THE GENIUS OF MILES DAVIS

The Genius of Miles Davis is the most comprehensive and lavishly packaged collection ever dedicated to a single musical artist. Luxuriously packaged in a custom built, limited-edition Martin trumpet case, The Genius of Miles Davis presents the artist's complete body of work recorded for Columbia Records between 1955-1985 in 8 deluxe box sets, documenting every important phase of The Prince of Darkness's musical life.

Upon signing to Columbia Records in 1955, the restless genius embarked on a musical path that would find him spearheading every major musical movement of the second half of the 20th Century. No other musical artist would be as all-embracing, influential, and ever-changing, earning him the moniker, "The Picasso of Jazz." Whether attired in a Brooks Brothers suit elegantly embracing a heartbreaking ballad, or sporting bell bottoms and an Afro and playing pure fire, Miles Davis was the arbiter of all new sounds, new fashions, and the world of ineffable cool. All of this and so much more is captured in this ground-breaking collection. The Genius of Miles Davis is an unprecedented look into the life of an artist in constant flux, ever- breaking new stylistic ground, changing the social landscape, and in tireless pursuit of that mysterious and intangible quality we call "genius."

Miles Davis (1926-1991) was the only musician of the 20th Century to shape eight, clearly defined movements over the history of an art form. During a 30-year tenure for Columbia Records, he released over 50 extraordinary albums which were at the very vanguard of the music world. This incredibly fertile period on Columbia Records (1955-1985) would constitute the core of his life's work and come to embody The Genius of Miles Davis.

Between 1996-2007, Sony Music Entertainment released 8 deluxe Miles Davis box sets documenting in detail each of these very distinct musical movements. Each box came fitted with a custom-etched metal spine and a substantial book full of sweeping essays, testimonials from musicians, insightful analysis, discographical data, powerful, rarely-seen imagery, and endless amounts of previously unreleased music--all of which was meticulously remastered by Sony's leading engineers. This unparalleled series of box sets has been called the most ambitious reissue campaign in the history of the music industry, and received no less than 8 Grammy Awards.

The Genius of Miles Davis presents all of these collections, which are no longer available, each individually numbered to 1955, the year Miles singed to Columbia Records, the outer box is an exact replica of the trumpet case Miles used during his career. A special Miles Davis metal insignia adorns the outside cover. The interior is customized in lush blue velvet, and an iconic, noirish image of Miles adorns the inner wall. As the case is opened, there's Miles Davis in all his dark and mysterious beauty staring at you.

For the first time, this new collection brings together the eight deluxe multi-CD box sets that were known as The Miles Davis Series. Each volume—seven of which have collectible “metal spines"—explored a major phase of the artist's development from 1955 (Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955-1961) through 1975 (The Complete On The Corner Sessions). Each volume presented the music from various LPs, plus a wealth of previously unissued session material. The eight box sets, totaling 43 CDs of music, were originally released on Columbia/Legacy between 1996 and 2007, and won a total of eight Grammy Awards.

Several of the original box sets have sold out over the years, and have now been re-manufactured especially for this strictly limited-edition run of 2,000 copies of The Genius of Miles Davis. Presented in a replica of Miles' own trumpet case, a collectible objet d'art in and of itself, each package will include a number of extras: an exact replica of Miles' custom-made 'Gustat' Heim model 2 trumpet mouthpiece, a previously unseen and unavailable fine art lithograph by Miles, and a boutique quality t-shirt designed and manufactured exclusively by Trunk Ltd. for this package.

Weighing in at 21 pounds and individually numbered, The Genius of Miles Davis is destined to be a treasure in the hands of true Miles Davis aficionados. Note: The Genius of Milkes Davis includes the eight studio session box sets that encompass the bulk of his original studio albums from the '50s to the '70s. It does not include the various Columbia/Legacy live performance multi-CD box sets, for example The Complete Live at the Plugged Nickel 1965, released in 1995; or The Cellar Door Sessions 1970, released in 2005.

The signing of Miles Davis to Columbia Records made musical history in 1955. He continued to make musical history for decades to come, changing the course of jazz (and in the process, popular and avant-garde music) “four or five times," as he himself once quipped. There were important albums under his name in the late-1940s and '50s before his arrival at Columbia, and there were also notable albums after his years at Columbia, from 1986 until his death in 1991.

But Columbia Records became the repository of the overwhelming majority of the signature albums recorded by Miles in his lifetime, many of them with long-time producer and collaborator Teo Macero. These individual albums were gathered together in their entirety for the first time last year as The Complete Miles Davis Columbia Album Collection. A functional chest with removable lid housed the 52 single and double album titles (70 CDs of music in total), each packaged in a mini-LP CD cardboard replica of the original jacket, with original artwork and spine.

The Genius of Miles Davis is also the result of a unique collaborative partnership effort between the Miles Davis Estate and Sony Music, which includes the redesign of the MilesDavis.com website. It is now the first unified and regularly updated site highlighting all aspects of his life. The dynamic web environment is not specific to Columbia/Legacy and Sony Music, in that it will cover product releases by other companies as well. The website, featuring news and vital information, video content, merchandise, and exclusive photography, will also offer special daily and weekly deals.

The Genius of Miles Davis draws together more than a decade of studio archival research by jazz scholars, annotators, and reissue producers. Each of the box sets in The Miles Davis Series was anxiously greeted with raves by the critical establishment upon their release, and more than half of the box sets received at least one Grammy Award, some winning multiple Grammys. They are summarized as follows (in chronological order of the original music, not the Columbia/Legacy release dates):

Miles Davis & John Coltrane: The Complete Columbia Recordings 1955-1961: This 6-CD box set (released in 2000) won two Grammy Awards, Best Boxed Recording Package and Best Album Notes. Focus is on the evolution of Miles' so-called “first great quintet," comprising John Coltrane (tenor saxophone), Red Garland (piano), Paul Chambers (bass), and Philly Joe Jones (drums), with important contributions by Cannonball Adderley (alto saxophone), Bill Evans (piano), Wynton Kelly (piano), and Jimmy Cobb (drums)—these sessions encompass the music for the LPs 'Round About Midnight, Milestones, Jazz Track, Kind Of Blue, Someday My Prince Will Come, Miles & Monk At Newport, Jazz At the Plaza, and much more.

Miles Davis & Gil Evans: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings: The inaugural entry in The Miles Davis Series, this 6-CD box set (released in 1996) won three Grammy Awards, Best Historical Album, Best Album Notes, and Best Recording Package (Boxed), only the second time in Grammy history that was ever achieved. The partnership with Gil Evans spanned 1957 to 1968, and encompassed the music for the LPs Miles Ahead, Porgy And Bess, Sketches Of Spain, and Quiet Nights, but there is much more to be heard here.

Seven Steps: The Complete Columbia Recordings Of Miles Davis (1963-1964): This 7-CD box set (released in 2004) explores Miles' slow and careful development of his so-called “second great quintet," whose rhythm section comprised Herbie Hancock (piano), Ron Carter (bass), and Tony Williams (drums). Saxophonist George Coleman is heard on most of the music for the LPs Seven Steps To Heaven, Quiet Nights, Miles Davis In Europe, My Funny Valentine, and Four & More; and Sam Rivers joined for Miles In Tokyo. But it is not until the final CD's Miles In Berlin that Wayne Shorter enters the picture and the classic quintet's lineup was finalized.

Miles Davis Quintet 1965-'68: The Complete Columbia Studio Recordings: Actually the second entry in The Miles Davis Series, this 6-CD box set (released in 1998) won the Grammy Award for Best Album Notes. The “second great quintet" of Shorter, Hancock, Carter, and Williams remains an all-time jazz standard, as heard on the music for the LPs E.S.P., Miles Smiles, Sorcerer, Nefertiti, and Miles in the Sky, plus about half of Filles De Kilimanjaro and Water Babies.

The Complete In A Silent Way Sessions: This 3-CD box set (released in 2001) covers less than six months from September 1968 to February 1969. But it is one of the most critical periods in Miles' career, as he transitions away from the “second great quintet" of Shorter, Hancock, Carter, and Williams. They are all here, to be sure, on the rest of the music from Filles De Kilimanjaro and Water Babies recorded in September and November. But by the time the In A Silent Way LP came into being, the picture had changed to include Chick Corea (electric piano), Joe Zawinul (organ and electric piano), Dave Holland (bass), and most significantly, John McLaughlin (electric guitar).

