Sunday, October 21, 2007

NAPSTER UNVEILS NAPSTER 4.0

Napster has unveiled a major redesign of the industry's leading music subscription service with the launch of Napster 4.0, a feature-rich web-based service that allows subscribers to access and play their music on any internet-connected computer without downloading any software.

"Consumers want their digital music to be available wherever they are," said Rob Enderle, principal analyst with the Enderle Group. "By migrating to the Web and eliminating the need to download any software, Napster has taken a significant leap forward, making it possible for subscribers to access its complete catalog -- and more importantly, their own Napster music library -- whenever and wherever they have access to the internet."

Napster 4.0 gives subscribers the freedom to enjoy on-demand access to its massive music catalog of 5 million tracks anytime, anywhere -- from work, a friend's home, or while on the road. Subscribers just need to sign in to the new cross-platform application available on PC, Mac and Linux from an Internet Explorer or Firefox web browser. Subscribers will also be able to access any saved tracks, albums or playlists.

In addition to a fresh design, easy navigation and intuitive user interface, Napster 4.0 introduces a rich set of features for a dynamic, flexible music discovery and listening experience, including:

-- Napster automix, a new innovative and automated music
recommendation/discovery tool that finds and plays hours of music like the
track you're listening to with a single click, streaming a customized
playlist based on the Napster community's musical preferences.

-- Easy access to music discovery tools, including Billboard charts,
genre pages, new releases, radio stations, staff picks, other subscriber's
music collections and more.

-- Pre-programmed playlists across a variety of genres and themes and the
ability to easily create and view your own playlists.

-- Access to exclusive content available first on Napster, including
today's release of three collector's edition albums from 1970s British rock
band Joy Division; "Oblivion with Bells" from British electronic music duo
Underworld; exclusive tracks from R&B legend Betty Davis and "American
Idol" star Bo Bice; and playlists created for Napster by The Bravery and
Atreyu.

"The launch of Napster 4.0 reflects the spirit of online music innovation that is synonomous with Napster. We are committed to providing our subscribers with cutting-edge ways to find new music, enjoy old favorites, and actively participate in a community of music lovers," said Napster CEO Chris Gorog.

"Napster has a dynamic product roadmap encompassing the online, mobile and home entertainment environments and we are focused on introducing more exciting products and services moving forward," Gorog added. "The development of the web-based architecture allows us to explore opportunities with a variety of other web properties and internet-connected devices. These initiatives are focused on expanding our user base, eliminating barriers and allowing consumers to enjoy music wherever they are." Napster 4.0 also gives Mac and Linux users for the first time the ability to stream music from the industry's leading subscription service, including unlimited, on-demand access to Napster's massive catalog of 5 million songs. The Napster 4.0 client user interface mirrors the web-based service. PC-based subscribers can use the client to manage their music collection, rip and burn CDs and transfer tracks to a compatible portable device.

Napster is the pioneer of digital music, offers the ultimate in interactive music experiences, creating better ways to discover, share, acquire and enjoy music -- anytime, anywhere. The company's offerings include "Napster" (www.Napster.com) -- the most popular on-demand music subscription service in the world; "Freenapster" (www.freenapster.com) -- a unique Web experience offering free on demand music legally; and "Napster Mobile" -- one of the industry's fastest growing mobile music platforms. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Napster's services are available in markets across North America, Europe and Japan.

STACEY KENT - BREAKFAST ON THE MORNING TRAM


Vocalist Stacey Kent delivers a charming mix of standards, pop covers, French chansons, and original songs on her Blue Note debut, Breakfast on the Morning Tram. The album, set for October 2 release in the US, was produced by Kent’s husband, tenor saxophonist Jim Tomlinson, whose latest album, The Lyric, featured Kent’s vocals and won Best Album at the 2006 BBC Jazz Awards.

Breakfast on the Morning Tram marks Kent’s return to the studio after a four-year recording hiatus, and inspired the album’s title, referring to the start of something new; a journey in a new direction. It is also the name of one of four new original songs — the first originals that Kent has ever recorded — written especially for her by Tomlinson and acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro, winner of the Booker and Whitbread prizes for such literary works as The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go.

Stacey Kent Tour Dates -
Nov24 - Oyster Bay, Ny @ LI Doubleday Babcock Center
Nov. 27 - New York, NY @ Birdland
Nov. 28 - New York, NY @ Birdland
Nov. 29 - New York, NY @ Birdland
Nov. 30 - New York, NY @ Birdland
Dec. 1 - New York, NY @ Birdland
Dec. 2 - New York, NY @ Birdland
Dec. 4 - Boston, MA @ Ma Schullers
Dec. 6 - Washington, DC @ Blues Alley
Dec. 7 - Washington, DC @ Blues Alley
Dec. 8 - Washington, DC @ Blues Alley
Dec. 9 - Philadelphia. PA @ PA World Cafe

BETTY BUCKLEY 1967

Tony Award (R) Winner and Broadway legend, Betty Buckley, has become the first female artist signed to Playbill Records, a join-venture partnership with SONY BMG Masterworks Broadway. Buckley's first CD as a newly signed artist to Playbill is entitled Betty Buckley 1967 and will be released on October 16th, 2007. This will mark Playbill Records' second studio-album release, following its successful, label-launching record, the self-titled Brian Stokes Mitchell. Buckley's second album for the label, Quintessence, is slated to release on Valentine's Day 2008.

Betty Buckley 1967 features this artist's unique vocal talents at the ripe age of 19, in her very first professional recording and reveals a voice whose beauty is second to none. From the moment the recording begins, one can't help being uplifted by the joyous sounds of a young woman who was primed to become one of the Great White Way's most impressive talents of a generation. This never-before-released recording showcases Buckley in an enormous array and range of songs including a refreshingly upbeat rendition of Bye, Bye Birdie's One Boy, the classic Gershwin number They Can't Take That Away From Me, a free-spirited Call Me, and the simplicity of Buckley and a piano in Where is Love? The album was originally recorded and engineered by T Bone Burnett. "It is truly remarkable to finally see this album be released after forty years. To listen to this recording, I remember a girl who loved to sing for the pure joy of it," said Betty Buckley.

Philip S. Birsh, President and Publisher of Playbill and Playbill Records President, stated "Betty is an astounding talent. I have seen her perform in theatres filled to capacity and in the intimacy of a recording studio. No matter the setting, the reaction is always the same; those present are moved and mesmerized by the sheer beauty of her voice." Richard Jay-Alexander, Executive Producer of Playbill Records, echoes those same sentiments and adds, "I'm so happy we found a queen for our king at Playbill Records."

