GUITARTIST MICHAEL WALKER RELEASES DEBUT CD “A SMOOTHER YOU”

Dallas guitarist Michael Walker releases new CD entitled “A Smoother You” on Spectra Music Group. The CD is co-produced and written by Quentin Moore (also of Dallas, Texas), and exhibits a style that infuses Smooth Jazz and “Southern Soul”. Walker began his musical career as a blues guitarist influenced by the legendary B.B. King.

During the year 2000, he switched to R&B and became leader of a local cover band known as“Chill Factor” playing mostly throughout Texas and Tennessee. After 12 years with the group, he turned his interests towards Smooth Jazz, leaving the band to create the “A Smoother You” project. After sending a few preview tracks to producer/guitarist Paul Brown, Michael forged ahead with his project and has recently released his latest CD in available world wide in stores and online.

In addition to production, writing, and guitar skills, Michael enlists Drummer Kenny Washington II, Quentin Moore (Keyboards, Wah Wah guitar, Bass & Vocals), John Robinson (Bass), Vandell Andrew (Alto Sax), Dunye Nasuhoglu (Congas, Percussion),  Karen Bernod (Chaka Khan and Erykah Badu) (Vocals), Angela Blair (Background Vocals), and Earl “Tee” Harris of the Los Angeles group “3rd Scenario” (Vocals).

  

Tracks include:

 *Let’s Do It

It’s Time

I Wanna Love You

*Brother To Brother (Featuring Karen Bernod)

A Smoother You

The Moment

Carnival

*Sweet Swag (Featuring Earl “Tee” Harris)

*I Need Your Love

(All songs written by Michael Walker & Quentin Moore BMI, except “Sweet Swag” and “I Need Your Love” written by Quentin Moore)

www.MichaelWalkerMusic.com

2016 Newport Jazz Festival®Set for July 29 - 31, Including Three Full Days of Performances by Some of the World's Greatest Established and Emerging Artists

Performers Include Chick Corea, Gregory Porter, Angélique Kidjo, Robert Glasper, Charles Lloyd, Kamasi Washington, Django Festival All Stars, Galactic, John Scofield/Joe Lovano, JoséJames, Steve Coleman, Darcy James Argue, Mary Halvorson, Monty Alexander, Kneebody, Kenny Barron, The Bad Plus, Christian Scott and Many More

 With last year's highly-celebrated festival behind him, George Wein, Festival producer and chairman of the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.™, today announced the lineup for the 2016 Newport Jazz Festival® presented by Natixis Global Asset Management, which will again take place in Newport, RI, July 29 - 31 at historic Fort Adams State Park and the International Tennis Hall of Fame at the Newport Casino.

  

This year's festival includes a wide variety of jazz, "from ragtime piano to the most progressive innovations from the minds of today's young musicians," says Wein, who has produced the festival since its inception in 1954. "The Newport Jazz Festival is quite different from other jazz festivals around the world. With multiple stages of music each day, we are able to present a panoply of the world of jazz. Having the opportunity to utilize the creativity of more than 50 different artists means that we can present every style of jazz."

The 2016 edition of America's first annual jazz fest will feature 22-time Grammy-winning jazz composer Chick Corea, celebrating his 75th birthday at both the Tennis Hall of Fame and Fort Adams. Also doing double duty are Grammy-winning vocalist Gregory Porter and saxophonist Kamasi Washington, in his festival debut. Others making their debut appearances are the New Orleans' seminal funk band Galactic, vocalist Tierney Sutton, the brass quartet The Westerlies, The Hot Sardines; the supergroup Potter, Holland, Loueke & Harland; and pianists Rossano Sportiello, Kris Davis and Terry Waldo.

Among the more than 50 musicians/bands appearing are Angélique Kidjo; John Scofield/Joe Lovano Quartet; Darcy James Argue's Secret Society; Charles Lloyd New Quartet; Robert Glasper Experiment; Django Festival All Stars; Kenny Barron Trio; Yosvanny Terry Quintet; Toshiko Akiyoshi; Steve Coleman and Five Elements; Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Presents Stretch Music; José James; Kneebody and many others.

Leading new ensembles or presenting new projects are Eric Revis Parallax; The Bad Plus performs Ornette Coleman's landmark 1972 album Science Fiction; Monty Alexander Harlem-Kingston Express; Edmar Castañeda World Ensemble; Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9; Stefon Harris Sonic Creed; Dave Liebman Expansions Group and Anat Cohen's Clarinet Re-Imagined.

