JAZZ IMPROV LIVE! 2007 CONVENTION & FESTIVAL, OCT 25-28

The first annual Jazz Improv® LIVE! Convention & Festival 2007, The One International Convention For Jazz Fans -- announces a preliminary schedule of headline events (see below for details), and Discount Advance Registration. Taking place this autumn in New York, October 25-28, 2007, at The New Yorker Hotel and Manhattan Center, at 34th Street & 8th Avenue in midtown Manhattan, right in the heart of the jazz world, the event will feature over 150 activities, a 12,000 square foot jazz expo area, and scores of performances, all day and evening, by leading and emerging artists covering the broadest array of jazz genres. Highlights include an exclusive U.S. appearance by the McCoy Tyner Trio featuring Stanley Clarke and Jack DeJohnette which will be recorded live for release on Half Note.

Legendary jazz historians and authorities Ira Gitler, Dan Morgenstern, George Wein, Ashley Kahn, Michael Cogswell (Louis Armstrong Museum), Loren Schoenberg (Jazz Museum of Harlem), Gary Walker, WBGO are among the list of experts who will be appearing on panels, workshops and interviews about the music, history, recordings, and personalities. Plus, for those who make music -- musicians, students, hobbyists, educators -- there will be an entire event track focused on playing, improvising, composing, arranging and the ins and outs of the music business, led by some of the industry's foremost players.

To take advantage of Advance Registration discounts, including a free bonus copy of Jazz Improv Magazine (300 pages with enhanced companion CD), call 1-888-472-0670, or use the secure automated registration form online at www.jazzimprov.com/live, or by mail to: Jazz Improv Convention Corporation, Murray Hill Station, P.O. Box 1813, New York, NY 10156. For information on SPONSORSHIPS and exhibiting, contact Jamie Cosnowsky, jamie@jazzimprov.com, 212-889-0853.

Thursday, October 25
Kickoff party/performance exclusively for Jazz Improv attendees in-store
at Virgin MegaStores, Times Square location, NY with headliner to be named

Friday, October 26 (evening)
McCoy Tyner - Stanley Clarke - Jack DeJohnette All Star Trio (evening)
Pat Martino Quartet (evening)
Jimmy Heath Big Band (evening)
Geri Allen Trio (evening)
Sun Ra Arkestra (afternoon)
Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra w/Dave Liebman perf. Gil Evans’
Porgy & Bess (afternoon)
Bobby Sanabria (afternoon)
Mark Sherman with Joe Magnarelli, Allen Farnham, Tim Horner, Dean Johnson
(afternoon)

Saturday, October 27 (evening)
Stanley Clarke Trio (evening)
Wallace Roney Group (evening)
Jazz Improv All Star Big Band & Guests (evening)
Roy Haynes Quartet (evening)
Pat Martino Guitar Workshop/Clinic (afternoon)
Stanley Clarke Bass Workshop/Clinic (afternoon)

Sunday, October 28
Sunday Brunch at Virgin MegaStores, Union Square
Other events may be added

Advance registration to Jazz Improv LIVE! is suggested so that attendees may obtain proper badges and credentials to ensure entry to the opening event.
Jazz Improv LIVE! is the only international convention for jazz lovers -- uniquely designed for jazz fans -- consumers -- the segment that represents the largest group of customers for jazz records, products, and live performances. Unlike other events that require membership fees, and exorbitant attendance prices, jazz fans can experience four fabulous days of jazz at a very reasonable rate.

THE 5TH DIMENSION ENTIRE SOUL CITY/BELL CATALOG TO BE REISSUED

Seven-CD Rollout Sparks New Appreciation of Late '60s Pop Group Featuring Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.

The year 1967 marked the Summer of Love, when the initial strains of psychedelia shared the pop charts with the Tijuana Brass, the Monkees, Aretha Franklin, Nancy Sinatra and a harmonizing quintet who managed to combine sophisticated pop and soul with a touch of hippie aesthetic, the 5th Dimension. One of the great hit-making groups of the time, the 5th Dimension recorded a respectable body of chart-top hits: "Up Up & Away," "Go Where You Wanna Go," "Sweet Blindness," "Stoned Soul Picnic," "Age of Aquarius," "California Soul," "Working on a Groovy Thing," "One Less Bell to Answer" and "(Last Night) I Couldn't Get To Sleep at All" among others.

Forty years after the group's inception, on August 7, Collectors' Choice Music (CCM) will reissue ten 5th Dimension long-players on seven CDs, representing the group's entire Soul City/Bell recorded output, plus the first post-group recording by the duo of Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr.

The 5th Dimension was composed of Billy Davis, Jr., Marilyn McCoo, Florence LaRue, Lamonte McLemore and Ron Townson. They had previously recorded for Johnny Rivers' Soul City label as the Versatiles with a faux Motown sound and production by Willie Hutch, but label owner Johnny Rivers had a greater vision for the quintet.

The group's success was due in no small part to the enlistment of two world class songwriters -- Jimmy Webb and Laura Nyro. Webb wrote the bulk of the first two albums, while Nyro's songs provided a seamless second wind with albums three and four. Success continued for many years to come, but when the momentum slowed, Davis and McCoo (husband and wife as well as group-mates) released a successful album as a duo and hosted a television variety show.

Collectors' Choice has, in most cases, bundled two long-players per CD, remastered with bonus tracks and liner notes by venerated music scribe Gene Sculatti.

The 5th Dimension: Up Up & Away/Magic Garden. As key songwriter, arranger and conductor, Jimmy Webb guided the group through its first two LPs. This set includes their first hit, a remake of the Mamas & Papas' "Go Where You Wanna Go," along with the song that would propel them to superstardom, "Up Up & Away," and a third hit, "Another Day, Another Heartache," as well as notable album track "Rosecrans Blvd." Up Up & Away went Top 10 on Billboard's pop album charts and remained on the charts for a record-setting 83 weeks. The Magic Garden, a semi-concept album, was wholly written by Webb save for one Beatles cover, and launched the group's long relationship with producer Bones Howe. The CCM reissue contains three bonus tracks.

The 5th Dimension: Stoned Soul Picnic/The Age of Aquarius. The quintet shifted into even higher gear with Stoned Soul Picnic, which contained two Laura Nyro compositions: the title track and "Sweet Blindness." Although they had to ask Nyro the meaning of "surrey down," the group wasted no time in making "Stoned Soul Picnic" its own, reaching No. 3 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart. The album contained the No. 25 hit "California Soul," and songs by Dick & Don Adfrissi, Jeffrey Commanor and Association co-founder Jules Alexander. Picnic is paired here with The Age of Aquarius, which featured the smash title track from the Broadway production "Hair," and the Nyro song "Wedding Bell Blues." It also included the hits "Blowin' Away" (also by Nyro) and "Working on a Groovy Thing." But who would have predicted a cover of Cream's "Sunshine of Your Love"? Anything was possible in the Aquarian age. Contains two bonus tracks as well.

The 5th Dimension: Portrait/Love's Lines, Angles & Rhymes: The 5th Dimension entered the '70s with a bang, or at least a Bell, as Johnny Rivers sold his theretofore Imperial-distributed Soul City label to Bell Records (which later became subsumed by Arista). And the hits followed them to the new address, due in no small part to the group bringing in its creative cadre. Burt Bacharach's mournful ballad "One Less Bell to Answer" was a No. 2 pop hit. But overall, Portrait went down as the group's protest album, featuring a medley called "Declaration," which they sang at the Nixon White House in 1969. The hit "Save the Country," their sixth Laura Nyro smash, also came from the album. The title track charted Top 20. Other songwriters represented included doo-wop veterans Johnny Bristol, Harvey Fuqua and Jesse Belvin, and lyricist Norman Gimbel, who wrote Roberta Flack's "Killing Me Softly." Contains three bonus tracks, and features the CD debut of Love's Lines.

The 5th Dimension: Live! This 1971 double-live album showed what level of harmony (vocally, spiritually and conceptually) the group could generate onstage. That it's never been on CD before is a real surprise. But the bigger surprise is that CCM dug up three unreleased live tracks to add to this CD reissue. Contains the "Love Medley," the "Laura Nyro Medley" and the "Jimmy Webb medley."

The 5th Dimension: Individually & Collectively/Living Together, Growing Together: Neither of these LPs have been reissued before on CD, yet they represented a fertile -- if lesser known -- period for hits. Individually featured "(Last Night) I Didn't Get to Sleep at All," with Marilyn McCoo increasingly taking the vocal spotlight. The writer was Tony Macaulay, whose other credits included the Foundations and Edison Lighthouse. The other hit, pointing the way to increased musical sophistication, was "If I Could Reach You," which nicked the Top 10. Growing Together bore no fewer than three Hot 100 entries: the title track plus Paul Anka's "Everything's Been Changed" and "Ashes to Ashes."

The 5th Dimension: Soul & Inspiration: This was the group's last album for Bell (never previously available on CD), and the last they would make with Bones Howe, with some tracks produced by Friends of Distinction producer John Florez. The original lineup would make one more album on ABC before Davis and McCoo left to pursue their successful career. The CD features six unreleased, Bones Howe-produced bonus tracks.

Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis: I Hope We Get to Love in Time: McCoo and Davis' first post-5th Dimension album went gold, landed them three hit singles ("You Don't Have to be a Star (To Be in My Show)," "I Hope We Get to Love in Time," and "Your Love." Their new producer was Detroit-based producer Don Davis, who'd worked with Stax sensations Johnnie Taylor and the Dramatics. The album stayed on the Billboard charts for more than six months, and the duo continued its success with two subsequent albums plus their own prime-time television show. The two continue to perform 75-100 live dates per year.

THE RASCALS' ATLANTIC LPs REISSUED ON COLLECTORS' CHOICE MUSIC

The Rascals emerged from New York City in 1966 with a British Invasion look and an American soul- music sound. By the time their golden run on Atlantic was over, they'd racked up an incredible list of hits: "Good Lovin," "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore," "I've Been Lonely Too Long," "Groovin'," "A Girl Like You," "How Can I Be Sure," "It's Wonderful," "People Gotta Be Free" and "Carry Me Back," among others.

The principals of Collectors' Choice Music (CCM) spent years securing reissue rights to the Rascals' Atlantic albums, and will release them on August 28, 2007. The Rascals LPs have been reissued on CD before, but not with the original mono mixes -- which purists (including remastering engineer Bill Inglot) believe to outshine the stereo mixes. So with the first four albums -- The Young Rascals, Collections, Groovin' and Once upon a Dream -- CCM includes the stereo versions back-to-back with the mono versions. (Yes, there's a certain geek factor to that, and that's what makes CCM great.)

