ADAM RUDOLPH’S MOVING PICTURES – GLARE OF THE TIGER

This is the first release by Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures in over five years. It is a perfect example of creative music looking to the future while expressing the sound of now. The amazing chemistry and collective language amongst the musicians reflects their many years of developing and performing Rudolph's concept. These musicians each have direct and personal connections to the roots and history of jazz as they have performed with and have been mentored by key figures in 20th century creative music such as Ornette Coleman, Yusef Lateef, Roy Haynes, Don Cherry, Sam Rivers, Jon Hassel and many more. The exceptional and modern, recorded sound of Glare of the Tiger was done by long-time collaborator James Dellatacoma, head engineer at Bill Laswell's Orange Music Studio.

"This recording is the fullest realization of aesthetic and concept, which I have been developing for the past three decades. My aim was to compose music that inspired the musicians to express their inner voice, while still maintaining a clear focus on aesthetic and overall sound. It is my feeling that to honor tradition, one should look forward and not backward. The tradition is to sound like yourself and create a NEW music that reflects the NOW. To put it another way, Yusef Lateef often said to me, "Brother Adam, we are evolutionists."

A Pioneer in World Music - The New York Times

A Percussion Wizard - DownBeat

Musicians:

Adam Rudolph: handrumset (kongos, djembe, tarija), sintir, cajon, itotele, glockenspiel, gongs, percussion

Alexis Marcelo: fender rhodes, electric keyboards & hammond B3

Damon Banks: electric bass

Graham Haynes: cornet, flugelhorn, electronics

Hamid Drake: drumset, percussion

James Hurt: sogo & kidi drums, oghene bell, okonkolo, fender rhodes, smart phone synthesizer module & sound design

Kenny Wessel: electric guitar, electronics

Ralph M. Jones: flute, alto flute, bass clarinet, soprano & tenor saxophones, husli, bamboo flutes

TRACKS

01.    Glare of the Tiger  13:44

02.    Interlude One  0:25

03.    Ecstaticized  5:43

04.    Interlude Two  0:21

05.    Rotations  6:00

06.    Dialogics  4:06

07.    Ciresque  7:31

08.    Interlude Three  0:39

09.    Lehra  3:08

10.    Wonderings  12:43

11.    Interlude Four  0:44

Compositions by Adam Rudolph.

Produced, arranged, edited, mixed, processed by Adam Rudolph and James Dellatacoma.

PHIL PERRY RELEASES HIS 12TH SOLO ALBUM "BREATHLESS"

"I look for enough of myself in the song to be the vocal thought of the composer," reflects Phil Perry. "It's always about the music. Not me." Phil Perry IS music. He has spent a lifetime converting audiences with his riveting performances and unforgettable renditions of some of the greatest songs in R&B and the American songbook. The dynamic singer has the uncanny ability to make you a believer with a single note. Truly one of the greatest voices of our time, Perry's vocal talents have been sought after by everyone from Patti LaBelle, Chaka Khan and Anita Baker to Quincy Jones and Barbra Streisand, among others. It is no wonder why  Down Beat Magazine once referred to Perry as the "Pavaratti of Jazz" and

JazzTimes Magazine once declared that Perry "creates joyous, romantic magic." Phil Perry's rich smooth tenor and unrivaled falsetto have set him in a class by himself. For Perry, who has been dubbed the "real deal" by the iconic Al Jarreau, his unique voice and approach to the music are simple. "I try to always be me...I just sing. What comes out is what comes out. It's just Me."

Phil Perry's new album, his 12th as a leader, Breathless, will leave you feeling just that. The singer explains, "Each of my 12 solo projects is a House where listeners go to HEAR the music, but while they are in there they also FEEL a lot of love - it's Home Sweet Home."  Perry is joined on Breathless by his longtime collaborator, producer extraordinaire and pianist, Chris "Big Dog" Davis.  Davis and Perry have a chemistry in the studio that is undeniable. Having worked together on several projects, they have proven to be a winning combination.  "Chris and I respect the music the same way we respect each other," shares Perry. It's a unique and rare thing and it's easy because we speak the same language. What's really amazing are the times we enjoy whenever we get the chance to perform LIVE together." Breathless features such gems as the timeless title track, the tender ballad "Never Can Say Goodbye," Perry's stunning recreation of Stevie Wonder's timeless classic "Love's In Need Of Love Today, " a delightful in reinvention of the Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition, "One Less Bell To Answer" and more!

For over four decades Phil Perry has provided the soundtrack for generations of fans. In the mid-1970s, Perry came to fame as a member of the revered soul group, The Montclairs, and subsequently as part of the duo Perry and Sanlin. The dynamic vocalist launched his solo career in 1991 with The Heart Of A Man, which featured an impressive re-make of Aretha Franklin's "Call Me" which hit #1 on the R&B charts. Pure Pleasure came in 1994 and yielded another hit with his version of "If Only You Knew" and an unforgettable version of the Spinners' classic, "Love Don't Love Nobody."  The highly versatile Perry also began achieving success in the contemporary jazz arena through his collaborations with Lee Ritenour, The Rippingtons and numerous others. One Heart One Love came in 1998 and hit Top Five on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz chart.  Book Of Love and Magic followed and in 2006 Perry released Classic Love Songs, reminding audiences once again of his unmatched ability to put his own signature stamp on well known hits. Next came A Mighty Love in 2007, followed by Ready for Love and the stellar collaboration with Melba Moore, The Gift Of Love in 2009. Say Yes was released in 2013 and included imaginative and brilliant re-workings of such love songs as Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" and Simon and Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water." It also featured a stirring duet of "Where Is The Love" with Chanté Moore that garnered considerable attention at radio and is listed on Billboards 2014 'Top 50 Smooth Jazz' songs. 2015 saw the release of A Better Man which among other gems featured two definitive re-workings of the Curtis Mayfield classics "Gypsy Woman" and "I'm So Proud."

