TONY BENNETT PAINTS LOUIS PRIMA

The world knows Tony Bennett as a peerless interpreter of the American songbook. His singing career just entered its sixth decade and he has 15 Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and two Emmy Awards. He was named a Kennedy Center Honoree and NEA Jazz Master and the United Nations presented him with their Humanitarian Award and Citizen of the World Award. Yet as a child growing up in Queens New York he wanted to be a painter. He studied at the School of Art and Design in Manhattan and continued with private studios and teachers. It's an open secret that art is as much a part of his life as music.

Bennett paints under his family name of Benedetto. He lives out his visual passions through this alter ego: As Tony Bennett tours the world, Anthony Benedetto paints and sketches a rarified daily scene, from intimate musical gatherings to international cityscapes. The United Nations twice commissioned his artwork, including their 50th Anniversary "Peace" and "Brotherhood" (purchased by Oprah Winfrey). Three Bennett originals are part of the Smithsonian Institution's permanent collection, including his portrait of Duke Ellington, which was recently accepted into the National Portrait Gallery. Bennett's work is also on permanent display at the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, Ohio and is part of the collection at the National Arts Club in New York. Bennett's work graced the collections of the late Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra and artist Robert Rauschenberg and is owned by President Bill Clinton, Carol Burnett, Whoopi Goldberg, Donald Trump and Katie Couric, among a select few. The first book of his paintings, "Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen," was released by Rizzoli in 1996 and his second, "Tony Bennett In the Studio" was published in 2007. At 83, he is a master of the arts and has earned his status of living legend.

Legendary performer and 15-time Grammy Winner Tony Bennett graced the stage at the New Orleans Jazz Festival in 2009 to the delight of fans that attended that exhilarating performance. This year, the singer who paints under his family name Benedetto, will participate as the official visual artist of the Festival by painting the image to be displayed on the Festival's annual poster. Bennett's portrait of his friend and colleague, the late Louis Prima will be reproduced as the 2010 New Orleans Jazz Festival poster in honor of the centennial anniversary of Prima's birth, a New Orleans native, which is celebrated in December of this year. To view the poster image, visit nojazzfest.com

Bennett, who is an accomplished visual artist with three of his original paintings included in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution, commented, "Louis Prima was an absolute original and I was thrilled to be asked by the Jazz Festival to paint his portrait for this year's poster art – he was an exceptional performer and a dear friend and he embodied the buoyant spirit of New Orleans."

Quint Davis, producer/director of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, said, "Tony Bennett's performance at the 2009 Jazz Fest was a highlight for everyone who attended. We are honored to present his portrait of Louis Prima as this year's Festival poster. This tremendous tribute to one of New Orleans' great musicians by one of America's great musical artists is the kind of celebration of our culture to which Jazz Fest itself is dedicated."

2010 marks the centennial year of Louis Prima's birth. Prima's contributions to the American music scene are measured by the decade. In the 1930's he took his New Orleans trumpet and vocal style to New York and Los Angeles where, with his New Orleans Gang, he helped define an era. Prima wrote Sing, Sing, Sing, the Swing Era anthem immortalized in Benny Goodman's later cover. The success of the Big Band sound led Prima to form a 22-piece orchestra that regularly topped the Big Band Era charts of the 40's. Big Bands having faded by the 50's, Prima moved to Las Vegas were he fashioned the Witnesses with New Orleans' great tenor saxophonist Sam Butera and defined yet another music scene. That band's shuffle beat combined with its New Orleans jazz roots laid the foundation for early Rock & Roll. Prima relaunched his recording career in 1957 with Just a Gigolo / I Ain't Got Nobody; two songs that Prima combined so successfully that Van Halen's David Lee Roth had a hit with Prima's joinder in 1985. In 1958 Prima won the first Vocal Category Grammy for That Old Black Magic. In 1966 he gave voice to King Louis in Disney's The Jungle Book, the album of which went gold.

In 1982 Sing Sing Sing was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, followed in 1999 by his 1957 album The Wildest. During his five-decade career he recorded nearly 800 songs and was a regular on The Ed Sullivan Show where he showcased the incredible talent of Butera, Keely Smith and Gia Maione. Even after his passing in 1975, Louis Prima still spins gold: The Louis Prima Capital Collectors Series compilation CD went gold in 2008 – and top the charts: His Live From Las Vegas hit the Billboard Top Jazz Album chart in 2005. If you don't know Prima, you No Capicia.

Bennett's silk-screened poster is the first edition in a new generation of poster series for Jazz Festival, "Performance Art: The Musical Artist As Visual Artist," which will showcase the visual artistry of musical performers. Bennett's poster, titled "The Chief of New Orleans: A Portrait of Louis Prima" will be available in four numbered editions: 12,500 unsigned posters on archival vellum paper, 23" x 35" ($69); 2,000 artist-signed prints on museum-standard 100% cotton rag paper, 24" x 37" ($295); 500 artist-signed remarques bearing a hand drawing by the artist and the estate-stamped signature of Louis Prima, 25"x 39" ($795); and, 300 C-marques (over-painted canvases) 26" x 40" ($995). The Bennett editions are available for pre-ordering on the website.

JAMIE CULLUM - THE PURSUIT

Just in time for Valentine’s Day is Jamie Cullum’s Love Ain’t Gonna Let You Down (EP (Verve) released exclusively through iTunes on February 2, 2010. Featuring three songs of love his upcoming album The Pursuit out March 2, 2010, the EP highlights two Cullum originals "Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down" & "I Think, I Love," and his heartfelt take on the Stephen Sondheim standard "Not While I'm Around' from "Sweeney Todd." "Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down" is a song that ties up Cullum's album's over-arching theme in the lyric "the pursuit of love consumes us all." Mixing modern influences with his love of jazz and timeless classics, no one can move from Cole Porter to Rihanna to epic dance tracks as boldly and deftly as Cullum does on The Pursuit. Cullum's genre-defying career has entertained an ever-growing fanbase across the globe since his Verve debut in 2004. The Pursuit builds on, and bursts through, Cullum's previous albums opening with the swinging sounds of the Count Basie Orchestra on the timeless "Just One Of Those Things" and ending with the 7-plus minute tour de force "Music Is Through."

The songs on The Pursuit began life at Cullum's Londond studio as well as in his kitchen before recording moved to Los Angeles. The bulk of the album was performed solely by Cullum and the album's producer Greg Wells (One Republic, Katy Perry, Mika) with a cross section of stellar talent fleshing out songs including members of Beck's band and the horn section from Michael Jackson's Thriller. One of the few touring artists who consistently sells out, Cullum starts his coast to coast U.S. tour with Verve labelmate Imelda May on March 4th in New York.

Jamie Cullum Tour Dates:
Mar 4 – Town Hall, New York, NY
Mar 5 – The Keswick Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Mar 6 – House Of Blues, Boston, MA
Mar 7 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Mar 9 – Massey Hall, Toronto, ON
Mar 12 – Cobb Energy Center, Atlanta, GA
Mar 13 – James K. Polk Theater, Nashville, TN
Mar 14 – Robert Orpheum Theater, St. Louis, MO
Mar 16 –Park West, Chicago, IL
Mar 20 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
Mar 21 – Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA
Mar 22 – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
Mar 23 – The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Mar 25 – Avalon, Los Angeles, CA

ELLA FITZGERALD - LOVE LETTERS FROM ELLA

On sale for a limited time at select Post Offices nationwide, Love Letters From Ella is a collection of the jazz singer's most cherished love songs, recorded with some of her favorite collaborators, including Count Basie and his orchestra, Joe Pass and Andre Previn. This special edition, first released in 2007, also boasts a full reproduction of Fitzgerald's commemorative postage stamp. The 10-track CD, mixed in high-definition audio, includes Fitzgerald singing "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone" with the Count Basie Orchestra, a duet of Joe Pass and Fitzgerald on "The One I Love" and her performance of "Our Love is Here to Stay" with pianist, conductor and composer Andre Previn. "Love Letters From Ella" also features the celebrated singer accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra on a rendition of "Cry Me a River." The London Symphony Orchestra recorded the accompaniment, arranged by 24-time Grammy Award nominee Jorge Calandrelli, at Abbey Road studios in London. The CD is available for $10.99 at a select group of 3,200 Post Offices across the nation and online at usps.com/shop.

Love Letters From Ella track listing:
1. "Please Don't Talk About Me When I'm Gone"
2. "Cry Me a River"
3. "You Turned the Tables on Me"
4. "I've Got the World on a String"
5. "Witchcraft"
6. "My Old Flame"
7. "The One I Love"
8. "Take Love Easy"
9. "Our Love is Here to Stay"
10. "Some Other Spring"

BOB MARLEY - IN DUB VOL. 1

On February 2, 2010, in commemoration of Marley's 65th birthday, Tuff Gong/Island/UMe has released a new digital-only collection, In Dub Vol. 1, exclusively on the iTunes Store. In Dub Vol. 1 is the first in a series of collections of classic, rare and new dub excursions in the Bob Marley & The Wailers catalog. The debut set features 10 classic dub remixes (most previously unavailable on album) and a newly crafted dub of "Lively Up Your Dub," exclusive to this package, by foundation dub mix engineer Scientist. In 2010, the year he would have celebrated his 65th birthday (February 6th), Bob Marley continues to inspire and influence people around the world. One of the most charismatic and challenging performers of our time--a musical, political and even spiritual figure of mystical proportions, both poet and prophet, hero and rebel-Marley remains reggae's greatest icon and a monumental musical figure of our time. Throughout 2010, Island/Tuff Gong/UMe, his worldwide catalog home, will honor with new album releases a legacy which continues to resonate as Marley's music is revealed and rediscovered by new generations.

No artist has so dominated his genre in modern music as Marley has reggae, with his greatest hits album Legend, the biggest selling reggae album in history. Marley sang of rebellion and uprisings, Rasta and the power of love. A man who rose from the humblest of origins to become a champion for the oppressed, he was the most renowned Jamaican artist to give voice to the struggles of his people and to the Rastafarian culture, and the first to gain global fame. Marley cut his first single in 1962 and the next year teamed with Peter Tosh and Bunny Livingston. Soon they would be known as the Wailers. In the late '60s, with Marley now devoted to Rastafari, they recorded the gems "Sugar Sugar," "Soul Shakedown Party," "Duppy Conqueror," "Soul Almighty," "My Cup," "Trenchtown Rock" and "Small Axe." In the '70s, Bob Marley founded the Tuff Gong label and signed to Chris Blackwell's Island Records. The albums that followed, from Catch A Fire, Burnin' and Natty Dread (his first without the Wailers) to Rastaman Vibration, Exodus (which Time magazine anointed Album of the Century), Kaya, Survival and Uprising, earned global acclaim. "Stir It Up," "Concrete Jungle," "I Shot The Sheriff," "Get Up, Stand Up," "No Woman, No Cry," "War," "Positive Vibration," "Jamming," "Waiting In Vain" and "One Love/People Get Ready" became anthems.

Although he passed away at the young age of 36, "no one in rock and roll has left a musical legacy that matters more or one that matters in such fundamental ways," wrote music writer Robert Palmer upon Marley's posthumous induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Attesting to the power and relevance of that music, Bob Marley lives on.

