VAN MORRISON - ASTRAL WEEKS LIVE

Multi-award winning musical legend Van Morrison returns to California for “Astral Weeks Live” at the Berkeley’s University of California, Greek Theatre on May 2 and 3, and at the intimate Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on May 7, 8 & 9. Morrison recently released “Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl,” a historic CD and double vinyl recording, performed almost 40 years to the date of the original studio masterpiece. The DVD release of “Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl” is slated for April 7, exclusively through Amazon.com

Morrison will perform the "Astral Weeks” material “from cover to cover” as well as a number of his classic hits from his extensive repertoire. Joining him on stage will be an orchestral string section and a band composed of world-class musicians, including renowned guitarist Jay Berliner, who played with Van on the original "Astral Weeks" sessions 40 years ago. Tracks will include: "Astral Weeks/I Believe I’ve Transcended," "Beside You," "Slim Slow Slider/ I Start Breaking Down," "Sweet Thing," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Cyprus Avenue / You Came Walking Down," "Ballerina," "Madame George.”

Rolling Stone Magazine noted that with Astral Weeks Live, Morrison "took charge of the music with the authority that comes with four decades of performing. It seemed that once he breathed in the perfume of these eight songs, he didn’t want them to end.” Added the Los Angeles Times, "Transcendence is what Morrison has been after with his music from the beginning… the wondrous youthful timbre of his voice… has evolved over the years into a richer, fuller instrument, with every bit of its remarkable elasticity very much intact."

Universally regarded as one of the most important albums in pop music history, "Astral Weeks" broke new ground with its experimental free-flowing arrangements and deeply reflective songs. Morrison’s motivation to rework the music was to get back to his original signature sound: a blend of jazz, blues, classical and folk unique to Van Morrison.

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Morrison is responsible for some of the greatest recordings of the last 50 years. A Belfast native of proud Scottish heritage, he grew up listening to American music with his parents, his favorite artists being greats like Ledbelly, Mahalia Jackson, Lightnin’ Hopkins and other legends of blues and soul. Morrison has more than 200 of his compositions featured in major motion pictures over the years, the latest being featured in the Scorsese film "The Departed." Morrison was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the late Ray Charles in June 2003.

HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL - ANYTHING GOES

Concord Records has just announced the signing of music icon and legendary trumpeter and bandleader, Herb Alpert, and his wife, the internationally renowned singer, Lani Hall. The celebrated duo's Concord debut Anything Goes is a live collection of beautifully reinterpreted standards, and marks the first complete project that Herb and Lani have recorded together. Anything Goes is slated for release on May 26, 2009.

Throughout his illustrious career Herb Alpert has sold more than 72 million albums worldwide as a musician and bandleader of the groundbreaking Tijuana Brass. He has won seven Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for "A Taste of Honey," and had three of his recordings--the early TJB hit "Whipped Cream," 1966's "What Now My Love," and his 1979 solo hit "Rise"--honored with inclusion in the Grammy Awards Archive Collection.

In 1962, Alpert and Jerry Moss founded A&M Records, which became one of the world's leading independently owned record labels and home to such renowned artists as The Police, The Carpenters, Carole King and Janet Jackson among others. During this time Herb produced the likes of Stan Getz, The Baja Marimba Band, Gato Barbieri, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, and his wife of more than thirty years, Lani Hall. Lani's own Grammy-award winning career as a songstress stretches from 1960s where she amassed hits as lead singer with Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, leading into a string of solo albums in English, Portuguese and Spanish that began with 1972's "Sun Down Lady."

Herb and Lani kick-off their first week of their US tour in support of the new release on April 16, 2009:
April 16 – Newport News, VA @ Ferguson Center for the Arts
April 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
April 18 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
April 19 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
April 21 – New York, NY @ Rose Hall
April 22 – Boston, MA @ Berklee Performing Center
April 23 – Troy, NY @ TSB Music Hall
http://www.herbalpert.com

SOME HOT NEW RELEASES & REISSUES

Some Hot New Releases You Should Be Looking Out For…

Wynton Marsalis – He And She (Blue Note) due March 24

Chris Botti – Chris Botti Live In Boston (Columbia) - The Blu-ray HD version includes 2 hours of concert footage and the 40-minute “Behind the Scenes” bonus documentary. Columbia will also release a 13-track CD, as well as a Special Edition 13-track CD with added 8-song DVD. Scheduled for release on March 31

Willie Colon – El Juicio (Fania Records) due March 31

John Coltrane – Giant Steps - Atlantic Records is reissuing the 1960 album as a 2LP set in 180g standard. It is re-mastered in 45RPM, and will be a Limited Edition, numbered, set with slip-case packaging that replicates
the original tape box of the album. This is scheduled for release on April 7 from Rhino/Atlantic.

Cassandra Wilson – Closer To You: The Pop Side (Blue Note) - It’s her 7th album via Blue Note Records and is due out on April 7. It’s 11-track covers disc, will contain songs like “Time After Time” (Cyndi Lauper); “Lay Lady Lay” (Bob Dylan); “Harvest Moon” (Neil Young); “Last Train to Clarksville”
(The Monkees); “The Weight” (The Band); “Wichita Lineman” (Glen Campbell); “Tupelo Honey” (Van Morrison); and four others.

James Taylor - Other Covers (Hear Music) due April 7.

Buddy Guy - The Definitive Buddy Guy (Shout! Factory) due April 14.

Miles Davis - Legacy Records will be releasing a few vinyl LPs for Miles Davis that includes Bitches Brew (1969), Nefertiti (1967), In a Silent Way (1969), and Sketches of Spain (1959). will be re-released on April 14.

Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority, and Chicago II (both reissues from Rhino), due for release on April 21.

Chick Corea & John McLaughlin – Five Peace Band Live (Concord) due April 28

Teena Marie – Congo Square (Fantasy) due May 5.

Frank Sinatra – Sinatra At The Meadowlands (Concord Jazz) due May 5

Herb Albert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes (Concord Jazz) due May 26

Roy Ayers – Virgo Red (Verve) due June 9

Quincy Jones – Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini (Verve) due June 9

Isaac Hayes – Black Moses (Stax Records) - Stax Records is about to reissue album originally released 1971 as a double LP set. Stax revisits the landmark album with re-mastered digital sound, and restored LP art packaging. In addition to this, there are expanded liner notes, more photos, and 14 great Isaac Hayes classics over 2CDs.

CHICAGO & EARTH WIND & FIRE SUMMER TOUR 2009

Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago have announced that they will reunite for a 30-city national co-headlining summer concert tour, beginning June 5 in Orange Beach, AL (dates below). In 2004 and 2005, the two bands teamed up for what is still talked about as one of the great musical spectaculars in recent touring history. A DVD filmed in 2005 of their Los Angeles shows was certified double platinum almost immediately upon release – a tribute to the extraordinary and unique quality of this collaboration.

Earth, Wind & Fire’s founding member and singer Philip Bailey says, “The Chicago-Earth, Wind & Fire shows are magic and bring out the best in all of us – from the musicians onstage to the fans dancing in the aisles. We can’t wait to get out there with our friends again.” Chicago keyboardist and founding member Robert Lamm is equally enthusiastic, “Earth, Wind & Fire are phenomenal. When we first decided to tour together, we knew it would be good, but I don’t think we could have guessed that the Earth, Wind & Fire-Chicago shows would be some of our all-time favorites to play.”

The 2009 Summer Tour will be presented by AEG Live. Each band will perform a full set, and the two bands will come together at the beginning of the night and for a final set that features both bands onstage together.

Earth, Wind & Fire made international news recently when President Obama declared in an interview with RollingStone Magazine that the group was among his favorites in his iPod. He said, they are “rhythm and blues and pop staples for me.” The group was invited by President Obama to perform in the East Room on February 22 at the White House for the first social event of the new administration.

The Earth, Wind & Fire 11-piece band is among the most influential, commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the last three decades. Formed in 1969 in Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire's 39-year history resulted in millions of albums sold worldwide and distinguished awards and accolades. Founding members: Maurice White (leader, vocalist, songwriter); Philip Bailey (lead vocalist, percussionist); Verdine White (bassist); Ralph Johnson (drummer and percussionist) have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and are credited with eight Grammy Awards, 20 Grammy nominations, Four American Music Awards, honors from the NAACP, the BET Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The principal members of Earth, Wind & Fire have received honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Arts and Media College at Columbia College Chicago. To this day, Earth, Wind & Fire remain one of the top globally popular touring attractions. Influencing top artists including Prince, Mary J Blige, Outkast and many more, Earth, Wind & Fire's signature sound and distinctive musical styles fuse pop, soul, jazz, rock n' roll, psychedelic, African roots music and disco with a base in funk.

Chicago has written, recorded and performed some of the most popular and musically innovative songs in rock history. Billboard Magazine positioned the band at #13 on their Hot 100 chart’s All-Time Top 100 – a byproduct of having sold more than 100,000,000 records and having earned 20 Top hits, 5 Number One albums, 5 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles. Chicago has also won a Grammy Award, American Music Awards, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, had a downtown Chicago street renamed in their honor, and been celebrated with an exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. An incredible 25 of their 30 albums have been certified platinum, and Chicago is the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades. Through it all, Chicago remains a working band, touring continually since forming in 1967.

