On August 14, Capitol/EMI will release a new 2-CD companion titled "Hollywood's Greatest Hits," showcasing 45 classic compositions featured in "Lights! Action! Music!". Following tonight's premiere, WLIW will distribute the program to public television stations nationwide throughout August (check local listings).

"Hollywood's Greatest Hits" is a unique recording achievement. Produced by Dan Lieberstein, the project was crafted with the purpose of preserving the legacy of these great film scores. Since the written scores for many of these films have been lost through the decades, each composition included on "Hollywood's Greatest Hits" was first painstakingly transcribed by expert musicians around the world before it could be recorded. The project was then taken to the Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra and recorded using the latest audio technology. "Hollywood's Greatest Hits" is a recording that will enrich any film lover's library and impress any audiophile.

"In Lights! Action! Music!", using classic examples of unforgettable scores from films such as "The Great Train Robbery", "Rocky" and "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three", many of today's top filmmakers and composers reveal their inspiration and let movie-goers in on the creative process that makes motion pictures emotional. Movie audiences might not take conscious note of the music in a movie that is not a musical, but these passionate interviews about the art of scoring for film will spark a new appreciation for the role just a single note in the opening scene can take on. Director Mira Nair ("Monsoon Wedding"), points to the score's ability to tell audiences "from the first tone, the first note, that you're going to have a bloody good time at this movie."

Composer John Barry, whose work includes "Out of Africa" and ten James Bond films, describes how music is often an "emotional signpost" in movies. Francis Ford Coppola marvels at a composer's ability to "come up with a musical expression of the entire movie in just a few notes," as David Shire did with the opening notes for "The Taking of Pelham One Two Three". And Spike Lee, whose frequent musical collaborator Terence Blanchard also appears in the program, explains, "As a director, you've seen the film a million times. For me, the film never really becomes a film until the score is put in."

As demonstrated in "Lights! Action! Music!" and "Hollywood's Greatest Hits," a great movie score helps make that world real and unforgettable, and makes you want the movie not to end. Try imagining Rocky Balboa climbing those steps in Philadelphia without Bill Conti's heroic theme and one starts to understand.

MARCUS JOHNSON RELEASES 10th SOLO CD

Keyboardist Marcus Johnson released his tenth solo CD, The Phoenix, on his own Three Keys label. The first single from the set is his smooth jazz composition "The Road To Los Suenos." The tune was inspired by Johnson's trip to a resort in Costa Rica. The new album features 11 original songs, 10 of them co-written by Johnson himself. His piano skills get support from fellow keyboardist and singer Frank McComb, vocalist Nicki Gonzalez, saxophonist Phillip Martin, and guitarist Stanley Cooper on the recording. Johnson's most recent release was the charity CD In Concert For A Cause, which raises money for the Washington, D.C. area's YMCA "Building Bridges" program.

ULTIMATE SANTANA ARRIVES IN STORES OCTOBER 6 ON ARISTA

First Ever Compilation to Include Explosive Hits From Arista Years Starting In 1999 - And Original First-Generation Columbia Hits, 1969-'71. Features three previously unreleased tracks - collaborations with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback ("Into the Night"), Tina Turner ("The Game Of Love"), and a new track to be announced.

For the first time, the entire 20th and 21st century scope of Santana is presented together on one volume - from the Woodstock era rock and blues band that single-handedly brought West Coast Latin rhythms into the progressive-FM stream in the 1970s, up through their mega-platinum Grammy Award-winning years as Rock And Roll Hall of Fame inductees in 1998, and Arista recording artists beginning in 1999. ULTIMATE SANTANA, a career-spanning celebration of an artist and their music, is highlighted by three previously unreleased tracks - separate collaborations with Chad Kroeger of Nickelback, Tina Turner, and a new track in the works - and will arrive in stores October 16th on Arista. The first single and newly recorded track "Into The Night" with Chad Kroeger goes for adds at all formats August 20th and video debut news will be announced soon.

ULTIMATE SANTANA marks the first anthology to include touchstone tracks from the band's earliest hitmaking years on Columbia Records alongside the groundbreaking collaborations that highlighted their three consecutive blockbuster Arista albums: Supernatural (1999), Shaman (2002), and All That I Am (2005). All three albums were produced by Carlos Santana and Clive Davis - a welcome reunion for the executive who first signed Santana to Columbia Records and oversaw their formative years on the path to international superstardom starting in 1969.

