STANLEY CLARKE TO BE HONORED WITH THE MILES DAVIS AWARD

Stanley Clarke will be the 18th recipient of the Miles Davis Award at the Montreal Jazz Festival June 26, 8:00 p.m., Salle Wilfrid-Peiletier venue. The award will be presented before his festival performance with Return To Forever. The Miles Davis Award was created in 1994 to honor a great international jazz musician for the entire body of his or her work and for that musician’s influence in regenerating the jazz idiom. Awards such as this make me remember and appreciate all the work I’ve done over the past forty-plus years. Personally, I have to thank those who gave me opportunities such as Horace Silver, Stan Getz, Art Blakey and Dexter Gordon,” says Clarke. “I also thank my early collaboration with Chick Corea for laying the foundation to who I am today as a musician. It is an honor to now be included among such an acclaimed group of past winners of the Miles Davis Award.” A polyglot artist, equally fluent in electric and acoustic jazz, with an unparalleled skill, Stanley Clarke had already been proclaimed a legend by the age of 25! Clarke led the “bass revolution” of the ’70s, bringing the instrument to the height of respectability and paving the way for its use by soloists. Among his many accomplishments, Clarke is credited with pioneering the slap technique and inventing two new instruments: the piccolo bass and the tenor bass. His incredible mastery on both electric and acoustic bass and his creativity have been recognized with numerous awards and rankings among the world’s best bassists. This year he won a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Jazz Album, The Stanley Clarke Band. The first bassist to headline international tours, he was sought out by the likes of Jeff Beck, Ronnie Wood and Keith Richards for numerous projects. He is also a composer, arranger, producer, bandleader and performer of over 60 film and television scores including Boys N the Hood, What’s Love Got to Do With It, Romeo Must Die and The Transporter among so many others. Not one to rest on the laurels, Clarke launched the Roxboro Entertainment Group label in 2011, featuring debut albums from guitarist Lloyd Gregory; multi-instrumentalist Kennard Ramsey; keyboardist Sunnie Paxson; and keyboardist Ruslan Sirota. His Stanley Clarke Foundation continues to award scholarships to educate promising young musicians. Clarke is the latest in a series of Miles Davis prizewinners. He follows Sonny Rollins (2010), Ornette Coleman (2009), McCoy Tyner (2008), Mike Stern (2007), Brad Mehldau (2006), Dave Holland (2005), Keith Jarrett (2004), Joe Zawinul (2003), Chick Corea (2002), Michael Brecker (2001), Charlie Haden (2000), Cassandra Wilson (1999), John Scofield (1998), Herbie Hancock (1997), Wayne Shorter (1996), Pat Metheny (1995) and John McLaughlin (1994)

http://stanleyclarke.com/
http://stanleyclarke.org/

SADE - THE NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Sade made their return to U.S. shores when they opened their 54-date North American tour with a jubilant, sold-out performance at Baltimore's 1st Mariner Arena. Their first tour in over a decade, the 120-minute set featured all of Sade's best known songs, including their recent Grammy-winning hit, "Soldier of Love." Directed by longtime collaborator Sophie Muller, and with production and lighting design by Baz Halpin, the tour is groundbreaking from a visual perspective. With a 23' x 52' high resolution LED screen behind the band, and enormous projection screens all around the stage, beautiful, larger than life images accompany the music which has made Sade one of the most adored and enduring live bands in the world. The result is a visually stunning setting in which to hear one of the world's greatest bands on tour for the first time since 2001. John Legend, the acclaimed singer, songwriter and pianist who is opening for Sade on all of the dates, treated fans to a long list of his well known songs. The tour continues with multiple nights in Atlanta, Chicago, Oakland, Los Angeles and Anaheim before finishing in mid-September. Known for their one of a kind timeless sound, Sade has enjoyed phenomenal success both internationally and stateside throughout the span of their twenty-seven year career. Since the release of their debut album, Diamond Life, in 1984 the band has seen all five of their studio albums land in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart selling a total of more than 55 million albums worldwide to date. They've been nominated for American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards and have won four Grammy Awards – first in 1986 for Best New Artist, then in 1994 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group for "No Ordinary Love," again in 2002 for Best Pop Vocal Album with Lovers Rock and most recently in 2011 for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group for "Soldier Of Love." The band also recently released The Ultimate Collection, a 28 track, 2-CD set of their best known songs.

Sade and John Legend Summer Tour Dates:

June 16 - Baltimore, MD, 1st Mariner Arena
June 18 - Pittsburgh, PA, Consol Energy Center
June 19 - Philadelphia, PA, Wells Fargo Center
June 21 - Uniondale, NY, Nassau Coliseum
June 22 - Washington, DC, Verizon Center
June 24 - East Rutherford, NJ, Izod Center
June 25 - Newark, NJ, Prudential Center
June 28 - Toronto, ON, Air Canada Centre
June 30 - Montreal, QC, Bell Centre
July 02 - Atlantic City, NJ, Etess Arena - Trump Taj Mahal *Sade only*
July 03 - Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
July 06 - Boston, MT, TD Garden
July 08 - Indianapolis, IN, Conseco Fieldhouse
July 09 - Cleveland, OH, Quicken Loans Arena
July 10 - Columbus, OH, Schottenstein Center
July 12 - Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena
July 13 - Atlanta, GA, Philips Arena
July 15 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL, BankAtlantic Center
July 16 - Miami, FL, American Airlines Arena
July 17 - Orlando, FL, Amway Center
July 22 - New Orleans, New Orleans Arena
July 23 - Houston, TX, Toyota Center
July 24 - Dallas, TX, American Airlines Center
July 26 - Kansas City, MO, Sprint Center
July 28 - St. Louis, MO, Scottrade Center
July 29 - Memphis, TN, FedEx Forum
July 31 - Charlotte, NC, Time Warner Cable Arena
August 01 - Nashville, TN, Bridgestone Arena
August 03 - Detroit, MI, The Palace at Auburn Hills
August 05 - Chicago, IL, United Center
August 06 - Chicago, IL, United Center
August 07 - Chicago, IL, United Center
August 09 - Minneapolis, MN, Target Center
August 11 - Denver, CO, Pepsi Center
August 13 - Vancouver, BC, Rogers Arena
August 14 - Seattle, WA, Key Arena
August 15 - Portland, OR, Rose Garden Arena
August 17 - Sacramento, CA, Power Balance Pavilion
August 19 - Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center
August 20 - Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center
August 21 - Los Angeles, CA, Staples Center
August 23 - San Diego, CA, Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre
August 25 - San Jose, CA, HP Pavilion
August 26 - Oakland, CA, Oracle Arena
August 27 - Oakland, CA, Oracle Arena
August 30 - Anaheim, CA, Honda Center
August 31 - Anaheim, CA, Honda Center
September 02 - Phoenix, AZ, U.S. Airways Center
September 03 - Las Vegas, NV, MGM Grand Arena
September 04 - Salt Lake City, UT, E-Center*
September 07 - Austin, TX, Frank Erwin Center*
September 09 - Raleigh, NC, RBC Arena*
September 10 - Louisville, KY, KFC Yum Center*
September 11 - Norfolk, VA, Scope Arena*

*Dates, cities and venues are subject to change.