CHICAGO / EARTH WIND & FIRE SUMMER TOUR 2009
June 5 – The Amphitheater at the Wharf, Orange Beach, AL
June 6 – Verizon Wirless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Atlanta, GA
June 9 – Time Warner Cable Arena, Charotte, NC
June 10 – Merriweather Post Pavillion, Washington, DC
June 12 – Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
June 13 – Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
June 14 – Bethel Performing Arts Center, Bethel, NY
June 16 – Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
June 17 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
June 19 – MGM Grand Theatre at Foxwoods, Ledyard, CT
June 20 – Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY
June 21 – Value City Arena at Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
June 23 – Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
June 24 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
June 26 – Allstate Arena, Chicago, IL
June 26 – Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
June 30 – Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI
July 1 – Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
July 10 – Cynthai Woods Mitchell Pavillion, Houston, TX
July 11 – Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX
July 13 – Sandia Amphitheatre, Sandia, NM
July 14 – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
July 17 – WaMu Theater, Seattle, WA
July 18 – Rose Garden Theater of the Clouds, Portland, OR
July 21 – HP Pavillion at San Jose, San Jose, CA
July 22 – Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA
July 24 – Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ
July 25 – The Joint @ The Hard Rock & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
July 28 – Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, CA
July 31 – The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA
August 1 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe, NV

STEVIE WONDER - LIVE AT LAST

Music legend Stevie Wonder adds special luster and excitement to the 50th Anniversary celebration of Motown Records with the release of his first-ever live concert DVD, ‘LIVE AT LAST – A Wonder Summer’s Night’, Universal Motown Records release. Music fans around the world can watch a 2 minute trailer of the DVD exclusively on Stevie’s imeem page at www.imeem.com/steviewondermusic.

Using imeem's embeddable widgets, fans can easily share the trailer of “Live at Last – A Wonder Summer’s Night” with friends and embed it on blogs, web sites, and profiles on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking services. imeem is the world's largest social music service with more than 25 million people visiting the site each month.

The DVD program, released worldwide on March 9, 2009, was filmed at the O2 Arena, in London, England, over two nights, September 30 and October 1, 2008, before a rapturous audience of 15,000 each night. The concerts were part of the first Stevie Wonder world tour in over a decade, which sold 120,000 tickets in the UK alone.

Stevie Wonder was introduced to the world at age 12 in the 1963 hit “Fingertips - Pt. 2,” his first of nine No. 1 records and he has also charted eighteen more Top 10 hits so far. He has won 22 Grammy Awards since 1973, when Innervisions won Album of the Year, among his first four Grammys that year. He is the recipient of NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Award (1996) and Billboard Magazine’s Century Award (2004). He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. His 10-million selling 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life was the first album by an American artist to debut at No. 1 in the Billboard album chart. His most recent studio album is 2005’s gold-certified Top 5 A Time To Love.

‘LIVE AT LAST’s set list traces a lifetime of innovation and accomplishment – and, in fact, our own lifetime appreciation of his music, stretching from Wonder’s teens with “My Cherie Amour” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Along the way, the program encompasses iconic hits that redefined pop and R&B music, including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Living For the City,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Wish,” while reaching into his classic albums for such enduring fan favorites as “All I Do,” “Overjoyed” and “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” The exuberant “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” is preceded by Wonder’s interpretation of Chick Corea’s instrumental “Spain.” And in a delightful, impressive and emotional moment, Wonder’s daughter Aisha Morris -- the inspiration of his classic “Isn’t She Lovely” -- steps from the background vocal group and performs Nat “King” Cole’s jazz standard “I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life.”

Wonder also takes time out in the set to salute the British audience with an affectionate medley of two Beatles songs (“Fool on the Hill,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand”) and a Rolling Stones classic (“[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction”), book-ending them with the traditional “London Bridge is Falling Down.”

Aside from being his first DVD release, ‘LIVE AT LAST’ is Stevie Wonder’s first high definition release on Blu-Ray disc. Blue laser disc reader technology provides unparalleled picture quality (at 1080i) as well as pure and uncompressed 5.1 surround sound -- the highest standard of sound quality ever achieved on a Stevie Wonder release.

Wonder performed “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” to a crowd of 85,000 at Denver, Colorado’s Invesco Field, just prior to then-Senator Barack H. Obama’s nomination acceptance address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and he also is prominent among performers at the public Obama Inaugural celebrations held in Washington, DC in January 2009. His new song “All About the Love Again,” is featured on the special all-star compilation project

LIZA LEE - ANIMA

Jazz artist Liza Lee's new CD, Anima, has been released for only a few weeks and fantastic reviews are already coming in. It is joining radio station playlists across the country and selling out at online retailers with more CDs on their way. Most important though, Liza's ultimate personal mission is being accomplished. In addition, 100% of the proceeds from Anima are being donated to The Society For Women's Health Research (SWHR), a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women through research, education and advocacy (http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/).

Reviews from fans speak volumes. CD Baby customers Steve Miller's comment on Anima says it well, "Liza Lee has assembled a collection of songs that exercise the mind as well as the ear." Furthermore, Dave Allen adds, "Superb musical accompaniment and sympathetic production have yielded an album to savor...again and again."

Paul POP! From firstcoastnews.com sums Liza's new CD up, "She has once again proven herself to be an amazing talent capable of anything…Her creativity, perseverance, and talent are reflected on each of the songs on Anima and that's what makes this record such a pleasure to listen to."

Although Liza's mission is to assist women's health research, clearly it's the selection and execution of the music that is her primary objective as an artist. Her message is clearly rendered through her fresh, unpredictable and innovative approach to the music. As Bob Donovan, North East In-Tune Magazine, said, "(Liza is) a great vocalist that puts her own style on everything she touches."

For this release, Liza assembled a remarkable group of musicians for the album who donated their time. They include Bruce Barth, David Cook, Art Hirahara, Michael Kanan (Piano), Pat O' Leary (Bass), Michael Petrosino, Eric Halvorson, Jim Clouse (Drums), Scott Robinson, Jim Clouse (Tenor Saxophone), Adam Kolker (Soprano Saxophone, Alto Flute), Scott Robinson (Bass Clarinet), Kelsey Warren, Saul Rubin (Guitar), Rubin Kodheli (Cello), Matthew Szemella (Violin) and Shayna Steele (Guest Vocalist).

Liza's voice and the musician's performances meld together seamlessly on Anima. The generous instrumental jazz interludes on various cuts are iconic and only perform to enhance and reinforce Liza's messages. Standout performances include pianist Art Hirahara on "Sweet Potato," Scott Robinson on "Silver Dagger" and "Calling You," Adam Kolker (soprano sax) and Bruce Barth (piano) on "A Thousand Kisses" and David Cook's piano solo on "Leather" and Michael Kanan (Jane Monheit's pianist) playing on "Good Morning Heartache" displays duo work at it's best.
Exploring the theme of Anima, the feminine whisper inside of a patriarchal society, most of the songs were composed or co-composed by women including Joni Mitchell's "Blue," "A Thousand Kisses Deep" by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson, Tori Amos' "Leather," Rachelle Garniez's "Quality Star," Michelle Shaw's "Good Morning Heartache" and "And Love Is All There Is" and Kate Bush's "Wow." Liza is particularly haunting on folk standard "Silver Dagger" and presents a unique, humorous and memorable interpretation of the Peggy Lee hit "Is That All There Is?" She makes each song her own.

Regarding her song selection for Anima from various music genres including pop, rock, folk as well as jazz, Wilbert Sostre, of JazzReview.com states, "Liza shows her ability to turn any song into a Jazz standard...She puts her soul in every word and note on this CD… Liza reaches down deep for the emotions that provides the listeners an extraordinary experience."

Liza co-wrote "Revolving Mattress" with New York writer, arranger, producer and pianist David Cook and penned "Sorry Child" and "Lay We Down" with bassist and composer Pat O'Leary. These haunting original compositions reinforce the talent she has shown as a songwriter with her first CD and self-written title song, Scarlet Mark. The risks she has taken with the subject matter of these songs only strengthens the fact that Liza continues to be an important voice of the 21st Century.

Released on the Jazz Doll Records label, Anima, is an extremely personal CD for Liza. In 2006 her promising jazz career as a recording artist, performer and composer was taking off with the breakout critically acclaimed release of her first CD, Scarlet Mark, when 29-year-old Liza suffered a stroke. Anima, was inspired by her three and a half year struggle through the medical system with her various health issues. By personal experience, she learned that astonishingly little research is done on how illness, disease and medications uniquely affect women's bodies.
Liza Lee has compounded her mark on today's jazz scene with the release of Anima.. Her continual evolution and development, which are uniquely displayed on Anima, are fascinating to hear and her thought-provoking music is always memorable.

In addition to 2009 U.S. appearances, Liza will be touring Europe and Japan this summer as well as recording and performing in Australia at the beginning of 2010. Stay tuned for new developments of this extraordinary talent.

For more information click to Liza Lee’s website: http://www.lizaleejazz.com/

COLUMBIA ISSUES EXPANDED EDITIONS OF CLASSICS BY DAVE BRUBECK, MILES DAVIS & CHARLIE MINGUS

In celebration of "1959 - Jazz's Greatest Year," Columbia Records has reconfigured three jazz masterpieces as multi-disc expanded editions (either with an additional audio CD, or video DVD, or both). The albums are Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis, and Mingus Ah Umby Charles Mingus. With brand-new liner notes essays also planned for each title, these new editions of Time Out, Sketches of Spain, and Mingus Ah Um will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting May 26th through Columbia/Legacy.

