THE BERNIE WORRELL ORCHESTRA COMES TO JOE'S PUB IN NEW YORK CITY

The Bernie Worrell Orchestra comes to Joe's Pub
Saturday, September 15, 2012
Show time: 11 pm
Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10003
(212) 539-8778
Tickets: $20 http://bit.ly/BWO-JoesPub
Ages: 21+

Rock and Funk legend, Bernie Worrell, recently digitally released two songs, “BWO is Landing” and “Get Your Hands Off.” Combing elements of everything from jazz to salsa to funk and soul, these two tracks have something to offer every music lover. Both tracks are beautifully arranged and very danceable, full of energy and are true works of musical genius from a master of many styles. These are the first tracks by Bernie's current band, Bernie Worrell Orchestra, which he co-produced with Evan Taylor.

How many artists can say they were in on the ground floor of an honest-to-Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame supergroup, while inventing a completely original and uncanny sound and, in the ensuing years, built a legendary reputation as one of the most versatile hired guns in the music business? True funkateers know the history. From the fat Minimoog bass lines of “Flash Light” and “One Nation Under A Groove” to the percussive piano runs of “Chocolate City” and “Give Up the Funk,” Bernie Worrell is synonymous with the legacy of Parliament-Funkadelic; in fact, he’s one of the originators of the psychedelic funk sound, having written and co-produced the lion’s share of the music going back to Funkadelic’s formative years, with an eclectic ear for everything from Chopin to the Chi-Lites.

These days the terms “living legend” or “funk icon” really don’t come close to doing Worrell justice. “Funk iconoclast” is probably more apt, considering the breadth of his contributions to seminal albums outside the P-Funk canon, including Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense and Public Image Ltd’s Album, to name two of the more monolithic examples. Keith Richards, Yoko Ono, Bootsy Collins, Jack Bruce, Ginger Baker, Mos Def, Sly & Robbie, Deee-Lite, Bill Laswell and many more have recruited Bernie into the studio and on tour—all for his versatility, vision and feverish creativity whenever he gets his hands on a keyboard.

EMIL RICHARDS – STONES / JOURNEY TO BLISS / NEW TIME ELEMENT

Mindblowing music from this ultra-cool musician – nearly three albums packaged on one CD! First up is Stones – a very groovy set of tunes that we'd rank right up there with Hal Blaine's Psychedelic Percussion for sheer nuttiness! Emil Richard plays a range of percussion instruments – as on other albums from the time – vibes and lots of mallet and percussion instrument – but he's also working with a really noisy moog, handled by Paul Beaver, and some weird "22-tone-to-the-octave" instruments that give the album an other-worldly tone that we really love. The whole thing bubbles and bleeps and grooves – with plenty of jazz still in the mix, as befits Richards' roots in the LA scene of the late 50s. 12 tracks in all – all named after birthstones – with titles that include "Garnet", "Moonstone", "Emerald", "Topaz", "Opal", and "Ruby".

Next up are 6 tracks from New Time Element – one of the grooviest albums to come from the godlike hands of Emil Richards! This album's got a bit more punch than some of Richard's more jazz-based sessions – with Emil playing a wide range of percussion instruments, plus vibes and marimba – all backed by some incredibly groovy work on organ and piano by Dave McKay! Arrangements are by Tom Scott and Paul Beaver – and the record's got the jaunty, swinging quality of some of Scott's best early work of the time – particularly his early gems for Impulse! Titles include a great version of Tom Scott's oft-recorded "Blues for Hari", a very groovy number with a great 60s eastern feel – plus "Hot Fudge Sundae", "Happy Together", "Jimmy", and "Georgy Girl".

And last but not least are 8 tracks that comprise Journey To Bliss – a fantastic bit of "Eastern" tinged jazz – and a real musical Journey To Bliss on its own! Vibist Emil Richards has always been totally groovy in our book – but he really outdoes himself here – working in an exotic mode that features lots of weird percussion over choppy modal grooves from keyboards, guitar, and drums – all in a wild blend of rhythms and grooves played by Richards and his Microtonal Blues Band. Players include Tom Tedesco and Dennis Budimir on guitar, Dave MacKay on keyboards, and Joe Porcaro on drums – but all players handle a variety of instruments, as does Richards, who must play dozens of different percussion elements on the set! Side one of the album features some great short groovers – like "Maharimba", "Bliss", "Mantra", and "Enjoy Enjoy" – all of which are in a tripped-out LA guru hippy mode that's simply wonderful! Side two features the extended "Journey To Bliss" suite, which has some spoken bits and a much wilder sound – but also the same sort of groovy pop-Eastern sound as side one! ~ Dusty Groove

THE JOE HARRIOTT QUINTET - MOVEMENT / HIGH SPIRITS

Overlooked gems from this key reedman on the Brit modern scene of the 60s – two rare albums in a single package! First up is Movement – one of the most obscure albums recorded by Joe Harriott – leading light of the British avant scene in the 60s – and one of the best, too! The album features Harriott working with a quintet that includes Shake Keane on trumpet, Pat Smythe on piano, Bobby Orr on drums, and Coleridge Goode on bass – playing in territory that's somewhat in the neighborhood of his Abstract and Free Form albums, but also a bit more inside, with more of a focus on swinging, hard-hitting jazz. The rhythms are often quite tight and soulful, and although the album's touched with lots of angular moments – both in the solos and backings – the overall sound is wonderfully grooving and tremendously captivating! The album's got that perfect blend of modern, modal, and soul that make the best Brit jazz albums from the mid 60s so wonderful – and the set list includes original tunes such as "Movement", "Spaces", "Blues On Blues", "Revival", "Beams", and "Count Twelve".

 High Spirits is pretty unique – a set of takes on tunes that come from a musical show, but recast strongly as soulful sides for the Harriott combo! Pianist Pat Smythe re-arranged all tracks in the set – and really gives them a new sort of energy – opening them up for lots of solo work on his own piano, plus alto from Harriott, and some beautiful trumpet lines from the great Shake Keane – a player who always sounds great next to Joe. The rest of the group features Coleridge Goode on bass and Bobby Orr on drums – and titles include "Home Sweet Heaven", "Something Tells Me", "Go Into Your Trance", "I Know Your Heart", and "Was She Prettier Than I". ~ Dusty Groove

BOBBY LYLE REISSUES - NEW WARRIOR, NIGHT FIRE, GENIE

BOBBY LYLE – NEW WARRIOR

A wonderful record by Bobby Lyle – and a genius blend of jazz, soul, and lots of other righteous sounds! Lyle started out as a keyboardist, but this album really has him taking off as a vocalist too – working in a sweet Roy Ayers-styled groove – one that blends mellow rhythms with warmly jazzy inflections – with roots in fusion, yet a tighter soul finish overall! Lyle's still got a few keyboard flights – of the sort heard on The Genie – but with Wayne Henderson at the production helm, things are a bit tighter overall – given a really wonderful focus that makes Bobby sound better than ever. Titles include the great funky number "Groove (Ain't No Doubt About It)", the warm stepper "Good Inside", and cool keyboard grooves like "Star Traveler", "Missing Your Love", and "Inner Space". ~ Dusty Groove