In Dub Vol. 1 tracklisting:
"Roots, Rock, Dub"
"Is This Love Dub" (previously unavailable on album)
"Forever Loving Jah Dub" (previously unavailable on album)
"Lively Up Your Dub"
"Three Little Birds Dub"
"Crazy Baldhead Dub" (previously unavailable on album)
"Waiting In Vain Dub" (previously unavailable on album)
"Jamming Version"
"One Love/People Get Ready Dub" (mix previously unavailable on album)
"She's Gone Dub" (previously unavailable on album)
"Smile Jamaica Version"

http://www.bobmarley.com/

NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

APRIL 23 - 25 (1st weekend)
Friday, April 23: Lionel Richie, Black Crowes, Dr. John, Steel Pulse, George Clinton & Parliament/Funkadelic, Baaba Maal, Elvin Bishop, Chocolate Milk, Jon Cleary, Frankie Ford, Deacon John, Joe Lovano, Bob French & the Original Tuxedo Jazz Band’s 100 Year Celebration, Irma Thomas’ Tribute to Mahalia Jackson, The Joe Krown Trio with Walter “Wolfman” Washington and Russell Batiste Jr., Lena Prima, Anders Osborne, John Fohl & Johnny Sansone, Dwayne Dopsie & the Zydeco Hellraisers’ Tribute to Rockin’ Dopsie Sr., Maurice Brown Effect, Kenny Neal, Glen David Andrews, Mia X, Cheeky Blakk, and Ms. Tee, OTRA, Nathan & the Zydeco Cha Chas, Leah Chase, Bruce Daigrepont Cajun Band, Little Freddie King Blues Band, The Revivalists, Leroy Jones & New Orleans Finest, Tommy Sancton New Orleans Quintet, Lost Bayou Ramblers, New Orleans Night Crawlers, The Revealers, Rotary Downs, James Rivers Movement, Spencer Bohren, Jesse McBride presents the Next Generation, Jeffery Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, David Egan, Kipori Woods, Semolian Warriors and Comanche Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Mas Mamones, Shades of Praise, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church Mass Choir, Clive Wilson’s New Orleans Serenaders feat. Butch Thompson, Jambalaya Cajun Band with special guest Merlin Fontenot, Real Untouchables Brass Band, Beth Patterson, June Gardner & the Fellas, Kevin Thompson & the Sensational Six, Native Nations Intertribal, Chip & Polly Radke with the God’s House Choir, Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Ensemble, Mount Hermon Mass Choir, Alexis Marceaux Band, Smitty Dee’s Brass Band, Black Mohawk Mardi Gras Indians, Kat Walker Jazz Combo, Natasha Richard of Canada, Delgado Community College Jazz Ensemble, John Lee & the Heralds of Christ, The Bester Singers with the Dynamic Smooth Family Gospel Singers, Keep N It Real and Single Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Grey Hawk, Brass Band Throwdown with the Behrman Charter & O. Perry Walker School Bands, Family Ties and Big Nine Social Aid & Pleasure Club, McDonogh #42 Elementary School Performers…

Saturday, April 24: Simon & Garfunkel, My Morning Jacket, Drake, Better Than Ezra, Ledisi, Sam Bush, the funky Meters, Campbell Brothers, Smokie Norful, Cowboy Mouth, Big Sam’s Funky Nation, Walter “Wolfman” Wahington & the Roadmasters, Papa Grows Funk, Tab Benoit, Sax for Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, and Jeff Lorber, Terence Blanchard, Davell Crawford and One Foot in the Blues with special guests Dr. John and Jon Cleary, Rockin’ Dopsie, Jr. & the Zydeco Twisters, Savoy Center of Eunice Saturday Cajun Jam, Bonerama, Bounce Extravanganza feat. Big Freedia, Sissy Nobby, Katey Red, and Magnolia Shorty with DJ Poppa, The Wiseguys, Jewel Brown with the Heritage Hall Band, Dr. Michael White & the Original Liberty Jazz Band feat. Thais Clark, New Orleans Bingo! Show, Treme Brass Band, Bill Summers & Jazalsa, George French & the Original Storyville Jazz Band, Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes, Lil’ Buck Sinegal Blues Band, Guitar Woodshed feat. Steve Masakowski, Todd Duke, and Jake Eckert, Roddie Romero & the Hub City Allstars, Midnite Disturbers, Kirk Joseph & the Sousaphone Symphony Parade honoring Anthony "Tuba Fats" Lacen, Tin Men, Judy Spellman, Mahogany Brass Band, Creole Wild West Mardi Gras Indians, D.L. Menard & the Louisiana Aces, Rockie Charles & the Staxx of Love, Kirk Joseph & Tuba Tuba, Curley Taylor & Zydeco Trouble, Andrew Duhon & the Lonesome Crows, Panorama Jazz Band, Red Stick Ramblers, Blessed, Patrice Fisher & Arpa and the Honduran Connection, Louisiana Repertory Jazz Ensemble, Chris Clifton, Bleu Orleans, Tonia Scott & the Anointed Voices, Leo Jackson & the Melody Clouds, N.O.C.C.A. Jazz Ensemble, Black Feathers, Wild Mohicans, and Red, White & Blue Mardi Gras Indians, Da Souljas Brass Band, Culu Children’s Traditional African Dance Ensemble, Loyola University Jazz Ensemble, Resurrection Mass Choir, Greater Antioch Full Baptist Church Mass Choir, Betsy McGovern & Patrick O’Flaherty, Lindsay Mendez, Ladies of Unity, Dumaine Gang, and Divine Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Golden Comanche and Seminoles Mardi Gras Indians, Native Nations Intertribal, Johnette Downing, Archdiocese of New Orleans Mass Gospel Choir, Golden Voices Community Choir, Curtis Pierre & Samba Kids, RRAAMS Drum and Dance, Single Men and Nine Times Men Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs…

Sunday, April 25: Allman Brothers Band, Anita Baker, Darius Rucker, Jonny Lang, The Levon Helm Band, Juan Luis Guerra y 440, Imagination Movers, Keely Smith, King Sunny Ade & His African Beats, Blind Boys of Alabama, Marcia Ball, Shawn Colvin, Donald Harrison, Voice of the Wetlands All Stars, Theresa Andersson, Louisiana LeRoux feat. Tab Benoit, The Radiators – Pre-War Blues, Wayne Toups & Zydecajun, The Wonderful World of Louis Armstrong feat. Wycliffe Gordon, James Andrews, and Victor Goines, Irvin Mayfield & the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, Jeremy Davenport, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux & the Golden Eagles Mardi Gras Indians, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Preservation Hall with special guests Jim James and Terence Blanchard, James Andrews & the Crescent City Allstars, New Orleans Klezmer Allstars, Susan Cowsill Band, Grayson Capps, Mark Braud’s New Orleans Jazz Giants, Guitar Slim, Jr., Tribute to Juanita Brooks feat. Germaine Bazzle, Leah Chase, and Betty Shirley, Storyville Stompers Brass Band, Lionel Ferbos & the Palm Court Jazz Band, The Electrifying Crown Seekers, Watson Memorial Music Ministries, Honey Island Swamp Band, Seguenon Kone & L’Ivoire Spectacle, Marc Stone, Free Agents Brass Band, Kim Carson, Michael Ward, Original Dixieland Jazz Band, Miss Sophie Lee, Sammy Rimington’s Jubilee Band, Goldman Thibodeaux & the Lawtell Playboys, Sonny Bourg & the Bayou Blues Band, Nineveh Mass Choir, Gospel Soul Children, Rumba Buena, Minister Jai Reed, Robert “One String” Gibson, Julio y Cesar, Golden Star Hunters and Carrollton Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Untouchables, Furious Five, and Big Steppers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Young Pinstripe Brass Band, Gospel Stars, Voices of Distinction, University of New Orleans Jazz Ensemble, Big Chief Kevin Goodman & the Flaming Arrows Mardi Gras Indians, Olympia Aid, New Look, and the First Division Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Young Audiences presents Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, Angela the Yarnspinner, New Orleans Traditional Brass Band with the Heel to Toe Steppers, Golden Blade and Ninth Ward Navajo Mardi Gras Indians, Red Hot Brass Band, Native Nations Intertribal, Kai Knight’s Dance Academy, Guardians of the Flame…

APRIL 29 – May 2 (2nd weekend)
Thursday, April 29: Widespread Panic, Elvis Costello & the Sugarcanes, Gov’t Mule, Average White Band, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Blues Traveler, Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk, Dee Dee Bridgewater: A Celebration of “Lady Day”, Bernard Allison, Martin Sexton, Four Freshmen, Amanda Shaw & the Cute Guys, C.J. Chenier & the Red Hot Louisiana Band, Soul Rebels, Sunpie & the Louisiana Sunspots, Kirk Joseph’s Backyard Groove, Inspirational Souls of Chicago, Paul Sanchez & the Rolling Road Show, Shannon Powell’s Organ Combo feat. Charlie Gabriel, David Torkanowsky, and Peter Bernstein, Bobby Lonero’s Tribute to Louis Prima with Johnny Pennino & the New Orleans Express, Orange Kellin’s New Orleans Deluxe Orchestra, Elysian Fieldz, Derek Miller, Willis Prudhomme & Zydeco Express, GROUPA – Nordic Folk Fusion, The Roots of Music Marching Crusaders Band, Cedric Watson & Bijou Creole, Topsy Chapman & Solid Harmony, Dala, Walter Payton with Snapbeans & Gumbo Filé, Vivaz!, Jazz Ladies Sing the Blues feat. Gina Brown, Angela H. Bell, Tereasa B., and Heather Rothstein, R. Scully Rough 7, Coco Robicheaux & the Swamp Monsters, Classie Ballou & the Family Band, Mark Adam Miller, Grupo Sensacion, 101 Runners, Paulin Brothers Brass Band, Mario Abney Quintet, Lafayette Rhythm Devils, Loose Marbles, Hot Club of New Orleans, Joe Hall & the Cane Cutters, Lucky 7, Bonsoir Catin, Sean Johnson & the Wild Lotus Band, McDonogh #35, O. Perry Walker, and McMain High School Gospel Choirs, Lyle Henderson & Emmanuel, Black Seminoles Mardi Gras Indians, Eddie “ChopChops” Paris, Tulane University Jazz Ensembles, Thunder Hill, The Wright Brothers, Dillard University Jazz Ensemble, Red Hawk Mardi Gras Indians, Heavenly Melodies, Pastor Terry Gullage & the Greater Mount Calvary Voices of Redemption Choir, Tornado Brass Band, VIP Ladies and Bon Temps Roulez Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, David & Roselyn, Miss Claudia & her Traveling Troubador, Geronimo Hunters and Creole Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Jazz Fest Residency Showcase with Seva Venet and the Wilson Charter School, OPSB Talented in Theatre feat. McMain Secondary, Bethune, and Franklin Elementary Schools…