The Rascals were composed of songwriters Felix Cavaliere (organ/vocals) and Eddie Brigati (vocals) along with Gene Cornish (guitar) and Dino Danelli (drums). The series traces their evolution through their garage and soul origins through their mastery of songwriting and their yearning to attain a higher artistic purpose as illustrated on the later albums.

The Young Rascals: In one of the most formidable American rock debuts of the '60s, the Young Rascals, as they were then known, combined a raw garage sound with white soul stylings honed by hundreds of hours playing clubs in the New York area. The debut album includes the hits "Good Lovin'" and "I Ain't Gonna Eat Out My Heart Anymore" alongside soul and R&B classics. Both the stereo and mono versions of the album are included.

Collections: Chief Rascal Felix Cavaliere told Melody Maker in 1966 that the Rascals' mission was to take back American music from the British Invasion. This album contains the defining hit "I've Lonely Too Long" alongside R&B classics like "Too Many Fish in the Sea," "Land of 1,000 Dances," "Mickey's Monkey" and more. Once again CCM includes the stereo and mono versions on one disc.

Groovin': By the time of Groovin', the Rascals had graduated to writing most of their own material, and this album bore three huge hits: the title track "Groovin'," which struck a chord with its strong vocals and lazy harmonica; and "How Can I Be Sure" and "A Girl Like You," each a pop gem enhanced by Arif Mardin's sophisticated arrangements. Created in the mono years, CCM again includes both mono and stereo versions.

Once Upon A Dream: If Groovin' had hinted at an impending psychedelic feel, Once Upon A Dream from 1968 took it all the way, daring to step out of the Rascals' comfort zone and into the burgeoning art-rock world populated at that time by no less than the Beatles and Rolling Stones. The band enlisted such key instrumentalists as King Curtis on sax, Herbert Laws on flute and Mel Lastie on trumpet, plus a string orchestra. The album did have a hit in "It's Wonderful." And the stereo and mono versions -- both included here -- are distinctly different from one another.

Freedom Suite: Going one farther than Once Upon A Dream in releasing a double album, 1969's Freedom Suite focused on the political climate following the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King. Sides three and four, featuring three long instrumental jams, freed the Rascals of three-minute single-oriented constraints. Yet it was a single here, the soulful "People Got to Be Free," that struck a chord with the times.
See: Times had clearly changed in the Rascals' world. The band's performances now featured orchestras. And Felix Cavaliere had begun studying Eastern philosophy with Swami Satchinanda. Critic Lenny Kaye -- later of Patti Smith's group -- wrote in his Rolling Stone review that he wished the Rascals would again focus on hit singles rather than lofty concepts. Yet in what would prove the final Rascals album with the original personnel, See added two more hits to the Rascals' list: the title track "See" and the gospel-tinged "Carry Me Back."

Search and Nearness: The seventh and final album for Atlantic, Search and Nearness was doomed from the start. The band had departed Atlantic with intentions to jump to Columbia before the LP's street date, so the label didn't bend over backwards to promote it. In addition, Eddie Brigati -- one of the band's key writers and vocalists -- left during the sessions, but not before bring his brother David on board to join him on "Glory Glory." The Rascals further pursued the gospel flavor of "Carry Me Back," even going so far as to enlist Atlantic label-mates Cissy Houston and the Sweet Inspirations on backing vocals. The album was dedicated to Jerry Wexler, Ahmet & Neshui Ertegun, Eddie Brigati, Arif Mardin and the entire staff of Atlantic records "in fond remembrance of five great years." That's right, five. Time went more slowly in those days. And the Rascals pumped out seven superb albums in that time.

EXPANDED WATTSTAX CD PACKAGE RELEASED

In the summer of 1972, Stax Records had an idea that was larger than life. Stax's co-owner, Al Bell, had wanted to expand the soul label's West Coast presence and develop its Stax Films arm. The ideal way to do both was to stage the biggest soul concert in history -- termed by one former staff member "the black Woodstock" -- right in the center of South Central Los Angeles, a vast portion of which had been destroyed by fire in the Watts Riots. The concert, called Wattstax, proved a crowning moment for Stax as 112,000 people united at the Los Angeles Coliseum in a spirit of joy, pride and celebration. The resultant movie was a blockbuster and plays to this date in many music film festivals. And now the original two-LP soundtrack has been expanded to three CDs, including material from the original Wattstax album (which sold seven million copies in the SoundScan era alone) as well as from its sequel, Wattstax: The Living Word, along with samplings from Wattstax-related individual artist albums released in 1972-73.

On August 28, Stax Records -- reactivated by new owner Concord Music Group -- will release the first domestic reissue of the complete Wattstax soundtrack, housed in a collectible Digipack featuring rare photographs and reproductions of vintage Wattstax-era posters. The package also contains a multi-page booklet on the story of Wattstax by noted soul music historian Rob Bowman. List price is $24.98. Digitally remastered from the original tapes, the package is one of the highlights of Stax's 50th anniversary celebration, which has also featured live concerts, a film to be premiered on PBS, a film festival and an array of reissues and DVDs.

The expanded Wattstax volume features many Stax artists whose careers were surging in the early '70s: namely Isaac Hayes, The Staple Singers, Carla Thomas, Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Eddie Floyd, William Bell, The Bar-Kays, The Emotions, Albert King, Little Milton, The Rance Allen Group, David Porter, The Soul Children, Mel & Tim, Fredrick Knight, Deborah Manning, Little Sonny and Richard Pryor. The set includes such hits as "Respect Yourself," "I'll Take You There," "Gee Whiz," "Theme from Shaft," "Son of Shaft," "Do The Funky Chicken," "Backfield in Motion," "Knock On Wood," "Steal Away" and more -- 47 songs in all on three CDs.

In addition to music from the concert, Stax filmed and recorded its artists all around town in clubs, churches and even in the studio. The expanded Wattstax anthology includes the best of the live festival from Wattstax and Wattstax: The Living Word plus a slew of previously unreleased festival performances, selected tracks from the club and church recordings staged during the week of the festival, and selected bits by comedian Richard Pryor that were recorded at the Summit Club in Los Angeles. Pryor's contributions were originally used in the Wattstax film to connect the music performances with man-on-the-street commentary on issues that were then pertinent to black America. Included also is an introduction by the Rev. Jesse Jackson - himself a Stax spoken-word recording artist at the time.

Wattstax was hoped to be the first step in a series of urban festivals and movies to be produced by Stax, but sequels were never to materialize. The festival hit the zeitgeist of black America at that point in time. And 35 hot summers after the festival, the music sounds as fresh as ever.

WATTSTAX TRACK Listings NY Press

Disc One
Salvation Symphony - Dale Warren & The Wattstax '72 Orchestra
Introduction - Rev. Jesse Jackson
Lift Every Voice And Sing - Kim Weston
Heavy Makes You Happy (Sha-Na-Boom-Boom) - The Staple Singers
Are You Sure? - The Staple Singers
I Like The Things About Me - Staple Singers
Respect Yourself - The Staple Singers
I'll Take You There - The Staple Singers
Precious Lord, Take My Hand - Deborah Manning
Better Get A Move On - Louise McCord
Them Hot Pants - Lee Sain
Wade In The Water - Little Sonny
I Forgot To Be Your Lover - William Bell
Explain It To Her Mama - The Temprees
I've Been Lonely (For So Long) - Frederick Knight
The Newcombers - Pin The Tail On The Donkey
Knock On Wood - Eddie Floyd

Disc Two
Peace Be Still - The Emotions
Old Time Religion - The Golden 13
Lying On The Truth -The Rance Allen Group
Up Above My Head -The Rance Allen Group
Son of Shaft/Feel It - The Bar-Kays
In The Hole -The Bar-Kays
I Can't Turn You Loose - The Bar-Kays
Introduction - The David Porter Show
Ain't That Loving You (For More Reasons Than One) - David Porter
Can't See You When I Want To - David Porter
Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand) - David Porter
Niggas - Richard Pryor
Arrest/Lineup - Richard Pryor
So I Can Love You - The Emotions
Group Introduction / Show Me How - The Emotions

Disc Three
Open The Door To Your Heart - Little Milton
Backfield In Motion - Mel & Tim
Steal Away - Jonnie Taylor
Killing Floor - Albert King
Pick Up The Pieces - Carla Thomas
I Like What You're Doing (To Me) - Carla Thomas
B-A-B-Y - Carla Thomas
Gee Whiz (Look At His Eyes) - Carla Thomas
I Have A God Who Loves - Carla Thomas
The Breakdown - Rufus Thomas
Do The Funky Chicken - Rufus Thomas
Do The Funky Penguin - Rufus Thomas
I Don't Know What This World Is Coming To - The Soul Children
Hearsay - The Soul Children
Theme From Shaft - Isaac Hayes

TANGLEWOOD JAZZ FESTIVAL 2007

Boston Symphony Orchestra Presents 2007 Tanglewood Jazz Festival to take place August 31-September 2, 2007 In Lenox, Massachusetts.

Featured Performers Include Randy Crawford & Joe Sample, Kurt Elling, Ahmad Jamal, Poncho Sanchez Latin Big Band, Hank Jones, Roberta Gambarini, Jimmy Heath, Marian McPartland, Renee Rosnes, Maria Schneider, Kevin Mahogany, Red Holloway, Cyrus Chestnut, Hugh Masekela, Cesar Camargo Mariano, Romero Lubambo, Leny Andrade, Aruan Ortiz, Edmar Castaneda, Mina Agossi, Grace Kelly, Chiara Civello, Sachal Vasandani
Cunard Line Comes Aboard as the Official Cruise Line of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Sponsor of the Tanglewood Jazz Festival.

The Boston Symphony Orchestra will present its annual Labor Day Weekend Tanglewood Jazz Festival August 31-September 2 at the Orchestra's summer home in the Berkshire Hills in Lenox, Massachusetts.

Cunard Line, whose fleet comprises The Most Famous Ocean Liners in the World (SM), Queen Mary 2 and QE2, and our newest royal, Queen Victoria, comes aboard for the first time as the official cruise line and sponsor of the 2007 Tanglewood Jazz Festival. During its storied 167-year history, Cunard's renowned ships have transported society's luminaries, notables, and famed artists around the world in unrivaled style. Sumptuous surroundings and the line's legendary White Star Service (SM) have made Cunard the preferred choice of luxury travel for generations.

