TONY BENNETT & TOP LATIN MUSIC ARTISTS STAR IN UNIVISION'S HOLIDAY SPECIAL 'FELIZ NAVIDAD CON LOS NUESTROS...TONY BENNETT Y SUS AMIGOS"

Legendary entertainer and 17-time Grammy Winner Tony Bennett will become the first non-Hispanic celebrity personality to star in a primetime broadcast special on Univision - the country's leading Hispanic television network. Set to air on Sunday, December 9th at 10:00pm ET, "Feliz Navidad Con Los Nuestros...Tony Bennett y Sus Amigos" is a unique mix of live performances and filmed vignettes related to Bennett's newly released CD, Viva Duets - which features the singer performing his greatest hits with today's top Latin music artists.

Hosted by Univision's Giselle Blondet, the hour-long special will share exclusive behind-the scenes footage from the recording of Viva Duets - including studio performances and Segments with Marc Anthony, Romeo Santos, Gloria Estefan, Vicente Fernandez, Thalia, Juan Luis Guerra, Chayanne & more of today's leading Latin music figures. Tony Bennett will also treat audiences to solo performances of his classic hits "I Wanna Be Around" and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco," and unveil new duet performances with Latin stars Shaila Durcal and Armando Manzanero. Bennett will join Manzanero on a special rendition of the famed composer's "Yesterday I Heard The Rain," and collaborate with Durcal on "Steppin' Out (With My Baby)," and a heartfelt performance of "Silent Night" to usher in the holiday season.

Viva Duets recently debuted at #5 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, giving Bennett his third consecutive top five album during his '80's (including the multi-platinum Duets and Duets II releases). Hailed by press as "a sublime & jovial meeting of cultures... a bilingual beauty and musical masterpiece," Viva Duets also hit #1 on iTunes charts in the U.S. and several Latin-American countries - including Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and El Salvador.

Tony Bennett commented, "It has been a heartwarming journey to meet and record with all the artists from the Latin music world and I have been overwhelmed by their generous spirit and musicality. I am truly honored to have been welcomed into this community of artists."

"We are honored to have a musical legend like Tony Bennett on our air," " said Alberto Ciurana, president of Programming & Content, Univision Networks. "His music transcends cultures and speaks to our commitment to celebrate our culture and connect America, which is why we are proud to bring this event alongside an A-list line up of guests to our viewers."

SOURCE: RPM/Columbia Records

NEW RELEASES - ROBERTA FLACK, TATHAM, MENSAH, LORD & RANKS, RAUL DE SOUZA

ROBERTA FLACK - CHRISTMAS SONGS

A great remake of Roberta Flack's Christmas album from 1997 – one that remixes the whole record from scratch, and comes up with a sound that's even warmer than before! Flack's voice is wonderful for these Christmas tunes – filled with raspy soul and personal charm that really sends things home – especially on some of the less-iconic Holiday tunes, which Roberta really makes her own. Instrumentation is mellow, and really draws a deeper sound in this new mix – just the right vibe for the laidback, late night Christmas mood. Titles include "25th Of Last December", "There's Still My Joy", "Oh Come All Ye Faithful", "The Christmas Song", "When There's Love", and "Because The Child Was Born". CD also features a bonus track – "Cherry Tree Carol". ~ Dusty Groove

TATHAM, MENSAH, LORD & RANKS - TATHAM, MENSAH, LORD & RANKS
Bristling sounds from a killer lineup – a 4Hero-related project done by the quartet of Kaidi Tatham, Akwasi Mensah, Matt Lord, and Dego Ranks – music that definitely explores the next level of expression for the 2000 Black generation! All the best London touches are firmly in place here, but the groove's also fresher than before, too – wonderfully cosmic, yet nicely abstract in a few places too – showing the kind of complication that Tatham's brought to his rhythms in recent years – yet still maintaining all the soulful, righteous focus we could have hoped for! The album features guest work by Eric Lau, Sarina Leah, Bembe Segue, and Nadine Charles – and titles include "THB", "Kenny", "Naive", "Seven4", "Mind Skies", "Badly Persuaded", "Stars Shine For You", "Quantum Shift", "You Know It's Like That", and "Mr Pickles". ~ Dusty Groove

RAUL DE SOUZA - UNIVERSO MUSICAL DE RAUL DE SOUZA (CD/DVD)

A wonderful tribute to the mighty talents of trombonist Raul De Souza – a package that features individual DVD and CD performances by the musician, brought together in one cool little set! Both formats feature recent material, ostensibly recorded for this package – and all tracks on the CD are not on the DVD – and vice versa – which means that you'll get an even broader picture of Raul than you might expect! The performances are great, too – very jazzy, with a style that focuses heavily on De Souza's lead trombone lines and solos – without much other instrumentation getting in the way. Given the many styles that Raul's used over the years, it's great to hear such a back to basics jazz-based set – echoed by guest work on the DVD from Joao Donato on piano and Hector Costita on tenor sax. DVD titles include "Spiritual", "A Vontade Mesmo", "St Remy", "Funky Man", "Bossa Eterna", "Jumping Street", and "Violao Quebrado" – and CD titles include "Alibi", "Ligia", "10 Minutos", "Voila", "Viva O Rio", "Up Jumped Spring", and "Todas As Tribos". Comes in an oversize package – with notes in English and Portuguese! (All Region, NTSC coded.) ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - GILBERTO GIL, OLIVIA & FRANCIS HIME, JOAO NOGUEIRA

GILBERTO GIL - EXPRESSO 2222

Gilberto Gil's first album after a few years exile in England – and a really explosive record that recalls the brilliance of his Tropicalia years! The record's an incredible blend of rootsy percussion, raspy guitar, and tripped-out production – all delivered with an instrumental sensibility that's even more sophisticated than before, and a lyrical interplay that's really amazing – extremely poetic at points, even if you can't understand the language! As with Gal Costa in the early 70s, Gilberto Gil manages to keep some of the best experimental elements of his music burning bright, even after the collapse of the Tropicalia movement – and as with some earlier Tropicalia gems, this album features some great work on bass and guitar from Lanny Gordin, not to mention drums and percussion from Tutty Moreno, who's better known for his later work with Joyce. Tracks include "Back In Bahia", "Expresso 2222", "Oriente", "Chiclete Com Banana", "Pipoca Moderna", and "O Sonho Acabou". (Great fold-out artwork inside the jewel case – replicating the design of the original LP!) ~ Dusty Groove

OLIVIA & FRANCIS HIME - ALMA MUSICA SONS & SILENCIO - AO VIVO (DVD)

A really lovely performance from Olivia and Francis Hime – and one of the most intimate we've ever heard from the pair, too! Olivia sings with just piano accompaniment from Francis – in a way that still has all the majesty of the latter's full arrangements, yet which comes across in this subtle, spare way that's mighty nice – especially when Francis joins Olivia a bit on vocals, too! The format really allows a strong showcase of the maturing talents of both artists – the kind of masterful performance we might have heard from MPB legends a few decades back – on titles that include "Canta Maria", "Minas Geraes", "Saudade De Amar", "Versos Soltos No Mar", "Cancao De Pedroca", "Eu Nao Existo Sem Voce", "Trocando Em Miudos", and "Risque". DVD features bonus tracks and "making of" material too! (There is no indication, but we are assuming this is an All Region DVD.) ~ Dusty Groove

JOAO NOGUEIRA - BAMBA DO SAMBA

A sweet live performance from Joao Nogueira – originally done for the Ensaio TV program in Brazil – with all the up-close qualities that always make that show so great! The set's actually a bit more electric than other Ensaio sets – a surprising change, given the sometimes rootsy feel of Nogueira's music – yet the group is small, and the performance definitely has a nice spontaneous feel – almost off the tracks at times, which brings even more urgency to Joao's vocals than usual. Titles include "Espelho", "Um Ser De Luz", "Mineira", "Boteco Do Arlindo", "Clube Do Samba", and "Minha Missao". ~ Dusty Groove

MAYSA - DOIS TONS DE MAYSA / ANDO SAO NUMA MULTIDAO DE

A smashing 2CD set – one that features two very compelling albums from the lovely Maysa! First up is a self-titled album from 1964 – one of Maysa's first efforts ever, and done in the sweet style of the legendary Elenco label! The set's a live one, and features light bossa arrangements by Eumir Deodato – played by a combo that includes Deodato himself on organ and piano, plus vibes by the engimatic Ugo! Maysa's vocal tone still has some of the drama of later years, but the bossa arrangements really give the whole thing a lighter, livelier feel – one that we really love!

