AMY CERVINI - JAZZ COUNTRY

Free-spirited, genre-defying singer Amy Cervini - praised as "an honest, self-assured and honey-dripping presence" by All Music Guide - continues to broaden the idea of what a jazz singer can be with her fourth album, Jazz Country. To be released Feb. 18, 2014, by Anzic Records, Jazz Country is a beautiful collection of "North Americana" that finds the Toronto-bred, New York-based singer in league with her eponymous Jazz Country trio mates, guitarist Jesse Lewis and bassist Matt Aronoff, plus such guests as clarinet superstar Anat Cohen, one-of-a-kind singer-songwriter Nellie McKay and avant-jazz saxophonist Marty Ehrlich, among others. 

Cervini and company perform jazz and country songs, as well as folk and pop tunes, with a sense of storytelling, melody and atmosphere to the fore. Virtuoso drummer Matt Wilson put down his sticks to take the producer's chair for the album. Jazz Country features songs by the likes of Hank Williams and Neil Young, Johnny Cash and Carrie Underwood; there are kindred-spirit originals, inspired novelties and a soundtrack classic ("Calling You" from Baghdad Café), along with irresistible versions of such evergreens as "Blue Moon" and "Smile." Time Out New York has praised Cervini's work for "tearing down boundaries between old and new jazz styles, rock, pop, country and more - a reminder of Duke Ellington's old axiom that there's just two kinds of music, good and bad."

With Jazz Country, Cervini explores multiple aspects of the title. Most obviously, jazz meets country on the album or, rather, jazz-schooled musicians explore country, folk and pop music. More deeply, there's the idea of Cervini's own jazz country, in New York City. She explains: "At heart, the title Jazz Country reflects a community of musicians - kindred spirits for me, personally and artistically. The band's initial aim of blending jazz and country music - out of a love for each - has become something more: a celebration of a circle of musical friends, all the diverse personalities and talents." About her Jazz Country trio, Cervini says: "This is a democratic band, one where everyone brings their own ideas. Jesse is so versatile, adventurous and creative, with his own sound and style. Matt is such a sensitive bassist. He really watches me, flowing with the voice. The band steeped in this music over three years of gigs at places like the 55 Bar and Cornelia Street Café, so we really developed our sound. Jazz is often about filling space, but we wanted to leave space in the music. There aren't any drums or cymbals in the mix, and we weren't afraid to let the voice and lyrics resonate in the air, so there's room to really feel the stories in the songs."

As for the album's special guests, Cervini says: "Anat Cohen is the premier voice on her instrument, and she has guested with Jazz Country a lot. Whenever we do a song like 'Frim Fram Sauce' without her, I miss herpresence - it's so energizing. I have worked with Marty Ehrlich for years in various capacities, and I have such respect for him. He has this strong, soulful voice as an instrumentalist and brought a real blues feel to 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.' I've been a big fan of Nellie McKay for a long time, and I recorded her song 'I Wanna Get Married' on my album Lovefool. She's such a unique performer and having her sing and play ukulele on 'Wallflower Lonely, Cornflower Blue' was a real treat. I got to know keyboardist-accordionist Gary Versace through his work in Matt Wilson's Arts & Crafts band. He's astoundingly inventive and such a thoughtful accompanist. Trumpeter Nadje Noordhuis is another thoughtful musician, with a beautiful tone and melodic sense. Besides being a wonderful pianist, arranger and producer, Oded Lev-Ari is my best friend, husband and father of our two kids. 'Go Gently to the Water' is the first duet we've recorded together, oddly enough. Matt Wilson and I work together a lot - we talk practically every day. Full of ideas and positivity, he's a master of allowing musical moments to happen. He enabled Jazz Country to be what it could really be - and he captured it."

Jazz Country ranges from tunes that Cervini fell for her in childhood to recent hits that caught her ear. "Wallflower Lonely, Cornflower Blue" is a tune by Dave Frishberg, composer of Schoolhouse Rock fame. Cervini covered a Frishberg number on her acclaimed 2012 album, Digging Me, Digging You: A Tribute to Blossom Dearie, and here she breaks out her saxophone to go along with McKay's ukulele. "Song for the Mira" is a lyrical Canadian folk song that Cervini sang in choir as a kid, as she did the classic "After the Goldrush" by fellow Canadian Neil Young. "Go Gently to the Water" is a song by renowned jazz vocalist Dominique Eade, one of Cervini's former teachers at the New England Conservatory of Music. The arrangement of "Blue Moon" grew out of guitarist Jesse Lewis's spontaneous introduction to the timeless tune, while Cervini co-wrote the charming "Penguin Dance" with Nicky Schrire, a South African singer who has performed in Cervini's ongoing duet nights at the 55 Bar in Greenwich Village (where her duet partners have also included Janis Siegel, Peter Eldridge and Fay Victor, among many others). Cervini co-wrote the album's other original, the cinematic fantasy "Je Danse Avec la Neige," for a Macy's holiday commercial, with the French title translating as "I Dance With the Snow."

"Frim Fram Sauce" was famously recorded by Nat King Cole, but Cervini learned the number from another fellow Canadian, Diana Krall. Although some hear risqué whimsy in the song, Cervini insists that, for her, the song really is about food: "Maybe there's some double-entendre in there, but I don't sing it that way. I'm just a good girl, I guess." One of Cervini's key early influences was Canadian avant-torch singer Holly Cole: "Holly's records were my singalong music in the car as a teenager. She was doing jazzy covers of pop songs before it was the thing to do - Disney tunes, Roberta Flack, Lyle Lovett, Elvis Costello, a whole album of Tom Waits, all of which she made her own. It never occurred to me that she was breaking the rules - it was just cool. Unlike most jazz singers, I learned 'I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry' not from Tony Bennett's version but from hers."

Cervini first heard "Calling You" - the melody-rich theme song from the '80s indie movie Baghdad Café - in a college film-studies class. She says: "That song paints such an emotional picture, with the chorus having this cry to it. Jesse sings a wordless vocal on the track - and that came about during a show, completely spontaneously. We never rehearsed it, and he never even told me he was going to do it. He just burst into song, really feeling it. I loved it so much that it became the way we do the song from then on." The inspiration for recording Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" came from another member of Cervini's New York circle, singer Melissa Stylianou. "Melissa's arrangement of this is much jazzier," she says. "I fell for the bittersweet story, so I did it in a simpler, more direct way, using the original harmony." A more contemporary country number on the album is K.T. Oslin's "Drivin' Cryin' Missin' You," which Cervini heard Manhattan Transfer vocal star Janis Siegel do. Cervini says: "Janis graciously let me steal it."

The most recent song on the album is the Carrie Underwood smash "Before He Cheats" - a picturesque number about a girl getting even preemptively by keying a philandering beau's precious car. "It's a pretty raw but very funny story, and something that nearly everyone can relate to, whether you've gotten even like that or just wish you had," Cervini says. As for the Charlie Chaplin perennial "Smile" - one of the most covered songs in history - Cervini avoided hearing anyone's recording of it for years as she pondered someday doing it herself. "I cleared my mind of previous interpretations and concentrated on the lyrics, which are very emotional if you stop to really listen to them," she says. "Whether it's 'Smile' or 'Frim Fram Sauce' or 'Before He Cheats,' whether they're funny or wistful or imagistic, what all these songs on the album have in common is that they paint a picture or tell a story, like a little movie for our minds."