Tickets for the 2007 Tanglewood Jazz Festival are available by calling SymphonyCharge at 888-266-1200 or online at www.tanglewood.org. and in person at the Tanglewood Box Office in Lenox. All ticket prices include a $1 Tanglewood Grounds Maintenance Fee. For further information, please call the Boston Symphony Orchestra at 617-266-1492.

2007 Tanglewood Jazz Festival Ticket Prices
All-day lawn pass Saturday and Sunday @ $33 per day
Friday, August 31, 6:30 pm
Aruan Ortiz, Cuban jazz pianist
Jazz Café
Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Friday, August 31, 8 pm
Hugh Masekela
Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band
Tickets: $40-57/lawn $17

Saturday, September 1, 1:30 pm
Mina Agossi, French jazz vocalist
Jazz Cafe
Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Saturday, September 1, 3 pm
Live taping of Marian McPartland's "Piano Jazz" for NPR
Special guest Renee Rosnes
Tickets: $30-47/lawn $18

Saturday, September 1, 6:30 pm
Grace Kelly, saxophone
Jazz Cafe
Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Saturday, September 1, 8 pm
Kurt Elling with very special friends
Randy Crawford & Joe Sample
Tickets: $43-68/lawn $20

Sunday, September 2, 12 noon
Sachal Vasandani, jazz vocalist
Jazz Cafe
Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Sunday, September 2, 1:30 pm
1) Kevin Mahogany's Kansas City Revue
Featuring the music of Big Joe Turner
Starring Cyrus Chestnut & Red Holloway
Featuring Kathy Kosins & the Chuck Bergeron Trio
2) BossaBrasil
Featuring the Cesar Camargo Mariano-Romero Lubambo Duo
and special guest from Brazil, vocalist Leny Andrade
3) The Maria Schneider Orchestra
Tickets: $30-47/lawn $18

Sunday, September 2, 5 pm
The Edmar Castaneda Trio, harp
Jazz Cafe
Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Sunday, September 2, 6:30 pm
Chiara Civello, Italian jazz vocalist
Jazz Cafe
Admission free with ticket to main stage event

Sunday, September 2, 8 pm
Hank Jones & Roberta Gambarini
Ahmad Jamal & Jimmy Heath
Tickets: $40-57/lawn $17

Tickets: BSO Symphony Charge at 888-266-1200
Website: www.tanglewoodjazzfestival.org

DEAN MARTIN IS FOREVER COOL WITH NEW ALL-STAR COLLABORATIVE ALBUM

Around the world, entertainment superstar Dean Martin has the market cornered on charisma, easygoing charm, playful wit, and gracious humility, all of which combine to make him infinitely cool. To honor Martin’s broad appeal and countless contributions to modern entertainment via his legendary music, stage, film and television career, many of the world’s top artists have recorded new collaborative tracks with him for a new album titled Dean Martin: Forever Cool. To be released worldwide in CD and deluxe CD/DVD packages and digitally on Tuesday, August 14 by Capitol/EMI, Forever Cool’s 14 tracks pair Martin’s original vocals with new arrangements and an all-star group of collaborators in a salute to the unparalleled talent and charisma of the man known around the world as Dino.

Forever Cool’s inspired new recordings, woven together with several rare and previously unreleased clips of Martin’s witty studio banter, feature Grammy winner Joss Stone, country music star Martina McBride, two-time Oscar® winner Kevin Spacey, international superstar Robbie Williams, French entertainment icon Charles Aznavour, saxophonist Dave Koz, Grammy winner Shelby Lynne, trumpeter Chris Botti, “American Idol” finalist Paris Bennett, Italian chart-topper Tiziano Ferro and other music greats. The new album swings, swaggers, rocks, rolls and whispers, gently closing with a previously unreleased a cappella version of “Lullaby” sung by Martin.

More than anyone else ever has, Dean Martin personifies masculine cool. Never was an icon so relatable, never such a velvet-voiced, affable guy so Olympian. With Forever Cool, Martin’s brilliant knack for collaboration is renewed, fresh and fun all over again, bringing him together with many of the world’s top performers in an exuberant celebration. “It’s like a cocktail party on a record,” says Forever Cool executive producer Jane Ventom, “where all sorts of wonderful, unique guests get up and make music with the host.”

That the Forever Cool recording party roared in Capitol’s legendary Studio A in Hollywood, where almost every classic Dean Martin recording was put to tape, lent the proceedings a thrilling and electric ambiance. Song by song, spiritual and musical harmony ensued and fully enveloped each recording session. During a break in his vocal sessions, Kevin Spacey was heard to giddily mutter, “Holy ba-joley! He’s in the room… He’s definitely in the room…” Sax virtuoso Dave Koz politely asked the engineers to temporarily hold off the recording: “Could you just let Dean and I jam for awhile? By ourselves?”

“There was nobody cooler,” said Spacey. “The thing about Dean that’s always been astounding is that it just seems like it’s effortless. I think some people are just born entertainers. They recognize how to relate to an audience, how to engage an audience. I also think that one of the great things Dean had was that he could relate and engage with other performers. It’s a thrill to feel a link to someone like Dean Martin.”

“There is that undeniable force that you can’t put a name on,” said Robbie Williams. “I just want to be like him in real life. Offstage, I want to be like Dean Martin – funny, handsome, charming… I’ve got it nailed (laughs).”

“Dean had a swagger about him we all wish we had as entertainers,” said Shelby Lynne. “He’s got one of the greatest, most recognizable and smooth voices of all time. I’m not gonna lie. I’d love to be Dean Martin.” Added Scotty Morris of Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, “When you hear Dean Martin, he gives you a feeling. It’s a special gift. I love him and I want to do him justice, and I’d like to think that he’d be proud of me.”

Forever Cool’s production team includes EMI Music Marketing vice president of A&R Jane Ventom and Dean Martin’s business manager Laura Lizer as executive producers and Rob Christie as producer, with recording and mixing by co-producer and 15-time Grammy winner Al Schmitt (Norah Jones, Ray Charles, Diana Krall, Quincy Jones, etc.). Select tracks were produced by 12-time Grammy winning producer Phil Ramone (Tony Bennett, Paul Simon, Ray Charles, etc.), Grammy-winning producer, arranger and conductor Patrick Williams (Frank Sinatra, B.B. King, Barbra Streisand) and Bobby Colomby (Chris Botti). The album’s tracks were recorded and mixed at Capitol Studios in Hollywood.

“It’s a thrill to hear such a talented and diverse array of artists collaborate with Dean and celebrate his music,” said Dean Martin’s business manager Laura Lizer. “All of the artists have brought unique talents, inspiration and vibrant energy to the songs, complementing Dean with their own great styles and with a lot of love and respect for him. Forever Cool is a high-spirited, brilliant new entry in Dean’s recorded canon, and we’re proud to share it with his fans around the world. He would get a real kick out of this.”

Said Martin’s daughter, Gail Martin, “It gives me a warm glow to know that everybody – all ages, all generations – just seem to adore him and want more of him. That’s exciting, and it doesn’t surprise me.”

Of his first encounter with Martin, Jerry Lewis recalled, “That’s what I want to be like, you think. Maybe if I hang around with him, some of that’ll rub off on me.” In recent years Martin’s star has shone ever more brightly. In a 2004 Playboy magazine feature, writer Bill Zehme crowned Martin “the coolest man who ever lived.” More than 40 years after knocking the Beatles’ “A Hard Day’s Night” out of the #1 chart position with “Everybody Loves Somebody” in 1964, he continues to enthrall music fans around the world. Said Phil Ramone, “I think Dean’s whole re-birth, so to speak, is that young people have realized how cool he is and how funny he is… and he could sing.”

“He made music that’s going to stand the test of time and be around forever,” said Spacey. “People will always be listening to Dean Martin.”

“When he sings, you believe it,” said Martina McBride. “He had a great personality that just came across and made you feel like you knew him. I feel humbled and honored and proud to be a part of this project.” Echoed Lynne, “Some people are just naturally cool, and he was definitely naturally cool. It’s quite an honor to be a part of this.”

Martin’s effortless vocalizing has become a modern shorthand for cool, as evidenced by the use of his songs in films like Goodfellas, Casino, Swingers, Out of Sight, L.A. Confidential, A Bronx Tale and Payback, as well as top-rated television programs, including “The Sopranos,” “Ugly Betty” and ”Dancing With The Stars.” Martin’s music has also been featured in major brand TV advertising for Nissan, Microsoft, Marriott Hotels, Carl’s Jr., Heineken, this year’s Superbowl-premiered Budweiser commercial with “Ain’t That a Kick In the Head,” and many others.

The phenomenal sales of The Very Best Of Dean Martin and Dino: The Essential Dean Martin, provide a strongest signal of Dino’s continued prominence in the pop-music firmament. Both are just shy of Platinum in Canada. As Zehme observed in Playboy, “Dean provides smooth, winking succor to generations anew.”

“No matter what age you’re at, you kind of want to be cool,” said Spacey. “And there was nobody cooler at what he did.” Dean Martin’s approach to life with an easy smile, a graceful melody and an aura of unflappable cool is a style that was made to last forever.


For more information, please visit Dean Martin’s official Website: www.deanmartin.com.

DEAN MARTIN: FOREVER COOL (CD & Digital Album)

1. Who’s Got The Action – Featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (3:02)

2. Ain’t That A Kick In The Head – Featuring Kevin Spacey (2:38)

3. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face – Featuring Chris Botti (3:15)

4. Baby-O – Featuring Paris Bennett (3:09)

5. Who Was That Lady? – Featuring The Capitol Studios Orchestra (2:27)

6. Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone – Featuring Robbie Williams (2:27)

7. I Can’t Believe That You’re In Love With Me – Featuring Joss Stone (2:29)

8. Just In Time – Featuring Dave Koz (2:36)

9. Baby, It’s Cold Outside – Featuring Martina McBride (3:01)

10. King Of The Road – Featuring Kevin Spacey (2:28)

11. You’re Nobody ‘Til Somebody Loves You – Featuring Big Bad Voodoo Daddy & Shelby Lynne (3:09)

12. Arrivederci Roma – Featuring Tiziano Ferro (2:45)

13. Everybody Loves Somebody – Featuring Charles Aznavour (3:16)

14. Brahm’s Lullaby A Capella – Dean Martin (2:05)


DEAN MARTIN: FOREVER COOL (Deluxe Edition CD/DVD)

(DVD contents)

Making Of Forever Cool

Classic Dean Martin film clips (details to be announced)

PAUL ANKA CELEBRATES HIS 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN MUSIC WITH CLASSIC SONGS, MY WAY

Paul Anka is one of this century's most successful entertainers and songwriters, with awards and accomplishments that are unsurpassed. 2007 marks the icon's 50th anniversary in music; to commemorate the occasion he has recorded one of his most heartfelt and personal albums to date, Classic Songs, My Way. Classic Songs, My Way is a collection of Anka's hand-picked favorite songs, covering the gamut of his own greatest hits, to elite singer-songwriters, ballads, pop and adult contemporary classics. The CD also marks Anka's first recording for the Decca label, slated for release on August 28th.

