JOHNNY MATHIS – THE ULTIMATE COLLECTION

Johnny Mathis’ accomplishments are numerous and varied. He holds many records and has set many precedents in the music industry. His career began in 1956 under the wing of Columbia jazz producer George Avakian.  In 1958, two years after being signed by Columbia Records, Johnny's Greatest Hits was released. It began a "Greatest Hits" tradition copied by every record company since then. Johnny's Greatest Hits went on to become one of the most popular albums of all time and spent an unprecedented 490 continuous weeks (almost ten years) on the Billboard Top Albums Chart. This record has been noted in the Guinness Book of World Records. Mathis’ long recording career, which to date has produced some 73 charting albums and sales of 350 million records. 2006 marked Johnny's 50th anniversary as a recording star and was very busy for him. Johnny Mathis – Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration and A 50th Christmas Celebration were both released and PBS taped a special called "Wonderful, Wonderful". The PBS special was later released on DVD as "Johnny Mathis – Gold: A 50th Anniversary Celebration". 2006 also marked the year that he was honored with receiving the Society of Singers coveted Ella Award.

The Ultimate Collection was released in the U.K. on October 10, and it feature 23 tracks spanning the period of 1957 to 2010, and highlighted by two tracks from CHIC’s legendary “lost” production for Mathis, 1981’s I Love My Lady.  One of these, “Something to Sing About,” surfaced on last year’s The CHIC Organization box set from Warner Music France, while the other, the title song “I Love My Lady,” makes its first appearance anywhere on The Ultimate Collection. Sequenced non-chronologically, a full ten tracks on The Ultimate Collection are from the period between 1957 and 1959, two tracks come from the 1960’s, and seven from the 1970s.  The two CHIC productions are the only representative tracks from the 1980’s, and the 1990s and 2000’s are ignored completely with the exception of two tracks from last year’s
Let It Be Me: Mathis in Nashville.   

Meanwhile, Johnny Mathis will perform two rare Holiday concerts in the Bay Area this December. Mathis will perform A Johnny Mathis Christmas Friday, December 2 at the historic Paramount Theatre in Oakland, California and Friday December 23 at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California. The two rare holiday concerts will feature holiday classics and Johnny Mathis' greatest hits.

Johnny Mathis – The Ultimate Collection
1. Too Much, Too Little, Too Late (Duet with Deniece Williams)
2. Misty
3. The Twelfth of Never
4. Maria
5. Chances Are
6. A Certain Smile
7. It’s Not For Me to Say
8. Teacher, Teacher
9. My Love for You
10. The Best of Everything
11. Someone
12. You are Beautiful
13. What Will My Mary Say
14. Crazy
15. Love Me Tender
16. When Will I See You Again (Single Version)
17. I’m Stone in Love with You
18. You’re All I Need to Get By (Duet with Deniece Williams)
19. Gone, Gone, Gone
20. Something to Sing About
21. The First Time Ever (I Saw Your Face)
22. When A Child is Born
23. I Love My Lady

GERI ALLEN - A CHILD IS BORN

Despite its time-honored traditions and universally familiar iconography, Christmas remains a holiday celebrated by each family and even each individual in their own personal style. Pianist/composer Geri Allen offers her own interpretation with A Child Is Born, a collection of traditional and original Christmas music that is profound and exuberant, solemn and joyous, spiritual and intimate. Allen's third release for Motéma Music is a solo sequel to her critically acclaimed solo debut, 2010's Flying Toward the Sound. Where that release paid tribute to three of her creative inspirations - Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, and Cecil Taylor - A Child Is Born honors equally meaningful but perhaps even more deeply entrenched influences: family and spirituality. She refers to the album as "a joyous Christmas celebration and remembrance of a childhood where love was always unconditional."

