LALO SHIFRIN – BULLITT (ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK + BONUS TRACKS)

An amazing new take on the legendary Bullitt soundtrack – one that features the full original album, plus 19 more bonus tracks from the film ever released before now. There's almost 80 minutes of music on this release, and every second of it is pure Lalo Schifrin genius – a beautiful blend of jazz, bossa, and other groovy elements – filtered with some occasional dramatic touches too – easily one of the most perfect records that Schifrin ever cut, and that's saying a hell of a lot, given his reputation for perfection! There's lots of cool bubbling electric bass, lilting keyboards, and moody breezy rhythms – nearly every cut's a winner, and if you like his other work, we can bet that this will become one of your favorites. As with other Screen Archives productions over the last few years, the quality level is amazing – new mastering, and a huge amount of notes – with core album tunes that include "Bullitt", "Room 26", "On the Way To San Mateo", and "Shifting Gears" – and bonus tracks that include film versions of "Air Terminal", "Just Coffee", "Music To Interrogate By", "Shifting Gears", "On The Way To San Mateo", "Song For Cathy", "Architect's Building", "Quiet Morning", "Ice Pick Mike", and "Ross". Only a limited release with 3,000 copies is being made available, so get yours quick before they sellout!

Bullitt Tracklisting
1. Bullitt Main Title [2:05]
2. Room 26 [2:24]
3. Hotel Daniels [2:50]
4. The Aftermath of Love [2:47]
5. Music to Interrogate By [2:48]
6. On the Way to San Mateo [2:38]
7. Ice Pick Mike [2:57]
8. A Song for Cathy [2:44]
9. Shifting Gears [3:14]
10. Cantata for Combo [3:03]
11. The First Snowfall - Paul Francis Webster/Sonny Burke [3:05]
12. Bullitt End Title [2:42]
13. Main Title [3:47]
14. Architect's Building [1:28]
15. Cantata for Combo [3:03]
16. A Song for Cathy [2:02]
17. Hotel Daniels [2:58]
18. Room 26 [1:14]
19. The Aftermath of Love [2:45]
20. Dr. Willard [0:54]
21. Ice Pick Mike [3:12]
22. Quiet Morning [2:33]
23. Music to Interrogate By [3:04]
24. Just Coffee [1:25]
25. Shifting Gears [3:15]
26. On the Way to San Mateo [1:24]
27. The First Snowfall - Paul Francis Webster/Sonny Burke [3:27]
28. Ross [2:06]
29. Air Terminal/Main Lobby [2:32]
30. End Credits [0:31]
31. Bullitt Demo [3:06]

NEWSBITS FROM GEORGE BENSON, U-NAM, CHRIS STANDRING, ALEXANDER O’NEAL. LARRY CARLTON…

Jazz Cruises has announced that George Benson will be their Cozumel guest for both sailings of The Smooth Jazz Cruise 2013. After many years of resisting their invitation to attend, Benson has finally decided to get onboard. What changed that caused George Benson to join the cruise? There is an old adage that says “success has many fathers, but failure is an orphan.” Well, this success did have many fathers! First, several folks, especially fellow artists, had told George that the cruise was a wonderful event. Second, when he found out that the lineup included such icons as David Sanborn, Marcus Miller, Bob James and Jonathan Butler, genre stars Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Candy Dulfer, Brian Culbertson and Jeff Golub, internationally acclaimed vocalist Angie Stone and jazz violin sensation Ken Ford, he was drawn in further. Third, during his stay at the Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Jazz Cruises’ staff not only saw his show, but also were able to spend some time with him and pressed him as to our desire to have him finally become part of The Smooth Jazz Cruise family. Put this all together and it spells George Benson on the cruise.

U-Nam's "Give Me The Night" has been released as a digital single.  It's from the forthcoming album, Weekend In L.A. (A Tribute To George Benson), by U-Nam and Friends featuring George Duke, Paul Jackson Jr., Phil Perry, Tim TiO Owens, Ronnie Foster, Patrice Rushen, and others.

Chris Standring has just finished mastering Send Me Some Snow, his new Christmas record that he did along with singer songwriter Kathrin Shorr. It's a vintage sounding collection of original songs with sentimental, romantic themes, all complete with lush orchestration and christmassy feelings. The album will be released to the world on November 1st, and no doubt I will be able to release some audio snippets ahead of time. He’s also one song away from finishing writing material for his new solo album which will be released in 2012, hopefully 1st quarter. According to Standring, “…April looks very possible, highly likely actually. Cross fingers. It's coming along nicely. I can tell you it's a little more upbeat and joyful than Blue Bolero. It's pretty funky too in places. Again, there is lots of orchestration on it as I get deeper and deeper into that territory.”

Alexander O'Neal, a pioneer of the Minneapolis Sound, returns with his first ever U.S. live recording on CD and DVD. Fresh off the BET Awards, a feature episode of Unsung, and a thrilling live set at the Essence Festival at the Superdome, the chart topping O'Neal proves he's still got it. Recorded live where it all began--downtown Minneapolis along with his 8-piece band--O'Neal lights up all his biggest hits. Live in Minneapolis includes a number of songs written by famed Minneapolis producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, such as "Criticize," "All True Man," "If You Were Here Tonight," "Sunshine" and more. Bobby Z, drummer for Prince and the Revolution, produced and directed the package, with mixes by Z's Grammy winning brother David Z. The package also includes a bonus DVD concert film edited by Z's son, Joseph Rivkin. This is Bobby Z's first project after suffering a near fatal heart attack last February. "It is Alex in top form," said Z. "I am proud of him on this masterpiece!" Says O'Neal, "Thanks to Bobby Z for believing in me. Who would have thought, with Z being from the Prince camp, and me from the Flyte Tyme camp, we would come together and bring this kind of musical beauty."

Larry Carlton will be performing “The Royal Scam” plus select hits with Steely Dan on September 23, 2011 at the Beacon Theatre in New York, NY (2124 Broadway New York, NY 10023). More upcoming shows: Friday, Sept. 30 - Nashville Symphony; Thursday, Oct. 20 - Quebec, Canada; Friday, Oct. 21 - Gravenhurst, Canada; Saturday, Oct. 22 - Niagara Falls, NY; Sunday, Oct. 23 - Norfolk, CT. See http://www.larrycarlton.com/ for more details.

BOB JAMES & KEIKO MATSUI - ALTAIR & VEGA

A prolific composer, Grammy-winner and founding member of the contemporary jazz supergroup Fourplay, pianist Bob James explores the classically influenced side of his immense musicality on Altair & Vega. A duet project recorded with fellow piano virtuoso Keiko Matsui, it's a modern take on the four-hands piano tradition established in the 18th and 19th centuries by the likes of such classical composers as Haydn, Brahms and Schubert. Named for a Japanese folkloric tale about the seventh day of the seventh month (July 7th - an annual celebration known as Tanabata), Altair and Vega are two stars in the galaxy that pass by each other only once a year. "So this kind of rare meeting of these two fictional characters seemed to be a good title because it also described my eventual hookup with Keiko on this project," says James.
"Originally this story came from China," adds Matsui. "Later it was combined with Japanese tradition. We write one's wish and prayer on origami (Japanese traditional color paper) and hang it from bambondero grass. We decorate bamboo with origami under the sky for an evening.For us, July 7th is a special day with romantic feeling."

The genesis of this four-hands piano project came 12 years ago when James wrote a piece he titled "Altair & Vega" that he envisioned playing with Matsui. "I didn't really know Keiko at that time," he recalls. "I had only met her once backstage at the Hollywood Bowl but I just thought I would send her this piece of music to see if she might be interested in playing it. I always found it a fun challenge to have two people both sitting at the same piano, working out the choreography and how their hands would go back and forth." The two ultimately got together in the studio when Matsui was on tour in the States and they recorded Altair & Vega as a four-hands piece, which was released in 2001 on James' Dancing on the Water (Warner Bros.). Matsui responded by writing a piece for James called "Ever After," which had appeared on her album Whisper from the Mirror. Shortly after, James and Matsui embarked on a tour together of nine Japanese cities, performing four-hands piano adaptations of their original compositions. "And we had a great time doing it," recalls James. "The audiences loved it, but for a variety of contractual reasons and other problems, we never really got to complete an actual CD project of that music."