The Complete Bitches Brew Sessions: The third entry in The Miles Davis Series, this 4-CD box set (released in 1998) won the Grammy Award for Best Boxed Recording Package, as it reprised the memorable cover art of the late Mati Klarwein. Again covering less than six months time—from August 1969 (the week after Woodstock) through February 1970—this is when the influence of Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, James Brown, Santana, and Marvin Gaye, as well as the Beatles' post-production editing pyrotechnics all came together for Miles. To his new quintet lineup of Shorter, Corea, Holland and Jack DeJohnette (drums), Miles often augmented the sessions with a dozen other players, among them: McLaughlin, Zawinul, Bennie Maupin (bass clarinet), Harvey Brooks (electric bass), Lenny White (drums), Don Alias (congas), and so on. The result was one of the greatest albums of Miles' career, and one of the most influential records in post-modern jazz and rock.

The Complete Jack Johnson Sessions: This 5-CD box set (released in 2003) won the Grammy Award for Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package. The Bitches Brew dates ended on February 6, 1970; these dates continue 12 days later and span less than four months through June. The difference is the greater role of McLaughlin (joined by 'free jazz' guitarist Sonny Sharrock), and the fiercer edginess of the music. The back-story was the contention for Muhammad Ali's heavyweight boxing title, and actor James Earl Jones' portrayal of turn-of-the-century black boxing champ Jack Jefferson in The Great White Hope (on Broadway and on film). All this was on Miles' mind in 1970, a year before Shaft ushered in a new breed of African-American hero.

The Complete On The Corner Sessions: This 6-CD box set (released in 2007) is the final entry in The Miles Davis Series and is also the latest chronologically. It jumps ahead two years to 1972, by which time the quintet lineups were a thing of the past, and Miles had transitioned into the funk-rock-influenced large-group that would define his style for the next two decades. The sessions are chronicled through mid-1975, and encompass the music of the LPs On The Corner (1972), Big Fun (1974), and Get Up With It (1974), although more than half the music on the box set was previously unissued at the time of its release three years ago.

Printed on the t-shirt included inside The Genius of Miles Davis is this quotation: “I can't play like anyone else, I can't fight like anyone else, I can't do ANYTHING like anyone else. I'm just myself."—MILES DAVIS. Over the course of these eight box sets and 43 remarkable CDs, his music is, indeed, like nothing else—but its haunting, turbulent, fearless, visionary, multi-faceted self.

Contents include:

• 1x Trumpet / Carrying Case - an individually numbered, exact replica of Miles Davis Trumpet Case houses the collection.
• 8x Box Sets - 43 CDs include 384 recordings documenting in detail each of Miles clearly defined movement over the history of his years at Columbia Records
• 1x T-Shirt - custom designed Trunk Ltd. t-shirt.
• 1x Lithograph - previously unpublished fine art lithograph of one of Miles's most striking paintings.
• 1x Mouthpiece - exact replica of the "Gustat" Heim 2 mouthpiece used by Miles during his career.

JOAN STILES – THREE MUSICIANS

Pianist Joan Stiles’ first two CDs—Love Call (Zoho, 2004) and Hurly-Burly (Oo-Bla-Dee, 2007)—showcased Stiles the resourceful and inventive arranger for octet and sextet. Her new album, Three Musicians, on which Stiles arranges for an unusual trio with saxophonist Joel Frahm and drummer Matt Wilson, reveals the pianist as a fearless improviser who combines harmonic gifts and rhythmic acuity with a pleasingly sharp sense of humor. The album is due for Oct. 25 release on her Oo-Bla-Dee label. Three Musicians is a consistently inspired recording that finds Stiles and company letting loose on a wide range of modern-minded material with both serious musicianship and ardent playfulness. And the absence of a bass player allows the leader’s piano to cover not only the low-end notes that are normal bass territory but also the regular harmonic and melodic responsibilities that one expects from a pianist.

Each track on Three Musicians—whose title is drawn from the similarly-named Pablo Picasso Cubist masterpiece and whose cover boasts a remarkable Picasso homage-collage by Stiles herself—brings its own special reward. “In the Sunshine of My Funny Valentine’s Love” is a beguiling blend of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” and Richard Rodgers’s “My Funny Valentine” with a Bach fugue in there as well. Another inspired medley pairs the Depression-era standard “Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?” with the Beatles’ “Can’t Buy Me Love.” For powerhouse swing, there’s Stiles’s Gillespie/Dameron-inspired “Bebopicity,” Mary Lou Williams’s minor blues “O.W.” (she’s been championing Williams’s music for over a decade), and Stiles’s odd-meter romp, “West End Boogie” (“Never want to lose that blues and swing,” she says of her work). On the quieter side, the trio presents Leonard Bernstein’s “Lucky to Be Me” and Billy Strayhorn’s poignant “Blood Count.” The album also includes “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” (from Stephen Sondheim and Jule Styne’s Gypsy); Jerome Kern’s “All the Things You Are”; and two Thelonious Monk compositions, “Nutty” and “Introspection.”

Throughout, Frahm and Wilson prove to be the perfect partners, interacting with creative fire as they mix and match with the leader and bring her conceptions to life. “Matt and Joel have a tremendous sense of openness and sensitivity,” says Stiles. “They really know how to listen and if one of us starts changing it up, next thing you know we’re in a different groove. They play with attention to dynamics and color and are extremely intuitive.” The journey that led Stiles to Three Musicians started in Brooklyn, where she was born and raised. She gravitated to the piano in her grandmother’s apartment, picking out TV commercial themes by ear; in her teens she performed as a singer/songwriter and rock keyboardist. Classical studies were next, followed by jazz, which was her focus when she earned an M.M. degree in 1986 from the Manhattan School of Music, where she now teaches.

Love Call, her ambitious debut CD, was a top 10 JazzWeek airplay staple as was her second recording, "Hurly-Burly." In 2008 she was honored with an hour-long profile on WBGO’s “Jazz from the Archives,” and last year she joined the esteemed roster of pianists who have appeared on Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz show. Stiles’ vital work has found plenty of admirers, among them the superlative pianist/composer/singer Dave Frishberg. “She writes and plays brilliantly, with great respect for melody and clarity,” he has said. “She is an authentic original.” Doug Ramsey has extolled her sense of “adventure, daring, exuberance and wit” and Ted Panken, in his four-star Down Beat review of "Hurly-Burly," wrote that “Joan Stiles possesses the chops, craft, imagination, wit and sophistication to be mentioned in a conversation with the most distinguished descendants of Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk and Mary Lou Williams.” Three Musicians is sure to enhance her growing reputation as a pianist, composer/arranger, and leader of note.

Joan Stiles will be presenting a CD release show with Donny McCaslin (Joel Frahm will be in Europe) and Matt Wilson on Monday 12/5 at the Jazz Gallery, 290 Hudson Street, New York. On Wednesday 11/16, Stiles will also appear at the Upper West Side Apple Store, 1981 Broadway (bet. 66th and 67th Sts.), to talk about and play selections from the new album in a live duo performance with violinist Sara Caswell.

GEILA ZILKHA - APPEARANCE

Singer, Geila Zilkha surely has a story to tell with her latest release Appearance, her band was in the studio recording when the Japan Tsumami struck. The band felt strongly about continuing the production that even a natural disaster couldn't stop its message. The kaos of the devastating quake gave Geila and her band a certain 'heart call' to complete the message that was created during such a tragic time. Proves not only a commitment to one's expression but also that regardless of what goes on in life, you have to keep moving forward.

Due to a medical condition at a young age, Geila was limited in using her body for sports or dance and felt that music was her destiny. She leaned toward sax and keyboards to learn simple chord progressions and formed her first band in high school and went on to study at Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. She immediately became a member of the Vocal Jazz Ensemble under the direction of her voice teacher April Arabian, The Vocal Summit directed by Bob Stoloff, and The Reverence Gospel Choir lead by Orville Wright and Dennis Montgomery III. She graduated Berklee in 1991 with a Bachelor of Music.

Geila is not a newcomer to the music scene, she has been singing in Japan for many years to loyal fans. She is an engaging performer and a studied vocalist. She creates fun through song and delivers her musical selections with such soulful expression that displays the myriad of her talent and repetorie.
Zilkha enjoys the challenge of writing lyrics as she did with Shunji Takenaka as she wrote the lyrics on the tune “Closet,” where she shares her sassy side of a love affair. Known for commanding a stage and is a story-teller of song. Being skilled in others genres besides jazz, Geila is proficient in R&B, Soul and Gospel.

