LOW-COST TRANSPORTABLE HD RADIOS

JVC Mobile Entertainment announced today that it is offering the industry's first plug-and-play HD Radio receiver. The new transportable for car and home, KT-HDP1, is currently shipping to Best Buy stores across the country. "It is with great enthusiasm that we launch this new HD Radio product that is both low priced and easy for consumers to install in their cars and at home," said JVC Mobile Entertainment, Chad Vogelsong, General Manager, Marketing. "Following the overwhelming sales of our HD Radio head unit, the KD-HDR1, this transportable is the first of several new JVC HD Radio products that will be coming to market over the next 18 months."

An AM/FM/HD Radio multicast tuner, the KT-HDP1 adapts to most vehicles and has three installation options: a do-it-yourself car install kit that does not require removing the radio; a simple home kit; and, a professional car kit that does require removing existing radios. HD Radio data is showcased on a full dot matrix LCD display. Other features include white backlight and blue key illumination, 5-way navigation keys, 18FM and 6 AM preset channels HD Radio station scan and seek and 3.5 mini plug audio out. Suggested retail price is $129 for the tuner itself plus $49 for the home and do-it-yourself car kits or $39 for the provision car installation kit.

HD Radio(TM) broadcasting is crystal-clear, subscription-free digital AM and FM radio. It's your local radio stations, gone digital. More than 1,500 stations across the country are now broadcasting with HD Radio technology, offering over 700 new HD2 Multicasting channels to their local communities with unique new content devoted to everything from classic to new country, blues to the BBC, tropical to eclectic chill-out. HD Radio receivers offer valuable information across their display screens, such as song title, artist, traffic, weather, news, school closings and other emergency alerts. HD Radio broadcasting offers vastly superior sound: AM sounds like FM stereo; FM is CD- like quality. With an HD Radio receiver, all of this new programming and more is free, no monthly subscription fees.

DEODATO – DO IT AGAIN: THE FANTASTIC JAZZ FUNK OF EUMIR DEODATO- JAZZ CLUB

He may not be recording these days, but that does not mean that you can revisit the great music that Eumir Deodato recorded way back in the day. This new release features his mid 70s sides for MCA, recorded right after his better-known records for CTI! The set list here is totally great -- and features most of the best tracks from Deodato's four albums for MCA – and includes a 14 track collection that's filled with wonderful keyboard grooves. Titles include "Amani", "Do It Again", "Moonlight Serenade", "Havana Strut", "Whirlwinds", "Juanita", "Funk Yourself", "Adam's Hotel", "Black Widow", and "Super Strut".

MANU DIBANGO – AFRICAVISION VOL. 3 – LE CINEMA DE MANU DIBANGO

Here’s a set that features a wide range of soundtrack material by Dibango-- recorded over the space of a few decades, and showing a much fuller side of his music. The CD features 19 tracks recorded in the years 1976 through 2003 -- with full notes in English and French -- and titles that include "Les Promesses", "La Peur", "Jesu Christo", "Ceddo", "La Colere Des Dieux", "Montreal Jazz Festival", "Wild Man In The City", "Generique Du Fin", "Le Chef", "Mouvement Ewondo", "Medley", and "Sabal Dance". Great stuff if you enjoy Afro-Jazz-Pop.

NEW RELEASES FROM ANGIE STONE, JIMMY SOMMERS, PEABO BRYSON, SOUL BALLET, BONEY JAMES & OTHERS…

Angela Johnson – A Woman’s Touch
Angie Stone – The Art Of Love And War
Ann Nesby – This Is Love
Bill Bergman – Universe Soul
Boney James – Christmas Presents
Diana Krall – The Very Best Of Diana Krall
Ed Johnson & Novo Tempo – The Other Road
Eric Marienthal – Just Around The Corner
Evelyn Champagne King – Open Book
Herbie Hancock – River: The Joni Letter
Jagged Edge – Baby Making Project
Jill Scott – The Real Thing
Jimmy Sommers – Sunset Collective
Keith Andrew - Contemplation
Keyshia Cole – Just Like You
Lake Effect – Brighter Moments
Marvin Winans – Alone But Not Alone
Michael Ross - Reloaded
N-Groove – It’s Who We Are
Peabo Bryson – Missing You
Rahsaan Patterson – Wine And Spirits
Raul Midon – A World Within A World
Sharon ones & The Dap Kings – 100 Days And 100 Nights
Soul Ballet – Lavish
Tony Adamo – Straight Up Deal
Ty Causey - Expressions
Vickie Winans – Happy Holidays
Wk. End Band – How ‘Bout Us
Will Preston - Live

JILL SCOTT – THE REAL THING

Jill Scott once again proves that she is one of the greatest soul singers around these days.There's a sense of flow throughout the album with fantastic instrumentation that adds to the overall feel of the CD. Titles include "The Real Thing", "Hate On Me", "Come See Me", "Crown Royal", "Epiphany", "My Love", "Insomnia", "How It Makes You Feel", "Only You", "Celibacy Blues", and "All I". CD features 2 bonus tracks -- "Imagination/Crown Royal Suite" and "Rightness" -- and DVD features videos from "A Long Walk", "Golden", "Cross on My Mind", "My Love", and "Hate On Me" - plus "The Reel From The Real Jill Scott", an interview featurette! (Limited edition.) The CD is available in two different covers.

MARVIN GAYE – GREATEST HITS LIVE IN ’76 (DVD)

More and more live Marvin Gaye music is being released these days and this one is from a live date recorded in Holland in 1976. It’s an hour long concert featuring Gaye performing his hits, including "All The Way Round", "Since I Had You", "Hitch Hike", "I Heard It Through The Grapevine", "Stubborn Kind Of Fellow", "What's Happening", "Save The Children", "It Takes Two", "Ain't No Mountain High Enough", and "Distant Lover". (DVD is NTSC format, Region 1 & 4.)

FIVE CORNERS QUINTET w/MARK MURPHY REMIXES

The Five Corners Quintet return with three remixes on this new 12” release. "Before We Say Goodbye" get a hot electrified Jori Hulkkonen remix, with some vocals from Mark Murphy. DJ Mitsu tackles "Lighthouse" -- adding in lots of chunky bits on the bottom, plus a fair bit of extra Fender Rhodes and moog as well. The last cut, "Trading Eights" gets a ‘Punkassdiscomix”treatment from Tuomas Kallio.

CEU 17-DATE FALL TOUR DATES

Ceu stats her U.S tour in Chicago on October 15 and will be heading to Boston, New York, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, and San Francisco on this outing. Full dates and venues are as follows.

Oct. 15 – Chicago, Il @ Martyrs
Oct. 15 – East Lansing, MI @ Wharton Center for the Performing Arts
Oct. 17 – Chicago, Il @ Old Town School of Music
Oct. 20 – Monterey, CA @ Monterey County Fair Grounds
Oct. 22 – Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Oct. 24 – New York, NY @ Hiro Ballroom & Lounge
Oct. 25 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Oct. 27 – Alburquerque, NM @ National Hispanic Cultural Center
Oct. 30 – Solana, Beach @ Belly Up
Oct. 31 – Los Angeles, CA @ The El Rey
Nov. 2 – Napa, CA @ Napa Valley Opera House
Nov. 3 – San Francisco, CA @ Palace of Fine Arts
Nov. 6 – Eugene, OR @ Wow Hall
Nov. 7 – Portland, OR @ Aladdin Theatre
Nov. 9 – Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
Nov. 10 – Seattle, WA @ The Triple Door
Nov 12 – Kennesaw, GA @ Kennesaw State Univerity

MYTUNE.COM

Finally there's a place where every kind of music lover can connect -- MyTune.com. MyTune is a new interactive website bringing together music fans, bands, and top industry professionals to present fresh, up-and-coming artists with the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity at being discovered and making it big in an otherwise cutthroat industry. MyTune has something for everyone -- bands, fans, and industry insiders. A place for music hopefuls to showcase their talent, allowing fans and industry executives alike the chance to find music's next best thing all on one website.

MyTune offers its members amazing social networking capabilities, strictly catered to, and supported by, the music industry. It is the only site that is sponsored by Major Record companies and Indy labels including: Universal Music (Canada), Universal Music (US) (Interscope, Geffen, A&M), Universal Music (UK), Verve Records (Canada), Sony BMG (US Nashville), Sony BMG (Canada), HiBias Records (Canada), EMI Music (Canada), XM Radio (Canada), Wind Up Records (Canada), Curve Music Canada, RCD Music, Iceberg Records, Music Network/TiAmo Records (Canada), Warner Music Group (Canada), Bumstead Productions (Canada), RCA/J Records (US), Jellybean Records (US), Rhino Records (US), and Stonebridge Productions (Stockholm).

MyTune will bridge that ever-present gap between unknown artists and industry executives. As esteemed record label executive and industry legend, Russ Regan, noted, "MyTune is definitely going to be the bridge between the dreamer and the dream maker -- So dreamers, get with it."

The MyTune concept is simple -- with their free MyTune membership, music fans take the industry into their own hands, logging on to play, listen and vote for the artist they think deserves a chance to get a record deal as well as a number of other cash prizes. Every three months, the three bands with the most votes will have their music heard by record industry executives who will then choose their top pick, awarding that lucky band with $5K and the opportunity to record a demo with a top producer. At the end of the year, the four finalists will compete in an exclusive online MyTune battle of the bands competition. The band with the most fan votes will win $25K and the chance to sign with a major record label as the MyTune "Artist of the Year."