Arranged for big band in the vein of his last critically acclaimed disc, Rock Swings, the new CD showcases Anka's unmistakable vocals, and his uncanny ability to make any song his own with style and panache. Teaming with Michael Buble and a special "surprise" guest, the record boasts musical offerings for longtime fans and new devotees alike. Magical moments on Classic Songs, My Way are plentiful. Listeners will thrill to hear a new duet version of, "My Way," arguably one of Anka's most beloved songs famous the world over. The new recording of "My Way" is available for the first time anywhere on this album. Anka was actually instrumental in discovering fellow Canadian Buble, who was ecstatic to join the legendary singer on their rendition of "(You Are My) Destiny," also pairing the two classic crooners together for the first time on disc.

Other memorable moments on Classic Songs, My Way include the Joni Mitchell treasure, "Both Sides Now," "I Go To Extremes," a Billy Joel riginal, the Cyndi Lauper staple, "Time After Time," and unexpected renditions of The Killers "Mr. Brightside" and Daniel Powter's "Bad Day." Paul Anka has a staggering 900 songs to his credit and over one hundred recorded by other artists including Elvis Presley, Barbra Streisand, Linda Ronstadt, and Robbie Williams, among others. His Billboard chart statistics in the U.S. include three # 1 songs: "Diana," "Lonely Boy," and "You're Having My Baby," as well as twenty-two Top 20 hits.

Having been nominated for an Academy Award for "The Longest Day," Paul Anka is also recognized for penning signature songs for Buddy Holly - "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", Tom Jones - "She's a Lady", Donny Osmond - "Puppy Love" and the aforementioned "My Way" for Frank Sinatra, as well as the evergreen theme for NBC's The Tonight Show.

BRUCE HORNSBY'S 'CAMP MEETING'

BRUCE HORNSBY'S 'CAMP MEETING'
Keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Bruce Hornsby, who earned a best new artist award in 1986, has recorded a straight-ahead jazz project. Titled Camp Meeting, the project is due August 7th on Sony/Legacy. Hornsby is joined on the set by bassist Christian McBride and veteran drummer Jack DeJohnette. The set includes new versions of classics by jazz greats John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Thelonious Monk and Bud Powell, as well as a '70s composition by pianist Keith Jarrett. Hornsby also tackles a previously unrecorded Ornette Coleman composition titled "Questions And Answers." The set also includes two original compositions. While Hornsby says he has always been inspired by jazz musicians, the idea for Camp Meeting came five years ago when he joined guitarist Pat Metheny onstage to play a Miles Davis composition with the University of Virginia jazz band. "I played a piano intro and afterward Pat said that I should make a jazz record," stated Hornsby. "He felt I had developed my own way of playing the jazz repertoire. I wasn't ready to make the record at that time. Playing jazz is a lifetime study, and I knew that I had to do some serious shedding before I could undertake this project." Hornsby first gained national attention in 1986 with his band The Range. Their debut album The Way It Is and the title track single earned him the best new artist Grammy. Hornsby has since recorded several pop-oriented solo albums, and has also written tunes for others, notably "The End Of The Innocence" for Don Henley, which was recently re-recorded by India.Arie.

DR. JOHN TOUR SCHEDULE

Dr. John will perform the following concerts:
June 22 - The Theatre, W. Palm Beach, FL
June 23 - Tampa Theatre, Tampa, FL
July 13 - Meadowbrook Park, Hamden, CT
July 14 - Belleayre Music Festival, Highmount, NY
July 20 - Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland
August 11 - Bite of Oregon, Portland, OR
August 12 - Blues & Roots Festival, Burnaby, BC
August 15 - Fort Lewis College, Durango, CO
August 16 - River Run Lodge, Sun Valley, ID
August 17 - Harry O's, Park City, UT
August 18 - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom, Denver, CO
August 19 - Blues Festival, Pinedale, WY
August 21 - Community Concert Hall, Durango, CO
August 23 - Belly Up,n Solana Beach, CA
August 25 - Starts at the Ridgetop, Nevada City, CA
September 1 - Long Beach Blues Fest, Long Beach, CA
September 7 - BB King's Blues Club, New York, NY
September 9 - BB King's Blues Club, New York, NY
September 15 - Harvest Jazz & Blues Fest, Fredericton, NB
September 28 - Wildwood Springs Lodge, Steelville, MO
September 29 - Wildwood Springs Lodge, Steelville, MO
September 30 - Big Spring International Park, Huntsville, AL
October 6 - The Glenn, Austin, TX
October 11 - Blues Alley, Washington, DC
October 12 - Blues Alley, Washington, DC
October 13 - Blues Alley, Washington, DC
October 14 - Blues Alley, Washington, DC
October 27 - Nob Hill Masonic Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
October 28 - Voodoo Music Experience, New Orleans, LA

SUZANNE VEGA - BEAUTY & CRIME ALBUM AND TOUR

Over 20 years into her storied career, singer Suzanne Vega shows that she remains one of the freshest voices in popular music today with the release of Beauty & Crime, her seventh album and her debut for Blue Note Records. Revolving around the theme of New York, the city where Vega was raised and still lives, the 11 original songs on Beauty & Crime present Vega's signature poetry and folk-pop songcraft illuminated by lush orchestral arrangements that are juxtaposed against cutting-edge beats.

From the driving opener "Zephyr & I," which recounts a conversation with the seminal graffiti artist while strolling down West End Avenue, to the ghosts of Lower East Side haunts depicted in "Ludlow Street," to "New York is a Woman," which personifies the city as a hard-luck lady whose beauty still shines, Vega captures the spirit of her hometown's past, present and future. The album also includes two of her most personal songs yet, a love song for her husband ("Bound") and a dedication to her daughter ("As You Are Now").

The sessions, recorded in both New York and London, were produced by Jimmy Hogarth (Sia, Corinne Bailey Rae, KT Tunstall), mixed by Tchad Blake, and included an eclectic cast including orchestral arranger Will Malone (Dido, Seal, Corrine Bailey Rae), background vocalist and vocal arranger KT Tunstall, guitarists Gerry Leonard (David Bowie) and Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth), bassist Tony Shanahan (Patti Smith), as well as members of Vega's touring band, bassist Mike Visceglia, and drummer Doug Yowell.

With the release of her self-titled debut on A&M Records in 1985, Vega began paving a path for an entire generation of female singer-songwriters to follow in the 1990s. Her 1987 album Solitude Standing established her as an international star, first with its surprise hit "Luka," and again later when UK electronic dance duo DNA released a remixed version of the a cappella "Tom's Diner" (the song has since been remixed upwards of 25 times). Vega's other albums include Days of Open Hand (1990), 99.9 F° (1992), Nine Objects of Desire (1996), and Songs in Red and Gray (2001).

Catch Suzanne Vega on the Beauty & Crime Tour this fall! Advance tickets go on sale June 4th on www.suzannevega.com and on sale to the public on June 8th. See all the upcoming dates below:

07/12/07 - New York, NY - Highline Ballroom*
09/15/07 - Poughkeepsie, NY - Waryas Park
09/16/07 - Great Barrington, MA - Mahaiwe Theatre
09/18/07 - Alexandria, VA - The Birchmere
09/19/07 - Philadelphia, PA - World Cafe Live (WXPN Studios)
09/20/07 - Somerville, MA - Somerville Theatre
09/22/07 - Lebanon, NH - Lebanon Opera House
09/23/07 - Brattleboro, VT - The Latchis Hotel and Theatre
09/25/07 - MONTREAL, QC - LaTulipe
09/26/07 - TORONTO, ON - Mod Club
09/29/07 - Ann Arbor, MI - The Ark
09/30/07 - Chicago, IL - Park West
10/03/07 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
10/04/07 - Madison, WI - Barrymore Theatre
10/05/07 - Iowa City, IA - Englert Civic Theater

BLUE NOTE RECORDS SIGNS GUITARIST LIONEL LOUEKE

Blue Note Records proudly announces the signing of guitarist Lionel Loueke, one of the brightest and most original young stars in Jazz today. Loueke will enter the studio in September to record his major label debut, which will be released in early 2008. On June 14, Loueke was the opening performer at Blue Note Records' Somethin' Else jazz club at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. The Jazz Journalist Association has also just nominated Loueke for Up & Coming Musician of the Year in their 2007 Jazz Awards. The winner will be announced later this month in New York City.

Born in Benin, Africa, Loueke has already forged a remarkable career path. His musical studies brought him from West Africa to Paris, France, and later to the United States where he studied at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in Los Angeles. It was at the Monk Institute that Loueke first met and gained the admiration of Terence Blanchard, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter. Before even graduating from the Institute, Loueke had already started performing in Blanchard's sextet, becoming an integral member of that progressive band both as a performer and a composer, and appearing on Blanchard's first two albums for Blue Note Records, Bounce and the Grammy-nominated Flow.

Loueke has released several independent recordings, including In A Trance (Space Time), Gilfema (Obliqsound) and Virgin Forest (Obliqsound). He is also currently a member of Hancock's touring band.

AMOS LEE TOUR DATES UPDATED

Amos Lee's road adventures continues, check out if he hits a town near you:

Jun 28 Portland, OR Aladdin Theater
Jun 29 Jacksonville, OR Britt Festival
Jun 30 Eugene, OR WOW Hall
Jul 2 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
Jul 3 Spokane, WA Big Easy
Jul 4 George, WA Gorge Amphitheater
Jul 6 Minneapolis, MN Basilica Block Party
Jul 10 Glasgow, Scotland ABC2
Jul 11 London, UK Jazz Cafe
Jul 13 Rotterdam, Holland North Sea Jazz Festival
Jul 16 Antwerp, Belgium Rivierenhof Festival
Jul 18 Tarvicio, Italy No Borders Festival
Jul 24 Brooklyn, NY Southpaw
Jul 28 Tulsa, OK D Festival
Aug 3 Bethlehem, PA Music Fest
Aug 5 Newport, RI Newport Folk Festival
Aug 29 Denver, CO Botanic Gardens
Aug 30 Boulder, CO Chautauqua Auditorium
Sept 2 Turin, NY Moe.Down
Sept 16 Austin, TX Austin City Limits Music Festival

ROBBEN FORD ‘ TRUTH’

Blues guitarist, Robben Ford (Yellowjackets), has a new album arriving on Concord Records named Truth.  The album is scheduled to be available on August 7.