DIVA ITALIANA - A TRIBUTE TO THE LOVELY LADIES OF ITALIAN FILM

Diva Italiana is a tribute to the lovely ladies of Italian film – Sophia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, and others all presented here in a booklet of images backed by a super CD of music as well! The music is pulled both from film soundtracks, and from some of the recent recordings of the Cinedelic scene most of which offer up a contemporary take on mod modes of the 60s as you'll hear on cuts that include "Amarcord" by Mop Mop, "Gran Lusso" by Sam Paglia, "Via Veneto Rumba" by Dolce Vita, "La Diabla" by Magnetic 4, "Gelsomina" by Lavalamp, "Solitary Diva" by Martini Brothers, "Mai" by Mina, "Ballo Di Lidia" by Giorgio Gaslini, "Riempimi Di Baci" by Italian Lounge Trio, "Strano Mercoled" by Piero Piccioni, and "Zoo Be Zoo Be Zoo" by Sophia Loren. There's a collection of rare photos of the Italian movie stars, including Anna Magnani, Sofia Loren, Gina Lollobrigida, Virna Lisi, Claudia Cardinale, Monica Vitti, Sandra Milo, and Elsa Martinelli. Diva Italiana celebrates this beauty and brings with this photographic collectionnever-before-seen pictures, moments of their lives with flashes from the paparazzi in Via Veneto in the epic period of DOLCE VITA to the great backstage moments. The magic flavor of these images, almost private, will bring you back to those moments that the whole world fell in love with.

Diva Italiana Track Listing

Mop Mop – Amarcord

Sophia Loren – Zoo Be Zoo Be Zo
Sam Paglia – Gran Lasso
Domenico Modugno – Piove
Piero Piccioni – Strano Mercoledi
Italian Lounge Trio – Riempimi Di Baci
Lavalamp – Nave Ad Aprile
Dolce Vita Via – Veneto Rumba
Lavalamp – Gelsomina
Magnetic 4 – La Diabla
Martini Bros. – Solitary Diva
Gina Lollobrigida – Roma Roma Roma
Giorgio Gaslini – Ballo Di Lidia
Mina – Mai
Dolce Vita – Vento

THE SOUL OF CAPITOL RECORDS: RARE & WELL-DONE

In honor of Black Music Month, Capitol/EMI has released a new digital compilation, The Soul Of Capitol Records: Rare & Well-Done (Vol. 1). The collection, available now for download purchase from all major digital service providers, features 20 songs that are noteworthy not only for their quality, but also for their rarity. The collection includes "Can't She Tell," a Billy Preston song co-written by Sly Stone, and "Turn Away From Me," an understated collectible by Patti Drew. Other gems include "Lover And A Friend" by the renowned Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham, and "Evidence," one of many intoxicating singles recorded by Patrice Holloway during her stint at Capitol Records in the late 1960s & early '70s. In addition to the new 'Rare & Well-Done' compilation, several classic albums and collections by legendary soul artists have recently been made available for download purchase for the first time by Capitol/EMI. Timeless albums from Etta James, Ike & Tina Turner, The Ohio Players, Irma Thomas, and Johnny Guitar Watson are just a few of the soul staples that are now digitally available and featured during the month-long celebration.

The Soul Of Capitol Records: Rare and Well Done (Vol. 1) 1. A Lil' Lovin' Sometimes – Alexander Patton

2. Crazy Baby – Ruben Wright

3. Kissin' Her And Cryin' For You – The Checkmates, Ltd.

4. Baby Mine – Thelma Houston

5. Can't She Tell (Feat. Sly Stone) – Billy Preston

6. Queen Of The Go Go – Rex Garvin & The Mighty Cravers

7. Turn Away From Me – Patti Drew

8. Searchin' For My Soul – H.B. Barnum

9. Groovin' At The Go-Go – The Four Larks

10. Reach Out For Me – Willie Tee

11. Lover And A Friend – Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham

12. So Is The Sun – The World Column

13. Comin' Home – Mosaic Tweed

14. Someone For Everyone – Betty And Charles

15. Uh Huh Yeah – The Salty Peppers

16. Hold On, I'm Comin' – General Crook

17. Three People In Love – Mack Rice

18. Evidence – Patrice Holloway

19. The Writing's On The Wall - Skylark

20. I Believe In Miracles – Mark Capanni

New Digital Soul Releases From EMI (Now Available)

Billy Larkin and the Delegates – Organ Grooves And Soul Brothers: The Best Of Billy Larkin and the Delegates

Baby Washington – I've Got A Feeling…The Best Of Baby Washington

Clydie King – The Imperial & Minit Years

Elmore James – The Best Of The Modern Years

Etta James – The Complete Modern & Kent Recordings (2 CD)

Homer Banks: Hooked By Love – The Best Of Homer Banks

Ike & Tina Turrner – Her Man....His Woman

Inez & Charlie Foxx: The Best Of The Sue Years

Irma Thomas – Wish Someone Would Care

Irma Thomas – Take A Look

Jimmy McGriff – The Best of the Sue Years 1962-1965

Jimmy McCracklin – I Had To Get With It: The Best Of The Imperial & Minit Years

Johnny Guitar Watson – The Best Of The Modern Years

Lost R&B Hits Of The 80's – Various Artists

McFadden & Whitehead – Movin' On

Paul Pena – Paul Pena

Perry & Sanlin – We're The Winners

Tavares – Sky High!

The Aladdin Records Story (Various Artists)

The Fame Gang – Pure Gold From Muscle Shoals (Expanded Edition with Bonus Tracks)

The Five Keys – Best of the Capitol Years

The Five Keys – Best of the Aladdin Years

The Minit Records Story (2 CD) (Various Artists)

The Ohio Players – Observations In Time

The Soul Of Minit Records (Various Artists)

The Sue Records Story: New York City (The Sound of Soul) (4 CD set) (Various Artists)

 

DEANA MARTIN - VOLARE

Internationally acclaimed singer and entertainer, Deana Martin, will be resuming her successful tour, “Deana Sings Dino”, in honor of her legendary father, Dean Martin, .The show marks a return engagement of her many sold-out performances since last summer at Feinstein's. Deana opens her summer tour at Festa Italiano at Zona Rosa in Kansas City, MO. The musical extravaganza highlights Deana performing many of her father’s greatest and most enduring hits, including “Memories Are Made of This”, “That’s Amore”, “Everybody Loves Somebody”, and more. As an added bonus, there’s a video montage with exclusive home movies and photos from the Martin family archive, that takes the audience on a musical journey of intimate moments that include a tribute to her father and other great performers who helped shape American music and popular culture. The show will also feature songs from her latest hit CD, Volare which was the culmination of three years of hard work, and a labor of love. It was recorded at Capitol Records, with a proverbial A-Team of Multi-Grammy™ Award winners as Deana's supporting cast and includes songs such as fan favorite and radio friendly, “Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone”, “Return To Me” as well as the title name, “Volare.” The summer tour is but part of the big picture as Deana continues to record and tour internationally to sold out crowds with The Orlando The tour dates for “Deana Sings Dino” are listed below. Additional dates to be announced as cities and venues are confirmed.