LUIS QUINTERO – PERCUSSION MADNESS REVISITED

Luis Quintero once again teams up with producer Louie Vega to rework tracks from their previous Percussion Madness release. If you don’t already own the first release, you would not know that most of the tracks here are remixes of work from the first LP. However, aA few other tracks are new to the album -- including a great remake of the Latin Soul classic "Skinny Papa", done with percussion from Jose Mangual and Milton Cardona. Other highlights include a jazzy remix of "Our Love" by Nicola Conte, and a guest appearance by Claudia Acuna on "Free My Soul". Other titles include "Music For Gong Gong", "Tumbao", "Love Remains The Same", "Aquilas Coisas Todas", "Quintero's Jam", and "Bonatune".

BRAND NEW HEAVIES – GET USED TO IT REMIXES

The Brand New Heavies latest Get Used To It set is re-invented here by the talents of a host of great remixers! Included here are multiple remixes of just a few tracks off of the album. Included is the Kenny Dope "remix", "dub", and "beats" versions of "Let's Do It Again"; Jan Vs Players with both a remix and instrumental takes on "Let's Do It Again"; Tom Moulton mixes "All Fired Up", "We've Got", and "Right On" -- the latter two in instrumental versions; and "Get Used To It" is presented in an album dub, and both "groove" and "reggae" remixes by Bass Over Babylon.

LEDISI – LOST & FOUND

Ledisi’s “Lost & Found” is the highly-anticipated release from the critically-acclaimed vocalist. It features 16 original songs that take a poignant look at life and love in all its phases. The new album showcases Ledisi’s exceptional talent as a vocalist and songwriter, seamlessly blending classic R&B, jazz, funk, and gospel. It’s her debut on the Verve label.

Tracks:
Been Here (Intro) I Tried
Joy Lost And Found (Find Me)
You And Me We Are One
Best Friend The One
Alright Someday
Think Of You Been There (Outro)
Today
Get To Know You
Updside Down
In The Morning

MICHAEL BUBLE – LOST VIDEO

Hip Digital Media, a full service digital media agency, today announced that Warner Bros. international recording artist, Michael Buble, will be premiering his new video "Lost" through the Aeroplan Music Store, a custom-branded online music store created and powered by Hip Digital Media. Itiva Networks, a Video Content Delivery Network, developed the innovative transport mechanism to deliver the Bublé video across the Internet. The single comesfrom Buble's current album, Call Me Irresponsible and the premiere will be a worldwide exclusive running for a 24-hour period, starting at 6 pm ET on September 26th at http://www.aeroplan.com and http://www.aeroplanmusicstore.com before any music video channel, video show, radio station or website on the planet has access to it.

"The Michael Buble video premiere is a milestone shift as record companies and other major content producers now recognize that web users expect service quality much closer to television," said Michel Billard, Chairman and CEO of Itiva Networks. "We are pleased and excited to be part of Michael Buble's innovative approach to introduce his latest work and expand his fan base. We expect to see more of these types of events in the future as content producers reach out to web viewers by showcasing digital media online before that content appears on traditional media such as television and radio."

The new Michael Buble video will be digitally delivered over the Internet by Itiva Networks of Palo Alto, Calif. Itiva's unique technology enables content producers to deliver videos in robust full-screen, brilliant viewing quality to massive audiences on any device anywhere
around the world.

"A video premiere available exclusively through the Aeroplan Music Store is a bold move by both Warner Music Canada and Michael Buble," said Hip Digital Media President & CEO, Mark Holden. "Digital Content has increasingly become a primary source of entertainment for consumers worldwide and this is a great opportunity to showcase this new video through the award winning Aeroplan website. We are impressed by Warner Music Canada's foresight and ability to recognize this phenomenon and we are certain that this is a trend that other artists will follow in the
future."

The Buble premiere immediately follows the successful joint launch of the Aeroplan Musicstore with Hip Digital Media, which took place earlier this month. Hip Digital has a long-standing presence in the music industry as well as a strong technological background. Their media expertise, proprietary platform and sophisticated pin code technology have helped launch several corporate branded campaigns and increase customer and brand loyalty with incentive programs designed around digital music downloads

DAVE MULLEN & BUTTA CD RELEASE ‘MAHONEY’S WAY’ DUE OCT 1, 2007

From the label that brought you Brian Jackson's "Gotta Play", Roberts Music Group (a division of Buck n Run Entertainment Inc.), has launched, for special re-release, the CD entitled "Mahoney's Way" by Boston's own Dave Mullen & Butta. "Mahoney's Way" which was originally available in May of 2006, is the brainchild of Dave Mullen (AKA "Mahoney), saxophonist, composer and producer. Dave truly is a unique voice on his instrument, blending a long lineage of players into a vital and original style. The debut release of Dave Mullen & Butta fuses a wide margin of what we call contemporary jazz. From sultry ballads to jazz/funk grooves, timely vocal tunes, and gospel infused throw downs, the album works on many levels. The CD features such musical heavyweights as Nile Rodgers, Marc Ribot, Mark Egan and Victor Jones. He continues to push the envelope with his unique musical vision, which is apparent on this new release.

WEBCASTERS REJECT LATEST SOUNDEXCHANGE OFFER

Thousands of webcasters stand firm by rejecting the most recent Copyright Royalty Rate proposal made by SoundExchange. The latest take it or leave it "offer" made by SoundExchange on behalf of the recording industry has done nothing to further negotiations with webcasters, and a mere 24 small and hobbiest webcasters have felt they had no choice but to give in to big record labels demands.

"The latest proposal made by SoundExchange is extremely disappointing, at a time where we need real progress, not hollow tricks," SaveNetRadio spokesperson Jake Ward said. "While the clock continues to tick for webcasters, SoundExchange continues to play games with their good faith. The resounding rejection of this offer should serve as a reminder to SoundExchange, and to Congress, that the webcasting community is intent on a lasting and fair resolution to this issue, and willing to fight for it.

"We, the undersigned have made it very clear to the Sound Exchange exactly why this latest offer is unrealistic and unacceptable. Its terms are not viable for webcasters seeking to run sustainable, profitable businesses."

One such term is the newly added ATH (Aggregate Tuning Hour) cap which immediately makes many mid-level webcasters ineligible for the recently presented agreement. Internet radio stations with more than 8000 average listeners do not qualify for the offer, stations currently under the ATH cap will have 6 months to transition to the CRB rate. "This is effectively putting them out of business or forcing them to scale back their audience," says Rusty Hodge, General Manager of SomaFM.com.

"This deal is not feasible for anyone who wants to grow and create a sustainable business," says Hodge.

Val Starr of GotRadio.com, says "In addition to the $1.25 million revenue cap, which limits growth and puts in place a dangerously low hard ceiling for revenue generation. The Small Business Administration revenue cap for over-the-air broadcasters to be considered a small business is $6.5 million -- this would seem a fair cap, with precedent."

Hodge says it is "even worse for independent broadcasters, since the offer only covers approximately 20,000 copyright holders that are registered SoundExchange members. That is less than 1/10th the number of different artists played by internet radio stations in the US last year."

Under the SoundExchange offer, in order to broadcast artists not on that limited roster, webcasters would have to pay at the March 2007 CRB rate. "These are bankruptcy-level rates, which were set in the fatally flawed Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) ruling in March. Those CRB rates were condemned by webcasters, the press, and members of Congress and deemed as wildly out of line and detrimental to all parties concerned -- including the RIAA," according to Hodge. "Webcasters have asked for a reasonable, long term solution, not one that is subject to increase at the whim of the record industry every five years. 2010 is little more than 2 years away, and it would be difficult for any business owner to accurately forecast profits and build a successful business model with a huge expense variable looming in the future," says Starr.

RACHEL BROWN – WHERE DID WE GO WRONG

Can Don Imus's Remarks Influence Musical Trends? Urban Music Group recording artist Rachel Brown thinks so. So much so that in light of the scrutiny of hip hop music and the lingering fallout from the Don Imus controversy, South Florida-based singer/songwriter Rachel Brown is making her own effort to "take back the music," by recording a song addressing the misogynistic lyrics found in much of today's music. The song entitled "Where Did We Go Wrong," ponders why artists have transitioned from crooning songs of admiration and adoration to songs laced with negative connotations, specifically aimed at women.

"I really want to inspire my listeners," says Rachel, who prefers to refer to her debut disc entitled "Love, Life & Relationships," as "medication for the mind." "I would really like both women and men to embrace this song, because it's about more than just taking a stand against being called a bitch, or whore, but it is equally as important for us as ladies to understand not to accept it as cool or acceptable cultural vernacular."

But Rachel does not stop there. On her highly acclaimed 14-song independent disc the singer/songwriter introduces a new and exciting R&B sound. With powerful vocals and insightful lyrics, Rachel delicately blends the smoothness of Anita Baker, the sensitivity and consciousness of Oprah, and the soul of Aretha Franklin, as she explores the deepest emotions within our heart and soul.

Signed to Urban Music Group in 2006, Rachel's early notoriety came about because of the success of her debut single "Let's Fall In Love Again," which reached #1 on the Billboard R&B Single Sales Chart in the spring of 2007. The single has generated airplay on over 30 radio stations in the U.S., which landed it on the Mediabase Top 100 R&B songs chart.
Rachel's vocal timbres grab you and lead you on a personal journey of rediscovery on songs such as the empowering "Rise Again," or "Learn To Love Me." Other songs such as "My Child?" challenge us to re-examine our role and effectiveness as parents. "Make It Official" examines the complex issue of relationships without commitment.

Rachel's debut CD delivers a powerful melodic and lyrical punch that has apparently struck a chord with the Adult Contemporary crowd. Email testimonials are pouring in at Rachel's website and MySpace where listeners are sharing stories of how the expressive power of Rachel's music has uplifted, empowered, and encouraged them to overcome the emotional heart ache they are experiencing.

One fan wrote: "I was in a relationship for 2 years and he left me for someone else... for the past month I have been stressed out but I continue to listen to your CD and it's making me stronger every day. Thank GOD your music is so special and your voice is a blessing. I WILL RISE AGAIN I DO KNOW THAT."

