JOAN OSBORNE'S CLASSIC RELISH ALBUM MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY

Originally from a small town outside of Louisville, KY, Joan Osborne moved to New York to attend NYU Film School in the late '80s, but gravitated toward the vibrant downtown roots music scene, playing clubs for years.  Osborne then formed an independent label, Womanly Hips, and released her debut, a live album dubbed Soul Show: Live at Delta 88 in 1991, where she showed off her roots in folk, country, blues and rock.  Signing with Mercury Records, Osborne's major label bow, Relish, came out on March 21, 1995. Produced by Rick Chertoff, who released the album on his own Blue Gorilla imprint at PolyGram, Relish features such supporting performers as multi-instrumentalist Rob Hyman, bassist Mark Egan, Jeff Buckley collaborator Gary Lucas, and the Hooters' Eric Bazilian, who not only played guitar, mandolin, sax, harmonica and electric piano, but penned a song called "One of Us," which catapulted the album to #9 on the Billboard charts and eventually triple-platinum in sales. Relish earned a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and nominations for Best New Artist and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for Osborne. In addition, "One of Us" was nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

The Relish 20th Anniversary Edition will be available on October 30 in three separate formats, featuring expanded liner notes written by Chris Talbott and a variety of bonus tracks. The single-CD version includes the original demo of "One of Us," with songwriter Eric Bazilian accompanying Joan on guitar; a demo version of "Pensacola" in a completely different, reggae style featuring the entire band, and the previously unreleased track, "Mighty One," from the Relish recording sessions.

The 20-track digital bundle, available in both standard and HD digital formats, includes the three bonus tracks mentioned above as well as the previously unreleased "Here Comes What's Coming," recorded at the same time as Relish and 4 live B-sides, among them a version of "One of Us," performed for WXPN's World Café plus "St. Teresa" and "Spider Web," both recorded for KSGR in Austin.  Finally, there's a version of "Crazy Baby" recorded live from the Gavin Triple A Convention in Boulder, CO.

A double-LP Relish without bonus tracks will also be released at the same time.

Relish was recorded at Big Blue in Katonah, New York, with additional recording at The Crawlspace in Philadelphia and PIE Studios in Glen Cove, New York. The album included Osborne originals like "St. Teresa," "Pensacola," "Ladder" and "Crazy Baby," interspersed with covers (Bob Dylan's "Man in the Long, Black Coat," Sonny Boy Williamson's "Help Me" and, of course, Bazilian's "One of Us") and collaborations with the band on "Right Hand Man" (including Captain Beefheart), "Spider Web,"  "Let's Just Get Naked" and "Lumina" (the latter two with Bazilian).

But it was "One of Us" that captivated the public with its exploration of the nature of faith and people's belief in God, rising to #4 on the Billboard Hot 100. Bazilian wrote the song to "impress a girl," who later became his wife, and originally placed the song on a solo album as a hidden track. When producer Chertoff heard it, he asked Joan if she thought she could sing it.  They recorded a live demo of her performing the song, which is included on both the CD and Digital Tracks versions of this reissue.  "When I got into my car and popped the cassette in," said Bazilian, "I started practicing the Grammy speech that I should've gotten to give."

Osborne, who has toured with the Dead as well as her own band for the past 20 years, has also toured with the legendary Motown sidemen, The Funk Brothers, and appeared with them in the acclaimed 2002 documentary, Standing in the Shadows of Motown. She hit the road for a fall tour with Mavis Staples, which started September 25 in San Francisco.  A complete list of tour dates is below. A complete list of tour dates is below.

Sep 25 - San Francisco, CA - Live Nation

Sep 26 - Modesto, CA - Gallo Center for the Arts

Sep 27 - Napa, CA - Uptown Theatre

Sep 29 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Cal Poly Arts

Sep 30 - Davis, CA - Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Oct 2 - Agoura Hills, CA - The Canyon Club

Oct 3 - Cerritos, CA - Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

Oct 6 – Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument Museum

Oct 7 - Phoenix, AZ - Musical Instrument Museum

Oct 8 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre

Oct 10 - The Woodlands, TX Dosey Doe Coffee House

Oct 11 - Baton Rouge, LA - Manship Theatre

Oct 24 - Clinton Township, MI - Macomb Center for the Performing Arts

Oct 26 - Binghamton, NY - Anderson Center for the Arts

Oct 27 - State College, PA - Eisenhower Auditorium (Penn State University)

Oct 28 - Tarrytown, NY - Tarrytown Music Hall

Oct 30 - Stony Brook, NY - Stallar Center for the Arts

Oct 31 - Washington DC, VA - George Washington University

Nov 1 - Newport News, VA - Ferguson Center for the Arts

Nov 3 - Morristown, NJ - Mayo Performing Arts Center

Nov 4 - New York, NY - Kaufmann Concert Hall

Nov 6 - Schenectady, NY - Arts Center & Theatre of Schenectady

Nov 7 - Boston, MA - Celebrity Series of Boston

Nov 8 - Providence, RI - Providence Performing Arts

Nov 10 - Keene, NH - Colonial Theatre

Nov 11 - St. Johnsbury, VT - Lyndon Institute Auditorium (*headliner)

Nov 12 - Portsmouth, NH - Music Hall - Portsmouth

Nov 14 - Englewood, NJ - Bergen Performing Arts Center

Nov 15 - Richmond, VA - University of Richmond

Nov 18 - Atlanta, GA - Georgia Institute of Technology

Nov 19 - Oxford, AL - Oxford Performing Arts Center

Nov 21 - Cutler Bay, FL - South Miami Dade Cultural Center

Nov 22 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall

http://www.joanosborne.com/

 

NEW RELEASES: MALIJA – THE DAY I HAD EVERYTHING; TEEMU AKERBLOM QUARTET; BRIAN ELLIS – IN THE DARK

MALIJA – THE DAY I HAD EVERYTHING

London based trio MALIJA releases 'The Day I Had Everything' featuring the new all-star trio featuring Mark Lockheart (saxophones, bass clarinet), Liam Noble (double bass) and Jasper Høiby (piano) on November 27, 2015. brings together a collective empathy and co-leadership with all members sharing the production and writing roles. These names will need no introduction to Edition fans, having played together on Mark Lockheart’s quintet album ‘In Deep’ in 2009, but with their individual international profiles and explosive musical personalities integrated in a trio, there’s no hiding from the fact that this is the band to watch.