"Geila is very comfortable on stage with her musicians, the tempos she counts off are only for the seasoned professional for it is amazing to see her go through her vocal acrobatics with melodic tonality, not missing a beat or a note. Her scat-singing is commendable for its not an easy task for some, but Geila knows her music and she becomes an instrument herself blending with the cohesive group she is tours with," says Jaijai Jackson, creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide social network.

Returning home to Kobe, Geila landed a local television program as a video DJ hosting a music program and later became a DJ for FM-802 in Osaka which lasted for three years as well as an assistant host for a morning television show on ABC-TV. In 1995 a huge earthquake struck Kobe and derailed her career for a short time. Zilkha is a bilingual singer who was booked for a recording project for an independent label, which brought her to her new home of Tokyo where she currently resides. Soon after, she tried her chances at voice-overs which lead to narrations for television commercials as well as singing on commercials for Mazda, ANA and Hagen Daz .To learn more about Geila's versatile career and to hear her latest CD Appearance be sure to tune into her feature on The Jazz Network Worldwide Social Network at http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/ as well as her website http://www.geilajazz.com/.

WOODY SHAW – THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUMS COLLECTION

Encountering the name Woody Shaw (1944-1989) in print or conversation, it’s not uncommon for a phrase much like “ the last original trumpet voice” to follow. For Shaw was  just such a player: a daring horn stylist with an utterly personal and technically advanced approach that has yet to be matched since his untimely death. Even as a young up-and-comer, Shaw was eager to investigate the cutting edge of modern jazz, working for a time with the innovative multi-instrumentalist Eric Dolphy.  After a memorable stint with the hard bop maestro, Horace Silver, Shaw leaped head first towards the post bop firmament, collaborating with such visionary player/composers as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, and Larry Young, whose 1965 masterwork, Unity, featured Shaw’s soon-to-be-standard, “The Moontrane.” Further work with such A-list leaders as Art Blakey, Max Roach and Dexter Gordon (Shaw is heard to great advantage on the legendary tenorist’s joyous Homecoming) followed, but it was only a matter of time before this blatantly talented horn man set out on his own. The late 1970s and 80’s found Shaw fronting ensembles that brought attention to such fine players as Steve Turre and Mulgrew Miller, as well as shining light on the leader’s own adventurous, strikingly virtuosic improvising.

On such landmark Columbia albums as Woody lll and For Sure! -- projects that represented a career peak for Shaw in terms of both personal creativity and commercial exposure -- his impressive compositions ( the outstanding “Organ Grinder” among them) and arranging skills for expanded ensembles are brought to the fore. Although he didn’t live to conquer the personal problems that set back his career, present day trumpet icons from Dave Douglas to Wynton Marsalis have acknowledged Shaw’s lasting influence. Let Miles Davis have the last word about Shaw: “Now there's a great trumpet player. He can play different from all of them."

This collection brings together the most complete package to date of Woody Shaw's Columbia albums – a total of 6 great albums on 6 CDs, with each individual album is packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that album’s original cover art. Included is a booklet with full discographical info., rare photos, and liner notes. The box set co-produced, co-directed and designed by Shaw's son, Woody Shaw III, who also contributed liner notes along with Shaw's long time friend and producer, Michael Cuscuna.

Albums included:
Rosewood (1977)     
Stepping Stones (1978)      
Stepping Stones Bonus Tracks  
Woody III (1979)        
For Sure! (1979)  
United (1981)

JAY PATTEN – CRYSTAL NIGHTS

Jay Patten’s new album, Crystal Nights, has seven smooth groove instrumentals and six vocals. Jay plays every kind of sax on the album together with mandolin, guitar and even a Native American flute. Key tracks include an upbeat rendition of the Elvis classic “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” a 1950’s style ballad “I Don’t Have the Heart To Say Goodbye” co-written with Blue Mink’s Roger Cook and a catchy closer duet with Crystal Gayle “Memories are Made of This.”

When Jay Patten was eight years old, in his birthplace of New Jersey, he saw Elvis on the tube.   He took up the guitar.  A few years later he heard Stan Getz on the radio.  He took up the saxophone.  By the time he was thirteen he was playing gigs in the New York area. Jay’s family moved to Clearwater, Florida and while still in high school, Jay played guitar and sax as a sideman for acts like The Shangrilas, Bobby Rydell, Joey Dee, Del Shannon and more.  He even worked with a band that opened for the Rolling Stones.

Jay attended The Berklee College of Music where he studied arranging and composing and took saxophone lessons from Charlie Mariano and Joe Viola (Recently, Berklee awarded Jay with their Distinguished Alumnus Award). The day after graduation Jay hit the road for a three-year stint as vocalist with the Glenn Miller Orchestra, Jazz clarinetist Buddy DeFranco was the leader at the time.  “Singing great songs with that wonderful big band with Buddy as leader was an absolute dream come true!" tells Jay.

After the Miller band experience, Jay moved to Los Angeles where he played in a diverse array of groups from rock to big band jazz.  “I got my feet wet as a recording musician out there," he notes.  At the suggestion of singer Deborah Allen, Jay and his saxophone moved to Nashville.  He has played on hundreds of recordings for such diverse artists as Johnny Cash, Lobo, Pure Prairie League, David Loggins, Nanci Griffith and many more.  NARAS awarded Jay with their “Super Pickers Award” for studio excellence.

Jay put together a band in Nashville and ever since The Jay Patten Band has been a mainstay on the Nashville night scene, as well as the concert stage (He’s opened for Maynard Ferguson, Taj Mahal, Stanley Jorden, Ray Charles and others). In 1982, Jay became the first artist to step foot on the stage of the now world famous “Bluebird Cafe.”  Twice a year, ever since, Jay and the band host the anniversary and the Christmas Shows, Some of the artists that have appeared with Jay’s band include Rita Coolidge, John Prine, Janis Ian, Lee Greenwood, Michael Johnson and many more.

“One of the best things that ever happened to me was getting the opportunity to work with my friend Crystal Gayle...” Jay is currently Crystal’s music director.  Besides playing sax, guitar and mandolin, he steps up to the podium and conducts for her.  He has conducted over fifty symphony orchestras in the U.S. and Canada including the Chicago Symphony, the Philadelphia Pops Orchestra and the United States Navy Band.  He also has played on nine of Crystal’s albums as well as co-producing three of them.  He’s even recorded two vocal duets with Crystal.  In December of 2001, Crystal recorded (and released as a single) Jay’s song “Christmas in America.”  “I’ve literally played thousands of shows with Crystal and I am still amazed by the tone of her voice as well as the wonderful feeling she puts into ev’ry song.”

Jay Patten has released five well-received albums including his CBS CD Black Hat and Saxophone, which made the national charts as well as being featured on VH-1. Other projects include Impressions Of Christmas, Night Blue and his big band project All In Blue Time, featuring his friend Buddy DeFranco. Check out Jay's latest project, Crystal Nights, a gift of passion from a vital and diverse musical artist...Mr. Blue Jay Patten. .

Jay Patten - Crystal Nights1. Ready For the Times To Get Better
2. Bussin To Memphis
3. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
 4. Freedom Song
5. Finally
6. Crystal Nights
7. And Sinatra Sang Our Song
 True and Tried
9. Little Friend
10. I Don't Have the Heart to Say Goodbye
11. Can't Help Falling In Love
12. One More Goodbye
13. Memories Are Made of This (feat. Crystal Gayle)

THE FIVE CORNERS QUINTET - THE HELSINKI SESSIONS

In 2005, The Five Corners Quintet from Helsinki took the international dancefloor jazz scene by a storm with Chasin’ the Jazz Gone By, their debut album for Italy’s Ricky-Tick Records. For once and for all, the album proved that it is possible to look back while moving forward. The touch of producer-composer Tuomas Kallio was true to the golden era of modern jazz, and his vision in updating form rather than feeling resulted in music that is truly “postmodern jazz”, if there ever was some. The band consists off Teppo Mäkynen (drums/bandleader), Timo Lassy (sax), Jukka Eskola (trumpet), Mikael Jakobsson (piano), and Antti Lötjönen (double bass). Now six years later, The Five Corners Quintet has become known as a dazzling live band, which has notched some 200 performance worldwide to great acclaim. Ricky-Tick Records finally captures the magic on tape, releasing The Helsinki Sessions, recorded in the band's hometown in February 2010. The set's a live one, but done with all the tight, soulful energy you’ve come to expect from the group's studio sessions – still steeped in a love of the best American and European jazz modes of the 60’s – with an undeniable rhythmic pulse, and some especially tremendous solos. Some tunes here are familiar from the group's previous albums, but they're taken in really long versions, without any augmentation at all – an all-acoustic performance that really sparkles with tight tenor from Timo Lassy and soaring trumpet lines from the mighty Jukka Eskola. The piano, bass, and drums are completely riveting – and from the package right down to the sounds in the grooves, the record easily rivals the classic Blue Note or Prestige albums you might have in your record collection! Titles include "Unsquare Bossa", "Hot Rod", "Three Corners", "Shake It", "Skinny Dipping", and "Midnight In Trieste".

