LUCIANA SOUZA SET TO RELEASE TWO NEW ALBUMS

After a three-year hiatus from recording, consummate artist and Jazz Singer Luciana Souza returns to Sunnyside Records with two new albums produced by Grammy-winner Larry Klein and slated for August 28th, 2012 release – Duos III, and The Book of Chet. The simultaneous release of the two CD’s will be accompanied by tour dates throughout the Fall and Spring including Joe’s Pub in New York City on September 12th and an evening at Los Angeles’ Broad Theatre on September 1st.

“People think I’m crazy when I tell them I’ve been working on two new CD’s at the same time,” laughs Souza, “and even crazier when I let them know I’m releasing them at the same time as well. But in a strange way there are some very distinct parallels between the two projects and besides that it’s just something I wanted to do, to buck the trend and create the music that I want to make.”

Duos III celebrates the ten-year anniversary of the release of Luciana’s Grammy- nominated and much celebrated CD, Brazilian Duos. Her Duos II record also went on to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Record. The last volume of this trilogy brings back her long time collaborators - guitar phenomenon Romero Lubambo, and master guitarist Marco Pereira - and introduces Toninho Horta, one of Brazil’s most unique guitarists and composers. The repertoire is again as varied and beautiful as the Brazilian landscape – including works by Antonio Carlos Jobim, Cartola, Gilberto Gil and Toninho Horta.

“In the last 10 years I have had a lot of opportunity to perform in this format (duo),” added Souza, “traveling the world, and each time understanding more about the dialogue between voice and guitar, and the inevitable clarity and intimacy. Both projects come from the desire to peel away the layers of artifice and get to the core of each story, each sound.”

The Book of Chet is Luciana’s inspired interpretation of the music of trumpet player and singer Chet Baker. An iconoclastic musical figure, Chet had a unique and lyrical approach to singing – informed by his superb musicianship, his singing was heartfelt, yet detached. “It is a well known fact that musicians like João Gilberto were listening a lot to Chet Baker and the sounds coming out of the West Coast of the US. That kind of quiet, introspective singing was started by Chet while Miles’ playing, tone and sensibility ended up influencing many musicians in Brazil.”

On this recording (Luciana’s first exclusive recording of American standards), Luciana reveals why she has been considered one of the most important Jazz singers of her generation – able to unveil the drama of the lyric and allow for intimacy with the listener, all the while creating an inventive and deeply personal recording. Her collaborators on this collection are West Coast greats Larry Koonse on guitar, David Piltch on bass, and Jay Bellerose on drums. Included on the CD are such unforgettable Baker-associated tracks as “I Fall In Love Too Easily”, “The Thrill Is Gone”, “He Was Too Good To Me” and “Forgetful”.

The Grammy winning Souza is one of Jazz’s leading singers and interpreters. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, in the late sixties, she grew up in a family of Bossa Nova innovators - her father, a singer and songwriter, her mother, a poet and lyricist. Luciana’s work as a performer transcends traditional boundaries around musical styles, offering solid roots in jazz, sophisticated lineage in world music, and an enlightened approach to classical repertoire and new music.

As a leader, Luciana Souza has been releasing acclaimed recordings since 2002 - including her four Grammy-nominated records Brazilian Duos, North and South, Duos II, and Tide. Ms. Souza has performed and recorded with greats including Herbie Hancock (on his Grammy winning record, River – The Joni Letters), Paul Simon, James Taylor, Bobby McFerrin, Maria Schneider, Danilo Perez and many others. Her longstanding duo work with Brazilian guitarist Romero Lubambo has earned her accolades across the globe, and her complete discography contains more than 50 records as a side singer.

Luciana Souza has been a prominent soloist in two important works by composer Osvaldo Golijov – La Pasion According to St. Mark and Oceana. She has performed with the Bach Akademie Stuttgart, the Boston Symphony Orchestra, and the Brooklyn Philharmonic. Other orchestral appearances include performances with the New York Philharmonic, the Atlanta Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. Her work in chamber music includes a fruitful collaboration with the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet.

Ms. Souza began her recording career at age three with a radio commercial, and recorded more than 200 jingles and soundtracks, becoming a first-call studio veteran at age sixteen. She spent four years on faculty at Berklee College of Music in Boston, whereshe received a Bachelor's in Jazz Composition. Ms. Souza earned a Master's degree in Jazz Studies from New England Conservatory of Music and taught for four years at the prestigious Manhattan School of Music, in New York City. From 2005 to 2010, Luciana was the Jazz Artist in Residence with the prestigious San Francisco Performances.

AL JARREAU AND THE METROPOLE ORKEST - LIVE

Al Jarreau has little interest in boundaries or preconceived limitations. Since the mid-1970s, this versatile singer has applied his distinctive and instantly recognizable vocal style – a unique combination of lyrical swing and captivating vocalese – to a broad spectrum of musical genres. With this eclectic approach, he has earned much success along the way – enough to position him as the only vocalist in history to claim Grammy Awards in the three distinct genres of jazz, pop and R&B.

After nearly five decades of recording and performing, at an age when many artists are coasting if not retiring altogether, Jarreau continues to take his music to new and different places, literally and figuratively. The most recent chapter in this journey is Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest - Live, a collection of the best performances from a two-night engagement at the Theater aan de Parade, located in Den Bosch, Netherlands.

The recording finds Jarreau onstage with a 53-piece orchestra from northern Europe whose collective expertise encompasses the best elements of classical music, American jazz and all the nuanced places in between. Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest – Live is set for release on Concord Records on June 19, 2012.

Led by conductor and arranger Vince Mendoza (winner of numerous Grammys in his own right), the album makes its way through 11 songs from Jarreau’s vast body of work – but this time with full orchestral arrangements that force even the most die-hard Jarreau fan to hear them in a new way.

“A lot of people will have heard these songs before, but never in quite this way,” says Jarreau. “This orchestra places them in an entirely new setting. There are new phrases and interpretations here. There are solos that they didn’t hear on the original recordings. What comes through loud and clear is that you can reinvent and reinvigorate and restore existing music and make it into a completely contemporary experience.”

Making the old new again is what Jarreau has been doing with music since his childhood in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Born in 1940, he sang his first songs in his church choir (his father was a vicar). Although armed with a degree in psychology and some early career experience in social work, he made a dramatic career change when he moved to Los Angeles and began singing in small clubs along the West Coast.

Although he recorded an album in the mid ‘60s, he didn’t make his first significant mark on the music scene until the release of We Got By in 1975. Early praise from the critics translated to commercial success in 1981 with the release of Breakin’ Away, the 1981 album that generated the hit single, “We’re In This Love Together.” He made a huge and recurring splash in American living rooms a few years later when he recorded the theme music to Moonlighting, the hit TV series that ran through the latter half of the 1980s and continues in syndication to this day.

Jarreau enjoyed moderate success in the following decade with albums like Heaven and Earth (1992) and Tenderness (1994), then got a boost in 1998 when he reunited with producer Tommy LiPuma, with whom he’d recorded We Got By more than a decade earlier. The Jarreau/LiPuma partnership resulted in a string of successful albums, including Tomorrow Today (2000), All I Got (2002) and Accentuate the Positive (2004). Givin’ It Up, his 2006 collaboration with George Benson, resulted in two Grammy Awards.

For all of Jarreau’s studio successes over the decades, Al Jarreau and the Metropole Orkest - Live offers recorded proof that he’s still a master in front of a live audience as the frontman to a fully staffed orchestra. The set leads off with the lively and energetic “Cold Duck,” a song that Jarreau considers a favorite from early in his career. “I remember first hearing this piece of music by Eddie Harris in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s, and I eventually created a lyric for it,” he says. “It’s become a very important piece of music for me over the years.”