Last year, the two performed a four-hands duet in Pittsburgh at the Manchester Craftsmen's Guild (MCG), which was documented on video. Two days before that, they had performed a concert in James' hometown, Traverse City, Michigan, and later documented the music in James' home studio. A CD/DVD package of those four-hands piano performances is now available on the eOne label. "Most of the music on this project crosses borders," says James. "There are some elements of classical music along with elements of Keiko's and my different influences. So it is partially written and partially improvised."

On Matsui's Frozen Lake, a piece she wrote at the session after taking a walk on Long Lake by James' home studio, James performs on an Avant Grand digital piano, which gives him a kind of Fender Rhodes effect. His Divertimento: The Professor & The Student is a variation on a piece by Haydn that was originally written for piano duet. "He was using it as a method for teaching so he could sit down at the piano and play with students," James explains. "So he would play a phrase and the student would echo it or answer it. And I used that as a jumping off place for me and Keiko. So I play the role of the professor and she plays the part of the student, and those actually became our nicknames during the course of our working together on this project."

Matsui's Midnight Stone and Invisible Wing are previously recorded pieces given a new four-hands treatment here while the lengthy 13-minute suite, The Forever Variations, is a four-hands take on Matsui's popular theme Forever Forever. "That is, for the most part, written," says James. "Although the kind of jazz or funk stuff that happens in the middle is improvised. So there are a couple of places where we take off."

They also turn in an enchanting arrangement of J.S. Bach's Chorale from Cantata BWV 147 which the two had played together on tour in Japan. As Matsui explains, "In 2002, I did a Christmas show in Tokyo and I invited Bob as guest. And he brought this beautiful four-hands arrangement of the Bach piece as Christmas present for me. We performed it for first time at that show. I love this arrangement. So beautiful and cool!"

Adds Matsui, "Bob's arrangements are very unique. Sometimes it's like classical music with lots of written parts and sometimes we have lots of freedom to improvise. So mentally and technically, our mind and body are working hard to nail both worlds."

Regarding the challenges of the four-hands technique, James says, "It's not for everybody because a lot of pianists don't want to give up that control. There's only one sustain pedal, for example. So whoever does the sustain pedal has a lot of power over phrasing and smooth transitions. I think most of us pianists very often use the pedal as a kind of crutch to smooth our way through technical passages that we're either having trouble with or whatever. And if you happen to be the pianist who doesn't have control over the sustain pedal, you better make sure that your technique is really accurate.

"The other thing is, once we get in the middle of the keyboard, fingering becomes very important," he continues. "Because if some of your fingers are sticking out there and getting in the way of your partner, you make it impossible for them to play. So you have to make sure that you avoid those clashes. And you do that by giving up control and becoming a team. So you have to agree about the way you pass the ball back and forth melodically so that the two really become one person on one piano."

James says that Matsui was an ideal partner on this four-hands project. "Keiko was a dream to work with. There was no way for either one of us to know how we would get along that way, but she is very methodical in the way that she approaches the piano and accurate. So I developed a lot of confidence that I know where and when she's going to arrive on a note, and I try to be the same way with her. In fact, we always challenged each other for accuracy...at the end of every performance, one or the other of us would be depressed because we made the most mistakes. And when you have somebody else that you know is going to be really, really accurate, it motivates you to keep trying to get it better and better so that you don't be the one that brings it down."

MICK JAGGER, JOSS STONE, DAVE STEWART, DAMIAN MARLEY, A.R. RAHMAN - SUPERHEAVY

Mick Jagger has teamed up with Eurythmics founder Dave Stewart, soul singer Joss Stone, Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack composer A.R.Rahman and reggae star Damian Marley to form a band cooperative project called SuperHeavy. This diverse and eclectic line up who share eleven Grammy Awards between them, have been recording together in various studios around the world, with the majority of the tracks on the project laid down over three weeks in Los Angeles earlier this year. The album will be unveiled in September and tracks include the first single `Miracle Worker', plus `One Day One Night', `Energy', `Unbelievable,' `SuperHeavy,' I Can't Take It No More,' `You're Never Gonna Change' and `I Don't Mind.'

SuperHeavy came together after Jagger and Stewart considered what a band comprising of musicians from different genres would sound like. Jagger explains, "Dave really wanted to make a record with a different group of musicians, in other words, with different backgrounds of music. Instead of everyone being a rock musician, or basically a blues musician, or some other genre, he wanted to get as many genres together that would fit. I said it sounds like a good idea, I never thought it would actually happen." Yet soon enough Jagger found himself back in the studio with Stewart and Joss Stone, having previously worked together on the 2004 Alfie movie soundtrack. Stewart says Stone was, "an obvious choice for us. She's such an incredible singer and spirit." Stewart and Jagger's dream team took further shape when they were inspired to bring Damian Marley into the mix, says Stewart, "We'd always wanted a Jamaican musician because Mick and I are crazy about Jamaica and Jamaican music. Stewart has worked with legend Jimmy Cliff while Mick has duetted with Peter Tosh from the Wailers on the Temptations tune "Don't Look Back" in 1978.

We were listening to loads of stuff and suddenly a light bulb went off and we thought about Damian Marley." Jagger had long been a fan of Marley's, fresh from another cross-genre collaboration with American rapper Nas, citing his strength as a lyricist and toaster along with his penchant for experimentation and collaborative spirit. Marley brought on board his rhythm section, bassist and composer Shiah Coore and drummer Courtney Diedrick, while Stewart introduced the band to his long-term collaborator Ann Marie Calhoun, a rock violinist who had previously worked with the Foo Fighters.

Recording in L.A. meant the band's path crossed with legendary Indian composer A.R. Rahman, in the City of Angels fresh from his Slumdog Millionaire Oscar glory. Jagger explains, "We didn't know what kind of music we'd make, we didn't know if it would be any good, but we hoped we'd have fun." They were thrilled to have Rahman on board, Stewart says, "He brings so much musical knowledge, amazing musicianship, melody and singing power from a different culture."

Despite their disparate backgrounds, they instantly connected and hit the ground running, writing twenty-two songs in the first six days. Stone was thrilled with the results, "That's what you need, all these opinionated people who have been brilliant in their own field, shove them together and see what comes out. It's really unexpected, it's mind blowing" she enthuses. Similarly enthused was Rahman, "The first day I was in a daze thinking, `What am I doing? What's my role?' and then slowly we started writing with each other, and it was great. It took me way back to my high school days when I was playing in a rock band, but this one was a real one!" Jagger says of the writing process, "We ran the gamut of all our different styles mixed up, so we got Joss singing, Damian doing toasting, and me singing different styles."

However, despite the free flow of creative juices and the easy rapport they established, getting the band together in one place became very difficult, as Stewart explains, "It's the most complicated record ever made. Imagine, some of it's recorded in LA, some of it's recorded in the South of France, some of it's recorded off the coast of Cyprus, some of it's recorded in Turkey, some of it's recorded in Miami, some of it's recorded in the Caribbean, and some of it's recorded in Chennai, in India."

The project needed a name. Marley had been riffing the term "SuperHeavy", inspired by Muhammad Ali being the super heavy weight champion of the world and the phrase became the band's catchphrase, "It was Mick who said, `Why don't we call it SuperHeavy?", recalls Stewart, "We all thought about it for ages and then it sort of stuck." SuperHeavy is a new and spontaneous way of working for all the collaborators as Jagger explains, "I said to Dave, normally [with the Stones] we'd always have written songs before we go into the studio, but the jam sessions resulted in some great work believes Stone, "It felt better when we were just jamming, that way we made it up as we went along and it was easy."

The band found a harmonious way of working together, "With five of you everyone has to give and take quite a lot. We tried to understand everyone wouldn't be too egotistical, start throwing things around the studio, we wouldn't have fights!" says Jagger. However they weren't averse to telling each other to be better either, Jagger continues, "We were writing a lot of stuff and throwing it away. I would say, `That's rubbish, another cliché Joss', and she'd say, `Well you come up with something then!'" The experience was refreshing and exciting for the band, "We're four vocalists, we've never worked like that before. It's great because the whole burdens not on you, and that made it fun." Jagger enthuses.