Pam "Diamond Princess" Wynn of Live 365 Internet Radio says of Rachel's debut CD, "If you love R&B you have to add this CD to your collection. The songs are great and Rachel has one of the most powerful female voices out now, right up there with the R&B legends!"

Rachel Brown is currently planning to embark on a 15-city promotional tour that includes stops in Chicago, Orlando, Tampa, Houston and Dallas.

GATO BARBIERI TO PERFORM AT S.O.B.S

Gato Barbieri will headline a show on October 14th at New York’s famed S.O.B.’s. Barbieri will be celebrating his 75th birthday, along with S.O.B’s 25th Anniversary. The performance will be a spirited one, as Gato and his fans eagerly await the 2008 release of Intimate Portrait: Gato Barbieri, the first comprehensive compilation of his work, who’s release has been delayed until now due to conflicting record companies owning the recordings. Over the years, Barbieri has collaborated with American contemporaries Coleman Hawkins, Herbie Mann, and Dizzy Gillespie and Brazilian bossa innovator Joao Gilberto. In 2003, his most recent and 50th album, Shadow Of The Cat, won Billboard’s prestigious Latin Jazz Album of the Year in 2003 and since, he has headlined the Ozawa Concert Hall at the Boston symphony Orchestra’s Tanglewood Jazz Festival, which was broadcast over eight National Public Radio stations, and The Puerto Rico Heineken Jazz Festival where he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from Long Island University’s WLIU. A mainstay at S.O.B.s for many years, the October 14 performance will be his first in New York in over a year.

DIONNE WARWICK: CHRISTMAS CD

Warner Brothers will release “My Favorite Time Of The Year” from singer Dionne Warwick on October 30. No details as of yet as to whether or not this is a brand new release or a rerelease from yesteryear.

YOUR FREE MUSIC DOWNLOADS – NEW FREE MP3 MUSIC DOWN LOAD SERVICE

Your Free Music Downloads.com today added an additional 25,000 new free MP3 downloads to their award winning free music download service. With over 18,500 registered users and over 200,000 free MP3s downloaded so far, the free MP3 downloads service is bringing free music downloads to the masses.

With an additional 25,000 new songs available for downloading, Your Free Music Downloads.com is one of the fastest growing free music downloads services on the web. Every song in the Your Free Music Downloads.com catalogue are in MP3 format and are 100% portable from device to device as they contain no DRM (digital rights management) restrictions. Without the DRM restrictions, registered users can listen to any downloaded song where and when they want and on whatever consumer electronic device they choose. For example, free music downloads can be played on an iPod, iPhone, computer or any other MP3 playing device.

Your Free Music Downloads.com is an ad-supported free music download site that has built a catalogue of over 1,025,000 legal MP3 songs that continues to grow by 500 new songs a day. Unlike other ad-supported free music download websites, Your Free Music Downloads.com refuses to embed ads within the music or before or after each selection. Instead, all registered users are simply asked to complete a free offer that generates ad revenue for Your Free Music Downloads.com.

Unlike other free music download services, there are no daily, weekly or monthly download limits. Nor is there any special software required to play the free music downloads. Instead, registered users are allowed to download as many MP3 songs as they want, whenever they want, and play them on whatever device they choose.

Your Free Music Downloads.com is a Silicon Valley-based start-up with over $1 million in venture capital funding that is changing the online music distribution business. Your Free Music Downloads.com is an ad-supported free music download website with a catalogue of over 1,000,000 legal MP3 songs that grows by 500 songs a day.

CHRIS JASPER - INVINCIBLE

Former "Isley Brother" Chris Jasper debuts at #1 on Yahoo! Music's Soul Revival Music Chart with his new CD "Invincible" ." Chris Jasper is a legend in the soul music community, so we're always excited when he releases new music," said SoulTracks.com publisher Chris Rizik, "and our readers agreed, making Chris's artist page one of our most popular for August and helping to make his album the top seller for the month. Chris continues to write and sing compelling new music with real meaning."

"Chris Jasper, of course, was an integral part of the classic Isley Brothers' sound. Now with this new 10 tracker we have the full-on gospel album - but if you're a non-believer - don't despair. This isn't traditional, in-your-face gospel music. Rather, 'Invincible' is a collection of personal, reflective songs whose messages can be interpreted both spiritually and secularly. Musically, I'd describe the sound as Bobby Womack meets the Isleys - and that's a heady cocktail, isn't it? A real, mature soul album, this - and well-worth investigation." - Bill Buckley, Reviewer

"I nearly fell over with excitement when Chris Jasper contacted Christian Mix Inet about playing his new CD 'Invincible.' As a die hard 60's and 70's music freak, I actually recognized his name ... it was him! The very same Chris Jasper that was a part of the original Isley Brother's ... Chris Jasper has released another Gospel CD, which carries the same superb harmonies and soulful spirit that was so much a part of the original Isley's. 'Invincible' is like a trip back to the 70's only with a twist. The timeless message of Christ and God's love for us. I can't say enough about the project. You need to hear it yourself. We are playing the title cut 'Invincible' in the Christian Mix Inet 'Power Rotation' category. We are also airing all the other cuts on the CD in rotation in the 'Album' category ... we love it, and love you for preserving the dignity of great music. - Michael Hughes, Christian Mix Inet

DAVID SANCHEZ OPENS 5TH CARNEGIE HALL THE SHAPE OF JAZZ SERIES

On Wednesday, October 17 at 8:30 p.m. in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, saxophonist/composer David Sánchez and his sextet give the New York premiere of La Leyenda del Cañaveral. This new multi-movement work--written by Mr. Sánchez and made possible by a grant from Chamber Music America--traces the migration of African people to the Caribbean through musical folklore, jazz, and the music of Tanzania and the Baca forest people of East Cameroon. This performance opens Carnegie Hall's 2007-2008 The Shape of Jazz series, which is currently in its fifth season. The Shape of Jazz series is presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with Absolutely Live Entertainment, LLC.

Set to a poem written by David Sánchez's sister, Margarita, La Leyenda del Cañaveral includes spoken word and music compositional styles that weave together Afro-Caribbean, Jazz, and East African elements. The poem refers to the travels of African people from Africa to the Caribbean, with its central theme being the history and anecdotes of people who worked on sugar cane plantations. The inclusion of spoken word reflects their rich and colorful heritage and oral traditions. La Leyenda del Cañaveral received its premiere on March 24, 2007, at the prestigious and historical Centro de Bellas Artes in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Latin Grammy Award-winning saxophonist and composer David Sánchez has forged a critically acclaimed career incorporating the bomba and plena rhythms of Puerto Rico as well as the musical traditions of Cuba and Brazil into his jazz compositions and interpretations. Born in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, David Sánchez began playing percussion and drums at the age of eight before migrating to tenor saxophone. While a student at Rutgers University in New Jersey, Sánchez took advantage of his close proximity to New York City and quickly became a member of its jazz scene, performing with the likes of Eddie Palmieri and Claudio Roditi, who brought Sánchez to the attention of Dizzy Gillespie.

Whether with Gillespie, Palmieri, and other jazz greats--including Kenny Barron, Roy Haynes, and Charlie Haden--or on his own, Sánchez tours and records extensively, bringing his mix of mainstream jazz with Afro-Latin influences to audiences around the world. His debut album for Columbia Records, The Departure, garnered a great deal of praise as did his subsequent recordings, Sketches of Dreams, Street Scenes, and Travesía. Sánchez followed these recordings with Obsesión and Melaza, both of which received Grammy Award nominations. His most recent recording, Coral, earned the saxophonist his fourth Grammy Award nomination and a Latin Grammy Award for "Best Instrumental Album." Sánchez recently signed to Concord Records and plans to record a new album this fall.

Now in its fifth season, The Shape of Jazz series featuring artists from a wide spectrum of styles. In addition to David Sánchez, this season's lineup includes The Bad Plus (December 12), the SFJAZZ Collective (March 5), and Manhattan Trinity (April 2).

THE DAVID SÁNCHEZ GROUP consists of David Sánchez, Saxophone; Lage Lund, Guitar;
Robert Rodriguez, Piano; Pernell Saturnino, Percussion; Henry Cole, Drums; and Hans Glawischnig, Bass.

BARRY MANILOW - THE GREATEST HITS OF THE '70'S

Could it be Magic? Arista recording artist Barry Manilow enters the Billboard charts at #4 with a Nielsen Sound Scan debut of 113,149 copies sold. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is his 18-song tribute to #1 hit songs of the decade that launched his career, which arrived in stores September 18th and is the third CD in his decade series which kicked off last year with The Greatest Songs of the Fifties and The Greatest Songs of the Sixties. The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, released January 31, 2006 entered the chart at #1 and is certified RIAA platinum and Greatest Songs of the Sixties, released October 31st, 2006 at #2. THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is Manilow's 33rd charting album, his 11th Top 10 and his 10th Top 10 debut, and he is the only artist to have three Top 5 debuts on the Billboard 200 chart since 2006.

These three musical tributes to the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies mark the winning reunion in the studio for co-producers Manilow and Clive Davis, Arista founder and BMG Label Group Chairman and CEO. Davis has been Manilow's hit making collaborator on virtually all his recordings, since they first worked together on "Mandy," his debut #1 single as the first artist signed to Arista by Davis in 1974, the first year of the label's existence. The two co- produced The Greatest Songs Of The Fifties and The Greatest Songs Of The Sixties, and that magic has carried over to the new album, as well. The decade series, whose cumulative sales with Ultimate Manilow, has surpassed 5 million units within the last two years.

THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE SEVENTIES is a fan's dream wish-list of favorite #1 hit singles, from The Beatles' "The Long And Winding Road," to Elton John's "Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word," as well as a duet with Melissa Manchester on Carole King's "You've Got A Friend." Other selections include Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," the Hollies' "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother," The Carpenters' "(They Long To Be) Close To You," and Albert Hammond's "It Never Rains In Southern California," the first single from the album. Manilow's tributes are flawlessly performed and arranged, with an homage to the Barbra Streisand's "The Way We Were," Frankie Valli's "My Eyes Adored You," the Bee Gees' "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart," and the seminal decade hit Christopher Cross "Sailing, among others.

With worldwide record sales exceeding 75 million, his work as a singer, songwriter, arranger and producer over the course of more than 40 albums has earned Barry Manilow the highest honors. He sits on the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Jazz, and in June 2002, he was inducted into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame, alongside Ashford & Simpson, Michael Jackson, Randy Newman, and Sting. In addition to his own foundation, the Manilow Fund for Health and Hope, other involvements include The Prince's Trust, United Way, the Starlight Foundation, numerous organizations fighting the battle against AIDS, and many others. He is the national spokesperson for the Foundation Fighting Blindness, Honorary Chairman of the Palm Springs Art Museum and a Founder of the Music Center of Los Angeles.

RACHEL BROWN – LOVE, LIFE & RELATIONSHIPS

On her highly acclaimed 14-song independent disc, "Love, Life & Relationships," (just released by Urban Music Group), the singer/songwriter introduces a new and exciting R&B sound. With powerful vocals and insightful lyrics, Rachel delicately blends the smoothness of Anita Baker, the sensitivity and consciousness of Oprah, and the soul of Aretha Franklin, as she explores the deepest emotions within our heart and soul.

"I really would like to inspire my listeners," says Rachel, who prefers to refer to her debut disc as "medication for the mind." Rachel's vocal timbres grab you and lead you on a personal journey of rediscovery on songs such as the empowering "Rise Again," or "Learn To Love Me." Other songs such as "Where Did We Go Wrong?" challenge us to examine the lyrics of today's music, while "Make It Official" examines the complex issue of relationships without commitment. "I really wanted to record a CD filled with messages that will uplift, encourage and empower," Rachel concludes.

Signed to Urban Music Group in 2006, Rachel's early notoriety came about because of the success of her debut single "Let's Fall In Love Again," which reached #1 on the Billboard R&B Single Sales Chart in the spring of 2007. The single soon gained the attention of television shows such as WSVN's "Deco Drive," as well as landing feature stories in the Miami Herald and Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel. The single has generated airplay on over 30 radio stations in the U.S., which landed it on the Mediabase Top 100 R&B songs chart.

Rachel's debut CD delivers a powerful melodic and lyrical punch that has apparently struck a chord with the Adult Contemporary crowd. The disc also features the beautifully done wedding song "Promise Of Love," which introduces the amazing vocals of Reno Walker, the standout track "Spend The Night," the sultry "Do What You Do," the perky "Weekend," and the sassy "Just A Girl." Rachel also breathes new life into the '70s classic "Don't Ask My Neighbor," as the riveting "My Child" rounds out "Love, Life & Relationships."

Pam "Diamond Princess" Wynn of Live 365 Radio says of Rachel's debut CD, "If you love R&B you have to add this CD to your collection. The songs are great and Rachel has one of the most powerful female voices out now, right up there with the R&B legends!"

Rachel Brown is currently planning to embark on 15-city promotional tour that includes stops in Chicago, Orlando, Tampa, Houston and Dallas.

SUSAN TEDESCHI TOUR DATES

Susan Tedeschi is back out on the road and will perform the following concerts:
November 9 - Westhampton Beach PAC, Westhampton Beach NY
November 10 - Lebanon Opera House, Lebanon NH
November 13 - Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield ME
Novenber 14 - Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield ME
November 16 - Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville CT
November 17 - Paramount Center, Peekskill NY
November 18 - Music Hall, Portsmouth NH
December 27 - Florida Theatre, Jacksonville FL
December 28 - Mizner Park Amphitheatre, Boca Raton FL
December 29 - House of Blues, Lake Buena Vista FL.

AMY WINEHOUSE: LIVE FROM LONDON

Universal Republic is set to release a DVD on November 13 from Amy Winehouse. It’s titled “I Told You I Was In Trouble: Amy Winehouse Live From London.

CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF MARVIN GAYE & MOTOWN

Bobby Caldwell has been added to “A Tribute to Marvin Gaye and Motown” at the Autumn Jazz Festival in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware on Saturday, October 13th. He joins Maysa, James “D-Train” Williams, Walter Beasley, Nick Colionne, and Jason Miles. The event is being produced by Jason Miles and also features Sherrod Barnes, Jerry Brooks, and Brian Dunne.

HERBIE HANCOCK FEATURED IN TV & RADO ADS FOR 6th ANNUAL DANIEL PEARL WORLD DAYS

Jazz legend Herbie Hancock is featured in 30- and 60-second television and radio public service announcements (PSAs) to promote Daniel Pearl World Music Days - an international network of concerts scheduled from October 1-15, 2007. Since World Music Days' inception in 2002, over 1500 concerts in more than 67 countries have been dedicated to its theme of "Harmony for Humanity.” The PSA messages invite professional and amateur musicians around the world to "use the universal language of music to diminish hatred, respect differences, and reach out in friendship by dedicating performances for Harmony for Humanity." Herbie Hancock will be dedicating live performances in Japan. The television PSAs will be included on the National Association of Broadcasters' (NAB) monthly satellite feed on September 21 at 11:30 AM Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Satellite coordinates are: C-Band, Galaxy 26 (also known as Intelsat A6), Transponder C09, 93 degrees West, Downlink Frequency 3880 - Vertical, Audio: 6.2/6.8. Stations can contact the NAB to order a copy of the PSAs. In addition, both 30- and 60-second Radio PSAs are available for download at any time at the Daniel Pearl World Music Days

"This is an awareness raiser, not a fundraiser. There are no financial obligations to participate," said Ruth Pearl, Daniel's mother and co-founder of the Daniel Pearl Foundation. "All musicians – professional and amateur - are invited to dedicate performances held from October 1st through 15th in honor of Danny's October 10th birthday. All they need to do is register their performance at the World Music Days website and then simply say a few words from the stage or in the program in affirmation of Danny's belief that music is the universal language that unite people of different cultures, faiths and talents."

Nowhere is the World Music Days message better exemplified than in the commitment of its Honorary Committee; spanning the spectrum of music genres from classical to hip hop. In addition to Herbie Hancock, the Committee for 2007 includes Sir Elton Jhn, Ida Haendel, Salman Ahmad, Theodore Bikel, Yefim Bronfman, Tania Libertad, Yo-Yo Ma, Zubin Mehta, Mark O'Connor, George Pehlivanian, Itzhak Perlman, R.E.M., A.J. Racy, Steve Reich, Mohammad Reza Shajarian, Ravi Shankar, Russell Simmons, Barbra Streisand, and John Williams.

MESHELL NDEGEOCELLO – THE WORLD HAS MADE ME THE MAN OF MY DREAMS

"Like Miles Davis or Joni Mitchell, Ndegeocello challenges musical convention with an ample supply of curveballs." -- The Boston Herald

Bassist Meshell Ndegeocello has released her 7th album, The World Has Made Me The Man Of My Dreams . Guest musicians on this outing include Jazzmen Pat Metheny, Jason Lindner, and Robert Glasper add spice to the tracks. She has earned critical acclaim, the unfailing respect of fellow players, songwriters and composers, and the dedication of her diverse, unclassifiable fans. For the sake of setting the record straight, a few brass tacks remain: Meshell was born in Germany, raised in DC, signed at 23, and nominated for 9 Grammy awards. Meshell's found some tremendous new territory for herself -- and has reminded us that she's still got some much sharper edges than her contemporaries. A host of great guests really help Meshell find her groove here -- including Sy Smith on vocals, Oliver Lake on saxophone, James Newton on flute, Robert Glasper on piano, and Graham Haynes on cornet. Titles include "Haditha", "Evolution", "Virgo", "Lovely Lady", "The Sloganeer Paradise", "Elliptical", "Shirk", "Article 3", "Headline", "Michell Johnson", and "Solomon". (Limited edition version features the bonus track "Soul Spaceship".) You can catch Meshell supporting her new album this fall with a tour that kicks off at Hiro Ballroom, NYC Wednesday (9/26).

VHI & VIRGIN AMERICA PARTNER FOR ON-DEMAND MUSIC VIDEOS

Virgin America and VH1 have partnered to offer the first domestic, on-demand music video library on the next generation carrier's New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington DC and Las Vegas routes. The Virgin America-VH1 music video library, available on the state-of-the- art Red(TM) inflight entertainment system, includes videos from the most popular artists and genres featured on VH1 networks, including Maroon 5, Shakira, John Legend, Lily Allen, Kelly Clarkson, Nelly Furtado, Mika and many more. The inflight music library is expected to expand to up to 50 music videos, including the "can't be missed" performances featured on VH1 Classic and VH1 Soul networks. Soon guests will also be able to make music video playlists and preferences inflight through Virgin America's Red(TM) inflight entertainment system."

Virgin America is all about bringing a little fun back to flying and music is a key component of this -- from the soundtrack in our bathrooms to the 3,000 free MP3 tracks featured on our in-seat entertainment system," said Charles Ogilvie, Director of Entertainment and Partnerships at Virgin America. "VH1's incredible catalog of music videos will take this to the next level, by offering our guests a totally unique and fun onboard music and entertainment experience." All music videos are free of charge to every guest on every Virgin America flight."

