THE CAMELLIA SESSIONS RE-LIVES CLASSIC TRACKS WITH NEO.SON / CHARLIE SEPULVEDA AFTER HOURS / MAMBOLERO VOLUME 1

The Camellia Sessions aims to let listeners experience some of the world's best known music through the reinvention and "re-living" of classic music tracks. Camellia Sessions has selected songs from throughout many decades and genres to re-record for a multi-volume jazz, world and lounge music series. Available digitally only, the first three volumes in the "Camellia Sessions" collection - Neo.Son, Charlie Sepulveda After Hours and Mambolero Volume 1 were all released on October 25th, 2011.

The Camellia Sessions blossoms, re-living the spirit of true musical classics through fresh, contemporary productions and creative visuals. Especially crafted for a global audience, these are essential "Re-lived" versions of the classic songs which usher you to the fondest of memories. Re-lived Music is more than just a new music genre. It is the music that you grew up with, remixed and remade in a way that gives justice to the original song. Re-lived Music has the presence of the original song while still remaining an updated new version of it. If that "feel good" feeling is lost then one could say the song was remade, covered or remixed, but not Re-lived. All of the best musical standards can be "Re-lived" when an artist or musician truly creates a modern version of a classic track.

Produced by peermusic Miami's Creative Director Julio Bague, the Camellia Sessions will revive the spirit of true classics through fresh, contemporary productions and creative visuals designed by critically acclaimed artist Sinuhe Vega. Vega's work incorporates a multi-medium, layered process including sculpture, paint and photography, all culminating in what creates a sensory experience for viewers. Said Bague, "The goal of the Camellia Sessions is to provide classic master recordings with a new creative spin through a line of albums - released periodically and only digitally - containing new versions of these songs performed by various artists. By creating these albums aimed at the club and lounge crowds, we hope to introduce some of these classics to a whole new generation of listeners while maintaining the integrity of the originals."

Neo.Son, the first of the releases, includes classic songs made famous by the likes of Buddy Holly ("Everyday"), Nat King Cole ("Perfidia"), Donovan ("Mellow Yellow"), Desi Arnaz ("Babalu"), Sammy Davis Jr. ("You Are My Sunshine") and more, which have been re-lived by sultry female vocalist Natascha Bessez and eclectic programmer/keyboardist Gabó. The remixes give these classics an electro, loungy, fun and sensual feel. "Mellow Yellow" will be the first single release off of the album and a music video will follow.

In After Hours, featuring the trumpet of Charlie Sepulveda and accompanying guitars, jazz classics such as Hoagy Carmichael's "Stardust," Ray Charles' "Georgia On My Mind," Tony Bennett's "Skylark" and Xavier Cugat's "Cachita" are revisited with a jazzy, laid-back approach perfect for the wine and club crowd.

Mambolero Volume 1, featuring signature mambos and boleros made famous by the likes of Tito Puente ("Ran Kan Kan"), Rafael Hernandez ("Enamorado De Ti"), Perez Prado ("Pianolo") and more, have all been re-recorded in an updated yet classic style by a variety of artists. "These are songs you listen to while you live your life. Don't take a moment to listen, listen as you enjoy the moment. Just as the camellia is an international flower, the Camellia Sessions will surely resonate with a global, grooving audience."

 http://www.camelliasessions.com

DEAN MARTIN AND SCARLETT JOHANSSON DUET ON DINO'S CLASSIC HOLIDAY ALBUM "MY KIND OF CHRISTMAS"

Universal Music Enterprises has released the Dean Martin classic holiday album My Kind of Christmas, and the 14-track collection features the new Dean Martin duet with special guest singer and actress Scarlett Johansson of the timeless song “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” Dean Martin loved the holiday season and My Kind of Christmas creates that wonderful nostalgic feeling when gathering with family and friends, decorating the tree and reminiscing while a New Year lingers just around the corner. Nobody sings the holiday classics better than Dino.

Dean Martin “My Kind of Christmas” features more than a dozen timeless classics full of sparkling Christmas cheer including; “White Christmas,” “Silent Night,” “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” “Jingle Bells,” “Rudolph, The Red Nosed Reindeer,” as well as Dino’s popular take on “A Marshmallow World.” Famed actress and singer Scarlett Johansson recently recorded an all-new duet of the song “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” exclusively for My Kind of Christmas. A long time fan, Johansson, along with Martin, shares a similar artistic, award-winning career path following both their love of acting and music. “Growing up in New York City, Christmas was never Christmas without Dino,” said Johansson. “Recording in the studio with Mr. Martin in my headphones felt as though he were standing right next to me, crooning with that mischievous gleam in his eye. When I was asked to sing on this album, it was literally a childhood dream come true.”

Capping off a big year in a resurgence of The King of Cool, previous releases and projects throughout 2011 have included the hit Valentines Day single “Hey, Good Lookin’” (Shake It Remix), a new 60+ page hardcover book containing behind-the-scenes and never before seen photos with a 2-CD musical anthology titled Dean Martin: Cool Then, Cool Now, the release of three new DVD collections featuring The Best of the Dean Martin Variety Show from Time-Life, and two collections of music from Capitol/EMI, the deluxe edition of Dino: The Essential Dean Martin and an new title Classic Dino: The Best Of Dean Martin.

A famed star of the silver screen, television icon, Grammy® Award-winning singing sensation and member of the renowned “Rat Pack,” Dean Martin’s show business legacy is legendary. His musical career features such classics as “Ain’t That A Kick In The Head,” “That’s Amore,” “Mambo Italiano,” “Everybody Loves Somebody,” “Sway,” “Volare,” and more, releasing dozens of album recordings over his lifetime. Starring in dozens of well-known movies including Ocean’s Eleven, Rio Bravo, The Caddy, and Who Was That Lady?, for which Martin received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor, coupled with a highly popular television career, Dean Martin certainly earned his nickname as the “King of Cool.”

Dean Martin “My Kind of Christmas” track listing:
1. Baby It's Cold Outside
2. Silver Bells
3. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
4. Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
5. The Christmas Blues
6. Winter Wonderland (THE SWINGIN' YULETIDE MIX)
7. Silent Night
8. A Marshmallow World
9. I'll Be Home For Christmas (DUET WITH SCARLETT JOHANSSON)
10. Jingle Bells
11. Blue Christmas
12. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
13. White Christmas
14. Peace On Earth
15. Silent Night

Official Dean Martin website: http://www.deanmartin.com/
Become a fan on Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DeanMartin
Follow on Twitter: www.Twitter.com/DinosPlace

FOURPLAY - LET'S TOUCH THE SKY

For two decades, the contemporary jazz quartet known as Fourplay has enjoyed consistent artistic and commercial success by grafting elements of R&B, pop and a variety of other sounds to their unwavering jazz foundations. In the course of a dozen recordings – six of which have climbed to the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz Album charts – the supergroup has continued to explore the limitless dimensions and permutations of jazz while at the same time appealing to a broad mainstream audience.

The Fourplay story begins in 1990, with keyboardist Bob James, who had already established himself as a formidable figure in keyboard jazz – not just as an instrumentalist but as a composer and arranger as well – with solo recordings dating as far back as the mid 1960s. In 1990, James reunited with his old friend, session drummer, producer, composer & recording artist Harvey Mason (Herbie Hancock, Barbra Streisand, Notorious Big), during the recording of James’ Grand Piano Canyon album. Also involved in the project were guitarist Lee Ritenour (Sergio Mendes) and bassist/vocalist Nathan East (Barry White, Eric Clapton, Phil Collins). The Grand Piano Canyon sessions marked the genesis of the group that eventually came to be known as Fourplay. Their self-titled debut album was released in 1991, and included a blend of jazz, R&B and pop.

The original lineup of James/Ritenour/East/Mason stayed together for three successive albums, including Elixir (1994), a set that features some high-profile guest vocalists: Phil Collins, Patti Austin and Peabo Bryson. East also delivers some noteworthy vocal contributions on Elixir, and has continued to do so throughout most of Fourplay’s subsequent studio outings.

Ritenour, whose guitar work in tandem with James’ keyboards served as the cornerstone of the early Fourplay sound, left the lineup in the mid-1990s and was replaced by Larry Carlton (The Crusaders, Joni Mitchell, Quincy Jones). Carlton made his first studio appearance with the band with the release of 4 in 1998. 4 included compositions by all four members, as well as an impressive crew of guest vocalists: El Debarge, Babyface Edmonds, Kevyn Lettau and Shanice.

Following the 1999 release of Snowbound, a mix of traditional and contemporary holiday songs, Fourplay shook things up a bit with Yes Please!, an album that challenged the standard definitions of contemporary jazz by incorporating elements of blues, funk and even Celtic music. JazzTimes critic Hilarie Grey called Yes Please! “an expansive album that incorporates each artist’s strengths, and in the process travels in some unexpected directions.” Grey added: “Yes Please! works where similar projects fail simply because it lets its artists play, without imposing artificial boundaries.”