Back to that alchemical experiment, Jagger, Stewart, Marley, Rahman and Stone appear to have created a new genre. It's a new kind of music, it's a new genre, one that cannot be placed" says Stone. Yet, Jagger is keen to point out the music is accessible, "It's very approachable. If you're a Rolling Stones fan there's definitely stuff you can relate to. Other stuff that you can't relate to so much, maybe if you listen you'll enjoy it."

A first for Mick Jagger is singing in Urdu, on a song composed by Rahman, entitled "Satyameva Jayate", meaning, "the truth alone triumphs", Rahman wrote the song after some gentle teasing from the others. Rahman explains, "In the daytime I was playing with them, in the night time and evenings I was gigging" "Then", says Jagger, "He didn't come into the studio one day, so I said, `Where's A.R?' and he came in really late at night, really pleased saying, `I've got my song!' I manage one line in Urdu, only one!"

Marley's way of working was different to the rest of the band. Stone reveals, "Damian is kind of quiet but he has some brilliant ideas. He works on stuff at night. Sometimes he'll just go away and sit with the lyrics and bring something to it. His rhythm section brings so much. He has his own thing going in the next room so I pop in and out." Marley would work on toasting over the record by himself and re-join the band when he was happy with it.

As far as the future of SuperHeavy goes, "We haven't planned to do a tour or anything, but if people really like it maybe we will. We'd love to get out and play some of it live," says Jagger humbly. "As soon as we started playing together in the studio it gelled, and all these different styles didn't seem to be a problem to make them fit together... I hope people will like it...."

Main Credits on the SuperHeavy album are - Mick Jagger (vocals, guitar and harmonica), Dave Stewart (guitar), Joss Stone (vocals), Damian Marley (vocals) and A. R. Rahman (vocals plus a variety of keyboards). The SuperHeavy album is co-produced by Jagger & Stewart. Universal Music will release the album worldwide on their A&M label imprint.

The Deluxe version contains 4 bonus tracks. Mick Jagger has teamed up with Eurythmics founder Dave Stewart, soul singer Joss Stone, Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack composer A.R.Rahman and reggae star Damian Marley to form a band cooperative project called SuperHeavy. This diverse and eclectic line up who share eleven Grammy Awards between them, have been recording together in various studios around the world, with the majority of the tracks on the project laid down over three weeks in Los Angeles earlier this year. The album will be unveiled in September and tracks include the first single `Miracle Worker', plus `One Day One Night', `Energy', `Unbelievable,' `SuperHeavy,' I Can't Take It No More,' `You're Never Gonna Change' and `I Don't Mind.'

THE E FAMILY – NOW AND FOREVER

After years of playing on each other’s projects, The E Family came together to produce this ultimate, long overdue and highly anticipated labor of love, Now And Forever. Available in stores on September 20, 2011 on Sheila E’s Stiletto Flats Music through Waterfront Entertainment (Fontana / Universal), Now And Forever pays homage to their collective diversity of styles, influences and experiences.

The E Family is a force with which to be reckoned. Pete Escovedo discovered and cultivated a love and passion for music, embracing Latin jazz and passing it on to his sons and daughters. Pete has performed and toured with Tito Puente, Mongo Santamaria, Bobby McFerrin, Cal Tjader, Woody Herman, Billy Cobham, Boz Scaggs, Anita Baker, Arturo Sandoval, Poncho Sanchez, Carlos Santana, and Chick Corea to name a few. Today, Pete leads one of the country’s top orchestras, performing their own unique brand of Latin jazz. Pete’s daughter, multiple Grammy® and Emmy® nominee Sheila E. for her Outstanding Contribution as Musical Director for Fiesta Latina: A Performance At The White House, is also an impressive drummer, composer, producer and philanthropist, having performed with artists such as Ringo Starr, Prince, Jennifer Lopez, Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, George Duke, Placido Domingo, Natalie Cole, Phil Collins, Celine Dion, Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder and countless others. Juan Escovedo brings his flavor of R&B to the table, having performed with a roster of noted artists including Patti Labelle, Jodi Watley, Lou Bega, MC Hammer, En Vogue, Herbie Hancock and many more. Youngest son Peter Michael has performed with Mariah Carey, Marvin Gaye, Stevie Nicks, and George Michael, to name a few, and is a talented musical director whose credits include The Martin Short and Wayne Brady television shows, the latter garnering him two Emmy® nominations.

Collectively they are the latest evolution of one of the most amazing musical family dynasties that continues to deliver a colorful and powerful concoction of music to move the body and soothe the soul. The E Family’s new release, Now And Forever‚ is a track collection encompassing a rich range of musical influences, ranging from Latin, Hip Hop, Pop, R&B and Jazz, and features special guest artists Earth Wind & Fire, Gloria Estefan, Joss Stone, Israel Houghton, Raphael Saadiq, George Duke, Wes Quave, and Damon Castillo. It is a must have for a wide range of music lovers.

In celebration of the release of  Now And Forever, The E Family will hold a star-studded album release event on September 20, 2011 at the Conga Room at LA Live in downtown Los Angeles. The event will feature a full performance with the 14-piece band and give fans the opportunity to enjoy the spectacular experience of seeing the family live together on stage. Red carpet arrivals begin at 6:30pm and doors open to the public at 7:00pm. It will be an event not to be missed. Special guests, press information and event details will follow at a later date.

Now And Forever Track Listing:
1.    I Take It Back (featuring Gloria Estefan)
2.    I Like It
3.    Nothing Without You
4.    The Other Half of Me (featuring Joss Stone with Raphael Saadiq and George Duke)
5.    Do What It Do
6.    Peace and Joy (featuring Earth,Wind & Fire)
7.    Praise His Name
8.    Nina
9.    All Around (featuring Israel Houghton)
10.    It’s Gonna Make You Dance
11.    The “J”
12.    Get Out of My Way
13.    Live Percussion Jam

RAMSEY LEWIS, TAKING ANOTHER LOOK

Just like a breath of fresh air comes a brand new album from acclaimed jazz musician and three-time Grammy winner Ramsey Lewis. Lewis’ 80th album release, entitled Ramsey, Taking Another Look is being released on the Los Angeles based Hidden Beach Recordings. The inspiration for Ramsey, Taking Another Look comes from an appearance at The Blue Note jazz club in Tokyo where he was asked if he would consider bringing an electric band. Then his agent suggested the same idea, however, with a more specific focus – and that was to revisit Sun Goddess, his most successful album of the seventies (and his fifth to be certified gold by the RIAA). Soon afterwards came a decision to re-record some old songs where Lewis and his Electric Band breathe new life into many of Lewis’ favorite tunes from the mid-seventies, including a new rendition of the Stevie Wonder penned ‘Living for the City” as well as a new edit of the original “Sun Goddess” recording featuring Earth, Wind & Fire. The ten tracks on the album cover a wide range of emotions but not so much to lose the project’s “concept album” perception. They reveal more than rehashed 1970’s funk. While they don’t “blow the roof off the sucka,” they do win you over with their tender grooves; their fresh vibrant sounds; as well as being breezy, and organic all at the same time. You really need to give it a listen to understand what I am taking about. My personal favorites include the smooth groove sounding rendition of the Stylistics “Betcha By Golly Wow,” Wonders “Living For The City,” “To Know Her,” and ‘Intimacy.” In other words, I love the sound and I guarantee you will too! For Ramsey, the idea of taking another look suggests the liberties he takes with these songs. Rather than turning back the hands of time, his goal is to bring this material into the 21st century for new audiences to enjoy.

Ramsey Lewis on Ramsey, Taking Another Look
‘The idea of the electric quintet came up and having played mostly in an acoustic trio arrangement for 12-15 years, I decided to get together with the guys to see how it felt. The rehearsals went so well that I called in my engineer, Danny Leake and my producer/son, Frayne Lewis to come in and roll tape. I’ve recorded maybe 65-70 albums, and this album is definitely among the top five.”

In support of this upcoming release Ramsey Lewis will be touring into 2012 with a five piece electric band, including Henry Johnson, Tim Gant, Joshua Ramos, and Charles Heath.