Titles include "Demais", "I've Got You Under My Skin", "Dindi", "Bouquet De Izabel", "Fim De Noite", and "Bom De Tristeza". Ando So Numa Multidao De Amores is a great one from 1970 – a record that features some great arrangements by Luiz Eca and Roberto Menescal, both of whom give the album a gentle glide that offsets the emotive quality of Maysa's vocals nicely. Titles include "Que Eu Canse E Descanse", "As Praias Desertas", "Quando Chegares", "Bonita", "Suas Maos", "Eu", "Assim Na Terra Como No Ceu", "Molambo", and "Yo Sin Ti". Plus, the CD also features a number of bonus tracks too – including "Historia De Amor", "Homem De Bem", "Depois De Tanto Tempo", "Tema De Simone", and "Nosso Caminho". ~ Dusty Groove

SANTANA ANNOUNCES THE SENTIENT TOUR 2013

Santana has announced the The Sentient Tour 2013, as Carlos and the band are heading to Australia, Asia and New Zealand, as well as multiple shows at the House of Blues at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Here are the announced dates but stay tuned as more dates are being scheduled.

1/19/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
1/20/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
1/23/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
1/25/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
1/26/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
1/27/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
1/30/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
2/01/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
2/02/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
3/11/2013 - Osaka Castle Hall, Osaka, Japan
3/12/2013 - Budokan, Tokyo, Japan
3/17/2013 - AMI Stadium, Christchurch, New Zealand
3/19/2013 - Vector Arena, Auckland, New Zealand
3/21/2013 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia
3/22/2013 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide, Australia
3/24/2013 - West Coast Blues & Roots Festival, Fremantle, Australia
3/27/2013 - Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney, Australia
3/28/2013 - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane, Australia
3/29/2013 - Bluesfest, Byron Bay, Australia
3/31/2013 - Deni Blues & Roots, Deniliquin, Australia
5/01/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/03/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/04/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/05/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/08/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/10/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/11/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/12/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/22/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/24/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/25/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/26/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/29/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
5/31/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
6/01/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
6/02/2013 - House of Blues at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV

ERIN O'LUANAIGH - HONEYSUCKLE ROSE

Erin O'Luanaigh's voice has a depth and maturity that belies her twenty-one years, and a style that hearkens back to such jazz greats as Peggy Lee, Sarah Vaughan, Nancy Wilson, and Anita O'Day. This vocalist from Cheshire, Connecticut is new on the scene, but has already garnered attention and accolades with the October release of her debut album, Honeysuckle Rose.

Erin was introduced to jazz at the age of twelve by her grandfather, who pulled out a Frank Sinatra album from his impressive record collection and unwittingly changed her life. Within weeks, she was memorizing Ella's scat solos and singing "Fever" into a hairbrush. Yet, her first opportunity to sing jazz in earnest came in 2008, as a student at Hillsdale College in Michigan. There, she majored in English Literature, but spent most of her time in the College's jazz studio, studying, rehearsing, and jamming under the direction of department head Chris McCourry. Within the first week of her freshman year, she became the sole student member of The HillCats, Hillsdale College's Faculty Jazz Band. With The HillCats, she performed in concerts, fundraisers, and master classes throughout Michigan for the duration of her college years. In 2009, she became the vocalist of the Hillsdale College Big Band. During her senior year, the Big Band participated in the 2012 Liberal Arts Jazz Festival, adjudicated by Jim Rupp, David Jensen, and Brienn Perry, in which Erin was named "outstanding soloist."

At Hillsdale, Erin also sang with the student jazz combo "Rob Roy," which performed in clubs and coffeehouses throughout southern Michigan. She was a member of the international music fraternity Sigma Alpha Iota, and received the Buhrer-True Scholarship for excellence in music.

Her first album, entitled Honeysuckle Rose, was Erin's parting gift from the Hillsdale College Music Department. It was recorded at Solid Sound Studios in Ann Arbor, Michigan shortly before her graduation in May 2012. The album is accompanied by both The HillCats and the College Big Band, and derives much of its source material from a tribute concert to Anita O'Day, performed during Erin's sophomore year. The majority of the album was recorded live.
Erin's music has been featured on the internationally syndicated “Dick Robinson’s American Standards By the Sea,” and "The Don Kennedy Show." Mr. Kennedy spoke ecstatically of "Honeysuckle Rose," claiming, “Erin's voice made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. She sings with great expression and a depth that you just can’t hear— you've got to feel.”

She currently teaches English and history at a private school in Hartford, Connecticut, and tutors part-time in English and SAT prep. Erin is occasionally seen in local musical theater productions, most recently playing "Betty Schaefer" in the Warner Theatre Stage Company's production of "Sunset Boulevard" in Torrington, Connecticut.

But her first and greatest love is jazz. She is currently performing in venues throughout Connecticut with masterful pianist John Brighenti, who has toured throughout the U.S. with the Glenn Miller and Eddy Howard Orchestras, among others. She hopes she will one day have the great fortune to pursue her passion for jazz singing full-time.

Her album may be purchased through the Hillsdale College Bookstore at the following website: http://bookstore.hillsdale.edu/MerchDetail.aspx?MerchID=723926. It will soon be released on iTunes.

To learn more about Erin's music, please visit her website: http://flavors.me/erin_oluanaigh.
Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

VISIONARY SONGWRITER OTIS TAYLOR RETURNS WITH 'MY WORLD IS GONE ' HIS POWERFUL AND UNIQUE BLEND OF ROOTS MUSIC AND NARRATIVE POETRY

Roots music visionary Otis Taylor’s 13th album, My World Is Gone, set for release February 12, 2013 (international release dates may vary) on Telarc, a division of Concord Music Group, is a lightning bolt of musical creativity and social commentary. Its songs crackle with poetic intelligence and a unique, adventurous sound that balances the modern world with echoes of ancient Africa, Appalachia and more.

To call Taylor a cutting edge artist is an understatement. Although his music is based in the blues and folk realm, his meticulously crafted recordings crash the barriers of jazz, rock, funk, Americana and myriad other genres to create a hybrid that Taylor labels “trance blues.” And that signature style serves as a backbone for his frank tales of struggle, freedom, desire, conflict and, of course, love.

The central theme of My World Is Gone was fueled by Taylor’s friend Mato Nanji, the singer-guitarist and cornerstone of the band Indigenous. “Mato inspired the entire direction of this album,” Taylor relates. “We were talking about history backstage at a Jimi Hendrix tribute concert that Mato had just played, and, in reference to his people, the Native American Nakota Nation, he said ‘My world is gone.’ The simplicity and honesty of those four words was so heavy, I knew what I had to write about.”

Taylor had already begun composing new tunes with other themes for his follow-up to 2012’s critically heralded Contraband. Three of those — “Green Apples,” “Gangster and Iztatoz Chauffeur” and “Coming With Crosses” — appear on My World Is Gone.

