TONY RICH PROJECT - EXIST

The Detroit-born, Tony Rich began his career as a songwriter and producer, penning songs for Elton John, Boyz II Men, TLC and Johnny Gill, before releasing his 1996 debut album, Words. The hit single spawned from that album, "Nobody Knows", peaked at number two on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and climbed to number one in the UK. This propelled the single and album to sell more than one million units each and in 1997, Rich won a Grammy Award for the Best R&B Album. Since then, Rich released three critically praised albums: Birdseye, Resurrected and Pictures.

Now Tony Rich has released his newest album, EXIST, on September 23. EXIST has been described as a collection of songs that speak both to the heart and the mind. The lead single 'Part the Waves' currently sits at #31 (w/ a bullet) on Mediabase Urban AC chart. The album reviews are pouring in from the critics: Overall, the entire album is a melodic 11-track set that blends elements of soul, jazz and funk into what can best be described as a moving masterpiece. From the sensual tones of 'It Would Be A Sin (Without U)', to the familiar comfort of 'Jordan,' EXIST features all Rich-penned songs.

He was so inspired by his body of work that he photographed himself for the CD layout and designed the album packaging. The most intriguing of the photos is the CD back cover depicting a naked Tony Rich. While the image is polarizing, it is meant to show that one 'exists' even when stripped of all his or her worldly possessions. This is reflective of his career; starting with his huge commercial success in 1997 through the years of his fans wondering 'Where is Tony Rich' and finally the present, with him finding a home with Hidden Beach, known for its roster of quality artists.

EMI MUSIC TO LAUNCH ONLINE MUSIC STORE

In addition to iTunes and Amazon (and not to mention a bunch of much smaller players, it appears that EMI is preparing to launch a music service by the end of the year, representing the latest direct-to-consumer business being planned by a major label. Rumors are that the service may be located at emi.com. The music service will feature a mixture of paid and free content and may to include non-EMI artists as well, according to previous reports. EMI is not the only major considering the launch of a direct-to-consumer business. You would think that the major labels would of thought of this years ago – even before iTunes and Amazon got into position. It’s also rumored that the Universal Music Group is also planning to launch a site for its music videos as well as artist-focused content. The company currently has a large selection of its videos on universalmusic.com, a site that has advertisers such as AT&T and Traveler's Insurance. EMI is part of the EMI Group which is a music company comprised of the record company EMI, which operates several labels and is based in London, UK, and EMI Music publishing based in New York. EMI Music consists of over three million individual tracks and its artists include Charles Aznavour, The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Diana Ross, Corinne Bailey Rae, Tina Turner, David Bowie, Joss Stone, The Lenny Kravitz, Rolling Stones, Robbie Williams, The Animals, and The Beatles. EMI’s music labels include Blue Note, Capitol, Virgin, EMI, EMI Classics, Parlophone, and Capitol Nashville.

HARRY CONNICK JR. - WHAT A NIGHT! - A CHRISTMAS ALBUM

Harry Connick Jr. has amassed a remarkable resume of achievements since his first Columbia album in 1987, including more than 25 million albums sold, prestigious nominations in the areas of recording, theater, television and film, and a countless string of dynamic live performances. "What a Night! - A Christmas Album" is his first full-length release since his 2007 big band tribute to New Orleans, "Oh, MY NOLA," which debuted at #1 on the Billboard jazz chart and #11 on the Billboard 200. Connick will make a number of television appearances in support of "What a Night! – A Christmas Album," including the annual Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.

Among contemporary musicians, no one has reflected these feelings with greater honesty and artistry than the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling Harry Connick, Jr., who celebrates once again with "What a Night! - A Christmas Album," available online and in stores on November 4 from Columbia Records.

Harry Connick is one of the few contemporary artists who have created his own holiday traditions. Beginning with "When My Heart Finds Christmas," his triple-platinum seasonal album of 1993, through "Harry for the Holidays," his chart-topping sequel from 2003 that included "The Happy Elf" (the inspiration for a new family musical), he has brought vitality, sincerity and unmatched musicality to the celebration. "What a Night! - A Christmas Album" was created in the same spirit, with new takes on old favorites as well as four of Connick's own compositions.

As always, Connick's approach to seasonal classics is fresh and infectious. With the support of his stellar big band, he makes "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year," "It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas" and "Jingle Bells" swing. Recalling his hometown New Orleans ("A great place to celebrate," he notes, "but with the temperature at 60 degrees or higher, we didn't have many white Christmases"), he gives "We Three Kings" a funk beat, turns playful on "Zat You Santa Claus?" and offers a bluesy "Please Come Home for Christmas." From the finger-snapping groove of "Have a Holly Jolly Christmas" and the majestic orchestral setting of "O Come All Ye Faithful" to an instrumental arrangement of "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies," Connick finds new ways to bring forth the spirit and meaning of these classic songs.

New music is also central to the celebration. "This is a very traditional CD in the way it sounds," Connick explains, "but what is not traditional is the inclusion of four new songs." Among them are the ballad "Christmas Day," the rollicking "Santarrific" featuring the voice and trombone of longtime colleague Lucien Barbarin, and the inspirational "Song for the Hopeful," a duet with gospel singer Kim Burrell featured in the Lifetime film "Living Proof," in which Connick stars as the doctor who developed the life-saving treatment for breast cancer. "Kim is one of the smartest musicians I've ever worked with, and one of the greatest voices of all time," says Connick. "Any chance I get to sing with her is a treat." Burrell is also featured on "Let There Be Peace on Earth," which Connick cites as "some of the best work she's ever done."

If one theme underscores the entire collection, it is the joy of celebrating with family. "Any parent knows that life is infinitely greater with children," Connick explains. "Christmas was great when I was a child, but nothing to compare with the Christmases I now have with my family." He makes the point explicit in the title track, which captures the excitement of Christmas Eve anticipation, and in a duet with his middle daughter Kate, who Connick calls "my most special guest," on "Winter Wonderland." "We recorded shortly before Kate's eleventh birthday," the proud father recalls. "It brought back some nice memories, because I was about Kate's age when I did my first recording."

Harry Connick Jr will be performing holiday shows this November and December in select cities in support of the album. Tour dates listed below, check local venues for ticket information.

November 18 @ Palace Theater - Louisville, KY
November 19 @ Taft Theater - Cincinnati, OH
November 20 @ Ohio Theater - Columbus, OH
November 21 @ Clay Center - Charleston, WV
November 22 @ The State Theater - Cleveland, OH
November 28 @ City Center - New York
November 29 @ City Center - New York
December 4 @ NJPAC Prudential Hall - Newark, NJ
December 5 @ The Borgata - Atlantic City, NJ
December 7 @ Fox Theater - St. Louis, MO
December 9 @ Orpheum - Minneapolis, MN
December 10 @ Chicago Theater - Chicago, IL
December 11 @ Chicago Theater - Chicago, IL
December 12 @ Milwaukee Theater - Milwaukee, WI
December 14 @ Ryman Auditorium - Nashville, TN
December 16 @ Cobb Energy PAC - Atlanta, GA
December 17 @ Durham PAC - Durham, NC
December 19 @ Colonial Theater - Boston, MA
December 20 @ Colonial Theater - Boston, MA

TONY BENNETT: A SWINGIN’ CHRISTMAS FEATURING THE COUNT BASIE BIG BAND

Tony Bennett has recorded his first holiday CD in forty years since his 1968 release of "Snowfall," and this latest project, "Tony Bennett: A Swingin' Christmas Featuring The Count Basie Big Band," is destined to become an annual favorite of the season. Featuring 11 tracks, Tony swings such classics as "I'll Be Home for Christmas," "Winter Wonderland," "Santa Claus is Coming to Town," and the CD introduces his daughter, Antonia, who duets with Tony on "I've Got My Love to Keep Me Warm." Phil Ramone, who has worked with Bennett on several of his recent outings including the multi-platinum "Duets: An American Classic," produced the CD. Danny Bennett, Tony's son and manager, is Executive producer. The recording and mixing was handled by Bennett's son, Dae Bennett, owner of Bennett Studios. The CD will be available everywhere on October 14 on RPM Records/Columbia Records.

"Tony Bennett: A Swingin' Christmas" was recorded live on the stage of Bergen Pac in Englewood, N.J., keeping with Bennett's mandate to embrace the live aspect of performing in the recording process. The Count Basie Orchestra joined Bennett for the sessions and jazz pianist Monty Alexander took on the role of Count Basie at piano. 2009 NEA Jazz Master recipient Toots Thielemans also makes a guest appearance on the recording. "Tony Bennett: A Swingin' Christmas" is available in the following formats: CD, a deluxe CD/DVD fan edition featuring the recording of the album and a holiday card package including 10 holiday cards with artwork by Tony Bennett plus the CD, and a deluxe CD/DVD fan edition plus a bonus holiday card painted by Tony Bennett.

Here is the track listing for TONY BENNETT: A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS Featuring The Count Basie Big Band" is as follows:

"I'll Be Home For Christmas"
"Silver Bells"
"All I Want For Christmas Is You"
"My Favorite Things"
"Christmas Time Is Here"
"Winter Wonderland"
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"
"Santa Claus Is Coming To Town"
"I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm" (duet with Antonia Bennett)
"The Christmas Waltz"
"O Christmas Tree"

For an exclusive look at the making of "TONY BENNETT: A SWINGIN' CHRISTMAS," click to: http://tinyurl.com/3ghc9w
http://www.tonybennett.net/
http://www.benedettoarts.com/ttoarts.com
http://www.exploringthearts.org/

THE BEST OF BOND…JAMES BOND

Capitol/EMI has announced an expanded CD, CD/DVD and digital release of 'The Best Of Bond... James Bond' on October 28. The CD and digital album both feature 23 musical standouts from the Bond franchise's 46 years plus a previously unreleased bonus track, and the CD/DVD includes five music videos, a filmed concert performance and more. Just as James Bond has evolved over time, so have the films' memorable themes. 'The Best Of Bond... James Bond' collects an impressive selection of classic and contemporary Bond themes by many of popular music's top stars, including Paul McCartney and Wings' "Live & Let Die," Madonna's "Die Another Day," Duran Duran's chart-topping "A View To A Kill," Shirley Bassey's "Goldfinger," Tina Turner's "GoldenEye," kd lang's "Surrender," Sheryl Crow's "Tomorrow Never Dies," Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name," Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better," and Tom Jones' "Thunderball," among many others. John Arnold's previously unreleased "James Bond Theme" closes the collection.

