92Y Jazz In July Festival Announces 2015 Program

92nd Street Y announces the 31st Annual 92Y Jazz in July Festival, curated by Bill Charlap, who begins his second decade as artistic director of the time-honored annual Festival. Jazz in July runs from Tuesday, July 21 through Thursday, July 30, bringing together some of the world's finest jazz players for specially designed performances. Programming for this year's festival features a highly anticipated return visit from vocalist Ernie Andrews in a program entitled Duke Ellington: Drop Me Off In Harlem. The Broadway themed program Jazz & Sondheim, Side By Side, will showcase vocalist Ann Hampton Callaway and saxophonist Steve Wilson in performance with Grammy® Award-nominated drummer/composer, Matt Wilson.

One of the world's premier jazz pianists, Bill Charlap has performed and recorded with many of the leading jazz artists of our time. With his longtime trio of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, he has released seven highly-acclaimed albums for the Blue Note label, including the GRAMMY® Award-nominated albums The Bill Charlap Trio - Live at the Village Vanguard and Somewhere: The Songs of Leonard Bernstein. In 2010, Charlap released Double Portrait, a collaboration with his wife, the celebrated jazz pianist Renee Rosnes, recorded at 92nd Street Y. He has also released two CDs with his mother, the renowned Sandy Stewart: Love Is Here to Stay and Something to Remember.

Charlap curates 92Y Jazz in July in collaboration with Hanna Arie-Gaifman, Director of 92Y Tisch Center for the Arts, which produces 92Y's concert series, including Jazz in July.

92Y Jazz In July 2015 Schedule:

Tue, Jul 21, 8 pm

BILL & DICK's ALL STAR JAZZ PARTY

Two generations of jazz - piano titan Dick Hyman and heir to the throne Bill Charlap, plus clarinet superstar Anat Cohen - blaze through American Songbook classics and swing standards.

Bill Charlap's New York Trio: Bill Charlap, piano / Jay Leonhart, bass / Bill Stewart, drums

Dick Hyman Trio: Dick Hyman, piano / Howard Alden, guitar / Jay Leonhart, bass / with special guest Anat Cohen, clarinet

Wed, Jul 22, 8 pm

DUKE ELLINGTON: DROP ME OFF IN HARLEM

"It Don't Mean a Thing," "Prelude to a Kiss," and "Sophisticated Lady" - Edward Kennedy Ellington was American music royalty. Now another member of the jazz aristocracy, legendary vocalist Ernie Andrews, makes a rare New York appearance to put his stamp on these timeless tunes. The soulful sounds of Houston Person's tenor sax, plus vibes virtuoso Steve Nelson make it jazz heaven.

Ernie Andrews, vocals / Bill Charlap, piano / Renee Rosnes, piano / Houston Person, tenor saxophone / Jeremy Pelt, trumpet / Steve Nelson, vibes / Peter Washington, bass / Kenny Washington, drums

Thu, Jul 23, 8 pm

THE PIANO MEN: FROM JELLY ROLL TO OSCAR

Jelly Roll Morton claimed he "invented" jazz. True? Well, he and other keyboard giants-from ragtime pioneer Scott Joplin to swinging virtuoso Oscar Peterson-enriched the form like nobody else. Hear their syncopated stylings come alive in the lightning hands of modern-day piano greats Bill Charlap, Marcus Roberts and Jeb Patton.

Bill Charlap, piano / Marcus Roberts, piano / Jeb Patton, piano / Todd Coolman, bass / Willie Jones III, drums

Tue, Jul 28, 8 pm

SWING A SONG OF SINATRA

No one sang like Sinatra, and no one sings Sinatra like Kurt Elling. Celebrate Ol' Blue Eyes' centenary with this superstar Grammy® Award-winning vocalist - and a band that boasts Benny Goodman veteran Warren Vaché on cornet.

Kurt Elling, vocals / Bill Charlap, piano / Harry Allen, tenor saxophone / Warren Vaché, cornet /

Peter Washington, bass / Kenny Washington, drums

Wed, Jul 29, 8 pm

JAZZ & SONDHEIM, SIDE BY SIDE

Piano duo Bill Charlap and Renee Rosnes' offer up stunning jazz treatments of Sondheim's masterpieces from groundbreaking shows like Company, Follies and Sweeney Todd. This is a night for both theater and jazz fans, with the dynamic voice of Ann Hampton Callaway and a soaring string ensemble to bring out the beauty of Broadway's best.

Bill Charlap, piano / Ann Hampton Callaway, vocals / Steve Wilson, alto & soprano saxophone / Renee Rosnes, piano / Sean Smith, bass / Matt Wilson, drums / String Ensemble TBA

Thu, Jul 30, 8 pm

BENNY, BASIE & BUCKY!

Guitar icon Bucky Pizzarelli, clarinet marvel Ken Peplowski and ace drummer Dennis Mackrel are the living personification of the swinging legacies of Count Basie and Benny Goodman. The stars come out to finish the festival with a big bang.

Bill Charlap, piano / Sandy Stewart, vocals / Ken Peplowski, clarinet / Randy Sandke, trumpet / Joe Locke, vibes Bucky Pizzarelli, guitar / Jay Leonhart, bass / Dennis Mackrel, drums

ABOUT JAZZ IN JULY

This annual summer jazz festival, directed by pianist Bill Charlap, brings together some of the world's best jazz musicians for once-in-a-lifetime performances at 92nd Street Y. Recent Festival shows have explored be-bop and Latin jazz; celebrated jazz legend Jimmy Heath and former artistic director Dick Hyman; and sampled the work of great composers, from Cole Porter to Thelonious Monk. Recent line-ups have featured jazz greats Ray Bryant, Barry Harris, Wynton Marsalis, Eddie Palmieri, Trio Da Paz, and Frank Wess.

SONY MUSIC SECURES GLOBAL RIGHTS TO ENTIRE PHILADELPHIA INT'L RECORDS CATALOG

NEW YORK, Feb. 13, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Music Entertainment has completed a historic deal with Philadelphia International Records, securing global ownership of all recordings made for PIR, the groundbreaking hit-making label founded by music icons Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff in 1971.

The landmark deal adds all post-1975 PIR recordings to the PIR titles already owned by SME, reuniting the entirety of the Philadelphia International Recordings catalog under a single global licensing and reissue entity.

In late 2013, Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of SME, made a number of PIR titles available in the digital realm, including Essentials collections by The O'Jays, Teddy Pendergrass and Lou Rawls as well as various artists anthologies—Golden Gate Groove: The Sound of Philadelphia in San Francisco and The Sound of Philadelphia: Gamble & Huff's Greatest Hits—mapping the breadth of the Sound of Philadelphia, one of the most influential and abiding catalogs of soul/pop music ever recorded.

In 2014, Legacy will be offering a series of new physical and digital releases created from the PIR catalog including a definitive Philadelphia International Records box, budget single artist anthology titles, 12" and 7" vinyl replica collectibles and more.

The first round of these new PIR titles will be released in the UK on April 21, 2014 and will include single CD best-of collections from Teddy Pendergrass, Lou Rawls, The Three Degrees, The Intruders, The O'Jays, Billy Paul and Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes to be issued on the Camden line.

The UK PIR spring launch will center on the release of a 20 CD Philadelphia International Records box set containing:

1.Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

2.Back Stabbers – The O'Jays

3.360 Degrees of Billy Paul – Billy Paul

4.Save The Children – The Intruders

5.The Three Degrees - The Three Degrees

6.Ship Ahoy – The O'Jays

7.Love Is The Message – MFSB

8.Keep Smilin' - Bunny Sigler

9.Wake Up Everybody – Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes

10.All Things In Time – Lou Rawls

11.Life On Mars - Dexter Wansel

12.The Jacksons – the Jacksons

13.Teddy Pendergrass – Teddy Pendergrass

14.Jean Carn – Jean Carn

15.The Jones Girls - Jones Girls 

16.Edwin Birdsong - Edwin Birdsong 

17.McFadden and Whitehead – McFadden and Whitehead

18.When You Hear Lou You've Heard It All – Lou Rawls

19.I'm In Love Again – Patti LaBelle

20.Life is A Song Worth Singing – Teddy Pendergrass

Each title in the lift-top box comes in a sleeve replicating the original album artwork.

About Philadelphia International Records and Gamble and Huff:

Gamble & Huff's Philadelphia International Records became birthplace, incubator and launching pad for the Philly Soul sound aka " The Sound of Philadelphia (TSOP)", which was a unique blend of R&B rhythms, sweet soul vocals, deep funk grooves, pulsing horn charts and lush string arrangements with melodic structures combining elements of pop, jazz and world music.