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2011 “Deana Sings Dino” Summer Tour

June 4 - Fiesta Italiano, Kansas City, MO     (Zona Rosa)          

June 12 - Newark, OH (Midland Theater)

June 14 - Bellafontaine, OH (The Holland Theater)  

June 16 - Wheeling, WV (Capital Theatre)

June 16-19 - Dean Martin Festival    Steubenville, OH

June 19 - Washington, PA (The Meadows Racetrack & Casino)

June 25 - Warren, MI (Andiamo Celebrity Showroom)

http://www.deanamartin.com/ .



PAUL SIMON - THE COLUMBIA/LEGACY RECORDINGS

Columbia/Legacy Recordings announces the first round of releases in the Paul Simon catalog project with definitive editions of four of the artist's essential solo albums -- Paul Simon, There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Paul Simon In Concert: Live Rhymin' and Still Crazy After All These Years -- available everywhere Tuesday, June 7. News of the Paul Simon catalog releases arrives as Simon, the quintessential American singer-songwriter-performer, tours the United States in May and Europe this summer with an eight-piece band in support of his recently-released critically-acclaimed new album, So Beautiful Or So What on Hear Music. The new Columbia/Legacy editions of four classic Paul Simon catalog titles marks the first set of releases since last year's historic licensing agreement between the artist and Sony Music Entertainment brought Simon's entire catalog of recordings together under the one roof for the first time since the 1970s.
Paul Simon, There Goes Rhymin' Simon, Paul Simon In Concert: Live Rhymin' and Still Crazy After All These Years have returned to the Columbia imprint for the first time since their original vinyl releases. While all the titles feature the remastered sound, bonus tracks and expanded packaging from their first CD incarnations, Paul Simon In Concert: Live Rhymin', a Columbia Records release in 1974, has been newly remastered for this Columbia/Legacy edition.  Recorded during Simon's groundbreaking tours with Urubamba and the Jessy Dixon Singers in 1973-74, Live Rhymin' includes two previously unavailable live tracks - "Kodachrome" and "Something So Right" - which have never appeared on the vinyl or CD editions of the album. Originally released on Columbia Records in 1972, Paul Simon, the artist's first solo studio album without Art Garfunkel, peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 while generating the signature hits "Mother and Child Reunion" (#4 Hot 100) and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" (#22) and other classic tracks.  CD bonus cuts include demos of "Duncan" and "Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard" and an unreleased "Paranoia Blues." There Goes Rhymin' Simon, a 1973 Columbia Records release, showcased a pair of timeless summer car radio anthems - "Kodachrome" and "Loves Me Like a Rock" - and peaked at #2 on the Billboard 200.  The CD features non-album bonus tracks including work-in-progress "Let Me Live in Your City," acoustic demos of "Take Me to the Mardi Gras" and "Loves Me Like a Rock," topped off by an unfinished demo of "American Tune."  1975's Grammy-winning Album of the Year, Still Crazy After All These Years rocketed to #1 with a hit-packed tracklist that included "My Little Town" (a one-track "reunion" with Art Garfunkel) and the #1 smash "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover."  Bonus cuts on the CD include demos of "Slip Slidin' Away" and "Gone At Last" (with The Jessy Dixon Singers). During his distinguished career Paul Simon has been the recipient of many honors and awards  A recipient of the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, Simon has won 12 Grammys including three Albums of the Year: Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970), Still Crazy After All These Years (1976) and Graceland (1986).  2011 marks the 40th anniversary of "Bridge Over Troubled Water," a 1998 Grammy Hall of Fame inductee.  Simon has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame both as a member of Simon & Garfunkel and as a solo artist.

SAM COOKE, STAN GETZ, RETURN TO FOREVER - THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTIONS

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has announced the first artists to be featured in The Complete Albums Collection, a new product line for serious music fans and enthusiasts, available exclusively through PopMarket.com beginning Tuesday, May 24. Launching with comprehensive boxed sets of original album catalogs by Sam Cooke, Stan Getz and Return To Forever, The Complete Albums Collection series will showcase new releases throughout the year, offering music fans and collectors the chance to own classic discographies on CD (with many out of print and rare titles) in 5x5 minijacket reproductions of the original album cover art, a stand-alone booklet with discographical information and photos, all housed in a beautifully packaged clamshell box. Upcoming artists in The Complete Albums Collection will include some of Sony Music's most notable artists and many their most pivotal recordings.

SAM COOKE
Sam Cooke is widely regarded as the first and greatest soul singer, and as one of the most important figures in modern American music. His good looks, personal charisma and golden voice made him a superstar in the 1950s, winning him an unprecedented crossover appeal. Although he died in 1964 at the age of 33, Sam Cooke produced a remarkably accomplished body of work in his short life. This box set celebrates that rich musical legacy, collecting eight of his greatest albums, six of which have never before been released on CD in the United States. This collection charts Sam Cooke's remarkable musical evolution, and stands as a powerful testament to his timeless talent. The RCA Albums Collection includes the most complete package to date of Sam Cooke's '60s albums: Six of the eight albums in this set have never been released on CD in the U.S. and each individual album is packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that album's original cover art.

Sam Cooke - The RCA Albums Collection (8 CDs)

1. Cooke's Tour
2. Hits of the '50s
3. Swing Low
4. My Kind of Blues
5. Twistin' the Night Away
6. Mr. Soul
7. Night Beat
8. One Night Stand

RETURN TO FOREVER
Founded by jazz keyboardist Chick Corea, Return To Forever was one of the prime movers of the electric fusion that literally rocked the jazz world in the 1970s.  With Corea, who'd played with Miles Davis on In A Silent Way and Bitches Brew, and bassist Stanley Clarke at its core, Return To Forever hit its commercial zenith with Romantic Warrior, the group's Columbia Records debut, and sustained an aesthetic peak through the under-rated Musicmagic and the epic swan song Return To Forever Live.

Return To Forever - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (5 CDs)

1. Romantic Warrior (1976)
2. Musicmagic (1977)
3-5. Return To Forever Live (1977) [3 CDs]

STAN GETZ
Jazz saxophonist Stan Getz rose to renown in the late 1940s, dubbed "The Sound" for the warmth of his tone and phrasing before blowing up in '64 with his musical championing of the bossa nova, "The Girl From Ipanema."  Getz made some of his most avant-garde fusion recordings for Columbia Records, beginning with Captain Marvel in 1972.

