On September 29, 2009, soul diva Melba Moore and smooth jazz favorite Phil Perry team up for a new album of great duets on the inspirational The Gift of Love. Moore, a Tony Award-winning actress and vocalist who has topped the R&B Charts, starred on Broadway, TV and film (most notably in the storied musicals Hair and Purlie) and who was recently the subject on an episode of TV One's lauded documentary series Unsung and Perry, one of R&B's great balladeers known for his velvety-smooth falsetto, and who has worked with everyone from Patti LaBelle and Anita Baker to Peabo Bryson and George Duke, bring to life an unforgettable set of originals and classics. The dynamic duo are joined by producers Chris ‘Big Dog' Davis (George Clinton, Maysa, Najee) and Preston Glass (Earth, Wind & Fire, Natalie Cole and Kenny G) in association with co-producer David Nathan. The Gift of Love features a sublime mix of inspirational compositions that Melba Moore hopes will connect with individuals on a deep level. The Gift of Love marks Melba's first return to R&B since her 1990 recording Soul Exposed. Highlights on The Gift of Love include the duo's version of the Sounds of Blackness hit "Optimistic" which sets the tone for the album's upbeat and joyous vibe. Paying homage to one of music's greatest duos, Melba and Phil take on two 1968 Ashford and Simpson classics that were hits for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - "You're All I Need To Get By" (produced by Preston Glass) and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" (produced by Chris "Big Dog" Davis). "I think Preston outdid himself with his arrangement," says Melba, "What he did is powerful. Although "You're All I Need To Get By" is an R&B song it is inspirational. He captured the power of what it means when two people really fall in love and are committed to one another. The track sounds so joyful that you just want to dance!" The Gift of Love also features a soulful and down-home version of the John P. Kee song, "It Will Be Alright," in which Melba and Phil bare it all and testify their faith. "I love John P. Kee, the great gospel singer and composer," confesses Melba. The songbird adds, "This song illustrates the classic power of what gospel is and conveys that there is a God and that no matter what is going on, you will be alright. Chris Davis did a great arrangement on the song that just drives you into a higher place. The chord changes just pull you up and hopefully Phil and I do too." Melba delivers a riveting version of the ballad "I Believe." She turns it into a real torch song and one can envision her on Broadway bringing down the house with this show-stopping number. Another highpoint is the Spinners' classic "Sadie."
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
MELBA MOORE & PHIL PERRY - THE GIFT OF LOVE
On September 29, 2009, soul diva Melba Moore and smooth jazz favorite Phil Perry team up for a new album of great duets on the inspirational The Gift of Love. Moore, a Tony Award-winning actress and vocalist who has topped the R&B Charts, starred on Broadway, TV and film (most notably in the storied musicals Hair and Purlie) and who was recently the subject on an episode of TV One's lauded documentary series Unsung and Perry, one of R&B's great balladeers known for his velvety-smooth falsetto, and who has worked with everyone from Patti LaBelle and Anita Baker to Peabo Bryson and George Duke, bring to life an unforgettable set of originals and classics. The dynamic duo are joined by producers Chris ‘Big Dog' Davis (George Clinton, Maysa, Najee) and Preston Glass (Earth, Wind & Fire, Natalie Cole and Kenny G) in association with co-producer David Nathan. The Gift of Love features a sublime mix of inspirational compositions that Melba Moore hopes will connect with individuals on a deep level. The Gift of Love marks Melba's first return to R&B since her 1990 recording Soul Exposed. Highlights on The Gift of Love include the duo's version of the Sounds of Blackness hit "Optimistic" which sets the tone for the album's upbeat and joyous vibe. Paying homage to one of music's greatest duos, Melba and Phil take on two 1968 Ashford and Simpson classics that were hits for Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell - "You're All I Need To Get By" (produced by Preston Glass) and "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" (produced by Chris "Big Dog" Davis). "I think Preston outdid himself with his arrangement," says Melba, "What he did is powerful. Although "You're All I Need To Get By" is an R&B song it is inspirational. He captured the power of what it means when two people really fall in love and are committed to one another. The track sounds so joyful that you just want to dance!" The Gift of Love also features a soulful and down-home version of the John P. Kee song, "It Will Be Alright," in which Melba and Phil bare it all and testify their faith. "I love John P. Kee, the great gospel singer and composer," confesses Melba. The songbird adds, "This song illustrates the classic power of what gospel is and conveys that there is a God and that no matter what is going on, you will be alright. Chris Davis did a great arrangement on the song that just drives you into a higher place. The chord changes just pull you up and hopefully Phil and I do too." Melba delivers a riveting version of the ballad "I Believe." She turns it into a real torch song and one can envision her on Broadway bringing down the house with this show-stopping number. Another highpoint is the Spinners' classic "Sadie."
Monday, September 07, 2009
SMOKEY ROBINSON: TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE HAVING FUN
Smokey Robinson is set to release a brand new album of original material, entitled Time Flies When You're Having Fun was released on August 25, 2009. The first single will be Robinson's cover of Norah Jones' "Don't Know Why." Included guests on Time Flies When Your Having Fun include Joss Stone, Carlos Santana, and India.Arie. The new songs recall various phases of his career, boasting old-school duets (such as "You're Just My Life," with India.Arie, and "You're the One for Me" with Stone), midtempo R&B-pop ("Girlfriend") and intimate soul ("Whatcha Gonna Do," "Love Bath" and the title track). Santana's inimitable guitar chimes in on the sensual jam "Please Don't Take Your Love." Smokey's one departure from self-penned material is his take on the Norah Jones hit "Don't Know Why," which he makes entirely his own. Back in June 26, Robinson received the prestigious Rhythm & Soul Heritage Award from ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) during the 22nd Annual Rhythm & Soul Music Awards. The honor is bestowed on artists who have had a major impact on the legacy of Rhythm and Soul Music. Further recognition of that legacy came from Boston's Berklee College of Music, which in May conferred an honorary degree on Smokey; the Ivor Novello Awards, where he received the UK International Special Achievement Award in May; the Hollywood Walk of Fame, which inducted him with his group, The Miracles, in March (he'd already received a star as a solo artist several years earlier); and Elvis Costello's acclaimed TV series "Spectacle" on the Sundance Channel, during which the host spent a spellbinding hour chatting and singing with the music-world icon. In 2006 (the year of his last release, Timeless Love), he was among the five honorees at the Kennedy Center Honors.
Sunday, September 06, 2009
THE AL/CAPONE BAND - MR. SMOOTH
The Al/Capone Band has announced the availability of their new jazz CD entitled, Mr. Smooth. The CD is a mix of smooth jazz (http://www.caponelive.com/), fusion, R&B, funk and Latin music and can be sampled and purchased on the band's new website, CaponeLive.com. The CC Entertainment label presents eleven new songs performed by a renowned group of musical all stars including Alex Ligertwood on vocals, Allen Young, as songwriter and horn player, all backed by the sophisticated drumming of Jeep Capone. "We're going back to our musical roots with Mr. Smooth," says, Gennaro, "Jeep", Capone, band founder and leader. "I'm thrilled to be playing the music I love with such great musicians. Our band members have performed with the likes of Santana, Average White Band, Lena Horn, Sting, David Sanborn and Miles Davis, so you just can't deny the magic," he declares. The CaponeLive website is an interactive resource to help visitors get to know the band and their music. Sample tunes from Mr. Smooth are available for easy listening. The Mr. Smooth CD is now available under the smooth jazz genre on Amazon.com, iTunes and at Best Buy stores. In addition, CaponeLive.com features contains personal biographies of the band members, the band's history, Al/Capone band merchandise, upcoming performance venues, The Vault containing past recordings from Al/Capone, and the official band newsletter. Al/Capone is a high-energy six-piece smooth/pop jazz band based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The music is contemporary and melody driven while always remaining true to its jazz roots. An interview with Jeep Capone and Allen Young discussing the making of Mr. Smooth will be featured on http://www.radiospectives.com/ on September 8 beginning at 1:00 pm. For more information click to http://www.caponelive.com./
Saturday, September 05, 2009
THE CARPENTERS - 40/40
In 1969, Karen and Richard Carpenter signed to A&M Records and released their debut album. Forty years later, the Carpenters are recognized not only as the most successful brother-sister act in music history and one of the best-selling acts of all-time but also as a pop culture phenomenon that continues to resonate today. Celebrating that legacy, the two-CD 40/40 (A&M/UMe), released October 20, 2009, produced by Richard Carpenter, brings together 40 of the duo's greatest hits and best-loved recordings, each digitally remastered.
40/40 includes all of the Carpenters' dozen Top 10 Pop hits, 19 of their 20 Top 40s and 23 of their 28 Top 75 Pop singles, from 1969's cover of the Beatles' "Ticket To Ride" to 1981's "Those Good Old Dreams." Among the 17 other tracks are covers of Leon Russell's classic "This Masquerade," Hank Williams' "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" and Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe," and a pair of recordings originally released in 1983, following Karen's passing earlier that year, "Now" and "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore."
The Carpenters' hit streak began with "(They Long To Be) Close To You" in 1970, which stayed at #1 on the charts for four weeks. Over the next four years, they reached #2 or #3 with such gems as "We've Only Just Begun," "For All We Know," "Rainy Days And Mondays," Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett's "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other" b/w "Bless The Beasts And Children" (featured in producer/director Stanley Kramer's film of the same name), the "Sesame Street" anthem "Sing" and "Yesterday Once More." In 1973 they snared a #1 with "Top Of The World" and the following year their third #1, a re-imagining of The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman." Added to four multiplatinum albums, one platinum album, and a 1973 singles collection that reached seven times platinum, the Carpenters had become the best-selling American act of the Seventies.
Change and experimentation followed, including "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song," "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" and a Top 10 Country hit with Juice Newton's "Sweet, Sweet Smile." 1981's "Touch Me When We're Dancing," from their last contemporaneous album, became their final Top 40 hit.
In recent years, artists from Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Shania Twain to Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Madonna have noted Karen Carpenter's influence on their careers. And when 40/40 was released earlier this year in Japan, the collection quickly shot to #1 and gold certification. The popularity of the Carpenters continues to grow 40 years after they had just begun.
www.ilovethatsong.com
40/40 includes all of the Carpenters' dozen Top 10 Pop hits, 19 of their 20 Top 40s and 23 of their 28 Top 75 Pop singles, from 1969's cover of the Beatles' "Ticket To Ride" to 1981's "Those Good Old Dreams." Among the 17 other tracks are covers of Leon Russell's classic "This Masquerade," Hank Williams' "Jambalaya (On The Bayou)" and Tim Hardin's "Reason To Believe," and a pair of recordings originally released in 1983, following Karen's passing earlier that year, "Now" and "Your Baby Doesn't Love You Anymore."
The Carpenters' hit streak began with "(They Long To Be) Close To You" in 1970, which stayed at #1 on the charts for four weeks. Over the next four years, they reached #2 or #3 with such gems as "We've Only Just Begun," "For All We Know," "Rainy Days And Mondays," Leon Russell and Bonnie Bramlett's "Superstar," "Hurting Each Other" b/w "Bless The Beasts And Children" (featured in producer/director Stanley Kramer's film of the same name), the "Sesame Street" anthem "Sing" and "Yesterday Once More." In 1973 they snared a #1 with "Top Of The World" and the following year their third #1, a re-imagining of The Marvelettes' "Please Mr. Postman." Added to four multiplatinum albums, one platinum album, and a 1973 singles collection that reached seven times platinum, the Carpenters had become the best-selling American act of the Seventies.
Change and experimentation followed, including "All You Get From Love Is A Love Song," "Calling Occupants Of Interplanetary Craft" and a Top 10 Country hit with Juice Newton's "Sweet, Sweet Smile." 1981's "Touch Me When We're Dancing," from their last contemporaneous album, became their final Top 40 hit.
In recent years, artists from Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani and Shania Twain to Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Madonna have noted Karen Carpenter's influence on their careers. And when 40/40 was released earlier this year in Japan, the collection quickly shot to #1 and gold certification. The popularity of the Carpenters continues to grow 40 years after they had just begun.
www.ilovethatsong.com
Friday, September 04, 2009
DAVE KOZ LAUNCHES KOZ WINE
Internationally renowned saxophonist and six-time Grammy® nominee Dave Koz has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world over the past two decades through his recordings, radio shows, annual tours, cruises and now his wine – KOZ Wine. In his travels, Koz continually observed the strong connection between people’s love of jazz and their love of wine, echoing his own two passions. While hosting his annual Smooth Jazz cruise in 2008, Koz met one of his fans, Patrick Bradley, the President of Whole Foods Market for the Southern Pacific region. They shared their passion about wine and, on the open seas, the idea to start a wine brand was born. This is the first time Whole Foods Market has collaborated on a project such as KOZ Wine from start to finish. The company was involved from researching the vineyards, tasting the wines, developing packaging, shipping the product to the stores and the marketing. In fact, Koz accompanied Whole Foods Market team members to Santa Ynez, Mendocino and Napa to interview winemakers before they selected Chris Condos of Napa Valley’s boutique winery, Vinum Cellars. "Chris has an intense passion for the winemaking process, a wonderful sense of creativity and openness that I felt was really important in this collaboration," says Koz. "I’m certainly a student in this whole process, but I love it–I’ve learned so much in such a short amount of time and the more I learn the more I want to know. That this project directly benefits Starlight, my long-time charity, it's all the more sweet...doing good and drinking good will now go hand in hand!" says Koz. "Whole Foods Market is thrilled to be partnering with KOZ Wine, Vinum Cellars, and Starlight Children’s Foundation in launching 3 types of KOZ Wine exclusively at our stores in Southern California, Arizona and Nevada," says Bradley. "We are proud to be welcoming Dave and his wines into our stores and to be a part of Starlight’s mission to help brighten the world of seriously ill children and their families." As a humanitarian, Koz has served as global ambassador for the last 17 years to the Starlight Children’s Foundation and will be donating all his proceeds from KOZ Wine to help Starlight continue their vital mission. "With 17 years of steadfast support for Starlight under his belt, Dave’s impact on our children and families is truly unmatched," said Paula Van Ness, CEO of Starlight. "He continually comes up with creative ways to support our organization, and this cause-marketing concept enables him to join forces with Starlight and Whole Foods Market to let seriously ill children and their families know they are not alone." KOZ Wine is now available at all Southern California Whole Foods Markets as well as in Nevada and Arizona. There are 3 different varietals: KOZ 2007 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon; KOZ 2008 Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc; KOZ 2007 El Dorado "Red Alto" Blend.