Buckley herself is overjoyed by the release of this album after four decades. This album proves that the music and talent featured in "1967" is just as timeless and significant as the person who sang them. Because Buckley never got to see her first album actually become a record, Playbill is pressing special, limited-edition 12-inch vinyl LPs of "1967" to commemorate the release. This special collector's item will be available only through PlaybillStore.com. 2007 continues to be a landmark year for Buckley. She recently began filming the highly anticipated film from director M. Night Shyamalan entitled "The Happening." She will make her debut at New York's Town Hall in a special one-night-only performance on October 20th, 2007. Buckley's second release on Playbill Records,

Quintessence, celebrates Buckley's 17-year working relationship with musical director and pianist Kenny Werner. Backed by a quintet of musicians, Buckley offers original renditions of Amelia, I've Grown Accustomed to His Face, Cry Me a River, No One Is Alone and So Many Stars. Before landing her first Broadway role on her very first audition, before Cats made her a household name, before it all, there was 1967. This album is simply the prelude to a brilliant and unmatched career.

NEW RELEASES

Abbey Lincoln – Abbey Lincoln Sings Billie Holiday (Enja/Germany)
Ann-Margret – On The Way Up (RCA/Japan)
Angie Stone – The Art Of Love And War (Stax/Concord)
Aretha Franklin – Rare & Unreleased Recordings From The Golden Reign Of The Queen Of Soul (Rhino)
Arthur Verocai – Encore (Far Out/UK)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Another Dance: Rarities From Studio One (Heartbeat/Rounder)
Brand New Heavies – Get Used To It Remixes (Delicious Vinyl)
Buddy Greco – Magic Of It All (SSJ/Japan)
Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch – Celi Bee & The Buzzy Bunch (Get Disconnected)
David Murray – Lucky Four (Enja/Germany)
Deodato – Do It Again – The Fantastic Jazz Funk Of Eumir Deodato (MCA/Germany)
Elaine Delmar – Sneakin’ Up (CBS/Vocation/UK)
Ennio Morricone – Mussolini Ultimo Atto (Cinevox/Italy)
Ennio Morricone – Indagine Su Un Cittadino Al Di Sopra Di Ogni Sospetto (Cinevox/Italy)
Ergo Sum – Mexico (Musea/Lion)
Eric Marienthal – Just Around The Corner (Peak/Concord)
Gabor Szabo – Macho (Salvation)
Gerald Albright – The Very Best Of Gerald Albright (Rhino/Warner)
Grover Washington, Jr. – Anthology Of Grover Washington, Jr. (Rhino/Warner)
Henri Rene – Music For Bachelors (RCA/Rev-Ola/UK)
Idea 6 – Steppin’ Out (Déjà Vu/Italy)
Ike & Tina Turner – Ike & Tina Turner Story 1960-1975 (Time Life)
Impressions – Finally Got Myself Together (Curtom)
James Moody – Teachers (Perception Castle/UK)
Joe Cuba – We Must Be Doing Something Right (Tico)
Joe Henderson – The Milestone Years (Milestone)
Julio Frade – MusicaEn Serio – Bossa Jazz Roots (Roadrunner/Uruguay)
Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock & Jack DeJohnette – My Foolish Heart: Live At Montreux 2001 (ECM)
Latimore – Back ‘Atcha (Henry Stone)
Lee McDonald – I’ll Do Anything For You (Favorite/France)
Leon Spencer – Sneak Preview (Prestige)
Les McCann – Bucket O’ Grease (Limelight)
Lou Donaldson – Mr. Shing-A-Ling (Blue Note)
Luis Quintero – Percussion Madness Revisited (BBE/UK)
Luther Vandross – Love, Luther (Epic/Legacy)
Marlene Dietrich – Marlene Dietrich With The Burt Bacharach Orchestra (Bureau/Germany)
Mass Production – Firecrackers: The Best Of Mass Production (Rhino/Warner)

DRM-FREE TRACKS WITH 256 KBPS AAC ENCODING

On October 17th Apple(R) announced that it has expanded its iTunes(R) Plus offering to over two million tracks and lowered the price of all iTunes Plus tracks to just 99 cents. All iTunes Plus tracks feature DRM-free music with high quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings. The iTunes Plus catalog is now the largest DRM-free catalog in the world, and includes artists from Sub Pop, Nettwerk, Beggars Group, IODA, The Orchard and many others, along with EMI's digital catalog.

"iTunes Plus has been incredibly popular with our customers and now we're making it available at an even more affordable price," said Eddy Cue, Apple's vice president of iTunes. "We're adding over two million tracks from key independent labels in addition to EMI's digital catalog and look forward to even more labels and artists making their music available on iTunes Plus."

EMI began offering their catalog on iTunes Plus earlier this year, and their impressive selection has grown to include singles and albums from the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Norah Jones, Frank Sinatra and the solo catalogs of all four Beatles.

With the expansion of iTunes Plus, customers can now download tracks from a variety of labels without limitations on the type of music player or number of computers that purchased songs can be played on. iTunes Plus songs purchased from the iTunes Store will play on all iPods, iPhone(TM), Windows or Mac(R) computers, widescreen TVs with Apple TV(TM), as well as many other digital music players.

The iTunes Store is the world's most popular online music, TV and movie store and has become the number three music retailer in the US, surpassing both Amazon and Target. The iTunes Store features the world's largest catalog with over six million songs, 550 television shows and over 500 movies and has sold over three billion songs, 100 million TV shows and over two million movies.

UPCOMING CONCERT & TOUR DATES

The Stylistics, Heatwave, The Emotions, The Chi-lites & Bloodstone appear at the Atlanta Civic Center, Atlanta, GA on October 19

Frank McComb is at Geoffrey’s, Oakland, CA on October 19 and 20; the World Live Café, Philadelphia, PA on October 24; XM Satellite Radio, Washington, DC on October 25.

Conya Doss at the Sugarhill Lounge, Atlanta, GA on October 20.

George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic at Harrahs Casino, Lake Tahoe, NV on October 20.

Les Nubians are at Lake Eden Arts Festival, Black Mountain, North Carolina on October 20. Future appearances include: The Arts Center, Carboro, North Carolina on October 21; Music Hall Center, Detroit, MI on October 24.

Jill Scott is at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip in Hollywood, CA on October 20.

Branford Marsalis plays at Laurie Auditorium, San Antonio, TX on October 20.

Boney James stops by the House of Blues, Dallas, TX on October 21.

Raul Midon appears at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angles, CA on October 22; the Café Du Nord, San Francisco, CA on October 23.

Maxi Priest appears at Carnegie Hall, New York, NY on October 22.

Alexander O’Neal & Cherrelle are at the B.B. Kings Blues Club & Grill in New York on October 23.

Rachelle Ferrell is at the Blues Alley, Washington, DC on October 23 and 24.