Stan Getz - The Complete Columbia Albums Collection (8 CDs)

1. Captain Marvel (1972) w/ Chick Corea, Stanley Clarke, Tony Williams
2. Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto: The Best Of Two Worlds (1975)
3. The Master (1975)
4. Stan Getz/ Jimmy Rowles: The Peacocks (1975)
5. Another World JG 35513
6. Children Of The World
7. Forest Eyes (music composed, arranged & conducted by Jurre Haanstra) CBS (Holland)
8. Bonus Disc (U.S. Only): includes selections from Woody Herman Carnegie

For a limited time, The Complete Album Collection line will also be available at the PopMarket Pop-Up retail store, located in Manhattan on the former site of mythic rock club CBGB's at 313 Bowery. The Pop-Up store will feature the same great daily deals as the PopMarket.com website, plus a weekly series of music-related speakers, movie screenings and in-store events throughout the month of June.  Store hours: Wednesday and Friday from 12pm-8pm, Thursday and Saturday from 12pm-7pm; Sunday from 12pm-6pm. PopMarket.com, the online daily deals site exclusively for music fans recently launched by Sony Music Entertainment, offers the hottest daily deals on premium music and rare, collectible albums, boxed sets and memorabilia.  Free PopMarket.com membership gives music fans unprecedented access to the hottest deals on the coolest music on the planet.

http://www.legacyrecordings.com/

THE HERB ALPERT FOUNDATION

The Herb Alpert  Foundation announced  that they have renewed their commitment to help the prestigious Harlem School of the Arts by offering a $350,000 '2 to 1' matching grant program. To match this offering, HSA will be seeking $700,000 in new funding commitments in the next four months from corporations, individuals as well as other foundations to meet the challenge. Musician Herb Alpert, whose foundation has donated millions of dollars over the years to fund arts programs in schools all over the country, previously came to the rescue of HSA last year when they were about to close their doors. The first grant of $500,000 was also a matching gift that brought another $500,000 from other donors. So impressed was Alpert when he visited the school to see the remarkable progress they were making toward sustaining their music, dance and arts programs for the children in the community that he made an additional commitment to the school this year. "During my recent visit to HSA, I got to observe classes in music, arts and dance. The kids along with the teachers showed a tremendous commitment to these programs. It's imperative that their good work continues in the years ahead," commented Alpert. Yvette Campbell, the new President & CEO of The Harlem School of the Arts and a former professional dancer concurred:  "I am inspired and dedicated to see HSA on a path to become the premiere institution for arts education within NYC's cultural landscape as well as continuing to provide young people with the opportunity to take advantage of its quality arts programming with life skills that assure success: discipline, high standards, clear performance goals and high expectations." "The Alperts strongly believe that the arts play a fundamental role in all of our lives, and one of the core areas of their philanthropy is to support arts education for our youth, and particularly for youth in underserved areas and communities. For many decades, The Harlem School of the Arts has played a significant role in providing young people with the opportunities to find their creative voice and spirit, and the Alperts are hopeful that once again, through a new matching grant challenge, others will step up to help strengthen and sustain this important resource for the Harlem community," added Rona Sebastian, President of the Herb Alpert Foundation.

CHICK COREA - THE DEFINITIVE CHICK COREA ON STRETCH AND CONCORD

Since his earliest recordings in the 1960s, pianist, keyboardist, and composer Chick Corea has consistently taken the creative process to a level that transcends conventional musical doctrines. After spending his formative years with artists as diverse as Miles Davis, Herbie Mann, Stan Getz, and Sarah Vaughan, Corea helped redefine the boundaries of jazz as a founding member of the acclaimed Return To Forever, one of the most innovative and daring jazz fusion collectives of the last half-century. In more recent decades, as the leader of numerous projects that have explored various aspects of the musical landscape, he continues to be an influential force in modern jazz. In celebration of Corea’s 70th birthday this summer, Concord Music Group provides a look back at three decades’ worth of brilliant recordings in The Definitive Chick Corea on Stretch and Concord. The sweeping two-disc collection, the latest in CMG’s ongoing Definitive series begins with some of Corea’s best sessions with Stretch in the early 1980s and follows him through the end of the century to his work on Concord up to 2009. The Definitive Chick Corea on Stretch and Concord is set for release on June 7, 2011, just days ahead of the artist’s 70th birthday on June 12.

The collection is being released simultaneously with Forever, a new two-disc electric/acoustic set that Corea recorded live with Return To Forever bandmates Stanley Clarke and Lenny White, along with, on disc two, a few high-profile guests (Chaka Khan, Jean-Luc Ponty, and Bill Connors)  during a world tour in 2009. A previously unreleased version of Corea’s well-known “La Fiesta, ” captured during this tour, is the closing track on The Definitive Chick Corea. Even a quick glance at the range of material in this collection - 21 tracks in all  provides an impressive perspective on the breadth and depth of Corea’s imagination, according to veteran music journalist Don Heckman, who wrote the liner notes for the set. “Start with the all-star collectives of the early ’80s that find him in the company of such jazz stalwarts as Michael Brecker, Joe Henderson, Roy Haynes, Lee Konitz, and Gary Peacock, to name only a few, ” says Heckman. “Add the musical encounters with old friend and frequent collaborator Gary Burton, the first Origin tracks and a glimpse of Chick’s insightful approach to standards. And, in the 2000s, more unusual musical encounters, this time with Bobby McFerrin, Béla Fleck, Hiromi, John McLaughlin, and again Burton, as well as the Elektric and Akoustic Bands.”

As to the divine nature of the creative process, Heckman recalls a quote from Corea himself about the higher channel that every artist eventually dials into: “Your tastes can change from day to day, ” says Corea. “But the whole point of being an artist, with my groups, has always been spirituality, art as spirit. That’s our message, and translated into human rights terms, it’s freedom of expression. Freedom of thought, which is actually broader than freedom of religion . . . Freedom to think as you will. Which means freedom to pray, practice your own religion, play what music you want, say what opinions you have, communicate as you want. And that’s our premise.” The music within The Definitive Chick Corea on Stretch and Concord exemplifies Corea’s unwillingness to be restricted by artificial boundaries, says Nick Phillips, Concord Music Group’s Vice President of Catalog and Jazz A&R and co-producer in collaboration with Corea of this collection. “One of the many amazing things about Chick is just how restlessly creative he is not only as an instrumentalist, but also as a composer, ” says Phillips. “He’s a true artist who’s not driven by fickle trends, or some conventional norm about the way a jazz tune should be written or played. He’s driven purely by his own boundless creativity, and he has demonstrated that throughout his career. That’s what shines through on these tracks and that’s why each one is timeless.”

TRACK LIST:
Disc 1
Tap Step
Quartet No. 1
Folk Song
Duende
Windows
Armando’s Rhumba
Bud Powell
Dreamless
Wigwam
Spain
It Could Happen To You

Disc 2

Blue Monk

Bessie’s Blues

Johnny’s Landing

North Africa

The Fool on the Hill

Señorita

Crystal Silence

The Disguise

La Fiesta [previously unreleased]

THE BAR-KAYS - RETURN OF THE MACK

With their roots beginning in their hometown, the Home of the Blues, Memphis, Tennessee, the Bar-Kays are set to take Funk to a new level in 2011 with the release of the hit single, Return Of The Mack. The Bar-Kays, JEA/Right Now Records, and Bungalo/UMGD are united to launch this release which is sure to drive radio listeners to get up on their feet and dance as only the Bar-Kays can. Retrurn Of The Mack was originally recorded by English R&B singer, Mark Morrison, when it became a top 10 hit in Europe and a #2 hit in the USA. Best known for trailblazing the music industry with multiple Funk hits, the Bar-Kays are no strangers to breaking records with their track record of numerous charting singles from the 1960s to the 1980s, including "Soul Finger" (U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #17, R&B #3) in 1967, and "Son of Shaft" (R&B #10) in 1972. In addition to their radio charting success, their music has been infused within some of the top box office films in America including Spies Like Us featuriing, featuring their single, Soul Finger, starring Emmy Award Winning Actors, Dan Aykroyd and Chevy Chase. Some other movies that the Bar-Kays' songs were used in include: Kickin' It Old School, Head Of State, and Superbad. "On behalf of Bungalo/UMGD, we are proud to work with such a prestigious and legendary group as the Bar-Kays in this innovative and collaborative partnership," says Robert (Leo) Rodgers, Sr. Executive Vice President, Bungalo/Universal Music Group Dist. Release dates and appearances related to the upcoming music launch to be announced.