But inspired by Nanji — who plays electric and acoustic guitars on six tracks and joins Taylor on vocals for several songs — and by his own understanding of Native American culture developed in part through dealing in Indian art as a young man, Taylor embarked on a soul-searching journey into the past and present, and into the psyche, of America’s indigenous people.

“I’ve written songs about slavery, but here in America that’s considered part of the past,” Taylor explains. “What’s happened and what’s happening to Native Americans is still going on. A lot of people forget that. This is a reminder.”

With his customary brevity, power and grace, Taylor conveys his stories in intimate detail and uses his rich baritone voice to give his characters breath and humanity. The album starts on point with “My World Is Gone,” portraying how the gilded seductions of the white man’s culture undermined the Native American way of life. The melancholy in Taylor’s and Nanji’s vocal performance, as they sing from the perspective of an Indian tormented by temptation and loss, is buoyed by the gentle melodies of Anne Harris’ fiddle and Nanji’s electric and acoustic guitars — the acoustic six-string an Otis Taylor signature model, with only 14 frets, built by the premier instrument makers at Santa Cruz Guitars.

Taylor revisits his song “Lost My Horse,” which originally appeared on 2001’s White African, with a new arrangement that features him and Nanji trading guitar and mandolin lines.

“In the days of the frontier, having a horse could be a matter of life or death, or comfort or poverty, and the horse has been an important part of Native American culture in the west, so the song fit perfectly,” he explains.

“Sand Creek Massacre Mourning,” which recounts the murder of 200 Cheyenne and Arapaho victims by Col. John Chivington’s cavalry in 1864, rests on the backbone of Taylor’s banjo, his primary instrument. He’s played mostly electric banjos on previous albums, save for 2008’s roots-focused Recapturing the Banjo, but on My World Is Gone Taylor employs four-, five- and six-string acoustic models. “I wanted to get back to that organic sound, because the banjo’s spoken to me since I was a kid,” he says. “Its voice instantly brings you back in time, and so much of My World Is Gone is about history and tradition that its sound is perfect for these songs.”

Nanji again shares vocals with Taylor on “Blue Rain in Africa,” in which a Native American reflects on the survival of his culture, despite the odds, after seeing the birth of a white buffalo — a rare and highly sacred event — on TV. The song’s threads of hope are a striking contrast to “Never Been to the Reservation,” with its lyrics about “babies sleeping on the ground,” although both numbers benefit from Nanji’s burnished blues licks.

While Taylor’s vision can be dark and ominous — the title “Coming With Crosses” is self-explanatory — his songs often celebrate hope and beauty in poignant ways. “Jae Jae Waltz” uses its spare construction of banjo, drums, bass and guest Ron Miles’ cornet to tell a story of a widow’s search for new love, and “Sit Across Your Table” celebrates the comfort and joy a workingman takes in his marriage. The song is also a surprising foray into untempered rock ’n’ roll, with a wailing guitar solo by Shawn Starski.

Starski and Taylor are versatile musicians who make their six-strings sound like an African kora on both “Green Apples” and the quirky Elmore Leonard-like tale “Gangster and Iztatoz Chauffeur.” Starski is the latest addition to Taylor’s touring band, which also includes Anne Harris on fiddle, Larry Thompson on drums and bassist Todd Edmunds, who has replaced Taylor’s daughter Cassie, a fixture of his earlier albums and groups. She now leads her own band, Cassie Taylor & the Soul Cavalry.

Otis Taylor’s own parents were an important part of his musical foundation. His father was a passionate jazz fan who encouraged his son to become a musician. His mother has become the subject of several of Taylor’s songs. Although he was born in Chicago in 1948, his parents relocated their family to Denver when Taylor was a small child in part to protect their son from the harsh realities of urban living. In addition to listening to jazz in his father’s record collection, he fell deeply under the spell of the Mississippi Delta legend John Lee Hooker, whose spare, almost mystical sound still resonates in Taylor’s own work.

“I get a lot of my sense of space and my vocal phrasing from John Lee Hooker, whose music, especially his solo recordings, is so heavy and has so much space that it sounds like it’s alive,” Taylor explains. His other vocal totem is James Brown, whose shouts and howls inspire the thunderous vocal declamations that punctuate many of Taylor’s own recordings.

As a young man, Taylor mastered the banjo and moved on to the harmonica and guitar. He performed with electric guitar virtuoso Tommy Bolin as T&O Short Line, and by 1974-76, he was playing bass as part of the Boulder-based rock group Zephyr. Taylor even jammed with Jimi Hendrix once and pursued his muse to Europe, but frustrations with the music business led him to retire from performing in 1977. He became a dealer in art and antiques, and pursued another of his passions, bicycle racing, as a coach.

In the ’90s, the door to Taylor’s musical past was pried open by friends in the Boulder area, and in 1996, he independently released his debut album, Blue Eyed Monster. With the release of his next two discs, When Negroes Walked the Earth and White African, he began to shake up the blues world with his marvelously original music and his unflinching tales about racism, struggle and heritage. Over the years, Taylor has garnered more than a dozen Blues Music Awards nominations, and White African won Best Debut Album. He is also regularly nominated as an instrumentalist, and won a Blues Music Award for his imaginative banjo playing in 2009. Also, his albums Double V, Definition of a Circle and Recapturing the Banjo took Downbeat’s Best Blues CD awards in 2005, 2007 and 2008, respectively. In all, Taylor has won five DownBeat awards. He has also been nominated twice for the prestigious Académie Charles Cros award in France.

His 2009 recording, Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs, was released in the same week that two of Taylor’s songs were heard by millions in Michael Mann’s blockbuster movie Public Enemies starring Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

In 2010, Taylor started his own annual Trance Blues Festival in Boulder, Colorado, which brings a broad cast of professional and amateur musicians together for three days of performances, jams and workshops.

“The thing about music is that it’s not just a spectator sport,” Taylor says. “In a world where there’s a lot of misunderstanding, music can help people communicate and break down barriers, and start to really see each other for who they are.

“I write songs about people remembering, bearing witness,” Taylor continues. “I’ve learned that if you write about things that are important, people will listen. That’s one of the reasons why I wrote the songs that I did for My World Is Gone.

“I push myself to be prolific and to make every new album better than the last one for personal reasons, too,” he relates. “A few years ago I had a cyst removed that was attached to my liver and spine. It was a life-threatening situation — really painful. I didn’t know if I was going to survive the surgery. I came to grips with the idea that the albums I’m making are going to be my legacy. And I want the people who love me — my family, my friends — to be proud.”

JUKEBOX MAMBO - RUMBA & AFRO-LATIN ACCENTED RHYTHM & BLUES 1949 - 1960 (VARIOUS ARTISTS)

An amazing document of a short-lived, but really incredible genre – the 50s mix of R&B and Latin-inspired rhythms – particularly the heavy piano of a mambo-styled groove! The sound seems an unlikely mix, but it's one that you've no doubt heard on a few famous Atlantic Records singles from the time – taken up here by a host of much more obscure artists, who really know how to make the rhythms leap along with the grooves!

The approach has definite echoes of New Orleans R&B, particularly in its use of the piano in heavy comping lines – but there's also a much wider sound going on too, especially in the way the percussion often drives the tunes in really unusual ways.