Along with jazz superstars and Grammy winners galore, emerging artists will also have the chance to participate at the festival, particularly on Friday at Fort Adams. New compositions funded with support from the George Wein/Doris Duke Artistic Programming Fund will be presented by Peter Apfelbaum's Sparkler, Tyshawn Sorey & Alloy, Sullivan Fortner Quartet and Ben Williams & Sound Effect. Students from around New England will be well represented with appearances by the URI Big Band, various Berklee College of Music bands and the all-state bands from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. In addition, the festival welcomes a recipient of The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards.

Newport Festivals Foundation will again host THE Jazz Club, a special experience offered on Saturday and Sunday at Fort Adams. The option includes special seating, reserved parking, tented lounge access, upgraded restroom facilities and a Festival poster.

The lineup for the Newport Jazz Festival presented by Natixis Global Asset Management is as follows:

Friday, July 29, 2016 8:00 pm

International Tennis Hall of Fame, 194 Bellevue Avenue, Newport, RI 02840

Gregory Porter: Gregory Porter, Chip Crawford, Emanuel Harrold, Jahmal Nichols

Chick Corea Trilogy: Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Brian Blade

Friday, July 29, 2016, 11:00 am - 6:30pm

Fort Adams State Park, 90 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI 02840

Galactic, Kamasi Washington, Kneebody: Adam Benjamin, Shane Endsley, Kaveh Rastegar, Ben Wendel, Nate Wood, Peter Apfelbaum's Sparkler: Peter Apfelbaum, Natalie Cressman, Jill Ryan, Will Bernard, Kyle Sanna, Charlie Ferguson, Tierney Sutton: "After Blue" The Joni Mitchell Project: Tierney Sutton, Mark Summer, Serge Merlaud

Steve Coleman and Five Elements: Steve Coleman, Jonathan Finlayson, Maria Grand, Miles Okazaki, Anthony Tidd, Sean Rickman, Tyshawn Sorey & Alloy: Tyshawn Sorey, Corey Smythe, Chris Tordini, Sullivan Fortner Quartet: Sullivan Fortner, Tivon Pennicott, Aidan Carroll, Joe Dyson, Eric Revis Parallax: Eric Revis, Ken Vandermark, Kris Davis, Nasheet Waits, URI Newport Big Band, Under the Direction of Jared Simsm And More ...

Saturday, July 30, 2016, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

Fort Adams State Park, 90 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI 02840

Chick Corea Trilogy: Chick Corea, Christian McBride, Brian Blade, Gregory Porter: Gregory Porter, Chip Crawford, Emanuel Harrold, Jahmal Nichols, Angelique Kidjo: Angelique Kidjo, Dominic James, Magatte Sow, Benjamin Zwerin, Yayo Serka, The Bad Plus performs Ornette Coleman's SCIENCE FICTION: Reid Anderson, Ethan Iverson, David King, Tim Berne, Ron Miles, Sam Newsome, Ron Miles, Darcy James Argue's Secret Society

John Scofield/Joe Lovano Quartet: John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Ben Street, Bill Stewart

Monty Alexander Harlem-Kingston Express: Monty Alexander, Hassan Shakur, Obed Calvaire, Andy Bassford, Joshua Thomas, Karl Wright, Edmar Castañeda World Ensemble: Edmar Castañeda, Andrea Tierra, Grégoire Maret, Itai Kriss, Marshall Gilkes, Shlomi Cohen, Pablo Vergara, David Silliman, Rodrigo Villalon, Butler, Bernstein & The Hot 9: Henry Butler, Steven Bernstein, Curtis Fowlkes, Charlie Burnham, Doug Wieselman, Peter Apfelbaum, Erik Lawrence, Matt Munisteri, Brad Jones, Donald Edwards, The Hot Sardines: Miz Elizabeth, Evan "Bibs" Palazzo, "Fast Eddy" Francisco, Jason Prover, Mike Sailors, Nick Myers, Evan "Sugar" Crane, Alex Raderman, Stefon Harris Sonic Creed: Stefon Harris, James Francies, Elena Pinderhughes, Mike Moreno, Joshua Crumbly, Jonathan Pinson

Dave Liebman Expansions Group: Dave Liebman, Matt Vashlishan, Bobby Avey,

Tony Marino, Alex Ritz, Henry Butler (solo piano), Kris Davis (solo piano), Mary Halvorson (solo guitar), Terry Waldo (solo piano), The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Recipient, RI Music Educators Association Sr. All-State Jazz Ensemble, And More ...