The sense of experimentation continued with the 2002 release of Heartfelt. The material in this set emerged from a series of improvisational performances that were assembled into full compositions. As a result, the tunes have less clearly defined melodies, but the overall album is both exploratory and accessible at the same time.

Journey, released in 2004, is a laid-back affair, but complex at the same time. Consistent with Fourplay’s eclectic philosophy, Journey incorporates a range of stylistic elements – as evidenced by such high points as the delicate cover of the 1993 Sting hit “Fields of Gold” and the Mason bossa nova flavored “Rozil.”

X followed in 2006, with guest vocals by blue-eyed-soul icon Michael McDonald, who delivers an inspired rendition of Steve Winwood’s “My Loves Leavin’.” JazzTimes called X “a softly funky, superbly crafted and unapologetically low-key album.”

Fourplay joined the prestigious roster of artists on Heads Up International, a division of Concord Music Group, with the 2008 release of Energy, which spent three consecutive weeks at the top of Billboard’s Contemporary Jazz chart. The album grafts a variety of sounds – R&B, pop, African and more – to Fourplay’s unwavering jazz foundations. In addition to vocals by East, Energy features a vocal track by bassist Esperanza Spalding.

After 12 years with the group, Carlton left in April 2010 to delve further into his solo career, and the band welcomed its newest member, multi-faceted virtuoso guitarist, Chuck Loeb. His musical contributions undoubtedly enhance the creativity and pursuit of excellence Fourplay has enjoyed in the studio and on the stage. Loeb makes his highly anticipated debut with the quartet on Let’s Touch The Sky, the band’s latest recording that also includes thrilling performances by guest vocalists Anita Baker and Ruben Studdard.

The infusion of new blood into the Fourplay lineup creates an opportunity to bring an even higher level of energy and inspiration into a band that is already known for taking chances and pushing the limits of contemporary jazz. “All four of us have been in this business long enough to know that there’s always pressure to compromise, and we don’t want to do that,” says James. “We don’t want to end up in the middle of the pack. We always aim to be leaders, and take the music to another level and raise the standards higher. I think the music on this new record, thanks in large part to Chuck’s early contributions – and to the ongoing team spirit of the band as a whole – is very much a reflection of that philosophy.”

RAUL MIDON - SYNTHESIS

Search for Raul Midón on YouTube and you’ll find a clip of the New York-based vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter appearing on The Late Show with David Letterman in 2006. Performing “State of Mind,” the title track from his 2005 debut album, Midón unleashes a silky, soulful tenor and dazzling percussive guitar style — a syncopated, flamenco-and jazz-infused approach in which bass, harmony, and melodic lines emanate from the fretboard in one slap-happy storm. If that weren’t enough, Midón busts out his improvisational mouth horn technique, in which he creates a bebop “trumpet” solo entirely with his lips, earning himself a spontaneous burst of mid-song applause from the audience in the process. It’s a virtuosic performance, and one that reveals what has made Midón such an exciting artist to watch over the past few years.

The New Mexico native funnels all that creativity and fiery passion into his third album, Synthesis, which he recorded in Los Angeles in June 2009 with legendary producer and bassist Larry Klein, who is noted for his work with such luminaries as Joni Mitchell, Herbie Hancock, and Peter Gabriel. A genre-defying blend of soul, pop, jazz, folk, and Latin elements, the song “Invisible Chains” showcases Midón’s evolution as an artist as he sets some of his more biting insights about betrayal, fear, loss, and the American Dream to deceptively up-tempo swinging rhythms and deliriously catchy melodies. While “Never Really Gave,” “Don’t Take It That Way,” and “Invisible Chains” crackle with tart observation, songs like “Next Generation,” “Call My Name,” and “Moment to Moment” strike a more uplifting tone.

“Larry encouraged me to write from a different perspective than I have in the past,” Midón says of the lyrics on Synthesis. “I’ve written a lot of songs about hope and inspiration and that sort of thing, which is cool, but there are other aspects to life. I’ve tried to expand my repertoire a bit. This is not a record about trying to enhance somebody’s understanding of my woes. It’s more about trying to go deep into just how it is to live life and all the different things you feel. Like how you can be very angry at somebody and still love them, or how you meet people who teach you things, but you don’t want to be like them. I’m talking about how I feel about the world and how I fit into it.”

Midón has always experienced the world differently than most. The son of an Argentinean father and an African-American mother (who died when Midón was young), Raul was born prematurely in a rural hospital in Embudo, New Mexico, where he and his twin brother, Marco, were blinded as infants after spending time in an incubator without adequate eye protection. “At the time, they didn’t know you have to protect the eyes from the oxygen of the incubator,” Midón says, “so a generation of people were blinded in that way.” Marco now works for NASA as an electrical engineer while Raul followed a musical path inspired by his father, a professional Argentine folkloric dancer with a diverse record collection that included Beethoven and Mozart, progressive composers John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen, and jazz greats Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, and Sonny Rollins.

“We were the kind of family who would put on a record and sit and listen to it, not have it play in the background and go about our business,” Midón recalls. “It was like an event.” Young Raul began playing hand drums at age four before shifting his focus to guitar while he and Marco attended a school for the blind from age five to fifteen. “I don’t believe that blindness makes you a better musician,” Midón says. “I think perhaps it focuses you in a very pragmatic way. I knew I had limited job possibilities, but the Midóns don’t believe in backup plans — like ‘Do music, but get your teaching degree in case it doesn’t work out.’ That’s never been our modus operandi. I knew that I had this talent, so blindness focused me on developing that talent. But I don’t think it made me play better. Most of the great musicians I know can see.”

After completing his final two years of high school at a Santa Fe prep school, Midón attended the University of Miami, which he selected for its prestigious jazz curriculum. He remained there after graduating and became an in-demand backup singer, working primarily in the Latin-pop world for such artists as Julio and Enrique Iglesias, Shakira, Ricky Martin, and Alejandro Sanz. He also worked the club circuit, sprinkling the requisite cover songs amid the original tunes he was beginning to write. In 2002, Midón walked away from his lucrative work as a back-up singer to pursue a career as a solo artist in New York City.

“I was making a living as a professional musician, but I wasn’t pursuing art,” Midón says. “In Miami, you played your songs in a seafood restaurant as background music, and at some point you would get the request for ‘Margaritaville.’ It’s very different than playing in New York where people go to hear original music.” Yet Midón’s first year in Manhattan didn’t pan out as he’d expected (a period he chronicles on State of Mind). His experience singing back-up on countless Latin-pop records didn’t mean automatic work, so he found a gig playing in between sets by a Top 40 band at a club in the West Village, where he began to develop his show-stopping performance style.

“I took on this warrior approach to playing guitar,” Midón says. “Like a ‘You have to pay attention to this because you’ve never heard or seen anything like it before’ kind of thing.” He began to attract attention and eventually landed a monthly residency at highly regarded downtown club Joe’s Pub. In 2003, he was approached backstage to perform at a show called “The Movie Music of Spike Lee” at Carnegie Hall, along with Terence Blanchard, Angie Stone, Cassandra Wilson, and Bruce Hornsby. Midón received a standing ovation, a rave in the New York Times, and, eventually, an audience with legendary producer Arif Mardin, who signed him and co-produced State of Mind, which garnered critical accolades for its heady fusion of old-school soul, Latin, jazz, and timeless singer/songwriter folk-pop.

For the next several years, Midón made a name for himself touring throughout the U.S., Europe, and Japan, then released his second solo album, A World Within a World, in 2007, which, with its uplifting lyrics about social consciousness and insinuating grooves, went a long way toward further establishing Midón as an artist “who contributes something lasting to the musical landscape,” as NPR said of him. Guitar Player called Midón “one of those rare musical forces that remind s how strong and deep the connection between man and music can sometimes be.”

In June 2009, Midón arrived in Los Angeles to begin recording with Klein, whose previous work with so many beloved singer-songwriters Midón credits with making his voice sound more alive than he’d ever heard it recorded. “I wanted to work with someone I can communicate with as a musician, who has that background and vocabulary, particularly harmonically,” he says. “Larry is the kind of producer who is coming from where I’m coming from.”

Midón and Klein agreed that all the elements should be acoustic. “I wanted to get back to organic recording,” Midón says. “We did more programming on the last record, and I wanted the new album to feature real musicians playing. So it’s guitars, bass, drums, vocals, and not a lot of effects.” The band includes session vets Vinnie Colaiuta (drums), Paulinho Da Costa (percussion), Dean Parks (guitar), and Jamie Muhoberac (keyboards), as well as Klein on bass. The result is an intimate, classic-sounding album that is sure to delight newcomers to Midón’s music and those who’ve been following his remarkable talent for years.

“I’ve always been interested in combining elements,” Midón says. “This album has elements of soul and pop. There are some improvisational elements. There are some songs that are perhaps a bit challenging musically, but my hope is that the album appeals to a broad audience. I think there’s something here for everyone.”

