THE SUPREMES & THE TEMPTATIONS CELEBRATE THEIR 50TH ANNIVERSARIES

Two of the most popular and socially significant singing groups in music history celebrate their 50th anniversaries in 2011. Both the Supremes and the Temptations signed their recording contracts with Motown in 1961, launching careers that changed not only the sound and style of pop but smashed racial and cultural barriers in America and around the world. Their songs defined a generation: the Supremes with "Baby Love," "Stop! In The Name Of Love" and "Love Child," and the Temptations with "My Girl," "Get Ready," "Ball Of Confusion" and "Papa Was A Rollin' Stone." They even recorded together, hitting with "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," and starred together in two groundbreaking TV specials. During the tumultuous sixties and early seventies, the Temptations injected relevance otherwise missing from pop singing groups. At the same time, the Supremes notched breakthroughs for African-Americans and for African-American women on stage and on television. Both groups brought people together, no matter their race. As a result, they became more than merely the most successful vocal groups of their time but also cultural icons. Both are inductees of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and unanimously hailed among the greatest artists of the rock era.

Their histories are inextricably intertwined. The Supremes originally took shape as The Primettes, when the Primes, which included future Tempts Paul Williams and Eddie Kendricks, wanted a sister group to perform as a package. In January 1961, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, Florence Ballard and Barbara Martin changed their group name and signed with Motown. Actually their mothers signed, since the girls were too young: Diana and Mary were 16, Barbara (who exited the following year) and Florence were 17. Four months later, Motown also inked the Temptations.

Though their first singles were not hits, eventually the two groups would reach the top of the charts. The Supremes earned their first No. 1 in 1964 with "Where Did Our Love Go" and would log 12 Pop No. 1 hits. The Tempts reached No. 1 Pop the following year with "My Girl," also No. 1 R&B, where the group had 14 such chart-toppers. Yet there was so much more to both ensembles. Motown founder Berry Gordy championed each one and insisted they appeal to integrated audiences.

The Supremes' performances on national television, particularly The Ed Sullivan Show, were landmarks. Notably, they were also part of rock 'n' roll shows on stage and television. The Supremes were the first black female pop act to be tapped for TV commercials for major products, such as Coca-Cola. They were on the cover of Ebony magazine—and also Time. They stirred controversy when during one mid-sixties television appearance an interracial audience was seen dancing together; and when, on The Ed Sullivan Show, they sang "Love Child"—a No. 1 song about an unwed mother.

The Temptations set the standard for male singing groups, a standard that every group thereafter—from the Jackson 5 to Boyz II Men, from the Backstreet Boys to a White House tribute featuring Jamie Foxx, John Legend and Seal—hoped to match. The classic Tempts lineup, with Otis Williams, Melvin Franklin, Eddie Kendricks, Paul Williams and David Ruffin, was smooth and cool, epitomized by the "Temptations Walk" dance steps. But during the height of the Vietnam War, with new lead singer Dennis Edwards, the group made a startling transformation, adding an edge to the songs they sang and developing psychedelic soul. For soldiers overseas and Americans at home, black and white, the Temptations provided the soundtrack to their lives.

The crossover success of the Supremes and the Temptations helped change America. The 50th anniversary year of their Motown debuts, America celebrates their music and their impact on our lives today.

Today, the Temptations and the Supremes continue to be an essential component of the Motown legacy. The Temptations recent DVD release, Get Ready: Definitive Performances 1965-1972, is currently double platinum, and their recent ICON CD has already sold more than 100,000 copies. The Diana Ross & The Supremes DVD release, Reflections - Definitive Performances 1964-1969 is now platinum. Fifty years later, original fans as well as new fans confirm with steady sales that the true artistry and talent of The Temptations and The Supremes is ageless and timeless.

Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), which manages the classic recorded catalog of Motown, will mark the historic Detroit label's musical achievements with key music releases in both physical and digital formats, with bonus tracks and materials enhancing these packages. Details will be announced as each new package approaches. UMe will also collaborate on other projects, ranging from tributes and television appearances to merchandise and brand partnerships, to mark this extraordinary double anniversary.

Mary Wilson, The Supremes and Otis Williams, The Temptations are available for interviews.

SMOOTH JAZZ RADIO RETURNS TO ORLANDO!

Smooth Jazz will soon be returning to Orlando, Florida. The two translators that Central Florida Educational Foundation had leased to Cox to simulcast 580 WDBO have been returned to their owner as Cox moves its programming to 96.5. There are also applications on file to complete their moves from Winter Park, FL to Orlando itself. 102.5 W273CA (formerly W274AX) will now be leased to Clear Channel, who will use it to rebroadcast 107.7 WMGF-HD2. The station will pick up the Smooth Jazz format recently dropped by 103.1 WLOQ after its sale. SmoothJazz1025.com was registered by Clear Channel yesterday is and is currently in a partially active state. Programming will come from Broadcast Architecture’s Smooth Jazz Network. Much like its earlier launch of The Oasis in Detroit, Smooth Jazz can now be heard on FM transmitter 102.5, which is owned by Clear Channel, with a simulcast on 107.7 WMGF hd-2


"We are thrilled to be in a position to bring Smooth Jazz from Broadcast Architecture back to Central Floruda," Clear Channel Pres./Market Manager Linda Byrd said. "Today it’s very easy to deliver a format to its listeners via HD, FM, online and mobile. And that’s exactly what we are doing."

"We’re delighted to be able to provide local Jazz music fans with such a well-produced product that is clearly at the top of its game," added Clear Channel/Orlando Program Director Ken Payne.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to assist Clear Channel/Orlando in bringing Smooth Jazz music back for the over 200,000 listeners disenfranchised by the recent switch of WLOQ," Broadcast Architecture Owner/Pres. Allen Kepler said. "This marks our third return of the format this year! Recent convert Smooth Jazz 104.7, The Oasis in DETROIT is already reaching over 130,000 listeners and KBDB-A/Reno debuted with a 1.0 share, which truly shows the format’s potential on an AM signal."

SOUTH FLORIDA JAZZ 2011-2012 CONCERT SCHEDULE

South Florida JAZZ, in its 20th year, coming off its most successful season as the principal purveyors of modern jazz in the region since 1991, formally announces its new season schedule. All performances will be held at the Rose & Alfred Miniaci Performing Arts Center, 3100 Ray Ferrero Jr. Blvd, Nova Southeastern University campus, Davie, FL. The focus of the organization remains steadfastly on presenting artists of national and international repute under the aegis of Artistic Director Ron Weber and gently guided by world-acclaimed vibraphonist/educator Gary Burton, Artistic Advisor, who believes this lineup is potentially as strong as last season's, which featured Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Christian McBride and Kurt Elling with their combined 38 Grammy Awards. Subscriptions and individual tickets to all concerts can be purchased from the Broward Center box office at 954-462-0222, toll-free at 877-311-SHOW or online at http://www.southfloridajazz.org/ or http://www.browardcenter.org/.

November 19, 2011 - Platinum Anniversary Celebration and Concert
Paquito D'Rivera Quintet with Special Guest Antonio Madruga: A Cuban-born child prodigy, Paquito D'Rivera has dazzled the music world for his entire career. A clarinet/saxophone virtuoso, Mr. D'Rivera has flourished in the classical and jazz worlds and collected 10 Grammy Awards and an NEA Jazz Master award. He is an international musical ambassador and was a founding member of Orquesta Cubana de Musica Moderna and the acclaimed, groundbreaking band Irakere in his homeland before taking the world by storm for the last three decades. His quintet is superb. South Florida piano phenom Tony Madruga will make a guest appearance with his mentor Mr. D'Rivera.

2012 Concerts
January 14, 2012 - 8:00 PM
Bob Mintzer and the Canyon Cove Trio featuring Peter Erskine and Larry Goldings: The best in West Coast jazz comes to South Florida in the form of a new Los Angeles-based organ trio comprised of the hippest of contemporary jazz musicians. Saxophonist, composer and arranger Bob Mintzer, still the principal voice of Yellowjackets, brings together drumming icon Peter Erskine (Weather Report, Yellowjackets) and Larry Goldings, one of the greatest keyboard players of his generation. They plow new musical ground with original music written by the players.