The melodic followup track, “Jacaranda Bougainvillea,” was written in 2002 and inspired during one of Jarreau’s many trips to South Africa, at a time when apartheid had recently come to an end and a new era of equality was finally dawning. “I came upon this jacaranda tree with this bougainvillea vine wrapped all around it,” he recalls. “I saw poetry there. I thought, ‘My God, those things normally grow in their own space – one over here and one over there – but there they are, all intertwined in a sort of harmonic coexistence. That’s a sign.’ I was inspired to write about that and sing about that as a metaphor for the new South Africa.”

Further into the set, Jarreau’s rousing rendition of his most recognizable hit, “We’re In This Love Together,” is enhanced by a richly arranged string section and the solo work of tenor saxophonist Leo Janssen. “You would think that I’d get tired of singing that song, but I don’t,” says Jarreau. “When I look at any audience, I see two- or three-thousand reasons to sing it differently than I did the night before. If I look at any of those faces – or all of them – I’m compelled to sing it in some way that’s new for them and for me.”

“Midnight Sun,” a composition by Sonny Burke, Lionel Hampton and Johnny Mercer – and embellished here by a beautiful solo from trumpeter Ruud Breuls – is a gentle ballad that stretches back to some of Jarreau’s earliest musical memories. “I’ve been singing this composition since I was nine years old,” he recalls. “No nine-year-old should be able to sing that. It’s enough of a challenge for professional singers to sing those intervals. But I was singing it when I didn’t know any better. So my musical history is in that song.”

The playful and rhythmic “Scootcha-Booty” is a song that emerged from an informal songwriting session back in the 1980s with keyboardist and composer Russell Ferrante, founding member of the Yellowjackets. “We came up with this melody that we called ‘Scootcha Booty,’ which is a title I really love. The lyric didn’t get completed until I made Accentuate the Positive eight years ago. It appears for the first time on that record. So the song actually started taking shape thirty years ago, but wasn’t really finished until just few years ago. That kind of extended incubation period isn’t uncommon for me.”

The set closes with the exotic sounding “Spain (I Can Recall)” is a song based on a Latin melody and rhythms originally conjured by Chick Corea, Artie Maren and Joaquin Rodrigo. The song is propelled by Jarreau’s staccato lyric line and smoldering solo work by trombonist Bart van Lier and Janssen on tenor sax.

Whether he’s performing songs from his own body of work, taking the work of past masters and making it his own, or creating something from the gray area in between, Al Jarreau consistently and continuously approaches melody and harmony from a fresh perspective – one that dispenses with externally imposed boundaries and limitations – and creates something entirely new. This process unfolds in real time on Al Jarreau and Metropole Orkest – Live.

“That process is youthful, it’s restorative, it’s healing, it’s inspiring,” he says. “I walk offstage, and I know I’m healed in some kind of way. And I know there are people in the audience who will walk away from the show feeling the same way. I highly recommend finding something that you love to do, and would do for free, and if you can turn it into a way to make a living, do that. But if you can’t, still find an opportunity to do that thing that you love – that thing that gets you up in the morning and makes you feel excited about your day and about your life. It’s the thing that makes you fully human.”

MARCUS MILLER - RENAISSANCE

A generation is roughly defined as a period of about 30 years. 30 years ago – in the early ‘80s - America was rolling with Ronald Reagan at the wheel and his conservative “back to family values” tenets. A similar traditionalism was also being adopted by several prominent up-and-coming jazz musicians. While most of the then-young flock was looking back, Marcus Miller was looking ahead. By the middle of that decade in 1986, Marcus - the musician, composer and producer - was at the helm of one of the most impactful modern jazz masterpieces of the era with some futuristic roots music he composed for the legendary Miles Davis entitled Tutu.

Now with Renaissance in 2012, Marcus Miller surveys the landscape of not just music but society as a whole. In the same profound way that anointed gospel-soul singer Sam Cooke prophesized 50 years before in 1963, Miller feels that “a change is gonna come.” And just as with Tutu, he is ahead of the storm with Renaissance, for release on August 7, 2012 from Concord Jazz, a division of Concord Music Group. Fortified by a team of hungry young players that includes trumpeters Sean Jones and Maurice Brown, alto saxophonist Alex Han, drummer Louis Cato, guitarists Adam Agati and Adam Rogers, and keyboardist Kris Bowers along with veteran keys wizards Federico Gonzalez Peña and Bobby Sparks, Miller is creating the soundtrack for this musical, cultural and spiritual revolution.

“I feel like a page is turning,” Miller muses. “The last of our heroes are checking out and we are truly entering a new era. Politically, things have polarized and are coming to a head. Musically, we’ve got all these cool ways to play and share music - MP3 files, internet radio and satellite radio - but the music is not as revolutionary as the media. It’s time for a rebirth.”

Renaissance finds Miller offering up an especially emotive 13-song collection that includes eight richly inspired original compositions that swing from a tip of the porkpie to the CTI Records sound of the `70s (“CEE-TEE-EYE”) to an introspective and ultimately hope-filled rumination about the island off the coast of Dakar in Africa known as “Gorée (Go-ray).” Renaissance also includes five cover songs that canvas works by soul-jazz culture band WAR, new wave-soul starlet Janelle Monáe, New York jazz dignitary Weldon Irvine, Brazilian musical ambassador Ivan Lins and Christian composer Luther “Mano” Hanes. Though the CD primarily features Miller’s smokin’ new band, it also features special guest vocalists Dr. John, Rubén Blades and Gretchen Parlato.

Renaissance is a word that resonates on a lot of different levels for me,” Miller explains. “It’s about getting back to the essential aspects of art. I’m focusing less on production and more on composition, so this is a very clear album for me. People have often called me a ‘Renaissance Man.’ I always understood that to mean someone who’s got their creative hands in a lot of different things but not on a surface level. Like Leonardo da Vinci: he wasn’t just dabbling in things, he was going deep. I would really like to be that kind of guy. Over the past three decades of my career, I’ve been blessed to produce a wide variety of music that means something to people. I didn’t just do some clichés in different genres, like a guy who says he can speak 20 languages but all he’s saying is ‘how are you’ and ‘can I get something to eat.’ The real challenge is can you communicate something of substance to the people through these languages that you speak?”

Marcus Miller’s Renaissance opens strong with the slick funky bass feature “Detroit,” and there is plenty more where that came from, with varying levels of heat and spice. “CEE-TEE-EYE” pays homage to extended studio blowing jams by the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Grover Washington, Jr. and Bob James in the tradition of producer Creed Taylor’s 70’s contemporary jazz company CTI Records, and includes a blistering mid-song ensemble break followed by a virtuosic bass solo by Marcus. Covers of WAR’s 1971 classic “Slippin’ Into Darkness” (which adds Ramon Yslas on congas) and Janelle Monáe’s 2010 debut breakthrough “Tightrope” (destined to be Marcus’ new jazz festival party-starter featuring the soulfully jovial Dr. John) both explore the dark and light sides of the musical threads that New Orleans weaves throughout African American culture. Marcus reaches back and brilliantly rearranges a composition by early mentor Weldon Irvine titled “Mr. Clean,” throwin’ down a jam that will leave listeners in need of a neck brace by the mid-song bass break. Then there’s the two-headed cobra that is “Jekyll & Hyde.” Miller elaborates, “It starts off with that Art Blakey & The Jazz Messengers type of horn melody…then all of a sudden it goes to Hendrix – the kind of rock the Black bands like Mother Night would play when I was coming up in New York - edgy but funky. We keep shiftin’ back and forth. In the middle I’d say, ‘Hyde’s wreaking havoc - better get back to Jekyll!’”