BOBBY LYLE – NIGHT FIRE

A stone classic from Bobby Lyle – and a record that really has him stepping out strongly, both as a keyboardist and a singer! Bobby's strength at this point is undeniable – and he's got a perfect sense of balance that rivals contemporaries like Roy Ayers or Webster Lewis – both of whom work in a similarly jazzy groove! Lyle plays some great Fender Rhodes on the set – plus other more way-out keyboards too – and production is by the At-Home team, who really know how to bring in a strong sense of focus to the grooves, while still letting the best jazzy elements flourish. Titles include "Space Place", "Stop Running Away From Love", "Getting Into Love", "Dream Lady", "Stop Running Away From Love", and "For Love". ~ Dusty Groove

BOBBY LYLE - GENIE

A funky fusion classic – and quite possibly Bobby Lyle's most perfectly realized album! The set was Bobby's first full US outing, and it's filled with soaring, riffing keyboards that stretch out into territory explored a few years before by Johnny Hammond and Lonnie Liston Smith! The real difference, though, is the album's sweet soulful production from Wayne Henderson – who hooks in the best bits of Bobby's sound, and fuses them with a modern soul-styled groove that creates the same blend of jazz and R&B that you'd get on some of Eddie Henderson's best records from the time, or some of the best Ronnie Foster work on Columbia from a few years later. Bobby's keyboards are capable of hitting both a soulful groove and a deep jazzy vibe – and the record's got a rich palette of tunes that never fail to amaze us! Titles include "Mother Nile", "You Think Of Her", "The Genie", "Pisces", "Magic Ride" and "Night Breeze". ~ Dusty Groove

ORIGINAL ALBUM 5-CD SETS RELEASED FOR CURTIS MAYFIELD, RAY CHARLES, WILSON PICKETT

CURTIS MAYFIELD – ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES: CURTIS / CURTIS LIVE! / ROOTS / SUPERFLY / BACK TO THE WORLD

Seminal solo sounds from the great Curtis Mayfield – a perfect package that sums of everything that's great about his early years at Curtom Records! The music here is as revolutionary today as it was back in the early 70s – proud, righteous songs that are filled with power and politics, yet also have a deeply personal feel too – that unique Mayfield way of mixing social change with individual expressions – never summed up more beautifully than on the work in this set! The package features the classic solo debut Curtis, the legendary Superfly soundtrack, the completely great Roots album, the razor-sharp Back To The World, and the double-length gem Curtis/Live, filled with long tracks and unique acoustic instrumentation. ~ Dusty Groove

RAY CHARLES – ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES: GREAT RAY CHARLES / AT NEWPORT / GENIUS OF RAY CHARLES / GENIUS SINGS THE BLUES / GENIUS AFTER HOURS

A heck of a lot of Ray Charles – packed in one sweet little package! The set's a great document of Charles' later work for Atlantic Records – and it features five different albums, each in tiny record-like sleeves – really showing the full spectrum of Ray's talents a the time! There's definitely a bluesy undercurrent to the material, but Charles also showcases some of his jazz talents too – not just in the songs and styles he uses for vocal numbers, but also in the instrumentation that backs him up. The mix is a key illustration of the growth of Ray at this time – and is an especially good distillation of his music before moving onto fuller backings and hints of country in later years at ABC. 5CD set features all the albums The Great Ray Charles, Ray Charles At Newport, The Genius Of Ray Charles, The Genius Sings The Blues, and The Genius After Hours. ~ Dusty Groove

WILSON PICKETT – ORIGINAL ALBUM SERIES: IN THE MIDNIGHT HOUR / EXCITING WILSON PICKETT / WICKED PICKETT / SOUND OF WILSON PICKETT / I’M IN LOVE

Five classic Wilson Pickett albums from the 60s, all in a single set – a heck of a lot of Atlantic soul in one sweet little package! All of the records here have The Wicked Pickett in classic form – hitting hard with a gritty, nitty, socking soul style that never lets up all the way through – a punch that packs more power than just about any of his contemporaries, even on Atlantic – which is why these albums have become so legendary over the years! The set features each album in its own tiny record sleeve – so you can almost feel like you're collecting the vinyl – and the package features the full albums In The Midnight Hour, The Exciting Wilson Pickett, The Wicked Pickett, The Sound Of Wilson Pickett, and I'm In Love. ~ Dusty Groove

OSARU – ALL THE WAY

Osaru, a North Carolina based musician and physician continues his Smooth Jazz journey with a fascinating new chapter. In his new Smooth Jazz CD All The Way he delights our ears with 10 brand new original songs. This is a Smooth Jazz lover’s 'must buy'!

Music and the art of medicine have a lot in common, the most obvious being the ability to heal wounds and make people feel good. Osaru continues to do this on the keyboards and wind controller with his finely honed talents.

A very worthy successor to his last album, Home with the Keys, All the Way combines catchy themes with laid back mid-tempo grooves, creating beautiful melodies that will keep your head bobbing and your foot tapping. His ever present subtle background of African percussion seals his music with pride.

His style is reminiscent of Paul Hardcastle, Boney James, and Paul Taylor. His saxophone phrasing performed on the wind controller has been compared to Kenny G, Najee, and Steve Cole to name a few. Andrea Guy from reviewyou.com aptly describes Osaru's music as:

"...Smooth Jazz that will chill you out on the hottest of days and take you below zero when the temperatures are cool...It’s like the music reaches out and asks you to dance and you have no choice but to accept. How could you resist? The sax solos give new meaning to the word sexy."

All the Way is full of surprises. From the smooth, chilled-out 'Always' and 'Listen Again' to the energetic, catchy hip hop funk of 'Swagger' and 'Those Days', there is a tune here for a wide range of listeners. An African themed tune titled 'Where you dey go?' creates a nice unexpected twist in this amazing collection. He plays all the instruments on this self produced release.

'This is a happy album', the artist states. 'All the songs have a positive vibe…All the Way depicts my present state of mind and summarizes my plans for the future. I love what I do and intend to go all the way with my music creations, so stay tuned.'

All the Way is now available online at CdBaby.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. Osaru is currently offering a limited time free download of the track, 'Always' on his website at http://www.osarumusiczone.com

NEW RELEASES - TAJ MAHAL, MILT JACKSON, HIDEO SHIRAKI / TAKESHI INOMATA

TAJ MAHAL – HIDDEN TREASURES OF TAJ MAHAL 1969-1973

A two-disc sonic portrait chronicling the early stirrings of Taj Mahal's solo career, The Hidden Treasures of Taj Mahal 1969 - 1973 features two CDs comprised entirely of unreleased finished material. The first disc debuts studio recordings from 1969-1973, while the second disc premieres a full-length live concert, recorded April 18, 1970 at the Royal Albert Hall in London (on a bill that included Santana). Tracks include: Sweet Mama (Feb., 1970, Criteria Recording Studios); Yan Nan Mama Loo, Tomorrow May Not Be Your Day, Ain’t Gwine Whistle Dicie (Any Mo’); and Sweet Mama Janisse (Jan.,1971, Bearsville Recording Studios, Woodstock, NY), 22 tracks in all.