With a stable core of artists led by the O'Jays, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Billy Paul, MFSB and the Three Degrees, Gamble & Huff co-founded Philadelphia International Records and began creating monster hits from nearly the first day of its inception in 1971 and continued to record,collaborate and produce major hits with a galaxy of stars from the pop, rock, soul and jazz universes, including Michael Jackson and the Jacksons, Elton John, Lou Rawls, Teddy Pendergrass, Patti LaBelle, Aretha Franklin, the Spinners, the Stylistics, the Delfonics, Dusty Springfield, Jerry Butler, Wilson Pickett, LaBelle, Archie Bell & the Drells, the Soul Survivors, Laura Nyro, the Trammps, McFadden & Whitehead, Phyllis Hyman and Grover Washington Jr and many more.

The label produced some of the world's greatest hit songs such as " Love Train", "If You Don't Know Me by Now", "For The Love Of Money,""Don't Leave Me This Way," "Me and Mrs Jones", "Enjoy Yourself," "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me," "Only the Strong Survive" "You'll Never Find a Love Like Mine" "Ain't No Stoppin Us Now" and "TSOP" (better known as the "Soul Train" theme) and many other Top ten Billboard hits over the past 50 years. The PIR Catalog has some of the most sampled R&B catalogue in the world, appearing on recordings by artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Mary J Bli. Blige, Destiny Child, Usher, T.I., Chrisette Michele, Cam'ron, Ja Rule, Jaheim, Avant and many more.

Legendary producers and songwriters Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff (Gamble & Huff) are among the most prolific professional songwriters of all time, having written and produced over 3,500 songs within 50 years, an output rivaling such famed songwriting teams as Lennon-McCartney, Jagger-Richards and Holland-Dozier-Holland. They are enshrined in American "fabric of music" with a massive catalogue that includes numerous pop #1 hits, R&B #1 hits, 100 gold and platinum records that have resulted in Grammy and BMI Songwriter Awards.

As one of the most requested Sync Licensing Catalogues, the PIR/Gamble Huff recordings and songs have been featured prominently in television programs ("The Apprentice," "Cold Case"), films ("American Hustle," "The Nutty Professor") and advertising spots (Verizon, Chevrolet, Coors Light, Old Navy, The Gap, Office Max) for more than 30 years, Gamble & Huff's songs have entered the musical DNA of contemporary culture. In fact, one of their songs is played on the radio somewhere in the world every 13.5 minutes.

Gamble & Huff  have been prestigiously inducted and honored by several Music Halls of Fame including the Grammy-National Academy of  Recording Arts and Sciences Trustees, Songwriters Hall of Fame, Producers Hall of Fame, Dance Music Hall of Fame, R & B Hall of Fame, Dance Music Hall of Fame . In 2008, Gamble & Huff were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as the first recipients of the newly created Ahmet Ertegun Award. These music icons are recognized around the world for their contribution to the entire fabric of popular music, joining luminaries like Berry Gordy, Quincy Jones, George Gershwin & Ira Gershwin, The Beatles, and Frank Sinatra.

In 2005, Gamble & Huff appeared on American Idol in a show devoted entirely to their music and in 2010 were presented honorary doctor of music degrees from Berklee College of Music.

Their songs also have been covered by a myriad of artists including Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Bette Midler, Michael Buble, Martina McBride, Seal, Simply Red, Johnny Mathis, Lesley Gore, Donny & Marie, Thelma Houston, the Brand New Heavies and recently, Rod Stewart, who sings four Gamble & Huff classics on his 2009 album, Soulbook.

Gamble & Huff  created and are credited for launching one of the most celebrated and historic songwriting partnerships that spawned into a sophisticated sound lovingly crafted in the studio by some of the 20th century's most influential producers and studio teams -- including Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff, Thom Bell, Linda Creed, Gene McFadden and John Whitehead, Bunny Sigler, Dexter Wansel, Bobby Martin, MFSB Orchestra, Baker, Harris and Young, Joe Tarsia (Sigma Sound) and others -- Philly Soul set the stage for disco, smooth jazz, adult contemporary music and more.

Gamble and Huff will be celebrating their 50th Anniversary starting in the fall of 2014 with their projected release of their Autobiographical Book and the 2015 launch of their Theatrical Play on their historic Life Story and creation of one of America's great music catalogues  known as "The Sound of Philadelphia".

www.legacyrecordings.com

www.gamble-huffmusic.com

www.tsopsoulradio.com

 ~ Legacy Recordings

ALBERT KING'S BORN UNDER A BAD SIGN REISSUED WITH BONUS TRACKS

Any list of seminal 1960s electric blues albums is incomplete without Albert King’s Born Under a Bad Sign positioned near the top. The Indianola, Mississippi-born “King of the Blues Guitar,” who cut his professional teeth as a resident of the St. Louis suburb of Lovejoy, Ill., cemented his legacy with his Stax Records debut album. While he’d recorded for labels like Vee-Jay, Parrot and Bobbin, it was his chemistry with the Stax team — label executives Al Bell, Jim Stewart and Estelle Axton, songwriters Booker T. Jones and William Bell, and backing from Booker T. & the MGs and the Memphis Horns — that put King on the blues map.

The Stax Remasters deluxe edition of Born Under a Bad Sign will be released by Stax Records, a unit of Concord Music Group, on April 2nd, 2013. Music historian Bill Dahl wrote the new set of liner notes.

King was influenced by pre-World War II bluesmen Lonnie Johnson and Blind Lemon Jefferson, and post-war artists T-Bone Walker and Howlin’ Wolf. He came to Stax by way of Al Bell, a Little Rock native who’d met King when he played shows in the area. King’s first Stax recording was “Laundromat Blues,” included on this album, backed by Booker T. Jones on piano; Duck Dunn, bass; and Al Jackson, Jr., drums; plus the Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) and Raymond Hill (sax player on Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88”). The song had come by way of an unsolicited songwriting demo that Stax co-founder Estelle Axton correctly believed could be a hit for King.

“Crosscut Saw” is one of King’s best-known recordings as yet dated back to 1941 when Delta bluesman Tommy McClennan recorded it for Bluebird, and Willie Sanders & the Binghamton Boys cut it in ’63. A.C. “Moohah” Williams, a veteran DJ at Memphis R&B station WDIA-AM, brought it to King’s attention.

Booker T. Jones and Stax soul singer William Bell came up with the thundering bass riff that defined the title track “Born Under a Bad Sign.” The song notched #49 on the R&B chart in 1967, and was covered in short order by Cream on its 1968 Wheels of Fire album. Soon King himself was playing venues like the Fillmore Auditorium to young white rock audiences.

Another one of the signature tracks, “Oh, Pretty Woman,” written by WDIA DJ Williams, required the steady presence of Steve Cropper’s rhythm guitar to augment King’s lead licks. King received songwriting help from David Porter, on leave from his usual collaboration with Isaac Hayes, on “Personal Manager,” which was the B-side of the title track single.

Born Under a Bad Sign was also notable for its selection of covers. King gave the Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller R&B standard “Kansas City” an urban blues treatment. He’s right at home with Fenton Robinson’s “As the Years Go Passing By.” Ivory Joe Hunter’s “I Almost Lost My Mind” is a rare King ballad with countrypolitan overtones and jazz flute, an unlikely showcase for his rich baritone.

For this special reissue Stax Records has reached into its vaults to provide previously unissued bonus tracks in the form of alternate takes of “Born Under a Bad Sign,” “Crosscut Saw,” “The Hunter,” “Personal Manager” and an untitled, never-before-released instrumental.

According to annotator Dahl, “Thanks to Born Under a Bad Sign, Albert King became a full-fledged blues luminary, masterfully bridging the gap between the Chitlin’ Circuit and the rock arena. He would make more great Stax albums, but he’d never top this one.”

Albert King will be posthumously inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on April 18, 2013.