“Living for the City” is accompanied by a music video created at Chicago’s Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, with Film & Broadcast and Recording Arts students taking the lead on production. Featuring an energetic performance by Ramsey Lewis and his Electric Band, the clip celebrates the visual vibrancy of Chicago at night time. Here is the link from Youtube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXphoapoLUY

Composer, pianist and jazz legend Ramsey Lewis has been referred to as “the great performer,” a title reflecting his performance style and musical selections which display his early gospel playing and classical training along with his love of jazz and other musical forms. A native Chicagoan, Lewis represents the great diversity of music for which Chicago is noted. Ramsey Lewis first captivated fans with his first album Ramsey Lewis And The Gentleman Of Swing by the Ramsey Lewis Trio in 1956. By 1965, he was one of the nation’s most successful jazz pianists, topping the charts with “The In Crowd,” “Hang On Sloopy” and “Wade In The Water.” He has won three Grammy Awards and seven gold records to his credit. Often called legendary, Lewis concedes “It’s a high honor when someone says so, but I don’t see myself that way. What keeps me enthusiastic and energizes me, is the realization that the more I learn, the more I find there is to know.”

In addition to recording albums and performing live, Lewis hosted WNUA-FM Chicago’s weekday morning drive-time radio show, “The Ramsey Lewis Morning Show,” from 1997-2009. The syndicated ‘Ramsey Lewis Morning Show” ran from 2007-09, and today he continues to host the syndicated “Legends Of Jazz With Ramsey Lewis,” radio program.

Ramsey, Taking Another Look will be released on September 20, 2011.
Ramsey, Taking Another Look Track Listing:
1. Intimacy
2. Tambura

3. Love Song

4. Living For The City

5. Betcha By Golly Wow

6. To Know Her

7. The Way She Smiles

8. Jungle Strut

9. Sharing Her Journey

10. Sun Goddess

http://www.ramseylewis.com/

NINA SIMONE SINGS THE BLUES

Sings The Blues (1967) is an album by singer/pianist/songwriter Nina Simone (1933-2003). This was Simone's first album for RCA Records after previously recording for Colpix Records and Philips Records. The album was also reissued in 2006 with bonus tracks, and re-packaged in 1991 by RCA/Novus as a 17-track compilation under the title The Blues. Nina's not just singing the blues here – she's completely reinventing the sound of the format – by drawing on a long tradition of vocal expression, and infusing it with the hipper, more personally exploratory mode she forged in the 60s! The album's got a subtle brilliance that means that it's sometimes overlooked next to her more forceful work of the time, but it's every bit essential Simone as some of her other key sides of the decade. The group is a small combo featuring Eric Gale, Bernard Purdie, Buddy Lucas, and Ernest Hayes – and titles include "I Want A Little Sugar In My Bowl", "Do I Move You?", "In The Dark", "Real Real", and "Backlash Blues".  

Sings The Blues Track List:
1. "Do I Move You" (Simone) - 2:46

2. "Day and Night" (Stevenson) - 2:35
3. "(Romance) In the Dark" (Green) - 2:57
4. "Real Real" (Simone) - 2:21
5. "My Man's Gone Now" (Gershwin, Heyward) - 4:16
6. "Backlash Blues" (Hughes, Simone) - 2:31
7. "I Want a Little Sugar in My Bowl" (Simone) - 2:32
8. "Buck" (Stroud) - 1:52
9. "Since I Fell for You" (Johnson) - 2:52
10. "The House of the Rising Sun" (Traditional) - 3:53
11. "Blues for Mama" (Lincoln, Simone) - 4:00

Bonus tracks for 2006 reissue:
1. "Do I Move You" [alternate version] (Simone) - 2:19
2. "Whatever I Am" (Dixon) - 3:02

Additional tracks appended to the 1991 The Blues:
1. "The Pusher" (Axton) – 4:50
2. "Turn Me On" (Loudermilk) – 2:24
3. "Nobody's Fault But Mine" (Simone) – 2:59
4. "Go to Hell" (Bailey) – 2:46
5. "I Shall Be Released" (Dylan) – 3:51
6. "Gin House Blues" (Henderson, Troy) – 3:08

Personnel

Tracks 1-12

· Nina Simone: vocal, piano

· Eric Gale: guitar

· Rudy Stevenson: guitar

· Ernie Hayes: organ

· Bob Bushnell: bass

· Bernard Purdie: drums, timpani

· Buddy Lucas: harmonica, tenor sax

Track 13

· Nina Simone: vocal, piano

· Eric Gale: guitar

· Everett Barksdale: guitar

· Weldon Irvine: organ

· Richard Tee: organ

· Jerry Jemmott: bass

· probably Bernard Purdie: drums

· Gordon Powell: vibes, percussion

· Montego Joe: percussion

· George Devens: percussion

· Joe Shepley, Jimmy Nottingham, Harold Johnson, Wilbur Bascomb: trumpets

· Jimmy Cleveland, Richard Harris: trombones

· Seldon Powell, George Coleman, Norris Turney, Haywood Henry: saxophones

· Ralph H. Fields, Eileen Gilbert, Jerome Graff, Milt Grayson, Hilda Harris, Noah Hopkins, Maeretha Stewart, Barbara Webb: vocals

· Arranged and conducted by Weldon Irvine

JESSY J - HOT SAUCE

More than just another pretty face, Jessy J has worked diligently to achieve recognition for her finely honed chops, songwriting skills and a strong sense of originality. Jessy was born in Portland, Oregon, she's played the saxophone for over 20 years. An accomplished singer and dancer, she sang background vocals for Michael Bolton, played with the Henry Mancini Jazz Orchestra and performed in the off-Broadway production of Blast! She's also done studio work with Michael Bublé, Seal, the Temptations, Jessica Simpson, Michael Bolton and Mexico's pop diva Gloria Trevi. Jessy's success is the product of a lot of hard work and a never ending focus on accomplishing her goals. "I still practice every day," she says. "I love to play music because my spirit feels at peace. I dreamed of playing music as a child and now music is my life."

Jessy J's new album, Hot Sauce, is a special blend of ten fiery tunes and is seasoned with authentic Latin zing and packed with real jazz flavor. The accomplished saxophonist/singer/composer's third album spotlights her collaborations with some of today's most prominent contemporary jazz musicians, including guitarists Paul Brown and Ray Parker Jr, keyboardists Joe Sample and Gregg Karukas, and drummer Harvey Mason of Fourplay. Hot Sauce showcases eight originals - from mild to wild - along with adventurous new arrangements of Francis Anthony `Eg' White's pop hit "Leave Right Now" and Duke Ellington's jazz classic "In a Sentimental Mood." Jessy returned to the studio with mentor and Grammy® winning hitmaker Paul Brown, who produced her acclaimed 2009 release, True Love. In addition to handling production duties, Brown co-writes and performs on the album. "I first met Paul in 2006, and we have a strong friendship," says Jessy. "Paul brings the best out in me. Our collaborations are highly productive, and they always sound amazing." Drawing on a wealth of influences, Hot Sauce combines jazz with Latin rhythms and spotlights Jessy's stylish vocals and lush, sultry saxophone playing. "My previous recording, True Love, was an instrumental pop album," she says. "This time I had a chance to work with some legendary musicians, and I believe I was able to show my growth as an artist." Jessy also embraces her Latin heritage on her new album. The mellow ballad "Rio Grande" displays the best of this seductive and alluring style. "My mom is from Texas, and my dad is from Sinaloa, Mexico," she says. "I'm really proud to be a Latina role model. It's such a rich culture, and I have an affinity to music from both sides of the border."

THE ESSENCE OF SONNY ROLLINS

Theodore Walter Rollins was born on September 7, 1930 in New York City. He grew up in Harlem not far from the Savoy Ballroom, the Apollo Theatre, and the doorstep of his idol, Coleman Hawkins. After early discovery of Fats Waller and Louis Armstrong, he started out on alto saxophone, inspired by Louis Jordan. At the age of sixteen, he switched to tenor, trying to emulate Hawkins. He also fell under the spell of the musical revolution that surrounded him, Bebop. He began to follow Charlie Parker, and soon came under the wing of Thelonious Monk, who became his musical mentor and guru. Living in Sugar Hill, his neighborhood musical peers included Jackie McLean, Kenny Drew and Art Taylor, but it was young Sonny who was first out of the pack, working and recording with Babs Gonzales, J.J. Johnson, Bud Powell and Miles Davis before he turned twenty.