MILT JACKSON - BAGS & FLUTES

Excellent late 50s work by Milt Jackson for Atlantic! Bags & Flutes is very much in the style of Milt's classic Savoy sides from the preceding couple of years – mixing together his jazzy vibes with light lilting solos on flute, either by Bobby Jaspar or Frank Wess, Milt's old compatriot from the Savoy sessions. Piano is by Tommy Flanagan or Hank Jones, and Kenny Burrell plays guitar on the whole album. Tracks include "Ghana", "Connie's Blues", "Sandy", "I'm Afraid The Masquerade Is Over" and "Bag's New Groove". ~ Dusty Groove


HIDEO SHIRAKI / TAKESHI INOMATA - MODERN AMERIACHI FOR YOU


Not sure what they mean by "Ameriachi" in the title – but from the sound of the music, there's definitely a great A&M Records-styled mix of jazz, Latin, and South American modes! The set begins with a set of cookers from drummer Hideo Shiraki – working with an excellent group that features tenorist Hidehiko Matsumoto handling arrangements – often in ways that have this upbeat, swinging, and pretty darn groovy way of moving along – sometimes with a bold Herb Alpert-styled trumpet in the lead – other times with a bit of marimba vibes. Titles include "Ashita Ni Nareba", "Akasaka After Dark", "You & Me", and "Ginza Wa Koi No Jujiro". The second half is handled by Takeshi Inomata & His West Liners Plus All-Stars – a group that has an equally great A&M approach to the groove – thanks to arrangements from pianist Masao Yagi! The whole thing's a great illustration of the way that 60s Japanese jazzmen could also work in some groovy instrumental styles in the right setting – and titles include "One Rainy Night In Tokyo", "Omoide", "Goodbye Mr Tears", "Koi Wa Akaibara", and "Aitakute Aitakute". ~ Dusty Groove

PUCHO & THE LATIN SOUL BROTHERS - BIG STICK / DATELINE

Two rare gems from this legendary Latin group – both on CD for the first time ever! Big Stick is quite possibly the rarest album from Pucho & The Latin Soul brothers – and also one of the greatest, too – thanks to a wonderfully soulful vibe overall, and some wicked vocals from the great Jackie Soul! Arrangements are a bit bigger than some of their previous dates, but nicely offbeat too – put together by Bill Fisher, and featuring loads of great keyboards and organ from Neal Creque! The sound's got less horns than beofre, but the heavy percussion, keyboards, and vocals more than offset that loss – and make for one of the most unique Pucho albums ever! Titles include "Swamp People", "Left In the Cold", "Big Stick", "Cold Shoulder", and a very groovy version of "Sunny"!

Dateline is a rare gem from Pucho & The Latin Soul Brothers – and an album that has them really hitting strong on all instrumental fronts! The group sports wonderful piano and organ lines from Neal Creque – a player who helps Pucho hit a more expansive, jazzy vibe – mixed with horns from the always-great Pazant brothers – Eddie on saxes and Al on trumpet – plus some trombone from Barry Rogers too! These players all really help add some great jazzy inflections to the whole set – important, too, because the album's all instrumental – with no vocals to get in the way of the solos. Willie Bivens also plays vibes on the record – and titles include "Listen to Louie", "Dateline", "Yambo", "Bim", and "Ain't Nothin Can Happen". ~ Dusty Groove

JOHNNY HOLLIDAY - IN THE LIGHT

Featured This week On The Jazz Network Worldwide Is Multi-Instrumentalist Johnny Holliday With His CD In The Light.

Multi-instrumentalist Johnny Holliday blends Smooth Jazz, Salsa, Contemporary Jazz with a hint of Irish Celtic on his new release In The Light. Holliday also serves our country sharing the gift of his music and part of the proceeds of his CD sales goes to the Fisher House Foundation for Soldiers Injured in Combat.

Master musician, performer and dedicated member of the armed forces Johnny Holliday brings a different dimension to his music with his unique renditions of popular songs, original music and virtuosity in Smooth, Latin and Contemporary Jazz in his new CD In The Light.

Holliday has achieved a collection of recorded works as a multi-instrumentalist and vocalist performing internationally on concerts, festivals, Military Dignitaries, Ambassador’s from Foreign Countries as well as formal military balls by 4 Star Generals. Known for his natural born talent and discipline, playing trumpet, learning to breath and creating a rolling vibrato led him to singing, and his excellent ear for arrangement guided him to creating his own show. Johnny has been the opening act for major artists such as Al Jarreau, Lauryn Hill, Layla Hathaway, and Johnny Gil. His newest Jazz CD In The Light was featured on local news stations NBC, CBS and FOX. Always devoted to helping those in need, a portion of his proceeds’ goes to the Fisher House Foundation for Soldier’s injured in Combat and to the Air Force Security Forces Foundation.

While in the Air Force, Johnny performed in “Tops in Blue”, touring 14 countries, and 44 states in 10 months forging his skills as a performer, and teaching him a powerful work ethic that is rare in the world of music. It is the merging of these two disciplines, the military and the music, that bring you the true uniqueness of Johnny Holliday, a soldier and a musician’s musician.

Johnny became a dedicated student of one of the world’s top trumpet players, Roy Roman. It was under his expert tutelage that Johnny was able to hone his natural talent to be a truly competitive performer in the world of highly skilled jazz and classical musicians. Johnny was assigned to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas as a Security Forces Member, earning many awards, such as “Top Gun” and “Distinguished Graduate”.

“Johnny Holliday is a phenomenal musician, able to play masterfully several instruments and sing as well. His talents are such that he should probably devote his full time and energy to performing. The remarkable thing is that he doesn’t do it for self-aggrandizement or seek profit from it. He uses his craft to serve others and as a platform to transmit a positive and fruitful message.” says General Hector Pagan.

In Johnny’s words, “My military career and love of our country are very important to me, I finally recognized I equally love my music. I believe that this nation is in enough distress as it is, so if there is any way I can encourage anyone, either through speaking, listening, or music, that's what I'll do. I can't change the world, but I can try to help lighten the burdens of those around me.”

“Johnny is a powerful artist, the first time I was introduced to his playing I was blown away by his musicianship, it is an honor to present him to the jazz community not only heralded for his great talent and contribution to jazz but to thank him for his commitment to our country and sharing America’s music through our military” says Jaijai Jackson, creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide Social Network.

Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

ELIZABETH SHEPHERD - REWIND

"A jazz virtuoso blessed with a pop sensibility" - Real Detroit Weekly

Montreal-based soul-jazz innovator Elizabeth Shepherd has been praised around the world for her song-writing chops, but on her fourth studio album, Rewind, the pianist and vocalist showcases her skills as an arranger and interpreter, breathing new life - and soul - into songs both familiar and forgotten.

A two-time JUNO nominee (Canada's Grammy® equivalent) and critical darling, Elizabeth Shepherd's genre-bending, soulful jazz has helped her find her place as a mainstay on the international circuit, playing legendary venues like Tokyo's Cotton Club, London's Jazz Café and the Hollywood Bowl. Her debut album, Start To Move, continues to receive critical acclaim, and was voted the Top 3 Jazz Albums of the Year by the listeners of the Gilles Peterson Show on BBC Radio 1 in 2006.

As her first full-length album of standards, Rewind charts new and welcome territory for Shepherd, who pushes the boundaries of what is considered conventional jazz, all the while creating a sound completely her own.

Raised by ministers of the Salvation Army, an early exposure to the brass band sounds mixed with her love for classical and house music, funk and hip hop, lay the foundations for one soulful musician. Trained extensively in conservatories in Canada and France, Shepherd completed a degree in jazz piano from McGill University, Montreal. Initially entering the music program to pursue a career in music therapy she quickly discovered her extensive talent in songwriting and performing. She moved to Toronto in 2004 and worked as a server at a piano bar. Her serving job proved an asset to her musical career - once management realized Shepherd's talent, she quickly became the restaurant's key entertainer. Organically and innocently enough, the Elizabeth Shepherd Trio was formed with Scott Kemp on bass and Colin Kingsmore on drums. Within a year of trading her waitress uniform for a piano bench in 2006, Shepherd was appearing live on BBC Radio 1, playing sold-out shows at London's Jazz Café and doing a weeklong residency at the venerable Cotton Club in Tokyo.