NEW RELEASES - MENAHAN STREET BAND, LEE PERRY, THE J.O.B. BLUES STORY

MENAHAN STREET BAND- CROSSING

Sublime work from one of the coolest funky combos around – a group who aren't content to just hit the same funky styles as other outfits – and one who really stretch strongly in their pursuit of new sounds! The set's definitely funky – especially on the drums – but there's also this amazing interplay between the horns, weird sounds from the organ, and cool extra touches on auto harp and ukulele – which gives the music these exotic elements that are simply mindblowing! The set's a stone smoker from the start – instrumental, but in ways that let the Menahan Street Band open up way more than when working with a singer – showing us that they've got some of the freshest ideas in the contemporary funky underground. Titles include "The Crossing", "Sleight Of Hand", "Three Faces", "Keep Coming Back", "Seven Is The Wind", "Driftwood", and "Ivory & Blue". ~ Dusty Groove

LEE PERRY & OTHERS - THE SOUND DOCTOR: LEE PERRY AND THE SUFFERERS' BLACK ARK SINGLES & DUB PLATES 1972 - 1978

A stellar set of surviving 70s Black Ark productions by Lee Perry – with rare and unreleased sides and pivotal if long-buried sides by Junior Byles, U Roy, Delroy Butler, Tinga Stewart, The Upsetters, The Flames, The Ethiopians, Jah T and more – Perry-produced gems for Kingston's cultural rebels and sufferers! The Sound Doctor compilation is really an essential, perfectly-collected batch on Pressure Sounds – the UK label that once again proves to be among the finest and most respectful of Sound Doctor devotees. Among the exceptional rarities are the unreleased "Army Of Love" by Junior Byles, an exclusive dub plate mix of the Upsetters "Horny Train", the raw original mix of U Roy's "006" and many more – stirringly soulful Black Ark singles and dub versions including "Sound Doctor" by Bobby Floyd, "Do Good" by Al Maytone", "Different Experience" by Brother Ray", "Smiling Faces" by Tinga Stewart, "It’s Impossible" by The Ethiopians, "Grandfather Land" by Jah T, "King Of Kings" by Pat Francis, "Be Prepared" by Keith Poppin, "Key Card" by Lee & Jimmy, "Start Over" by The Gatherers and more. ~ Dusty Groove

THE J.O.B. BLUES STORY - VARIOUS ARTISTS

Postwar blues from Chicago – a great double-length collection of rare material from JOB Records – a Windy City imprint that was much smaller than Vee Jay, Chess, and Mercury – and who only ever issued most of this material as 78 rpm singles! The JOB sound is definitely rough and raw – still showing the strong influence of electric guitar's introduction to northern blues, yet putting the music forward with a stripped-down sound that's really timeless – and which often emphasizes piano as much as guitar. No surprise, there's some great keyboardists on the set – working in a really dark-edged style – as you'll hear on the 36 track set of tunes that includes "Evening Sun" by Johnny Shines, "Drinking Woman" by John Brim & His Trio, "My Head Can't Rest Anymore" by Baby Face Leroy Foster, "Down Home Child" by Sunnyland Slim, "Boogy Fool" by Snooky Pryor, "Dark Road" by Floyd Jones, "Five Long Years" by Eddie Boyd, "How Much More" by JB Lenoir, and "Rough Treatment" by Little Hudson & His Red Devil Trio. ~ Dusty Groove

JAY STEWART - ENJOY THE RIDE

Jay Stewart started playing guitar at age six, listened to his dad’s George Jones and Merle Haggard records, played in church and along the way amassed a wide array of rock, blues and jazz influences, including B.B. King, Duane Allman, Eric Clapton, George Benson and Larry Carlton. Yet he credits a lesser known guitarist, local fingerstyle legend Buddy Owens, for opening up a world of even deeper possibilities. Stewart’s subsequent study of fingerstyle greats Pete Huttlinger, Doyle Dykes and Chet Atkins led to this becoming as much a part of his stylistic repertoire as electric rock/blues.

Perhaps it’s no surprise now that Superior Court Judge Jay Stewart is finally stepping out, breaking all sorts of molds and taking center stage with his array of electric and acoustic guitars. Growing up in rural Southern Georgia, the Savannah area native was always the hippest kid in town, “the only white kid in Claxton copping licks from the Ohio Players.” After years of dreaming about it, he’s inviting fans of the pop, rock, blues and jazz he grew up with to enter the courtroom after hours, sit back and Enjoy The Ride—the name of his highly anticipated full length debut

Stewart, who was elected Judge of Superior Court of the Atlantic Judicial Circuit in 2006, has no trouble drawing parallels between his two worlds: “In both arenas, I go about my work in a professional manner and avoid bad notes—and bad decisions!” Upon receiving his Juris Doctor from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University, he launched a private general practice in Claxton; his areas of concentration included criminal defense, personal injury and divorce/family law. From January 2000 through May of 2001, Judge Stewart was an assistant district attorney in the Atlantic Judicial Circuit where he prosecuted felony crimes. For the next five years, he was a partner in the law firm of Brown, Rountree & Stewart, P.C. in Statesboro.

“Other lawyers and judges I know play golf and hunt when they’re off the clock, but for me, the guitar was my escape, and I have played over the years any chance I got,” says Stewart. “People who know both sides of me ask why I didn’t pursue a career as a musician. Actually, I did! My dream in high school was to jump on a tour bus. I even thought about attending the Guitar Institute in Los Angeles before accepting a baseball scholarship. After my freshman year at South Georgia College, I joined a band that was based in Raleigh, North Carolina. I returned to college after a few months on the road, but later when I was at Mercer University attending law school, I made more playing guitar on weekends than I would have clerking at a law firm.

“Being in the studio making Enjoy The Ride brought back a lot of those fond memories,” he adds. “I appreciate how personable all these great musicians were to me and the way they treated me like one of the guys. The songs are geared towards bringing all of my influences together and letting my bluesy, jazzy voice be heard through my guitar. I’m also told I play with a little bit of a drawl, just the way I talk. So the Southern rock influence definitely shines through.”

For most of the ride, though, Stewart jams with a batch of the coolest session cats around, led by Grammy winning producer and Emmy nominated composer Jason Miles—whose deep history includes recordings with Luther Vandross, Miles Davis, Sting and his own world jazz fusion band Global Noize. Miles is also responsible for bringing to life musical retrospectives to musical icons Marvin Gaye (What’s Going On: Songs of Marvin Gaye); Grover Washington, Jr. ( To Grover With Love); and Miles Davis (Miles To Miles).

The basic tracks of Enjoy The Ride were recorded live in a single day—with one or two takes for each tune at Bennett Studios in Englewood, New Jersey with Stewart being joined by Miles, bassist Neil Jason (Cyndi Lauper, Paul McCartney, John Lennon) and drummer Brian Dunne (Hall & Oates, Chuck Loeb). Lead and acoustic guitar tracks were recorded at Frank Farr Productions in Statesboro, Georgia.

Also in the mix are famed saxophonist and recording artist David Mann; popular contemporary jazz trumpeter Cindy Bradley, who adds harmony lines behind Stewart’s lead electric melody on the old school funk rocker “Living The Life” and infuses a soaring solo on the revved up jazz blues jam “Blowing Smoke”; conguero Jimmy Bralower; and Barry Danielan, who played trumpet and did horn arrangements on “Blues For The Road,” a high energy spin on Mother Earth’s 1971 hit featuring Josh Dion’s soulful lead vocals and one of Stewart’s trademark blistering solos. Mike Mattison, frontman for the Grammy winning Derek Trucks Band, sings lead on the easy grooving blues rocker “Can’t Fight Love”—which features Miles on the Hammond B-3.

Stewart’s strengths as a multi-faceted composer are showcased on the five tracks that he wrote or co-wrote. In addition to “Just For You,” he co-penned “Living The Life” with Miles and wrote the easy rolling, R&B and rock influenced title track with his longtime friend Shane Baldwin. The diversity of his artistry comes across on two songs he wrote himself--the hypnotic and whimsical acoustic ballad “Soothe My Soul” (which may remind listeners of jazz duo Acoustic Alchemy) and the explosive “Blowing Smoke.” Other highlights include the Miles compositions “The Light At The End of the Tunnel” (an easy swaying, horn spiced track that recalls the cool of Steely Dan) and “4 Tee and Dupree,” a jazz/funk tribute to the chemistry of the late masterful musicians Richard Tee and Cornell Dupree, with Stewart weaving his crisp lines between Miles’ piano and B-3 magic. Enjoy The Ride also includes an intense rock/soul free for all cover of “I’m A Man,” an early track by the band Chicago which was co-written by Steve Winwood.

Jay Stewart – Enjoy The Ride Tracks:

1. Living The Life [4:10]

2. The Light At The End Of The Tunnel [3:57]

3. Can't Fight Love [4:04]

4. I'm A Man [4:03]

5. Enjoy The Ride [4:06]

6. 4 Tee And Dupree [4:21]

7. Soothe My Soul [3:11]

8. Blowing Smoke [3:44]

9. Blues For The Road [4:33]

10. Just For You [3:12]


Musicians:
Jay Stewart, Electric & Acoustic Guitars
Jason Miles, Electric Piano & Hammond B3, Percussion Programming
Neil Jason, Bass
Brian Dunne, Drums
Barry Danielain, Trumpet & Horn Arrangement (Track 9)
David Mann, Saxophone
Cindy Bradley, Trumpet (Track 1, 8)
Jimmy Bralower, Congas (Track 5)
Josh Dion, Vocals (Track 9)
Mike Mattison, Vocals (Track 3)

001. ANNUAL SMOOTH JAZZ FESTIVAL BREGENZ – LICENSE TO CHILL

Goodbye James – hello Candy. Only a couple of weeks ago the Bregenz Festival Hall was under the motto "Quantum of Solace" – but soon that is going to be: Enjoy a "Quantum of smooth jazz"...