Friday, April 30: Aretha Franklin, Allen Toussaint, Gipsy Kings, Kirk Franklin, Jose Feliciano, Take 6, Derek Trucks and Susan Tedeschi Band, Kermit Ruffins & the Barbecue Swingers, The Dixie Cups, Stanley Clarke Band feat. Hiromi, the subdudes, John Mooney & Bluesiana, Elvis Perkins in Dearland, Buckwheat Zydeco, Eric Lindell, Nicholas Payton Sextet, Steve Riley & the Mamou Playboys, Louis Prima, Jr., The Iguanas, Nadirah Shakoor, Fredy Omar con su Banda, PJ Morton, New Orleans Spiritualettes, Astral Project, John Boutté, Kent Jordan, The Jon Batiste Band, Mardi Gras Indian Orchestra, Onward Brass Band, New Orleans Ragtime Orchestra, The Selvys, Big Al Carson, Hadley J. Castille Family & the Sharecroppers Cajun Band, Fi Yi Yi & the Mandingo Warriors, Jimmy Robinson, The Rocks of Harmony, Connie & Dwight with the St. Raymond/St. Leo the Great Choir, Papa Blue Viking Jazz Band of Sweden, Dee-1, Thomas “Big Hat” Fields, Julliard Jazz Ensemble, Pfister Sisters, Ray Abshire, Kid Simmons’ Local International Allstars, Brother Tyrone, J. Monque’D Blues Band, Forgotten Souls Brass Band, Bamboula 2000, Kristin Diable, Creole String Beans, Rev. Jermaine Landrum and Ebenezer Baptist Church Choir, Kora Konnection feat. Morikeba Kouyate of Senegal and Thierno Dioubate of Guinea, Marisa y Mariachi Agave, First Ladies Brass Band, N’Fungola Sibo West African Dance Company, Voices of Peter Claver, Gospel Inspirations of Boutte, Heritage School of Music Band, Gloria Bell & the Revelation Gospel Singers, Nashville Children’s Choir, Thunder Hill, New Wave Brass Band, New Orleans Indian Rhythm Section, Original Big Seven and Original Four Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Adella Adella the Storyteller, KIDsmART and ISL Circus Arts Program, Young Magnolias Mardi Gras Indians, Scene Boosters, Ole N Nu Fellas, and Secondline Jammers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, KIDsmART Artist Troupe, The Jazz Cats Marionettes…

Saturday, May 1: Pearl Jam, Jeff Beck, Teena Marie, Pete Fountain, Band of Horses, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Galactic, Sonny Landreth, Sugarfoot’s Ohio Players, Rebirth Brass Band, The Allen Toussaint Jazzity Project, Cyril Neville & Tribe 13, Old Crow Medicine Show, Marcus Miller, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Anders Osborne, Henry Butler, BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet, Chris Thomas King, Sagbohan Danialou of Benin, Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band, Shamarr Allen & the Underdawgs, MyNameIsJohnMichael, Charmaine Neville Band, Aaron Neville, Banu Gibson with Swing Out & Tap!, Bobby Lounge, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band, New Birth Brass Band, Germaine Bazzle, The Johnson Extension, Betty Winn & One A-Chord, Pine Leaf Boys, Gregg Stafford & the Young Tuxedo Brass Band, Jumpin’ Johnny Sansone & the XL Band, Mem Shannon & the Membership, Russell Batiste & Friends feat. Jason Neville, Driskill Mountain Boys, DJ Soul Sister, Pinstripe Brass Band, Jockimo’s Groove feat. War Chief Juan & Billy Iuso, Lynn Drury, Evan Christopher and Tom McDermott, AsheSon, White Cloud Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Zion Trinity, Kenny Bill Stinson & the ARK-LA-Mystics, Roderick Paulin & the Big Easy Groovers feat. Nicole Slack-Jones: A Tribute to Julian “Cannonball” Adderly, New Leviathan Oriental Foxtrot Orchestra, Connie Jones & the Crescent City Jazz Band, Trouble Nation and Ninth Ward Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, New Generation, First Emmanuel Baptist Church Choir, Arthur Clayton & Purposely Anointed, Paula & the Pontiacs, Xavier University Jazz Ensemble, Baby Boyz Brass Band, Jonno’s Cajun Experience, Jamil Sharif, Ayla Miller, Undefeated Divas, and Lady Jetsetters Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Saltimbanqui of Mexico, Stephen Foster’s Foster Family Program, Cherokee Hunters, Wild Red Flame, and Mohawk Hunters Mardi Gras Indians, Donnie Bolden, Jr. & the Spirit of Elijah, Tyronne Foster & the Arc Singers, Thunder Hill, Craig Adams & Higher Dimensions of Praise, Westbank Steppers, Valley of Silent Men, and Pigeon Steppers Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Alana Villavaso…

Sunday, May 2: The Neville Brothers, Van Morrison, B.B. King, Irma Thomas, The Dead Weather, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Richie Havens, Clarence Carter, Juvenile & DJ Mannie Fresh, Wayne Shorter Quartet feat. Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and Danilo Perez, Tye Tribbett, Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, The Radiators, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Ellis Marsalis, Clarence “Frogman” Henry, DJ Captain Charles, The Davell Crawford Singers, Ruthie Foster, Sagbohan Danialou of Benin, Luther Kent, Sherman Washington & the Zion Harmonizers, The Preservation Hallstar Revue, Mia Borders, Jimmy Johnson Band, Benny Grunch & the Bunch, Tribute to Juanita Brooks feat. Wanda Rouzan, Barbara Shorts, and Topsy Chapman, Big Chief Bo Dollis & the Wild Magnolias, Delfeayo Marsalis & the Uptown Jazz Orchestra, John Rankin, Tim Laughlin, Don Vappie & the Creole Jazz Serenaders, Val & the Love Alive Fellowship Choir, Willie Tee, Warren Storm & Cypress, Feufollet, Reggie Hall & The Twilighters, Ernie Vincent & the Top Notes, Phillip Manuel, TBC Brass Band, Los Po-Boy-Citos, Dukes of Dixieland, Margie Perez, Keith Franks, Gal Holiday & the Honky Tonk Revue, Goldman Thibodeaux & the Lawtell Playboys, Blodie’s Jazz Jam, Nova NOLA feat. Sasha Masakowski, Jonno & Bayou DeVille, Kumbuka African Drum & Dance Collective, Some Like It Hot, Jo “Cool” Davis, St. Joseph the Worker Choir, Franklin IV, Hazel & the Delta Ramblers, N’Kafu African Dance Ensemble, Wild Tchoupitoulas, Black Eagles and Wild Apaches Mardi Gras Indians, Morikeba Kouyate & Friends, Highsteppers Brass Band, Original Lady Buckjumpers and Original Prince of Wales Social Aid & Pleasure Clubs, Ven Pa’ Ca, Zulu Male Ensemble, Golden Sioux and Apache Hunters Mardi Gras Hunters, Thunder Hill, O. Perry Walker Kuumba Players, Hobgoblin Hill Puppet Theater, Lady Rollers, Original CTC, and Nine Times Ladies Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Morning Star Mass Choir, KIDsmART Performer Showcase…

96.3 HD-3 ST. LOUIS OFFERS SMOOTH & SEXY FORMAT

Coupled with the loss of another smooth jazz station in St. Louis, now Emmis Communications has announced that the new 96.3 HD-3 came to life at 1:15 P.M. on Tuesday, January 5th 2010. The ‘new’ station (if you will) is now filled with artists like Dave Koz, Paul Hardcastle, David Benoit, The Rippingtons and Boney James, as well as many of your usual smooth jazz favorites...all coming together to provide a "Smooth and Sexy" sound. Although I haven’t had a chance to listen to 96.3 HD-3, the press release mentions that the intent is to produce a familiar, but yet a unique sound, that will include some stand-out gems sprinkled throughout the day. Such examples include tracks from staight-ahead jazz atist Miles Davis, or a chilled out groove from Zero 7, or something a little funkier from Deodato. Plus, they also mention plans to expand both the station library as well as the programming.

Here is a synopsis of the new programming:
--"Sunday Morning Tranquility," which will start your Sunday off chilled and relaxing with an eclectic mix of music which will include Enya, Rufus Wainwright, Ottmar Liebert, Eva Cassidy and Nick Drake, among others.

--"The Groove Suite" is an evening program which will air on Friday and Saturday nights. The Groove Suite takes our same, great music and ramps it up a bit to get your energy going. You will hear artists like Down To The Bone, Four80East and Soundscape UK.

--"The Saturday Night Lounge" will wrap up an energetic Saturday night with a chilled out and groovy playlist filled with artists like Zero 7, Air, Moby and Massive Attack. Just perfect for winding down after your Saturday night plans are over with.

--"All-Request Saturday Afternoons" will be an interactive show which will allow the listeners to run the station for a 3-hour period every Saturday. Listeners can e-mail their requests and hear them played on Saturday afternoons.

So now we have a 'smooth jazz' station that offers straight-up jazz, smooth jazz, chill, dance, new age, soft rock - - - now why didn’t they do this before the station got dropped off of the radio dial??? Personally speaking, I think it's a great format, but then again who the hell is going to get the chance to enjoy it when it's only available in the HD graveyard. By the way, if any of you readers desire to check out this type of format - - - check out Jazz FM and Solar Radio (both in the U.K., and both available online.

JAMIE CULLUM & IMELDA MAY SET U.S. TOUR DATES

If you witnessed the entrancing performance by singer Imelda May accompanying Jeff Beck on "How High The Moon" for the Les Paul tribute on Sunday's Grammy® Awards broadcast, then you will surely want to see the rising Irish star live on her upcoming U.S. tour. After opening for Eric Clapton/Jeff Beck at London's O2 in February, Imelda May will return to the States and join Verve label mate Jamie Cullum for a series of U.S dates. Dublin-born May, who has previously shared stages with Jeff Beck as well as Van Morrison, made her major label debut in late 2009 with Love Tattoo (Verve), which shot to #1 on the Irish charts, ahead of Bruce Springsteen and Eminem. Throughout the U.K. and Ireland, she has won honors from "Rising Star of 2009" and "Jazz Artist of 2009" to "Best Female Newcomer." Shaking up traditional jazz with a magnificent voice that channels both Janis Joplin and Patsy Cline, her mix of jazz, rockabilly and blues yields a cool, swinging fusion both classic and oddly modern. Her fierce, unbridled concert performances have a reputation for being impassioned events, a prime example being her interpretation of "Johnny Got A Boom-Boom."

Jamie Cullum's third Verve album, The Pursuit, will be released March 2, 2010. Genre-defying and wonderfully eclectic as always, Cullum mixes modern influences and an infectious devil-may-care swagger with his love of jazz and timeless standards. A 2005 Grammy® nominee, he also earned a Golden Globe nomination last year for "Best Original Song" for co-writing the title song for the film Gran Torino with star Clint Eastwood. With both May and Cullum's reputation for commanding live performances, many dates on the tour are already sold-out.

Jamie Cullum and Imelda May Tour Dates:
Mar 4 – Town Hall, New York, NY
Mar 5 – Keswick Theatre, Philadelphia, PA
Mar 6 – House Of Blues, Boston, MA
Mar 7 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
Mar 9 – Massey Hall, Toronto, ON
Mar 12 – Cobb Energy PAC, Atlanta, GA
Mar 13 – Polk Theatre @ TPAC, Nashville, TN
Mar 14 – Roberts Orpheum Theatre, St. Louis, MO
Mar 16 – Park West, Chicago, IL
Mar 20 – Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC
Mar 21 – The Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA
Mar 22 – Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR
Mar 23 – Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
Mar 25 – The Avalon, Los Angeles, CA

DAVID FOSTER, ANDREA BOCELLI & MARY J. BLIDGE TEAM FOR "BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER"

In an extraordinary effort, accomplished with unprecedented speed, global icon Mary J. Blige, world-renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, and esteemed producer David Foster have bridged genres and continents to record an emotional duet of the Simon & Garfunkel classic "Bridge Over Troubled Water" in order to benefit earthquake relief efforts in Haiti, available exclusively at iTunes.com/Target. Blige, Bocelli and Foster will perform the song live on the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, January 31, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, broadcast on CBS from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The historic performance will mark the 40th anniversary of the original hit receiving the Grammys for Record of the Year and Song of the Year. Target and iTunes have teamed up to create a one-of-a-kind download opportunity of the studio version of the song, arranged and produced by Foster, that will be available for purchase and download exclusively at iTunes.com/Target following the Grammys broadcast. In addition, a once-in-a-lifetime live video performance will also be available exclusively at iTunes.com/Target following the telecast. All U.S. proceeds will go to the American Red Cross to aid Haitian earthquake relief and recovery efforts.