On her 2008 follow-up, Parkdale, which garnered another JUNO nomination, Shepherd continued to carve out her own niche within the jazz idiom, drawing praise from peers and critics. The ensuing tours saw her sharing the stage with greats like Branford Marsalis, Christian McBride and Victor Wooten. Shepherd's 2010 release, Heavy Falls the Night, marked her debut as a producer and the record was hailed by jazz and pop critics alike as her best to date. Long-listed for Canada's most prestigious music award, The Polaris Prize, the album builds a bridge between jazz and sophisticated pop music. Shepherd spent the better part of 14 months touring the record internationally, selling out legendary jazz clubs while climbing high on pop charts.

 

For Rewind, Shepherd chose to interpret songs dear to her: there's the handful of well-known standards that initially got her into jazz, some obscure gems that never quite made it into the jazz canon, and two French songs she fell in love with when growing up in Paris.

Producing the record herself, she stamps each song with her cool, trademark sound, creating continuity with her original work but managing to appeal to a more mainstream jazz audience well familiar with tracks like "Love For Sale" and "Prelude To A Kiss." Her take on the legendary "Feeling Good" is fresh and surprising. With an upbeat yet delicate arrangement, Shepherd expertly displays her extraordinary talent at arranging songs to fit her signature, sultry vocal style. At times playful, like on "Les Amoureux Des Bancs Publics," then to the avant-garde and mysterious sounding rendition of Gershwin's "Buzzard Song and Kurt Weill's "Lonely House," Shepherd leaves listeners reminiscent of the warm and soulful vocal stylings of Gretchen Parlato and Esperanza Spalding throughout the album.

The vocalist didn't consider recording an album of standards until she became pregnant with her daughter Sanna while on the last leg of her 14-month tour supporting Heavy Falls The Night. Faced with the realization that she would not be able to finish writing enough original new songs for an album before Sanna's birth, Shepherd was compelled to get into the studio and record an album of songs that she had learned, loved and grown with over the years. She wanted desperately to connect with something that was always a constant in her life while she was in the midst of what is arguably the most significant life change a woman will ever have -- motherhood. After the album was finished and Sanna entered her life, Shepherd realized that Rewind too, ironically, marked a great shift for her musically.

"Now that the album is done, I realize that while pregnancy is a time of unprecedented, extreme change, and motherhood an even deeper process of adaptation, the illusion of holding onto something fixed is just that - illusion - because we are never really standing still, and so this album is not that link that I was hoping for when initially faced with so much change - rather it is one more face of change, an act of discovering and embracing yet another aspect of my self, this time of my musical self."

So while Rewind was a record initially inspired by Shepherd's desire to connect to something true and constant while undergoing and preparing for her life's biggest upheaval yet, the album in fact was a transition too; a remarkable, inspired and ambitiously creative transition. Rewind is clearly an Elizabeth Shepherd release, not a release of standards sung by Elizabeth Shepherd.

As far as being a "jazz musician", Shepherd does not count herself as one to be defined by a particular genre; her music comes straight from the soul, and is more than just what she does, but what she loves and who she is.

 

Rewind Personnel & Track Listing:
*All Songs Arranged and Produced by Elizabeth Shepherd

- Elizabeth Shepherd / vocals, piano (track 7), Rhodes (tracks 3, 6, 10), Wurlitzer (tracks 1, 8, 11), tuned mixing bowls & muted pestle (track 9), beatbox (track 11)

- Ross MacIntyre / double bass (tracks 1, 4, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)

- Scott Kemp / double bass (tracks 3, 6, 7)

- Denzal Sinclaire / vocals (track 12)

- Kevin Turcotte / trumpet (track 10)

-David Travers-Smith / trumpet (track 12)

- Reg Schwager / guitar (track 2)

- Andrew Downing / cell, double bass (track 5)

- Colin Kingsmore / drums, percussion

- Mark Kelso / drums (track 11)

 1. Love For Sale (Cole Porter) - 4:45

 2. Poinciana (Nat Simon, Buddy Bernier) - 3:54

 3. Pourquoi Tu Vis (José Luis Perales) - 3:14

 4. Lonely House (Kurt Weill, Langston Hughes) - 4:22

 5. Les Amoureux Des Bancs Publics (Georges Brassens) - 3:48

 6. Feeling Good (Leslie Bricusse, Anthony Newley) - 5:29

 7. Midnight Sun (Lionel Hampton and Sonny Burke, Johnny Mercer) - 6:30

 8. Sack of Woe (Cannonball Adderley) - 2:47

 9. Buzzard Song (George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin & DuBose Heyward) - 5:18

 10. When You Are Near (Bobby Hutcherson, Elizabeth Shepherd) - 4:43

 11. Born To Be Blue (Mel Tormé, Robert Wells) - 3:03

 12. Prelude To A Kiss (Duke Ellington and Irving Mills, Irving Gordon) - 2:52

 

 Upcoming Performances:

 October 26-27 / Umea Jazz Festival / Umea, Sweden

 November 1 / A-Trane / Berlin, Germany

 November 2 / Blue Note / Dresden, Germany

 November 3 / JazzClub Birdland / Lubeck, Germany

 November 4 / Prinz Willy / Kiel, Germany

 November 7 / Pizza Express / London, UK

 November 8 / Badcuyp / Amsterdam, Holland

 November 10 / Jazzpanazz / Nimes, France

 November 16 / Upstairs / Montreal, QC

 November 30 / Massey Hall / Toronto, ON

 December 1 / Iris Jazz Club / Buffalo, NY

 December 2 / Sophistications Jazz Café / Syracuse, NY

 December 4 / Rockwood Music Hall / New York, NY

 December 5 / Two Moon Café / Soho, NY

 December 7 / Nelson Odeon / Nelson, NY

 December 8 / Goodbye Blue Monday / Brooklyn, NY

 December 11 / Ava Lounge / Pittsburgh, PA

 December 14 / Night Town / Cleveland, OH

 December 15 / Cliff Bell's / Detroit, MI

 

ElizabethShepherd.com

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN...MISS GRACE JONES!...

SOOTHSAYERS RELEASE REGGAE COVER OF 'STREETS OF LONDON'

• Reggae cover of influential UK folk artist Ralph McTell’s track ‘Streets Of London’

• Digital-only single as a pre-cursor to upcoming new album, Human Nature

• Previously released as part of Culture Clash’s recent London’s Calling compilation

• Mixed by Yesking, who also provided two dub versions also included with the single

• Garnered early praise from The Guardian and The Observer as part of London’s Calling

• Already received airplay on BBC Radio 2 and BBC London

London’s Soothsayers are well renowned within the contemporary reggae scene for their infectious blend of reggae, afrobeat, jazz, and afro-dub. As a pre-cursor to their new upcoming album, Human Nature, they’re releasing a very special digital-only single on 1 October!

In April 2012 Soothsayers were presented with a list of classic songs about London and asked to choose one and arrange/record it in their own style for a compilation album called ‘London’s Calling’, featuring bands from the cream of London’s multicultural music scene. They chose The Streets Of London by Ralph McTell because they were familiar with the classic tune and liked the message in the lyrics. They also chose it because they immediately saw the potential to recreate such a track in a reggae context, using the three-part vocal harmony style that is a fundamental facet to their own forthcoming new album.