Neusäß, 09.06.2008: While hot action scenes have rounded off the shooting programme for "Quantum of Solace" – the 22nd episode of the famous "My name is Bond"– special agen – saga - on the roof of the Bregenz Festival Hall, preparations for the just as promising 1st episode of a festival are in full swing: the 1st Annual Smooth Jazz Festival which is taking place here (in Bregenz, Austria) on the 29th and 30th of August. Not only does the smooth entertainment GmbH, Neusäß, provide the suitable background music for a shaken vodka martini with this event, but it also stages yet another world premiere in the studio theatre in Bregenz – and this mission is everything but secret. On the contrary: we are more than pleased to share all the news...

First Mission: What is Smooth Jazz?
The term "Smooth Jazz" is not one commonly used in this part of the world, so let’s start with a short definition: first: Smooth Jazz is not Jazz – or not only, at least. Secondly: Smooth Jazz is no muzak*!! But: Smooth Jazz is – a touch of Soul, a touch of RnB (not too much), a touch of Jazz, too. While wikipedia.de claims that Smooth Jazz is a variety of Jazz, we claim: Smooth Jazz is the play list of the "Cafe del Mar" – CDs. It is emotion. An attitude towards life which finds no echo in the mainstream–scores of the charts. It is chill-out music at its finest, but definitely with a light savoir-vivre- and laissez-faire-feeling at its heart. In the U.S and in Dubai the fans of this floating sound number millions already, prominent artists are e.g. Candy Dulfer, Sade, Carlos Santana, Simply Red, Nora Jones, Sting, but also the German band De Phazz with singer Pat Appleton.

Second Mission: Why Bregenz?
Smooth Jazz is casually cultivated lifestyle, paired with a dose of coolness, cultivated indulgence and culture – an ambience completely in line with the Bregenz Festival Hall. On the one hand a touch of "Casino Royale", on the other a breeze of beach-feeling à la "Cafe del Mar". Concerts with well-known artists will take place on both nights. The location: the studio theatre, the "rough diamond for events" of the Bregenz Festival Hall, set up as a multifunctional "Black Box" which will transform into a chilled-out party lounge on the occasion of the 1st Annual Smooth Jazz Festival. Moreover an outdoor lounge will be open to all – not only festival guests – from the afternoon.

Third Mission: Which Acts?
The Festival line-up sparkles with highlights: On the first night the Italian band Gabin will hit the stage with groovy beats. Then the American guitarist Chieli Minucci, who has already performed with artists like Jennifer Lopez and Anastacia, the saxophonist Marion Meadows, from the U.S. as well, and the Swiss-born pianist Alex Bugnon will take you away into the world of Smooth Jazz. De Phazz from Heidelberg is the closing climax of the first-night live acts, and will put the audience in the mood for the following after-show-party with elements of Dub, Jazz, Soul, Trip-Hop, Latin, Drum`n`Bass and Ambient; we have of course booked well-known clubbing-scene djs for both party nights.

The second night will be opened by De Phazz singer Pat Appleton with her own band, then big names in the world of Smooth Jazz, Peter White, Jaared and Candy Dulfer, follow onto the stage. The saxophonist from the Netherlands has already performed with international stars like Prince, Beyonce, Aretha Franklin and Pink Floyd and will put the heat on the audience for the following after-show-party. On this weekend a visit to Bregenz will even be doubly rewarding: on both days of the Festival the Bregenz town fair takes place during daytime, which each year attracts 120,000 guests to a visit at the lake promenade.

Other performers also appearing include Praful & Sound System, Adani & Wolf, and Rocco Ventrella.

The Performers...

GABIN
The duo Gabin is not from France, as the name might suggest, no, they call Italy their home. The faces behind the pseudonym are the musicians Massimo Bottini and Filippo Clary, whose approaches to music come from two different perspectives. While Clary works in Rome as a renowned dj and rocks the city’s nightlife there, Bottini is up to his tricks as a Jazz-bassist and can adorn himself with collaborations with such well-known Jazz personalities as Billy Cobham or John Scofield. Their own musical vision meets somewhere in the middle. Influences from Jazz and Soul meet Downbeat-sounds and Latin-rhythms. Discreetly used synthetic elements lend this lush music cocktail the necessary drive

CHIELI MINUCCI
The American Jazz-guitarist and composer with Italian roots was born in New York in 1958. His father, Ulpio Minucci, was a successful concert pianist and composer. Cieli himself is probably best known today as head of the Grammy-nominated Jazz-band "Special EFX", with whom he has recorded 23 cds. Moreover, he has worked together with world stars such as Celine Dion, Lionel Richie, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Jessica Simpson, and Anastacia. From the world of Jazz Marion Meadows, Jay Beckenstein, Gerald Veasley, Lao Tizer, Nestor Torez and Bob Baldwin have cooperated with Minucci, and his compositions for movies and television have earned him several Daytime Emmy Award nominations. He took home the award twice.

MARION MEADOWS
The saxophonist Marion Meadows (soprano-, tenor- and baritone sax) has style – in terms of outfit as well, as he prefers black and with his black dreadlocks, he is surely a favourite with the Jazz-loving ladies. As a musician he sets an example for countless smooth-saxophonists, who all try to follow suit with the casually cool, but still powerfully emotional Meadows sound. By now he has published nine cds and has worked together with a number of well-known artists like Brook Brenton, Eartha Kitt, Phyllis Hyman, Jean Carne, The Temptations, Michael Bolton or Angela Bofill.

ALEX BUGNON
Jazz-pianist and composer Alex Bugnon was born in 1958 in Montreux. His hometown regularly hosts the Montreux Jazz Festival – thus, Bugnon has more or less grown up with Jazz. Before moving to the U.S.A he studied music at the Conservatorium in Paris for two years. He then went to the Berkley School of Music and performed with gospel groups as a sideline. In 1990 he moved to New York, where he played in the background as a session musician with artists like Patti Austin, Freddie Jackson and Keith Sweat. He made it into the charts with his debut album "Love Season" just as with its successor, "Head over Heels"; in the R&B charts he even secured a place among the top 40. All following releases were placed in the R&B charts, too. After not having published an album under his own name for five years, the Jazz branch of Narada records offered him a contract and brought him to the market as a solo Jazz artist. He returned to the Jazz-charts with his album "Alex Bugnon" and further releases followed suit. Alex Bugnon has won two Soul Train Music Awards.

DE PHAZZ
The Heidelberg band De Phazz was founded in 1997 by pit Baumgartner as an open band -project. They got famous, among others, with their radio hit "The Mambo Craze" from their second album "Godsdog". The name "De Phazz" is derived from destination f(ph)uture jazz. The music, which might be familiar from a couple of TV commercials, is very varied and includes elements from Dub, Jazz, Soul, Trip-Hop, Latin, Drum`n`Base, Ambient and R&B, but also elements of Turntablism are woven into their music. The band itself developed more and more into a Live-Act and appears mainly in clubs and on open airs; the music is often accentuated by light and colour displays, projections and dances. The formation of the band itself keeps changing, too – its members include or have included musicians like Karl Frierson (vocals), Oli Rubow (drums), Susanne Horn (vocals), Pat Appleton (vocals), Roy Randolph (percussion, vocals) or Frank Spaniol (saxophone).

PAT APPLETON
Pat Appleton, daughter of a German mother and a Liberian father has found her way into music business during her time as a student of political sciences, when she took on a job as a singer in a party- and dance combo. She soon realised that being an ambassador for music suited her far better than lending her voice to politics, as originally planned. She therefore chucked her father’s dream of becoming President of Liberia and completed a vocal training. After a diversity of engagements as a lead- or background interpreter for numerous Pop- and Jazz bands as well as excursions into advertising and film soundtracks, she joined the Heidelberg sound-collective De Phazz in 1999, where she is creative as a composer and texter as well. Last but not least she is also a popular guest-singer with Bands like the Jazzkantine of the Nighthawks, with whom she has also written and published songs. As "one of the most important voices of contemporary German Jazz" (3sat) Pat Appleton tours the world with De Phazz today. Last September she presented her first solo album "What’s Next?"

PETER WHITE
An Englishman who accentuates his music with genial charm and musical playfulness. The result: Smooth Jazz with a spiritedness which many others in this genre lack. Born in Luton in 1954, White devoted himself to music already as a child. His father encouraged him to learn many instruments – the recorder, the clarinet, cornet, the trombone, violin, mouth organ, the piano – but his father’s instruments were not his – his was the guitar. But here his father could not help him. Therefore he helped himself, experimented with a few simple chords and imitated melodies from the radio. Like many musicians, White was strongly influenced by the Beatles and the guitar-driven Beat sound of the sixties. After his first electric guitar, which he had bought as a teenager, had burnt in a fire, however, he had to make do with an acoustic guitar. He made the best of it: White discovered his love for acoustic music. Shortly after he had left school at 18 he got an engagement in a hotel resort in the South of England, where he played over the summer. After that he travelled to London and joined a band managed by Miles Copeland (manager of Sting, R.E.M.). It was Copeland who arranged the contact between the 20-year-old White and Al Stewart, with whom he toured England and the US shortly after. He worked with Stewart as a pianist at first, and later also as a guitarist, composer and co-producer. In 1979 Stewart moved to Los Angeles, formed the band Shot in the Dark and a record label called Lobster Music. In 1990 he published his first solo album ("Reveillez-Vous"). The album soon became a favourite with Jazz-djs and Jazz-Radio stations. White has published more successful albums and is known throughout the world today.