WAR - THE MUSIC BAND

Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) has acquired the rights to the catalog of WAR, the band that created such oft-covered and much-sampled funk-rock classics as "Why Can't We Be Friends?," "Low Rider," "Spill The Wine," "The Cisco Kid," "Slippin' Into Darkness" and "Summer."  WAR is the centerpiece of a long-term exclusive license agreement which brings the entire Avenue Records catalog to UMe, a division of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company. During the next month - celebrating the 40th anniversary of the band on its own - several WAR albums will be made available for digital download for the first time and fans will be able to obtain a free classic track via Facebook.  WAR is also currently in the studio preparing a new album. Making their digital premieres on May 3rd will be 1997's Coleccion Latina, which brings together WAR's favorite tracks for Latin fans, and two original 1979 albums, The Music Band and The Music Band 2.  WAR will stage its always very popular annual show at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles.  The May 28th concert will additionally feature Tower of Power and Tierra.  This spring and summer, WAR will perform coast-to-coast, including Fiesta Atlanta (May 1), the California State Fair (July 23) and the Los Angeles County Fair (September 16).

After two discs and the gold "Spill The Wine" with Eric Burdon as lead singer, WAR debuted as headliner with a self-titled album in 1971.  Later that year, All Day Music scored with the gold "Slippin' Into Darkness."  1972's The World Is A Ghetto, with the gold "The Cisco Kid" and gold title track, not only charted #1 but was named Billboard's Album of the Year and went quadruple platinum.  The multiplatinum Deliver The Word with the Top 10 "Gypsy Man" in 1973 continued the band's success as did 1975's multiplatinum Why Can't We Be Friends?.  The latter's gold title track as well as "Low Rider" became the group's most recognizable hits.  The following year's quadruple platinum Greatest Hits featured the new song "Summer," which went gold.  1987's The Best Of WAR...And More also earned platinum.  From "Why Can't We Be Friends?" being played for the world via a U.S.-Soviet space mission to "Low Rider" being the theme for the recent "Lopez Tonight" and "The George Lopez Show" sitcom; from national TV ad campaigns to major motion pictures, hit TV shows and blockbuster video games, the music of WAR has spanned cultures and generations, and continues to prove timeless.

BIANCA ROSSINI - KISS OF BRASIL

At the forefront of Los Angeles’ current wave of Brazilian music and becoming a significant voice in Brazilian music is Rio de Janeiro-born, Los Angeles-based Bianca Rossini, renowned for her sensuous performances of Bossa Nova, Samba and Bolero. Her multi-faceted career including feature film and television acting roles opposite stars including James Spader, Hector Elizondo, Richard Dreyfuss, Christian Slater, Dick Van Dyke and Dom DeLuise. Bianca also appeared in movies Moon Over Parador, The Fast One, Brainiacs, Mobsters, and Bad Influence. She has composed music for TV series The Sentinel and Chicago Hope. She produced and hosted more than 100 episodes for weekly Los Angeles TV talk show, "The Bianca Rossini Show," and has authored three books:Love in Black and White with photographs by Michael Kenna, Bilingual Edition (English/Portuguese) A Brazilian Heart - Rubies, Murder, Love and Other Poems, and Julia - Confessions of a Brazilian Super Model.  Kiss of Brasil, is singer songwriter Bianca Rossini’s Bossa Nova love letter to her homeland, has received airplay nationally and internationally on 30 stations and was named “Album of the Week” by Memphis, TN Jazz station WUMR (U 92 FM), Kiss of Brasil has been number one in the Brazilian Jazz category on CDBaby.com for more than 4 weeks and has been on CDBaby.com’s Bossa Nova, Brazilian Jazz, Latin, Editors and Staff’s Pick ‘s Top List for more than 8 consecutive weeks. GrooveJazzMusic.com identified Kiss of Brasil alongside Sade as gaining “Most Increased Play” last week with 17 new requests. “I am excited to hear that the music lovers in Memphis and around the world are enjoying my album Kiss of Brasil,” Bianca said. “I’ve been getting wonderful feedback from Bossa Nova fans internationally and I feel honored and thrilled to be featured in the same lineup with music greats like João Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Diana Krall, Pat Metheny, Sade and many others,” she added. Said Bossa Nova great Flora Purim, "I was enchanted by Bianca the first time I heard her sing, and now after listening to her album Kiss of Brasil, I'm as impressed with her songwriting as I am with her singing." For Rossini's debut album Kiss of Brasil, she partnered with BDM Records producer Peter Roberts (LaToya Jackson, Stan Bush, Vann Johnson) and co-wrote her songs with music industry luminaries including Marilyn Berglas, Harvey Mason, Peter Roberts, Ken Hirsch, Steve Rawlins and Patrick Lockwood. Kiss of Brasil also includes performances by Grant Geissman, Jimmy Roberts, Grecco Buratto, Roberto Montero, Marco Tulio and Sandro Feliciano.

Kiss of Brasil is receiving steady airplay on the following stations:

Billboard Kiss of Brasil airplay:
·     WEIB/Springfield, MA (“Ipanema Paraiso”)
·     KUAP/Little Rock, AR (“Circular”)
·     WVSU/Birmingham, AL (“Ipanema Paraiso”)

Smooth Jazz Kiss of Brasil airplay:
·     RTVE. ES Radio 3 SPAIN
·     KBCS 91.3FM, Bellvue, WA
·     KPFK-LA 90.7 FM, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, CA
·     KTSU/Houston, TX
·     WRTC/Hartford, CT
·     WFSS/Fayetteville, NC
·     Smooth Jazz Australia/Sydney, AUS
·     KUNV/Las Vegas, NV
·     WTCC/Springfield, MA
·     WCHG/Hot Springs, VA
·     KUR/Reading, PA
·     WBZC/Burlington, NJ (Philadelphia)
·     WUMR/Memphis, TN
·     KQXT/San Antonio, TX (Jazz show on A/C station)
·     WJAB/Huntsville, AL
·     KIHT/St. Louis, MO (HD-3 channel)
·     KCOZ/Springfield, MO
·     WMWM/Salem, MA

Internet Stations Playing Kiss of Brasil:

·     KHIHonline/Internet

·     GrooveSuite.com/Internet

·     WITD/Live365.com/Internet

·     RadioIO.com/Internet

·     JazzBayRadio.com/Internet

·     StrawberryJazz.com/Internet

·     JazzNet247.com/Internet

·     Newporter Jazz/Internet

·     Smooth Jazz Radio Channel/Internet

PABLO CRUISE - BEST OF

Red Red Records has announced that the Los Angeles based record company have partnered with classic hit makers Pablo Cruise. Through this agreement, Red Red Records (which is distributed BDG/Red Distribution) will release a Best Of live CD and DVD that will be available both digitally and physically. In addition, a limited edition vinyl album will be available. Pablo Cruise was formed in northern California in the mid '70's and the current band lineup includes original founding members Dave Jenkins (guitar and lead vocals,) Cory Lerios (piano and lead vocals,) Steve Price (drums) and the newest addition to the band Larry Antonino (bass and lead vocals.) Recorded live in July of 2010, this exciting release includes all their classic hits including "Love Will Find A Way," "What'cha Gonna Do?" "Cool Love" and "Don't Want To Live Without It." This liason between Red Red Records and Pablo Cruise re-unites the band with Grammy winning Producer/Engineer and label President Val Garay who originally produced their now classic Lifeline LP. Additionally, the album will include new studio recordings of two of the band's classic songs "A Place In The Sun," and "Love Will Find A Way" featuring amazing new vocalists Katrina and Ty Taylor. Songwriters Cory Lerios and Dave Jenkins are thrilled to have these great singers on board to join them in their rearrangements. "A Place In The Sun" will be re-recorded by Pablo Cruise featuring the vocals of Red Red Records recording artist Katrina. Katrina's debut CD In The Blink Of An Eye was recently released on the label and her first single "Shame On Me" is enjoying success at the Hot Adult Contemporary (HAC) format as well as the #1 on the Clear Channel new chart since February. Meanwhile, Ty Taylor who will be featured on Pablo's remake of "Love Will Find A Way" and his band Vintage Trouble are currently on the road playing to rave reviews all over Europe. The two song remakes will be co-produced and engineered by Val Garay, Jenkins and Lerios. Garay who is known for his production and engineering work with James Taylor, Elton John, Bonnie Rait, Linda Ronstadt and Queensryche to name a few, will be mixing the studio remakes as well as the live recordings.

PEGGY LEE - 22 CLASSIC ALBUMS FROM CAPITOL/EMI

Capitol/EMI will commemorate what would have been Peggy Lee's 91st birthday on May 26 by digitally releasing 22 classic albums from the renowned music and film star's Capitol Records catalog for the first time, including several out-of-print titles. The albums will be available for download purchase from all major digital service providers. Praised for her distinctive and sophisticated singing style, Peggy Lee is credited as a leading pioneer of the pop-jazz era. Between 1942 and 1972 (with a four-year break from 1952 to 1957), Peggy Lee recorded 592 Capitol masters (of the more than 1,100 total masters she recorded during her lifetime), including singles, album tracks and transcriptions. During that time, she had over 70 chart hits and a string of successful albums and Top 10 hits in three consecutive decades. The 22 albums making their digital release debuts tomorrow are from Lee's second tenure at Capitol Records, and feature such standout songs as "Fever," "The Best Is Yet To Come," "Why Don't You Do Right (Get Me Some Money Too)," "Pass Me By," "Happy Holiday," "Big Spender," "You Was!" (with Dean Martin), "It's A Good Day," "Ridin' High," "When I Rome (I Do As The Romans Do)," "Is That All There Is?," "I Feel It," "So What's New," "Call Me Darling," "Alright, Okay, You Win," "Nice n' Easy," "I'm A Woman," "Come Rain or Come Shine," "The Boy From Ipanema," "My Old Flame," "I'll Be Seeing You," "A Hard Day's Night," "Our Love Is Here to Stay," "Just For A Thrill" and "The Shining Sea" (written by Peggy Lee & Johnny Mandel), "I Like Men" (written by Peggy Lee and Jack Marshall, and "Then Was Then and Now Is Now" (written by Peggy Lee & Cy Coleman).

Lee's final release for Capitol and one of her most acclaimed albums, Norma Deloris Egstrom from Jamestown, North Dakota, is being presented as it was originally released in 1972 since subsequent CD reissues replaced certain songs with alternate takes. A 12-time Grammy Award® nominee, Lee won a Grammy "Is That All There Is?" (Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Female), and she's been honored with the Recording Academy's Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award, as well as Lifetime Achievement Awards from ASCAP and The Society of Singers. She is also a Songwriter's Hall of Fame inductee and she was voted one of VH1's Greatest Women of Rock & Roll. Lee composed over 200 songs, and many of these compositions have entered the standards repertoire, having also been recorded by such singers as Tony Bennett, Nat "King" Cole, Doris Day, Ella Fitzgerald, Nina Simone, Bing Crosby, Jack Jones, Mel Torme, kd lang, and Natalie Cole. In addition, she wrote the lyrics for all of the songs in Disney's Lady and The Tramp and gave voice to four of the film's characters. Lee starred in several movies, including Mr. Music with Bing Crosby, The Jazz Singer with Danny Thomas and Pete Kelly's Blues with Jack Webb, for which she received an Oscar® nomination for Best Actress.

I Like Men! (1959)
All Aglow Again (1960)
Pretty Eyes (1960)
If You Go (1961)
Basin Street East Proudly Presents Peggy Lee (1961)
Bewitching Lee (1962)
I'm A Woman (1963)
In Love Again! (1964)
In The Name Of Love (1964)
Pass Me By (1965)
That Was Then – This Is Now! (1965)
Guitars A La Lee (1966)
Big $pender (1966)
Extra Special! (1967)
Somethin' Groovy! (1967)
A Natural Woman (1969)
Is That All There Is? (1969)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (1970)
Make It With You (1970)
Where Did They Go (1971)
Norma Deloris Egstrom From Jamestown (1972)
Peggy Lee at Basin Street East: The Unreleased Show (2002)

http://www.peggylee.com/

MAZE FEATURING FRANKIE BEVERLY - GREATEST HITS

On June 21, Capitol/EMI will release a new 15-track collection of Maze featuring Frankie Beverly's Greatest Hits. Commemorating Black Music Month and the 35th anniversary of Maze signing with Capitol Records, the new Greatest Hits features the acclaimed R&B/soul band's top hits and signature songs, including "Joy And Pain" (live), "Workin' Together," "Golden Time of Day," "Southern Girl," "Back In Stride," "Running Away," and many others. The Maze journey first began in 1970, when Frankie Beverly started a group named Raw Soul in his hometown of Philadelphia.

In 1971, after some changes to the band's lineup, Beverly and Raw Soul relocated to San Francisco and their big break came when Marvin Gaye, inspired by the band's fresh material, selected them as his opening act for a West Coast tour. Gaye suggested the band change its name from Raw Soul to Maze, and the renamed Maze featuring Frankie Beverly signed with Capitol in 1976, releasing their self-titled debut album the following year.

Fueled by two hit singles, Maze featuring Frankie Beverly became the first in a series of seven Gold albums for the band and Capitol Records. Maze's decades of hard work, inspired creativity and active touring have consistently resulted in sold out concert tours, and regular radio airplay of their hits is testament to the band's enduring relevance. Maze featuring Frankie Beverly is currently on tour, with several U.S. dates scheduled through the summer.