The result is an unexpected, yet beautiful, heart-warming slice of reggae groove, featuring bubbling guitars and piano, strident horns, and the beautiful vocal harmonies of Idris Rahman, Robin Hopcraft and Julia Biel.

Already marked by many as the stand out track on the London’s Calling compilation (which also featured Krar Collective’s cover of Lily Allen’s track LDN), the band are so happy with it that they have incorporated The Streets Of London into their live set, and included the song in the tracklisting for their new album, Human Nature, which is due to be released at the end of October.

Soothsayers rarely think about recording covers, but this one has got real soul and takes the original to such a different place that it couldn’t be resisted, plus the underlying message in the song is still as relevant today as it was when Ralph McTell first released the song in 1974. Soothsayers recorded this version in their own studio in South London, and it was mixed by Yesking, who have also mixed many of the tracks on the forthcoming Soothsayers album. Included with this digital single release are two superb dub versions by Yesking. The track has already had plays on BBC Radio 2, BBC London and BBC 6Music, plus various live sessions have been planned, including BBC Radio 4’s Loose Ends in the near future.

Tracklisting:
01. The Streets Of London (Radio Edit)
02. The Streets Of London (Dubby Vocal Mix)
03. The Streets Of London (Dub Mix)

NEW RELEASES - RONGETZ FOUNDATION, CHARLIE MARIANO, SARAH VAUGHAN

RONGETZ FOUNDATION - BROOKLYN BUTTERFLY SESSION

A stone smoker from Rongetz Foundation – and a record that's even better than anything else we've heard from them! This time around, the sound is very live – recorded in the US, with help from heavyweights like Ronnie Cuber on baritone sax and Bruce Williams on alto – plus killer vocals from Gregory Porter on two tracks that are worth the price of the album alone! The sound is totally smoking – soul jazz, with a spiritual undercurrent – and on the cuts "Hard Bop Merry Go Round" and "Gogo Soul", Porter gets some of his best backing ever – a mode that almost sounds better than his already-great albums! A few other cuts feature vocals by other singers – and titles inclu de "Eunice K", "Sam's Intro", "A Composer Of Modern Day", "The Braggart", and "Freaking Sunshine". ~ Dusty Groove

CHARLIE MARIANO - JAZZ INTERSESSION

A rare Japanese session from American reedman Charlie Mariano – and one of the few recorded documents of his time on the Tokyo scene! The album really captures Charlie at a pivotal – and under-recorded – point in his career – definitely stretching out from the tight lines of his Boston years, yet also still holding back from some of the trippier styles he'd explore more freely on the European scene. This sense of being at the edge really holds throughout the entire album – and even familiar tunes have some structures that are less familiar than you might expect – as Charlie blows alto with deep sense of soul, in the company of a group that includes Masao Yagi on piano, Hideo Shiraki on drums, Akira Fukumara on trumpet, and Hidehiko Matsumoto on tenor and soprano sax! Titles include "Etude", "Santa Barbara", "Rootie", "G Low", and "Come Rain Or Come Shine". ~ Dusty Groove

SARAH VAUGHAN - SINGS THE MANCINI SONGBOOK

Sarah Vaughan and Henry Mancini – a surprising combination, and one that's served up in an equally surprising style! The set was cut at the height of Mancini's 60s popularity, but the overall feel is quite different than his groovy soundtracks – and much more in the mature, boozy style that Vaughan was using at the time. Arrangers are a varied lot – the set includes work by Bob James, Frank Foster, Bill Holman, and Billy Byers – which gives the tunes a nice sense of variety, too – not the usual "in the mode of" record you might get from a set focused on a single composer. There's a few standout groovers – including a great vocal version of "Peter Gunn" – but most things are nice and mellow, and titles include "Dear Heart", "Charade", "Slow Hot Wind", "Mr Lucky", "It Had Better Be Tonight", and "How Soon". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - MUDDY WATERS, JOHN LEE HOOKER, HOWLIN' WOLF

MUDDY WATERS - CAN'T GET NO GRINDIN'

A back-to-basics return to electric blues for Muddy – after a few more funky albums for Chess. The style is pretty nice – and shows that Muddy had enough growing power at the time that he could get Chess to let him return to a purer Chicago electric blues style – one that would serve him well into later years, way beyond the style of his funk recordings! Titles include "Funky Butt", "After Hours", "Garbage Man", "Love Weapon", "Muddy Waters' Shuffle", and "Mother's Bad Luck Child". ~ Dusty Groove

JOHN LEE HOOKER - HOUSE OF THE BLUES

A rootsy cover, and some rootsy blues to match – a fairly stripped down session from John Lee Hooker –- and one that mostly just features vocals and guitar, plus some occasional added guitar and piano! Most of the recordings here are from the early 50s, pulled together in a full LP at the end of that decade – and they represent the formative roots of the Chess Records sound – a key bridge between Chicago blues and work from earlier scenes. Titles include "Ramblin By Myself", "Ground Hog Blues", "Women & Money", "High Priced Woman", "Sugar Mama", "Walkin The Boogie", "Love Blues", and "Union Station Blues. ~ Dusty Groove

JOHN LEE HOOKER PLAYS AND SINGS THE BLUES

About as pure as you can get for John Lee Hooker – a classic set of cuts for Chess, recorded with a feel that's almost folksy at times! The guitar has a raw edge that goes way back to the delta – and the overall approach is much more gritty than even some of Hooker's labelmates at the time – a really classic vibe that's supported in the liner notes by Studs Terkel! Titles include "The Journey", "Hey Baby", "Mad Man Blues", "Worried Life Blues", "Apologize", "Lonely Boy Boogie", and "Just Me & My Telephone". ~ Dusty Groove

HOWLIN' WOLF - THE BACK DOOR WOLF

Later Chess work by Howlin Wolf – but done in a rootsier electric mode that's similar to his earlier forays for the label! The set's from the years when Chess was backing off that great funk approach they brought to blues work at the end of the 60s – kind of a "back to basics" approach for which Wolf was a key contender. The album's got a fair bit of organ or electric keys alongside the guitar and harmonica – and titles include "Speak Now Woman", "Watergate Blues", "Leave Here Walking", "Back Door Wolf", "Coon On The Moon", and "Moving". ~ Dusty Groove

THE JAPANESE JAZZ PLAYS SERIES - BOSSA NOVA, SOUL, THE BEATLE SWING BLUE & RED ALBUMS

JAPANESE JAZZ PLAYS BOSSA NOVA (VARIOUS ARTISTS)


Brilliant bossa from 60s Japan – a killer collection of sounds from some of the scene's hippest musicians! The late 60s Japanese scene was a real hotbed of bossa nova activity – home to some of the best bossa jazz outside of Brazil – with a care and quality to rival the best American experiments on labels like Verve or Impulse! This collection brings together some of the best of that bunch – rare Japanese cuts that you'll be hard-pressed to find otherwise – served up as a set that's a perfect introduction to this unique musical moment. There's loads of great percussion, acoustic guitar, flute, vibes, and more – and the set features 20 tracks that include "Summer Samba" by Kazuo Yashiro, "So Danco Samba" by Stargazer Hiroshi Okazaki, "One Note Samba" by Tokyo Cuban Boys, "Meditation" by Minoru Muraoka, "For Me" by 5 Brass Quintet, "Orfeu Negro" by Hiroshi Matsumoto, "Dindi" by Kazumi Watanabe, and "Berimbau" by Shigeru Mukai. ~ Dusty Groove

