NEW RELEASES - BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG + NORAH JONES, DEE DEE WARWICK, TYRONE LEE

BILLIE JOE ARMSTRONG & NORAH JONES: BILLIE JOE + NORAH: FOREVERLY

Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong and Norah have teamed up to record Foreverly, a collection inspired by Songs Our Daddy Taught Us, an album of traditional Americana songs reinterpreted by The Everly Brothers in 1958. Reprise Records will release the album on November 25th. "Billie Joe's enthusiasm about the songs and his low-key, open approach to the music was very inviting. He wasn't set in his ideas, which made it fun for us both to sort of discover what felt right for us, musically. I loved that the original was completely stripped down and a little more obscure. There was a lot of room to interpret the songs in our own way." – Norah. The track-listing for Foreverly is as follows: “Roving Gambler,” “Long Time Gone,” “Lightning Express,” “That Silver Haired Daddy Of Mine,” “Down In The Willow Garden,” “Who’s Gonna Shoe Your Pretty Little Feet,” “Oh So Many Years,” “Barbara Allen,” “Rockin’ Alone (In An Old Rockin’ Chair,” “I’m Here To Get My Baby Out Of Jail,” “Kentucky,” and“Put My Little Shoes Away.”

DEE DEE WARWICK - I WANT TO BE WITH YOU

Wonderful work from Dionne Warwick's lesser-known sister – a hell of a great singer, and one who packs even more punch than her famous sibling! The gem of a set has all the poise and class of Dionne, but comes across with a lot more soul as well – a great mix that's very much in the best New York uptown mode of the 60s, with production from Ed Townsend, and arrangements from the Teacho Wilshire, Jimmy Wisner, and Horace Ott! Even when strings and larger charts come into the mix, Dee Dee's vocals push right out front in the mix – really bringing a lot of feeling to tunes that include "Worth Every Tear I Cry", "I Want To Be With You", "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me", "Another Lonely Saturday, "House of Gold", and "Gotta Get Ahold Of Myself". CD features lots of bonus cuts from singles, too – including "Monday Monday", "You Don't Know", "Lover's Chant", "Locked In Your Love", "We've Got Everything Going For Us", "Girls Need Love", and "I'll Be Better Off Without You". ~ Dusty Groove.

TYRONE LEE - INVITATION

An inviting set of UK soul from Tyrone Lee! It's a nice mix of uptempo and mid tempo groovers with a modern sound, though it skirts contemporary trends, giving it a vibe that'll stand the test of time. Tyrone has a naturally soulful and confident presence – with the poise of a veteran – even if this is the first we've heard from him. Nice stuff from Expansion UK! Titles include "Time Of Your Life", "What Took You So Long", "Hot2Nite", "Get 2 Know U", "Invitation", "Get My Life Back", "Listening To Your Heart", "Overload", "Turn Up The Heat", "Woman In My World" and more. ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - NANCY SINATRA, BARB JUNGR, BRENDA HOLLOWAY

NANCY SINATRA - SHIFTING GEARS

A trove of previously unissued recordings from Nancy’s vault will no longer be lonely as she shares them with the world in her latest album, Shifting Gears (available December 3). Culled from hundreds of masters, this collection of “Unreleased and BIG!” ballads delivers Nancy’s interpretations of late 1960s and early 1970s pop classics, as well as standards derived from iconic Broadway and movie musicals. Having invested years in restoring and remixing these masters, Nancy reported on the early progress (as of 2008) in rescuing her unreleased gems: “It’s been a real struggle because when we say ‘vault’ we really mean ‘garage,’ which is where the tapes were for decades before we had the vault. Some were multi-track, some were 1/4 inch and some were only cassettes!” Here is the full tracklisting:  As Time Goes By / When I Look in Your Eyes / Holly Holy / I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise / Cockeyed Optimist (Guitar Version) [feat. Billy Strange] / I Can See Clearly Now / Killing Me Softly with His Song / Play Me / Something / MacArthur Park /  The Hungry Years / Cockeyed Optimist (Orchestra Version) / Why Did I Choose You? / I Don't Know How to Love Him / We Need a Little Christmas

BARB JUNGR - MAN IN THE LONG BLACK COAT: BARB JUNGR SINGS BOB DYLAN

Internationally renowned as 'one of the best interpreters of Bob Dylan' (Village Voice, NY), Barb Jungr pays tribute to her musical hero with a compilation of her favorite Dylan songs. Originally released in 2011 to mark Dylan's 70th birthday year, Man In The Long Black Coat is re-issued as part of Linn's ECHO series that offers a second chance to enjoy the best of the label's award-winning catalog. Barb's unique interpretations of some of Dylan's most popular songs draw on the huge range of influences she has absorbed during her varied and extensive career, from cabaret to European jazz. Her imaginative re-workings not only reveal her passion for Dylan's songs but also her great skill as an interpreter and singer. Man In The Long Black Coat saw the inclusion of four never before recorded tracks: 'Sara,' 'Man In The Long Black Coat,' 'It Ain't Me Babe' and 'With God On Our Side.' With rave international reviews and two prestigious New York awards (2008 Nightlife Award for Outstanding Cabaret Vocalist and Best International Artist 2003 Backstage Award), Barb is renowned for her unique vocal style, interpretation of song and radical approach to arrangements. Her acclaimed releases and revelatory live performances have brought her to audiences all around the world. ~ amazon