Beauty also abounds with Miller’s homage to Michael Jackson in a virtuosic cover of The Jackson 5’s “I’ll Be There” (“one of the first melodies I learned on the bass”) on which he references parts of the original’s vocal, rhythm and string arrangements simultaneously AND solo. Then there’s his own haunting “February,” penned on and for piano. “That song was written quickly and recorded quickly. That’s when you know you’ve got something special. ‘Tutu’ was like that. When we got to the solo, Alex broke a piece of his soul off onto the song. I thought, ‘Where is this cat from…to understand this thing so quickly?’ It’s beautiful but not sentimental. You know how some cats always play beauty like a bouquet of flowers? Alex didn’t do that. He just played from his soul.” Then there’s Miller’s thoughtful arrangement of legendary Brazilian composer Ivan Lins’ “Setembro,” made world famous in a version on Quincy Jones’ 1989 CD Back on the Block. Marcus switches to fretless bass here, à la Jaco Pastorius, and trades breathtaking melodic lines with swiftly up-and-coming singer Gretchen Parlato – the first vocalist ever admitted into The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz Performance program. “I added an Afro Cuban section with the bass line from Dizzy’s ‘Manteca.’ Then I asked Rubén Blades to add something that would pull it all together. I reminded him the piece is subtitled ‘Brazilian Wedding Song’ and that I wanted him to share something profound about love. He came back with ‘Con amor todo se puede’ – ‘With love all is possible.’”

Deeper still, Renaissance houses some of Marcus’ most inspired and emotionally penetrating writing to date – particularly “Gorée (Go-ray)” which was inspired by a visit Marcus and his impressionable young band paid to the African island historically remembered as a warehouse for human cargo before it was shipped from the motherland to places elsewhere for the people to become slaves. “When I first presented this song to the band, I didn’t say anything about my inspiration. What they were playing was good but not quite there. So I said, ‘Remember when we were on the island and we saw where the captives were held and the doorway where all you could see was the sea?” I didn’t have to say another word… We didn’t want to make the piece about pain and resentment but about hope and all the wonderful things that have happened despite it all.” Fittingly, “Gorée (Go-ray)” features Marcus on his second signature instrument, the bass clarinet.

“Revelation” is a richly cinematic sojourn that provides spine-chilling showcases for Alex Han on sax and Adam Agati on guitar. Its opening interlude is the Mano Hanes composition “Nocturnal Mist” for which Marcus originally played bass clarinet as a featured guest on Israel & New Breed’s album A Timeless Christmas. On Renaissance, he rearranged it as a melodic bass feature. Finally, there’s the Joe Zawinul-esque “Redemption.” Miller elucidates, “When you’re ready to go into this new phase we’re calling a renaissance, you need to understand what your redeeming qualities are so you can use them as your weapon. Never stop working on the things you need to improve but figure out what makes you a special human being. So this song has a searching quality to the melody – trying to find itself. Meanwhile the bass line is steady pushing…saying, ‘Don’t stop looking.’”

Marcus’ current touring band consists of trumpeter Maurice Brown (Tedeschi Trucks Band, Maya Azucena, Aretha Franklin), alto saxophonist Alex Han (Paquito D’Rivera, James Moody, Geri Allen), drummer Louis Cato (Beyoncé, Q-Tip, Sean Jones), guitarist Adam Agati (Lalah Hathaway, El Movimiento and Mary Mary), and 2011 Thelonious Monk International Jazz Piano Competition Award winner keyboardist Kris Bowers (Louis Hayes, Jay-Z & Kanye West, José James).

“I’ve got these next generation musicians in their `20s with me now that aren’t afraid of breaking boundaries,” Marcus concludes. “They’re absorbing and admiring the whole picture – from Clifford Brown to J.Dilla - honestly feeling both sides which, to my Black Experience, is what it’s all about. This young band fears nothing so we are free to go anywhere. I’m finding that to be incredibly inspiring. I am writing music for us that encompasses the full landscape.”

NEW RELEASES - STACEY KENT, ETTA JAMES, APRIL STEVENS

STACY KENT - DREAMER IN CONCERT

After 8 studio albums, Dreamer In Concert is the first album that captures Stacey Kent's magical onstage persona. She delivers fresh interpretations of some of the most emblematic songs in her repertoire, including the standards of the Great American Songbook, “The Best Is Yet To Come,” “They Can't Take That Away From Me,” “It Might As Well Be Spring” and others. She also revisits the classic French songs “Ces Petits Riens,” “Samba Saravah” and “Jardin d’Hiver.”Upcoming tour dates in support of the album include: June 7 - Indianpolis, IN - Columbia Club; June 8 - Indianpolis, IN - Columbia Club; June 10 - Madison, NJ - Shanghai Jazz; June 11 - Hummels Wharf, PA - Susquehanna; Valley Country Club; and June 12-16 - New York, NY Birdland.

ETTA JAMES - QUEEN OF SOUL

Queen of Soul is right! Heck, on these early albums, Etta practically invented soul – or at least invented a deep soul style of singing that would be taken up by countless other female singers during the 60s, but rarely matched with this kind of brilliance. Straight up beatiful stuff! The arrangements are uncredited, but we think they're probably by Riley Hampton – who did so much of Etta's other wonderful work in the early 60s. The recordings for sure took place at points between '62 and '64, mostly in Chicago, with couple in New York and one in Nashville. One other thing that is crystal clear about the sessions is that she had access to the very best musicians and the best sound possible – all you need is a listen to know that! The album's an all-solid, all-soul record with loads of obscure tunes and not a bit of filler! Titles include "Flight 101", "Bobby Is His Name", "Breaking Point", "Mello Fellow", "Do Right", and "Somewhere Out There". This first ever proper CD release is loaded with excellent bonus material – recordings from the same early-to-mid 60s period – 13 of them "You Got Me Where You Want Me", "Only Time Will Tell", "Pushover". "You Can't Talk To A Fool", "Would It Make Any Difference To You", "Pay Back", "Tomorrow Night", "I Can't Hold It Any More" and more. 23 tracks in all! ~ Dusty Groove

APRIL STEVENS - TEACH ME TIGER (JAPANESE PAPER SLEEVE EDITION)

Breathy brilliance from April Stevens – the sexy west coast singer who made some really wonderful records in the 50s! At some level, April was a bit like Julie London – in that she sang in a laidback, seductive tone that was quite risque at times – but she was also a bit more pop than jazz, and was always up for a catchy arrangement or a slight production gimmick to really help send over a tune! The title track was a hit single, but the whole album's great – and titles include "I'm In Love Again", "Do It Again", "Teach Me Tiger", "That's My Name", "When My Baby Smiles At Me", "I Want A Lip", and "In Other Words". ~- Dusty Groove

RAVI COLTRANE - SPIRIT FICTION

Saxophonist and composer Ravi Coltrane is set to release Spirit Fiction, his debut recording for Blue Note Records, on June 19. The 11-track album features two different band lineups, each with a unique expressive urgency. Several tracks feature Coltrane’s long-term quartet with pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Drew Gress and drummer E.J. Strickland. Coltrane also enlisted a quintet featuring trumpeter Ralph Alessi, pianist Geri Allen, bassist James Genus and drummer Eric Harland - the personnel featured on his sophomore release From the Round Box.

Coltrane’s label mate and fellow saxophonist Joe Lovano served as co-producer of the album along with Coltrane. “I’ve always produced my own recordings except for the first one, Moving Pictures, which was produced by Steve Coleman,” says Coltrane. “Joe was a truly supportive producer on this project. He has been an important figure in my life for over 20 years." Lovano also plays alongside Coltrane and Allen in an intimate reading of Paul Motian’s “Fantasm” and joins the quintet for an explosive version of Ornette Coleman’s “Check Out Time,” from Coleman’s 1968 Blue Note album Love Call. Spirit Fiction also includes six original compositions by Coltrane and three by Alessi.