TEEMU AKERBLOM QUARTET

An excellent contemporary combo from Finland – but one who are right at home on the Jazzaggression label, which mostly issues rare gems from years past! The sound here is plenty classic – and recalls that great 70s moment on the European scene when the best groups were aware of 60s advances like free or modal jazz, but could also swing as well – often bringing all elements to play in a single tune, but finding a way to make their most creative work still hold very strongly to a larger tradition in jazz! The group here is a quartet, but one with a slightly shifting lineup – the core trio of Teemu Akerblom on bass, Mikko Arlin on drums, and Max Zenger on saxes and flute – plus a changing fourth player from track to track – either Ville Vannemaa or Jarno Tikka on tenor, or Verneri Pohjola on trumpet. The lack of any piano really enforces the importance of the bass to the rhythms – and Akerblom's a player with a strong sense of modal energy, which often sets things up beautifully for the reed and trumpet solos to really soar and do their thing – shifting in intensity from track to track, partly because of that rotating fourth player! All tracks are original, and very fresh – and titles include "Blues For Martin", "Dark Corners", "Gilman's Point", "October 22", and "Harmaata Nakyvissa". CD features two bonus tracks not on LP. ~ Dusty Groove

BRIAN ELLIS – IN THE DARK

Really sweet keyboards from Brian Ellis – a man who's been giving us a surprising amount of music in the past year or so, often in many different flavors! This time around, Brian's got a strong 80s groove – and uses his keyboards in the lead with kind of a post-Herbie Hancock approach to fusion – one that's very comfortable with mostly all electric elements in the instrumentation, but which also still has a really great old school sense of space and timing! By that, we mean that Brian's never too over the top, and always makes these tracks groove in a style that's mighty soulful – maybe somewhere in the territory of Bobby Lyle or Rodney Franklin, but even more electric overall. Titles include "Flipped", "In The Dark", "Banana Seat", "Boogie Box", "Moonlight Shadows", and "One Twenty". ~ Dusty Groove

Grammy and Emmy Award Winning Multi-Platinum Producer NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN To Release New Full Length Album EVOLUTION

Tarpan Records has announced the international release of Evolution the upcoming full-length album by Narada Michael Walden releasing on October 30th 2015. The albums’ first single, Billionaire On Soul Street, which was released on August 14th, 2015 and the forthcoming album represent a change of direction for Narada, one that brings him back to his roots in Dance and Club Music, Funk and Soul. The first single was, and full-length album will be released on Narada’s own imprint, Tarpan Records.

Narada Michael Walden has produced many household names including: Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, George Michael, Mariah Carey, Stacy Lattisaw, Steve Winwood, Ray Charles, Sister Sledge, Patti Austin, Gladys Knight, Rev Al Green, Barbra Streisand, Lionel Ritchie, Elton John, Sting, Carlos Santana, Shanice Wilson, Tevin Campbell, Lisa Fischer, Stevie Wonder, Tom Jones, Wynonna Judd and The Temptations. He was awarded Grammys for Producer of the Year in 1988, Album of the Year for the movie soundtrack The Bodyguard in 1993 and the R&B Song of the Year in 1985 for Aretha Franklin's Freeway of Love. Billboard Magazine also named him one of the “Top Ten Producers with the Most Number One Hits”.

As impressive a production and songwriting resume as Narada Michael Walden has assembled over the past forty years, he has earned equal acclaim as a recording and performing artist in his own right. Beginning as a drummer with the pioneering Mahavishnu John McLaughlin’s Mahavishnu Orchestra (following Billy Cobham at 20 years old), Narada also toured with Jeff Beck, Tommy Bolin, and Weather Report. With twelve acclaimed solo albums of his own which produced Dance Hits such as I Don’t Want Nobody Else to Dance With You, I Shoulda Loved Ya, Divine Emotions, Gimme Gimme Gimme and Tonight I'm Alright along the way, he has achieved greatness in a wide range of sonic arenas. Walden’s music includes groundbreaking soundtrack work on such blockbuster films as The Bodyguard, Free Willy, Beverly Hills Cops II, 9 ½ Weeks and Stuart Little including Gladys Knight’s License to Kill for the James Bond Film, Jefferson Starship’s Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now for Mannequin to the EMMY-winning One Moment In Time, the theme to the 1988 Olympic Games.

In early February 2012, Narada Michael Walden returned from a well received 10 day stint of shows at the Blue Note in Tokyo and Nagoya, Japan to perform at the White House in an all-star band for President Obama’s “Red, White and Blues” Concert with legends B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Mick Jagger, Trombone Shorty, Booker T Jones and more.

Narada enlisted some amazing musicians and performers for his band on EVOLUTION including: Nikita Germaine (Train, Stevie Wonder, Chaka Khan, James Taylor, and Patty Austin) on Vocals, Frank Martin (Angela Bofil, John Handy Band, Tuck & Patti, Jose’ Neto, Airto & Flora, Sting & Trudie’s Rainforest Band) on Keyboards, Angeline Saris (Gretchen Menn, Zepperella) on Bass and Vocals, Matthew Charles Heulitt (Zigaboo Modaliste) on Guitars.

Narada explains about the album’s first single: “This album Evolution means the world to me because it reflects my personal feeling of spirituality and that feeling renewed for life by having my children Kelly and Kaylah in my life and my wife Katie. Having children now at this time in my life really has touched my heart to feel like WOW! Look how lucky and how blessed I am by God. I used this slogan, this sentence that I got from Kimrea who works at my Tarpan Studios. Cause’ I feel so good like a Billionaire on Soul Street. “Evolution is a strong statement from Narada, inspired by the “retro” sound that is so prevalent on the radio and in clubs today. The album features mostly original material and two covers; Freedom by Richie Havens and Long and Winding Road by John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Tarpan Records will release Narada Michael Walden’s new album Evolution internationally in October of 2015 with help from distribution and marketing powerhouse Independent Distribution Collective. This new album is a Dance masterpiece, with many flavors of Narada’s vast history mixed in.