Kneebody Returns with Ninth Studio Album, Anti-Hero – Capturing Grammy® Nominated Quintet’s Fiery Energy From Live Performances

Sixteen years in and the genre-bending electric jazz collective Kneebody is stronger than ever. On the heels of their recent groundbreaking collaboration with electronic musician Daedelus, the band returned to the studio refreshed and armed with a slate of road-tested tunes for their ninth studio album. Kneebody makes their Motéma Music debut on March 3 with the release of Anti-Hero, the pulsating result of that creative rebirth, featuring an assured set of churning backbeats and unrestrained exploration.

When Kneebody first convened in the year 2001, they were five twenty-somethings gigging around Los Angeles’ vast pockets of nightlife. Trumpeter Shane Endsley and saxophonist Ben Wendel formed the frontline, telepathic and complimentary, while keyboardist Adam Benjamin, bassist Kaveh Rastegar and drummer Nate Wood formed the rhythm section.

These five artists, all bandleaders in their own right, have become first-call musicians not only for their jazz contemporaries, but also for mainstream icons such as John Legend, De La Soul, Snoop Dogg and Pearl Jam to name a few. Yet throughout the years, Kneebody has always remained their artistic home.

It is the goal of the band to not be confined to any genre. Though they exist in an instrumental jazz world, their influences and abilities cover an enormous swath of genres from chamber pop to hard-driving electronic-based productions.

“I’ve often joked that our band is almost infamous at this point for being extremely hard to describe,” says Wendel. “I’ve always been proud of that. The music we’re doing is always new but the band itself is not new. Kneebody has always been our creative home. It’s always been the ground for us.”

The band opens with the ethereal “For The Fallen” composed by Endsley. The spiraling meditation is ominous. Endsley and Wendel weave in and out over Benjamin’s humming keyboards, never getting too comfortable, while Wood supplies a pounding backbeat for the self-titled track. Inspired by the expanding outlets for protest and specifically the 2014 battle for net neutrality, Endsley wrote the tune with a sense of empowerment. “There’s this revolution in this age that can come from our living rooms. You can launch an uprising from a coffee shop,” he marvels.

Wendel’s “Drum Battle”, which originally appeared on the band’s 2015 Daedelus collaboration Kneedelus, is a high-energy workout understandably powered by Wood’s hard-rocking kit.  Benjamin takes a soaring solo on the tune that bends in and out of centuries, conjuring an electric squall squarely in the here and now.

The title track “Anti-Hero” is a more subdued but no less propulsive song composed by Benjamin. “It’s one that we have been playing pretty regularly for the last three or four years. It was a nice feeling to record a song that was already in a fully mature phase.”

A majority of the material on this record was honed on the road in the last few years. The band takes pride in adhering to the spontaneity of never repeating a take. Months of road-testing tunes results in a very focused mission for the band but the studio as instrument has its charms too.

“When it really works, to write collaboratively is the best thing ever,” says Benjamin. “The five of us are totally equal in terms of our decision making on a compositional level, performance level, even on a business level. When everything is aligned and that works well, it is the best thing ever. We all share in the process and feel responsible for the things that go well. That’s what has kept it together for 16 years. We all feel like it’s our baby, individually and collectively.”

Endsley’s “The Balloonist” is one of those studio experiments. “It has kind of an irreverent, brat-rock punky beat. It’s above the earth. There is a heaviness but it also has a bouncy lightness to it.” Benjamin’s humming keyboards help that process with Rastegar and Wood in choppy synchronicity on the brisk rocker.

Two of Rastegar’s contributions are tributes to musicians gone far too soon. “For Mikie Lee” is a tribute to Bay Area musician Mikie Lee Prasad, a triumphant mid-tempo tune that moves with grungy deliberation. Both Wendel and Endsley heighten the performance with soaring confessions amid the pounding rhythm section.

“Austin Peralta” is the album closer. “Austin was a phenomenon,” remembers Rastegar. “He was at a high school that we would go to to teach some workshops and clinics. I remember him as an 11th grader, confident, shaggy-headed precocious wunderkind. Pretty soon after high school he started hiring some of us to play his gigs.” Upon the pianist’s unexpected passing at the age of 22, Rastegar wrote the tune as a solo bass meditation. In the studio he opened it up to the rest of the band. ”We put two drum kits on it. It’s got a stately mournful sound but it’s also got so much wandering beauty, people floating in and out.”

