ADAM CRUZE - MILESTONE

New from drummer and composer Adam Cruz is Milestone. "I've had a vision to do something with my composing for a long time," says Cruz. "But I've also felt a certain ripening needed to happen. This is a big step for me. I've invested a lot of time in practicing and studying, working at my relationship with the piano and developing a compositional voice. I've just turned 40 and I'm happy the record is coming out now. There's a certain amount of growth and maturity that I have gone through, deepening my dedication as a drummer and composer, particularly over the last decade." Comprising eight original compositions, and featuring a true all star band including Miguel Zenón, alto sax; Steve Wilson, soprano sax; Chris Potter, tenor sax; Steve Cárdenas, electric guitar; Edward Simon, piano, and Ben Street, bass, Milestone, which was made possible by a grant by the Aaron Copland Recording Fund, marks a before and after in Cruz's development as an artist.

For the past decade, Cruz has been a member of pianist Danilo Perez's trio, which also features bassist Ben Street. But, in a business known for brief, constantly changing partnerships, he has chosen to develop and maintain long-standing working relationships such as those with pianists Perez and Simon, saxophonists David Sanchez and Steve Wilson, and the Mingus Big Band. And even before that, Cruz had established his name working with artists such as trumpeters Charlie Sepúlveda and Tom Harrell, saxophonists Chris Potter, Pharaoh Sanders, and Paquito D'Rivera, guitarist Charlie Hunter and, perhaps most notably, touring and recording with pianist Chick Corea. In 2000, he started playing with Pérez, developing a personal and professional relationship that, Cruz says, "has been very transformative" for him. "I've done a lot of growing up while playing with Danilo. He's a very special musician and his uniquely passionate spirit is infectious. Working in the trio this last decade I came to recognize that there was more being asked of me in life as a creative force, as an artist, and I'm really grateful for those challenges.

That maturation is reflected in the music in Milestone, which achieves a rare balance between smart, detailed writing and freedom. Also, while this is a date led by a drummer, the overall sound of the recording, from the design of the pieces to the ensemble playing, reflects Cruz's approach, by which the requirements of the music supersede any other needs -- or, as he succinctly puts it: "music before drums." Most of the songs on the album were written with specific players in mind, and the writing certainly brings out the best from the standout, hand-picked ensemble.

Born in New York City, Cruz is the son of Ray Cruz, a timbalero who played with Mongo Santamaría, Richie Ray and Bobby Cruz. "I used to sit in on his gigs when I was a little boy. Music is second nature to me," reminisces Cruz. His parents separated when he was four, and when his father moved out, he left him a drum kit as a gift. "My father also played drums, and he passed down his interest in the drum set to me. But of course I'm indebted that he couldn't resist teaching me clave, cáscara and basic tumbaos on the congas as well. He also taught me to read music and exposed me to those timeless Miles Davis records of the 50's and 60's that I still cherish today."

Cruz played drums throughout his youth and because he was exposed early on to jazz, Latin music and other styles, he says he never thought about styles or what kind of music he was playing. He studied at the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University from 1988 to 1990. There he studied piano with Kenny Barron ("He taught me my first piano voicings," says Cruz) and met saxophonist David Sanchez, who was already making a name for himself on the scene. David proved to be a key supporter for Cruz's career. He then transferred to Manhattan's New School, studying with teachers such as Kenny Washington, Joe Chambers, Louis Nash, Portinho, Maria Schneider and Victor Lewis (who recommended Cruz for the Mingus Big Band job). His time at the school was "a challenge," says Cruz, as his career was taking off, while he was getting calls from Paquito D'Rivera, Charlie Sepulveda, the late pianist Hilton Ruiz. Still, Cruz graduated, receiving his BFA in 1993.

Cruz, who didn't grow up speaking Spanish, is part of a generation of players who happen to be jazz musicians of Latin descent rather than Latin jazz musicians. In fact, he defines himself as a "mixed" American. "It's an interesting thing", he says. " To find a way to integrate and live with all these parts of my heritage, to identify with them all, without feeling like my identity is caught exclusively in any one aspect of my musical heritage". "The clave language is part of my DNA," says Cruz. Perhaps because of, not in spite of that, Milestone features few explicit references to Latin music. Two notable exceptions are "Emjé," paced briskly by a cáscara rhythm, and "Outer Reaches," which hints at a Puerto Rican bomba groove. Cruz is surrounded by strong and original musical personalities, most of them leaders in their own right working precisely in new fusions of jazz and indigenous Latin rhythms. However, Cruz speaks in Milestone with a very personal, original voice.

"That's why I had to take my time honing in to what was truer and more original to myself rather than copying an idiom and just plugging in my notes," he says. "That's why I've been working on this music, off and on, for 10 years. My wife always asks me 'How do you have so much patience?' and I always answer the same way: "Well, it's not right till it's right. And I'll know when it's right". Now, with Milestone, it's right.

UPCOMING ADAM CRUZ APPEARANCES:

June 7-8 - Jazz Standard, New York, NY

June 21 -Scullers, Boston, MA

THE LEGACY OF SAMMY DAVIS JR.

Tracey Davis, the matriarch and heiress to the Sammy Davis Jr. rights has executed an unparalleled deal with Rick Appling who will produce a feature film and a series of documentaries based on her copyrights interest in books as well as her ownership granted to her by her father through a trust. Tracey is the daughter of the Hollywood marriage between Sammy Davis Jr. and May Britt. Britt, was the Swedish film star that graced the cover of Life Magazine in 1959. Tracey is an entrepreneur and author who scored great success with her best-selling book, Sammy Davis Jr.: My Father. Tracey shares a loving relationship with her mother and is working on her next book, May Britt: My Mother. Tracey states that, “For film projects of this magnitude, I know my father would have wanted to incorporate his friends, Clint Eastwood, Bill Cosby, Gladys Knight, and Quincy Jones. One thing I remember about my dad is that he would always say to me, 'I enjoyed and admired the up and coming cats.' I know that he would have loved Jay-Z, P Diddy, Savion Glover, Justin Timberlake, Taylor Swift, Usher, and Spike Lee.”

Chairman of LaRoda LTD, Barrett LaRoda negotiated and finalized the deal on behalf of Tracey Davis. LaRoda says, “Tracey has always been known as the enforcer and protector of her father’s legacy. I am extremely proud that she is going to once again share her father with the world. This is truly a legacy building block project.” Tracey has only assigned her rights once before and that was to entertainment tycoon, Quincy Jones. Tracey has decided to grant her rights to independent film maker, Rick Appling. Sammy, known to be an advocate of the independent industry and he himself, had many independent projects. Appling was groomed in the film industry by John Daly, who was a producer of thirteen Oscar winning movies including Platoon. Appling says, “God is Good. Being chosen to do the Sammy Davis Jr. story is one of my greatest accomplishments to date. I look forward to working with Tracey as her experience, knowledge, and love for her father I know will come across to the audiences of these films.”

Sammy Davis Jr., known as "Mr. Entertainment, had a successful recording, Broadway theatre, film and television career, but his passion was dancing, live performing and concerts.

MAD MEN: A MUSICAL COMPANION (1960-1965)

If you were in the early '60s milieu of "Mad Men," the groundbreaking AMC series about the glamorous and ego-driven Golden Age of advertising, what music would you listen to on the radio? Those songs are heard on Mad Men: A Musical Companion (1960-1965) (Hip-O/UMe), released March 29, 2011. The two-CD package features nearly three dozen pop favorites of the era. With both major hits and rediscovered tracks from a wide spectrum of artists, from Chuck Berry, Dusty Springfield and Sonny & Cher ("I Got You Babe" is heard over the end credits of the Season Four finale) to Dean Martin, Jackie Wilson, Connie Francis, Stan Getz, Tom Jones, Roger Miller and Ella Fitzgerald, Mad Men: A Musical Companion (1960-1965) exudes the romance and innocence of much of the music of the time, often used to great ironic effect in the series.

Tracklisting:
Disc One
1.   Connie Francis - Everybody's Somebody's Fool
2.   Brook Benton/Dinah Wahsington - Baby (You've Got What It Takes)
3.   Lloyd Price -Lady Luck
4.   Brook Benton - Frankie & Johnny
5.   Jackie Wilson - I'm Comin' On Back To You
6.   James Booker - Gonzo
7.   Clarence "Frogman" Henry -But I Do
8.   Ricky Nelson - Travelin' Man
9.   Stan Getz/Charlie Byrd - Desafinado
10. Bruce Channel - Hey! Baby
11. Dave "Baby" Cortez - Rinky Dink
12. Earl Grant - Swingin' Gently
13. Joe Harnell - Fly Me To The Moon
14. Etta James - Something's Got A Hold On Me
15. Patti Page - Most People Get Married
16. Billy Vaughn - A Swingin' Safari

Disc Two
1.   Mel Torme - Comin' Home Baby
2.   Ella Fitzgerald - Bill Bailey Won't You Please Come Home
3.   Jack Jones - Wives And Lovers
4.   Roger Miller - King Of The Road 5
5.   Dean Martin - You're Nobody Till Somebody Loves You
6.   Chuck Berry - You Never Can Tell
7.   Dusty Springfield - I Only Want To Be With You
8.   Leslie Gore - That's The Way Boys Are
9.   The Impressions - Talking About My Baby
10. Jackie Ross - Selfish One
11. Manfred Mann - Doo Wah Diddy Diddy
12. Junior Walker & The All Stars - Shotgun
13. Marvin Gaye - Ain't That Peculiar
14. Tom Jones - It's Not Unusual
15. Sam The Sam & The Pharoahs -Wooly Bully
16. Sir Douglas Quintet - She's About A Mover
17. Sonny & Cher - I Got You Babe

UPCOMING SMOOTH JAZZ, SOUL & R&B RELEASES...