Spirit Fiction- Available 6/19/12

Tracklisting:
1. Roads Cross (Ravi Coltrane)
2. Klepto (Ralph Alessi)
3. Spirit Fiction (Coltrane)
4. the change, my girl (Coltrane)
5. Who Wants Ice Cream (Alessi)
6. Spring & Hudson (Coltrane)
7. Cross Roads (Coltrane)
8. Yellow Cat (Alessi)
9. Check Out Time (Ornette Coleman)
10. Fantasm (Paul Motian)

RAVI COLTRANE – TOUR DATES:
May 29-June 2 - Birdland - New York, NY
June 22-23 - Bohemian Caverns - Washington, DC
June 29 - Fort of Wolfisheim - Wolfiseim, France
June 30 - Festival Jazz de La Defense - Paris, France **with McCoy Tyner
July 2 - Jazz a Vienne - Vienne, France **with McCoy Tyner
July 4 - Centro Cultural de Belem - Lisbon, Portugal **with McCoy Tyner
July 6 - North Sea Jazz Festival - Rotterdam, Holland **with McCoy Tyner
July 7 - Comblain Jazz Festival - Comblain-la-Tour, Belguim **with McCoy
Tyner
July 21 - Black Sea Jazz Festival - Batumi/Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia
July 25-26 - New Mexico Jazz Festival - Albuquerque, NM
July 27-28 - Dazzle - Denver, CO
July 31-August 1 - Jazz Alley - Seattle, WA
August 2-5 - Catalina Jazz Club - Los Angeles, CA
August 6-7 - Yoshi's - Oakland CA
August 11 - Richmond Jazz Festival - Richmond, VA
September 27-30 - Jazz Showcase - Chicago, IL
October 2-7 - Village Vanguard - New York, NY
~ Blue Note Records

NORAH JONES - LITTLE BROKEN HEARTS

Norah Jones’ new album Little Broken Hearts-which was produced and co-written by Danger Mouse-has been receiving unanimous praise from critics across the board. SPIN magazine called it “the second essential record of Norah Jones’ career,” while a cover story in MAGNET magazine declared that “she just might have made the album of the year.” Jones has been the subject of profiles in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Associated Press, and on NPR Morning Edition. She has also made a series of TV appearances including performances on CBS Late Show With David Letterman and ABC Good Morning America.

Norah will be kicking off her 2012 North American tour on June 20 in Indianapolis. The tour will hit a mixture of festivals, amphitheatres and theatres including the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville (June 24), a hometown show at Central Park SummerStage in New York City (July 3), a return to the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles (August 10), and a run of October dates covering the Midwest, Texas, and New Orleans. Visit www.norahjones.com for a full list of international tour dates and ticketing details.

Blue Note has also marked the release of Jones’ new album by reissuing her entire catalog (Come Away With Me, Feels Like Home, Not Too Late, The Fall, and Little Broken Hearts) in an array of higher fidelity editions. All five of her albums have been Mastered for iTunes specifically with the iTunes and iOS platform in mind, ensuring increased audio fidelity. Blue Note and EMI will mark their new relationship with the high-definition digital specialist

HDTracks by issuing all five titles in multiple digital formats that deliver CD quality resolution or better. Audiophile specialist Analogue Productions will release all five titles in limited edition 200 gram vinyl and SACD editions and will bundle the entire catalog plus a bonus album of rare and unreleased covers in LP and SACD box sets.

~ Blue Note Records

AN EVENING WITH MAXWELL

There have been plenty of full-album tours and one-off shows in recent years, but never something quite like this: R&B star Maxwell will play not one, not two, but all four of his era defining albums across back-to-back nights with his eleven piece band at the Staples Center on July 20 and 21 in Los Angeles.

Mr. Rivera (his middle name is Maxwell) will first perform Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite (1996) and its 1998 follow-up Embrya on July 20, then the next night tackle Now (2001) and his Grammy-winning 2009 collection BLACKsummers’night.

The shows also will serve as a fund-raiser for President Obama, as custom Obama/Biden 2012 merchandise will be sold at Staples, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting Obama for America. The campaign also will be on hand at the gigs to sign up volunteers to help register voters in battleground states.

Maxwell will perform the following albums:

7/20 - Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite (1996) and Embrya (1998)

7/21 - Now (2001) and BLACKsummers'night (2009)

His fourth studio album and first in eight years, BLACKsummers'night is the sound of an artist taking the commitment to his craft and the conversation with his audience that much further. Needless to say, it is a conversation that's been overdue; but as the soft-spoken, multi-platinum artist sees it, in order to come back it was necessary to step away. "I wanted to return to ‘what was the promise?'" Maxwell offers. "What did my music and creativity speak of to people? For me, coming back to that promise was kind of where my heart was really gravitating towards. I didn't intentionally step away from all of it, but I just wanted to...live my life a little bit, and then be able to make music with that pure experience again."

~ giantstep.net

BOBBY WOMACK – THE BRAVEST MAN IN THE UNVERSE

The Bravest Man In The Universe is Bobby Womack's first album of original material in eighteen years. It was co-produced by Damon Albarn and XL Recordings' Richard Russell and recorded in three main sessions between October and December 2011; two were in Damon's Studio 13 in West London, and the other was in New York's Manhattan Center, which is situated above the legendary Hammerstein Ballroom, with a few extra sessions in London at the XL Studio and Richard's own home studio. All eleven tracks are co-written by the three plus Bobby's longtime songwriting partner Harold Payne, except for radically rearranged spirituals "Deep River" and "Jubilee (Don't Let Nobody Turn You Around)." There are striking vocal guest spots from Lana Del Rey on "Dayglo Refelection" and Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara on "Nothin' Can Save You." ~ gianstep.com

G'S WAY - SEVENLY SEVEN

G's Way is a french project created and leaded by Gérald "GG" Bonnegrace, composer and musician. In this first album, GG has explored all his musical influences like Ray Baretto, Eumir Deodato, Fela Kuti, Grover Washington Jr and many others, to create an explosive cocktail of jazz, funk, and afro-latin music. Served by a massive rythme section and powerful brass, GG also invited some very talented french and international guests to complete that musical trip. More than an album, Sevenly Seven is sprinkled with guest appearances from an international sampling of artists and is a beautiful tribute to the seventies music, and a real gift for the vintage sounds lovers.

ISAAC HAYES & DIONNE WARWICK – A MAN AND A WOMAN

A wonderful duet set from Ike Hayes and Dionne Warwick – one that draws on the classiest side of the Hayes spectrum, and uses his groove to help Dionne find some great new energy! Even in performance, the music has that great rich quality that Isaac always brought to his solo recordings in the 70s – with strings, backup singers, and some tight undercurrents that help keep things soulful throughout – really cutting through the schmaltz of Ike's shiny tux on the cover! Dionne really sparkles in his company – and the record features duo numbers, solo spots, and even some nice medley tracks. The band behind the pair are electric, mellow, and very soulful – and titles include "Can't Hide Love", "Chocolate Chip", "Then Came You", "Come Live With Me", "Unity", and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" and "I Say A Little Prayer", done nicely in a medley together. ~ Dusty Groove

J BOOGIE'S DUBTRONIC SCIENCE - UNDERCOVER: EL RITMO - NO FREEDOM

San Francisco resident and world-renowned DJ/producer J Boogie continues to challenge the boundaries of the music world across genres, styles, languages and borders throughout his 20-year career. This truly unique artist speaks to his listeners through a diverse musical language he created integrating techniques and musical genres including downtempo, dub, hip–hop, soul, reggae, funk, African, Latin, bhangra, dancehall, disco, electro, bass, tropical, dubstep and house.

Constantly revolutionizing the game, creating new sounds, and always keeping fans on their feet, J-Boogie continues to lift music to its full potential through his distinct approach and one-of-a-kind style.

He’s delivered his masterful mix of culture, soul, rhythm and beats both at home in the Bay Area through his award-winning radio program “Beatsauce” on KUSF, and around the globe spinning DJ sets in countries like Colombia, India, Japan, and Spain. J-Boogie’s local success has earned him awards such as “SF’s Best Club DJ” by SF Weekly, “SF’s Best Radio & Club DJ” by citysearch.com and “Best Hip–Hop Radio Show” by SF Bay Guardian. His global success has earned him acclaim and opportunities worldwide, including spots on radio and television both here and abroad, sportswear sponsorships, and the opportunity to DJ the Tokyo Dome for an NFL football game.