Said Blige, a nine-time Grammy winner: "My prayers go out to all who are suffering. I'm lending my voice to help inspire others to join me in making a difference to rebuild the lives of the people in Haiti. I feel that I am them and they are me and I would want to be helped in this same capacity." Added Bocelli: "Today in this very sad moment, we all come together, and through our music we work to rebuild not only the physical structures but the lives of those who have been devastated by this horrible disaster. For the past several years I've collaborated with a charity in Haiti and last year met the incredible people who work there. After the earthquake, they reported to me a situation well beyond despair. I think it's up to each of us to do whatever it takes to assist after this catastrophe. I am extremely honored to be a part of the recovery efforts and lend a helping hand to the people of Haiti." Foster concurred: "We all need to contribute in our own way to help alleviate the devastation and grief of the families of Haiti, and through this song we strive to bring hope to those who need it most."

The project was led by Jimmy Iovine, Ron Fair and Steve Berman of Interscope Geffen A&M Records, who brought together a philanthropic partnership including Target, iTunes, Sugar Records, The Recording Academy, Warner Music Group, CBS and Paul Simon.

AMERICAN SMOOTH JAZZ AWARDS

The American Smooth Jazz Awards (ASJA) has been set for Friday, October 29, 2010, at the Blue Chip Casino Hotel & Spa, located in Michigan City, Indiana."This event will draw the most influential national and international contemporary jazz artists from around the world to award them for their outstanding musical talents," said Bernie Scott, president of Scott & Company Music Group and ASJA Awards. Scott is asking smooth jazz aficionados to be part of the 2010 awards voting process. "We want smooth jazz fans, from all over the globe, to be part of the voting process – beginning March 15th, the public will be able to vote online for their favorite artists in 18 categories." said Scott. The website for voting is

www.AmericanSmoothJazzAwards.com.

The categories, which, in part, include both Male and Female Vocalists, Instrumentalists, Song, Album and Entertainer of the Year, also include 4 International categories. Award presenters will be coming in from around the world to be part of this event. To date, high profile radio personalities Jimi King (London); Michael Tozzi (Philadelphia); Carmen Kennedy (Cleveland); Doug Thomas (Sacramento) and Lynn Bridges (Las Vegas) will be in attendance. Jazz pianist, composer and producer David Benoit will be presented with the illustrious Lifetime Achievement Award. Regina Tisdale, wife of the late jazz guitarist Wayman Tisdale will be in attendance to present the Wayman Tisdale Humanitarian Award. Jazz guitarist, Nick Colionne, who will be the musical director, will also be the evening's host, along with Chicago radio personality Rick O'Dell.

Blue Chip Casino Hotel & Spa is located just 50 miles east of Chicago on the southern shore of Lake Michigan. Tickets for the dinner and awards ceremonies are available to the public through Ticketmaster.com or any Ticketmaster outlet. Special packages are available through Blue Chip Casino Hotel & Spa by calling 888-879-7711, select option #1.The American Smooth Jazz Awards, through all print media, will join in the effort to promote Breast Cancer awareness.

http://www.AmericanSmoothJazzAwards.com

'HOPE FOR HAITI NOW' ALBUM #1 WITH MORE THAN 171,000 DOWNLOADS

"Hope for Haiti Now" today announced that it has raised more than $66 million to date for Haiti relief and recovery efforts. The figure includes proceeds from sales of the "Hope for Haiti Now" album, a collection of live performances from last week's global telethon that today became the first-ever digital-only album to debut at no. 1 on the Billboard 200. According to Nielsen SoundScan, "Hope for Haiti Now" was purchased for download more than 171,000 times in the United States through Sunday, January 24. The album sold an additional 60,000 copies outside of the U.S. through Sunday. "Hope for Haiti Now" also sold 300,000 individual audio performances as well as 15,000 downloads of the full two-hour video telecast through Sunday. The album has hit no. 1 on iTunes in 18 countries, and "Hope for Haiti Now" is the first project to simultaneously reach the No. 1 spot on the U.S. iTunes album, song ("Stranded (Haiti Mon Amour)" by Jay-Z, Bono, The Edge and Rihanna), and television charts. All retail partners, the record labels, and the artists will donate their share of the proceeds to Haiti relief and recovery funds managed by "Hope for Haiti Now" charities. Performances are available for purchase on iTunes, AmazonMP3, Rhapsody, and Napster. All distribution is provided by INgrooves.

"Hope for Haiti Now" today also announced the formation of an Advisory Committee to oversee the distribution of funds donated through the global telethon. The Entertainment Industry Foundation, in concert with the Committee, is advising "Hope for Haiti Now" to ensure that the donated funds are quickly and effectively put to use in Haiti. The first installment of donated funds is due for distribution next week. The Committee is comprised of the following recognized and distinguished leaders in philanthropy, nonprofit oversight, and Haiti relief:

· Diana Aviv, President & CEO, Independent Sector
· Brian Concannon, Jr., Esq., Director, Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti
· William Foster, Co-Partner, The Bridgespan Group
· Steven Gunderson, President & CEO, The Council on Foundations
· Nancy Lindborg, President, Mercy Corps
· Jacques-Philippe Piverger, PineBridge Investments
· Judith Rodin, Ph.D., President, The Rockefeller Foundation
· David Saltzman, Executive Director, Robin Hood Foundation

This week, each beneficiary organization is submitting to "Hope for Haiti Now" its plans for use of funds donated through the telethon, its key partners, and its goals and measurement for success. The Advisory Committee is meeting this week to review the information from partner charities and help "Hope for Haiti Now" begin to distribute funds next week. The Committee will also provide recommendations on maintaining the due diligence process and continued oversight as "Hope for Haiti Now" continues to distribute funds to its partner charities.

"The outpouring of generosity around "Hope for Haiti Now" is truly remarkable, and I look forward to helping ensure that generosity has a direct and measureable impact on the relief and recovery efforts in Haiti," said Steven Gunderson, President & CEO of the Council on Foundations.

"Our top priority is ensuring that proceeds from the telethon are distributed as quickly, responsibly and effectively as possible. We are pleased to have individuals with such extraordinary expertise on our Advisory Committee to help facilitate the process," said Lisa Paulsen, President & CEO of the Entertainment Industry Foundation, the 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization providing philanthropic support to "Hope for Haiti Now."

"Hope for Haiti Now," benefits the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, United Nations World Food Programme, and Yele Haiti Foundation. With the exception of the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, each organization was selected for its history of operation and collaboration within the nongovernmental organization (NGO) community in Haiti.

"Hope for Haiti Now" will continue accepting donations for six months via the following methods:
· Online: www.hopeforhaitinow.org
· Phone: 877-99-HAITI
· Text: Text "GIVE" to 50555
· Mail: Hope for Haiti Now, FILE 1372, 1801 West Olympic Blvd. / Pasadena, California 91199-1372

"Hope for Haiti Now" was produced by Joel Gallen and Tenth Planet Productions, in collaboration with Viacom's MTV Networks and George Clooney.

JOSE JAMES - BLACKMAGIC

Since his arrival onto the international scene in 2008, vocalist Jose James has continued to dazzle critics and audiences alike with his deft combination of soul, hip-hop and jazz. Ever since being picked up for a track on Peterson's first Brownswood Bubblers compilation, the Minneapolis-born singer has become a firm part of the Brownswood family, and it's easy to see why with the silky smooth vocals and dusky jazz grooves that were showcased on his debut album. James was signed to Gilles Petersons, Brownswood Records in 2008 and released his debut album, The Dreamer, to worldwide acclaim. Since then he has toured internationally at venues such as the North Sea Jazz Festival, the Vitoria Jazz Festival, Billboard Live Tokyo, Centro Cultural Sao Paolo, the Hermitage St. Petersburg, Central Park Summerstage New York, and London’s Royal Festival Hall. As a recording artist and guest vocalist, Jose James has worked with Junior Mance, Chico Hamilton, Gilles Peterson, Bassment Jaxx, Nicola Conte, Jazzanova, Christian McBride, Toshio, Matsuura, Elan Mehler, The Heritage Orchestra, Soil & Pimp Sessions, Flying Lotus, J.A.M., Robert Mitchell, Jazzy Sport, and Simbad.

Now Jose James will issue his second album via Gilles Peterson's Brownswood Recordings label on February 22, 2010. While James took it upon himself to produce most of The Dreamer solo, with sophomore effort Blackmagic, he's called on the likes of Flying Lotus, Moodyman, and Jazzy Sport's DJ Mitsu The Beats to help him go one further this time around. Fly Lo was involved from an early stage in the writing and recording process, and lends his loose hip-hop charms to a wide number of tracks on the record, with Kenny Dixon Jr. contributing the lilting jazz-funk of "Detroit Loveletter," and Mitsu going for a warm and uplifting brass vibe on "Promise In Love." James has even turned his hand to a jazz adaptation of Benga's pulsating dubstep anthem "Emotions," adding his own vocals and re-titling the track "Warrior."

Blackmagic Tracklist

01. Code

02. Touch

03. Lay You Down

04. Promise In Love

05. Warrior

06. Made for Love

07. Save Your Love for Me

08. The Greater Good

09. Blackmagic

10. Detroit Loveletter

11. Love Conversation (ft. Jordana de Lovely)

12. Beauty

12. No Tellin'

NEW RELEASES FROM: JOSE JAMES, RONNY JORDAN, T.W.O., WALTER WILLIAMS & MORE...

Albert Elma & Ron Grainger – Man In A Suitcase Original Soundtrack
Bill Kurtis & Friends – With The Fatback Band
Brazilian Groove Band – Anatomy Of A Groove
Candycream – Chance
Chris Godber – One Breath At A Time
Clara Hill – Best Of Three
Collage & Company - Checkmate
Cro-Magnum – 4U
DF Michael – Dances And Walks
Dean Grech – Look Out
Delton Walker – Back In Your Arms Again
Diana Ross – Diana (Rarities Edition)
Dreamtime – New York Lounge Funk
Ella Fitzgerald – 12 Nights In Hollywood
Fin Johnston – Let Every Note
Fumi Hito – This Goes
Glawdys N’Dee - Lyannaj
J.D. Daniel – Back To The Groove
Jaga Jazzist – One-Armed Bandit
Jason Stein – In Exchange For A Process
Jaye Q – From My Soul
Jean F. Cochois – Gold In The Attic
Johnny James – The Cure
Jose James – Blackmagic
Juan Rozoff – Maison Rozoff
Karen Deuroop –Reminiscing
Lalo Shifrin – Bullit Original Soundtrack Plus Bonus Tracks
Leland Alexander – Full Bloom
LEMS – Ping Pong Box
Limbo – Out Of Body
Living Proof – Feel Good Music
Maiko Watson – Sweet Vibration
Marvin Gaye – What’s Going On (Rarities Edition)
Matt Bianco – Free Soul Drive
Matt Bianco – HiFi Bossanova
Michael Scherer – Exceeding Expectations
Milano Jazz Dance Combo – Milano Jazz Dance Ensemble
Orleya – Chill Out Hits Of The World:The String Sessions
Robin Duke - Life
Ronny Jordan – The Rough & The Smooth
Shaun LaBelle – Desert Nights
Soulpersona – Solacoaster
Soul Cycle - Mosaic
Soul Jazz Dynamiters – Soul Jazz Dynamiters
Soiree – Zim Zim Zah Zah
T.W.O. – The Whispers Orchestra
Tribe -Rebirth
Trizonna McClendon – New Familiar
Various Artists – Ambient Summer
Various Artists – Bar Jazz Vol. 1
Various Artists – L’Anthologia Funk – D’Aglia Anna 70 Ad Oggi
Various Artists – Lola Luna Paris Lounge
Various Artists – Lounge Affair – Pop Meets Lounge Vol. 2
Various Artists – Mezzanine De Lalcazar 8
Various Artists – Nu Jazz Essentials
Various Artists –Sambossica 2
Walter Williams - Exposed