Brothers Johnson - Winners (reissue) (March 8)
Peabo Bryson - Reaching for the Sky/Crosswinds (Reissue) (March 22)
Aretha Franklin - Take a Look: Complete on Columbia (March 22)
Solomon Burke - Hold On Tight (March 22)
Boney James - Contact (March 29)
Bonnie Pointer - Like a Picasso (April)
Smokey Robinson - The Solo Albums V (April)
Kathy Sledge - Heart (April)
Kim Burrell - Love Album (April)
Brian McKnight - Just Me (April 12)
Les Nubians - Nu Revolution (April 19)
Dave Grusin - An Evening with Dave Grusin (April 26)
Patti Austin – Sound Advice (May)
Sade - The Ultimate Collection (May 3)
Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin (May 10)
Corea, Clarke & White - Forever (June 7)
Aretha Franklin - A Woman Falling Out of Love (May)
Hiromi - Voice (June 7)

On The Horizon (no date set)
Brown Baby Girl - TBA
Roberta Flack - Let It Be Roberta (Beatles Tribute)
Daryl Hall - TBA
Major Harris - Always
Jill Scott - The Light of the Sun
Tamia - Live Album
U-Nam - George Benson tribute album
Jody Watley - Chameleon
Bobby Womack - The Best is Yet To Come

TONY BENNETT - DUETS II

Singer Tony Bennett will celebrate his 85th birthday this fall with a new album, Tony Bennett: Duets II – which his set for release on September 20th. Bennett has already begun the live recording process with several artists during Grammy week in February at LA's famed Capitol Studios. Additional sessions are planned for the coming months in New York, Nashville and Italy. Tony Bennett: Duets II, produced by Phil Ramone follows up Tony Bennett Duets: An American Classic, the 2006 Grammy Award-winning album which became Bennett's best-selling recording to date. An all-star roster will join Tony live in the studio including Mariah Carey, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Norah Jones and Amy Winehouse. Some of country's biggest names will also join the round-up including Faith Hill, Willie Nelson and Carrie Underwood. From the international pantheon: angel-voiced tenor Andrea Bocelli from Italy and Latino singer-songwriter Alejandro Sanz from Spain. Josh Groban and John Mayer are also slated to collaborate with Bennett as well as Michael Buble and k.d. lang, who were both featured on the original Duets album. "I love the Great American songbook and have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to introduce many of these songs to the public... It is a thrill to perform them once again with artists that I admire to create new interpretations of the music I love so much," says Bennett. The recording sessions for Tony Bennett: Duets II are also being filmed by Academy Award-winning cinematographer Dion Beebe and will be released as a documentary in conjunction with the new album, providing an in-depth study of Bennett's creative and artistic process.

NEW RELEASES FROM AL DIMEOLA, SERGE GAINSBOURG, NINA SIMONE & OTHERS...

Afro Latin Vintage Orchestra - Ayodegi
Airborne – Back In The Dayz: Airborne Anthology
Al DiMeola – Pursuit Of Radical Rhapsody
Amos Lee – Amos Lee
Andrea Pozzo Trio – Blue Daniel
Aretha Franklin – Complete Columbia Recordings
Arthur’s Landing – Arthur’s Landing
Brazil Bossa Beat (Various Artists)
Bryan Forsloff – The Final Touch
Bushman – Bushman Sings The Bush Doctor: Tribute To Peter Tosh
Charlie Haden Quartet – Sophisticated Ladies
Contemporary Afro Beat (Various Artists)
Dee Brown – A Little Elbowroom
Drew Davidson – Spin Cycle
Earl Hagen – I Spy Vol. 2 The LP’s
Ella Fitzgerald & Oscar Peterson – Ella & Oscar
Eraldo Volonte – My Point Of View
Esther Phillips – Here’s Esther: Are You Ready/Good Black Is Hard To Crack
Frank Sinatra – Best Of Vegas
Guido Manusardi – Blue Train
Herb Alpert & Lani Hall – I Feel You
James Brown – Singles Vol. 10 1975-1979
Kurt Elling – The Gate
Lawson Rollins – Espirito
Link Quartet - 4
Louis Landon – Reality Not Fantasy
Luna Blanca – Provence
Mark Mosley – TLC
Nina Simone – Original Album Classics: Sing The Blues/Emergency Ward/Baltimore
Pierre Anckaert Trio Vs. Monkey Robot – 74 Miles Away
Raf Vilar – Studies In Bossa
Rhapsodia Trio – Chant de Joie et de Regret
Rippingtons ft. Russ Freeman – Dote D’Azur
Rise - Messages
Ryan Shea Smith – Stay Awhile
Serge Gainsbourg – Comme Un Boomerang: Best Of Serge Gainsbourg
Stan Getz & Cal Tjader – Stan Getz & Cal Tjader Sextet
Stefania Tschantret – Love For Sale
Tal Babitzky - Moments
William Scott – Kooly
Zuill Bailey & Awadagin Pratt- Brahms

THE 2011-12 CONCERT CALENDAR

MARCH 2011
Chris Botti @ Bergen Perf Arts Center @ Englewood, NJ, Mar 2
Esperanza Spalding @ Shaftman Perf. Hall, Roanoke, VA, Mar 3
Chris Botti @ Scottish Rite Auditorium, Collingswood, NJ, Mar 3
Chris Botti @ Lowell Memorial Auditorium, Lowell, MA, Mar 4
Esperanza Spalding @ Weinberg Center, Frederick, MD, Mar 4
Brian Culbertson @ Java Jazz Festival, Jakarta, Indonesia, Mar 4
Joe Lovano, Us Five @ Imparts Arts Center, Wroclaw, Poland, Mar 4
Chris Botti @ Tilles Center for Perf Arts, Greenvale, NY, Mar 5
George Benson @ International Expo Arena, Jakarta, Mar 5-6
Chris Botti @ Zeiterion Perf Arts Center, New Bedford, MA, Mar 6
Chris Botti @ Riverbend Centre, Austin, TX, Mar 10
Al DiMeola @ Blue Note, New York, NY, Mar 10-13
Joe Lovano, Us Five @ Blue Note, Milan, Italy, Mar 11

Chris Botti @ Morton H. Meyerson Symphony Centert,
Dallas, TX, Mar 11-13

Brian Culberston @ Hard Rock Hotel, San Diego, CA, Mar 12

Joe Lovano, US Five @ Sala Concerti Del Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi,
Torino, Italy, Mar 12

Joe Lovano, US Five @ Club Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland, Mar 13
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Moods, Zurich, Switzerland, Mar 14
Chris Botti @ The Arts, Naples, FL, Mar 14
The Manhattan Transfer @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 15-20
Natalie Cole @ Van Wezel Perf Arts Hall, Sarasota, FL, Mar 16
Chris Botti @ King Center For Perf Arts, Melbourne, FL, Mar 16
Chris Botti @ Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, FL, Mar 17
Average White Band @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Mar 17
Natalie Cole @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Mar 17
Chris Botti @ Broward Center for Perf Arts, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Mar 18
Rachelle Ferrell @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Mar 18
Jeff Lorber Fusion @ Daniel St. Club, Milford, CT, Mar 18
Gal Costa @ The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL, Mar 19
Chris Botti @ Van Wezel Perf Arts Hall, Sarasota, FL, Mar 19
Chris Botti @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Mar 20
Sharon Jones & Dap Kings @ The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL, Mar 20
Natalie Cole @ Philharmonic Center For Arts, Naples, FL, Mar 22
Dionne Warwick @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 23-25
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Wackerhalle, Burghausen, Germany, Mar 24
Joey DeDrancesco @ Jazz Base, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 24-26


Dave Brubeck Trio @ Sovereign Performing Arts Center,
Reading, PA, Mar 25

Norman Brown, Richard Elliot @ Crown Plaza, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 25
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Ronnie Scott’s. London, UK, Mar 25
Sharon Jones & Dap Kings @ Music Farm, Charleston, SC, Mar 25
Jerry Butler, Eddie Holman @ Raleigh Memorial Audit., Raleigh, NC, Mar 25
The Manhattan Transfer @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Mar 25
Brian Culberston @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, Mar 25-27
Lionel Richie @ Bimbadgen Estate, Newcastle, NSW, Australia, Mar 26
Sharon Jones & Dap Kings @ Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC, Mar 26