THE DINING ROOMS ‘INK’

Another great achievement from this excellent Italian group -- an album that's head and shoulders above anything they were doing just a few short years ago! The Dining Rooms seem to deepen their sound more and more with each new record -- hitting a range of tones and colors that take them far beyond their initially simple rhythms, and into a space that's filled with thoughtful lyrics and sensitively-penned tunes! Most of the tracks here hit a groove that's somewhere between mid and downtempo -- about half of which feature vocals by guests who include Toco, Dodo Nkishi, Sean Martin, Renaud Chaure, and George Anne Kalweit. There's a fair bit of Fender Rhodes sliding through the tunes, and some warm acoustic basslines as well -- really grounding the music in a classic sort of style, even though the overall execution is fairly contemporary. Titles include "Ceremony", "Free To Grow", "Thank You", "Fatale", "Ink", "Cobra Coral", "On The Beach", "Hear Us Now", "Etage Noir (parts 1 & 2)", and "Appuntamento A Trieste".

FEMI KUTI US & CANADA CONCERT DATES

Femi Kuti will perform the following concerts:
June 30 - Festival International de Jazz, Montreal QC
July 1 - High Life Festival, Toronto ON
July 2 – Summerfest, Milwaukee WI
July 6 - Ottawa Blues Festival, Ottawa ON
July 7 - Quebec Festival, Quebec City QC
July 8 - Paradise in Boston MA
July 11 – SummerStage, New York NY
July 12 - Theater in Living Arts, Philadelphia PA
July 13 - 9:30 Club, Washington DC
July 14 - Variety Playhouse, Atlanta GA
July 16 - Stubb's BBQ, Austin TX
July 18 – Orpheum, Flagstaff AZ
July 19 - House of Blues, San Diego CA
July 20 - House of Blues, West Hollywood CA
July 21 - The Fillmore. San Francisco CA
July 25 – Showbox, Seattle WA
July 26 - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver BC
July 27 - Horning's Hideout, North Plains OR
July 29 - The Depot, Salt Lake City UT
July 30 - Belly Up, Aspen CO
July 31 - Boulder Theater, Boulder CO
August 2 - Minnesota Zoo Amphitheatre, Apple Valley MN
August 3 – Lollapalooza, Chicago IL.

PAUL ANKA’S ‘CLASSIC SONGS, MY WAY’

Originally due in May, Paul Anka's Decca debut has been renamed "Classic Songs, My Way" and is now due Aug. 28. As previously reported, the album is a blend of new recordings of Anka's own hits and pop/adult contemporary staples like Joni Mitchell's "Both Sides Now," Billy Joel's "I Go to Extremes," Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" and the Killers' "Mr. Brightside." Anka took a bizarre detour with his prior album, 2005's "Rock Swings," released by Verve. On that project, he recast alternative rock evergreens like R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and Oasis' "Wonderwall" with big-band backing.

TOCO ‘OUTRO LUGAR’

The CD features beautiful bossa work from the up-and-coming Toco -- a session recorded in Rio with production by S-Tone, and featuring some wonderful acoustic guitar from the legendary Roberto Menescal! Menescal's presence here really helps give the record a classic grounding -- a sense of depth and history that surpasses even Toco's great debut -- and which is made even better by the presence of Rosalia De Souza on guest vocals on a number of tracks! As with Rosalia De Souza’s recent Rio sessions, there's a sound here that's warmer, jazzier, and even more traditionally bossa-based than previous Schema releases -- with a bit less of a dancefloor focus in the rhythms, and a lot more live instrumentation! All numbers feature small combo backing, and titles include "Litoral", "Zum Zum", "Assuntos Banais", "Bom Motivo", "Samba Noir", "Barracao", "Voz Da Lapa", and "Contradicao", which features guest vocals from Coralie Clement. Great stuff here and I recommend you go out and purchase this one for your collection.

REMASTERED & EXPANDED: ‘THE LAST TIME I SAW HIM’ FROM DIANA ROSS

BET Lifetime Recipient Award winner Diana Ross has another vaulted album being prepared for release as an expanded edition. Originally released in 1973, Last Time I Saw Him from Diana Ross is being expanded to include a whole of treasures, remastered and including an extra special bonus, the 4-channel quadraphonic version originally released in Japan only.  Ccool boutique label, Hip-O Select, has remastered the original Motown album, scrounged until it found the Japanese Quad version (same track-listing) and then squeezed until it found 10 unreleased session tracks as well as a final unedited bonus cut of the Top 20 R&B hit, “Last Time I Saw Him.”  The album didn’t fare too well due to Diana’s preoccupation with her Mahogany film/soundtrack project.  It is all packaged over 2-CDs and has a new booklet with new notes and detailed recording credits and info.  Last Time I Saw Him is scheduled to street on August 7.

WJJZ ANNOUNCES MAXIMUM SIGNAL INCREASE

Greater Media Philadelphia announces Smooth Jazz 97.5 WJJZ is now broadcasting with the maximum permissible signal for an FM radio station in the Northeast, beginning the week of June 18th, 2007. The new signal strength will mean a significant improvement in the sound quality and reach of WJJZ's coverage throughout the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, Montgomery, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Camden, Gloucester and Wilmington, Delaware.

"This is the last piece of the puzzle," said Station Manager Jim Brown. "Greater Media has made a substantial investment to bring Smooth Jazz music back to this area. The community was very disappointed to lose this format and Greater Media responded. We are thrilled to be able to offer the Smooth Jazz sounds to the people of the Delaware Valley." "WJJZ is very special in that the station reflects the market," said Program Director Michael Tozzi. "Most stations cover one segment of the market place, whereas WJJZ goes well beyond those boundaries. Our music finds common ground for the people in the community and it's a beautiful thing."

"I've been an engineer in this business for 40 years and this project is right at the top of the list when it comes to career highlights," said Greater Media Vice President of Engineering Milford Smith. "This work represents an extremely important signal improvement for the listeners in the Delaware Valley and I am really proud to be part of the project." Michael Tozzi will make the official announcement this Friday, June 22nd at 7pm, at the West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival. The event is expected to attract over 200,000 adults through the culture and enthusiasm of Jazz, Art and 97.5 WJJZ. Performances at the three day festival will include Pieces of a Dream, Pat Martino, WAR, Roy Ayers and many more.

SEAL CONCERT DATES

Seal will perform the following concerts:
July 6 - Tower of London Festival, London, UK
July 16 - Rosengarten Amusensaal, Mannheim, Germany
July 18 - Festspielhalle, Baden-Baden, Germany
July 19 - Festspielplatz, Straubing, Germany
July 20 - Blue Balls Festival, Lucerne, Switzerland
July 21 - Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland.

EUGE GROOVE'S 'BORN TO GROOVE'

Euge Groove released his fifth solo album, titled Born 2 Groove, on Tuesday (June 19th). The new set consists of all-original tracks that Groove recorded with a crew of gospel-inspired musicians. The project features guest appearances by Jeffrey Osborne and one-time Temptations vocalist Ali Ollie Woodson. The project was produced by Groove with Paul Brown. Born 2 Groove is another step in the musical evolution of the saxophonist born Steve Grove, whose previous set, Just Feels Right, found him exploring the sounds and recording methods of the '70s. Groove says he has definitely evolved musically since his days as a session player and Tower Of Power horn member through his current status as a popular solo recording artist. He said: "I think I've changed tremendously and part of that is growth and hopefully having a bigger repertoire in my brain to kinda pull from. But some of that is just not being so afraid. It's like in the beginning you want to keep within the confines of what the format is doing, and now it's like: All right, I've been there, I've done the status quo thing, it's been all right, you know? I think I'm gonna be OK. Why not try to push the envelope a little bit?" Groove's first single is the title track "Born 2 Groove," which is rising into the Top 10 on the national smooth jazz airplay charts.

GRAHAM HAYNES 'FULL CIRCLE'

Since the late 80s Graham Haynes has long been known as an artist unrestrained by boundaries and styles, first experimenting with improvisation in the Five Elements and later co-creating influential group M-Base Collective with alto saxophonist Steve Coleman and world-class vocalist Cassandra Wilson. Studying music with masters from Africa, South Asia, and Europe, the son of celebrated jazz drummer Roy Haynes draws from a rich background of music adapted from his father's associations with Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk. Today, Graham still aspires to deconstruct jazz and twist it into a modern vehicle for musical expression.

His first album in almost seven years, Full Circle re-establishes the forward thinking Graham Haynes as a master, sculpting music to fit his artistic vision. From the rings of Haynes' cornet on the opening track "Turandot Overture and excerpt from Act III," you'll be invited to his kinetic soundscape. Haynes delivers a lush, jazzy lullaby in the form of "Circle One," where LaTanya Hall's poignant vocals, perfectly complement the soothing horns and jagged drums. Retaining the uncanny ability to meld tempos and genres while threading together a fully realized collection, he moves from powerful breakbeats in "1st Quadrant" to the calm, cushioned "Quarter Circle" with gorgeous harpsichord drips. Therein lies the formula for the entire album: a pushing and pulling at the boundaries of music while remaining balanced enough to keep listeners on their toes, hungry for more.

Graham Haynes will give a special live performance for his Full Circle record release party at Nublu, NYC Saturday 6/30.

KIRK WHALUM RECORDING NEW CD 'ROUND TRIP'

Smooth jazz saxophonist Kirk Whalum is reportedly working on an album of all-new material, to be called Round Trip. The new set will be the follow-up to his Rendezvous Entertainment debut, titled Kirk Whalum Plays The Babyface Songbook. Producer Rex Rideout has been tapped to collaborate with the smooth jazz star, who has also drafted talented family members for the project. Appearing on the CD will be Kirk's bass-playing son Kyle Whalum, his uncle Hugh "Peanuts" Whalum on piano, and nephew Kenneth Whalum on saxophone. Whalum previously worked with Rideout on Forever, For Always, For Luther 2, which featured Whalum's smash version of "Give Me The Reason."

FEDERICO AUBELE BACK ON TOUR!

After a short break, Federico Aubele picks up his acoustic opening slot on Bebel Gilbertos tour. Up next are Chicago & Toronto with demand for Federico so strong that a show has been added at The Drake hotel on June 28th. Federico will close this run of tour dates with a performance at the NYC Summerstage during the Latin American Music Conference. Federicos new record, Panamericana will be released on September 18 and there will be tours of North America and Europe to follow.