His label, Tarpan Records is a home to both established and amazing up-and-coming artists as well. Tarpan Records specializes in artist development, full service project management, promotion, and distribution. Initially focused on Narada’s releases, the plan is to apply this business model to up and coming and established recording artists in the years to come.

Narada Michael Walden and his all-star band will perform a series of shows across the USA in the next few months in support of the release of Evolution.

November 13, 2015 - The Iridium - New York, NY  

November 17, 2015 - The Birchmere - Alexandria, VA

November 21, 2015 – Reggie’s Music Joint - Chicago, IL 

JOE JACKSON RELEASES FAST FORWARD, FEATURES FOUR SETS OF SONGS RECORDED IN FOUR DIFFERENT CITIES - NEW YORK, AMSTERDAM, BERLIN & NEW ORLEANS

The ever-restless songwriter Joe Jackson travelled the world to record ‘Fast Forward,’ his first collection of original songs in seven years, set for October 2, 2015 release on earMUSIC in Europe.

Originally conceived to be released as a series of EPs, the album was produced and arranged by Jackson, and features four sets of four songs recorded in four different cities – New York, New Orleans, Berlin and Amsterdam – each with a different set of first-call supporting musicians.  The results rank among the richest and most rewarding music of his storied career.

NEW YORK - Jackson has called New York home for many years.  He recorded these tracks with Bill Frisell on guitar, Brian Blade on drums, his long-time bassist Graham Maby, and jazz violin star Regina Carter. Along with three originals including the album’s title track, these sessions feature a scorching take on a New York classic, Television’s “See No Evil.”

AMSTERDAM - Distinguished by the most diverse instrumentation of the four sessions, Jackson is joined on these songs by frequent collaborators Stefan Kruger and Stefan Schmid from the band Zuco 103, the Concertgebouw orchestra, and the project's only guest vocalist, 14-year-old Mitchell Sink.

BERLIN - Berlin is Jackson’s second home, and he recorded here with two expatriate American musicians: acoustic bass master Greg Cohen (Tom Waits, Ornette Coleman, Bob Dylan) and Tindersticks´ drummer Earl Harvin. These sessions produced the album’s second cover, Jackson's modern English take on the 1930s German 'Kabarett' song “Good Bye Jonny.”

NEW ORLEANS - Jackson travelled to one of his favourite cities, New Orleans, to record with an all-local cast including three members of the funk band Galactic - drummer Stanton Moore, bassist Robert Mercurio, and guitarist Jeff Raines – and a horn section led by saxophonist Donald Harrison.

Vocalist Simi Stone delivers a soulful sound described as Mountain Motown

Simi is a violinist, guitarist, pianist, composer, and singer. Born and raised in Woodstock – the magic of the mountains is in her blood. She has performed and toured with Simone Felice, Connor Oberst, Dan Zanes, Elizabeth Mitchell, Natalie Merchant, Amy Helm, and Duke and the King.

When Simi Stone was eight years old she locked herself in her room. She emerged three days later with an independently recorded and produced cassette tape titled "Cloudy Day On Mountain Lodge". She handed it out to her grade school classmates, and had wired up third graders singing her songs on the playground. Born and raised in Woodstock, NY by a hippie mom who brought her kids up on brown rice and The Rolling Stones and a Jamaican born father whose mother traveled on the blues circuit playing piano in the south, it’s no surprise that Simi Stone ne: Simantha Molly Lou Sernaker has since turned into a formidable power house fueled by a raw and edgy vocal style, virtuoso violin chops and enough charisma to burn down a house.

At seven, Simi took up the classical violin, and at ten was admitted to the New York Conservatory for the Arts, where she studied musical theatre, dance, and voice and all the while continued to write the songs of her own. Upon graduating high school, she moved to New York City, and pursued a degree in acting at Marymount College, performed in musical theater and off Broadway plays. Soon, Simi was using her well-honed theater skills to front a rock band. Along with her fierce electric violin and guitar playing, Simi was a draw for teenyboppers and seasoned musicians alike. She played on Conan and was featured in Cornershop and Metallica videos. She appeared on the cover of the Cornershop CD, Born for the Seventh Time. A piece about her appeared in Women’s Wear Daily and Greg Tate in The Village Voice called her “Kurt Cobain in hot pants.” Ink 19 Magazine said, “When shredding the bow on her electric violin, she just plain looked badass.”

Later, after being part of the Afro-Punk Movement, she experimented with a more gritty rock ‘n roll sound, forming Suffrajett with sideman Jason Chasko. They performed in numerous NYC venues including Bowery Ballroom, Irving Plaza and played several Summer Stage events with Joan Jett, the Roots, Erika Badu and others. With Suffrajett she released two records, Suffrajett and Black Glitter on indie labels In Music We Trust and Giant Step Records which garnered considerable critical acclaim from magazines such as Rolling Stone, Esquire and earned five stars in the press, The Chicago Sun Times. Suffrajett had their first major tour out of Chicago. She earned her stripes the old fashioned way, with numerous cross-country tours playing every club under the sun from Detroit to House of Blues in LA. Leading her band, she continued touring with acts like Local-H, Urge Overkill, Cheap Trick, Eagles of Death Metal, and Juliette and the Licks. Time Out Chicago said of Suffrajett: “ This New York via Chicago band has justifiably gained a rep for Detroit style whiplash rock and roll without acting like it’s a low down dirty shame…

When she’s not sounding like The Shangri Las Mary Weiss, she’s summoning the ghost of T-Rex’s Marc Bolan, who knew how to make a whisper sound like a threat.” Around this time, the heavy mid-west rock n’ roll lifestyle started to weigh on Simi. Suffrajett took a long hiatus ...

Called to the mountains of her native Woodstock home, in 2009 Simi reconnected with Simone Felice and Bobby Burke, The Duke and the King, while opening for their band as a solo artist. With the Duke and the King, Simi began touring in Europe and all over the UK. The band was featured on Jools Holland in London, Saturday with Brendan O’Conner the biggest late night talk show in Ireland and in Paris appeared on the popular show Canal Plus. She sang her song “No Easy Way Out” on Belfast’s biggest radio station and on BBC Radio’s “Loose End” in London. Mojo Magazine gave the Duke and the King four stars. Allen Jones from Un-cut magazine called her "The sensational Simi Stone" and calls her voice "striking" and her violin, "a thing of mournful beauty.