LEA SALONGA – THE JOURNEY SO FAR

Recorded at New York’s Café Carlyle, Lea Salonga’s latest CD entitled The Journey So Far features favorite tracks from throughout Lea’s career; a mix of Broadway, jazz, pop and cabaret standards. The Journey So Far, the new live CD from veteran Broadway and Tony Award-winning actress Lea Salonga, the Filipina singer and actress who is best known for originating the lead role of Kim in the musical Miss Saigon (and for which she won the Tony, Olivier, Drama Desk Outer Critics and Theatre World Awards). Says Salonga, “We wanted to make this recording something very personal, touching on my life as well as my career. There are songs from my homeland, musical theater, film, and the jazz and pop worlds…this is more than just a recording; it’s a memento, a lasting souvenir of this very special time in my life.”

Recorded at the Café Carlyle with musical director Larry Yurman on piano, Jack Cavari on guitar, John Miller on bass, and Dave Ratajczak on drums. “The Journey So Far” features such timeless classics as “My Romance,” “Let’s Fall In Love,” “Someone To Watch Over Me,” “Salamat Salamat Musika,” “I Have Dreamed,” “Something’s Coming” and “There’ll Be Time.” “The Journey So Far” was produced by Nashville-based industry veteran Chris Keaton. "Lea is the consummate entertainer and, in my opinion, one of the premier vocalists on the planet,” said Keaton. “Working on this project is a dream come true for me, especially being a Nashville based industry professional....Broadway/Nashville, who knew? I really do believe this recording will open new doors and introduce Lea to a 'whole new world' of fans."

The Journey So Far is Salonga’s 26th CD release (she began her recording career at the age of 10 with her first album, Small Voice). Amongst many other theatrical productions (including the critically-acclaimed revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song), Salonga was the first Asian actress to play the roles of Eponine and Fantine in the musical Les Miserables on Broadway, and also provided the singing voices of two Disney “princesses” – Jasmine in the film Aladdin and Fa Mulan in the films Mulan and Mulan II. In addition to her roles on the Great White Way, Salonga has starred in many theatrical productions in the Philippines and the Pacific Rim countries and continues to tour worldwide. She has performed with the likes of Harry Connick Jr., Michele Lee, John Lithgow, Jeff Daniels, and Russell Watson, and is active in such Broadway organizations as the Broadway Artists Alliance, Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS and The Actor’s Fund. Salonga received a Presidential Award of Merit from Philippine President Corazon Aquino. Salonga is currently on tour through 2012 in support of her album

http://www.leasalonga.com/

BERARDI JAZZ CONNECTION - ANYWAY

Berardi Jazz Connection is the brainchild of drummer and percussionist, Francesco Lomagistro, whose idea it was to put together all of the experiences that come from his passion for African-American music, the groove, and the synergy between rhythm and melody. Lomagistro partnered with Ettore Carucci (piano and fender rhodes) to form Berardi Jazz Connection, along with three other talented musicians – Vincenzo Prestra (sax); Andrea Sabatino (trumpet); and Camilo Pace (double bass). Berardi is actually the name of the street where Lomagistro arranged the room of an old apartment to become his first rehearsal studio. He used to spend most of his time there. Along with Ettore Carucci, they began to play their early jazz standards, researching what was destined to become in time their style of playing. They shared a few experiences as "sidemen" and nurtured the ideas that would eventually create their first album project. The atmosphere on each of their releases is assuredly jazz, but with "modern" influences that can be easily associated to the nu-jazz movement coming out of Europe. The group has three releases to date - The Way I Like It, Do It, and Anyway (released 2010). With Anyway, they're even more jazz-based than before – still with rhythms aimed at a club jazz crowd, but mostly played live, with a spontaneous sort of energy that rivals the best of the Ricky Tick record label scene, and maybe a bit of the Schema world too. There seem to be more great keyboards that ever before – nice and warm, but never slick or smooth – and some cuts have vocals – although most of the grooves are still in an instrumental jazz mode, and one that really sums up the sound of Italy's scene in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Titles include "The Right Time", "Walking In The Village", "Running Away", "Indecision", and "Just Let Me Be". Berardi Jazz Connection is one of those groups who seem to impress more and more with each new album.

CHICK COREA 70th BIRTHDAY CONCERTS AT THE BLUE NOTE, NYC

Now that the widely successful Return to Forever IV tour has wrapped for the year, work has begun on the next projects - and that is a new CD and DVD. Producer Lenny White is now faced with the task of sorting through the massive amounts of material to pick the “best of the best.” Once that is done, White will be mixing those elements throughout them month of November. In the mean time, Chick Corea will be celebrating his 70th birthday with a month-long series of concerts at The Blue Note in New York City, where he will be joined by his Return to Forever band mates as well as other guest musicians.

November 1-2 / Return to Forever – Unplugged
First up will be Return to Forever – Unplugged as Stanley Clarke, Frank Gambale and Lenny White join Corea at the Blue Note club on November 1 and 2.

November 3 / Chick Corea / Guy Peacock / Brian Blade
Gary Peacock and Brian Blade will join Corea for one a one night only special performance. Peacock is the brilliant bassist in Keith Jarrett’s “standards” trio and long-time friend and collaborator with Corea, and Blade, also appearing with the Five Peace Band, is one of the most acclaimed drummers today. This concert is for November 3.

November 4–6 / Five Peace Band
From November 4 – 6, Guitar legend John McLaughlin joins Corea in the Five Peace band, also featuring Kenny Garrett, Brian Blade and John Pattitucci. The band’s CD Five Peace Band Live won the 2010 Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy® award.

November 8-10 / Bobby McFerrin Duet
Bobby McFerrin joins Corea on November 8-10 along with some special guests who will joint them on stage. Together they have recorded two albums of far-reaching jazz and classical music. Their musical chemistry is legendary – a high-wire act without a net. Corea will also tour with Bobby McFerrin in 2012.

November 11-13 / Chick Corea & Gary Burton
From November 11 through the 13th, Chick Corea and Gary Burton welcome the Harlem String Quartet, playing a preview of the upcoming CD Hot House (available February 2012). With this arrangement, Corea and Burton are pioneering a new sound: chamber jazz. Corea will also be on tour with Gary Burton in Europe during 2012.

November 15-17 / From Miles
Miles Davis debuted many of the biggest names in jazz within his own bands, and now Corea assembles a quintet of them: Eddie Gomez, Jack DeJohnette, Wallace Roney and Gary Bartz. Corea and DeJohnettes history with Miles dates back to the seminal Bitches Brew sessions.

November 18-20 / Chick’s Flamenco Heart
Passionate, fiery and soulful, the top Flamenco and Spanish Jazz artists meld with Chick: Latin superstar Concha Buika, the African inspired Flamenco singer who sold out New York’s Town Hall; Flamenco legends guitarist Nino Josete, bassist Carles Benavent, and flautist Jorge Pardo (all veterans of Paco De Lucia’s band), and one of Spain’s most in-demand drummers, Jeff Ballard (who moved to the country to be immersed in his love of Spanish/Flamenco rhythms). Appropriately dubbed Chick’s Flamenco Heart, this extension of Corea's landmark album My Spanish Heart and his most famous composition “Spain.”

November 22 / Marcus Robert Piano Duet
Marcus Roberts joins Corea for one night only on November 22. Roberts is a longtime partner of Wynton Marsalis and Jazz at Lincoln Center, and he has mastered every style of jazz piano since the pre-bop era.

November 23 / Herbie Hancock Piano Duet
Another one night only special event as Corea duets with jazz legend Herbie Hancock! In 1978, at the height of electric jazz, Corea and Hancock shocked the jazz world by touring as an acoustic piano duet. Since that legendary pairing, their collaborations have been extremely rare.

November 25-27 / The Elektric Band
Corea wraps up the month with the original members of the Elektric Band: Eric Marienthal, Frank Gambale, John Pattitucci and Dave Weckl. This is the lineup that defined the sound of electric jazz in the 1980’s, with a series of masterpieces including Light Years and Eye of the Beholder.

ULTRA COOL 60s JAZZ LP FROM STELLA ARTOIS - UNDER THE HOLIDAY STAR

Named after the holiday star, Stella Artois was first crafted for the holidays as a gift to the people of Leuven. In that same spirit of generosity, the Belgian lager is giving a unique gift to its fans: an eight-track album of holiday favorites to be offered, for free, throughout the season. Under The Holiday Star is a full-length album of classic seasonal favorites, re-imagined as a timeless and ultra-cool 60's Jazz LP. The album giveaway follows Stella Artois' 2010 holiday gift, a free download of the track "Les 12 Jours de Noel". This initial offering was so successful that it inspired Stella Artois to take a step further in 2011, gifting an entire album of evergreen holiday classics brought to life in a unique and stylish way.