This holiday offering finds Allen at a particularly celebratory time of life. Her tandem 2010 releases on Motéma, the solo, Flying Toward the Sound, and the quartet, Timeline Live, have shown her to be at the top of her game, gaining unanimous acclaim internationally and jostling with each other for space on numerous year-end top ten lists. A 2008 Guggenheim Fellowship helped Allen facilitate her debut solo project on Motéma; and Timeline Live, which features the startlingly talented Maurice Chestnut on 'tap-percussion,' has been selling out houses world wide and garnered a career first for Allen: an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album, alongside Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Wynton Marsalis, and Bobby McFerrin. National respect for Allen as a virtuosic, innovative performer, composer, and educator (she is currently an Associate Professor of Jazz and Contemporary Improvisation at the University of Michigan) is undeniable, as evidenced by two powerful recent honors of 2011.She was invited to perform in honor of the historic Dr. Martin Luther King Monument Unveiling this August in Washington D.C.

A Child Is Born is dedicated to Allen's family, in particular to her father, Mount Allen, Jr. and mother, Barbara Jean Allen. "I am privileged and blessed to have grown up as the child of Barbara Jean and Mount Vernell Allen, Jr.," she says. "I know God loved me because He gave them to my brother Mount and I. Memories of many loving Christmases with family remain as affirmations of the beauty of life and God's never-ending love. Today, I share these timeless melodies and personal remembrances with my own children." Allen is also sharing this intimate celebration of Christmas with her extended family, her audience. These melodies of the celebration resonate with a reverence and awe that has remained an essential element of her playing throughout her remarkable career.

"These beautiful songs are so much a part of our cultural memories of the Christmas season," Allen says, "so I wanted to honor each melody and evoke the feeling of 'the dance' as the foundation for every performance. The textures, harmonies and improvisations are fluid and very spontaneous." While she insists on each familiar melody expressing itself in a pure, direct fashion, her treatment marks each as uniquely expressive. The album begins with the abundantly joyful chamber-swing of "Angels We Have Heard on High," immediately followed by the hushed solemnity of "A Child Is Born," inspired by and dedicated to piano icon, Hank Jones. Allen has always felt a direct connection with Mr. Jones, both musically and through their connection to Pontiac, Michigan, where Jones, Allen, and Allen's mother were all born.

Allen excels at communicating the meaning of traditional carols through her evocative interpretations. "We Three Kings" illuminates the mystery and exoticism of the Magi's search, gradually growing in expectation through the sustained narrative of Allen's improvisations. "Little Drummer Boy" is a portrait of its title character through both the pianist's percussively insistent left hand and the innocent wonder of its melody, while "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is a vivid snow-covered landscape under bright moonlight. And the birth of Christ itself is rendered with the stark beauty of stained glass via a medley of "Away in a Manger," "What Child Is This?" and "Silent Night."

Of course, the traditions that Allen herself experienced growing up in Detroit, also find their way into her expression of the nativity. On both "Imagining Gena at Sunrise" and Imagining Gena at Sunset," she ventures as far afield as Ethiopia, to offer her rendition of the traditional melody that is sung during the Christmas season. She creates two striking reinterpretations of that melody on Fender Rhodes, Farfisa organ, and concert celeste. "I am very inspired by Ethiopian music and culture," Allen says, "and the joy of Christmas is alive in this melody."

Other travels also proved inspirational to this recording. Allen was invited to perform at the first Jerusalem Jazz Festival in 2006 and seized upon the opportunity to pray at the Western Wall, see the Dead Sea Scrolls, and visit Bethlehem. She recreates that experience on "Journey to Bethlehem," where the resonate spoken voice of Dr. Farah Griffin, along with Carolyn Brewer's beautiful singing, serve as affirmations of intention. "We're going to take this journey..." While in Jerusalem, Ms. Allen visited the Church of the Nativity, where she was deeply moved by the beauty of, "a fourteen-point silver star, beneath the altar in the Grotto of the Nativity, which marks the spot believed to be the birthplace of Jesus."

That visit led directly to Allen's setting of the text of Matthew 1:23 "GOD Is with Us," an original piece which captures the wondrous optimism of her religious convictions. This piece leads into an interpretation of "Amazing Grace" possessed of a tender gratitude - this hymn, although not a traditional Christmas song, fits perfectly within Allen's theme of gratitude and celebration.