BRENDA HOLLOWAY - TH ARTISTRY OF BRENDA HOLLOWAY

First it was an appetiser to the career of Brenda Holloway with The Early Years - Rare Recordings 1962-1963 (ACE 1241). Now we have the main course with this expanded reissue of The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway, a compilation LP released exclusively in the UK in 1968. The album contained all nine of Brenda's Tamla A-sides, five B-sides and two titles from her Every Little Bit Hurts LP, which are joined here by eight bonus titles from the Motown vaults. The Artistry album was issued in mono and stereo, but the stereo version is much rarer today, so we've gone with that, with one exception. The track Every Little Bit Hurts exists only in mono and fake stereo; in the absence of a true stereo version, we've used the original mono master here. The bonus titles span Brenda's Motown career, from 1964's pop-sounding Mr Lifeguard (Come And Rescue Me) to the soulful It's Love I Need, completed just a few months before her departure from the company in 1968. One stand-out track that deserves special mention is After All That You've Done, a typically breathy gem from the pen of Smokey Robinson. ''I'm so very grateful to my loyal fans all around the world, especially those in the UK who have never stopped supporting my career,'' says Brenda. ''I'm truly delighted that my name and work are still relevant today. When The Artistry Of Brenda Holloway album was first released in the UK in 1968, I always wished that the rest of the world could have been able to enjoy it as well. Now they finally can.'' Compiled and annotated by noted Motown historian Keith Hughes.

NEW RELEASES - MARQUEAL JORDAN, JASON WEBER, NICK VAYENAS

MARQUEAL JORDAN - CATALYST

Chicago-based artist, and Los Angeles native, Marqueal Jordan is the rare musician who is blessed with the gift of being equally proficient as an instrumentalist and a vocalist. His distinctive saxophone tone and style, combined with his soulful vocals, places him in the tradition of legendary dual talents, George Benson, Donny Hathaway and Ronnie Laws. Described by fellow saxophonist Mike Phillips as "one of the most versatile saxophonists in the game today", Marqueal (pronounced Mar-KWELL) earned his reputation as an electrifying live performer after moving to Chicago in 1995. He was the front man for the Chicago-based funk unit, Fat Time, and became an integral member in numerous Jazz, R&B and Blues bands in the city. In 2008, Smooth Jazz star Brian Culbertson asked Marqueal to join his touring band and since then he's captivated audiences around the world with his talents. As a sideman, he's performed with an amazing list of major artists such as Oleta Adams, Gerald Albright, Patti Austin, Avant, Average White Band, Rick Braun, Peabo Bryson, Jonathan Butler, Stanley Clarke, George Duke, Aretha Franklin, Savion Glover, Larry Graham, Buddy Guy, Lalah Hathaway, Al Jarreau, Earl Klugh, Dave Koz, KRS-ONE, Jeff Lorber, Maysa, Najee, Ray Parker, Jr., Phil Perry, Eric Roberson, David Sanborn, Jill Scott, Sinbad, Gerald Veasley, and Kirk Whalum. "Catalyst" is Marqueal Jordan's solo debut CD. After years of sideman work and being involved with original bands and projects over the years, "Catalyst" reveals the focused vision and emergence of Jordan as an artist, songwriter and producer. ~ marquealjordan.

JASON WEBER - IN TOO DEEP: THE BARITONE SESSIONS

"In Too Deep" is saxophonist Jason Weber's 8th CD release. Unlike Weber's previous work, this album is exclusively a baritone saxophone feature. "I feel the bari is an under-utilized voice, except when holding down the bottom end of a horn section like Doc Kupka in Tower of Power", Weber explains. "Typically it's tenor, alto or soprano handling the melodies & solos. There are some obvious exceptions with albums by some great bari players like Pepper Adams, Ronnie Cuber & Gerry Mulligan, but their music is primarily straight ahead jazz. This album has more of a funky, contemporary vibe. I also wanted to showcase the extended altissimo range of the bari on several of the cuts which is also something that you don't hear often enough. It has a very cool, fat texture that you can't get on tenor & alto." ~ cduniverse.com

NICK VAYENAS - SOME OTHER TIME

Trombonist, trumpeter and vocalist Nick Vayenas presents his third release as a leader, 'Some Other Time'. The album is a truly eclectic set of music comprised of four original compositions by Vayenas (which range from multi-metered funk grooves to full on driving rock) and four expertly arranged covers. It features saxophonist Patrick Cornelius, bassist Michael Janisch and guitarist Doug Wamble. The covers on 'Some Other Time' include Michel Legrand's "You Must Believe in Spring", Leonard Bernstein's "Some Other Time", Cole Porter's "So in Love" and Oscar Levant's "Blame It On My Youth". Vayenas' take on these four classics have virtually transformed them into new songs of their own. Nick Vayenas seamlessly straddles both the commercial music industry and the creative jazz world, having worked comfortably with international pop superstars like Michael Bubl‚ and Josh Groban, and respected New York jazz artists like Kendrick Scott, Dayna Stephens, and Patrick Cornelius. He is equally at home performing in intimate New York jazz clubs such as The Jazz Gallery and The Blue Note as well as in huge arenas around the world. All of these diverse music experiences that make up Vayenas' colourful history have found their way into the music on 'Some Other Time'. ~ cduniverse.com