The New York Times has described Amy Cervini as "a thoughtful and broad-minded jazz singer," and DownBeat Magazine called her Anzic album Digging Me, Digging You: A Tribute to Blossom Dearie "a gem." Cervini's two previous solo albums - Love Fool (2009, Orange Grove) and Famous Blue (2007, Orange Grove) - saw the vocalist range interpretively from Cole Porter, Billie Holiday and Leonard Cohen to the Cardigans, Feist and Depeche Mode. Live, she has performed in clubs and concert halls from Toronto to Tel Aviv and in prime New York venues from the 55 Bar, Cornelia Street Cafe, Joe's Pub and the Knitting Factory to the Jazz Standard, Birdland, the Blue Note and Carnegie Hall. The Ottawa Citizen declared that "the ex-pat Canadian sings terrific, gimmick-free jazz [with a] poise, intelligence and an unforced honesty that makes every song ring like it was her own."

Amy Cervini: Jazz Country:

1. "Blue Moon" (R. Rodgers, L. Hart)

2. "Wallflower Lonely, Cornflower Blue" (Dave Frishberg)

3. "Song for the Mira" (Allister MacGillivray)

4. "Frim Fram Sauce" (R. Evans, J. Ricardel)

5. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (Hank Williams)

6. "Calling You" (Robert Telson)

7. "Go Gently to the Water" (Dominique Eade)

8. "Penguin Dance" (Amy Cervini, Nicky Schrire)

9. "Smile" (C. Chaplin, J. Turner, G. Parsons)

10. "Je Danse Avec la Neige" (Amy Cervini, Aaron Kotler)

11. "After the Gold Rush" (Neil Young)

12. "I Still Miss Someone" (Johnny Cash)

13. "Before He Cheats" (C. Tompkins, Josh Kear)

14. "Drivin' Cryin' Missin' You (K.T. Oslin, M. Smotherman)

Musicians: Amy Cervini, vocals & saxophone (track 2) / Jesse Lewis, guitar & voice (6); Matt Aronoff, double-bass / Anat Cohen, clarinet (4, 10); Mary Ehrlich, saxophone (5) / Oded Lev-Ari, piano (7, 8); Nellie McKay, voice & ukelele (2) / Nadje Noordhuis, trumpet (12) / Gary Versace, accordion (8)

Produced by Matt Wilson / Co-produced by Amy Cervini & Oded Lev-Ari / Recorded, edited and mixed by Brian Montgomery at Sear Studios, New York

NEW RELEASES - GATO BARBIERI 3-CD COLLECTION, EDDIE PALMIERI IS DOIN' IT IN THE DARK, BOMBAY DUB ORCHESTRA REMIXES

GATO BARBIERI - GATO...PARA LOS AMIGOS / QUE PASA / CHE CORAZON

Overlooked later genius from Gato Barbieri – a trio of albums served up in one nicely priced package! Gato Para Los Amigos is some of Barbieri's best work of the 80s – an excellent live set from 1981 that's kind of a return to the drawn-out intensity of his years at Impulse! The group's got a good mixture of percussion, keyboards, and guitar – and the tracks on the set are mostly Latin-tinged numbers that offer a perfect foil for Gato's soulful and exploratory blowing – those haunting long lines we first fell in love with on his records for Impulse and Flying Dutchman! Titles include "Bolivia", "Carnavalito", "Brazil", "Viva Emiliano Zapata", and "Latino America". Que Pasa is a surprisingly nice late 90s effort from Gato Barbieri – at the time, his first new album in over a decade – and a set put together with a nicely contemporary feel with help from keyboardist Philippe Saisse! Saisse produced the set, and he really gives the record some of the warmly soulful moments of his own great music – an approach that's somewhat deeper than smooth jazz, and which makes more than enough space for Gato's well-blown saxophone solos. There's a bit of backing vocals on the set, and the approach here is definitely soul-based – but it's got a solid bottom that hearkens back to some of Gato's best R&B-inspired work of the 70s. Titles include "Mystica", "Dancing With Dolphins", "Straight Into The Sunrise", "Indonesia", "The Woman I Remember", and "Cause We've Ended As Lovers". Che Corazon is one of Gato Barbieri's most ambitious albums – a record that mixes core jazzy grooving with some larger orchestral parts – but all at a level that still moves along nicely! Sweet keyboards glide alongside Gato's reed lines – which come out strongly in the lead, with that sharp-cutting sense of soul that we've always loved so much. The overall sound is smoother than the early days, but no less soulful – and titles include a great remake of Marvin Gaye's "I Want You", plus "Eclipse", "The Woman On The Lake", "1812", "Encounter", and "Sweet Glenda". ~ Dusty Groove.

EDDIE PALMIERI - IS DOIN' IT IN THE DARK THE EP

Some of the best work we've heard in years from the legendary Eddie Palmieri – sounds recorded especially for a film on pick-up basketball in New York City, and done with a style that really takes us back to Eddie's best records from years back! The music is very jazzy – with long passages that feature strong solos on piano from Palmieri, vibes from Joe Locke, and baritone sax from Ronnie Cuber – played with a freewheeling intensity that goes way beyond any scene-setting need of a film score, and which is filled with the mix of spontaneous energy and sophisticated ideals of Palmieri's best compositions. The percussion is wonderful, too – very rootsy, and beautifully recorded – and the whole thing is punctuated by a few short spoken bits from the film. A true treasure to file next to your Fania classics – with tracks that include "Jibarita Y Su Son", "Bata 2nd & 3rd Movement", "Give The Drummer Some", "Coast To Coast", and "More Moves/The Chef". ~ Dusty Groove

BOMBAY DUB ORCHESTRA - BOHEMIA JUNCTION REMIXES

Bombay Dub Orchestra released their critically acclaimed third studio album, Tales From The Grand Bazaar, on Six Degrees Records last year.  Praise poured in saying, “A masterpiece which lovers of all sounds Exotic, Eclectic, Electronica & Classical will adore!!!” (Globetronica) and “Tales From the Grand Bazaar flirts with a host of unique sounds and instruments that blends the electronic with the traditional, and is effortlessly combined and mixed in such a way that is extremely listenable, and easily enjoyable (Black Grooves).  The album also appeared on notable year-end lists including tastemaker radio show Echoes. “Bohemia Junction,” the lead single from the album gets the remix treatment on the aptly titled Remixes EP, out January 14, 2014.  Remixers include Punk A Wallah’s, Vlastur Dub, Nutritious & Commodore, and Bombay Dub’s 70’s dub mix.  Vlastur Dub from Athens, Greece treats us to a reverb and effects laden interpretation that is dubby, pulsing and danceable.  The Punk-A-Wallas, DJ Pathaan, assisted by Andrew from Bombay Dub Orchestra, go for a storming electro approach, which is guaranteed to please.  NYC’s Nutritious and Commodore go for a stripped down driving electro approach with lots of space.  Rounding out the EP is Bombay Dub Orchestra's Old school dub remix that reflects their affection for classic Jamaican 70s dub with the middle eastern elements of the original track. ~sixdegreesrecords.com

RIP RONNY JORDAN, 1962-2014

Acid jazz guitarist Ronny Jordan has passed away at the age of 51. His death was confirmed by his family on Tuesday, January 14 when his brother and sister set up a Facebook page in remembrance of Ronny. Their statement reads as follows:

Dear Friends, Family and Well Wishers,

It is with our deep regret that Ronny Jordan has recently passed away. We are still coming to terms with the loss of our brother.