Traditions from separate places and cultures also have a tendency to cross paths and meld together, a concept that Allen explores in gorgeous fashion on "Emmanuel I," one of two settings of the traditional plainsong melody "O Come, O Come Emmanuel." The haunting voices of the women of Gee's Bend, Alabama, a special community whose stunning quilts have been showcased in leading art museums around the country, are interwoven with the ancient chant, creating a richly soulful, and meditative experience.

"Let Us Break Bread Together," the communion hymn, is fitting as an invocation of a sacred place where so many families unite to renew bonds, relive old memories and create new ones. It's the perfect way to end this Christmas journey, followed only by a reprise of the reverential "Emmanuel" melody. "I extend my warmest wishes and expressions of gratitude to our family and to old and new friends and fans here at home and afar," Allen says in summation of her artist notes. "For the joy of Christmas is something we can all share."

Allen's long time friend and colleague, Reverend Dwight Andrews, pens the album's illuminating liner notes. Cover Artwork (etching on copper creation) by master printmaker, Kabuya Pamela Bowens. A portion of proceeds from A Child Is Born will be tithed to Bethany Church and the YWMCA of Newark who together provide invaluable services to people in need in the Newark Vicinity. Ms. Allen will perform a special Christmas Celebration at Bethany Church on December 17.

Upcoming Geri Allen Concerts:
November 11 - The Kennedy Center, Washington D.C.
November 24 - December 7 - TIMELINE European Tour, Various Cities
December 9 – 11, Scullers, Boston, MA - TRIO w/ Esperanza Spalding & Terri Lynn Carrington
December 17 - Bethany Church, Newark, NJ
December 18 – NJPAC, Newark, NJ  
January 10 - 15, 2012, Village Vanguard, New York, NY - TRIO w/Esperanza Spalding & Terri Lynn

JAMES BROWN – THE SINGLES VOLUME ELEVEN: 1979-1981

The Singles Vol. Eleven: 1979-1981 closes a chapter on a successful in-depth series on one of the towering figures in popular music. Through the previous 10 volumes, Hip-oSelect.com has documented the many classic—and some not-so memorable—singles issued by Mr. Dynamite, the Amazing Mr. Please Please Please Himself, the Hardest Working Man In Show Business, the Godfather Of Soul. From “Please Please Please” to “Try Me,” “I Got You (I Feel Good)” to “Cold Sweat,” “The Payback” to “It’s Too Funky In Here,” and all of the B-sides and rare cuts in between, the series now delivers on its promise: every single issued by James Brown from 1956-1981, in a run of meticulously presented 2-CD sets. On The Singles Volume Eleven: 1979-1981, the end of Brown’s tenure on Polydor Records is detailed. While none of the material had the chart impact of “It’s Too Funky in Here,” the big hit from the last volume, there’s some interesting material to be had here, including rare B-sides, material from a 1980 live album, and the international hit “Rapp Payback,” cut for the independent label T.K. Records.

Disc 1 of Vol. Eleven features 19 tracks from Brown at the end of his Polydor tenure and includes all of the 7-inch singles issued by Brown on Polydor that followed “It’s Too Funky In Here,” his chart return from 1979. Among them are “Let The Boogie Do The Rest,” a B-side that could have been a hit, while “Regrets” is a country-flavored ballad that JB turns autobiographical. JB also released a fiery live album, Hot On The One, during this period, and stomping stage versions of “Get Up Offa That Thing” and “It’s Too Funky” were issued as singles. Also included is “I Go Crazy,” a cover of a previous hit that was only issued as a single in the U.K.

As a bonus, Disc 2 features all of Brown’s Polydor 12″ single mixes, including lengthy versions of “Get Up Offa That Thing,” “It’s Too Funky in Here” and others for a total nine songs: rare 12-inch singles from the man who created the extended jam, including long versions of “Get Up Offa That Thing” and “Rapp Payback.” As with previous volumes, includes a thick booklet with liner notes from James Brown staffer Alan Leeds summarizing every track, an introductory essay and epilogue, a detailed recording timeline, rare photos, and reproductions of memorabilia.