"Of course, these people are there to be called on because I think I represent them in a way," Rollins said recently of his peers and mentors. "They're not here now so I feel like I'm sort of representing all of them, all of the guys. Remember, I'm one of the last guys left, as I'm constantly being told, so I feel a holy obligation sometimes to evoke these people." In the early fifties, he established a reputation first among musicians, then the public, as the most brash and creative young tenor on the scene, through his work with Miles, Monk, and the MJQ. Miles Davis was an early Sonny Rollins fan and in his autobiography wrote that he "began to hang out with Sonny Rollins and his Sugar Hill Harlem crowd...anyway, Sonny had a big reputation among a lot of the younger musicians in Harlem. People loved Sonny Rollins up in Harlem and everywhere else. He was a legend, almost a god to a lot of the younger musicians. Some thought he was playing the saxophone on the level of Bird. I know one thing--he was close. He was an aggressive, innovative player who always had fresh musical ideas. I loved him back then as a player and he could also write his ass off..."

Sonny moved to Chicago for a few years to remove himself from the surrounding elements of negativity around the Jazz scene. He reemerged at the end of 1955 as a member of the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet, with an even more authoritative presence. His trademarks became a caustic, often humorous style of melodic invention, a command of everything from the most arcane ballads to calypsos, and an overriding logic in his playing that found him hailed for models of thematic improvisation. It was during this time that Sonny acquired a nickname, "Newk." As Miles Davis explained in his autobiography: "Sonny had just got back from playing a gig out in Chicago. He knew Bird, and Bird really liked Sonny, or "Newk" as we called him, because he looked like the Brooklyn Dodgers' pitcher Don Newcombe. One day, me and Sonny were in a cab...when the white cabdriver turned around and looked at Sonny and said, `Damn, you're Don Newcombe!'' Man, the guy was totally excited. I was amazed, because I hadn't thought about it before. We just put that cabdriver on something terrible. Sonny started talking about what kind of pitches he was going to throw Stan Musial, the great hitter for the St. Louis Cardinals, that evening..."

In 1956, Sonny began recording the first of a series of landmark recordings issued under his own name: Valse Hot introduced the practice, now common, of playing bop in 3/4 meter; St. Thomas initiated his explorations of calypso patterns; and Blue 7 was hailed by Gunther Schuller as demonstrating a new manner of "thematic improvisation," in which the soloist develops motifs extracted from his theme. Way Out West (1957), Rollins's first album using a trio of saxophone, double bass, and drums, offered a solution to his longstanding difficulties with incompatible pianists, and exemplified his witty ability to improvise on hackneyed material (Wagon Wheels, I'm an Old Cowhand). It Could Happen to You (also 1957) was the first in a long series of unaccompanied solo recordings, and The Freedom Suite (1958) foreshadowed the political stances taken in jazz in the 1960s. During the years 1956 to 1958 Rollins was widely regarded as the most talented and innovative tenor saxophonist in jazz. Rollins's first examples of the unaccompanied solo playing that would become a specialty also appeared in this period; yet the perpetually dissatisfied saxophonist questioned the acclaim his music was attracting, and between 1959 and late `61 withdrew from public performance.

Sonny remembers that he took his leave of absence from the scene because "I was getting very famous at the time and I felt I needed to brush up on various aspects of my craft. I felt I was getting too much, too soon, so I said, wait a minute, I'm going to do it my way. I wasn't going to let people push me out there, so I could fall down. I wanted to get myself together, on my own. I used to practice on the Bridge, the Williamsburg Bridge because I was living on the Lower East Side at the time."

When he returned to action in early `62, his first recording was appropriately titled The Bridge. By the mid 60's, his live sets became grand, marathon stream-of-consciousness solos where he would call forth melodies from his encyclopedic knowledge of popular songs, including startling segues and sometimes barely visiting one theme before surging into dazzling variations upon the next. Rollins was brilliant, yet restless. The period between 1962 and `66 saw him returning to action and striking productive relationships with Jim Hall, Don Cherry, Paul Bley, and his idol Hawkins, yet he grew dissatisfied with the music business once again and started yet another sabbatical in `66. "I was getting into eastern religions," he remembers. "I've always been my own man. I've always done, tried to do, what I wanted to do for myself. So these are things I wanted to do. I wanted to go on the Bridge. I wanted to get into religion. But also, the Jazz music business is always bad. It's never good. So that led me to stop playing in public for a while, again. During the second sabbatical, I worked in Japan a little bit, and went to India after that and spent a lot of time in a monastery. I resurfaced in the early 70s, and made my first record in `72. I took some time off to get myself together and I think it's a good thing for anybody to do."

In 1972, with the encouragement and support of his wife Lucille, who had become his business manager, Rollins returned to performing and recording, signing with Milestone and releasing Next Album. (Working at first with Orrin Keepnews, Sonny was by the early ’80s producing his own Milestone sessions with Lucille.) His lengthy association with the Berkeley-based label produced two dozen albums in various settings – from his working groups to all-star ensembles (Tommy Flanagan, Jack DeJohnette, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams); from a solo recital to tour recordings with the Milestone Jazzstars (Ron Carter, McCoy Tyner); in the studio and on the concert stage (Montreux, San Francisco, New York, Boston). Sonny was also the subject of a mid-’80s documentary by Robert Mugge entitled Saxophone Colossus; part of its soundtrack is available as G-Man.

He won his first performance Grammy for This Is What I Do (2000), and his second for 2004’s Without a Song (The 9/11 Concert), in the Best Jazz Instrumental Solo category (for “Why Was I Born”). In addition, Sonny received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences in 2004. In June 2006 Rollins was inducted into the Academy of Achievement – and gave a solo performance – at the International Achievement Summit in Los Angeles. The event was hosted by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg and attended by world leaders as well as distinguished figures in the arts and sciences. Rollins was awarded the Austrian Cross of Honor for Science and Art, First Class, in November 2009. The award is one of Austria’s highest honors, given to leading international figures for distinguished achievements. The only other American artists who have received this recognition are Frank Sinatra and Jessye Norman.

In 2010 on the eve of his 80th birthday, Sonny Rollins is one of 229 leaders in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, arts, business, and public affairs who have been elected members of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. A center for independent policy research, the Academy is among the nation’s oldest and most prestigious honorary societies and celebrates the 230th anniversary of its founding this year. “I am convinced that all art has the desire to leave the ordinary,” Rollins said in a recent interview for the Catalan magazine Jaç, “and to say it one way, at a spiritual level, a state of the exaltation at existence. All art has this in common. But jazz, the world of improvisation, is perhaps the highest, because we do not have the opportunity to make changes. It’s as if we were painting before the public, and the following morning we cannot go back and correct that blue color or change that red. We have to have the blues and reds very well placed before going out to play. So for me, jazz is probably the most demanding art.”

And Sonny Rollins – seeker and grand master – is jazz’s most exacting, exhilarating, and inspiring practitioner.

GINA CAREY - MELODIC

Palm Springs, California based soul artist Gina Carey has recently climbed to the #1 spot of Starpoint Radios’ Top 30 UK Soul Charts with her new CD release Melodic, this has not been achieved since her first Urban Gospel release In His Time in 1996. On July 7, 2011, her Album Melodic entered the UK Soul Charts at #27 and steadily climbed each week until she hit the #1 spot. “Unbelievable”, “Don’t Ever Let Me Go”,” Red Hat”,” Without You”, and “Share My Life” were amongst the most popular DJ choices. Melodic was officially released on June 18, 2011. All songs were written, composed and arranged by Gina except for “Without You and Don’t Ever Let Me Go”. Those songs were written by her husband and label mate Gico Music’s Smooth Jazz/ Urban Soul Guitarist John Carey. John also produced Melodic and is the featured lead guitarist on all of her songs. Chicago /Inglewood Native, Gina Carey began her professional career as a Urban Gospel singer and songwriter. Her first three albums, In His Time, Changes  and Tell Um were all Gospel projects. Shortly after her last Gospel release, in 2006, Gina won "Best Gospel Performer - Female" at the Las Vegas Black Music Awards. Her fourth and fifth CD’s My Journey and Melodic were released in the Urban /Soul music Genre. In 2008 her "True Love" music video from her My Journey CD aired on BET J on the "Morning Cup Show." Gina is planning on touring the UK along with her husband John Carey in 2012. They are also working on a duo CD that is due to be released in January of 2012.