EON Productions/Danjaq, LLC, is owned by the Broccoli family and has produced twenty two James Bond films since 1962, including 'QUANTUM OF SOLACE.' The James Bond films, produced by Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, make up the longest running franchise in film history and include the recent blockbuster films 'GoldenEye,' 'Tomorrow Never Dies,' 'The World is Not Enough,' 'Die Another Day' and 'Casino Royale.' EON Productions and Danjaq LLC, are affiliate companies and control all worldwide merchandising of the James Bond franchise.

The Best Of Bond... James Bond Tracklisting (CD, CD/DVD, Digital Album)
1. "James Bond Theme" - John Barry Orchestra
2. "From Russia With Love" - Matt Monro
3. "Goldfinger" - Shirley Bassey
4. "Thunderball" - Tom Jones
5. "You Only Live Twice" - Nancy Sinatra
6. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" - John Barry Orchestra
7. "We Have All The Time In The World" - Louis Armstrong
8. "Diamonds Are Forever" - Shirley Bassey
9. "Live & Let Die" - Paul McCartney and Wings
10. "Man With The Golden Gun" - Lulu
11. "Nobody Does It Better" - Carly Simon
12. "Moonraker" - Shirley Bassey
13. "For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton
14. "All Time High" - Rita Coolidge
15. "A View To A Kill" - Duran Duran
16. "The Living Daylights" - A-Ha
17. "Licence To Kill" - Gladys Knight
18. "GoldenEye" - Tina Turner
19. "Tomorrow Never Dies" - Sheryl Crow
20. "Surrender" - kd lang
21. "The World Is Not Enough" - Garbage
22. "Die Another Day" - Madonna
23. "You Know My Name" - Chris Cornell
Bonus Track
24. "James Bond Theme" - John Arnold (previously unreleased)

DVD
1. "A View To A Kill" - Duran Duran (music video)
2. "For Your Eyes Only" - Sheena Easton (music video)
3. "GoldenEye" - Tina Turner (music video)
4. "The Living Daylights" - A-Ha (music video)
5. "All Time High" - Rita Coolidge (music video)
6. "Goldfinger" - Shirley Bassey (Live at Royal Albert Hall, 1974)
7. Documentary: "The Music Of James Bond"

NATALIE COLE – STILL UNFORGETABLE

Grammy Award-winning songstress Natalie Cole is back on the road this fall in support of her September release, Still Unforgettable, the highly anticipated follow up to the Grammy-winning favorite, Unforgettable ... With Love. Highlighting Cole's interpretation of timeless standards from the American Songbook as well as showcasing her signature hits, the tour will also feature an
accompanying big band. The tour hits Spotlight 29 Casino on January 17, 2009.

Natalie is an eight-time Grammy (R) Award winner, an accomplishment that speaks to her musicianship, her critically acclaimed abilities as a vocalist and her connection to her fans. Her canon includes such No. 1's as "This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)," "Inseparable," "Our Love," "I've Got Love On My Mind," "Pink Cadillac" and "Miss You Like Crazy." She has sold more than 30 million albums.

Still Unforgettable is a 14-song collection that captures Natalie Cole's supple voice and impeccable phrasing as she continues her exploration of beloved American pop standards. Recorded in the legendary Capitol Studios in Hollywood, CA, the album features Cole lending her voice to such classic tracks as "The Best Is Yet To Come," "Nice 'N Easy," "Come Rain Come Shine" as well as a memorable duet with her late father Nat King Cole on "Walkin' My Baby Back Home."

For this new album Cole looked beyond songs made famous by her father. "I decided to go deeper into the American Songbook and not just get songs from my father, but also from Frank Sinatra, Lena Horne, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peggy Lee. The lyrics of these songs are about life. As a singer, they take me and my audience on a winsome journey." The live show will feature performances of these musical gems, accompanied by a big band. "I still love recording and still love thestage, but like my dad, I have the most fun when I am in front of that glorious orchestra or that kick-butt Big Band."

LAURA NYRO – SEASON OF LIGHTS & NESTED

Laura Nyro (1947-1997) was one of the most remarkable popular music artists of the late 20th century - a pioneering singer-songwriter whose songs were beloved both in their original performances and in successful cover versions by the Fifth Dimension, Barbra Streisand, Three Dog Night, and Blood, Sweat & Tears. Nyro had two audiences--a cult following that adored her high-priestess persona and whisper-to-a-scream vocals, and mainstream music fans who might have been unaware of Nyro herself but happily sung along with "Wedding Bell Blues," "Stoney End," "Eli's Comin'" and "And When I Die." Nyro's influence is cited by multiple generations of famous fans, from Todd Rundgren and Rickie Lee Jones to Fiona Apple and Jenny Lewis.

Season Of Lights…Laura Nyro In Concert (originally released 1977) documents Nyro's triumphant return to the stage after half a decade in self-imposed artistic exile. Joining Nyro is a nine-piece band led by jazz players John Tropea, Richard Davis, and Mike Mainieri, who add inspired new textures to a set spanning her first decade (1966-1976) as a writer and performer. Additionally, Nyro delivers several breathtaking solo performances accompanied only by her piano. Nyro conceived Season Of Lights as a double live album, but Columbia Records released it in 1977 as a 10 song single LP. Iconoclassic Records' reissue restores the set to its intended 16 song length. This deluxe, expanded CD blends signature tracks from Nyro's early period ("And When I Die," "Sweet Blindness," "Emmie") with songs from her then-current studio release Smile and exclusive material like "The Morning News" which was never recorded in the studio and appears only here. Blurt praises Iconoclassic's "more complete encapsulation of Nyro's performance prowess, an album that rivals Joni Mitchell's stunning Miles Of Aisles in terms of its jazz/rock synthesis."

Season Of Lights includes over 75 minutes of music remastered by Grammy® Award winning engineer Vic Anesini and new liner notes by Michele Kort, author of the definitive Laura Nyro biography Soul Picnic: The Music and Passion of Laura Nyro. Popdose.com raves, "Iconoclassic Records has beautifully remastered the album and presented it in its full glory . . . In a year that has offered beautiful reissues from the likes of Dennis Wilson (Pacific Ocean Blue) and Otis Redding (Otis Blue: Otis Redding Sings Soul), this album rises to the top of the list."

Nyro followed the live Season Of Lights with the 1978 studio set Nested, her eighth album. The richly autobiographical Nested focuses lyrically on impending motherhood, her up-and-down love life, music business greed, and the nature of the universe. A more intimate sound marks a departure from her acclaimed early work and spotlights instrumental contributions from John Sebastian (The Lovin' Spoonful), Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals), and Vinnie Cusano (KISS's Vinnie Vincent). Record Collector praises this "belated CD release for a pivotal record" noting that Nested is "an important album for marking out the direction of Nyro's future writing, the precocious talent of those first records fully blossoming into an older, wiser woman observing the world with wry detachment." Largely ignored or misunderstood upon initial release, Nested can now be heard as the fulcrum on which her early and later career pivoted.

Iconoclassic's 30th anniversary reissue of Nested adds an incisive 1,200 word essay by Kort and additional photographs of Nyro by acclaimed fashion photographer Adger W. Cowans, who shot the original album cover.

Season Of Lights…Laura Nyro In Concert and Nested are available in stores and online now.

RECORD FROM LP TO CD WITHOUT A COMPUTER - YES!

As a famous politician admitted recently, many members of the older generation who have to live daily in a technological world that has long outdistanced their electronic skills … still don't know beans about computers. And what's more, they don't care to. Yet that computer-illiterate segment of the boomer-and-older group often looks longingly at PC email capabilities and LP-to-CD recorders that transfer old vinyl record albums to a CD format--both generally dependent on computer technology. That conflict, says firstSTREET, a direct marketing company quartered near Richmond, Va., accounts for the success of their all-in-one music duplicating system that records a boomer's favorite albums and cassettes directly to CDs, without the need for a computer.

Chris Fawcett, COO of firstSTREET, says the strong point for the company's LP Saver Phono CD Recorder is twofold: "One, you don't need a computer to use it; it's a self-contained unit. And two, you don't need an engineering degree to operate it." Fawcett says the LP Saver is one of the easiest-to-use systems that firstSTREET has found anywhere. "Basically, to record an LP to CD, you'd press the Phono button, lower the tone arm onto the edge of the record or onto the song on the album you want on CD, and press Play. I don't think it gets any easier than that." firstSTREET says there are probably hundreds of thousands of music lovers who still have closets and shoeboxes full of record albums and cassettes around the house, some unlistened to for 30 years or more but containing music still significant and memorable to the ones who purchased it long ago.

"It's pretty much impossible financially to rebuild your LP collection by going out and buying new CDs of all those old albums," says Fawcett. "A simple, fast and reasonably priced unit that transfers those records and cassettes to a crisp, clean CD format, without computer involvement, is really meeting a need for the demographic that grew up buying 45s, albums and cassettes."

Those who no longer even have a phonograph or cassette deck in the house will appreciate the LP Saver's three-speed turntable, cassette deck and CD player. The complete system is housed in an attractive rosewood-finish cabinet, and Fawcett says the sound quality is quite good. He says one customer told him she hasn't owned a car with a cassette player in 10 years. "She's having a ball now listening to all her old cassettes, in between her 'recording sessions.' She said her grown children were even listening to her old albums now that there's a turntable in the house again."

Fawcett points out that music was and is an incredibly important part of life to the baby boomer generation, as well as to those who grew up in the big band, swing and jazz eras. "It's a great joy to those devotees to be able to bring the music of their time into the present and into a present-day format that makes it easily accessible. This is the kind of thing firstSTREET focuses on--we're always looking out for ways to make life easier and more enjoyable for our baby-boomer-and-beyond customer base."