Three decades later, Supernatural became - and remains - anunsurpassed industry phenom, 15-times RIAA platinum in the U.S. alone, the #6 best-selling album in Soundscan history, with nearly double that number of sales worldwide. The album spent 102 weeks on the Billboard chart including 12 weeks at #1 -- no album since then has logged more than 8 weeks at the top. The album's success was fueled by the smash single "Smooth" (co-written by and featuring Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty) which spent 12 weeks at #1 on the hot 100, Santana's first #1 single; and "Maria Maria" (featuring Product G&B), 10 weeks at #1 pop, and 3 weeks at #1 R&B.

Most significantly, Supernatural generated an all-time record-breaking nine GRAMMY awards for a single album project, including Album Of the Year and Best Rock Album, as well as Record Of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration, all for "Smooth," plus Best Pop Performance by a Duo/Group for "Maria Maria," and Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group for "Put Your Lights On" (featuring Everlast). There were also premiere Latin GRAMMY Awards (the show's first year) for Record Of The Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group for "Corazon Espinado" (featuring Mana). ALL four of these hits are included on ULTIMATE SANTANA.

Supernatural was a hard act to follow -- but 2002's Shaman gave Santana a second consecutive #1 multi-platinum album. The lead single track was "The Game of Love" featuring Michelle Branch -- which is also heard here in a previously unreleased version featuring Tina Turner. The album also included "Why Don't You and I," a track with Chad Kroeger, who joins Carlos on the new sure-to-be smash hit single "Into The Night." The third in this series of collaborative albums was 2005's All That I Am, which entered the Billboard 200 albums chart at #2. From that album, ULTIMATE SANTANA highlights the anthemic rock performance "Just Feel Better" (featuring Steven Tyler of Aerosmith).

The ultimate triumph of ULTIMATE SANTANA, is how phenomenal the earliest recordings on Columbiasound next to their most recent post-millennial work. From Santana's self-titled debut album -- released on Tuesday, August 19, 1969, following their historic Saturday afternoon performance at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair -- comes their first Top 10 single, "Evil Ways." From their second album, 1970's Abraxas, come two songs that appeared back-to-back on the LP and are inextricably linked forever, Tito Puente's "Oye Como Va" and Fleetwood Mac's "Black Magic
Woman," plus a third original Santana staple, "Samba Pa Ti."

1971's appropriately titled Santana III is sampled with two singles that extended their run of Top 40 hits, "Everybody's Everything" and "No One To Depend On." Finally, ULTIMATE SANTANA jumps ahead five years to "Europa" from Amigos, the 1976 album that introduced new lead singer Greg Walker, who stayed in the band for more than a decade.

2007 represents 40 years since the original Santana Blues Band played its first shows at Bill Graham's Fillmore West in San Francisco. Today, Santana is virtually unique among all the first generation Bay Area bands as the only one to have sustained its success on the charts and on the road as a sold-out stadium attraction. Their track record boasts 20 RIAA gold, platinum and multi-platinum albums (including their first 14 consecutive certifications) and lifetime sales of more than 90 million albums worldwide. ULTIMATE SANTANA pays homage to the full spectrum of Carlos Santana's longevity, creativity, and soulful musical conscience.

ULTIMATE SANTANA (tentative track listing)

"Into The Night" (featuring Chad Kroeger) - previously unreleased
New track - title/artist to be announced
"Smooth" (w/Rob Thomas) - from album Supernatural (released June 15, 1999)
"Maria Maria" (w/Product G&B) - from album Supernatural (released June 15,1999)
"Put Your Lights On" (w/Everlast) - from album Supernatural (released June 15, 1999)
"Corazon Espinado" (w/Mana) - from album Supernatural (released June 15,1999)
"The Game of Love" (w/Michelle Branch) - from album Shaman (released Oct. 22, 2002)
"The Game of Love" (w/Tina Turner) - previously unreleased
"Why Don't You and I" (w/Chad Kroeger) - from album Shaman (released Oct. 22, 2002)
"Just Feel Better" (w/Steven Tyler) - from album All That I Am (released Nov. 1, 2005)
"Oye Como Va" - from album Abraxas (released Sept. 1970)
"Black Magic Woman" - from album Abraxas (released Sept. 1970)
"Evil Ways" - from album Santana (released Aug. 19, 1969)
"Everybody's Everything" - from album Santana III (released Sept. 1971)
"Europa" - from album Amigos (released March 1976)
"SambaPaTi" - from album Abraxas (released Sept. 1970)
"No One To Depend On" - from album Santana III (released Sept. 1971)