The album's overflowing with amazing tracks – and titles include "Salty Dog" by Marvin Phillips, "Big Joe Mambo" by Fay Simmons, "Mambo Mexicana" by Gerald Wilson, "Snake Charmer" by Mad Man Jones, "Boppin With The Mambo" by The Sultans, "Honeydripper Mambo" by Alfredito, "A Dream" by Billy Red Love, "Pu Chun Ga" by Elene Madera, "Cozy & Bossa" by Cozy Cole, "Shrinking Up Fast" by Camille Howard, "Take A Chance On Me" by Annisteen Allen, "Eee Ooo Voodoo" by Red Callender, and "Down To The Bottom" by Larry Dale. AMAZING PACKAGE – One of the coolest sets we've ever seen – put together with six 10" LPs, in a folder that looks and feels like a vintage 78rpm package – complete with a booklet on the music – and also 4 tracks not on the other versious! ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - BUDDY GUY, DEXTER GORDON, THE BRECKER BROTHERS BAND

BUDDY GUY - LIVE AT LEGENDS

Live music and blues lovers alike, will appreciate another chapter of Buddy Guy’s musical magic with Live at Legends, a new live record to be released on December 18th! Live at Legends features Guy’s last live recordings from his original Legends blues club in Chicago, captured during his 2010 residency. The album includes two amazing medleys: John Lee Hooker’s "Boom Boom" into Cream’s "Strange Brew;" and Jimi Hendrix’s "Voodoo Child" into Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love." It also features three previously unreleased studio recordings from Guy’s critically acclaimed Living Proof album sessions: "Polka Dot Love," "Coming For You," and "Country Boy."  ~ buddyguy.net

DEXTER GORDON - BOTH SIDES OF MIDNIGHT

One of the first great European statements from tenorist Dexter Gordon – a 1967 live recording that really lets Dexter stretch out, and show an even deeper side of his talents than on his 60s albums for Blue Note! The rhythm section here is rock solid – Kenny Drew on piano, Neils Henning Orsted Pedersen on bass, and Albert Tootie Heath on drums – a unit that still retains the sharpness of the Blue Note dates, but also has the energy to "go long" as Gordon pushes a few of the numbers on the set well past the ten minute mark. Gordon's solos are wonderfully imaginative and expressive – and titles include "Devilette", "For All We Know", "Doxy", and "Sonnymoon For Two". Material previously issued on LP under the title Montmartre Collection Vol 1. ~ Dusty Groove

THE BRECKER BROTHERS BAND - BACK TO BACK

Soulful fusion from The Brecker Brothers – a set that's one of their standout efforts from the 70s – and a record that went onto influence a whole generation of jazz musicians too! The album features the twin horns of Randy & Michael Brecker, along with alto by David Sanborn, keyboards by Don Grolnick, and guitar by Steve Khan – but one of the things that really makes the album great is the vocal arrangements, which were handled by Luther Vandross, who also sings on the album along with Patti Austin! The set's got a great soulful feel – with some wonderful mellow groovers that have a sweet 70s sound – titles that include "Lovely Lady", "Night Flight", "Slick Stuff", "What A Miracle Can Do", "I Love Wastin Time With You", "Keep It Steady", "Grease Piece", and "Dig A Little Deeper". CD features 2 bonus tracks – "If You Wanna Boogie (single version)", and "Slick Stuff (single version)". ~  Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - MAYER HAWTORNE, RONNIE FOSTER, ALEXANDER HAWKINS / LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO



MAYER HAWTHORNE - KCRW'S MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC

A limited edition slice of goodness from Mayer Hawthorne – a live performance recorded for the Morning Becomes Eclectic program on KCRW in LA! The material's a nice addition to the studio Hawthorne we already love – and shows a new sort of warmth that comes through not just in the performance, but in some of the interview bits too. The band is a small combo, and titles include "No Strings", "Love In Motion", "Dreaming", "The Walk", "Shiny & New", and "I Wish It Would Rain". (Limited edition indie store exclusive for Black Friday 2012. Includes mp3 download.) ~ Dusty Groove

RONNIE FOSTER - LIVE AT MONTREUX

A really amazing album from keyboardist Ronnie Foster – one of his hippest of the 70s, and even quite different from his other work for Blue Note! The album features Foster on organ, in a really open, fluid live setting – working on these stretched-out tracks with a small combo – all in ways that are as completely sublime as his Two-Headed Freap album – yet with a very different groove! The sounds from Foster's fingers are amazing – spacey and soulful, yet with this cosmic sort of beauty – soaring to the skies with Larry Young-ish energy at points, but kicking back with a gentle groove at others. The trio features work by Greg Miller on guitar and Marvin Chappell on drums – and titles include an incredible take on Seals & Crofts' "East Of Ginger Trees" – plus the cuts "Chunky", "Boogie Juice", and "Sameness". ~ Dusty Groove

ALEXANDER HAWKINS / LOUIS MOHOLO-MOHOLO - KEEP YOUR HEART STRAIGHT

A smashing set of work from drummer Louis Moholo – a set that shows that after all these years, he's still a richly creative talent on his instrument! The album has Louis duetting with pianist Alexander Hawkins – a younger player who'd caught his ear a few years before, and who turns out to be a perfect partner for the record – graced with just the right kind of free-thinking, yet spiritual elements as Moholo's own music – able to stretch out strongly with a lot of freedom, yet never lose sight of the overarching goal! The tracks are all long and open – and almost recall some of the interplay between Moholo and Chris McGregor in years back – especially some of the freer work on the 70s London scene. The album's a beautiful extension of the Ogun Records tradition – and titles include "Lakutshon Ilanga", "Hear Our Hearts", "Heavy Manners", "Amaxesha Osizi", "If I Should Lose You", "Pure Vision", and "Catch You On The Rebound". ~ Dusty Groove

MILES DAVIS QUINTET - LIVE IN EUROPE 1969: THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 2

"THIRD GREAT QUINTET,’ aka ‘THE LOST BAND’ OF 1969-’70, WITH MILES DAVIS, WAYNE SHORTER, CHICK COREA, DAVE HOLLAND, AND JACK DeJOHNETTE AT THEIR PEAK – NEVER RECORDED IN STUDIO

DELUXE 3-CD + DVD PACKAGE PRESENTS PREVIOUSLY ONLY BOOTLEGGED 1969 LIVE RECORDINGS FROM ANTIBES JAZZ FESTIVAL (FRANCE), STOCKHOLM, AND COLOR VIDEO RECORDING IN BERLIN ON DVD

Follows critically-acclaimed, award-winning box set of 2011, Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1, starring ‘second great quintet’ of Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams

Columbia/Legacy again pays tribute to musical legend Miles Davis with the release of Miles Davis Quintet - Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2, the second edition in the label’s widely-heralded Miles Davis Bootleg Series. The sequel to 2011’s critical and commercial blockbuster, Miles Davis Quintet - Live In Europe 1967: The Bootleg Series Vol. 1, this new set moves ahead two years and presents the ‘third great quintet’ of Miles, Wayne Shorter, Chick Corea, Dave Holland, and Jack DeJohnette, a lineup of the world’s most highly-regarded jazz musicians, then and now. This 3-CD + DVD box set will be available everywhere January 29, 2013, through Columbia/Legacy.

Live In Europe 1967 (released September 2011), the debut entry in the Miles Davis Bootleg Series, was by far the most acclaimed historic jazz box set of 2011. It received a “5-star” review from Down Beat magazine, and was voted Historical Album of the Year in the Down Beat Readers and Critics Poll.

Live In Europe 1967 was ranked the #1 reissue in both the Critics and Readers polls of JazzTimes magazine, and the Jazz Journalists Association voted it Best Historical or Boxed Set. The package received an “A” from Entertainment Weekly, and Pitchfork.com said “At its heart, jazz thrives on bold, sensitive interaction in the moment, and Live In Europe 1967 represents the pinnacle of that practice.” Rave reviews appeared in a wide array of publications including The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, The Nation, Slate, and many others.

In his Sunday “Arts & Leisure” rave review of Live In Europe 1967, New York Times critic Nate Chinen concluded: “It’s humbling to think that a release like Live in Europe 1967 might help illuminate jazz’s present as well as its past, but that’s what great archival work can do. So congratulations, Columbia/Legacy. Now, what’s next?” The answer to his question is: Live In Europe 1969.