February 11, 2012 - 8:00 PM
Jacky Terrasson Trio: The Franco-American pianistic dynamo Jacky Terrasson arrives in Florida for the first time and with a new trio. Jacky, a 1993 Thelonious Monk Competition winner, has garnered acclaim and awards in America and France for two decades. Following the first of his 10 Blue Note recordings, The New York Times Magazine named Jacky "one of 30 artists, 30 and under, most likely to change American culture for the next 30 years." Terrasson's 2010 Concord Jazz debut, Push, is a gem of vibrant pianism that opens up a new door onto his extensive jazz vocabulary and effervescence.

March 10, 2012 - 8:00 PM
Antonio Adolfo - Carol Saboya Group: Carol Saboya, the beautiful and enchanting girl from Ipanema with the sweet voice and impeccable intonation, is the daughter of pianist-composer-arranger Antonio Adolfo, one of Brazil's most revered performers and educators. This rare South Florida appearance comes after the 2011 release of Chora Baiao, which follows in the footsteps of their Latin Grammy-nominated 2010 CD La e Ca/Here and There. This band returns by demand after their sensational 2009 concert for South Florida JAZZ.

April 14, 2012 - 8:00 PM
Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts: Jazz music should be fun and Matt Wilson, the clown prince of drumming, makes it ebullient, entertaining, and eminently delightful. No drummer has ever expressed the pure joy of making music and had the abundant talent of Matt Wilson or has been this sought-after, as his resume obviously displays. Add the pure trumpet of Terell Stafford, the versatility and originality of organist Gary Versace, and the solid propulsion of bassist Martin Wind and you have Arts & Crafts - a band with a groove and a style of its own.

May 12, 2012 - 8:00 PM
David Sanchez Quartet featuring Antonio Sanchez with Special Guest Stefon Harris: Tenor saxophonist David Sanchez (Puerto Rico), pianist Edward Simon (Venezuela), and spectacular drummer Antonio Sanchez (Mexico) are Latin musicians who play jazz, rather than musicians who play Latin jazz, a major distinction. While the music might be flavored by their heritage, it definitely will be serious, original jazz. Forget labels. Stefon Harris, Jazz Journalists Association Mallet Player of the Year, appears as a special guest, which means the band will be en fuego!

June 9, 2012 - 8:00 PM
The Bad Plus: The Bad Plus -- pianist Ethan Iverson, bassist Reid Anderson, and drummer David King -- have broken down the walls of jazz convention and created an uncompromising body of work. Few jazz groups have amassed such acclaim, and few have inspired such controversy. Their brand of avant-garde populism has put them at the forefront of a new instrumental music movement. While most of their output is original music, they also deconstruct songs in the pop, rock, country, and classical music idioms. The Bad Plus is both thrilling and provocative, which makes it one of the most acclaimed bands on the jazz scene.

TONY BENNETT - DUETS II ON HSN LIVE

Music legend and one of America's most iconic crooners, Tony Bennett will appear live on HSN for a special one-hour multi-platform concert at 7 p.m. (EDT) to celebrate his 85th birthday and to launch his latest CD, Duets II (RPM/Columbia Records). Bennett fans can also go to www.hsn.com, keyword: Tony Bennett to send birthday well wishes to Tony and view special content and videos leading up to his HSN debut. The 17-song compilation includes hit songs featuring today's biggest stars including "The Way You Look Tonight" with Faith Hill; "The Lady is a Tramp" with Lady Gaga; "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" with Michael Buble; "It Had To Be You" with Carrie Underwood and "Stranger in Paradise" with Andrea Bocelli. Other powerhouse musicians joining Bennett on the CD include Mariah Carey, Natalie Cole, Sheryl Crow, Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Norah Jones, Lady Gaga, k.d.lang, Willie Nelson, Queen Latifah, Alejandro Sanz and Amy Winehouse. "Continuing to keep HSN current and relevant while entertaining our customers is a core component of our entertainment strategy," Sandy Conrad, SVP of Merchandising for HSN. "Welcoming Tony Bennett for the launch of his new Duets II CD collection gives us the chance to provide our customers an exclusive opportunity to connect with one of the world's greatest talents." HSN customers will have the opportunity to order a special exclusive 2-disc bundle that will include Duets II and a bonus disk which will be available on-air at HSN, through hsn.com and via HSN Mobile for $14.95. An exclusive pair of Koss Stereophones will also be available to HSN customers for $149.99.

With numerous gold and platinum albums and millions of records sold worldwide, Bennett has received fifteen Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Award. A champion of the Great American Songbook, Tony is one of the very few artists whose music spans both the 20th and 21st centuries, setting an ongoing standard for popular music. Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with over 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over. He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label. In 2006 his Duets CD was released in honor of his 80th birthday and became the singer's best selling CD to date garnering three Grammy Awards and platinum sales. His 2007 prime-time special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards. A visual artist as well, three of his original paintings are part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian. He has published three books – his autobiography, "The Good Life" and two books of his paintings, "Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen," and "Tony Bennett In the Studio; A Life of Art and Music." His humanitarian efforts are renowned and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007 Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts – a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization that supports arts education in NYC public high schools.

GEORGE BENSON - GUITAR MAN

George Benson is set to release his next album, entitled, Guitar Man on October 4, 2011. The 12-song collection includes a mix of jazz and pop standards, some in a combo setting and some solo, but all of them tied together seamlessly by Benson’s soulful and exploratory signature sound. Lending a hand on this recording is a solid team made up of veterans and newcomers alike – pianist Joe Sample, keyboardist and musical director David Garfield, bassist Ben Williams and drummer Harvey Mason. Williams is one of the hottest up-and-coming new artists on the jazz scene. Mason is a regular member of Fourplay, and a studio collaborator with Benson all the way back to Benson’s 1976 blockbuster album, Breezin’. In a career that spans five decades, more than 30 recordings as a leader and ten Grammy Awards, Benson has used his jazz roots as the foundation for an engaging mix of pop, R&B and other shades that add up to a style that appeals to a broad mainstream audience. Along the way, he has also established himself as a formidable jazz singer – one whose biggest career hits have showcased his vocals. But Guitar Man is just what the title implies – an album that highlights Benson’s unparalleled guitar playing, perhaps more than any other album he has released in decades. For the new project, the crew came together in the studio with a minimum of prior rehearsal time but an eagerness to jump in and lay down tracks in something very close to the live experience – what Benson describes as an “old school” approach. The impromptu sensibility comes across in the final product, much of which came together with minimal takes in a single day of recording. “We figured that we would get the best energy if we went into the studio with some live musicians who are savvy and flexible,” says Benson, “and boy, did we accomplish that.”

On Guitar Man, Benson’s mastery of the guitar is demonstrated in a variety of styles and settings, all with legendary jazz roots. The opening track “Tenderly” is a solo guitar track that serves as a reminder that Benson is one guitar man with sufficient technical and interpretive skills to be a band unto himself. The second song is an intriguing rendition of Lennon and McCartney’s “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” Along with Benson on nylon-string guitar and Garfield on piano are guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and Ray Fuller; bassist Freddie Washington; drummer Oscar Seaton, Jr. (who regularly tours with Benson); violinist Charlie Bisharat; and flutist/clarinetist Dan Higgins. All come together to create a fully orchestrated sound that casts one of the most simplistic of the Beatles’ early love ballads into something full-bodied and engaging. The remainder of the set consists of either solo guitar tracks or Benson backed by the aforementioned five-man team, which lays down an easygoing rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “My Cherie Amour.” Benson delivers the lyrics in his own engaging vocal style that includes a healthy dose of his trademark scatting guitar accompaniment. Other highlights include a rollicking version of the Champs’ 1958 instrumental hit, “Tequila,” followed a couple tracks later by “My One and Only Love,” which opens with a 16-bar solo jazz guitar intro that segues into a sweet vocal ballad. Benson delivers a playful straightahead rendition of “Paper Moon” with the quartet, followed by a solo guitar rendition of “Danny Boy” (one of the few times, if ever, that a guitar sounds like bagpipes). In the final stretch, Benson and Garfield set up a lush guitar-and-piano arrangement of the smoky standard, “Since I Fell For You,” with Benson once again stepping up to the mic for an emotional delivery of the song’s impassioned lyrics.