Throughout the years, J-Boogie has also provided musical ecstasy for millions, blowing it up on the festival circuit at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Treasure Island Music Fest, Outside Lands, Lightning in a Bottle, Bumbershoot, SXSW, WMC, Harmony Fest, Earthdance, High Sierra, Sundance Film Fest, The Winter Olympics 2010, Power to the Peaceful and Burning Man. By popular demand, J-Boogie’s DJ skills have landed him bookings in world-class clubs such as Turntables on the Hudson, APT, Deep Space NYC, 18th Street Lounge, Halo, Temple Bar, Afro Funke, Root Down, Firecracker, The Do Over and Deep LA. He has also graced the stage on tour with Widespread Panic, Bassnectar and Spearhead, and has opened for legends like George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic, Mark Farina, Louie Vega, DJ Krush, Kruder & Dorfmeister, Breakestra, RJD2, Herbaliser, and Nickodemus.

J-Boogie’s widespread success and longevity in the music industry can be attributed to his exceptional style and ability to constantly revolutionize music. As one of the first DJs to incorporate musicians and vocalists into a live band / DJ fusion set, J-Boogie has truly redefined what it means to be a DJ. With this groundbreaking concept, J-Boogie has created a new realm of live performance and a new type of record. J-Boogie brings this exclusive style to life with his band “Dubtronic Science” in live sets as well as in their self-titled debut album that dropped in 2003, featuring artists like Goapele, Gina Rene, People Under the Stairs, Capitol A and Tony Moses.

For his last album, Soul Vibrations, J-Boogie put together a new “Dubtronic Science” band featuring a horn section, Latin percussionists and MCs. Like its predecessor, J-Boogie’s second album features an impressive line up of artists including The Rebirth, Rich Medina, Lyrics Born, Ohmega Watts, Zion I, Crown City Rockers, Jennifer Johns, Deuce Eclipse, Capitol A, The Mamaz, Jazz Mafia, Lunar Heights, Tony Moses and more. He has also created a full Soul Vibrations: Dub Remixes version, dubbing the album into outer space through his studio’s analog delays and space echoes.

J-Boogie has also contributed his genius sounds to a wide array of mix tapes, remixes, and albums. He has released remixes for artists such as Widespread Panic, Nickodemus, DJ Vadim, Alice Russell, Miguel Migs, Vieux Farka Toure, Karsh Kale, The Rebirth, Zeph & Azeem, Mark Farina, Zion I, Goapele and Soulstice, and has been featured on Mark Farina’s Mushroom Jazz 5 & 6, Om Lounge series, Ubiquity compilations and remix projects. His mix CD series Leftism, In the Mood, Electro Soul and Universal B Breaks have all become collectors’ items at music boutiques.

J-Boogie’s vast contributions to the music world and his ongoing commitment to his own projects as well as the projects of other artists have allowed him to make fans and friends out of some of the most respected artists in the industry. The game’s most esteemed DJs are already buzzing about J-Boogie’s newest creation, and always have nothing but the best to say about not only his work, but his character as well.
~ jboogie.com

His latest are two new remixes from the most recent Undercover album. The swinging horns of cumbia tinged “El Ritmo” are traded for a bouncy reggaeton remix by DJ Sabo, and the tropical afrobeat influenced “No Freedom” gets blasted into outerspace thanks to Kush Arora.

NEW RELEASES - MELODY GARDOT, MATT GARRISON, KIM PATTERSON

MELODY GARDOT – THE ABSENCE

Absence makes the heart grow fonder. The extraordinary Melody Gardot returns with a stunning new album The Absence. The follow-up to her 2009 critically acclaimed international best-seller My One and Only Thrill, this new album is steeped in Melody's global travels and worldly influences. The Absence reflects time spent in the deserts of Morocco, the tango bars of Buenos Aires, the beaches of Brazil and the streets of Lisbon. The 12 original songs encompass the sound and feel of all these exotic places and more.



MATT GARRISON – BLOOD SONGS

A nice mix of sharp changes and free-flowing soul – a sweet set from saxophonist Matt Garrison – heard here on tenor, baritone, and soprano sax! The record has that great balance of modernism and swing that we love in some of the best work from the New York scene of late – tight, but never too polished – and very openly exploratory, yet never too outside to forget to swing! The mix is a bit like some of the best work on the Smalls Live series – and Garrison's working here with a group that features Greg Gisbert on trumpet, Michael Dease on trombone, Roy Assaf on piano, Dezron Douglas on bass, and Ulysses Owens on drums. Eric Alexander plays tenor on one track – and titles include "Force", "Parental Units", "Hospital Room Blues", "The Madness Within", "Mom's Song", and "Modern Man". ~ Dusty Groove

KIM PATTERSON - DUENDE

Spiritual sounds from New Zealand trumpeter Kim Paterson – a player best known for work in the Mike Nock group – stepping out here with a widely expansive vision as a leader! Paterson's got plenty of help here – a large, shifting lineup that really makes for a well-crafted batch of tracks – often handled in a mode that offers a core sense of soul with some freer, modern elements – a bit like some of our favorite work on the New York scene of late, with similar spiritual leanings at the root of the sound – even though the overall execution might be a bit more straight ahead. Paterson gets a lead trumpet solo on every track – and other instrumentation includes keyboard, soprano sax, tenor, guitar, piano, and even a bit of strings – on titles that include "Catharsis", "5th House", "Nick's Groove", "To You With Love", "Sheriar's Dream", "Daaman", and "Time". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - MART'NALIA, MARIO ADNET, YAMANDU COSTA, HAMILTON DE HOLANDA

MART’NALIA – NAO TENTE COMPREENDER

Quite possibly the best album we've ever heard from Mart'Nalia – a set that's got all the rootsy charm of her earlier work, but also a deeper sense of soul as well! Djavan's on board this time around – acting as the producer and music director – and you can definitely feel some of his great influence on the record – that blend of Brazilian modes and warmer soul than graced his classic albums of the late 70s – almost born again here in the voice of Mart'Nalia! Titles inlcude "Surpresa", "Reversos Da Vida", "Os Sinais", "Demorou", "Zero Muito", "Vai Saber", "Itinerario", and "Que Pena Que Pena". ~ Dusty Groove

MARIO ADNET - MORE JOBIM JAZZ

A great follow-up to the first Jobim Jazz set from guitarist Mario Adnet – and in many ways, an even better-conceived version of the project! The difference this time around is that Adnet's been working through the concept in a live setting for a few years – and has come up with wonderfully rich arrangements that really push beyond any simple bossa remake sort of vibe – and instead show up the rich, complicated qualities that we've always loved in the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim – especially in the 70s years of his career! Adnet mostly plays acoustic guitar, but other instrumentation is full with horns – usually flutes and saxes that are intertwined beautifully, with a dipping, soaring sort of energy – not unlike some of the best arrangements by Moacir Santos. Titles include "Takatanga", "Mojave", "Boto", "Bonita", "O Homem", "O Barbinha Branca", "Samba De Maria Luiza", and "Deus E O Diablo Na Terra Do Sol". ~ Dusty Groove

YAMANDU COSTA / HAMILTON DE HOLANDA - LIVE!