Stanley Clarke Band, Victor Wooten Band @ Crowne Plaza,
Wyomissing, PA, Mar 26

Al Jarreau, George Duke @ Sovereign Performing Arts Center,
Reading, PA, Mar 26

Gerald Veasley, Will Downing, Nick Colionne, Walter Beasley,
Carol Riddick @ Crowne Plaza, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 26

Pieces Of A Dream, Phil Perry @ Crowne Plaza, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27

Guitars & Saxes With: Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Peter White,
Jeff Golub @ Sovereign Performing Arts Center, Reading, PA, Mar 27

Al DiMeola’s World Sinfonia @ Miller Center For The Performing Arts,
Reading, PA, Mar 27

Randy Brecker @ Boyertown Junior High West, Boyertown, PA, Mar 28
Lionel Richie @ Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia, Mar 29-30
Ashford & Simpson @ Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, CA, Mar 29-31

Chuck Loeb, Rick Braun, Randy Brecker, Philippe Saisse,
Gerald Albright, Brian Bromberg @ Jazz Base, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 30

Trombone Shorty @ Crowne Plaza, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 30
Eric Marienthal, Jeff Lorber @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Mar 30
Buddy Guy @ Empire Center at The Egg, Albany, NY, Mar 31
Tower Of Power @ Centrepointe Theatre, Ottawa, ON, Mar 1

Rick Braun, Randy Brecker, Chuck Loeb, Chieli Minucci, Euge Groove,
Gerald Veasley, Brian Bromberg, Gerald Albright, Philippe Saisse @
Crowne Plaza, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 31

APRIL 2011
Brian Bromberg Band, Randy Brecker @ Jazz Base,
Wyomissing, PA, Apr 1

Gerald Albright, Brian Culbertson, Rick Braun @
Sovereign Performing Arts Center, Reading, PA, Apr 1

Steve Tyrell @ Miller Center For The Performing Arts,
Reading, PA, Apr 1

Chieli Minucci @ Special EFX @ Abraham Lincoln Hotel,
Wyomissing, PA, Apr 1

Lee Ritenour @ Knight Concert Hall, Miami, FL, Apr 1
Euge Groove @ Crowne Plaza, Wyomissing, PA, Apr 1
Herb Alpert @ Viper Alley, Linconshire, PA, Apr 1
Ashford & Simpson @ Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, CA, Apr 1-3
Chris Botti, Lasells Stewart Center, Corvallis, OR, Apr 1-2
Gerald Veasley @ Jazz Base, Wyomissing, PA, Apr 1-2

The Rippingtons ft. Russ Freeman, Philippe Saisse Trio @ Crowne Plaza,
Wyomissing, PA, Apr 2

Tower Of Power @ Grand Theatre, Kingston, ON, Apr 2
Lionel Richie @ Rochford Wines, Coldstream, VIC, Australia, Apr 2
Buddy Guy @ House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ, Apr 2
Doobie Brothers, WAR @ Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI, Apr 2
Chaka Khan @ Paragon Casino Resort, Marksville, LA, Apr 2
Fourplay @ Scottish Rite Cathedral, Wyomssing, PA, Apr 2
Herb Alpert @ Old Town School of Folk Music, Chicago, IL, Apr 2
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Folly Theatre, Kansas City, MO, Apr 2

Joe Sample, Wilton Felder, Wayne Henderson @ Crowne Plaza,
Wyomissing, PA, Apr 2

Houston Person @ Miller Center For The Performing Arts,
Reading, PA, Apr 2

Lionel Richie @ Leconfield Wines, McLaren Vale, SA, Australia, Apr 3
Lee Ritenour @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, Apr 3
Brian Simpson, Jeff Kashiwa @ Crowne Plaza, Wyomissing, PA, Apr 3
Rick Braun @ Miller Center For The Performing Arts, Reading, PA, Apr 3

Brian Culbertson, Kenny Lattimore @ Scottish Rite Cathedral,
Wyomissing, PA, Apr 3

Buddy Guy @ Universty At Buffalo Ctr for Arts, Buffalo, NY, Apr 4
Fourplay @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Apr 4-5
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, Apr 4-5
Lee Ritenour @ B.B. King’s Blues Club, New York, NY, Apr 5
Lee Ritenour @ Blues Alley, Washington, DC, Apr 7-10
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Jazz Showcase, Chicago, IL, Apr 7-10
Buddy Guy @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Apr 8
Average White Band @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, MA, Apr 8
Pink Martini @ Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, MN, Apr 8-9
Dionne Warwick @ Ritz Theatre, Tiffin, OH, Apr 9
Buddy Guy @ Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA, Apr 9
The O’Jays @ Atlantic City Hilton, Atlantic City, NJ, Apr 9

Russell Thompkins & New Stylistics, The Manhattans, The Chi-Lites,
Gerald Alston @ Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville, IN, Apr 9

Jeff Golub, Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum, Marion Meadows,
Michael Lington, Warren Hill, Steve Cole, Nick Colionne,
Jeff Kashiwa, Jackiem Joyner, Jessy J, Mindi Abair, Maysa,
Euge Groove, Erica Darius, Jonathan Butler, Norman Brown,
Richard Elliot @ JW Desert Ridge Jazz Festival, JW Marriott
Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix, AZ, Apr 9-10

Buddy Guy @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Apr 10
Kenny G @ MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 10-12
Tower of Power @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Apr 11
Smokey Robinson @ Polk Theatre, Lakeland, FL, Apr 12
Tower Of Power @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Apr 12
B.B. King @ State Theatre, Sydney, Australia, Apr 12-13
Pink Martini @ Kennedy Center For Perf Arts, Apr 12-16

George Benson, Boney James, Brian Culbertson, Candy Dulfer,
Eric Darius, Euge Groove, Gerald Albright, Jeff Golub,
Kirk Whalum, Marion Meadows, Michael Lington, Mindi Abair,
Norman Brown, Peter White, Richard Elliot, Warren Hill @
Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Pier Park, Panama City Beach, FL
Apr 13 – 17

Buddy Guy @ Paramount Theatre, Denver, CO, Apr 13
Lee Ritenour @ Jazz Kitchen, Indianapolis, IN, Apr 13
Buddy Guy @ Pantages Thaetre, Tacoma, WA, Apr 15
Mavis Staples @ Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, Adelaide, Australia, Apr 15
Smokey Robinson @ Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC, Apr 15
Maceo Parker @ Yoshi’s, San Francisco, CA, Apr 15-16

Average White Band, Tower Of Power @
Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, Apr 15-16

Buddy Guy @ Red Robinson Show Theatre, Vancouver, BC, Apr 16
B.B. King @ Hisense Arena, Melbourne, Australia, Apr 16
Bettye Lavette @ Bowness Hall, Calgary, AB, Apr 16

Average White Band, Tower Of Power @
Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA, Apr 17

The Ohio Players @ Crawfish Festival, Biloxi, MS, Apr 17
The Spinners, Village People @ Magic City Casino, Miami, FL, Apr 17
Lee Ritenour @ Dakota Jazz Club, Minneapolis, MN, Apr 17-18
Buddy Guy @ Kelowna Community Theatre, Kelowna, BC, Apr 18
Lee Ritenour @ Solid Dove Underground, Denver, CO, Apr 20
Santana @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Apr 20
Tower Of Power @ Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA, Apr 19-21

The Blind Boys of Alabama, Mavis Staples, Aaron Neville
@ The Palais Theatre, Saint Kilda, Australia, Apr 20

Chicago @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 21
Buddy Guy @ Cascade Theatre, Redding, CA, Apr 21
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Rialto Theatre, Atlanta, GA, Apr 21-22
Buddy Guy @ Jackson Hall, Mondavi Center, Davis, CA, Apr 22
Chaka Khan @ House of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ, Apr 22
Santana @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Apr 22-24
Boz Scaggs @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 24
WAR @ The Crawfish Festival, Biloxi, MS, Apr 24
B.B. King @ Neal S. Blaisdell Arena, Honolulu, HI, Apr 27
Santana @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Apr 27

Joe Lovano, US Five @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Apr 28-30
Santana @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Apr 29
Maceo Parker @ Belly Up Tavern, Solona Beach, CA, Apr 29
Patti LaBelle, Kenny G @ Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC, Apr 29
Stephanie Mills @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Apr 30

MAY 2011
Santana @ Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, May 1
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, May 1
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, May 2
Joe Lovano, US Five @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, May 3
Joe Lovano @ Tribeca Performing Arts Center, New York, NY, May 5
Ceu @ Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, CA, May 6
Chris Botti @ Knoxville Aud & Coliseum, Knoxville, TN, May 7

Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra @ Rams Head On Stage,
Annapolis, MD, May 10

Herb Alpert @ Dimitrou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, May 13-15
Candy Dulfer @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, May 15
Chris Botti @ Durham Perf Arts Center, Durham, NC, May 17
Herb Alpert @ Palace of Fine Arts Theatre, San Francisco, CA, May 17
Herb Alpert @ Edythe Broad Stage, Santa Monica, CA, May 19
Joe Lovano @ Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia, PA, May 20

Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @  Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall,
Costa Mesa, CA, May 20

Chris Botti @ Belk Theater, Charlotte, NC, May 21

JUNE 2011
Lee Ritenour @ Herbst Theatre, San Francisco, CA, June 5
Natalie Cole @ Rochester Int’l Jazz Festival, Rochester, NY, June 10
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Viper Alley, Lincolnshire, IL, June 11

Dianne Reeves, Fourplay, Eddie Palmier @ Playboy Jazz Festival,
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, June 11

John Scofield, Ronnie Laws, Stanley Jordan, Walter Beasley,
Fred Wesley @ Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood Bowl,
Los Angeles, CA, June 12

Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Old Town School of Folk Music,
Chicago, IL, June 12

Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Guthrie Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, June 13
Jack Jones @ Scullers Jazz Club, Allston, MA, June 17-18
Hugh Masekela @ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, June 22

JULY 2011
Chris Botti, Bobby McFerrin, Yellowjackets @ Hollywood Bowl,
Los Angeles, CA, July 13

Down To The Bone @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, July 8
Fourplay @ Blue Note, New York, NY, July 26-31

Gladys Knight, James Ingram @ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angels, CA, July 27
Vanessa Williams @ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, July 29-30

AUGUST 2011
Lee Ritenour @ Guitar Town, Copper Mountain, CO, Aug 14

Dave Koz, Spyro Gyra, Bobby Caldwell, Sheila E,
Larry Graham & Graham Central Station @
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Aug 14

Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Chaka Khan, Cassandra Wilson
@ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Aug 17

Jack Jones @ Town Plaza, Los Gatos, CA, Aug 24

Dave Koz, Mindi Abair, Chris Botti, Peter White, Sheila E, David Benoit,

Warren Hill, Jeffrey Osborne, Keiki Matsui @ Dave Koz & Friends At
Sea Alaska, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Aug 26-Sep 2

Jack Jones @ South Point Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Aug 27-28

George Benson, George Duke, Marcus Miller, David Sanborn
@ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Aug 31

SEPTEMBER 2011
Quincy Jones, Patti Austin, Brothers Johnson @ Hollywood Bowl,
Los Angeles, CA, Sept 7

Herbie Hancock @ Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Sept 26

OCTOBER 2011
Pat Metheny @ Blue Note, New York, Oct 11
Jack Jones @ Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow, UK, Oct 21
Jack Jones @ York Barbian Centre, York, UK, Oct 22

Paul Brown, Michael Lington, Nils, Jessy J @
European Jazz Cruise, Venice, Italy, Oct 23-30

Fourplay, Norman Brown, George Duke, Eric Benet, Phil Perry,
Rachelle Ferrell, Patti Austin, Roy Ayers, Maysa, Conya Doss,
Pieces Of A Dream, Walter Beasley, Amel Larrieux,
Nick Colionne, Down To The Bone, Gerald Veasley,
Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly, Eric Robertson,
Frank McComb, Angela Johnson, Anthony David,
Avery Sunshine @ The Super Cruise V, Miami/Cozumel/
Belize/Ocho Rio, Oct 23-30

Jack Jones @ Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool, UK, Oct 24
Jack Jones @ The Sage, Gateshead, UK, Oct 25
Jack Jones @ Town Hall, Birmingham, UK, Oct 27
Jack Jones @ Cliffs Pavilion, South-On-Sea, UK, Oct 29
Jack Jones @ Fairfield, Croydon, UK, Oct 30
Jack Jones @ London Paladium, London, UK, Oct 31

NOVEMBER 2011
Jack Jones @ The Broadway, Peterborough, UK, Nov 1
Chick Corea @ Blue Note, New York, NY, Nov. 1-27
Jack Jones @ The Bridgewater Hall, Manchester, UK, Nov 2

DECEMBER 2011
Manhattan Transfer @ Blue Note, New York, NY, Dec 8-11

JANUARY 2012
Smokey Robinson, David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Boney James,
Eric Darius, Patrice Rushen, Jonathan Butler, Gerald Albright,
Rick Braun, Candy Dulfer, Jeff Golub, Rahsaan Patterson,
Joe Sample, Brian Simpson, Peter White, Alonza Badden,
Brian Culberton @ Smooth Jazz Cruise, Ft. Lauderdale, FL, Jan 15-29

FEBRUARY 2012
Jack Jones @ Lynn University, Boca Raton, FL, Feb 25-26

NEW SADE ALBUM - THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION - AND TOUR DATES

As a follow up to the platinum-selling Soldier Of Love, which spent three weeks at the top of the Billboard album chart and garnered a well-deserved Grammy Award, Sade is back with a new release entitled The Ultimate Collection, out May 3rd. In addition to classic Sade songs, the must-have album will include three new, never-before heard songs including "Moon & The Sky" (featuring Jay-Z).

Sade and John Legend Summer Tour Dates:

(Newly announced dates are noted by *)

6/16 Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena

6/18 Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center*

6/19 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center

6/21 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum

6/22 Washington, DC - Verizon Center
6/24 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center
6/25 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
6/28 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
6/30 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
7/03 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena*
7/06 Boston, MT - TD Garden
7/08 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse*
7/09 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena*
7/10 Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center*
7/12 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
7/13 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena*
7/15 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - BankAtlantic Center
7/16 Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena*
7/17 Orlando, FL - Amway Center
7/23 Houston, TX - Toyota Center*
7/24 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center*
7/26 Kansas City, KS - Sprint Center*
7/28 St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center*
7/29 Memphis, TN - FedEx Forum*
7/31 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena*
8/03 Detroit, MI - The Palace at Auburn Hills*

8/05 Chicago, IL - United Center

8/06 Chicago, IL - United Center

8/07 Chicago, IL - United Center*
8/09 Minneapolis, MN - Target Center*
8/11 Denver, CO - Pepsi Center*
8/13 Vancouver, BC - Rogers Arena
8/14 Seattle, WA - Key Arena*

8/15 Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena*

8/17 Sacramento, CA - Power Balance Pavilion*

8/19 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
8/20 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center
8/21 Los Angeles, CA - Staples Center*
8/23 San Diego, CA - Cricket Amphitheatre*
8/25 San Jose, CA - HP Pavilion
8/26 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena*
8/27 Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
8/30 Anaheim, CA - Honda Center
8/31 Anaheim, CA - Honda Center*

9/02 Phoenix, AZ - U.S. Airways Center*

9/03 Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Arena*

GRETCHEN PARLATO - THE LOST AND FOUND

Gretchen Parlato's 2009 sophomore breakthrough, In a Dream, signaled the arrival of an incredibly inventive modern jazz singer.  Her follow-up, The Lost and Found (set for release on April 5), demonstrates that she has staying power. In a Dream garnered international acclaim with Billboard magazine hailing it as "the most alluring jazz vocal album of 2009"; it also made it onto the top year-end polls for Jazz Times, the Boston Globe, the Village Voice and NPR. The Lost and Found shows immediate weight and intensity, exposing a greater dynamic range. "I feel like I stepped out of my own way and allowed myself to be more revealing and vulnerable through the music," reflects Parlato. Revealing a seamless, crystalline, and more importantly, personal voice, Parlato says that the overall theme of The Lost and Found is about accepting opposition and embracing the ebbs and flows of life. "One day we may think we've found all the answers, and then something suddenly happens that makes us feel completely lost as though nothing makes sense. This is life. Accepting that we are always in transition without attaching a judgment to the experience is freeing. We are always the lost and found."

 An alumni of the Thelonious Monk Institute, Parlato has been turning heads ever since she won the 2004 Thelonious Monk Institute International Vocal Competition with which she displayed a musical individuality loaded with paradoxical powers. Her sultry, intriguing voice and unique, rhythmically agile phrasing came with inescapable centripetal force; the more intimate and understated she sang, the more she drew listeners in. Since then she has toured worldwide to sold out audiences with BBC Radio proclaiming, "Star over London...A star is born!" Her originality captivates musicians as well, prompting invitations to appear on over 50 recordings with the likes of Terence Blanchard, Kenny Barron, Terri Lynn Carrington and Esperanza Spalding. Her breathtaking performances have been captured on television in Europe and Japan and she has become a sought after clinician on vocal styling.

 On her third disc, Parlato surrounds herself with a collective of kindred spirits whose tight knit sound has been cultivated through years of performing and recording together. She marshaled Grammy nominated pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott as her main band mates with guest appearances from tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens and bassist, Alan Hampton, who makes a stellar turn featured as a singer and guitarist. Leaders in their own right, this band is among the most heralded of a young, new wave in jazz. "I adore these musicians, not only for what they do, but also for who they are," Parlato says. "We couldn't have had a more supportive, productive energy recording this album." That energy allowed her to reach subliminal musical heights; one that truly engages in delightful, often adventurous musical conversations that tickle the mind, warms the heart and moves the body. "They all contributed so much to the project, in the end it truly felt like a collaborative effort."