Thursday, September 03, 2009
MATISYAHU - LIGHT
Matisyahu emerged in 2004 with his debut album Shake Off the Dust…Rise. With the release of Live at Stubb’s (2005), which reached #1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart, and Youth (2006), which debuted at #4 on Billboard’s Top 200 and reached #1 on the Reggae Albums chart, Matisyahu gained considerable critical acclaim. Both albums subsequently went Gold and Youth was nominated for a Grammy for Best Reggae Album. Now Matisyahu releases his third studio album Light (Epic Records) and the launch of his “One Day for Change” campaign. Always looking to inspire and positively motivate fans – the socially conscious artist has partnered with Kenneth Cole to create an online movement via Twitter and YouTube encouraging people to share ideas to positively change their communities in one day.
“One Day for Change” asks fans, as well as celebrities and musicians, to tweet “ideas for change” using the #onedaychange.net hash tag. Matisyahu will re-tweet his favorites on his own Twitter feed (@matisyahu, which now has over 720,000 followers!) and award a signed copy of Light to one tweeter each day. Participants are also encouraged to upload videos expressing their ideas for change to the “One Day for Change” YouTube page (www.youtube.com/onedayforchange) between August 25th and September 18th. On September 25th, a grand prize winner from the video uploads will be announced on www.onedaychange.net. The site, built by Republic Project, will feature all of the video submissions, tweets and exclusive content for the initiative and can be visited daily to view the latest entries. The winner will receive a Matisyahu branded camera provided by Flip Cam, and Matisyahu and Kenneth Cole will donate $5,000 towards the charity of the winning entrant’s choice. Other participants who upload videos will have a chance to win 1 of 4 Matisyahu branded cameras provided by Flip Cam.
Matisyahu’s single “One Day” was the inspiration for the “One Day for Change” campaign. “Consciousness and positivity spread like a wave.” Matisyahu explains, “It starts with one person doing one good thing and links like a chain, going from one positive thing to the next.” The video for “One Day” can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as7Y-mCiFaM&feature=channel
Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime), Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons (Depeche Mode, Ian Brown), Light is Matisyahu’s most diverse album to date.
“One Day for Change” asks fans, as well as celebrities and musicians, to tweet “ideas for change” using the #onedaychange.net hash tag. Matisyahu will re-tweet his favorites on his own Twitter feed (@matisyahu, which now has over 720,000 followers!) and award a signed copy of Light to one tweeter each day. Participants are also encouraged to upload videos expressing their ideas for change to the “One Day for Change” YouTube page (www.youtube.com/onedayforchange) between August 25th and September 18th. On September 25th, a grand prize winner from the video uploads will be announced on www.onedaychange.net. The site, built by Republic Project, will feature all of the video submissions, tweets and exclusive content for the initiative and can be visited daily to view the latest entries. The winner will receive a Matisyahu branded camera provided by Flip Cam, and Matisyahu and Kenneth Cole will donate $5,000 towards the charity of the winning entrant’s choice. Other participants who upload videos will have a chance to win 1 of 4 Matisyahu branded cameras provided by Flip Cam.
Matisyahu’s single “One Day” was the inspiration for the “One Day for Change” campaign. “Consciousness and positivity spread like a wave.” Matisyahu explains, “It starts with one person doing one good thing and links like a chain, going from one positive thing to the next.” The video for “One Day” can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=as7Y-mCiFaM&feature=channel
Produced by David Kahne (Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Sublime), Dave McCracken and the Smeezintons (Depeche Mode, Ian Brown), Light is Matisyahu’s most diverse album to date.
Wednesday, September 02, 2009
30th ANNUAL DETROIT JAZZ FESTIVAL
Festival organizers have announced the complete lineup for the 30th Anniversary of the Detroit International Jazz Festival (DJF), Friday, September 4 through Monday, September 7, in downtown Detroit. Subtitled "Keepin' Up with the Joneses," the 2009 Detroit Jazz Fest will celebrate Thad, Elvin and Hank Jones and other great jazz families, including The Clayton Brothers, the Brubecks, John & Bucky Pizzarelli, Larry & Julian Coryell, the Heath Brothers, Pete & Juan Escovedo, Brian, Karma & Savannah Auger, Detroit's McKinneys, and the Clark Sisters. Homecomings include visits by Sheila Jordan, Geri Allen, Louis Hayes, Charles McPherson, Bennie Maupin, Karriem Riggins and Dee Dee Bridgewater. "It's a combination of a family reunion and special homecoming for Detroit jazz greats," says executive director Terri Pontremoli.
Fans will not want to miss the opening night festivities. Starting with a rare appearance by Hank Jones in the Pepsi Talk Tent at 4:15pm, the festival will "beat the drum" with the Alma College 36-member Percussion Ensemble on the Chase Stage at 4:30pm; look back 30 years through a reunion of the Northwestern High School 1980 Alumni Band on the Meijer Education Stage at 5:30, and move the crowds through a second-line by the Nicky Boy Band and the Cleveland Museum of Art DIVA puppets. Performances by the Hank Jones Trio and Chick Corea's Trio with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White will top off the evening. "We urge the public to come early not only to get a seat, but to witness special presentations and a celebratory opening night video," says Terri Pontremoli.
The festival will premiere two major works on its 30th anniversary: "Detroit" - a six movement work for jazz orchestra by Detroiter Gerald Wilson; and "T H E Family, Detroit," a three-movement work dedicated to Thad, Hank and Elvin Jones, by 2009 artist in residence John Clayton. The "concerto grosso," funded by the Joyce Foundation, will be performed on closing night by the Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. "It is thrilling to me that both composers have championed Detroit and its rich jazz legacy through their music," says festival director Terri Pontremoli. "Now that I've heard the pieces, I can't wait to see the audience reaction. They're both awesome and unique."
Two tributes to important Detroit jazz musicians include: A treatment of Detroit trumpeter Donald Byrd's jazz-gospel recording A New Perspective - which also gives a festival nod to Blue Note on their 70th and showcases Mack Avenue artists Sean Jones, Tia Fuller, Ron Blake and Rodney Whitaker. They'll be joined by Perry Hughes, Rick Roe, Chris Kodish, Randy Gelispie, Chris Karlic, and a 16-piece gospel choir. The performance will be a part of the festival's traditional Come Monday gospel programming. Detroit's incomparable Lyman Woodard will also be tributed in a B3 blow out with Chris Codish, Ron English and Leonard King. Debuts include the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra with special guests Janis Siegel, Jimmy Heath and Ron Blake; and the Midwest debut of Bennie Maupin's Dolphyana, with Billy Hart, Jay Hoggard and Nester Torres.
Other one-of-a-kind presentations include a 100th birthday celebration for Benny Goodman by clarinetist extraordinaire Eddie Daniels and the WSU Big Band; Bottoms Up!, a "superbass" performance by John Clayton, Christian McBride and Rodney Whitaker; DJ Pete Rock with Karriem Riggins; and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut as a fourth instrument in Geri Allen's quartet. Outside of jazz, audiences will be treated to appearances by soul queen Irma Thomas, Booker T, Detroit's own gospel sister act, The Clark Sisters, and Motown's very own Contours featuring Sylvester Potts. Emerging artists in 2009 include vocalist Gretchen Parlato (2004 Thelonious Monk award winner); Alfredo Rodriquez, the stellar pianist recently discovered by Quincy Jones; vocalist Sachal Vasadani; and vocalist Jose James, who blew the audience away in 2008 as a special guest in the Marvin Gaye tribute. The Detroit International Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in North America, and it has become a major tourist attraction.
www.detroitjazzfest.com
Fans will not want to miss the opening night festivities. Starting with a rare appearance by Hank Jones in the Pepsi Talk Tent at 4:15pm, the festival will "beat the drum" with the Alma College 36-member Percussion Ensemble on the Chase Stage at 4:30pm; look back 30 years through a reunion of the Northwestern High School 1980 Alumni Band on the Meijer Education Stage at 5:30, and move the crowds through a second-line by the Nicky Boy Band and the Cleveland Museum of Art DIVA puppets. Performances by the Hank Jones Trio and Chick Corea's Trio with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White will top off the evening. "We urge the public to come early not only to get a seat, but to witness special presentations and a celebratory opening night video," says Terri Pontremoli.
The festival will premiere two major works on its 30th anniversary: "Detroit" - a six movement work for jazz orchestra by Detroiter Gerald Wilson; and "T H E Family, Detroit," a three-movement work dedicated to Thad, Hank and Elvin Jones, by 2009 artist in residence John Clayton. The "concerto grosso," funded by the Joyce Foundation, will be performed on closing night by the Scott Gwinnell Jazz Orchestra and the Clayton Brothers Quintet. "It is thrilling to me that both composers have championed Detroit and its rich jazz legacy through their music," says festival director Terri Pontremoli. "Now that I've heard the pieces, I can't wait to see the audience reaction. They're both awesome and unique."
Two tributes to important Detroit jazz musicians include: A treatment of Detroit trumpeter Donald Byrd's jazz-gospel recording A New Perspective - which also gives a festival nod to Blue Note on their 70th and showcases Mack Avenue artists Sean Jones, Tia Fuller, Ron Blake and Rodney Whitaker. They'll be joined by Perry Hughes, Rick Roe, Chris Kodish, Randy Gelispie, Chris Karlic, and a 16-piece gospel choir. The performance will be a part of the festival's traditional Come Monday gospel programming. Detroit's incomparable Lyman Woodard will also be tributed in a B3 blow out with Chris Codish, Ron English and Leonard King. Debuts include the Detroit Jazz Festival Orchestra with special guests Janis Siegel, Jimmy Heath and Ron Blake; and the Midwest debut of Bennie Maupin's Dolphyana, with Billy Hart, Jay Hoggard and Nester Torres.
Other one-of-a-kind presentations include a 100th birthday celebration for Benny Goodman by clarinetist extraordinaire Eddie Daniels and the WSU Big Band; Bottoms Up!, a "superbass" performance by John Clayton, Christian McBride and Rodney Whitaker; DJ Pete Rock with Karriem Riggins; and tap dancer Maurice Chestnut as a fourth instrument in Geri Allen's quartet. Outside of jazz, audiences will be treated to appearances by soul queen Irma Thomas, Booker T, Detroit's own gospel sister act, The Clark Sisters, and Motown's very own Contours featuring Sylvester Potts. Emerging artists in 2009 include vocalist Gretchen Parlato (2004 Thelonious Monk award winner); Alfredo Rodriquez, the stellar pianist recently discovered by Quincy Jones; vocalist Sachal Vasadani; and vocalist Jose James, who blew the audience away in 2008 as a special guest in the Marvin Gaye tribute. The Detroit International Jazz Festival is the largest free jazz festival in North America, and it has become a major tourist attraction.
www.detroitjazzfest.com
MICHAEL BUBLE - CRAZY LOVE
"Crazy Love,” Michael Bublé's first CD in two and a half years featuring two original songs along with his always original take on 11 standards from various eras is scheduled to be released on Friday, October 9th, four days earlier than previously scheduled. The multi-Grammy winning artist spent time in recording studios in LA, Brooklyn, New York and his hometown of Vancouver for the last six months to make his "ultimate record about the inevitable roller coaster ride of relationships." The first single, "Haven't Met You Yet,” written by Bublé (with Alan Chang and Amy Foster) was released to radio on August 31st. Additional tunes on the album include "Cry Me A River,” "You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You,” "Georgia On My Mind" and "Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)" which was performed with Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings. The title song is a cover of the Van Morrison gem "Crazy Love.” The CD closes out with a haunting version of "Stardust" which is performed with the a cappella group Naturally 7. The album was produced by David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica.
Singer and songwriter Michael Bublé has sold over 22 million CDs worldwide. His previous CD, the Grammy winning "Call Me Irresponsible" (2007) was a number one album in over 15 countries. His 2005 CD "It's Time" holds the record as the longest running title to remain on the Billboard Traditional Jazz charts - a full two years. It sat in the Number One position for over 80 weeks. He has had two Number One singles, "Everything" and "Home," which was also a Number One hit for Blake Shelton on the Country charts.
MICHAEL BUBLÉ “CRAZY LOVE” TRACKLISTING:
Cry Me A River
All Of Me
Georgia On My Mind
Crazy Love
Haven't Met You Yet*
All I Do Is Dream Of You
Hold On*
Heartache Tonight
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
At This Moment
Stardust
Whatever It Takes (bonus track)
*co-written by Michael Bublé
Singer and songwriter Michael Bublé has sold over 22 million CDs worldwide. His previous CD, the Grammy winning "Call Me Irresponsible" (2007) was a number one album in over 15 countries. His 2005 CD "It's Time" holds the record as the longest running title to remain on the Billboard Traditional Jazz charts - a full two years. It sat in the Number One position for over 80 weeks. He has had two Number One singles, "Everything" and "Home," which was also a Number One hit for Blake Shelton on the Country charts.
MICHAEL BUBLÉ “CRAZY LOVE” TRACKLISTING:
Cry Me A River
All Of Me
Georgia On My Mind
Crazy Love
Haven't Met You Yet*
All I Do Is Dream Of You
Hold On*
Heartache Tonight
You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
At This Moment
Stardust
Whatever It Takes (bonus track)
*co-written by Michael Bublé
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
NEW RELEASES FROM GILLES PETERSON, C.G. CAMERON, HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL, JESSY J & MORE...