Twin-string magic from Hamilton De Holanda and Yamandu Costa – a live set, but one with a very intimate feel! Instrumentation comes only from Hamilton's 10 string mandolin and Yamandu's 7 string guitar – both unusual instruments that find a wonderful space with each other – carving out rich acoustic sounds in a mix of Brazilian styles and a touch of jazz! Titles include "Light Of Dawn", "Chamame", "Samba Do Veio", "Seasons", "Shaiwase", and "Sliding". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - BeBOSSA, ROBERTO MENESCAL, WANDA SA, CAETANEO VELOSO, JOAO CALLADO

BeBOSSA, ROBERTO MENESCAL & WANDA SA – A GALERIA DO MENESCAL

Sublime bossa harmonies – a wonderful new recording that features the BeBossa vocal group, the lovely Wanda Sa, and bossa legend Roberto Menescal! The style is great – and takes us back to the best 60s harmony modes of groups like Os Cariocas or Tamba Trio – but with the unique added aspect of Wanda's lead vocals, which really helps inflect a whole new element to the music – a sonic range that's really breathtaking – especially given the Singers Unlimited-like style of recording for the record! Most sounds just come from vocals – but Wanda and Roberto play acoustic guitar as well – and titles include "Vagamente", "Telefone", "Brasil Precisa Balancar", "Ninguem", "Voce", "Bye Bye Brasil", "Eu Canto Meu Blues", "Japa", "Balansamba", and "Agarradinhos". ~ Dusty Groove

CAETANO VELOSO - TRANSA

Some of the most beautiful work ever recorded by Caetano Veloso – an album that carries on the style of English language lyrics used on his session in exile in 1971, but which also introduces him back to the world of Brazilian popular music! The album's a great transition for Veloso – a set that's served up with some of the newly personal qualities his music developed in London, but which still has a good ear for experimentation and keeping things interesting. Titles include the wonderful "Nine Out Of Ten" – a haunting tune about his time in exile – plus "Neolithic Man", "Nostalgia", "Triste Bahia", "It's A Long Way", and "You Don't Know Me". (This version features new remastering – done at Abbey Road!) ~ Dusty Groove

JOAO CALLADO – NOVO DANCA

Cavaquinho with a great dose of jazz – all to make some really wonderful music that does a great job of bridging Brazilian music traditions! Joao Callado plays cavaquinho on the set – using the small stringed instrument with a great sense of grace, and working in a highly rhythmic mode too – one that's perfect for the album's mix of instrumentation that often includes trumpet and tenor, used with jazzy inflections – plus plenty of core percussion and guitar as well! A few cuts have vocals, but most are instrumental – and the album's arguably got even more life and spirit than Joao's previous set for the Biscoito Fino label. Titles include "Valsa Jongo", "Samba Em 3", "Explode O Salao", "2 Pra La 3 Pra CA", "3 Na Marcha", "Tecnovalsa", and "Brisa De Copacabana". ~ Dusty Groove

LARRY TOMKO / PETER MARSH - TOMKOMARSH

Larry Tomko and Peter Marsh have come together on TomkoMarsh, a new 11 song disc of mainstream adult rock and funky soul mixed with contemporary jazz. Both musicians sing and harmonize on all the tracks, with Tomko taking the sax and keyboard duties and Marsh on guitars.

With the single "Slow Dancer," an old-school R&B tune with a sweet hook, danceable rhythm, and overall sound that could top the play list of any adult contemporary radio station.

"My Secret Love" takes off in the same direction, reminding listeners of singer Chris Rea, soulful and smooth.

"Stand Back" mixes straight forward rock with Steely Dan-like harmonies. Both musicians sing and harmonize on all the tracks, with Tomko taking the sax and keyboard duties and Marsh on guitars.

Peter Marsh's music career extends back to the mid 1970s when he released albums under various band names for record companies like CBS/Epic and Polydor. His knack for songwriting led to writing music for big names of the time like Nick Lowe and soul legend Jimmy Ruffin, and session work with artists like Manfred Mann. Later he moved to London then France and built studios for recording his own music and others. He toured France with great success.

Larry Tomko came to France via San Francisco as a sax player, songwriter and backup singer. After contributing to acclaimed studio projects he formed his own band and toured as opening act for Ella Armstrong. He recorded two top-ten singles, “Keep on Groovin'” and “Everybody Celebrate,” and went on to form his own acts for studio projects and live performances around Europe and America.

The magic of their collaboration started brewing when Peter and Larry met at a “Marsh and Co.” concert in France. Afterward, Peter called Larry to ask if he would drop by his home studio and blow sax for a commercial project. Right away they knew they had a magical touch for making music together.

Says Peter, "I had no idea what we were going to do or if Larry would even like the idea. We gave it a go and finished ten tracks in one day!"

About that special day, Larry adds, "I wasn't too sure about the whole idea. The tracks were very smooth jazz/funk oriented, with no vocals and some with no melodies. Peter just hit the record button and I blew sax for a few hours. We got along great in the studio."

Realizing they had a common base of reference and love of all things funk, they decided to collaborate for Funk My Dog, a smooth jazz CD praised by SmoothJazz.com.

Next they flew off in another direction and focused their energy on making a rock/pop album. The result is Tomko Marsh, an album that lets their musicianship and vocals shine.

This is a can’t miss album for music lovers.

http://www.tomkomarsh.com/

LEE PERRY & THE UPSETTERS - BLACKBOARD JUNGLE DUB

On Blackboard Jungle Dub, Lee Perry and the Upsetters produce another fine example of their subversive brand of dub with a unique blend of murky rhythm tracks, warbling guitar effects and distant-sounding horns. Although it does not quite match the quality of the classic Upsetters album Super Ape, Blackboard nevertheless impresses with both the brevity of "strictly" drum and bass cuts such as "Dreamland Dub" and "Kasha Macka Dub," and expansive touches like the animated DJ toasting on "Cloak A Dagger (Ver. 3)." Living up to the "Upsetter" moniker, Perry wreaks his inimitable brand of mayhem during "Fever Grass Dub" with a half-baked MC intro, lion roars and air raid siren imitations; effects which blend in well with other eccentric features like the spastic trombone solo on "BlackBoard ver. 2" and reverb-heavy percussion on "Cloak a Dagger." Just standard technique for Perry really, and part of the sound which made his productions instantly recognizable amongst many '70s and '80s dub releases. Blackboard Jungle contains classic dub taken to the outer limits and is one of the highlights of the Lee Perry catalog.

~ By Stephen Cook

Tracklisting:
Blackboard Jungle [Dub/Ver. 1] (4:35)
Rubba Rubba Words (3:52)
Cloak A Dagger (3:10)
Dub From Africa (3:16)
Dreamland [Dub] (2:34)
Pop Goes The Dread (Dub) (2:56)
Fever Grass [Dub] (3:55)
Sin Semilla Kaya [Dub] (3:07)
Moving Forward (2:48)
Blackboard Jungle [Dub/Ver. 2] (3:33)
Kasha Macka [Dub] (2:30)
Setta Iration [Dub] (2:22)

MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL ADDS NILE RODGERS, CERRONE, ALISON MOYET, ULTRA NATE, TAYLOR DAYNE, MARTHA WASH & OTHERS...

The Montreux Jazz Festival has announced a special night featuring Nile Rodgers and Cerrone. This special night will also include performance by other artists that live, breathe and pass on the spirit of dance music. ‘What made sense back in the day still does today. Artists and their music have evolved but the spirit in which we composed ‘Freak Out’ remains the same,” enthuses Rodgers. Also appearing will be Rodgers’ one-night collaborator Mark Ronson. On the bill are many of the hits from the last 30 years. These include Nile Rodgers and his group Chic, Cape Verdean group Tavares, the powerful voices of Martha Wash, Taylor Dayne and Ultra Nate, as well as the electro sounds of English group Groove Armada.


Montreux Jazz Festival - Auditorium Stravinski, Friday, July 13, 9 pm

FREAK OUT! MONTREUX

Dance Party co-produced by NILE RODGERS and MARK RONSON with special performances:

Chic featuring Nile Rodgers

Mark Ronson

Alison Moyet

Cerrone

Groove Armada

Tavares

Martha Wash

Ultra Nate

Taylor Dayne

And special unannounced guests artists and very special DJs…

DJ Scarlettetienne, DJ Ultra Nate and DL Felix da Housecat.



Cerrone


CERRONE

Drummer Marc Cerrone was one of the biggest names during the formative disco years. He is also a producer and a composer and his worldwide album have sold 30 million albums sold worldwide. He’s a master of the dancefloor and his music is still widely popular and has been sampled by countless musicians over the years.