VH1 connects adult music lovers to the artists they love as well as to acts new to the scene," said Nigel Cox-Hagan, Senior Vice President, Creative Group and Consumer Marketing, VH1. "Partnering with Virgin America to offer our most popular videos and artists on-demand on Red(TM) is an excellent way to extend our music mission and provide fans with the opportunity to check out new artists and to hear and see music even at 35,000 feet."

QUINCY JONES FEATURED ON PBS’ THE HISTORYMAKERS

On Thursday, September 27, 2007, the life and career of music impresario Quincy Jones will be honored during The HistoryMakers' An Evening With Quincy Jones at Jack Morton Auditorium at George Washington University. During the one-on-one interview, PBS journalist Gwen Ifill will guide Jones through a discussion of his life and career. The program will feature live performances by vocalists Lesley Gore ("It's My Party"), Bebe Winans ("Feel Like Heaven With You"), and James Ingram ("Everything Must Change"). Noted musical producer Dallas Austin and ten-time Grammy Award winner Herbie Hancock will serve as musical director and master of ceremonies.

The Honorary Co-Chairs of An Evening With Quincy Jones include Patti Austin, Clarence Avant, the Honorable William Coleman, Jermaine Dupri, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, the Honorable Adrian M. Fenty, the Honorable Harold Ford, Barbara Harrison, the Honorable Alphonso Jackson, Vernon Jordan, Anthony A. Lewis, Colin Powell, Chris Tucker, the Honorable Anthony Williams, and Bebe Winans, among others. The Benefit Chair is Joseph E. Roberts, Jr., Founder and CEO of J.E. Robert Companies. The Event Co-Chair is Patricia Harris, Global Chief Diversity Officer of McDonald's Corporation. McDonald's is the title sponsor; other sponsors include XM Satellite Radio, J.E. Robert Companies, the Coca-Cola Company, FedEx Corporation, Verizon Wireless, Urban Trust Bank, Dennis & Phyllis Washington Foundation, the Washington Post, American Airlines, and others.

Over a span of six decades, Jones has encompassed the roles of composer, producer, arranger, conductor, instrumentalist, executive, magazine founder, and multi-media entrepreneur. He has won twenty-seven Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award, N.A.R.A.S.' prestigious Trustees' Award, and The Grammy Living Legend Award. He is also the recipient of the French Ministry of Culture's Distinguished Arts and Letters Award, the Royal Swedish Academy of Music's Polar Music Prize, and the Republic of Italy's Rudolph Valentino Award. Jones has been honored by the United States and the Republic of France as a Kennedy Center Honoree and Commandeur de la Legion d'Honneur. In 2001, "Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones" entered the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and Wall Street Journal's Best-Seller lists. Jones is currently collaborating with composer Leslie Bricusse on the book and lyrics for a Broadway play based on the life of Sammy Davis, Jr.

Interviewer Gwen Ifill is the managing editor of "Washington Week" and senior correspondent for "The News Hour with Jim Lehrer." She has been honored by the National Press Foundation, Ebony Magazine, the Radio Television News Directors Association, and American Women in Radio and Television.

An Evening With... is the hallmark celebrity interview program and fundraising event of The HistoryMakers. Previous celebrity honorees include Harry Belafonte, Dionne Warwick, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, BB King, Della Reese, Russell Simmons, Diahann Carroll, Denyce Graves, Nikki Giovanni, Andrew Young, Colin Powell, and Earl Graves.

The HistoryMakers is a national 501(c)(3) non-profit educational institution founded in 1999, committed to preserving, developing, and providing easy access to an internationally recognized archival collection of thousands of African American video oral histories. Designed to promote and celebrate the successes and to document movements, events and organizations that are important to the African American community and to American Society. The HistoryMakers is sharing its interactive website (www.thehistorymakers.com). Plans are underway for the establishment of a unique digital archive that will provide easy access to more than 30,000 hours of content in a format that is searchable by image and text. The purpose of this archive is to educate and to show the breadth and depth of this important American history as told in the first person; to highlight the accomplishments of individual African Americans across a variety of disciplines; to showcase those who have played a role in African American-led movements and/or organizations; and to preserve these video oral histories for years and generations to come, creating a priceless collection and helping to refashion a more inclusive record of American history.

AMAZON.COM LAUNCHES DRM-FREE MP3 MUSIC DOWNLOAD STORE

Amazon.com hasl launched a digital music store later this year offering millions of songs in the DRM-free MP3 format from more than 12,000 record labels. EMI Music's digital catalog is the latest addition to the store. Every song and album in the Amazon.com digital music store will be available exclusively in the MP3 format without digital rights management (DRM) software. Amazon's DRM-free MP3s will free customers to play their music on virtually any of their personal devices -- including PCs, Macs(TM), iPods(TM), Zunes(TM), Zens(TM) -- and to burn songs to CDs for personal use.

"Our MP3-only strategy means all the music that customers buy on Amazon is always DRM-free and plays on any device," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder and CEO. "We're excited to have EMI joining us in this effort and look forward to offering our customers MP3s from amazing artists like Coldplay, Norah Jones and Joss Stone."

"Amazon.com is known around the world for the unique experience it offers music customers through features such as customer reviews and personalized recommendations," said Eric Nicoli, EMI CEO. "They have been an important retail partner of ours, and we are delighted they will be offering consumers EMI's new premium DRM-free downloads in their new digital music store. We think having a trusted destination like Amazon.com offer a high-quality digital music product that will play across a number of devices gives consumers more options and will be a significant boost for the overall digital music market."

KNIK-FM SMOOTH JAZZ 105.7

KNIK-FM (Smooth 105.7 The Breeze)/Anchorage, AK, adds The Smooth Jazz Network's Ramsey Lewis & Karen Williams to mornings.

CHRIS BOTTI NEW CD – ITALIA; TOUR DATES

Columbia Records is proud to announce the release of Italia, the soulful and romantic new album from the contemporary jazz virtuoso trumpeter Chris Botti, on Tuesday, September 25. Botti - a gifted instrumentalist, a talented composer, and a charismatic performer -- has earned both critical acclaim and mainstream appreciation for a succession of best-selling albums including the #1 Top Jazz albums When I Fall In Love and To Love Again: The Duets. Italia is the first new studio album from Chris Botti since the release of To Love Again: The Duets in October 2005.

With his new album, Chris Botti, inspired by the sounds and atmosphere of Italy, has created a vibrant and sensual set of performances drawn from sources ranging from classical opera to the soundtracks of Ennio Morricone. Recorded in the United States, England, and Italy, Italia is a brilliant showcase for Botti's musical versatility as performer, composer and collaborator. The album includes the newly-composed title track featuring the passionate vocals of renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli as well as a new interpretation of "The Very Thought of You" with guest vocalist Paula Cole. In another of the album's duets, Botti adds his touch to a vocal performance originally recorded in 1957 by the "forever cool" Dean Martin on "I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face," a song first written for "My Fair Lady."

On Italia, Botti re-imagines two beloved compositions -- "Deborah's Theme" (from "Once Upon A Time In America") and "Gabriel's Oboe" (from "The Mission") -- by the venerated Italian composer Ennio Morricone, recent recipient of an Honorary Academy Award(R) "for his magnificent and multifaceted contributions to the art of film music."

Among the many treasures of Italia, Chris Botti creates a breathtaking new rendition of "Nessun dorma" ("Let no one sleep") from the final act of Giacomo Puccini's opera "Turandot." The song entered popular consciousness in 1990, when it was adopted as the official theme of the Italia '90 World
Cup.


CHRIS BOTTI TOUR DATES
September
27 USA Evansville, IN Victory Theatre
28 USA Harrisburg, PA Sunoco Performance Theatre
29 USA Wabash, IN Honeywell Center
30 USA Cincinnati, OH Music Hall w/ Symphony

October
05 USA Buffalo, NY Kleinhans Music Hall w/ Symphony
06 USA Louisvlle, KY Kentucky Center for the Arts
07 USA Cincinnati, OH Music Hall w/ Symphony
13 USA Wilmington, DE Grand Opera House
14 USA Englewood, NJ Bergen PAC
17 USA Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
18 USA Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
19 USA Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
20 USA Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
21 USA Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun
22 USA Annapolis, MD Ram's Head (2 Shows Per Night)
23 USA Annapolis, MD Ram's Head (2 Shows Per Night)
24 USA Annapolis, MD Ram's Head (2 Shows Per Night)
26 USA Concord, NH The Capitol Center for the Arts
27 USA Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall

November
02 USA Carmel, CA Sunset Center
03 USA Yountville, CA Lincoln Theater
04 USA Carmel, CA Sunset Center
14 USA Boise, ID Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
15 USA Lancaster, CA Lancaster PAC
16 USA Henderson, NV Green Valley Ranch Showroom
18 USA Palm Desert, CA McCallum Theatre
23 USA Boston, MA Scullers (2 Shows Nightly)
24 USA Boston, MA Scullers (2 Shows Nightly)
25 USA Boston, MA Scullers (2 Shows Nightly)
26 USA Boston, MA Scullers (2 Shows Nightly)
30 Russia Moscow, RU B1 Maximum Club

December
02 Hungary Debrecen, HU Kolcsey Convention Center
08 USA Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theater
10 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
11 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
12 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
13 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
14 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
15 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
16 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
17 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
18 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
19 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
20 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
21 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
22 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
23 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
24 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
25 USA New York, NY The Blue Note (8pm + 10.30pm)
29 USA Effingham, IL Rosebud Theater
31 USA Omaha, NE Omaha PAC (w/Symphony)

January
03 USA Greenville, SC Peace Center
04 USA Melbourne, FL King Center
08 USA Naples, FL Philharmonic Center for the arts
09 USA Clearwater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
11 USA Charleston, WV Clay Center for the arts
14 USA Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
15 USA Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
16 USA Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
18 USA St Louis, MO Touhill Performing Arts Centre
19 USA St Louis, MO Touhill Performing Arts Centre
22 USA San Francisco, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
23 USA San Francisco, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
24 USA San Francisco, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
25 USA San Francisco, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
26 USA San Francisco, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
27 USA San Francisco, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
29 USA Oakland, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
30 USA Oakland, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
31 USA Oakland, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)