JAPANESE JAZZ PLAYS SOUL (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Soulful sounds from 70s Japan – a host of tracks that offer up fresh versions of American soul tunes – mostly done as instrumental numbers with lots of funky touches! There's a fair bit of Stevie Wonder tunes on the collection – as well as other Motown moments and Atlantic Records numbers too – all played by Japanese jazz musicians who really know how to open up the groove! Arrangements are all mighty nice – usually going for interpretations that are fiercer and more full-on than the original vocal recordings – which allows the soloists to really stretch out and do their thing. Styles run from late 60s soul jazz to tighter fusion – and the set features 19 tracks that include "Bird Of Beauty" by Eri Ohno, "Sunny" by Toshiyuki Miyama, "Living For The City" by Jiro Inagaki, "Sir Duke" by Terry Herman Trio, "Boogie On Reggae Woman" by Akira Ishikawa, "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag" by Jiro Inagaki & Black Rhythm Machine, "Hold On I'm Coming" by Nobuo Hara, "Never Can Say Goodbye" by Sound Machine Drum, and "Love Child" by Toshiyuki Miyama. ~ Dusty Groove

JAPANESE JAZZ PLAYS THE BEATLE SWING – BLUE ALBUM (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Late 60s Beatles tunes – regrooved wonderfully by a host of Japanese jazz musicians! The set's a great illustration of the cool ways that Japanese jazz was changing during the 60s – picking up a real flair for larger arrangements mixed with tighter solos – and really starting to use some of the best new studio technology to further improve the sound! The result is a great batch of grooves like this – instrumental numbers that really push past the obvious modes you might expect – expanding the sound with lots of cool twists and turns – yet still keeping things pretty soulful overall – almost like some American soul jazz grooves of the time. Titles include "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" by Terumasa Hino, "Lady Madonna" by Kazuo Yashiro, "Get Back" by Tokyo Cuban Boys, "Come Together" by Nobuo Hara & Sharps & Flats, "Glass Onion" by Hiroshi Matsumoto & Sadanori Nakamure, "Long & Winding Road" by Kiyoshi Sugimoto, and "Ballad Of John & Yoko" by Toshiuki Miyama. ~ Dusty Groove

JAPANESE JAZZ PLAYS THE BEATLE SWING – RED ALBUM (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

The music of The Beatles – served up by a fab batch of Japanese jazz musicians! This "red" set focuses mostly on the earlier tunes by the group – some of their jaunty numbers from the mid 60s, which turn out to be a perfect setting for instrumental jazz modes – as the players on the tracks really let loose with a range of Hammond lines, horn parts, and guitar riffs! There's a bit of vocals, but most tunes are instrumental – and most of them are plenty darn funky too – not kitschy takes on the tracks, but the same sort of smoking jazz versions of Beatle numbers you might find on late 60s Atlantic or Prestige records here in the US. Titles include "Hard Days Night" by Miyama Toshiyuki, "Norwegian Wood" by Ohno Eri, "Eleanor Rigby" by Hiroshi Suzuki, "Here There & Everywhere" by Norio Maeda, "And I Love Her" by Sadao Watanabe, "Rain" by Jiro Inagaki, and "Michelle" by Count Buffalo. ~ Dusty Groove

THE ROLLING STONES TO RELEASE 'GRRR!' A GREATEST HITS COLLECTION TO MARK 50 YEARS

The Rolling Stones, ABKCO Music & Records and Universal Music Group are pleased to announce the release of GRRR! by The Rolling Stones on the 12th of November 2012 for the World Excluding North America and on the 13th of November 2012 in North America.

Available in various different formats -- including a three-CD 50 track version featuring 50 tracks, and a four-CD Super-Deluxe version gathering a whopping 80 tracks -- the collection tells the fascinating ongoing story of the Greatest Rock'n'Roll Band In The World, from their high octane version of Chuck Berry's Come On, their first single issued in June 1963, via the thrilling chart-toppers The Last Time, (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction, Get Off Of My Cloud, Jumping Jack Flash and Honky Tonk Women and the perennial juke-box and concert favorites Brown Sugar, Tumbling Dice, Miss You and Start Me Up, all the way to the present day with the inclusion of Gloom And Doom and One Last Shot, two new studio recordings recently completed by the group in Paris, France.

These brand new recordings constitute the first time Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood have all been together in the studio since completing the exalted A Bigger Bang album in 2005, and follow on from the critically-acclaimed expanded re-releases of the historic 40th Anniversary live Madison Square Garden concert "Get Yer Ya-Ya's Out!" in November 2009 and of two of their seventies masterworks, Exile on Main St., in May 2010, and Some Girls, in November 2011.

All GRRR! formats will feature a striking painting by award-winning American artist Walton Ford, who has created the latest in a long line of iconic artwork that has always been part of the band's DNA.

Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were school friends who lost touch, met up again at Dartford train station in 1960, and bonded over a shared love of rock'n'roll and Chicago blues. Within a couple of years, they were joined by guitarist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart and became part of the rich rhythm and blues scene that gravitated around Alexis Korner and Cyril Davies in London. By January 1963, they had added drummer Charlie Watts and bassist Bill Wyman and were playing a repertoire of Chess Records favorites Chuck Berry, Bo Diddley, Muddy Waters -- whose Rollin' Stone composition provided their name -- and Howlin' Wolf -- whose Little Red Rooster became their second UK number one in 1964. Jagger and Richards forged a creative partnership that endures to this day and has produced some of the most memorable songs in music history, including the much-covered Ruby Tuesday and Wild Horses.

The Jagger-Richards catalogue is remarkably consistent, full of unexpected lyrical and melodic twists which helped shaped popular music. Compositions like 19th Nervous Breakdown, Paint It, Black, Have You Seen Your Mother, Baby, Standing in the Shadow? and Let's Spend The Night Together articulated the feelings and frustrations of the counterculture generation and held a mirror to British society. In 1968, the Rolling Stones made the seminal Beggars Banquet album, featuring the heart-of-darkness opener Sympathy For The Devil and the finely-observed Street Fighting Man whose 'what can a poor boy do, except to sing for a rock'n'roll band?' lyric sounds more apposite than ever. They survived the loss of Jones, replaced by Mick Taylor who proved a sterling contributor to Let It Bleed, the influential 1969 album which included the elegiac You Can't Always Get What You Want and the ominous, eerily prescient Gimme Shelter.

With Jagger, the ultimate showman setting the gold standard for other lead singers, and Richards, the iconic guitarist raising the bar in riff-making, the Rolling Stones were the first band to master the art and craft of playing arenas and effortlessly made the groundbreaking move into stadiums in the seventies. They have remained the world's top concert attraction with every successive record-breaking tour, as effective performing beautiful ballads like Angie and Fool To Cry as the out-and-out rocker Respectable, their 1978 riposte to the punks who copped so many moves from them. The arrival of Wood, who took over from Taylor in the mid-seventies, added his signature slide and pedal steel guitar to an already heady brew and proved the perfect partner in the 'ancient art for weaving' for Richards on tracks like Beast Of Burden, coincided with the funkier direction of the dance floor fillers Hot Stuff and Emotional Rescue. In 1983, the edgy, sonically-adventurous Undercover Of The Night showed the group still had their finger on the pulse of alternative culture; the controversial Undercover video, directed by Sex Pistols associate Julien Temple, provided another highlight in a storied career that has seen them collaborate with world-famous film-makers like Nicolas Roeg, Jean-Luc Godard, Martin Scorsese, the Maysles and Peter Whitehead.