We are taking steps to manage Ronny’s personal affairs and so we ask if you could kindly bear with us as we deal with his matters in the background. We appreciate that Ronny has got many fans around the world and so we ask that you keep an eye out for further announcements in relation to his funeral arrangements.

In the meantime, tributes to Ronny can be left on this FB page.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

With every blessings and love..

Rickey and Denise

Brother and Sister

Ronny Jordan biography by Jason Ankeny: The Antidote One of the acid jazz movement's most prominent guitarists, London-born Ronny Jordan is widely credited with returning the instrument to its rightful place as a major force in modern-day jazz; despite outcries from purists, few other artists of his era proved more pivotal in knocking down the long-immutable boundaries of contemporary black music. The son of a preacher, Jordan's early musical history was rooted in gospel; his first public performances were with gospel groups, but the outbreak of Brit-funk during the early '80s led him to begin exploring other avenues of music, culminating in a fascination with jazz. A self-taught guitarist, his early influences included Charlie Christian, Wes Montgomery, and Grant Green, and when hip-hop began to take off, Jordan started exploring ways to fuse jazz and rap together. The first fruit of his endeavors was the single "After Hours," a primitive foray into what would eventually become known as acid jazz. Record companies initially wanted no part of Jordan's music, but when his distinctive cover of the Miles Davis classic "So What" became a hit, it was clear something was afoot. He soon released his debut LP, 1992's Antidote, but it was rapper Guru's breakthrough 1993 album, Jazzmatazz, Vol. 1, on which Jordan's guitar work was prominently featured, that made acid jazz a viable proposition. He subsequently issued such albums as 1993's Quiet Revolution, 1996's Light to Dark, and 2000's Brighter Day. ~ allmusic.com

CONCORD RELEASES SWEETHEART 2014 - MUSIC FOR VALENTINE'S DAY

Just in time for Valentine’s Day comes Sweetheart 2014, a collection of indelible, handpicked covers from a remarkable group of modern musical dreamers who artfully grapple, in one way or another, with that most vexing of subject to ever befall mankind, L.O.V.E.  Sweetheart 2014 (Hear Music/Concord Music Group) will be available on CD exclusively at Starbucks and all digital outlets beginning February 4th, 2014.

The fifth in a series created exclusively for Starbucks, Sweetheart 2014 features 13 all-new recordings by Jim James, Vampire Weekend, Fiona Apple, Phosphorescent, Brandi Carlile, Beck, The Head and the Heart, Ben Harper, Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Valerie June, Blake Mills, Bahamas and Thao & The Get Down Stay Down. The eclectic performances also serve as a love letter to the essential songwriters covered here.  Jim James’ soulful turn on Bob Marley’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” Beck’s mournful version of John Lennon’s “Love,” Fiona Apple and her sister, cabaret singer Maude Maggart’s imaginative rendering of Anton Karas’ “I’m in the Middle of a Riddle,” (a song from the landmark soundtrack to 1949’s “The Third Man”), Phosphorescent’s luminous cover of Bob Dylan’s “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” and Vampire Weekend’s superlative interpretation of “Time to Say Goodbye [Con te partirò]” made famous by Andrew Bocelli, are just a few examples. 

The absorbing performances also include Bahamas’ meditative version of Willie Nelson’s “Always on My Mind,” Thao & the Get Down Stay Down’s cover of Ray Charles’ “If You Were Mine,” Ben Harper’s intense translation of Mazzy Star’s “Fade into You,” Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings’ rave up of Stevie Wonder’s classic “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” Brandi Carlile’s paean to Fleetwood Mac with “The Chain,” Blake Mills’ singular stamp on Bobby Charles and Stanley Lewis’s “I Hope,” The Head and the Heart’s adaptation of Harry Nilsson’s “Don’t Forget Me” and Valerie June doing the Carter Family proud on “Happy or Lonesome.”

Its clear each performer brought something very personal to this project. “I chose this song from Nilsson ‘Don’t Forget Me’ because I had recently lost touch with a very important person in my life,” confides Head and the Heart singer Josiah Johnson, its swelling strings bringing to mind the music of a bygone time.

Phosphorescent mastermind, Alabama native Matthew Houk, reflected on Dylan’s “Tomorrow Is a Long Time,” “It’s one of the most longing songs I’ve ever heard. It’s special that such a slight thing can carry so much emotion in just a few lines and chords.” Houk’s haunting version leaves a similarly wistful impression.

Ben Harper says of his minimalist piano reworking of Mazzy Star’s alt-rock classic “Fade Into You,” “My friend Jason Yates played piano on the original, so I always listened to that part closely. It’s one of my favorite songs and I’ve wanted to cover it forever.”

The charming Anton Karas waltz “I’m in the Middle of a Riddle” is another one of Sweetheart’s gems. Fiona Apple and Maude Maggart’s sibling harmonies transport the listener back in time.  Karas, who became a sensation thanks to his massive mid-century “The Third Man Theme,” was a zitherist and the reverberating, melancholy sound of the zither can also be heard in this duo’s tribute.

Vampire Weekend’s version of “Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò),” made famous by the Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, is another grand eccentricity. Calling it “one of the greatest love songs of all time,” frontman Ezra Koenig attests, “Its beauty transcends language.” Vampire Weekend transform the “poperatic” mega-hit with a deft, old school electronic rhythm and ultra-romantic Italian vocals.

For his part, Jim James is unequivocal about the meaning of Bob Marley’s “Turn Your Lights Down Low,” stating simply, “This song is the sound of love.” He makes it his own with the signature resonance Rolling Stone once described as “echo-drenched spirituality.” Beck, meanwhile, sings and plays guitar, bass, drums and particularly affecting piano on the Plastic Ono Band-era Lennon classic “Love.” The outing recalls Beck’s own Sea Change.

It’s Valerie June, however, who may have the last word on love. The Memphis-born folk/blues/soul performer lends her supernatural presence to a rendition of the Carter Family’s 1934 classic “Happy or Lonesome.” “In every moment of true love, there are moments of parting,” she says. “The story of this song is sweetness and hopefulness even though we can’t hold on to those we love forever. Wild hearts must run free. But nothing of loving is ever lost – it only changes form.”  It’s the perfect distillation of Sweetheart 2014’s many splendored charms.