AL/CAPONE BAND TO PERFORM IN MINNEAPOLIS

The Al/Capone Band will perform live and debut their new single entitled, The Mini Apple, at the Minneapolis Marriott City Center hotel on Monday night, January 25, 2010 at 6:00pm. The Marriott's Mini Apple Event puts the spotlight on Minneapolis nightlife and features entertainment from the Al/Capone Band, a Minneapolis based high-energy, six-piece jazz band. "We're very excited to host this exclusive event of great music, food and fun in the heart of downtown Minneapolis," said Tim Cahill, Director of Sales & Marketing, Minneapolis Marriott City Center. "This is only the beginning of new campaign we will launch in February designed to build significant interest in the city of Minneapolis as well as our hotel's extraordinary accommodations," he concluded. Composed by band leader and drummer, Jeep Capone and partner horn player, Allen Young, The Mini Apple, is a tribute to the Minneapolis experience. Based in the Twin Cities, the Al/Capone Band mixes jazz, R&B, funk, fusion and Latin, always staying true to its jazz roots. The Marriott Mini Apple event includes food and beverage specials and music from Mr. Smooth record album, the band's most recent CD. The live performance begins at 6:00 pm on the fifth floor of the Minneapolis Marriott at City Center. Autographed CDs will be available for purchase.

Mr. Smooth, the new smooth jazz CD from the Al/Capone Band charted at number 45 on the Smooth Indie Star its first week of reporting. The CD, a mix of smooth jazz, fusion, R&B, funk and Latin music, is now being aired on 47 radio stations around the country. “Mr. Smooth brings the listener many styles of music on one CD,” says Jeep Capone, Al/Capone’s band leader and drummer. “Although we’re found under the smooth jazz genre, our band crosses the lines giving us a unique sound that appeals to a wider audience. I think it’s that smooth blend of musical styles that makes all the difference.” One popular cut from Mr.Smooth, Jamatude, is receiving air play on the 47 stations and three more songs from the eleven-song CD have already been edited for radio, and are on their way to more stations.

http://www.caponelive.com/
http://www.facebook.com/MarriottMinneapolis

JEFF BECK - EMOTION & COMMOTION

For his first studio album in seven years, Grammy-winning guitarist Jeff Beck returns with an eclectic mix of tracks that find the guitar virtuoso accompanied by a handpicked cast of talented musicians, as well as several songs accompanied by a 64-piece orchestra. The new album, Emotion & Commotion will be available on Atco Records, an imprint of Rhino Entertainment, on April 13 at all retail outlets, for a suggested list price of $18.98 (CD) and $9.99 (digital). Jeff Beck recorded Emotion & Commotion late last year at Sarm Studios in London with award-winning producers Steve Lipson and Trevor Horn. To create the album's diverse sound, Beck used a number of musicians, including appearances by frequent collaborators Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Jason Rebello (keyboards), and Tal Wilkenfeld (bass). The album also includes contributions from a trio of singers: Imelda May ("Lilac Wine"), Olivia Safe ("Elegy For Dunkirk"), and Grammy-winner Joss Stone ("I Put A Spell On You" and "There's No Other Me"). To complement the innovative tones he coaxes from his guitar, Beck recorded with a 64-piece orchestra on songs that range from Puccini's immortal aria "Nessun Dorma" and "Elegy For Dunkirk" from the film "Atonement" to "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" from "The Wizard Of Oz" and Jeff Buckley's interpretation of "Corpus Christi Carol."

Beck says the idea of pairing his guitar with an orchestra evolved from the version of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 5 he recorded a few years ago. "It turned out amazingly well, but I didn't want to commit to an entire album of classical music. What appealed to me instead was the idea of bringing together these seemingly contradictory sounds on different kinds of nonclassical music." In addition to the orchestral pieces, Emotion & Commotion showcases a number of original compositions. For "Hammerhead," Beck fires the rocker's opening salvo through his wah-wah pedal before falling into a deep groove carved out by the rhythm section and horn arrangement. At the opposite end of the sonic spectrum, the airy arrangement that elevates "Never Alone" provides a wide-angle soundscape for Beck's imagination to freely explore the high-flying melody.

Before launching a world tour to support Emotion & Commotion, Beck will unite with Eric Clapton in February for a series of exclusive shows in London, New York City, Toronto, and Montreal. The guitarists -- both former members of the Yardbirds -- will play separately before taking the stage to perform together. After the shows with Clapton, Beck will play South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, and Japan before returning to America for the U.S. leg of the tour starting mid-April and including an appearance at the New Orleans Jazz Festival on May 1. For Beck, the new album and tour follows in the wake of a triumphant 2009, his most successful year ever. Among the many highlights were a sold-out world tour; his second induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; the release of the platinum-selling "Performing This Week... Live At Ronnie Scott's," which earned a Grammy nomination for "A Day In The Life"; and magnificent performances with his band at the 25th Anniversary Concert of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at Madison Square Garden.

Emotion & Commotion Track Listing
1. "Corpus Christi Carol"
2. "Hammerhead"
3. "Never Alone"
4. "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"
5. "I Put A Spell On You" featuring Joss Stone
6. "Serene"
7. "Lilac Wine" featuring Imelda May
8. "Nessun Dorma"
9. "There's No Other Me" featuring Joss Stone
10. "Elegy For Dunkirk" featuring Olivia Safe

Jeff Beck Tour Dates (with Eric Clapton)
February
13 London O2 Arena
14 London O2 Arena
18 New York City Madison Square Garden
19 New York City Madison Square Garden
21 Toronto Air Canada Center
22 Montreal Bell Centre

RAHEEM DEVAUGHN - THE LOVE AND WAR MASTERPEACE

Jive Records singer/songwriter Raheem DeVaughn is set to release his third album The Love And War Masterpeace in stores March 2, as his first single "Bulletproof" featuring Ludacris rises on the charts. The track currently holds its place in the Top 20 on Billboard's Urban Adult Contemporary airplay chart this week with the video in rotation on the VH1 Soul and BET Centric networks. "I named the album The Love And War Masterpeace because I feel that where I am as a person and where we are as a people, we are all trying to master that internal peace and happiness in a very strange time," says the Washington, DC native. "Bulletproof" follows the politically minded thread of the album, addressing the social ills of the times. Scholar Dr. Cornel West weighs in on several interludes drawing from his background as a prominent leader in civil rights issues and expertise in progressive politics, jazz and justice. Kenny Dope produced most of the album including "Bulletproof." Ne-Yo, Stereotypes and Ronnie "Lil Ronnie" Jackson also contribute to the production. His second single "I Don't Care" impacts Urban Adult Contemporary radio on January 25.

DeVaughn earned two Grammy nods from his sophomore effort Love Behind The Melody for Best Male R& B Performance for his # 1 smash UAC hit "Woman" and for Best R&B Song for his Top 15 Urban Mainstream single "Customer." With the success from Love Behind The Melody (which debuted at # 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Chart ) he garnered two 2008 BET J Awards for Best Male R&B artist and Album of the Year. DeVaughn is primed for another high-profile year with the release of The Love and War and Masterpeace. The self-described "R&B/hippie/neo-soul/rock star" will make his acting debut this spring in the upcoming film Who Do You Love depicting the story of Chess Records.

Track listing for The Love And War Masterpeace is as follows:
1. Dr. West (Interlude)
2. Bulletproof featuring Ludacris (Produced by Kenny Dope)
3. The Greatness featuring Wale (Produced by Kenny Dope)
4. I Don't Care (Produced by Stereotypes/Co-Produced by Ne-Yo)
5. Black & Blue (Produced by Ronnie “Lil Ronnie” Jackson)
6. Mr. Right (Produced by Ivan “Orthodox” Barias & Carvin “Ransum” Haggins
7. Dr. West (Interlude)
8. Fragile featuring Malik Yusef (Produced by Kenny Dope)
9. My Wife (Produced by Kenny Dope)
10. B.O.B. (Produced by Big Bob, Symfoniz & Jerry Juke Vines)
11. Bedroom (Produced by Kenny Dope)
12. Microphone (Produced by Ronnie “Lil Ronnie” Jackson)
13. Garden of Love (Produced by Kenny Dope)
14. Dr. West (Interlude)
15. Revelations 2010 featuring Damien Marley (Produced by Kenny Dope)
16. Nobody Wins a War featuring Jill Scott, Bilal, Anthony Hamilton, Algebra, Chrisette Michele, Shelby Johnson, Ledisi, Citizen Cope, Dwele, Chico DeBarge and Rudy Currence (Produced by Kenny Dope)

There will also be a 2-disc Deluxe version of The Love And War Masterpeace with seven additional songs:
1. Dr. West (Interlude)
2. Wing & a Prayer featuring Bun B (Produced by Jamil "Face" Johnson)
3. Dr. West (Interlude)
4. Super Hero (featuring Produced by Sound of the City Music Group)
5. Soldier's Story (Produced by Kenny Dope)
6. Dr. West (Interlude)
7. Hopeless Romantic (Produced by Kenny Dope)
8. Lose Control featuring Phil Ade' (Produced by Kenny Dope)
9. Calling Me (Produced by DeAndre' "Dre King" Shaifer)
10. XOXO (Produced by Ronnie "Lil Ronnie" Jackson)
11. Dr. West (Interlude)

www.theloveexperience.com

SWEET MICKEY, T-VICE & OTHERS TO PERFORM AT H20 FOR HAITI CONCERT

Popular Haitian artists, Sweet Mickey and T-Vice are among those scheduled to perform at a Miami Beach benefit concert this Saturday to aid their homeland. The artists are set to perform at the ‘H20 for Haiti,’ set for Saturday, January 23, at Oak Grove Park, 690 NE 159 Street, North Miami Beach, Florida from 3-10PM. Haitian business owners, artists, and community leaders, along with Miami-Dade Commissioner Dorrin Rolle will present the rebuilding relief event to raise money for the earthquake victims of Haiti.

“We want to honor the lives that were lost and raise hope for the people that are faced with a long road of rebuilding ahead of them. This concert will be quite different from our normal performances as we will be featuring songs of hope, solidarity and pride,” said Sweet Mickey.

Officials say the goal of this event is to immediately raise money to provide two million gallons of water desperately needed to the earthquake victims. “This is the beginning of an ongoing effort to ensure that the people of Haiti will receive the water is so needed,” a statement said.

Organizers say they are expecting some 20,000 attendees at the event to make donations toward the purchase of water, or bring bottles of water that the Rebuilding Haiti Committee will distribute in Port-au-Prince, immediately following the event.