“Profar,” Benjamin’s nod to West Indies baseball player Jurickson Profar, grooves with life. “It’s a dense, through-composed piece that’s almost like an etude or a chamber music piece,” says Benjamin. “Usually in our set list and our live shows, we like to have a balance of music that is dense versus music that is very open. We like to improvise with structures in a jazz tradition.” Both horns shine with bright solos that ride over Wood’s sly tambourine and a plucky chicken scratch groove.

The spacious “Carry On” is one of Wendel’s contributions, a tricky bout that summons the heavens. “I have always felt that Kneebody is more in the spirit of a singer-songwriter, rock band where songs are honed in a certain way. My criteria tends to be that the song has a real strong composed element to it. If there are solos, it’s going to be really specific and maybe kind of minimal. I’ll think specifically of a band member that would be perfect for. They aren’t open jazz vehicles where I could bring it to anybody and ten million people can solo on it. There’s a certain kind of conciseness that I think is the same sort of producer version that someone would bring to a singer’s album.”

“Yes You” is a frenetic feature for Wendel, highlighting his deft chops and endless string of ideas and motion. The live element pervades with the sound of a band deep into a conversation that only they can control. They flutter like a flock of birds, plugged in and unafraid of hard turns on sharp corners.

“It feels to me like the best representation of what the band sounds like live in terms of a focused effort,” confides Wood about Anti-Hero. “That keeps it not too wandering for repeated listening but it has the energy of a live show. It was an easy album to make. We can just kind of do our thing and it seems to work pretty well.”

NEW RELEASES: THIEVERY CORPORATION – TEMPLE OF I & I; CRAIG TABORN- DAYLIGHT GHOSTS; GILSON PERANZZETTA – COMO VINHO 70 ANOS

THIEVERY CORPORATION – TEMPLE OF I & I

Maybe one of the most sharp-edged albums in years from Thievery Corporation – if not ever – thanks to the presence of a fair bit of hip hop guest stars, in a large roster of talent that includes Mr Lif, Raquel Jones, Zee, Notch, Lou Lou Ghelichkhani, Shana Halligan, Elin Melgarejo, and Puma! The duo definitely have that classic approach to a groove that you'd know from their earlier work, but they've also moved way past the bossa, easy, and soundtrack references of before – to modes that embrace more 70s funk and soul, as well as vintage hip hop production – plus some Jamaican currents that you might guess from the album's title. Tracks include "Ghetto Matrix", "Strike The Root", "Love Has No Heart", "Lose To Find", "Weapons Of Distraction", "Fight To Survive", "Babylon Falling", and "Drop Your Guns".  ~ Dusty Groove

CRAIG TABORN- DAYLIGHT GHOSTS

The moody title's a great one for this album by pianist Craig Taborn – given the spare melodies and ghost-like traces of sound that move the album forward! The album's a perfect match between Taborn's music and the ECM aesthetic – as space and air mean as much to the record as the sound of the players – who work together in this really thoughtful way to shape the slow-flowing evolution of the tunes! In addition to piano, Taborn also plays a bit of electronics – and the album features some especially great clarinet from Chris Speed, who also plays tenor – plus bass from Chris Lightcap and drums from Dave King. Titles include "Abandoned Reminder", "The Shining One", "The Great Silence", "Ancient", "Phantom Ratio", and "Subtle Living Equations". ~ Dusty Groove

GILSON PERANZZETTA – COMO VINHO 70 ANOS

A beautiful tribute to the career of Brazilian pianist Gilson Peranzzetta – a musician who's been adding his talents to records of some of the greats of that scene from the 70s onwards – including recordings by Ivan Lins, Simone, and Gal Costa! Peranzzatta's both a great musical accompanist for singers, and a hell of a musician on his own – and both sides of those talents are showcased here – in a live set that has Gilson playing a grand piano with a wonderfully rich sound – and leading a larger group as the set moves on, with space enough for guest appearances by Leny Andrade, Mauro Senise, Valerie Lobao, and the Quarteto Radames Gnattali. Most tunes are original compositions by Gilson – showcasing his strengths as a composer, too – and titles include "Como Vinho", "Pro Rada", "Cantos Da Vida", "Sorriso De Luz", "Vivencia", "Paisagem Brasileira", "Dois Na Rede", and "Braz De Pina Meu Amor".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: THE M-TET – LONG PLAY; WORLD SOUL COLLECTIVE VOL. 5 (VARIOUS ARTISTS); SACHA VEE – LUMINOUS

THE M-TET – LONG PLAY

A stripped-down approach to old school funk – one that shows that you don't even need horns or a singer to keep things strongly soulful – just a few key instruments finding their grooves, and serving up great solos in the process! The group's a quartet – with Hammond, guitar, electric bass, and drums – all in a raw, chunky, rhythm-heavy mode that's somewhere between the best 60s work by The Meters and Booker T & The MGs – and recorded with just the right studio touches to keep things nice and sharp! There's nothing too modern about this record at all – and in fact, the whole thing also almost takes us back to the earliest days of Sugarman Three on Desco – which is about as fine a funk reference as we can give. Titles include "Flux 88", "All Drums Up", "The Tease", "The Beggar", "Bikes", "Sam The Butcher", "He Ain't The Right Type Of Fella", and "Sal's U Save".  ~ Dusty Groove

WORLD SOUL COLLECTIVE VOL. 5 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