Afterlife - Electrosensitive
All-4-One – No Regrets
BTS – A Groove For Candy
Balam – 4 Floors Up
Bombay Dub Orchestra – 3 Cities in Dub
Bruce McKenzie – After Dark
C.G. Cameron – Enticed Ecstasy
Cachao’s Mambo All Stars – Como Siempre
Cherry Vata – Via Vanilla
Cosmosis – Fumbling For The Funky Frequency
Creative Response – Chillout Response
Dani Trucheto - Sobremesa
Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour – Young Blood, Old Soul
Flying Lotus – LA EP 3
Gary Harris – Here For You
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes
Inner Sun – Farewell: Our Latest Dream
Jessy J – True Love
Joao Callado – Joao Callado
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band – The Remixes
Jojo Effect – Ordinary Madness
Larry Levan – The Final Nights Of Paradise
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Lenny MacDowell – Get Ready
Levert II - Dedication
Lhase De Sela – Lhasa
Little Dragon – Machine Dreams
Lucas Santtana – Sem Nostalgia
Michael Olatuja - Speak
Michelle Amador – Higher
Mike Clinco - Neon
Nile Rodgers – Advertures In The Land Of Groove
Nu Tropic – Kingdom Of Love
Phillip Martin - Realization
Quantic & His Combo Barbara – Tradition In Transition
Rhonda Thomas – Breathe New Life
Robert Glasper – Double Booked
Sakura – Real Love
Soul Bossa Trio – For Once In My Life
Stella Polaris – A Handful
Tom Abbs & Frequency Response – Lost & Found
Triogranico -Convivencia
Trestal –When I Sleep
Various Artists – Blue Note Trip Vol. 8 Maestro
Various Artists – Café Mambo Ibiza 2009 Mixed By Jose Padilla
Various Artists – Comme Il Faut: Two Sides Of Summer
Various Artists – Delicious Grooves
Various Artists – Erotic Chill
Various Artists – Gilles Peterson Brazilika
Various Artists – Goldenworks Remixed By Quasimode
Various Artists – Hot Buttered Jazz: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes
Various Artists – Intelligent Music Favorites, Vol. 8
Various Artists – L’espresso Café Chillout 2009 (Fresh & Chilling)
Various Artists – Lover’s Lounge
Various Artists – Nu Faces Project Volume 1
Various Artists – Soulful Finland Vol. 1
Wax – African Dreams
All-4-One – No Regrets
BTS – A Groove For Candy
Balam – 4 Floors Up
Bombay Dub Orchestra – 3 Cities in Dub
Bruce McKenzie – After Dark
C.G. Cameron – Enticed Ecstasy
Cachao’s Mambo All Stars – Como Siempre
Cherry Vata – Via Vanilla
Cosmosis – Fumbling For The Funky Frequency
Creative Response – Chillout Response
Dani Trucheto - Sobremesa
Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour – Young Blood, Old Soul
Flying Lotus – LA EP 3
Gary Harris – Here For You
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes
Inner Sun – Farewell: Our Latest Dream
Jessy J – True Love
Joao Callado – Joao Callado
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band – The Remixes
Jojo Effect – Ordinary Madness
Larry Levan – The Final Nights Of Paradise
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Lenny MacDowell – Get Ready
Levert II - Dedication
Lhase De Sela – Lhasa
Little Dragon – Machine Dreams
Lucas Santtana – Sem Nostalgia
Michael Olatuja - Speak
Michelle Amador – Higher
Mike Clinco - Neon
Nile Rodgers – Advertures In The Land Of Groove
Nu Tropic – Kingdom Of Love
Phillip Martin - Realization
Quantic & His Combo Barbara – Tradition In Transition
Rhonda Thomas – Breathe New Life
Robert Glasper – Double Booked
Sakura – Real Love
Soul Bossa Trio – For Once In My Life
Stella Polaris – A Handful
Tom Abbs & Frequency Response – Lost & Found
Triogranico -Convivencia
Trestal –When I Sleep
Various Artists – Blue Note Trip Vol. 8 Maestro
Various Artists – Café Mambo Ibiza 2009 Mixed By Jose Padilla
Various Artists – Comme Il Faut: Two Sides Of Summer
Various Artists – Delicious Grooves
Various Artists – Erotic Chill
Various Artists – Gilles Peterson Brazilika
Various Artists – Goldenworks Remixed By Quasimode
Various Artists – Hot Buttered Jazz: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes
Various Artists – Intelligent Music Favorites, Vol. 8
Various Artists – L’espresso Café Chillout 2009 (Fresh & Chilling)
Various Artists – Lover’s Lounge
Various Artists – Nu Faces Project Volume 1
Various Artists – Soulful Finland Vol. 1
Wax – African Dreams
THE SEPTEMBER CONCERT CALENDAR
Kora Jazz Trio @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 1
Bettye LaVette @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Sept 1-2
Steely Dan @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Sept 1,3,4
Pieces Of A Dream @ Smooth Cruises Chelsea Piers,
New York, NY, Sep 2
Al Green @ The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, Sept 2
Al Green @ Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, CA, Sept 2
Sadao Watanabe @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 2-5
Bonnie Raitt @ Edgefield Winery, Troutdale, OR, Sept 3
Bettye LaVette @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Sept 4
Teena Marie @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grande Ronde, OR, Sept 4
Al B. Sure! @ The Studio, San Antonio, TX, Sept 4
Paquito D’Rivera @ Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Lenox, MA, Sept 4
Nile Rodgers & Chic @ HMV Forum, London, UK, Sept 4
Maysa @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Sept 4-6
Bonnie Raitt @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre, Bend, OR, Sept 5
Regina Carter, Nnenna Freelon @ Tanglewood Jazz Festival,
Lenox, MA, Sept 5
Bettye LaVette @ Long Beach Blues Festival,
Long Beach, CA, Sept 5
King Sunny Ade @ Shedd BBQ & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs, MS, Sept 5
Laura Izibor @ Electric Picnic, Portlaoise, Ireland, Sept 5
King Sunny Ade @ Bedford Blues Festival, Bedford, TX, Sept 6
Susan Tedeschi @ Snowy Range Festival, Laramie, WY Sept 6
Steely Dan @ MotorCity Casino, Detroit MI, Sept 6
New Cool Collective @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 6
Medeski Martin & Wood @ Traffic Jam Festival @ Sonar,
Baltimore, MD, Sept 6
Bonnie Raitt @ Hult Center, Eugene, OR, Sept 7
Charlie Haden Quartet @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 7-10
Vieux Farka Toure @ Mazzottis, Arcata, CA, Sept 8
Vieux Farka Toure @ WOW Hall, Eugene, OR, Sept 9
Natalie Cole @ The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 9
Chucho Valdes Quintet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 8-12
Vieux Farka Toure @ Center For The Arts Grass, Valley, CA, Sept 10
Tower Of Power @ Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 11
Manhattan Transfer @ El Portal Theatre, Hollywood, CA, Sept 11
New Cool Collective @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 11
Medeski Martin & Wood @ Klein Memorial Auditorium,
Bridgeport, CT, Sept 11
Junko Onishi Trio @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 11-12
Chuck Berry @ BB King’s, New York, NY, Sept 12
Charlie Haden @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 12
Vieux Farka Toure @ Power To The Peaceful,
San Francisco, CA, Sept 12
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Radisson Hotel Groove,
Sacramento, CA, Sept 12
Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa,
Rancho Mirage, CA, Sept 12
King Sunny Ade @ Twin River Events Center, Lincoln, RI, Sept 12
Bettye LaVette @ Playing With Fire, Omaha, NE, Sept 12
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Radisson Hotel Grove,
Sacramento, CA, Sept 12
Bela Fleck @ Bass Hall, Austin, TX, Sept 13
Vieux Farka Toure @ The Independent, San Francisco, CA, Sept 13
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Newport Music Hall,
Columbus, OH, Sept 13
Chucho Valdes @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 14-16
Vieux Farka Toure @ Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 15
Freddy Cole @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 15
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Cannery Ballroom,
Nashville, TN, Sept 15
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Bijou Theatre,
Knoxville, TN, Sept 16
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay,
San Diego, CA, Sept 16
Bonnie Raitt @ Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay,
San Diego, CA, Sept 17
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Workplay Theatre,
Birmingham, AL, Sept 17
Laura Izibor @ The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 17
Susan Tedeschi @ Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival,
Fredericton, NB, Sept 17
Vieux Farka Toure @ KTAOS Solar Center,
Taos, New Mexico, Sept 17
James Taylor Quartet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 17-19
McCoy Tyner @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Sept 17-20
Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Snoqualmie Casino,
Snoqualmie, WA, Sept 17
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Red Rock Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 18
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Variety Playhouse,
Atlanta, GA, Sept 18
Sheila E, Mindi Abair, Kat Dyson, Cassandra O’Neal @ The Blue Note,
Tokyo, Japan, Sept 18-21
King Sunny Ade @ Telluride Blues & Brews Festival,
Telluride, CO, Sept 19
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Neighborhood Theatre,
Charlotte, NC, Sept 19
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Pechanga Resort & Casino,
Temecula, CA, Sept 19
Thievery Corporation @ Pier 6 Pavilion, Baltimore, MD, Sept 19
Vieux Farka Toure @ Telluride Brews & Blues Festival,
Telluride, CO, Sept 19
Susan Tedeschi @ Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA, Sept 19
Bela Fleck @ Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI, Sept 19-20
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Orange Peel,
Asheville, NC, Sept 20
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Music Hall/Tucson Convention Center,
Tucson, AZ, Sept 20
Geoff Eales @ White Swan, Statford-Upon-Avon, UK, Sept 20
Bettye LaVette @ Brisbane Festival, Brisbane, Australia, Sept 20-21
Boz Scaggs @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, Sept 21
Vieux Farka Toure @ Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, Sept 21
Sheila E @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 22
Laura Izibor @ Palm Beach Improv, West Palm Beach, Fl, Sept 22
Eddie Palmieri @ @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 22-26
Les McCann @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 23
Carole King @ Central Park East Meadow, New York, NY, Sept 23
Tower Of Power @ Kern County Fair, Bakersfield, CA, Sept 23
Laura Izibor @ Utopia Soundstage, Charlotte, NC, Sept 24
Geoff Eales @ Spice Of Life, London, UK, Sept 24
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Western Washington
Fair/Puyallup Fair, Pyallup, WA, Sept 24
McCoy Tyner @ L’Astral, Montreal, Quebec City, Sept 24-26
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Beau Rivage Theatre, Biloxi, MS, Sept 25
Tower Of Power @ The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA, Sept 25
Van Morrison @ The Joint, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 25
Maxwell @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada, Sept 25
Bettye LaVette @ The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis, MO, Sept 25
Swing Out Sister @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 25-26
Keith Washington, Blue Magic, The Intruders @ Marriott Grande
Dunes Hotel, Myrtle Beach, SC, Sept 25-27
Bettye LaVette @ Singletary Center For The Arts,
Lexington, KY, Sept 26
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Robinson Center,
Little Rock, AR, Sept 26
Chris Botti @ Clark State Performing Arts Center,
Springfield, OH, Sept 26
Barbra Streisand @ Village Vanguard, New York, NY, Sept 26
Teena Marie @ Viejas Casino & Resort, Alpine, CA, Sept 26
Maxwell @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI, Sept 26
Bela Fleck @ Oregon Symphony, Portland, OR, Sept 26
King Sunny Ade @ Alys Robinson Stephens PAC,
Birmingham, AL, Sept 26
McCoy Tyner @ Palais Montcalm, Quebec City, Sept 27
Joyce, Joao Donato @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 27-30
Maxwell @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Sept 28
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Stiefel Theatre For The Performing
Arts, Salina, KS, Sept 28
Bela Fleck @ Royal Conservatory, Toronto, ON, Sept 29
Van Morrison @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Sept 29
Brian Culbertson, Larry Graham, Funk All-Stars @ Billboard Live,
Tokyo, Japan, Sept 29-30
Bela Fleck @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, Sept 30
Van Morrison @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Sept 30
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre,
Houston, TX, Sept 30
Maxwell @ Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA, Sept 30
Bettye LaVette @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Sept 1-2
Steely Dan @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Sept 1,3,4
Pieces Of A Dream @ Smooth Cruises Chelsea Piers,
New York, NY, Sep 2
Al Green @ The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, Sept 2
Al Green @ Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, CA, Sept 2
Sadao Watanabe @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 2-5
Bonnie Raitt @ Edgefield Winery, Troutdale, OR, Sept 3
Bettye LaVette @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Sept 4
Teena Marie @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grande Ronde, OR, Sept 4
Al B. Sure! @ The Studio, San Antonio, TX, Sept 4
Paquito D’Rivera @ Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Lenox, MA, Sept 4
Nile Rodgers & Chic @ HMV Forum, London, UK, Sept 4
Maysa @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Sept 4-6
Bonnie Raitt @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre, Bend, OR, Sept 5
Regina Carter, Nnenna Freelon @ Tanglewood Jazz Festival,
Lenox, MA, Sept 5
Bettye LaVette @ Long Beach Blues Festival,
Long Beach, CA, Sept 5
King Sunny Ade @ Shedd BBQ & Blues Joint, Ocean Springs, MS, Sept 5
Laura Izibor @ Electric Picnic, Portlaoise, Ireland, Sept 5
King Sunny Ade @ Bedford Blues Festival, Bedford, TX, Sept 6
Susan Tedeschi @ Snowy Range Festival, Laramie, WY Sept 6
Steely Dan @ MotorCity Casino, Detroit MI, Sept 6
New Cool Collective @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 6
Medeski Martin & Wood @ Traffic Jam Festival @ Sonar,
Baltimore, MD, Sept 6
Bonnie Raitt @ Hult Center, Eugene, OR, Sept 7
Charlie Haden Quartet @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 7-10
Vieux Farka Toure @ Mazzottis, Arcata, CA, Sept 8
Vieux Farka Toure @ WOW Hall, Eugene, OR, Sept 9
Natalie Cole @ The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 9
Chucho Valdes Quintet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 8-12
Vieux Farka Toure @ Center For The Arts Grass, Valley, CA, Sept 10
Tower Of Power @ Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 11
Manhattan Transfer @ El Portal Theatre, Hollywood, CA, Sept 11
New Cool Collective @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 11
Medeski Martin & Wood @ Klein Memorial Auditorium,
Bridgeport, CT, Sept 11
Junko Onishi Trio @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 11-12
Chuck Berry @ BB King’s, New York, NY, Sept 12
Charlie Haden @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 12
Vieux Farka Toure @ Power To The Peaceful,
San Francisco, CA, Sept 12
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Radisson Hotel Groove,
Sacramento, CA, Sept 12
Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa,
Rancho Mirage, CA, Sept 12
King Sunny Ade @ Twin River Events Center, Lincoln, RI, Sept 12
Bettye LaVette @ Playing With Fire, Omaha, NE, Sept 12
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Radisson Hotel Grove,
Sacramento, CA, Sept 12
Bela Fleck @ Bass Hall, Austin, TX, Sept 13
Vieux Farka Toure @ The Independent, San Francisco, CA, Sept 13
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Newport Music Hall,
Columbus, OH, Sept 13
Chucho Valdes @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 14-16
Vieux Farka Toure @ Echoplex, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 15
Freddy Cole @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 15
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Cannery Ballroom,