“The images coming out of Haiti are gut-wrenching. The aftermath of this earthquake has caused complete devastation and the suffering of Haiti has only begun,” said Commissioner Rolle. One of the biggest resources lacking now in Haiti is clean, accessible water. Without it, we are losing lives daily. I’m asking everyone in Miami-Dade County to contribute anything they can to this cause to help our friends aborad.”

Other performers include Alan Cave, Jowee Omicil, Harmonik, and Gabel. The presenting sponsor is NOPIN long Distance, along with Viola has pledged their ongoing support.

BIGGA HAITIAN - SAK PASE

The February 9, 2010, Walkup Records release of Bigga Haitian's Sak Pase on CD had been in the works for months. Following the earthquake in Haiti, Bigga and Walkup announced that they will donate all proceeds from downloads of "I Am A Haitian" from Sak Pase to Yele Haiti to assist with relief efforts. Of the devastation, Bigga says, "I feel like I need to do something and this is what I have to offer." Bigga Haitian was born "Charles Dorismond" in Haiti to a musical family. His father, Andre Dorismond, was a pioneer of Kompa music with the Webert Sico Group. Bigga has always exhibited his love for his native country in his music, starting over 20 years ago with "Haiti A Weh Mi From" and continuing through today with "I Am A Haitian." Bigga's concerns are both national and personal: "It is a tragedy, so many people suffering. I haven't been able to get through to family down there." Walkup Records co-founder Brett Smith added, "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected by this disaster. We are humbled to join Bigga in his efforts on behalf of the Haitian people." Produced by Brett Smith and Marc Lawrence and recorded from 2006-2009 in New York, Israel and Taiwan, Sak Pase features many outstanding musicians, including an all-star horn section consisting of Clark Gayton (Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Prince, Steel Pulse), Cedric Brooks (Skatalites, Bob Marley), and Kevin Batchelor (Steel Pulse, Skatalites, Shaggy), who last appeared together on the multi-platinum Rihanna album A Girl Like Me.

Sak Pase is enjoying airplay on reggae radio around the world. The album features a cover of "My Doorbell" by the White Stripes, and collaborations with Yvad (current lead singer of The Wailers) and Mecca aka Grimo (signed to Wyclef Jean's label). One of these collaborations, "London Massive (feat. Yvad)," was featured in the series finale of the NBC drama The Philanthropist. The CD includes a bonus instrumental version of "I Am A Haitian" featuring Jerry Johnson (Steel Pulse, Burning Spear, Skatalites). Artwork by renowned designer Joshua Marc Levy (Aerosmith, AC/DC, Santana, Matisyahu) completes the package.

Bigga Haitian has been blazing up the stage for more than 20 years, appearing with reggae legends including Shabba Ranks, Sizzla, Shaggy, and Buju Banton. Bigga is known as the first Haitian singer to break into the Jamaican reggae scene, tearing down national and cultural walls and paving the way for the next generation of Haitian artists. Walkup Records is a New York-based independent music company founded in 2006 by music industry veterans and childhood friends, Brett Smith and Marc Lawrence. Conceived during a jam in Brett's 4th floor walkup apartment in New York City, Walkup Records stands for a commitment to high-quality music played by real musicians and a determination to do things the right way.

SANTANA - SUPERNATURAL THE LEGACY EDITION

With a chart record that now spans five decades – from the '60s to the '00s – and one of the most consistently best-selling catalogs in modern recording history, Santana's torrid gumbo of blues-rock, rhythm and soul, Afro-Cuban jazz, Mexicano, and world music flavors is an enduring wonder of contemporary popular music. More than 40 summers after their trail-blazing Saturday afternoon performance at the Woodstock Music & Arts Fair on August 16, 1969, and the release of their iconic debut LP three days later, Santana occupies a unique status among surviving American bands. A decade ago in June 1999, 30 summers after Woodstock, Santana released an album destined to be the biggest of their career. Supernatural, a long-overdue reunion between producers Carlos Santana and Clive Davis, brought fresh collaborations with (in alphabetical order) Cee-Lo, Eagle-Eye Cherry, Eric Clapton, Everlast, Lauryn Hill, Mexican supergroup Mana, Dave Matthews and bandmate Carter Beauford, producers the Dust Brothers, KC Porter, Wyclef Jean, and others. The album spun off two huge RIAA platinum #1 hits – "Smooth" featuring Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty, and "Maria Maria," produced by Wyclef Jean, featuring his hip-hop proteges the Product G&B – the first Hot 100 #1 hits of Santana's career. They spent a cumulative half-year at #1 and paved the way for the album to amass chart honors and generate Grammy Awards® beyond anyone's imaginations or expectations (except, of course, Clive's).

In commemoration, Supernatural: Legacy Edition presents the album's first new remastering – personally supervised by Carlos – since its original release. In the tradition of the prestigious Legacy Edition series, the new package adds a second disc of rarities – 11 tracks, eight of them songs that were not contained on the album, seven of them previously unissued, including outtakes, dance club mixes, and instrumental material. A 24-page full-color booklet includes rare photography and memorabilia from the Santana archives. The specially-designed double-CD package, encased in the distinctive Legacy Edition mylar slipcase, will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting February 16th through Arista/Legacy, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. On February 3rd, Santana will kick off 11 of the "Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits" residency show concert dates at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, running through February 21st.

The bonus content on disc two of Supernatural: Legacy Edition will amaze Santana fans as if hearing a new album. The bulk of the outtakes that "didn't make the cut" on the original album are Santana band tracks: "Angel Love (Come For Me)"; "Ya Yo Me Cure"; a cover of Cuban band Irakere's classic "Bacalao Con Pan" by Chucho Valdes; a cover of Lighthouse's 1971 hit "One Fine Morning"; the medley of Bob Marley & the Wailers "Exodus/Get Up Stand Up," all previously unissued; and "Olympic Festival" (from the Girlfight movie soundtrack, 2000). The only collaboration that "didn't make the cut" features Dave Matthews and Carter Beauford, "Rain Down On Me." There are dance club mixes of "Corazon Espinado" featuring Mana, and "Maria Maria" featuring the Product G&B. "Smooth" is heard in an instrumental version, without vocal. Likewise, "The Calling Jam" featuring Eric Clapton is an instrumental version, without vocals.

Featured in the Supernatural: Legacy Edition booklet is a 2,000-word liner notes essay written by veteran Albany music journalist Hal Miller, who has annotated previous Legacy releases by Santana (2004's Santana: Legacy Edition, and 2003's expanded restorations of the fusion-influenced Caravanserai, Love Devotion Surrender, Welcome, and Moonflower), plus numerous Weather Report reissues.

"My role was to complement the music and to be gracious, patient, and trusting," Carlos told Miller. "In fact, that became my mantra as Clive Davis, the visionary, began to hook me up with all these wonderful and different musicians. And once we got started, just about every song was done in one take!"

Santana's first album for Arista Records proved an irresistible magnet for rock, R&B, and Latin markets. Supernatural debuted at #19 on the Billboard 200 chart in early July, the band's highest debut in the Soundscan era. At the same time, "Smooth" began its glide up the singles charts, rising to #1 on the Hot 100 on October 23rd – the first #1 single of Santana's career and Soundscan's longest-running #1 pop single of 1999, at 12 consecutive weeks. ("Smooth" actually spent 25 weeks at #1 on the Adult Top 40 chart, segueing into 2000. Billboard columnist Fred Bronson's book Hottest Hot 100 Hits ranks "Smooth" as the #1 Song Of The '90s.)

One week later on October 30th, Supernatural hit #1 – Santana's first #1 album in nearly three decades (since 1970's Abraxas and 1971's Santana III). It eventually was named Soundscan's #1 album of 1999, outpacing close contenders Millennium by Backstreet Boys and …Baby One More Time by Britney Spears. (The success of Supernatural and "Smooth" overlapped the release of the new single in January 2000, "Maria Maria." In April, "Maria Maria" began its own 10-week stand at #1 on the Hot 100 (and three weeks at #1 R&B).

At the Grammy Awards in late-February, Supernatural generated an all-time record-breaking nine awards, starting with Album Of the Year and Best Rock Album. "Smooth" was named Record Of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Collaboration. The depth of Supernatural was confirmed as four more songs also won Grammys: "Maria Maria" for Best Pop Performance by a Duo/Group; "El Farol" for Best Pop Instrumental Performance; "Put Your Lights On" featuring Everlast for Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group; and "The Calling" featuring Eric Clapton for Best Rock Instrumental Performance. At the first annual Latin Grammy Awards in September, "Corazon Espinado" featuring Mana won Record Of the Year and Best Rock Performance by a Duo/Group; and "El Farol" won for Best Pop Instrumental Performance. Supernatural spent a total of 102 weeks on the Billboard 200 album chart, including 12 weeks at #1 (no album since then has spent more than 9 weeks at the top). It was certified 15-times RIAA platinum in the U.S., with worldwide sales north of 25 million copies to date. But there were implications far deeper than the charts could ever show. The album's success was intended to inspire younger hopeful musicians to accept the challenge of devoting long years to their goals. At the same time, veteran established recording artists were reminded that there is no age ceiling on creativity and no moratorium on staying in touch with every development in contemporary music.

Mexican-born Carlos Santana organized the original Santana Blues Band in el barrio of San Francisco in 1966. From the very onset, their embrace of the full musical spectrum drew audiences into packed clubs and ballrooms around the Bay area. Credit Fillmore West impresario Bill Graham for bringing Santana to the attention of Clive Davis, who signed the band to Columbia Records after seeing their Christmas week 1968 premiere at the venue. Twenty-five years after Woodstock, Santana was one of only three acts from the original festival invited back to play at Woodstock '94. Their odyssey, which reached the highest heights with their induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in January 1998, soared to even loftier peaks with the success of Supernatural.

Supernatural, Miller concludes, "touchéd something special in the hearts and spirit of millions around the world, and the music industry is still struggling to figure out how it all happened. Carlos, himself, credits a higher power for the success of Supernatural, averring that this music was assigned and designed to unite people from young to old."

Carlos Santana's "Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through The Hits", inspired by the Grammy-award winning album Supernatural, is live at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino thirty-six times per year. Providing an evening of high-energy music, the concert-style show features career-spanning classics such as "Maria Maria," "Oye Como Va," "Black Magic Woman," and "Smooth." Each free-flowing performance includes a unique take on the band's repertoire with its rebel-from-the-street vibe and Santana's uniquely passionate guitar-playing. The Joint is the only place west of the Mississippi that fans can see Santana through 2010.

Supernatural: Legacy Edition by SANTANA (Arista/Legacy 88697 48080 2, originally issued June 1999, as Arista 19080)

Disc One – Selections:
1. (Da Le) Yaleo
2. Love Of My Life featuring Dave Matthews & Carter Beauford
3. Put Your Lights On featuring Everlast
4. Africa Bamba
5. Smooth featuring Rob Thomas (1st single, Hot 100 #1, 12 weeks)
6. Do You Like The Way featuring Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo
7. Maria Maria featuring the Product G&B (2nd single, Hot 100 #1, 10 weeks; R&B #1)
8. Migra
9. Corazon Espinado featuring Mana
10. Wishing It Was featuring Eagle-Eye Cherry
11. El Farol
12. Primavera
13. The Calling featuring Eric Clapton.

Disc Two – Selections:
1. Bacalao Con Pan (previously unissued)
2. Angel Love (Come For Me) (previously unissued)
3. Rain Down On Me featuring Dave Matthews & Carter Beauford (previously unissued)
4. Corazon Espinado (Spanish Dance Remix) featuring Mana
5. One Fine Morning (previously unissued)
6. Exodus/Get Up Stand Up (previously unissued)
7. Ya Yo Me Cure (previously unissued)
8. Maria Maria (Pumpin' Dolls Club Mix) featuring The Product G&B
9. Smooth (Instrumental)
10. The Calling Jam featuring Eric Clapton (previously unissued)
11. Olympic Festival.