JAARED
The alto- and soprano-saxophonist Jaared was born in Washington in 1967. He began playing the saxophone at the age of seven – on the recommendation of a doctor. The reason: he suffered from asthma as a child. To prescribe lessons on a wind instrument with such a diagnosis might sound strange at first, but actually the doctor was aiming at strengthening the lungs. The patient must have taken his medicine obediently, as he is a most well known Jazz-musician today. Jaared stands for neat, casually light Smooth Jazz. A major influence on him was David Sanborn, whose music had left an impression on Jaared even as a teenager; he made a name for himself in the music scene of Washington DC in the 80ies, where he performed with a diversity of artists: Starting with Ju Ju House of the Go-Go-Funk band EU up to Mary Ann Redmond, a highly distinguished Soul-/Rock-singer made along the lines of Tina Turner and Etta James. Even though he took part in a couple of R&B-Gigs, too, when he started recording albums of his own in 2000 the musician decided to concentrate on Smooth Jazz (in a time when he also toured the U.S. side by side with Jazz-guitarist Peter White). His debut album "Forward" was published in 2001, followed by "Hangtime" a year later.

CANDY DULFER
"If I want sax, I call Candy" Megastar Prince once said adoringly – and he is not the only one with whom Candy Dulfer rings a bell – the Dutchwoman has long since made a name for herself internationally as a saxophonist. The daughter of the well-known Jazz saxophonist Hans Dulfer soon knew that she would be treading in her father’s footsteps. Candy starts playing the sax as a six-year-old; at 14 she has a band of her own (Funky Stuff) with whom she works together up to the present day. In 1987 she put the heat on the audience as a supporting act for Madonna, and one year later she should have opened Prince’s shows in the Netherlands. When she received a cancellation at short notice she wrote him a letter of complaint. Which apparently was worth the effort: the man from Minneapolis invited her as a guest onto his stage. Since that day she repeatedly went on tours with him, could and can be heard on many of his albums. In 1990 Candy Dulfer`s first solo album "Saxuality" appeared and was an immediate success. Candy tours almost all of Europe and even performs in the U.S. With rewards: a Grammy Award nomination in the category "Best Pop-Album Instrumental". During the last years Candy Dulfer has worked together with Dave Stewart, Van Morrison, Pink Floyd, Aretha Franklin and Beyoncé. At the end of July 2007 the 10th album of the Dutch artist appeared. On 13 tracks Candy celebrates her maturity as a musician and plays with the most diverse elements form Pop, Soul and Jazz. Elements from Hip Hop and Rap are even more prominent here than in the past.

For more information click to www.smoothjazzfestival.de

STEVE TYRELL - BACK TO BACHARACH

Steve Tyrell will bring his brand of Bacharach to New York City's Blue Note Café and a number of other East Coast venues this summer in support of his upcoming album "Back to Bacharach," set for release on June 24th, 2008. "Back to Bacharach" (on New Design Records and KOCH Records) is the new classic, CD from Grammy winning singer/songwriter/producer extraordinaire Steve Tyrell. At the age of 19, Steve journeyed from Houston, Texas to New York City to work at pop and soul music giant Scepter Records. Upon arriving at Scepter Records and its adjacent Baby Monica Publishing Company, he immediately found himself surrounded by swiftly developing super teams such as Carole King & Gerry Goffin, Nicholas Ashford & Valerie Simpson and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. But it was with a pair of outside contractors - songwriting producers Burt Bacharach & Hal David -- that Steve would forge his most personal alliance, an alliance that lasted for nine years and enabled Tyrell to forge his initial mark in the music business.

Through his work with Bacharach & David, Tyrell got to work in motion pictures and at a very young age became one of the first music supervisors responsible for coordinating hit songs with the release of the films they appeared in. Those successes included the gold standard of foreplay songs, "The Look of Love" (recorded for the James Bond spy spoof "Casino Royale" by Dusty Springfield,) the theme for "Alfie" (sung by Cher in the film and by Dionne Warwick at the Academy Awards) as well as the theme from the legendary Jacqueline Susan film "Valley Of The Dolls" (which Tyrell helped make Dionne's first Number 1 Pop Hit record). The film song that Steve played a major role in was "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" - the one that earned Bacharach & David the Oscar® for 1969's Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. When looking for an artist to sing the song, Steve called in his friend from Texas, B.J. Thomas who recorded it for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

The song that gets the Technicolor treatment on "Back to Bacharach" is Bacharach and David's anthem, "What the World Needs Now is Love," a song Steve believes is "more relevant now than it ever was." Bacharach's piano glues together the whole affair which features superstars Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Martina McBride and Dionne Warwick along with Tyrell. The all-star recording is for a worthy cause -- all proceeds will go to the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA) in remembrance of Steve's wife Stephanie (who passed away from Colon Cancer five years ago) and Jay Monahan, the late husband of television journalist Katie Couric. Close friends, Steve Tyrell and Katie Couric have worked together constantly since his wife's death, raising funds to benefit Colon Cancer research and co-hosting an annual benefit in Seattle called "Make The Evening Matter."

Other classics featured on the "Back to Bacharach" album are: "Walk On By," The Look Of Love," Close To You," "A House Is Not A Home," "This Guy's In Love," "One Less Bell To Answer," "Reach Out For Me," "I Say A Little Prayer For You," "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," "Always Something There To Remind Me," "Don't Make Me Over" and the Oscar winning "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head."

Steve Tyrell's previous six albums have earned him a number of accolades, his first album "A New Standard" had a 90 week run on the Billboard Jazz charts and "Standard Time" and "This Time Of The Year" and "Songs Of Sinatra" were all Top 5 charters. "The Disney Standards," his last album was released in 2006 and achieved Top 10 status on the Billboard Jazz charts.

"This album is different from any I'll ever do," states Tyrell, who in the last decade has been at the forefront of a renaissance in recordings from the Great American Songbook via his previous six projects. "The music of my friends Burt and Hal has been a lifelong collaboration. Their songs are my songs. It's a very unique situation." "I like to say 'Back to Bacharach' was 40 years in the making," Steve concludes. "There is no other music like this in my life. And I am honored to share it with the world...my way."

"Back to Bacharach" will be released on Tyrell's own New Design Records, distributed by KOCH Records on June 24, 2008.

STEVE TYRELL - BACK TO BACHARACH

New Design Records and KOCH Records have announced the release of "Back To Bacharach," a new classic, from Grammy winning singer and songwriter/producer Steve Tyrell. At the age of 19, Steve journeyed from Houston, Texas to New York City to work at pop and soul music giant Scepter Records. Upon arriving at Scepter Records and its adjacent Baby Monica Publishing Company, he immediately found himself surrounded by swiftly developing super teams such as Carole King & Gerry Goffin, Nickolas Ashford & Valerie Simpson and Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil. But it was with a pair of outside contractors -- songwriting producers Burt Bacharach & Hal David -- that Steve would forge his most personal alliance, an alliance that lasted for nine years and enabled Tyrell to forge his initial mark in the music business.

Through his work with Bacharach & David, Tyrell got to work in motion pictures and at a very young age became one of the first music supervisors responsible for coordinating hit songs with the release of the films they appeared in. Those successes included the gold standard of foreplay songs, "The Look of Love" (recorded for the James Bond spy spoof "Casino Royale" by Dusty Springfield,) the theme for "Alfie" (sung by Cher in the film and by Dionne Warwick at the Academy Awards) as well as the theme from the legendary Jacqueline Susan film "Valley Of The Dolls" (which Tyrell helped make Dionne's first Number 1 Pop Hit record.) The film song that Steve played a major role in was "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" -- the one that earned Bacharach & David the Oscar® for 1969's Best Original Song in a Motion Picture. When looking for an artist to sing the song, Steve called in his friend from Texas, B.J. Thomas who recorded it for "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid."

For music lovers the world over, those songs are indelibly bound to our DNA, haunting strands of melodious memories that bring forth a flood of emotions and associations. For Steve Tyrell, they represent milestones in a distinguished career and the joys and pains of his own personal life. It is because of his close proximity to the songs and their creators that Steve is able to bring something unique to his versions while being fortunate enough to include Dionne Warwick, Herb Alpert and 2008 Grammy Award winner Patti Austin as well as Bacharach himself on the CD to relive the golden moments.