Sweetheart 2014 Track List:

1. Turn Your Lights Down Low – Jim James (5:00)

2. Time to Say Goodbye (Con te partirò) – Vampire Weekend (3:14)

3. Love – Beck (3:16)

4. Tomorrow Is a Long Time – Phosphorescent (4:19)

5. Don’t Forget Me – The Head and the Heart (4:08)

6. Happy Or Lonesome – Valerie June (1:53)

7. Always on My Mind – Bahamas (4:16)

8. If You Were Mine – Thao & the Get Down Stay Down (2:47)

9. Fade Into You – Ben Harper (4:30)

10. I’m In The Middle Of A Riddle – Fiona Apple featuring Maude Maggart (2:38)

11. The Chain – Brandi Carlile (4:17)

12. I Hope – Blake Mills (3:08)

13. Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours – Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (2:36)

Executive Producers: Holly Hinton and Matt Marshall       

www.sweetheartalbum.com

htttps://twitter.com/sweetheartalbum

https://www.facebook.com/sweetheartalbum

JENNIE LAWS - LOVE EASILY

After several years of hibernating in the studio and working behind the scenes with some of the industry's heaviest songwriters and producers, Canadian singer/songwriter Jennie Laws re-emerges with her first release since her remix EP in 2010. The song is called "Love Easily" and it's a feel-good Motown-tinged jam co-written and produced with THX from the Bay area's Drop City Yacht Club and features The Regiment Horns of The Tennessee Kids (Justin Timberlake).

Also on her upcoming album will be a feature from Detroit Soul star Dwele, a song co-written with legendary songwriter Leon Ware, tracks produced by Jahi Sundance, Mateo Laboriel, Pascal Guyon, JL Brown, and Sebastian Rogers, more co-writes with songwriters Dayyon Alexander and Dylan Lloyd as well as a few performances by child prodigy drummer Tony Royster Jr. It promises to be entertaining, eclectic, musical, heartfelt and soulful from top to bottom just like her debut EP "Introducing Jennie Laws," except now Jennie has blossomed on a whole new level as a vocalist, songwriter, producer and arranger.

Jennie has played many roles as a musician; string arranger for the likes of Ryan Beatty, Anjulie, Jenna Andrews and Saidah Baba-Talibah, background singer for Michael Buble, INXS and Omar Lyefook, or featured vocalist and writer on rapper Promise, producer Luca Dayz and DJ KickRaux' new projects, but never does she shine so brightly as when she's doing her own music. This one-of-a-kind blue-eyed soul sensation hailing from Toronto is about to take the world by storm, starting with the release of her new single; "Love Easily."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mFHezZqp9E

https://soundcloud.com/jennielaws/love-easily-snippet

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennie-Laws/113312995138S

NEW RELEASES - TOUCH OF CLASS - LOVE MEANS EVERYTHING; FREE SOUL - URBAN MELLOW; SARAH MANNING - HARMONIOUS CREATURE

TOUCH OF CLASS - LOVE MEANS EVERYTHING

A killer little soul group who recorded with John "Monster" Davis in the mid 70s – really soaring with a groove that rivals some of their bigger contemporaries on the east coast group scene! Touch Of Class sing in a style that's sometimes fragile, but often more suited to the soaring grooves that Davis gives them on the album – a mode that's partly disco, partly pop, and which should have been as huge as any of their Philly or New York contemporaries. There's a "slightly different" feel to the record that we really like – and tracks include "Love Means Everything", "Anything", "One Half As Much", "Love Me Tonight", "I'm In Heaven", and "You Got To Know Better". And just for the record, this appears to be the same record as I'm In Heaven, issued on the Midland label in 1976 – but it's presented here on another label with a date of 1981.~ Dusty Groove

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FREE SOUL - URBAN MELLOW

Free Soul music is alive and well into the 21st Century – a continuing evolution of a great genre that was first pegged by Japanese diggers in the 90s! "Free Soul" was a term first coined to refer to genre-crossing work from the 70s that was upbeat, joyous, and a very freewheeling approach to soul music – a mode that moved past easy cliches or genre conventions, and which often brought in bits of jazz, Latin, or other influences as well. This set of contemporary work really follows the same spirit of the classics – and shows a whole range of artists who've really been making some great music in recent years – the kind of cool cuts that we used to have to track down on older vinyl, but which have really been making our world bright in recent years. Titles include "Man In The Middle" by Roos Jonker, "Summer's Loss" by Ben Westbeech, "Get Lucky" by Hyleen Gil, "Neverland" by Quadron, "Game Over" by Daley, "Who's That Lady" by Lucas Arruda, "Trust" by Inc, and "All That I Can Say" by Gretchen Parlato. ~ Dusty Groove

SARAH MANNING - HARMONIOUS CREATURE

The title's a great one for this album by alto saxophonist Sarah Manning – as she's got a very strong sense of harmony on the record, and mixes her reed lines wonderfully with the guitar of Jonathan Goldberger and viola of Eyvind Kang! Both musicians have these tones that come into contact with the alto in ways that are rich and bright, yet always have a dark edge too – one that comes through even more strongly when Sarah really takes off on her solos! Other group members include Rene Hart on bass and Jerome Jennings on drums – and titles include "Tune Of Cats", "I Dream A Highway", "Copland On Cornelia Street", "On The Beach", and "Three Chords For Jessica". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS - GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT; DEROBERT AND THE HALF-TRUTHS - I'M TRYIN'; GRACINHA LEPORACE

SHARON JONES AND THE DAP KINGS - GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT 

Tremendous work from Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – a set that took a bit longer to hit the racks than expected, but which really shows a richness that more than makes up for the delay! Sharon's a singer who's always been great – but she steps out strongly here with a sense of maturity that seems to take her vocals even farther than before – and The Dap Kings are more than ready to match her energy with some funky work of their own! Jones has gone through a lot in recent years – both with the band and in her own personal life – and the record's a proud summation of life's challenges and triumphs, served up in the instant-classic style that has made Sharon one of the greatest living soul singers of the past few decades. Bosco Mann knocked things out of the park with his raw production – and also wrote a good number of tracks on the set too – and titles include "Making Up & Breaking Up", "Long Time Wrong Time", "People Don't Get What They Deserve", "Retreat", "Stranger To My Happiness", and "Now I See". (Includes bonus download code!) ~ Dusty Groove

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DEROBERT ADAMS AND THE HALF-TRUTHS - I'M TRYIN'

The greatest work we've heard so far from DeRobert Adams and the Half-Truths – a record that really pushes the singer into classic soul territory! DeRobert has always had a vintage approach to his music – but this full set plumbs a depth we never would have expected at the start – an extremely rich sense of delivery that's rooted in gospel, linked together with a range of southern soul and funk modes that really belie the Tennessee roots of the group, plus contemporary touches that really get past some of the more stock modes of the deep funk underground! All tracks are originals, but they're so good you'd swear you know them from older records – and by that, we don't mean that they're copies or cliches – just the kind of work that's so good, you're surprised you're hearing it for the first time. And if the strength of the record is any indication of justice in the mainstream, you'll be hearing lots more from the group in the near future – as this sweet set sounds like the start of a great career. Titles include "My Momma Told Me", "Goin Places", "Write A Letter", "Do It Alone", "I Don't Get Mad No Mo", "The Speech", "The Dole (part 2)", and "Ooo Wee". ~ Dusty Groove