A killer collection of contemporary soul – put together by a Japanese label that's building a great reputation for digging out the coolest corners of the global underground! The set definitely earns the "world" in its title, as the singers here aren't just from the US scene – and together, the cuts really expand our understanding of the greatness going on around the globe these days – the kind of bubbling-under soul titles that never get any radio play – some of which were also only issued in a digital format, until this CD. Titles include "Nu" by Idesia, "Fizzy Lemonade" by Debra Debs, "Where I Come From" by Carolyn Malachi, "Trigger" by Sacha Vee, "Friends" by The Love Experiment with JSwiss, "Awake" by Nao Yoshioka, "Back To Love" by Gordon Chambers with Lalah Hathaway, "Crashing Down" by Marie Dahlstrom, "Someone To Love" by Gabriel Tajeu, "Reach Out" by Mad Satta, "Let The Music Play" by Collective Peace, "Too Long In The Sun" by Sola Rosa with Olivier Daysoul, "All The Time" by Tahirah Memory with Jarrod Lawson, and "Leave Love" by Brandon Williams with Alex Isley.  ~ Dusty Groove

SACHA VEE – LUMINOUS

A really fresh album from this Australian soul singer – a set that's quite contemporary in the production and presentation of the music – with a very different vibe than some of the other Aussie soul divas we've been hearing in recent years! Sacha Vee has this great way of inflecting her vocals along with the album's beats and keyboards – which themselves have a bit of an icy edge, which seems reflected in the lyrics sometimes – although overall, the whole thing's got a warm glow that really builds nicely as things move on! Titles include "I'm No Joke", "Stonecold", "Light Of Day", "Ging", "Leave Me All Your Love", "Music Child", "Trigger", "Monday", and "Sail Away". Japanese pressing includes three bonus tracks too!  ~ Dusty Groove

Acclaimed Jazz Fusion Drummer/Composer Bob Holz Returns With Visions & Friends

Bob Holz, popular drummer, composer and band leader has returned with his second MVD Records release, Visions and Friends, a further continuation of the contemporary jazz/funk fusion he spearheaded with 2015's acclaimed A Vision Forward album.

The new album includes contributions from music legend Larry Coryell on guitar; iconic horn master Randy Brecker, and bassist Ralphe Armstrong (ex-Mahavishnu Orchestra, Sting, Frank Zappa and current Aretha Franklin band member).  Furthermore, Holz has called on some very heavy musical friends to round out the band used for the record including  Alex Machacek and Billy Steinway on keyboards.

"My new album, Visions and Friends symbolizes the relationships I value so much and my musical compass," says Holz. "The idea is to always break through to new boundaries without walking away from the musical foundation you have already built."

The album represents a reprise of many of the core players used on the A Vision Forward album. Additionally, New York based bassist Mike Schoeffter displayed stellar playing, both as a soloist and as an integral part of the rhythm section. The touring line-up includes Ralphe Armstrong and Ex-Spyro Gyra guitarist Chet Catallo. Visions and Friends will be released February 10th, via the international MVD Records label. Rob Stathis serves as Executive Producer. Stathis oversaw the mixdown and mastering with famed Los Angeles based sound engineer Dennis Moody.

As with his last album, Visions & Friends covers a vast sonic landscape, moving effortlessly from modern jazz, to funk, to jazz-rock fusion.  "Bob Holz is special. He fits the mold of a different drummer," says jazz legend Larry Coryell. He goes on to add that Holz's music has "a wonderful energy about it; His playing and tunes are a natural fit for what I do."

Holz began his career in Boston attending Berklee. He went on to study with Billy Cobham in New York, and would go on to share the stage with Robben Ford, Les McCann, David Fat Head Newman, Cornell Dupree, Maria Muldaur, Dr. John and George Clinton / Parliament Funk.

With his first album and now with Visions and Friends ,Bob Holz proved he is here to keep making music that is both innovative and memorable. He continues to make important contributions to modern music.

DIANA KRALL'S NEW ALBUM "TURN UP THE QUIET" CELEBRATES A RETURN TO JAZZ AND THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK + 2017-2018 WORLD TOUR DATES

Multiple GRAMMY® Award-winning jazz pianist and world-renowned singer, Diana Krall, announced the first round of dates for her upcoming 2017-2018 World Tour today in support of the highly anticipated new album "Turn Up The Quiet," coming out on Verve Records May 5th with pre-order available now at Amazon.  Krall's new album celebrates a return to jazz and the Great American Songbook and reunites Diana with Grammy® Award-winning producer Tommy LiPuma. 

Krall's world tour kicks off in North America on June 2 in Minneapolis, MN at The State Theater with more dates to be announced in the coming weeks.  The European leg of the tour will begin  Sept. 10 in Vejle, Denmark at the Musikteater and also features two nights at The Royal Albert Hall in London on September 27 and 28. For a complete list of dates and for local on-sale information, please visit www.dianakrall.com.

Diana Krall is the only jazz singer to have eight albums debut at the top of the Billboard Jazz Albums chart. To date, her albums have garnered five Grammy® Awards, eight Juno® Awards and have also earned nine gold, three platinum and seven multi-platinum albums. Krall's unique artistry transcends any single musical style and has made her one of the most recognizable artists of our time.