Benson has never been one to shy away from innovation or experimentation. For this guitar man, putting a jazz spin on pop standards – not just on this recording but throughout his career – is less of a taboo when you’re willing to dispense with labels and the limitations that come with them. “People categorize things because they need to find someplace to put them on their shelf,” he says. “It’s all music to me. I think a lot of pop tunes that were very big in the United States many years ago were recorded by jazz musicians playing in the background. Most of the Motown records were recorded that way. Those guys were jazz musicians who were living in Detroit and were called to do a job, and they did it very well…I try to do the same thing. I try to make it sound like it’s natural, because to me it is. There are only two kinds of music, good and bad. There are a lot of things in between, but they’re eventually going to fall on one side or the other of that equation.”

George Benson will be touring in support of Guitar Man. The live shows will feature Benson’s masterful guitar playing, and Benson and his band will be performing classic George Benson hits along with an acoustic presentation of a few songs from Guitar Man.

Upcoming tour dates:
Oct. 1 – Austin, TX – The Riverbend Centre
Oct. 2 – St. Louis, MO – Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center, University of MO
Oct. 14 – Phoenix, AZ – Sage Court, JW Marriott
Oct. 16 – Atlanta, GA – Symphony Hall
Oct. 19 – Englewood, NJ – Bergen Performing Arts Center
Oct. 20 – Morristown, NJ – Morristown Civic Center
Oct. 21 – New York City, NY – Town Hall
Oct. 23 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre

NEW RELEASES: CHUCK LOEB, PAOLO RUSTICELLI, CHICO MARIO, KENNY LOVE, KINDRED THE FAMILY SOUL & MORE...

Alexander Boynton Jr – Doo Beeo Doo Boo
Brazilian Love Affair Revisited (Various Artists)
Cates Fomin Project – Music For Your Soul
Chico Mario – You Make Me Smile
Chuck Loeb – Plain N’ Simple
Dorothy Leigh – Intimate Moments
Foreign Exchange – Staring Into The Sun
Gianna – Something True
Gina Carey – Melodic
Global Grooves – On The Move
James Torme – Love For Sale
John Carey – New Beginnings
Joseph Tolliver – Dancing In The Window
Joss Stone - LP1
Keith Andrews – Blue Funky Blue
Kenneth Nash – Mama Blue Shoes
Kenny Love – Case Sensitive
Kim Kang Won – Groovie Night
Kindred The Family Soul – Love Has No Recession
Little Dragon – Ritual Union
Lorenzo Johnson – Things Are Looking Up
Marc Staggers – Soul Summer Love
Micheline Cardoso – Cascadura Samba
Mongorama – Mongorama
Motown Moe – Riding Into The Sunset
Neaman – So Free
New Foundation – Goin’ Places
Paolo Rustichelli – Soul Italiano
Phil Casagrande – Singles: Midnight Desires & Island Paradise
Player A – Our Own Devices
Plunky – Plunky On Fire
Reggie Young – Steppin’ Up
Robert Harris – Miami Sun
Roman Street - Shorelines
Russ Hewitt – Alma Vieja
Russell K. Shores –LS 5
Sachal Studios Orchestra – Interpretations of Jazz Standards & Bossa Nova
The Allure – Enchant Me

BETH HART & JOE BONAMASSA - DON'T EXPLAIN

Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter Beth Hart, known for her raw and powerful blues-rock sound, wraps her expressive vocals around classic soul covers on Don't Explain, an album that grew out of her friendship with guitarist Joe Bonamassa. Produced by Kevin Shirley (Joe Bonamassa, Led Zeppelin, Black Crowes), the album features Hart's scorching interpretations of ten songs, with Bonamassa on guitar and his ace band filling out the tracks.  Don't Explain is scheduled for U.S. release on September 27 on J&R Adventures, the independent label founded by Bonamassa and his longtime manager and business partner, Roy Weisman. It will be released in Europe via Mascot Records on September 26. Fans will be able to get their first taste of the album on August 12 with the release of a free download. Sign up to hear it first at http://www.hartandbonamassa.com//. The site also features a five minute video clip of Beth and Joe discussing the new album.

"Beth's got a pretty heady voice, very reminiscent of Janis Joplin," says Shirley, who has produced Bonamassa's last five albums.  "She's also got a lot of Etta James in her, but hadn't really accessed it.  With this material, there is a gentleness to the way she delivers the most heartfelt tunes that she hasn't shown before.  It's very cool, she's done a fantastic job."

Bonamassa and Hart had crossed paths on the road numerous times, and played many of the same festivals in Europe.  In early 2010, he caught a show of hers in London -"It was killer," says Bonamassa - and suggested they do a project together sometime.  Don't Explain took shape that summer while Bonamassa was recording his latest album, Dust Bowl, in Santorini, Greece.  "I was up late one night, I couldn't sleep.  I was playing songs on my iPod from the reissue of Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out, which included all the opening acts from that Stones show," he recalls. "As soon as the Ike & Tina Turner tracks came on, I just said out loud, 'Beth Hart.'  I emailed Kevin, saying, 'Let's do a soul covers record with Beth,' and he replied back, 'Actually, that's a great idea.'" Hart agreed, though she says, "When I first got the call from Joe about doing a soul record with me, I figured I'd be the background vocalist.  He said, 'No, you're singing lead.'" She collaborated with Bonamassa and Shirley on choosing songs, and the final set list features numbers made famous by artists including Billie Holiday (the title track, "Don't Explain"), Aretha Franklin ("Ain't No Way"), Bill Withers ("For My Friend"), Ray Charles ("Sinner's Prayer"), Delaney & Bonnie ("Well, Well," featuring a vocal duet with Bonamassa), Tom Waits ("Chocolate Jesus"), Etta James ("I'd Rather Go Blind" and "Something's Got A Hold On Me")—a personal favorite of Hart's—and others.

To accommodate everyone's tight schedules, Don't Explain was recorded in four days over two weekends in January 2011 at Village Recorders in Los Angeles (and later mixed by Shirley at The Cave in Malibu).  Hart prepared by listening to the originals over and over, to fully learn the material and absorb its very essence—and she was delighted by quickly capturing the raw energy and immediacy she felt in the studio.  "With the level of players there, including Joe of course, I really had to rise to the occasion," she says. "I couldn't do my best, I had to do better.  That kind of focus was humbling, and it was great.  We had such a good time making the record." To back Hart up, Bonamassa assembled the band that was heard on his #1 Blues album The Ballad of John Henry (2009): Anton Fig (drums, percussion), Blondie Chaplin (guitar), and Carmine Rojas (bass), as well as Arlan Scheirbaum (keyboards).  The sound evolved into a simmering mix of soul, jazz, rock, and blues, with Hart's vocals confidently in the pocket of each and every groove.  "Beth has been an absolute hidden gem," says Bonamassa.  "She has a beautiful voice.  She's a fantastic singer, a lovely person."  Don't Explain explains it all.

Track Listing:
1. Sinner's Prayer 4:28
2. Chocolate Jesus 2:38
3. Your Heart Is As Black As Night 4:59
4. For My Friends 4:10
5. Don't Explain 4:32
6. I'd Rather Go Blind 8:05
7. Something's Got A Hold On Me 6:02
8. I'll Take Care Of You 5:12
9. Well, Well 3:40
10. Ain't No Way 6:47

STANLEY TURRENTINE - DON'T MESS WITH MISTER T

The Bob James electric arrangements make this CD by Stanley Turrentine one of his best for CTI! The record's got a laidback dope 70s approach to funky jazz – with loads of nice modal chords, sliced through by some deep soul solos from Stan. Players include Idris Muhammad, Bob James, Harold Mabern, and Eric Gale – and the CD features a great remake of Marvin Gaye's "Don't Mess With Mister T", plus "Too Blue", "Two For T", and "I Could Never Repay Your Love". Stanley Turrentine's Don t Mess with Mister T rose to #2 on the 1975 Billboard jazz chart and was another artistic triumph for the sax legend in his year with CTI Records. What first leaps out and grabs the listener s attention is Turrentine's sweet yet muscular sound, which suggests Johnny Hodges more than the classic Swing tenors, David H. Rosenthal wrote in his book, Hard Bop. A flexible voice, it can deepen to a resonant honk, soar into one of the most piercingly full-throated cries in jazz, and broaden to a thick, sensuous vibrato on ballads. Turrentine tends to play on top of the beat, making for a deep, trancelike groove, and his phrasing draws on both modern jazz and R&B. Angular lines alternate with timeless blues phraseology.