SIRIUS XM ANNOUNCES “BEST OF BOTH” PROGRAM CUSTOMIZATION

SIRIUS XM Radio has announced an unprecedented offering of new programming packages and better pricing. The company's "Best of Both" programming options and A La Carte channel choices are available effective immediately. For the first time ever, XM subscribers can add select SIRIUS channels to their existing service, and SIRIUS subscribers can add select XM channels to their service. These "Best of Both" packages will be available at a monthly cost of $16.99, which is only $4.04 more than the cost of a monthly subscription to one of the services. Most subscribers can add the premier programming without purchasing a new radio.

XM subscribers can add "The Best of SIRIUS" featuring Howard Stern and his two 24/7 channels; Martha Stewart Living Radio dedicated to entertaining, cooking and more with Martha and her lifestyle experts; SIRIUS NFL Radio and play-by-play of every NFL game through the regular season, playoffs and Super Bowl; SIRIUS NASCAR Radio and broadcasts of every NASCAR race; and the smart and sexy exclusive talk of Playboy Radio. XM subscribers will also have access to play-by-play action from the country's leading college teams.

In addition, SIRIUS subscribers can add "The Best of XM" channels featuring Oprah Winfrey and her full time channel, Oprah & Friends; The Virus featuring irreverent radio personalities Opie and Anthony, as well as comedic daytime hosts Ron and Fez; XM Public Radio featuring exclusive interviews and documentaries from the award winning Bob Edwardss play-by-play of select NBA and NHL games; and live coverage of all the events of the PGA TOUR. SIRIUS subscribers will also have access to play-by-play of select games from college's biggest conferences.

98.1 THE RIVER LAUNCHES TO DEFY THE ODDS

I just love it when traditional radio outlets defy the odds and attempt to make a statement. Such a station is 98.1 The River (Asheville, NC). Just announced is that the Asheville Radio Group is launching 98.1 The River effective last Wednesday, Oct. 1, and promises to provide area listeners with an eclectic mix of tunes. A recent press release for the station suggests that listeners want “a radio boutique ... without silly DJs and mainstream radio hype.” A rundown of the big-name acts you can expect to hear includes the Dave Matthews Band, Sara Bareilles, My Morning Jacket, Amos Lee, G. Love & Special Sauce, Bob Marley, REM, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello and Jack Johnson. While the potential offerings aren’t college-radio cutting-edge, they are a departure from the typical pop radio of traditional Top-40 shows. There are also plans for local-centric specialty programming on the River. General Manager Bob Bolak says it will probably be along the lines of “Local Licks” on the Mountain, but with singer/songwriters and other artists in the genres represented by the River. Local musicians will be able to suggest their bands through the station’s Web site. The station is set to launch with 10,000 songs in a row — uninterrupted. If you do the math it works out to about a month’s worth of music. During that time, listeners are invited to send their comments, criticisms and suggestions to comments@981theriver.com. I’d like to see more stations around the country bail out on the corporate bigwigs and their so-called song research statistics and just play the stuff that people already have on their iPods (just cause we can’t hear it on the radio). Kudos to 98.1 for having the guts to do this. Let’s hope it become the new norm.

MOUTIN REUNION QUARTET

Moutin Reunion Quartet features twins, Louis and Francois, with Rick Margitza on saxophone and Pierre de Bathmann on piano. The quartet started 2007 as they toured the US in January, continued with a European tour in February; while recording its fourth album "Sharp Turn". In April, the quartet was in residence for a week at the Opera National de Lyon and for three days at the Ballard Jazz Festival in Seattle, WA. They toured the USA in June through September, also appearing in several festivals in France and in Turkey. After the release of "Sharp Turns" early November, the band has been on the road again for a 15 date tour, starting in France mid November and then going to the USA from east cost to west coast, ending at Jazz Alley in Seattle mid December. The conclusion of the year was an appearance at l 'Olympia in Paris for the annual show of the Parisian major jazz radio TSF. Early 2008 brought the highly energetic critically acclaimed group to the states, with appearances in Ann Arbor and Detroit, Michigan; Syracuse, New York; Chicago, and a tour de force performance at their South Bend debut at Trio's, adding another great review to their collection book.

Upcoming US Tour Dates:
September 30th @ Angelle Hall of the University of Louisiana, Lafayette, LA
October 2nd & 3rd @ Snug Harbor, New Orleans, LAOctober 4th @ Lyceum Dean, Baton Rouge, LA
October 5th @ Churchill Ground's Jazz Club, Atlanta, GA October 6th @ Dizzy's Coca Cola Club - Jazz @ Lincoln Center, NY, NY

NEW MUSIC RELEASES FROM HERBIE HANCOCK, JEFF LORBER, KIRK WHALUM, HI FLY ORCHESTRA, VERVE REMIXED & OTHERS...

Al Green – How Can You Mend A Broken Heart (Music Club)
April Hill – Love 360 (Jazzy Peach Music )
Bela Fleck & The Flecktones – Jingle All The Way (Rounder)
Bette Midler – Jackpot!: The Best Bette (Rhino)
Bette Midler – Some People’s Lives (Rhino Flashback)
Billy Paul – 360 Degrees Of Billy Paul (Legacy)
Bryn Christopher – My World (Universal)
Boomers – What We Do (Phantom Imports )
Cal Tjader – Cal Tjader Plays The Contemporary Music of Mexico & Brazil (Verve)
Charlie Haden – Friends & Family (Decca)
Claudia Acuna – In These Shoes (Zoho Music)
Cro-Magnum – III (Lastrum)
Cro-Magnum – Remixes (Lastrum)
The Crusaders – Pass The Plat (Verve)
Edda Dell’Orso – Sogni Di Bambina-A Child’s Dream (GDM)
Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band – Dr. Buzzard’s Original Savannah Band Meets King Pennett (RCA)
Dr. John – Goin’ Back To New Orleans (Rhino Flashback)
Damon Aaron – Highlands (Ubiquity)
Dele Sosimi – Identity (Helico)
Diana Ross & The Supremes – The Definitive Collection (Motown/UME)
Don E – Natural (Dome)
Drawbar – Flight Of The Tempest (Counterpoint)
Earl Johnson – Juicy (First Domain)
Ed Motta – Chapter 9 (Trana)
Eliane Elias - Bossa Nova Stories (Blue Note)
Esther Phillips – Alone Again, Naturally (Kudu/Reel Music)
Fourplay - Energy (Heads Up )
Four Tops – The Definitive Collection (Motown/UME)
George Duke - Feel (Verve )
Gladys Knight & The Pips – The Definitive Colllection (Motown/UME)
Grover Washington Jr – All The King’s Horses (Verve )
Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes - Wake Up Everybody (Legacy)
Herbie Hancock – Definitive Herbie Hancock (Verve )
Herbie Mann – London Underground (Wounded Bird )
Hi Fly Orchestra – Mambo Atomico (Ajabu)
James Taylor – Covers (Hear Music)
Jason Miles – 2 Grover With Love (Koch)
Jazz Cafe – Sight Unseen (Unison )
Jeff Lorber – Heard That (Peak)
Joe Sample – Fancy Dance (Gazell )
Junior Walker & The All-Stars – The Definitive Collection (Motown/UME)
Kenny Garrett – Sketches of MD Live At The Iridium (Mack Avenue )
Kenny Loggins – How About Now (180 Music)
Kirk Whalum – The Millenium Promise Jazz Project (Koch)
Kloud 9 – Enjoy The Ride (Expansion)
LaSonya Gunter – Crazy Beautiful (BlakDol/Regular)
Lalo Shifrin – Piane Strings & Bossa Nova (Verve )
Leon Huff – How To Create Music (Legacy)
Lin Rountree – Sumthin’ Good (Nu Millennium )
Linda Eder – The Other Side of Me (Verve)
Lizzy Parks – Raise The Roof (Tru Thoughts)
Love Train: The Sound Of Philadelphia (4CD, Various Artists, Legacy)
Luiz Bonfa – Plays & Sings Bossa Nova (Verve )
Martha Reeves & The Vandellas – The Definitive Collection (Motown/UME)
Martin Medeski & Wood – Zaebos: The Book Of Angels Vol 11 (Tzadik )
Martin Taylor – Double Standard (P3 Music Ltd )
Mary Wells – The Definitive Collection (Motown/UME)
Michael McDonald – If That’s What It Takes (Rhino Flashback)
Mike Thompson with Ernie Watts – Menagery
Miles Davis – Kind Of Blue 50th Anniversary Collector’s Edition (Columbia)
Natalie Cole – Good To Be Back (Rhino Flashback)
Nicole Henry - Very Thought Of You (Banister)
Nicola Conte – Rituals (Universal)
Nicola Conte – Sketches Of Samba (Schema)
Nina Simone – To Be Free: The Nina Simone Story (RCA)
The O’Jays – Back Stabbers (Legacy)
Pat Metheny – New Chautauqua (ECM)
Patricia Barber – The Cole Porter Mix (Blue Note)
Peter Maneri – Peace Concert (Atavistic )
Randy Brecker – Randy In Brasil
Raphael Saadiq – Way I See It (Columbia)
Ric Laue – The Weight (Sunset Classics & Jazz )
Robin Thicke – Something Else (Interscope)
Roy Ayers – You Send Me (Verve )
Russ Kunkel - Rivage (Mailboat )Russell Gunn – Love Stories (Highnote )
Santana – Multi-Dimensional Warrior (2CD)
Sarah Vaughan – Jazz Manifesto (Delta)
Shuya Okino – United Legends – More Remixes (Genenon)
Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – The Definitive Collection (Motown/UME)
Soil & Pimp Sessions – Planet Pimp (Brownswood)
Sonar Kollektiv Orchester – Guaranteed Niceness (Sonar Kollektiv)
Soul Bossa Trio – Soul Bossa Trio (Cubop )
Spyro Gyra – A Night Before Christmas (Heads Up )
Stan Getz – Big Band Bossa Nova (Verve)
Stanley Turrentine – Dearly Beloved (Blue Note )
Steve Tilleli – The Field (Sunset )
Sylvester – Sell My Soul/Too Hot Too Sleep (Fantasy)
Sylester – Sylvester/Step II (Fantasy)
Swing Out Sister – Beautiful Mess (Miso)
Taj Mahal – Maestro (Heads Up)
Teddy Pendergrass – Teddy Pendergrass (Legacy)
Teddy Pendergrass – Life Is A Song Worth Singing (Legacy)
The Temptations – The Definitive Collection (Motown/UME)
Thievery Corporation – Radio Retaliation (ESL)
Toninho Horta – To Jobim With Lovedig (Resonance )
Tony Rich Project – Exist (Hidden Beach)
Traffic – Love At Santa Monica (DVD, Pinnacle)
Two Banks Of Four – Junkyard Gods (Somar Kollektiv)
UB40 – UB40: Greatest Hits (Virgin/EMI)
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks (Vinyl LP)
Van Morrison – Moondance (Vinyl LP)
Van Morrison - His Band & Street Choir (Vinyl LP)
Van Morrison – A Period of Transition (Polydor)
Van Morrison - How Long Has This Been Going On (Polydor)
Van Morrison - Hymns to the Silence (Polydor)
Van Morrison - Poetic Champions Compose (Polydor)
Van Morrison - Saint Dominic’s Preview (Polydor)
Van Morrison - Tell Me Something (Polydor)
Verve Remixed Holiday (Various Artists)
Verve Unmixed Holiday (Various Artists)