GLORIA MADUKA - OF LOVE AND ANGELS

Nigerian-born singer-songwriter Gloria Maduka releases "Love Illusion" ahead of her debut album Of Love and Angels. The album is an eclectic mix of alternative rock, pop, reggae, and soul, with her unique style of delivery blending all the tracks on the album together. The Of Light and Angels album is a testimony that anyone can go as far as they can dream. The first single release from the album, ‘Love Illusion’, has already been heard across airwaves. Maduka chose as a first single ‘Love Illusion’ based on feedback from fans who stated that the song spoke directly to their own personal situations. It has a simple but powerful message throughout the lyrics: matters of the heart are to be taken seriously as it is easier to fall in love than to fall out of it. Maduka wanted her debut single to be one that her fans would fall in love with. “It is a very personal album that speaks about life and love experiences” – Said Maduka. “The assortment of the stories contributes to the overall vibe of the album. The songs have been a work-in-progress for many years as I traveled through my own journey of life to develop an album that my fans would be able to identify within their own experiences.”

Maduka, who has formed The Gloria Maduka Foundation, an organization created exclusively for charitable purposes to aid helpless children, the elderly and individuals with physical and mental limitations, has developed a unique trademark which is enhanced by her ability to also write and sing in Yoruba and Spanish. Her techniques with the conga, bongo, and djembe among other percussion instruments set her apart from other female artists. Consequently, her passion for percussion has been infused into her music and is heard throughout her music. Aside from her impending album and single releases, Maduka has performed a special song ‘Into The Light’, for the soundtrack of the horror movie ‘Mansion of Blood’ starring award winning actors Gary Busey, Robert Picardo and Terry Moore set to be in theatres worldwide October 2011.

RICK BRAUN SINGS WITH STRINGS

Rick Braun has been playing trumpet since he was a kid. No news there for the legions of fans his richly melodic playing style has attracted since the release of his first album, Intimate Secrets in 1993. Less known is the fact that he's been a singer, and a good one (backing Rod Stewart and Sade among others, with vocals as well as his stellar trumpet) for most of his life, as well. Rick Braun Sings With Strings brings both those skills front and center, and it does so in a way that dips back into the music he's been captivated by since he first picked up a horn.   "This album," says Rick, "feels a lot like coming home. I grew up hearing this music all around the house. Singing it, playing it. Listening to my mom, who was a singer and piano player. She was one of those people who knew every part of a song - the verse, the chorus, the refrain, all the lyrics."  The album will no doubt produce similar comfort feelings for anyone with a love for song. And not just Great American Song. Because what Braun and producer/arranger Philippe Saisse have put together in this eminently listenable recording is a gathering of tunes unlimited by boundaries of origin or style. Some are familiar. Songs such as "I Didn't Know What Time It Was," "And I Thought About You" and "The Things We Did Last Summer" have been memorable themes from the soundtrack of American love life for decades. Rick also especially recalls "I've Never Been In Love Before" and "Time After Time" as "tunes I've known since I was a kid."

Others are less familiar, but no less memorable. "Once Upon A Summertime" is an English version of Michel Legrand's gorgeous French song, "La Valse des Lilas"; "It's Love" is from the musical Wonderful Town by the brilliant songwriting team of Betty Comden, Adolph Green and Leonard Bernstein; and "Say It (Over and Over Again)" was written by Loesser and Jimmy McHugh for a 1940 Jack Benny film titled Buck Benny Rides Again. The French song "Plus Je T'embrasse," sung as a duet by Rick and French singer Jasmine Roy, may have unfamiliar lyrics for American listeners, but the melody immediately recalls its origins in the old pop song, "Heart of My Heart." "Lucky To Be Me," which was given strong consideration as a title for the album, was one of three tunes - along with "It's Love" and "Plus Je T'embrasse" - that were inspired by hearing a Blossom Dearie album. And Philippe Saisse, in addition to his lush orchestrations, encouraged the inclusion of "The Good Life," based on Sasha Distel's French song "La Belle Vie." But what links the soaring melodies of all these songs is their embracing lyricism and deep emotional intimacy. Delivered via the jaunty, expressive story telling qualities of Rick's singing and the warm sound of his flugelhorn (he does not play trumpet on this album), the results are prime examples of the way a gifted jazz artist can find the inner heart of a song. "I've always wanted to play lyrically," says Rick. "For me, that's where I live." And it's where his singing lives, as well.

Rick's not the first trumpet player to match instrumental prowess with engaging vocals. He's preceded by, among others, Louis Armstrong, Bunny Berigan, Dizzy Gillespie, Roy Eldridge, Chet Baker, Clark Terry and Jack Sheldon. Their range extends from Armstrong's innovative vocal style to Baker's extraordinary balladry to Terry's unique scat singing. "I'm a big fan of Chet's," says Rick. "For both his singing and his playing. I'm much more of an inside player, and my inspirations are minimalist players, like Chet and Miles Davis." Which isn't surprising, listening to the airy flugelhorn solos that surround Rick's vocals on every track. Miles once said that the notes one doesn't play are as important - maybe even more so - than the notes one does play. And that principal applies as well to singers such as Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Sammy Davis, Jr. - whom Rick also lists as inspirations. Like those high visibility vocal stars, Rick sings with a respect for the vital balance between words and music, for the many-layered connections between the inner story of a song and the beauty of its melody. He does so with the same respect for phrasing that one finds in a Sinatra or a Bennett performance. But what Rick does with that phrasing, with his use of the "minimalist" approach that he cites as an important element in his music, is his own creative craftwork. And that, as much as anything, is what makes this album so fascinating. At a time when the male jazz vocal field has been far too sparsely populated, Rick Braun Sings With Strings makes a convincing case for the arrival of a potential new star of the jazz vocal art.

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ROBERT DAVI - DAVI SINGS SINATRA: ON THE ROAD TO ROMANCE

There are actors who can sing, and singers who can act and iconic screen star Robert Davi is known in inner circles as the "singer who can act."  Davi, who studied opera as a young man, always intended to make singing his career, but as fate would have it his screen career took flight and there was no looking back.  Now after 100 movies with remarkable diversity, hit television credits and his directorial film debut, Davi is returning to his first love, making his major recording debut with a tribute to his mentor the legendary Frank Sinatra.  Davi Sings Sinatra: On The Road To Romance is scheduled for release October 24, 2011 on Sun Lion Records, distributed through Fontana/Universal Music.   In commenting, Jim Urie, CEO and President of Universal Music Group Distribution stated: "If we distributed coffee instead of music we'd label Davi 'bold, rich and full flavored'.  We are extremely pleased and excited to have him as part of the Universal Music Group family."  Fontana president Ron Spaulding further stated: "Robert is a national treasure who brings to life all the richness of the American Songbook with this heartfelt and vocally stunning tribute to the Master himself."

The project came together under the guidance of Disney Music Group Chairman Bob Cavallo and was produced by the legendary 14 time Grammy® Award winning and 33 time Grammy® nominated producer Phil Ramone. Recorded with a thirty piece orchestra at the famed Capitol Studios in Hollywood, where Sinatra recorded many of his albums, Davi Sings Sinatra has all new arrangements by Nic Tenbroeck and was engineered by Dan Wallin. It was mixed by the incomparable Al Schmitt, who has 18 Grammys and more that 150 gold and platinum selling albums to his credit. States Schmitt: "Robert sounds like he's been singing these songs all his life.  His phrasing and uniquely beautiful baritone voice blend perfectly with the arrangements and the result is what great music is all about."