The Rolling Stones overcame the mid-eighties hiatus that nevertheless saw them score one of their biggest successes with their superior version of Bob & Earl's Harlem Shuffle, and returned stronger than ever with the Steel Wheels album and its irresistible lead-off track Mixed Emotions in 1989. Following Wyman's exit in 1993, they soldiered on and hit another purple patch with the Voodoo Lounge and Bridges To Babylon albums and their respective singles, the harmonica-led Love Is Strong and Anybody Seen My Baby, their first hit to feature sampling and rapping. In 2005, the soulful, gospel-infused ballad Streets Of Love, from A Bigger Bang, became a worldwide smash 42 years after their first chart entry, while the 1972 outtake Plundered My Soul helped the expanded Exile On Main St. return to the top the UK album charts 38 years after its original release, a feat unmatched by any artist.

Cherry-picking timeless hit singles and classic album tracks from their peerless catalogue and bringing the story up to date, the various formats of GRRR! offer the perfect package to help Rolling Stones fans celebrate the group's fiftieth anniversary in style. In celebration of the Rolling Stones' incredible journey, an innovative campaign has been launched to reveal their GRRR! Greatest Hits album sleeve using 3D Augmented Reality.

During a three week teaser campaign, fans were invited to download the free uView app in preparation for a big announcement. From today, using the uView app fans can scan the GRRR! sleeve and watch the stunning imagery come to life in 3D animation right before their eyes. The campaign will have further exciting updates coming soon. The use of one of the most advanced forms of mobile technology currently around solidifies The Rolling Stones as one of the most innovative bands in the world and as relevant as they have always been. The technology has been developed in partnership with Aurasma, the leaders in image recognition and augmented reality technology.

GRRR! GREATEST HITS FORMATS:
50 Track 3CD album
3CD / 50 tracks in a digipack with 24 page booklet

50 Track 3CD Deluxe Edition
3CD / 50 tracks in a DVD size box with 36 page hardback book and 5 postcards

Super Deluxe Edition Box Set
4CD / 80 tracks plus Bonus CD, 7" Vinyl, Hardback book, Poster, 5 postcards in a presentation box

12" Vinyl Box Set
5x 12" Vinyl / 50 tracks in a casebound LP Box

GRRR! by The Rolling Stones will be released November 13, 2012 in North America

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LARRY ROSEN CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF GRP RECORDS AND 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF JAZZ ROOTS

GRP 30 -- 2-CD Retrospective Album Set for Release Sept. 25; JAZZ ROOTS 2012/13 Concert Series Kicks Off Sept. 21

"Larry Rosen's JAZZ ROOTS is the most important new concert and educational jazz series in America." - Quincy Jones

It's hard to believe 30 years have passed since musicians/producers and entrepreneurs Larry Rosen and Dave Grusin made music history as co-founders of GRP Records. Not only did the innovative groundbreaking jazz label known as the "Digital Master Company" create a home and launch the careers for some of the finest jazz musicians of our time, the label was the first to adopt an all digital recording philosophy for all of its releases and was instrumental in the launch of the compact disc world-wide. GRP built a special relationship with music fans and was the first to market itself as a lifestyle brand which brought GRP to become Billboard's #1 Contemporary Jazz label for five consecutive years.

To mark this milestone, a 2-CD retrospective album titled GRP 30 will be released by Universal Music on September 25, along with 10 classic albums re-mastered and re-released digitally in the new Hi-Res audio format. Among the GRP artists featured are Dave Grusin, Chick Corea, Patti Austin, Diane Schuur, Michael Brecker, Randy Brecker, Lee Ritenour, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Valentin, George Benson, Yellowjackets, Gary Burton, Tom Scott, the GRP All-Star Big Band, Larry Carlton, Eddie Daniels, Kevin Eubanks, BB King, David Benoit, the Rippingtons, and many more. In celebration of GRP 30, a series of anniversary shows is confirmed for Oct. 9 - 14 at NYC's Blue Note featuring a who's who of GRP alumni, including: Dave Grusin, Lee Ritenour, John Patitucci, Will Kennedy (Yellowjackets) and special guest Diane Schuur.

Rosen has spent his life bringing quality jazz to the masses and preserving the art form. His current passion, JAZZ ROOTS - A Larry Rosen Jazz Series, which is celebrating its 5th Anniversary, is a concert and educational program created for performing arts centers across America. The JAZZ ROOTS series was first launched in 2008 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts of Miami-Dade County. Subsequently, the series debuted in 2009 in Dallas at the AT&T Performing Arts Center; 2011 at the Palladium Theater at the Center for the Performing Arts in Carmel, Indiana; and in 2012 at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, The Cobb Energy Center in Atlanta, and NJPAC in Newark, NJ.

JAZZ ROOTS artists presented include: Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Chick Corea, Keith Jarrett, Bobby McFerrin, Wynton Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Esperanza Spalding, Paquito D'Rivera, John McLaughlin, Patti Austin, Count Basie Orchestra, Ramsey Lewis, Arturo Sandoval, Dave Valentin, Nestor Torres, The Machito Orchestra, Eliane Elias, Ivan Lins, Buddy Guy, Dr. John, Manhattan Transfer, Al Jarreau, Jon Hendricks, Dave Grusin, Jon Secada, Eddie Palmieri, Michel Camilo and many more.

To date JAZZ ROOTS has sold over 100,000 tickets to music fans, reached out to 10,000 students, and presented over 100 major jazz artists.

Keeping a finger on the pulse of technology and media, the JAZZ ROOTS GRAMMY® nominated all-star concert, An Evening with Dave Grusin, was recorded live and is now being broadcast nationally on PBS TV, and released on CD and Blu-ray on Concord Records, and is available as an iPad app. As part of JAZZ ROOTS at NJPAC (New Jersey Performing Arts Center), Rosen is producing the first annual Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, along with presenting partners NJPAC and WBGO-FM. The winning female jazz vocalist will be announced on October 21, 2012 at the live performance finals presented at NJPAC.

The JAZZ ROOTS series includes educational and outreach programs that organically connect to local community groups, art centers, and local boards of education. The goal of the educational component is to teach, inspire, and enrich young people through unique active learning opportunities to experience jazz, both in the concert hall and in the classroom. Students are offered the opportunity to go behind the scenes with the artists at rehearsals and sound checks, attend master classes, and experience first-hand the artistic process.

States Rosen: "I believe it is extremely important that young people get to understand the history of America's music and its roots, especially today when music education has been almost eliminated from our public school system."

JAZZ ROOTS has formed an alliance with Sony Masterworks, Quincy Jones Musiq Consortium, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and the Jazz Educators Network (JEN) to help implement music curriculum in public schools. As part of this alliance Sony Masterworks recently released the first JAZZ ROOTS product titled; The Music of the Americas, a two-disc compilation tracing the story of African drums and their effect on the musical DNA of the Americas. The 36 track compilation features iconic performances by jazz masters from Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington to Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, and from Herbie Hancock to Wynton Marsalis.

For a complete schedule of JAZZ ROOTS shows across America please go to www.jazzroots.net.