There’ll be eight jazz tracks, which were recorded Los Angeles, New York and Paris under the guidance of composers Gordon Minette, James Leibow and Andy Bloch and arranger Dan Block. The compilation, which will be available for free, includes both legendary songs like Deck The Halls, The Nutcracker March, Auld Lang Syne and two original tracks Snowball and Let’s Call It Quits. The Winter Wonderland and Baby It’s Cold Outside will be available only for the first 500,000 downloads. One of these songs (the brand doesn’t say which one yet) will be also featured in Stella Artois 2011 Christmas campaign. Using a keen eye and ear for authenticity in true Stella Artois fashion, the album was painstakingly crafted using period recording gear, instruments from the era and exquisitely rendered vintage cover art featuring pitch-perfect design, iconography and mid-century modern furniture – replete with 33rpm vinyl-playing turntable – carved out of ice. '

The album will be uploaded to the Stella Artois official website—the first one, Nutcracker March was made available starting tomorrow, November 1. The new musical product is inspired by the brand’s previous Christmas work, the 2010 advertisment featuring hilarious ice sculptures (on the cover, a girl from 60’s is sitting in the ice armchair)—and is also infused with vintage style, the spirit of the age and the charm represented by jazz orchestration. Under The Holiday Star will be available to download for a limited time only beginning in November exclusively from Stella Artois. Fans can also spread the holiday spirit by sharing the album with friends on Facebook.

Under The Holdiday Star Track Listing:
1.Deck the Halls
2.The Nutcracker March
3.Winter Wonderland
4.Jingle Bells
5.Baby It's Cold Outside
6.Snowball
7.Let's Call It Quits
8.Auld Lang Syne

NEW RELEASES FROM BASIA, KIM WATERS, GROOVE: 55, JOEY SOMMERVILLE & MORE...

Alexander Zonjic – Doin’ The Do
Avana – Best Kept Secret
Basia – From Newport To London: Greatest Hits Live & More
Between 9 & 7 Band – The Movement
Blue Mitchell – African Violet/Summer Soft
Brian Lenair – Eye Of The Storm
Chico Jamilton – El Chico/Further Adventures of El Chico
Clark Terry – Happy Horns at Clark/It’s What’s Happenin’
Cortex - Resection
Daniel Davis – Play For Me
Daryl Hall – Laughing Down Crying
Dennis Angel Band – I Need Smooth Jazz
Eddie Gip Noble – In The Lite Of Things
Fanga – Afrokaliptyk nation
Fiona Joy Hawkins – Christmas Joy
Greg Chambers – Greg Chambers
Groove: 55 – En Route
Jackson Garrett – Let Sleeping Dogs Lie
Jim Petericks Life force – Forces At Play
Joey Sommerville – The Get Down Club
John Handy – Hard Work/Carnival
Kim Scott – Crossing Over
Kim Waters – This Heart Of Mine
Lawson Rollins – Elevation
Kenard Ramsey - Somos
Lloyd Gregory – Gentle Warrior
Luggnutt – Pleasing You Pleases Me
Mel Brown – Wizard/Blues For We
Mike Dilorenzo – Bring It Back
Ms. Monet – At This Moment
Paolo Rustichelli – Soul Italiano
Rob Parissi – East Coast Vibe
Rob Tardik – Balance, Energy, Laughter, Love
Ruslan Sirota – Rusian
Scientific Map – Rust Belt Soul
Sonny Criss – Joy of Sax/Warm & Sonny
Sonny Stitt – Now/Salt & Pepper
Stephen Lee – Music Is The Key Of My Life
Sunnie Paxson – Bohemian Sun
Sylvia Bennett – Sonrie
Urban Launching Pad – Urban Launching Pad Series 1
Waldino – Waldino Goes Latino
Watson’s Fiddle ft. Chuck Leavell – Watson’s Fiddle
Wayne Jones – Closed For The Holidays
Yolanda Rabun – So Real

ENOCH SMITH JR. - MISFITS

Pianist/composer Enoch Smith Jr. has taken his own unconventional path to a rising career in music, the latest chapter of which is the November 8 release of his CD Misfits. The new disc, on Smith’s label Music4MyPeople Entertainment, is an engaging follow-up to his 2010 debut Church Boy. Misfits boasts eight originals by the Rochester, NY native, including “Wise Man,” inspired by Ellis Marsalis; the instrumental “She Moves Me,” written for his wife Gabriella; and “I Want You,” composed for the 2007 independent film of the same title.

The opening “A Misfits Theme”—which contains the lyric “Misfit, misfit, misfit/You will never fit in/Nonconformist creature of peculiar inclination”—draws on the feeling Smith had when he first attended Berklee College of Music. A self-taught musician with extensive experience as a church pianist, Smith auditioned for admission to the school at the suggestion of his high school choir director and was accepted on the spot. At the time, however, he clearly needed to upgrade his formal musical skills. His years at Berklee were “amazing and intimidating and exciting,” says Smith, who possesses a rich touch and profound sense of melody and groove all his own. “I definitely saw that I didn’t fit into the mold.”

Throughout the album, Smith receives agile support from his rhythm team of bassist Noah Jackson, a former Detroiter whom he first met, and played with, at the Greenwich Village jazz club Smalls; and drummer Sangmin Lee, a Seoul, South Korea–born Berklee colleague who, when not playing jazz in the U.S., tours with Korean pop superstar Rain. The ringing alto tones of Sarah Elizabeth Charles are featured on six tracks. Saunders Sermons (formerly with Maxwell and currently with the Susan Tedeschi–Derek Trucks Band) sings on two selections, Mavis Poole on one (“I Won’t Complain,” Smith’s arrangement of the classic 1990 recording by the late Rev. Paul Jones). Misfits’ other non-originals include the jaunty run through Juan Tizol’s “Caravan”; and Paul McCartney’s “Blackbird,” penned as a salute to the Civil Rights Movement. “I’ve always loved the Beatles,” Smith reflects. “I always loved the way they arranged music, the vocals, and some of the unorthodox recording techniques. And ‘Blackbird’ is a song that goes with the 'Misfits' theme. It talks about being free and breaking out of the box and not being chained with the structure you’re presented with.”

Smith, 33, is a true “church boy” who was raised in Rochester in the Church of God by Faith, a Pentecostal denomination, where he began singing at age 3 in the children’s choir. He later played drums for services, then got a chance to sub for the regular pianist, making his way through trial and error. “Growing up and playing mostly in church, you get a whole different side of what music is all about,” he says. “For me, it was always more of a spiritual connection than a connection of the head.” Smith continues playing piano in two churches, serving as music director for the Calvary Baptist Church in Paterson, New Jersey, and United Palace Cathedral, in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, a large church founded by the late “Reverend Ike.”

In addition to his musical pursuits, Smith works as an aide to New Jersey Assemblywoman Elease Evans, for whom he writes, reviews, and researches legislation and meets with her Paterson-area constituents. Law was his original career choice, and he’d done several internships at Rochester law firms while still in high school. Then came that life-altering Berklee audition.

Although Oscar Peterson is his favorite pianist, he has a special fondness for Bobby Timmons, whose soulful music “encouraged me that you can go down this road and be successful with the skills you have,” says Smith. “Of course, you’ll grow, but you’ve already got what you need. Just own it.”

PAOLO RUSTICHELLI - FUNKY LOVE

Acclaimed eclectic music composer and instrumentalist, Paolo Rustichelli’s soulful new single “Funky Love,” is a cinematic, joyful, smooth and seductive, innovative musical celebration. “Funky Love” is his 2nd single from the soon to be released album Soul Italiano. Paolo is the son of three-time Oscar nominee, movie soundtrack composer, Carlo Rustichelli, known as the creator of spaghetti western music. Paolo studied composition and orchestra conducting at Accademia Chigiana, as well as classical piano studies. He started his career at age 16 simultaneously as a soundtrack composer and as a rock keyboard player with the album Opera Prima released on RCA Records, considered by critics a Rock progressive masterpiece.

As a teenage prodigy, Paolo pioneered the use of the mono synth ARP 2600 in Dino Risi's "In Nome del Popolo Italiano", and followed with a subsequent score for the Italian cult film Fernando Di Leo's "Razza Violenta". Both scores were entirely made with both the Yamaha CS80 polysynth and with the first sampler machine of the world, the Fairlight CMI, making Paolo one of the first composers to produce a soundtrack entirely with synths. In 1991, Paolo moved from Rome to Los Angeles, and in 1995 he released the solo album Mystic Jazz (known as Capri in the US, by PolyGram records) which was the first Italian jazz-rock album released worldwide by PolyGram records. As a pioneer musical attempt it achieved chill out music genre success (via the Buddha Bar compilations) and proved extremely influential for future smooth jazz progressive styles.

Among his other album projects, Paolo recorded, performed and produced for rock-jazz superstars like Carlos Santana and Miles Davis. In 1997 he released the album Mystic Man in the U.S. through the Island Records label, which featured the legendary Miles Davis, Carlos Santana, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Andy Summers and the disco diva Jill Jones. In that same year, Gavin and Radio & Records (Billboard) reported the song "Paisa" from Paolo's album Mystic Man had reached the Top 10 on the U.S. NAC Smooth Jazz charts.