"Collaborative effort" is no overstatement. The Lost and Found sees Parlato emerging as a thoughtful composer and lyricist. In fact, she wrote lyrics to several compositions such as Eigsti's haunting "Without a Sound;" trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire's plaintive "Henya," and Stephens' suspenseful title track. In a duet on Hampton's "Still," Gretchen's gentle musing about compassion and forgiveness is made more poignant by his raw vocals. "Alan created such a meditative and deceptively simple groove I wanted to write lyrics that were like a mantra. Something that in its repetition becomes extremely powerful. What better theme than love?"

She also composed the music and wrote the lyrics for the evocative bossa-nova tinged, "Winter Wind," the hopeful "How We Love," the sensual "Better Than" and the hypnotic "Circling" that contains verses that typify the entire disc's meditations on light and darkness. "'Circling' plays with the idea of cycles in our lives," explains Parlato. "The ones we have no control over like birth and death as opposed to the cycles we do control, behavior patterns that we get ourselves into."

Pianist and Grammy nominated composer Robert Glasper came on board as associate producer. "I love working with Robert, not only in composing, but in re-harmonizing and arranging. There is such an immense love and respect between all of the musicians and Robert knows exactly what to do and say to keep everyone inspired."

 On The Lost and Found, Parlato further develops her knack for reinventing intriguing R&B songs with her daring yet delectable makeover of "All That I Can Say," a Mary J. Blige tune, penned by Lauryn Hill, and Simply Red's "Holding Back the Years." The latter track, which serves as the album's opener, begins with Scott laying down an infectious R&B groove. Glasper can be heard in the background, vibing to the beat as the music quickly fades into the full ensemble (recorded by Parlato on her iPhone during a rehearsal).

With both tracks, Parlato and her band retain the soulful essence of the songs while steering far enough so that they don't delve into treacle mimicry. "Gretchen doesn't try to be anything she's not. Every remake is an honest one," Glasper says. "She's always herself." The disc also features the jaunty "Me and You," from singer/songwriter Josh Mease and a sterling Glasper/Parlato rearrangement of Bill Evans' "Blue in Green" with lyrics by Meredith D'Ambrosio.

Gretchen Parlato is on an exploration, which leads the conversation among the band and makes for unexpected treasures.  Inspired by Wayne Shorter, one of her mentors, she wrote lyrics to his classic '60s jazz composition "Juju." The interaction between Gretchen and saxophonist Stephens showcases her ability to use her voice as an instrument-blending with the horn while adding counterpoints. On "Without A Sound," her haunting vocals seem to add another dimension to the remarkably textured harmony already created by Hodge layering 3 parts using only his electric bass.  And on one of the disc's most revealing moments, the singer shows her love for Brazilian music on Paulinho da Viola's "Alo Alo." A solo rendition, Parlato layers all of the percussion and sings all the vocals.

 Here's where you can catch Gretchen Parlato in concert:
April 6 - Narrows Center for the Arts, Fall River, MA
April 7 - Regattabar, Cambridge, MA
April 23 - Wichita Jazz Fest, Wichita, KS
May 6-8 - Jazz Standard, New York City

May 25 - New Morning, Paris, France

May 26 - La Passerelle, St Brieuc, France

May 28 - Guidel Bretagne, Bretagne, France

May 31- Theatre National de Bretagne, Rennes, France

June 4 - Cabaret of Theater Square, Pittsburgh, PA

July 1- l Klangvokal Musikfestival - Dortmund, GE

July 4-6 -Duc Des Lombards, Paris, France

July 7 - Jazz a Vienne, Vienne, France

July 8 - Palatia Jazz, Rhineland, Germany

December 2 -Library of Congress, Washington, DC

December 10 - Next Wave Festival, BAM Café Live, Brooklyn, NY

R.I.P. LOLEATTA HOLLOWAY

Disco singer Loleatta Holloway has died at the age of 64 after a brief illness. She was mainly known for disco songs such as "Hit and Run" and "Love Sensation", as well as many others. In the early 1970s, Holloway signed with the Atlanta-based label Aware, where she recorded two albums for the label, both of them produced by Floyd Smith—Loleatta (1973) and Cry to Me (1975). Her first single from the second album, the ballad "Cry to Me" rose to #10 Billboard R&B and #68 on the Hot 100, but before the label could really establish Holloway, it went out of business. In 1976, Philadelphia arranger and producer Norman Harris signed Holloway for his new label, Gold Mind, a subsidiary of New York's Salsoul Records. The first release from the album Loleatta was another Sam Dees ballad, "Worn-Out Broken Heart," which reached #25 R&B, but the B-side, "Dreaming," climbed to #72 on the pop chart and launched her as a disco act. She contributed vocals to "Re-Light My Fire" for Dan Hartman, who then wrote and produced the title track of her fourth and final album for Gold Mind, Love Sensation (1980). Eighteen songs of hers charted on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, including four #1s. However, it was a ballad that proved to be another big R&B hit for her. "Only You" was written and produced by Bunny Sigler, who also sang with Holloway on the track, and it reached #11 in 1978.

Albums
Loleatta (Aware 1973)
Cry To Me (Aware 1975)
Loleatta (Gold Mind 1976)
Queen of the Night (Gold Mind 1978)
Loleatta Holloway (Gold Mind 1979)
Love Sensation (Gold Mind 1980)
Greatest Hits (The Right Stuff/EMI, 1996)
Queen of the Night: the Ultimate Club Collection (The Right Stuff/EMI, 2001)
Loleatta Holloway: The Anthology (Salsoul, 2005)

Songs
"Cry to Me" (#10 R&B, #68, US Billboard Hot 100)
 "Worn-out Broken Heart" (#25 R&B)
 "Only You" with Bunny Sigler (#87 US, Billboard Hot 100, #11 US R&B)
 "Dreamin'" (US #72), (US Dance #3)(1977)
 "Love Sensation" (#1 US Dance, #5 UK) (1980)
 "Vertigo/Relight My Fire" (with Dan Hartman)
 "Hit and Run" (#3 US Dance), (#56 US R&B)(1977)
 "Catch Me on the Rebound" (#16 US Dance)
 "Crash Goes Love" (#5 US Dance), (#86 US R&B)(1984)
 "Runaway" by The Salsoul Orchestra
 "All About the Paper"
 "The Greatest Performance of My Life"
 "Catch Me on the Rebound"
 "Seconds"
 "I May Not be there When You Want Me (But I'm Right on Time)"
 "Shout it to The Top", Fire Island feat Lolleata Holoway
 Black Box - "Ride On Time" (#1 UK; contains vocal samples from "Love Sensation" - Holloway's vocals are also the only vocals on the track; also Britain's best selling single of 1989)
 Gotta Be #1 (#2, US Dance)
 Marky Mark (aka Mark Wahlberg) & The Funky Bunch - "Good Vibrations" (#1 US, #14 UK; prominently features Holloway's vocals sampled from "Love Sensation." This was Holloway's only US #1 on the Billboard Hot 100; 1991)
 "Dreamin'" (remix) (#1, US Dance)(2000)
 "What Goes Around Comes Around" GTS featuring Loleatta Holloway
 "Don't Leave Me this Way - 2007" (2007 Deep Influence Mix)
 "A Better World" by AgeHa featuring Loleatta Holloway & Jocelyn Brown
 "I-N-S-I-D-E" by CJ TOBA feat Loleatta Holloway (2009 DJ Remix of "Dreamin'," which reached success in DJ/Club Charts)

Holloway died on March 21, 2011 after slipping into a coma. She was 64 years old

BARRY MANILOW - DUETS

For the first time, 15 of Barry's most outstanding and memorable performances with an A-list of singers have been collected for his newest release - Duets.  The title will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting May 3, through Arista/ Legacy. Duets is a timely reminder of Barry Manilow's successful residency at the Paris Theater in Las Vegas, with performance dates now extended into 2012. "I'm very proud of this album," Manilow said recently. "Recording each song was a thrill because these singers are so great, but listening to all of the cuts back-to-back was an overwhelming experience. Getting the opportunity to sing with them was an honor." With worldwide record sales exceeding 80 million, Barry Manilow is ranked as the top Adult Contemporary chart artist of all time, according to R&R (Radio & Records).  His track record includes no less than 25 consecutive top 40 hits on the Billboard Hot 100.