February
01 USA Oakland, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
02 USA Oakland, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
03 USA Oakland, CA Yoshis (2 Shows Nightly)
06 USA Seattle, WA Jazz Alley (2 Shows Nightly)  
07 USA Seattle, WA Jazz Alley (2 Shows Nightly)  
08 USA Seattle, WA Jazz Alley (2 Shows Nightly)  
09 USA Seattle, WA Jazz Alley (2 Shows Nightly)  
10 USA Seattle, WA Jazz Alley (2 Shows Nightly)  
12 USA Knoxville, TN Tennessee Theatre
13 USA Greensboro, NC Carolina Theatre
14 USA Tallahassee, FL Ruby Diamond Auditorium
16 USA St. Thomas, VI Reichhold Center for the Arts
17 USA Fort Lauderdale, FL Broward Center / Aurene Theater

March
08 USA Sarasota, FL Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall
14 Mexico Mexico City, MX Venue Teatro de la Ciudad
15 Mexico Mexico City, MX Venue Teatro de la Ciudad
16 Mexico Mexico City, MX Venue Teatro de la Ciudad
20 USA Houston, TX Jones Hall
21 USA Houston, TX Jones Hall
22 USA Houston, TX Jones Hall

April
10 Canada Ottawa, ON National Arts Centre
11 Canada Ottawa, ON National Arts Centre
12 Canada Ottawa, ON National Arts Centre

May
02 USA Eureka, CA Arkley Center for the Performing Arts
03 USA Campbell, CA Heritage Theater
09 USA Dallas, TX Meyerson Symphony Hall
10 USA Dallas, TX Meyerson Symphony Hall
11 USA Dallas, TX Meyerson Symphony Hall

June
19 USA Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
20 USA Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
21 USA Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall
22 USA Pittsburgh, PA Heinz Hall

OLIVER MTUKUDZI – TSIMBA ITSOKA

Oliver ‘Tuku’ Mtukudzi has been a force in world music since first gaining attention in his native Zimbabwe in the late ‘70’s, and the body of work he’s compiled since is a living tribute to his excellence. Tsimba Itsoka is beautiful music, alive with sublety, eminently listenable and beeming with social commentary, according to Billboard).

JIM BRICKMAN’S HOLIDAY CD – HOMECOMING

The joy of the 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 this holiday season. "HOMECOMING" will be available in stores this week in both a deluxe CD set featuring a bonus DVD and single CD set. Brickman, who was recently crowned as the #1 Charting Artist at the Adult Contemporary radio format, has 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 single "Coming Home For Christmas," the late Gerald Levert with his last vocal performance on "My Angel" and jazz great Peter White and his distinctive guitar talents are showcased on "Joy." In addition, both Brickman and McDonald will embark on a holiday tour beginning in November. "HOMECOMING" will be 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. 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.

In addition, both Brickman and McDonald will embark on a holiday tour beginning in November. Also, "Coming Home For Christmas" will be featured on NBC TV special "Capital One's Holiday Celebration On Ice" airing nationally on December 25. Olympic skater Yuka Sato will skate to the song.

GERARDO FRISINA - NOTEBOOK

Gerardo Frisina returns with a CD chock-full of remixes and rare tracks. This set presents a few previously unreleased tracks, it also offers up some of Gerardo's great remix work for other artists in recent years! Frisina combines a classic Latin vibe -- mixing acoustic percussion, driving rhythms, and jazz-based instrumentation together with incredible sharpness and energy -- a no-nonsense approach to a groove that shows that's almost a distillation of the best older elements. This approach is heard wonderfully on Gerardo's own tracks "Tokyo's Dream (07 version)", "Alborado", "Es Diferente", "Calle De Candela (vibes version)", and "Zanja" -- but it also comes through on remix tracks that include "Swing Low Sweet Cadillac (G Call remix)" by Dizzy Gillespie, "Dis-ka-ndombe" by Jorge Graf, "Black Forrest Stomp" by Hipnosis, "Windly Coast" by Idea 6, "Guarapiranga" by Toco, "Stardust From Tomorrow (dissociated mood version)" by Sun Ra, and "Ghetto Stomp" by Combo Moderna.

MINDI ABAIR NEWS UPDATE

Mindi Abair had just signed with Concord/Peak Records. She's currently in the studio writing and recording for her 4th CD tentatively titled "Stars" to be released on Concord/Peak Records label in April 2008. In the meantime, Mindi new Christmas CD, along with Peter White and Rick Braun is now available. It’s called “Peter White Christmas with Mindi Abair and Rick Braun. It's a representation of the Christmas show that all 3 artists have been touring the country performing for the past 5 years. It includes Mindi's original Christmas song "I Can't Wait for Christmas" as well as a brand new original song titled "The Best Part of Christmas". It also features Mindi and Peter White's version of the Joni Mitchell classic "River".

She’s also busy wither her nationally syndicated “Chill With Mindi Abair” show. She’s usually on late night and the show features cutting edge artists and great new music from the worlds of jazz, soul, world music, electronica, etc. She’s getting rave reviews since taking over for Chris Botti in April.

Mindi Abiar Tour Dates
Oct. 7 – Avalon, CA @ Catalina Jazz Festival
Oct. 9 – Clearwater, FL @ Falvor of Jazz Two Ruth Eckered Hall
Oct. 11 – Avalon, CA @ Catalina Jazz Festival
Oct. 27 – Orlando, FL @ Bob James Tribute Concert
Nov. 10 – Miami , FL @ Deering Estate – Jazz Attack w/Rick Braun, Peter White & Mindi Abair
Nov. 13 – Tokyo, Japan, The Cotton Club – with Peter White
Nov. 14 - Tokyo, Japan, The Cotton Club – with Peter White
Nov. 15 – Tokyo, Japan, The Cotton Club – with Peter White
Nov. 16 – Tokyo, Japan, The Cotton Club – with Peter White

A Peter White Christmas 2007 Tour Featuring Mindi Abair & Rick Braun
11/24/07 Hyatt Regency, Huntington Beach, CA
11/25/07 Santa Rosa, CA
11/27/07 Ramshead, Annapolis, MD
11/28/07 Allen Theater, Cleveland, OH
11/29/07 Sunoco Performance Theatre, Harrisburg, PA
11/30/07 IMAC , Huntington Station NY
12/1/07 Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT
12/2/07 Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT
12/3/07 The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
12/4/07 The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
12/5/07 Keswick Theater, Glenside PA
12/6/07 Music Mill, Indianapolis IN
12/7/07 Ferst Center for the Arts, Atlanta, GA
12/9/07 The Mattie Kelly Arts Centre, Destin, FL
12/11/07 Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater FL
12/12/07 The Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL
12/13/07 Lyric Theatre, Stuart, FL
12/15/07 The Palladium, Dallas TX
12/16/07 Verizon Theater, Houston TX
12/18/07 One World Theatre, Austin, TX
12/20/07 Radisson Hotel Ballroom, Sacramento, CA
12/21/07 Tower Theatre, Fresno, CA
12/22/07 Spreckles, San Diego CA

RAIL MIDON - A WORLD WITHIN A WORLD

New Mexico-born, New York-based writer/vocalist/guitarist Raul Midón brings a vibrant sound steeped in classic soul to the pop arena. Midón burst onto the scene in 2005 with his audaciously original debut album State of Mind, which included the summery single "Sunshine." While you can hear traces of Donny Hathaway, Stevie Wonder and Jose Feliciano in his music, Midón is an extraordinary original whose passion is expressed in his indelible songs. "I like to celebrate the possible, the highest, the best of possibilities for human beings," says Midón, who has been blind since birth. The son of an African American mother and an Argentinean father, he continues, "It's easy to be pessimistic given the state of the world. But I'm inspired by people like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi who had the ability to transform. Collectively we create an enormously powerful force that can change the world and overcome any obstacle."

This is not your average pop record - not by a long shot. With A World Within a World, Midón has fashioned an album that is at once audacious and accessible. The opening "Pick Somebody Up," which could serve as Midón's credo, embeds a theme of uplifting social consciousness in an insinuating groove with a lush, uptown soulfulness. "Save My Life" updates the silky '70s soul of the Stylistics and Delfonics, infusing it with the deep funk of the same period courtesy of Midón's wah-wah electric guitar part. Midón focuses on another era altogether in "All The Answers" as he celebrates the ease of access to a vast universe of information thanks to the Internet. This is that rare sort of pop album that could actually make a difference, and as such, it stands right alongside the pivotal works of the artists who inspired it.

HERBIE HANCOCK – RIVER: THE JONI LETTERS

Herbie Hancock’s “River: The Joni Letters” is similar in vein to his pop-meets-jazz "Possibilities," released back in 2005. Hancock again invites an array of vocal guests to contribute to his homage to Joni Mitchell. Standouts include Norah Jones on "Court and Spark" and Corinne Bailey Rae with "River" both score. However; it Mitchell herself who steals the show with an emotive read of her "Tea Leaf Prophecy." Others contributors are Leonard Cohen with "The Jungle Line" , along with four instrumentals starring saxophonist Wayne Shorter.

CHAKA KHAN – FUNK THIS

Celebrating over three decades of milestones, CHAKA KHAN's first new studio album of new material in over 10 years, FUNK THIS, is available in stores and online today. FUNK THIS produced by the Grammy Award winners Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis embodies the funky soul of her musical roots with Rufus and her signature passionately-honest vocal styles that make Chaka Khan timeless. The thoughtful work ranges from original copyrights, collaborations with superstar artists, to adding her signature stamp on important contemporary classics.