Thursday, October 11, 2007

KENDRA ROSS- NEW VOICE


This new release features Kendra Ross’s debut album with guests Eric Robertson, Talib Kewli and a few others This one is a bit more sophisticated in sound with a bit of jazz thrown into the mix. Titles include "Real Deal", "New Voice", "Send Me Somebody To Love", "1st Time", "Has2B", and "Very Well". Let’s hope this one puts her over the top so she could get noticed.

EMMIS DUMPS SMOOTH JAZZ FORMAT

Radio statio group Emmis Commnications has sold the intellectual property rights of "Radio Now," the Contemporary Hits Radio (CHR) format that aired on WNOU-FM/Indianapolis, to Radio One for an undisclosed amount. Included in the deal are the Radio Now brand, trademark and station imaging. The format will launch today on WYJZ-FM (100.9) replacing its Smooth Jazz offering. "The decision to take 'Radio Now' off the air was a difficult one," said VP/Market Manager Tom Severino. "It has been a vibrant, successful format, which is why we're so pleased with this agreement with Radio One. It benefits both companies, and it especially benefits the loyal listeners of Radio Now. We consider this the best-possible ending to this story."
"We are returning 'Radio Now' to Indianapolis listeners, and we intend to preserve the music and spirit that has made it one of the most-listened-to stations in the market," added Radio One President Barry Mayo. "This is a particularly satisfying announcement in view of the wonderful history of friendship and cooperation between Radio One and Emmis." The "Radio Now" format was jettisoned on Monday (10-8) when Emmis announced it would flip WNOU-FM to News/Talk as WIBC-FM in January

For his first album since 2003’s Smile, pianist Jacky Terrasson returns with heightened vitality on a superb solo outing, Mirror. The CD is a wide-ranging collection of re-envisioned standards, a jewel of a new standard, and six song-like originals, all delivered with a spontaneous joie de vivre. His first solo project has been in a germination stage for several years, as he waited for the right time to undertake the daunting challenge of going it alone in the studio.

Jacky Terrasson Tour Dates:
10/11/2007 - New York, NY @ Symphony Space
10/15/2007 - Paris, FRA @ Teatre Champs Elysees
10/18/2007 - Nancy, France @ Epinal
10/20/2007 - Washington, DC @ Kennedy Center
10/20/2007 - Washington, DC @ Kennedy Center Concert Hall
10/25/2007 - Portland, OR @ Jimmy Mak's
10/26/2007 - Seattle, WA @ Earshot Jazz Festival
10/28/2007 - San Francisco, CA @ San Francisco Jazz Festiva
11/10/2007 - Princeton, NJ @ TBA
11/30/2007 - Cambridge, MA @ Regattabar
2/20/2008 - Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota Bar
2/21/2008 - Minneapolis, MN @ Dakota Bar
2/22/2008 - Detroit, MI @ Orchestra Hall

STARBUCK'S FREE SONG OF THE DAY LIST

Beginning on October 2 through November 7, Starbuck's is distributing 1.5 million music cards each and every day in all of the more than 10,000 domestic U.S. stores. Each music card will allow the customer to download a special Song of the Day at no cost from iTunes. The list of songs scheduled to be distributed by date includes:

10-02-2007 - Bob Dylan - Jokerman
10-03-2007 - TK Tunstall - One Day
10-04-2007 - Joni Mitchell - Night of the Iguana
10-05-2007 - Keith Urban - I Told You So
10-06-2007 - Emily King - Moon
10-07-2007 - Mavis Staples - We Shall Not Be Moved
10-08-2007 - CéU - Roda (Bombay Dub Orchestra Grateful Dub Radio Mix)
10-09-2007 - Band of Horses - No One's Gonna Love You
10-10-2007 - Gloria Estefan, 90 Millas
10-11-2007 - Fine Frenzy, You Picked Me
10-12-2007 - John Legend, Show Me
10-13-2007 - John Fogerty, Gunslinger
10-14-2007 - Patti Scialfa, Looking for Elvis
10-15-2007 - Herbie Hancock, Maiden Voyage
10-16-2007 - Angie Stone, Happy Being Me
10-17-2007 - Annie Lennox, Dark Road
10-18-2007 - Brandi Carlile, Turpentine
10-19-2007 - Alice Smith, New Religion
10-20-2007 - Rogue Wave, Lake Michigan
10-21-2007 - Alice Russell, Hurry On Now (Featuring TM Juke)
10-22-2007 - Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Grace is Gone
10-23-2007 - Sonya Kitchell, I'm In Love With You
10-24-2007 - Bitter:Sweet, Heaven (Nicola Conte Remix)
10-25-2007 - Greyboy w/ Sharon Jones, Got To Be A Love
10-26-2007 - Spanish Harlem Orchestra, Sacala Bailar
10-27-2007 - Rissi Palmer, Country Girl
10-28-2007 - Raul Midon, Pick Somebody Up
10-29-2007 - Joss Stone, Tell Me 'Bout It (Live from the Bowery Ballroom)
10-30-2007 - Federico Aubele, Maria Jose
10-31-2007 - Sara Bareilles, Love Song
11-01-2007 - Hilary McRae, Consider Me Gone
11-02-2007 - John Mayer, Dreaming With A Broken Heart
11-03-2007 - Galactic, I Got It (What You Need)
11-04-2007 - Bebel Gilberto, Um Segundo
11-05-2007 - Suzanne Vega, Frank & Ava
11-06-2007 - Sia, Day Too Soon
11-07-2007 - Paul McCartney, Only Mama Knows

BOB SINCLAR - MEU CARNAVAL


Bob Sinclar's latest 12" release is a Brazilian-inspired dance track, "Meu Carnaval(1)," Sinclar inserts multiple crowd moving techniques: Batucada percussion, Dubsided-lite zip sounds and horns, a guitar breakdown, crowd noise, and Seu Jorge type vocals (actually it's Rolando Faria). The B-side features an effective Dub Version(2) that replaces the vocals with anthemic horns.