Vince Mendoza - Blaukland (Amv )
YahZarah – Prelude EP (Yahzarah)

D'ANGELO - I FOUND MY SMILE AGAIN

R&B-soul singer-songwriter D'Angelo has returned with his new single "I Found My Smile Again (Radio Edit)", which is slated for a September 30th release date exclusively through iTunes. The track is a true representation of D'Angelo's soul fusion, as the song is sprinkled with hints of hip hop, funk and jazz and layered with some of the most charismatic R&B vocal styling.

D'Angelo was one of the founding fathers of R&B soul movement of the mid- to late '90s, which took classic R&B fused it with new age hip-hop soul. D'Angelo's debut album, "Brown Sugar" earned him significant critical acclaim from the likes of Rolling Stone Magazine who proclaimed, "D'Angelo keeps moving forward even when he's looking in the rearview mirror. Like his fellow retrolutionaries Me'Shell NdegéOcello, Joi, Omar and Dionne Farris, he's shattering the conventional definition of black music." The album's double platinum success triggered extensive touring and soundtrack recordings for films like Space Jam, Get On The Bus, Down In The Delta, and Scream 2; and a duet with Erykah Badu for the "Marvin Is 60: A Tribute Album".

The singer-songwriter's follow-up, "Voodoo", debuted at number one on the Billboard Top 200, despite a five-year wait in between and positioned him firmly a the top of the R&B heap. Produced and written by D'Angelo and recorded live with no overdubs, "Voodoo" featured high profile collaborations with Raphael Saadiq, Lauryn Hill, Q-Tip, Method Man and Redman. The album took D'Angelo's career to new heights and earned the singer songwriter his first of two Grammy Awards for Best R&B Album, and D'Angelo also won the Grammy for Best Male R&B Vocal Performance for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)."

D'Angelo is currently putting the finishing touches on the next chapter in his book of musical fusion with his third solo offering, which is slated for release in early 2009 through the RCA Music Group and J Records.

For more information click tot Myspace.com/dangelo.

ROBIN THICKE OFFERS SIX REMIXES FROM ‘SOMETHING ELSE’

Grammy winner, Robin Thicke has a top 5 hit on his hands with "Magic," the lead single from his new album, "Something Else," due Sept. 30 from Interscope Records / Star Trak Records. The certified platinum soul singer is truly creating the "magic" with a first-of-its-kind partnership with GenAudio, which is debuting its new audio technology, AstoundStereo(TM), by providing alternate mixes of six tracks from "Something Else." "As an artist, having this kind of technology is a dream come true. My goal is to always have my audience hear my music on a deeper level, so I am thrilled about AstoundStereo(TM)," says Robin Thicke.

The six AstoundStereo(TM) re-mixed tracks -- "Magic," "Sidestep," "Dreamworld," "Sweetest Love," "Shadow of Doubt" and "Cry no More" – are available as a gift-with-purchase for anyone who orders the digital version of the album on the artist's website (robinthicke.com) or the physical CD on Amazon.com. Robin Thicke is the first artist to showcase his music using
AstoundStereo(TM).

Developed by GenAudio, the new technology, AstoundStereo(TM), is the next dimension in the evolution of audio. A next generation 4D audio technology, AstoundStereo(TM) immerses the listener with sounds, elevating and widening the sonic landscape to create a much more enjoyable listening experience. "This will change the way the world listens to audio," says Jerry Mahabub, Chairman/CEO of GenAudio. "AstoundStereo(TM) is not only the next dimension in the evolution of audio, it will become the new standard for listening to audio."

AstoundStereo(TM) requires no special hardware or decoding. Headphones or two speakers are all that is needed to experience 4D audio. In addition to providing for a better stereo listening experience, AstoundStereo(TM) also integrates seamlessly with all Surround Sound delivery formats yielding a better multi-channel audio experience. In other words, it is compatible with all audio playback systems including but not limited to home theater setups, portable music players, computers, car stereos, etc.

Interscope Records credits the artist's musical palette for the GenAudio partnership. "There is an inherent richness to Robin's music, as well as a variety of musical styles, that we thought would work well with the new GenAudio technology -- and it does," says Ted Mico, EVP of Digital at Interscope Geffen A&M (IGA). "We see this as a good fit between artist and technology."

Thicke's customized Musicane widget will be posted on his official site (http://www.robinthicke.com/) offering fans the opportunity to buy the entire album and/or individual songs directly from him, via his website. Fans that buy his album directly from his site will instantly be able to download the AstoundStereo(TM) files directly from the widget. The widget will contain previews of the album, news, videos and, for the first time, sell his branded merchandise. The digital music downloads sold via Thicke's Musicane will offer his full catalog in unrestricted 320 kbps MP3 format. All music is DRM-free and will be playable on any portable and home music players including the Apple iPod(R) and iPhone(R).

Robin Thicke's manager Neil Jacobson, of Interscope Management, concurs. "I compared the original mixes versus the AstoundStereo(TM) mixes on all six tracks," he says. "You can close your eyes and hear how the audio expands around your ears and above your head -- it completely immerses you in Robin's music. This technology takes Robin's music to a new
level."

Because Robin Thicke's music is varied -- from upbeat and funky to soulful and atmospheric -- GenAudio showcases the different ways that AstoundStereo(TM) can be applied to different styles of music, Mahabub explains. "With Robin having such a wide range of musical style, it enabled us to have a new level of creativity using our AstoundStereo(TM) technology." From a marketing perspective, Interscope now has a different type of bonus offering for Robin Thicke fans. "This is a great incentive for fans to buy the album," Jacobson notes. "This is real, tangible, and makes perfect sense."

DARYL HALL & JOHN OATES LIVE AT THE TROUBADOR

Last May, Daryl Hall and John Oates took the stage at the legendary Troubadour for the first time since playing their earliest Los Angeles shows there 35 years before. The best performances from this much anticipated two-night concert, which included hits such as "Maneater," "Private Eyes," "Rich Girl," "Sara Smile" and "Kiss On My List," will be made available in three formats - DVD, Blu-Ray, and a 1-DVD/2-CD combo, via Shout! Factory on November 25. Beyond the classic hits, the sold-out shows featured rarely performed fan favorites and deep album cuts, as well as Daryl Hall solo material, with the duo backed by a band comprised of longtime member T-Bone Wolk on guitar and voccls, Mike Braun on drums, Charles DeChant on sax, keys and vocals, Eliot Lewis on keys and vocals, Zev Katz on bass, and Everett Bradley on percussion and vocals.

The concerts were filmed by Blaze TV with 10 remote-controlled HD cameras, allowing the viewer to experience the performance as if they were inside the crowded LA club. Although an abridged version of the show will be broadcast on VH1's Rave HD channel in late 2008, the Live At The Troubadour DVD will be the only way to catch performances of all of the songs, as well as exclusive new interviews with Hall and Oates.

Originally formed in Philadelphia in 1972, Daryl Hall & John Oates have enjoyed six #1 singles between the mid-'70s and the mid-80's, including "Rich Girl" (also #1 R&B), "Kiss on My List," "Private Eyes," "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)" (also #1 R&B), "Maneater" and "Out of Touch," from their six consecutive multi-platinum albums -- '76's Bigger Than Both of Us, '80's Voices, '81's Private Eyes, '82's H2O, '83's Rock N Soul, Part I and '84's Big Bam Boom. The era would also produce an additional 5 Top 10 singles, "Sara Smile," "One on One," "You Make My Dreams," "Say It Isn't So" and "Method of Modern Love."

Hall and Oates have recently been receiving recognition from younger artists including KT Tunstall, Gym Class Heroes and Finger Eleven, all of whom have appeared on Daryl's media and fan-praised web show, http://www.livefromdarylshouse.com/ the captivating series that has been receiving kudos from Rolling Stone, Spin, Daily Variety and the influential Lefsetz Letter.

Daryl also wrote the H&O single "Everytime You Go Away," which singer Paul Young scored a number-one hit with a cover of the song in 1985. That same year, Daryl and John, participated in the historic "We Are the World" session as well as closing the Live Aid show in Philadelphia. By 1987, the R.I.A.A. recognized Daryl Hall and John Oates as the NUMBER-ONE SELLING DUO
in music history, a record they still hold today.

On May 20, 2008, the duo was honored with the Icon Award during BMI's 56th annual Pop Awards. The award has previously gone to the Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana and Dolly Parton.

VIEUX FARKA TOURE SIGNS WITH SIX DEGREES RECORDS

Six Degrees Records has recently announced the signing of Vieux Farka Touré, the fast rising Malian guitarist, singer, songwriter, and son of the legendary Ali Farka Touré. Vieux quickly stepped into the spotlight after the release of his self-titled debut album in 2006, which continues to receive press accolades worldwide. Starting the second week of September, Vieux is embarking on his fall North American tour that includes New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and more (see full tour dates below). He is hot on the heels of three months of touring Europe, the U.S. and Canada this summer followed by the critically acclaimed African James Brown tribute tour entitled "Still Black, Still Proud," alongside Brown's players saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis and trombonist Fred Wesley.