  

Diana Krall – World Tour 2017-2018  Dates

6/2 / Minneapolis, MN / State Theatre

6/3 / Madison, WI / Overture Center for the Arts - Overture Hall

6/4 / Milwaukee, WI /Riverside Theater

6/6 / Ann Arbor, MI / Hill Auditorium

6/9 / Burlington, VT / Flynn Center for the Performing Arts Center

6/10 / Canandaigua, NY / Constellation Brands Marvin Sands Performing Arts Center

6/13 / Hartford, CT / The Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts

6/14 / Portsmouth, NH / The Music Hall

6/16 / Newark, NJ / NJPAC - Prudential Hall

6/17 / Boston, MA / Shubert Theatre

6/18 / Providence, RI / Providence Performing Arts Center

6/21 / New York, NY / Beacon Theatre

6/23 / Philadelphia, PA / Academy of Music

6/24 / Vienna, VA / Wolf Trap

6/25 / Kettering, OH / Fraze Pavilion

6/27 / Pittsburgh, PA / Benedum Center for the Performing Arts

6/28 / Highland Park, IL / Ravinia Festival

7/18 / Morrison, CO / Red Rocks Amphitheatre

7/19 / Beaver Creek, CO / Vilar Performing Arts Center

7/21 / Park City, UT / Snow Park Outdoor Amphitheater

7/22 / Reno, NV / Grand Sierra Resort & Casino - Grand Theatre

7/23 / Jacksonville, OR / Britt Pavilion

7/25 / Bend, OR / Les Schwab Amphitheater

7/26 / Troutdale, OR / McMenamins Edgefield

7/29 / Boise, ID / Outlaw Field at Idaho Botanical Garden

8/1 / Livermore, CA / Wente Vineyards

8/2 / Saratoga, CA / The Mountain Winery

8/4 / Rohnert Park, CA / Green Music Center - Joan and Sanford Weill Hall

8/5 / San Francisco, CA / Davies Symphony Hall

8/6 / Santa Barbara, CA / Santa Barbara Bowl

8/8 / San Diego, CA / Humphreys Concerts by the Bay

8/9 / Phoenix, AZ / Symphony Hall

9/10 / Vejle, DK / Musikteater

9/11 / Amsterdam, NL / Royal Theatre Carré

9/14 / Frankfurt, DE / Alte Oper

9/15 / Berlin, DE / Tempodrom

9/16 / Munich, DE / Philharmonie

9/18 / Vienna, AT / Konzerthaus

9/19 / Vienna, AT / Konzerthaus

9/20 / Brno, CZ / DRFG Arena

9/22 / Duisburg, DE / Mercatorhalle

9/24 / Antwerp, BE / Queen Elisabeth Hall

9/25 / Brussels, BE / Palais des Beaux Arts

9/27 / London, UK / The Royal Albert Hall

9/28 / London, UK / The Royal Albert Hall

9/30 / Copenhagen, DK / Royal Opera

10/1 / Oslo, NO / Spektrum

10/2 / Stockholm, SE / Cirkus

10/4 / Stuttgart, DE / Liederhalle

10/5 / Zurich, CH / Samsung Hall

10/7 / Paris, FR / l'Olympia

10/8 / Paris, FR / l'Olympia

10/11 / Monaco, MC / Le Sporting Club

10/12 / Milan, IT / Teatro degli Arcimboldi

10/13 / Rome, IT / Auditorium S. Cecilia

10/15 / Geneva, CH / Leman Theatre

10/16 / Marseille, FR / Silo

10/17 / Barcelona, SP / Auditori del Forum

Website: http://smarturl.it/DK_W?IQid=PR 

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Barry Manilow Releases New Studio Album, This Is My Town: Songs of New York A Love Letter to The Big Apple

This Is My Town: Songs of New York is the album Barry Manilow was born to make. A native New Yorker, Barry's been in love with the rhythms, melodies and music of the Big Apple since childhood. Now, with the release of his new album, out on April 21 on Verve Label Group, he's "saying thanks to the city for giving me my ambition, my sense of humor and my decency" with a thematic song-cycle celebrating his home town.

"I'm grateful for having been raised there because I've always felt grounded," he says.  "One of the things I'm most proud of is that having gone through the hurricane of success, I feel I'm still the same guy that took the subway every day to work in Manhattan. And I attribute that grounding to being raised in New York."

More than a year in creation, This Is My Town: Songs of New York premieres ten new Barry Manilow studio recordings with the songs evenly divided between new original Manilow compositions and standards evoking the spirit and energy of New York City. While writing his own songs for the album, Barry made demos of the classic New York-inspired songs he loved to sing.

"I didn't want to do a full original album," he says. "It felt like it would be cheating the public to not give them the old songs that they knew. I must have done 50 demos of standards as I was writing the original songs. That's what took the longest: to choose the standards. And, of course, to write the originals."

The title song, "This Is My Town" sets up the album's musical journey through New York's five boroughs. The track was co-written by Barry Manilow "with my brilliant, long-time collaborator, Bruce Sussman. I'm very proud of the production, arrangement, orchestration and melody. And listen to Bruce's brilliant lyric. Only a New Yorker could have written that lyric."