FEDERICO AUBELE TOUR DATES

Federico Aubele is promoting the the release of Panamericana featuring 13 brand-new tracks with US, Canada and European dates as follows:

10/24: @ Stubbs Jr - Austin, TX (late show)
10/26: @ Mix Lounge, Las Vegas, NV
10/27: @ Vegoose Music Festival, Las Vegas, NV
10/29: @ Brick by Brick, San Diego, CA
10/30: @ Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
10/31: @ The Independent, SF, CA (supporting Benevento Russo Duo)
11/01: @ The Independent, SF, CA (supporting Benevento Russo Duo)
11/02: @ Berbatis, Portland, OR (supporting Benevento Russo Duo)
11/03: @ Media Club, Vancouver, BC
11/04: @ Chop Suey, Seattle, WA (supporting Benevento Russo Duo)
11/06: @ Walnut Room, Denver, CO
11/07: @ Belly Up, Aspen, CO
11/10: @ Schubas, Chicago, IL
11/11: @ Live @ Courhouse, Toronto, ON
11/12: @ La Tulipe, Montreal, Que
11/14: @ Joe's Pub, NYC (two shows - 9.30pm & 11.30pm) 
11/15: @ Eigtheenth Street Lounge, Washington, DC
11/18: @ The Social, London
11/20: @ Club 103, Berlin
11/21: @ Prinzenbar, Hamburg
11/23: @ Vega Small Hall, Copenhagen
11/24: @ Bitterzoet, Amsterdam
11/26: @ Aula Magna, Lisbon
11/27: @ Theatro Circo, Braga
11/29: @ Spain, Venue to be confirmed
11/30: @ Spain, Venue to be confirmed
12/02: @ Scene Bastille, Paris
12/03: @ AB Club, Brussels
12/05: @ Kaufleuten Club, Zurich
12/06: @ Blue Note, Milan
12/08: @ Mylos Club, Thessaloniki
12/09: @ Tiki Club, Athens

CD SALES ON EBAY HIT $24 MILLION

Consumer research firm Packaged Facts has unveiled a groundbreaking report, CDs: Online Industry Insights powered by eBay Data: Annual Industry Overview 2006, that catalogs the $23.8 million in compact disc (CD) sales that took place on eBay.com in 2006. Based exclusively on primary eBay data, this report offers consumer goods marketers an unprecedented look at compact disc trends-including new and used CDs-and buying and selling insights provided by eBay, the world's largest global online marketplace with more than 241 million users worldwide. The report tunes marketers into the 3.8 million music CDs sold and examines sales based on multiple variables and brands. It also provides a play list of market opportunities, demand, and dynamics, enabling marketers to develop targeted promotion plans and explore possible
partnerships.

"The 20 terabytes of data that we draw our results from is a whole new level of market research," said Don Montuori, Vice President of Publishing at Packaged Facts. "Marketers can examine CD activity on eBay and extrapolate it to the whole industry in no time."

Produced in conjunction with DataUnison, the authorized and exclusive reseller of eBay's market data, reports in the Online Market Insights powered by eBay Data series provide annual overviews and quarterly profiles of eBay activity for consumer product categories and individual brands, with in-depth analysis and extensive tabular and graphic data on multinational sales generated through eBay.

TRANS-SIBERION ORCHESTRA CONFIRMS 130 CONCERT TOUR

One of the biggest arena attractions in rock music, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO), will once again take to the road for what will be its largest-ever tour, more than 80 cities in the U.S. and Canada over a ten-week period beginning November 1st.

Established in 1996 by producer/composer/lyricist Paul O'Neill, who immediately brought onboard long time friends Jon Oliva and Robert Kinkel, TSO's unique brand of symphonic rock has been a true mega-success, both on record and the concert stage, with fans ages 7 to 70. The band's four CD releases, including the holiday-themed "Christmas Eve & Other Stories" (1996), "The Christmas Attic" (1998), "The Lost Christmas Eve" (2004) and "Beethoven's Last Night" (2000) have sold more than 5,000,000 units, over 900,000 in 2006 alone. Proving their longevity and growing appeal, three of TSO's disc offerings placed in Billboard's Top Ten Catalog Album Charts in 2006. TSO's 2001 DVD release, "The Ghost of Christmas Eve," also achieved platinum status.

Since its first tour in 1999, TSO has been one of the most successful acts in the concert business, consistently rating in the Top 10 for both gross revenues and audience attendance. In that time, TSO's annual tours have become a must-see tradition for rock-centric revelers, attracting a uniquely all-ages audience captivated by their cross-genre blending of metal and progressive rock, classical themes and great storytelling, with unequalled staging and pyrotechnics. TSO's 2006 Winter Tour was its most successful to date, playing to over 1,000,000 fans, generating revenues in excess of $40 million, and earning the most attendance on Billboard's Top 25 Tours chart.

"TSO continues to grow because we put the fans first, providing an affordably priced ticket to the biggest and boldest show in rock," states founder Paul O'Neill. "To create a band that could tackle any kind of music, we merged the primal power of a full-on hard rock band with a complete orchestra and a big ensemble of lead vocalists, who suit pieces reflecting classical, metal, gospel, jazz and more, literally everything under the sun. I think it's the daring and variety of the music, the fact that we'll travel anywhere musically to tell a story, which makes TSO a band with such a unique cross-generational appeal.

"We also work to make sure there's no second class seat in the house," adds O'Neill. "The impact is as powerful in the back of the house at a TSO show as it is in the orchestra section, due to the tremendous efforts we put into staying ahead of the pack with our staging and pyrotechnics, and, of course, the passion of our players.

"For me, the ultimate critic is time," concludes O'Neill. "It's rewarding for all of us in TSO that our concert audience continues to grow and that our albums sell more today than when they were first released."

Tour Dates for TSO's 2007 North American Winter Tour are as follows:

01 Nov. 2007 Youngstown, OH (Chevrolet Center) 7:30pm
02 Nov. 2007 Youngstown, OH (Chevrolet Center) 8:00pm
02 Nov. 2007 Lakeland, FL (Lakeland Civic Center) 8:00pm
03 Nov. 2007 Youngstown, OH (Chevrolet Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
03 Nov. 2007 Lakeland, FL (Lakeland Civic Center) 8:00pm
04 Nov. 2007 Hershey, PA (Giant Center @ Hershey Park) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
04 Nov. 2007 Sunrise, FL (BankAtlantic Center) 7:30pm
05 Nov. 2007 Jacksonville, FL (Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena)
7:30pm
07 Nov. 2007 Manchester, NH (Verizon Wireless Arena) 7:30pm
07 Nov. 2007 Knoxville, TN (Thompson-Boling Arena) 7:30pm
08 Nov. 2007 Manchester, NH (Verizon Wireless Arena) 7:30pm
08 Nov. 2007 Atlanta, GA (Phillips Arena) 7:30pm
09 Nov. 2007 Portland, ME (Cumberland County Civic Center) 8:00pm
09 Nov. 2007 Biloxi, MS (Mississippi Coast Coliseum) 8:00pm
10 Nov. 2007 Worcester, MA (DCU Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
10 Nov. 2007 New Orleans, LA (New Orleans Arena) 8:00pm
11 Nov. 2007 Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun Arena) 2:30pm & 7:30pm
11 Nov. 2007 Jackson, MS (Mississippi Coliseum) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
14 Nov. 2007 Dayton, OH (EJ Nutter Center) 7:30pm
14 Nov. 2007 Lubbock, TX (United Spirit Arena) 7:30pm
15 Nov. 2007 Dayton, OH (EJ Nutter Center) 7:30pm
16 Nov. 2007 Ft. Wayne, IN (Allen County War Memorial Coliseum)
8:00pm
16 Nov. 2007 El Paso, TX (Don Haskins Center) 7:30pm
17 Nov. 2007 Lexington, KY (Rupp Arena) 7:30pm
17 Nov. 2007 Phoenix, AZ (US Airways Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
18 Nov. 2007 Pittsburgh, PA (Mellon Arena) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
18 Nov. 2007 Las Vegas, NV (Mandalay Bay Events Center) 7:30pm
19 Nov. 2007 San Diego, CA (Cox Arena) 7:30pm
20 Nov. 2007 Providence, RI (Dunkin Donuts Center) 7:30pm
20 Nov. 2007 Anaheim, CA (The Pond) 8:00pm
21 Nov. 2007 San Jose, CA (HP Pavilion) 8:00pm
22 Nov. 2007 Montreal, QC (Bell Centre) 7:30pm
23 Nov. 2007 Ottawa, ON (Scotiabank Place) 8:00pm
23 Nov. 2007 Fresno, CA (Save Mart Center) 8:00pm
24 Nov. 2007 Hamilton, ON (Copps Coliseum) 8:00pm
24 Nov. 2007 Reno, NV (Lawlor Events Center) 8:00pm
25 Nov. 2007 Buffalo, NY (HSBC Arena) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
25 Nov. 2007 Sacramento, CA (Arco Arena) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
26 Nov. 2007 Toronto, ON (Air Canada Centre) 7:30pm
27 Nov. 2007 Salt Lake City, UT (EnergySolutions Arena) 7:30pm
28 Nov. 2007 Toledo, OH (Seagate Center) 7:30pm
28 Nov. 2007 Boise, ID (Idaho Center) 7:30pm
29 Nov. 2007 Toledo, OH (Seagate Center) 7:30pm
30 Nov. 2007 Lansing, MI (Jack Breslin Student Events Center) 8:00pm
30 Nov. 2007 Vancouver, BC (GM Place) 8:00pm
01 Dec. 2007 Grand Rapids, MI (Van Andel Arena) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
01 Dec. 2007 Seattle, WA (Key Arena) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
02 Dec. 2007 Chicago, IL (Allstate Arena) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
02 Dec. 2007 Portland, OR (Rose Garden Arena) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
05 Dec. 2007 Albany, NY (Times Union Center) 7:30pm
05 Dec. 2007 Colorado Springs, CO (World Arena) 8:00pm
06 Dec. 2007 Albany, NY (Times Union Center) 7:30pm
06 Dec. 2007 Denver, CO (Pepsi Center) 7:30pm
07 Dec. 2007 Atlantic City, NJ (Boardwalk Hall) 8:00pm
07 Dec. 2007 Wichita, KS (Kansas Coliseum) 8:00pm
08 Dec. 2007 Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
08 Dec. 2007 Kansas City, MO (Sprint Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
09 Dec. 2007 Hartford, CT (Hartford Civic Center Coliseum) 2:30pm
& 7:30pm
09 Dec. 2007 St. Louis, MO (Scottrade Center) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
12 Dec. 2007 Greenville, SC (Bi-Lo Center) 7:30pm
12 Dec. 2007 Omaha, NE (Qwest Center Omaha) 7:30pm
13 Dec. 2007 Hampton, VA (Hampton Coliseum) 7:30pm
13 Dec. 2007 Des Moines, IA (Wells Fargo Arena) 7:30pm
14 Dec. 2007 Uniondale, NY (Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum) 8:00pm
14 Dec. 2007 Grand Forks, ND (Alerus Center) 8:00pm
15 Dec. 2007 East Rutherford, NJ (Continental Airlines Arena) 3:00pm
& 8:00pm
15 Dec. 2007 Minneapolis, MN (Target Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
16 Dec. 2007 Washington, DC (Verizon Center) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
16 Dec. 2007 Milwaukee, WI (Bradley Center) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
17 Dec. 2007 Indianapolis, IN (Conseco Field House) 7:30pm
19 Dec. 2007 Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum Complex) 7:30pm
20 Dec. 2007 Raleigh, NC (RBC Center) 7:30pm
20 Dec. 2007 Memphis, TN (Fed Ex Forum) 7:30pm
21 Dec. 2007 Charlotte, NC (Crickett Arena) 8:00pm
21 Dec. 2007 Bossier City, LA (Century Tel Center) 8:00pm
22 Dec. 2007 Richmond, VA (Richmond Coliseum) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
22 Dec. 2007 Oklahoma City, OK (Ford Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
23 Dec. 2007 Columbia, SC (Colonial Center) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
23 Dec. 2007 San Antonio, TX (AT&T Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
26 Dec. 2007 Detroit, MI (The Palace of Auburn Hills) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
26 Dec. 2007 Austin, TX (Frank Erwin Center) 7:30pm
27 Dec. 2007 Columbus, OH (Nationwide Arena) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
27 Dec. 2007 Houston, TX (Toyota Center) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
28 Dec. 2007 Cincinnati, OH (US Bank Arena) 8:00pm
28 Dec. 2007 Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
29 Dec. 2007 Rochester, NY (Blue Cross Arena) 8:00pm
29 Dec. 2007 Little Rock, AR (Alltel Arena) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
30 Dec. 2007 Cleveland, OH (Quicken Loans Arena) 3:00pm & 7:30pm
30 Dec. 2007 Nashville, TN (Gaylord Entertainment Center) 7:30pm
31 Dec. 2007 Cleveland, OH (Quicken Loans Arena) 3:00pm & 9:30pm
31 Dec. 2007 Birmingham, AL (BJCC) 3:00pm & 9:30pm
03 Jan. 2008 Erie, PA (Erie Civic Center) 7:30pm
03 Jan. 2008 Peoria, IL (Peoria Civic Center) 7:30pm
04 Jan. 2008 Syracuse, NY (OnCenter) 8:00pm
04 Jan. 2008 Moline, IL (The Mark of the Quad Cities) 8:00pm
05 Jan. 2008 Wilkes-Barre, PA (Wachovia Arena) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
05 Jan. 2008 Madison, WI (Alliant Energy Center) 3:00pm & 8:00pm
06 Jan. 2008 Baltimore, MD (1st Mariner Arena) 7:30pm
06 Jan. 2008 Green Bay, WI (Resch Center) 3:00pm & 7:30pm)

MICROSOFT MUSIC STORE GOES DRM-FREE

Sending shockwaves through the industry and the crowd of the Digital Music Conference in Los Angeles yesterday, Microsoft became the latest and largest music retailer to offer DRM-free digital music. Yesterday's announcement comes less than two weeks after Amazon.com launched its own DRM-free digital music store. The Microsoft Music Store will offer consumers more than one million DRM-free songs.