NEW RELEASES - COSMIC MACHINE, COSMIC EYE, THE ELECTRONIC PEANUT BUTTER COMPANY

COSMIC MACHINE - A VOYAGE ACROSS FRENCH COSMIC & ELECTRONIC AVANT GARDE 1970 TO 1980

Incredible electronics from the French scene of the 70s – spacey, funky, trippy, and even a bit clubby too – a perfect cross-section of all the cool analogue elements that were ebbing forth from Paris at the time! A few of the bigger French artists broke big on these shores – often paving the way for soppier work of the next generation – but this set features a much deeper range of talents than we ever would have expected – plenty of cats who easily match the most experimental styles of the German prog electronics world, or the dark corners of Italian soundtrack composers, or even some of the fiercer grooves to come in the pre-house years in the clubs! Reading the set list, you might be surprised to hear some of these artists in the same company as each other – but hearing the set, you'll be wonderfully pleased at the way the whole thing comes together – a great range of cuts that includes "Motel Show" by Pierre Bachelet, "Shanti Dance (parts 1 & 2)" by Droids, "Magic Fly" by Space, "Temps X" by Didier Marouani, "Le Reve" by Patrick Juvet, "Le Bracelet" by Alain Gouraguer, "Rocket Man (inst)" by Rockets, "Disco Energy" by Universal Energy, "Love Machine" by Space Art, "Survol" by Francois De Roubaix, "Le Physique Et Le Figure" by Serge Gainsbourg, and "Spirit" by Frederic Mercier. ~ Dusty Groove

COSMIC EYE - DREAM SEQUENCE

The most mindblowing work we've ever heard from guitarist Amancio D'Silva – a really freewheeling blend of jazz and Indian music, and a set that goes far beyond most of his other albums! The album definitely lives up to the dream sequence promised by the title – as it features one long track that spins out in a beautiful blend of tablas, sitar, flute, percussion, violin, and Amancio's own great electric guitar! The leader crafts these trippy solos that are a bit like the work of Gabor Szabo, but even more open-ended and exotic – and the group also features some great work on sax from Alan Branscombe, plus violin from John Mayer – who'd worked on previous experiments of this nature with Joe Harriott. Despite the length of the track, the record is never over-indulgent or repetitive at all – as D'Silva constantly shifts the mood and the sounds – creating this wonderful interplay that really makes for a scenic richness throughout – an evocative journey in music that holds us completely rapt all the way through. ~ Dusty Groove

THE ELECTRIC PEANUT BUTTER COMPANY - TRANS-ATLANTIC PSYCH CLASSICS VOL. 2

A really wonderful collaboration between Shawn Lee and Adrian Quesada – and a set that maybe goes further than a lot of recent work from the artists on their own! Quesada's ear for the psychedelic mixes wonderfully with Lee's funky grooves – in a space that's as trippy as it is soulful, and which wonderfully skirts a space between all the different genres you'd be likely to find in the coolest crate digger's collection! There's vocals on many tracks – but slung out over core instrumentation that really gets things going from a soulful perspective – so much so that even some of the more rockish moments soon get plenty funky. Keyboards are wonderful, production is rock-solid, and the whole thing's exactly the kind of nugget you'd guess from the title. Tracks include "Going In Circles", "Christophe Waltz", "Tape Lifter", "Cold Blood", "Dreams", "Mono Man", "Big Tweed", and "Backstreet Wall". ~ Dusty Groove

NEW RELEASES - MILES DAVIS, HARRISON BANKHEAD, TEOTIMA

MILES DAVIS - THE ORIGINAL MONO RECORDINGS

Vintage Miles Davis – heard the way most folks first enjoyed these albums at the time – in glorious mono fidelity! The set brings together rare mono mixes of these gems from Miles – with a bold sound that really gets to the heart of the trumpeter's classic approach – and which has mostly been out of commercial circulation for decades! Every record in the package is a stunner – the kind of work that never gets old, and which is maybe even truer to its original spirit in this format than in stereo. The package features a cool slipcover, a nice booklet, and LP-sleeve versions of the CDs – just like having tiny little records – with nine full albums that include Round About Midnight, Jazz Track, Miles Ahead, Milestones, Porgy & Bess, Kind Of Blue, Sketches Of Spain, Someday My Prince Will Come, and Miles & Monk At Newport. ~ Dusty Groove

HARRISON BANKHEAD - VELVET BLUE

A wonderful small group set from bassist Harrison Bankhead – and a record that really showcases the overlooked spiritual side of his music! Bankhead's bass has been a key part of Chicago avant jazz for decades, but with this set he really finds a great space all his own – on long tracks that often have strong modal undercurrents, thanks to his own work in the lead – which then really stretch out with strong reed solos from Ed Wilkerson on tenor and clarinet, and Mars Williams on alto, tenor, and soprano sax. In the best AACM tradition, both players also dabble in some other instrumentation as well – Wilkerson on didgeridoo and harmonica and Williams on kalimba – and the quartet also features Avreeayl Ra on drums and additional thumb piano too. A few moments get a bit more outside, but still hew to the spiritual quality of the music – and titles include "Ancestors Of The Pharoahs", "Right On It", "After Hours", "Velvet Blue", and "Rhythm Of The Earth". (In a beautiful hand-pressed cover, too!) ~ Dusty Groove

TEOTIMA - COUNTING THE WAYS

Counting The Ways is the debut album from Teotima, a 14 piece spiritual jazz ensemble from London. Guitarist-composerGreg Sanders started Teotima; taking powerful, elegant but deceptively complex grooves of West Africa, Cuba and Brazil and adding the sensibility of classic American soul and funk he brought together a loose collective of musicians in 2011 to workshop ideas. As an intrinsically live project, all the individual band members were key to the project and their improvisation is a central part of the album. Recorded as-live at London's Fishmarket Studios under the watchful eye of engineer Ben 'Nostalgia 77' Lamdin, the record achieves a synchronicity that only this kind of old-fashioned approach can produce. One of the most striking things about the record is the huge scope that it encompasses - the arrangements of Gil Evans and David Axelrod, grooves reminiscent of Arthur Verocai and the Fania All Stars and the textures of more modern groups such as The Floating Points Ensemble and Snarky Puppy. All of these truly organic facets combine to create a striking 43-minute long debut album from Greg Sanders and his Teotima Ensemble.