According to Barry, "the album is like a melting pot – just like New York is. We take you from Brooklyn to Broadway to Birdland. We even wind up in Coney Island. Take a look at the titles and it really does look like you're going from place to place to place. There are different styles. There's pop, there's a little rock and roll, there's jazz, there's a little R&B, and Broadway. That's what I think of when I think of my home town and of New York."

Having sold more than 85 million albums worldwide, Barry Manilow is one of the world's all-time bestselling recording artists. He's had an astonishing 50 Top 40 singles including 12 #1s and 27 Top 10 hits and is ranked at the #1 Adult Contemporary Artist of all-time, according to Billboard and R&R magazines.

He has been nominated for a Grammy Award in every decade since the 1970s and, in addition to winning the Best Pop Male Vocal Performance Grammy in 1979 (for "Copacabana"), is an Emmy, Tony and American Music Award winner three years in a row.

Barry Manilow was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2002 and has his own Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1978, five of his albums were on the best-seller charts simultaneously.

This Is My Town: Songs of New York is co-produced by Barry Manilow with David Benson. Except for "Coney Island" was co-produced with Michael Lloyd.

This Is My Town: Songs of New York Track listing:

1 This Is My Town

2 New York City Rhythm / On Broadway

3 Coney Island

4 Lonely Town

5 Lovin' At Birdland

6 Downtown / Uptown

7 On The Roof

8 I Dig New York

9 The Brooklyn Bridge (Virtual Duet with Mel Tormé)

10 NYC Medley

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UNRELEASED 1976 BILL EVANS TRIO CONCERT: "ON A MONDAY EVENING" // TO BE RELEASED ON FANTASY RECORDS

In 1976, jazz pianist Bill Evans was in a class by himself. The New Jersey-born Evans had been recording as a leader for 20 years, and become a true force in modern music. When he went to perform in the Madison Union Theater at the University of Wisconsin on Monday, November 15, 1976 with bassist Eddie Gomez and drummer Eliot Zigmund, no one would have predicted that 40 years later the evening’s music would become one of the shining moments of all that Bill Evans accomplished. 

On A Monday Evening will be released by Fantasy Records, a division of Concord Bicycle Music on March 24 in vinyl, compact disc and digital formats. It features eight songs performed that night in Madison, and exists thanks to two college-age deejays that recorded and archived the concert. Larry Goldberg and James Farber had interviewed Bill Evans for the college radio station. Goldberg was able to use the station’s recording equipment to preserve the evening for posterity. Remastered from the original analog tapes and using the advanced technique of Plangent Processes for transfer and restoration, the recordings now present a stellar evening of jazz now available for the first time. The Bill Evans Trio is captured in full force at a pivotal moment in the pianist’s career. 

In his astute liner notes, GRAMMY® Award-winning writer Ashley Kahn says, “The Evans/Gomez/Zigmund union lasted just two years—Gomez being the first to depart in ’77—yet it still stands as one of the pianist’s most distinctive and memorable groups. On A Monday Evening is a rare- high-fidelity snapshot of that association; as Zigmund points out, ‘There’s really nothing like that, a definitive live recording of that trio. So it’s great that there’s finally an official recording out that represents our live side.’” 

The set list that evening included three Bill Evans originals: “Sugar Plum,” “Time Remembered” and “T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune),” along with “Up with the Lark,” “Someday My Prince Will Come,” “Minha (All Mine),” “All of You” and “Some Other Time.” Even though it was recorded during a period when jazz was being taken into an era of electric fusion, there was still a large amount of attention being paid to acoustic players. In a radio interview conducted then by Farber and Goldberg, Bill Evans said, “I just require for my own pleasure that music somehow touch me somewhere along the line and use the musical language in a way that speaks to me in some really human terms.” 

Music critic Richard S. Ginell once wrote, “With the passage of time, Bill Evans has become an entire school unto himself for pianists and a singular mood unto himself for listeners. There is no more influential jazz-oriented pianist.” And in Evans’ long and prolific recording career, the addition of On A Monday Evening is now a moving and important contribution to that legacy. 

Song List 

1.Sugar Plum (Bill Evans) 

2.Up with the Lark (Leon Robin-Jerome Kern) 

3.Time Remembered (Bill Evans) 

4.T.T.T. (Twelve Tone Tune) (Bill Evans) 

5.Someday My Prince Will Come (Frank Churchill-Larry Morey) 

6.Minha (All Mine) (Raymond Evans-Francis Hime-Jay Livingston) 

7.All of You (Cole Porter) 

8.Some Other Time (Betty Comden-Adolph Green-Leonard Bernstein)

NEW RELEASES: MARIA BETHANIA – ABRACAR E AGRADECER; VINNIE SPERRAZZA - JUXTAPOSITION; KENNY WASHINGTON – MOANIN

MARIA BETHANIA – ABRACAR E AGRADECER

The beautiful image on the cover is a great summation of the sound of this set – as the live performance has all the power and majesty that Maria Bethania brought to her work, right from the start – but also maybe a bit more warmth than we'd normally expect! That spontaneous smile that Maria gives us on the cover seems to grace much of the performance within – and which makes her seem far younger than the 70s years the concert was intended to celebrate! The group is excellent, too – a bit looser and more down to earth than some of the larger arrangements used on other Bethania concerts – with bassist Jorge Helder at the helm of a septet that makes nice use of percussion and guitar. Titles include "Eterno Em Mim", "Gita", "A Tua Presenca Morena", "Nossos Momentos", "Dindi", "Rosa Dos Ventos", "TAtuagem", "Meu Amore E Marinheiro", "Camara De Ecos", "Alguma Voz", "Quixabeira", "Reconcavo", and "Non Je Ne Regrette Rien".  ~ Dusty Groove