The confluence of ground-breaking jazz albums issued in 1959 is a subject that has fascinated scholars and critics for the better part of a half-century. The same year that saw the deaths of jazz icons Lester Young in March, Sidney Bechet in May, and Billie Holiday in July, also included the releases of Kind Of Blue by Miles (which was reissued in January 2009 as a deluxe double-CD Legacy Edition), Blues and Roots by Mingus, John Coltrane's Giant Steps, Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz To Come, The Genius Of Ray Charles, The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco, the Oscar Peterson Songbook series, and Duke Ellington's soundtrack for Anatomy Of A Murder, to name a few.

Columbia revolutionized the industry with the introduction of the long-playing (LP) 33 1/3 rpm microgroove vinyl disc in the spring of 1948 -- whose 12-inch configuration could hold up to 26 minutes of music. Within a decade, jazz composers (and bandleaders) were taking full advantage of the scope of the LP, with longer conceptual pieces containing multiple movements and extended improvisations. The advent of the live performance LP also came into its own during the 1950s, and such favorites as the Woody Herman Band's Live At Monterey (1959) and Ray Charles' What'd I Say (1959) found their way into many collections.

Legendary Columbia Records producer Teo Macero produced both Time Out and Mingus Ah Um, and co-produced Sketches of Spain with Irving Townsend.

Individually, "1959 - Jazz's Greatest Year" celebrates the following:

Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet: Exotic non-traditional rhythm signatures became one of the trademarks of the quartet, with Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello. A 5/4 vamp turned "Take Five" into an instrumental jazz staple and jukebox hit single b/w "Blue Rondo a La Turk." The LP hit #2, stayed on the chart for more than three years, and became the first jazz album to sell a million copies. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Time Out (which will contain a DVD documentary) are written by Ted Gioia, whose book West Coast Jazz (1998) contains two chapters devoted to Brubeck.

Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis: Each of Miles' four orchestral album collaborations with arranger-composer Gil Evans -- Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy And Bess (1958), Sketches Of Spain (1959), and Quiet Nights (1962) -- was a masterwork in its own right. Sketches was Miles' first post-Kind Of Blue project, and retains that LP's modal feel on the 16-minute version of Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez,' the inspiration for Davis and Evans. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Sketches are written by composer academician Gunther Schuller, whose hundreds of accomplishments in jazz include playing French horn for Miles on the 1949-50 Birth Of The Cool sessions. Sketches was recorded in 1959 and released in 1960.

Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus: 2009 also marks the 30th anniversary of the death of the mercurial bandleader-composer, who had the budget at Columbia to double his two-horn front-line for the big sound of "Better Git It In Your Soul" and "Fables Of Faubus", and homages to jazz greats Ellington ("Open Letter To Duke"), Morton ("Jelly Roll"), recently deceased Lester Young ("Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"), and Mingus himself ("Self-Portrait in Three Colors"). The film noir quality of this album -- considered to be one of the five truly essential Mingus LPs -- predates a certain vein of film music later popularized by Henry Mancini. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Mingus Ah Um are written by three-time Grammy Award-winning producer-annotator Michael Cuscuna.

UPCOMING CONCERTS IN APRIL

Madeleine Peyroux @ Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ, Apr 1
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Apr 1
B. B. King @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, Apr 1-2
Tower Of Power @ The Hi Hat, Providence, RI, Apr 2
The Sax Pack @ The Berks Jazz Festival, Reading, PA, Apr 2-3
Simply Red @ The O2 Arena, London, UK, Apr 2-3
Phoebe Snow @ The Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 3
Tower Of Power @ Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH, Apr 3
McCoy Tyner @ Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 4
Chris Botti @ Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ, Apr 4
Peter White @ Capetown International Jazz Festical, Capetown, South Africa, Apr 4
Brandford Marsalis @ Gusman Center, Miami, FL, Apr 4
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 4
Randy Brecker, Chuck Loeb, Dave Weckl, Gerald Veasley, Bobby Franceschini @ Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 4
Lionel Richie @ O2 Arena, London, UK, Apr 4-5
Simply Red @ M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK, Apr 5
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, New Orleans, LA, Apr 5
Brandford Marsalis @ Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA, Apr 5
Simply Red @ The Clyde Auditorium,, Glasgow, UK, Apr 6
Simply Red @ Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, UK, Apr 7
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Krannert Center, Urbana, IL, Apr 7
Chris Botti @ Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA, Apr 8
Simply Red @ Trent FM Arena, Nottingham, UK, Apr 9
B. B. King @ First Tier Events Center, Kearney, NE, Apr 9
Michel Camilo Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 9-14
B. B. King @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Co, Apr 10
B. B. King @ Casper Events Center, Casper, WY, Apr 11
Chris Botti @ State Theater, Easton, PA, Apr 11
B. B. King @ Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, UT, Apr 14
Tower Of Power @ Hoyt Sherman Theater, Des Moines, IA, Apr 14
Tower Of Power @ 3rd Street Saloon, Cedar Rapids, IA, Apr 15
Fourplay @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 15-20
B. B. King @ Oakland Theatre, Oakland, CA, Apr 16
Tower Of Power @ Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN, Apr 16
Chris Botti @ Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach, FL, Apr 16
Brandford Marsalis @ Van Singel Fine Arts Center, Byron Center, MI, Apr 16
Joe Cocker @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL, Apr 17
Herb Alpert, Brandford Marsalis @ Symphony Center, Chicago, IL, Apr 17
Brandford Marsalis @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT, Apr 17
Tower Of Power @ Norton Center For The Arts/Newlin Hall, Danville, KY, Apr 17
Joe Cocker @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, Pompano Beach, FL, Apr 18
Simply Red @ Sprotspaleis, Antwerp, Belgium, Apr 18
Frankie Valli @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Apr 18
Tower Of Power @ Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC, Apr 18
Joe Cocker @ Downtown, Orlando, FL, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY, Apr 19
Simply Red @ Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Apr 19
Frankie Valli @ Proctor & Gamble Hall, Cincinati, OH, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Rose Theater, New york, NY, Apr 21
Simply Red @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Apr 21-22
Joshua Redman, Reuben Rogers, Greg Hutchinson @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 21-25
Joe Cocker @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY, Apr 23
Joe Cocker @ Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL, Apr 23
Chris Botti @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, FL, Apr 23
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Rose Theater, New York, NY, Apr 23-25
Bobby Caldwell @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Apr 23-26
Simply Red @ Forum, Horsens, Denmark, Apr 24
Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Joyce Cooling @ Lyman Center Southern CT State, New Haven, CT, Apr 24
Chris Botti @ BJXX Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL, Apr 24
Chris Botti @ Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, FL, Apr 25
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ WLOQ Smooth Jazz Under the Stars, Orlando, FL, Apr 25
Chris Botti @ The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Annex, Stockholm, Sweden, Apr 26
Joe Cocker @ State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Hartwall, Helsinki, Finland, Apr 28
Chris Botti @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 28
Boz Scaggs @ Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA, Apr 28
Chris Bott @ Theatre of Durham, Durham, NC, Apr 29
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Shafer Auditorium, Willimantic, CT, Apr 29
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Music Center/Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD, Apr 29
Charles Aznavour @ City Center, New York, NY, April 29-30
Simply Red @ Kremlin Palace, Moscow, Russia, Apr 30
Chris Botti @ Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Charlotte, NC, Apr 30
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 30
James Taylor @ SunFest 2009, West Palm Beach, Fl, Apr 30
Kenny G @ Sala Palatului, Bucharest, Romania, Apr 30

2009 PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

The upcoming 31st annual Playboy 2009 Jazz Festival will present an entire weekend of jazz at the renowned Hollywood Bowl including the very popular pre-festival community events offered free to the general public throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Every year the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival is presented in conjunction with the L.A. Philharmonic Association and serves up an eclectic smorgasbord of jazz as well as other genres of music. The 31st Annual Playboy Jazz Festival will feature a mix of straight-ahead jazz, smooth jazz, pop, Latin jazz, salsa, New Orleans R&B and brass band, jazz sprinkled with a touch of reggae, and African juju music.