THE ANIMALS - THE MICKIE MOST YEARS AND MORE (5-CD SET)

They were right among the first rank of British Invasion bands, with 11 American chart hits in their first two years of existence. They were responsible for some of the most enduring recordings of their era, songs like “The House of the Rising Sun” (which famously caused Bob Dylan to jump out of his car seat when he first heard it on the radio) and “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.” And their lead singer, Eric Burdon, had (and still has) one of the most distinctive voices in all of rock ‘n’ roll. Yet, unlike their famous peers, the Animals have never had a box set devoted to their work…till now, 50 years after their first release!  

The Mickie Most Years and More offers for the first time ever on CD the group’s first four American albums (all of which charted, the first three produced by Mickie Most)—The Animals, The Animals on Tour, Animal Tracks and Animalization—in their original mono versions, all newly remastered by Adam Ayan at Gateway Mastering from the original tapes. And each album features a bevy of bonus tracks, 16 in all, including their first release ever, the I Just Wanna Make Love to You EP that came out on the Graphic Sound label in 1963 (later reissued by Decca in 1965 as In the Beginning There Was Early Animals), four tracks previously unreleased in the U.S., three single versions (including “We Gotta Get Out of This Place” and “It’s My Life”), four alternate versions (three in stereo) of such tracks as “Talkin’ ‘Bout You” and “Don’t Bring Me Down,” and one U.K.-only track (“Roadrunner).” Liner notes to each album are by Rolling Stone’s David Fricke and, to sweeten the pot even more, we’re including an Animals T-shirt (100% cotton; size extra large) exclusive to this set. No collection of British Invasion and, for that matter, ‘60s rock and roll is complete without these records…this collection brings it on home. Brought to you by ABKCO Music and Records and Real Gone Music!

Disc One: I Just Wanna Make Love to You (1963) / 1.   I Just Wanna Make Love to You / 2.   Big Boss Man / 3.   Boom Boom / 4.   Pretty Thing 

Disc Two: The Animals (1964) / 1.   House of the Rising Sun / 2.   The Girl Can’t Help It / 3.   Blue Feeling / 4.   Baby Let Me Take You Home / 5.   The Right Time / 6.   Talkin’ ‘Bout You / 7.   Around and Around / 8.   I’m in Love Again / 9.   Gonna Send You Back to Walker / 10. Memphis, Tennessee / 11. I’m Mad Again / 12. I’ve Been Around / Bonus Track: 13. Talkin’  ‘Bout You (full version)

Disc Three: The Animals on Tour (1965) / 1.   Boom Boom / 2.   How You’ve Changed / 3.   Mess Around / 4.   Bright Lights, Big City / 5.   I Believe to My Soul / 6.   Worried Life Blues / 7.   Let the Good Times Roll / 8.   Ain’t Got You / 9.   Hallelujah, I Love Her So / 10. I’m Crying / 11. Dimples / 12. She Said Yeah /  Bonus Tracks: 13. Baby What’s Wrong / 14. F-E-E-L / 15. New Year’s Radio Spot

Disc Four: Animal Tracks (1965) / 1.   We Gotta Get Out of This Place / 2.   Take It Easy Baby / 3.   Bring It on Home to Me / 4.   The Story of Bo Diddley / 5.   Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood / 6.   I Can’t Believe It / 7.   Club A-Go-Go / 8.   Roberta / 9.   Bury My Body / 10. For Miss Caulker / Bonus Tracks:  

11. Roadrunner / 12. Don’t Want Much / 13. We Gotta Get Out of This Place (U.K. single version) / 14. It’s My Life / 15. I’m Gonna Change the World

 Disc Five: Animalization (1966) / 1.   Don’t Bring Me Down / 2.   One Monkey Don’t Stop No Show /

3.   You’re on My Mind / 5.   She’ll Return It / 6.   Inside-Looking Out / 7.   See See Rider / 8.   Gin House Blues / 9.   Maudie / 10. What Am I Living For / 11. Sweet Little Sixteen / 12. I Put a Spell on You / Bonus Tracks: 13. Don’t Bring Me Down (stereo) / 14. Cheating (stereo) / 15. See See Rider (stereo)

~ Real Gone Music

TOWER OF POWER - HIPPER THAN HIP (YESTERDAY, TODAY, & TOMORROW) - LIVE ON THE AIR & IN THE STUDIO 1974

On May 14, 1974, Tower of Power went to radio station WLIR in Hempstead, Long Island and played a live-in-the-studio show that set the station ablaze as well as the radios of any listeners that were lucky enough to hear it.

Flash forward nearly 40 years. On a whim, a tape collector sends us the show, saying that of his 10,000-plus recordings of live concerts, this set was his favorite. Well, people send us stuff all the time; but within about five minutes of listening to this show, we know we HAVE to find a way to expose the record-buying public to this performance. So, fingers crossed, we send it to the band, and much to our delight, they agree with us. In the words of Emilio Castillo, founding member and leader of Tower of Power: “We were clearly at the top of our game firing on all 10 cylinders."