The Five Corners Quintet - The Helsinki Sessions
1. Trading Eights
2. Hot Rod
3. Unsquare Bossa
4. Midnight in Trieste
5. Skinny Dipping
6. Three Corners
7. Shake It

TONY BENNETT - THE CLASSIC CHRISTMAS ALBUM

14-time Grammy Award®-winning Columbia Records artist Tony Bennett turns his attention to his timeless catalog of Christmas recordings and personally picks 18 of his favorites – including one brand new, previously unreleased tune, "What Child Is This" – for The Classic Christmas Album which is available everywhere now. The Classic Christmas Album contains the new Ultimate Access Pass that allows a computer to access special offerings from the tonybennett.com website. As he enters his seventh decade of recording, Tony Bennett – who celebrated his 85th birthday on August 3, 2011 – looks back on countless memorable productions over the years. The Classic Christmas Album, is a microcosm of many of those settings.

Tony's landmark 1968 LP, Snowfall: The Tony Bennett Christmas Album, was a lush orchestral session arranged and conducted by Robert Farnon, working with Columbia staff producer Jack Gold. Farnon was a frequent collaborator of Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Ella Fitzgerald, Joe Williams, and of course Tony, the only survivor of that golden generation of singers. From that LP come five tracks: "Winter Wonderland," Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," Rodgers & Hammerstein's "My Favorite Things," Mel Tormé's "The Christmas Song," and the medley of "I Love The Winter Weather/I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm."

Moving ahead three decades, The Classic Christmas Album reprises a track by Tony with the venerable backing of the Ralph Sharon Quartet, "Christmas In Herald Square" (from 1998's The Playground). In 2001, Tony released the critically acclaimed Sony Classical album, Our Favorite Things, a collaboration with the Ralph Sharon Quartet and an orchestra arranged and conducted by Jorge Calandrelli. From that album come "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," and the traditional "The First Noël," with a guest appearance by tenor virtuoso Placido Domingo.

Sessions with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, orchestrated by Robert Farnon and conducted by Don Jackson, led to an album for Hallmark Music in 2001, Christmas With Tony Bennett. From that album come four standards, "Deck The Halls," "O Little Town Of Bethlehem," "O Come All Ye Faithful," and "Silent Night."

The Classic Christmas Album comes right up to date with selections from 2008's aptly titled A Swingin' Christmas, featuring the Count Basie Big Band: "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," "Christmas Time Is Here" (from the CBS-TV show, A Charlie Brown Christmas), "Silver Bells," "I'll Be Home For Christmas," and Irving Berlin's "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm."

As the world acknowledges Tony Bennett's 85th birthday, Columbia/RPM/ Legacy marks the event with Tony Bennett - The Complete Collection. This historic box set gathers his entire album catalog (on Columbia, Roulette, MGM, Improv, and Fantasy), plus the Columbia singles, outtakes and rarities, historic television specials, and more on 73 CDs and 3 DVDs. This extraordinary chronicle, containing more than a thousand individual songs, will be available exclusively at select Barnes and Noble retail locations on November 8th. BN.com and tonybennett.com will be the exclusive on-line retail sites and fans can now pre-order the collection online.

Also: September 20th marked the release of the long-awaited Duets II on Columbia/RPM, the sequel to Tony's 2006 album, Duets, which paired him with artists ranging from Barbra Streisand and the Dixie Chicks, to Bono and Sting, Stevie Wonder and more. Duets II finds Tony in the company of celebrated artists including Aretha Franklin, Josh Groban, Lady Gaga, Queen Latifah, John Mayer, and others. The CD made history when it debuted at the #1 position on the Billboard album charts, making Bennett the oldest artist to ever have a #1 CD. Tony's single with Amy Winehouse of "Body and Soul," appeared on the Billboard Hot 100 Charts again making Bennett the oldest artists to have a single on those charts. The music video of Bennett's duet with Lady Gaga of "The Lady is a Tramp, " was just added on the MTV Networks' rotation.

Tony Bennett - The Classic Christmas Album
1. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town (E)
2. Deck The Halls (D)
3. My Favorite Things (A)
4. Christmas Time Is Here (E)
5. The First Noël (C)
6. The Christmas Song (A)
7. Silver Bells (E)
8. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas (C)
9. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (D)
10. I Love The Winter Weather/I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (A)
11. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (E)
12. Christmas In Herald Square (B)
13. I'll Be Home For Christmas (E)
14. O Come All Ye Faithful (D)
15. What Child Is This (previously unreleased)
16. Winter Wonderland (A)
17. Silent Night (D)
18. White Christmas (A).

Album index:
A – from Snowfall, Columbia 9739, originally issued 11/6/68
B – from The Playground, Columbia 69380, originally issued 9/29/98
C – from Our Favorite Things, Sony Classical 89468), originally issued 11/15/01
D – from Christmas With Tony Bennett, Hallmark Music 7009, originally issued 2002
E – from A Swingin' Christmas, Columbia 88697 34321 2, originally issued 10/14/2008

legacyrecordings.com

ETTA JAMES – HEART AND SOUL: A RETROSPECTIVE

Now that Etta James has officially retired from the music industry, you can bet that we’ll be seeing more reissues highlighting her incredible career. This one is the most comprehensive and most broadly-representative single collection of the Heart & Soul of Etta James to date – a 4-CD set from Hip-O/Verve Select that draws from her entire career. It starts off with her earliest charting hits and includes the iconic original versions of many her most classic numbers, incredible stuff from the 60s & 70s with best remembered treasures and overlooked gems alike, and closes with strong material from the later years. All in all you get 84 tracks on 4-CDs – in a beautiful, hardbound package. This collection not only does a wonderful job of hitting on the diverse styles of R&B, jazz, blues, pop and soul that Etta did so well over the years, it also covers the each era and includes material from a number of different labels – Modern, Argo, Chess, Warner Brothers, Fantasy, Island, RCA and more. Also includes lengthy notes by Bill Dahl and notes for each individual track. Includes "The Wallflower (aka Roll With Me Henry)", "Good Rockin' Daddy", "Crazy Feeling", "Strange Things Happening Every Day", "Stop The Wedding", "These Foolish Things (Remind Me Of You)", "Do I Make Myself Clear?" with Sugar Pie DeSanto, "The Same Rope", "The Soul Of A Man", "Miss Pitiful", "I Found A Love", "Down So Low", "Damn Your Eyes", "Higher Ground" (previously unreleased), "What's Wrong" (previously unreleased), "The Sky Is Crying", "I Believe I Can Fly", "Ashes By Now" (previously unreleased) and many more. (Limited edition.)

HARRY BELAFONTE - SING YOUR SONG: THE MUSIC

Coinciding with the HBO debut of Sing Your Song,  Belafonte’s memoir, “My Song,” which was published by Knopf Oct. 11 and the companion music album, entitled Sing Your Song: The Music, (via Sony Masterworks) singer, actor and activist Harry Belafonte is back!

Filmmaker Susanne Rostock tells the rich life story of this remarkable artist and humanitarian in the intimate feature-length documentary Sing Your Song, which premiered this past Monday on HBO. Distilled from more than 700 hours of interviews, eyewitness accounts, movie clips, excerpts from FBI files, and news and rare archival film footage and stills, some of which has never been seen before, Sing Your Song reveals Belafonte as a tenacious hands-on activist who worked intimately with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., mobilized celebrities for social justice, participated in the struggle against apartheid in South Africa and took action to counter gang violence, prisons and the incarceration of youth.

Born into a rough Harlem neighborhood in 1927, Belafonte’s immigrant mother sent him to be raised in her native Jamaica in an effort to ensure his safety; there he developed a cultural reservoir on which to build future artistic success. Upon the outbreak of World War II, he returned to Harlem, and later enlisted in the United States Navy, serving for almost two years as a munitions loader. Returning to New York City, Belafonte worked in the garment center and as a janitor’s assistant. As gratuity for one apartment repair job, Belafonte was given a ticket to a production of “Home Is the Hunter” at the American Negro Theatre (ANT) in Harlem, which sparked a desire for a life in the performing arts.