Alison Moyet

ALISON MOYET

She was ½ of the British duo Yazoo and in 1983 she began her solo career. Her first album, ALF, was a major success in Britain and ranks among the biggest sellers of the year when it was released. Over time, Alison Moyet has released 7 albums and 3 compilations, all ofwhich hit the in the top 30 UK charts. Today, Alison Moyet still continuing his career, her latest album The Best of Alison Moyet: 25 years Revisited.



 

MARTHA WASH

Graced with a powerful and distinctive voice, Martha Wash is a disco icon. She made her debut singing backup for singer Sylvester along with with Izora Redman. The two women join forces a few years later to create the group "The Weather Girls". In 1982 they released their global hit "It's Raining Men."

Taylor Dayne

 TAYLOR DAYNE

With hits like "Tell It to My Heart" and "Love Will Lead You Back," Taylor Dayne had 18 singles on the charts. In 2006 she was chosen by Elton John to sing at the party We Are Family Foundation.





montreuxjazzfestival.com

VALERIE SIMPSON - DINOSAURS ARE COMING BACK AGAIN

Valerie Simpson, one half of the beloved and legendary songwriter/producers and performers Ashford & Simpson, has returned to the music scene with her new album Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again scheduled for a late May release. “Dinosaurs” is Simpson’s first solo album in over four decades and follows the death last year of her husband and longtime musical partner, Nick Ashford. “My honey put his heart and soul and some powerful lyrics into this album for me. I think Nick would be very pleased and proud of how it came out,” commented Simpson. “Dinosaurs”, produced by Ashford & Simpson, includes guest appearances by Roberta Flack and Nina Simone. "Make It Up As We Go" is the last recorded vocal of the late great Nina Simone. She consented to do this haunting duet with Simpson in the South of France and it was an experience she says that she willl never forget. It also includes the Ashford & Simpson classic, “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” in instrumental form.

Simpson is scheduled to perform at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland on June 2nd. Valerie is also continuing her commitment to nurture and help talent at New York’s Sugar Bar where she sings along with emerging and well-known artists most Thursdays for ‘open mic’ night as well as “Nothin’ But The Blues” nights on Tuesday evenings. Nick and Val opened the Sugar Bar as a famed restaurant and bar on the Upper West Side over ten years ago.

Valerie Simpson and Nick Ashford have written some of the biggest hits of their generation including “Let’s Go Get Stoned”, “Your Precious Love”, “Ain’t Nothing Like The Real Thing”, “You’re All I Need To Get By”, “Reach Out and Touch”, “The Boss”, “I’m Every Woman” and scores of other tunes. They have written and produced for a who’s who of music legends including Diana Ross, Whitney Houston, Chaka Khan, Marvin Gaye and many others. As one of the most famous duos in music, Ashford & Simpson released several of their own albums for Warner Bros. Records and Capital Records where their huge hit “Solid” became their personal anthem.

An Ashford & Simpson’s performance in 2007 at NY’s Feinstein’s at the Regency was filmed and aired on PBS stations across the country and released on DVD simultaneously with the release of “Hits, Remixes and Rarities” – a two-disc set of choice material from their Warner Bros. years.

Ashford & Simpson tunes have remained a constant on the charts. Singer Ryan Shaw was nominated for a 2008 Grammy for his cover of the Motown era A&S penned “I am Your Man”. Method Man and Mary J. Blige’s Grammy-winning medley of “I’ll Be There For You/You’re All I Need To Get By” (1995), 50 Cent sampled “Silly Wasn’t I” on his hit “Best Friend” (2006) and Amy Winehouse’s “Tears Dry On Their Own”, was built on the music from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”.

Last year, Valerie attended the 2011 Soul Train Awards in Atlanta where she inaugurated a songwriting award in Nick’s name. She also performed with Usher at The Grammy Nominations Concert Live! in a special tribute to the music of Ashford & Simpson.

She did her first real gig last December in Indiana, after attending the annual ASCAP Foundation Awards ceremony at Jazz at Lincoln Center and establishing the "Reach Out And Touch" Award in Nick’s honor, to provide promising songwriters with financial assistance for professional recordings of their original songs.

With the release of the highly anticipated “Dinosaurs Are Coming Back Again”, Valerie Simpson is still creating great music as she enters the next chapter of an extraordinary career.

DORIS DAY - WITH A SMILE AND A SONG

In conjunction with Turner Classic Movies (TCM), With a Smile and a Song presents 30 examples of Doris Day during her popular peak, which is the dozen-year period from the early '50s to the mid-'60s, when she was lighting up the silver screen as well as the charts. Compared to earlier double-length collections (including the one to beat, Golden Girl: Columbia Recordings 1944-1966, this one focuses less on her big-band beginnings and commercial hits, with more time spent on songs from the great American composers and the songs she sang in movies. (Day helped out with the compilation of With a Smile and a Song, which can explain many of the differences.) Of course, there's a spot for her best-loved hit, "Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)," as well as "Pillow Talk" and "Secret Love" and "By the Light of the Silv'ry Moon." Unlike previous sets, though, this one values her work on the great vocal standards: "You Go to My Head," "My Romance," "Fools Rush In," "But Beautiful," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "Love Me or Leave Me," and "It Had to Be You." Although it's always valuable to hear how well Doris Day sang during the '40s, with Les Brown and others, this collection offers as much as any other to show how Day became one of the best and best-loved vocalists of the 20th century.
~ John Bush

Tracks:
CD1
1. On Moonlight Bay (with The Norman Luboff Choir, Paul Weston & His Orchestra) (2:29)
2. Till We Meet Again (2:38)
3. It Had to Be You (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra) (2:41)
4. I’ll See You in My Dreams (with The Norman Luboff Choir) (3:16)
5. It’s Magic [78rpm Version] (with Percy Faith & His Orchestra) (3:27)
6. By the Light of the Silv’ry Moon (with Paul Weston & His Orchestra, The Norman Luboff Choir)
7. Secret Love (3:39)
8. I Speak to the Stars [from "Lucky Me"] (Leith Stevens & His Orchestra) (3:03)
9. Love Me or Leave Me [Album Version] (2:19)
10. At Sundown [Album Version] (1:33)
11. Shaking the Blues Away [Album Version] (3:32)
12. Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) [Single Version] (with Frank DeVol & His Orchestra)
13. Pillow Talk [Album Version] (Orchestra conducted by Jack Marshall) (2:11)
14. My Romance [Album Version] (2:32)
15. Little Girl Blue (4:48)

CD2
1. Easy to Love [Album Version] (with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) (2:44)
2. Imagination [78rpm Version] (3:17)
3. You Go to My Head [78rpm Version] (2:52)
4. Don’t Take Your Love from Me [Album Version] (with Paul Weston & His Music from Hollywood)
5. But Beautiful [Album Version] (with Paul Weston & His Music from Hollywood) (3:23)
6. The Song Is You [Album Version] (with Paul Weston & His Music from Hollywood) (3:17)
7. Our Love Is Here to Stay [Album Version] (with Frank De Vol & His Orchestra) (3:48)
8. Oh, But I Do (2:49)
9. Here We Go Again (with Jim Harbert & His Orchestra) (2:35)
10. Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear to Tread) (with Andre´ Previn and The Andre Previn Trio) (3:52)
11. In Love in Vain (with Andre´ Previn and The Andre´ Previn Trio) (2:56)
12. With a Smile and a Song [Album Version] (with Jimmy Joyce & His Children’s Chorus, Arranged and Conducted by Allyn Ferguson) (3:37)
13. Desafinado (Slightly Out of Tune) (2:51)
14. Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps (Quizas, Quizas, Quizas) (2:33)
15. There They Are (3:05)