Nashville, TN, Sept 15
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Bijou Theatre,
Knoxville, TN, Sept 16
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay,
San Diego, CA, Sept 16
Bonnie Raitt @ Humphrey’s Concerts By The Bay,
San Diego, CA, Sept 17
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Workplay Theatre,
Birmingham, AL, Sept 17
Laura Izibor @ The Roxy, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 17
Susan Tedeschi @ Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival,
Fredericton, NB, Sept 17
Vieux Farka Toure @ KTAOS Solar Center,
Taos, New Mexico, Sept 17
James Taylor Quartet @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 17-19
McCoy Tyner @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Sept 17-20
Bobby Caldwell, Diane Schuur @ Snoqualmie Casino,
Snoqualmie, WA, Sept 17
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Red Rock Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 18
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Variety Playhouse,
Atlanta, GA, Sept 18
Sheila E, Mindi Abair, Kat Dyson, Cassandra O’Neal @ The Blue Note,
Tokyo, Japan, Sept 18-21
King Sunny Ade @ Telluride Blues & Brews Festival,
Telluride, CO, Sept 19
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Neighborhood Theatre,
Charlotte, NC, Sept 19
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Pechanga Resort & Casino,
Temecula, CA, Sept 19
Thievery Corporation @ Pier 6 Pavilion, Baltimore, MD, Sept 19
Vieux Farka Toure @ Telluride Brews & Blues Festival,
Telluride, CO, Sept 19
Susan Tedeschi @ Monterey Jazz Festival, Monterey, CA, Sept 19
Bela Fleck @ Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI, Sept 19-20
Medeski Martin & Wood @ The Orange Peel,
Asheville, NC, Sept 20
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Music Hall/Tucson Convention Center,
Tucson, AZ, Sept 20
Geoff Eales @ White Swan, Statford-Upon-Avon, UK, Sept 20
Bettye LaVette @ Brisbane Festival, Brisbane, Australia, Sept 20-21
Boz Scaggs @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, Sept 21
Vieux Farka Toure @ Colorado College, Colorado Springs, CO, Sept 21
Sheila E @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 22
Laura Izibor @ Palm Beach Improv, West Palm Beach, Fl, Sept 22
Eddie Palmieri @ @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 22-26
Les McCann @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Sept 23
Carole King @ Central Park East Meadow, New York, NY, Sept 23
Tower Of Power @ Kern County Fair, Bakersfield, CA, Sept 23
Laura Izibor @ Utopia Soundstage, Charlotte, NC, Sept 24
Geoff Eales @ Spice Of Life, London, UK, Sept 24
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Western Washington
Fair/Puyallup Fair, Pyallup, WA, Sept 24
McCoy Tyner @ L’Astral, Montreal, Quebec City, Sept 24-26
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Beau Rivage Theatre, Biloxi, MS, Sept 25
Tower Of Power @ The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA, Sept 25
Van Morrison @ The Joint, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 25
Maxwell @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada, Sept 25
Bettye LaVette @ The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis, MO, Sept 25
Swing Out Sister @ The Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Sept 25-26
Keith Washington, Blue Magic, The Intruders @ Marriott Grande
Dunes Hotel, Myrtle Beach, SC, Sept 25-27
Bettye LaVette @ Singletary Center For The Arts,
Lexington, KY, Sept 26
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Robinson Center,
Little Rock, AR, Sept 26
Chris Botti @ Clark State Performing Arts Center,
Springfield, OH, Sept 26
Barbra Streisand @ Village Vanguard, New York, NY, Sept 26
Teena Marie @ Viejas Casino & Resort, Alpine, CA, Sept 26
Maxwell @ Joe Louis Arena, Detroit, MI, Sept 26
Bela Fleck @ Oregon Symphony, Portland, OR, Sept 26
King Sunny Ade @ Alys Robinson Stephens PAC,
Birmingham, AL, Sept 26
McCoy Tyner @ Palais Montcalm, Quebec City, Sept 27
Joyce, Joao Donato @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Sept 27-30
Maxwell @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Sept 28
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Stiefel Theatre For The Performing
Arts, Salina, KS, Sept 28
Bela Fleck @ Royal Conservatory, Toronto, ON, Sept 29
Van Morrison @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Sept 29
Brian Culbertson, Larry Graham, Funk All-Stars @ Billboard Live,
Tokyo, Japan, Sept 29-30
Bela Fleck @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, Sept 30
Van Morrison @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Sept 30
John Legend, Laura Izibor @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre,
Houston, TX, Sept 30
Maxwell @ Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, VA, Sept 30
Thursday, August 20, 2009
FRANK SINATRA - SINATRA: NEW YORK
A new Frank Sinatra release is on the way and it’s called "SINATRA: NEW YORK" which follows the singer onstage at various iconic New York City venues, living out one of his most famous lines: "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." The five-disc boxed set (4-CD/1-DVD) of previously unreleased live performances will be available November 3, at all retail outlets, including www.Sinatra.com, for a suggested list price of $79.99 (physical) and $34.99 (digital). The 71 previously unreleased performances gathered here (55 on CD/16 on DVD) capture the singer giving his electricifying best, reminding listeners why Sinatra's celebrated baritone has been hailed as "The Voice." The set, produced by Charles Pignone, features deluxe packaging with rare, never-before-seen photos, tributes from Martin Scorsese, Tony Bennett, Yogi Berra, and Twyla Tharp, liner notes by Nat Hentoff, and essays by William Friedkin, director of "The Exorcist" and "The French Connection"; George Kalinsky, official photographer for Madison Square Garden for over 40 years; Tom Young, engineer for Sinatra; Joe & Sal Scognamillo, owners of Patsy's Italian Restaurant in New York City; and Frank Sinatra Jr.
"SINATRA: NEW YORK" begins in February 1955, at the Manhattan Center, where Sinatra made a surprise appearance with Tommy Dorsey and his band during a concert celebrating the group's 20-year anniversary. Sinatra, who first became a star singing with Dorsey in the early '40s, sang a trio of his biggest hits with Dorsey: "Oh! Look At Me Now," "This Love Of Mine" and "I'll Never Smile Again," a song that spent 12 weeks at #1 in 1940. The remainder of the first disc was recorded in September 1963, at the United Nations. To celebrate U.N. Staff Day, Sinatra sang at the organization's Manhattan offices, accompanied only by pianist Skitch Henderson, who incidentally played on Sinatra's first solo recording session in 1942. During the show, the duo performed "I Have Dreamed" and "My Heart Stood Still" from "The Concert Sinatra," an album released earlier that year.
Sinatra "retired" in 1971, at the age of 55, but returned in 1973, with "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back." A year later, he launched a tour to benefit an international children's charity that included a show at New York's Carnegie Hall. The second disc features classics such as "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Come Fly With Me." Sinatra also performed Joe Raposo's "There Used To Be A Ballpark" and "You Will Be My Music" from "Ol' Blue Eyes."
From October 1974, the third disc contains the first night of Sinatra's two-night stand at Madison Square Garden. The second night was televised and dubbed 'The Main Event' concert. With the famous arena set up for a boxing match -- complete with ringside seats -- Howard Cosell introduced Sinatra before the singer took the stage wearing boxing gloves. Bill Miller conducted Woody Herman's Young Thundering Herd as the band accompanied Sinatra on signature hits ("The Lady Is A Tramp," "My Way"), ballads ("Let Me Try Again," "Angel Eyes"), and "Autumn In New York."
The final CD returns to Carnegie Hall for a sold-out June 1984 show, and Sinatra taps his extensive songbook for an eclectic evening of music that spans four decades: "Fly Me To The Moon"; "Pennies From Heaven"; "My Way"; and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." The second half of disc four, from Radio City Music Hall in June 1990, finds Sinatra performing with an orchestra conducted by his son Frank Sinatra Jr., and includes such hits as "Strangers In The Night," "Mack The Knife," and "Theme From New York, New York."
"SINATRA: NEW YORK" closes with a DVD containing the singer's June 25, 1980, concert at Carnegie Hall. At the time, the two-week engagement set a record for the venue by selling out in just a day. The shows followed the release of 1980's "Trilogy," Sinatra's ambitious triple-album comeback that featured "The Theme From New York, New York." Sinatra mixes "Summer Me, Winter Me" from that album with his hits "I've Got The World On A String" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." Foreshadowing the follow-up to "Trilogy" is "The Gal That Got Away"/"It Never Entered My Mind," a medley that would appear on "She Shot Me Down" in 1981.
"SINATRA: NEW YORK"Track Listing
Disc 1- Manhattan Center, 1955
1. Introductions: Martin Block and Tommy Dorsey
2. "I'll Never Smile Again"
3. "Oh! Look At Me Now"
4. "This Love Of Mine"United Nations, 1963
5. "Too Marvelous For Words"
6. "They Can't Take That Away From Me"
7. "I Have Dreamed"
8. Monologue
9. "A Foggy Day"
10. "My Heart Stood Still"
11. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
Disc 2 - Carnegie Hall, April 8, 1974
1. Overture: "All The Way"/"My Kind Of Town"/"You Will Be My Music"
2. "Come Fly With Me"
3. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
4. "Don't Worry About Me"
5. "If"
6. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
7. Medley: "Last Night When We Were Young"/"Violets For Your Furs"/"Here's That Rainy Day"
8. Bows - "You Will Be My Music"
9. Monologue
10. "My Way"
11. "You Will Be My Music"
12. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
13. "Send In The Clowns"
14. "That's Life"
15. Bows - "My Way"
16. "There Used To Be A Ballpark"
17. "My Kind Of Town"
18. Bows - "My Way"
Disc 3 - Madison Square Garden, October 12, 1974
1. Overture: "It Was A Very Good Year"/"All The Way"/"My Kind Of Town"
2. "The Lady Is A Tramp"
3. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
4. "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?"
5. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
6. "Let Me Try Again (Laisse Moi Le Temps)"
7. "Send In The Clowns"
8. "My Kind Of Town"
9. Monologue
10. "Autumn In New York"
11. "If"
12. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
13. "Angel Eyes"
14. "The House I Live In"
15. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"
16. "My Way"
17. Bows - "My Way"
Disc 4 - Carnegie Hall, June 1984
1. "Fly Me To The Moon"
2. "Luck Be A Lady"
3. "This Is All I Ask"
4. "Come Rain Or Come Shine"
5. Monologue
6. "My Way"
7. "Teach Me Tonight"
8. "Pennies From Heaven" Radio City Music Hall, June 1990
9. "For Once In My Life"
10. "Strangers In The Night"
11. Monologue
12. "Mack The Knife"
13. "Summer Wind"
14. "Theme From New York, New York"
15. Bows - "Good-Bye"
DVD Recorded At Carnegie Hall, 1980
1. "I've Got The World On A String"
2. "The Best Is Yet To Come"
3. "The Lady Is A Tramp"
4. "When Your Lover Has Gone"
5. "This Is All I Ask"
6. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
7. "Summer Me, Winter Me"
8. "Street Of Dreams"
9. Medley: "The Gal That Got Away"/"It Never Entered My Mind"
10. "I Can't Get Started"
11. "Send In The Clowns"
12. "Come Fly With Me"
13. "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry"
14. "You And Me (We Wanted It All)"
15. "The Song Is You"
16. "Theme From New York, New York"
"SINATRA: NEW YORK" begins in February 1955, at the Manhattan Center, where Sinatra made a surprise appearance with Tommy Dorsey and his band during a concert celebrating the group's 20-year anniversary. Sinatra, who first became a star singing with Dorsey in the early '40s, sang a trio of his biggest hits with Dorsey: "Oh! Look At Me Now," "This Love Of Mine" and "I'll Never Smile Again," a song that spent 12 weeks at #1 in 1940. The remainder of the first disc was recorded in September 1963, at the United Nations. To celebrate U.N. Staff Day, Sinatra sang at the organization's Manhattan offices, accompanied only by pianist Skitch Henderson, who incidentally played on Sinatra's first solo recording session in 1942. During the show, the duo performed "I Have Dreamed" and "My Heart Stood Still" from "The Concert Sinatra," an album released earlier that year.
Sinatra "retired" in 1971, at the age of 55, but returned in 1973, with "Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back." A year later, he launched a tour to benefit an international children's charity that included a show at New York's Carnegie Hall. The second disc features classics such as "I've Got You Under My Skin" and "Come Fly With Me." Sinatra also performed Joe Raposo's "There Used To Be A Ballpark" and "You Will Be My Music" from "Ol' Blue Eyes."
From October 1974, the third disc contains the first night of Sinatra's two-night stand at Madison Square Garden. The second night was televised and dubbed 'The Main Event' concert. With the famous arena set up for a boxing match -- complete with ringside seats -- Howard Cosell introduced Sinatra before the singer took the stage wearing boxing gloves. Bill Miller conducted Woody Herman's Young Thundering Herd as the band accompanied Sinatra on signature hits ("The Lady Is A Tramp," "My Way"), ballads ("Let Me Try Again," "Angel Eyes"), and "Autumn In New York."
The final CD returns to Carnegie Hall for a sold-out June 1984 show, and Sinatra taps his extensive songbook for an eclectic evening of music that spans four decades: "Fly Me To The Moon"; "Pennies From Heaven"; "My Way"; and "Come Rain Or Come Shine." The second half of disc four, from Radio City Music Hall in June 1990, finds Sinatra performing with an orchestra conducted by his son Frank Sinatra Jr., and includes such hits as "Strangers In The Night," "Mack The Knife," and "Theme From New York, New York."
"SINATRA: NEW YORK" closes with a DVD containing the singer's June 25, 1980, concert at Carnegie Hall. At the time, the two-week engagement set a record for the venue by selling out in just a day. The shows followed the release of 1980's "Trilogy," Sinatra's ambitious triple-album comeback that featured "The Theme From New York, New York." Sinatra mixes "Summer Me, Winter Me" from that album with his hits "I've Got The World On A String" and "I've Got You Under My Skin." Foreshadowing the follow-up to "Trilogy" is "The Gal That Got Away"/"It Never Entered My Mind," a medley that would appear on "She Shot Me Down" in 1981.
"SINATRA: NEW YORK"Track Listing
Disc 1- Manhattan Center, 1955
1. Introductions: Martin Block and Tommy Dorsey
2. "I'll Never Smile Again"
3. "Oh! Look At Me Now"
4. "This Love Of Mine"United Nations, 1963
5. "Too Marvelous For Words"
6. "They Can't Take That Away From Me"
7. "I Have Dreamed"
8. Monologue
9. "A Foggy Day"
10. "My Heart Stood Still"
11. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
Disc 2 - Carnegie Hall, April 8, 1974
1. Overture: "All The Way"/"My Kind Of Town"/"You Will Be My Music"
2. "Come Fly With Me"
3. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
4. "Don't Worry About Me"
5. "If"
6. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
7. Medley: "Last Night When We Were Young"/"Violets For Your Furs"/"Here's That Rainy Day"
8. Bows - "You Will Be My Music"
9. Monologue
10. "My Way"
11. "You Will Be My Music"
12. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
13. "Send In The Clowns"
14. "That's Life"
15. Bows - "My Way"
16. "There Used To Be A Ballpark"
17. "My Kind Of Town"
18. Bows - "My Way"
Disc 3 - Madison Square Garden, October 12, 1974
1. Overture: "It Was A Very Good Year"/"All The Way"/"My Kind Of Town"
2. "The Lady Is A Tramp"
3. "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
4. "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life?"