In 2002 Paolo composed, arranged and produced the song "Kyrie" for Placido Domingo's Sacred Songs album. The album Neopagan, completely made with state-of-the-art plug-in technology, charted in the U.S. Radio charts in 2006 with the song "My Geisha". His latest single "Soul Italiano" (2011) has been at the Top Ten radio charts for seven weeks.

ARTIST PROFILE: ROBERT GLASPER

One artist, two distinct but interwoven concepts: this is the captivating logic behind Double-Booked, pianist Robert Glasper’s third album for Blue Note, following up Canvas (2005) and In My Element (2007). An artist who “unfailingly gets the feeling right” (New York Magazine), Glasper has made waves throughout the music world as leader of both the acoustic Robert Glasper Trio and the electric, hip-hop-oriented Robert Glasper Experiment. With Double-Booked, the 32-year-old Houston native puts his enviable versatility front and center, emphasizing these different hemispheres of his musical brain at the same time. Career-wise, this creates a constant balancing act, and on occasion literally being double-booked, appearing with the Trio and the Experiment on the same night. Such is the storyline that emerges on Double-Booked, with conflicting voicemail messages from Terence Blanchard and Roots drummer Ahmir ?uestlove Thompson, each pulling for a different Glasper band.

“Most people, if they have different bands, they do separate albums,” says Glasper. “But I felt I’d be making more of a statement if I put it all on one joint.” The result, in essence, is a snapshot of Glasper’s life. “This is what I’m dealing with,” he continues. “It’s not like I play jazz but I also play hip-hop now and then. I’m in it, for real, both sides of the spectrum. That’s my life. A lot of people go in stages—they might focus on trio for a long time, then they change or whatever. My thing is both, all the time.”

The first six tracks on Double-Booked feature Glasper in trio setting with longtime bassist Vicente Archer as well as drummer Chris Dave, who plays in Glasper’s Experiment band but recently came on board the Trio as well. “It’s hard to find that common thread in one cat,” Glasper enthuses. “Very few cats out there are extremely convincing in all genres of music. There’s always a wink-wink somewhere, like they play jazz really good but the hip-hop’s a little strange, or vice versa. Chris has both sides down on an even level, and he keeps on creating. He and Vicente used to play together with Kenny Garrett, so they have a history that made the linkup a lot easier. He knows the Chris-isms and Chris knows the Vicente-isms.”

As on In My Element, Glasper underlines the Trio’s hip-hop leanings with short fade-in interludes (“little Pete Rock-isms,” Glasper says) that function as short codas to some of the tunes. From the outset, with the lyrical flow and supple interaction of “No Worries,” one hears what Nate Chinen of the New York Times describes as “spongey, changeable adaptations of hiphop rhythm tracks…Glasper himself plays as if he’s a living sample…in a kind of real-time loop.” “This is a little ditty I came up with when I was in London at a soundcheck,” Glasper recalls. “We played it that night at the show. I kept hearing people in London say ‘no worries,’ and that seemed like the title. It has a real positive, bright, ‘It’s ok’ vibe.”

“Downtime,” set mainly in 7/4, evokes a memory of Glasper looking out the window at the rain—“kind of like the ‘F.T.B.’ of this record, if you will,” Glasper says, referencing a standout track from In My Element. Both “Yes I’m Country (And That’s OK)” and “59 South,” meanwhile, touch upon Glasper’s hometown environment in Texas. The latter references a heavily-trafficked highway in Houston, a cultural reference not unlike the Brooklyn Bridge in Glasper’s current home base, New York. “Yes I’m Country” prompts Glasper to explain: “I have a country swing when I play sometimes, and I like playing that way.” The vamp of the tune, an intriguing five-bar phrase, exemplifies the sort of off-kilter rapport that sets the Glasper Trio apart. “I love odd phrases that vamp,” he adds. “It brings a whole different feeling than a regular vamp.”

The Trio portion of Double-Booked culminates with an astonishing treatment of Thelonious Monk’s “Think of One.” In an ingenious and totally natural overlay, Glasper seizes an opportunity in last 'A' section to quote Ahmad Jamal’s “Swahililand,” the chord progression that formed the basis of De La Soul’s 1996 hip-hop classic “Stakes Is High,” co-written by Glasper’s hero and friend, the late beatmaster J Dilla. “Monk and Dilla are both passed away, so when I play live I sometimes say they’re both probably in heaven, chillin’. Maybe they’re talking about this arrangement! I always wanted to mix a jazz joint with a hip-hop joint but make it dope, not contrived. Chris’s drumbeat is so crazy at the end, the hi-hat with the placement of the bass drum—you don’t get this on a jazz record, ever. That’s why I made it the last Trio tune, because it’s a perfect segue.”

From that point forward, we are firmly in Experiment-land, with Chris Dave remaining on drums—although the drum sound on this half of the album can be markedly different from the first. “4Eva,” a live excerpt featuring rap icon Mos Def, leads us straight into another world. “Butterfly” is originally from Thrust, Herbie Hancock’s 1974 landmark album. Hancock, as both a pianist and a genre-crossing innovator, is of course a huge influence on Glasper. “It just happens that every one of my records has a Herbie tune—it seems like I’m doing it on purpose,” Glasper says. “I’m not. But I had to put this on the record because it’s dope.” Casey Benjamin’s vocoder effects heighten the mystery of the melody, and a J Dilla beat called “F--- the Police” serves as a rhythmic foundation.

Benjamin’s arsenal of sonic effects is at the fore of “Festival,” colored by Glasper’s Fender Rhodes, taking wild, digressive turns over the course of ten minutes—the Experiment sound at its most representative and expansive. “Casey has so many pedals, it’s a whole thing when he sets up, he has to go to the gig before us,” says Glasper with a laugh, noting that Benjamin is playing only alto saxophone and “nothing’s overdubbed.” A short transitional piece, “For You” by Benjamin and drummer Sameer Gupta, leads into “All Matter,” a striking, unclassifiable original by vocalist Bilal Oliver. Glasper offers: “You can really do this song in any situation, and it does stick with you. So pretty.” Derrick Hodge, the Experiment’s bassist, an accomplished composer as well as a top-shelf jazz and hip-hop sideman, contributes the final track, “Open Mind,” also featuring Bilal. It’s “a spiritual tune” in Glasper’s words, with additional textures and voice elements from turntablist Jahi Sundance, the son of alto saxophone great Oliver Lake.

Hailed by listeners and critics, Glasper has also garnered the respect of the toughest audience of all: musicians from across the jazz spectrum. In a May 2008 Blindfold Test for Down Beat magazine, a fellow pianist instantly identified Glasper and praised him as “a fantastic musician,” pinpointing characteristics of his unique style: “…a harmonic maze, but also an insistent rhythm, certain turns and filigrees and ornaments, some of them sort of gospelish.” With Double-Booked, Glasper further develops all these elements and pulls them together in a new synthesis, continuing his ascent to the top ranks of modern jazz artistry.

HENRY DEHLINGER – EVOCATIONS OF SPAIN

Indie piano recording artist Henry Dehlinger has released his new solo piano album, Evocations Of Spain. The album showcases a fresh, New World interpretation of the piano music of Isaac Albéniz and Enrique Granados. The music draws on the beautiful melodies of Andalusia with its Flamenco rhythms and exotic overtones. Also prominent is the use of cante jondo, or “deep song” of the Spanish gypsies. “This soulful quality associated with Spanish music derives from the use of these lyric elements,” Dehlinger explains, “and it’s what makes this album a mesmerizing fantasy in which you can let your imagination run wild.” According to Dehlinger, the album’s audience is comprised of Baby Boomers and Early Gen-Xers. “The NPR crowd,” comments Dehlinger, who is a National Public Radio listener, “folks with broad musical tastes who listen to classical music with some regularity.” Spanish music fans familiar with the seminal recordings of legendary pianist Alicia de Larrocha will also be intrigued with Dehlinger’s interpretation.

When indie piano recording artist Henry Dehlinger decided to produce his first album, he was shopping venture funds to finance a startup. For nearly a decade, the former tech executive had led sales and marketing teams on three continents, most recently as global VP of an IT company in Northern Virginia. Well before venturing to the corporate world, Dehlinger distinguished himself musically on celebrated stages, from the White House in Washington, DC to the War Memorial Performing Arts Center in San Francisco. His first mentor was conductor Dr. William “Doc” Ballard, legendary director of the San Francisco Boys Chorus. Dehlinger credits Doc for his early success. By the time he was ten, Dehlinger was part of the Bay Area music scene, performing with Luciano Pavarotti and Montserrat Caballé and entertaining VIPs from the President of the United States to the Prince of Wales. At twelve, Dehlinger was invited to study with piano virtuoso Thomas LaRatta, founder of the Crestmont Conservatory of Music and student of the great Rudolf Ganz. Enchanted with Spanish music, Dehlinger traveled to Spain where he enrolled at the University of Valencia. He later graduated from Santa Clara University. Dehlinger is unique among interpreters of modern Spanish music, evoking its sensuous sophistication with a rugged, New World virtuosity, from the hauntingly beautiful melodies of Albéniz to the poetic lyricism of Granados.

http://www.henrydehlinger.com/.