Disc 1
1. Star Generation
2. Women Are Something Else
3. The Original Disco Man - Short Version
4. The Original Disco Man
5. Let The Boogie Do The Rest
6. Regrets
7. Stone Cold Drag
8. Let The Funk Flow
9. Sometimes That’s All There Is
10. Get Up Offa That Thing (Live)
11. It’s Too Funky In Here (Live)
12. Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses)
13. Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses) (Pt. II)
14. Stay With Me
15. Smokin’ & Drinkin’
16. Give That Bass Player Some Part I
17. Give That Bass Player Some Part II
18. I Go Crazy
19. World Cycle Inc.

Disc 2: The 12-Inch Singles
1. Get Up Offa That Thing/Release The Pressure
2. If You Don’t Give A Doggone About It (12-Inch Version)
3. Eyesight (12-Inch Version)
4. The Spank (12-Inch Version)
5. For Goodness Sakes, Look At Those Cakes (12-Inch Version)
6. It’s Too Funky In Here (12-Inch Version)
7. Star Generation (12-Inch Version)
8. Rapp Payback (Where Iz Moses) (12-Inch Version)
9. Give That Bass Player Some (12-Inch Version)

DJ CAM - SEVEN

With Seven, DJ Cam serves up his most personal album since the acclaimed Substances. Inspired as ever by the original jazz and hip-hop influences that helped him become one of the founders of the trip-hop scene back in 1995, this new album is also full of exciting new musical and visual influences. As a mainstay of the French Touch (he started his career in the 1990s together with Daft Punk, Air, Cassius, Bob Sinclar...), DJ Cam has released six albums, helmed a number of side projects and given countless performances all around the world, helping him to acquire global notoriety. His 2002 single Summer in Paris with Anggun sold over a million copies and remains an emblematic tune of the Parisian dolce vita. He is now based in Los Angeles, where his musical and visual projects can converge, including production and remixes (Michael Jackson, Serge Gainsbourg, Air, Miles Davis...), sound design (Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Sephora, Agnès b...), soundtracks for both TV (CSI: Miami...) and cinema (Gus Van Sant, Wayne Wang...).

Seven has touches of well-crafted pop and folk (Swim, with vocals by by Stateless’ Chris James and a video directed by Sonia Sieff, reminds one of Radiohead, one of the album’s major influences. And Chris James is also present on Ghost and Uncomfortable), hints of old school electronica (Dreamcatcher), and cinematic ambient tracks that invite you to dream (Seven, California Dreaming). For a feminine touch, DJ Cam adds the vocals of Inlove, a new signing on his Inflamable label, and Nicolette, long-time collaborator with Massive Attack, the legendary group that DJ Cam feels closer to now than ever before, and to whom he dedicates the album. The jazzy style kicks into high gear about a quarter of the way in on the track featuring vocals by Nicolette, but the majority of the album has a more haunting, hypnotic mood. Includes "California Dreamin'", "Swim", "Ghost" and "Uncomfortable" feat Chris James, "Dreamcatcher", "Love" (feat Nicolette), "Seven", "1988" feat Inlove, "Fountainbleau" and "A Loop".

Written in Paris and Los Angeles, Seven is an album whose enveloping, melancholic tone and wide-open soundscapes are supposed to help make your mind wander. The release of the album is the moment for DJ Cam – who admits to spending as much time in art galleries as he does listening to and composing music – to show us his talents as a photographer through the Landscape Architecture project, a series of mysterious landscapes where nature and architecture intermingle in a ghost-like world. An exhibition is planned, and the visuals will projected on a big screen during DJ Cam’s concerts, as revealed for the first time at the SXSW festival last March.