5. "Bad, Bad Leroy Brown"
6. "Let Me Try Again (Laisse Moi Le Temps)"
7. "Send In The Clowns"
8. "My Kind Of Town"
9. Monologue
10. "Autumn In New York"
11. "If"
12. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
13. "Angel Eyes"
14. "The House I Live In"
15. "You Are The Sunshine Of My Life"
16. "My Way"
17. Bows - "My Way"
Disc 4 - Carnegie Hall, June 1984
1. "Fly Me To The Moon"
2. "Luck Be A Lady"
3. "This Is All I Ask"
4. "Come Rain Or Come Shine"
5. Monologue
6. "My Way"
7. "Teach Me Tonight"
8. "Pennies From Heaven" Radio City Music Hall, June 1990
9. "For Once In My Life"
10. "Strangers In The Night"
11. Monologue
12. "Mack The Knife"
13. "Summer Wind"
14. "Theme From New York, New York"
15. Bows - "Good-Bye"
DVD Recorded At Carnegie Hall, 1980
1. "I've Got The World On A String"
2. "The Best Is Yet To Come"
3. "The Lady Is A Tramp"
4. "When Your Lover Has Gone"
5. "This Is All I Ask"
6. "I've Got You Under My Skin"
7. "Summer Me, Winter Me"
8. "Street Of Dreams"
9. Medley: "The Gal That Got Away"/"It Never Entered My Mind"
10. "I Can't Get Started"
11. "Send In The Clowns"
12. "Come Fly With Me"
13. "Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry"
14. "You And Me (We Wanted It All)"
15. "The Song Is You"
16. "Theme From New York, New York"
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
NEW RELEASES FROM JESSY J, SOUL BOSSA TRIO, GILLES PETERSON, HERB ALPERT & MORE...
Afterlife - Electrosensitive
All-4-One – No Regrets
BTS – A Groove For Candy
Balam – 4 Floors Up
Bombay Dub Orchestra – 3 Cities in Dub
Bruce McKenzie – After Dark
C.G. Cameron – Enticed Ecstasy
Cachao’s Mambo All Stars – Como Siempre
Cherry Vata – Via Vanilla
Cosmosis – Fumbling For The Funky Frequency
Creative Response – Chillout Response
Dani Trucheto - Sobremesa
Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour – Young Blood, Old Soul
Flying Lotus – LA EP 3
Gary Harris – Here For You
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes
Inner Sun – Farewell: Our Latest Dream
Jessy J – True Love
Joao Callado – Joao Callado
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band – The Remixes
Jojo Effect – Ordinary Madness
Larry Levan – The Final Nights Of Paradise
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Lenny MacDowell – Get Ready
Levert II - Dedication
Lhase De Sela – Lhasa
Little Dragon – Machine Dreams
Lucas Santtana – Sem Nostalgia
Michael Olatuja - Speak
Michelle Amador – Higher
Mike Clinco - Neon
Nile Rodgers – Advertures In The Land Of Groove
Nu Tropic – Kingdom Of Love
Phillip Martin - Realization
Quantic & His Combo Barbara – Tradition In Transition
Rhonda Thomas – Breathe New Life
Robert Glasper – Double Booked
Sakura – Real Love
Soul Bossa Trio – For Once In My Life
Stella Polaris – A Handful
Tom Abbs & Frequency Response – Lost & Found
Triogranico -Convivencia
Trestal –When I Sleep
Various Artists – Blue Note Trip Vol. 8 Maestro
Various Artists – Café Mambo Ibiza 2009 Mixed By Jose Padilla
Various Artists – Comme Il Faut: Two Sides Of Summer
Various Artists – Delicious Grooves
Various Artists – Erotic Chill
Various Artists – Gilles Peterson Brazilika
Various Artists – Goldenworks Remixed By Quasimode
Various Artists – Hot Buttered Jazz: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes
Various Artists – Intelligent Music Favorites, Vol. 8
Various Artists – L’espresso Café Chillout 2009 (Fresh & Chilling)
Various Artists – Lover’s Lounge
Various Artists – Nu Faces Project Volume 1
Various Artists – Soulful Finland Vol. 1
Wax – African Dreams
All-4-One – No Regrets
BTS – A Groove For Candy
Balam – 4 Floors Up
Bombay Dub Orchestra – 3 Cities in Dub
Bruce McKenzie – After Dark
C.G. Cameron – Enticed Ecstasy
Cachao’s Mambo All Stars – Como Siempre
Cherry Vata – Via Vanilla
Cosmosis – Fumbling For The Funky Frequency
Creative Response – Chillout Response
Dani Trucheto - Sobremesa
Danny Chaimson & The 11th Hour – Young Blood, Old Soul
Flying Lotus – LA EP 3
Gary Harris – Here For You
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes
Inner Sun – Farewell: Our Latest Dream
Jessy J – True Love
Joao Callado – Joao Callado
Joey Negro & The Sunburst Band – The Remixes
Jojo Effect – Ordinary Madness
Larry Levan – The Final Nights Of Paradise
Ledisi – Turn Me Loose
Lenny MacDowell – Get Ready
Levert II - Dedication
Lhase De Sela – Lhasa
Little Dragon – Machine Dreams
Lucas Santtana – Sem Nostalgia
Michael Olatuja - Speak
Michelle Amador – Higher
Mike Clinco - Neon
Nile Rodgers – Advertures In The Land Of Groove
Nu Tropic – Kingdom Of Love
Phillip Martin - Realization
Quantic & His Combo Barbara – Tradition In Transition
Rhonda Thomas – Breathe New Life
Robert Glasper – Double Booked
Sakura – Real Love
Soul Bossa Trio – For Once In My Life
Stella Polaris – A Handful
Tom Abbs & Frequency Response – Lost & Found
Triogranico -Convivencia
Trestal –When I Sleep
Various Artists – Blue Note Trip Vol. 8 Maestro
Various Artists – Café Mambo Ibiza 2009 Mixed By Jose Padilla
Various Artists – Comme Il Faut: Two Sides Of Summer
Various Artists – Delicious Grooves
Various Artists – Erotic Chill
Various Artists – Gilles Peterson Brazilika
Various Artists – Goldenworks Remixed By Quasimode
Various Artists – Hot Buttered Jazz: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes
Various Artists – Intelligent Music Favorites, Vol. 8
Various Artists – L’espresso Café Chillout 2009 (Fresh & Chilling)
Various Artists – Lover’s Lounge
Various Artists – Nu Faces Project Volume 1
Various Artists – Soulful Finland Vol. 1
Wax – African Dreams
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
REGINA CARTER
Regina Carter’s career has been a veritable crescendo of success that shows no sign of letting up. She is on a mission: to make a meaningful musical contribution and do it on her own terms. Carter tours with relentless purpose and a seemingly endless supply of energy and over the past seven years, she and her group have brought audiences to their feet with exhilarating performances worldwide Just as prolific as her accomplishments on stage are Carter’s performances on record. Included in her discography, along with recordings with Patti Labelle Aretha Franklin, Mary J. Blige and Lauryn Hill are recordings with vocalists, Cassandra Wilson and Carmen Lundy, trombonist, Steve Turre, pianists Kenny Barron and Danilo Perez, guitarist Rodney Jones, saxophonist James Carter, Quartet Indigo, led by cellist, Akua Dixon and the String Trio of New York.Her influences have ranged from R&B to East Indian, to classical music. As a college student, Carter took on a double major in classical music and African American music at both the prestigious New England Conservatory and Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Performance. Regina currently has five discs under her own name, two on Atlantic Records, Regina Carter (1995) and Something for Grace (1997). In 1998 Regina changed record labels and in the spring of 1999 Rhythms of the Heart made it’s debut under the auspices of VERVE Records (Universal). Her fourth CD, Motor City Moments, was released in September 2000 and is a tribute to the musical legacy of her hometown of Detroit. Freefall, a collaboration with pianist Kenny Barron was released in the spring of 2001 and was nominated for a GRAMMY Award in February 2002. Paganini: After A Dream, was released in April 2003 and her latest CD, I’ll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey, made its debut, in June of 2006. On this disc, Regina pays homage to her late mother by performing music from the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Regina Carter continues to reveal a distinctly diverse musical personality. She’s become one of the most popular young violinists in modern music today.
Monday, August 17, 2009
HAROLD LITTLE: DADDY'S GROOVE
Simply put, Harold Little knows jazz. With an education at D.C.'s renowned Duke Ellington School of the Arts and additional study at the University of District of Columbia's Jazz Studies Program, Little honed his craft for the improvisational genre. Having played with jazz icons Buck Hill, Calvin Jones, Webster Young, Eddie Gladden and Butch Warren, as well as "The Godfather of Go-Go", Chuck Brown, among others, the trumpeter has the experience to go with the "chops". He's a familiar site at popular venues around the Nation's Capital including Verizon Center, Takoma Station, Blues Alley, Half Note Lounge, BET, Republic Gardens, Zanzibar, H-R57, and Ft. Dupont Theatre. After a 5-year hiatus to "raise his children and do the 'good husband' thing", the artist is now spreading his wings with the release of his new project entitled Daddy's Groove. The new 5-song EP is a musical expression of the passion that exudes from Harold. Although he's played for countless gifted musicians, this is his solo debut recording. Blending influences from styles like Funk, Go-Go, Soul, R&B, and of course Jazz, Daddy's Groove is certain to put a pep in the step of any listener. Tracks like the title tune, "Daddy's Groove", a snappy and lively jazz track and the festive, shoulder-shaking "Blue Bossa" make this EP one to put in and let play. Harold smoothes things out a little with the stylish and soothing sounds of "Jo-Jo" while "Well You Needn't" is a bold, in-your-face track. It's no wonder that Harold Little has been playing a "mean trumpet" for close to twenty years. Other great musicians accompany him on Daddy's Groove including Frankie Addison (tenor saxophone), Gerry Gillespie (keyboards), Yusef Chisholm (bass), Mark Prince (drums) and Tommy Guns (percussions). Little is thrilled at the result he achieved with the performances on Daddy's Groove. He says, "The project began as a demo effort to shop for gigs around the Washington, D.C. area. It turned out so well that I decided to pursue the EP route to test the market. We've been playing together forever so the studio session was a piece of cake. The vibe was right and the music was tight so we put it down that night and it was a wrap. Such great musicians make it easy for any bandleader."
Sunday, August 16, 2009
JESSE COOK: THE RUMBA FOUNDATION
E1 Music is set to release the new album by world music guitarist extraordinaire Jesse Cook. "The Rumba Foundation" will be released on September 29th, 2009. "The Rumba Foundation" brings Cook on a journey across time, space and sound. In the 1800s sailors travelled to Spain carrying a hot new rhythm from Cuba: Rumba. Gypsies took this dance rhythm and created their own hybrid: "Rumba Flamenco." 150 years later, Jesse makes it a round trip by bringing Rumba Flamenco back to its roots, but modernized in what might be his strongest work yet.With this new release, Jesse melds his trademark Rumba Flamenco style with the music of Cuba, Haiti and Colombia, among others. With all of the instrumental pyrotechnics he employs, Jesse's emphasis is always on the melody and the infectious rhythms that make him an airplay favorite. Amidst all of his dazzling, soulful original compositions, Jesse adds a special highlight -- a spectacular arrangement of Paul Simon's classic "Cecilia," an adaptation that is as creative and catchy as anything he's ever recorded. Jesse Cook has sold over 1 million albums world wide, and over 400,000 in the U.S. alone. In 2008, he achieved something no one before him ever has. He dominated both the smooth jazz radio charts with his Top 3 single, "Café Mocha," and the Billboard New Age chart with his #1 album "Frontiers," which to date has spent over 70 weeks in the Top 10. Jesse Cook is a 2009 Acoustic Guitar magazine Player's Choice Silver Award winner, finishing second only to the legendary Paco De Lucia. At the same time, he continues to play sold-out concerts all over North America and indeed the world, electrifying audiences everywhere with energetic, virtuosic, and melodic concerts.
The Rumba Foundation Track Listing
1. Bogota by Bus
2. Santa Marta
3. Tuesday's Child
4. Manolo
5. Improv 1
6. La Rumba D'el Jefe
7. Improv 2
8. Gaita
9. Rain Day
10. Bombay Diner
11. Afternoon at Satie's
12. Cecilia
13. Homebound
Saturday, August 15, 2009
MARC BROUSSARD: WELCOME TO MY LIVING ROOM
Atlantic recording artist Marc Broussard has unveiled details of his upcoming headline tour. The 15-city trek - dubbed "Marc Broussard: Welcome To My Living Room" - will see the Louisiana-based bayou soul troubadour performing acoustically in intimate venues across the country, accompanied by acclaimed guitarist Joe Stark (Sons of William) and drummer/percussionist Chad Gilmore. The tour begins on October 13th at the Birchmere Music Hall in Alexandria, Virginia, and then travels the U.S. through the November 6th finale at the House Of Blues in Houston, TX. The back-to-basics tour will be highlighted by songs from Broussard's earlier material on "Momentary Setback," "Carencro," and his most recent Atlantic Records debut, "KEEP COMING BACK." In addition, fans can expect a preview of new songs.Broussard's third full-length collection, "KEEP COMING BACK," includes the hit single/video, "When It's Good (Feat. LeAnn Rimes)" and received beaucoup critical acclamation upon its release last September. "Justin T., take note: Marc Broussard is the real blue-eyed, blond, Southern soul singer," wrote Vanity Fair's Lisa Robinson. "He's been compared to Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, and Van Morrison, and his new album, 'KEEP COMING BACK,' features the outstanding 'Real Good Thing.'" Performing Songwriter also praised the collection, stating "Next time you hear a soul-music fanatic say, 'They don't make 'em like that anymore,' let them hear 'KEEP COMING BACK'... Broussard gives what amounts to a master class in soul singing."
MARC BROUSSARD On Tour 2009
Oct 13 - Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere Music Hall
Oct 14 - Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
Oct 16 - New York, NY @ The Concert Hall
Oct 17 - Fairfield, CT @ Stage One
Oct 18 - Philadelphia, PA @ World Café Live
Oct 20 - Evanston, IL @ S.P.A.C.E.
Oct 22 - Nashville, TN @ The Rutledge
Oct 23 - Atlanta, GA @ Center Stage In The Round
Oct 24 - Fort Worth, TX @ Bass Performance Hall
Oct 26 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
Oct 27 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Mint
Oct 29 - San Francisco, CA @ Café du Nord
Oct 30 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
Nov 5 - Austin, TX @ The Parish
Nov 6 - Houston, TX @ House Of Blues
Friday, August 14, 2009
LES PAUL: 1915-2009
Les Paul, acclaimed guitar player, entertainer and inventor, passed away on August 13 from complications of severe pneumonia at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, surrounded by family and loved ones. He had been receiving the best available treatment through this final battle and in keeping with his persona, he showed incredible strength, tenacity and courage. The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks for the thoughts and prayers from his dear friends and fans. Les Paul was 94.One of the foremost influences on 20th century sound and responsible for the world's most famous guitar, the Les Paul model, Les Paul's prestigious career in music and invention spans from the 1930s to the present. Though he's indisputably one of America's most popular, influential, and accomplished electric guitarists, Les Paul is best known as an early innovator in the development of the solid body guitar. His groundbreaking design would become the template for Gibson's best-selling electric, the Les Paul model, introduced in 1952. Today, countless musical legends still consider Paul's iconic guitar unmatched in sound and prowess. Among Paul's most enduring contributions are those in the technological realm, including ingenious developments in multi-track recording, guitar effects, and the mechanics of sound in general.