NEW ALBUM COMING FROM AMY WINEHOUSE - AMY WINEHOUSE LIONESS: HIDDEN TRASURES

Breaking news out of London…the late Amy Winehouse will release a new album on December 5th! Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures includes 12 tracks recorded over the course of her career. Producers Salaam Remi and Mark Ronson, Amy's close pal, have been locked in studios across the world for the past few weeks pulling the album together. Salaam said: "When I listened back you would hear some of the conversations in between — that was emotional. It has been hard, but it has also been an amazing thing. Amy was a gifted girl. I believe she has left something beyond her years. She has put a body of work together that will inspire an unborn generation. I'm blessed to be part of that process, to have known that person and to continue her legacy with this album." Amy, who scored a string of hits and won five Grammy awards despite battling drink and drugs, died at her home in Camden, North London.

The posthumous album will be released on December 5 and £1 from every sale will go to the Amy Winehouse Foundation, which is helping children's charities. The most emotional track for the singer's family and fans is her cover of A Song For You, a Leon Russell tune made famous by Amy's favourite artist Donny Hathaway. The song, on which Amy plays guitar, was recorded in a single take at her London home in 2009 as she battled to overcome her addiction to Class A drugs. Her voice can be heard quaking as she tearfully delivers the lyrics. Another cover, of Carole King's Shirelles classic Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, was produced in 2004 — months before Amy embarked on her drink and drug hell. And a further track, Between The Cheats, was recorded as the star emerged from her turbulent marriage to Blake Fielder-Civil.

Amy Winehouse Lioness: Hidden Treasures:
1. Our Day Will Come (Reggae Version): Re-working of classic '60s doo-wop song produced by Salaam Remi. Recorded May 2002.

2. Between The Cheats: New Amy composition recorded in London in May 2008 for potential inclusion on album three, produced by Salaam Remi.

3. Tears Dry: First written by Amy as a ballad, this is the original version she recorded in November 2005 in Miami with Salaam. The later up-tempo version appears on Back To Black.

4. Wake Up Alone: The first song recorded for the Back To Black sessions. This is the one-take demo recorded in March 2006 by Paul O'Duffy.

5. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow: Beautiful reading of the Carole King-written Shirelles classic. Produced by Mark Ronson and featuring the Dap Kings with string arrangements by Chris Elliott. Recorded in September 2004.

6. Valerie: One of Amy's jukebox favourites, the original slower tempo version of the Mark Ronson-produced post-Back To Black single. Recorded in December 2006.

7. Like Smoke: Featuring Nas: Amy and Nas became good friends after Amy name-checked the New York rapper on Back To Black's Me & Mr Jones. Like Smoke is Amy finally doing a song with one of her favourite artists. Produced by Salaam Remi. Recorded in May 2008.

8. The Girl From Ipanema: The first song 18-year-old Amy sang when she went to Miami to record with Salaam. He remarked that "the way she re-interpreted this bossa nova classic made me realise I was dealing with a very special talent. Her approach to the song was so young and fresh, it inspired the rest of our sessions". Recorded in May 2002.

9. Halftime: Amy had talked to Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson of the Roots about working together. Amy and Salaam worked on Halftime since the Frank sessions. The result is beautiful. Recorded in August 2002.

10. Best Friends: Frank-era live set opener produced by Salaam Remi. Probably the first song that early Amy fans would have heard live. Recorded in February 2003.

11. Body & Soull with Tony Bennett: Cover of '30s jazz standard with hero Tony Bennett. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios London in March 2011 and produced by Phil Ramone. Amy's final studio recording.

12. A Song For You: Heartbreaking and emotional version of the classic made famous by Donny Hathaway, Amy's favourite artist. The song was recorded in one take, just Amy and her guitar, at her home during spring 2009 as she battled her demons. Produced by Salaam Remi.

MILES DAVIS QUINTET – COOKIN’ / RELAXIN’ / WORKIN' / STEAMIN ‘ (4-CD BOX)

Cookin' With Miles Davis Quintet

Cookin’ With the Miles Davis Quintet is the first classic album of four total that emerged from two marathon and fruitful sessions recorded in 1956 (the other three discs released in Cookin’s wake were Workin’, Relaxin’ and Steamin’). All the albums were recorded live in the studio, as Davis sought to capture, with Rudy Van Gelder’s expert engineering, the sense of a club show á la the Café Bohemia in New York, with his new quintet, featuring tenor saxophonist John Coltrane. In Miles’s own words, he says he called this album Cookin’ because “that’s what we did—came in and cooked.” What’s particularly significant about this Davis album is his first recording of what became a classic tune for him: “My Funny Valentine.” Hot playing is also reserved for the uptempo number “Tune Up,” which revs with the zoom of both the leader and Trane.

Relaxin' With Miles Davis Quintet
Relaxin’ with the Miles Davis Quintet is in every way a masterpiece. When the trumpeter (1926-1991) had formed the band in 1955, his colleagues—tenor saxophonist John Coltrane, pianist Red Garland, bassist Paul Chambers, and drummer Philly Joe Jones—were not considered jazz-world A-listers. And before conquering his narcotics addiction earlier in the Fifties, Davis had seen his once-promising career go into eclipse. By 1956, however, his sound, especially when muted, was an achingly personal counterpart to the vocals of Billie Holiday and Frank Sinatra. Relaxin’ (plus its Prestige companions, Miles, Cookin’, Workin’, and Steamin’) reestablished Davis, and elevated his quintet as the gold standard of small groups.
With its accent on bright tempos, from medium-bounce to crisply up, Relaxin’ remains one of Davis’s sunniest outings, a prime example of one of the outstanding ensembles of the 20th century reaching the summit of their artistry.

Workin' With Miles Davis Quintet
Undeniably one of the best small bands in the history of jazz, the Miles Davis quintet of the mid-1950s made history at the Cafe Bohemia on Manhattan's Barrow Street and in the New Jersey studio of Rudy Van Gelder for Prestige. This is the third in a series of four LPs taped in two marathon studio sessions, done in the style of sets at the Bohemia and producing music of high energy and immediacy. Preceded by Cookin' and Relaxin' , Workin' is a mix of standards and originals, up-tempos and ballads, and a trio number, "Ahmad's Blues." The music this quintet made in the mid-Fifties period will live forever: the excitement of the emerging John Coltrane; the informed, melodic swing of Red Garland; the tremendous snap and pop of the rhythm trio of Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones; and Miles's poignancy and intense swing.

Steamin' With Miles Davis Quintet
Of Miles Davis's many bands, none was more influential and popular than the quintet with John Coltrane, Red Garland, Paul Chambers, and Philly Joe Jones. Davis's muted ballads and medium-tempo standards endeared him to the public. The horns' searing exposition of classics like "Salt Peanuts" and "Well, You Needn't" captivated musicians. The searching, restless improvisations of Coltrane intrigued listeners who had a taste for adventure. The flawless rhythm section became a model for bands everywhere. Steamin' is a significant portion of the music of this remarkable group.

DISC ONE
1. My Funny Valentine 6:04
2. Blues By Five 10:23
3. Airegin 4:24
4. Medley: Tune-Up / When Lights Are Low 13:10

DISC TWO
1. If I Were A Bell 8:15
2. You're My Everything 5:18
3. I Could Write A Book 5:11
4. Oleo 6:22
5. It Could Happen To You 6:37
6. Woody'n You 5:01

DISC THREE
1. It Never Entered My Mind 5:22
2. Four 4:23
3. In Your Own Sweet Way 5:42
4. The Theme (Take 1) 2:01
5. Trane's Blues 8:33
6. Ahmad's Blues 7:24
7. Half Nelson 4:45
8. The Theme (Take 2) 1:05

DISC FOUR
1. Surrey With The Fringe On Top 9:05
2. Salt Peanuts 6:09
3. Something I Dreamed Last Night 6:15
4. Diane 7:49
5. Well, You Needn’t 6:19
6. When I Fall In Love 4:23

CAROLE KING – A HOLIDAY CAROLE

Carole King is arguably the most successful and revered female songwriter in pop music history. To date, more than 400 Carole King compositions have been recorded by more than 1000 artists, resulting in 100 hit singles - many reaching #1. She was the first woman to win four Grammy® Awards in one year, and her landmark 1971 album Tapestry received a Diamond Award from the RIAA for sales of more than 10 million units in the U.S., with more than 25 million units sold worldwide.

Carole King's first ever holiday album, A Holiday Carole, will be released by Hear Music/Concord Music Group. Produced by her daughter Louise Goffin, the album's 12 songs artfully blend the sacred and the secular with an eclectic mix of well-chosen standards and newly written material. Goffin co-wrote three original tracks on the album, including the Latin-flavored "Christmas in Paradise," on which she collaborated with Grammy-winners George Noriega and Jodi Marr, the sublime Goffin/Marr composition "Christmas In The Air," and the deeply moving "New Year's Day," co-written with renowned songsmith Guy Chambers.