Bill Cosby is set to return as Master of Ceremonies, Hugh M. Hefner, Executive Producer, Richard Rosenzweig, President Playboy Jazz Festival, George Wein, Producer, with Darlene Chan and FestivalWest Inc., Producer/Playboy Jazz Festival Festival. Here’s the lineup for the 31st annual Playboy 2009 Jazz Festival

Saturday, June 13th, 2009
The Neville Brothers
Remembering the Miles Davis Classic Kind of Blue @50 with Jimmy Cobb’s So What Band
Summer Storm: Starring Norman Brown, Wayman Tisdale, Eric Darius and featuring Gail Johnson
Jon Faddis
The Jack Sheldon Orchestra
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings
Pete Escovedo Orchestra featuring Sheila E., Peter Michael and Juan Escovedo
Esparanza Spalding
Cos of Good Music
New Birth Brass Band
Los Angeles County High School For The Arts Jazz Ensemble directed by Jason Goldman

Sunday, June 14th
Wayne Shorter Quartet-with Brian Blade, John Pattitucci and Danilo Perez
Kenny G
Patti Austin
King Sunny Ade
Dave Holland Big Band
Monty Alexander’s Jazz & Roots
Oscar Hernandez & The Congo Room All-Stars
Anat Cohen Quartet
Quincy Jones Presents Alfredo Rodriquez
North Hollywood High School Jazz Ensemble, Directed by Jonathan Kenion

DAVE KOZ & BRIAN CULBERTSON ANNOUNCE SUMMER TOUR

Dave Koz and Brian Culbertson will hit the road together this summer, collaborating on one another's biggest hits as well as on songs from their latest albums. Dave Koz - Greatest Hits and Culbertson's Bringing Back The Funk each debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart upon release last year. Along the way, the pair will give a JVC Jazz special performance - "Dave Koz & Brian Culbertson Side By Side with Special Guest Peabo Bryson" - at the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on August 23rd."Summer is always the best time to take this music on the road-and I think this summer in particular, it'll be a great opportunity for Brian and I to put some positive energy out there, have some fun and, hopefully in the process, give folks a break," said Koz. "Brian is incredible on every level. It's been seven years since we toured together- and I know this is gonna be a blast!"

Culbertson is equally excited about heating up the summer concert circuit with Koz. "I cannot wait for this tour to start!" stated Culbertson. "Dave is a phenomenal musician and performer, and I am truly looking forward to sharing the stage with him once again." Koz will play songs from At the Movies and Dave Koz - Greatest Hits, including such smash singles as "Castle of Dreams," "Together Again," "Honey-Dipped" and "All I See Is You." Dave Koz - Greatest Hits, his first-ever retrospective album, debuted at No. 1 on both Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and iTunes' Jazz Album chart last year while its lead single, "Life In The Fast Lane," spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the R&R Monitored Smooth Jazz chart. His current track, "Bada Bing," is top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio.

His most recent studio album, 2007's At The Movies, topped Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart for 12 weeks. A six-time Grammy® nominee, Koz will be honored with a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame later this year. In addition to his many hits, Culbertson will perform songs from his milestone tenth project, Bringing Back The Funk, a historic and completely unprecedented album, revisiting the land of the "sho' nuff uncut" '70s-style funk of ages. The critically acclaimed album was produced by Brian along with executive producer Maurice White (founder of Earth, Wind & Fire) and featured "Always Remember," which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Songs chart last summer. With their unique sounds and incredible talent, Koz and Culbertson will jazz up the summer with plenty of smooth, funky fun on their upcoming tour. Dates are as follows:

Dave Koz/Brian Culbertson Side By Side Summer 2009 U.S. Tour
6/26 Kettering, OH Fraze @ Pavilion for the Performing Arts
7/11 Temecula, CA Thornton @ Winery with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
7/12 Temecula, CA Thornton @ Winery with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
7/18 Apple Valley, MN @ Weesner Amphitheater
7/24 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
7/25 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
7/26 El Paso, TX @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
7/31 Paso Robles, CA @ California Mid State Fair with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/1 North Las Vegas, NV @ Texas Station
8/6 Detroit, MI Soundboard Theatre @ Motor City Casino with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/8 Atlantic City, NJ @ Atlantic City Hilton with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/16 Murphy's, CA @ Ironstone Vineyard
8/21 Grand Ronde, OR @ Spirit Mountain Casino with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/23 Los Angeles, CA @ JVC Jazz @ The Hollywood Bowl with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/28 San Diego, CA @ Humphrey's with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
9/24 Puyallup, WA @ Western Washington Fair/Puyallup Fair

(Additional dates to be announced)

DIANA KRALL - QUIET NIGHTS

Verve Records will release Diana Krall’s new album ‘Quiet Nights,’ on March 31st. The romantic album combines Brazilian and west coast jazz styles for a sensous blend of ballads and bossa novas, and features three recordings of songs by bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim. ‘Quiet Nights’ reunites Diana Krall with arranger Claus Ogerman for the first time since the multi-platinum 2001 album ‘The Look of Love.’

The GRAMMY Award winning pianist and vocalist adds Paulinho Da Costa on percussion to her already outstanding quartet of Anthony Wilson (guitar), John Clayton (bass) and Jeff Hamilton (drums). Krall co-produced the album with Tommy LiPuma, the tenth time they have worked together, and returned to Capital Studios in Hollywood with Al Schmitt engineering and mixing.
‘Quiet Nights’ is Krall’s 12th album and her first full length studio release since 2006’s ‘From This Moment On.’ That album garnered her a third consecutive Top 10 Billboard 200 chart position as critics deemed “This is Krall at her best.” (Christian Science Monitor, 9.22.06). In 2007 Verve released ‘The Very Best of Diana Krall,’ the first career retrospective of Krall’s music, which featured three previously unreleased songs.

Diana Krall has topped both the pop and jazz charts, played sold-out amphitheatres in multiple countries and sold millions of records worldwide since her debut in 1993. She has proven her genuine talent and credibility as a mold-breaking jazz musician time and time again.

HERE IS THE ‘QUIET NIGHTS’ TRACK LIST:

1. Where Or When (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers)

2. Too Marvelous For Words (Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting)

3. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face (Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe)

4. The Boy From Ipanema (Norman Gimbel, Vinicius DeMoraes, Antonio Carlos Jobim)

5. Walk On By (Hal David, Burt Bacharach)

6. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)

7. Este Seu Olhar (Antonio Carlos Jobim)

8. So Nice (Marcos Kostenbader, Valle and Paulo Sergio Valle, Norman Gimbel)

9. Quiet Nights (Gene Lees, Buddy Kay, Antonio Carlos Jobim)

10. You’re My Thrill (Sidney Clare, Jay Gorney)

NEW RELEASES FROM BOOZOO BAJOU, CHRIS JOSS, FIVE CORNERS QUINTET, NAT 'KING' COLE AND MORE...

5th Dimension – Live (VW Music)
Acusmatic Group – Pilot (Irma)
Azar Lawrence – Prayers For My Ancestors (Furthermore)
Brittany Bosco – Spectrum (Big Up)
Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate – Throw Down Your Heart/Tales From The Acoustic Planet Vol. 3/Africa Sessions (Rounder)
Blk Jks – Mystery EP (Secretly Canadia)
Black Merda – Force Of Nature (Vampi Soul)
Boozoo Bajou – Grains (K7)
Bossacucanova – Bossacucanova Ao Vivo (Crammed)
Chris Joss – Sticks (ESL)
DJ Cam Quartet – Stay (Inflamable)
Dorian Concept – When Planets Explode (Kindred Spirits)
Extra Golden – Thank You Very Quickly (Thrill Jockey)
Five Corners Quintet – Hot Corner (Ricky Tick)
Gianmarco Liguori – Ancient Flight Test (Sarang Bang)
Heavy – First Sessions (Kindred Spirits)
High Five Quintet – Live For Fun (Blue Note)
Huba – Arrising (Jupiter)
Jesse Boykins III – Beauty Created (Vinyl Virtue)
Joe Bataan & Los Fulanos – King Of Latin Soul (Vampi Soul)
John Lee Hooker – Boogie Chillin’ & Other Favorites (CW Music)
John Scofield – Slo Sco: Best Of The Ballads (Ryko/Rhino)
Larry Coryell – Earthquake At The Avalon (Inakustik)
Madeleine Peyroux – Bare Bones (Rounder)
Ola Kvernberg Trio – Folk (Jazzland)
Onra – 1.0.8. (Favorite)
Nat ‘King’ Cole - Re:Generations (Capitol/EMI)
Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman – Modern Art (Peak)
Sarah Brightman – Symphony: Live In Vienna (Manhattan)
Stevie Wonder – Live At Last: A Wonderful Summer Night DVD (Motown)
Tito Lopez Combo – Urban Soul (Tito’s Record)
Tuomo – Reaches Out For You (Jupiter)

2009 BERKS JAZZ FEST

The 2009 Berks Jazz Fest is scheduled for March 27 through April 5, 2009 in Reading, PA., and it will feature a stellar line-up of musicians. It’s actually more of a Jazz, Soul, Funk, and Blues festival when you consider the caliber of acts who are set to appear. It’s a list of who’s who in the business…Anat Cohen, Andy Narell, Average White Band, Barry Daniellian, Bela Fleck, Billy Price Band feat. Fred Chapellier, Bobby Franceschini, Bobby Lyle, Boney James, Brian Bromberg Quartet, Brian Culbertson, Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, Chuck Loeb, David Benoit, David Mann, Derek Trucks Band, Gerald Albright, Gerald Veasley, Jason Miles, Jeff Kashiwa, Joe Banamassa, Joe McBride, Jonathan Butler, Karl Denson, Kenny Blake, Kim Waters, Kirk Whalum, Maysa Leak, McCoy Tyner Quartet, Mike Mattison, Mindi Abair, Mitch Forman Najee, Nelson Rangell, Nnenna Freelon, Paul Jackson Jr., Peter White, Phil Perry, Phoebe Snow, Pieces Of A Dream, Rachel Z, Randy Brecker, Reggie Young, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Sherrod Barnes, Susan Tedeschi, Soul Summit II, Soul Survivors, Steve Cole, Steve Ferrone, Steve Smith & Vital Information, Take 6, Tim Price, Victor Wooten, Warren Hill, and Wayman Tisdale.