Produced by Creed Taylor on CTI. Recorded at Englewood Cliffs, NJ. CD version, 1988 reissue. ~ Ron Wynn.
Photographer: Mort Mace.
Arranger: Bob James.

Personnel: Stanley Turrentine (tenor saxophone); Eric Gale (guitar); Harry Glickman, Guy Lumia, John Pintaualle, Harold Kohon, David Nadien, Irving Spice, Harry Cykman, Emanuel Green (violin); Harold Coletta, Emanuel Vardi (viola); Seymour Barab, George Ricci (cello); Jerry Dodgion (alto saxophone); Joe Farrell (tenor saxophone); Pepper Adams (baritone saxophone); Randy Brecker (trumpet, flugelhorn); Alan Raph (bass trombone); Idris Muhammad (drums); Rubens Bassini (percussion).

RED HOT + RIO 2

Red Hot + Rio 2 is a modern tribute to late 60’s Brazilian Tropicália movement and produced in partnership with Entertainment One Music and the album sheds new light on the songs of this influential, politically charged era, which changed the culture of the country forever. This new compilation features over 30 original collaborations between Brazil’s legendary musicians and today’s international indie artists including John Legend, Os Mutantes, Devendra Banhart, Caetano Veloso, Dirty Projectors, Seu Jorge, Beck, Bebel Gilberto, José Gonzalez, Beirut, Tom Zé, Of Montreal, Marisa Monte Gogol Bordello, DJ Dolores, Aloe Blacc, Angelique Kidjo, Rita Lee, Madlib, Money Mark, Céu, Apollo Nove, Mayra Andrade, Trio Mocotó, Tha Boogie, Alice Smith, Carlinhos Brown, Los Van Van, Brazilian Girls, Marcos Valle, St. Vincent, Neon Indian, Forró In The Dark, Mia Doi Todd, Javelin, and many more. Red Hot + Rio 2 is the natural successor to the 1996 original Bossa Nova inspired Red Hot + Rio, which Vogue called the album “the latest and the hippest” while Entertainment Weekly said it was “an inspiring and modern sounding tribute. As with all Red Hot projects, proceeds from Rio 2 will benefit HIV/AIDS related charities. The first Red Hot + Rio raised over $1 million dollars as did the organization’s most recent album, Dark Was The Night (featuring 2011 Grammy winner for best album, Arcade Fire, The National, Feist, Grizzly Bear and Bon Iver among others).

Since its inception, Red Hot Organization – a not-for-profit production company – has produced over 16 albums and donated over $10 million dollars to worthy organizations, causes and projects around the world. Its mission is to raise awareness and money to fight AIDS/ HIV and related health and social issues. To date the Red Hot organization has sold more than three million albums and has co-produced performances at Brooklyn Academy of Music, Radio City Music Hall, Central Park Summer Stage and more.

Along with the album release is a new documentary that features Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil (both featured on the new Red Hot + Rio 2). Both returned to their native Brazil from political exile in the UK in 1972 – both to fame and to fortune, and in Gil’s case to eventual high political office. In this new documentary which recently had its North American premier at the somewhat clumsily-named 9th Cine Fest Petrobras Brasil-New York these two men, along with their collaborators and fellow travelers (literal and metaphorical), reflect on their experiences in and out of what Chilean-born author Roberto Bolaño called “the bloody open labyrinth of Latin America in the 70s.” From the guide to the festival: “[In] the wave of arrests that followed the decree of AI-5 by the military dictatorship in December of 1968, [Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil were] arrested in São Paolo and later transferred to Rio de Janeiro [which] they eventually left for exile in London.” Which isn’t to say that Sounds of the Exile is a depressing or overly-earnest look at the period’s politics and compromises. Instead, it’s mostly a chance for Veloso, Gil, Jorge Mautner, Jards Macalé, and even and especially the writer/director Geneton Moraes Neto to riff on an age gone by, reliving and elaborating on the Tropicalista movement and what it led to with incredulous humor, wry grins, and near-solipsistic ramblings.

Though touching on serious social upheaval and deep political convictions, Veloso, Gil and the gang have had (and give us in turn) plenty to laugh about. Whether it’s the dark burlesque of Gil’s impromptu concert in the guards’s barracks inside his prison, or Macalé’s hilarious recounting of an LSD-addled “trip” to Madam Tussaud’s (he was removed from the building for weeping copiously over the waxen, supine form of Snow White within her glass coffin), their stories both amuse and at the same time bear implicit testimony to the immense improvement – material, political, social – that Brazil has undergone in recent decades. A more literal translation of the original Portuguese title (Cancões do Exilio: A Labareda que Lambeu Tudo) serves these men’s passionate music and unfortunate story better: “Songs of the Exile: The Flames That Singed Everything”. Both of these titans of Brazilian popular music make appearances on the new Red Hot + Rio 2 as songwriters, and Veloso himself shows up twice as performer on the album–once alone (“Terra”) and once with the equally-imcomparable David Byrne (“Dreamworld: Marco De Canaveses”).

RED HOT + RIO 2 TRACKLISTING

RED
“Baby”—Alice Smith + Aloe Blacc
“Tropicália (Mario C 2011 Remix)”—Beck + Seu Jorge
“Um Girassol da Cor do Seu Cabelo”—Mia Doi Todd + José González
“Samba de Verão”—Quadron
“Boa Reza”—Vanessa da Mata + Seu Jorge & Almaz
“Love I’ve Never Known”—John Legend
“Nascimento (Rebirth) – Scene 2”—Aloe Blacc + Clara Moreno
“Ela (Ticklah Remix)”—Curumin
“Baby (Old Dirty Baby Dub Version)”—Aloe Blacc + Alice Smith
“Um Canto de Afoxé para o Bloco do Ilê”—Superhuman Happiness + Cults
“Mistérios”— Om’Mas Keith
“Aquele Abraço”— Forró In The Dark + Brazilian Girls + Angelique Kidjo
“Canto de Iemanjá”—Mia Doi Todd
“Terra”—Caetano Veloso (Prefuse 73 ‘3 Mellotrons In A Quiet Room’ Version)
“Nú Com A Minha Música”—Marisa Monte + Devendra Banhart + Rodrigo Amarante
“Acabou Chorare”—Bebel Gilberto
“Dreamworld”—Marco de Canaveses: David Byrne + Caetano Veloso

HOT
“O Leãozinho”—Beirut
“Panis et Circensis”—Tha Boogie
“Bat Macumba”—of Montreal + Os Mutantes
“Tudo o Que Você Podia Ser”—Phenomenal Handclap Band + Marcos Valle
“Banana”—Madlib + Joyce Moreno Feat. Generation Match
“Freak Le Boom Boom”—Marina Gasolina + Secousse
“Tropical Affair”—Money Mark + Thalma de Freitas + João Parahyba
“Soy Loco Por Ti, América”—Los Van Van + Carlinhos Brown
“Roda”—Orquestra Contemporânea de Olinda + Emicida

“Berimbau”—Mayra Andrade + Trio Mocotó

“It’s a Long Way”—Apollo Nove + Céu + N.A.S.A.