“After we finished In a Silent Way,” Miles told his biographer Quincy Troupe (in the definitive Miles The Autobiography, Simon & Schuster, 1990), “I took the band out on the road; Wayne, Dave, Chick, and Jack DeJohnette were now my working band. Man, I wish this band had been recorded live because it was really a bad motherfucker. I think Chick Corea and a few other people recorded some of our performances live, but Columbia missed out on the whole fucking thing.”

Live In Europe 1969 lives up to the Miles Davis Bootleg Series mission of presenting live performances that are previously unreleased, have previously only been bootlegged, or are very rare. The new box represents the first major collection to be devoted exclusively to the short-lived ‘third great quintet,’ sometimes referred to as Miles’ ‘lost band’ of 1969-70: Shorter on soprano and tenor saxophones, Corea on electric piano (and occasionally acoustic piano), Holland on acoustic bass, and DeJohnette on drums.

The Miles-Shorter-Corea-Holland-DeJohnette lineup (in tandem with other players) began to solidify during the 1968-‘69 recording dates that became the Filles De Kilimanjaro and In a Silent Way albums. And they were at the core of the dozen or so musicians joined together by Miles in August 1969, for the principal sessions that became the landmark turning point of his Grammy Award®-winning Bitches Brew.

But the ‘third great quintet’ by itself was never documented in the recording studio. Their European tours of 1969, represented on this new package, are some of the only existing recordings of the group, and the first legitimately released audio recordings by this stellar lineup. Underscoring their official debut here, over 43 years later, is a superbly shot multi-camera color DVD of the band at its hottest in Berlin in November, 1969. Miles is seen in the best of health in 1969, eating a macrobiotic diet (along with the other band members), and avoiding drugs. As a result, his playing was never stronger than on these 1969 concerts, with his chops at an absolute peak.

Live In Europe 1969 captures the short-lived quintet in three separate concert settings, starting with two full-length (one hour-plus) sets at the Antibes Jazz Festival in France on CD One (July 25th) and CD Two (July 26th). The locale moves to Stockholm on November 5 for the program heard on CD Three. In Stockholm, the quintet performed as part of “The Newport Jazz Festival In Europe” and they are introduced (on the CD) by the festival’s producer and founder, George Wein.

The DVD is the complete 46-minute color performance of the quintet at the Berlin Philharmonie on November 7, 1969. As with Live In Europe 1967, the paradox of Live In Europe 1969 is the fact that the concerts were recorded by state-owned radio and television outlets – a case of European bureaucracies (thankfully) preserving our American jazz heritage. This has also enabled Legacy to have access to the best-sounding original masters in each case.

The audio and video sources of Live In Europe 1969 have been remastered from the best available masters, which Legacy has secured from the European broadcast centers who originally documented the material. As with all of Legacy’s Miles Davis historic projects over the past two decades, the remastering has been done by multi-Grammy Award®-winning Sony engineer Mark Wilder. The audio and video is far superior to any previous circulating [bootleg] versions of this material.

In the tradition of Legacy’s historic releases, Live In Europe 1969 will include a booklet with comprehensive liner notes. The box also includes full discographical data, as well as rare or uncirculated photography and memorabilia.

For this package, an expansive 3,000-word essay (“Field Recordings from a Future-Leaning Past”) has been written by noted journalist Josef Woodard, winner of the ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for jazz writing in 1998, best known for his jazz writing in the Los Angeles Times. The essay features quotes from an interview with Miles in 1989, and interviews at various times (up through 2012) with all of the surviving members of the band. Shorter, Corea, Holland, and DeJohnette, whose contributions to Miles’ bands are legendary, are among the most prominent and acclaimed living jazz artists, still recording classic music and touring all over the world.

Live In Europe was produced for release by multiple Grammy Award® winners Richard Seidel and Michael Cuscuna, and was co-produced by multiple Grammy Award® winner Steve Berkowitz, the same team responsible for Live In Europe 1967.

The tracklisting for Live In Europe 1969 reveals that the Quintet was playing an inspired, wide-ranging repertoire. Material ran the gamut from 1969’s In a Silent Way (“It’s About That Time”) and Bitches Brew sessions (“Miles Runs the Voodoo Down,” “Sanctuary,” “Spanish Key,” “Bitches Brew”) all the way back in time to standards like “I Fall in Love Too Easily” (from 1963’s Seven Steps To Heaven) and Thelonious Monk’s “’Round Midnight.”

At no other time did Miles perform compositions from his be-bop era (“’Round Midnight”), modal era (the 1958 “Milestones”), ballads and blues of the early ’60s era (“I Fall In Love Too Easily,” “No Blues”), material from the ‘Second Great Quintet’ mid-to-late ’60s era (“Footprints,” “Nefertiti”) and late ’60s-early ’70s electric era (“It’s About That Time,” “Spanish Key”), all in the same set program, as he did at Antibes.

It is crucial to note that the versions of “Miles Runs The Voodoo Down” and “Spanish Key” at Antibes were performed live in July, well before the historic August 1969 Bitches Brew sessions, where they were first recorded in the studio. Likewise, the versions of “Bitches Brew” from Stockholm and Berlin are heard here several months before the album was released on Columbia Records in April 1970. As with Live In Europe 1967, the interpretations of the compositions are not only strikingly different than the original studio versions by other configurations of Miles’ groups, but differ wildly even from night to night on these four shows, again demonstrating the extraordinarily high level of creativity among these musicians.

The box set also contains multiple examples of Wayne Shorter’s unparalleled composing skills, from “Footprints” (dating back to 1967’s Miles Smiles) to multiple performances of his gems, “Nefertiti” and “Masqualero.” On the extremely rare and mostly acoustic set from Stockholm, there is a bonus track version of “This,” a Chick Corea composition that was never officially recorded by Miles Davis. Miles Davis Quintet - Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2 is an indispensable link between the work of our most important and influential jazz musician at the end of the ’60s, and the road ahead to what the ’70s would bring.

As Jack DeJohnette told Woodard a few months ago, “Miles just keeps growing and growing and growing,” a surprising thing to say about any musician more than 20 years after his passing. But with Miles Davis Quintet - Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2, Legacy once again digs deep to reveal a little known period in the work of a giant, seen and heard performing with an amazing band, music that was unlike anything he recorded before or after.

“And so,” Woodard concludes, “these important ‘field recordings,’ from a mysterious past and unfolding future, take us to a place and a time between the cracks of the Miles Davis story as it is commonly understood. For that alone, never mind the rattling, exploratory poetry of this band’s sound, this is a significant cultural document for the ears and the ages, not just the archives.”

Miles Davis Quintet - Live In Europe 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 2
CD One – Selections:
1. Introduction by André Francis
2. Directions
3. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
4. Milestones
5. Footprints
6. ’Round Midnight
7. It’s About That Time
8. Sanctuary
9. The Theme
(Recorded 7/25/69 at Festival Mondial du Jazz d’Antibes, La Pinède, Juan-les-Pins, France.)

CD Two – Selections:
1. Introduction by André Francis
2. Directions
3. Spanish Key
4. I Fall In Love Too Easily
5. Masqualero
6. Miles Runs The Voodoo Down
7. No Blues
8. Nefertiti
9. Sanctuary
10. The Theme
(Recorded 7/26/69 at Festival Mondial du Jazz d’Antibes, La Pinède, Juan-les-Pins, France.)

CD Three – Selections:
1. Introduction by George Wein
2. Bitches Brew
3. Paraphernalia
4. Nefertiti
5. Masqualero (incomplete)
6. This
(Recorded 11/5/69 at “The Newport Jazz Festival In Europe,” Folkets Hus, Stockholm.)