The song that gets the Technicolor treatment on "Back To Bacharach" is Bacharach and David's anthem, "What the World Needs Now is Love," a song Steve believes is "more relevant now than it ever was." Bacharach's piano glues together the whole affair which features superstars Rod Stewart, James Taylor, Martina McBride and Dionne Warwick along with Tyrell. The all-star recording is for a worthy cause -- all proceeds will go to the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance (NCCRA) in remembrance of Steve's wife Stephanie (who passed away from Colon Cancer five years ago) and Jay Monahan, the late husband of television journalist Katie Couric. Close friends, Steve Tyrell and Katie Couric have worked together constantly since his wife's death, raising funds to benefit Colon Cancer research and co-hosting an annual benefit in Seattle called "Make The Evening Matter."

Other classics featured on the "Back To Bacharach" album are: "Walk On By," The Look Of Love," Close To You," "A House Is Not A Home," "This Guy's In Love," "One Less Bell To Answer," "Reach Out For Me," "I Say A Little Prayer For You," "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself," "Always Something There To Remind Me," "Don't Make Me Over" and the Oscar winning "Raindrops Keep Fallin' On My Head."

Steve Tyrell's previous six albums have earned him a number of accolades, his first album "A New Standard" had a 90 week run on the Billboard Jazz charts and "Standard Time" and "This Time Of The Year" and "Songs Of Sinatra" were all Top 5 charters. "The Disney Standards," his last album was released in 2006 and achieved Top 10 status on the Billboard Jazz charts.
"Back To Bacharach" will be released on Tyrell's own New Design Records/ KOCH Records on May 27, 2008.

50th ANNUAL GRAMMY AWARD NOMINATIONS

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Dec. 6, 2007) — Nominations for the 50th Annual GRAMMY® Awards were announced today by The Recording Academy® reflecting one of the most diverse years ever with the Album Of The Year category alone representing the country, hip-hop, jazz, pop and rock genres. The press event was held at The Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood and was attended by national and international media, as well as key music industry executives. Artists reading nominations this morning included Akon, Chester Bennington (of Linkin Park), Fergie, Vince Gill, Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters) Herbie Hancock, Jimmy Jam, Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), George Lopez, Mike Shinoda (of Linkin Park) and Taylor Swift. The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be held on "GRAMMY Sunday," Feb. 10, 2008, at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and once again will be broadcast live in high definition TV and 5.1 surround sound on CBS from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT).

Kanye West tops the nominations with eight, Amy Winehouse garners six, and the Foo Fighters, Jay-Z, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and T-Pain each earn five nods. Akon, Dierks Bentley, Chris Daughtry, Feist, Tim McGraw, John Newton, Ne-Yo, Rihanna, and Bruce Springsteen receive four each.

"This year's nominations truly reflect a diverse and talented community of artists and creators who represent some of the most exceptional music of the year," said Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy. "The GRAMMY Awards process once again has yielded a comprehensive group of excellent nominees and coupled with the fact that it's our milestone 50th year, this year's telecast promises music fans a spectacular show filled with stellar performances and unique 'GRAMMY Moments' for which Music's Biggest Night™ has come to be renowned."

Following is a sampling of nominations in 110 categories from the GRAMMY Awards' 31 Fields:

GENERAL FIELD
Nominees for Album Of The Year are:
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace — Foo Fighters
These Days — Vince Gill
River: The Joni Letters — Herbie Hancock
Graduation — Kanye West
Back To Black — Amy Winehouse

Nominees for Record Of The Year are:
"Irreplaceable" — Beyoncé
"The Pretender" — Foo Fighters
"Umbrella" — Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
"What Goes Around…Comes Around" — Justin Timberlake
"Rehab" — Amy Winehouse

Best New Artist nominees are:
Feist
Ledisi
Paramore
Taylor Swift
Amy Winehouse

Song Of The Year nominees include:
"Before He Cheats" — John Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
"Hey There Delilah" — Tom Higgenson, songwriter (Plain White T's)
"Like A Star" — Corinne Bailey Rae, songwriter (Corinne Bailey Rae)
"Rehab" — Amy Winehouse, songwriter (Amy Winehouse)
"Umbrella" — Shawn Carter, Kuk Harrell, Terius "Dream" Nash & Christopher Stewart, songwriters (Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z)

POP FIELD
Nominations for Best Pop Vocal Album go to:
Lost Highway — Bon Jovi
The Reminder — Feist
It Won't Be Soon Before Long — Maroon 5
Memory Almost Full — Paul McCartney
Back To Black — Amy Winehouse

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals nods go to:
"Steppin' Out" — Tony Bennett & Christina Aguilera
"Beautiful Liar" — Beyoncé & Shakira
"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)" — Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
"The Sweet Escape" — Gwen Stefani & Akon
"Give It To Me" — Timbaland Featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake

Best Pop Instrumental Performance nominees are:
"Off The Grid" — Beastie Boys
"Paris Sunrise #7" — Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals
"Over The Rainbow" — Dave Koz
"One Week Last Summer" — Joni Mitchell
"Simple Pleasures" — Spyro Gyra

DANCE FIELD
For Best Dance Recording, the nominees are:
"Do It Again" — The Chemical Brothers
"D.A.N.C.E." — Justice
"Love Today" — Mika
"Don't Stop The Music" —Rihanna
"Love Stoned/I Think She Knows" — Justin Timberlake

ROCK FIELD
Nominations for Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance go to:
"Timebomb" — Beck
"Only Mama Knows" — Paul McCartney
"Our Country" — John Mellencamp
"Radio Nowhere" — Bruce Springsteen
"Come On" — Lucinda Williams

Best Rock Album nominees are:
Daughtry — Daughtry
Revival — John Fogerty
Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace — Foo Fighters
Magic — Bruce Springsteen
Sky Blue Sky — Wilco

Nods for Best Rock Song go to:
"Come On" — Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams)
"Icky Thump" — Jack White, songwriter (The White Stripes)
"It's Not Over" — Chris Daughtry, Gregg Wattenberg, Mark Wilkerson & Brett Young, songwriters (Daughtry)
"The Pretender" — Dave Grohl, Taylor Hawkins, Nate Mendel & Chris Shiflett, songwriters (Foo Fighters)
"Radio Nowhere" — Bruce Springsteen, songwriters (Bruce Springsteen)

R&B FIELD
Nominees for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals are:
"Same Girl" — R. Kelly Featuring Usher
"Disrespectful" — Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige
"Hate That I Love You" — Rihanna Featuring Ne-Yo
"Baby" — Angie Stone Featuring Betty Wright
"Bartender" — T-Pain Featuring Akon

For Best Contemporary R&B album, the nominees are:
Konvicted — Akon
Just Like You — Keyshia Cole
Fantasia — Fantasia
East Side Story — Emily King
Because Of You — Ne-Yo

Best Urban/Alternative Performance nods go to:
"Make A Baby" — Vikter Duplaix
"That's The Way Of The World" — Dwele
"Daydreamin'" — Lupe Fiasco Featuring Jill Scott
"Fantasy" — Meshell Ndegeocello
"Dream" — Alice Smith

RAP FIELD
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration nods go to:
"I Wanna Love You" — Akon Featuring Snoop Dogg
"Kiss, Kiss" — Chris Brown & T-Pain
"Let It Go" — Keyshia Cole Featuring Missy Elliott & Lil' Kim
"Umbrella" — Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z
"Good Life" — Kanye West Featuring T-Pain

Nominees for Best Rap Song are:
"Ayo Technology" — N. Hills, Curtis Jackson, Timothy Mosley & Justin Timberlake, songwriters (50 Cent Featuring Justin Timberlake & Timbaland)
"Big Things Poppin' (Do It)" — Clifford Harris & Byron Thomas, songwriters (T.I.)
"Can't Tell Me Nothing" — A. Davis & Kanye West, songwriters (Kanye West)
"Crank That (Soulja Boy)" — Soulja Boy Tell'Em, songwriter (Soulja Boy Tell'Em)
"Good Life" — A. Davis, F. Najm & K. West, songwriters (Kanye West Featuring T-Pain)

For Best Rap Album, the nominees are:
Finding Forever — Common
Kingdom Come — Jay-Z
Hip Hop Is Dead — Nas
T.I. vs T.I.P. — T.I.
Graduation — Kanye West

COUNTRY FIELD
Nods for Best Country Collaboration With Vocals go to:
"Days Aren't Long Enough" — Steve Earle & Allison Moorer
"Because Of You" — Reba McEntire & Kelly Clarkson
"I Need You" — Tim McGraw & Faith Hill
"Lost Highway" — Willie Nelson & Ray Price
"Oh Love" — Brad Paisley & Carrie Underwood