MEL BROWN - THE WIZARD / BLUES FOR WE

Two stone killers from an ultra-hip guitarist! The Wizard is one of the key records in Mel Brown's legendary run for Impulse Records – a set that's grittier than most other sides recorded for the label in the 60's, but which also has the tight funky undercurrent we've come to expect from groovy Impulse too! Brown's got a strong blues lineage in his instrument, but he plays it here with a lean, mean style that's mighty nice – no cliches at all, and some of the funky jazz vibe you'd hear from Melvin Sparks or Grant Green on their late 60's work for Blue Note. The group's small, too – which helps keep things tight – and other players include Terry Evans on rhythm guitar, Mack Johnson on trumpet, Clifford Solomon on tenor, Ronald Brown on bass, and Paul Humphrey on drums. Titles include a monster version of "Ode to Billie Joe", plus "Swamp Fever", "African Sweets", "Stop", "Miss An", "W2 Withholding", and "Chunk a Funk". Blues For We is a record that's a lot more jazz than you'd guess from the title – a seminal set from the mighty Mel Brown! The "blues" here are hardly the familiar kind – and instead, the album really stresses the more soul-based sound of Mel Brown's work – thanks to some very groovy arrangements from Artie Butler! Tracks have a vamping, stomping sort of sound that's all-soul all the way through – using both Mel's guitar and some of his vocals to top some wonderful grooves from Artie – all done up in the best mix of soul jazz and more conventional vibes that was going down at Verve and Impulse in the late 60's. The tunes are all plenty hip too – with titles that include a great version of Tom Scott's "Freaky Zeke", plus Mel's own takes on "Son Of A Preacher Man", "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da", "Indian Giver", and "Set Me Free". Source: Dusty Groove.

CLARKE – THE MEASURE OF MY WORTH

Basil Clarke, is set to release his debut album, The Measure Of My Worth. The sophisticated production will take true music lovers through an eclectic mix of Jazz, Beats and Neo Soul, while incorporating exotic influences inspired by Clarke's observations of today's world. During the 1980's Basil Clarke led the Manchester quartet Yargo whose style fused a subtle mix of Jazz, Funk and Reggae with Pop sensibilities into their own innovative sound. Like many musicians of his generation, he was inspired to form a band by the emergence of punk, which he witnessed at close quarters. But when Clarke finally found his singing voice, its haunting beauty set him apart from the post-punk rank-and-file. His commanding stage presence led the British music press to compare him favorably with legendary American soul singers, unaccustomed as they were to encountering homegrown performers of such high caliber.

Yargo's debut album Bodybeat was considered part of the foundation of the Manchester music scene, which spawned the likes of Oasis, Inspiral Carpets and Happy Mondays. That musical inspiration continues up till the present with the DNA of Yargo's unique style still influencing the likes of The Ting Tings amongst others. When Yargo came to an end in the early nineties, Clarke continued to write, record and perform as a solo artist. He maintained his independent approach, but gradually his music has moved toward jazz-inspired soul and neo-soul, allowing him to exploit his vocal and songwriting strengths. Like a fine wine, Clarke has matured and re-emerged as a solo artist, and his intoxicating debut album is the bridge between what was then and what is now. Widely described as a musical innovator who traverses genres and defies musical boundaries, Clarke sees The Measure of My Worth as an intimate reflection of ones inner soul when shaped by life experiences.

Clarke – The Measure Of My Worth
The Anatomy of a Storm
The Measure of My Worth
Bruises
Sir Real
Feeling Good
The Prize
Beautiful
Empty Your Mind
Heart Call
Race

PAUL ANKA – SONGS OF DECEMBER

Songs of December is the first seasonal recording from music icon Paul Anka in more than 50 years. Recorded at both the legendary Capitol Studios and Ocean Way Recording Studio in Los Angeles, California, Songs of December features eleven holiday classics produced by the original 'teen idol', Paul Anka.  The album includes guest arrangements by David Foster, Johnny Mandel, Patrick Williams and Chris Walden and was engineered and mixed by the legendary Al Schmitt. The album will be available November 15th on Decca.