DVD – Selections:
1. Introduction by John O’Brien-Docker
2. Directions
3. Bitches Brew
4. It’s About That Time
5. I Fall In Love Too Easily
6. Sanctuary
7. The Theme
(Recorded 11/7/69 at Berliner Jazztage in the Berlin Philharmonie.)

ERIC CLAPTON'S 2013 U.S. TOUR CULMINATING IN CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL

Widely considered one of the world’s all time greatest guitarists and known amongst his peers as a great collaborator, Eric Clapton has announced a major U.S. tour culminating in his fourth Crossroads Guitar Festival presented by Chase. The Festival, which has become legendary in its own right for hosting performances and impromptu collaborations from the world’s most legendary guitar players, will take place April 12-13 for the first time at New York City’s famed Madison Square Garden. See full listing below of artists performing.

Clapton and his band will visit more than a dozen cities across the U.S. beginning March 14, 2013 (see itinerary below). The tour will end with the two-night Festival where Clapton will gather the past, present and future of guitar music onto one stage for an unparalleled musical event. All profits from the Festival will benefit The Crossroads Centre in Antigua, a treatment and education facility founded by Clapton for chemically dependent persons. The Festival is presented by Chase.

Since its inception, Clapton’s vision for the Crossroads Guitar Festival has been to create an event where his friends and contemporaries can have fun and perform together for the benefit of a good cause. This year’s Festival will feature two-nights of musical performances with once-in-a-lifetime guitar collaborations. Known as pioneers in their field, the roster of artists spans old and new. The audience can expect unrivaled entertainment, brilliant guitar work, surprise guests and impromptu jams that are the hallmark of these performers.

The first Crossroads Guitar Festival, in June 2004 at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, was an unprecedented collection of guitar icons from blues, rock and contemporary music. The sold-out show was chronicled in a 2-disc DVD that has since gone on to become one of the world’s top-selling music DVD’s. The Crossroads Guitar Festival 2007 and 2010 were the second and third such concerts by Clapton and were staged at Toyota Park in Chicago. Both Festival were filmed for DVDs and met similar acclaim and achieved multi-platinum status. This will be the Festival’s first-ever visit to New York and Madison Square Garden.

“The Crossroads Festival is the realization of a dream for me, to gather a group of amazingly talented musicians to perform on one stage,” said Clapton. “The Crossroads performers are all musicians I admire and respect.”

In addition to the concerts, the “Guitar Center Road to Crossroads Exhibition” will be featured on the Terrace level @ Madison Square Garden and will excite fans with an incredible guitar-centric celebration of past Crossroads Guitar Festivals. This exhibition will feature the “Legends Guitar Walk”, with some of the most valuable guitars in the history of Rock and Blues, including historic guitars from Guitar Center’s Legends Collection featuring Eric Clapton’s two most famous Fender Stratocasters®, BLACKIE® and ‘Brownie,’ Gibson ES-335 as well as Stevie Ray Vaughan’s ‘Lenny’ Fender Stratocaster®, plus selections from Guitar Center, The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and Experience Music Project. Additionally, Fender, Gibson, Ernie Ball and Martin will host interactive exhibits where guitar lovers can plug in and play new products and classic favorites, while all visitors will be able to peruse memorabilia and watch archival footage of once-in-a-lifetime performances from prior Crossroads festivals on video walls throughout the exhibition. The “Road to Crossroads Exhibition” will open at 6:30 p.m. on Friday and 6:00 p.m. Saturday, and is free to all ticket holders.

Tickets for the Crossroads Guitar Festival Presented By Chase will be offered as an advance sale to Chase customers beginning Monday, November 26 at 12pm EST via www.ticketmaster.com through Thursday, November 29 at 10pm. General Public On-Sale will begin Friday, November 30 at 12pm EST. Tickets for the Clapton 2013 U.S. Tour will go on-sale beginning November 30, 2012. Please check local venue listings for more detailed information.

For more information go to www.crossroadsguitarfestival.com

CURRENT CROSSROADS FESTIVAL ARTIST LISTING
(Note: Two Different Nights of Music. Not All Artists Will Perform Both Nights)
Albert Lee
Allan Holdsworth
Allman Brothers Band
Andy Fairweather Low
BB King
Blake Mills
Booker T
Brad Paisley
Buddy Guy
Citizen Cope
Dave Biller
Doyle Bramhall II
Earl Klugh
Eric Clapton
Gary Clark Jr.
Jeff Beck
Jimmie Vaughan
John Mayer
John Scofield
Jonny Lang
Keb Mo
Keith Urban
Kurt Rosenwinkle
Los Lobos
Quinn Sullivan
Robbie Robertson
Robert Cray
Robert Randolph
Sonny Landreth
Taj Mahal
Vince Gill

ERIC CLAPTON 2013 TOUR and ITINERARY
Clapton has assembled an impressive band for the 2013 U.S. dates which will consist of long-time touring partners: Doyle Bramhall II (guitar), Steve Jordan (drums), Chris Stainton (piano and keyboards), and Willie Weeks (bass), along with newcomers Paul Carrack (organ and keyboards) and Greg Leisz (pedal steel guitar). Michelle John and Sharon White will join the touring band again as backing vocalists. The tour will also feature special guests, The Wallflowers. Please check local listings for ticketing information.

Thursday, March 14 - Phoenix, AZ - U.S. Airways Center
Saturday, March 16 - Houston, TX - Toyota Center
Sunday, March 17 - Austin, TX - Frank Erwin Center
Tuesday, March 19 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
Wednesday, March 20 - Oklahoma City, OK - Chesapeake Energy Arena
Friday, March 22 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena
Saturday, March 23 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena
Tuesday, March 26 - Jacksonville, FL - Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Wednesday, March 27 - Atlanta, GA - Gwinnett Arena
Friday, March 29 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Live
Saturday, March 30 - Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Live
Tuesday, April 2 - Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
Wednesday, April 3 - Raleigh, NC - PNC Arena
Friday, April 5 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena
Saturday, April 6 - Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center
Friday, April 12 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden
Saturday, April 13 - New York, NY - Madison Square GardenusAll

BOBBY BELFRY & THE DAVID BUDWAY TRIO - ONE LUCKY DAY

Bobby Belfry is an award winning singer/songwriter whose latest album, entitled One Lucky Day, is a collection of pop classics set to the thrilling jazz virtuosity of The David Budway Trio.

Born and raised in the suburbs of New York City, Belfry’s work on “Day” has been greatly influenced by The Big Apple’s immeasurable wealth of culture, which can be felt and heard on all 13 tracks.

Bobby can also be heard (and seen) on his first two albums, LIVE:In The Heart of The Universe (a CD/DVD) and Imperfect Rhymes which have both received great critical notice: "Bobby Belfry is one to savor, embrace and lend the hand of fame to...smooth jazz outlets will have a ball with this shrewd offering" said Chuck Taylor of Billboard Magazine. Two cuts from Rhymes have been included on a popular jazz compilation, "In Love With Jazz", released in Europe and Asia. He also appears on Broadway:Unplugged 2 and Chip Deffaa’s “The Johnny Mercer Jamboree”.

A mainstay at Feinstein’s, The Metropolitan Club, and Brandy's, Bobby has also performed at Lincoln Center, Town Hall, The Russian Tea Room, The Rainbow Room, Bitter End, China Club, CBGB’s, Smoke, The Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, The New Jersey Performing Arts Center, The Kennedy Center, and The Cinegrill in Hollywood.

Bobby has also appeared on national television on "The Morning Blend", a news/talk show on MSNBC (interviewed by Soledad O’Brian), and was a frequent guest on WOR Radio's The Joey Reynolds Show, whose theme song, penned by Bobby, was played for an audience of 5 million listeners, nightly.