For Best Country Song, the nominees are:
"Before He Cheats" — Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins, songwriters (Carrie Underwood)
"Give It Away" — Bill Anderson, Buddy Cannon & Jamey Johnson, songwriters (George Strait)
"I Need You" — Tony Lane & David Lee, songwriters (Tim McGraw & Faith Hill)
"If You're Reading This" — Tim McGraw, Brad Warren & Brett Warren, songwriters (Tim McGraw)
"Long Trip Alone" — Brett Beavers, Dierks Bentley & Steve Bogard, songwriters (Dierks Bentley)

Nominations for Best Country Album are:
Long Trip Alone — Dierks Bentley
These Days — Vince Gill
Let It Go — Tim McGraw
5th Gear — Brad Paisley
It Just Comes Natural — George Strait

JAZZ FIELD
For Best Contemporary Jazz Album, the nominees are:
Party Hats — Will Bernard
Downright Upright — Brian Bromberg
Re-Imagination — Eldar
River: The Joni Letters — Herbie Hancock
He Had A Hat — Jeff Lorber

Nods for Best Jazz Vocal Album go to:
Avant Gershwin — Patti Austin
Red Earth — A Malian Journey — Dee Dee Bridgewater
Music Maestro Please — Freddy Cole
Nightmoves — Kurt Elling
On The Other Side — Tierney Sutton

This year's Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical nominations go to: Howard Benson, Joe Chiccarelli, Mike Elizondo, Mark Ronson, and Timbaland

In the newly added Best Zydeco Or Cajun Music Album category, nominations go to: Le Cowboy Creole (Geno Delafose & French Rockin' Boogie), King Cake (Lisa Haley), Live: Á La Blue Moon (Lost Bayou Ramblers), Blues De Musicien (Pine Leaf Boys), Racines (Racines), The La Louisianne Sessions (Roddie Romero And The Hub City All-Stars), and Live! Worldwide (Terrance Simien & The Zydeco Experience).

In the Latin Field, Best Latin Rock, Alternative Or Urban Album has now been split into two categories. Nominations for Best Latin Rock Or Alternative Album are: No Hay Espacio (Black:Guayaba), Adelantando (Jarabe De Palo), Amantes Sunt Amentes (Panda), Kamikaze (Rabanes), Memo Rex Commander Y El Corazón Atómico De La Via Láctea (Zoé). For Best Latin Urban Album, nods go to: E.S.L. (Akwid), El Abayarde Contra-Ataca (Tego Calderón), Residente O Visitante (Calle 13), El Cartel: The Big Boss (Daddy Yankee), and Vacaneria! (Fulanito).

GRAMMY ballots for the final round of voting will be mailed on Dec. 12 to the voting members of The Recording Academy. They are due back to the accounting firm of Deloitte by Jan. 9, 2008, when they will be tabulated and the results kept secret until the telecast.

The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Walter C. Miller is producer/director, Tisha Fein is the coordinating producer, and Tzvi Small is supervising producer.

DAVE KOZ & FRIENDS AT THE MOVIES SUMMER TOUR 2007

Dave Koz has added another special guest to the line-up for the Dave Koz and Friends At The Movies Summer 2007 Tour: 19-year-old Razor & Tie recording artist Kelly Sweet. Kelly is currently enjoying a #1 hit at Adult Contemporary radio with "Raincoat," the first single from her 2007 debut album, We Are One. The single is also steadily climbing the Smooth Jazz charts. The tour launches June 3rd in Columbia, MD and wraps up at the Hollywood Bowl in Hollywood, CA on August 19th. Each show on the tour will be a "double feature," with Koz, Sweet and previously announced special guests David Benoit and Phil Perry playing their respective hits during the first half of the show, then joining together on numerous selections from Koz's blockbuster album, At The Movies. Rendezvous recording artist Brian Simpson will play keyboards and serve as Koz's musical director.

Since its January 2007 release, At The Movies, Koz's homage to classic film music, has been at the top of the charts and Dave, a four-time Grammy nominee, has been in demand, appearing on national television shows such as "Good Morning America," "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," "The Today Show" and "The View," to name a few. At The Movies contains such classics as "Over The Rainbow," "Moon River," "As Time Goes By," "The Way We Were," "The Pink Panther" and "A Whole New World." Guest artists on the album include India.Arie, Anita Baker, Chris Botti, Barry Manilow, Johnny Mathis, Donna Summer and Vanessa Williams.

At 19, Kelly Sweet has already performed over 500 concerts in the U.S., including opening gigs for Paul Simon, Kenny Loggins and Anita Baker. The summer tour with Koz marks her first national tour since the March 2007 release of her acclaimed debut, We Are One. Classically-trained and able to sing in several languages (French, Italian and even Sanskrit), her music conveys a sense of depth, intimacy and sophistication not often heard in today's pop landscape as exemplified by lead single "Raincoat," which Billboard hailed as "a breezy, precocious ballad that displays an impressive vocal range, emotive expression and a vocal equivalent of cool, crush velvet." For more information on Kelly Sweet go to http://www.kelly-sweet.com.

Over the last quarter century, composer and pianist David Benoit has been a passionate musical innovator committed to the exploration of many different art forms on the American landscape. A five-time Grammy nominee for his extraordinary and seminal contributions to contemporary jazz,
Benoit has also embarked on a multi-faceted journey into the classical music world. For more information on David Benoit go to http://www.benoit.com.

Born and raised in East St. Louis, Phil Perry has spent most of his career as one of the most sought-after backing vocalists in the music business. His bright, multi-octave range has played a supporting role on dozens of albums by such acts as Anita Baker, Boz Scaggs, Rod Stewart, Peabo Bryson and George Duke. But he has also distinguished himself through five strong solo albums that have highlighted both his ability to interpret classic soul songs as well as his own songwriting skills. For more information on Phil Perry go to http://www.philperry.net.

Summer concert dates are as follows:
June 3 - +++ Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
June 8 - ** Albuquerque, NM @ Isleta Casino & Resort Showroom
June 9 - Wendover, NV @ Peppermill Concert Hall
June 10 - Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre
June 15 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
June 17 - Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
June 21- Grand Prairie, TX @ Nokia Live Theatre
June 22 - El Paso, TX @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts
June 23- Southfield, MI @ Southfield Civic Center
July 13 - North Kansas City, MO @ Voodoo Lounge @ Harrah's
July 14 - Apple Valley, MN @ Minnesota Zoo Amphitheatre
July 20 - ** Richmond, VA @ Kanawha Plaza
July 21 - ** Winter Park, CO @ Hideaway Park
July 25 - Atlanta, GA @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre
July 27 - Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl Concert Theatre at Palms Casino
July 28 - Temecula, CA @ Thornton Winery
July 29 - Temecula, CA @ Thornton Winery
August 2 - Saratoga, CA @ The Mountain Winery
August 3 - Sacramento, CA @ Radisson Hotel
August 4 - Woodinville, WA @ Chateau St. Michelle
August 5 - Healdsburg, CA @ Rodney Strong Vineyard
August 9 - Cleveland, OH @ Playhouse Square
August 10 - Kettering, OH @ Fraze Pavilion
August 11 - Oyster Bay, NY @ Planting Fields Arboretum
August 17h - San Diego, CA @ Humphrey's By the Bay
August 18 - Concord, CA @ Sleeptrain Pavilion
August 19 - Hollywood, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

+++ David Benoit, Phil Perry and Kelly Sweet will not be appearing on June 3 show

** David Benoit will not be appearing at these shows.

MARCUS MILLER - MASTER OF ALL TRADES CONCERT DVD

Highly Anticipated 2-Disc Live DVD to be Released on March 22, 2006

KOCH Records, in conjunction with American Treasures, announces the release of Marcus Miller - Master of All Trades. The new 2-DVD set will be released on March 22, 2006 and is loaded with extras, including numerous interview segments with esteemed artists Herbie Hancock, Lalah Hathaway, Roberta Flack, Luther Vandross, Stanley Clarke, Bill Withers and many others.

The live concert was recorded at the famed Knitting Factory in Hollywood, CA in October of 2002. Marcus and his incredible band at the time - Poogie Bell, Dean Brown, Roger Byam, Bruce Flowers, and Michael "Patches" Stewart - are joined on a few numbers by talented vocalists Lalah Hathaway and Raphael Saadiq, and rip through an amazing set, showcasing Marcus' incredible talents.

Miller is a true Master of All Trades. He has been dubbed "the Superman of Soul," and is often thought of as one of the best electric bassists in the world. His acclaimed album M2 won the 2001 Grammy™ for Best Contemporary Jazz Album. Miller's compositions have been recorded by Aretha Franklin (Jump to It), Jay-Z (Can't Knock the Hustle), Luther Vandross (Power of Love/Love Power), EU (Da Butt), and Miles Davis (Tutu).