Federico Aubele Acoustic Set
6/24: @ Park West, Chicago, IL (w/ Bebel Gilberto) SOLD OUT
6/27: @ Mod Club, Toronto, Ontario (w/ Bebel Gilberto) SOLD OUT
6/28: @ The Drake Hotel, Toronto, Ontario
6/30: Montreal Jazz Festival @ Salle Wilfrid Pelletier, Montreal, Quebec (w/ Skye)
7/10: @ Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY
8/18: Federico Aubele (DJ Set) @ Moorea Pool & Mix Lounge, THEHotel, Las Vegas

RHYTHM DYNAMICS CD 'JAZZ MY SOUL' CONTINUES TO CLIMB THE JAZZ CHARTS

The Jazz Explorers, "Jazz My Soul" release by Rhythm Dynamics moved to #2 on the WNMC Top 10 Jazz List for 6/1 - 6/7. The Jazz Explorers is # 7 on Top 25 Musician Profiles on allaboutjazz.com. "Jazz My Soul" moved up from #17 to #15 on the Roots Music Report Jazz Chart last week. This extraordinary project features great performances by a unique gathering of jazz legends, including George Cables, Dave Liebman, Carmen Lundy, Billy Hart, Sonny Fortune, Victor Lewis and Cecil McBee with a strong supporting cast. "Jazz My Soul" propels contemporary mainstream jazz forward with power and subtlety.
"Jazz My Soul" by The Jazz Explorers, released by Rhythm Dynamics, is receiving superb reviews.
"Tim Duffy ...a romantic, especially with Carmen Lundy's interpretation of his song, "Autumn"...a premier appearance... her embellished phrasing reminds me of the great past jazz singers, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRea and Dakota Staton...should be played over and over on those fragile late nights..." Dick Crockett, 88.7 fm Sacramento, CA

"This is one of the finest releases of 2007 .... outstanding artists ... Just fantastic!" Jacques Emond, CKCU-FM Ottawa, CA

"I have had great pleasure in playing almost every track of this superb recording on my national jazz Program "Jazz Hour" [broadcast nationally to 180 stations in Australia]...strong composition and arrangement ... superb musicianship...what a treat the two vocals by Carmen Lundy were! She is a great singer and George Cables piano is unique and full of power as usual - and originality. Thank you so much for the album which I will treasure and always add tracks to my playlist from." Barry O'Sullivan BLU FM 89.1,

"We really like this CD...You need to have this CD in your collection...Very good." Gi Dussault, Upper Room, Bridgeport, CT

"HYP-Notic, cool ...vocals that will mezmerize you into a trance. That's what this CD by Jazz Explorers is all about. The vocals by Carmen Lundy and the group will haunt you. ... The band is superb and tight. A must have!" Leon Reyes KVMR Radio 89.5 FM Nevada City/Sacramento Ca

"... highly enjoyable CD... excellent compositions and playing ... very high quality vocals from Carmen Lundy." Martin Wright, Radio 3ZZZ, AU

"Many compliments for your music... An embrace and all the best." Bruno Pollacci, ANIMAJAZZ Pisa,

"...skilled songwriting, expert soloists, relaxing yet exciting... fresh...new... jazz for the 21st century. I haven't heard anything quite like it. Superb recording quality, great production..." Rick Brunermer, Jazz Fan,

"What a great sound..." Michael Criddle OzRadio Triple H-FM AU

SMOOTH JAZZ FORMAT SWITCH AT WFMR-FM 106.9

In the city of Milwaukee's second radio format change in a week, WFMR-FM (106.9) is dumping classical music in favor of the "smooth jazz" that WJZI-FM (93.3) dropped last week.

The move marks a return to the smooth jazz format that the station now known as WFMR said it pioneered in the mid-1990s. The station hit the air in 1995 with a playlist that included David Sanborn, George Benson, Kenny G and Al Jarreau, all of whom will be featured again at the station.


Tom Joerres, president and general manager of WFMR owner Lakefront Communications L.L.C., said the decision by WJZI to drop the smooth jazz format opened the door for WFMR to return to its roots, when it went under the call letters WFMI. WFMI was forced to drop the format in 1997 after WJZI hit the air in 1996 with a noticeably stronger signal.

Last week, WJZI dumped smooth jazz for mainstream adult contemporary format that is expected to attract an "underserved" 35-54 female audience, a WJZI executive said.

Joerres said the format switch, expected to take place Monday night at midnight, will double the station's audience.

He noted that one of Wisconsin Public Radio WHAD's digital channels, which requires a special receiver to pick up, continues to broadcast 24-hour classical music.

The station also said that the Federal Communications Commission recently granted WFMR a construction permit to move its antenna from its original Menomonee Falls location to its studio and tower location on McKinley Avenue in Milwaukee. The move will not only provide high-definition, but broadcasts will be centered in the metropolitan area. The new signal is set to debut in August and will be comparable in Milwaukee to other local radio stations.

MOCEAN WORKER'S 'CINCO DE MOWO!

Cinco De Mowo! follows up Mocean Worker's (pronounced Motion Worker) 2005 release Enter The Mowo!, which has gone on to become Adam Dorn's (a.k.a. Mocean Worker) biggest record to date after having success at radio across the country. It's also where Dorn's true vision for the definitive Mocean Worker sound began to gel. Shedding the expectations of the electronica scene with which he was often associated at the outset of his career, Dorn began to more liberally embrace his jazz and funk influences, while keeping the focus on crafting songs with undeniable hooks.

On the fifth album of his career, appropriately titled Cinco De Mowo!, Adam Dorn has assembled the quintessential feel-good summer record of 2007 - already #1 on both the KCRW chart and CMJ's RPM chart, coinciding with his photo on the magazine's cover. More than just funky break beats, tunes like "Shake Ya Boogie," "Tickle It" and "Sis Boom Bah" find their way deep into the sub-conscious with melodies that reverberate long after the record has ended. In what has become the incomparable Mocean Worker sound, Dorn mixes and matches the best of modern beat-making with live musicians like trumpeters Herb Alpert ("Changes") and Steven Bernstein ("Shake Your Boogie"), bassist Marcus Miller ("Brown Liquor"), alto saxophonist Cochemea Gastelum ("Les & Eddie" and "Son of Sanford") and vocalists Morley ("I Got You") and Alana Da Fonseca ("Que Bom"). Dorn concludes: "I really just want people, all kinds of people to put this record on and have a nice time, enjoy themselves, clean their houses, drink themselves into a stupor, whatever it takes, it's all good."

ARTIST LINE-UP FOR THE 25TH SAN FRANCISCO JAZZ FESTIVAL

Randall Kline, the Executive Director of SFJAZZ--the leading non- profit jazz organization on the West Coast--today announced the complete artist line-up for the 25TH Anniversary San Francisco Jazz Festival. The Festival will begin with John McLaughlin and the 4th Dimension on September 22.

The season will continue through November 30 and will include some of the most illustrious names in music, including: Ornette Coleman, Herbie Hancock, Gonzalo Rubalcaba, Pharoah Sanders, Ahmad Jamal, Ravi Shankar, Dee Dee Bridgewater, Caetano Veloso, Kurt Elling, Youssou N'Dour, Dr. John, Isaac Delgado, Fred Hersch, Jacky Terrasson, Kronos Quartet with Glenn Kotche, Jason Moran, and this year's Beacon Award Winner, Pete Escovedo and his Latin Jazz Orchestra.

Over 25 years, the San Francisco Jazz Festival has grown from a three-day event called ”Jazz in the City,” to a year-round, internationally recognized celebration of jazz. The Festival's 25TH Anniversary season commemorates years of unforgettable performances with a schedule that touches on highlights from the past quarter-century while pointing the way ahead to many more years of music. With over 30 world-class artists from every corner of the globe presented at San Francisco's most revered venues, this fall will be a delight for music fans of every stripe.

“The 25th Anniversary season is an opportunity to revisit favorite artists while presenting the Festival debut of some exciting new talents,” said SFJAZZ Executive Director Randall Kline. “All these artists, whether established or on the cutting edge, are at the forefront of their respective musics.”

For the 25TH Anniversary, SFJAZZ is presenting special “encore performances” by Festival veterans including Ornette Coleman (10/28), Dee Dee Bridgewater (10/19), Caetano Veloso (11/17), Ahmad Jamal (10/21), Herbie Hancock (11/10) and more.

SFJAZZ is proud to present the world premiere of “New Work” by the special pairing of the Kronos Quartet with Wilco percussionist Glenn Kotche (10/25-26); the West Coast premiere of the SFJAZZ/Duke University commissioned multimedia work “In My Mind: Monk at Town Hall 1959” by pianist Jason Moran (11/2); a “New Work Showcase” by the Marcus Shelby Jazz Orchestra and the Jon Jang Seven (10/19); and the new major work from Grammy-nominated percussionist John Santos, “Traditions in Transition”--a suite exploring the past, present, and future of Afro-Latin music--created in collaboration with SFJAZZ's own High School All-Stars, and joined by special guests (11/11).

Over the years, SFJAZZ has been known and lauded for its unique musical pairings and thematic presentations. This Festival is no exception with offerings that include “New Orleans on Nob Hill” with Dr. John, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, and Big Chief Bo Dollis and the Wild Magnolias (10/27); “Ritmo Latino” with the Conga Kings: Candido, Patato and Giovanni Hidalgo (11/9); a piano double bill with Herbie Hancock and Gonzalo Rubalcaba (11/10); Dutch supergroup Willem Breuker Kollektief in “Live Jazz + Silent Film: Faust” (10/31); a coda to the Spring Season Monk Tribute with “Monk's Music” featuring T.S. Monk Sextet and Monk's Music Trio (10/24); and Dorado Schmitt's Django Reinhardt Festival Band with Cuban clarinetist and saxophonist Paquito D'Rivera (11/4).

Vocal talents in the San Francisco Jazz Festival include Grammy-winner Dee Dee Bridgewater (10/19); a double bill with Grammy-winner Kurt Elling and Nancy King (11/10); rising star singers Jacqui Naylor and Spencer Day (11/3); and “World Voices” including Cape Verdean singer Sara Tavares (10/21); Brazilian superstar Caetano Veloso (11/17); Senegalese master Youssou N'Dour (11/30); Portugese chanteuse Cristina Branco (11/11); and a special winter concert with legendary Israeli vocalist Chava Alberstein (12/9).