Bobby has been the recipient of the Back Stage Bistro Award for Outstanding Vocalist. Imperfect Rhymes and "So What", a cut off the album, were 2nd and 3rd place finalists for the Just Plain Folks Independent Music Awards, in a field of 10,000 submissions. He has also received the MAC Award for outstanding Pop/R&B Vocalist and several Critics Choice Vocalist Awards.

Filmmaker, Victor Mignatti (R Kelly's "Trapped in the Closet", The Real World) has included Bobby in his documentary "This Time", which follows the careers of diverse artists in the music industry (including the legendary Sweet Inspirations & Cissy Houston) by weaving their music-filled stories, exploring the relationship between faith and persistence to longevity and the process of making music against all odds. The film is currently available on DVD and iTunes.

~ bobbybelfry.com

WENSO ASHBY - SIGNATURE

Wenso Ashby is not a new-be on the music scene. Early on in his career his best work was found behind the scenes, composing and producing for others while spawning the nudge to turn the spotlight on himself. Audiences from coast to coast enjoy the lip-biting groove- based rhythms and timeless melodies that Wenso so effortlessly exudes. Signature signifies another level in his career, stepping out to endless possibilities. His current focus is to lend his talent to touring with his own band as well contributing to other artists for selected performances, songwriting and production collaborations.

Ashby brandishes quality artistry of the first order from network television appearances to worldwide radio play to prove it. Wenso’s band has opened for national recording artists like Saxophonist Kim Waters, Bassist Gerald Veasley, Songwriter/Singer Kenny Lattimore, Jason "Malletman" Taylor, Idol winner Ruben Studdard, and Paris Bennett. With six strong CD projects under his belt, Midnite Walkin (2002), Wenso Live (2004), Love Is So Amazing (2008), After Dark (Love Is So Amazing packaged & released under Butterfly label 2009), The Moment of Truth (2011) and his current release Signature (2012) its apparent that his gateway to flourished recognition is at hand. His purposed steps are destined to be a soulful backdrop to live stages big and small all over the world.

“Who am I?" says Ashby. "First and foremost I am a child of GOD who created me to be who I am. As a creative being I am an Artist, producer, songwriter and composer. My background and first love is songwriting and producing which led me to becoming an ‘Artist’. My primary focus is to share my musical gifts and talents with the world using the piano and keyboard as my main instrument to express the music inside of me. Signature represents the musical direction as a keyboardist that I want to go. I will continue to produce and write while expressing my thoughts, vision and inner self through the touch of my fingertips, being able to share my gifts is a true blessing”, says Ashby.

“It feels good to my heart to feel the excitement Wenso had when he was offered the featured spot on The Jazz Network Worldwide. He sincerely was reverent to the amazing networking potential this platform could provide for his artistry worldwide” says Jaijai Jackson, creator of The Jazz Network Worldwide social network. “His perseverance and tenacity will take him far on any highway he chooses to journey on, for he is at a maximum speed of artistic growth” continues Jackson.
Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network

CLARENCE CARTER REISSUES - TESTIFYIN', PATCHES, THIS IS CLARENCE CARTER

CLARENCE CARTER - TESTIFYIN'

Excellent early work from Clarence Carter – recording here with production and arrangements by Rick Hall – in that sweet Muscle Shoals style that never sounded better than it did with Clarence! Carter had a way of working with Hall that was really beyond some of the cliches that crept into the scene at the time – a blend of bluesier roots and leaner soul that was totally great – and which was always touched by Clarence's keen sense of wit and personality! The record's got a slightly funky sound in parts – especially on the great cut "Snatching It Back" – and the rest of the titles are all killer southern soul material, with classics that include "Making Love (At The Dark End Of The Street)", "Soul Deep", "Doin' Our Thing", "I Smell a Rat", and "I Can't Do Without You". ~ Dusty Groove

CLARENCE CARTER - PATCHES

The album that very firmly put Clarence Carter on the mainstream soul map – thanks to his brilliant version of the title tune! By the time of this set, Carter was already one hell of a soul singer – and really brought amazing sounds to play with classic production from Rick Hall and the Fame Studios gang. But when he pointed those talents towards the country soul story "Patches", he really found his groove – mixing southern roots from both sides of the fence into one really unique groove – and following it up with a host of other well-chosen tunes that really helped establish Carter's unique place in music. George Jackson co-wrote a number of the best tunes – a few with Clarence – and titles include "Patches", "I'm Just A Prisoner", "Till I Can't Take It Anymore", "Changes", "Say Man", "Willie & Laura Mae Jones", "CC Blues", and "Getting the Bills (But No Merchandise)". ~ Dusty Groove
 

CLARENCE CARTER - THIS IS CLARENCE CARTER

A seminal debut from the great Clarence Carter – proof that there was still a lot of genius to be heard in southern soul at the time! The 60s were just about over when Clarence appeared on the recording scene – and it seemed that most of the big names in soul had already grabbed most of the thrones in the kingdom. Clarence was a real comer, though – and his sweet style of southern soul was immediately popular, filling a void promptly after the death of Otis Redding, and setting a bit more fire than some of the other Atlantic male singers, who were waning a bit at the time. Of course, it certainly helps that that lil' ol' genius Rick Hall was behind Clarence's move – arranging and producing this album with some of the strongest, least cliched Muscle Shoals backings of the time. Titles include "Slip Away", "Funk Fever", "Thread The Needle", "Do What You Gotta Do", "Looking For A Fox", and "Slippin' Around". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - ELOISE LAWS, MICHAEL PAULO, WILLIE MITCHELL

ELOISE LAWS - AIN'T IT A GOOD FEELING

A classic deep soul set from Eloise Laws – an early album recorded for Invictus Records, and done with stellar production from Brian Holland! The title cut's a monster, one of the best tracks on the label from the 70s – with some wonderfully spacey keyboards, funky drums and bass grooving! But there's loads of other strong cuts too – all with that great Invictus blend of masterfully produced, tight dancefloor soul – yet also served up with more than enough grit in the grooves to make the album a great one for funk fans too! Tracks include "Ain't It Good Feeling Good", "Where Did We Go Wrong", "I Believe In You Baby", "Love Goes Deeper Than That", "Put A Little Love Into It", "Camouflage", and "Make It Last Forever". CD features lots of bonus tracks – including "Love Factory", "You Made Me An Offer I Can't Refuse", "Tighten Him Up", "Touch Me", "Stay With Me", "Love Goes Deeper Than That (12" version)", and "Put A Little Love Into It (12" version)". ~ Dusty Groove

MICHAEL PAULO - TATS IN THE RAINBOW

A wicked fusion set from saxophonist Michael Paulo – noteworthy not just for the efforts of the leader, but for the album's sweet keyboards from Herbie Hancock too! The style's relatively stripped-down – electric, but never too polished, nor too jamming – often with the kind of gentle groove we love in the best late 70s Japanese fusion sessions. Paulo plays alto, tenor, soprano sax, and flute – and Herbie Hancock plays piano and prophet, alongside additional keyboards from Kimo Cornwell, guitar from Ray Obiedo and Ron Yuen, and drums from Alvin Fejarang. Titles include "Mr Spock's Revenge", "My Favorite Cousins", "Merry Go Round", "Eclipse Of The Full Moon", and "Rainbow Island". (HQ – Hi Quality CD pressing.) ~ Dusty Groove

WILLIE MITCHELL - IT'S WHAT'S HAPPENIN'