As an actor, Davi has been compared to the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Robert Mitchum and Lee Marvin.  He has worked with the biggest names in Hollywood, from Marlon Brando to Clint Eastwood, appearing in such movies as Die Hard, Showgirls, The Goonies and considered one of the top three Bond villains of all time in License to Kill.  His television credits are just as vast, starting with the hit NBC television series Profiler and continuing with Stargate: Atlantis and most recently Criminal Minds.  In making his directorial debut and starring in the 2007 award winning film The Dukes, about a one-time rock stars now on hard times, Davi showcased his singing ability.  However, it was his motion picture debut in Contract on Cherry St., which made the most profound impact of all—sharing the screen with Frank Sinatra.  And now "it's time for me to go home," Davi says.  "To spend time with my first love, singing and at the same time pay tribute to the legend who was my greatest mentor and the man who was very dear to me."

Backed by a 50-piece orchestra, Davi has been performing Davi Sings Sinatra to sold-out audiences and high critical acclaim in New York and Los Angeles.  Forthcoming live performances include Los Angeles and Las Vegas.  For further information go to www.DaviSingsSinatra.com.

Davi Sings Sinatra: On The Road To Romance Track List:
1. Day in Day Out
2. Nice 'n Easy
3. All The Way
4. I've Got the World On A String
5. Witchcraft
6. In The Wee Small Hours Of The Morning
7. Nice Work If You Can Get It
8. Summer Wind
9. Rainy Day
10. The Best Is Yet To Come
11. Mam'selle
12. Too Marvelous For Words

THE JOSHUA REDMAN STORY

Joshua Redman is one of the most acclaimed and charismatic jazz artists to have emerged in the decade of the 1990s. Born in Berkeley, California, he is the son of legendary saxophonist Dewey Redman and dancer Renee Shedroff. He was exposed at an early age to a variety of music and instruments, and began playing clarinet at age nine before switching to what became his primary instrument, the tenor saxophone, at age ten. The early influences of John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Cannonball Adderley and his father, Dewey Redman, as well as the Beatles, Aretha Franklin, the Temptations, Earth, Wind and Fire, Prince, the Police and Led Zeppelin drew Joshua more deeply into music. But although Joshua loved playing the saxophone and was a dedicated member of the award-winning Berkeley High School Jazz Ensemble and Combo from 1983-86, academics were always his first priority, and he never seriously considered becoming a professional musician.

In 1991 Redman graduated from Harvard College summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Social Studies. He had already been accepted by Yale Law School, but deferred entrance for what he believed was only going to be one year. After moving to New York City, he found himself immersed in the New York jazz scene, and began jamming and gigging regularly with some of the leading jazz musicians of his generation, including Peter Bernstein, Larry Goldings, Kevin Hays, Roy Hargrove, Geoff Keezer, Leon Parker, Jorge Rossy, and Mark Turner. In November of 1991, Redman was named the winner of the prestigious Thelonious Monk International Saxophone Competition. This was only one of the more visible highlights from a year that saw Redman beginning to tour and record with jazz masters such as his father, Jack DeJohnette, Charlie Haden, Elvin Jones, Joe Lovano, Pat Metheny, Paul Motian, and Clark Terry.

Now fully committed to a life in music, Redman was quickly signed by Warner Bros. Records and issued his first, self-titled album in the spring of 1993, which subsequently earned Redman his first Grammy nomination. That fall saw the release of Wish, where Joshua was joined by the all-star cast of Pat Metheny, Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. He toured extensively with Metheny throughout the latter half of that year. His 1994, MoodSwing, introduced his first permanent band, which included three other young musicians who have gone on to become some of the most important and influential artists in modern jazz: pianist Brad Mehldau, bassist Christian McBride and drummer Brian Blade. Over a series of celebrated recordings including Spirit of the Moment: Live at the Village Vanguard; Freedom in the Groove and Timeless Tales (for Changing Times), Redman established himself as one of the music’s most consistent and successful bandleaders. In 1998, Joshua formed his second acclaimed quartet, featuring pianist Aaron Goldberg, bassist Reuben Rogers and drummer Gregory Hutchinson, and made its recorded debut on the 2000 album Beyond. The dynamic interplay and uncommon rapport of this group inspired Redman to write and record his first long-form composition, Passage of Time, which was released in 2001.

From 2000-2007, Redman was the Artistic Director for the Spring Season of the non-profit jazz-presenting organization SFJAZZ. With the creation of the SFJAZZ Collective in 2004, Redman led the eight-piece band, consisting of a multi-generational cast of accomplished musicians. The Collective’s repertoire features both commissioned works and new arrangements of the work of great modern jazz composers.

Also in 2007, Nonesuch Records released Back East, featuring Joshua alongside three stellar bass and drum rhythm sections (Larry Grenadier & Ali Jackson, Christian McBride & Brian Blade, Reuben Rogers & Eric Harland) and three very special guest saxophonists (Chris Cheek, Joe Lovano and Dewey Redman). Compass, released in January 2009 (Nonesuch), featured Joshua with a group of collaborators (bassists Larry Grenadier and Rueben Rogers, and drummers Brian Blade and Gregory Hutchinson).

Since 2009, Joshua has been performing with a collaborative band called James Farm featuring pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Matt Penman, and drummer Eric Harland.

In addition to his own projects, Redman has recorded and performed with musicians such as Brian Blade, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck, Chick Corea, the Dave Matthews Band, Jack DeJohnette, Bill Frisell, Aaron Goldberg, Larry Goldings, Charlie Haden, Herbie Hancock, Roy Hargrove, Roy Haynes, Billie Higgins, Milt Jackson, Elvin Jones, Quincy Jones, Big Daddy Kane, Geoff Keezer, B.B. King, the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, DJ Logic, Joe Lovano, Yo Yo Ma, Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride, John Medeski, Brad Mehldau, Pat Metheny, Marcus Miller, Paul Motian, MeShell Ndegeocello, Leon Parker, Nicholas Payton, John Psathas, Simon Rattle, Dewey Redman, Dianne Reeves, Melvin Rhyne, the Rolling Stones, the Roots, Kurt Rosenwinkel, John Scofield, Soulive, String Cheese Incident, Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, the Trondheim Jazz Orchestra, Mark Turner, McCoy Tyner, Umphrey’s McGee, US3, Bugge Wesseltoft, Cedar Walton, Stevie Wonder, and Sam Yahel.

Joshua Redman has been nominated for two Grammys and has garnered top honors in critics and readers polls of DownBeat, Jazz Times, the Village Voice and Rolling Stone. He wrote and performed the music for Louis Malle’s final film Vanya on 42nd Street, and is both seen and heard in the Robert Altman film Kansas City.

TROMBONE SHORTY - FOR TRUE

Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews follows his Grammy nominated Backatown CD with For True, to be released Sept 13 on Verve Forecast. The album features Andrews' band, Orleans Avenue, as well as a string of legendary performers with whom he recently shared the stage, including Jeff Beck, Kid Rock, Lenny Kravitz, Ledisi, Warren Haynes, Ivan and Cyril Neville, The Rebirth Brass Band and more. Troy wrote or co-wrote all 14 tracks on the new album including co-writes with Ledisi, Kid Rock, the legendary Lamont Dozier and more. The CD was produced and engineered by Ben Ellman (except “The Craziest Thing” produced by George Drakoulias). The singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist has earned unanimous raves on 5 continents in the past year alone with his patented high energy “SUPAFUNKROCK” sound. He was praised in the media from Rolling Stone and Entertainment Weekly to NPR and the New York Times following the 2010 release of 'Backatown', which spent 10 weeks at #1 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Chart and still reigns in the top 10 over a year after its release. Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue have been everywhere since, performing on The Late Show With David Letterman, The Tonight Show With Jay Leno, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Austin City Limits and more. Troy has made additional appearances on Good Morning America, Tavis Smiley, NFL Kickoff (joining Dave Matthews Band), ESPN and a recurring role on the hit HBO series Tremé, on which he played himself.