Saturday, July 30, 2016,  7:30 pm

Location TBD

Newport Festivals Foundation Fundraiser/Gala

Sunday, July 31, 2016, 11:00 am - 7:00 pm

Fort Adams State Park, 90 Fort Adams Drive, Newport, RI 02840

Charles Lloyd New Quartet: Charles Lloyd, Jason Moran, Rueben Rogers, Eric Harland,

José James: José James, Takeshi Obayashi, Solomon Dorsey, Nate Smith, Potter, Holland, Loueke & Harland: Chris Potter, Dave Holland, Lionel Loueke, Eric Harland, Robert Glasper Experiment, Anat Cohen's Clarinet Re-Imagined, Kamasi Washington, Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah Presents Stretch Music, Django Festival All Stars: Samson Schmitt, Ludovic Beier, Pierre Blanchard, DouDou Cuillerier, Brian Torff, Kenny Barron Trio: Kenny Barron, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Johnathan Blake, Yosvany Terry Quintet: Yosvany Terry, Michael Rodriguez, Osmany Paredes, Yunior Terry, Obed Calvaire, Ben Williams & Sound Effect: Ben Williams, Gilad Hekselman, Christian Sands, Toshiko Akiyoshi (solo piano), Rossano Sportiello (solo piano), The Westerlies: Riley Mulherkar, Zubin Hensler, Andy Clausen, Willem de Koch, MA Music Educators Association All-State Jazz Band, And More ...

 

Official New Orleans Jazz Fest 2016 Talent Announcement Video

Solomon Jaye (Soulful Singer from Vocal Super Group “The Edge Effect”) Releases Debut Album "Ordinary Man"

After months of anticipation, multi-talented founding member of the groundbreaking vocal band “The Edge Effect” Solomon Jaye is excited to announce the official debut of his inaugural solo album Ordinary Man.The much-anticipated solo record features six catchy original tracks with some heavy blues influences and recognizable James Brown, Al Green and Otis Redding musical vibes, plus one Jackie Wilson cover. The album is produced by an all-star team of industry veterans: Grammy Award winning engineer Clark Germain, producer Jamey Tate (Al Jarreau, Mindi Abair, David Benoit, David Pack), keyboards by Jeff Babko (“Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Frank Ocean, Jason Mraz), guitars by Justin Smith (“Mad Men,” “Wicked,” “Book of Mormon,” LA Philharmonic), bass by David Hughes (David Benoit, Chaka Khan, Melissa Etheridge) and drums by Jamey Tate.

“Ordinary Man is the culmination of my time living in New York,” says Jaye. “Everyone can relate

to having a difficult job, falling in and out of love and just trying to make something out of your everyday existence. It’s a tribute to my appreciation of 50s, 60s and 70s music. Each song pays homage in its own way while lyrically and vocally holding onto a contemporary pop sensibility. While the recording quality is pristine, we went for raw, candid emotion over perfection. This album sets the mood for any occasion. It’s about love, happiness and pain in relationships and life in general.”

Album highlights include:

“Ordinary Man” – Blues inspired title track charting the relatable story of a day in the life of the average man with Jeff Babko shining on organ.

“Love You Now” – Jaye’s moving soul ballad and first single release, with background vocalists Stephanie Lilly and Sarah Pigion, that brings the rich girl poor boy love story to life.

“TOTGA: The One That Got Away” – Featuring a non-traditional rhythmic style detailing the story of being close to something that feels right and having it slip through your fingers. Guitarist Justin Smith and drummer Jamey Tate lend their talents to the track.

“Turn It Up” – The tale of love at first sight told with a James Brown vibe and powerful horn section.

“I Get the Sweetest Feeling” – Jaye’s original rendition of the popular Jackie Wilson tune with his own memorable acoustic blues treatment.

31-year-old singer, songwriter and talented tap dancer Jaye has over a decade of distinguished musical highlights, which include performing with winners of MTV’s “Top Pop Group,” Boyz II Men's "Next Great A Cappella Group" and “America's Got Talent” finalists The Edge Effect, premiering a solo show on the world’s largest cruise ship Oasis of the Seas, taking center stage in “Hairspray: The Musical” for Royal Caribbean, opening for Robin Thicke and Sky Blue (LMFAO) at the Florida SunFest Music Festival.

Sharing the stage with Broadway superstar Shoshana Bean, renowned saxophonist Mindi Abair, Las Vegas’ Santa Fe and the Fat City Horns and many more.