Indeed, Hipper Than Hip captures the band at their commercial peak, fresh from releasing their fourth album, Back to Oakland, and featuring such key early tracks as “You’re Still a Young Man,” “Down to the Nightclub,” “So Very Hard to Go,” “Time Will Tell” and, of course, “What Is Hip?” with Lenny Williams on vocals. What makes the recording particularly overpowering—aside from the band’s performance, which is so on the money that calling it “tight” doesn’t really do it justice—is that it was a live-in-the-studio session, so the fidelity is the equal of a studio recording, yet it has all the passion and immediacy of a live concert.

This Real Gone Music release includes photos and liner notes by noted R&B producer, scholar—and long-time friend of the band—Leo Sacks. 2013 marks the 45th anniversary for Tower of Power—Hipper Than Hip (Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow—Live on the Air & in the Studio 1974 marks a major addition to the band’s discography.

DISC ONE: Intro / Oakland Stroke / Squib Cakes / This Time It's Real / Soul Vaccination / You're Still a Young Man / Clean Slate / So Very Hard to Go / Get Your Feet Back on the Ground

DISC TWO: Intro / Time Will Tell / Man from the Past / Down to the Nightclub / Just When We Start Makin' It / Knock Yourself Out / What Is Hip

~ Real Gone Music

PANAMA JAZZ FESTIVAL TO FEATURE DANILO PEREZ, LIZZ WRIGHT, KENNY GARRETT, JOHN PATITUCCI AND OTHERS

Uniting internationally acclaimed jazz artists, renowned educators and jazz fans from around the globe, the 11th Annual Panama Jazz Festival will be held January 13-18, 2014 at The City of Knowledge in Panama City. The festival honors the 500th Anniversary of the re-discovery of the Pacific Ocean, as well as the 100th Anniversary of the Panama Canal.

Among the headliners for this year's festival is founder and Artistic Director Danilo Pérez and his recently assembled Panama 500 band, featuring violinist Alex Hargreaves, bassist John Patitucci, drummer Adam Cruz and percussionist Roman Diaz. The group will perform music from the pianist's forthcoming album, Panama 500 (February 4, Mack Avenue Records).

  

"Balboa's re-discovery of the Pacific Ocean and the construction of the Panama Canal have had a tremendous importance in the world because they created and connected the new great sea route between America, Europe and Asia," explains Pérez. "Panama has become a path of adventure that unites the world and it makes great sense to celebrate it with Jazz. The history of Panama is connected with globalization like no other country and this is why we want to celebrate Panama's unique contributions to the world through jazz music."

  

Additional headliners include vocalist Lizz Wright, the Kenny Garrett Quintet, jazz fusion collective HBC Trio (guitarist Scott Henderson, bassist Jeff Berlin and drummer Dennis Chambers), Peruvian drummer Jorge Pérez with special guest saxophonist George Garzone, vocalist Nedelka Prescod, guitarist Shea Welsh, vocalist Michelle Coltrane (daughter of John Coltrane), and pianist Kevin Harris.

Larger ensemble performances include Puerto Rican percussionist Eguie Castrillo with the Panama Jazz Festival Latin Band and special guest vocalist Wichy Camacho, along with the John Patitucci Latin Jazz Project in collaboration with the Berklee Global Jazz Institute. Four national bands will be featured at this year's festival: Osvaldo Ayala Transismico Project, Luci and The Soul Brokers, Señor Loop and The Danilo Pérez Foundation Band.

Furthermore, the festival will host The 2nd Latin American Music Therapy Symposium, bringing music therapists from the Chile, Argentina, Panama, Venezuela, Costa Rica (among other Latin American countries) and the United States together to present on the therapeutic effects of music.

Since its inception in 2003, the Panama Jazz Festival has attracted over 200,000 jazz fans worldwide and has announced over three million dollars in international scholarships. Last year, the festival welcomed 1,700 students from around the world who participated in the educational events. This year, the festival continues its commitment to education by hosting the Golandsky Institute, a not-for-profit organization based in New York. They will offer master classes for jazz and classical pianists as well as other instrumentalists, emphasizing the application of the Taubman approach to build technical ease and to explore musical interpretation. This approach has proven to be highly effective in the resolution of technical and artistic limitations, as well as in curing and preventing repetitive stress injuries in musicians.

Other participating educational institutions include Boston-based schools, Berklee College of Music and the New England Conservatory, which will both be holding auditions for admission and scholarships. The Berklee Global Jazz Institute will hold master classes, perform social work with Panamanian youth and perform in various settings throughout the festival. The school will also start a program where students will earn one college performance credit to Berklee. In addition to these various universities, Crossroads High School (Los Angeles) will be participating in this year's events.

"In the past 10 years, the festival has provided scholarships for admissions to various universities around the world. These scholarships have often gone to youth from poverty-stricken neighborhoods."

Pérez concludes, "with the diversity and quality of artists that we bring to Panama, our first commitment has always been to showcase the best of what jazz can offer."

NEW RELEASES - MARK ARTHUR MILLER, MARY WELLS, THE EMOTIONS

MARK ARTHUR MILLER - SOUL SEARCHING

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Stevie Wonder, The Tempations, Jr. Walker and the All Stars and Marvin Gaye were all part of the soundtrack of Mark Arthur Miller's young life growing up in Chicago’s South Side. His Dad, Mark Miller, was as staff writer at Motown along with other great writers such as Holland-Dozier-Holland, Mickey Stevenson and Harvey Fuqua.  Miller's Motown hits include "A Place in the Sun," "For Once in My Life," "Yester-me, Yester-you, Yester-day," "Heaven Help Us All," "Touch Me in the Morning," "Someday at Christmas," and "Don't Burn the Bridge Down." Through the years Mark Arthur Miller found himself in the company of idols Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross, and many others.  'I love music, period," says Mark.  "I started out singing jazz, and I love Sondheim and rock and pop.  But I had to admit that after a while I was turning every single arrangement into Rhythm & Blues." "Soul Seaching" is a 6-song EP that Mark co-produced with Peter Smith and it includes original music by the late Mark Miller.  Songs include: (Sittin' on the) Dock of the Bay; Tracks of My Tears; The Way You Make Me Feel; If I Could; People; and My Girl/Just My Imagination.