RCA Victor signed the young talent in 1952, but his career on the stage wasn’t over yet, and he picked up both Tony and Theatre World Awards for his performance in 1953’s John Murray Anderson’s Almanac. Just a few short months before Almanac opened on Broadway, Belafonte’s “Matilda” (heard on Sing Your Song) caught the public’s fancy, becoming a staple in concert. 1956’s Calypso introduced many Americans to the genre, and became the first LP ever to surpass the one-million sales mark. It introduced two more smash signature songs for Belafonte, “Jump in the Line” and, of course, “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song).” Both are included on the new compilation.

While primarily known for Calypso, Belafonte has recorded in many genres, including blues, folk, gospel, show tunes, and American standards. His second–most popular hit, which came immediately after "The Banana Boat Song," was the novelty tune "Mama Look at Bubu," also known as "Mama Look a Boo–Boo" (originally recorded by Lord Melody in 1956), in which he sings humorously about misbehaving and disrespectful children. It reached number eleven on the pop chart.

In 1959 he starred in Tonight With Belafonte, a nationally televised special that featured Odetta, who sang Water Boy and who performed a duet with Belafonte of There's a Hole in My Bucket that hit the national charts in 1961. Belafonte continued to record for RCA through the 1950s to the 1970s. Two live albums, both recorded at Carnegie Hall in 1959 and 1960, enjoyed critical and commercial success. From his 1959 album, Hava Nagila became part of his regular routine and one of his signature songs. He was one of many entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the inaugural gala of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. That same year he released his second calypso album, Jump Up Calypso, which went on to become another million seller. During the 1960s he introduced several artists to American audiences, most notably South African singer Miriam Makeba and Greek singer Nana Mouskouri. His album Midnight Special (1962) featured the first–ever record appearance by a then young harmonica player named Bob Dylan.

As The Beatles and other stars from Britain began to dominate the U.S. pop charts, Belafonte's commercial success diminished; 1964's Belafonte at The Greek Theatre was his last album to appear in Billboard's Top 40. His last hit single, A Strange Song, was released in 1967 and peaked at number 5 on the Adult contemporary music charts. Belafonte has received Grammy Awards for the albums Swing Dat Hammer (1960) and An Evening with Belafonte/Makeba (1965). The latter album dealt with the political plight of black South Africans under Apartheid. He earned six Gold Records.

Belafonte received the Kennedy Center Honors in 1989. He was awarded the National Medal of Arts in 1994 and he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2000. He performed sell–out concerts globally through the 1950s to the 2000s. Due to illness he was forced to cancel a reunion tour with Nana Mouskouri planned for the spring and summer of 2003 following a tour in Europe. His last concert was a benefit concert for the Atlanta Opera on October 25, 2003. In a 2007 interview he stated that he had since retired from performing.

Harry Belafonte, Sing Your Song: The Music
1. Mark Twain
2. Sylvie
3. Mama Look a Boo Boo
4. Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)
5. Cocoanut Woman
6. Banana Boat Song (Day-O)
7. Island in the Sun
8. Jump Down, Spin Around
9. Man Smart (Woman Smarter)
10. Jamaica Farewell
11. Matilda
12. My Angel (Malaika) – feat. Miriam Makeba
13. Jump in the Line
14. A Hole in the Bucket (Live) – feat. Odetta
15. Turn the World Around
16. Can’t Cross Over (River Come Down)

JOSE JAMES – RELEASES "TROUBLE" FROM NO BEGINNING, NO END

José James has released his new single, "Trouble," from the forthcoming 2012 album No Beginning, No End. From the world of Jazz where he is surrounded by the genre's most respected players and into the realm of R&B and soul, José provides listeners with an intimate and inspiring sound. José explains, "'Trouble' is the story of a man trying to love a woman, his world and himself. My hope is that it inspires people to keep strong and enjoy the beauty of their own lives. I wrote it with Marvin 'Trouble Man' Gaye in mind - he's my favorite singer and inspires a lot of my music. A lot of his songs were inspired by jazz and he sang with so much passion and truth. I wanted to sing something that showed a more playful and sensual side to my singing, something with a killer horn section and a sexy bassline. I'm blessed to have Pino Palladino lay down that groove!" "Trouble" gets a remix courtesy of underground hip-hop artist/producer Oh No. "I was also inspired by Madlib's beats - everything fits but somehow feels off at the same time and sometimes life is like that," says José. "His brother, Oh No, did the remix and really brought out the darkness and the beauty of the struggle to do right." José performs at the CMJ Future Now Showcase alongside Taylor McFerrin and The Robert Glasper Experiment in New York City before heading overseas with McCoy Tyner. Catch him in the following cities:

October 18 - New York, NY- CMJ Future Now Showcase at Le Poisson Rouge (with Taylor McFerrin & The Robert Glasper Experiment)
October 21 - Shanghai, China- Jz Shanghai Music Festival *
October 23 - Taichung City, Taiwan- Taichung Jazz Festival *
October 28 - Frankfurt, Germany- Hessischer Rundfunk *
October 29 - Hamburg, Germany- Kampnagel Hall *
October31 - Brussels, Belgium- Ancienne Belgique *
November 10 - Zagreb, Croatia- ZKM *
November 12 - London, UK- Barbican *
November 13 - Vienna, Austria- Porgy + Bess *
November 14 - Vienna, Austria- Porgy + Bess *
November 17 - Guimaraes, Portugal- Auditorio da Universidade do Minho *
November 19 - Cartagena, Spain- Teatro Circo *
November 20 - Grenada, Spain- Teatro Isabel La Catolica *
November 22 - Palmas, Spain- Teatro Perez Galdos *
December 15 - Brooklyn, NY- Brooklyn Museum

* with McCoy Tyner

REVISITING OBSCURE FILM MUSIC VOLUME 1: ORGASMO SONORE

Here’s an album packed with  Euro-cult soundtrack music from the 60’s and 70’s – all done with a strong focus on the Italian scene, particularly the spookier modes that came in during the horror generation. Orgasmo Sonore has plenty of electric instrumentation, and work with a definite Goblin inspiration – yet they also move things back a bit too, taking this style of playing and turning it towards some sounds by earlier composers as well – making for a nice link between a few different generations, but all in new recordings from the 21st Century! The set features classics by John Carpenter, Stelvio Cipriani, Goblin, Piero Umiliani, Morricone, and others – mixed with some great new tunes composed by the group. Included on this record are music from films including "Fantastic Planet", "El Topo", Lucio Fulci's "Zombie", "Bllodstained Shadow", "Nightmare City", "Bay of Blood", "The Body, "Contamination" and "Death Rides a Horse". Titles include "Escape From New York", "Mistico E Severo", "Connexion", "Ecologia Del Delitto", "Jean-Pierre Melville", "The Chaser", "Zombi 2", "Sandra's Theme", and "Under The Earth". This release is available only as a limited edition LP with only 200 copies pressed in yellow vinyl, so if you want a copy act quickly!

Orgasmo Sonore:
1. Mistico e Severo (Ennio Morricone)
2. Deshominisation I (Alain Goraguer)

3. Escape from New-York (John Carpenter)

4. Under the Earth (Alejandro Jodorowsky)

5. Zombi 2 seq1. (Fabio Frizzi)

6. La Dolce Sandra (Stelvio Cipriani)

7. Incubo Sulla Citta Contaminata (Stelvio Cipriani)

8. Ecologia del Delitto (Stelvio Cipriani)

9. Connexion (Goblin)

10. Chaser (Piero Umiliani)

11. Klaus Kinski (Orgasmo Sonore)

12. Jean-Pierre Melville (Orgasmo Sonore)

THE ROLLING STONES – SOME GIRLS (REMASTERED/BONUS TRACKS)

Universal Music Group and The Rolling Stones have announced the release on November 21, 2011 of the re-mastered, expanded, Super-Deluxe, Deluxe and Digital editions of Some Girls, the groundbreaking album which introduced the music of the Rolling Stones to a whole new generation of fans. Justly considered one of the finest works by Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman and Ronnie Wood, Some Girls topped the US charts over three decades ago and remains the best selling album of their storied career. This new package will include some undiscovered gems that include tracks that have recently been unearthed from the Rolling Stones vaults by producer Don Was.

Some Girls is the Rolling Stones' most direct and diverse collection of material, from Mick Jagger's irresistible falsetto on the four-on-the-floor filler Miss You, their eighth US number one, to the country-flavoured Far Away Eyes via the Chuck Berry meets punk snarl of Respectable. And let's not forget the sensuous, Beast Of Burden, one of Keith Richards' finest tunes, which reached number 8 on the US singles chart, the garage rock of Shattered, the album's third US Top 40 entry, and the soulful swagger of the group's version of The Temptations' Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me), another timeless offering in their canon of classic Stones Motown covers.