Always on the lookout for new talent, this Festival presents up-and-coming artists on the national and international scene including a double bill of cutting-edge groups Happy Apple and Kneebody (11/7); saxophonist Anat Cohen (10/27); and Norwegian pianist Tord Gustavsen (11/4).

Each fall, SFJAZZ honors a member of our community who has played a vital role in preserving the traditions and fostering the growth of jazz in the Bay Area. The 2007 honoree, legendary percussionist Pete Escovedo, is an exemplar of everything the Beacon award stands for. He will lead his Latin Jazz Orchestra with Special Guests for the SFJAZZ Beacon Award concert on October 27.

One of the many benefits of SFJAZZ Membership is unparalleled access to the music and musicians. The 2007 Spring Season continues this tradition with a variety of exciting SFJAZZ Members-Only events and other special perks: Tuesday, September 18, 6PM, “Coltrane: The Story of a Sound” Listening Party with New York Times critic Ben Ratliff, held on the release date of Ratliff's book of the same title. Sunday, October 28, 2PM, Jacky Terrasson, solo piano.

SFJAZZ, in addition to being the largest non-profit jazz presenter on the West Coast, is a year-round education organization that offers a dynamic and innovative array of artistic and educational programs in the concert hall, classroom, and community. This spring, SFJAZZ offers the following education programs in connection with the SFJAZZ Spring Season.

* “Inside Jazz”presentations are pre-concert talks taking place one hour before curtain time at selected concerts. They are led by jazz artists, scholars, and industry professionals and are free to ticket holders for the event to follow and offer insight and appreciation of selected concerts and films.

* SFJAZZ Family Matinees are discount-priced afternoon performances featuring artists in shorter programs that give families with children a chance to experience world class music first-hand. See ticket order form for pricing.

* SFJAZZ Discover Jazz: History & Appreciation Course is a weekly evening music appreciation course for adults offering entertaining, informative insights into jazz music, history and culture.

SFJAZZ, now in its 25th year, is the largest non-profit presenter of jazz in the western United States. SFJAZZ presents over 100 concerts a year to over 100,000 fans and is dedicated to advancing the art form of jazz and cultivating new jazz audiences through artistic and education programming, including: The San Francisco Jazz Festival, SFJAZZ Spring Season, SFJAZZ Collective, SFJAZZ Summerfest, SFJAZZ Education and SFJAZZ Membership.

VANESSA WILLIAMS CONCERT TO OFFER INTIMATE EVENING TO FANS

New Jersey Performing Arts Center and Vanessa Williams are offering a spectacular evening to a limited number of fans through an exclusive online promotion for her July 22, 2007 concert at NJPAC: One ticket holder will win the Ultimate Vanessa Williams Fan Pack: Two backstage passes, access to Vanessa's pre-show sound check and dinner for two at NJPAC's Theater Square Grill. Additionally, five non-ticket holders will each win An Intimate Evening with Vanessa Williams, which includes a pair of premium ticket seats and backstage passes to meet the singer/actress/Broadway star.

To enter visit http://www.meetvanessa.com, http://www.myspace.com/newjerseyPAC or Vanessa Williams' MySpace page at http://www.myspace.com/175437040 between 12:00:00 AM Eastern Time ("ET") on 6/16/07 and 11:59:59 PM ET on 7/10/07 and complete the official entry form. Entrants must submit a short essay of no more than 100 words explaining why they should meet Vanessa. There is a limit of one entry per person/household/email address for the duration of the promotion period; multiple entries from any one person, household or email address will void all but the initial entry. Winners will be selected from among all valid entries received in a random drawing held 7/11/07 by Meetvanessa.com. Winners will be notified by phone and posted on Meetvanessa.com and Vanessa Williams' and NJPAC's official MySpace pages.

JEFF KASHIWA TO RELEASE 'PLAY'- TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

Smooth Jazz saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa has a new album coming out on July 31 that will feature 12 new tracks. The CD is entitled Play. Kashiwa is currently on the road and will be appearing at the following venues:

6/23/2007 City Of Southfield Civic Center in Detroit The Sax Pack
6/24/2007 City Of Southfield Civic Center Detroit The Rippingtons Reunion Band
6/30/2007 Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center Redondo Beach Coastal Access
7/4/2007 Fourth of Jul-Ivar's Celebration Seattle Coastal Access
7/13/2007 House of Blues Dallas The Rippingtons Reunion Band
7/14/2007 One World Theater Austin The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/1/2007 Spirit Cruise New York City The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/2/2007 The Birchmere Alexandria The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/3/2007 Summer Nights Series @ Penn's Landing Philadelphia Ken Navarro
8/4/2007 IMAC Theater Huntington The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/12/2007 Long Beach Jazz Festival Long Beach The Sax Pack
8/16/2007 Scullers Boston The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/17/2007 Scullers Boston The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/18/2007 Scullers Boston The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/24/2007 Chastain Park Atlanta The Rippingtons Reunion Band
8/25/2007 Icicle Ridge Winery Leavenworth The Northwest All Star Band
9/14/2007 Hyatt Newporter Newport Beach The Rippingtons Reunion Band
9/15/2007 Mablehouse-Barnes Amphitheater Mableton The Sax Pack
9/16/2007 Thorton Winery Temecula The Rippingtons Reunion Band
9/23/2007 Jazz'Salive! San Antonio The Rippingtons Reunion Band
9/28/2007 Lyman Center New Haven The Sax Pack
9/29/2007 IMAC Theater Huntington The Sax Pack
10/13/2007 San Bernadino County Fair in Victorville The Rippingtons Reunion Band

THE WQCD 101.9 FM SMOOTH JAZZ SHOWS

WQCD (101.9 FM) today launches an ambitious summer schedule featuring "40 shows in 80 days." They are spread over several programs, including the "Smooth Cruise" series that starts tonight and runs Wednesdays through Aug. 29. The cruises leave at 6:30 and 9:30 from Pier 61 at Chelsea Piers, and tonight's artist is Down to the Bone. Call Spirit Cruises at (866) 211-3812.The CD101.9 concert series at Jones Beach starts June 28 and runs Thursdays at 8 p.m. through Aug. 30. They're free. The "After Work Free Jazz" series starts July 6 and continues every Friday, 5-8 p.m., through September at Moda, 135 W. 52nd St. These are also free. The year-round Sunday Brunch series continues through the summer at Moda, noon-2 p.m., and the season ends with the Liberty Jazz Festival, Sept. 8-9 at Liberty State Park.

CHUCK LOEB JOINS 'REUNION' ON EUROPEAN TOUR

Chuck Loeb is headed to Europe for a series of concerts as part of the band REUNION, which includes: Jim Beard (piano, keyboards), Till Brönner (trumpet, vocals), Dennis Chambers (drums), Tim Lefebvre (bass), and Eric Marienthal (sax). At four of the concerts, we will be joined by my long-time friend and very special guest, Michael Franks. The dates and cities are as follows;

June 27 Tiblisi, Georgia
June 29 Rheingau, Germany
June 30 Ludwigshaffen, Germany
July 01 Zurich, Switzerland (tentative)
July 03 Munich, Germany
July 05 Canaries, Spain with special guest Michael Franks
July 06 Canaries, Spain with special guest Michael Franks
July 07 San Javier, Spain with special guest Michael Franks
July 10 Madrid, Spain with special guest Michael Franks
July 12 Villingen, Germany
July 13 Almunecar (near Malaga), Spain
July 14 Rotterdam, Holland (North Sea Jazz)
July 15 Hamburg, Germany

After he returns from Europe, Loeb will be playing some dates as part of the group Metro, which also will include Wolfgang Haffner (drums), Tim Lefebvre (bass), and Mitchell Forman (keys). Details to follow. Then later in the summer, he'll be going back to Europe as part of a jazz trio that includes with Wolfgang Haffner (drums), and Dieter Ilg (bass). They will be playing at a wonderful place in Berlin called the A-Train.

14th INTERNATIONAL ISTANBUL JAZZ FESTIVAL

Organised by the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV), the International Istanbul Jazz Festival will take place July 3 - 18 this year. Generously sponsored by GARANTİ BANK, the Istanbul Jazz Festival will present 40 concerts and host more than 200 artists.


NORAH JONES AT ISTANBUL JAZZ FESTIVAL
One of the most popular female singers of our times, Norah Jones is coming to Turkey for the jazz festival right after releasing her latest album "Not Too Late." Jones will be on stage at the Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre on the evening of August 1, Wednesday.

A SPECIAL "EUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB"
This year, the
International Istanbul Jazz Festival introduces an important novelty: In the heart of Istanbul, a very special and unique venue will be converted into a jazz club! The garden of the French Cultural Center at the entrance to İstiklal Street in Beyoğlu will house the European Jazz Club - one of the most beautiful festival spots. It is also the intention of the European Jazz Club to build a platform for European and Turkish artists to perform together at the threshold of 2010 when Istanbul will be the European Capital of Culture. It is highly probable that, after the concerts in the European Jazz Club, the night will continue with fascinating jam sessions.

The first concert in the European Jazz Club will be by one of Turkey's best jazz vocalists Sibel Köse and her group on July 4, Wednesday at 22.00. They will be accompanied by the world-renowned Dutch pianist Michiel Borstlap.

With their album "5 O'clock Tea" released last year, South Maxico became a big success in Switzerland and Europe. This year, they will be the second guest at the European Jazz Club on July 7, Saturday at 22.00. The experienced jazz guitarist Max Schultz is leading the quartet. The group also features a Turkish musician on percussion: Mehmet İkiz.

"The major common denominator of Turkish music and jazz can be improvisation." This is the idea on which The Bosporus Project work to mix the Istanbul-origin Turkish music with jazz. At their concert on July 10, Tuesday at 22.00 the band will be accompanied by one of the most prominent French jazz musicians of the tenor sax, Stéphane Spira.

The last concert at the European Jazz Club will be by one of Turkey's best musicians, Selçuk Sun on July 13, Friday at 22.00. In this very distinctive concert, Sun will be accompanied by Bodil Niska, the esteemed Norwegian tenor sax player.

ROBERT PLANT & THE STRANGE SENSATION - FROM ROCK TO WORLD MUSIC
One of the guests of this year's jazz festival will be the legendary Robert Plant. The voice of the celebrated rock group Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant will meet festival-goers at the Open Air Theatre, July 4, Wednesday at 21.30. Plant is a must-see with his powerful voice and stage performance that is reminiscent of his early years.