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GRACINHA LEPORACE

Great early work from singer Gracinha Leporace – a vocalist you might know from her later work in Bossa Rio, or her recordings with husband Sergio Mendes! Even at the start, Gracinha's a hell of a singer – a vocalist who's capable of all the coolness of the bossa era, yet still richly expressive in all the right ways – with a jazzy flourish at times that's perfect for the album's lively backings from Oscar Castro Neves! Instrumentation includes some sweet organ lines with a Walter Wanderley sort of groove – plus other moments that use woodwinds in this really lovely way – almost echoing some of the early Deodato charts. The whole thing's wonderful – a real lost bossa treasure – and titles include "Prece", "Cancao Da Desesperanca", "Ultima Batucada", "Rancho De Ano Novo", "A Saudade Fez Um Samba", "Sem Saida", "Cantiga", and "Em Tempo". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - ARI BROWN - GROOVE AWAKENING; FUNKEE BOY - SOUL PURPOSE; STEVE DAVIS - FOR REAL

ARI BROWN – GROOVE AWAKENING

Chicago is known as a jazz city that carries on the tough tenor sax tradition. The blues feeling was always an important element for the great tenor sax players like Gene Ammons, Von Freeman, Eddie Johnson, Red Holloway and now that they are all gone it' Recording information: Riverside Studio, Chicago, IL (05/13/2013-05/15/2013). Album Personnel: Ari Brown (soprano saxophone, tenor saxophone); Kirk Brown (piano); Avreeayl Ra (drums); Dr. Cuz (percussion). Tracks include: One for Ken; Groove Awakening; Enka; Veda's Dance; Lonnie's Lament; In A Sentimental Mood; 3bop 4 Mal; Wayne's Trane; and Give Taanks (Song for Gerri). ~ cduniverse

FUNKEE BOY - SOUL PURPOSE

Chart Topping/Award Winning Smooth Jazz recording artist Funkee Boy follows up his award winning/#1 selling CD "Philosouphy" with his 3rd CD "Soul Purpose". This stellar CD blends Funkee Boy's signature keyboard playing/songwriting/music production w/ A-List artists Warren Hill, Najee, Bob Baldwin, Cindy Bradley, Nick Colionne, LEILA, Surface, Lamone, Timmy Maia, Tevin Michael and more!!! Funkee Boy stays true to his "philosoulphy" of blending his roots RnB + Funk + Jazz = SOUL. If you like Smooth Jazz, RnB, Soul, Piano, Saxophone, Tasteful Vocals with meaningful lyrics then this CD is for you!! Tracks include: Bonafide; Let It Flow; Déjà vu; I Can't Tell You Why; Treasure; Step In The Name Of Love; Karma; Bring Back the Days; Keystroke; New Day; Satisfied; Escala; and Just the Way You Are. ~ cduniverse

STEVE DAVIS - FOR REAL

Beautifully-blown work from Steve Davis – one of our favorite contemporary talents on the trombone, and an artist who can really make the instrument swing in an old school sort of mode! This set may well be one of Steve's most soulful in years – a great date with Larry Willis on piano, who brings in this mix of groove and lyricism to his lines – and partners with Davis at a level that recalls vintage collaborations between Curtis Fuller and Cedar Walton! The Davis/Willis team is augmented beautifully by tenorist Abraham Burton, whose lines have a slightly deeper edge, and really add a great layer to the sound – and the rhythm swings strongly with Nat Reeves on bass and Billy Williams on drums. And once again, Davis is a fountain of great new material – a wealth of original songs that include "For Real", "Nicky D", "Days Gone By", "Big East", "Daylight", "I Found You", and "Tactics".  ~ Dusty Groove

BASSIST AND COMPOSER NEDDY SMITH RELEASES - MOOD SWING

Norwalk CT-based jazz bassist, composer, recording artist and producer, Neddy Smith, announces the release of his CD: Mood Swing. As with his prior recordings such as, Give It Up and Liberated Woman or leading his own groups such as TransWave, his Jazz Duo or Trio and his other ensembles or, the Neddy Smith and Friends group, or even performing/playing and recording on albums with the Eric Gail band and others, producing Jazz festivals where he led seminars while educating audiences on Jazz or, on to one of his performances in the US, Europe, or travelling extensively to other parts of the world doing what he loves, Neddy is all about the music.

  

For his newest CD effort, Neddy Smith’s, Mood Swing, gives voice to a new generation of music lovers. His up-lifting and subtle melodies filled with energy and power invigorates like the wind that flows musically through the air directed by the gravitational interest towards discriminating ears of music lovers from various cultures, class or creed. Thus keeping his fans reminded of his trademarks funky rhythmic and melodic style as an artist.

Neddy’s early approaches to musical innovation comes from influences deep within the cultures of his native Jamaica which he has entwined into his music development and compositions even now; some from folk and world-music, Afro-Caribbean, Latin, Asian, European, and American classical music from Blues to Jazz. Neddy’s inspiration for this new project is from a spiritual source and also from one of his favorite composers, Thelonious Monk and a simple poem he wrote called, The Little House. This CD strives on the dynamic rhythmic driving forces of Neddy’s ancestral roots known and/or unknown that helped to shape his cultural awareness and energized him to express what he feels so deeply rooted in his soul both poetic and musical as he composed freely.

Musicians on the CD with Connecticut connections are: Andrew DeNicola (Flute, Alto, Soprano, and Tenor Sax), Marcel Blanchet (drum kit on Mood Swing). Thomas Ice (keyboard: on Pretty Little Flower and The Little House), Michiro Nigishi (multi-Keyboards on Wildebeest and Mood Swing). From New Jersey, Willy Dalton (multi guitars played on ‘Am in Love with You) and from New York, Deborah Hawkins (keyboard on 'Am in Love with You").

The CD was recorded in Norwalk, CT at NedGJean International Inc., Studio. The mixing engineering was solely the work of Ben (Benjamin. J Arrindell) at Sound Clash Studios, New York City. The mastering by Sound Lab at Disc Makers, New Jersey.

Upcoming Performances:

January 12 - Barcelona, Norwalk CT

January 22 - The Quick Center, Fairfield CT

  

Clickhere to visit the official Neddy Smith website

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

MORE FUNK AND SOUL SOUNDS COMING FROM NICK PRIDE AND THE PIMP TONES - REJUICED PHAT SHAKE

Newcastle's finest funk and soul outfit Nick Pride & The Pimptones return with their second full length album "Rejuiced Phat Shake", a collection of 14 smart grooves and a fearless blend of soul, jazz & funk tinged with rhythm & blues, disco, Latin, New Orleans Brass and Northern Soul.