“A Cidade”—DJ Dolores + Eugene Hütz + Otto + Fred 04 + Isaar

“Ogodô, Ano 2000”—Javelin + Tom Zé

“Águas de Março”—Atom™ + Toshiyuki Yasuda Feat. Fernanda Takai + Moreno Veloso

“Show Me Love”—Twin Danger

"Pistis Sophia”—Rita Lee

TONY BENNETT - DUETS II

Legendary performer Tony Bennett celebrates a milestone birthday on August 3rd when he turns 85. But "the best is yet to come" with news that the singer has just completed recording with Lady Gaga and Aretha Franklin for his highly anticipated Duets II CD adding to a celebrated list of artists previously announced including Michael Buble, Norah Jones, John Mayer, Queen Latifah, Willie Nelson, Aretha Franklin, Natalie Cole, Amy Winehouse and many others. Lady Gaga joined Tony for a rendition of the Rogers and Hart song, "The Lady Is A Tramp" and Bennett and Franklin collaborated on the Alan and Marilyn Bergman classic, "How Do You Keep The Music Playing." Both tracks were recorded live in the studio in New York City at the end of last month. A full listing of the artist and song roster is below. Bennett's official 85th birthday celebration will be held on Sunday, September 18th following his debut performance at the Metropolitan Opera House. The elegant invitation only supper will take place directly after the concert and will be hosted by Alec Baldwin with a special performance by Sir Elton John. The event honors Bennett's Exploring the Arts organization which funds and supports arts education in all five boroughs in New York City. In advance of the event, over $1.5M has already been raised. (For more information on the event: TonyBennett85@eventassociates.com) Tony Bennett has had a long-standing commitment to arts education in New York City. Ten years ago with his wife Susan Benedetto, he founded the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts (FSSA) one of the most well regarded and prestigious high schools in the country. It is located in his hometown of Astoria, Queens.

In support of Exploring the Arts, Tiffany & Co. is donating for auction a unique "Breakfast At Tiffany" with Tony Bennett in-store event that also includes tickets to Tony's Metropolitan Opera concert and birthday gala, a personalized Tony Bennett giclee art print, as well as a $10,000 Tiffany private shopping experience and tour of the famed store. This exceptional auction package will be launched exclusively on charitybuzz starting on August 3rd and for more details please go to www.charitybuzz.com/tonybennett. All proceeds from the auction will be donated to Exploring the Arts and Tiffany will also be a table sponsor at the September 18 birthday gala. Additionally, Tiffany, the jeweler synonymous with true love recently introduced a new website and iPhone® App, as What Makes Love True, which has quickly become the resource for romantics around the world. Within the "Art of Romance" section, Tiffany features a playlist of Tony's top ten favorite love songs which can be viewed now at www.whatmakeslovetrue.com.

On Bennett's August 3rd birthday, he is scheduled to appear on the "The Today Show" and "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon." Tony will perform a benefit event hosted by AARP to support their "Drive To End Hunger" initiative at the Staples Center on September 24th. Several national television appearances are slated for Duets II week of release and throughout the fall. Duets II is the follow-up to the multi-platinum CD, Duets, released in conjunction with Tony's 80th birthday in 2006 which won three Grammy Awards and was the singer's best selling CD to date. Phil Ramone produced the original Duets as well as the forthcoming Duets II CD.

Entering his seventh decade as a recording artist with over 100 albums and 15 Grammy Awards including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Bennett has earned his legendary status many times over. He remains the Columbia recording artist with the greatest longevity at the label. His 2007 prime-time special, "Tony Bennett: An American Classic," won seven Emmy Awards. A visual artist as well, three of his original paintings are part of the permanent collection at the Smithsonian. His humanitarian efforts are renowned and the United Nations honored him with their Humanitarian Award in 2007. He has published three books – his autobiography, "The Good Life" and two books of his paintings, "Tony Bennett: What My Heart Has Seen," and "Tony Bennett In the Studio; A Life of Art and Music." Bennett founded, in association with the Department of Education in New York City, the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts – a public arts high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens. With his wife Susan, he established Exploring the Arts, a charitable organization which supports arts education in NYC public high schools. Exploring the Arts supports seven additional public high schools throughout New York City.

Duets II Artist & Track Listing
ANDREA BOCELLI - STRANGER IN PARADISE
MICHAEL BUBLE - I WANNA BE AROUND
MARIAH CAREY - WHEN DO THE BELLS RING FOR ME?
NATALIE COLE - WATCH WHAT HAPPENS
SHERYL CROW - THE GIRL I LOVE
ARETHA FRANKLIN - HOW DO YOU KEEP THE MUSIC PLAYING?
JOSH GROBAN - THIS IS ALL I ASK
FAITH HILL - THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT
NORAH JONES - SPEAK LOW
LADY GAGA - THE LADY IS TRAMP
K.D. LANG -BLUE VELVET

JOHN MAYER - ONE FOR MY BABY (AND ONE MORE FOR THE ROAD)

WILLIE NELSON - ON THE SUNNY SIDE OF THE STREET

QUEEN LATIFAH - WHO CAN I TURN TO?

ALEJANDRO SANZ - YESTERDAY I HEARD THE RAIN

AMY WINEHOUSE -BODY AND SOUL

http://www.tonybennett.com/

http://www.exploringthearts.org/

http://www.benedettoarts.com/

WLOQ 103.1FM ORLANDO DROPS SMOOTH JAZZ FORMAT

103.1 FM / WLOQ in Orlando has recently been sold and is in the process of switching formats from Smooth Jazz to an unknown format. At midnight on August 1, WLOQ's smooth jazz format moved exclusively online, and the station began stunting as "Elvis 103.1" until the new format is unveiled. The station initially signed on the air in 1966 as WLOQ-FM and at the time the format was all instrumental “beautiful” music through 1977. The station programmed what became the Smooth Jazz format from 1977 to 2011. In 2011, after CEO John Gross retired for medical reasons, WLOQ was sold to TTB Media Corporation. Here is a message posted online from the CEO of the station:

"What can one say about a family, radio staff, and you... all who have been responsible for creating the iconic format and community that is 103.1 WLOQ? "The first of its kind", "family owned and operated", "the last of the independents" - these and every phrase fall short, when describing what has been life long friendships of the rarest kind. From the Gross family, past and present staff at 103.1 WLOQ, please join us in our final weeks on-air as we bring listeners, past personalities, musical super stars, community builders, and you together for one last celebration of all things 103.1 WLOQ. You won't want to miss it! Once again, on behalf of my family and staff please accept our deepest gratitude and most heartfelt thanks for 34 fantastic years! Our very best wishes to you and yours."

Sincerely,
Jim Gross
Co-CEO
Gross Communications Corporation
Welcome to WLOQ OnLine!

DEE LUCAS - REBIRTH OF THE SMOOTH

Jazz Saxophonist Dee Lucas has launched his digital CD campaign and has released his new CD, Rebirth of the Smooth, on digital delivery sites across the world on July 26, 2011. The physical CD will be released tentatively on August 26, 2011 and will be available in stores across the country. A writer, co-producer, co-arranger and performer, Lucas’ career was birthed by blowing his horn on Atlanta’s jazz circuit and since then his passion with the saxophone has landed him in some of the country’s hottest jazz festivals, corporate gigs, celebrity events and well-recognized spots across the country. Two of the performances that he’s most proud of are at the famous Blue Note Jazz Club in New York City, and the extremely popular Capital Jazz Festival in Washington, D.C. Lucas has played alongside some of the finest contemporary jazz greats such as: Kirk Whalum, Gerald Veasley, Boney James, Phil Perry, Chris Botti, Warren Hill, Nancy Wilson, Abbey Lincoln, Bobbi Humphrey, Ramsey Lewis, Ronny Jordan, Greg Karukas, Peter White, Gerald Albright, and the list goes on. Lucas has also opened for such artists as: Roy Ayers, Michael Franks, The Gap Band, Lalah Hathaway, Hugh Masakela and 5-time Grammy nominee Nneena Freelon. He first came to prominence in 2004 with his debut CD, Remembrance, which is a tribute to legendary saxophonist George Howard. Since his well-received debut, Lucas has been greeted with stunning reviews, garnered extensive airplay and consistently climbed charts and branded his timeless “Soul Jazz” sound in the smooth jazz market. Lucas developed his distinctive style by collaborating urban funk sounds with a smooth melody that is both relaxing and soothing to the ear. In 2007, his sophomore CD, Something to Ride 2 received heavy rotation in many smooth jazz markets which peaked at #10 on the Smoothjazz.com “Top 50 Indie Charts”. His third CD, Standing Room Only was released in 2010 and is receiving international radio promotion, which peaked at #26 also on the Smoothjazz.com "Top 50 Indie Charts". With great songs such as the title track “Standing Room Only”, “Tiffany’s World” and “Keep Knocking”, this nine songs, smooth sounding compilation has received airplay from numerous internet, and satellite radio stations worldwide. A native of Alabama, this soulful sax man puts his heart and soul into his music and he lets his creative juices flow, delivering funky, upbeat, and smooth jazz sounds. His beautiful melodies and sensuous rhythms capture your heart and his recently released CD, Rebirth of the Smooth, is a compilation of Lucas’ top songs from his previously released CDs. With great songs such as the title track “Reconcile”, and other hot tracks such as “Shadow in the Dark”, “Nothing That I Do”, “Dancing in the Sun” and “Keep Knocking”, this 16 songs, soulful and smooth sounding compilation is sure to impress jazz lovers and receive airplay from terrestrial, internet and satellite radio stations worldwide.