BOB DYLAN CLASSICS FROM BRYAN FERRY
Seven years later, Bryan Ferry is once again at Istanbul Jazz Festival! Ferry will be performing at the Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre stage on July 5, Thursday at 21.00. Ferry will perform songs from his new album: "Dylansque". The album features some of the most beautiful interpretations of Dylan classics such as "Knockin' On Heaven's Door", "Times They Are A-Changin" and "Positively 4th Street".

THE UNFORGETTABLE VOICE OF THE BEE GEES: ROBIN GIBB
One of the most important concerts of the festival this year is that of the Bee Gees' soloist Robin Gibb. Gibb will be presenting a very special project on July 10, Tuesday at 21.00 at the Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre. Organised in memory of the world famous producer, Arif Mardin, and Ahmet Ertegün, the concert of Robin Gibb will feature the most loved Bee Gees classics, as well as the Gibb's solo songs from his singular musical career.

A MODERN REPRESENTATIVE OF THE "BIG BAND" TRADITION: JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER ORCHESTRA & WYNTON MARSALIS
Another must-see of the festival is the concert by the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra conducted by Wynton Marsalis on July 11, Wednesday at 21.00 at Cemil Topuzlu Open Air Theatre. The orchestra is one of the most prominent followers of the Big Band tradition with their varied approach to jazz. Currently, Wynton Marsalis is the art director of Jazz at Lincoln Center, and with his technical wisdom and deep knowledge of classical jazz, surprises the audiences with a different and modern style as can be seen in his latest album, "From The Plantation to the Penitentiary".

MICHAEL BOLTON SINGS SINATRA
Almost 53 million copies of his albums were sold to date. He received countless musical awards - this alone sums up the musical career of Michael Bolton and makes him one of the most prominent pop stars. However, he will be presenting his latest project "Bolton Swings Sinatra" at the Istanbul concert. Bolton will be playing and singing classics from the legendary Frank Sinatra at Sepetçiler Kasrı on July 3, Tuesday at 22.00.

TOGETHER AGAIN AFTER MANY YEARS: JOE SAMPLE TRIO & RANDY CRAWFORD
A major jazz/funk band of the 70s, The Crusaders' famous "Street Life" brought these two musicians together for the first time. Randy Crawford and Joe Sample come together once again 30 years after the release of this album! Crawford and Sample will meet jazz-lovers at Esma Sultan Yalısı on July 12, Thursday at 22.00 for a night full of jazz, R&B, soul, pop and latin music.

SPIKE LEE AND TERENCE BLANCHARD
"The Jazz under The Stars" series will be hosting world famous trumpet player
Terence Blanchard and director Spike Lee on July 17, Tuesday on the Sepetçiler Kasrı stage at 22.00. Already staged in London, New York and Chicago, "The Movie Music of Spike Lee & Terence Blanchard" concerts made a big hit wherever they appeared. Visiting Istanbul for the first time, this project is an awe-inspiring concert experience featuring the famous trumpet player Terence Blanchard - known for his film scores, his band and a chamber orchestra of 20 musicians. The host of the night will be Spike Lee.

ALTERNATIVE SOUNDS AT THE "NEW FOLKS SERIES" OF THE FESTIVAL
BLONDE REDHEAD AT THE ISTANBUL MODERN
One of the leading alternative rock bands of our day, Blonde Redhead have after each album added to their fans a plethora of devoted audiences. Renowned with albums with striking names as "Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons" and "Misery Is A Butterfly" and songs such as "Elephant Woman" and "Falling Man", the band made a big success with their latest album "23" released this year. Blonde Redhead will be performing on July 3, Tuesday at 21.30 at the Istanbul Modern Sculpture Garden.

TWO MAGICAL SOUNDS : "ANTONY AND THE JOHNSONS" AND JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ
Istanbul will host two magical sounds at the most vital concert of the New Folks section of the Jazz Festival on July 8, Sunday. The star of the night will be Antony & The Johnsons who won Great Britain's most prominent contemporary music award, the Mercury Award in 2005. Famous with Antony Hegarty's unique and alluring voice, the band is one of the best and most original catches of the recent years. Hegarty's charming voice is often compared to Aaron Neville, Nina Simone and Bryan Ferry. Before the concert of Antony & The Johnsons, song and lyrics writer José González who is most loved in Turkey with his singles "Heartbeats" and "Crosses" will take the stage at 20.00.

DOWN TO THE BONE - SUPERCHARGED

Led by Stuart Wade, Down To The Bone's music has been irresistible from the start with its critically acclaimed 1997 debut, Manhattan to Staten. Its five succeeding discs proved it to be one of the most enthralling and consistently hard-hitting bands to emerge out of the U.K.'s jazz-funk scene. Following their recent Best Of album, Supercharged - Down to the Bone's seventh original album - the band pulls off the uncanny feat of simultaneously beefing up its sonic palette, while retaining its raw intensity. In lesser hands, the addition of the three horns (here, billed as the D.C. Horns) to support Paul "Shilts" Weimar's scalding tenor saxophone riffs and melodies would extinguish the group's energetic groove. But the rhythmic engine of drummer Adam Riley, alternating bassists Richard Sadler and Julian Crampton, and guitarist Tony Remy keeps the fire burning.

Supercharged packs a punch from beginning to end. While echoes of Sly & the Family Stone, Maceo Parker, Tower of Power, Cold Blood, Booker T. & the MGs, and the Average White Band permeate the disc, Down To The Bone remains true to its signature sound with all-out funk grooves. Corrina Greyson and returning collaborator, Hil St. Soul lend their voices on the contagious, mid-tempo groove "Smile to Shine" and the more aggressive romp, "Shake It Up." The one track that demands immediate attention is "Electric Vibes," featuring legendary vibraphonist Roy Ayers, whom Wade says that it was a lifetime dream to finally collaborate with. "Ayers is linked with practically every funk movement in the U.K. since the '70s," Wade claims. "There's a whole new generation in London, mainly the broken beat cats, who do soul music -- people like I.G. Culture, Kaidi Tatham, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Daz-I-Kue." On Supercharged, Wade takes the group's powerful sound to a funkier destination with an expanded roster of talented musicians at the helm.

AL GREEN TO MAKE FIRST APPEARANCE AT 30th ANNUAL FREIHOFER'S JAZZ FESTIVAL

Legendary soul singer and Rock & Roll Hall of Famer among major jazz artists
that will perform on Amphitheatre Main Stage

Legendary soul and gospel singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Al Green will make his first appearance at the 30th Annual Freihofer's Jazz Festival at Saratoga Performing Arts Center on Sunday, June 24. Green, whose career spans four decades, is widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest soul singers of our time.

Green became a household name in the 1970s after a number of celebrated hits including, "Let's Stay Together" and "I'm Still in Love with You," topped the charts. In the ensuing years, Green had seven number one albums and 16 Top 10 singles in the US alone. Yet, at the height of his career, personal tragedy propelled Green into ministry - a commitment that would take him away from R&B and popular music for many years.

In the 1990's Green re-emerged on the music scene, enjoying successful collaborations with popular contemporary singers like Annie Lennox and Lyle Lovett, and renewed interest in his music as a result of its use in film and television scores. In 1995 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Today, Green is an ordained minister who divides his time between his church in Memphis and concert tours that take him around the world. Currently celebrating the 40th anniversary of his soul career, Green will be touring Europe and North America throughout 2007.

Other headliners scheduled to perform on SPAC's main Amphitheatre stage during the Festival include:

- George Benson, the eight-time Grammy Award-winning singer/guitarist/songwriter who was part of the first Jazz Festival at SPACin 1978

- Neo-classic soul artist and two-time Grammy-winner India.Arie whose 2006 album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship went gold just weeks after its release
master jazz fusion violinist and pioneer

- Jean-Luc Ponty who will perform selections from his critically acclaimed new release the Acatama Experience

- Veteran alto sax master and contemporary/smooth jazz artist David Sanborn making his 10th festival appearance

- The Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band featuring Slide Hampton, James Moody, Jimmy Heath, Roy Hargrove and vocalist Roberta Gambarini in a performance paying tribute to Dizzy Gillespie's 1978 festival performance

A unique feature of the Freihofer's Jazz Festival tradition is the Gazebo stage. Strategically located on SPAC's back lawn, the gazebo serves as a showcase for emerging talents across the jazz spectrum and a space that allows fans a more up-close musical experience.

Artists scheduled to appear on the Gazebo stage at this year's Festival include:

- Jazz virtuoso saxophone and clarinet player Anat Cohen
- Holistic New African soul-jazz singer Somi
- Vocalist Sachal Vasandani whose recently released debut album has earned critical raves
- Bassist, singer and composer Esperanza Spalding
- Jazz drummer Carl Allen who will also be appearing on the main stage with his band New Spirit

Also appearing on the gazebo stage for the first time will be Hayes Greenfield & Jazz-a-ma-Tazz. Designed to be a fun, educational and interactive music performance for children, Hayes and his band introduce elements of the jazz experience including call and response, scat singing, dancing and interpretive sound. Participation by the audience is a central feature of the program.

"As the Freihofer's Jazz Festival celebrates a milestone thirty years, we are proud to celebrate that wonderful history with a host of jazz artists who collectively represent the full, rich spectrum of the jazz tradition. From timeless talents like Al Green, George Benson and Jean-Luc Ponty to new artists like Sachal Vasandani, Somi and many other up-and-comers who are moving jazz in exciting new directions, this year's Festival will be a showcase for the music and the artists who've expanded the vocabulary of modern jazz," said Marcia J. White, SPAC President and Executive Director.

WJZI SMOOTH 93.3 MILWAUKEE SWITCHES FORMATS

After 11 years of Smooth Jazz, WJZI-FM (Smooth 93.3)/Milwaukee flips to a
mainstream Adult Contemporary (AC) format. The move fills a void in the market since the demise of Asult Contemporary. WLTQ in 2003 where WJZI PD Stan Atkinson held programming reins for six years. Atkinson moves from nights to mornings with 20-year market vet Ellen Stout beginning June 25. Milwaukee Radio Alliance VP/GM Bill Hurwitz said, "There's an opportunity to attract the underserved 35-54 female audience, and we have in Stan Atkinson someone who can not only program to attract and retain listeners but also a talent who can entertain."


"Ellen and I will have good, clean fun in the morning... a station you can
tune to with kids in the car, and not worry about what we'll say next,"
added Atkinson. "We have the most talented, notable females in the market,
and they'll be anchoring all prime dayparts." 11-year market vet Julie Davidson joins for middays, and Patti Genko will handle afternoons. Terry Love rounds out the roster in nights.