"As an experienced producer," King remembers, "Louise's first question to me as her artist was, 'What songs do you like?'" After compiling a list of favorites, Goffin went on the hunt for more unusual tracks, coming up with tunes like William Bell & Booker T. Jones' Stax classic "Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday." King puts her own indelible stamp on the music, lending it a special seasonal flair.

For King, the album's emotional highlight is undoubtedly "Chanukah Prayer." "Louise had the brilliant idea to take the Chanukah prayer that I learned from my parents, and they learned from their parents, and back through generations," she explains. "She said 'I want to record you singing that and I'm going to build a track around it.'" The result is a warm, jazz-inflected tune that brings together three generations on vocals: King, her daughter, and her grandson.

In a career with innumerable highlights, King has reached new pinnacles in recent years including 2010's bestselling Troubadour Reunion album and tour with James Taylor, American Idol devoting an entire episode to her music this season, and a forthcoming memoir due out in 2012.

A Holiday Carole - Tracklisting:
1. My Favorite Things (Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers)
2. Carol of the Bells (Mykola Leontovych)
3. Sleigh Ride (Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Paris)
4. Christmas Paradise (Louise Goffin, George Noriega and Jodi Marr)
5. Every Day Will Be Like A Holiday (William Bell and Booker T. Jones)
6. Chanukah Prayer (Traditional, Arrangement by Louise Goffin and Lee Curreri)
7. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Ralph Blane and Hugh Martin)
8. I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm (Irving Berlin)
9. Christmas In The Air (Louise Goffin and Jodi Marr)
10. Do You Hear What I Hear (Gloria Shayne and Noel Regney)
11. This Christmas (Donny Hathaway and Nadine McKinnor)
12. New Year's Day (Louise Goffin and Guy Chambers)

JACKSON GARRETT – LET SLEEPING DOGS LIE

Born in Biddeford, Maine, composer/vocalist/pianist Christopher Gore was raised in Montreal and New England before moving to California, where he met pianist and arranger Marty Steele. In 2005 they collaborated for the first time, and the concept of Jackson Garrett was born. (Gore had been searching for a band name which reflects the distinctly American sound of his music, and when a friend in Dallas told him her grandfather had passed away and his name was Jackson Garrett, Gore quickly and politely requested that he be permitted to use the name, since her grandfather would not be needing it anymore!). 

In Montreal, Gore founded the Upstairs Jazz Club in 1985, where he began to appreciate the “American Songbook”, and he likes to say that he gleaned his musical aptitude and direction from the talented musicians he hired nightly. In Palm Springs, CA, Gore met Pat Rizzo, local saxophonist whose credits include long stints with Sly and The Family Stone, War, and Frank Sinatra, as well as being a versatile vocalist and composer himself. Shortly after meeting Rizzo, Gore began a musical collaboration with the late Walter Earl Brown(Earl), composer of the hit Elvis song “If I Can Dream”, Grammy and Emmy award winner, and music arranger and writer for dozens of hit variety shows including “The Sonny and Cher Comedy Hour”, The Dinah Shore Show”, and many others. Then, in 2005, with Rizzo and Earl Brown, Gore and Steele began a long-standing relationship in the recording studio, and they have produced four CD’s to date (Please Call Me, Sanjaya!, Cool And Easy, Speechless, and Let Sleeping Dogs Lie), performed dozens of shows in Southern California before hundreds, and received much radio airplay both in the U.S. and abroad.

Jackson Garrett, as a band, is loosely based on a musical concept along the lines of Steely Dan. Gore and Steele represent the Fagen/Becker songwriting side of the group, and the cast of sidemen and guests on their records and shows might vary from time to time, but a core group of musicians comprise the main body of the band. Also like Steely Dan, each of the sidemen is a significantly recognized talent in his own right.
On the local scene, Jackson Garrett performs as a 10 piece band for charity events and special concerts, and sometimes in a smaller ensemble at nightclubs.

Jackson Garrett band members:
Christopher Gore - composer, arranger, producer, vocalist
Marty Steele - composer, arranger, engineer, pianist
Jeff Stover - bass
Steve Neilen - drums
John Pagels - guitar
Steve Madaio - trumpet
Gary Bias - sax
Pat Rizzo - sax
Kenny Meier - trombone
Kristi King - vocals
Laura Hagen - vocals

Some tidbits:

• Jackson Garrett once performed “Lemon Tree” with Trini Lopez, and Trini exclaimed that it was the first time he ever sang the song as a duet(with Christopher Gore).
• Christopher Gore founded the Upstairs Jazz Club in Montreal in 1985, and the club is still going strong.
• Jackson Garrett performed at The Annenberg Theater in Palm Springs with Earth, Wind and Fire saxophonist Gary Bias and composer/vocalist Slim Man.
• Jackson Garrett trumpet player Steve Madaio performed at Woodstock with Buffalo Springfield, and on Stevie Wonder’s “Songs In The Key Of Life”, and hundreds of hit records.
• As of this writing, Jackson Garrett has held the number one(#1) spot on the ReverbNation jazz charts in the Coachella Valley for over one year.

EDDIE GIP NOBLE – IN THE LITE OF THINGS

Few jazz musicians have the combined R&B-jazz-blues experience of keyboardist Eddie Gip Noble who has played with dozens of top acts in these genres including Gladys Knight, Patti Austin, Gerald Albright, Wayne Henderson, Johnny “Guitar” Watson and Etta James. This illustrious multi-faceted background has led to the exciting hybrid sound Noble creates on his second solo album, In the Light of Things, by taking classic R&B and jazz-fusion elements from the Seventies and using them to create modern instrumental music that features extensive, melodic, traditional-jazz-style-soloing on acoustic and electric pianos. “That’s the nature of artistic endeavors,” Noble says. “You take what you love and know best, and create something new out of it. I specifically wanted this to be feel-good music that is melodic, light and buoyant, and easy-to-listen-to.”

To put this music in historical perspective, first go back to some of the 70s sexy R&B artists such as Teddy Pendergrass and Barry White, and remember the soulful stylings of their bands, often with romantic string arrangements in the background. Then, from the same era, take the jazz-rock electric-piano sound as personified by Herbie Hancock and Chick Corea. Now have the solos reflect not only those electric-fusion-days, but also some of the acoustic-piano greats from the 50s and 60s (Oscar Peterson, Gene Harris, Ray Charles and Dave Brubeck). Top it off with modern melodic sensibilities developed from listening to a broad array of contemporary recordings. These are the diverse elements smoothly brought together by Eddie Gip Noble on his latest album. Often within a single song Noble will play a solo on acoustic piano followed by another solo on electric piano.

For the album In the Light of Things, Noble selected well-known, highly-charted hits (R&B, pop, rock, jazz and country) from the past five decades and turned them into instrumental smooth jazz. His wide-ranging song choices include selections seldom heard in smooth jazz. The material comes from many genres: rock (Bruce Springsteen’s “Streets of Philadelphia”), British pop (The Beatles’ “Blackbird,” Peter Gabriel’s “Red Rain,” Sting’s Desert Rose,” Tears for Fears’ “Shout”), R&B/pop (Michael Jackson’s “This Girl is Mine,” Vanessa Carlton’s “1,000 Miles,” Vanessa Williams’ “Save the Best for Last”), jazz (Vince Guaraldi’s “Linus and Lucy”) and country (Charlie Rich’s “Behind Closed Doors,” George Strait’s “Run”). Noble also performs an original (“Don’t Want to Be Alone Tonight”) co-written with Dee Dee McNeil (who has written for the Supremes, the Four Tops and Gladys Knight) and sung by Zuri (whose background includes Chaka Kahn, Brenton Woods, and Noble’s first album). Another special guest on the album is electric guitarist Jim Henkin who adds a scorching solo on “Linus and Lucy.”

Gip is one of the few musicians today with such a wide-ranging history of playing with a huge list of top jazz, blues and R&B artists, which is why it is a natural transition to bring such a variety of styles into his own music. In addition to his role as ace sideman for many stars over several decades, Noble spread his influence even wider as a composer. He co-wrote the huge hit “Love T.K.O.” for Teddy Pendergrass and also has had compositions recorded by Etta James, Brothers Johnson, Hall & Oates, Bette Midler, Regina Belle, The Nylons, Boz Scaggs, Johnny “Guitar” Watson, and Pamela Williams, among others. Noble’s current music has another link to the classic sounds of 70s soul: his co-producer David Williams, who also plays drums and adds drum-programming on the album, was formerly was the drummer with The O’Jays and Patti LaBelle.