Born in 1981, Ibrahim "Vieux" Farka Touré is a Malian singer and guitarist born in Niafunke, Mali. Touré is the son of famed African musician Al Farka Toure. Vieux's debut solo album, released online in fall 2006 and in retail worldwide February 2007, features Ali Farka Touré and Toumani Diabate on several tracks. His touring band consists as follows:

Vieux Farka Touré: lead guitar, vocals

Mama Sissoko: ngoni, guitar

Seckou Touré: calabash, vocals

Tim Keiper: Drums, aux percussion

Eric Herman: bass guitar

Vieux Farka Touré, North American Tour Dates

10/01 - Quebec City, Canada @ Palais Montcalm

10/03 - Bloomington, IN @ Lotus Festival

10/04 - Nelsonville, OH @ Stuart's Opera

10/05 - Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere

10/10 - 10/11 - Richmond, VA @ Richmond Folk

10/13 - Pittsburgh, PA @ New Hazlett Theatre

10/15 - 10/19 - Black Mountain, NC @ (LEAF)

SMOOTH JAZZ FORMATS LOSE RADIO STATIONS…BUT GAIN ONLINE PRESENCE

As a result of so many major-market radio stations dropping the Smooth Jazz format, it’s no wonder that Greater Media has officially partnered with AccuRadio to produce PhillySmoothJazz.com, described as a new, unique online music station which provides Philadelphia’s dedicated jazz and R&B fans with a place to hear all of their favorite Smooth Jazz artists. Greater Media, if you recall, is the same company, who after two years dropped the smooth jazz format over at WJJZ in Philadelphia on September 9. Then they turned around and resurrected the format online in partnership with Radio and Internet Newsletter (RAIN) founder Kurt Hanson. This should satisfy the 20,000 or so core smooth jazz fans over in Philadelphia who were nothing short of pissed when they tuned on the radio one day only to find that the format has changed.

PhillySmoothJazz.com is the worlds' first multi-channel Smooth Jazz radio station, offering six different channels of Smooth Jazz. These options include a main channel, plus Smooth Piano Jazz, Smooth Guitarists, Smooth Saxophones, Smooth Jazz Vocals, and Smooth Instrumentals. Once listeners launch a channel, they can personalize it to their individual tastes, including skipping songs they don't like, or even "deselecting" artists they don't want to hear. Additional channels slated to be unveiled later this month include Broadway Jazz, Groove Jazz, and a Smooth Jazz channel devoted specifically to Philadelphia-based musicians. In addition, the "Other Channels" tab on the media player will provide Jazz fans with access to 14 channels of Mainstream Jazz. The webcast is available now at http://www.phillysmoothjazz.com/.

THE OCTOBER CONCERT LISTINGS

Eric Benet @ South Beach, Detroit, MI, Oct 1
Vieux Farka Toure @ Palais Montcalm, Quebec City, Canada, Oct 1
Teddy Thompson @ Bercy, Paris, France, Oct 1
Herbie Hancock @ Opera House, Vienna , Austria, Oct 1
Blues Traveler @ Varsity Theatre, Baton Rouge, LA, Oct 1
Jesse Baylin @ Rex Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct 1
Brian Culbertson, Ledisi @ Capital Jazz Supercruise, Baltimore, MD, Oct 1-2
Marcus Johnson @ Holiday Inn, Washington, DC, Oct 2
Linda Eder @ Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct 2
Jesse Baylin @ Nokia Theatre, New York, NY, Oct 2
Mindi Abair @ Unplugged at the Wrigley Ranch, Avalon, CA, Oct 2
Teddy Thompson @ Scala, London, UK, Oct 2
Eric Benet @ Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH, Oct 2
Santana @ Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 2-3
Vieux Farka Toure @ Lotus Festival, Bloomington, IN, Oct 3
Marcus Johnson @ Montepelier Arts Center, Washington, DC, Oct 3
Teddy Thompson @ Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, UK, Oct 3
Ledisi @ Palladium Ballroom, Dallas, TX, Oct 3
Leona Naess @ Union Theater, Madison, WI, Oct 3
Brian Culbertson @ Hyatt Newport Amphitheatre, Newport Beach, CA, Oct 3
Brazilian Girls @ The House Of Blues, Chicago, IL, Oct 3
Blues Traveler @ Harrah’s, New Orleans, LA, Oct 3
U-Nam, The Sax Pack: Keff Kashiwa, Steve Cole, Kim Waters @ JazzTrax Festival, Avalon, CA, Oct 3
Jackiem Joyner, LA Chillharmonic, Jessy J, Acoustic Alchemy @ JazzTrax Festival, Avalon, CA, Oct 4
Brian Culberton @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, Oct 4
Blues Traveler @ Free Bird, Jacksonvill,e Fl, Oct 4
Santana @ MGM Grand Hotel, Las Vegas, NV, Oct 4
Ledisi @ The House Of Blues, New Orleans, LA, Oct 4
Vieux Farka Toure @ Stuart’s Opera, Nelsonville, OH, Oct 4
Brazilian Girls @ Diesel Playhouse, Toronto, Ontario, CA, Oct 4
Marcus Johnson @ Charlestown Resort & Casino, Charlestown, WV, Oct 4
Eric Benet @ State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, Oct 5
Herbie Hancock @ Centro Cultural, Angra, Azores, Oct 5
Vieuz Farka Toure @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Oct 5
Brian Bromberg, Warren Hill @ JazzTrax Festival, Avalon, CA, Oct 5
Brazilian Girls @ Club Soda, Montreal, Quebec, CA, Oct 5
Bobby Caldwell @ Billboard Live, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 5, 6, 7, 9, 10
Blues Traveler @ The Social, Orlando, Fl, Oct 6
Eric Benet @ B.B. King’s, New York, NY, Oct 6
Santana @ Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA, Oct 6
Herbie Hancock @ Semperoper, Dreisden, Germany, Oct 7
Blues Traveler @ Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, Fl, Oct 7
Brazilian Girls @ Club Metronome, Burlington, VT, Oct 7
Chris Standring @ Cinnamon Club, Manchester, UK, Oct 7
Eric Benet @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Oct 7-8
Herbie Hancock @ Philharmonie de Luxembourg, Louxembourg City, Luxumbourg, Oct 8
Marcus Johnson @ United States Postal Service, Washington, DC, Oct 8
Chris Standring @ Pizza Express Jazz Club, London, UK, Oct 8-10
Marcus Johnson @ Holiday Inn, Washington, DC, Oct 9
Susan Tedeschi @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT, Oct 9
Denny Jiosa, Lindsay George, Joe Johnson @ Belcourt Theatre, Nashville, TN, Oct 9
Blues Traveler @ Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg, FL, Oct 9
Brazilian Girls @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, MA, Oct 9
Paul Brown, Jay Soto, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot @ Unplugged at the Wrigley Ranch, Avalon, CA, Oct 9
Nicola Conte @ The Blue Note, Nagoya, Japan, Oct 9
Jay Soto, Eri Darius, JazzTrax Destival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct. 10
Nicola Conte @ Motion Blue, Yokohama, Japan, Oct 10
Herbie Hancock @ Salle Pleyel, Paris, France, Oct 10
Santana @ Reno Events Center, Reno, NV, Oct 10
Brian Culbertson @ JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort, Phoenix, AZ, Oct 10
Blues Traveler @ Floyd’s Music Store, Tallahassee, FL, Oct 10
Susan Tedeschi @ Bardavon Opera House, Poughkeepsie, NY, Oct 10
Eric Benet @ Attucks Theatre, Norfalk, VA, Oct 10
Paul Anka @ Peppermill Tuscay Ballroom, Reno, NV, Oct 10
Theivery Corporation @ Principal Club Theatre, Thessaloniki, Greece, Oct 10
Norman Brown, Shilts, Nick Colionne @ Smooth Cruise at Chelsea Piers, New York, NY, Oct 10
Vieux Farka Toure @ Richmond Folk, Richmond, VA, Oct 10-11
Eric Benet @ Carolina Theatre, Durham, NC, Oct 11
Santana @ Shoreline Amphitheatre, Mountain View, CA, Oct 11
Herbie Hancock @ Le Volcan, Le Havre, France, Oct 11
Theivery Corporation @ Theatro Vrahon, Athens, Greece, Oct 11
Blues Traveler @ Frank Brown Park, Panama City Beach, Fl, Oct 11
Brazilian Girls @ The Note, West Chester, PA, Oct 11
Marcus Johnson @ Cramton Auditorium Howard University, Washington, DC, Oct 11
Jackiem Joyner, LA Chillharmonic, Nyee Moses, Keiko Matsui @ JazzTrax Festival, Avalon, CA, Oct 11
Paul Jackson Jr, Gregg Karukas, Jessy J, Keffrey Osborne @ JazzTrax Festrival, Avalon, CA, Oct 12
Eric Benet @ Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC, Oct 12
Chris Standring @ Churchills, Southend, UK, Oct 12
Santana @ Sleep Train Pavillion At Concord, Concord, CA, Oct 12
Susan Tedeschi @ Westhampton Beach Performing Arts Center, Westhampton, NY, Oct 12
Nicola Conte @ The Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Oct 12-13
Brazilian Girls @ Sonar, Baltimore, MD, Oct 13
Vieux Farka Toure @ New Hazlett Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct 13
Bobby Caldwell @ Billboard Live, Osaka, Japan, Oct 13-15
Herbie Hancock @ Le Grand Theatre , Grenoble, France, Oct 14
Susan Tedeschi @ University Of Buffalo Center For The Arts, Buffalo, NY, Oct 14
Blues Traveler, Late Night With David Letterman, New York, NY, Oct 14
Ledisi @ The Blue Note, New York, NY, Oct 14-19
Susan Tedeschi @ Sunoco Performance Theatre, Harrisburg, PA, Oct 15
Thievery Corporation @ Sala Palatului Bucharest, Romania, Oct 15
Herbie Hancock @ Avant Scene, Colombes, France, Oct 15
Vieux Farka Toure @ LEAF, Black Mountain, NC, Oct 15-19
Eric Benet @ Arena Theatre, Houston, TX, Oct 16
Thievery Corporation @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London, UK, Oct 16
Blues Traveler @ Highline Ballroom, New York, NY, Oct 16
Herbie Hancock @ La Comete, Chalons-en-Champagne, France, Oct 16
Marcus Johnson @ Holiday Inn, Washington, DC, Oct 16
Eric Benet @ River Theate, Baton Rouge, LA, Oct 17
Marcus Johnson @ Café 611, Frederick, MD, Oct 17
Herbie Hancock @ Chapiteau, Nancy, France, Oct 17
Mindi Abair, Nyee Moses @ Catalina Jazz Fest, Avalon, CA, Oct 17
Bobby Caldwell @ Billboard Live, Fukuoka, Japan, Oct 17-19
Eric Benet @ Nokia Theatre Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX, Oct 18
Herbie Hancock @ Docks, Marseille, France, Oct 18
Chris Standring @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Oct 18
Emanuel Raheim (GC), Rochelle Fleming (First Choice), Colonel Abrams, Barbara Tucker @ The Grand Ballroom, New York, NY, October 18
Ray Parker Jr, Jessy J, Nick Collione, Jay Soto, Euge Groove @ JazzTrax Festival, Avalon, CA, Oct 18
Chris Standring @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Oct 18
Jackiem Joyner, Paul Brown, Marc Antoine, Chris Standring, Sekou Bunch, Gerald Albright @ JazzTrax Festival, Avalon, CA, Oct 19
Blues Traveler @ The Stone Pony @ Asbury Park, NJ, Oct 19
Thievery Corporation @ Lisbon Coliseum. Lisbon, Portugal, Oct 19
Chris Standring @ Jazztrax Festival, Catalina Island, CA, Oct 19
Herbie Hancock @ Sebastopol, Tourcoing, France, Oct 20
Marcus Johnson @ Hyatt Regency, Scottsdale, AZ, Oct 21
Herbie Hancock @ Lanteren, Rotterdam, Holland, Oct 21
Blues Traveler @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, MA, Oct 21
Blues Traveler @ Toad’s Place, New Haven, CT, Oct 22
Blues Traveler @ The Chance, Poughkeepsie, NY, Oct 23
Marcus Johnson @ Holiday Inn, Oct 23
L.J. Reynolds, Alicia Meyers @ Bert Warehouse Theatre, Detroit, MI, Oct 24
Thievery Corporation @ House Of Blues, Houston, TX, Oct 24
Billy Paul @ City University, Jersey City, NJ, Oct 24
Thievery Corporation @ Voodoo Music Festival, New Orleans, LA, Oct 25
Nikka Costa @ Saints, Montreal, Canada, Oct 25
Bobby Caldwell, Kenny Rankin @ Orpheum Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, Oct 25
Blues Traveler @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Oct 25
Herbie Hancock @ Monk Institute, Los Angeles, CA, Oct 26
Nikka Costa @ El Mocambo, Toronto, Canada, Oct 26
Thievery Corporation @ House Of Blues, Dallas, TX, Oct 26
Blues Traveler @ The Note, West Chester, PA, Oct 26
Marcus Johnson @ Washington Times Arbor Ballroom, Washington, DC, Oct 26 & 28
Blues Traveler @ State Theatre, Falls Church, VA, Oct 27
Nikka Costa @ Park West, Chicago, IL, Oct 28
Nikka Costa @ The Rave, Milwaukee, WI, Oct 29
Blues Traveler @ Mr. Smalls Theatre, Pittsburgh, PA, Oct 29
Marcus Johnson @ Holiday Inn, Washington, DC, Oct 30
Richie Havens @ Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, CA, Oct 31