One of the highlights of the Berks Jazz Fest is on Saturday, April 4, when East Bay Soul, an all-star rotating collective led by former Tower of Power trumpet great Greg Adams and famed soul singer Phil Perry, joins forces with saxophonist Michael Paulo and trumpeter Lee Thornburg. The 2 p.m. double-header at the Reading Crowne Hotel will kick off with a performance by Bay Area-based guitar star and Berks Jazz Fest favorite Joyce Cooling. East Bay Soul is a combination of instrumental soul funk and rhythm and blues vocals built on a design to discover new achievements rather than extend the past. Wide ranging and forward thinking, East Bay Soul is set to lead this new soundscape with a sharpened expertise from being on countless stages worldwide.

Adams says: “We draw from my funk and R&B background with Tower of Power and the influence it’s had over my sound and the sound that I gave to TOP through those 25 years I was in the band. Taking that sound and bringing it into 2008, we’re creating an all new ‘Metro Jazz,’ really a new approach of a melting pot of contemporary urban rhythm and sound and combining all the sounds from the city. The ethnic sounds of the trials of tribulations, the hard fought, the victories, sweetness and sadness. It comes through in the music in all forms. It’s world, it’s metro, it’s edgy, it’s urban.”East Bay Soul’s horn section is headed up by the Grammy- and Emmy-nominated Adams (whose most recent solo release is 2006’s Cool To The Touch), Michael Paulo (longtime saxman for Al Jarreau, Peter White, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne and Rick Braun who has a solo career extending back to 1989) and Lee Thornburg (former member of Supertramp, TOP and The Tonight Show band who has also worked with Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and Ray Charles).The ensemble’s original lyrics are crafted and sung in stunning fashion by Phil Perry, one of the finest R&B/urban jazz vocalists in contemporary music who won 2007 Soul Tracks Male Vocalist of the Year. Perry’s latest Shanachie release is Ready For Love.

RAQUEL BITTON - BOLEROS

French Jazz singer Raquel Bitton celebrates renowned Latin composers in her hot new French/Latin Jazz recording Boleros which will be released on March 17. French jazz singer Raquel Bitton is recognized as the foremost singer of French music in North America today and has been internationally praised as the greatest interpreter of the music from the Edith Piaf repertoire.

Boleros, Raquel Bitton's 7th album release is sung in French and Spanish was engineered by 11x Grammy award winner Rafa Sardina and showcases the music of legendary Latin composers including Armando Manzanero, Consuelo Velasquez, Augustin Lara, Isolina Carillo and others.
Raquel Bitton is accompanied by a 28 piece orchestra featuring notable Latin Jazz musicians including: Ramon Stagnaro on acoustic guitar, (Andrea Bocelli, Shakira, Luis Miguel) Cuban percussionists Orestes Vilato (Santana, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades) and Jesus Diaz (Tito Puente, Pete Escovedo Orchestra) and Rebeca Mauleon on Piano (Santana, Cachao, Joe Henderson). Included is an exquisite 20 page booklet with Spanish and French lyrics and biographies of each composer as well as historical research on the birth of the Bolero.

"Romance intertwined with passion, this is the Bolero, a true expression of my heart said Raquel Bitton. I fell in love with the Bolero when I listened to the sultry voices of Tona La Negra and Maria Dolores Pradera. This music transported me back to my birthplace and the songs I heard growing up in Marrakesh where Spanish music was on everyone's lips, Spain being so close to then French Morocco," said Bitton.

Bitton's journey in researching the composers and songs, led her to Mexico City where she met Armando Manzanero (composer of Elvis Presley's hit song 'It's Impossible') who is widely considered the premiere Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era. "Raquel Bitton's new CD Boleros is magnificent; her version of my song, 'Adoro' is so beautiful!" said Armando Manzanero.

Raquel Bitton sings Aranjuez mon amour from Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, one of the most recognizable compositions in the Spanish Guitar repertoire in tandem with the extraordinary Acoustic Guitarist Ramon Stagnaro. Classic songs, including Solamente una Vez by Augustin Laura or Dos Gardenias by Isolina Carillo, the song that helped revive Ibrahim Ferrer's career (Buena Vista Social Club) and Besame Mucho, by Consuelo Velasquez are sung with Bitton's captivating voice and set to an entrancing beat.

OLETA ADAMS - LET'S STAY HERE

Oleta Adams is set to release her first album since 2001 as E1 Music is set to release "Let's Stay Here," on April 21, 2009. Throughout her long career, which began with Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of the immortal "Get Here," Oleta has earned her devoted fan base by staying with the essentials: honest, soulful vocals, unforgettable songs, and uplifting arrangements. "Let's Stay Here" is prime Oleta: she delivers each song's message with grace, clarity, and quiet power, whether it's her own composition or a classic cover, such as the version of Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" that was central to the 2007-8 Buick campaign. Oleta's fans, who flock to her sold-out shows all over the U.S., have been waiting a long time for "Let's Stay Here," and it delivers all the way. It's a new statement of pure soul, ten messages of hope and love for our tough times.

Raised with gospel music, Adams released two solo albums before getting discovered by pop group Tears For Fears in the '80s. After touring with and opening for the group, her solo career took off in 1990 with the album "Circle of One," which peaked at #1 in the U.K. Adams has released six more albums since, and her cover of Brenda Russell's track "Get Here" earned her the first of many Grammy nominations.

Track list for "Let's Stay Here":

1. Picture You The Way That I Do

2. Feelin' Good

3. We Can't Stay Here

4. No Way To Love Me

5. Another Day

6. Best That I Can Do

7. Let's Stay Here

8. Don't Explain

9. Yesterday

10. Act Of Forgiveness

THE MARCH CONCERT CALENDAR

John Legend @ Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Mar 1
Re:Jazz @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 1
John Legend @ Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden, Mar 2
Sergio Mendes @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 2-7
Simply Red @ Credicard Hall, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mar 3-4
John Legend @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, Mar 4
Stanley Clarke @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, Mar 5
John Legend @ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium, Mar 6
Madeleine Peyroux @ Empire Theatre, Albany, NY, Mar 6
Tony Bennett @ Agua Caliente Casino 7 Resort, Rancho Mirage, CA, Mar 6
Simply Red @ Citibank Hall, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mar 6
Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary @ Birch North Park Theatre, San Diego, CA, Mar 6
Stanley Clarke @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, Mar 6-8
Tower Of Power @ The Orleans Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 6-8
John Legend @ Zenith, Paris, France, Mar 7
Chuck Loeb @ Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Indonesia, Mar 7
Branford Marsalis @ Schlesinger Concert Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 7-8
John Legend @ Brixton Academy, London, UK, Mar 9
Adele @ House Of Blues, San Diego, CA, Mar 9
Simply Red @ Telmex Theatre, Guadalajara, Mexico, Mar 9
Adele @ Martini Ranch, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 10
Simply Red @ National Auditorium, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 11
John Legend @ Academy, Glasgow, UK, Mar 12
Adele @ La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX, Mar 12
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, IL, Mar 12
John Legend @ Apollo, Manchester, UK, Mar 13
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pageant, St. Louis, MO, Mar 13
Frankie Valli @ Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 13
Maceo Parker @ Theater of Perfoming Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Mar 13
Simply Red @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 13
Walter Beasley @ Scullers, Boston, MA, Mar 13-14
Stanley Clarke @ IMAC, Huntington, NY, Mar 14
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, Mar 14
Adele @ Warehouse Live, Houston, TX, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA, Mar 14
Madeleine Peyroux @ Park West. Chicago, IL, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Comcast Arena, Everett, WA, Mar 15
Adele @ Granada, Dallas, TX, Mar 15
Stanley Clarke @ Ram’s Head, Annapolis, MD, Mar 15
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 15
John Legend @ Academy, Birmingham, UK, Mar 15
Simply Red @ Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, Mar 15
Madeleine Peyroux @ Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, Mar 15
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Memorial Auditorium, Stanford, CA, Mar 15
John Legend @ E Werk, Cologne, Germany, Mar 16
Stanley Clarke @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Mar 16
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ark, Ann Arbor, MI, Mar 16
John Legend @ Tonhalle, Munich, Germany, Mar 17
Adele @ Variety Theatre, Atlanta, GA, Mar 17
The Whispers @ Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK, May 17
Stanley Clarke @ The Blue Note, New York, NY, Mar 17-18
Adele @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, Mar 18
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Handlebar, Greenville, SC, Mar 18
John Legend @ Alcatraz, Milan, Italy, Mar 19
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Legends At Appalachian State, Boone, NC, Mar 19
George Benson @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Mar 19
Wynton Marsalis @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, Mar 19
Branford Marsalis @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Mar 19-22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, Mar 20
Adele @ St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI, Mar 20
John Legend @ Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland, Mar 20
Madeleine Peyroux @ Folly Theatre, Kansas City, MO, Mar 20
Bobby Caldwell @ Center Stage/WLOQ Winter Park Art Festival, Winter Park, FL, Mar 20
Tower Of Power @ Harrah’s South Shore Room, Stateline, NV, Mar 20-21
John Legend @ Palanet, Padova, Italy, Mar 21
Adele @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 21
Madeleine Peyroux @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO, Mar 21
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Shoreline Ballroom, Hilton Head Island, SC, Mar 21
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA, Mar 21
Quasimode @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 23
Giovanni Mirabassi Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 23-25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ram’s Head, Annapolis, MD, Mar 24
Simply Red @ Braehead Arena, Glasgow, UK, Mar 24
Madeleine Peyroux @ Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA, Mar 24
Tower Of Power, David Sanvorn @ Whittaker Center, Harrisburg, PA, Mar 24
Branford Marsalis @ Catalina's in Hollywood CA, Mar 24-28
Tower Of Power @ Turning Stone Casino & Resort, Verona, NY, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ B.B. King’s. New York, NY, Mar 25
B. B. King @ Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Toad’s Placem New Haven, CT, Mar 26
Tower Of Power @ Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, UK, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, UK, Mar 27
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ Nokia Theatre, New York, NY, Mar 27
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 27
Tower Of Power @ Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport, CT, Mar 27
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Berk’s Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Sheraton Reading Hotel, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Scottish Rite Cathedral, West Reading, PA, Mar 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Berks Jazz Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Simply Red @ LG Arena (NEC), Birmingham, UK, Mar 28
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ Sheraton Reading Hotel, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 28
B. B. King @ Rochester Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY, Mar 28
Mindi Abair @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 28
Madeleine Peyroux @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 28
David Sanborn, Tower Of Power @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, Mar 28
Kenny G @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 29
David Sanborn, Tower Of Power @ Sandler Center, Virginia Beach, VA, Mar 29
B. B. King @ Lyric Opera House, Baltimore, MD, Mar 20
Simply Red @ Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, UK, Mar 30
Bela Fleck @ Berk Jazz Fest, Miller Center For The Arts, Reading, PA, Mar 30
Brandford Marsalis @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, Mar 30
Simply Red @ Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK, Mar 31
Chris Botti @ Teatro la Cuidad, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 31
Tower Of Power @ State Theater, Falls Church, VA, Mar 31
B. B. King @ State Theatre, Easton, PA, Mar 31
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Mar 31