Simi Has,more recently been excitedly working on her first solo album! With musical partner David Baron she has been lucky enough to gather an amazing band of players...including Zachary Alford, Sara Lee, Gail Ann Dorsey and others to make up some incredible recordings and live shows to come.

Simi also has spent time recording and performing with artists such as Simone Felice,Natalie Merchant, Conor O'Berst, Tracy Bonham, Amy Helm, and many more.

laurelcanyonuk.com

NEW RELEASES: LENY ANDRADE / RONI BEN-HUR - ALEGRIA DE VIVER; ORAN ETKIN - WHAT'S NEW? REIMAGINING BENNY GOODMAN; LONDON / MEADER / PRAMUK / ROSS - THE ROYAL BOPSTERS PROJECT

LENY ANDRADE / RONI BEN-HUR - ALEGRIA DE VIVER

Described in the New York Times as both the 'Sarah Vaughan and the Ella Fitzgerald of Brazil', vocal legend Leny Andrade s intimate duo with elite NYC guitarist Roni Ben-Hur is a soul stirring collection of beloved sambas, bossa novas and boleros which have never before been recorded by this great artist. Alegria de Viver (Joy of Living), her new CD for Motema, is a revelation, sure to please any fan of Brazilian music. 'I chose the repertoire', says Andrade. 'I'd never recorded these songs. Fantastic! I did a perfect list!' The song list includes music by some of the greatest Brazilian composers and includes Andrade s first recording of the Antonio Jobim classic 'Dindi'. Her perfect list of songs is mirrored by the perfect choice for instrumental support - guitarist Roni Ben-Hur who joined her in the studio in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in January, 2014. Says Ben Hur, 'It was very casual. We were in one small room sitting next to each other. It was all under Leny's leadership'. The resulting release is a high mark in the style of timeless, classic Brazilian music. ~ Amazon

ORAN ETKIN - WHAT'S NEW? REIMAGINING BENNY GOODMAN

Acclaimed bandleader, composer and clarinetist Oran Etkin pays a distinctly modern homage to the 'King of Swing,' Benny Goodman. 'What's New?' at once celebrates two sides of Benny Goodman: the music of his big band that launched the Swing Era and of his quartet that became the first mainstream racially-integrated band. Described as 'a composer of eminent individuality' by his mentor Yusef Lateef, Etkin taps into both Benny Goodman the bandleader and clarinetist on this phenomenal tribute recording. Includes: Prelude; Dinah; Why Don't You Do Right; Running Wild; When Every Voice Shall Sing; What's New?; Brink; King Porter Stomp; After You've Gone; Be Good Lady; . Where or When; and Sing, Sing, Sing. ~ Amazon

LONDON / MEADER / PRAMUK / ROSS - THE ROYAL BOPSTERS PROJECT

The Royal Bopsters Project is a multi-generational vocal summit on which the talents of Amy London, Darmon Meader, Holli Ross and Dylan Pramuk unite to pay tribute to the art of setting lyrics to melodies originally written as instrumental compositions or improvisations. Their homage to vocalese is made even more exceptional with the contributions of the legendary singers who make guest appearances on the album: NEA Jazz Masters (and Grammy Award-winners) Jon Hendricks and Annie Ross; NEA Jazz Master Sheila Jordan, Arkansas Hall of Famer and Schoolhouse Rock mastermind Bob Dorough and six-time Grammy nominee Mark Murphy. Includes: Music in the Air (Wildwood); On The Red Clay (Red Clay); Peace; Basheer, The Snake and The Mirror; Senor Blues; Invitation; Bird Chasin' (Chasin' the Bird); Music Is Forever; Bebop Lives (Boplicity); Just Step Right Up; Nothing Like You Has Ever Been Seen Before; and Let's Fly. ~ Amazon

NEW RELEASES: BALLAKE SISSOKO / VINCENT SEGAL – MUSIQUE DE NUIT; BUFFALO BROTHERS – FRESH FROM THE HORN; VIEUX FARKA / JULIA EASTERLIN - TOURISTES

BALLAKE SISSOKO / VINCENT SEGAL – MUSIQUE DE NUIT

When Ballake Sissoko and Vincent Segal released their first collaborative album, Chamber Music, they caught the music world by surprise. Everything about this duo was unexpected: the Malian master of the kora; the French cellist with the background in trip-hop; and the elegant, soulful music they made together. The album appeared on numerous best-of lists in both Europe and North America. Now, these two sonic voyagers have returned with Musique de Nuit ('Night Music') - an album which may not have the same element of surprise, but which may be even more spellbinding than its predecessor. ~ Amazon

BUFFALO BROTHERS – FRESH FROM THE HORN

Buffalo Brothers are the 9-piece funk sensation currently exploding out of the Manchester music scene's creative melting pot. Their debut album, Fresh From The Horn, combines thunderous grooves and blistering horn lines with heavy funk, jazz and afrobeat flavours, and has already earned the approval of UK funk aficionados Craig Charles and Huey Morgan. As well as attracting the attention of Craig Charles, appearing at his live club night at Manchester's Band On The Wall and being regularly played on his Radio 2 and 6 Music shows, Buffalo Brothers have been busy increasing their following with a number of high profile appearances across the UK, including at Kendal Calling Festival, supporting Huey Morgan at London's Blues Kitchen, and opening the 20th Manchester Jazz Festival to glowing reviews.Their live performances featuring guest vocal performances have been overwhelming club and festival audiences for the past year and the band have spared no effort in concentrating this high-energy cocktail onto their first full-length studio release.