Currently, Jaye resides in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, recently returning to the Sunshine Stage after spending the last several years in New York City. Born in Tampa, FL, raised in Houston, TX and attending college in Georgia and Oklahoma, Jaye’s roots are reflected in the soulful “ol skool” style and songs of Ordinary Man.

“This project has been almost a year in the making,” says Jaye. “I’m so proud of these recordings. Of everything I’ve done, collaborations included, this is the best, fullest representation of my ability as a singer, songwriter, guitarist and arranger. I’m so excited to share this modest piece of art with the friends, family and fans who have supported me all this time. Hopefully, this will inspire countless new ones as well.”

Lisa Dawn Miller Makes Her Debut as a Singer-Songwriter With an EP Featuring Four Originals and a Soulful Re-Imagining of 'A Place in the Sun'

Fast emerging as a songwriter and recording artist, veteran musical producer and stage performer Lisa Dawn Miller - the daughter of legendary songwriter Ron Miller -- makes her highly-anticipated debut as a singer-songwriter with Hello You, a five-song set that is the first in a unique rollout of three EP releases.

The long awaited follow-up to her first independent album Fly Away nearly 10 years ago, Hello You, released on iTunes and Amazon, includes original songs, written and produced by Miller and her longtime creative partner Mark Matson, and a remake of the classic, "A Place in the Sun," written by Ron Miller and originally recorded by Stevie Wonder in 1966.

Included on the EP are four original songs, "Hello You," the title track, celebrating the joy of welcoming a loved one back; "Life Is Like A River," a lush ballad Miller wrote for her partner's mother and her own parents, reflecting how life and love live on forever; the inspiring rock ballad, "I Believe," a song about hope and faith; and the sexy, up-tempo and rhythmic "Tonight," about embracing and celebrating the moment.

Lisa, the producer and co-star of the long-running musical "Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Show" (with her husband and co-star, Sandy Hackett), put her songwriting and recording career on hold for several years due to the ongoing demand for her successful show. Last year, when she and Matson penned the high energy dance songs, "Let's Go" and "Can You Feel It" for her young 9-year-old daughter, Ashleigh Hackett, she discovered her passion for writing, as she began to build momentum as a songwriter. She quickly got to work on her own material.

"I love songwriting and I am so excited to get back to my roots," says Lisa. "I will continue to honor my father's legacy and I remain committed to the multiple projects I am producing about his life. My father, more than anyone, would want me honor his legacy by creating and singing songs that are timeless."

"I feel blessed to have grown up in a world where great lyrics and strong musical composition mean something," she adds. "My father had a musical theater background but was discovered by Motown and became one of its top songwriters. He made history for his contribution to what would become the 'Motown Sound' and his songs went on beyond that to become standards having been recorded by hundreds of major label artists throughout the decades. I grew up with the best songwriter who produced the best singers.

"I aspire to my father's incredible legacy and hope his influence is reflected in my own work, not only as a songwriter but as a producer and singer as well. My father and my mother, Aurora Miller, a brilliant songwriter and singer herself, set a very high standard and I feel very blessed to have learned from the best!"

Lisa just wrapped a 15-performance, eight-city tour with "Sandy Hackett's Rat Pack Christmas" and she is also working on several exciting projects, including the newly announced musical comedy, "Mandropause," a show about four men going through male menopause. Lisa is also working on a new film and musical about her father, entitled, "For Once In My Life," a new CD release of the never-before-heard songs from the Ron Miller catalogue, and continues to write and produce songs and music videos for her multitalented children, 15-year-old Oliver Richman, who recently recorded "For Once In My Life - The 50th Anniversary Release" and has already shared the stage with Stevie Wonder and 9-year old, Ashleigh Hackett, who recently made her singing debut with "Let's Go" and headlined at the Charleston Kids Fair. 

Joe Bonamassa evolves as blues-rock musician with highly-anticipated new album Blues of Desperation

GRAMMY-nominated blues-rock guitar icon Joe Bonamassa announces his brand-new studio solo album, Blues of Desperation (J&R Adventures), which will be released March 25, 2016. Like his previous solo disc, 2014's Top 10 Billboard hit Different Shades of Blue, this record features all-original material, and it sees the maverick superstar guitarist, singer and songwriter tossing away the rule book as he continues to reinvent and redefine the blues-rock genre like no other artist working today.

                  

"I want people to hear my evolution as a blues-rock musician," says Bonamassa, "somebody who isn't resting on accomplishments and who is always pushing forward and thinking about how music can evolve and stay relevant."