"The industry standard has shifted in the past six months and the tide has turned in favor of consumers," Maura Corbett, a spokesperson for the Digital Freedom Campaign said. "The number of digital music retailers offering DRM-free music will soon outnumber those that do not, and consumers will soon live in a world where they can listen to legally purchased music when, how, and where they want. We congratulate Microsoft for joining the growing number of retailers and labels that have realized the best way to increase the sales of digital music, is to listen to their customers."

Digital technology enables literally anyone and everyone to be a creator, an innovator or an artist -- to produce music, to create cutting-edge videos and photos, and to share their creative work. Digital technology empowers individuals to enjoy these new works when, where, and how they want, and to participate in the artistic process. These are basic freedoms that must be protected and nurtured. The Digital Freedom campaign is dedicated to defending the rights of students, artists, innovators, and consumers to create and make lawful use of new technologies free of unreasonable government restrictions and without fear of costly and abusive lawsuits. www.digitalfreedom.org

BETTYE LAVETTE DEBUTS AT #1 ON BILLBOARD'S BLUES CHART

BETTYE LaVETTE's second CD on Anti-, "The Scene of the Crime," has debuted at the #1 spot on Billboard's "Top Blues Album" Chart in the first week of release. Fans and critics alike are captivated by LaVETTE's remarkable interpretation of songs on the new disc.

Critics continue to heap accolades upon LaVETTE's "The Scene of the Crime," including The Washington Post: "LaVette joins forces with the Drive-By Truckers (Patterson Hood produces, along with David Barbe and LaVette herself) on the brilliant follow-up to her 2005 cover album, 'I've Got My Own Hell to Raise.' 'The Scene of the Crime,' which is a little bit country and a little bit Southern soul... it's fantastic. LaVette is miles ahead of most working singers when performing the songs of Ray Charles ('They Call It Love'), and George Jones ('Choices') in her uniquely wrenching, scab-picking way."

Elsewhere, the Village Voice notes: "LaVette sings 'Scene' as if she's been backed into a corner and relishes the sensation." Meanwhile, the Boston Globe declares: "...an album as lean, mean, and gritty as the cover image of someone behind a steering wheel, peering into the rearview mirror with windshield wipers in motion. LaVette, in case you hadn't heard, was the comeback story of 2005. A mainstay on the club circuit but unknown to the masses, LaVette released 'I've Got My Own Hell to Raise' on Anti-. It turns out she was just clearing her throat with that celebrated album; on 'Scene,' she delivers on the promise that her best work lies ahead of her."

In harmony with the other outlets, The Detroit Free Press states: "LaVette digs into the material in her gritty, fiery way, delivering blistering versions of Eddie Hinton's 'Still Want to Be Your Baby (Take Me as I Am)' and 'You Don't Know Me At All,' co-written by the Eagles' Don Henley. Topping this collection is LaVette's showstopping rendition of Elton John and Bernie Taupin's heartrending ballad 'Talking Old Soldiers,' which obviously has deep personal meaning to her." Perhaps, the most succinct statement came from Blogcritics.org when they called BETTYE LaVETTE and "The Scene of the Crime": "The real deal."

Current tour dates are as follows:
DATE CITY/STATE VENUE
Wed, 10/31 - Vienna, VA The Barns at Wolf Trap
Thurs, 11/1 - Sellersville, PA Sellersville Theater
Sat, 11/10 - Fallon, NV Barkley Theatre
Sun, 11/11 - Sacramento, CA Sacramento Horseman's Club
Mon, 11/12 - San Francisco, CA The Independent

SUCCESS FOR THE SAVOY LABEL GROUP

The Savoy Label Group hit an unprecedented milestone in the label group's history when not one but two albums charted at Number One last week. Jim
Brickman's "Homecoming" on the SLG label took a scant week to top the chart since its street date on September 25. Andre Rieu's "Radio City Music Hall Live in New York" on Denon topped the Classical charts this week as well.

Jim Brickman is no stranger to chart-topping success. He has had consistent No. 1 debuts on Billboard Magazine's New Age Albums chart with "Homecoming" marking his 10th appearance atop the chart. 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, making him the #1 Top Charting Artist of all time at the radio format. "Homecoming" features a diverse roster of guest performers including Lonestar's Richie McDonald, who is featured on the first single, "Coming Home for Christmas." Other musical collaborators include the late Gerald Levert, who contributed one of his last vocal performances on "My Angel," as well as jazz luminary Peter White, whose guitar talents are showcased on the track, "Joy."

His first-ever concert spectacular filmed in the U.S., "Radio City Music Hall Live in New York" captures the blockbuster performance at the iconic landmark theatre, Radio City Music Hall. Special guest stars include the world-renowned Harlem Gospel Choir, The Platinum Tenors, and child-prodigy Akim Camara. Andre Rieu has always been an artist who has generated unparalleled excitement within (and beyond) the realm of classical music. His spectacular specials produced around the world have consistently been the #1 performing pledge drive programs for PBS, his last twelve CD's have landed within the top of Billboard's Classical chart with several achieving the #1 spot, he's won multi-platinum video sales awards for his DVD sets "The Ultimate Andre Rieu Collection" and "The Ultimate Andre Rieu Christmas Collection" and his tours have grown bigger each year regularly selling out arenas in the US and landing him in the Top 5 of Pollstar Magazine's top touring acts year after year.

The Savoy Label Group (SLG) features not only the historic Savoy Jazz label but also the Denon, Denon Classics, Kin Kou and 429 Records labels. SLG is the North American unit of Columbia Music Entertainment (formerly Nippon Columbia), the oldest music company in Japan. Newly reorganized and now headed by Chairman Strauss Zelnick, Columbia Music Entertainment has re-emerged as a significant creative force with a stable of newly signed platinum-selling artists. SLG is one of the most successful marketers of adult music in the U.S. and focuses on classical, jazz, new age, world and adult alternative genres.

THE BIRD AND THE BEE TOUR DATES


10/12/2007 San Diego, CA SOMA (opening for Rilo Kiley)
10/13/2007 Las Vegas, NV The Joint at The Hard Rock (opening for Rilo Kiley)
10/15/2007 Santa Monica, CA Civic Auditorium (opening for Rilo Kiley)
10/16/2007 Los Angeles, CA Amoeba (In-Store performance)
10/22/2007 Shibuya, Japan O-East
10/23/2007 Shibuya, Japan O-East
10/24/2007 Nagoya, Japan Club Quattro
10/25/2007 Osaka, JPN Club Quattro
11/4/2007 Portland, OR Doug Fir
11/5/2007 Seattle, WA Crocodile Cafe
11/16/2007 Washington, DC Rock and Roll Hotel
11/17/2007 Philadelphia, PA North Star
11/18/2007 New York, NY Blender Theater at The Gramercy
11/28/2007 Chicago, IL Schubas
11/29/2007 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theater

VAN HUNT - THE POPULAR MACHINE


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.