After the strong impact of their debut album "Midnight Feast Of Jazz" (released in 2011 on Record Kicks from Milan/Italy) guitarist, composer, arranger and producer Nick Pride was determined to take his vision a step further towards connecting the grit and power of original soul music with the immediacy and joy of a cool, modern pop song. "I was always a fan of amazing pop songwriters like Burt Bacharach and Holland-Dozier-Holland, but on the other hand, being a dedicated musician, I love the raw energy of being on stage with a funk band." With the Pimptones' regular rhythm combo, a tight horns section and the additional presence of a soaring string quartet, the new album "Rejuiced Phat Shake" is a well-crafted studio work, while Nick Pride was able to focus on his skills as a songwriter: "I am happy to have a rock solid foundation with my guys, it means we can try all this funky and diverse stuff in the studio, while also being a tight unit on stage."

"Rejuiced Phat Shake" presents a host of guest vocalists, each one chosen to bring in a different flavour. Like a Stax or Motown compilation of 7inch singles, the Pimptones "house band" remains the solid backbone while passing the microphone around in the studio. "Take Care Of My Love" with Susan Hamilton's voice and it's irresistible uptempo Northern meets Motown beat and a cool hook is backed by the soulful pop of "Everything's Better In The Summertime" sung by Karen Harding on the first single from the album.

With guests like Jess Roberts, one of the UK's upcoming R&B singers on "Second Hand Wife", the mighty blues voice and harmonica of Lyndon Anderson on "Walkin' Out The Door" or Sheffield big sounding 12-piece Renegade Brass Band, "Rejuiced Phat Shake" goes all the way when it comes down to diversity. "This is exactly where I see The Pimptones," Nick Pride explains. "I love to write songs with a certain voice or sound in mind. So it makes perfect sense that we record with many different singers. Rather than being limited to one style we love to explore the whole range our genre offers us and that is what keeps us buzzing."

JASON ANICK - TIPPING POINT

One of the youngest instructors at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Anick is rapidly making a name for himself in the world of jazz violin and mandolin. In addition to leading his own ensemble and performing with the Rhythm Future Quartet, Anick has been touring and recording with Grammy award-winning Nashville guitar virtuoso John Jorgenson since 2008 when he was recruited while still a senior at Hartt Conservatory

Talk to the abundantly gifted violinist and mandolin player Jason Anick and the phrase " jazz without borders" will invariably come up. What the axiom means to Anick is a contemporary jazz that is stylistically inclusive in nature, a jazz that brings whatever it can to the party, unwilling to cut something out of the mix for fear of it not fitting prescribed boundaries. An inviting demonstration of the maxim in action can be found on Anick's second album as a leader, Tipping Point (February 18, 2014). Utilizing both acoustic and electric mandolins in addition to his customary violin, Anick expands his musical horizons; those who associate his name with acoustic Gypsy jazz -- as heard so convincingly on his debut album, Sleepless, in his work with the Rhythm Future Quartet and with Grammy-award winning guitar virtuoso John Jorgenson -- will now find that pigeonholing Anick is fruitless. The album's title spells things out loud and clear: from this moment forward Anick's own music is rooted in the here and now, a time when possibilities reign.

Blending Anick originals that openly incorporate the influences of mainstream jazz, classical, new acoustic music, Gypsy jazz, swing, and hard bop with a wide-ranging swath of jazz classics from the likes of Django Reinhardt, Horace Silver, Hank Mobley and Ornette Coleman (along with a well-chosen standard, "The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"), Tipping Point declares that for open-eared members of the 27-year-old string master's generation, musical exclusion is a dead end. What tie together the various strains of Anick's vision are his extraordinary command of his chosen instruments and the spirited contributions of the like-minded players that accompany him on this musical journey.

To accommodate his concept, Anick uses two distinct ensembles throughout Tipping Point. For his five original compositions, Anick teams up with like-minded pianist Jason Yeager and pairs his violin and mandolins with the alto saxophone of Clay Lyons to achieve an atypical yet thoroughly appealing frontline sound. On the majority of the tunes by others, Anick sticks to violin and surrounds himself with a trio featuring the hard-swinging pianist Matt DeChamplain. (Coleman's blues "Turnaround" unites Anick's electric mandolin with the electric guitar of Lee Dynes.) The differing bands lend the album variety and suggest the unrestricted nature of Anick's current music making.

"There's a home in jazz for everything," Anick states. "I admire the embracing stance that contemporary musicians like Brad Mehldau and Joshua Redman take, allowing other musics to join with jazz. On Tipping Point I'm moving in new directions, trying different musical settings and types of composition. I wanted to show different sides of my playing and my writing. I see all the diverse musical influences as being interconnected.  And there's beauty in interconnections."

The album also points to the Anick's new interest in using imagery to paint his musical pictures. "I try to visualize different aspects of songs," he explains. "Songs can become like musical movies; stories can come from the music and take a listener on a journey."

To that end, Anick never allows his obvious virtuosity to overpower the music's intent. "It's not about displaying technique," he states. "It's about creating a soundscape, an atmosphere for listeners to enter into." The shifting landscapes of Anick's own "Maryandra" and "Inspiration Point" are convincing examples of the leader's ambitions in action.

One of the youngest instructors at Boston's Berklee College of Music, Anick is rapidly making a name for himself in the world of jazz violin and mandolin. In addition to leading his own ensemble and performing with the Rhythm Future Quartet, Anick has been touring and recording with Grammy award-winning Nashville guitar virtuoso John Jorgenson since 2008 when he was recruited while still a senior at Hartt Conservatory.

 Anick celebrates the CD with concerts in Boston, Portland, ME; Old Lyme, CT and NYC:

Thursday, February 6 - One Longfellow Square - Portland, ME

Saturday, February 22 - The Side Door- Old Lyme, CT

Tuesday, February 25 - Regattabar - Cambridge, MA

Tuesday, March 18 - Cornelia Street Café - New York, NY

http://www.jasonanick.com

NEW RELEASES: CHRIS STANDRING - DON'T TALK, DANCE!; DOMINIC MILLER - AD-HOC; TONY GREY - ELEVATION

CHRIS STANDRING - DON'T TALK, DANCE!

Chris Standring returns in 2014 with another musical left turn with Don't Talk, Dance!, a deep European progressive soul-jazz-dance influenced project featuring the best funk and soul studio musicians in Los Angeles. This 13-track set features Chris as arranger, orchestrator and producer, along with his signature solo jazz and fusion guitar sounds. Drawing on 70's style funk and soul inspiration, Chris raises the bar once again with an album that is impossible to sit still to. The first radio single "Sneakin' Out The Front Door," features Chris on guitar talkbox, and harks back to a time reminiscent of early Jeff Beck or Herbie Hancock, with a hook that is clearly all Chris Standring. . Sky High. Includes Inside Outside; Sneakin' Out The Front Door; Voices In My Head; Soul Symphony;  Another Fine Mess; Crazy Bom Baizy; Ride; Absolute Madness; Yesterday's Heaven; Imagine That; Scatterfunk; and Nothing Lasts Forever.  