To check out his single, “Reconcile”, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqurDuHndFE

SMOOTH JAZZ 92.7 HARRISBURG, PA: ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST!

Smooth Jazz 92.7 in Harrisburg, PA is switching formats and is currently "stunting" as it is known in the industry. Stunting (if you will) is when a station about to switch formats plays with its audience by playing music across a slew of formats for an extended period of time until the new format is lauchned.  This is the approach that Hall Communications “Smooth Jazz 92.7” WSJW Starview/Harrisburg, PA has has taken.  In this particular case the stunt consists of covers of “Stairway To Heaven” interspersed with comedy bits from cartoons such as Space Ghost Coast To Coast.The station’s website features the following farewell message:
The decision to end Smooth Jazz 92.7 was not an easy one to make. Many factors contributed to the change, including the fact that listenership never reached predicted levels and revenues coming in were not enough to support the station and keep it on the air. We thank you for being a loyal listener and for your support of the station. A new format will begin shortly.

Smooth Jazz had been 92.7's format from March 1, 2004. Before that, 92.7 used to be oldies format WHBO. Oldies had been broadcasting since June 29, 2001. WGEK was the previous station that broadcast on the 92.7 frequency- it is surmised that the station was known as "The Eagle" and the format was classic rock, although this has not been confirmed. WGEK were the call letters from February 23, 1996 until 2001. WHTF was the previous station before that, airing the Jammer and Coffey show. WHTF broadcast from August 12, 1983 until February 23, 1996.

KIM KANG WON - GROOVIE NIGHT

Kim Kang Won, Saxplayer extraordinaire from Korea has entered into a world wide distribution agreement with Australian music distributor Wolf Entertainment. Says Wolf Entertainment director Hellmut Wolf: " I am totally delighted to have Kangwon working with us, especially since I am a Sax player myself, I really appreciate how good he is, and how wonderful this new album is produced. Kang Won has an amazing sound, I get the old chicken skin when I listen to his music. I am totally delighted about our new collaboration, and we will do everything we can to put him on the map internationally. Kangwon has great maturity for his young age, he has a clear concept and vision about his music: “I want my music to be a vehicle for change and to transcend boundaries from age to race. I believe my music can make a difference in the world,” states the commanding and strikingly handsome 20-something musician, composer, and performer, known for his dynamic and exhilarating live shows. Kang Wwon’ explosive arrival on the contemporary jazz scene at age 17 caused frenzy. This was not a surprise as the ambitious saxophonist, who has shared the stage with everyone from Kenny G, Chio Yeon Song, Dave Koz, R. Kelly and G. Lee, had just released an auspicious recording debut and several years prior he had already made an appearance at the Jara Jazz Festival in Korea. Contemporary jazz is the genre that has embraced my music, but I see myself as a musician first" "I want to make music my way that best defines me as an artist". Kang Won concludes, “As a young person into jazz, it is important for me that the music stays alive and remains relevant in today’s music scene. I am trying to bridge the gap and create music that appeals to all age demographics, especially the high school and college kids. I am bringing them music that they can relate to. I strive to make music that is always true to myself, and hopefully that will reach people. The greatest joy to me is connecting with people through my music. ” His friend and mentor, Dave Koz, may have summed it up best…”Kang Won’s energy and musicality are undeniable. He’s fusing Jazz with Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul, and Rock for a new sound that’s exciting and truly innovative!” The new album with the title Groovie Night will be available from all the download shops around the world.

CHARLES AZNAVOUR - AZNAVOUR TOUJOURS

Charles Aznavour's new studio album, titled Aznavour Toujours, will be released digitally on August 30 by Capitol/EMI. Aznavour forever. Rather than an album title, a self-portrait. He's somewhat prodigious, given both the dizzying heights he reaches and his unswerving loyalty to his fans and his art. Aznavour has been part of our lives forever, for most of those of us who listen to his songs. Forever the Aznavour of sweet nothings and noble sentiments, humble people and great melodies. Forever the Aznavour of great classics and songs we've never heard and which suddenly hit us in the pit of our stomach or yank our heartstrings. Because Charles Aznavour doesn't like to stand still. He's never been one to take a distance, settle down to retirement or dream of going home. No, he's never let up, never stopped writing. So yet again, he has penned a dozen songs, twelve pure Aznavour songs. There's the full breadth and power of the legend, who dares to mix our most intimate secrets with the tidal wave movements of humankind, the most volatile sensuality with looming existential questions. He sets a love story against the backdrop of the May 68 students' revolution in Paris in Ce printemps-la, lingers between the sheets with Que j'aime j'aime ca and untangles the frippery weave of our existence in Les Jours…

In this intermingling of registers, the singer-songwriter fascinates and dazzles, in J'ai connu, a sprightly song that Yvan Cassar dressed up with light-hearted rustling and tiny sparks, while the lyrics take on board humankind's horrors, the genocides of the last century and the lowest of mass injustices– "Ce que l'homme fait a l'homme/L'animal ne le fait pas" (What man does unto man, no animal stoops to). Aznavour is on full throttle, never losing sight of the vast machinery of history even as he sings of two lovers hand in hand, and always distinguishing, behind the fracas of the world, the poor shattered world of anonymous man. Because as ever and forever, he is obsessed with justice, with hitting the nail on the head. Which is why musicians rarely resist the honor of playing for Charles Aznavour. So this album features a slew of big names, whether session musicians or stars of the French scene: pianist Jacky Terrasson on five tracks, bass guitarists Laurent Vernerey and Jean-Claude Ghrenassia, drummer Loic Ponthieux, accordionist Lionel Suarez and guitarist Pedro Xavier Gonzales to name but a few. And Thomas Dutronc, on vocals and guitar for Elle, a vibrant, radiant duo.

For the arrangements, Aznavour called on Eumir Deodato (500 albums for Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin, Astrud Gilberto, Bjork and Christophe to name but a few) and Yvan Cassar (Mylene Farmer, Johnny Hallyday, Claude Nougaro and Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan) and the album travels to Brazil and Paris, with an occasional little trip to Broadway and even Spain for Flamenca, flamenco, in which he sings of an "Enfant type d'Andalousie/Mele d'Islam et de Chrétien/Entre priere et poesie/Dont les accents tissent les liens" (Olive-skin kid in Andalusia/mixing Islam and Christendom/between prayer and poetry/in accents that forge ties"). Aznavour Toujours travels because Aznavour has always travelled, – in space and through memories and sensitive, surging spirits. He knows all the weakness and faults of humankind, yet he is forever celebrating hope, love, pleasure and sharing. He sees life as a combat, in Des coups de poing, a superb reverie on life in which he has the courage and class, when evoking injuries sustained, to admit to blows dealt. But he also sees life as "le tresor dont le destin/Nous fait l'offrande" (a treasure that destiny/offers up to us) in La vie est faite de hasards (Life is a series of accidents). They're songs, of course. But they're much more. Lessons in life, for example, like Va (Go), the elegance of which any woman would appreciate with the fading of passion. And heart-stopping celebrations of the happiness people can give one another, like Viens m'emporter… We soon realise why Karl Lagerfeld so enjoyed taking his album cover photograph: he met an artist, but also a myth. One of the last myths left, a myth that helped forge and free us, helped us grow. Aznavour, forever.