HOPE FOR HAITI NOW: A GLOBAL BENEFIT FOR EARTHQUAKE RELIEF

"Hope for Haiti Now: A Global Benefit for Earthquake Relief," today announced its lineup of superstar musical performances. The global telethon will feature performances by Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in a newly added London location. All musical performances will be available for purchase for $.99 per song through the Apple® iTunes® Store beginning Saturday, January 23, with all proceeds benefiting Haiti relief funds managed by "Hope for Haiti Now" charities. In addition to musical performances, Wyclef Jean in New York City, George Clooney in Los Angeles, and CNN's Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti, "Hope for Haiti Now" will feature more than one hundred of the biggest names in film, television, and music supporting the cause with testimonials and by answering phones during the telethon. The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and United Nations World Food Programme have joined the list of relief organizations that will benefit from "Hope for Haiti Now," which also includes Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Yele Haiti Foundation. Proceeds from "Hope for Haiti Now" will be split evenly among each organization's individual funds for Haiti earthquake relief.

"Hope for Haiti Now" will be the most widely distributed telethon in history, both internationally and across media platforms. The two-hour telethon will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, and CMT on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and 7:00 p.m. CT. “Hope for Haiti Now” will also air on newly added networks including PBS, TNT, Showtime, COMEDY CENTRAL, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, and Canadian networks including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television, and MuchMusic. The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Rhapsody and on mobile via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and FloTV. "Hope for Haiti Now" will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic, and MTV Networks International, which is available in 640 million homes worldwide. "Hope for Haiti Now" will be the first U.S.-based telethon airing on MTV in China. Facebook and Twitter have signed on as official social media partners to help drive donations and tune-in to the telethon.

Based on production needs and venue sizes, all "Hope for Haiti Now" studio locations will be closed to the media. Photos, pool video footage and talent interviews from "Hope for Haiti Now" will be serviced to news outlets immediately following the event. "Hope for Haiti Now" is produced by Joel Gallen and Tenth Planet Productions, in collaboration with Viacom's MTV Networks and George Clooney.

FUNDRAISING FOR HAITIAN ORPHANS

Groove Evolution Music (GEM) Festival (www.grooveevolutionfest.com), founded by Sky Dietrich, vocalist of the band Sky D and LeGrange Evolution (www.skydandlegrange.com), is creating a new paradigm shift in charitable partnerships. GEM's mission is to benefit local and international non-profit communities from New York City to Europe to South Africa. The first fundraising music festival is scheduled for Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 9pm to 2am at Santos Party House, 96 Lafayette Street, NYC. GEM has named Haitian Orphans Wish (HOW) and Artworks for Youth as charitable beneficiaries of its first concert and dance party of 2010. Both organizations provide education, nutrition, and spiritual relief to children worldwide. Tickets for GEM Fest are available at the website (www.grooveevolutionfest.com) in advance for $15 or $20 at the door. Attendees who purchase three (3) raffle tickets for $80, receive free admission and a chance to win a roundtrip ticket to South Africa to volunteer with Artworks For Youth (www.artworksforyouth.org).

When asked what prompted her to create this festival, Sky Dietrich said, "I am not only here to play music but to grow the dreams and aspirations of my fellow world citizens. GEM Fest is one way to make that happen for those in need and my fellow artist comrades."The missions of both recipient organizations clearly resonate with the Groove Evolution Music Festival goal to inspire, enlighten and motivate people to act on their visions and passions for a better world. HOW 's mission is to provide nutritional, financial, medical, and spiritual relief to the orphaned children of Haiti. Artworks for Youth is dedicated to providing free after school visual art instruction, mentoring, and academic support to under-served students in South Africa. GEM's purpose is to raise funds for non-profit organizations globally, while providing a venue throughout the year for progressive artists, actors, and poets. Their artistic endeavors are of substance and groove and make profound statements that empower and move the world. Key artists who are donating their performances to this event are Sky D & LeGrange Evolution, Beyond Belief & Kwame, Dani Fonseca, and DJ Structure.

www.haitianorphans.com
www.artworksforyouth.org
http://www.grooveevolutionfest.com

SOLDIER OF LOVE VIDEO PREMIERE

A full decade has passed since the world has experienced a Sade video and on Monday, January 11th at 12 AM ET, "Soldier of Love," the first single off Sade's forthcoming album, makes its worldwide video debut on Amazon.com. The video can be found on Amazon's music homepage and Sade's artist page.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002YIHO7I?ie=UTF8&tag=epicrecords-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002YIHO7I

The video, directed by Sophie Muller, utilizes powerful yet dreamlike imagery with militant style dancing that coincides with the martial drums pulsating throughout the song. Channeling a futuristic wild-wild-west battleground coupled with her smooth, seductive voice, the video creates an intriguing contrast that captures the ultimate struggle and purpose to find love. "Soldier of Love" continues to make radio history with a listening audience of over 17 million. In less than four weeks "Soldier of Love" is a top five record at Urban Hot AC and Smooth Jazz, already making it one of the fastest moving records of this year's radio charts.

"Soldier of Love" which Sade co-produced with Mike Pela, was written by Sade along with longtime collaborators Andrew Hale, Stuart Matthew man and Paul Spencer Denman. Recorded in England and set for release on February 9th, SOLDIER OF LOVE marks Sade's first official studio album since the multi-platinum release of Lovers Rock in 2000.

Known for their one of a kind timeless sound, Sade has enjoyed phenomenal success both internationally and stateside throughout the span of their twenty-five year career. Since the release of their debut album, Diamond Life in 1984 the band has seen all five of their studio albums land in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart selling a total of more than 50 million albums worldwide to date. They've been nominated for American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and have won three Grammy Awards - first in 1986 for Best New Artist, then in 1994 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group for "No Ordinary Love," and again in 2002 for Best Pop Vocal Album with Lovers Rock.

WWW.SADE.COM www.sadeusa.com

THE FEBRUARY CONCERT CALENDAR

Charlie Hunter @ Nightcat, Easton, MD, Feb 1
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Konserthuset, Goteborg, Sweden, Feb 1

Bettye LaVette @ Hopkins Center For The Performing Arts,
Hopkins, MN, Feb 2

Dionne Warwick @ Youkey Theatre, Lakeland, FL, Feb 2-3
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Victoria, Oslo, Norway, Feb 3
Joss Stone @ Olympia, Paris, France, Feb 3
Ladysmith Black Mambazo @ Highline Ballroom, New York, NY, Feb 3
Pat Metheny @ De Oosterpoort, Groningen, Netherlands, Feb 3

Santana @ The Joint At The Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas, NV,
Feb 3, 5, 6, 10, 12-14, 17, 19, 20, 21

Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Moods, Zurich, Switzerland, Feb 4
Al Di Meola @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, Feb 4
B.B. King @ King Center, Melbourne, FL, Feb 4
Bobby “Blue” Bland @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Feb 4
Pat Metheny @ Stockholm Concert Hall, Stockholm, Sweden, Feb 5
B.B. King @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Feb 5
Al Di Meola @ Largo Cultural Center, Largo, FL, Feb 5
Chris Botti @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR, Feb 5
George Winston @ Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ, Feb 5
David Sanborn @ Scullers Jazz Club, Allston, MA, Feb 5-6
Lainie Kazan @ Philharmonic Center For The Arts, Naples, FL, Feb 5-6
B.B. King @ Fox Theater, Atlanta, GA, Feb 6
Walter Beasley @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Feb 6
Chris Botti @ Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA, Feb 6
Pat Metheny @ Concert House, Oslo, Norway, Feb 6
David Sanborn, Joey DeFrancesco @ Scullers Jazz Club, Allston, MA, Feb 5-6
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Is Sanat Istanbul Hall, Istanbul, Turkey, Feb 6
Al Di Meola @ The Plaza Theatre, Orlando, FL, Feb 6
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Blue Note Milano, Milan, Italy, Feb 7
Pat Metheny @ Tivoli Koncerthouse, Copenhagen, Denmark, Feb 7
Booker T & The MG’s @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Feb 7-10
John Mayer @ North Charleston Coliseum, Charleston, SC, Feb 8
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Konzerthaus, Wein, Austria, Feb 8
John Mayer @ BJCC Arena, Birmingham, AL, Feb 9
Chris Botti @ Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, Feb 9
Pat Metheny @ Palais Des Beaux-Arts, Brussels, Belgium, Feb 9
B.B. King @ Ryman, Nashville, TN, Feb 9
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Russelsheim Theatre, Russelsheim, Germany, Feb 9
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Casa da Musica, Oporto, Portugal, Feb 10
Pat Metheny @ La Comete, Champagne, France, Feb 10
John Mayer @ Sommet Center, Nashville, TN, Feb 10
Chris Botti @ Flint Center For Performing Arts, Cupertino, CA, Feb 10
Pa Metheny @ Barbican Centre, London, UK, Feb 10
B.B. King @ Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, Feb 11
Al Di Meola @ Granada Theater, Dallas, TX, Feb 11
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Feb 11
Chris Botti @ Renee & Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall, Costa Mesa, CA, Feb 11-13
Pat Metheny @ Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Feb 11
Angie Stone @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Feb 11
Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Univ.Of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, Feb 11
John Mayer @ Palace Of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, MI, Feb 12
Pat Metheny @ Frits Philips Musiccentre, Eidhoven, Netherlands, Feb 12
B.B. King @ United Palace Theatre, New York, NY, Feb 12
Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Dixie Carter PAC, Huntington, TN, Feb 12
Gladys Knight @ Philharmonic Center For The Arts, Naples, FL, Feb 12
Acoustic Alchemy @ Latvian National Symphony, Riga, Latvia, Feb 12
Al Di Meola @ One World Theatre, Austin, TX, Feb 12
Patti Labelle, O’Jays @ Fabulous Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO, Feb 12
Eliane Elias @ Scullers Jazz Club, Allston, MA, Feb 12-13
Tower Of Power @ Cannery Casino & Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, Feb 12-13
Branford Marsalis @ Touhill PAC, St. Louis, MO, Feb 13
Pat Metheny @ Olympia, Paris, France, Feb 13
Angie Stone @ B.B. Kings, New York, NY, Feb 13
Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Rialto Center For The Arts, Atlanta, GA, Feb 13

Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Leeuwin Estate Winery,
Margaret River, Australia, Feb 13-14

B.B. King @ Caesars Circus Maximus Theatre, Atlantic City, NJ, Feb 13
John Mayer @ Air Canada Centre, Toronto, ON, Feb 13
Branford Marsalis @ Missouri Theatre, Columbia, MO, Feb 13
Patti Labelle @ Caesar’s Windsor Coliseum, Windsor, ON, Feb 13
Michael Feinstein @ Philharmonic Center For The Arts, Naples, FL, Feb 13
B.B. King @ MGM Grand, Mashantucket, CT, Feb 14
Chris Botti @ McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Feb 14
Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Germantown PAC, Germantown, TN, Feb 14
Smokey Robinson @ Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, WA, Feb 14
Pat Metheny @ Salle Berlioz, Montpellier, France, Feb 15
John Mayer @ Scotiabank Place, Ottawa, ON, Feb 16
B.B. King @ Fox Theater, Detroit, MI, Feb 16
Pat Metheny @ Femina, Bordeaux, France, Feb 16
Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Jefferson Center, Roanoke, VA, Feb 16
John Mayer @ Bell Centre, Montreal, QC, Feb 17