DOMINIC MILLER - AD HOC

Ad Hoc is the new album by Sting s long time collaborator and guitarist Dominic Miller.A musician that Sting has long called his right and left hand. Dominic will be on tour with Sting & Paul Simon in February and March 2014.Ad Hoc , recorded in Germany and featuring special guest the inspirational Eda Zari, is Dominic Miller s most impressive work to date.Zari s contribution to the anthemic Exiting Purgatory is a perfect compliment to the searing cello solos by Sweden s Lars Daniellson and forms the climax sound to an album whose textures and ambiences are as eclectic as Miller s life itself. Miller, who is considered to one of the worlds most versatile and accomplished guitarists, has reached in deep and pulled out a gem of an album that will excite, please and intrigue new listeners and fans everywhere.

TONY GREY - ELEVATION

Besides being some of the greatest musicians ever known, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Hiromi, John McLaughlin, Branford Marsalis, Zakir Hussain, Mike Stern and Steve Lukather all have something else in common. At one time or another, these legendary artists have counted on the supportive, melodic and propulsive bass playing of the amazing Tony Grey. Artists of such stature and virtuosity do not trust just anybody to hold down the foundations of their music. They seek out the best for live performances and recordings. Time and time again they have turned toward the expertise and artistry of Tony Grey. Now, Tony Grey releases his fourth solo album, Elevation, through Abstract Logix Records. Elevation is a beautiful, multi-track showcase of collaboration with a who's who of guitar and musical greats; featuring the amazing Mike Stern, fretless guitar legend David Fiuczynski, Whitesnake's Reb Beach, Japanese star Hotei Tomoyasu, and finally, Tony's illustrious uncle and guitar legend John McLaughlin, who contributes a new and never-before-released composition that he penned for Chick Corea. Tony is responsible for all the music on Elevation, also arranging his own version of Some Day My Prince Will Come featuring Fabrizio Sotti, along with the funky Chick's Chums, the aforementioned song from Mahavishnu John McLaughlin. Nir Felder, Romain Collin, and Mino Cinelu all lend their musical mastery to Tony's tracks. Tony stands out as not only an immensely talented bassist, but one of most formidable writers of the next generation, whose music transcends genres, appealing not only to the attentive, longtime fan, but also creating a musical bridge for those new listeners about to enter the rhythmically-addictive world of Tony Grey.

~ amazon 

 

ERNIE ISLEY (OF THE ISLEY BROTHERS) RECEIVES RECORDING ACADEMY 2014 SPECIAL MERIT AWARD

Legendary guitarist and Reunion Blues Artist Ernie Isley of the Isley Brothers has been officially announced by The Recording Academy as a 2014 Special Merit Award recipient. In addition to the Isley Brothers, this year's recipients include The Beatles, Kraftwerk, Kris Kristofferson, and others. "This astoundingly unique and gifted group have created some of the most distinguished and influential work in our musical history,” says Recording Academy President/CEO about this year's recipients. “Their legacies are timeless and legendary, and their creativity will continue to influence and inspire future generations." A formal acknowledgment will be made during the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards® telecast, which will be held at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014, and broadcast live at 8 p.m. ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.

The Isley Brothers have enjoyed one of the longest, most diverse, and most influential legacies in pop music. The group's esteemed history spans two generations of siblings and significant cultural shifts in music. Born and raised in Cincinnati, the brothers got their professional start in New York with their first hit single "Shout – Part 1," which has gone on to become a frequently covered classic. Throughout their career, they never stopped reinventing themselves, scoring hits in R&B, Motown soul, funk, disco, and rock. Their 1969 single, "It's Your Thing," earned a GRAMMY for Best R&B Vocal Performance By A Duo Or Group, and in 1992 they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Brothers Ronald and Ernie Isley have continued to perform together.

Founded in 1976, Reunion Blues is the music industry's premier gig bag and case company. Reunion Blues offers an extensive product selection including over 70 models of cases and bags for fretted, brass, woodwind, strings and percussion instruments. Reunion Blues is dedicated to maintaining exceptional quality, and is committed to product innovation, superior design and distinguished style.

ANGELIQUE KIDJO RELEASES EVE; SETS U.S TOUR DATES

Angelique Kidjo, the Benin born, Grammy Award winning singer/songwriter has signed with 429 Records and is gearing up for an incredible 2014. She's preparing for the release of Eve, a vibrant new collection of songs dedicated to the power of African womanhood, particularly those women she grew up with in her native Benin; as well as planning a tour of the United States and promoting the release of her autobiography, Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music. NPR will host a "First Listen" full album stream of "Eve" beginning January 20th until the release date, January 28th. In addition, CBC Radio Canada and The Daily Telegraph sites will simultaneously stream the album. The singer is releasing Eve in conjunction with the release January 7th of Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music, an autobiography written with Rachel Wenrick and published by Harper Collins. Angelique Kidjo's Eve will be released on 429 Records January 28th. Kidjo will embark on a U.S. tour in February—dates below.

Produced by Patrick Dillett (David Byrne, Fatboy Slim), Eve, named after her mother, is a joyous musical ode to the pride, beauty and strength of African women and their worldwide socio-cultural influence.  The recording showcases Kidjo's extraordinary musical vision as realized by remarkable players as well as women's choirs from several African villages in Benin and Kenya singing in a wide array of native Beninese languages including Fon, Yoruba, Goun and Mina.  Joining Kidjo is an exciting mix of new and well-known musicians including Dr. John, Rostamm Btmanglij (Vampire Weekend), The Kronos Quartet and the Orchestra Philharmonique du Luxumbourg.  Anchoring the album are guitarist Lionel Loueke, drummer Steve Jordan, bass great Christian McBride and Senegalese percussionist Magatte Sow.  Kidjo's accolades include a 20 year discography, thousands of concerts around the world and being named "Africa's premier diva" (Time Magazine) and "the undisputed Queen of African Music" (Daily Telegraph). Kidjo's 2008 recording Djin Djin won a Grammy for Best Contemporary World Music Album and her last studio recording Oyo was nominated in the same category.  She has enjoyed a long history of notable collaborations with greats from the jazz and pop worlds—including Carlos Santana, Bono, John Legend, Josh Groban, Peter Gabriel, Branford Marsalis, Dianne Reeves, Roy Hargrove and Alicia Keys. In an expansive career marked as much by extraordinary musical achievement as passionate advocacy and philanthropy for her homeland of Africa, Angelique Kidjo has found many ways to celebrate the rich, enlightening truth about the continent's women beyond the media spotlight.