MARC BROUSSARD - KEEP COMING BACK

Atlantic recording artist Marc Broussard, who’s latest release is “KEEP COMING BACK”, has unveiled a new slate of headline dates The just-announced schedule, featuring The Gabe Dixon Band and Josh Hoge as main support, begins November 8th at Washington, DC's Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, and then continues through the end of the month (see below itinerary. Broussard has also scheduled an upcoming live performance on NBC's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," set for Wednesday, October 8th.. The national television appearance will herald the Louisiana-based bayou soul troubadour's North American tour supporting longtime friend Sara Bareilles, which kicks off the following day, October 9th, at San Diego's Spreckels Theatre. The schedule will then travel through early November. Broussard, who is currently on the road headlining his own "Keep Coming Back Tour," has also confirmed a festival appearance at New Orleans' annual Voodoo Music Experience, slated for October 25th.

"KEEP COMING BACK" arrived on September 16th to acclamation. "Justin T., take note: Marc Broussard is the real blue-eyed, blond, Southern soul singer," wrote Vanity Fair's Lisa Robinson. "He's been compared to Donnie Hathaway, Stevie Wonder, and Van Morrison, and his new album, 'KEEP COMING BACK,' features the outstanding 'Real Good Thing.'" Performing Songwriter also praises the collection, stating, "Next time you hear a soul-music fanatic say, 'They don't make 'em like that anymore,' let them hear 'KEEP COMING BACK'... Broussard gives what amounts to a master class in soul singing."

"Broussard possesses the soulful baritone pipes and honest delivery of a musician at least twice his age," hailed Live Daily. "Think Marvin Gaye, Al Green, Stevie Wonder and Otis Redding." The New York Post declared that "KEEP COMING BACK" "captures (Broussard's) groovy live sound," while the Philadelphia Daily News praised the set in a three-and-a-half starred rave as "one of Broussard's best efforts. It allows him to bend his voice from the raspy blues of swamp rock to the pitch-perfect tenor that dominates most of the tracks."

"KEEP COMING BACK" more than confirms Broussard as an artist uniquely gifted in channeling the multiple spirits of classic R&B and soul into contemporary terms. The Louisiana-based bayou soul troubadour recorded the collection earlier this year in a whirlwind 11-day session at Nashville's historic Ocean Way Studios. In addition, two noteworthy guests appear on "KEEP COMING BACK": LeAnn Rimes - whose country-meets-swamp-blues turn on "When It's Good" returns the compliment Broussard paid as co-writer and vocal partner on "Nothing Wrong," from her top 5-charting 2007 album, "FAMILY" -- and pop/rock sensation Sara Bareilles, who has opened several Broussard tours, and lends vocals to the powerful ballad, "Why Should She Wait."

MARC BROUSSARD ON TOUR 2008 (10/9-11/7: w/Sara Bareilles except *)
Sept 25 - Des Moines, IA @ Vaudeville Mews
Sept 26 - Chicago, IL @ Lakeshore Theatre
Sept 27 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theatre
Sept 28 - Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity Theatre
Sept 30 - Council Bluffs, IA @ Whiskey Roadhouse/Horseshoe Council Bluffs
Oct 2 - Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
Oct 3 - Baton Rouge, LA @ Varsity Theatre
Oct 4 - Lafayette, LA @ NiteTown
Oct 5 - McKinney, TX @ McKinney Performing Arts Center
Oct 7 - Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress
Oct 9 - San Diego, CA @ Spreckels Theatre
Oct 10 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Joint/Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Oct 11 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern
Oct 14 - Portland, OR @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall
Oct 15 - Seattle, WA @ Moore Theatre
Oct 20 - Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
Oct 22 - Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
Oct 23 - Houston, TX @ House of Blues
Oct 24 - Austin, TX @ Antone's *
Oct 25 - New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Music Experience *
Oct 27 - Birmingham, AL @ Alabama Theatre
Oct 28 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
Oct 30 - Detroit, MI @ The Fillmore Detroit
Nov 1 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
Nov 2 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
Nov 3 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
Nov 5 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
Nov 6 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
Nov 7 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata Music Box
Nov 8 - Washington, DC @ Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
Nov 9 - New York, NY @ The Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza
Nov 11 - Boston, MA @ Paradise Rock Club
Nov 12 - Philadelphia, PA @ Fillmore @ The TLA
Nov 13 - Baltimore, MD @ Ram's Head Live
Nov 14 - Albany, NY @ Revolution Hall
Nov 15 - Buffalo, NY @ Buffalo State College Performing Arts Center
Nov 18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Mr Smalls Funhouse
Nov 19 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection
Nov 20 - Milwaukee, WI @ Northern Lights Theatre - Potawatomi Casino
Nov 21 - Davenport, IA The Redstone Room
Nov 22 - Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck

JUDE JOHNSTONE – MR. SUN

Jude Johnstone offers an intelligence and sophistication in her music that is dramatically revealed in her fourth CD "Mr. Sun," from BoJak Records. "Mr. Sun" continues with the jazzy/blues musical rhythms found in her last project "Blue Light," while maintaining her trademarks of emotional depth, passionate vocals and haunting melodies. Johnstone's level of artistry continues to grow with "Mr. Sun."

In the creative atmosphere of Mad Dog Studios in Burbank, CA, while recording "Blue Light," Johnstone's inspiration intensified creating a flood of new songs, which became "Mr. Sun." The chemistry of working with these compelling musicians motivated Johnstone to record the new songs immediately. Musicians David Piltch (upright bass), Danny Frankel (drums, percussions), Freddy Koella (guitar), and Marc Macisso (sax) who worked on "Blue Light," remained for the recording of "Mr. Sun." In addition, premier musicians Dean Parks, Mark Goldenberg (Guitar), Jon Ossman (upright bass), Daniel Savant (muted trumpet, flugelhorn) and background vocals by Stephen Bishop and Maxayn Lewis topped off a select group of performers that contributed to these recordings. Johnstone was the producer, played keyboards, melodica, chimes and wrote all the songs.

"Mr.Sun' was largely inspired by the musicians that played with me on 'Blue Light'. It is about the beauty of that rare musicianship that challenges and influences... these players just seem to understand exactly what I'm after in the studio, and then make it happen effortlessly. 'Mr. Sun' is my ode to them," says Jude Johnstone.

Jude Johnstone is a critically acclaimed, award-winning songwriter. Her songs have been covered by a stellar list of artists including Bonnie Raitt (Wounded Heart), Bette Midler (The Girl is Onto You), Stevie Nicks (Cry Wolf), Johnny Cash (Unchained), Trisha Yearwood (Hearts in Armor, The Women Before Me) and most recently Emmylou Harris (Hold On) from "All I Intended To Be."