Born Lester William Polsfuss in Waukesha, Wisconsin on June 9, 1915, Les Paul was already performing publicly as a honky-tonk guitarist by the age of 13. So clear was his calling that Paul dropped out of high school at 17 to play in Sunny Joe Wolverton's Radio Band in St. Louis. As Paul's mentor, Wolverton was the one to christen him with the stage name "Rhubarb Red," a moniker that would follow him to Chicago in 1934. There, Paul became a bonafide radio star, known as both hillbilly picker Rhubarb Red and Django Reinhardt-informed jazz guitarist Les Paul. His first recordings were done in 1936 on an acoustic--alone as Rhubarb Red, as well as backing blues singer Georgia White. The next year he formed his first trio, but by 1938 he'd moved to New York to begin his tenure on national radio with one of the more popular dance orchestras in the country, Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians.
Tinkering with electronics and guitar amplification since his youth, Les Paul began constructing his own electric guitar in the late '30s. Unhappy with the first generation of commercially available hollowbodies because of their thin tone, lack of sustain, and feedback problems, Paul opted to build an entirely new structure. "I was interested in proving that a vibration-free top was the way to go," he has said. "I even built a guitar out of a railroad rail to prove it. What I wanted was to amplify pure string vibration, without the resonance of the wood getting involved in the sound." With the good graces of Epiphone president Epi Stathopoulo, Paul used the Epiphone plant and machinery in 1941 to bring his vision to fruition. He affectionately dubbed the guitar "The Log."
Les Paul's tireless experiments sometimes proved to be dangerous, and he nearly electrocuted himself in 1940 during a session in the cellar of his Queens apartment. During the next two years of rehabilitation, Les earned his living producing radio music. Forced to put the Pennsylvanians and the rest of his career on hold, Les Paul moved to Hollywood. During World War II, he was drafted into the Army but permitted to stay in California, where he became a regular player for Armed Forces Radio Service. By 1943 he had assembled a trio that regularly performed live, on the radio, and on V-Discs. In 1944 he entered the jazz spotlight--thanks to his dazzling work filling in for Oscar Moore alongside Nat King Cole, Illinois Jacquet, and other superstars --at the first of the prestigious Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts.
By his mid-thirties, Paul had successfully combined Reinhardt-inspired jazz playing and the western swing and twang of his Rhubarb Red persona into one distinctive, electrifying style. In the Les Paul Trio he translated the dizzying runs and unusual harmonies found on Jazz at the Philharmonic into a slower, subtler, more commercial approach. His novelty instrumentals were tighter, brasher, and punctuated with effects. Overall, the trademark Les Paul sound was razor-sharp, clean-shaven, and divinely smooth.
As small combos eclipsed big bands toward the end of World War II, Les Paul Trio's popularity grew. They cut records for Decca both alone and behind the likes of Helen Forrest, the Andrews Sisters, the Delta Rhythm Boys, Dick Hayes, and, most notably, Bing Crosby. Since 1945, when the crooner brought them into the studio to back him on a few numbers, the Trio had become regular guests on Crosby's hit radio show. The highlight of the session was Paul's first No. 1 hit and million-seller, the gorgeous "It's Been a Long, Long Time."
Meanwhile, Paul began to experiment with dubbing live tracks over recorded tracks, also altering the playback speed. This resulted in "Lover (When You're Near Me)," his revolutionary 1947 predecessor to multi-track recording. The hit instrumental featured Les Paul on eight different electric guitar parts, all playing together. In 1948, Paul nearly lost his life to a devastating car crash that shattered his right arm and elbow. Still, he convinced doctors to set his broken arm in the guitar-picking and cradling position. Laid up but undaunted, Paul acquired a first generation Ampex tape recorder from Crosby in 1949, and began his most important multi-tracking adventure, adding a fourth head to the recorder to create sound-on-sound recordings. While tinkering with the machine and its many possibilities, he also came up with tape delay. These tricks, along with another recent Les Paul innovation--close mic-ing vocals--were integrated for the first time on a single recording: the 1950 No. 1 tour de force "How High the Moon." This historic track was performed during a duo with future wife Mary Ford. The couple's prolific string of hits for Capitol Records not only included some of the most popular recordings of the early 1950s, but also wrote the book on contemporary studio production. The dense but crystal clear harmonic layering of guitars and vocals, along with Ford's close mic-ed voice and Paul's guitar effects, produced distinctively contemporary recordings with unprecedented sonic qualities. Through hits, tours, and popular radio shows, Paul and Ford kept one foot in the technological vanguard and the other in the cultural mainstream.
All the while, Les Paul continued to pine for the perfect guitar. Though The Log came close, it wasn't quite what he was after. In the early 1950s, Gibson Guitar would cultivate a partnership with Paul that would lead to the creation of the guitar he'd seen only in his dreams. In 1948, Gibson elected to design its first solidbody, and Paul, a self-described "dyed-in-the-wool Gibson man," seemed the right man for the job. Gibson avidly courted the guitar legend, even driving deep into the Pennsylvania mountains to deliver the first model to newlyweds Les Paul and Mary Ford.
With the rise of the rock 'n' roll revolution of 1955, Les Paul and Mary Ford's popularity began to wane with younger listeners, though Paul would prove to be a massive influence on younger generations of guitarists. Still, Paul and Ford maintained their iconic presence with their wildly popular television show, which ran from 1953-1960. In 1964, the couple, parents to a son and daughter, divorced. Paul began playing in Japan, and recorded an LP for London Records before poor health forced him to take time off--as much as someone so inspired can take time off. In 1977, Paul resurfaced with a Grammy-winning Chet Atkins collaboration, Chester and Lester. Then the ailing guitarist, who'd already suffered arthritis and permanent hearing loss, had a heart attack, followed by bypass surgery.
Ever stubborn, Les recovered, and returned to live performance in the late 1980s. Even releasing the 2005 double-Grammy winner Les Paul & Friends: American Made World Played, featuring collaborations with a veritable who's who of the electric guitar, including dozens of illustrious fans like Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, Billy Gibbons, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, and Joe Perry. In 2008, The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame paid tribute to Les Paul in a week-long celebration of his life which culminated with a live performance by Les himself. Until recently Les continued to perform two weekly New York shows with the Les Paul Trio, at The Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, for over twelve years where a literal who's who of the entertainment world has paid homage. It has been an honor to have Les Paul perform at The Iridium Jazz Club for the past twelve years hosting such luminaries as Paul McCartney, Keith Richards and others and is a tragic loss to owner Ron Sturm both personally and professionally. Iridium intends to celebrate Les Paul's music and legacy every Monday night. Les Paul has since become the only individual to share membership into the Grammy Hall of Fame, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the National Inventors Hall of Fame, and the National Broadcasters Hall of Fame
ISLAND 50th ANNIVERSARY
Reggae fans are being treated to a treasure trove of first-time digital releases with tracks and albums unavailable in any form for some 30 years exclusively on iTunes. The Island 50th Anniversary Reggae promotion, featuring special offers through August 17, marks an important milestone for the genre in the download world. Exclusively available on iTunes and released by Island/UMe will be six "Digital 45s" from the Congoes, Zap Pow and others; a new Bob Marley & The Wailers EP compilation; 10 out-of-print albums and previously unavailable digitally from the likes of the Heptones, Wailing Souls, and George Faith; and three new multi-artist collections. The "Digital 45s" are "Congo Man"/"Congo Man Chant" (Congoes), "Ballistic Affair"/"Ballistic Dub" (Leroy Smart), "Dreadlocks in Moonlight"/"Cut Throat" (Lee Perry), "To Be A Lover (Have Mercy)"/"Diana" (George Faith), "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"/"The Dealer" (Arthur Louis) and "This Is Reggae Music"/"Break Down The Barriers" (Zap Pow). The albums debuting for digital download are Night Food (The Heptones), Wild Suspense (Wailing Souls), To Be A Lover (George Faith), Black Roots (Sugar Minott), Classic Rockers (Augustus Pablo), Jezebel and Just In Time (Justin Hinds & The Dominoes), and the compilations Dubmission and Dubmission 2 -- The Remixes. The I Know A Place EP collects five tracks Bob Marley & The Wailers recorded with producer Lee "Scratch" Perry. The title track was first issued on the limited edition retrospective One Love in 2001, has been out of print since, and now makes its digital premiere on I Know A Place. "Who Colt The Game" was issued on the bonus disc that accompanied the U.K. edition of One Love and similarly has been out of print; "Smile Jamaica [version]" was culled from the 2001 Expanded Edition of Kaya. And both "Punky Reggae Party" [Jamaican 12" version] in its full "discomix" and the complete recording of "Keep On Moving" hail from the 2001 Exodus Deluxe Edition. Additionally, three new Island 50th Anniversary - branded 10-track compilations will be issued exclusively on iTunes. Roots Train boasts Junior Murvin, Max Romeo & The Upsetters, Lee Perry, Jah Lion and others. Crucial Classics features vintage recordings from Jimmy Cliff, Burning Spear, Toots & The Maytals, The Heptones and more, while Dreadlocks In Moonlight offers romantic reggae classics from Black Uhuru, Dillinger, Toots Hibbert, George Faith and Gregory Isaacs, among others.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
BURT BACHARACH, KENNY LOGGINS, PEABO BRYSON, JANE MONHEIT FEATURED ON WHAT LOVE CAN DO
WHAT LOVE CAN DO is a project put together by Phil Ramone that brings together celebrated musicians such as Brian Wilson, Kris Kristofferson, Kenny Loggins, Burt Bacharach and many others each of whom have gone back into the studio to recreate one of their all-time hits as well as record a brand new song. It's a unique idea where artists, under the creative genius of Phil Ramone, record a fresh take on a timeless classic while also offering an up-to-date example of their artistry. Key Adult Contemporary stations such as KWAV (Monteray, CA) and WCDV (Baton Rouge, LA) have already embraced the first single, What Love Can Do by Brian Wilson. WHAT LOVE CAN DO was released on 429 Records on August 4. WHAT LOVE CAN DO is more than just a nostalgic look back for the artist and the listener but it's a heartfelt message from each artist involved that their music is more vibrant and evocative than ever. The lineup of artists participating in the project is truly stellar representing the pop, rock, folk and jazz genres.WHAT LOVE CAN DO TRACKLISTING:
1) "God Only Knows" Brian Wilson
2) "Un Baile Del Corazon" Stephen Bishop
3) "Your Goodbye" Richard Marx
4) "A Love Song" Kenny Loggins
5) "Sunday Morning Coming Down" Kris Kristofferson
6) "I Still Remember" Burt Bacharach & John Pagano
7) "Rainbow Connection" by Paul Williams & Willie Nelson
8) "Hold On To The Nights" Richard Marx
9) "The Wonder" Kris Kristofferson
10) "I'll Remember Your Name" Kenny Loggins
11) "New Music From An Old Friend" Paul Williams & Jane Monheit
12) "Save It For A Rainy Day" Stephen Bishop & Eric Clapton
13) "Alfie" Burt Bacharach & Peabo Bryson
14) "How About Now" Kenny Loggins
15) "What Love Can Do" Brian Wilson
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
BARBRA STREISAND AT THE VILLAGE VANGUARD
In what promises to be a once-in-a lifetime thrill for a hundred of her luckiest fans, Barbra Streisand will celebrate the release of Love Is The Answer - her new album of jazz standards and classics- by singing a selection of these songs on Saturday, September 26 at New York's legendary Village Vanguard, where she last performed in 1961 as the opening act for Miles Davis. Free tickets to this history-making experience will be made available only to fans who either pre-order the new CD or register an entry blank free of charge. Full details and rules can be found on barbrastreisand.com. Soon after her performance at the Vanguard some 48 years ago, Streisand began to build a reputation in Greenwich Village as an extraordinary newcomer on the scene, a not-to-be-missed star on the rise singing in clubs like The Lion and The Bon Soir. With its astounding acoustics and intimate vibe, The Village Vanguard -- an epicenter of the New York jazz scene since an all-jazz policy was implemented in 1957 - was, and is one of the most renowned musical venues throughout the world.'According to the RIAA, Barbra Streisand is the #1 best selling female recording artist in history and the only woman to make the Top 10 all time best selling artists list, which includes Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Over the course of her career, Streisand has recorded 50 gold, 30 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums. An artist of unparalleled accomplishments in multiple entertainment fields, Streisand has made her mark as an award winning actress of stage and screen, recording artist, concert performer, movie producer, film director, screenwriter and songwriter. Having earned two Oscars (Best Actress and Best Song), five Emmys, 11 Golden Globes, 10 Grammys including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement and Grammy Legend Awards, a special Tony Award (in 1970 as "Star of the Decade"), two Cable Ace and three Peabody awards, she is the only performer to hold honors from all of those institutions. In addition, Streisand is a recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, America's National Medal of Arts and France's Legion of Honor. In December 2008 she became the first female director to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.
NEW MAXWELL BLACKSUMMERS’NIGHT TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED
Maxwell will return to the road in late September for a series of select North American concert dates, his first since wrapping a sold-out summer tour in early August. Maxwell's highly anticipated autumn tour kicks off at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on September 25. Tickets for Maxwell's North American Fall Tour go on sale beginning August 14. Moving his classic R&B production from theaters to arenas for the second leg of his BLACKsummers'night North American tour, Maxwell's autumn concerts will feature multiple Grammy winning, R&B/rap artist Common providing main support, and 2009 Best Urban/Alternative Performance Grammy winner Chrisette Michele as opening act. BLACKSummers'night, the artist's long-awaited fourth studio album, entered the Billboard Top 200 at #1 following its release on July 7 and has achieved RIAA Gold status, having sold more than 500,000 copies since its release.Maxwell's BLACKsummers'night Fall Tour w/ Common and Chrisette Michele:
Sept 25 –Toronto @ Air Canada Centre
Sept 26 - Detroit @ Joe Louis Arena (w/o Common)
Sept 28 - New York @ Madison Square Garden
Sept 30 - Richmond @ Richmond Coliseum
Oct 2 - Washington DC @ Verizon Center
Oct 3 - Philadelphia @ Wachovia Spectrum (w/o Common)
Oct 5 - Atlanta @ Phillips Arena
Oct 6 - Charlotte @ Time Warner Cable Arena
Oct 8 - Chicago @ United Center
Oct 9 - St. Louis @ Scottrade Center
Oct 12 - Dallas @ TBAOct 13 - Houston @ Toyota Center
Oct 16 - Los Angeles @ Hollywood Bowl
Oct 17 - San Francisco @ TBA
BLACKsummers'night is the second consecutive Maxwell album to enter the Billboard 200 at #1, the long-awaited successor to 2001's similarly chart-topping Now. With first week's sales of 316,499, according to SoundScan, BLACKsummers'night generated the best overall sales week of Maxwell's career. BLACKsummers'night peaked at #1 on the SoundScan Album Retailer chart and the Current R&B chart. Released on Tuesday, July 7, on CD and in a Limited Edition Deluxe CD/DVD set, BLACKsummers'night is already generating hit singles. The first, "Pretty Wings," rocketed to the #1 slot on America's Urban Adult radio stations after completing an earlier run as the nation's #1 Greatest Gainer/Most-Added song at the Urban Mainstream format. "Pretty Wings" peaked at #1 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart, and is currently #2 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, where it's spent 13 weeks.