Duets Tracklisting:
Title - With - From album (Year)
1. You've Got A Friend - Melissa Manchester - The Greatest Songs of the Seventies (2007)
2.  Hey Mambo - Kid Creole & the Coconuts - Swing Street (1987)
3.  Let Me Be Your Wings - Debra Byrd - Thumbelina O.S. (1994)
4.  Cherish/Windy - The Association - Greatest Songs Of The Sixties (2006)
5.  Look To The Rainbow - Barbara Cook - Showstoppers (1991)
6.  Islands In The Stream - Reba McEntire - Greatest Songs Of The Eighties (2008)
7.  Big City Blues - Mel Torme (featuring Gerry Mulligan) - 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe (1984)
8.  On A Slow Boat To China - Bette Midler - Bette Midler Sings The Rosemary Clooney Songbook (2003)
9.  Run To Me - Dionne Warwick - Manilow Collection/20 Classic Hits (1985)
10.  Summertime - Diane Schuur (featuring Stan Getz) - Swing Street (1987)
11.  Sincerely/Teach Me Tonight - Phyllis McGuire - The Greatest Songs of the Fifties (2005)
12.  Blue - Sarah Vaughan - 2:00 AM Paradise Cafe (1984)
13.  Now And Forever - Sheena Easton - The Pebble and the Penguin O.S. (1995)
14.  I Won't Be The One To Let Go - Barbra Streisand - Duets (by Barbra Streisand) (2002)
15.  The Last Duet - Lily Tomlin - Barry (1980)

SADE & JOHN LEGEND TEAM FOR TOUR

Sade, known for their one of a kind timeless sound, have announced that acclaimed singer, songwriter and pianist, John Legend will join every date on their highly anticipated summer tour.  Legend is nominated for five Grammy Awards and two NAACP Awards this year for his collaboration with the Roots on the extraordinary new album Wake Up! The once in a lifetime tour, combining two of the most recognizable and powerful voices in R&B today, will begin on June 16th in Baltimore, Maryland at the 1st Mariner's Arena.  The Live Nation produced tour will make 50 concert stops in top arenas across North America, with additional dates to be announced soon.

John Legend, a six-time Grammy Award winner, is nominated for five additional awards at this weekend's telecast on February 13th for his work with the Roots on Wake Up!, including Best R&B Album, Best R&B Song ("Shine"), Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("Hang On In There"), Best R&B Performance By a Duo or Group with Vocals ("Shine"), and Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance ("Hang On In There").  Legend is also nominated for two NAACP Image Awards at this year's ceremony on March 4th for Outstanding Album Wake Up! and Outstanding Group, Duo or Collaboration.

Sade is nominated for two Grammy Awards this year, Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with VocalsBest R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals for "Soldier of Love," both from their critically acclaimed new album, Soldier Of Love.  Selling over a million copies to-date, Soldier Of Love spent three weeks in the number one spot taking its rightful place among the collection of iconic Sade albums. Sade is also nominated for four NAACP Image Awards, Outstanding Music Video ("Soldier of Love"), Outstanding Song ("Soldier of Love"), Outstanding Album (Soldier of Love) and Outstanding Female Artist.   for their hit "Babyfather" and

Sade with Special Guest John Legend Tour Dates:
June 16 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
June 19 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
June 21 Uniondale, NY Nassau Coliseum
June 24 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
June 28 Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
June 30 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
July 6 Boston, MA TD Garden
July 15 Ft. Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center
July 17 Orlando, FL Amway Center
August 5 Chicago, IL United Center
August 6 Chicago, IL United Center
August 13 Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena
August 19 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
August 20 Los Angeles, CA Staples Center
August 25 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
August 27 Oakland, CA Oracle Arena
August 30 Anaheim, CA Honda Center

T.K. BLUE - LATIN BIRD

T.K. Blue’s new CD Latin Bird, his first for Motéma Music and ninth as a leader, takes the alto saxophonist back to his musical and personal beginnings. Charlie “Bird” Parker was a major early inspiration for T.K., and eight of Parker’s classic compositions are ingeniously reworked in Afro-Cuban, Caribbean, Brazilian, and New Orleans second-line rhythms. The New York-born son of parents from Jamaica and Trinidad, and a mainstay of jazz master Randy Weston’s band since 1980, Blue is profoundly fluent in the various musical styles of Africa and the African Diaspora. “Barbados” is given a calypso arrangement and “Donna Lee” is played as a samba, while “Chi Chi,” “Si Si,” and “Buzzy” utilize a two-three clave. Also in the program is a gorgeous reading of “’Round Midnight,” the saxophonist’s all-time favorite ballad, as well as “He Flew Away Too Soon,” a solo alto saxophone improvisation dedicated to trombonist Benny Powell. Blue’s longtime friend and Weston band mate, Powell had been scheduled to play on "Latin Bird" but died a few days before the session.

Blue’s band for the occasion consists of pianist Theo Hill (“I’m intrigued by his sound, maturity, and creativity”), esteemed colleague Essiet Essiet on bass, Willie Martinez on drums and timbales (also part of T.K.’s previous album), and percussionist Roland Guerrero—the same quintet (with James Weidman filling in for Hill) who performed in December at the World Festival of Black Arts and Culture in Senegal, where Blue also performed with Weston. Special guests on Latin Bird include drummer Lewis Nash, heard on two selections, and trombonist and shell-blower Steve Turre, who contributed to three others.

Born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island, T.K. Blue began gigging around New York City in the mid-1970s with the Natives, a group led by South African pianist Ndikho Xaba. Through Xaba, he met Abdullah Ibrahim (then known as Dollar Brand) and joined his group in 1977. He spent three years touring the world with Ibrahim, with whom he recorded three albums.

Since 1980, Blue has been a member of Randy Weston’s band and currently serves as its musical director. “I’m indebted to him tremendously,” Blue says of the pianist. “He showed me a lot of things about life and how to be a man and also how to seek my heritage and find out about Africa.”

Blue spent much of the 1980s living in Paris and continued performing with Weston, who was also a resident of France. “There were a lot of African people there, which was attractive to me because I wanted to learn about my roots,” he says. “My dad and my grandfather were from Jamaica, but they used to talk to me a lot about Africa.”

The saxophonist, who played in Paris with musicians from throughout Africa, as well as from Brazil, Martinique, and Guadeloupe, made his first album there in 1986. Titled "Egyptian Oasis," the disc came to the attention of the United States Information Agency in France and led to three State Department-sponsored tours of Africa for Blue and his band.

The saxophonist's pcoming shows include Fri-Sat. 5/20-21 at Twins in Washington, DC. (Blue will also appear with his quartet at An Die Musik in Baltimore on Fri. 3/18.)

THE IMPRESSION'S 50th ANNIVERSARY SALUTE TO CURTIS MAYFIELD

Cool Pepper Disc’s debut release, The Impression’s 50th Anniversary Salute to Curtis Mayfield, serves as an emotive and poignant soundtrack for Black History Month, offering a vivid sonic recollection of the divisive 1960s civil rights movement. “Drawing inspiration from church, The Impressions songs reflected the country's social and political concerns of the time, capturing the mood and aspirations of America like no other during the 1960s,” said prominent songwriter/producer/publisher and Cool Pepper Disc founder Jerry Michael, “These legends of soul were the first group to bring inspirational messages into the pop market. They helped pioneer the genre.”

The Chicago-based Impressions exploded onto the music scene with the 1958 national hit “For Your Precious Love.” The song became a top five hit, and is widely accepted today as the catalyst for the emergence of Chicago Soul. The Impressions went on to become a powerhouse group of the "Soulful Sixties", providing a perpetual series of chart hits that served as the score for the civil rights movement. The group’s success was so prolific, The Impressions even managed to take a stand against the arrival of The Beatles, charting no less than five Top 20 hits in 1964, all crafted and tailored by Mayfield.

Cool Pepper’s first release features previously unreleased recordings of 17 Mayfield-penned hits, including "Keep on Pushin'", "Amen", "People Get Ready", "It's All Right", "Woman's Got Soul", "Talking About My Baby" and a never- before-heard extended version of the 1960s smash "Gypsy Woman" which has sat in a music vault since 1961.

"When 'Gypsy Woman' was originally recorded, it was too long for radio, so they cut the last verse for airplay," Michael stated. "The rest is history. It was a huge hit. Now fans will be able to hear the unreleased version for the very first time."

All the tracks on the Mayfield tribute album have been digitally re-mastered by Michael whose career has spanned more than 40 years. Michael initially achieved success as a recording artist for Capitol and Mercury/Smash Records, and went on to become an established music publisher, songwriter, studio owner, and record producer at Suite 900 in the United Artists Tower on Nashville's Music Row. His songs have been featured on gold, platinum and/or multi-platinum albums by top recording acts in pop, rock, R&B, country, adult contemporary and gospel, including Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Kansas, Pure Prarie League, Paul Overstreet, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rita Coolidge, Dobie Gray, Exile and Shirley Ceasar.

LISA LINDSLEY - EVERYTIME WE SAY GOODBYE

On her new recording, Everytime We Say Goodbye, jazz vocalist Lisa Lindsley makes a commanding debut as a storyteller and balladeer of the first order. With impeccable support from George Mesterhazy, the pianist and arranger, and bassist Fred Randolph, Lindsley is fearless in exploring the inner workings of her songs and what she calls “the moments of stillness between the lines.”

“As a singer, you are always trying to find your voice,” says Lindsley. “I believe I found it on this album, with the help of George Mesterhazy. Between the three of us, magic happened that weekend in the studio.”

Mesterhazy, best known as Shirley Horn’s pianist during the last several years of her life, and more recently as the musical director for the extraordinary San Francisco singer Paula West, was the catalyst for the session, which was scheduled spontaneously and without rehearsal. Yet Lisa and her musicians recorded most of the songs in first or second takes. “‘The Very Thought of You’ and ‘Everytime We Say Goodbye’ are masterpieces,” Mesterhazy says, “but the whole album is a snapshot of love, talent, and sincerity working in perfect synchronicity.”