DAVE HOLLAND SEXTET– PASS IT ON

Bassist, composer, and bandleader, Dave Holland has worked in a vast array of settings over the last 40 years, from classic dates with Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, and Wayne Shorter to his own adventurous recordings, seven of which have been honored with Grammy Awards or nominations in the last decade alone. Holland's latest CD, the third for his Dare2 imprint (distributed by Emarcy/Universal), is a stellar sextet session called "Pass It On" which will be released September 23.

Holland first unveiled the new sextet in early 2006, during a week of showcase presentations at Birdland in New York. The group's potent musical chemistry led to other concert and club dates, and the bassist soon resolved to document their music. Comprised of three horn players - trombonist Robin Eubanks, alto saxophonist Antonio Hart, trumpeter Alex "Sasha" Sipiagin - who have been regular collaborators of Holland's in his quintet or big band, the sextet also includes pianist Mulgrew Miller and drummer Eric Harland, with whom he'd recorded on only a couple of occasions. "I always wanted to do more playing with both of those wonderful players," says Holland, "so I saw this as an opportunity."

"Pass It On" features new arrangements of several Holland originals first recorded in the '80s and '90s. "Some of the compositions that I've written in the past evolve in my mind a little bit over time," he says, adding that "One of the advantages of the sextet is that it's still a smaller unit than big band or octet, but it also gives you a lot of options in terms of orchestrating and utilizing backgrounds. So I thought that was a good way to fill out these old compositions and expand on them a little bit where something new could happen. And, of course, this group of people brings some new creative ideas to the pieces."

Fresh from an extensive series of dates with Herbie Hancock's River of Possibilities Tour, Holland plans to take his sextet out for several key appearances this fall: 9/18-20 Regattabar, Boston; 9/21 Yale University, New Haven; 9/24-28 Yoshi's, San Francisco & Oakland; and 10/8-11 Birdland, New York. (Vibist Steve Nelson, a longtime member of Holland's quintet, will replace Mulgrew Miller for all except the New York shows.)

When not touring, Holland has been occupied with plans for his Dare2 label. Following the release of "Overtime" (which won the 2005 Grammy for Best Large Jazz Ensemble), the quintet CD "Critical Mass," and the new sextet project, "Pass It On," Holland is preparing to do an octet record in January, "which is essentially the quintet plus three - Gary Smulyan on baritone sax, Sasha Sipiagin on trumpet, and Antonio Hart on alto sax," he reports. Also in the works is a flamenco recording with several Spanish gypsy players, including the guitarist Pepe Habichuela. Finally, the label has been recording a lot of live gigs which will be made available as downloads on its web site.

But his working groups remain a top priority. "The business doesn't encourage it these days," Holland has observed. "They encourage much more all-star kinds of situations and mix-and-match groups. But as the great Betty Carter understood, there is a need for groups and people working together to develop continuity and evolve together. That's what moves this music forward and is an idea that needs to be preserved and continued."

WANTED – COME ALONG!

Record labels Black Wolf and Pyramid, along with Fontana Distribution under the Universal Music Group umbrella, have launched a full-blown record campaign for reggae recording artist Wanted. In his campaign initiatives, Wanted focuses on his humanitarian contributions by giving back to his Haitian community under the Jacmel Haiti American Children's Assistance Foundation (JHACAF), an organization he co-founded in 2007. Wanted and his management/label team (also members of the JHACAF) left for Gonaives, Haiti recently to assist in relief efforts from the destruction left by hurricane Hanna. In Gonaives, the JHACAF will begin to plan a tree planting aid campaign for the Haitian people and their land, which may be the perfect natural element to help promote water erosion, on top of cleaning up their poor air quality in the near future. To kick off the new campaign initiative, Wanted, along with additional Haitian recording artists, will collaborate on a new song written to bring awareness on how important tree planting is for the Republic of Haiti.

Leading up to the tree planting campaign, Wanted's record campaign will provide initial public awareness, starting with radio promotions where over 200 terrestrial radio stations, as well as prominent Internet radio stations like Eye97.com, have already played numerous tracks from the debut record, primarily spinning focus track 'Come Along'.

"So far the Wanted campaign has established interest from a handful of our industry relations for editorial and programming consideration," mentions Josh East, Senior Project Manager for MusiK1. "Our next steps will be to step up the buzz by introducing the tree planting campaign through PR efforts, while expanding the presence of Wanted's debut record and video assets with content providers and video outlets," adds Mr. East.

MusiK1 has scheduled additional key campaign tactics to be launched by the end of September, which will include Online Editorial PR, Content Provider Servicing and Music Video Promotions. Wanted's music video for focus track 'Come Along' is currently in production and is set to release by the end of September.

As a new voice in the reggae music scene, Wanted gets ready to go on tour, primarily in the U.S., while touching in the Caribbean Islands where he frequently visits Haiti, Jamaica, and the Dominican Republic. In his visits back to Haiti, Wanted continues to battle the fight of hungry children in the town of Jacmel, Haiti. His debut album, 'Come Long', is releasing this September 23, 2008 on both CD and in digital formats world wide.

SONNY ROLLINS – ROAD SHOWS VOL. 1

An extraordinary double dose of Rollins in concert is due on October 28, when the tenor saxophonist's Doxy Records label (distributed by Emarcy/Universal) will release a new live CD compilation entitled "Road Shows, vol. 1" as well as a DVD ("Live in Vienne") of a 2006 European festival performance. "Road Shows" is the exciting inaugural release in a planned series of outstanding live Sonny Rollins recordings from the last 30-plus years. The seven tracks on the new CD, culled from the Carl Smith collection and Rollins's own personal soundboard tapes, were recorded in the U.S., Canada, Poland, Japan, France, and Sweden. Featuring the saxophonist with a variety of sidemen - including, on one track, the Christian McBride-Roy Haynes trio that appeared with him at his 50th Anniversary Carnegie Hall concert in 2007- "Road Shows" captures the Saxophone Colossus in full flight, dazzling audiences around the world.

"Live in Vienne" was produced by French television and offers an up-close glimpse at Rollins onstage in high-definition video as he unfurls a superb hour-long set before a euphoric crowd at the 2006 Jazz à Vienne Festival. The saxophonist, who famously spent two years (1959-61) practicing on New York's Williamsburg Bridge, above the East River, finds that "playing outside is always great. But Vienne, with its Roman amphitheater, is a particularly photogenic place, a beautiful venue. The little town is on the Rhône River. And it was warm that night--just perfect weather."

In the late 1980s, Rollins began to record many of his concerts for archival purposes with possible future release in mind, and also to circumvent bootlegs, which have been a long-standing problem for the artist. "I was much less intimidated by the tape at live concerts" than in the studio, he admits. When the tape was always rolling, "it was much easier for me to get a natural performance." From the start the intention was to record all of Sonny's concerts. Due to unforeseen technical problems or permission problems with venues, however, it was not always possible, according to "Road Shows" producer (and Rollins trombonist) Clifton Anderson. Of the approximately 600 concerts Rollins has performed since the late '80s, Anderson estimates that as many as one-third are in their archive, in whole or in part.

"There were performances that at the time they were done, I thought they might be acceptable at a later date in case I chose to release," says Rollins. "But I hadn't really listened; I filed it in my mind, and later had to stir my memory as to which ones might be good." When the time came to program the new CD, says Anderson, "we both remembered that the concert in Toulouse was a pretty good show, and Sonny remembered that Tama was a good performance, so I went back and listened to those in particular. That's how we arrived at our choices."

Four tracks from the Rollins archive are included in "Road Shows, vol. 1": "More Than You Know" (2006, Toulouse), which Sonny "brought out of retirement," not having played it since the 1950s, when he recorded it with Thelonious Monk; "Tenor Madness" (2000, Tama City, Japan), whose last appearance on a Rollins disc was the live "G-Man" in 1987; "Nice Lady" (2007, Victoria, BC), the first recording of a new Rollins calypso; and "Some Enchanted Evening" (2007, New York City), from his 50th anniversary Carnegie Hall concert with Christian McBride and Roy Haynes. "Road Shows"' remaining three tracks were selected from Carl Smith's collection--"Blossom" (1980, Umea, Sweden), a fascinating, little-known Rollins original that "came and went pretty fast in the repertoire," says Rollins; "Easy Living" (1980, Warsaw), from Sonny's first trip behind the Iron Curtain ("the people were starved for music"); and "Best Wishes" (1986, Tokyo), previously recorded on his 1982 "Reel Life" album.

For future "Road Shows" compilations, Anderson and Rollins will have not only their own archives and Carl Smith's to draw from. "People have also submitted things to us," says Anderson, "most recently a tape from Keystone Korner in the mid-1970s and a cassette from the Bottom Line. The bands are different, the material's different; the one common denominator is Sonny killin' through all of it." Rollins, for a chance of pace, is looking ahead to his next studio album, which he is planning to begin at the conclusion of his fall concert season (Brazil in October, Germany in November/December).

THE SMOOTH JAZZ CHARTER CRUISE

Nick Colionne, Boney James, Mindi Abair, Larry Carlton, Heather Headley, Acoustic Alchemy, Greg Adams, Marion Meadows, Steve Cole, Shilts, Steve Oliver, Chieli Minnuci, Michael Lington, Alan Hewitt and Althea Rene, among others are scheduled to perform at the Smooth Jazz Charter Cruise. According to their announcement the Smooth Jazz Charter Cruise is Single Travel International's backstage pass to sail the Caribbean with jazz music superstars performing. This luxurious, five-star experience aboard the beautiful Celebrity Century, is ranked one of the world's best cruise lines by Conde Nast Traveler, is a specially chartered cruise. Included are exclusive singles events and access to your favorite jazz performers aboard this one-of-a-kind cruise vacation! Leaving Miami, the cruise sets sail to Key West, Nassau, and Coco Cay (for a private beach party) and features afternoon and evening performances every sailing day. Starting at $1,849, this special cruise vacation includes gratuities, all taxes, government fees and fuel charges, with no hidden fees! Smooth Jazz Cruise host, Norman Brown, will introduce live jazz performances by Nick Colionne, Boney James, Mindi Abair, Larry Carlton, Heather Headley, Acoustic Alchemy, Greg Adams, Marion Meadows, Steve Cole, Shilts, Steve Oliver, Chieli Minnuci, Michael Lington, Alan Hewitt and Althea Rene, among others. Daily performances are scheduled in the afternoons and all evening, and all musicians will perform their show at least twice during the cruise to accommodate all guests. Autograph and interview sessions, as well as late night jam sessions are part of the jazz experience. Exclusive Singles Travel International amenities include a $50 shipboard credit, welcome aboard party with open bar, breakfast and happy hour club each day, singles seating for dinner, and farewell party. And of course, Singles Travel International invites all single guests to the big game party on February 1st for football's greatest game of the year.