VINNIE SPERRAZZA - JUXTAPOSITION

Vinnie Sperrazza's the drummer in the group – and he leaves plenty of room in his sound for the great work of Bruce Barth on piano and Chris Speed on tenor sax – both of whom have a lot to do with the shape of the record! At times, Vinnie's drumming is quite subtle – almost as if he's more content to be a leader, and an excellent songwriter – given his beautiful compositions on the set. Bassist Peter Brendler moves the groove as much as the drums – and with a nice current of soul – leaving Barth and Speed to block out these bold shapes and tones. Titles include "Chimes", "St Jerome", "One Hour", "Warm Winter", "Hellenized", "Solitary Consumer", and "House On Hoxie Road" – all originals by Sperrazza!  ~ Dusty Groove

KENNY WASHINGTON – MOANIN

Not the jazz drummer Kenny Washington, but a singer with the same name – really stretching out nicely here in a live set recorded in Copenhagen! Kenny's got a warm glow to his style, which gets a nice edge on the long performances here – recorded with an overseas trio that features piano by Jacob Christoffersen – a group with a strong swing that really seems to inspire Washington's vocals, especially when he takes off with a bit of improvisation. Titles include "Moanin", "Sittin On The Dock Of The Bay", "I Got It Bad & That Ain't Good", "What Is This Thing Called Love", and "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans".  ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES: SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS – THE PLANET SESSIONS; CARMEN LUNDY – CODE NOIR; RALPH TOWNER – MY FOOLISH HEART

SCREAMIN’ JAY HAWKINS – THE PLANET SESSIONS

An incredible lost moment in the career of Screamin Jay Hawkins – material that was recorded in London in the mid 60s, and with a very different flavor than most of Hawkins' other material! There's a mod jazz approach to this set that's totally great – as Jay's raw vocals come into play with a sweet-grooving Hammond, in a combo that also features some sharp work on guitar, and some strong sax solos too! The upbeat, jazzy vibe is totally great – and gives Screamin Jay a whole new focus for his vocals – and for his songwriting, too – as most of the material here is original. And while Hawkins is always best remembered for his spooky, gimmicky cuts, this material is equally great in a totally different way – and, if it were pursued further, might have given the man a whole new direction in his career. Make no mistake, there's still plenty here to love if you're a longtime fan of Screamin Jay Hawkins – but you'll also really appreciate the mod grooves in the set as well! Titles include "I Wanna Know", "In My Dream", "Change Your Ways", "Serving Time", "Please Forgive Me", "Move Me", "My Marion", and "All Night". Plus, CD features a whopping 12 bonus tracks – a few alternate takes, and other versions of album songs – plus the titles "I'm Lonely" and "Stone Crazy".  ~ Dusty Groove

CARMEN LUNDY – CODE NOIR

Fantastic work from Carmen Lundy – one of our favorite jazz singers of all time, and an artist who keeps on giving us her best as the years go on! This album's definitely some of Carmen's best – as it features the singer working with a wonderful group that includes Jeff Parker on guitar, Patrice Rushen on piano, Ben Williams on bass, and Kendrick Scott on drums – a tight core combo who really find a way to push Lundy's energy even more than usual – while Carmen herself handles other keyboards with her vocals, and serves especially righteous material! There's a bit more politics here than on previous records – perfect for the spirit of the moment – but Carmen also mixes a lot of warmth and love into her music as well. Titles include "Black & Blues", "Afterglow", "Whatever It Takes", "I Keep Falling", "The Island The Sea & You", "Have A Little Faith", and "Another Chance".  ~ Dusty Groove

RALPH TOWNER – MY FOOLISH HEART

The guitar of Ralph Towner has been an important part of the ECM sound since the label's first decade – and here, after so many years later, it still comes across with a brilliance that few players can match! Towner plays both classical and 12 string guitars here – in that spacious, open style that made him a huge influence on younger musicians back in the 80s – and which still has a power that none of his acolytes can match – an acoustic sensitivity that's immediately explosive with color, but always in an understated way – always more powerful here in a solo setting, than if any other musician were on board. Titles include "Clarion Call", "Ubi Sunt", "Blue As In Bley", "Rewind", "My Foolish Heart", "Dolomiti Dance", and "Saunter".  ~ Dusty Groove

Drummer Nate Smith Chronicles His Own Black American Experience and Reality of the American Dream Through Deep-Rooted Grooves on Debut Album, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere

Nate Smith's visceral, instinctive, and deep-rooted style of drumming has already established him as a key piece in reinvigorating the international jazz scene, and now his rising career reaches a new benchmark with the release of his bandleader debut, KINFOLK: Postcards from Everywhere (February 3, 2017 via Ropeadope Records). Much like his diverse and ample résumé (which includes esteemed leading lights such as Dave Holland, Chris Potter, Ravi Coltrane, José James, Somi, and Patricia Barber, among others), this album sees Smith fusing his original modern jazz compositions with R&B, pop, and hip-hop.