                  

The writing sessions for Blues of Desperation took Bonamassa back to Nashville, where he'd composed Different Shades of Blue, to work with some of Music City's top tunesmiths, people like James House, Tom Hambridge, Jeffrey Steele, Jerry Flowers and Gary Nicholson.

                  

"These are some of the best guys in the business," Bonamassa raves. "Lyrically, you'll hear the proverbial trains, mountains, valleys and other blues references about heartbreak and loneliness but there are also some poignant moments about getting away from the stressful, crazy demands of life and losing yourself with your special someone. I think anybody will be able to relate."

                  

Bonamassa and his longtime producer Kevin Shirley (Led Zeppelin, Iron Maiden, Journey) convened at Nashville's Grand Victor Sound Studios (formerly known as RCA Studio A), and during an intense, five-day period they recorded 11 galvanizing songs with a crack group of musicians including drummers Anton Fig and Greg Morrow, bassist Michael Rhodes, keyboardist Reese Wynans, horn players Lee Thornburg, Paulie Cerra and Mark Douthit, and background singers Mahalia Barnes, Jade McRae and Juanita Tippins.

                  

Of his decade-long collaboration with Shirley, Bonamassa says, "I can explain our relationship with one word – 'trust.' I completely trust in Kevin and his musical promptings. He pushes my musical ability by challenging me to not just rest on my laurels or settle for 'good.' He expects more out of the other musicians as well and will not hold back when he sees us falling back into our usual routine."

                  

"Which sometimes calls for unorthodox measures," says Shirley, who admits that his idea of augmenting Bonamassa's usual recording band with second drummer Morrow was engineered to "ruffle Joe's feathers."

                  

"I wanted him to work a little harder, like in his early years," he says, "so I brought in an additional drummer, just to throw the cat amongst the pigeons." Of the results, Shirley raves, "Recording 'Blues of Desperation' is one of the most exciting recording projects I've done. What a joyful noise we made!"

                  

Blues of Desperation is Bonamassa's most powerfully diverse and boldly realized album yet, with the material ranging from the gutsy, gritty blues call to arms of "This Train" (Joe's guitar is set to "rude" throughout) to the elegant yet emotionally shattering ballad "What I've Known for a Very Long Time" to the soul-nourishing, acoustic-based Americana of "The Valley Runs Low," on which Bonamassa's voice rises up majestically to meet Barnes, McRae and Tippins in gospel-like rapture. And then there's the bleary, tequila-soaked "Drive," dripping with the kind of raw, wicked and unsettling sensuality that could make David Lynch green with envy.

                  

Throughout the record, Bonamassa's epic guitar playing conjures up stirring benedictions and explosive exorcisms of sound. "No Good Place For the Lonely" features some of the guitarist's most cauterizing licks yet, and the walloping title track is a white-knuckled, six-string thrill ride guaranteed to jolt the senses. Guitar fans everywhere (like those who recently voted Bonamassa "Best Blues Guitarist" in Guitar World magazine by an overwhelming margin) will consider Blues of Desperation a treasure trove of axe riches.

                  

"There are some long solos on this record and even some mini-jams in the middle of a track where the band would just jive and crank it out," he says. "[During those jams], we do a tip of the hat to Beck and Clapton from the '70s. I think guitar nerds and music fans like myself will love it."

                  

Packed with unparalleled musicianship and teeming with the most enthralling collection of songs in Bonamassa's career, Blues of Desperation is guaranteed to knock out critics and fans alike. By exceeding his own vertiginously high artistic goals, Bonamassa is bound to shatter all other expectations with this record and reach new audiences – no mean feat when you continue his  astonishing track record of hits now includes 15 #1 Billboard Blues Albums (more than any other artist in history). 2014's Different Shades of Blue debuted at #8 on Billboard's Top 200 Chart, making it his highest charting album, his first top 10 and accounting for his biggest sales week ever. In 2014, the guitarist received his first-ever Grammy nomination (for Best Blues Album) for the album Seesaw, his second collaboration with blues singing star Beth Hart, and was named 2014's Billboard Blues Artist of the Year.

                  

Bonamassa's stature in the music industry has built steadily over the years. Along with his longtime manager, Roy Weisman, the iconoclastic guitarist built his own successful record label, management and concert promotion company called J&R Adventures. In addition, his connection to fans on social media has grown to over 2.4 million Facebook friends, over 131K Twitter followers and 130K Instragram followers.