Noble has toured extensively playing in the bands of such R&B notables as Brothers Johnson (serving as musical director as well), Gladys Knight & The Pips, Patti Austin, Barry White, Shalamar, Mary Wells, the Marvelettes, Teena Marie, The Drifters, The Platters, Brenton Woods, Arpeggio, The Jones Girls, Mona Raye Campbell, Munyungo (Stevie Wonder, Patti LaBelle), Ricky Minor (Whitney Houston, Lionel Richie), Tisha Campbell (Lenny Kravitz), Gil Askey (Diana Ross, The Temptations) and others. Gip also has played with top blues artists including Johnny “Guitar” Watson (as his musical director), Etta James (as her musical director), Albert Collins and blues-rocker Joe Walsh. In the studio Noble has recorded with Watson, James, Randy Crawford, Noel Pointer, Wayne Henderson, David Oliver, Womack & Womack, Shalamar, Stacye Branche, Charles Brown, Amos Garrett and Hilliard Wilson.

In addition, Noble has extensive credentials in the jazz field having performed with Gerald Albright, Plas Johnson (Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald), Rahmlee Michael Davis (Earth Wind & Fire, Ramsey Lewis), Larry Gales (Thelonious Monk, Herbie Mann), Henry “The Skipper” Franklin (Freddie Hubbard, Archie Shepp), Andy Simpkins (The Three Sounds, Sarah Vaughan), James Gadson (Herbie Hancock, Pharoah Sanders), Pamela Williams (Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle), Linda Hopkins (Jackie Wilson), Debra Laws (Dianne Reeves, Ronnie Laws), Ronald Muldrow (Eddie Harris, Maceo Parker), Hilliard Wilson (Dionne Warwick, Paul Taylor), Ernie Andrews (Harry James Orchestra, Gene Harris), and others.

Noble has appeared in numerous films as an actor playing a musician – the Clint Eastwood-directed “Bird” (the Charlie Parker biography), “City Heat” with Eastwood and Burt Reynolds, “Animal House” in Chuck Berry’s band, “Jo Jo Dancer” with Richard Pryor, “The Nutty Professor” with Eddie Murphy, “Against All Odds” with Jeff Bridges, “All of Me” with Steve Martin, “Inspector Gadget” and “What’s Love Got To Do With It” (The Tina Turner Story). Gip also made appearances in television shows such as “Dallas,” “Knot’s Landing” and Julia Louis-Dreyfus’s “12 Minutes of Fame” and “Watching Ellie.”

Born Gip Edward Noble, Jr. in Chicago, his earliest musical memory is his father playing piano frequently in their home. “My dad played a lot of jazz and standards, and began giving me lessons when I was four. I lived at the corner of 43rd and South Park, and right there was the 400 Liquor Store that played jazz loud all day long. I was too young to get into the clubs, but I remember standing outside one listening to Smokey Robinson sing.” Gip’s earliest influences were all the Motown pop-soul acts and the more bluesy Etta James, Ray Charles and Bobby Blue Bland. “My life changed when a friend gave me a record by The Three Sounds with Gene Harris on piano,” Gip remembers. “Then my jazz piano instructor turned me on to Herbie Hancock which led me to a lot of other great jazz like Miles Davis, Wes Montgomery, Kenny Burrell and Wayne Shorter.”

Noble went into the Air Force and was stationed in Germany where he hung out with members of the post’s military band and played in their experimental jazz group before starting his own jazz trio to perform in German clubs. Back in Chicago, Noble studied avant-garde jazz with Muhal Richard Abrams (Dexter Gordon, Max Roach), president of the influential Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians. Gip moved to Los Angeles to further his musical pursuits and quickly became a sought-after accompanist for top R&B and blues acts. In his spare time, Noble put together jazz trios and quartets to play Southern California gigs doing material by Chick Corea, Dave Grusin, Noel Pointer, Earl Klugh, Lee Ritenour and other popular contemporary jazzsters. “I always tried to be innovative with my arrangements and add my own twist to them.”

Finally after many years of audiences requesting an Eddie Gip Noble recording, he released his first album, Love T.K.O., featuring smooth jazz performances of that famous tune as well as a half-dozen other original compositions and some classics such as “Trains & Boats & Planes.” Now Noble is back with a second CD, In the Light of Things. “I could have done my own material on this album or tackled a dozen jazz standards,” explains Gip, “but I wanted to do popular songs that have stood the test of time because I felt listeners would enjoy that the most. I wanted to show my audience what I can do with these great melodies, and offer them new arrangements they have never heard before.”

Eddie Gip Noble - In The Light Of Things1. Linus & Lucy
2. Run
3. Streets of Philadelphia
4. Blackbird
5. The Girl Is Mine
6. Thousand Miles
7. Red Rain
8. Don't Want to Be Alone Tonight

9. Behind Closed Doors

10. Desert Rain

11. Let It All Out (Shout)
12. Save the Best For Last

JASON ADASIEWICZ'S SUN ROOMS - SPACER

Here is an album by one of the most amazing players to ever pick up the vibes – an artist with the sort of boundless creativity that Walt Dickerson and Bobby Hutcherson brought to the instrument in the 60s. Jason Adasiewicz is a vibraphonist, drummer, and composer. He is an integral member of Chicago's jazz and improvised music scene, bringing his aggressive yet lyrical style to over 10 working Chicago groups, including Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra and Starlicker, The Nicole Mitchell Ice Crystal Quartet, Mike Reed's Loose Assembly, Josh Berman and His Gang, and Ken Vandermark's Topology. Adasiewicz has an amazing ear for both sound and music – and manages to balance the two perfectly – reaching for completely fresh sounds from the vibes, yet also with a sense of structure that's never too free – really maintaining a musical, melodic approach that keeps us rapt and attentive all the way through!

Jason's music has always been great, but these recent Delmark sets are even a cut above – proof that both the label and the new Chicago scene are powerful forces in 21st Century jazz. The trio features excellent work by like-minded musicians Natt McBride on bass and Mike Reed on drums – and titles include "The Volunteer", "Pillow", "Run Fly", "Solo One", "Diesel", and "Waiting In The Attic".

Adasiewicz performs frequently in Europe and is a member of groups lead by Peter Brotzmann, Stefano Bollani, and Mats Gustafsson. Adasiewicz won the 2011 Downbeat Annual Critic's Poll in the Rising Star Vibes category, and for the last 3 years has placed in the Vibes category. For the last two years Jason has been nominated by the Jazz Journalists Association as a finalist for 'Mallet Instrumentalist of the Year'. His quintet Rolldown, with Josh Berman, Aram Shelton, Jason Roebke, and Frank Rosaly, formed in 2004 and have released two records, Rolldown (482 Music, 2008) and Varmint (Cuneiform Records, 2009). His trio Sun Rooms, with Mike Reed and Nate McBride, formed in 2009 have released one record, Sun Rooms (Delmark, 2010). The critical attention that Sun Rooms received includes: the New York Times Top 10 Pop and Jazz Records of 2010, The Village Voice Top 50 Jazz Records of 2010, The Chicago Tribune Top 10 Jazz Records of 2010, Dusted Magazine Top Jazz Records of 2010, and The Chicago Reader Top Albums of 2010.

MIKE DILORENZO – BRING IT BACK

“Modern” – “Retro” – and “Funky” are 3 words that can best describe this new recording venture. A soulful, fresh and funky ride through 13 sparkling sides, bringing back as the title suggests, a mix of sophisticated funk, groove and soul- jazz productions. Performed by keyboardist Mike Di Lorenzo, featuring the rich vocals of Atlantic Records recording artist Norman Durham, member of the funk group “Kleeer” whose hits included “Intimate Connection” and “California Love”, later covered by 2Pac and Dr. Dre. With a voice as smooth as silk, Mr. Durham’s warm and sophisticated phrasing is a welcome addition to the mix with 4 outstanding and classic cover tune performances.

On the heels of his successful debut CD release Urbanized, keyboardist Mike Di Lorenzo gets loose from the opening track with electrifying performances including 9 original tracks and 4 cover arrangements that groove like the old days. Tribute is given one of Mike’s favorite instrumental groups The Crusaders with a rendition of “Keep That Same Old Feeling”. Other standouts range from the funky title track to an infectious Latin take on Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Can’t Hide Love”, to the smooth interpretation of the Spinners’ classic “It’s A Shame”. One listen to Fred Astaire’s old standard “One For My Baby” and you will be hooked as this is destined to transform into a new classic of today. Old school, new school, Mike’s unique sound on keys and productions, is helped out by the stellar musicianship of Vinnie Cutro on trumpet, Frank Elmo on sax and Willy Dalton on guitar… old school grooves with a modern touch…

Mike Dilorenzo –Bring It Back
1. Keep That Same Old Feeling (feat. Norman Durham)
2. Say Word
3. Can't Hide Love (feat. Norman Durham)
4. Get Loose
5. One For My Baby (feat. Norman Durham)
6. Bring It Back
7. Club Ibiza
8. Sweetness
9. That's What I Do
10. It's A Shame (feat. Norman Durham)
11. Let's Get Busy
12. Mo Z
13. It's Tough In Here