The collection includes fresh renditions of Prince's "Sign 'O' the Times"; a duet with Michael McDonald on "You Belong To Me," a song he co-wrote with Carly Simon, Joni Mitchell's "Ladies' Man," Jimi Hendrix's "Castle Made Of Sand," the soul classic "Foolish Fool" and Rufus medley of "Pack'd My Bags," and "You Got The Love."

FUNK THIS original's include "Disrespectful," the tour-de-force duet with powerhouse Mary J. Blige, a poignant poetic ballad, urban radio hit "Angel," the acoustic "One For All Time" penned by Chaka and Terry Lewis, the deeply beautiful and soulful "Will You Love Me?" and self affirming
"Super Life" among others.

"The album may remind people of my early Rufus albums because I'm in a similar 'soul space.' I've been on a little journey in the last few years, finding Yvette again." (Referring to her birth name) "I went through a period of being insecure. I'm walking a different path now. I've changed. This album is different from any other album I've recorded because it reflects what I'm about, who I am now. The album is called, 'Funk This!' because it's funky!" The thoughtful work ranges from original copyrights, collaborations with superstar artists, to adding her signature stamp on important contemporary classics.

The first single "Angel" just entered the Top 10 on the Billboard Urban AC radio chart making this her first top 10 R&B radio hit in over 10 years. Beginning on September 30th Chaka will embark on a 20 date tour to promote her new album.

Track Listing:
1. Back In The Day
2. Foolish Fool
3. One For All Time
4. Angel
5. Will You Love Me?
6. Castles Made Of Sand
7. Disrespectful (Featuring Mary J. Blige)
8. Sign 'O' The Times
9. Pack'd My Bags/You Got The Love (Featuring Tony Maiden)
10. Ladies' Man
11. You Belong To Me (Featuring Michael McDonald)
12. Hail To The Wrong
13. Super Life

Chaka Khan Tour Dates Include - more to come:

September 30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre
October 6 - Mobile, AL @ Bayfest
October 12 - Atlantic City @ Borgata
October 14 - Westbury, NY @ North Fork Theatre
November 1 - Tucson, AZ @ Fox Tucson
November 2 - Phoenix, AZ @ Orpheum Theatre
November 10 - Merrillville, IN @ Star Plaza Theatre
November 11 - Washington, DC @ Warner Theatre
November 30 - Cayman Islands @ Cayman Music Festival

Tune in to see Chaka Khan perform the hit single "Angel" on The Today Show (9/26), Letterman (9/26), Martha Stewart Show (9/28), Jimmy Kimmel (10/4).

Eight-time Grammy Award winner singer, songwriter and community advocate - Chaka Khan has been active in lending her support to the community for many years. The Chaka Khan Foundation, founded in 1999, raised over $1.4 million through its funding raising efforts last year alone. The Foundation assists women and children at risk and benefits Autism research, awareness and therapy. For more information, please go to chakakhanfoundation.org.

EARTHA KITT & QUEEN LATIFAH & THE ATLANTIC SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra announced today all tickets are officially on sale for the 2007/2008 SuperPops and Specials season. The Grammy-winning orchestra's fall SuperPops and Specials line-up includes:

Eartha Kitt
80th Birthday Celebration with the ASO
Friday, October 19 -- 8 p.m.
Saturday, October 20 -- 8 p.m.
Eartha Kitt , presented by Delta Air Lines, will perform for two nights The definitive Catwoman on the original "Batman" television series, Kitt has been performing and purrrforming for decades and is still as sexy and sultry as she was when Orson Wells named her "the most exciting woman in the world." The Tony, Emmy and Grammy award nominee celebrates her 80th birthday this year with a red-hot siren show.

Queen Latifah
Friday, November 2 -- 8 p.m.
As she embarks on a tour in honor of her latest highly anticipated release, Trav'lin' Light (in stores today), the ASO is proud to present Grammy award winning performer Queen Latifah at Symphony Hall. With only six shows set in the entire southeast, don't miss the chance to see the celebrated singer and actress perform a smoldering set of soul and jazz standards in the intimate venue.

Joanna Newsom with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra
Saturday, November 17 -- 8 p.m.
Joanna Newsom's 6-date orchestral tour is stopping in Atlanta – a treat for anyone who has ever heard the music of the classically trained harpist, pianist, harpsichordist and singer-songwriter. As one of today's fastest growing young artists and indie-experimentalist favorite, Newsom combines her unique voice and harp, for a sound that blends Appalachian folk, modernism and African rhythms into an original style that has a spellbinding effect. The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra will join Newsom on stage for this special performance.

XM SATELLITE’S ORIGINAL JAZZ SERIES DEBUTS SEPTEMBER 28

XM, the nation's leading satellite radio service with more than 8.2 million subscribers, announced today that it will expand jazz music programming with two new shows set to premiere this October. "Live from Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola" and "Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center" will feature live performances from a who's who of jazz musicians recorded direct from Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center (JALC) and XM's New York broadcast studios. In advance of these new shows, JALC Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis will kick off a new season of his critically-acclaimed original XM series "In the Swing Seat with Wynton Marsalis" on September 28.

"Live from Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola" will provide listeners with VIP access to concerts recorded live from the famed New York jazz club Dizzy's Club Coca- Cola, located in Frederick P. Rose Hall. Artistic Manager of Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, Todd Barkan, will serve as host for this weekly series, broadcasting a variety of musical performances from the club Tony Bennett called "the best jazz room in this city."

The premiere episode of "Live from Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola" will debut Friday, October 19 at 8 pm ET on XM's traditional jazz channel, "Real Jazz" (XM 70), featuring a performance by jazz pianist Cedar Walton. Future episodes will include performances from Trio Da Paz, Tom Harrell and Charles McPherson and Eric Alexander, among others. "Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center" also will make its XM debut in October. The weekly series takes listeners into the "House of Swing" with Wynton Marsalis leading the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO), now in its 21st concert season.

"Live from Jazz at Lincoln Center" will premiere Saturday, October 20 at 8 pm ET on XM 70, kicking off the "Benny Carter Centennial," on what would have been his 100th birthday, as the JLCO performs music and arrangements by the legendary trumpeter/saxophonist. Future performances of the 2007-2008 Jazz at Lincoln Center season on XM will feature Monty Alexander, Dave Brubeck, Paquito D'Rivera, The Abyssinian Baptist Church Choir with Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III; Freddy Cole, Carla Cook, Chano Dominguez, Kurt Elling, Frank Foster, Wycliffe Gordon, Scott Hamilton, Allan Harris, Edwin Hawkins, Ivan Lins, Russell Malone, Branford Marsalis, Mulgrew Miller, Lewis Nash, Rosa Passos, Eric Reed, Marcus Roberts, Marlena Shaw and many more.

To kick off the new slate of jazz programming on XM, Wynton Marsalis, America's jazz ambassador, returns with new episodes of his exclusive XM series, "In the Swing Seat with Wynton Marsalis." The hour-long, monthly series takes listeners on a journey through the world of jazz while exploring the genius of artists like John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Thelonious Monk. Marsalis provides instruction on how to identify artists by their playing styles, discusses the connection between jazz and other art forms, and welcomes other jazz artists who stop by the studio to play and discuss their music.

"In the Swing Seat with Wynton Marsalis" premieres Friday, September 28 at 2 p.m. ET on XM 70. In addition, the season premiere episode will also be available all day Friday on XM's new original series channel, XMX (XM 2).

NEW YORK TRI-STATE CONCERTS EVENT LISTINGS

Stanley Clarke, Al DiMeola & Jean-Luc Ponty @ Bergen PAC; Sept. 28
Johnny Mathis @ Bergen PAC; Oct. 4
Aretha Franklin @ Count Basie Theatre; Oct. 11
Aretha Franklin @ Bergen PAC; Oct. 13
Patti LaBelle @ Bergen PAC; Oct. 13
Liza Minnelli @ Tilles Center for the Performing Arts; Oct. 13
Chris Botti @ Bergen PAC; Oct. 14
Pat Metheny Trio w/Christian McBride @ Antonio Sanchez @ Bergen PAC; Oct. 23
Dionne Warwick @ B.B. King’s Bar & Grill; Oct. 24
Paquito D’Rivera @ NJPAC; Oct. 27
A Peter White Christmas featuring Peter White, Mindi Abair & Rick Braun @ IMAC Theater; Nov. 30
CeCe Winans @ NJPAC; Dec. 13

GREATEST HITS COMPILATIONS OUT OCT. 23

Gerald Albirhgt – The Very Best of Gerald Albright (Atlantic)
Grover Washington, Jr. – Anthology of Grover Washington, Jr. (Elektra)
Mikki Howard – The Very Best of Mikki Howard (Atlantic)
Patrice Rushen – Haven’t You Heard: The Very Best of Patrice Rushen (Elektra)
Take 6 – Greatest Hits (Rhino)

SANTANA – ULTIMATE SANTANA DUE OCT. 6

Jennifer Lopez and Baby Bash have just laid down their vocals for a smoking new track entitled "This Boy's Fire," on ULTIMATE SANTANA, in stores October 16th on Arista Records. Written by Steve Morales, Sean Garrett and Baby Bash and produced by Steve Morales, Sean Garrett, Cory Rooney and Dr. Luke, the track adds a hot new flavor to this collection which features milestone tracks from Santana's hitmaking years on Columbia Records alongside the groundbreaking collaborations that highlighted three consecutive blockbuster Arista albums: Supernatural (1999), Shaman (2002), and All That I Am (2005).