A mod little record from trumpeter Willie Mitchell – a set that's as groovy as it is soulful, with a vibe that's somewhere between 60s instrumental outings on Verve and Atlantic Records! Tunes are a mix of soul and pop numbers, handled by Mitchell's combo with some mighty tight drums and good use of organ on most numbers – which creates a fluid feel that really takes off with the album's fresh and inventive arrangements! Even familiar tunes are transformed nicely by Mitchell's great touch in the studio – as you'll hear on cuts that include "634-5789", "Taste Of Honey", "Secret Agent Man", "Bad Eye", "Wooly Bully", "Java", "Shadow Of Your Smile", and "Hot Cha". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - SILVETTI, ALI GREEN, BARBARA LEWIS

SILVETI - SPRING RAIN

This is the kind of Italian disco we can get our ears around! Bebu Silvetti is on keyboards, and at the helm of the orchestra – working here like an Italian Barry White, on a groove that's very similar to the best work of the Love Unlimited Orchestra. The tracks have a harder focus on the drums and beats than you'd expect – which punches things up nicely, and is a perfect complement to the breathy vocals and smooth Euro grooving over the top of the mix. Great stuff – a real treasure, and with a lot more soul than you'd expect! Titles include "Primitive Man", "Spring Rain", "Two Cups Of Coffee", "Voyage Of No Return", "Coconut Rain", and "Contigo". CD also features a bonus track – a Joe Cain edit of "Spring Rain". ~ Dusty Groove

AL GREEN - TOKYO... LIVE!

A tasty double-live set from Al Green – one that has him working through longer versions of tunes than you'd hear on his studio albums, and really doing great in front of an appreciative Japanese crowd! The overall approach here is a bit more modern than on some of his older Hi albums – as the band uses the extra space to make things a bit more uptempo and really push the groove – but Al's vocals still hold the whole set together nicely, especially on the numbers where he lets loose a bit more. Linda Jones is one of the backup singers on the set – and titles include "Belle", "Let's Get Married", "Love & Happiness", "I Feel Good", "Dream", "God Blessed Our Love", "You Ought To Be With Me", and "Tired Of Being Alone". ~ Dusty Groove

BARBARA LEWIS - WORKIN' ON A GROOVY THING

A record that was issued quite a few years after Barbara Lewis' debut for Atlantic, but a set that's equally great – thanks to some impeccable production from the great Ollie McLaughlin! The set's got a sound that's a bit more upbeat and soaring than some of Lewis' earlier work – a groove that's clearly picked up the Detroit styles of the late 60s, but which still retains all the careful classic that Barbara brought to her music. Titles include "Workin On A Groovy Thing", "I Remember The Feeling", "I'll Make Him Love Me", "Thankful", "Make Me Belong To You", "Sho-Nuff", "I'll Keep Believin'", and "Make Me Your Baby". Very sweet, very soulful, and an essential piece of 60's soul. ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - NOSTALGIA AND THE MONTERS. FABRIZIO BOSSO & JAVIER GIROTTO LATIN MOOD, GREG FOAT GROUP

NOSTALGIA AND THE MONTERS - THE TAXIDERMIST

The most spiritual album from Nostalgia 77 in years – a real return to some of the modes he was exploring with his octet a few years ago – especially some of the more jazz-based styles that really made those records sparkle! The album's all instrumental – quite a change from the previous highly vocal record from Nostalgia 77 – and instrumentation is a very righteous blend of the leader's bass, plus reeds, trumpet, percussion, and lots of Hammond and Fender Rhodes – used in these mellow-flowing styles that really further the exploratory style of the music. As before, Riaan Vosloo's got a really expressive style to his writing – rich colors that are completely sublime in the hands of the group – on titles that include "Algernon", "Zippy Slipper", "Angels & Demons At Play", "Sunrise In Mexico", and "The Taxidermist". ~ Dusty Groove

 FABRIZIO BOSSA & JAVIER GROTTO LATIN MOOD - VAMOS

A sparkling set of Latin jazz, done the Schema way – which means that the team of Favrizio Bosso and Javier Girotto are even tighter than on their previous release for Blue Note! The best tracks here bristle with an upbeat sense of rhythm that's undeniable – grooves that roll out beautifully from the sextet, spurred on with unified energy that's way more than the usual Latin style – very unique, and wonderfully groovy! Bosso's trumpet is as top-shelf as always, a great solo vehicle for the group – and Girotto plays both soprano and baritone sax with a deft touch – alongside drums from Lorenzo Tucci, plus keyboards, bass, and percussion too – all live instrumentation that puts this one more firmly on the jazz side of the Schema spectrum. Titles include "Sophia", "Vamos", "Waltz Del Clavel", "Algo Contigo", "El Mastropiero", "Mathias", "Africa Es", and a surprisingly great version of "In A Sentimental Mood". ~ Dusty Groove

GREG FOAT GROUP - GIRL AND ROBOT WITH FLOWERS

Amazing sounds from this very hip group – a contemporary combo, but one who play with a depth of sound to warrant their inclusion on the Jazzman label! The style is almost spiritual jazz, but a bit more laidback too – sounds that are cosmic, yet never soaring to the skies – and almost more content to contemplate their own existence in these cool little rhythmic progressions – a very hip approach that draws a lot of power from its minimalism! Instrumentation is a bit trippy at points – but mostly in the way the players fold things together – so that tinkling piano tipples over brooding basslines, or organ lines hum softly to encourage string sounds to start too – a beautifully poetic style that only gets better as the album moves along! This limited EP features four songs that won't be on the vinyl pressing of the full album – "Girl & Robot With Flowers" parts 1, 2, and 3 – and "Have Spacesuit Will Travel (part 1)". (Limited pressing of 1000 hand numbered copies!) ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - THE IPANEMAS, DOMENICO, NAT REEVES

THE IPANEMAS - QUE BELEZA

Brazil’s greatest Afro-bossa band conjure up wickedly rich and charm laden vintage sambas on this fifth recording for Far Out. Three generations of Rio de Janeiro musicians combine to evoke a nostalgic and raw tribute to their diverse musical city. Wilson Das Neves’ crooning, melancholic notes combine with special guest diva Aurea Martins’ hypnotic vocal while glorious trombone and afro percussion add to the deep pleasures. Five decades after Brazilian music was transformed with cult debut ‘Os Ipanemas’ Das Neves and the Ipanemas return to honour the memory of genius guitarist Neco in the only way they know – playing samba from the heart. ~ Far Out Records

DOMENICO - CINE PRIVE

A groovy little record from Domenico – one that's got the same best elements of his music with Moreno Veloso and Kassin, but which almost has a more intimate feel overall! Most tunes here have a relatively tight song structure – almost always with lyrics by Domenico, although Moreno joins in and sings a bit too – and backed with small combo instrumentation that's mostly played live, but occasionally inflected with the kinds of subtle production twists we've always loved in the music of Domenico! It's always hard to describe the exact charm of Domenico's music – but if you've heard him before – or frequent partners Kassin and Moreno Veloso – then you'll know exactly why we like this one so much. Titles include "Cine Prive", "Receita", "Su Di Te", "Sua Beleza", "Zona Portuaria", "Pedra A Areia", "Hugo Carvana" and more. 13 in all. ~ Dusty Groove

NAT REEVES - STATE OF EMERGENCY

A tremendous set from bassist Nat Reeves – a player who doesn't always record as a leader, but one whose talents have graced countless great groups over the years! The album's got a tight, elegant sort of sound – rooted strongly in Nat's soulful basslines, which step out front all the time – a bit like Ray Brown in his best small combo work – yet still leave plenty of space for sparkling trumpet lines from Joshua Bruneau, warm-rolling piano lines from Rich Germanson, and drums from Jonathan Barber. The strength of the bass gives the album a soulful depth right from the start – which the other instruments only improve on – and titles include "Fungii Mama", "Moon River", "So Tired", "Little Waltaz", "Brick's Blues", and "Laverne Walk".  ~ Dusty Groove