NEW RELEASES - BILLY PAUL, IVETE SANGALO, GILBERTO GIL, CAETANO VELOSO, JAMES BROWN

BILLY PAUL - EBONY WOMAN

An amazing early album from Billy Paul – the start of a rich career of sophisticated soul, and a record that really put Paul on the map right away – making him one of the most soulful interpreters of song in the 70s! There's a mix of modes going on here that's a bit similar to the early solo work of Isaac Hayes – a way of mixing mature styles from jazz, soul, and pop – into a blend that's all very much Billy's own, and which completely grabs you right from the start! The first track, "Ebony Woman", perfectly sums up Billy's style – one of those haunting tunes that never lets us down – and the album follows with a brilliant mix of tunes that includes nice groovers like "Everyday People" and "Psychedelic Sally" – plus the tracks "The Windmills Of Your Mind", "Windy", and "Let's Fall In Love All Over Again", all given a great soulful vibe and a very different twist! ~ Dusty Groove

IVETE SANGALO / GILBERTO GIL / CAETANO VELOSO - ESPECIAL IVETE, GIL. CAETANO (DVD)

A really lovely trio of talents – appearing here on a special done for Brazilian TV! The set does a good job of balancing things out between these three powers in MPB – so that Caetano sings a bit, on tunes with his own sort of flavor; Ivete steps out warmly, sometimes on more contemporary rhythms; and Gilberto Gil works his own sort of charm on numbers that show his recent ear for more complicated rhythms. The format is great – really showing the warmth of each artist individually, yet using them together in proximity too – so that you can see the good feelings they inspire in each other as the set moves on. Titles include "A Novidade", "Toda Menina Baiana", "O Meu Amor", "Voce E Linda", "Tigresa", "A Luz De Tieta", "A Linha E O Linho", and "Super Homem". DVD also features two bonus songs – and subtitles in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. (DVD is NTSC, All region.) ~ Dusty Groove .

JAMES BROWN - GRAVITY (W/BONUS TRACKS)

A bit of a comeback for James Brown – a mid 80s outing recorded with Dan Hartman, who gives the record a "contemporary" sound that's definitely a great way to slide James in with the younger crowd at the time! The style's still funky, but has more street soul elements too – and the record sports guest appearances by Alison Moyet, Steve Winwood, and Stevie Ray Vaughan – and although the production is a bit stiff at points, there's some undeniable quality in James that still makes some nice moments shine through! Titles include "Gravity", "Let's Get Personal", "How Do You Stop", "Living In America", "Goliath", "Repeat The Beat", and "Return To Me". Lots of bonus tracks too – including "Living In America (12" R&B dance)", "Living In America (inst)", "Living In America (soundtrack version)", "Gravity (12" ext)", "Goliath (12" message house mix)", "Gravity (single)", and "How Do You Stop (12" ext)". ~ Dusty Groove

DENNIS ANGEL - RIO ON MY MIND

New York horn player extraordinaire Dennis Angel has definitely caught our attention with his first single release… the title track… from his upcoming Rio On My Mind album. Enlisting the World-class top drawer talents of veteran producer and keyboardist Jason Miles (Miles Davis, Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross), master guitarist Romero Lubambo (Dizzy Gillespie, Diana Krall), acoustic bassist Amanda Ruzza (Arturo O’Farrill, Kevin Mahogany) and drummer Brian Dunne (Hall & Oates, AWB), Mr. Angel has crafted a captivating and spirited original Brazilian contemporary jazz tune that’s an enticingly perfect introduction to what promises to be an outstanding collection of new music from this master of the trumpet and flugelhorn. This is the kind of song that will definitely take you on a sun-splashed musical journey to tropical locations like Sugarloaf Mountain and Copacabana Beach, and certainly makes one eager to hear what else Dennis Angel’s thinking musically, with Rio on his mind!

~ Scott O'Brien
http://www.smoothjazz.com/

The Dennis Angel Band consists of Dennis Angel on trumpet, Gottfried Stoger on sax and flute, David Shaich on bass, Joel Mofsenson on piano, Mike Campenni on drums, and DeForest Raphael on vocals. Grammy nominated guitarist Gil Parris and Dennis’ sixteen year old daughter Rebecca can be heard on many of their recent recordings. The group’s first song that attained national recognition was “The Wall Street Recession Time Blues” which was played on many blues and folk radio stations at the height of The Wall Street meltdown. It was also the subject of a feature article in the “Boston Herald” on Labor Day 2009. The group has had a string of successes on Smooth Jazz stations and charts beginning in the summer of 2010 with songs such as “From Bebop to Hip Hop” and later “I Need Smooth Jazz”, “Dizzy Izzy” and “My Favorite Time of the Year”. The band has played at various venues including Iridium and The Triad in Manhattan, and The Watercolor Café, ZaZa’s and The Manor Club in Westchester.

~ dennisangelband.com

BOB MINTZER BIG BAND - FOR THE MOMENT

The Grammy Award-winning Bob Mintzer Big Band has explored diverse styles of music in its illustrious 25-year recording history -- from New York and Afro-Cuban to Count Basie and John Coltrane. On the band's new MCG Jazz CD, For the Moment, which is scheduled for release June 19, saxophonist, composer, arranger, and bandleader Mintzer puts the spotlight on Brazilian music.

While some of the tunes are directly from the Brazilian songbook -- "Corcovado" by Antonio Carlos Jobim, "Berimbau" by Baden Powell, and two newer tunes by Chico Pinheiro -- others "merely make reference to rhythmical grooves from various regions of the country," says Mintzer. "This becomes the springboard for what I most love to do: write for big band in a way that establishes a focus and then breaks free of stylization." The leader's own finely crafted originals include "Aha," a tune originally conceived for the Yellowjackets that's set to a surging Pernambucan baião, and paeans to Ouro Preto, the colonial town in Minas Gerais, and the northeastern city of Recife, where he has visited.

Produced by MCG's Marty Ashby and arranged by Mintzer, For the Moment features guest artist Chico Pinheiro, the rising star guitarist/composer from São Paulo who's been collaborating with Mintzer for the last several years. "Chico is a fantastic instrumentalist," says Mintzer, "and his writing is subtle and intricate, all-encompassing and fresh-sounding, with Brazilian lyricism and the complexity of jazz."

Other special guests are pianist Russell Ferrante, Mintzer's longtime colleague in the Yellowjackets; percussionist Alex Acuña; and drummer Peter Erskine ("He has had so much experience playing with large jazz ensembles, and he knows better than anyone how to shape the music").

After a long relationship with the DMP label that produced 13 albums, Mintzer connected with Manchester Craftsmen's Guild in 2004. The Big Band debuted with Live at MCG and followed up with Old School, New Lessons (2006) and Swing Out (2008), all of which featured Kurt Elling.

The lifelong New Yorker, who's considered one of the tenor saxophonists to come out of the school of New York players in the 1970s (also including Michael Brecker, Bob Berg, Dave Liebman, and Steve Grossman), and whose big band dates to 1983, when the Brecker brothers asked him to put together an ensemble for their club Seventh Avenue South, has been based in Los Angeles since 2008. He lives in the former house of composer Arnold Schoenberg (his first L.A. residence, 1934-1936), and is the recipient of the Buzz McCoy-endowed chair of jazz studies at the University of Southern California.

Mintzer continues to tour with the Yellowjackets (which he joined in 1990), does workshops all over the world, performs with his New York big band, and serves as a guest conductor/soloist with college and pro bands. But he has found time to assemble an L.A. big band that plays regularly at Vitello's in Studio City.

"The challenge is always to get the most out of whatever situation," he notes. "You can make three players sound huge, and with the right players who are tuned to subtlety and color, all things are possible. The writers who thought that way, Ogerman, Brookmeyer, George Russell, Maria Schneider, Gil Evans, that's the music that resonates with me the most."

The Bob Mintzer Big Band appears at Vitello's in Studio City 6/14-15, and at the Blue Note in Tokyo (with guests Chico Pinheiro and Kurt Elling) 6/20-23. Mintzer will also be touring with the Yellowjackets this summer, appearing at Birdland, NYC, 6/26-30; Freihofer's Jazz Festival in Saratoga Springs, NY, 7/1; several European festivals in July; and Scullers in Boston 8/3-4.

http://www.bobmintzer.com/