Other highlights of the CD include Lisa’s readings of Blossom Dearie’s “Inside a Silent Tear”; “The Nearness of You,” which opens the album; and “Alice in Wonderland” (“I’m in love with Bill Evans and his version really made me want to sing it”).

“Every great song has a complete story in it, with a beginning, middle, and end,” Lindsley says. “When you’re singing you have to be connected to the words, or there’s nothing there, you have to have an emotional connection to the song. I want to tell the audience the story of the song, and my experience with acting helps that immensely.”

Lisa Lindsley was born and raised in Ogden, Utah, the daughter of a jazz-loving father and a former film actress mother who’d left Hollywood because of the McCarthy-era blacklist. By high school Lisa had discovered musical theater, a passion that carried through to college. She attended the prestigious California Institute for the Arts (CalArts) theater program, then spent a decade touring and performing with The Imagination Company.

Recorded during the breakup of her marriage, Everytime We Say Goodbye reflects the currents of longing, melancholy, and fortitude running through her life at that time. In concert, Lisa brings vivacious energy to the stage, with a repertoire reflecting her resilience and rekindled exuberance.

HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL - I FEEL YOU

Herb Alpert and Grammy award winning singer Lani Hall have added several West Coast dates to their "I Feel You" Tour which began reently at the Birchmere Theatre in Alexandria, Virginia.  New dates include stops in Seattle, San Francisco, Santa Monica and Costa Mesa, California.  The tour coincides with the release of their critically acclaimed I Feel You CD on Concord Jazz. "The couple's first studio album in 10 years is a gorgeous collection of re-imagined classics with a couple of Beatles tunes mixed in for good measure.  Both the trumpet legend and acclaimed vocalist, who've been married since 1973, are in fine form as they breathe fresh life into these songs through improvisation and new arrangements," raved USA TODAY in their three and a half star (*** 1/2) review. "Hall's smoky, emotional voice is perfectly suited to the material, especially 'Cast Your Fate to the Wind' and Tijuana Brass smash 'What Now My Love' and Alpert still blows a mean, seductively smooth horn," commented the Boston Herald. Herb and Lani's welcome return to the studio had a first week marked by a #3 debut on the Current Contemporary Jazz chart (according to Nielsen SoundScan) and a major profile on CBS Sunday Morning.

Herb Alpert & Lani Hall Upcoming "I Feel You" Tour Dates:
5/13/11 Seattle, WA Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
5/14/11 Seattle, WA Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
5/15/11 Seattle, WA Dimitriou's Jazz Alley
5/17/11 San Francisco, CA Palace of Fine Arts Theatre
5/19/11 Santa Monica, CA Santa Monica City College – The Broad Stage
5/20/11 Costa Mesa, CA Segerstrom Center for the Arts

http://www.herbalpert.com/

NEIL DIAMOND - THE BANG YEARS 1966-1968

With the Rock & Roll Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings have just released Neil Diamond's The Bang Years 1966 - 1968, 23 core cuts establishing the artist's electrifying transition from struggling Tin Pan Alley songwriter to full-on American rock star lovingly restored to full-impact original mono for this definitive edition. Neil Diamond The Bang Years 1966 - 1968 was officially released everywhere on Tuesday, March 8.

The American independent label Bang Records was founded by songwriter Bert Berns ("Twist & Shout," "Hang On Sloopy") in 1965 and produced a string of AM pop radio hits in the mid-1960s  which included the earliest recordings of Neil Diamond, a Brill Building songwriter transitioning into performing his own songs.

Neil's period as a Bang records artist produced one of the most vibrant and timeless catalogs in pop history. Arriving on the American pop radio scene in the middle of the British invasion and an emerging West Coast psychedelia, Neil Diamond's songs of inner personal struggle and introspection, mixed with an exuberant love of life and sense of awe, struck a chord with an ever-expanding audience through some of the most beloved songs of his career: "Cherry, Cherry," "Solitary Man," "Kentucky Woman," "Shilo," "Red, Red Wine" and others.

Over the years, Neil's Bang Records catalog has inspired some of the most memorable covers in pop history: The Monkees' "I'm A Believer," the best-selling record of 1967; UB40's reggae-fied "Red, Red Wine," a US Number 1 in 1984; Urge Overkill's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," pulsing through Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" in 1994; and Johnny Cash's weighty "Solitary Man," on his third American Recordings album with Rick Rubin in 2000.

As a special bonus for Neil Diamond fans, the artist has written a set of extensive and revelatory liner notes especially for Neil Diamond The Bang Years 1966 - 1968, capturing his feelings about the songs and the era as only he could:

"I realized that something was happening that had never happened before for me. My new songs contained something that none of my previous ones had…they contained me and my life at their core.... I had finally found, on the crossroads of desperation and opportunity, the understanding of what I needed to do to write truly affecting songs—I had only to be open and honest, dammit, about my own life and experiences and to stop trying to make up silly songs about made up people, situations and relationships for singers whose lives and feelings I knew nothing about.

"'Solitary Man' would be the first of many 'me' songs and that element along with the superb quality of my producers Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, the great recording engineers Tom Dowd, Phil Ramone and Brooks Arthur (who never once allowed me to double my voice—they wanted the real Neil), the musicians (who were the best players in the world) and our arranger, Artie ("It's been a real 'pressure' working with you") Butler would make all the difference.

"Throw all those elements together and you had the beginnings of a Big Bang career that all finally came together in one explosive spiritual expression of creativity. When the dust of that first session settled, my first chart record 'Solitary Man' was born and my life was forever changed. That day led to other days and other sessions and other spiritual moments which were all connected to my life and dreams."


Neil Diamond - The Bang Years 1966 - 1968

TRACK LIST:
1 SOLITARY MAN
2 CHERRY, CHERRY
3 GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON
4 KENTUCKY WOMAN
5 THANK THE LORD FOR THE NIGHT TIME
6 YOU GOT TO ME
7 I'M A BELIEVER
8 RED, RED WINE
9 THE BOAT THAT I ROW
10 DO IT
11 NEW ORLEANS 
12 MONDAY, MONDAY
13 RED RUBBER BALL
14 I'LL COME RUNNING
15 LA BAMBA
16 THE LONG WAY HOME
17 I'VE GOT THE FEELING (OH NO NO)
18 YOU'LL FORGET
19 LOVE TO LOVE
20 SOMEDAY BABY
21 HANKY PANKY 
22 THE TIME IS NOW
23 SHILO

http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.legacyrecordings.com/
http://www.neildiamond.com/

THE 858 QUARTET - SIGN OF LIFE

Grammy-winning guitarist and composer Bill Frisell has reassembled The 858 Quartet and is preparing for the release of Sign Of Life, their first recording in over five years.  The 858 Quartet was conceived when Frisell was commissioned to compose music inspired by the artist Gerhard Richter's 858 series of paintings which was exhibited by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.  Produced by longtime collaborator Lee Townsend and recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California in late 2010, Sign Of Life features Frisell on guitar, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Eyvind Kang on viola and Hank Roberts on cello. Technically a string quartet, Frisell steers clear of any preconceptions with his distinctive textural and rhythmic guitar playing which anchors a tight yet improvisational ensemble. Sign of Life is set for release on the Savoy Jazz label on April 26th.

Says Frisell: "I write the music down on paper. It is difficult to say what is composed, orchestrated, improvised, or arranged. I don't really have to tell anyone what to do. It is a musical language alive and changing all the time…growing and developing."

Bill Frisell will be performing throughout the year including a residency at the Village Vanguard from April 19-May 1.  In addition, Frisell is at work recording his definitive interpretations of John Lennon songs which is set for release in September 2011 and Floratone, his collaborative group that includes Matt Chamberlain, Tucker Martine and Lee Townshend, scheduled for March 2012.

Sign Of Life track listing:
1. It's A Long Story (1)  (2:39)
2. Old Times (4:59)
3. Sign Of Life (2:49)
4. Friend Of Mine  (5:48)
5. Wonderland (3:18)
6. It's A Long Story (2)   (6:32)
7. Mother Daughter (2:20)
8. Youngster (3:01)
9. Recollection (2:54)
10. Suitcase In My Hand (2:22)
11. Sixty Four (3:52)
12. Friend Of Mine (2)   (1:49)
13. Painter (1:14)
14. Teacher (1:28)
15. All The People, All The Time (2:05)
16. Village (4:20)
17. As It Should Be (1:50)

MONTY ALEXANDER - UPLIFT

Jamaican jazz piano man Monty Alexander is acclaimed the world over for his seemingly extraterrestrial technique and sublime, heartfelt swing. Now with the release of his Jazz Legacy Productions debut Uplift, the pianist opens his personal concert archives to eager listeners everywhere, for an unforgettably riveting recorded affair. "Music is a healing force," Alexander says, who is joined by bassist Hassan Shakur, drummer Herlin Riley, as well as drummer Frits Landesbergen (on one track). "My hope is that by the end of a concert, and by the end of this album too, everybody will be taken with a feeling of uplift. That's what I always want to do." Featuring performances from Alexander's acclaimed live concerts over a three-year period, Uplift includes tracks the prodigious pianist has made his own over a storied, fifty-year career. From heartfelt renditions of standards like "Come Fly With Me" and "Body And Soul," to affecting originals like "Renewal" and "Hope," the album grooves hard and wide, much like Alexander himself. "I like to paint a rainbow of many emotions during a program," Alexander says. "You'll hear me play some blues with a good, old backbeat like 'One Mint Julep," and then I play "Django," which is a very reverential piece to me, having known so many of the musicians associated with it. For me, almost everything I play has a personal reference."