Charles Aznavour: Aznavour Toujours
1. Viens m'emporter

2. La vie est faite de hasards

3. L'instinct du chasseur

4. Les jours

5. Que j'aime ca

6. Ce printemps-la

7. Des coups de poing

8. Flamenco Flamenca

9. J'ai connu

10. Je pense à toi

11. Elle (duet with Thomas Dutronc)

12. Tu ne m'aimes plus

13. Va

BILL FRISELL - ALL WE ARE SAYING

Consummate guitarist, composer and musical interpreter Bill Frisell has assembled a trusted ensemble consisting of Jenny Scheinman (violin), Tony Scherr (bass), Greg Leisz (guitars) and Kenny Wollesen (drums) to record his definitive take on the classic songs of John Lennon. Titled All We Are Saying, the project has long been in the works—one could go as far back as the first time he heard the Beatles at the age of 13. Fast forward a few decades and Frisell is asked to put together an impromptu set in honor of John Lennon as part of a special event in Paris. The preparation, performances and reception to these compositions was an inspiration nurtured to fruition with this project. Recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley and produced by Lee Townsend, All We Are Saying will be released on Savoy Jazz on September 27. Described by the Wall Street Journal as "the most innovative and influential jazz guitarist of the past 25 years," Frisell's artistry has earned across the board praise for his instinctual musicianship—working both within and beyond the parameters of jazz music as he effortlessly incorporates elements of Americana, world, blues, classical, creating a rich and unique aural tapestry. Says Frisell: "John Lennon's music has been with me, the band, everybody, the world...seems like forever. The songs are part of us. In our blood. There was nothing we really needed to do to prepare for this. We've been preparing our whole lives. The songs are there. All we had to do was play them. Everyone involved with this has their own personal, deep, long, relationship to John Lennon's music. It connects us all and brings us together. I feel blessed having the chance to play this music with these people."

All We Are Saying songs include:
Across the Universe

Revolution

Nowhere Man

Imagine

Please Please Me

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

Hold On

In My Life

Come Together

Julia

Woman

# 9 Dream

Love

Beautiful Boy

Mother

Give Peace a Chance

 http://www.savoyjazz.com/

STING: 25 YEARS

Cherrytree/A&M Records/Universal Music Group has announced the release of Sting: 25 Years, the definitive box set collection slated for release on September 27, 2011. Featuring three CDs comprised of 45 remastered tracks personally curated by Sting, a previously unreleased live concert DVD and a comprehensive hardcover book, this retrospective captures for the first time both the highlights and rarities of Sting's enduring solo career. This consummate collection contains selections spanning his entire solo catalog, from his 1985 debut album, The Dream Of The Blue Turtles, to his latest release, Live in Berlin. Highlights include all of Sting's top 40 hits as well as Grammy® winners "Brand New Day," "The Soul Cages," "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," and "Whenever I Say Your Name" featuring Mary J. Blige (full track listing included below). Sting: 25 Years was produced by Rob Mathes and Executive Produced by Sting's longtime manager, Kathryn Schenker. The box set also contains nine songs remixed by Robert Orton and Steve Fitzmaurice exclusively for this collection. Rough, Raw & Unreleased: Live At Irving Plaza, the previously unreleased live concert DVD, features 10 tracks culled from newly unearthed raw performance footage filmed in New York City on the final night of Sting's U.S. "Broken Music" tour in 2005. The discs are housed in a beautiful, lavish hardcover book containing intimate and rare photos from world renowned photographers, complete lyrics, personal commentary and a newly written introduction by Sting. Richly diverse in musical content and visually captivating, Sting: 25 Years is a compelling tribute to the restless spirit of an artist who continues to evolve and explore new musical territory.

Sting: 25 Years Track List
Disc One:
1.If You Love Somebody Set Them Free
2.Love Is The Seventh Wave
3.Consider Me Gone

4.Moon Over Bourbon Street

5.Fortress Around Your Heart

6.Bring On The Night (Live)

7.Driven To Tears (Live)

8.I Burn For You (Live)

9.Be Still My Beating Heart

10.They Dance Alone

11.Englishman In New York

12.Fragile

13.We'll Be Together

14.Sister Moon

15.Secret Marriage

Disc Two:

1.All This Time

2.Mad About You

3.Why Should I Cry For You?

4.The Soul Cages

5.When The Angels Fall

6.If I Ever Lose My Faith In You

7.Fields Of Gold

8.Seven Days

9.It's Probably Me

10.Shape Of My Het

11.When We Dance

12.I Hung My Head

13.I Was Brought To My Senses

14.You Still Touch Me

15.I'm So Happy I Can't Stop Crying

Disc Three:

1.A Thousand Years

2.Desert Rose

3.Ghost Story

4.Brand New Day

5.Send Your Love

6.Whenever I Say Your Name

7.Stolen Car (Take Me Dancing)

8.Soul Cake

9.The Hounds Of Winter

10.Next To You

11.We Work The Black Seam

12.The Pirate's Bride

13.Never Coming Home

14.Russians (Live)

15.The End Of The Game (Live)

Disc Four: Rough, Raw & Unreleased: Live at Irving Plaza

1.Message In A Bottle

2.Demolition Man
3.Synchronicity II
4.Driven To Tears
5.Heavy Cloud, No Rain
6.A Day In The Life
7.Voices Inside My Head/When The World Is Running Down
8.Roxanne
9.Next To You
10.Lithium Sunset

JOSS STONE - LP1

Joss Stone has been obsessed with soul music since she was a little girl. By the time she was in her early teens she had begun to intuitively hone her now trademark gravely-but-lustrous vocals by singing along to Aretha's Franklin's greatest hits. She began pursuing a singing career at thirteen, when she auditioned for UK talent show Star For a Night. This eventually led to a record deal and the release of Stone's star-making debut album, The Soul Sessions, in 2003. Her second record, 2004's Mind Body & Soul capitalized on The Soul Sessions' commercial momentum and critical adoration and earned Stone three Grammy nominations, including one for Best New Artist. But it was really her third album, 2007's Introducing Joss Stone, a more independent, less packaged effort, on which Joss showcased her songwriting chops, that revealed the singer had truly been embraced by the American audience; it marked the highest debut ever for a female British solo artist on the Billboard charts. Joss' first three albums have sold over 11 million albums worldwide.

Stone recently established her own label, Stone'd Records, hence the title of the first album to come out on the label, LP1, which is released in partnership with Surfdog. LP1 is the first album Joss has recorded with total creative freedom. She co-wrote and co-produced it with super-producer and Eurythmics co-founder, Dave Stewart. Together they immersed themselves into a rock n' soul musical odyssey in Nashville, Tennessee.

"This is the most fun I've ever had making a record with Crazy Dave Stewart at the helm, and yes the players in Nashville are unbelievable!!!" says Stone. "This album captures a specific moment in time that was spontaneous and full of creativity."

"Joss can sing with the ferocity of a lioness and dynamically switch to the most delicate whisper in the same phrase," says Stewart. "She is always honest and full of real emotion. It is an honor to work alongside a true artist who understands so much at such a young age."

LP 1 Track List:
1. Newborn
2. Karma
3. Don’t Start Lying To Me Now
4. Last One To Know
5. Drive All Night
6. Cry Myself to Sleep
7. Somehow
8. Landlord
9. Boat Yard
10. Take Good Care

STEFON HARRIS / DAVID SANCHEZ / CHRISTIAN SCOTT – NINETY MILES

Musicians – especially jazz musicians, whose craft is in many ways an improvised form of communication – understand this principle inherently, perhaps better than any politician or diplomat could ever hope to. Vibraphonist Stefon Harris, saxophonist David Sánchez and trumpeter Christian Scott cross that divide in their new recording, Ninety Miles. Recorded entirely in Havana, Cuba, with the help of some highly talented Cuban players – pianists Rember Duharte and Harold López-Nussa, each leading their own quartets – the nine-song set is an experiment that examines the fascinating chemical reaction that takes place when musicians from different cultures come together and converse in a common language that transcends mere words. The set also includes a DVD that is a sneak peek of the forthcoming documentary of the same name that chronicles the recording process of the album in Cuba. It will also include two bonus live performances of “City Sunrise” and “La Fiesta Va.”