Box Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Adelaide Entertainment Center,
Hindmarsh, Australia, Feb 17

Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Jazz At Lincoln Center, New York, NY, Feb 17
B.B. King @ Family Arena, St. Charles, MO, Feb 18
Eddie Palmieri @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Feb 18
Gladys Knight @ King Center For Performing Arts, Melbourne, FL, Feb 18
John Mayer @ Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, CT, Feb 19

Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Palais Theatre,
Melbourne, Australia, Feb 18

Majestic Fox Theater, Bakersfield, CA, Feb 18
Al Di Meola @ Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ, Feb 18
Al Di Meola @ Scottsdale Center For Perf Arts, Scottsdale, AZ, Feb 19
B.B. King @ Midland Theatre, Kansas City, MO, Feb 19
Chris Botti @ Fred Kavli Theatre, Thousand Oaks, CA, Feb 19
David Sanborn @ DreamCatcher At Viejaz, Alpine, CA, Feb 19
Michael Feinstein @ McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Feb 19
Phil Perry @ Scullers Jazz Club, Allston, MA, Feb 19-20
Chicago @ Tokyo International Forum, Tokyo, Japan, Feb 19-20

Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Punta Gorda Wine & Jazz Festival,
Punta Gorda, FL, Feb 20

Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Sutton Grange Winery,
Melbourne, Australia, Feb 20

B.B. King @ Orpheum, Minneapolis, MN, Feb 20
David Sanborn @ McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Feb 20
Al Di Meola @ Green Valley Ranch Resort & Spa, Henderson, NV, Feb 20
John Mayer @ Verizon Center, Washington, DC, Feb 20
Dave Mason @ One World Theatre, Austin, TX, Feb 20
Branford Marsalis @ Strand Capitol PAC, York, PA, Feb 20
Oleta Adams @ B.B. King’s, New York, NY, Feb 20
John Mayer @ Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA, Feb 21
Joshua Redman, Kurt Elling @ Clarice Smith PAC, College Park, MD, Feb 21
David Sanborn @ Lancaster PAC, Lancaster, CA, Feb 21

Box Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Balgownie Estate Vineyard Resort,
Yarra Valley, Australia, Feb 21

Jack Jones @ Kimmel Center For The Performing Arts,
Philadelphia, PA, Jan 21,24,26,27

B.B. King @ Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs, IA, Feb 22
David Sanborn @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, Feb 22

Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Royal Theatre,
Canberra, Australia, Feb 23

Pat Metheny @ Deutches Theater, Munich, Germany, Feb 23
Al Di Meola @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Feb 23-24
Janiva Magness @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Feb 23-24
John Mayer @ TB Banknorth Garden, Boston, MA, Feb 24
David Sanborn @ Tower Theatre, Fresno, CA, Feb 24
Eddie Palmieri @ Yoshi’s, San Francisco, CA, Jan 24

Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Sydney Entertainment Centre,
Darling Harbour, Australia, Feb 25

John Mayer @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, Feb 25
Pat Metheny @ Vienna Concert Hall, Vienna, Austria, Feb 25
Al Di Meola @ The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA, Feb 25

Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Win Entertainment Centre,
Wollongong, Australia, Feb 26

Steve Tyrell @ Philharmonic Center For The Arts, Naples, FL, Feb 26
Pat Metheny @ Incheba Expo Arena, Bratislava, Slovakia, Feb 26
Al Di Meola @ House Of Blues, West Hollywood, CA, Feb 26
Frank Sinatra Jr. @ McCallum Theatre, Palm Desert, CA, Feb 26

Bob James, Acoustic Alchemy @ Cerritos Centre, Cerritos, CA, Feb 26

Boz Scaggs, Michael McDonald @ Brisbane Riverstage,
Brisbane, Australia, Feb 27

Dee Dee Bridgewater @ Luzerna Saal, Lucerne, Switzerland, Feb 27
Bobby McFerrin @ Paramount Center, Peekskill, NY, Feb 27
Rachelle Ferrell @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Feb 27
Richie Havens @ One World Theatre, Austin, TX, Feb 27
Al Di Meola @ Palace Of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco, CA, Feb 27
Acoustic Alchemy @ Villa Montalvo, Saratoga, CA, Feb 28
Pat Metheny @ Hala Stuleca, Wroclaw, Poland, Feb 28
John Mayer @ Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids, MI, Feb 28
Rachelle Ferrell @ The Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Feb 28
Angelique Kidjo @ Walt Disney Concert Hall, Los Angeles, CA, Feb 28

SMOOTH JAZZ WNWV 107.3 THE WAVE BITS THE DUST!

Another one bits the dust as WNWV 107.3 FM in Elyria, Ohio switched over at noon on December 28 from The Wave’s smooth jazz format to 107.3 Boom!, a new alternative and classic rock “Triple-A” format. The new Triple-A format promises a diverse playlist blending emerging artists with alternative rock and classic rock stars. A statement on The Wave’s Web site says, “After more than 20 years of providing smooth jazz to Northeast Ohio, we’re unable to sustain the format any longer due to a change in Ratings Service methodology. Simply put, lower measurement equals lower ratings. Consequently, we cannot sustain the overhead associated with bringing you the music you love.” Fans of Kenny G and Dave Koz will be able to hear their style of smooth jazz on the station's HD frequency, streamed on wnwv.com. Some on-air hosts, such as morning man Mike Kessler, are expected to stay, while others will be replaced with new talent, according to the post. "The Wave" is abandoning the format after 22 years because of a newcomer to town - Portable People Meters, or PPMs. For decades, Arbitron Inc., the main radio ratings company, gathered information in weekly logs filled out by a selected pool of listeners. In 2007, Arbitron rolled out the PPM, a pager-sized device that electronically records what the person is listening to. A hub, or collector, uploads the information each night via a modem. People meters give broadcasters a more precise look at what listeners hear, said Jessica Benbow, corporate communication manager for Arbitron. The company plans to gradually introduce PPMs in the top 49 markets by next year, Benbow said. Oldies, news and country stations are showing audience growth under the new system, according to a recent New York Times article. Some Spanish-language stations' ratings fell so sharply that concerned broadcasters testified before a congressional committee this month, protesting that the PPM system discriminates against minority audiences, according to the article. PPM measurements also hit smooth-jazz broadcasters hard. Stations in New York, Houston, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and Chicago have abandoned the format, according to Tom Taylor, executive news editor at Radio-Info, a Chicago-based Web site that covers the radio industry. Arbitron tested PPMs in Cleveland in the fall. Starting this month, the PPM numbers will determine ratings and how much broadcasters can charge for advertising. Preliminary PPM statistics showed that smooth-jazz listeners average in their mid-50s, 10 years older than the average radio listener in Cleveland. Advertisers generally want to reach a younger demographic group. Unfortunately, smooth jazz is not sustainable under this new methodology.

Wave fans can still hear smooth jazz live online at www.wnwv.com or on an HD radio at 107.3 HD2.

NEW RELEASES FROM: OSUNLADE, QUASIMODE, JEFF GOLUB, ALICIA KEYS, DONELL JONES & MORE...

Alicia Keys –The Element Of Freedom
Build An Ark – Love, Part 1
Cassandra Steen- Darum Leben Wir
Club Des Beluges – Zoo Zicaro
Dee Brown – A Little Elbowroom
Donell Jones – The Lost Files
Emi Tawata - Sings
Jacksoul – Soulmate
Jazziel Funkard – Jazzified Tranquilizer
Jeff Golub – Blues For You
Jeff Kashiwa – Back In The Day
John Abercrombie – Wait Till You See Her
Justin Young – Nothin’ But Love
Linn & Freddie – Waiting For Spring
Maisey Rika – Tohu
Marcell & The Truth – Symbols
Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement
Mdungu Afro – What?
Naoki Kenji – Good For Me
Osunlade - Rebirth
Quasimode – Daybreak
Smooth Genester – Rem Phase
Tribe – Rebirth
Trilok Gurtu - Massical
Trizonna McClendon – New Familiar
Various Artists – Aural Affairs Vol. 1
Various Artists – Bar Blue Note
Various Artists – Best Of Chill Out Lounge
Various Artists – Chillbar Vol. 2
Various Artists – Erotic Jazz Moments 2
Various Artists – Homme Et Femme
Various Artists – In Chill Out
Various Artists – Ocean Chill Out Lounge
Various Artists – Relaxing Bossa Lounge
Various Artists – Space Lounge & Chil Out Vol. 05
Various Artists – Take A Chill Pill Vol. 2
Venueconnection – Madrid Boogie

SADE - SOLDIER OF LOVE

Soldier Of Love, the highly anticipated anthemic first single off Sade's forthcoming album, Soldier Of Love is already making radio history. Following it's release on December 8th, the track debuted at #11 on the Urban Hot Adult Contemporary chart, making it the highest debut of the decade and the third highest all-time on the Urban Hot Adult Contemporary chart. But, that's not all! "Soldier Of Love" also debuted at # 5 on the Smooth Jazz airplay chart while also becoming the first ever vocal to hit # 1 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown. "Soldier Of Love" which Sade co-produced with Mike Pela, was written by Sade along with longtime collaborators Andrew Hale, Stuart Matthew man and Paul Spencer Denman. It was recorded in England and set for release on February 9th, Soldier Of Love is Sade's first official studio album since the multi-platinum release of Lovers Rock in 2000. Known for their one of a kind timeless sound, Sade has enjoyed phenomenal success both internationally and stateside throughout the span of their twenty-five year career. Since the release of their debut album, Diamond Life in 1984 the band has seen all five of their studio albums land in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart selling a total of more than 50 million albums worldwide to date. They've been nominated for American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and have won three Grammy Awards - first in 1986 for Best New Artist, then in 1994 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group for "No Ordinary Love", and again in 2002 for Best Pop Vocal Album with Lovers Rock.

THE MOST POPULAR CHRISTMAS SONGS - TOP 10 LIST

As the week of Christmas kicks off and last- minute baking, shopping, decorating and planning kicks into high gear, holiday music is being played more and more on radio airwaves across America. As a matter of fact, there are a number of radio stations that have been playing Christmas songs since last October, not to mention those that are Christmas year round. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), has released its listing of 2009's most played holiday songs, tracked by radio airplay monitoring service, Mediaguide, from over 2,500 radio stations nationwide.

The top 10 most-played holiday songs in the ASCAP repertory this holiday season are:
1. "Sleigh Ride" (Leroy Anderson, Mitchell Parish) - played 118,918 times
2. "Jingle Bell Rock" (Joseph Carleton Beal, James Roth Boothe) - played 118,601 times
3. "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (Edward Pola, George Wyle) - played 101,614 times
4. "White Christmas" (Irving Berlin) - played 89,348 times
5. "Winter Wonderland" (Felix Bernard, Richard B. Smith) - played 77,599 times
6. "The Christmas Song" (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire) (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) - played 74,360 times.
7. "A Holly Jolly Christmas" (Johnny Marks) - played 57,948 times
8. "Little Drummer Boy" (Katherine K. Davis, Henry V. Onorati, Harry Simeone) - played 55,617 times.
9. "Feliz Navidad" (José Feliciano) - played 51,072 times
10. "Frosty the Snowman" (Steve Nelson, Walter E. Rollins) - played 51,068 times

Note: The above list represents an aggregation of all differentartist versions of each cited holiday song.