MARY WELLS - THE OLD, THE NEW AND THE BEST OF MARY WELLS

An early 80s comeback set from Mary Wells – put together with a mix of newer tracks and remade older classics – as you might guess from the title! Production is by Wayne Henderson, with a relatively contemporary feel – a style that has plenty of 80s mainstream soul touches at times, particularly on the catchier numbers – but with more than enough room for Wells to still hang in there vocally, although with a somewhat more mature vocal style than in earlier years. Titles include "My Guy", "Two Lovers", "You Beat Me To The Punch", "Oh Little Boy What Did You Do To Me", "Bye Bye Baby", "You Lost The Sweetest Boy", "Old Love Let's Try It Again", and "What Love Has Joined Together". CD also features bonus tracks – a number for the album that were never issued at the time, including "I'm A Lady", "Make Up Break Up", "I Feel For You", "Money Talks", and "Too Feel Your Love" – plus "My Guy (12" mix)" and "My Guy (12" inst)". ~ Dusty Groove

THE EMOTIONS - COME INTO OUR WORLD

The sweet Emotions at the top of their game – one of the brilliant albums that has the soulful trio working hand in hand with Earth Wind & Fire! The girls were plenty great in their early years, but working with Maurice White and company, they really took off – hitting a whole new level that really unlocked some deeply spiritual power in their vocals! And sure, the approach also yielded the group plenty of hits – but for good reason, too – given the classic quality and all-great nature of a set like this. Maurice White produced, and the lineup is filled with plenty of Earth Wind & Fire players too – working with some great arrangements from Tom Tom 84, Wade Marcus, and others. Tunes are balanced between clubby numbers and some nice midtempo moments – and titles include "Where Is Your Love", "Cause I Love You", "Come Into My World", "On & On", "I Should Be Dancing", "Layed Back", and "Yes I Am". CD features bonus tracks – "My Baby Dance", "I Should Be Dancing (single)", and "Where Is Your Love (single)". ~ Dusty Groove

VERVE: THE SOUND OF AMERICA - THE SINGLES COLLECTION (5-CD COLLECTION FEATURING 100 SINGLES)

Founded in 1956 by jazz impresario Norman Granz, Verve Records, along with its associated labels, has consistently been at the forefront of jazz’s development as both an American art form and an influential commercial force for more than half a century. In this time, Verve continued to nurture and foster the careers of many of jazz’s most original and influential artists, building a catalog that encompasses the most celebrated recordings while working to popularize the music with new and larger audiences.

On December 10, 2013, Verve Records/Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) will release Verve – The Sound Of America – The Singles Collection, a 5-CD collection featuring 100 singles from the Verve catalog, over 20 of which have been out of print for years, all packaged in a stylish two-part, lift-off box with a 48-page booklet and extensive liner notes. Included are tracks from jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Smith, Billie Holiday, Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Oscar Peterson, Wes Montgomery, Count Basie, Coleman Hawkins and Astrud Gilberto.

It was at the tail end of 1955 that Norman Granz decided to form Verve Records; he did so for Ella Fitzgerald, as he already managed her career, but also felt he knew how to make the kind of records the singer should be making – history has proven he was right. However, the story of Verve goes back a decade or more where it can trace its roots in Granz’s ambition to take jazz out of the clubs and into concert halls, as well as in Clef and Norgran, the record labels that he had been running for a number of years.

His “Jazz at the Philharmonic” concerts were groundbreaking and, for Granz, starting a record company was a way of expanding his JATP franchise, but almost immediately the artists that appeared in his concerts recognized the opportunity of making studio recordings. By the late 1940s and early 1950s the artists that Granz recorded for his Clef and Norgran labels included Charlie Parker, Billie Holiday, Dizzy Gillespie, Lester Young, Count Basie and Stan Getz.

Verve – The Sound Of America – The Singles Collection takes you through the history of one of the most influential jazz labels of all-time with tracks such as Ella Fitzgerald’s Top 50 hit “Mack The Knife” (1960); Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto’s Top 5, GRAMMY® Award winning hit “The Girl From Ipanema” (1964); Jimmy Smith’s Top 100 hit “The Cat” (1964) and Diana Krall’s “The Look Of Love” (2001). Also featured are jazz renditions of contemporary classics such as Wes Montgomery’s version of The Mamas & The Papas’ classic hit “California Dreaming” (1966), Don Sebesky’s version of the Beatles “The Word” (1968) and Willie Bobo’s original version of “Evil Ways” (1968), the song made famous by Santana.

The Sound Of America also features many singles from the those early Clef and Norgran eras including Charlie Parker’s “Just Friends” (1949) and “Bloomdido” (1950) featuring Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Curly Russell and Buddy Rich, Dizzy Gillespie’s “I Can’t Get Started” (1956) featuring Quincy Jones, Oscar Peterson’s “Debut” (1950), and Billie Holiday’s “You Go To My Head” (1952) and “Tenderly” (1952).