SOUL EXPRESS, GUITARS & SAXES, & JAZZ ATTACK AT 20th LONG BEACH JAZZ FESTIVAL

Jody Watley, Lalah Hathaway,and Everette Harp are among the artists set to appear at the upcoming 20th Long Beach Jazz Festival this summer. Others scheduled to appear at the Aug. 10-12 event are Chris Stranding, plus Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Jeff Golub, Tim Bowman, and Warren Hill performing as “Guitars & Saxes”, and Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot, and Peter White taking the stage as “Jazz Attack”. Watley will join Everette Harp and Chris Standring for the ‘Soul Express” show.The concert will tale place at Rainbow Lagoon Park and will feature some surprise guests.

GAMBLE & HUFF PIR CATALOG LICENSED TO SONY BMG MUSIC

Sony BMG Music Entertainment has entered into an historic agreement to license the complete catalog of music from Philadelphia International Records (PIR), the groundbreaking hit-making label founded by Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971, to be released through Sony BMG Music Entertainment's Commercial Music Group and Legacy Recordings.

The monumental PIR reissue project will be conducted under the direct auspices of Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, the Grammy-winning multi-platinum- selling writing and production team who created one of the most recognizable and influential catalogs of pop and soul music ever
recorded.

The Gamble-Huff collaborative chemistry generated a series of massive hits throughout the 1960s including "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me" (a regional hit for Dee Dee Warwick later covered by Diana Ross & the Supremes and the Temptations), the Soul Survivors' "Expressway To Your Heart," the team's first Top 5 record, and the Intruder's 1968 breakout "Cowboys To Girls," blueprints for the emerging trademark sound of Philly Soul. In 1971, Gamble and Huff founded PIR as the outlet for their creative vision. Building a stable of Philly-based talent -- including Patti LaBelle, Archie Bell & the Drells, Jerry Butler, the Ebonys, the Intruders, the O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, MFSB, the Three Degrees, Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls, to name a few -- PIR recordings reached the tops of the charts from day one, at one point selling more than 10 million records in a nine month period, with hits like Billy Paul's "Me & Mrs. Jones," a Grammy-winning #1 pop and R&B smash, Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes' "If You Don't Know Me By Now," and the O'Jay's "Backstabbers" and "Love Train."

"We are extremely glad and ecstatic about being back home with Sony BMG to continue the partnership that helped launch this incredible music 35 years ago," said PIR co-founders Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff. "This is a fantastic opportunity to bring the sounds of Philly Soul to new and established audiences in fresh and exciting ways. We're honored to know that the R&B and soul music we love so much will continue to provide the soundtrack to the lives of so many fans, young and old, all over the world."

"The sounds of PIR are a vital and indispensable part of American pop music history," said John Ingrassia, President of Sony BMG Music Entertainment's Commercial Music Group. "It's a thrill and an honor to be working directly with Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff to find new ways of bringing classic Philly Soul music into the lives of music fans everywhere."

In the early 1960s in Philadelphia, songwriter and performer Kenny Gamble and in-demand session pianist Leon Huff wrote more than 14 songs together during their first chance meeting. That fortuitous encounter led to one of the most prodigious songwriting and production partnerships in R&B and pop music history.

By 1973, PIR was second only to Motown as the largest African-American owned company in America. Over the years, the Gamble and Huff team has been responsible for 70 #1 pop and R&B singles and 175 RIAA gold, platinum, and multi-platinum certifications. To-date, the Kenny Gamble and Leon Huff partnership has produced more than 3,500 songs and won 5 Grammys.