Tour dates are as follows:
10/15/2007 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theater (with Meshell N'degeocello)
10/16/2007 Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern (with Meshell N'degeocello)
10/18/2007 Santa Ana, CA Galaxy Theatre (with Meshell N'degeocello)
10/29/2007 New York, NY B.B. King's
12/2/2007 Los Angeles, CA B.B. King's

DOWN TO THE BONE TOUR DATES

10/12/2007 New York, NY Spirit Cruise Ship - Pier 63 - Chelsea Piers
10/14/2007 Baltimore, MD South Pacific Lounge
10/15/2007 Baltimore, MD South Pacific Lounge
10/16/2007 Baltimore, MD South Pacific Lounge
10/17/2007 Baltimore, MD South Pacific Lounge
10/18/2007 Baltimore, MD South Pacific Lounge
10/19/2007 Baltimore, MD South Pacific Lounge

EL DEBARGE RECORDING WITH BABYFACE

Just a couple weeks after being arrested in Los Angeles, El DeBarge is rumored to be working on his first album of new material in nearly 15 years.  DeBarge is said to be working with Babyface on material for the new disc.

ALISON CROCKETT - BARE


We first got to know of Alison Crockett from her On Becoming A Woman album and now here’s another great set from her. She really come into her own here with a batch of original compositions that are filled with jazz and soul.Titles include "So Sweet", "Everything Is Beautiful", "Anything", "We Are", "How Deep Is Your Love", "Baby Smile", "Everytime I'm With You", "Love Is Just A Word", and a great cover of "Love Is Stronger Than Pride". Hopefully U.S. radio programmers will take note of this one just as much as European programmers have (hint, hint!). Oh and by the way, if you truly are interested in the very best of Euro-Radio – check out Radio Nova from France. You will not be disappointed.

ANGELIQUE KIDJO DONATES PROCEEDS FROM HER VIDEO DOWNLOAD

African singer-songwriter Angelique Kidjo recently traveled on September 2 to the eastern part of Chad, a highly-insecure part of the country which borders on the war-torn region of Darfur in Sudan. Upon her return, Kidjo announced that proceeds from the video download of her newly-released single "Gimme Shelter" will benefit international relief and development agency Oxfam. The first video, which also features Grammy-nominated Joss Stone, is available for download on iTunes. "Gimme Shelter" appears on Kidjo's latest album, the critically-acclaimed DJIN DJIN.

Oxfam is a feisty campaigning organization", said Kidjo. "I support them not just because of their amazing humanitarian work in countries like Chad but also because they campaign and tackle the root reasons why people are poor. I want to shine a light on the terrible situation in Chad and Darfur and this song which means so much to me, is my way of trying to make a difference not just through the donated sales of the single but by hopefully reminding people that poverty and suffering is not that far away from all of us."

Kidjo has a longstanding relationship with Oxfam and met with its humanitarian workers on her recent trip to Chad. After the trip she called on world leaders to use all diplomatic means to establish an immediate ceasefire in the neighboring Darfur region in Sudan. There are now more than four million people in need of humanitarian aid in Darfur, with two million of them living as virtual prisoners in camps they are too scared to leave. In eastern Chad, there are some 230,000 refugees from Darfur in 12 camps, with another 180,000 'internally displaced' Chadians forced from their homes.

JOSH GROBAN CHRISTMAS CD 'NOEL' TO BE RELEASED FOR HOLIDAYS


Christmas joy arrives early this year for millions of Josh Groban fans as 143/Warner/Reprise Records announces the release of 'NOEL,' the artist's long-anticipated classic recording of holiday songs. Scheduled to arrive in stores on October 9th, Groban is joined on 'Noel' by the London Symphony Orchestra and several guest artists and has once again collaborated with Grammy-winning producer David Foster.

Recorded in LA and the famed Abbey Road Studio in London in between performances of the 26-year-old Groban's "Awake" Tour, the collection of holiday songs on 'Noel' includes such classics as "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" with Josh on acoustic piano, "Silent Night," "Little Drummer Boy," "The Christmas Song," "O Come All Ye Faithful" with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and "Ava Maria." Groban duets with Faith Hill on "The First Noel," with a choir under the direction of gospel legend Kirk Franklin. In addition, singer Brian McKnight adds his vocals on "Angels We Have Heard On High" and the haunting version of "I'll Be Home For Christmas" features messages from troops stationed overseas.

"I was inspired by all the Christmases I've been fortunate enough to celebrate with my family over the last 26 years," commented Groban. "I was committed to making a classic Christmas album yet one that sounded different than anything that's been heard on a holiday record. David Foster and I were passionate about creating the perfect collection of songs."

Groban, whose collective international CD sales have topped 17 million copies, is currently on the road in Australia where he is continuing his sold out "Awake" concert tour which has been seen by over 800,000 people. He is expected to make promotional TV appearances in November on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," NBC's "Christmas Tree Lighting at Rockefeller Center" November 28th and "Good Morning America" November 30th.

BRIAN CULBERTSON'S A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS TOUR

Contemporary jazz favorite, Brian Culbertson, will bring his holiday show to audiences across the nation beginning on November 23. Presented by AirTran Airways, BRIAN CULBERTSON'S A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS, features an all-star cast consisting of saxman Gerald Albright, vocalist Howard Hewett, guitarist Nick Colionne, and introducing vocalist Victoria White.

Audiences are guaranteed to be in the holiday spirit after experiencing BRIAN CULBERTSON'S A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS! In typical Brian Culbertson fashion, the show features uplifting and soulful performances of holiday favorites and tunes from Brian's holiday album, A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS (in stores now)! In addition, Brian and his guests will play hits from their respective catalogues.

"I am thrilled to be taking A SOULFUL CHRISTMAS on the road for the second year in a row," said Culbertson. "I can't wait to share the stage with this talented group of musicians to celebrate the Holiday season!"

Tour dates are as follows:
11/23 Indianapolis, IN Music Mill
11/24 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
11/25 New York, NY Town Hall
11/27 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
11/28 Alexandria, VA The Birchmere
12/1 New Haven, CT Lyman Center for the Performing Arts
12/2 Collingswood, NJ Scottish-Rite Auditorium
12/8 Sparks, NV Nugget-Celebrity Showroom Casino
12/9 Sacramento, CA Crest Theater
12/11 San Diego, CA Anthology
12/13 Phoenix, AZ Celebrity Theatre
12/14 Las Vegas, NV Boulder Station Casino
12/15 Palm Desert, CA McCallum Theatre
12/16 Anaheim, CA The Grove of Anaheim
12/18 Los Angeles, CA The Wilshire Theatre
12/20 Seattle, WA Paramount Theater
12/21 Portland, WA Crystal Ballroom
12/22 Redwood City, CA Fox Theatre

For the latest news and information, please visit www.asoulfulxmas.com or www.brianculbertson.com.