The box set is being issued in conjunction with the November 4, 2013 publication of a lavishly illustrated, 400-page new book Verve: The Sound of America written by Richard Havers and published by Thames & Hudson.

A stunning volume, Verve: The Sound of America tells the entire story of jazz—from its earliest days in New Orleans to the 1970s and beyond—through Verve archival material. This superb book presents some of the rarest records and unseen ephemera from the label that helped define the world of jazz. Hundreds of the best examples of iconic seven-inch, ten-inch, and twelve-inch records appear along with publicity reports, news clippings, ledger books, telegrams, and contracts. Looking beyond the music scene, the book discusses segregation in America, the missions to take jazz to Europe and the world, the clubs, the places, and the people who made jazz vital. Commentary from the biggest names in jazz today, including some of Verve’s own artists, complements the text. Richard Havers’s previous books include Bill Wyman's Blues Odyssey and Sinatra. He is a consultant to Universal on jazz and has produced box sets including Louis Armstrong: Ambassador of Jazz and Ella Fitzgerald: The Voice of Jazz.

With a vital combination of respect for the past and a drive towards the future, Verve continues to pursue the same sense of musical adventure that first motivated its creation and continues to evolve with the times, reinventing and reinvigorating itself with the infusion alike. With jazz currently reaching a broader audience than very before, Verve is a stronger musical and social force than ever, preserving its remarkable legacy while building towards a bright musical future.

Tracklisting:

CD1   

Jazz at the Philharmonic - Perdido, Pt. 1&2 

Charlie Parker/Flip Phillips/Machito -  No Noise, Pt.1&2 

Slim Gaillard - Opera In Vout, Pt.1&2 

Charlie Parker - Just Friends 

Lester Young - I Cover the Waterfront 

Charlie Parker/Dizzy Gillespie (with Thelonious Monk) - Bloomdido 

Coleman Hawkins - There's a Small Hotel 

Oscar Peterson - Debut 

Johnny Hodges - Castle Rock 

Illinois Jacquet - Port Of Rico 

Billie Holiday -You Go To My Head 

Roy Eldridge - Dale's Wail 

Billie Holiday - Tenderly 

Ben Webster - Tenderly 

Count Basie/Joe Williams - Alright, Okay, You Win 

Count Basie - April In Paris 

Dizzy Gillespie - I Can't Get Started 

Anita O'Day - The Rock And Roll Waltz 

Ella Fitzgerald - Too Young For The Blues 

Gene Krupa - Boogie Blues 

    

CD2   

Fred Astaire - Hello Baby 

Ella Fitzgerald - (The End of) A Beautiful Friendship

Ella Fitzgerald - Stay There 

Ella Fitzgerald/Louis Armstrong - Stars Fell On Alabama 

Bing Crosby - Mountain Greenery 

Ella Fitzgerald - Manhattan 

Woody Herman - I Wonder 

Oscar Peterson - I've Never Left Your Arms 

Ella Fitzgerald - It's All Right With Me 

Johnny Hodges - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter 

Buddy Bregman - Derek's Blues 

Teddy Wilson - Sayonara 

Oscar Peterson - The Golden Striker 

Gene Krupa - Sing, Sing, Sing, Pt. 1&2 

Ella Fitzgerald - Stairway To The Stars 

Dizzy Gillespie - Swing Low, Sweet Cadillac, Pt. 1&2 

Mel Torme - Frenesi 

Louis Bellson - Lulu's Back In Town 

Billie Holiday - Strange Fruit 

Louis Armstrong - Nobody Knows The Trouble I've Seen 

    

CD3   

Oscar Peterson - On The Street Where You Live 

Ella Fitzgerald - Mack The Knife 

Terry Gibbs - Let's Do It 

Gerry Mulligan - I'm Gonna Go Fishin', Pt. 1&2 

Ella Fitzgerald - How High The Moon, Pt. 1&2 

Roy Eldridge - Bossa Nova 

Ella Fitzgerald - Mr. Paganini 

Ella Fitzgerald - Cry Me A River 

Jimmy Smith - Walk On The Wild Side, Pt. 1&2 

Stan Getz - Desafinado 

Jimmy Smith - Ol' Man River 

Blossom Dearie - Teach Me Tonight 

Terry Gibbs - The Hippie Twist 

Ella Fitzgerald - Desafinado 

Stan Getz - Manha De Carnaval (Morning Of The Carnival) 

Jimmy Smith - Hobo Flats, Pt. 1&2 

Ella Fitzgerald - Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home 

Stan Getz & Luis Bonfa - Sambalero 

Bill Evans - On Broadway 

Kai Winding - More 

    

CD4   

Bill Evans - Theme from The VIPs 

Kenny Burrell & Jimmy Smith - What'd I Say? 