NEW RELEASES - LOVE VIBES, LE BEAT BESPOKE, SHIRLEY HORN

LOVE VIBES (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A wicked little collection that really lives up to its name – a set that's filled with warmth and good energy throughout – not to mention a great array of overlooked soul tracks too! Most of the numbers here are lesser-known gems from the late 70s and early 80s – upbeat, but not in a disco way – and usually somewhere in a space between modern soul and boogie, which works perfectly for the positive vibes of the tunes! There's a soaring feel that definitely takes off from an Earth Wind & Fire sort of style – and although most of the artists here are familiar, you'll really be surprised at the tracks chosen for the set. Titles include "Love Vibes" by The Emotions, "Something On Your Mind" by Melba Moore, "Razzle Dazzle" by Heatwave, "Better Things" by Sylvia St James, "Riding" by Michael Henderson, "Can You See Where I'm Coming From" by Instant Funk, "All In The Way You Get Down" by Ray Parker Jr & Raydio, "Sweet Fire" by Mighty Fire, "Here I Am" by Dynasty, "No One" by Flakes, "Love Is Such A Crazy Thing" by The Spinners, "Wonderful" by GQ, and "When I'm Dancin" by Lenny Williams. ~ Dusty Groove

LE BEAT BESPOKE 5 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

Underground mod, garage and otherwise raucously R&B-fueled singles from the late 60s – rugged, raw and fuzzy, though melodic and unstoppably danceable, no matter how freaky – and possibly the best yet in the Le Beat Bespoke series! The songs are almost all deeply obscure and completely irresistible – rare stuff from around Europe and the US, plus a few other freak scenes around the world – wild, groovy stuff from The Deep Set, Los Delphines, The Hush, Satin Bells, Maximus, Tobias, Jay & The Hot Kids, The Outcasts and many more! Along with the above-mentioned kaleidoscope of styles on Volume 5 is more than a little bit of funky psych – and it all flows brilliantly thanks to driving dancefloor rhythm and the freewheeling era that Le Beat Bespoke represents! Includes "Make Love" by The Grabbeltons, "That's The Way Life Goes" by The Deep Set, "Sunset Show" by Sense Of Humor, "Turn Out The Lights" by Sand Of Time", "I'd Like To Know" by Tobias, "One Fine Morning" by James Curtis, "Loving You Sometimes" by The Outcasts, "A Better Mind" by Maximus, "Come C'Mon" by Satin Bells and more. 16 tracks on the vinyl version. ~ Dusty Groove

SHIRLEY HORN - LOADS OF LOVE

Early greatness from Shirley Horn – and a set that already has her stretching out her talents as a vocalist! Shirley sings some somber ballads over large orchestrations by Jimmy Jones – in a mode that's different from recent small combo work, but which also shows that she's a great singer with a really sensitive style – a vocalist who can be traditional when needed, yet still hold onto some hip modern inflections too. The set's got a committed, honest, slightly sad style that's quite striking, considering that this was one of Shirley's first albums – and titles include "That's No Joke", "Love For Sale", "Ten Cents A Dance", "Who Am I?", "Only The Lonely", and "Wild Is Love". ~ Dusty Groove.

BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY- RATTLE THEM BONES

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, longtime purveyors, custodians and distillers of a modern big band swing sound, are back and newly signed with Savoy Jazz. In celebration of twenty years bringing an irrepressible groove to the adoring masses, the band has recorded Rattle Them Bones - their eighth studio album which is available today. Founding members Scotty Morris and Kurt Sodergren, plus the five other original members, continue to keep their sound fresh coming off the 2009 release of their tribute to Cab Calloway. Produced by Morris and Joshua Levy with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, the band has honed their musicality to a fine point, effortlessly striking a balance between respect for the authenticity of the swing sound and the original ideas they incorporate into the mix. The band features Morris (vocals, guitar, banjo), Joshua Levy (piano, arranger), Kurt Sodergren (drums), Dirk Shumaker (acoustic bass, vocals), Glen "The Kid" Marhevka (trumpet), Karl Hunter (soprano, alto, tenor saxophones and clarinet) and Andy Rowley (baritone saxophone, vocals). Rattle Them Bones is available everywhere today.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy is truly a pioneering band having inspired a movement with their fierce dedication to fully inhabiting their particular musical world. It's a sound that spans many eras—think the prohibition era of "Boardwalk Empire" to the lounging swing of 60's "Mad Men." With Rattle Them Bones Big Bad Voodoo Daddy has put together an album of originals and hand-picked covers that would evoke a certain mood—a mood influenced by some surprisingly diverse sources ranging from Mark Twain to Randy Newman, Django Reinhardt to George Gershwin.

ROD STEWART'S 'MERRY CHRISTMAS, BABY' ALBUM FEATURES DAVE KOZ, CHRIS BOTTI, TROMBONE SHORTY & ELLA FITZGERALD

Grammy Award®-winning, two-time Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee Rod Stewart, the newest world-class megastar to join the roster of the Verve Music Group, has completed Merry Christmas, Baby, his first Christmas album of his career, it was announced today by Lucian Grainge, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Universal Music Group and David Foster, Chairman, Verve Music Group. Foster serves as producer and arranger of Merry Christmas, Baby, which is set to arrive in stores on October 30th and is available for pre-order on iTunes today.

"I have always been tempted to do a Christmas album," said Rod Stewart. "And now that I once again have young children, the timing couldn't be better. Additionally, Merry Christmas, Baby gave me a chance to reunite with David Foster." Added Foster, "And I'm thrilled that this is the first project for both of us on Verve."

Merry Christmas, Baby, an album of standards and traditional songs finds Rod Stewart joined by a number of A-list guests, starting with Michael Buble, who duets with Rod on "Winter Wonderland." "We Three Kings" is a duet with Mary J. Blige; and the title tune "Merry Christmas, Baby" is a duet with Cee-Lo Green featuring New Orleans' favorite son, Trombone Shorty. "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" features Dave Koz on saxophone and "What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?" is a very special 'virtual' duet with Ella Fitzgerald featuring Chris Botti.

The balance of the tunes on Merry Christmas, Baby comprise "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town," Irving Berlin's "White Christmas," "Blue Christmas," "When You Wish Upon A Star," "Silent Night," and "Auld Lang Syne." The album's one original track, "Red-Suited Super Man," is composed by Rod Stewart, David Foster and Amy Foster and features Trombone Shorty.

As a preview for audiences, Rod Stewart will return to the Home Shopping Network (HSN) on October 26 at 8 p.m. (ET) to kick-off the holidays with the debut of his first-ever holiday CD before its official release on October 30 (Verve Music Group). In 2010, Rod Stewart shattered HSN music records with his exclusive debut of Fly Me To The Moon, selling more than 25,000 units during his one-hour performance. He continues to be the largest selling music artist on HSN.

"We are thrilled to have Rod return to HSN to launch his first holiday CD with us," said Andy Sheldon, EVP of Television, Live Events and Creative for HSN. "Rod knows how to engage an audience with his incredible voice and irresistible charm and we look forward to another successful appearance when he takes the stage with David Foster in October. HSN Live has become a highly respected launch platform within the music industry and we are excited about the high caliber of artists that want to debut their latest projects."

"We are excited to bring Rod Stewart back to the HSN audience," said Mike Rittberg, VP Artist Development & Promotion, Verve Music Group. "They've been a great partner for Rod in the past and this is a great opportunity to showcase Rod's talent and this amazing new CD for millions of fans."

HSN customers will have the opportunity to pre-order an exclusive 2-disc bundle for $14.95 which includes the new release, Merry Christmas, Baby and a "Best Of" CD that features Stewart's greatest hits, including Maggie May, Reason to Believe and Twistin the Night Away.