Beginning his career by entering amateur contests and sneaking into clubs, Paul Anka has gone on to become one of the most prolific, successful songwriters in history.  Armed with a sense of tenacity as formidable as his talent, Anka has conquered many challenges over the course of the last five decades, forging a career that's unlike any other in the history of popular music.  As he made the transition from '50s teen idol to celebrated songwriter to a contemporary torchbearer for all that swings, he has maintained a commitment to quality, bringing his best to whatever he faces.

"Music has always filled my home, especially around the holidays, and when the idea of recording these seasonal standards came about, I couldn't resist," comments Anka. "I hope that my interpretation of these 'Yuletide' chestnuts will fill your home with joy and good cheer." For many people, winter marks a special period of closeness with family and friends -- and the height of the holidays bring with them the bounty of seasonal songs known by heart and sang with joy in living rooms and street corners everywhere. Paul Anka puts his own personal touch to these sentiments with Songs of December.

Songs Of December Track-listing:
1. Let It Snow 
2. Christmas Song
3. I'll Be Home For Christmas
4. Winter Wonderland
5. It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year
6. White Christmas
7. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
8. Santa Claus Is Coming to Town
9. Blue Christmas
10. Silver Bells
11. Silent Night/A Cradle in Bethlehem

Paul Anka U.S. Tour Dates:
11/30 Newport News, VA Ferguson Center For The Arts
12/1 New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre
12/3 Westbury, NY Westbury Music Fair
12/6 Winston Salem, NC Joel Coliseum
12/31 Hollywood, FL Hard Rock Casino

http://www.paulanka.com/
http://www.deccarecords.com/

MICHAEL BUBLE - CHRISTMAS

Michael Bublé's highly anticipated Christmas album - his holiday gift to fans around the globe has been released. Christmas is the record the multi-Grammy winning Canadian has been dreaming about making for years. "It's always been my favorite holiday and I knew that one day I would record the ultimate Christmas record. I wanted it to sound and feel very authentic -- pretty much like a live studio album. I'm very proud of it," commented Bublé. Christmas follows up his critically acclaimed Crazy Love CD, which sold over seven million copies worldwide.

Christmas, produced by David Foster, Bob Rock and Humberto Gatica was recorded primarily at the legendary Capitol Recording Studios in Hollywood and The Warehouse Studios in Vancouver. It includes guest performances by Shania Twain, Mexican singing star Thalia, long time collaborators Naturally 7 and The Puppini Sisters. Christmas includes such classics as "Silent Night," "White Christmas," "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas" and a Bublé original "Cold December Night."

Bublé's presence around the holiday season may rival Santa Claus himself with an NBC TV Special scheduled to air December 6th at 8:00pm, an upcoming CBS 60 Minutes profile, an NBC Christmas Tree Lighting performance November 30th, a co-hosting stint on Regis & Kelly on December 15 and 16 and a visit to the show on November 7th. He will also appear on Saturday Night Live on December 17th. An exclusive deluxe edition of Christmas is now available at Target stores nationwide and at Target.com. This Target album features three exclusive holiday classics including "Winter Wonderland," "Frosty The Snowman," and "Silver Bells."

Simultaneous to the release of Bublé's Christmas, GetGlue, the leading social network for entertainment, will embark in their first fully integrated music package with the launch of The Michael Bublé GetGlue Holiday Calendar. Fans are invited to check into various Bublé activities, including TV and radio, trivia, etc. to obtain exclusive content, stickers and more. http://www.bublechristmas.com/

The Vancouver native's recent "Crazy Love" Tour sold out 80 cities and was seen by over a million people. His Crazy Love CD won two Grammy Awards in 2011 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal album and Best Male Pop Vocal Performance for his No. 1 Bublé penned single "Haven't Met You Yet." Bublé is also the recipient of 10 Juno Awards including a Juno Album of The Year for "It's Time." In less than a decade, Michael Bublé's international record sales have topped 30 million.

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)