Jimmy Smith - Theme From "Any Number Can Win" 

Oscar Peterson -  Hymn To Freedom 

Antonio Carlos Jobim - Corcovado 

Ella Fitzgerald/Count Basie - Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall 

Wynton Kelly - If That's The Way You Want It 

Kai Winding - Mondo Cane, #2 

Jimmy Smith - Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf?, Pt. 1&2 

Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto - Blowin' In The Wind 

Stan Getz/Joao Gilberto - The Girl From Ipanema 

Ella Fitzgerald - Hello, Dolly 

Louis Armstrong - Makin' Whoopee 

Jimmy Smith - The Cat 

Lalo Schifrin - Bachianas Brasileiras, No. 5 

Ella Fitzgerald - Ringo Beat 

Donald Byrd -You've Been Talkin' About My Baby 

Cal Tjader - Soul Sauce 

Jimmy Smith - Goldfinger, Pt. 1&2 

Astrud Gilberto - Agua De Beber 

    

CD5   

Jimmy Smith - Organ Grinder Swing 

Kenny Burrell - Loie 

Ella Fitzgerald/Duke Ellington - Imagine My Frustration, Pt. 1&2 

Willie Bobo - Spanish Grease 

Wes Montgomery - Goin' Out Of My Head 

Jimmy Smith - Got My Mojo Workin', Pt. 1&2 

Bill Evans - Pavanne 

Jimmy Smith - Hoochie Coochie Man, Pt. 1&2 

Wes Montgomery - Bumpin' On Sunset 

Willie Bobo - Sunshine Superman 

Wes Montgomery - California Dreaming 

Astrud Gilberto - Dindi 

Willie Bobo - Evil Ways 

Chico O'Farrill - Manteca 

Jimmy Smith - Chain Of Fools, Pt. 1&2 

Don Sebesky - The Word 

Kenny Burrell - The Preacher 

Lalo Schifrin - Agnus Dei 

Stan Getz - Communication '72

Diana Krall   The Look of Love 

THE SALSOUL ORCHESTRA - SALSOUL CHRISTMAS JOLLIES DELUXE EDITION

It’s hard to believe but we’re less than two months away from the holiday season. The prospects of waiting online all night for Black Friday deals got you down? Well forget about trampling your fellow shoppers for that ten-dollar Blue Ray player – Ultra Music has the sweetest gift of all for you (and it will help you burn off all that Thanksgiving dinner). Add some Disco to your loved ones’ stockings with Salsoul Christmas Jollies; available for the first time digitally on November 12.

Salsoul Christmas Jollies – originally recorded by The Salsoul Orchestra between September 27, 1976 and October 6, 1976 – is a definitive document of the disco era. It offers funked-up renditions of holiday favorites including “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Sleigh Ride,” “Joy To The World” and “Silent Night.” While the original release is the ultimate soundtrack to holiday gift opening, we upped the ante by including DANK’s fresh new remix of “Little Drummer Boy.” The album is so hot that it will keep the Yule Log burning all night long.

Salsoul Christmas Jollies, along with the recently released Dance Your Ass Off (Salsoul Remixes), was spawned from a recent partnership between Ultra Music and Verse Music Group (Salsoul Records & West End Records). The Salsoul Orchestra features: Vincent Montana, Jr. (arranger, conductor, vibraphone, chimes, marimba, timpani, percussion, bells); Norman Harris (guitar); Mike Aharon (piano). Additional personnel include: Denise Lynn “Sunshine” Chatman, Vivian Abbott, Santa’s Little Helpers (vocals).

To celebrate the release of Salsoul Christmas Jollies, New York City’s premier 45’s vinyl night hosts Mobile Mondays! NYC and Salsoul Records have partnered to throw a special “Salsoul Christmas Jollies” party on Monday, December 16th at Bowery Electric in New York City. The event will feature an all-star line-up of Mobile Monday’s DJs who will be spinning 45’s all night including surprise special guests.

Salsoul Christmas Jollies Tracklisting

The Little Drummer Boy

Christmas Medley: Joy to the World / Deck the Halls / O Come All Ye Faithful / Jingle Bells

New Year’s Medley: Auld Lang Salsoul / I’m Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover / Alabama Jubilee

Sleigh Ride

There’s Someone Who’s Knocking

Christmas Time

Merry Christmas All

Silent Night

New Year’s / Americana Suite

You’re All I Want For Christmas

Deck The Halls

Joy To The World

The Salsoul Christmas Suite

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen

Joyful Spirit

The Little Drummer Boy (DANK Remix)

Salsoul Records Christmas Jollies Party / Monday, December 16 - 10PM / Bowery Electric: 327 Bowery @ 2nd St.New York City

DEBUT CD FROM SHOSHANA BUSH - SHOSHANA BUSH & FRIENDS: LIVE AT CATALINA JAZZ CLUB

Bush, a New York resident and a graduate of Columbia University’s Jazz Studies program is releasing her debut CD entitled – Shoshana Bush and Friends: Live at Catalina Jazz Club.  Bush cites her main influences as Nina Simone, Blossom Dearie and Ahmad Jamal, yet her eclectic musical interests include not only Jazz and an unbashed commitment to the classic American Songbook, but musical projects much further afield.  They include writing and recording projects with the L.A. based Hip Hop ensemble, Maya Angeles (formerly Welcome To The Ice Age), as well as the electronic duo Blue Green Grey.  Shoshana Bush and Friends: Live at Catalina Island feature musicians Isamu McGregor (piano); Larry Koonse (guitar); George Young (alto sax and flute); David Robaire (bass); and Gene Coye (drums).  Songs include: The Main I Love; Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps; Luch Life; Can’t Help Lovin’ Dat Man; Blues For Mama; Old Devil Moon; Trouble In Mind; Just One Of Those Things; How Insensitive; and Since I Fell For You.

On November 20, Shoshana Bush will be performing at New York’s Blue Not as part of the Blue Nlote Emerging Artist Series, designed to give young up and coming musicians the opportunity to perform at the Blue Note as an opening act for jazz legends.  Bush will be opening for Jane Monheit who’s in residence from November 19-24. Then on December 12, Bush will celebrate the release of her CD at Birdland, and accompanying her will be Isamu McGregor (piano); Brian Holtz (bass); Carmen Intorre (drums); and Nir Felder (guitar).