ULTIMATE SANTANA, a career-spanning celebration of an artist and music, is highlighted by three previously - unreleased separate collaborations with Chad Kroeger, Tina Turner, and now Jennifer Lopez with Baby Bash. The first single and previously unreleased track "Into The Night" featuring Chad Kroeger was #1 Most added at the Hot AC radio format and Most Added at Top 40 radio first week out. The video, directed by Jessy Terrero and starring actors Freddy Rodriguez and Dania Ramirez, premiered last week on AOL.

ULTIMATE SANTANA track listing:

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

ALICIA KEYS – I AM

Alicia Keys latest song, “No One” is currently climbing the charts and her new album, I Am, is set for release on November 13 on the J Records label. "No One," was written and produced by Keys, longtime collaborator Kerry "Krucial" Brothers, and Dirty Harry. The video for the single, which was shot in Los Angeles, will premiere September 17th on video outlets. On I Am, Keys collaborated with a new group of songwriters, including Linda Perry, John Mayer, Harold Lilly, Sean Garrett and producers Mark Batson, Dirty Harry, Swizz Beatz and Jack Splash. Keys is the first female R&B artist to have three consecutive Number One debuts on the Billboard 200 album chart in as many releases. She debuted in 2001 with Songs In A Minor, which has sold more than 10 million copies worldwide, according to her label. She followed up with 2004's The Diary of Alicia Keys, which was certified seven-times platinum, and 2005's double-platinum live Unplugged set.

WILL DOWNING – AFTER TONIGHT

Smooth jazz singer Will Downing has a new CD, entitled After Tonight, due out on October 30th via Peak Records It’s his first for Peak Records and also his first since being diagnosed with polymyocitis. It’s a follow-up to his back-to-back smash CDs, 2003's Emotions and 2005's Soul Symphony. Downing also released his first holiday set, Christmas, Love, And You, in 2004.

STANLEY JORDAN SIGNS WITH PEAK RECORDS

Guitarist Stanley Jordan has signed with Mack Avenue Records. His latest CD was recorded at producer Narada Michael Walden's Tarpan Studios in San Rafael, California, and is scheduled for release on February 12th, 2008. The new set will also feature bassist Charnett Moffett and drummer David Haynes.

NORAH JONES BUSIER THAN EVER

Norah Jones has been lined up for a flurry of activity these past few months. Jones does a version of the song "My Blue Heaven" on the September 25th release of Goin' Home: A Tribute To Fats Domino. She'll also be heard Herbie Hancock's new album, River: The Joni Letters, which features songs written by Joni Mitchell. That on is out on September 25th. Jones also contributes a song called "American Anthem" to director Ken Burns' new series on World War II, scheduled to premiere on PBS on September 23. Then on October 6 she’ll perform on the season premiere of Austin City Limits on PBS. She also acts in and contributes music to the film My Blueberry Nights, which stars Jude Law, Rachel Weisz and Natalie Portman. The song, titled "The Story," will be included on the film's soundtrack.

RAY PARKER JR – LICENSE TO FUNK

Ray Parker Jr. is featured on License To Funk, the new album by Swedish trombonist Nils Landgren and his Funk Unit band. Due October 9th on the ACT Music label, the set explores the funk genre with some great covers of material by Fred Wesley and the Crusaders. Parker released his solo project, I'm Free, last summer. The CD featured the smooth jazz single "Mismaloya Beach."

iTUNES TAGGING FOR HD RADIO BROADCASTING ANNOUNCED

Responding to the desire of millions of people who discover music via their favorite local radio broadcasts, Apple, iBiquity Digital, and major radio broadcasting groups unveiled today the result of an industry-wide initiative to create a new, free service called "iTunes Tagging." iTunes Tagging is designed to make music discovery, purchase and listening even more fun and simple for all. iTunes Tagging enables consumers using HD Radio receivers that have been equipped with a special Tag button, to "tag" songs that they hear on the FM dial for subsequent purchase via iTunes.

"iTunes tagging takes music discovery on the radio to the next level," said Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of iPod Product Marketing. "When a song plays on your HD Radio that you like, a simple push of a button will tag it and later give you the chance to preview, purchase, and enjoy it with iTunes and your iPod." Bob Struble, CEO of iBiquity Digital, the developer of HD Radio technology, said, "Research consistently shows that radio is the predominant source of music discovery. Now, with iTunes Tagging, HD Radio technology provides a cool new way to capture the songs listeners discover, buy them on iTunes and then enjoy them. We are especially pleased that so many broadcasters came together so quickly for the initial launch." Several major broadcasters will implement iTunes Tagging, initially across hundreds of stations. Additional stations and broadcast groups are expected to join soon, with a formal announcement of participating groups planned for later this year at the NAB Radio convention, September 26 - 28.

Struble continued, "We are delighted that JBL and Polk will have the first available products that enable iTunes Tagging. The new Polk I-Sonic(R) Entertainment System 2 and the JBL iHD will both include the Tag button. These products will go on sale during the holiday shopping season and we anticipate several additional products that include the Tag button for both the home and the car to follow in early 2008."

Peter Ferrara, CEO of the HD Digital Radio Alliance, the coalition of radio broadcasters formed to promote HD Radio technology commented on the broadcasters' promotional plan for iTunes Tagging, saying, "The HD Digital Radio Alliance is tremendously excited about this great new HD Radio feature and will broadly promote iTunes Tagging. We plan a multi-million dollar advertising campaign focusing on the JBL and Polk products, as well as participating retailers."

Mark Mays, CEO of Clear Channel Communications, Inc. commented, "Clear Channel Radio remains committed to being the leader in HD Digital Radio content on both primary and multicast channels, and our embrace of iTunes Tagging is just the latest step in that leadership. We believe that HD Digital Radio innovations such as this will continue to open up additional and new services for consumers and revenue opportunities for broadcasters."

ANNIE LENNOX – SONGS OF MASS DESTRUCTION & TOUR DATES

Iconic artist Annie Lennox will begin a North American headlining tour on October 8th in San Diego, California in support of her new album, Songs Of Mass Destruction, set for release October 2nd on Arista Records. The tour, 'Annie Lennox Sings' will continue through November 11th with only fifteen intimate performances in as many cities. Performing in smaller venues, this tour, the 3rd of her solo career, will give fans the opportunity to enjoy her new material and beloved classics in a special and extraordinarily rare environment. Annie's exquisite voice and mesmerizing stage presence will be illuminated in this once in a lifetime concert experience.

In the fifteen years since the release of her debut solo album, Diva, in 1992, Annie Lennox has built the most successful career of any British female artist in pop music history. She has sold over 78 million records worldwide, scored numerous Top Ten hits around the world, and earned four Grammy Awards. Annie co-wrote and performed "Into the West," from The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, which won the Academy Award and Golden Globe for Best Original Song in 2004.
Annie Lennox's appearance with Sting on 2004's 'The Sacred Love Tour' drew packed houses and rave reviews all across North America. The Seattle Post Intelligencer declared, "Lennox's voice was spectacular," and the Chicago Tribune called her "one of the great blue-eyed soul singers."

Here is Annie Lennox's current itinerary, with additional dates and details to follow:

October
8 San Diego CA Civic Theatre
10 San Francisco CA Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium
11 Los Angeles CA Wilshire Theater
14 Dallas TX McFarlin Memorial Auditorium
16 Boulder CO Macky Auditorium
18 Minneapolis MN State Theater
19 Chicago IL Cadillac Palace
22 Detroit MI Music Hall
23 Toronto ONT Massey Hall
25 Washington DC Lisner Auditorium
28 Nashville TN The Ryman
29 Atlanta GA Cobb Energy PAC
31 Miami FL Carnival Center

November
3 New York NY United Palace
6 UNICEF Benefit at Cipriani Wall Street [series subscribers only]
10 Philadelphia PA Merriam Theater
11 Boston MA Symphony Hall

ARETHA FRANKLIN – JEWELS IN THE CROWN: ALL-STAR DUETS WITH THE QUEEN

Arista recording artist Aretha Franklin, the incomparable Queen Of Soul and 17-time Grammy winner, adds another jewel to her crown with the release of a must have collection of show- stopping duets from her new album, JEWELS IN THE CROWN: ALL-STAR DUETS WITH THE QUEEN. Franklin, a Grammy Living Legend, Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, and the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, will release this stellar collection on November 13, 2007.

Franklin duets with a combination of music icons and some of the hottest voices in music today including Whitney Houston ("It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be"), John Legend ("What Y'All Came To Do"), Luther Vandross ("Doctor's Orders"), Annie Lennox ("Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves"), Keith Richards ("Jumping Jack Flash"), Elton John ("Through The Storm"), Frank Sinatra ("What Now My Love"), George Michael ("I Knew You Were Waiting"), Michael McDonald ("Ever Changing Times"), George Benson ("Love All The Hurt Away"), and good friend Mary J. Blige ("Don't Waste My Time"). Aretha and Mary J. also join on a second tune, "Never Gonna Break My Faith" (with the Harlem Boys Choir). Rounding out the collection are two thrilling performances, both tributes to Aretha on her classics, "A Natural Woman (You Make Me Feel Like)" with Bonnie Raitt and Gloria Estefan; and "Chain Of Fools" with Mariah Carey.

"Put You Up On Game" with Fantasia, is the lead single from JEWELS IN THE CROWN: ALL-STAR DUETS WITH THE QUEEN, impacting radio on October 1st. The album concludes on a historic note with Franklin's performance of "Nessum Dorma," the heroic aria from Act III of Puccini's final opera Turandot, with an all-star orchestra. Aretha originally agreed to step in at the last minute and perform the aria in place of ailing tenor Luciano Pavarotti at the Grammy awards world wide telecast in February 1998. With just eight minutes of preparation backstage, she sang it with the 72-piece orchestra in Pavarotti's key (three steps lower than her own) and stole the show.

Franklin, a true music legend, was signed in 1980 by Clive Davis, Arista founder and Chairman & CEO, BMG Label Group