CHARLIE WILSON - UNCLE CHARLIE

R&B solo singer/songwriter Charlie Wilson has topped the charts with his newest offering, Uncle Charlie. This week, Wilson's album debuts at No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart, and enters at No. 2 on the Pop Albums chart. These are his highest ranking debuts on both charts as a solo artist and front-man for the legendary Gap Band. This chart-topping week comes as the singer's first solo album on Jive Records, Charlie, Last Name Wilson, receives gold-certification from the RIAA.

The album's lead single "There Goes My Baby" is currently among the Top 5 most played songs at the Urban Adult Contemporary radio format, and the accompanying video will debut March 2nd as a featured spotlight on Yahoo's main music page.

The new album features all-star collaborations with Snoop Dogg and T-Pain and production work by the Grammy-nominated duo the Underdogs. The album title, Uncle Charlie, refers to Wilson's status as the "de facto father of new jack swing" and his influence over some of today's top musicians and singers. Wilson is considered one of the greatest and most distinctive voices in R&B. Classic hit singles such as "Outstanding" and "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" are among the most sampled tunes by contemporary Rap and R&B artists.

Additionally, Uncle Charlie is garnering rave reviews: USA Today states, "[Wilson's] influence on artists like guest stars Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx and T-Pain is evident... He sounds as fresh as ever without sacrificing his signature sound." Associated Press adds, "[On] his exceptional new album -- he sounds better than ever...Wilson is the coolest R&B uncle in the game..."

Charlie Wilson is currently completing a special tour for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Kuwait. In March, he will join an all-star cast that includes Robin Givens for a national tour of the gospel musical, Save Me From My Secrets.

GAMBLE & HUFF TO RECEIVE BMI ICONS AWARD

Music publishing giant, BMI, will name the production and songwriting team Gamble & Huff “BMI Icons” at its upcoming 57th annual Pop Awards, slated for Tuesday, May 19 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. The invitation-only event will also honor the songwriters and publishers of the past year’s most-performed pop songs in the United States. The evening’s commendations will culminate with an all-star musical tribute to Gamble & Huff.

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Gamble & Huff will join fellow BMI Icons - the Jacksons, Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana, Dolly Parton, and Hall & Oates.

As architects of the Philadelphia soul dynasty of the 60’ and 70’s, Gamble and Huff composed and produced landmark work by their Philly International Records artists as well as others including the O’Jays, Lou Rawls, Jerry Butler, Melba Moore, Jean Carne, Patti LaBelle, McFadden & Whitehead, Archie Bell & The Drells, Teddy Pendergrass, MFSB, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett and so many more. The pair has accumulated 22 gold and eight platinum albums. Many of the classic albums from these artists are being released via the Philadelphia Legacy label imprint.

Gamble and Huff most recently produced tracks for the reunited 2008 Labelle album “Back To Now,” which features original members Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash. The group is currently touring the United States.

NEW RELEASES FROM GERALD ALSTON, HUGH MASEKELA, INDIA.ARIE, NORMAN CONNORS, PIECES OF A DREAM & OTHERS...

Aaron Tesser & The New Jazz Affair – Lookin’ Ahead (Irma)
Andrea Pozza Trio With Alan Farrington – Drop This Thing (Déjà vu)
Alessandro Alessandroni – Notes From The Whistler (Edel)
Ashford & Simpson – Real Thing (Burgundy)
Bird And The Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future (Blue Note)
Blue Note 7 – A Celebration Of Blue Note Records (Blue Note)
Brasil Sambossia (Various Artists) (Afro Baile)
Commodores – Love Songs (Motown)
Curtis Mayfield – We Come In Peace With A Message Of Love/Take It To The Streets (Curtom/Snapper)
Dean Martin – Amore (Capitol)
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Love Songs (Motown)
Diego Figueiredo – Dadaio (Stunt)
Far Out Strictly Samba (Various Artists) (Far Out)
Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind (HBD)
Gerald Alston – Sings Sam Cooke (LST)
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Love Songs (Motown)
Glenn Underground – Silent (Unified)
Hot Buttered Soul: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes (Various Artists) (Shanachie)
Hugh Masakela – Phola (Times Square)
India.Arie –Testimony Vol 2 – Love & Politics (Soulbird)
Indigo Jam Unit & Flexlife – Vingtage Black (Oasis)
James Brown – Live At The Boston Garden April 5, 1968 (DVD/Shout Factory)
James Brown – The Singles, Volume Six: 1969-1970 (Hip-O Select)
Jesse Boykins III – Beauty Created (Vinyl Virtue)
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu – 4th Dimension (Sakho/Puu)
Kafele – Acid Reign (Kafele)
Kafka – Kafka (Mighty Highness)
Kaidi Tatham – In Search Of Hope (Freedom School)
Kokolo – Heavy Hustling (Record Kicks)
Liquid Spirits – Music (Kindred Spirits)
Mr Chop – Lightworks EP (Now Again)
Mandrill – New Worlds/Getting In The Mood (Expansion)
Norman Connors – Star Power (Schanchie)
Paolo Di Sabatino Trio – Atelier Of Melody (Sawano)
Pieces Of A Dream – Soul Intent (Heads Up)
Platinum Pied Pipers (PPP) – Abundance (Ubiquity)
Quasimode – The Mode Of Blue – Quasimode Plays Blue Note (Blue Note)
Revelations – Deep Soul (Decisions)
Robert Carlos & Caetano Veloso – E A Musica De Tom Jobim (Sony BMG)
Rosalia De Souza – D’Improvviso (Schema)
Sally Kellerman Sally (The Music Force)
Sleep Walker – Into The Sun (Jazzmin)
Smokey Robinson – Love Songs (Motown)
Steve Wallace – Urban Soul (Edclectic)
Tizian Jost Trio – Night Has A Thousand Eyes (Sawano)
Tonu Naissoo Trio – For Now & Forever (Sawano)
Ursula 1000 – Mystics (18th Street Lounge)
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bown (EMI)
Walter Beasley – Free Your Mind (Heads Up)
We Love Afrobeat: An Ultimate Modern Afrobeat Selection (Various Artists) (Comet)

INDIA.ARIE: TESTIMONY: VOL. 2, LOVE & POLITICS

India.Arie has once again delivered a new album to the top tier of the music charts its opening week of release, with Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics (Soulbird Music/Universal Republic) vaulting to # 1 on the Billboard Top R&B Chart and locking down the #3 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.The acclaimed singer/songwriter’s two new singles, "Chocolate High," featuring Musiq Soulchild, was #1 most added at Urban AC radio this week, while "Therapy" featuring Gramps Morgan, has become the #1 most downloaded song off the album. Testimony: Vol 2, which is the follow-up to her Grammy nominated 2006 album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, has been receiving worldwide critical acclaim over the past week.

India.Arie also created a buzz with a host of TV appearances this week, kicking it off with a live performance on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, February 17. And in a special production with VH1, she appears as the featured artist on the fourth installment of VH1’s SoulStage, presented by Infiniti franchise and showcasing her performing songs from the new album such as "Therapy" and "Pearls," among other past hits. SoulStage: India.Arie Presented by Infinity debuted on Tuesday, February 17 on VH1 Soul at 9:30 pm EST, with encore broadcasts on the music network on February 22nd at 1:30 pm EST, 9:30 pm EST, and 1:30 AM EST on February 23rd. The show is also being made available on VH1soul.com which will include additional performances not seen on the original broadcast.