"Bad Habits," the lead track and second single from BLACKsummers'night, reached #1 Most-Added song at Urban Adult radio according to Mediabase, the music industry's first mass-airplay monitoring service. Both "Bad Habits" and "Pretty Wings" have made the Top 10 of America's Urban Adult Contemporary charts with "Bad Habits" peaking at #7 and "Pretty Wings" locking down the #1 slot. BLACKsummers'night reached #1 on the iTunes R&B Albums chart while "Pretty Wings" hit #1 on the iTunes R&B Singles chart. BLACKsummers'night is the sensuous opening installment of the artist's monumental BLACKSUMMERS'NIGHT trilogy. (The trilogy's subsequent chapters, blackSUMMERS'night and blacksummers'NIGHT, are slated for release in 2010 and 2011 respectively.)
BLACKsummers'night reunites Maxwell with long-time collaborator Hod David, who serves as co-producer and co-writer of the album. Striving for an emotional authenticity and real world sound for the album, Maxwell and Hod recorded the entire album live in the studio with an a-list ensemble of elegantly sympathetic musicians. Maxwell began redefining classic soul music for a new generation with the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, in April 1996. Fueled in part by the RIAA gold single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," the Grammy-nominated Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite was certified platinum in March 1997, less than a year after its release, and achieved double platinum status, in recognition of sales of more than 2 million copies in the US alone, in 2002. Maxwell followed up with his MTV Unplugged EP, released in July 1997 and certified gold in September 1999. His second full-length album, Embrya, was released in June 1998 and certified platinum in May 1999. Another Maxwell single, the hit "Fortunate," was certified gold in June 1999. His third studio album, Now, entered the Billboard 200 at #1 in August 2001. To date, Maxwell has achieved 10 gold and platinum certifications from the RIAA for his albums and singles.
HARRY CONNICK JR: YOUR SONGS
Columbia Records recording artist, singer and pianist Harry Connick Jr., has already released 24 albums under his own name, which have sold 25 million copies around the world. Although he has recorded various genres of music, from traditional pop to instrumental jazz to funk and blues, he has shown a deep and abiding affection for The Great American Songbook (and his own songs written in that classic style).Connick's newest Columbia album, Your Songs, to be released on vinyl on August 25 and on CD September 22, both extends this tradition and compliments it. Like his best-selling Only You of 2004, Your Songs consists of Connick singing familiar songs with a full jazz big band and string orchestra, and, as with nearly all of Harry's previous albums, he wrote each of the orchestrations himself. (He also recruited two of his lifelong friends from New Orleans, Branford and Wynton Marsalis, as well as bluegrass guitar virtuoso Bryan Sutton, for guest appearances). On most of his albums, Connick is a virtual one-man band. "My usual pattern is I either write the songs or pick the songs," he says. "Depending on the configuration I arrange, orchestrate, conduct, sing, and then oversee the mixing and mastering. You might say that I'm very hands on."
However, what makes Your Songs different from all of Connick's previous projects is that this album represents the first occasion in which he has teamed up with a record company producer, the legendary Clive Davis. For nearly 50 years, Davis has been one of the leading lights of the music industry and more recently was promoted to Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Sony Music Entertainment after heading the BMG Label Group. Your Songs is a genuine collaborative effort in which Clive picked most of the songs, Harry arranged and orchestrated them, and then turned the reins in the studio over to his long time friend and producer, Tracey Freeman. "Clive expressed an interest in working with me," he recalls, "but I didn't know what that meant because I had never done a collaboration before."
Davis' concept was to put together a program of classic songs that were both as familiar and as contemporary as possible. Both by accident and design, the selections are skewed towards signature songs for iconic performers: Elvis Presley's "I Can't Help Falling In Love With You," Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa," Tony Bennett's "Who Can I Turn To?," Frank Sinatra's "All The Way," Billy Joel's "Just The Way You Are" and nine others. "Songs that everybody knows," was how Davis put it, rendered with what he describes as "accessible arrangements."
The opener "All The Way" is more intimate and lighter than we're used to hearing, with a beautiful tenor saxophone solo by Branford Marsalis. "And I Love Her" uses a hint of a bolero underpinning to make the Lennon-McCartney classic seem even more romantic than when sung by The Beatles. "The Way You Look Tonight" has been heard for most of the last 70 years as an uptempo swinger, but Harry brings it back to its original status as a slow and intimate love song. "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" was originally written by Ewan MacColl in the style of an Olde English folk song, then it was reborn as a 70s pop hit, but Connick sings it as a classic Broadway style love song, very emotionally direct, with his heart right on his sleeve. Elton John's "Your Song" is herewith given a finger-snapping beat.
For Burt Bacharach's "Close to You," which features the brilliant New Orleans trumpeter Leroy Jones, Connick notes, "I went in the studio, and I just started playing, and I wound up giving it a whole different groove. I kept the tempo, and I had a guitar play the famous intro vamp, and overall we gave 'Close To You' more of a Gospel feeling." Likewise, he added more of a jazz beat to Billy Joel's all-time classic, "Just The Way You Are."
The immortal Mexican love song "Besame Mucho" was done at the suggestion of Harry's father. "Mona Lisa" is treated more like a dance number than is customarily heard, while "Smile," which is usually done as a minor key lament, is also much more cheerful and upbeat. Harry starred in the acclaimed ABC TV film of South Pacific, but the show's great love song, "Some Enchanted Evening," was the property of another character; Harry makes up for that here by romping through a solid-four reading of the Rodgers & Hammerstein classic.
"Who Can I Turn To" is dedicated to the song's composer, the late, great British singer-songwriter Anthony Newley. Don McLean's "And I Love You So," is unique in the annals of American pop in that it was a big number for both Perry Como and Elvis Presley; Connick sings it with a straightforward sincerity. Connick recruited Wynton Marsalis to play on "Can't Help Falling In Love." "I asked him to play the melody on an Elvis Presley tune. And he said, 'I get it! No problem.' But it wasn't a waste of his time because he played it perfectly, in a way that a lesser musician couldn't have done."
When Harry talks about the beauty of playing or singing a melody as simply and beautifully as possible, he's getting to the essential truth of what makes this album special. To be able to take familiar songs and make something fresh out of them - without eviscerating the qualities that make them great to begin with - is truly a rare gift. And it's a gift that Harry Connick, Jr. displays in abundance on Your Songs, making it one of the extraordinary efforts of his career.
Friday, August 07, 2009
THE TANGLEWOOD JAZZ FESTIVAL
The Boston Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Labor Day Weekend Tanglewood Jazz Festival September 4-September 6, 2009 at the Orchestra's summer home in the Berkshire Hills in Lenox, Massachusetts. Jazz greats highlighting this year's festival include Paquito d'Rivera, Regina Carter, Nnenna Freelon, Kenny Barron, Mulgrew Miller, John Pizzarelli, Jessica Molaskey, Kurt Elling, Harry Allen, Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein, Dave Holland, Steve Nelson, Chris Potter, Robin Eubanks, Antonio Hart, Gary Smulyan, Nate Smith, Alex Sipiagian, Jon Faddis, David Hazeltine, Wallace Roney, Sean Jones, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Harolyn Blackwell and Mike Garson. All shows will be held in Seiji Ozawa Hall.
On Friday, September 4, at 8 p.m. the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival will open with "An Evening with Paquito d'Rivera" in which the famed clarinetist performs pieces from his Latin jazz and classical repertoires. A 2005 NEA Jazz Master, winner of the 2008 Downbeat Reader's Poll for best clarinetist and guest artist on Yo-Yo Ma's most recent recording, Songs of Joy & Peace, d'Rivera has extensive expertise in both the jazz and classical music worlds.
On Saturday, September 5 at 2 p.m., John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey (in her Tanglewood debut) will tape their popular radio program, "Radio Deluxe," at the festival for later broadcast on more than 60 stations nation-wide. Normally broadcast from their living room "high above Lexington Avenue," the Tanglewood program will officially take Radio Deluxe on the road for the first time since the program's inception in 2005. The show's format, marked by the duo's urbane, sophisticated humor, inventive playlist, and extensive knowledge of the Great American Songbook, is expanding its repertoire to include such rock era voices as Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell. "Radio Deluxe" from Tanglewood will feature special guests Kurt Elling, Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein and Harry Allen.
On Saturday, September 5 at 8 p.m., jazz violinist and MacArthur Fellowship recipient, Regina Carter will perform with her quartet in a program titled "Reverse Thread," which includes material from her Paganini project plus music from Mali, Senegal, and Uganda. O Magazine said "Carter is a knockout violinist who leads a knockout band."
Following Ms. Carter will be Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon and classical vocalist, Harolyn Blackwell, in "Dreaming the Duke," a program that celebrates the legacy and influences of the great Duke Ellington with innovative solo pieces, duets with chamber and jazz quartets and intimate vocal-piano selections. Noted pianist and arranger, Mike Garson, whose work with David Bowie and in jazz and classical genres has earned him high praise as an arranger, will perform as accompanist and musical director. They will perform classical Ellington standards and selections from Ellington's famed "Black, Brown and Beige Suite."
The Sunday afternoon concert on September 6 will open at 2 p.m. with a rare and exclusive piano duet featuring Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller on two nine-foot Steinways performing spontaneous improvisations on original and jazz standard compositions. Performed at the 2005 Marciac Jazz Festival in France, this program has only been performed a few times in the U.S. and in Europe. Barron recently received the BNY Mellon Jazz 2008 Living Legacy Award by the Bank of New York/Mellon.
Barron and Miller will be followed by one of the most enduring large jazz ensembles in the U.S., the Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Founded by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, the orchestra received a Grammy Award in 2009 for its recording, Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard (Planet Arts Records) in the "Best Large Jazz Ensemble" category. For over four decades the Orchestra has performed on Monday nights at the world-famous jazz club, the Village Vanguard in New York.
Closing the festival on Sunday, September 6, at 8 p.m. will be trumpeter Jon Faddis and his Quartet with guest trumpeters Sean Jones and Wallace Roney. "The Majesty of the Trumpet" is a celebration of the role of the trumpet in jazz throughout the past century, from Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and more.
Following Jon Faddis will be bassist and big band leader, Dave Holland, with his all-star band including Chris Potter, Jaleel Shaw, Gary Smulyan, Steve Nelson, Nate Smith, Alex Sipiagian and Robin Eubanks. A native of the United Kingdom, Holland worked extensively with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Jack DeJohnette and Herbie Hancock in addition to performing with chamber orchestras and classical composers.
Jazz Café artists this year include saxophonist Benny Reid, pianist and vocalist Michael Kaeshammer, pianist Evgeny Lebedev, vocalist Steven Santoro and violinist Ben Powell. Jazz Café events are free with a ticket to the main stage event.
For more info click to: www.tanglewoodjazzfestival.org.
On Friday, September 4, at 8 p.m. the 2009 Tanglewood Jazz Festival will open with "An Evening with Paquito d'Rivera" in which the famed clarinetist performs pieces from his Latin jazz and classical repertoires. A 2005 NEA Jazz Master, winner of the 2008 Downbeat Reader's Poll for best clarinetist and guest artist on Yo-Yo Ma's most recent recording, Songs of Joy & Peace, d'Rivera has extensive expertise in both the jazz and classical music worlds.
On Saturday, September 5 at 2 p.m., John Pizzarelli and Jessica Molaskey (in her Tanglewood debut) will tape their popular radio program, "Radio Deluxe," at the festival for later broadcast on more than 60 stations nation-wide. Normally broadcast from their living room "high above Lexington Avenue," the Tanglewood program will officially take Radio Deluxe on the road for the first time since the program's inception in 2005. The show's format, marked by the duo's urbane, sophisticated humor, inventive playlist, and extensive knowledge of the Great American Songbook, is expanding its repertoire to include such rock era voices as Randy Newman and Joni Mitchell. "Radio Deluxe" from Tanglewood will feature special guests Kurt Elling, Bucky Pizzarelli, Aaron Weinstein and Harry Allen.
On Saturday, September 5 at 8 p.m., jazz violinist and MacArthur Fellowship recipient, Regina Carter will perform with her quartet in a program titled "Reverse Thread," which includes material from her Paganini project plus music from Mali, Senegal, and Uganda. O Magazine said "Carter is a knockout violinist who leads a knockout band."
Following Ms. Carter will be Grammy nominated jazz vocalist, Nnenna Freelon and classical vocalist, Harolyn Blackwell, in "Dreaming the Duke," a program that celebrates the legacy and influences of the great Duke Ellington with innovative solo pieces, duets with chamber and jazz quartets and intimate vocal-piano selections. Noted pianist and arranger, Mike Garson, whose work with David Bowie and in jazz and classical genres has earned him high praise as an arranger, will perform as accompanist and musical director. They will perform classical Ellington standards and selections from Ellington's famed "Black, Brown and Beige Suite."
The Sunday afternoon concert on September 6 will open at 2 p.m. with a rare and exclusive piano duet featuring Kenny Barron and Mulgrew Miller on two nine-foot Steinways performing spontaneous improvisations on original and jazz standard compositions. Performed at the 2005 Marciac Jazz Festival in France, this program has only been performed a few times in the U.S. and in Europe. Barron recently received the BNY Mellon Jazz 2008 Living Legacy Award by the Bank of New York/Mellon.
Barron and Miller will be followed by one of the most enduring large jazz ensembles in the U.S., the Grammy-winning Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. Founded by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, the orchestra received a Grammy Award in 2009 for its recording, Monday Night Live at the Village Vanguard (Planet Arts Records) in the "Best Large Jazz Ensemble" category. For over four decades the Orchestra has performed on Monday nights at the world-famous jazz club, the Village Vanguard in New York.