VIEUX FARKA / JULIA EASTERLIN - TOURISTES

Touristes is the name of the new album from famed Malian singer/guitarist Vieux Farka Touré and rising American singer Julia Easterlin. The two met in New York in 2014 and as Vieux recalls, 'within about one or two hours we had created four songs together.' Touristes features six originals, three covers - including songs from Bob Dylan and Fever Ray - and one case of a new song built upon an old one. Includes: Little Things; A’Bashiye (It’s Alright); Masters Of War; I’m Not Done; In The Pines; The Word; Took My Brother Down; Spark; Bamba Na Wili; and Apples & Champagne. ~ Amazon

ALAN LEE - AN AUSTRALIAN JAZZ ANTHOLOGY

There are few Australian originals in jazz, though vibraphonist Alan Lee surely ranks alongside the best. Australian jazz is and always will be an interpretation of the American art form, but throughout his long career Lee has ploughed his furrow undaunted, "What I want is the fire! Whether it's John Coltrane's Blues Minor from Africa Brass or Backwater Blues by Leadbelly, I want the emotion, the gut wrenching pain, the cry from within!"

These are uninhibited words. A musician and bandleader who cut a number of jazz sides for small independent Melbourne labels from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, Lee has always searched for this fire, evident in the broad styles he's covered throughout his career, and which we have attempted to explore here, the first and only collection of music from Alan Lee. From '60s soul jazz, to the deep modal sounds of the early '70s and cross-genre experiments exhibited in his chamber jazz, Lee's personal life has been as varied and explorative as his music, a journey that has taken him beyond the thresholds of jazz improvisation and spiritual awareness.

The tracks that feature on this anthology were recorded by various incarnations of Lee's band and are taken from across three albums recorded between 1973 and 1974. These albums represent the sole output in LP format that can be credited to Lee as band leader, and all are collectors' items in their own right. The deep modal version of Love Song and Freddie Hubbard's perennial spiritual jazz standard Little Sunflower are both taken from the self-titled LP 'Alan Lee Jazz Quartet'. The album 'Gallery Concerts 1973', which was recorded for Bruce Clarke's jazz sub-label Cumquat Records, provides us with a fierce electric-jazz version of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring: Dance Of The Adolescents plus the plaintive chamber jazz of John Lewis' Sketch as well two tracks featuring vocalist Jeannie Lewis; Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 and the beautiful Bailero in which Lee exchanges the vibraphone for the conductors role in presiding over a jazz trio accompanied by a seven piece concert ensemble. Completing this compendium is a track taken from the 1974 follow-up recording for Jazznote, the album titled 'The Smilor'; included is a cover of the Milt Jackson-penned Enchanted Lady.

What you are hearing on this album is the story of one man's travels, a journey within a foreign art form but also a journey within himself. Illustrated in the stories Lee shares, such as his correspondence with fellow vibraphone player Gary Burton on how to achieve advanced extended techniques for the vibraphone (resulting in pages of technical diagrams) or travelling across the US to purchase an original 1940s Deagan Imperial Vibraphone from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra 'Just to get that Milt Jackson sound'. There are moments of deep introspection and intellect in Lee's playing, emotional music that contains and shares a common spiritual oneness, seeking the thrill he experienced after first listening to Lionel Hampton and the Benny Goodman Quartet. "The emotion, the gut wrenching pain, the cry from within."

Legacy Recordings Commemorates Frank Sinatra's 100th Birthday with…Frank Sinatra: A Voice On Air (1935-1955)

A new 4-CD collection featuring 100 rare Sinatra tracks including 91 previously unreleased live performances

In a matter befitting the 100th birthday of an American icon, Sony Music's Legacy Recordings announces the November 20th, 2015 release of Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955), a historic 100+ track, 4-CD deluxe box set culled from an invaluable collection of rare radio broadcasts and rehearsals – immaculately restored from the original recording masters for unprecedented high-fidelity sound. 

Luxuriously packaged with a 60-page book, Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955) is an essential addition to Sinatra's voluminous discography, offering a unique glimpse into the formative period of America's first teen idol: Frank Sinatra, the man who became known the world over as "The Voice." Included in the book are an introductory essay by renowned singer, pianist and archivist Michael Feinstein; a personal remembrance by Frank's eldest daughter Nancy Sinatra and detailed essay by foremost Sinatra historian, author and box set producer Charles L. Granata. The package was designed by noted Art Director Maria Marulanda, who created the landmark 2007 Columbia/Legacy box set Frank Sinatra: A Voice in Time.

In assembling this groundbreaking box set marking the first official release anthologizing Frank Sinatra's seminal radio performances, the producers have mined treasures from their own extensive Sinatra broadcast transcription collections and the world's most prestigious archives and sound recording repositories including The Library of Congress, the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center, the Paley Center for Media, the Michael Feinstein Great American Songbook Initiative archive and The University of Colorado's Glenn Miller Archive. Included are dozens of rare photographs and recording artifacts that help to illustrate the scope of Sinatra's incredible radio career.

Meticulously restored and remastered in high-resolution from the original glass and aluminum radio transcription discs and magnetic tape masters by three-time Grammy winning recording engineer Andreas Meyer and Sinatra producer Charles L. Granata, these vintage, historic recordings – most of them unheard since their original broadcast in the 1940s and 1950s – sound more rich and vibrant than ever before. All of the warmth and vibrancy that are hallmarks of Frank Sinatra's vocal brilliance have been preserved, and showcased with unprecedented fidelity.

This breathtaking overview charts Frank Sinatra's evolution as a vocalist, and includes samples of his radio work from the first twenty years of his amazing career, from his first radio performance in 1935 (singing "S-H-I-N-E" with the Hoboken Four) to his last weekly series in 1955 (The Frank Sinatra Show, featuring ultra-rare performances with an in-studio quintet). From beginning to end, Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955) envelops the listener in the atmosphere surrounding the creation of these masterful radio performances in the 1930s, '40s and '50s.

This box set holds special significance – both in Frank Sinatra's body of work, and as a special 100th Birthday tribute – as it includes dozens of songs that were never officially recorded by Frank Sinatra, and dozens of unusual (and unrecorded) arrangements of Sinatra's most prized songs. Among the treasures included on the collection are Cole Porter's "Don't Fence Me In," Frank Loesser's "I Wish I Didn't Love You So," Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin's "Long Ago and Far Away," Johnny Burke and Jimmy Van Heusen's "Aren't You Glad You're You" and Richard Whiting, Leo Robin and Newell Chase's "My Ideal" – all important classics from the Great American Songbook that Sinatra never recorded.