Having been covered or sampled by a vast array of artists including Jay-Z, Babyface, Nelly, OutKast, Angie Stone, Simply Red (whose 1989 version of "If You Don't Know Me By Now" was a #1 record earning Gamble and Huff the Best R&B Song Grammy), Bette Midler, Mary J. Blige, Michael Buble, Kanye West, 50 Cent and T.I., among many others, Gamble and Huff songs and productions have entered the musical DNA of contemporary culture. It has been reported that one of Gamble and Huff's songs is played on the radio somewhere in the world every 13.5 minutes.

One of the most sought-after and heavily licensed catalogs of music in the world, the sounds of Gamble and Huff have figured prominently in television programs, films and advertising spots for more than 30 years. MFSB's #1 hit from 1974, "TSOP (The Sound of Philadelphia)," is best-known
as the theme song for "Soul Train" while the O'Jay's funk/soul classic "For The Love Of Money," first released in 1973, enjoyed a massive resurgence as the theme song for Donald Trump's reality show, "The Apprentice" in 2004. Gamble-Huff songs may be heard in the soundtracks for a host of recent Hollywood films including the Bernie Mac-Ashton Kutcher romantic comedy "Guess Who" (2005) and Eddie Murphy's 1996 hit "The Nutty Professor." Gamble-Huff songs have been used in high-profile television ad campaigns for Verizon, Old Navy, the Gap and Coors Beer, among many others.

With a catalog that has lasted more than 35 years, Gamble and Huff continue to receive national and international accolades with the duo's music being prominently featured on such top-rated shows as Donald Trump's "The Apprentice," "Dancing With The Stars," and "American Idol," which have showcased such Gamble and Huff produced hit recordings as "For The Love Of Money," "If You Don't Know Me By Now," "Don't Leave Me This Way" and others throughout their respective seasons. Most recently, the NBC "Today" show honored Gamble and Huff for their more than 45 years of creative work as music producers.

Gamble and Huff and the PIR catalog have been bestowed with countless accolades and honors including the 1999 Trustees Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS & the Grammy Foundation) for their "significant contributions ... to the field of recording." For their historic contributions to dance, soul and disco music, Gamble and Huff were inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame in September 2005. As prolific songwriters for a host of artists, Gamble and Huff were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994. Gamble-Huff artists and productions have received multiple awards from the Rhythm & Blues Foundation. Gamble and
Huff were recipients of the prestigious Ivor Novello Award, presented in London by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters, in 2006.

PIR became the birthplace, incubator and launching pad for the Philly Soul sound, a unique blend of R&B rhythms, sweet soul vocals, deep funk grooves, pulsing horn charts and lush string arrangements with melodic structures combining elements of pop, jazz and world music. A sophisticated sound lovingly crafted in the studio by some of the 20th century's most influential producers and production teams -- including Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead, Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, Joe Tarsia and others -- Philly Soul set the stage for disco, smooth jazz, adult contemporary music and more.

The new PIR licensing agreement will allow Legacy Recordings and theSony BMG Music Entertainment Commercial Music Group to release PIR recordings drawn from the entire history of the label. The PIR reissue project will consist of releases in physical and digital media (including ringtones and other cell phone and PDA applications) and will include artist-specific and thematic compilations, new additions to the "Essentials" series, live and unreleased material, and many more secret finds and rarities to be mined from the deep and coveted collection of classic recordings in the PIR vaults. The PIR reissue project will debut in October with two new double-disc collections: "The Essential Lou Rawls" and "The Essential Teddy Pendergrass."

A major roll-out for the PIR reissue project is being planned for 2008 -- the 45th anniversary of the first Gamble-Huff collaboration – with major releases scheduled throughout the year.

Legacy Recordings, the Grammy Award-winning catalog label of Sony BMG Music Entertainment, produces and maintains the world's greatest catalog of digitally remastered titles in the historic reissue field, encompassing the genres of pop, rock, jazz, blues, R&B, folk, country, gospel, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, world music, comedy and more. Legacy's primary resource is the vast 20th century archives of Columbia Records (including ARC, Brunswick, OKeh, and Vocalion), the Epic family of labels (including PIR), the archives of RCA Records (including Victor, Bluebird, Buddah, Kama Sutra, Groove and Vik), the BMG family of labels including Arista (including Amy Mala Bell), Jive, Profile, Silvertone, and Windham Hill, as well as such associated imprints as American, Bang!, CTI, Mainstream, Monument, Ode, and others.