Closing the festival on Sunday, September 6, at 8 p.m. will be trumpeter Jon Faddis and his Quartet with guest trumpeters Sean Jones and Wallace Roney. "The Majesty of the Trumpet" is a celebration of the role of the trumpet in jazz throughout the past century, from Louis Armstrong to Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie and more.
Following Jon Faddis will be bassist and big band leader, Dave Holland, with his all-star band including Chris Potter, Jaleel Shaw, Gary Smulyan, Steve Nelson, Nate Smith, Alex Sipiagian and Robin Eubanks. A native of the United Kingdom, Holland worked extensively with Miles Davis, Stan Getz, Jack DeJohnette and Herbie Hancock in addition to performing with chamber orchestras and classical composers.
Jazz Café artists this year include saxophonist Benny Reid, pianist and vocalist Michael Kaeshammer, pianist Evgeny Lebedev, vocalist Steven Santoro and violinist Ben Powell. Jazz Café events are free with a ticket to the main stage event.
For more info click to: www.tanglewoodjazzfestival.org.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
BRENDA RUSSELL - IN THE THICK OF IT
Brenda Russell’s latest, In The Thick Of It, is a must-have 30th anniversary celebration. It’s a 16 track career-spanning collection from the multi-talented, grammy-nominated New York soul singer/songwriter. With a voice that caresses like melted caramel and lyrics that touch the deepest recesses of your emotions, singer/ songwriter Brenda Russell proves that a glowing talent only deepens with time. This greatest hits collection includes such gems as "Piano In The Dark," "If Only For One Night," “Dinner With Gershwin” and the much-loved anthem "Get Here," In The Thick Of It is released in coordination with the U.K.’s Jazz FM. The album includes many of her finest recordings from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s, right up to the present day, with booklet notes by Brenda herself recounting the stories behind the songs. Included on the album is the haunting “Le Restaurant”, with David Sanborn as guest, “Walkin’ In New York” (more recently covered by Manhattan Transfer) and “Make You Smile”, a collaboration with Bluey from Incognito, recorded in the UK, plus the early A&M hits that introduced her music to a worldwide audience.Other artists she has collaborated with, or those who have recorded her songs over the years, include Luther Vandross (“If Only For One Night”), Donna Summer (“Dinner With Gershwin”), Chaka Khan, Earth Wind & Fire, Ray Charles, Dionne Warwick. Roberta Flack, Michael McDonald, David Foster, Patrice Rushen, Rufus and Lalah Hathaway.In The Thick Of It
In The Thick Of It Track Listing
1. Walkin' In New York
2. Make You Smile
3. In The Thick Of It
4. So Good So Right
5. Piano In The Dark (feat. Joe Esposito)
6. Get Here
7. If Only For One Night
8. Catch On
9. It's A Jazz Day
10. Too Cool For The Room
11. Let Somebody Know
12. Expect A Miracle
13. Le Restaurant (feat. David Sanborn)
14. I Know You By Heart
15. Matters Of The Heart16.No Time For Time
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
NEW RELEASES FROM GEORGE BENSON, FOURPLAY, GIL PARRIS, BRIAN BROMBERG & OTHERS...
Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra – Definitely Roots (Mast)
Bee The Voice – Groundscape
Bird - Covers
Bohemiavoodoo – Bohemian Bazaar
Brian Bromberg – It Is What It Is
Calima Shatiday – Poolside II
Cindy Bradley - Bloom
Cinematone – SmoothDeluxe
Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Soul Messin’ (Freestyle)
DJ Baku – JapaDapta
DJ Cam Presents InLove – Stories (Inflammable)
DJ I.N.C. & The Soul People – The Afterset Sessions, Vol. 2
Donald Patterson - Family
Ennio Morricone – The Complete Edition (GDM, 15-CD)
Excellent Gentleman – Just Say Yes
Fourplay – Live In Cape Town
Frances Hime & Others – Album Musical 2 (Boscoito Fino)
George Benson – Song And Stories
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Umsindo (E1)
Gianni Basso & Irio De Poula – Recado Bossa Nova (Déjà Vu)
Gil Parris – A Certain Beauty
Impellers – Robot Legs (Freestyle)
J.P. DeLaire – In My Life
Jazoulster – Play It Cool, Vol. 1
Jazzida Grande – Petit Morceau L
Jazzida Grande – Petit Morceau R
Jazzlife Sextet – Tell Stories (Déjà Vu)
Jerry Goldsmith – Cain’s Hundred (Film Society Monthly)
Joe Ercole -Exposed
Joy Jones – God Child (Future Soul)
Joyce – Slow Music (Biscoito Fino)
Kool & The Gang – Live At PJ’s (DeLite/Reel)
Lamont Dozier/Holland Dozier – Love & Beauty (Invictus/Demon)
M-Swift – Evening Sun (Freestyle)
Nanami Morita - Colors
Miles Jaye – The Truth About Love
Monica Salmaso – Noites De Gala (Biscoito)
Orquestra Pertrobas Sinfonica – Pixinquinha Sinfonica (Rob)
Paris Match – Passion8
Paula Atherton – Groove With Me
Paula Griffin – A Little Rain Must Fall
Peter White – Good Day
Pixinguinha – Pixinguinha No Cinema (Rob)
Randy Brown – Welcome To My Room/Midnight Desire (Casablanca/Shout)
Root Soul – Root Soul
Smooth Reunion – Cleaning Up The Business (D-Vine)
Sound Stylists – Greasin’ The Wheels (Freestyle)
Streetwize – Pull U To Bed
Susi Hyldgaard - It’s Love We Need (Yellow Bird)
Toni Redd – ‘N’ The Key Of Redd
Torcuato Mariano – So Far From Home
Trioganico – Convivencia (Now Again/Stones Throw)
Van Hunt – Use In Case Of Emergency
Various Artists – Cinematic Funk Presented By Mocambo (Mocambo)
Various Artists – Contemporary Soul Songbook Vol. 1 – 16 Stunning Tracks From Today’s Modern Soul Artists (Soul Unsigned)
Various Artists – Dramatic Funk Themes Vol. 2 – Thrilling Rare Grooves From UK’s Leading Music Libraries 1970-1980 (Show Up)
Various Artists – Michael Jackson In Bossa Moments
Various Artists – Stasera Shake Vol. 3 – The Ultimate Collection Of Italian Sixties Music (Boss A Tone)
Bee The Voice – Groundscape
Bird - Covers
Bohemiavoodoo – Bohemian Bazaar
Brian Bromberg – It Is What It Is
Calima Shatiday – Poolside II
Cindy Bradley - Bloom
Cinematone – SmoothDeluxe
Cookin’ On 3 Burners – Soul Messin’ (Freestyle)
DJ Baku – JapaDapta
DJ Cam Presents InLove – Stories (Inflammable)
DJ I.N.C. & The Soul People – The Afterset Sessions, Vol. 2
Donald Patterson - Family
Ennio Morricone – The Complete Edition (GDM, 15-CD)
Excellent Gentleman – Just Say Yes
Fourplay – Live In Cape Town
Frances Hime & Others – Album Musical 2 (Boscoito Fino)
George Benson – Song And Stories
Georgia Anne Muldrow – Umsindo (E1)
Gianni Basso & Irio De Poula – Recado Bossa Nova (Déjà Vu)
Gil Parris – A Certain Beauty
Impellers – Robot Legs (Freestyle)
J.P. DeLaire – In My Life
Jazoulster – Play It Cool, Vol. 1
Jazzida Grande – Petit Morceau L
Jazzida Grande – Petit Morceau R
Jazzlife Sextet – Tell Stories (Déjà Vu)
Jerry Goldsmith – Cain’s Hundred (Film Society Monthly)
Joe Ercole -Exposed
Joy Jones – God Child (Future Soul)
Joyce – Slow Music (Biscoito Fino)
Kool & The Gang – Live At PJ’s (DeLite/Reel)
Lamont Dozier/Holland Dozier – Love & Beauty (Invictus/Demon)
M-Swift – Evening Sun (Freestyle)
Nanami Morita - Colors
Miles Jaye – The Truth About Love
Monica Salmaso – Noites De Gala (Biscoito)
Orquestra Pertrobas Sinfonica – Pixinquinha Sinfonica (Rob)
Paris Match – Passion8
Paula Atherton – Groove With Me
Paula Griffin – A Little Rain Must Fall
Peter White – Good Day
Pixinguinha – Pixinguinha No Cinema (Rob)
Randy Brown – Welcome To My Room/Midnight Desire (Casablanca/Shout)
Root Soul – Root Soul
Smooth Reunion – Cleaning Up The Business (D-Vine)
Sound Stylists – Greasin’ The Wheels (Freestyle)
Streetwize – Pull U To Bed
Susi Hyldgaard - It’s Love We Need (Yellow Bird)
Toni Redd – ‘N’ The Key Of Redd
Torcuato Mariano – So Far From Home
Trioganico – Convivencia (Now Again/Stones Throw)
Van Hunt – Use In Case Of Emergency
Various Artists – Cinematic Funk Presented By Mocambo (Mocambo)
Various Artists – Contemporary Soul Songbook Vol. 1 – 16 Stunning Tracks From Today’s Modern Soul Artists (Soul Unsigned)
Various Artists – Dramatic Funk Themes Vol. 2 – Thrilling Rare Grooves From UK’s Leading Music Libraries 1970-1980 (Show Up)
Various Artists – Michael Jackson In Bossa Moments
Various Artists – Stasera Shake Vol. 3 – The Ultimate Collection Of Italian Sixties Music (Boss A Tone)
Saturday, August 01, 2009
FRANK SINATRA - MY WAY 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
Frank Sinatra Enterprises has announced an agreement with the Concord Music Group to release select titles from Sinatra’s Reprise Records catalog, including an unreleased live recording. The agreement commenceed this past May with the first two titles: My Way 40th Anniversary Edition, which includes two previously unreleased tracks and the never-before-available Live At The Meadowlands, the 1986 live album that spotlights Sinatra back in his New Jersey stomping grounds, wooing a sold-out crowd.Produced by Don Costa and Sonny Burke, My Way was released in March 1969 and features a varied collection of contemporary pop songs, including Simon and Garfunkel’s “Mrs. Robinson,” The Beatles’ “Yesterday,” Ray Charles’ “Hallelujah I Love Her So,” and the iconic title track, “My Way,” which would become his career theme song. The song occupies a special place in popular music, influencing generations of musicians, from Elvis Presley to the Sex Pistols, both of whom conspicuously recorded their own versions. Famous Sinatraphile Bono, who contributes the My Way 40th Anniversary Edition liner notes, wrote of the song, “..[it’s] a boast – more kiss-off than send-off – embodying all the machismo a man can muster about the mistakes he’s made on the way from here to everywhere.” Also included are two unreleased tracks: Stevie Wonder’s classic “For Once In My Life, recorded on August 13, 1969 for the Sinatra television special, and a live version of “My Way,” recorded on October 24, 1987, at Reunion Arena in Dallas.
My Way 40th Anniversary Edition Tracks
1. Watch What Happens
2. Didn’t We
3. Hallelujah I Love Her So
4. Yesterday
5. All My Tomorrows
6. My Way
7. A Day In The Life Of A Fool
8. For Once In My Life
9. If You Go Away
10. Mrs. Robinson
Bonus Tracks:
11. For Once In My Life
12. My Way
Friday, July 31, 2009
JOE MCBRIDE - LOOKIN' FOR A CHANGE
New from Joe McBride is an iintriguing new recording, Lookin' For A Change, that reinterprets a dozen contemporary pop songs via straight-ahead jazz arrangements. Along out with the help of a live trio - guitarist Dan Wilson, bassist Roger Hines and drummer Elijah Gilmore - the album includes a collection of songs originally written and recorded by a range of pop luminaries, including Gnarls Barkley, Coldplay, John Mayer, Seal and several others. These reinterpretations, along with three original compositions from McBride's own inspirational well, make for an engaging juxtaposition of the best elements of contemporary pop and traditional jazz.Lookin’ For A Change opens with a buoyant take on Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," wherein McBride augments his energetic piano work with a vocal line reminiscent of Al Jarreau. Further into the set, McBride injects Corrine Bailey Rae's "Like a Star" with a Latin groove that's full of energy without being overbearing. In the home stretch, McBride's rendition of Seal's "Kiss From a Rose" puts a gentler jazz spin on this passionate ode without sacrificing any of the emotional impact of the source material. The set closes with the infectiously rhythmic title track, an appeal for greater tolerance and understanding in a rapidly evolving society. Written by McBride, the song is laced with subtle but unmistakable hints of R&B and funk amid the predominantly jazz-flavored arrangement. This is McBride at his best, sending a clear and positive message without delivering a heavy-handed sermon.
“To be honest, I really wanted to try to reach a different audience with my new album,” McBride says. “I’m all about growth. It’s all about making the old things new. It’s okay to look back for just a moment, but the more important idea is to keep our eyes on the future.”Happily living in Cleveland when he’s not on tour, McBride enjoys playing locally and keeping busy in the studio. He says, “I’m grateful to God that he has given me the ability to play music and to share it with others.”
Thursday, July 30, 2009
THE WEATHER CHANNEL TUNES OUT SMOOTH JAZZ
The smooth jazz music that for years has played in the background of the Atlanta-based Weather Channel’s “Local On the 8s” segments has been replaced with soft rock songs instead.“ I think we’ve been doing an injustice to our viewers playing, for the lack of a better word, elevator music on the segments for all these years,” said Geoffrey Darby, the cable network’s new executive vice president of programming, The old sound was so popular, the network released a CD of “Weather Channel Smooth Jazz” that went to No. 1 on Billboard’s Current Contemporary Jazz Album Chart. But all that smoothness let the programming slip too far into the background. This wasn’t great for the audience or the network’s advertisers who prefer viewers who are awake. Now, instead of hearing Spyro Gyra in the background while the announcer is intoning the latest local update (“Sunny and 75”), listeners hear tracks from the Rolling Stones (“Can’t You Hear Me Knocking”).“People would have it on but they wouldn’t be watching and they wouldn’t be listening,” said Darby, who pushed for the change after joining the network in February. “We wanted music that would get their attention —- and this has.” It’s really to bad that smooth jazz has gotten such a bad rap after all these years, but the reality is that the genre has really shot itself in the foot by releasing boring and bland music for so many years. In any event it is time to move on to the next level/ Hey – anybody ever check out Blu 102.7 broadcasting out of Sante Fe, New Mexico. The good new is that you can hear a really cool mix of Jazz, Rhythm, World and Chill, but the bad news is that they are no longer streaming on the web. I bet it has to do with the royalty problem that is causing many stations to no longer stream. Let’s hope they can come back online soon because it is really a format worth looking into. If you have some time check out their playlist.
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