Then, there are priceless duets with Nat 'King' Cole ("Exactly Like You"), Benny Goodman ("I Only Have Eyes for You"), Peggy Lee ("You Brought A New Kind of Love to Me"), Metropolitan Opera star Dorothy Kirsten ("A Fine Romance"), Doris Day ("Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and "There's No Business Like Show Business" and Milton Berle ("It's De-Lovely") – as well as songwriters Irving Berlin ("Alexander's Ragtime Band"), Johnny Mercer ("Ac-Cen-Tchu-Ate the Positive") and Louisiana Governor Jimmy Davis ("You Are My Sunshine"). Also included are seldom-heard program openings, closings, announcements and commercials – PLUS twelve surprise bonus tracks that are sure to delight even the die-hard Sinatra fan!

Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-1955) was produced by Charles L. Granata, Didier C. Deutsch, Michael Feinstein and Andreas Meyer in cooperation with Legacy Recordings, Frank Sinatra Enterprises and the Smithsonian Institution. Executive Producers for the project are Nancy Sinatra, Adam Block and John Jackson. Editing, restoration and mastering are by Andreas Meyer and Charles L. Granata.

Befitting the historical importance of these irreplaceable American musical treasures, Sony Music's Legacy Recordings has partnered with The Smithsonian Institution to create a single CD consisting of an additional 26 rare, previously unreleased radio recordings (not available on the box set) to be offered exclusively at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. and through their website. Visit http://www.smithsonianmag.com/sinatra/ for information regarding this companion release.

Throughout his nine-decade career, Frank Sinatra performed on more than 1,400 recordings and was awarded 31 gold, nine platinum, three double platinum and one triple platinum album by the Recording Industry Association of America. He extends his record to 57 for the most top 40 albums on the Billboard 200 with this year's new Ultimate Sinatra release. Sinatra has had Top 40 hits on the charts for eight decades which is as long as the Billboard charts have existed. He received nine GRAMMY Awards over the course of his career, including three for the prestigious Album Of The Year, and an Oscar. Sinatra demonstrated a remarkable ability to appeal to every generation and continues to do so; his artistry still influences many of today's music superstars. He also appeared in more than 60 films and produced eight motion pictures. 

Sinatra was awarded Lifetime Achievement Awards from The Recording Academy, The Screen Actors Guild and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), as well as the Kennedy Center Honors, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the Congressional Gold Medal. Today, he remains a legend and an inspiration around the world for his contributions to culture and the arts.

Frank Sinatra was born in Hoboken, NJ on December 12, 1915.  A series of Sinatra 100 events will be rolling out throughout this year including the new Ultimate Sinatra CD.  Following its highly acclaimed debut in New York in March, the multimedia Sinatra: An American Icon exhibit exploring  Frank Sinatra's life and career and will get its Los Angeles premiere at the GRAMMY Museum on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2015.

STAX/CONCORD MUSIC GROUP TO RELEASE LIMITED EDITION FOUR-CD BOX SET BY THE STAPLE SINGERS

Stax/Concord Music Group will release the first-ever comprehensive, career-spanning overview of The Staple Singers, one of the most important American musical acts of the 20th century. Due out November 13, this limited edition 4-CD box set--titled Faith and Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976--also includes a very special bonus: the earliest known recording of the gospel, soul and R&B group, housed on a 7” vinyl record, marking the first time that this track has been available in any format since the Staples’ self-released edition of 500. The box set is available now to pre-order on Amazon in the following formats: Deluxe Box Set (4CD + 7” vinyl) and digitally.

Housed in a deluxe, old-school “45-folio” package, the accompanying book features new liner notes by Mavis Staples, James Miller, Opal Louis Nations and compilation producer Joe McEwen, as well as rarely seen photos of the family band taken over the course of their career.

The long-lost recordings embodied on the 7” record, “Faith and Grace” and “These Are They,” are the earliest known recordings of The Staple Singers and were made in a friend of Pops Staples’ basement in Chicago in 1953. These have never before been commercially available in any format except the 500 or so copies the Staples pressed themselves on 78 RPM records. The box set also contains the live recording: “Medley: Too Close/I’m On My Way Home/I’m Coming Home/He’s Alright (Live).” This live performance from 1960 Clarksdale, Mississippi has never before been available in its entirety.

The music of the Staple Singers--best known for their 1970s hits "Respect Yourself," "I'll Take You There," "If You're Ready (Come Go with Me)," and "Let's Do It Again"--is richly embedded into American history and culture. As James Miller writes in the liner notes:

“The Staple Singers are American originals. Like Elvis Presley in the fifties, they took the country gospel sounds of the Mississippi Delta and turned them into a brand new kind of music, a fusion of blues form and raw feeling that was sui generis. Like Bob Dylan in the sixties, they created their own kind of folk music, in part to hymn the progress of the civil rights movement in America. Like Sam Cooke, Curtis Mayfield and Aretha Franklin, they took the music of the black church and made that soulful sound matter to anybody with ears and an open mind in a series of exceptionally popular recordings that made them well-known to a wide audience. And afterwards, even after their belated moment of fame in the early 1970s, their principal members survived into a dignified old age, becoming venerated solo troubadours, performing vernacular American music that sounds as fresh today as it did a half-century ago…The consistency with which this family made rapturous music–as documented on this box set–becomes ever more impressive with the passage of time.”

Explaining The Staple Singers’ special dynamic, notes Miller, “The group had two primary leads: Pops, a tenor, and Mavis, a skinny girl with a thundering voice. When the Staples harmonized, their blend was high and keening, with Pops singing falsetto alongside his daughter Cleotha, a soprano, and Pervis, a high tenor like his dad, making them sound more like the Carter Family than a conventional black gospel group. Equally unusual was the instrumentation; instead of performing a capella or with keyboard accompaniment, the Staples featured the electric guitar playing of Pops. That’s the first thing you hear on their classic early recordings: finger-picked arpeggios, amplified in a wash of reverb and tremolo, anchoring the bottom of the sound. (‘Pop Staples and his nervous guitar,’ quipped rivals on the gospel circuit.)”