Following the critical praise and commercial success afforded the re-mastered, expanded editions of Exile On Main Street, which matched the chart performance of the epochal 1972 album, and returned the Rolling Stones to their rightful place at the top of the British charts in 2010, the extensive reissue of Some Girls constitutes the next step in the band's ongoing relationship with Universal Music Group. This started in April 2008 with Shine A Light, the soundtrack from the stunning concert film directed by Martin Scorsese, and has encompassed the reissues of the Rolling Stones re-mastered, post-1971 studio albums, several live albums and classic compilations, and the exhaustive box-set Singles 1971-2006 earlier this year.

Some Girls holds a special place in the history of the Rolling Stones and demonstrates why they remain one of the most thrilling and influential bands of all time. The 1978 album features a Keith Richards' classic Before They Make Me Run, a signature song he stills performs defiantly to this day. Some Girls documented Mick Jagger's love of 70's funk reflected in Miss You, the dance track that wrongfooted many people, made the club and black charts, and made it okay for other mainstream acts at the time to 'go disco'.

The 1978 album courted controversy because of Jagger's tongue-in-cheek lyrics on the title track, on Miss You and on Respectable, perceived as a retort to the punk and new wave groups who had borrowed so much attitude and copped so many anti-establishment moves from the Rolling Stones. Ironically, the furore around the elaborate Some Girls package, designed by Peter Corriston and featuring the band members in drag – a nod in the direction of the picture on their 1966 single Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? – and likenesses of Lucille Ball, Farrah Fawcett, Raquel Welch, Judy Garland and Marilyn Monroe that hadn't been legally cleared, necessitating a swift withdrawal and rethink.

Some Girls demonstrated the distinctive and definitive riffing from Keith Richards, with its abundance of unstoppable licks and majestic power chords driving the band into its brand new musical direction. This album not only defined him and his playing, but also defined a new era for the Rolling Stones, which Richards since described as a 'sense of renewal'. Some Girls marks the only other time since recording Satisfaction where Richards used an effects pedal to 'elevate' the sound.

The album cemented the position of guitarist Ronnie Wood, who had joined in 1975, and added his trademark slide and pedal steel playing to several of the album's most memorable tracks, including When The Whip Comes Down and Shattered. He also co-wrote the Shattered B-side Everything Is Turning To Gold. Some Girls also marked a move to the Pathe Marconi Studios in Paris for the Glimmer Twins production team of Jagger and Richards. These factors helped what is arguably the group's most focused and dynamic album, driven by the sans pareil rhythm section of drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman. Some Girls featured fewer guest musicians than any Rolling Stones albums since 1971, but the contributions keyboard-player Ian McLagan, Wood's bandmate in The Faces, saxophone-player Mel Collins, and harmonica-player Sugar Blue – discovered busking on the Paris metro – made Miss You in particular sound brighter than ever.

Amongst many eagerly-awaited extras, the Super-Deluxe edition of Some Girls will include a stunning, previously unseen Helmut Newton photo session from 1978, an essay by esteemed author and journalist Anthony DeCurtis putting the album in its cultural context, a 7" single of Beast Of Burden/When The Whip Comes Down in its banned sleeve.

Thirty-three years on from its original release, the re-mastered, expanded, Super-Deluxe, Deluxe and Digital editions of Some Girls show why the 1978 album has often been hailed as the equal of Exile On Main Street. Some Girls is both a time capsule and a timeless listen. It features the band at their tightest and toughest, at their most vibrant and vital. It's an all-killer, no-filler, must-have album. It still packs a punch.

The Rolling Stones - Some Girls
• CD “Deluxe Edition” includes remastered original album and 12 bonus songs;
• CD “Super Deluxe Edition includes both discs, above, plus a CD single of the remastered “Beast of Burden” b/w “When the Whip Comes Down”; a book; a postcard set, a photo print by Helmut Newton; and a tour poster;
• Digital with remastered original album and 12 bonus songs; and
• Vinyl remaster of the original album only.

CD 1: Remastered Original Album
1. Miss You
2. When the Whip Comes Down
3. Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)
4. Some Girls
5. Lies
6. Far Away Eyes
7. Respectable
8. Before They Make Me Run
9. Beast of Burden
10. Shattered

CD 2: Previously Unreleased Songs
1. Claudine
2. So Young
3. Do You Think I Really Care?
4. When You’re Gone
5. No Spare Parts
6. Don’t Be a Stranger
7. We Had It All
8. Tallahassee Lassie
9. I Love You Too Much
10. Keep Up Blues
11. You Win Again
12. Petrol Blues

The vinyl edition contents are identical to Disc 1.
The digital edition contents are identical to Discs 1 and 2.
The super-deluxe edition contains both discs as well as a CD single:
1. Beast of Burden
2. When the Whip Comes Down

The Rolling Stones • Some Girls
Universal Music Group • Release Date: November 21, 2011

MAYA AZUCENA – CRY LOVE

Maya Azucena inhabits a musical world of her own creation. Whether performing before an audience of thousands or writing in solitude, she transcends genres and trends. Her progressive yet accessible style is shaped by an expansive vision that unites genres. With Maya Azucena, the worlds of hip hop, soul, jazz, reggae, electronica and pop join forces. Like Lauryn Hill, Corinne Bailey Rae, or Gnarls Barkley, she embodies a singular and finely honed artistry through a combination of profound lyrics, soaring melodies, and irresistible rhythms. Azucena emerged as a captivating presence on the landscape of popular music following her self-released debut Maya Who?! and the critically acclaimed Junkyard Jewel. Billboard, The Village Voice and The Washington Post have all heralded her mesmerizing performances in the U.S. while her music’s been featured on HBO (The Wire), NBC (30 Rock), and in advertisements for Verizon Wireless and Ford Motors. Her work with Stephen Marley netted a “Best Reggae Album” Grammy and her vocal contributions to an album by Croatian superstar Gibonni garnered two Porin Awards (the top music award in Croatia). As both an in-demand concert attraction and a Cultural Ambassador for the U.S., she’s enthralled audiences in places as far-ranging as Honduras, China, Tanzania, Italy, Myanmar, and Slovenia.

Her newest release, Cry Love is the artistic statement that Maya Azucena has sought to make since day one. The Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter’s impressive versatility unfolds over ten original compositions plus a dramatic interpretation of “Little Ghetto Boy.” Executive-produced with her longtime collaborator Christian Ver Halen, and released on her new imprint label, Azucena Songs, Cry Love represents a powerful journey that distills the universal themes of love, survival, and hope into 50 unforgettable minutes. It is for those listeners and countless more that Maya Azucena has crafted Cry Love. An anthem for justice, the title track, produced by Pete Miser, is steeped in Maya’s concern for humankind and constitutes the album’s core concept. Her desire to inspire, empower, and embolden listeners saturates both the edgy groove of “Warriors” and the sanguine sway of “Near,” as well as her gripping duet with distinguished singer/pianist Chris Robon the Donny Hathaway classic, “Little Ghetto Boy.” Taking a page from Maya’s own life, “The Half” is a harrowing tale propelled by no less a rock legend than guitaristVernon Reid. Emerging triumphant from near tragedy, she invites dancehall icon iNi Kamoze aboard for a victory lap on “My Back’s Not Up Against the Wall” while the glistening, acoustic qualities of “Belong to the Sun” furnish another standout cut. The songs are all unified by a remarkable depth and stunning musicality. Threaded throughout Cry Love is Maya Azucena's belief that music is a tool for healing and activism.

Maya Azucena - Cry Love
1. Cry Love
2. Shine
3. Near
4. Changed My Mind
5. The Half
6. Belong To The Sun
7. My Back's Not Up Against The Wall
8. Run Into The Light
9. Warriors
10. Live On
11. Little Ghetto Boy

NEW RELEASES FROM HARRY BELAFONTE, PEVEN EVERETT, PAT MARTINO, WES MONTGOMERY AND MORE!