India.Arie emerged onto the music scene in 2001 with her double-platinum debut album Acoustic Soul and subsequently has won a host of awards including 2 Grammys, 4 NAACP Awards, as well as being recognized by BET, Billboard Magazine, MTV, VH1 and Essence Magazine, among others. With nearly eight million albums sold, India.Arie has established herself as an artist and humanitarian of substance, working steadily throughout her career to champion causes close to her heart. As a UN Ambassador for UNICEF, she has traveled to Africa numerous times to address the AIDS crisis, and is featured in the documentary Tracking The Monster: Ashley Judd & India.Arie confront Aids In Africa.

CRISS STARR - ON THE KEYS

Independent musician Criss Starr has announced the release of his latest album “On the Keys”, a sophisticated smooth jazz exploration of several R&B/soul classics to much anticipation earlier this week. Featuring Starr's unique and intuitive interpretations of Stevie Wonder’s Ribbons in the Sky and Raspberry Beret, as well as Starr’s song Break it Down, the original songs without words. “On the Keys’ was released on February 2, 2009.Starr's passion and talent for expressing the intricacies of human emotions through music developed early on in life – when he first saw the then-unknown Prince open for Rick James.

During a summer visit to Omaha, Nebraska, Criss met James Boone, a music manager, and Criss began performing in various Omaha venues (including the Omaha civic auditorium) and was featured in several local news dailies. Also, while in Omaha, Criss formed the band, Secret Service, which built a formidable reputation in the tri-state area. As Criss' popularity and Secret Service's reputation grew so did the popularity of "the Minneapolis sound" which is a hybrid mixture of funk, rock, pop, R& B, and new wave that was masterminded by Minneapolis born Prince in the late 1970’s. By the early 1980’s, the Minneapolis sound was an awesome force in the music world being played by such artists as The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sheila E, and many others. Criss knew that he needed to be where that sound originated. So, he moved to Minneapolis.

The move to Minneapolis was good for Criss. Criss began signing commercials and performing jingles for advertising agencies. Criss also began recording tracks in the studio, writing a song catalogue, and pitching songs to publishers and artists. In 1983, Criss released his debut album, Criss Starr. Criss also formed the Future, a band that gained considerable renown in the Twin Cities. As they sold out venues in the Twin Cities, the Future worked on their first album. They released the song, Already Yesterday, which was written by Criss. Already Yesterday was a smash hit that received frequent airplay and critical acclaim. One reviewer remarked that Criss put his entire heart into Already Yesterday.

His passion and talent has earned him recognition in the R&B community, as he has since toured with Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, in addition to sharing the stage with other R&B greats such as Brian McKnight and Kool and the Gang, as well as Motown legends Stevie Wonder and the Temptations.

For more information about Criss Starr and 'On the Keys' click to http://www.crissstarr.com/

JEAN CARNE - LOVE LESSONS

Singer Jean Carne's career has had various incarnations, as well as a slight name change similar to Dionne Warwick's (adding an "e" to the end of her last name as Warwick did for a short time). Born Sarah Jean Perkins in Columbus, GA, she was raised in Atlanta. She began singing gospel music in the church choir at age four; she also took piano lessons and learned the clarinet and bassoon. Carne won a music scholarship to Morris Brown College and began her recording career in 1969 with her husband, keyboardist Doug Carn, on the Black Jazz label, where she was one of the last vocalists to work with jazz legend Duke Ellington before his death.

Carne popped up several times during the early-to-mid-'70s, singing with Earth, Wind & Fire on two albums, recording several times with Norman Connors, and reaching the charts via George Duke's hit single "Reach for It." In 1977, Carne was signed to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records; her debut album, "Jean Carne", was a classy affair that merged the best of '70s soul and jazz with solid songwriting and tight instrumental support (MFSB, Instant Funk). The debut single "Free Love" went to number 23 R&B. Though the follow-up single didn't chart, several of the album's tracks received considerable radio airplay, and some tracks made the disco charts. In June 1978, her second album for the label was released; Happy to Be with You included the hit single "Don't Let It Go to Your Head."

Carne's final Philadelphia International album, 1980's "When I Find You Love", was more of a return conceptually (musically and sonically) to Jean Carne. Produced by Dexter Wansel, the album rates as one of Carne's best efforts. The smooth and haunting "My Love Don't Come Easy" peaked at number 35 R&B. Released in August 1981, Carne's "Sweet and Wonderful" featured a remake of the Spinners' "Love Don't Love Nobody," which went to number 35 R&B. Carne moved to Motown Records in 1982, making her label debut with the album Trust Me. The single "If You Don't Know Me By Now," a cover of the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes hit with backing vocals by the Temptations, went to number 49 R&B. By 1986, Carne signed to Omni Records; "Closer than Close" was released in July of that year and the title track that went to number one R&B. Her 1988 album "You're a Part of Me" included a hit cover of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way."

Carne later signed with Place One Entertainment, which reunited her with former Omni Records president Steve Bernstein, with her Love Lessons album being distributed by PPI/Peter Pan. Carne continues to tour with Connors, among others, and makes her home in Atlanta. Jean Carn recently performed at The Scene in Washington, D.C. She be launched this brand new club on Valentine Day, Saturday, February 14, 2009.

RITA MORENO IN CONCERT AT THE CONGA ROOM

The legendary Rita Moreno, winner of the GRAMMY, Oscar®, Tony Award® and Emmy awards, is set to perform in Los Angeles on February 19, 2009 at the newly reopened Conga Room, L. A. LIVE. Rita will appear in a special one-night only show on February 19 at 8:00 PM at The Conga Room. Only nine entertainers have won all four awards--the Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony. Rita Moreno is the first Puerto Rican woman performer to accomplish this feat.

"Rita Moreno is a legendary Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer. The Conga Room is thrilled to be presenting her first Los Angeles show in over 25 years," said co-owner and managing partner Brad Gluckstein. The Conga Room, known as "the House of Blues for Latin music", is co-owned by a host of celebrity investors such as the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Smits, Paul Rodriguez and Sheila E.

The Conga Room is the preeminent Los Angeles destination known for its vibrant, Latin-infused nightclub. The Conga Room is located in downtown Los Angeles at the highly anticipated L.A. LIVE Complex. Founded in 1998, the world famous Conga Room has earned a reputation for hip ambiance and hot performers including Carlos Santana, Shakira and Tito Fuentes among others. The Conga Room reopened in December 2008 at L.A. LIVE, Los Angeles' hot new entertainment district. Lead by the Grammy award winning musical director, Oscar Hernandez, The Conga Room offers a special blend of Salsa and Latin music that is unmatched in the city of Los Angeles.

MARCH CONCERT CALENDAR: SIMPLY RED, ADELE, BRIAN CULBERTSON, VICTOR WOOTEN, B.B. KING & OTHERS...

John Legend @ Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Mar 1
Re:Jazz @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 1
John Legend @ Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden, Mar 2
Sergio Mendes @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 2-7
Simply Red @ Credicard Hall, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mar 3-4
John Legend @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, Mar 4
John Legend @ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium, Mar 6
Madeleine Peyroux @ Empire Theatre, Albany, NY, Mar 6
Tony Bennett @ Agua Caliente Casino 7 Resort, Rancho Mirage, CA, Mar 6
Simply Red @ Citibank Hall, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mar 6
Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary @ Birch North Park Theatre, San Diego, CA, Mar 6
John Legend @ Zenith, Paris, France, Mar 7
Chuck Loeb @ Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Indonesia, Mar 7
Branford Marsalis @ Schlesinger Concert Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 7-8
John Legend @ Brixton Academy, London, UK, Mar 9
Adele @ House Of Blues, San Diego, CA, Mar 9
Simply Red @ Telmex Theatre, Guadalajara, Mexico, Mar 9
Adele @ Martini Ranch, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 10
Simply Red @ National Auditorium, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 11
John Legend @ Academy, Glasgow, UK, Mar 12
Adele @ La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX, Mar 12
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, IL, Mar 12
John Legend @ Apollo, Manchester, UK, Mar 13
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pageant, St. Louis, MO, Mar 13
Frankie Valli @ Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 13
Simply Red @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 13
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, Mar 14
Adele @ Warehouse Live, Houston, TX, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA, Mar 14
Madeleine Peyroux @ Park West. Chicago, IL, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Comcast Arena, Everett, WA, Mar 15
Adele @ Granada, Dallas, TX, mar 15
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 15
John Legend @ Academy, Birmingham, UK, Mar 15
Simply Red @ Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, Mar 15
Madeleine Peyroux @ Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, Mar 15
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Memorial Auditorium, Stanford, CA, Mar 15
John Legend @ E Werk, Cologne, Germany, Mar 16
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ark, Ann Arbor, MI, Mar 16
John Legend @ Tonhalle, Munich, Germany, Mar 17
Adele @ Variety Theatre, Atlanta, GA, Mar 17
Adele @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, Mar 18
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Handlebar, Greenville, SC, Mar 18
John Legend @ Alcatraz, Milan, Italy, Mar 19
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Legends At Appalachian State, Boone, NC, Mar 19
George Benson @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Mar 19
Branford Marsalis @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Mar 19-22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, Mar 20
Adele @ St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI, Mar 20
John Legend @ Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland, Mar 20
Madeleine Peyroux @ Folly Theatre, Kansas City, MO, Mar 20
Bobby Caldwell @Centet Stage Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL, Mar 20
John Legend @ Palanet, Padova, Italy, Mar 21
Adele @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 21
Madeleine Peyroux @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO, Mar 21
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Shoreline Ballroom, Hilton Head Island, SC, Mar 21
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA, Mar 21
Quasimode @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 23
Giovanni Mirabassi Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 23-25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ram’s Head, Annapolis, MD, Mar 24
Simply Red @ Braehead Arena, Glasgow, UK, Mar 24
Madeleine Peyroux @ Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA, Mar 24
Branford Marsalis @ Catalina's in Hollywood CA, Mar 24-28
Tower Of Power @ Turning Stone Resort, Verona, NY, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ B.B. King’s. New York, NY, Mar 25
B. B. King @ Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Toad’s Placem New Haven, CT, Mar 26
Tower Of Power @ Keswick Theater, Genside, PA, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, UK, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, UK, Mar 27
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 27
Tower Of Power @ Klein Memorial Auditorium, Mar 27
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Berk’s Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Sheraton Reading Hotel, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Scottish Rite Cathedral, West Reading, PA, Mar 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Berks Jazz Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Simply Red @ LG Arena (NEC), Birmingham, UK, Mar 28
B. B. King @ Rochester Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY, Mar 28
Mindi Abair @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 28
Madeleine Peyroux @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 28
Kenny G @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 29
B. B. King @ Lyric Opera House, Baltimore, MD, Mar 20
Simply Red @ Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, UK, Mar 30
Bela Fleck @ Berk Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Mar 30
Brandford Marsalis @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, Mar 30
Simply Red @ Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK, Mar 31
Chris Botti @ Teatro la Cuidad, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 31
Tower Of Power @ State Theater, Falls Church, VA, Mar 31
B. B. King @ State Theatre, Easton, PA, Mar 31
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Mar 31