The box set is aptly titled Faith and Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976 as these qualities are hallmarks of The Staple Singers. Their music remains soul-stirring and relevant – these songs bring hope in uncertain times. As always, The Staple Singers take us there.

Faith and Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976

Track listing:

 Disc 1

 1. It Rained Children

 2. I Just Can’t Keep It To Myself

 3. Each Day

 4. God’s Wonderful Love

 5. If I Could Hear My Mother Pray Again

 6. I’ve Got A New Home

 7. Uncloudy Day

 8. Come On Up In Glory

 9. I Know I Got Religion

 10. Swing Down Chariot (Let Me Ride)

 11. I Had A Dream

 12. Help Me Jesus

 13. Low Is The Way

 14. This May Be The Last Time [Alternate Take]

 15. So Soon

 16. I’m So Glad

 17. Pray On

 18. Good News

 19. Downward Road

 20. Don’t Drive Me Away

   

Disc 2

1. Will The Circle Be Unbroken

2. Don’t Knock

3. Medley: Too Close/I’m On My Way Home/I’m Coming Home/He’s Alright [Live]

4. Swing Low

5. Calling Me

6. Stand By Me

7. Hammer And Nails

8. Gloryland

9. Hear My Call, Here

10. Nobody Knows The Trouble I’ve Seen

11. New-Born Soul

12. Dying Man’s Plea

13. Great Day

14. There Was A Star

15. Use What You Got

16. Let That Liar Alone

17. I Can’t Help From Cryin' Sometime

18. Blowin’ In The Wind

19. This Land Is Your Land

20. I Know I’ve Been Changed

Disc 3

1. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall

2. Masters Of War

3. What Are They Doing (In Heaven Today)

4. Wish I Had Answered [Live At Newport]

5. I’ll Fly Away

6. Tell Him What You Want [Stapleton Singers]

7. Be Careful Of The Stones You Throw

8. Samson & Delilah

9. As An Eagle Stirreth Her Nest

10. Freedom Highway

11. Why (Am I Treated So Bad)

12. John Brown

13. Waiting For My Child

14. It’s Been A Change

15. For What It’s Worth

16. Let’s Get Together

17. Crying In The Chapel [Mavis Staples With The Staple Singers]

18. Long Walk To D.C.

19. Got To Be Some Changes

20. Slow Train

Disc 4

1. I See It

2. The Ghetto

3. When Will We Be Paid

4. God Bless The Children

5. The Challenge

6. Brand New Day [Theme From The Motion Picture The Landlord]

7. Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom Boom)

8. I Like The Things About You

9. You’re Gonna Make Me Cry

10. Respect Yourself

11. I’ll Take You There

12. This World

13. I’m Just Another Soldier

14. Are You Sure

15. If You’re Ready (Come Go With Me)

16. Touch A Hand, Make A Friend

17. Back Road Into Town

18. Let’s Do It Again

19. The Weight [The Band feat. Staple Singers]

20. Respect Yourself [Demo]

7” track listing:

Side A

Faith and Grace

Side B

These Are They

NEW RELEASES: BILL LASWELL / BOOTSY COLLINS / ROBBIE SHAKESPEARE / JAH WOBBLE / GABE KATZ – BASS CULTURE; JEAN TOUITOU – SAMBA DE MERDA; JESSE COOK - ONE WORLD

BILL LASWELL / BOOTSY COLLINS / ROBBIE SHAKESPEARE / JAH WOBBLE / GABE KATZ – BASS CULTURE

A continuous flow of over 16 minutes, broken into seven individual, connected pieces. Dub, ambient and experimental electric basses are the focus... arranged and assembled by bassist / producer, Bill Laswell and featuring funk icon William Bootsy Collins (James Brown, Parliament-Funkadelic, Bootsy's Rubber Band), Robbie Shakespeare - one half of the mighty Jamaica rhythm / bass matrix - Sly & Robbie..., UK bass legend, Jah Wobble (P.I.L.) and Gabe Katz - bassist with the extreme dub / metal assault team - Blind Idiot God... Diverse and intense directions from the low end universe. Features: Silent Warfare (Bill Laswell); The Deep (Jah Wobble, Gabe Katz, Bill Laswell); The Thunder Lizard (Robbie Shakespeare); Jungle Overload (Bootsy Collins, Bill Laswell); World As Will (Jah Wobble, Bill Laswell); Starship Burning (Bootsy Collins); and Babylon Space Draft (Bill Laswell).

JEAN TOUITOU – SAMBA DE MERDA

Jean Touitou has a long-time history of writing and producing music at the brand's home studio in Paris. Samba de Merda is no exception: recorded in-house with a little help from friends Bill Laswell, Noam Levy and French band H.D.R., it reflects on the aftermath of the January Paris attacks. Pivotal to the song is the question of relentless exile, expressed in the most cryptic form of Portuguese. Although it is arbitrarily named "Samba", this song is structured like a bossa nova, complete with gentle guitar chords, playful piano and saxophone. Samba de Merda came about as Jean was learning the chords of Bobby Helm's Jingle Bell Rock, which are reproduced in the beginning of the song. They serve as an innocent counterpoint to the chaotic dub finale, courtesy of Mr. Laswell. Musicians: Jean Touitou - music, lyrics, vocals; H.D.R. - piano, synthesizer, drums, guitars, effects; Bill Laswell - bass, vibes; and Noam Levy – Saxophone.

JESSE COOK - ONE WORLD

Constantinople, the ancient melting pot mecca intersecting  Europe, India, Middle East and Africa, serves as the inspiration for the adventurous sonic explorations of “One World,” the ninth studio album from world music guitarist Jesse Cook. Joining primal instrumentation from all over the globe with rhythmic loops, textured audioscapes and technological experimentation, Cook’s One World will receive it’s official U.S. release on October 2.Cook composed and produced “One World,” an aural journey showcasing the Paris-born, Toronto-reared artist’s cultured cornucopia of rumba, flamenco, jazz, gypsy, pop and classical guitar parlance, rife with runs and riffs demonstrating dazzlingly dexterity. Strumming and plucking mystic melodies, evocative harmonies and contemplative meditations, Cook places his guitar on “One World” amidst carefully-crafted instrumental beds that just may be the most experimental of his career. He incorporated more modern technology to create interesting beats and inventive sounds, placing them side by side with traditional instruments that have been around for centuries. “One could imagine musicians from all over the world meeting in a marketplace in Constantinople and the mad, beautiful music that would have ensued. What would that have sounded like?” Cook pondered. “I didn’t want my crossroads to be limited to only traditional instruments; I wanted music from different time periods represented as well. Now you have ancient instruments like the Armenian duduk or the Arabic oud (the ancestor to the guitar), meeting record scratching, industrial textures, sample and loop technology. That is the world I wanted my guitar to venture through. I’ve always been interested in music technology, but on this record I gave it a wider scope.”