In addition, Marcus Miller as a bassist has performed on over 400 CDs including recordings by artists as diverse as Barbra Streisand, Mariah Carey, Bill Withers, Elton John, Frank Sinatra, and LL Cool J. Marcus Miller the producer has worked with jazz legends (Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter, David Sanborn), extraordinary singers (Luther Vandross, Roberta Flack, Chaka Khan, Take 6, Al Jarreau), and hip hop artists (Me'shell Ndegeocello). He is also the composer of film and TV scores whose music has given life to at least a dozen feature films including "Boomerang" (Eddie Murphy and Halle Berry), "Siesta" (Ellen Barkin and Gabriel Byrne), the hit TV series "Everybody Hates Chris" and even an animated children's film, "Trumpet of the Swan."

Marcus Miller - Master of All Trades showcases not only Marcus' incredible talents, but brings the viewer inside the studio and on tour with Marcus and his band, delving into his life and career as well. This 2-disc set is a must-have for Marcus' fans everywhere!

OCTOBER 2005 CD RELEASES: JAZZ, SMOOTH JAZZ & CHILL MUSIC

Aaron Weinstein – A Handful Of Stars (Arbors Records)
Acoustic Alchemy – Best Kept Secret (DVD, Verve)
Alain Caron – 5 (Bhm)
Alexandre Cunha – Bate Papo (Tratore)
Amanda Carr – Carr Toons (Original Music Service)
Amanda Carr – Liver In San Giorgio (Original Music Service)
Amina Figarova – September Suite (215 Records)
Amy Stephens – My Many Moods (Oa2)
Anthony Wilson Trio – Savivity (Groove Note)
Antonio Carlos Jobim – Fotografia: Os Anos Dourados De Tom Jobim (2-CD, Planet Rhythm)
Baden Powell – Baden Powell Live – DVD (Fremeaux)
Barbara Russell – Lerner In Love: The Lyrics Of Alan Jay Lerner (LML Music)
Ben Monder – Oceana (Sunnyside)
Bette Midler - Bette Midler Sings The Peggy Lee Songbook
Billy Cobham’s Glass Menagerie – Live In Riazzino, Switzerland (DVD, TDK)
Bob James – One (Koch)
Bob James – Two (Koch)
Bobby McFerrin – Live In Montreal (DVD, Verve)
Boris Vanderiek – Blue & Sentimental (A Records)
Brad Wheeler – The Future Was Yesterday (Origin)
Bradley Lubman – Insomniac (Tzadik)
Brian Bromberg – Brian Bromberg (Artistry)
Carter/Cobham/Harrison – New York Cool: Live At The Blue Note (HighNote)
Charlie Byrd with the Woody Herman Big Band – Bamba-Samba Bossa Nova (Universal)
Chick Corea Elektric Band – Live At Montreux 2004 (DVD, Red Dist.)
Chris Botti –To Love Again (Sony)
Chris Botti – Embraceable You (DualDisc/Sony)
Claudia Quintet – Semi-Formal (Cuneiform)
Craig Chaquico – Holiday (Higher Octave)
Dave Holland Quintet – Live In Freiburg (DVD, TDK)
Dave’s True Story – Project Remix (Bepop)
David Garfield – Tribute to Jeff Porcaro (Crr)
David Rothenberg – Bangalore Wild (Wild Foundation)
Don Cherry – Don Cherry’s Multikulti (DVD, Kultur)
Eyal Maoz – Edom (Tzadik)
Fourplay – An Evening Of Fourplay Volumes One and Two (DVD, Red Dist.)
Geoffrey Keezer – Wildcrafted: Live At The Dakota (MaxJazz)
George Cartwright – Ghostly Bee (Innova)
Giba Favery – Hard Samba (Tratore)
Gonzalez Jerry & Fort Apache – Rhumba Para Buhaina (Random Chance)
Groove Armada – Another Late Night (Azuli)
Guillermo Gregorio – Coplanar (New World)
Harry Connick Jr. – Harry For The Holidays (DualDisc. Columbia)
Hilary Noble & Rebecca Cline – Enclave (Zoho Music)
Jack Teagarden – Time For T (Sounds Of Yesteryear)
Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey – The Sameness Of Difference (Hyena)
James Gregory - Tibet
Jamie Cullum – Catching Tales (Verve Forecast)
Jane Monheit – Season (Epic)
Jean Michel Pilc – Live At The Iridium New York (Dreyfus Music)
Jesse Cook – The Ultimate Jesse Cook (Narada 2-CD)
Jim Caruso – Caruso Live And In Person (LML Music)
Jimmy Smith – Christmas ’64 (Verve)
Joe Locke & The Milt Jackson Tribute Band – Rev-Elation (Sharp-Nine)
Joe McPhee – Pieces Of Light (Altavistic UMC)
Joel Harrison – Harrison On Harrison (HighNote)
John Coltrane – One Up, One Down: Live At The Half Note (2-CD, Impulse)
Julius Tolentino – Just The Beginning (Sharp Nine)
Kenny G – The Greatest Holiday Classics (Arista)
Kyoto Jazz Massive - Spellbinder
Laura Welland – Dissertation On The State Of Bliss (Oa2)
Les Baxter – Fruit Of Dreams (El)
Loren Stillman – It Could Be Anything (Fresh Sound New Talent)
Mat Maneri – Pentagon (Thirsty Ear)
Meat Beat Manifesto – Off Centre (Thirsty Ear)
Moacir Santos – Choros And Alegria (Adventure Music)
Moreno – Jazz Tzigane (Forte Dist.)
Niacin – Organik (Magna Carta)
Nina Simone – The Soul Of Nina Simone (DualDisc/Columbia)
Nina Simone – A Very Rare Evening (Mambo Maniacs)
Nina Simone – Live At Montreux 1976 (DVD, Red Dist.)
No Limit – Homerun (Double Moon)
Ofra Haza – At The Montreux Jazz Festival (COP Int’l.)
Oregon – Moon And Mind (Universe/Italy)
Paris Combo – Living Room (DRG Records)
Paul Gonsalves – Humming Bird (Dutton Vocalion/UK)
Paul Motian Trio – Live At The Village Vanguard (Winter & Winter/JMT)
Pharoah Sanders – Anthology: You’ve Got To Have Freedom (Universal/UK)
Pharoah Sanders w/ Norman Connors & Phyllis Hyman – Love Will Find A Way (Hep Cat)
Ray Brown with Shelly Manne & Joe Sample – The Tree (Test Of Time)
Rebecca Pidgeon – Touch On Crime (The Lab)
Reese Project – Vicodin Dreams (95 North)
Richie Hart – Greasy Street (Zoho Music)
Rick Braun – Yours Truly (Artizen)
Rod Stewart – Thanks For The Memories- The Great American Songbook Vol. 4 (J)
Rodney Jones – Dreams And Stories (Savant)
Rosemary Clooney – A Very Special Christmas With Rosemary Clooney (Sumthing Else)
Roy Ayers – The Essential Roy Ayers: Mastercuts (Mastercuts)
Roy Ayers – My Vibes (Charly)
Russ Freeman, Richard Twardzik, Jimmy Rowles & Clare Fischer – Mosaic Select: Jazz Piano Trios (3 CDs, Mosiac Select)
Shakatak – Easier Said Than Done
Shirley Horn – But Beautiful: The Best Of Shirley Horn (Verve)
Simply Red – Simplified (Verve)
Soft Machine Legacy – Live In Zaandam – May 10, 2005 (MoonJune)
Spider Saloff – Like Glass (Kopaesthetics)
Stan Getz & Jan Wroblewski – Live In Warsaw (Harkit/UK)
Steps Ahead – Steps Ahead (Collectibles)
Steve Lehman – Damien As A Posthuman (Pi Recordings)
Sun Ra Arkestra w/Lester Bowie, Don Cherry, John Gilmore, Marshall Allen, Philly Jo Jones & Sun Ra – East Berlin And West Berlin (DVD, Transparency)
Susan Tedeschi – Hope And Desire (Verve Forecast)
Susie Arioli – Learn To Smile Again (Justin Time)
Susie Arioli – Learn To Smile Again (Justin Time)
Terry Durham – Crystal Telephone (Dutton Vocalion/UK)
Tetuzi Akiyama – Pre-Existence (Locust)
Threadgill Pyeng – Of The Air (Random Chance)
Tim Garland – If The Sea Replied (Sirocco Jazz)
Toby Driver – In The Li Li Library Loft (Tzadik)
Tok Tok Tok – About (Bhm)
Urban Knights – The Best Of The Urban Knights
Various Artists – Searching For Soul: Rare & Classic Soul, Funk & Jazz From Michigan 1968-1980 (Luv N Haight)
Various Artists – Martha Stewart Living – Jazz For The Holidays (Columbia)
Various Artists – Impulsive! Revolutionary Jazz Reworked (Impilse!)
Various Artists – Impulsive! Unmixed (Impulse!)
Victor Wooten – Show Off Hands (Welk)
Victor Wooten – What Did He Say (Welk)
Vince Ector – Renewal Of The Spirit (Mambo Maniacs)