JESSE COOK - FRONTIERS

Jesse Cook has been making major waves since his March 2008 release, of "Frontiers." The album continues to climb the charts and reaches new fans and attention everyday. Recently, Cook took home the Silver award for Best Flamenco Guitarist from Acoustic Guitar. He also proves to be a home-town favorite. Canadians and CBC Radio 2 listeners voted to have Cook's music be included on President Barack Obama's Playlist.

Jesse Cook has been known to blend African percussion, Cajun accordion and pop vocals with his own rumba flamenco style to create a breathtaking, multi-textured global hybrid. It is this experimentation and sound that clearly connected with Acoustic Guitar's audience. The Players' Choice Awards are voted on by thousands of readers of Acoustic Guitar and http://www.acousticguitar.com/ who cast their votes for their favorite guitars, performing and recording equipment, retail shops, instructional materials, and, for the first time this year, guitarists. Those players recognized Cook as one of the Best Flamenco Guitarist for 2008. The Gold went to the legendary Paco de Lucía and Bronze was given to the incomparable Vicente Amigo. To be included with these amazing artists represents just how far Cook has come. Left in the hands of these three gentlemen, inspiring flamenco music will continue to span the globe.

As if that weren't enough, awareness of Jesse Cook's sound heads to the White House in the form of a Presidential Playlist! CBC Radio 2 thought it would be a great idea for President Barack Obama to get to know Canada through its music. Canadian citizens have been voting over the last two weeks to help choose 49 pieces of music that best represents who Canada is -- "the top 49 songs from north of the 49th parallel" that best define the country, especially given the depth of the musical offerings -- spanning a wide variety of genres and representing the culture from coast to coast to coast. After the votes were counted, Jesse Cook was on top and his track "Mario Takes A Walk" was included. For the complete playlist, please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/obamasplaylist/

The success of Cook's latest album, "Frontiers," has been incredible. It has remained in the Top 10 of Billboard's New Age chart for 46 weeks, and spent several weeks at #1. The radio story is just as impressive. After going Top 5 at Smooth Jazz radio with "Café Mocha," the new single titled "Havana" is climbing into the upper reaches of the Radio and Records chart.
Cook plans on releasing a new studio album in Autumn '09 on E1 Music. When not touring, he is in the studio working on tracks for this new release. Continue to check back in for more information, including video content and streaming music at http://www.jessecook.com/.

JESSE COOK UPCOMING TOUR DATES:

Tampa, FL - March 25

Clayton, NC - March 27

Wilmington, NC - March 28

New York, NY - March 30

Boston, MA - March 31

New London, CT - April 2

Huntington, NY - April 3

Randolph, VT - April 4

STEVIE WONDER - LIVE AT LAST

Universal/Motown Records will release Stevie Wonder’s his first-ever live concert DVD, ’Live At Last’. The DVD program, released worldwide on March 9, 2009, was filmed at the O2 Arena, in London, England, over two nights, September 30 and October 1, 2008, before a rapturous audience of 15,000 each night. The concerts were part of the first Stevie Wonder world tour in over a decade which sold 120,000 tickets in the UK alone.

‘Live At Last’s set list traces a lifetime of innovation and accomplishment – and, in fact, our own lifetime appreciation of his music, stretching from Wonder’s teens with “My Cherie Amour” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Along the way, the program encompasses iconic hits that redefined pop and R&B music, including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Living For the City,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Wish,” while reaching into his classic albums for such enduring fan favorites as “All I Do,” “Overjoyed” and “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” The exuberant “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” is preceded by Wonder’s interpretation of Chick Corea’s instrumental “Spain.” And in a delightful, impressive and emotional moment, Wonder’s daughter Aisha Morris -- the inspiration of his classic “Isn’t She Lovely” -- steps from the background vocal group and performs Nat “King” Cole’s jazz standard “I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life.”

Wonder also takes time out in the set to salute the British audience with an affectionate medley of two Beatles songs (“Fool on the Hill,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand”) and a Rolling Stones classic (“[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction”), book-ending them with the traditional “London Bridge is Falling Down.” Aside from being his first DVD release, ‘Live At Last’ is Stevie Wonder’s first high definition release on Blu-Ray disc. Blue laser disc reader technology provides unparalleled picture quality (at 1080i) as well as pure and uncompressed 5.1 surround sound -- the highest standard of sound quality ever achieved on a Stevie Wonder release. Stevie Wonder was introduced to the world at age 12 in the 1963 hit “Fingertips - Pt. 2,” his first of nine No. 1 records and he has also charted eighteen more Top 10 hits so far. He has won 22 Grammy Awards since 1973, when Innervisions won Album of the Year, among his first four Grammys that year. He is the recipient of NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Award (1996) and Billboard Magazine’s Century Award (2004). He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. His 10-million selling 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life was the first album by an American artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. His most recent studio album is 2005’s gold-certified Top 5 A Time To Love.

Wonder performed “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” to a crowd of 85,000 at Denver, Colorado’s Invesco Field, just prior to then-Senator Barack H. Obama’s nomination acceptance address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and he also is prominent among performers at the public Obama Inaugural celebrations held in Washington, DC in January 2009. His new song “All About the Love Again,” is featured on the special all-star compilation project ‘CHANGE IS NOW: RENEWING AMERICA’S PROMISE’, released on Inauguration Day.

At age 58, Stevie Wonder remains among the most visionary, influential and admired of singers, songwriters, musicians and producers in the history of American music.

DR. JOHN - CITY THAT CARE FORGOT

Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack, Jr.) has won the Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album" for his 2008 recording CITY THAT CARE FORGOT. He was recently signed to the Savoy Label Group's 429 Records which released the this homage to his hometown of New Orleans. This is Dr. John's 5th Grammy Award overall having won the award in 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2000. With the help of guests such as Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Ani Di Franco and Terence Blanchard, Dr. John fuses the blues, funk and soul in his distinctive and irrepressible swamp-voodoo style and comes up with a bold and heartfelt homage to his hometown in response to the tragedy that is post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. Noted SLG President, Steve Vining: "It's an elegant, elegiac and angry collection of songs that mark a career highlight -- we're thrilled for Mac and his Grammy win and the chance to have been a part of such a powerful project."

"CITY THAT CARE FORGOT" is a bold musical statement and a cry for justice and humanity from an artist who is inseparable from the vibrant and colorful culture of the Crescent City. Says Mac in New Orleans' Times-Picayune newspaper: "This is only the second time I made a record solely for the people of New Orleans. This is a record I just could not not do. I couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't make this record."

The project is released by 429 Records is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG).

ASA

Born in Paris but transplanted to Lagos, Nigeria, Nigerian-born singer Asa has released her self-titled debut on Downtown Records' new label Mercer Street Records (January 27th), and it has quickly risen to #1 on iTunes' World Chart. Recorded during a 6-week period in Lagos in 2007, Asa went into the studio with Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, a well known blind Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, to record the album. Returning to Paris to test her new songs on the French music scene, her first singles started getting airplay in Nigeria. By the time she returned home, MTV had chosen her as the ambassador for South Africa, and she was opening for Akon, John Legend, Beyonce and Snoop Dogg, amongst others. Featuring impeccable percussion, a funky Hammond organ, reggae-infused bass and contributions from celebrity flautist Magic Malik, Asa is an impressive collection of melodic songs. The standout song "Jailer" is about the irony of oppression, while the most candid and politically charged song of the album, "Fire On The Mountain," is about an ignorant and indifferent world, commenting on the conflicts we neglect and the disparity on our doorstep that goes unnoticed. It seems there is no better time for Asa to take her place on the world stage.