 Alexander was born in Kingston, Jamaica and felt the gravitational pull of music at an early age. "When I was a kid in my Country, I used to hear the folk bands play Calypso music and other songs made popular by people like Harry Belafonte," Alexander explains. "Every time I came into contact with the musicians playing that music, there was always joy. And that was my whole experience with music and what led me to be a musician in the first place." Self-taught and unable to read traditional music notation, Alexander's seemingly unorthodox approach to the piano would not prevent him from attaining widespread global acclaim. He would make musical waves in his homeland first, (leading the group Monty and The Cyclones), and soon after, his two-fisted piano pyrotechnics would send him into the musical stratosphere, performing and/or recording with legendary artists like Frank Sinatra, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, and countless others. A commanding career as a solo artist would soon follow, with Alexander recording over sixty albums as a leader himself, and anchoring countless tours to support them.

Uplift finds Alexander at the peak of his creative form, with the kind of musically adventurous set the esteemed pianist's concerts are known for. The album opens with a swinging nod to Frank Sinatra on the Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn standard "Come Fly With Me," with Alexander's technical tenacity on full, recorded display. "That tune takes me right back to Frank Sinatra sitting in the back room at Jilly's when I was playing piano there at the age on nineteen, he says. "I like to tell people that I'm really a saloon piano player at heart." Other arresting album tracks include the scintillating, shuffle-fied "One Mint Julep," and a stride-meets-Monk take on "Sweet Georgia Brown," with a nod to two of Alexander's musical mentors. "The real heroes on that tune for me were Nat "King" Cole and Oscar Peterson," he explains. "Nat Cole had a real simultaneously hot and cool style in his fingers, and Oscar Peterson's mastery of the piano, powerful rhythm and full orchestral approach was very effecting to me." Known for his ability to leap tall chord changes at breakneck speeds, Alexander surprises on Uplift with a healthy dose of musical variety as well. A mournful reading of John Lewis' venerable jazz ballad "Django," (complete with mid-song swing interlude), a masterfully-modulating, waltz-like rendition of the jazz staple "Body and Soul," and nods to his Jamaican homeland on Calypso-flavored tracks like his own "Home" and Blue Mitchell's "Fungi Mama," round the album out with fire-filled flair.

montyalexander.com 

LEE RITENOUR - 6 STRING THEORY

Lee Ritenour has announced the launch of the second annual Yamaha Six String Theory Guitar Competition, in partnership with the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation and the National Guitar Workshop. Entries will be accepted from February 15-April 30 for rock, blues, jazz/fusion, acoustic, classical/flamenco and country guitar players. Six winners from each musical genre will be invited to Montana for the finals and will receive scholarships to participate in The Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop. The final competition will take place in conjunction with the workshop’s activities and is scheduled for Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at the Bigfork Performing Arts Center. The event will be open to the public. The contest is the inspiration of the legendary GRAMMY® award winning guitarist/composer and producer, Lee Ritenour, who debuted the international competition in 2010 with the release of his all-star guitar CD, 6 String Theory. The CD has been named Guitar International’s “Best Album of 2010,” Jazziz’ “Publisher’s Album of the Year – and culminated in Ritenour recently receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar Player Magazine. The CD features 20 world-class guitarists including George Benson, BB King, Slash, Vince Gill, Robert Cray, and the winner of the 2010 competition Shon Boublil. Prizes for this year’s competition include a weeklong stay at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork for a family of four, a potential Concord Records recording contract, a National Guitar Workshop scholarship, as well as many other prizes from Yamaha Guitars, Monster Cable, D’Addario Strings, and others. Competitors are required to send an online video submission. To enter and for complete contest rules and regulations, visit http://www.sixstringtheory.com/.

AMBROSE AKINMSIRE - WHEN THE HEART EMERGES GLISTENING

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has announced Spring tour dates with his quintet in the U.S. and Europe in support of his forthcoming Blue Note Records debut When The Heart Emerges Glistening. The tour will kick off April 14 with a four-night engagement at the Jazz Standard in New York City, and includes a 12-date run in Europe, as well as a homecoming performance at SFJAZZ in San Francisco on May 22 and an appearance at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles on June 11. Akinmusire.' touring quintet will feature tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Justin Brown. Additional Summer tour dates in the U.S. and Europe will be announced shortly.

 TOUR DATES:

April 14-17 – Jazz Standard – New York, NY
April 26 – Redwood Jazz Alliance – Arcata, CA
April 28 – Outpost Performance Space – Albuquerque, NM
April 29 – Detroit Institute of the Arts – Detroit, MI
May 1 – Tri-C JazzFest – Cleveland, OH
May 6 – Vincenza Jazz – Vincenza, Italy
May 7 – La Spirale – Fribourg, Switzerland
May 9 – Musig im Ochsen – Muri, Switzerland
May 10 – A-Trane – Berlin, Germany
May 11 – Sendesaal Bremen – Bremen, Germany
May 12 – Club Unterfahrt – Munich, Germany

May 13 – Théâtre de Cavaillon – Cavaillon, France

May 14 – Bimhuis – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

May 16 – DeWerf – Brugge, Belgium

May 17 – Jazz à Saint-Germain-Des-Pres 2011 – Paris, France

May 18 – Ronnie Scott’s – London, United Kingdom

May 19 – Club Fasching – Stockholm, Sweden

May 21 – Athenaeum’s San Diego Studio – San Diego, CA

May 22 – SFJAZZ @ Yerba Buena Center  for the Arts – San Francisco, CA

May 23-24 – Daly Jazz – Missoula, MT

June 11 – Playboy Jazz Festival – Los Angeles, CA

MISHKA @ THE 2ND ANNUAL PUNTA SAYULITA CLASSIC

Mishka is an authentic musician in an underrepresented genre with an incredible story—from growing up on a boat in Bermuda to having one of film's most iconic figures, Matthew McConaughey, start his own record label exclusively for his music. McConaughey first became familiar with Mishka on New Year's Eve in 2000 after he had been unable to sleep for three consecutive days. When he heard Mishka's music, McConaughey admits he "slept like a baby for 5 straight hours," and was immediately hooked to Mishka's comfort-inducing, soulful melodies. McConaughey became a man on a mission, determined to track down the artist that was behind the "soundtrack of his life," and searched for Mishka for almost five years before finally catching him at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. McConaughey made a quick phone call to his lawyer upon meeting Mishka and officially created the j.k. livin record label to release Mishka's music to the masses. Mishka's 2009 release, "Above the Bones," debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts, and Mishka was named 2009's Best New Artist by iTunes in the Singer/Songwriter category.

Mishka will perform a special benefit concert on Saturday night, March 12th, following Day 1 of competition at the 2nd Annual Punta Sayulita Longboard & Stand-Up Paddle Classic. The free concert will be recorded by Telehit, Mexico’s #1 music television channel, for airing on Telehit at a later date. “We are excited to announce that Mishka will be playing at the Punta Sayulita Classic- Mishka’s reggae roots music has great sound and soul and will be a fantastic addition to the weekend festivities for all to enjoy the ‘aloha spirit’ of the Punta Sayulita Classic. Moreover, the fact that Mishka, having grown up a waterman himself and having an appreciation for the ocean and environment are attributes that make him an ideal fit for the Punta Sayulita Classic,” according to Kevin Roberts of Punta Sayulita.

“This year’s Punta Sayulita Classic is very fortunate again to feature some of the world’s top ranked professional longboard and SUP surfers and paddlers along with a mix of talented amateurs which is one of the unique qualities of this charity event,” added Roberts. We are also pleased to announce another addition to the event schedule whereby on Friday, March 11, a surfing clinic for special needs and underprivileged children from Sayulita and the greater Bay of Banderas area will feature personalized instruction by Malibu, California longboard surfer Jimmy Gamboa and members of his TheraSURF Foundation along with other participating Punta Sayulita Classic professionals and instructors from local Sayulita surf schools.

Mishka was named the 2009 “Best New Artist” by digital music leader iTunes. In March 2010, Mishka released his fourth album, Talk About, featuring tracks produced by Butch Walker and a collaboration with country legend Willie Nelson. The album debuted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae Music Charts. Mishka’s 2009 release, Above the Bones, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts and was followed by an extensive world tour.

http://www.mishka.com/