CHAKA KHAN'S 'FUNK THIS' DEBUTS AT #15 ON BILLBOARD TOP 200 CHART


Celebrating over three decades of milestones, CHAKA KHAN adds another success to her list with the debut of her new CD FUNK THIS. Entering at #15 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, this marks Chaka's highest charting album in over 20 years when "I Feel For You" peaked at #14 in 1984.

FUNK THIS is her highest debuting album ever both on the Billboard Top 200 chart and on the Billboard R&B Album Chart, where she debuted at #5. 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.

Two of the originals on FUNK THIS include "Disrespectful," the tour-de-force duet with powerhouse Mary J. Blige, and a poignant poeticballad, "Angel." Both songs are climbing the charts steadily. "Angel" which just secured the #4 position on the Urban AC Radio Chart is her first top 10 R&B radio hit in over 10 years. The remix of "Disrespectful (feat. Mary J. Blige)" gains heat at the clubs jumping to #11 on the Billboard Dance Chart.

Chaka Khan will join the musical production of "The Color Purple" in January as Sofia, the strong-willed character portrayed by Oprah Winfrey in the film version. Playing opposite her will be the gospel and R&B singer BeBe Winans.

Chaka Khan embarked on her FUNK THIS tour starting October 6th.

Tour Dates Include -- more to come:
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 25 - Los Angeles, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre
November 30 - Cayman Islands @ Cayman Music Festival

Monday, October 08, 2007

HELP JAMMIE THOMAS FIGHT THE RIAA!

If you’ve been following the news lately, then you must be aware that Jammie Thomas, age 30, a Native American woman from Brainerd, Minnesota, was sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for alleged music pirating by illegal sharing of songs via Kazaa. Thomas is a single mother of two who makes $36,000 at her job, has denied being the owner of the Kazaa file sharing account. Her case went to trial last week and on October October 4, 2007, U.S. District Court Judge Michael J. Davis and the jury charged her with $222,000 worth of damages, which came to $9,250 per song.

At the trial, jurors decided that Thomas willfully violated the copyright of 24 music files consisting of such bands as Aerosmith, Green Day, and Guns 'N' Roses on Kazaa, under the username of tereastarr@KaZaA. The hard drive containing the alleged copyrighted song was never presented at the trial. There was no evidence showing that the Kazaa account had allowed others to effectively download the files. Jammie Thomas continues to claim her innocence and has vowed to fight the RIAA for the rest of her life,.

Thomas has vowed to appeal her case and is asking the public to support her in this effort. If you are interested in donating funds towards her attorney fees, you may do so by visiting her website at www.freejammie.com. Jammie has set up a Paypal account where you can contribute towards her case. You can also send donations to her lawyer Brian Toder, at Chestnut & Cambronne. Please include her case number 06cv1497 Capital Records vs. Jammie Thomas, and send to:

Chestnut & Cambronne
Attn: Brian Toder
3700 Campbell Mithun Tower
222 South Ninth Street
Minneapolis, MN 55402

Thursday, October 04, 2007

UPCOMING RELEASES FROM AL GREEN, ALICIA KEYS, MAXWELL, ROBERTA FLACK, LENNY KRAVITZ & OTHERS…


Al Green (TBA)
Algebra – Purpose (TBA)
Alicia Keys – As I Am (Nov.)
Aretha Franklin – Duets Album (Oct.)
Aretha Franklin – A Woman Falling Out Of Love (TBA)
Gerald Alston – Sam Cooke Tribute Album (TBA)
Jennifer Johns – Painting On Wax (TBA)
Kimberley Locke – Based On A True Story (TBA)
Lenny Kravitz – Is It Time For A Love Revolution (Feb. ’08)
Lorenzo Owens – Better Days (Oct.)
Luther Vandross – Love Luther Boxed Set (Oct.)
Marlon Saunders – Birth Of Revelation (TBA)
Maxwell – Black Summer’s Night (TBA)
Monet (Jan. ’08)
N’dambi (TBA ’08)
Ola Onabule – The Devoured Man (TBA)
Raheem De Vaughn – Love Behind The Melody (Nov.)
Roberta Flack – Covers of Beatles songs (TBA)
Skip Bauchman – Soul Menu On Back (Nov.)
Temptations – Back To Front (Oct.)
Whitney Houston (TBA)
Will Downing – After Tonight (Oct. 30)

RAGAN WHITESIDE – CLASS AXE


Smooth jazz with a funky soul groove is what Ragan Whiteside is all about. She could very well be the 21st Century heir to the 70s grooves of Bobbi Humphrey. Most of the tunes are recorded with enough warm tones and classic elements that reminds me of 70s style fusion. Favorite tracks on here include "Options", "Call Me", "Funktuation", "Gonna Fly", "So Glad", "3AM", the Latin-Samba "Meu Amigo Meu Amante", and "How Do You Know". She’s smooth, sexy, and radio-friendly throughout and overall its an awesome collection of Smooth Jazz, Urban, and Neo-Soul songs that will totally convince you this woman has a huge future ahead of her. It’s produced by Bob Baldwin and Dennis Johnson.

MARIA RITA – SAMBA MEU


The looks of the cover alone made me go out and seek out this CD! It’s done mostly in an acoustic mode with live percussion, acoustic guitar, and other Brazilian instrumentation – all resulting in a breezy samba-style beat. If you like Bebel Gilberto or Ceu you’ll like this one as well. Titles include "Corpitcho", "Novo Amor", "Trajetoria", "O Que E O Amor", "Samba Meu", "O Homem Falou", "Ta Perdoado", "Num Corpo So","Maltratar Nao E Direito", and "Maria Do Socorro".

BEBEL GILBERTO INTERNATIONAL TOUR DATES

Oct. 5 – Sydney, Australia @ Sydney Opera House
Oct. 7 – Melbourne, Australia @ Hammer Hall
Oct. 19 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Teatro De La Cuidad
Oct. 20 – Monterrey, Mexico @ United Nation Forum Monterrey
Oct. 21 - Monterrey, Mexico @ United Nation Forum Monterrey
Oct. 25 – Edo. Mexico-Mexico Explanada Municipal @
San Cristobal Ecatepec
Oct. 28 – Mexico City, Mexico @ Zocato
Nov. 18 – London, UK @ Shepherds Bush Empire

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.

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

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

Sunday, September 30, 2007

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.

Thursday, September 27, 2007

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.

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