Astro Con Caravan – Planet Caravan
Beta Hector – Sunbeam Insulin
Bobby Darin – Original Album Series
Brazilian Love Affair – Dance Moderna: Sergio Mendes Revisited
Charles Owens – Joy
Chris Joss – No Play No Work
Claudio Roditi – Bons Amigos
Corey Wilkes – Kind Of Miles: Live At the Velvet Lounge
Dick Griffin – Time Will Tell
Deodato – Original Album Classics
Dining Rooms – Lonesome Traveller
Esther Phillips – Retrospective (Remastered)
Etta James – Heart And Soul: A Retrospective
Five Corners Quintet – Helsinki Session
George Benson – Original Albums Classics
Gordon Chambers – Sincere
Harry Belafonte – Sing Your Song: The Music
Heston – Warm Human Cold World
I Ced – All In My Mind
Jean Claud Vanneur – Roses Rouge Sang
Jo Stance – Jo Stance – The Stance Brothers
John Heckle – Second Son
Johnny Mathis – The Ultimate Collection
Kaidi Tatham – Kaidi’s 5ive
Kerkko Koskinen Orchestra – Trains And Letters
Kuba Sojka – Mysterious Intrigue
Lalah Hathaway – When It All Begins
Les Freres Smith – Contraband Mentality
Lina Nyberg - Palaver
Marcos Valle – Valle Tudo
Marlena Shaw – From The Depths Of My Soul (Remastered)
Mayer Hawthorne – Ho Do You Do
Monet – Lifesize Mirror
Natalie Cole – Thankful (Remastered/Extended)
Orgasmo Sonore – Revsiting Obscure Film Music Vol. 1
Pat Martino – Undeniable – Live At Blues Alley
Patrizio Buanne – Patrizio
Peven Everett Medicine Man
Sao Paulo Underground – Tres Cabacas Loucuras
Scientific Map – Rust Belt Soul
Sergio Mendes – Original Album Series
Soul & Pimp Sessions – Magnetic Soul
Strides - Reclamation
Teri Tobin – Love Infinity
Von Freeman – Have No Fear
Wendell Harrison – It’s About Damn Time
Wes Montgomery – The Complete Verve Recordings
William Kurk – Pop Fusion

NHOJJ - ADAM & STEVE

Celebrating October as LGBT History Month, Nhojj released his new single “Adam & Steve” on October 11, coinciding with National Coming Out Day. The soulful lullaby offers a beautiful affirmation of love and understanding for all people. The latest in a string of songs affirming LGBT identity, Nhojj blends ambient electronica grooves with socially conscious lyrics to offer listeners a compassionate and deeply spiritual experience. This Caribbean trendsetter bravely sheds light on spirituality and homosexuality in a culture where many see the two as contradictory. The God Nhojj depicts in “Adam & Steve” is a nonjudgmental God who simply asks that his children love one another; it is a God whose love is offered, not just to Adam and Eve, but to “Adam and Steve” also.

Nhojj is a two-time OUT music award winner noted for having the all-time #1 most watched Reggae-world music video on MTV Hive.  He also reached #1 on the MTV Music video chart. Son of a minister, Nhojj grew up in Guyana and began singing at his father’s church when he was 5. In 2005 he recorded “John Martinborough – Coming Home,” a collection of church hymns. Earlier this year Nhojj released the groundbreaking marriage equality “Amazing Grace” video portraying an interracial gay couple exchanging vows and affirming their commitment in a church.  It was the first time a classic Christian hymn had been used to express the “naturalness” and “Godliness” of love between same sex partners. Says MINT Male magazine, Nhojj is “changing preconceived notions about the representations of love.”

LGBT History Month originated in the United States and was first celebrated in 1994 to encourage honesty and openness about being lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. National Coming Out Day is an internationally observed awareness day celebrating Gay, Lesbian, bisexual, Transgendered, and Queer people and communities. Nhojj made OUTMusic and black history in 2009 when his soulful ballad “Love” was voted R&B/Soul Song of the Year by the Alliance of LGBT Recording Artists and Performers.  It marked the first time a black artist won an OUTMusic Award. Earlier this year Nhojj won his second OMA for “The Gay Warrior Song” and recorded “He & Him,” a provocative love song.

Follow Nhojj

http://www.nhojj.com/

http://www.twitter.com/nhojj

http://www.youtube.com/nhojjmusic

http://facebook.com/nhojjmusic

ETTA JAMES - THE DREAMER

For over half a century, Etta James has all but defined the role of the quintessential rhythm & blues vocalist. She transcends all musical categories and styles with a recording career that spans more than five decades. On October 25, 2011, Etta James will release The Dreamer, her new album through Verve Forecast. This monumental release not only marks her first album in five years, it will be her final studio album before she retires, capping off an incredible fifty-year recording career. James remarks, "I wish to thank all my fans who have shown me love and support over all these years. I love you all." The album features her one-of-a-kind renditions of Otis Redding's "Cigarettes and Coffee" and Bobby "Blue" Bland's "Dreamer" to Ray Charles' "In The Evening" and Guns N' Roses' "Welcome To The Jungle."
The great Etta James has been a musical force and a major hit-maker since the '50s earning numerous accolades including six Grammy Awards®, among them the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award, a Best Jazz Vocal Performance and two Hall of Fame Awards. In 1993, James was inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and in 2001 she was inducted by both the Rhythm and Blues Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall Of Fame. She also is immortalized in Hollywood with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Throughout her career, James created a remarkably deep and diverse catalog of R&B, blues, soul, pop and jazz recordings. James crossed all musical genres and styles and has been cited as a major influence by a wide range of singers from Janis Joplin to Irma Thomas to Christina Aguilera and Adele.

Many have tried to copy or follow her style, but there is only one Etta James.

Etta James – The Dreamer
1. Groove Me (King Floyd)
2. Champagne and Wine (Otis Redding/Roy Johnson/Alan Walden)
3. Dreamer (Jerry Zaremba)
4. Welcome To The Jungle (William Rose/Saul Hudson)
5. Misty Blue (Bob Montgomery)
6. Boondocks (Karen Fairchild/Wayne Kirkpatrick/Kimberly Roads/Phillip Sweet/Jimi Westbrook)
7. Cigarettes and Coffee (Jerry Butler/Jay Walker/Eddie Thomas)
8. In The Evening (Ray Charles)
9. Too Tired (Maxwell Dixon/Sam Ling/Johnny Watson)
10. That's The Chance You've Got to Take (Johnny Watson)
11. Let Me Down Easy (James Milton Campbell Jr.)

Produced by: Etta James, Donto James, Josh Sklair, Sametto Jam

THE PERSUASIONS – KNOCKIN’ ON BOB’S DOOR

The original five Persuasions, Jerry Lawson, Jimmy Hayes, Joe Russell, Jayotis Washington, and Herbert "Toubo" Rhoad - fell together by chance in 1962, harmonizing on outdoor basketball courts in Brooklyn after pick-up games. They went on to release 18 albums (the group has released about 27 at this point) and to perform or record with artists including Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, Stevie Wonder, Lou Reed, Van Morrison, Paul Simon, Joni Mitchell, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Little Richard, Nancy Wilson, The Neville Brothers, Country Joe McDonald, B.B. King, John Hiatt, Leon Redbone.

In 1988, baritone Rhoad, whose rough-edged voice was considered the "glue" of the group's sound, blending the high profile voices of Lawson and Russell in particular, died in the middle of a tour from a stroke. His ashes were scattered by his fellow Persuasions in his beloved San Francisco Bay, and the group continued as a quartet for the next seven years, always introducing Rhoad faithfully at each concert. Baritone and former Drifter Bernard "B.J." Jones joined in 1996, and in March, 1999, the addition of first tenor (and frequent album addition) Raymond X. Sanders (The Coasters, The Paragons) made the group a sextet. Both had previously toured and recorded with The Persuasions throughout the '90s. In 2002, lead singer/arranger and founding member Lawson left the group to pursue an independent career. He currently works as a specialist in caring for disabled adults, and more recently has recorded an album with the venerable San Francisco a cappella group, Talk of the Town

The Persuasions' remaining members continue to tour and record, most recently with new lead singer and arranger Dave Revels. They recorded a tribute to the band, U-2, on Chesky Records, a tribute to Bob Dylan on Zoho, and in 2009, were inducted into the Doo-Wop Hall of Fame (even though they have never considered themselves a doo-wop group!) at Symphony Hall in Boston. Jerry Lawson was inducted as a solo artist the following year.

Knockin’ On Bob’s Door showcases The Persuasions’ highly individual a cappella takes on Dylan’s classic 60’s and 70’s songs – all deeply ingrained into the collective memory of generations of music lovers. The Persuasions’ inimitable sound is intact, with two group members Jimmy Hayes (bass) and Joe Russell (second tenor) from their original 1962 line-up still with the band, and on this recording. Raymond Sanders (first tenor) has been member of the Persuasions since 1996. Bernard "BJ" Jones, a past member, has appeared on several Persuasions recordings. Latest arrival in 2003 was Dave Revels, taking over as lead tenor and as artistic director and arranger for the group.

Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door Track Listing:
1. Mr. Tambourine Man
2. All Along The Watchtower
3. Like A Rolling Stone
4. Don’t Think Twice It’s All Right
5. Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
6. Blowing In The Wind
7. Positively 4th Street
8. You Ain’t Going Nowhere
9. When I Paint My Masterpiece
10. Lay Lady Lay
11. Just Like A Woman
12. Things Have Changed
13. Forever Young
14. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Personnel:
Joe Russell – Second Tenor
Jimmy Hayes – Bass
Dave Revels – Lead Tenor
Raymond Sanders – First Tenor
Bernard “B.J” jones – Baritone
With guest Cliff Dawson: Tenor

NEWBITS FROM PAUL ANKA, KAIROS 4tet, MEDESKI MARTIN & WOOD, SMOKEY ROBINSON, RAY CHARLES AND MORE...

The legendary Paul Anka is finishing work on his first Christmas record in decades. Expect lush romantic versions of popular Christmas songs sung by a master with smooth assured production. Confirmed songs include: Let It Snow; Christmas Song; I’ll Be Home For Christmas; Winter Wonderland; It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year; White Christmas; Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas; Santa Claus Is Coming To Town; Blue Christmas; Silver Bells; Silent Night/A Cradle In Bethlehem.

The 14th Annual Jazz and Heritage Gala will be held on April 26, 2012, at the New Orleans Hilton Riverside Hotel. Please plan to join us for an exciting evening of music, food and fun while supporting the Don Jamison Heritage School of Music. The Heritage School is a free music instruction program that reaches more than 85 students each week. This year's Gala will feature two of the Heritage School's most outstanding alumni: Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews and Big Sam's Funky Nation. Tickets are $500.00 and they not only get you into the Gala, but you also get a 7-day pass to the Jazz Fest. There are also great sponsorship packages available.

Adam Waldmann’s Kairos 4tet has won the BEST JAZZ ACT at the MOBO AWARDS 2011. In 2009 Kairos 4tet burst on the UK Jazz scene with their captivating and melodic debut Kairos Moment which created an excitement that few bands are able to do from a debut album. With the release of their second album Statement of Intent in April 2011, they not only confirmed their promise and reputation but produced undeniably their best work to date. Winning rave reviews from both national and international press, a performance to a sellout crowd at Ronnie Scotts as part of the Brit Jazz Fest, Kairos 4tet, featuring the stellar line-up of Ivo Neame, Jasper Hoiby and Jon Scott will not take this award sitting down – Expect bigger and better things to come!

Following the recent success of Marius Neset's album Golden Xplosion and his recent UK tour where he picked up another 5 star review from the Guardian, we will be releasing his album on high quality vinyl this autumn, release date to be announced soon.

In Nov 2009 pianist and composer Ivo Neame released Caught In The Light of Day, an album that pushed him to the forefront of the UK jazz scene winning both rave reviews and fans. Since then he has demonstrated his brilliance in playing throughout Europe and the US at some of the most presitigous festivals in the world with Phronesis, Cinematic Orchestra and Jim Hart’s Gemini but now it’s time again for Ivo to be in the spotlight. On 10th February 2012 Ivo will perform at the Purcell Room, Southbank, London showcasing his breadth and versatility in both his playing and writing.

Indirecto Records has announced two new Medeski Martin & Wood releases: Fly In A Bottle DVD (10/25/11), MSMW Live: In Case The World Changes Its Mind (11/8/11). Fly In A Bottle, MMW's first feature-length documentary, was originally released as part of Radiolarians: the Evolutionary Box Set in 2009. Due to popular demand, MMW will release the DVD as a stand-alone item on Oct. 25. Fly In A Bottle was directed by Billy Martin. The film provides an intimate look into the daily lives of the band on tour and in the studio during the making of the Radiolarians series. Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood releases MSMW Live: In Case The World Changes Its Mind on November 8, 2011. This double-live album is a collection of twelve tracks (almost 2 hours of music) culled from MSMW's 2006 tour and features music from John Scofield's A Go Go and MSMW's Out Louder.

Capitol Records have another Frank Sinatra ‘best of’ planned for release on November 1. The set is called Sinatra: Best of the Best. Hip-O Select is planning the release of The Solo Albums: Volume Six featuring Smokey Robinson with the CD tapped for December 13. Hip-O Select will also release Forever More: The Complete Motown Albums, Volume 2 featuring The Marvelettes and planned for December 13. Concord Records scheduled to release Number Ones featuring music from Ray Charles. This collection is slated for release on March 6 of 2012.

DAVE KOZ – ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS COLLECTION

Since 1997, the Dave Koz & Friends Christmas Tour has evolved from a handful of concerts by the beloved saxman and pianist David Benoit to a 30-plus-city national phenomenon also featuring fellow genre all-stars Peter White and Rick Braun and singer Brenda Russell. The original tour came in support of his popular 1997 seasonal offering December Makes Me Feel This Way. On this new release, Ultimate Christmas features 18 holiday songs performed by Dave Koz, was released today by Capitol/EMI. The collection features the six-time Grammy® Award nominee's renditions of such perennial holiday classics as "The Christmas Song," "Winter Wonderland," "Deck The Halls," "O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree)" and "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" plus "White Christmas" featuring Kelly Sweet and "Please Come Home for Christmas" featuring Kimberley Locke. The songs were hand-picked from Dave's three previous holiday albums – December Makes Me Feel This Way, A Smooth Jazz Christmas and Memories of a Winter's Night. Koz also recorded two brand new instrumentals for Ultimate Christmas: "Welcoming the Season (Prelude)" and "Welcoming the New Year (Coda)."

Ultimate Christmas Track List:
1. Welcoming the Season (Prelude) Dave Koz
2 Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town Dave Koz
3 The Christmas Song (feat. Peter White, David Benoit, Rick Braun and Brenda Rusell)
4 Sleigh Ride Dave Koz
5 White Christmas (feat. Kelly Sweet)
6 Winter Wonderland Dave Koz
7 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (feat. Brian Culbertson)
8 Little Drummer Boy (feat. Rick Braun, Peter White and David Benoit)
9 Please Come Home for Christmas (feat. Kimberley Locke)
10 Silver Bells Dave Koz
11 Eight Candles (A Song For Hanukkah)
12 Deck the Halls Dave Koz
13 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (feat. Peter White)
14 O Tannenbaum (O Christmas Tree) Dave Koz
15 Silent Night (feat. Peter White, Rick Braun and Brenda Russell)
16 I'll Be Home for Christmas
17 Auld Lang Syne
18 Welcoming the New Year (Coda)

Dave Koz and Friends Christmas Tour 2011 kicks off on Friday, November 25th at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Center in Atlanta, GA. Trumpeter/composer/producer Rick Braun, South African singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler and Dutch saxophone star Candy Dulfer will join Koz for the 14th anniversary of the tour. The four will perform hits from their respective catalogues and jam on new arrangements of holiday favorites.

MILES DAVIS – THE COMPLETE COLUMBIA ALBUM COLLECTION

Columbia/Legacy presents Miles Davis – The Complete Columbia Album Collection, a deluxe, limited edition retrospective of the iconic music Miles Davis created during his 30 years with Columbia Records. This exquisite package, comprised of 70 CDs and 1 DVD, contains all 52 of Miles’ Columbia recordings in Japanese-styled mini LP jackets and includes a 250-page book with a biography, a fully annotated discography, a complete song index and rare photos. Appearing on DVD for the first time in this box is Live In Europe ’67, shot in Stockholm and Karlsruhe during the Miles Davis Quintet’s European tour of 1967. Completely remastered from the original broadcast tapes, these performances feature Miles with Wayne Shorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams. In addition to the DVD there will be a first-time audio release of the full performance from the 1970 Isle Of Wight festival. Bonus tracks and other rarities that have been added to the CD reissues of individual albums in past years are also included.

 

Miles Davis – The Complete Columbia Album Collection

• Limited Edition - Only Manufactured Once!
• 52 albums on 70 CDs in mini LP replica jackets
• Previously Unreleased DVD: Live In Europe ‘67
• 250 page color book with biography, fully annotated discography and complete song index
• Previously unreleased and rare audio on In Paris Festival International De Jazz, Quiet Nights, At Plugged Nickel Chicago, and We Want Miles, in addition to previously released bonus material from past reissues
• First time ever complete audio release of the August 29th, 1970 Isle Of Wight festival performance

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 http://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