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly: Greatest Hits
1. Workin' Together
2. Golden Time Of Day
3. Feel That You're Feelin'
4. Southern Girl
5. Joy And Pain (live)
6. Running Away
7. Before I Let Go
8. Love Is The Key
9. We Are One

10. Back In Stride

11. Too Many Games

12. I Wanna Be With You

13. Happy Feelin's (Live)

14. Can't Get Over You

15. Silky Soul

http://www.capitolrecords.com/

JILL SCOTT - THE LIGHT OF THE SUN

Grammy Award-winning singer and actress Jill Scott releases her new album The Light Of The Sun out June 21st, moved up one week due to overwhelming response. Featured in TIME Magazine's Top Summer Music list, the eagerly awaited fifth studio album releases on Warner Bros. Records. Bringing The Jill Scott live experience to stage, Scott performs on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (June 17th), Late Night with Jimmy Kimmel Outdoor Concert (June 23rd) and Live! With Regis & Kelly (June 30th). Performing her debut smash hit "So In Love" ft. Grammy-nominated singer Anthony Hamilton, the record has had the quickest rise to Top 5 Urban radio this year at #3. It's also the #1 greatest gainer for the 4th straight week, making it the biggest debut in Scott's career. The music video for the hit single premiere's on BET's 106 & Park on Monday, May 26th and officially online at EntertainmentWeekly.com simultaneously. TIME Magazine remarked "The R&B siren has three Grammys to her name, but The Light Of The Sun is about to up Jill Scott's diva cred, if the new record's first single, the sensationally sultry 'So In Love' is any indication." Recently performing at The White House for the American Poetry Workshop alongside actor Steve Martin and actor/rapper Common, Scott also graces the current cover of EBONY Magazine's June Music issue. Already a top pick on NPR and Billboard Magazine, AOL Black Voices remarks, "'So in Love' is without question, healing... this is why we need Jill Scott."

The Light Of The Sun was executive produced by Jill Scott and J.R Hutson (Pharrell, Faith Evans), as well as production by Dre & Vidal (Michael Jackson, Mariah Carey) and WarrynCampbell (Kanye West, Alicia Keys). Featured appearances include Doug E.Fresh, Southern rapper Paul Wall on "So Gone (What My Mind Says)" aka "Diamond-Chip Dick," a record where she's torn about letting the ex, aka the Maintenance Man, hypnotize her yet again with his sexual prowess. "Making You Wait," produced by J.R. Hutson, chronicles the desire to rekindle the coercion, seduction and beguiling of stripping. Philly native Eve and a trio of juicy back-up singers, The A Group, appears on the warm-up single "Shame," where Scott sings, "I'm magnificent. I'm a queen on a throne, I'm magnificent." Running the full gamut of emotions, the album also features "Rolling Hills" and the haunting "Hear My Call," in which she cries out to God to help heal her broken heart -- both which Scott performed on the BET one hour TV special performance and interview with Oscar-winning actress Mo'Nique. The Jill Scott Experience will perform live at the New Orleans Superdome July 4th weekend where she headlines the Essence Music Festival alongside Usher, Kanye West & Mary J. Blige.

http://www.missjillscott.com/.

ROD STEWART: THE HITS AT CAESARS PALACE

Legendary rock icon Rod Stewart confirmed his long-rumored return to The Colosseum at Caesars Palace for his first 18 concerts of his two-year Las Vegas residency, kicking off on August 24, 2011. Rod Stewart: The Hits. will be a concert celebration featuring a set list of the rock and R&B favorites which have defined Stewart’s unparalleled five-decade-long career. The spectacular, state-of-the-art production, presented by AEG Live, will be a culmination of Stewart’s seminal hits like “Maggie May,” “You Wear it Well,” “Hot Legs,” “You’re in My Heart,” and “Some Guys Have All the Luck” mixed with a few surprise rarities and sizzling covers. Rod Stewart: The Hits. is being designed to give audiences that intimate, only in Las Vegas concert experience – with no fan more than 120 feet from the magnificent stage.Stewart’s triumphant return to Las Vegas continues one of the most successful and critically-acclaimed 12 months of his career, highlighted by his just-wrapped The Heart & Soul Tour with Stevie Nicks – which is currently the #2 highest grossing tour on Billboard’s 2011 Boxscore chart. The tour has garnered Stewart enormous critical praise including The New York Post which declared Stewart “Forever Young,” US Weekly, which called his set list “…a non-stop jam session” and The Globe and Mail, which declared, “Rod Stewart competes with no one...” In addition to praise for his concert performance, Stewart was just honored with the prestigious ASCAP Founders Award for his songwriting and received his 16th Grammy nomination for “Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album.” Stewart’s incredible year began with his chart-topping, 33-date 2010 European summer tour - which included four sold-out dates at London’s O2 Arena - and continued with a sold-out, eight concerts at The Colosseum in Las Vegas in November of 2010. Dates for the limited engagement are August 24 – September 11 and November 3 – 20, 2011. All shows begin at 7:30 p.m.

Rock and Roll Hall of Famer and Grammy™ Living Legend Rod Stewart has been lauded as having one of the most distinctive voices in pop music. In a career spanning five decades, with an estimated 250 million album and single sales he is indisputably one of the most successful singers, songwriters and performers of all time. Throughout his prolific career, Stewart has garnered an amazing 16 Grammy nominations and has performed for sell-out crowds throughout the world. With his career in its fifth decade, Stewart has achieved numerous solo hit singles worldwide, most notably in the UK, where he has garnered six consecutive #1 albums and his tally of 62 hit singles include 24 that reached the Top 10, six of which gained the number one position. His hit singles include “Maggie May,” “Tonight's the Night,” “Hot Legs,” “Da Ya Think I'm Sexy?,” “Forever Young,” “Young Turks,” "Rhythm of My Heart," “Some Guys Have All the Luck,” “Have I Told You Lately?,” “Stay With Me,” and “First Cut is the Deepest.” www.rodstewart.com.

HAMMOCK HOUSE AFRICA CARIBE PRODUCED/MIXED BY JOAQUIN "JOE" CLAUSSELL

Fania Records has announced the release of a deluxe 2-disc set entitled, Hammock House Africa Caribe produced and mixed by the legendary Joaquin “Joe” Claussell, with a worldwide release date of May 17, 2011. The project is a perfect marriage between old and new, a fresh take on classic sounds from the Fania archives. Late last year, Fania Records hand delivered the original multi-tracks (recording tapes) in a battered cardboard box to Joe Claussell’s NYC studio. Inside was a round metal reel wrapped with many feet of rolled magnetic tape, and a crumbling “Track Report” sheet from some matter-of-fact day in the 1970s. As Joe ecstatically explained, “When the carrier came to my place with all these boxes, I had an Indiana Jones moment, like when he opens the treasure chest and the glow of gold light shines up on his face. It was miraculous that they were still around, and the history of this stuff is just amazing.”

Michael Rucker, chief marketing officer of Codigo Group came up with the original idea of Hammock House Africa Caribe and knew that Joe Claussell was the right person for the job. Joe grew up Puerto Rican in New York – or more precisely Nuyorican, with all the simmering, sweltering swirl of identity that comes to pass for a kid growing up with nine brothers and sisters in roiling, toiling Brooklyn. DJ/producer/label-head Joe Claussell is perhaps the most influential and in-demand figure on the New York dance scene since Masters At Work. Responsible for some of the best deep and soulful house NYC has heard, Claussell’s Sunday night Body & Soul DJ gig is one of the most legendary house parties of the ’90s. Former owner of the landmark record store Dance Tracks, and long associated with the house labels Spiritual Life and Ibadan, they all reflect his deep love for and his eclectic and multicultural taste in dance music. Much of the global dance movement can be traced back to Claussell’s highly percussive style that incorporates Latin, African, Brazilian and other world rhythms with elements of jazz, rock, disco, and live instrumentation.