NEW RELEASES: JOSH MAXEY – CELEBRATION OF SOUL; TOMMY EMMANUEL - IT'S NEVER TOO LATE; LIZ VICE - THERE'S A LIGHT

JOSH MAXEY – CELEBRATION OF SOUL

Celebration of Soul is Maxey's first release on Miles High Records and his tenth release in a series of recordings created n a 3 year-period. Guitarist Maxey brings the listener back to the primal element of soul with an ensemble featuring Brian Charette on the organ, special guest Rodney Jones on jazz guitar, the saxophone playing of Chase Baird and Jeremy Noller's interpretation of each song at the rhythmic core of the album. Three more musicians join the project on Brooklyn Sunrise and Colorado Sunset: Dave Parnell on acoustic guitar, Brett Parnell on lap steel guitar and Michael Cioffero on slide guitar.  

TOMMY EMMANUEL - IT'S NEVER TOO LATE

Quality is laced throughout It s Never Too Late, the first regular studio album featuring Emmanuel completely solo without guests since 2000. A friend and follower of the late Chet Atkins who christened Emmanuel a Certified Guitar Player, making him one of only five musicians to receive the C.G.P. distinction from the master Emmanuel easily skates between musical styles, playing with blues in One Mint Julep, infusing Spanish tradition in El Vaquero and exploring folk in The Duke. An accomplished fingerstyle player, Emmanuel frequently threads three different parts simultaneously into his material, operating as a one-man band who handles the melody, the supporting chords and the bass all at once. That expert layering is evident in It s Never Too Late on the quixotic Only Elliott, the calming title track and the gorgeous Hellos And Goodbyes. ~ Amazon

LIZ VICE - THERE'S A LIGHT

Liz Vice is from Portland, Oregon. With a love of storytelling, she has found herself transitioning from behind-the-scenes in the film and video world to behind the mic. The songs from There s A Light feature dynamic, soulful vocals, with classically influenced, timeless lyrics that reference her deep-rooted spirituality. Vice grew up as the middle of five children. She was raised by her mother, and when she was a little girl, she would hide in the basement dancing and lip-synching to songs from the radio and soundtracks from her favorite films. Ms. Vice has overcome many obstacles to get to where she is today. She credits her adventurous life to dealing with things as they come, never forcing anything, and taking risks. It s all about risk, and taking risks is never regretful...well, most of the time. ~ Amazon

French jazz violinist Scott Tixier at Club Bonafide in New York City

"I have heard Scott's recordings, seen his live performances and I think that he stands above the crowd of current jazz violinists around the world." Jean-Luc Ponty

"[Scott] has found a place for himself within the elite community of New York jazz musicians, no small feat." Pat Methany

Scott Tixier is appearing on October 1 at Club Bonafide in New York City. He’s currently touring with Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life Tour, award-winning French jazz violinist and recording artist Scott Tixier has performed and/or recorded with a wide range of artists, including: Christina Aguilera, Josh Groban, Gladys Knight,  Natalie Cole,  Doug E. Fresh, The Isley Brothers, Maceo Parker, and Clifford Adams (Kool & the Gang). He has played at NYC's top venues like Carnegie Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Madison Square Garden and The Apollo Theate and has also appeared on America's Got Talent on NBC and the David Letterman Late Show on CBS.

Club Bonafide, located at 212 East 52nd Street, is bringing music back to 52nd Street with the same open, embracing attitude. Co-owner Richard Bona views Club Bonafide, as a vehicle for reigniting an openness within venues both by doing away with exclusivity clauses and by looking to instill a more genre-blind booking. In this way, Bona hopes to encourage a celebration of live music and an environment of collaboration that he views as crucial to building a scene. “Charlie Parker was performing on 52nd Street every night,” he notes. “And that’s part of what made him great. The artists have to be able to perform, and it helps no one if a great musician can only play in New York at a major club maybe three times a year.”

Grammy® Award-winning Gregory Porter to Join Star-Studded Roster for First Ever Blue Note "Jazz at Sea" on board Queen Mary 2

Grammy® Award-winning singer and songwriter, Gregory Porter, will be performing on board Queen Mary 2 during the first-ever Blue Note jazz themed cruise, which will debut 29 October 2015.  Porter, described by The New York Times as "a jazz singer of thrilling presence, a booming baritone with a gift for earthy refinement and soaring uplift," will be joining the star-studded roster of fellow Blue Note musicians, featuring: Grammy® Award-winning jazz pianist and record producer Robert Glasper, acclaimed trumpet player Keyon Harrold, tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott. "We are so very pleased to include Gregory Porter in what is an all-star list of venerable jazz musicians and world-class entertainers," states Richard Meadows, President, Cunard, North America. "This collaboration with Blue Note will be truly memorable for our guests and will give them a preview of more to come with Blue Note in 2016." Porter, who signed with Blue Note Records in 2013, recently took home his second Jazz FM award for "International Jazz Artist of the Year", and is most known for his third album, Liquid Spirit, which won the 2014 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album and reached top 10 on the UK album chart. This special Transatlantic Crossing will also feature several other accomplished jazz musicians including: Alan Hampton, Fredrico Pena, EJ Strickland, Mark Colenburg, Michael Aaberg, and Michal Moreno. In addition to these celebrated musicians, Don Was, president of Blue Note Records, who himself is a celebrated musician and Grammy® Award winning producer, will conduct special "Behind the Music" interviews and Q&As for guests traveling on this special Transatlantic Crossing. Natalie Cole, who was previously scheduled to perform, has had to cancel due to personal reasons.