This leader debut shows Smith at the helm of a core ensemble consisting of pianist and keyboardist Kris Bowers, guitarist Jeremy Most, alto and soprano saxophonist Jaleel Shaw, electric bassist Fima Ephron, and singer/lyricist Amma Whatt, with Michael Mayo on backing vocals. The lineup expands on several cuts with the inclusion of several illustrious guests: saxophonist Chris Potter, bassist Dave Holland, guitarists Lionel Loueke and Adam Rogers, and vocalist Gretchen Parlato.

As the title KINFOLK suggests, the music bristles with a magnetism that can be only achieved by assembling the right musicians, building upon and blending their individual voices and developing a bracing group rapport. Indeed, Smith refers to the aforementioned musicians as "kindred spirits," while embracing some philosophies gleaned from Holland, his mentor. "Dave once told me, 'I really believe that musicians find each other,'" Smith recalls. "He feels that all the collaborations he's done and all the sidemen that he's hired came into his life on purpose, even though he might not have been looking for something specific. He discovers people along the way.

"KINFOLK is about the musical family that I've put together," Smith continues. "All core members of the band have very unique and specific points of view." He reinforces the idea of family by composing tunes that touch upon his childhood: such is the case with the jovial "Morning and Allison," whose title partly invokes Allison Drive, the street on which Smith grew up. The song stars Whatt serenading idyllic recollections of a child enjoying a bright, fun-filled Sunday morning.

Smith recorded his parents - Lettie and Theodore Smith - talking about their respective parents on the mesmerizing interludes "Mom" and "Dad." On the former, Smith's mother tells how her father migrated from Virginia to Detroit and was drafted into U.S. Army, then later returned to Virginia where he bought the family a house. The latter provides a vehicle for Theodore to recall how his own father tirelessly worked at Navy shipyard in Norfolk, Virginia during the Jim Crow era without getting proper financial compensation or promotion until decades later.

"I think of these stories as snapshots that ultimately gave shape to the Black American experience into which I was born, which ultimately informs this music," Smith explains. He goes on to stress the significance of having his father on the disc: Theodore Smith passed away in March 2015. "He never got a chance to hear the music or the band," Smith says.

Smith celebrates the legacy of his paternal grandfather on the haunting ballad "Home Free (Peter Joe)." The song begins with a chamber-like string intro then moves into a gorgeous hymnal melody, highlighted by Shaw's uncoiling of a splendid, blues-soaked lyricism. "Of my four grandparents, Peter Joe was the one I felt the closest to," Smith says. "He was a real buddy of mine. He died when I was only nine but I still think about him a lot."

Smith reemphasizes the theme of nostalgia with "Retold" and "Pages." "Retold" finds Bowers tickling a melancholy yet romantic melodic motif on which guitar and saxophone run parallel lines across. "When I started writing this song, it always sounded like someone telling a love story from start to finish," Smith says. The dreamy "Pages" becomes a superb showcase for Parlato to vocalize the song's theme: turning the pages of a photo album. "I've loved Gretchen since the first time I heard her sing," Smith says. "She becomes a part of the musical fabric. When she sings, it's never about the singer being at the front and the band being way in the back. It's all one sound."

The spirit of the Black Lives Matter movement permeates the somber ballad "Disenchantment: The Weight," another tune that spotlights Whatt's thoughtful lyrics and delicate singing. Underneath the prowling melody, Smith's drums martial rhythms that convey a sense of marching forward. Written in the summer of 2013 soon after the verdict of the Trayvon Martin murder trial, Smith says that the song's cyclical harmonic pattern represents a longing sigh that many people felt and continue to feel after witnessing these ongoing travesties.

Following that aforementioned song is "Spinning Down," an intricate tune marked by multiple subdivided rhythms inside of larger rhythmic cycles. Featuring Holland playing acoustic bass alongside Ephron on electric, intertwining saxophone passages from Shaw; incredible solos from Bowers and Loueke, and surprisingly the only drum solo on the disc, the song touches upon the theme of trying to ease a restless mind. "It works well right after 'Disenchantment' because that song is about everything that's wrong," Smith explains. "'Spinning Down' is about the mind trying to work all that wrong out."

Because Smith didn't come strictly from the formal matriculation of music studies as so many of his jazz contemporaries did, he lovingly describes his approach to drumming as "unrefined," which in turns helps him distinguish his voice. He did, however, earned his bachelor's degree in 1997 in media arts and design from James Madison University. While he was still in college, the legendary singer Betty Carter recruited him for her world-acclaimed Jazz Ahead program.

Smith says that the visual arts discipline he studied in college definitely seeps into his compositions. "I love great movies and images. I've always had a deep interest in composing for film," Smith says. "For this project, there is something very cinematic about the way that I conceived this record. That's why it was so important for me to cast the right characters in terms of musicians. They bring to life the themes of family, nostalgia and identity that define this music." Ultimately, Smith likens the songs on KINFOLK to film vignettes sequenced together to tell a greater story about the unfolding journey of a working artist. This music represents snapshots from that voyage - these songs are the postcards from everywhere along the winding road.