Eve track listing:

1.M'Baamba (Kenyan Song)

2.Shango Wa

3.Eva (featuring ASA)

4.Interlude: Agbade

5.Bomba (featuring Rostam Batmanglij)

6.Hello (featuring Trio Teriba)

7.Blewu

8.Kamoushou

9.Kulumbu (featuring Dr. John)

10.Interlude: Kletedjan

11.Ebile (featuring Kronos Quartet)

12.Awalole (featuring the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg)

13.Bana (featuring Yvonne Kidjo)

14.Orisha

15.Interlude: Wayi

16.Coari

U.S. Tour Dates:

Feb 5 - Durham, NC - Carolina Theater

Feb 7 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse

Feb 8 - Louisville, KY - Bomhard Theater

Feb 9 - Charleston, WV - Mountain Stage

Feb 11 - Evanston, IL - Space

Feb 13 - Oberlin, OH - Oberlin College-Finney Chapel

Feb 14 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo State College PAC

Feb 15 - New York, NY - Town Hall

Feb 16 - Washington, DC - GWU Lisner Auditorium

Feb 18 - Pittsburgh, PA - Mr. Smalls Theater

Feb 19 - Bethlehem, PA - Arts Quest Café

Feb 20 - Ridgefield, CT - Ridgefield Playhouse

Feb 21 - Philadelphia, PA - The Prince Theatre

Feb 23 -  Boston, MA - Somerville Theater

LIVE FROM DARYL'S HOUSE RETURNS AFTER YEAR-LONG HIATUS

Live from Daryl's House is back from a year-long hiatus and better than ever! The first new episode begins the new year with a meeting of two genuine legends and Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, as newly inducted member Daryl Hall joins iconic ZZ Top guitarist Billy Gibbons for the 63rd and latest edition of the critically acclaimed, award-winning, web-to-cable series. The opening episode of what promises to be a jam-packed 2014 premieres on Daryl's dedicated LFDH.com website on Wednesday, January 15, followed by its cable debut on Viacom's high-definition music channel Palladia on Thursday, February 6 at 11 PM ET.

Billy Gibbons is a founding member and guitarist for the famed Texas blues-rock band ZZ Top with bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard, who were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. The band, formed in Houston in 1969, boasts seven platinum and 11 gold records, selling more than 25 million in U.S. album sales alone.

Daryl and Billy launch into a remarkably diverse seven-song set of Daryl Hall and John Oates and ZZ Top chestnuts along with a vintage cover of Hammond B-3 jazz-blues organist Jimmy McGriff's 1963 instrumental, "Kiko."  The pair also perform such deep Daryl Hall tunes as "Bank on Your Love," a song from Daryl Hall and John Oates' hit album, Big Bam Boom and "Love You Like a Brother," recorded in 1973, but unreleased until 1977's Atlantic Records hits compilation, No Goodbyes. The twosome lean into four ZZ Top nuggets, the band's cover of Sam & Dave's "I Thank You," from the 1979 album Deguello; the classic "La Grange," included on 1973's Tres Hombres; "Sharp Dressed Man" from 1983's 10-million-selling Eliminator, and the group's version of the Nightcaps' '50s rave-up, "Thunderbird."

"Playing Live from Daryl's House is a regular, down-to-earth, big bash," said Gibbons about the experience. "Good groovin' to the core."

"Being in a room with Billy Gibbons is like dipping your toe into the deep wellspring of Texas rock, blues and soul," says Daryl.

The past seven years have marked a steady stream of superlatives and recognition for Live from Daryl's House, with Hall receiving a Webby Award for Best Variety series from more than 10,000 entries at the 14th annual ceremony at N.Y.'s Cipriani Wall Street before garnering an O Music Award from MTV.

Live from Daryl's House is executive produced Hall and his manager, Jonathan Wolfson.

The 62 previous episodes of Live From Daryl's House have featured a mix of well-known performers like Jason Mraz, Cee Lo Green, Shelby Lynne, Joe Walsh, Booker T and the MGs, Blind Boys of Alabama, Rob Thomas, Train, Smokey Robinson, The Doors' Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek, Toots Hibbert, Nick Lowe, K.T. Tunstall, Todd Rundgren, Keb Mo, Dave Stewart, Goo Goo Dolls' John Rzeznik and Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump along with newcomers such as Minus The Bear, Rumer, Chiddy Bang, Allen Stone, Nikki Jean, The Dirty Heads, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Mayer Hawthorne, Eric Hutchinson, Chromeo, Matt Nathanson, Parachute, Plain White T's, soul diva Sharon Jones, Diane Birch, Fitz & the Tantrums, Neon Trees and Guster.

Palladia, Viacom Media Networks' high-definition music channel, launched in January 2006 and features original music-based programming for a variety of music genres, including hip hop, rock, country, pop, contemporary, classic rock, alternative rock, soul and more, as well as HDTV acquisitions and original content from Viacom Music Group's MTV, VH1, and CMT family of services. The channel has grown to 32 million households and is available on major U.S. carriers including Comcast, Cox, Verizon FiOS, Time Warner, Dish, DIRECTV, Charter, AT&T u-Verse, Cablevision and Insight.

 

LUXURY SOUL 2014 FEATURES 35 TRACKS ON 3-CDs

Richly soulful sounds for a mighty nice price – with a lot of great tunes by soul legends and contemporary torch carriers alike – in a nicely paced 3CD set! A good deal of the tracks here put a contemporary twist on the sophisticated soul sounds of the later 70s and into the 80s – the kind that eschewed trends for an easygoing, timeless vibe – and still sounds fresh, as practiced by long-time faves such as Bluey from Incognito, Adriana Evans, Maysa and many more current acts, legends like The Jones Girls, Keni Burke and Leon Ware, and many more. It's got some nice little smooth soul tunes, too, with 35 tracks on 3CDs: Get 2 Know U (Tyrone Lee); Baby All I Want Is You (Carmichael Musiclover); This Thing Called Love (Lori Elise / Darryl Miller); Is It Me You're Thinking Of (Soul Talk); Loves Master Plan (Lady L); Spotlight (Tony Momrelle); It Had To Be You (ReGrooved); Take A Chance On Me (Bluey); One Shot at Love (Bashiyra); On My Way To Harlem [Jazz & Cole Edit](Gregory Porter); Change (Natasha Watts); Another Lover Down (Chidi Benz / Joshua Charles / Zed Soul);  Jukebox (Muzart); R.S.V.P (James Day / Donnie); Tomorrow's Here (Real); 1978 (Leave The Radio On) (Ed Motta); Since You Came My Way (Jean Carne / Randy Choice); Distance Can Be Sweet (Personal Life); Diamond Child (Watergates); He Ain't Got My Style (Don-E & Lornette Ford); Brighter Than The Sun (Incognito / Kellie Sae); To The Sky (Heston); Inside My Love (Sheree Brown); Open Sesame (Beggar & Co); All I Want (The Jones Girls); More Than You Know (Re-Edit) (Dunn & Bruce Street); Never Thought (Adriana Evans); Do It Baby Vocal (Byron Woods); For Love (Marcia Mitchell); It's You (Keni Burke); Work Me (Original Mix)(Leon Ware); How Was It For You (Robert Walker); Love Has No Recession (Kindred the Family Soul); She's Got That Kinda (Kloud 9); and Walk Away (Maysa).