#1 ON THE CHARTS! DAVE KOZ – GREATEST HITS

Congratulations go out to Dave Koz as his Greatest Hits CD, his first-ever retrospective album debuts at No. 1 on both Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and iTunes' Jazz Album chart. Meanwhile, lead single "Life In The Fast Lane" claims the No. 1 spot on the R&R Smooth Jazz Indicator chart. The album, which was completely re-mastered by the legendary Bernie Grundman, contains 11 Koz classics (including "You Make Me Smile," "Faces of the Heart," "Can't Let You Go (Sha La Song)" featuring Luther Vandross and "Honey Dipped") plus four brand new songs.

Dave, who has received six GRAMMY(R) nominations will be honored with a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame in 2009, will play some of these hits on his 11th annual Smooth Jazz Christmas tour, which kicks off on November 28th. The Dave Koz And Friends Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour 2008 will feature special guests Jonathan Butler, Jeff Golub and Keiko Matsui. Highly respected South African singer/guitarist Butler, guitarist Golub, revered for his unique blend of blues, soul, rock and jazz, and acclaimed Japanese pianist Matsui will perform songs from their respective catalogues and join with Dave on a variety of holiday standards. Rendezvous recording artist Brian Simpson will be the tour's Music Director. (See below for a full itinerary.)

Over the summer, Koz went into the studio with Barry Manilow, who asked him to play sax on three tracks for his upcoming album, and taped a performance for the upcoming PBS special "Lights - a Hanukkah Celebration." In the past week, Dave appeared on "Entertainment Tonight," performed at a fundraising concert for Barack Obama and at the ET-People Magazine Emmy party, and picked up the R&R "Personality of the Year" award for his show on Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network. He'll wrap up his summer tour this Saturday, September 27th, with an appearance at KTWV Wave Fest at Los Angeles' Greek Theatre. He then travels to Asia for concert dates in Japan, Korea and Thailand, returning home in time to embark on the fourth annual "Dave Koz & Friends At Sea" cruise on November 2nd.

Dave Koz And Friends Smooth Jazz Christmas Tour 2008 With Special Guests Jonathan Butler, Jeff Golub And Keiko Matsui

11/28 - Ft. Pierce, FL @ Sunrise Theatre
11/29 - Clearwater, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
11/30 - Sarasota, FL @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Center
12/1 - Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Broward Center for the Performing Arts
12/2 - Naples, FL @ Philharmonic Center for the Arts
12/3 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts
12/5 - Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
12/6 - Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
12/7 - New York, NY @ Nokia Theatre
12/8 - Newport News, VA @ Ferguson Center for the Arts
12/10 - Sewell, NJ @ Commerce Bank Arts Center
12/11- El Paso, TX @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center
12/12 - Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
12/13 - Los Angeles, CA @ Wilshire Theatre
12/16 - Santa Rosa, CA @ Wells Fargo Center
12/17 - Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center - Ikeda Theatre
12/18 - Santa Ynez, CA @ Chumash Casino
12/19 - Cerritos, CA @ Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
12/20 - Cerritos, CA @ Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts

JAMES TAYLOR - COVERS

Over the course of his long career, James Taylor has earned 40 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards and five Grammy Awards for a catalog running from 1970's "Sweet Baby James" to his Grammy Award-winning efforts "Hourglass" (1997) and "October Road" (2002). Taylor's first greatest hits album earned him the Recording Industry Association of America's (RIAA) elite Diamond Award, given for sales in excess of 10 million units in the United States. For his accomplishments, James was honored with the 1998 Century Award, Billboard magazine's highest accolade, bestowed for distinguished creative achievement. The year 2000 saw his induction into both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the prestigious Songwriters Hall of Fame. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences selected James its MUSICARES Person of the Year in 2006 and most recently, James Taylor's "One Man Band" (2007) was nominated for an Emmy(R) Award for "Outstanding Variety, Music or Comedy Special," in September 2008.

Fast forward to today and retail giant Borders will host legendary singer/songwriter James Taylor live Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. at the Borders store on Liberty Street in downtown Ann Arbor. The five-time Grammy Award winner is set to perform acoustic renditions of tracks from his forthcoming CD, "Covers." Following his performance, Taylor will sign copies of the "Covers" CD for fans. The CD officially goes on sale Tuesday, Sept. 30.

For those who cannot attend, the James Taylor event will be featured online at Borders.com beginning Oct. 7 on "Borders Live at 01," the retailer's popular broadband program that captures all the magic and excitement of in-store performances and other events at Borders' first store in Ann Arbor. In addition to featuring Taylor's much anticipated in-store performance, the episode will also include an exclusive interview with the singer talking about his new CD as well as the music, books and movies that inspire him, and more.

"It's truly an honor to have James Taylor perform at Borders," said Rob Gruen, executive vice president of Merchandising and Marketing for Borders Group. "He's a remarkable talent and one of the most prolific and beloved singer/songwriters of our time. This will be an event to remember for all who attend and we're pleased to be able to host James for this very special acoustical performance and to offer it online on our 'Live at 01' program." "I've enjoyed performing these songs during my career and now I have the opportunity to sing my own renditions of them at Borders," said Taylor. "The Borders store will offer an intimate and personal setting for me to share these songs with my fans who attend the event, and then millions of others will be able to enjoy the performance later on by watching it on Borders.com."

"Covers" features Taylor's own musical interpretations of tunes from the 50s, 60s and 70s by artists including Buddy Holly, the Dixie Chicks, The Temptations, Leonard Cohen, George Jones and Eddie Cochran. Tracks include: "It's Growing," "(I'm a) Road Runner," "Wichita Lineman," "Why
Baby Why," "Some Days You Gotta Dance," "Seminole Wind," "Suzanne," "Hound Dog," "Sadie," "On Broadway," "Summertime Blues" and "Not Fade Away." The songs on the CD were recorded live in a barn in Massachusetts with his "Band of Legends," that included musical heavyweights Luis Conte, Michael Landau, Jeff Babko, Lou Marini, Arnold McCuller, Jimmy Johnson, David Lasley, Walt Fowler, Andrea Zonn, Kate Markowitz, Steve Gadd and Larry Goldings.

NEW JAZZ CD FEATURES PROGRESSIVE AND CLASSIC ROCK TUNES AS PERFORMED BY JAZZ ORCHESTRA

Wave Mechanics Union is a recording project orchestra with nearly thirty contributing musicians from four states. The group has recently recorded repertoire from progressive and classic rock icons set in a big band jazz style. The new CD, Second Season, is due in late September, 2008. With a full-scale jazz orchestra and vocalist Lydia McAdams, the group has recorded striking new arrangements of songs from progressive rock giants Yes, Rush, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, King Crimson, The Who, Queen, The Police, They Might Be Giants, The Beatles, and more.

The brainchild of composers Ryan Fraley and Ralph Johnson, along with vocalist McAdams, the project seeks to honor the sometimes complicated sounds of progressive rock with jazz treatments. "Most jazz standards began their life as popular music," says Fraley. "We believe that these songs are as worthy of restatement as any popular music has ever been. As clever, relevant, and moving as any tune that has delighted a jazz arranger's imagination."

A large cast of nearly thirty musicians assembled to record the project, including session players from Indianapolis, Nashville, and Los Angeles. "A lot of jazz musicians also happen to be fans of progressive rock," says Ralph Johnson, the group's drummer and one of the arrangers.Second Season by Wave Mechanics Union will be available in late September 2008, and will be available for purchase via Amazon.com, CDbaby.com, and iTunes You can click to the Wave Mechanics Union website for more information, click to progjazz.com.

MARCUS JOHNSON RELEASES 'FLO' CD TRILOGY

Marcus Johnson is an accomplished keyboardist, the chairman and CEO of Three Keys Music and Studio 8121, and founder of FLO(TM) Brands. Three Keys, Studio 8121 and two music publishing companies were created from Johnson's partnership with Bob Johnson (no relation), founder and former president and CEO of BET. Over his 15 year career, Johnson has released more than 10 CDs, all charting in the Top 20 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Charts., and his music has been widely lauded by jazz critics and aficionados.

Three is Marcus Johnson's lucky number this week. His "FLO ... " CD trilogy all broke Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Charts this week. Released September 9th and after one week of sales the "FLO" (For the Love Of) CDs - "Romance", "Chill" and "Standards" hit the Billboard charts at # seven, # nine and #13 respectively. The release of three CDs simultaneously is an amazing accomplishment. And, to have them each hit Billboard's Contemporary Jazz Top 15 at the same time should be one for the jazz music history books. "We are grateful for the support of jazz music lovers and Marcus Johnson fans," says Johnson. "We knew we'd created a masterful collection of music, and the sales prove that we were right."

"FLO ... Romance" features the sexy vocal stylings of Keith Atler, Alyson Williams, Stoney Ellis, YahZarah and Frank McComb who join Johnson on this smooth sultry mix of R&B and jazz. "FLO ... Chill" is just the right touch of jazz from the opening grooves of Plush (featured on the "Urban Groove" CD) to the dance grooves. " ... Chill" delivers a musical journey of incomparable 'chillin'. "FLO ... Standards" is a smooth jazz journey of classic jazz standards featuring Marcus Johnson's melodic and intricate interpretation of Cannonball Adderley's "Moanin" and "My Funny Valentine." Johnson is joined on " ... Standards" by keyboardists Bobby Lyle and Michael Price and drummer Lenny Robinson. This combination of dynamic musical performances lifts " ... Standards" to glory for any jazz lover.