What you hear on Hammock House Africa Caribe are more than mere remixes. Each track was approached and assembled differently, each on its own terms. As Joe says, “Some songs were edited, some were time-stretched…many parts were re-recorded…some new parts were recorded on top.” Furthermore Joe elaborates, “I would listen to these songs and think what am I going to do to that?! A lot of them sounded perfect as they were. But the mentality of the ‘60s and ‘70s, when it came to music, people were just creating as artists – from the soul, from the heart. They took a lot of the technical stuff for granted. They were making music, not thinking about different mixes or anybody touching their art in the future. So I tried to keep the integrity of what’s there. Fania is very sacred to the Puerto Rican and Cuban heritage, so it was important that it get taken in by the right hands.”

The first disc is a live continuous mix by Claussell, but not like your average DJ mixing one track into another Joe’s states his goal for the mix-CD was to create an epic journey that begins in the Motherland (Africa) to moves to New York. “I wanted to do a futuristic mix, where stories are being created with soundscapes and tapestries, and segues work as introductions to each story. I wanted to create bridges through different rhythms, so I worked with my brother Jose, as well as other percussionists and musicians in the studio, to create parts that flow between. I mixed it live with four CD players, effects, and reel-to-reel, then took it into the studio and tightened up some of the levels through editing. I wanted to mix it live so you get more of a human feel from it, to stay true to the texture of this music. And I really wanted it to reflect on the process of working on this whole project. Looking back, I’m honored and grateful to get to work on such historical music – and music I grew up with.” Never has the past sounded so present. The second disc features nine classic Fania tunes from Lou Perez, Celia Cruz, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto and more all re-worked with the Joe Claussell touch.

Today Fania is home to more than 200 of the top artists’ catalogs in Tropical music. These artists mixed a cornucopia of styles that transcended the boundaries of traditional Latin music and set the path for the genres of Latin Big Band, Afro-Cuban Jazz, Boogaloo, Salsa and Latin R&B. They include Beny Moré, Sonora Matancera, Orquesta Aragón, Celia Cruz, La Lupe, Tito Rodrguez, Ray Barretto, Cortijo, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, Joe Cuba, Larry Harlow and Ruben Blades to mention a few. The more than 4,000 albums from the 1940s through the 1980s have been carefully documented, archived and placed in a special media storage facility for original recorded media. In addition, Fania has been remastering and reissuing these treasures in digital format, original remastered cds, box sets and vinyl. http://www.fania.com/.

NICOLA CONTE - LOVE & REVOLUTION

Nicola Conte’s newest release, Love & Revolution represents a bold new chapter in the career of Nicola Conte – quite possibly his most collaborative record to date, and easily his most righteous as well! Different from his previous releases, Love & Revolution is being released by Impulse Records, which in essence is perfect when you consider that this album is infused with a sense of spiritual jazz. This is actually the perfect vibe, especially in how Conte links together the best 60’s and 70’s aspects of the labels aesthetic. Collaborators on this project include vocals from Gregory Porter, Jose James, Alice Ricciardi, among others; plus Till Bronner, Fabrizio Boss, and Flavio Boltro on trumpet; Magnus Lindgren and Tim Warfield on tenor; as well as Timo Lassey on flute and baritone. Other musicians include Gaetano Partipilo, Pietro Lussu, Paolo Benedettini, Teppo Makynen, Bridgette Amofah, Nailah Porter, Fabrizio Bosso, and Pierpaolo Bisogno.

 

Nicola Conte - Love & Revolution 2-CD Bonus



Love & Revolution contains the benefits of beautiful arrangements from Magnum Lindgren in an album where the human voice is the protagonist, while blending seamlessly with a sound carpet (if you will) of extraordinary effectiveness. It is within this context that Nicola Conte assembled these extraordinary musicians for a live recording – reserving only a few additions during post production. The end result – absolutely amazing and wonderful to listen to! Over the years, Nicola Conte's continues to release the very best in jazz music and this release continues that tradition. Tracks include "Love From The Sun", "Here", "Black Spirits", "Quiet Dawn", "Shiva", "Ghana", "I'm The Air", "Ra In Egypt", and "All Praises To Allah". In addition, there is also a 2-CD version of Love & Revolution with 6 more cuts that include "Forest Flower", "Freedom Day", "The Black Apostles", and "Autumn In Our Town".

In support of Love & Revolution, Nicola Conte is about to launch a world tour with the first concert to be held at the Teatro Piccini in Bari, Italy on May 21.

Love & Revolution tracklist:
1 / Do You Feel Like I Feel (3:53)

2 / Love from the Sun (4:33)

3 / Here (3:50)

4 / Black Spirits (5:44)

5 / Mystery of You (4:22)

6 / Shiva (5:30)

7 / Ghana (5:09)

8 / Quiet Dawn (4:45)

9 / Scarborough Fair (4:03)

10 / Love and Revolution (3:35)

11 / Bantu (5:59)

12 / All Praises to Allah (4:30)

13 / Ra in Egypt (4:02)

14 / Temple of Far East (6:06)

15 / I'm the Air (4:19)

DANGER MOUSE & DANIELE LUPPI - ROME - STARRING JACK WHITE & NORAH JONES

It has been 5 years in the making for Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi’s spaghetti-western inspired album Rome (due out on May 17). The project assembles many of the surviving performers of classic '60s and '70s Ennio Morricone scores — and, in half a dozen memorable cases, pairs them up with the vocals of Norah Jones or The White Stripes' Jack White. The duo began to record for the album in Rome in October 2006, booking Forum Studios (formerly the Ortophonic Studios) founded by, among others, Ennio Morricone. It is, as Burton puts it, “a vast space underneath a church, filled with old mixing desks”. They also tracked down vintage instruments. “One of the biggest collectors was a Vespa engineer,” says Luppi. “We went to his garage and he showed us his collection of guitars from the Sixties. He didn’t want payment for us to use them, so we bought him a crate of wine.” More difficult was reuniting the musicians, many now in their seventies and eighties. They included studio backing band Marc 4, and I Cantori Moderni, a choir led by Alessandro Alessandroni, who whistles on many of the original Spaghetti Western soundtracks. Their plan, says Burton, “got more and more specific. We wanted to work at the same studio, with the same musicians and even the same microphones.”

“None of them knew who we were, but it was an emotional moment when they assembled for the first time in decades. There were tears and hugs,” says Luppi. “Although within an hour or two they were shouting and abusing each other – also just like the old times, apparently.” Some of Grammy Award winning Danger Mouse’s credentials include: forming Gnarls Barkley with Cee-Lo Green, produced Gorillaz Demon Days and Beck’s Modern Guilt, collaborated with James Mercer (The Shins) to form Broken Bells and paired up with Sparklehorse to create the album Dark Night of the Soul. You can listen to Rome in full at NPR.

Rome Tracklist:

01. Theme Of Rome

02. The Rose With The Broken Neck

03. Morning Fog (interlude)

04. Season’s Trees

05. Her Hollow Ways (interlude)

06. Roman Blue

07. Two Against One

08. The Gambling Priest

09. The World (interlude)

10. Black

11. The Matador Has Fallen

12. Morning Fog

13. Problem Queen

14. Her Hollow Ways

15. The World