“This record is about the power of music to communicate, and break down some of the barriers that result from language and politics and culture,” says John Burk, Chief Creative Officer of Concord Music Group and producer of the album. He developed the idea for the project after hearing a number of Cuba's extraordinary young jazz pianists. "Cuba seems to have an amazing amount of incredible musicians, and I was particularly impressed with Harold and Rember," recalls Burk. "I found it really interesting that these musicians had studied and embraced the jazz genre (an American art form) and taken it to such a high level. Their circumstances, a very solid music educational system with Afro-Cuban roots, coupled with the isolation of the embargo throughout their lifetimes, had created something unique and special in their music." It took about year to get permission from the U.S. Government, and then Burk, along with co-producer Chris Dunn, booked Harris, Sánchez and Scott to perform in Havana in May 2010 with quartets lead by Harold and Rember. Ninety Miles is a snapshot of the rehearsals just prior to the 2010 performance. Despite the logistical hurdles, “once we got down there and got into the music, everything worked,” says Burk. “And what we witnessed was a very high level of musicianship, a very high level of communication, and a very sophisticated conversation.”

Harris, a four- time Grammy® nominated vibist-percussionist, is no stranger to adventurous collaborative projects. A native of Albany, New York, his earliest work included session gigs with Steve Turre and Charlie Hunter in the 1990s before he recorded his solo debut in 1998 on Blue Note (A Cloud of Red Dust). He’s cut seven albums since then, including his Grammy® nominated Concord Jazz debut Urbanus. Harris contributes three tracks to Ninety Miles. New arrangements of “Black Action Figure” and “This Too Shall Pass” and “Brown Belle Blues” written especially for this project. “Before I wrote it, I listened to a bunch of recordings by Rember and his rhythm section as a way to capture some of their energy in the song,” he says. “On top of that, I put a real soulful, bluesy, almost gospel-like melody on top of it as a way to bring all of our influences together.”

Sánchez brings plenty of his own cross-cultural sensibilities to the project. A native of Puerto Rico, he moved to New York City at 18 and studied at Rutgers University under Kenny Barron while gigging with numerous Latin jazz specialists, including Paquito D’Rivera, Claudio Roditi and Dizzy Gillespie. In a body of recorded work that stretches back to the mid-1990s, Sánchez has crafted a signature sound that seamlessly merges elements of Afro-Cuban rhythm with bebop. Sánchez’s “City Sunrise” was inspired by music from Cameroon. “I had planned to record it on one of my own projects, but it made perfect sense to use it here,” he says. “It not only has a Cuban sound, but there are other elements there as well that give it a world groove.” His second contribution, “The Forgotten Ones” – written for the people of post-Katrina New Orleans – is a quieter, more subtle piece that provides a contrast to some of the more energized tracks in the set. Both of Sanchez’s offerings are propelled by López-Nussa and his rhythm section, which provides a counterbalance to Duharte and his crew elsewhere in the set. Each of the two pianists contributes two tracks of his own, which further thickens the album’s cultural mix. “Harold and Rember are from the same generation, and yet they have two completely different approaches,” says Sánchez. “Rember is more rooted in the African sound, and he’s a little more raw in some ways. But Harold is completely different. You hear the Cuban influences in his music, and perhaps more of the western European classical piano.”

Born and raised in New Orleans, Grammy® nominated trumpeter Christian Scott has been blending elements of Alt Rock, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Classical since his 2006 debut recording, Rewind That. On Ninety Miles, he taps into the Cuban roots that are not only a part of his home but his family history as well. “New Orleans is in many ways an extension of the Caribbean,” Scott explains. “There are a lot of Cuban people in New Orleans as well as Dominican’s and Haitian’s. They come to the city and become very much a part of the culture there. My great-grandmother was born in Cuba, and when I was growing up, she would sing Cuban songs to me. I grew up around that music. So while I don’t particularly think of myself as Cuban, it doesn’t necessarily mean that I was not able to pick up on and appreciate certain aspects of the culture.”

The brilliance and innovation of Ninety Miles is only part of the story. The recording is also a clear statement about the power of music to unite in ways that politics and diplomacy can’t. “The arts can lead the way, because they are the universal language,” says Burk. “And music is certainly one of the most powerful forces within the arts. You can change someone’s life in five minutes with the right piece of music. I don’t know of any other art form that can do that. This record does illustrate a way – or at least the ability – for people to work together despite differences.”

Ninety Miles Track List:
1. Nengueleru 5:04
2. E'cha 4:17
3. City Sunrise 6:47
4. The Forgotten Ones 3:53
5. Black Action Figure 6:21
6. Congo 6:30
7. And This Too Shall Pass 9:28
8. Brown Belle Blues 5:00
9. La Fiesta Va 5:46

NEW RELEASES FROM CINDY BRADLEY, DOWN TO THE BONE, PAT METHENY, RAHSAAN PATTERSON & OTHERS...

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Ben Webster -Ballads
Bongolion – Bongos For Beatniks
Botto Fau & Elevated Soul – Coffee House Swinger
Bugge Wesseltoft & Henrik Schwarz – Wesseltoft Schwarze Duo
Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Lenny White – Forever
Chilly Gonzales – Unspeakable Chilly Gonzales
Cindy Bradley – Unscripted
Coleman Hawkins – Today & Now & Desafinando Remastered
Dinner At The Thompsons – Off The Grid
Down To The Bone – Main Ingredients
Eliane Elias – Light My Fire
Federico Palmozella – Keep On Groovin”
Funk Ark – From The Rooftops
Global Noize – A Pray For The Planet
Havana – Entervention
Hiromi- Voice
Ikebe Showdown – Ikebe Showdown
Lorenzo Tucci - Tranety
Mario Biondi – Change Of Scenes
Marilyn Mazur – Celestial Circle
Nicola Conte – Love And Revolutions
Neamen – So Free
Nikki Jean – Pennies In A Bar
Ocote Soul Sounds – Taurus
Pat Metheny – What It’s All About
Patti Austin – Sound Advice
Patty Aschur – Bossa, Nazz ‘n’ Samba
Pauline London – Under The Rainbow
Polyrhythmics - Labrador
Rahsaan Patterson - Bleuphoria
Raphael Saadiq – Stone Rollin
Ray Lugo & The Boogaloo Destroyers – Mi Watusi
Robin Guthrie - Emeralds
Sean Khan – Slow Burner
Soulstice – Into The Light
Steve Arrington – Goin’ Hard
Tom Harnell – Time Of The Sun
Walter Robinson – Cause I Wanna
Warren Haynes – Man In Motion
Wendell Harrison – It’s About Time
Wendy Lands - Mumble
Winston Warrior – Lifeology 1010

AMY WINEHOUSE R.I.P. 1983-2011

Amy Winehouse, the English singer-songwriter, known for her powerful contralto vocals and her eclectic mix of various musical genres including R&B, soul, and jazz was found dead on Saturday by police. She received extensive publicity over her substance abuse and mental health issues.Winehouse was aged 27 and police have described the cause of her death as "unexplained". Winehouse's 2003 debut album, Frank, was critically successful in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. Her 2006 follow-up album, Back to Black, led to six Grammy Award nominations and five wins, tying the record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night, and made Winehouse the first British singer to win five Grammys, including three of the "Big Four": Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year. On 14 February 2007, she won a BRIT Award for Best British Female Artist; she had also been nominated for Best British Album. She won the Ivor Novello Award three times, one in 2004 for Best Contemporary Song (musically and lyrically) for "Stronger Than Me", one in 2007 for Best Contemporary Song for "Rehab", and one in 2008 for Best Song Musically and Lyrically for "Love Is a Losing Game", among other prestigious distinctions. The album was the third biggest seller of the 2000s in the United Kingdom. Before her death, Winehouse had agreed to form a group with The Roots drummer ?uestlove. Winehouse has been credited as being an influence in the rise in popularity of female musicians and soul music, and also revitalising British music. Winehouse's distinctive style has been the muse for fashion designers such as Karl Lagerfeld. The singer's problems with drug and alcohol abuse, as well as self-destructive behaviour, were regular tabloid news from 2007 until her death.