For True Track Listing
1. Buckjump (Feat. Rebirth Brass Band - Horns; 5th Ward Weebie - Vocals; Ben Ellman & Charlie Smith - Percussion)
2. Encore (Feat. Warren Haynes - Guitar; co-write w/Lamont Dozier)
3. For True
4. Do to Me (Feat. Jeff Beck - Guitar)
5. Lagniappe Part 1 (Feat. Stanton Moore - Drums)
6. The Craziest Thing
7. Dumaine St.
8. Mrs. Orleans (Feat. Kid Rock - Vocals; Robert Mercurio - Bass)
9. Nervis (Feat. Ivan Neville - Vocals and Clavinet; Cyril Neville - Vocals)
10. Roses (Feat. Lenny Kravitz - Bass)
11. Big 12 (Feat. Ben Ellman - Harmonica)
12. Unc
13. Then There Was You (Feat. Ledisi - Vocals)
14. Lagniappe Part 2 (Feat. Stanton Moore - Drums)

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HERBIE HANCOCK - A TRUE ICON OF MODERN MUSIC

Herbie Hancock is a true icon of modern music. Throughout his explorations, he has transcended limitations and genres while maintaining his unmistakable voice. With an illustrious career spanning five decades and twelve Grammy® Awards including the 2007 Album Of The Year for River: The Joni Letters, he continues to amaze audiences. There are few artists in the music industry who have had more influence on acoustic and electronic jazz and R&B than Herbie Hancock. As the immortal Miles Davis said in his autobiography, "Herbie was the step after Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk, and I haven't heard anybody yet who has come after him."

Born in Chicago in 1940, Herbie was a child piano prodigy who performed a Mozart piano concerto with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at age eleven. He began playing jazz in high school, initially influenced by Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans. He also developed a passion for electronics and science, and double-majored in music and electrical engineering at Grinnell College. In 1963, Miles Davis invited Herbie to join the Miles Davis Quintet. During his five years with Davis, Herbie and his colleagues Wayne Shorter (tenor sax), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums) recorded many classics, including ESP, Nefertiti and Sorcerer. Later on, Herbie made appearances on Davis' groundbreaking In a Silent Way and Bitches Brew, which heralded the birth of jazz-fusion.

Herbie's own solo career blossomed on Blue Note, with classic albums including Maiden Voyage, Empyrean Isles, and Speak Like a Child. He composed the score to Michelangelo Antonioni's 1966 film Blow Up, which led to a successful career in feature film and television music. After leaving Davis, Herbie put together a new band called The Headhunters, and, in 1973, recorded Head Hunters. With its crossover hit single "Chameleon," it became the first jazz album to go platinum.

By mid-decade, Herbie was playing for stadium-sized crowds all over the world and had no fewer than four albums in the pop charts at once. In total, Herbie had eleven albums in the pop charts during the 1970s. His '70s output inspired and provided samples for generations of hip-hop and dance music artists. Herbie also stayed close to his love of acoustic jazz in the '70s, recording and performing with VSOP (reuniting him with his Miles Davis colleagues), and in duet settings with Chick Corea and Oscar Peterson.

In 1980, Herbie introduced the trumpeter Wynton Marsalis to the world as a solo artist, producing his debut album and touring with him as well. In 1983, a new pull to the alternative side led Herbie to a series of collaborations with Bill Laswell. The first, Future Shock, again struck platinum, and the single "Rockit" rocked the dance and R&B charts, winning a Grammy for Best R&B Instrumental. The video of the track won five MTV awards. Sound System, the follow-up, also received a Grammy in the R&B instrumental category.

Herbie won an Oscar in 1986 for scoring the film ‘Round Midnight, in which he also appeared as an actor. Numerous television appearances over the years led to two hosting assignments in the 1980s: Rock School on PBS and Showtime's Coast to Coast. After an adventurous 1994 project for Mercury Records, Dis Is Da Drum, he moved to the Verve label, forming an all-star band to record 1996's Grammy-winning The New Standard. In 1997, an album of duets with Wayne Shorter, 1+1, was released.

The legendary Headhunters reunited in 1998, recording an album for Herbie's own Verve-distributed imprint, and touring with the Dave Matthews Band. That year also marked the recording and release of Gershwin's World, which included collaborators Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Kathleen Battle, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra, Wayne Shorter and Chick Corea. Gershwin's World won three Grammys in 1999, including Best Traditional Jazz Album and Best R&B Vocal Performance for Stevie Wonder's "St. Louis Blues."

Herbie reunited with Bill Laswell to collaborate with some young hip-hop and techno artists on 2001's FUTURE2FUTURE. He also joined with Roy Hargrove and Michael Brecker in 2002 to record a live concert album, Directions in Music: Live at Massey Hall, a tribute to John Coltrane and Miles Davis.


Possibilities, released in August 2005, teamed Herbie with many popular artists, such as Sting, Annie Lennox, John Mayer, Christina Aguilera, Paul Simon, Carlos Santana, Joss Stone and Damien Rice. That year, he played a number of concert dates with a re-staffed Headhunters, and became the first-ever Artist-In-Residence at the Tennessee-based festival Bonnaroo.

In 2007, Hancock recorded and released River: The Joni Letters, a tribute to longtime friend and collaborator Joni Mitchell featuring Wayne Shorter, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Dave Holland and drummer Vinnie Colaiuta and co-produced by Larry Klein. He enlisted vocalists Norah Jones, Tina Turner, Corinne Bailey Rae, Luciana Souza, Leonard Cohen and Mitchell herself to perform songs she wrote or was inspired by. The album received glowing reviews and was a year-end Top Ten choice for many critics. It also garnered three Grammy nominations, and two wins for Best Contemporary Jazz Album and Album of The Year. This marked only the second time in history a jazz album has won music's highest honor with the last taking place almost 50 years prior.

To cap off his illustrious career to date, Verve records released Then and Now: The Definitive Herbie Hancock in 2008. This essential collection is the first-ever career retrospective of the jazz visionary's unparalleled work.  Herbie Hancock also maintains a thriving career outside the performing stage and recording studio. He is the Creative Chair for Jazz for the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association, and serves as Institute Chairman of the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, the foremost international organization devoted to the development of jazz performance and education worldwide. He is also a founder of The International Committee of Artists for Peace (ICAP).

Now in the fifth decade of his professional life, Herbie Hancock remains where he has always been: in the forefront of world culture, technology, business and music. Though one can't track exactly where he will go next, he is sure to leave his inimitable imprint wherever he lands.

JOE COCKER - HARD KNOCKS

Joe Cocker is without a doubt, a true musical legend. With 40 years and counting as a major force in pop music, the singer with that unmistakable blues/soul voice has earned countless accolades for his artistry—Grammys, Golden Globes, Academy Awards and platinum selling albums worldwide.  The iconic singer is now signed to 429 Records in North America and is gearing up for the release of  Hard Knocks, his 21st album. Hard Knocks is a collection of 9 all new songs plus a cover version of the Dixie Chicks' "I Hope."  Produced by Matt Serletic (Matchbox 20, Carlos Santana), Hard Knocks has the timeless 'Cocker' sound fusing rhythm and blues, soul, and pop into an undeniable infectious mix of unique contemporary style. The album will be available on 429 Records on November 22nd.  The recording sessions took place in Serletic's own Emblem Studios in Los Angeles involving a host of acclaimed musicians like Ray Parker Jr., Tim Pierce and Joel Shearer on guitar, Josh Freese, Matt Chamberlain and Dorian Crozier on drums, Chris Chaney on bass and Jamie Muhoberac on keyboards. The songs were mixed by Chris Lord-Alge and mastered by Bob Ludwig. Songwriters Kara Dioguardi of recent American Idol Fame and Marc Broussard contributed songs to the collection. Says Cocker, "I don't really know what you would call this album: 'rock/pop'? It's a little more pop than I've been into for quite a while so it would scare me sometimes. I would do the basic tracks and then Matt would go away and do some of these overdubs and he had all these electronic things on there. It was sometimes like 'Oh, my god!'. But I wanted to work with Matt very much. And I always knew what kind of record we would be making."

Hard Knocks Track listing:

· Hard Knocks

· Get On

· Unforgiven

· The Fall

· So It Goes

· Runaway Train

· Stay The Same

· Thankful

· So

· I Hope