                  

Prior to the release of Blues of Desperation, Bonamassa – a touring monster who averages about 100 shows a year – will be kicking off the year with a January DVD recording of his intimate acoustic show at New York's Carnegie Hall before embarking on his second annual Keeping The Blues Alive at Sea blues cruise in February and a full-on electric band trek through the U.S. in April.

                  

Tracklisting:

1.This Train

2.Mountain Climbing

3.Drive

4.No Good Place For The Lonely

5.Blues Of Desperation

6.The Valley Runs Low

7.You Left Me Nothin' But The Bill And The Blues

8.Distant Lonesome Train

9.How Deep This River Runs

10.Livin' Easy

11.What I've Known For A Very Long Time

NEW RELEASES: HARRY ALLEN FEATURING JOYCE– SOMETHING ABOUT JOBIM; ROBERT STILLMAN – RAINBOW; MATT CAB – SHUNKASHITO

HARRY ALLEN FEATURING JOYCE– SOMETHING ABOUT JOBIM

A lovely little Brazilian-styled set from tenorist Harry Allen – and one that features vocals and guitar from the wonderful Joyce! Almost all titles are originals by Antonio Carlos Jobim – as you'd guess from the title – but Allen's deep-voiced approach moves them into very different territory than the usual bossa remakes – and reminds us just how great Jobim's compositions can be as vehicles for jazz improvisation. In addition to guitar from Joyce, the rest of the quintet features Helio Alves on piano, Rodolfo Stroeter on bass, and Tutty Moreno on drums – who further underscore the Brazilian elements – and Joyce sings on three of the album's eleven tracks, always adding a lot when she does! Titles include "Captain Bacardi", "Chovendo Na Roseira", "Theme For Jobim", "Angela", "Voce Vai Ver", "Tema Jazz", "Mojave", and "Antigua".  ~ Dusty Groove

ROBERT STILLMAN – RAINBOW

Robert Stillman sits amidst a host of different instruments on the photo with the album – Fender Rhodes, Tenor, soprano sax, and drums – all of which, and more, he plays with a wonderful sense of expression on this overdubbed set – almost with the personal feel of some obscure indie album from the 70s! The music is partly jazz, and partly instrumental excursions with a beautiful sense of sound – as Stillman works out these lovely textures and tones on one instrument, then overdubs another, and creates some very beautiful, very individual moments in the process. There's almost a spiritual feel to the record at points, but the performance is more fragile and meditative at other points – all with a poetic vibe that fits the image on the cover. Titles include "Ruthie In May", "As He Walked Into The Field", "Warren Is A Great Car", "Rainbow", and "Field With Pops". ~ Dusty Groove

MATT CAB – SHUNKASHITO

Cool, catchy soul from Matt Cab – a soul singer with American roots, but one who's been making much bigger waves recording albums like this for the Japanese scene – where he seems to be creating quite an audience for his music! Matt's got a style that could be huge if he were given bigger chart placement over here – instantly appealing, with a quality that's heartfelt, but never overdone – and a mode that's never trying too hard to be anything other than a kind of hummable, memorable soul with nice crossover potential – especially on the album's midtempo tracks, which might be the most appealing. The album features guest work from Sway, Maco, and Che'Nelle – and titles include "Take My Hand", "Sweet Simplicity", "Castle In The Sky", "Used To Know", "Come Back", "To You", "Call Your Name", and "That Touch".  ~ Dusty Groove

Nicola Conte Presents Stefania Dipierro - Natura l/ A Gira

Stefania and Nicola first came together as members of the seminal 90s musical collective Fez, with Nicola leading the group. This period, one full of inspiration and discovery, laid the seeds for Natural. Though Stefania lent her enviable vocal talents to many bands over the years and Nicola went on to an illustrious production career, outside of a handful of tracks from Nicola’s album Jet Sounds, it was not until now that the stars aligned enough to merge their musical sensibilities once again to access the deep spirituality that is the core of their approach to sound. Stefania’s ongoing musical journey, with and without Nicola, has ensured that her connection to, and understanding of jazz runs deep, as she resoundingly demonstrates on Natural. With Nicola’s expert knowledge of Brazilian jazz, samba and bossa from the swinging 60’s (as is evident on the five ‘Viagem’ compilations he released with Far Out Recordings) he once again leads the way from the production seat, resulting in album rooted deeply in the musical history while providing the defining showcase for Stefania’s inimitable vocal talents.

The album’s title track serves as it’s lead single alongside a cover of Trio Ternura’s A Gira. Natural, penned by Nicola, Stefania and guitarist Fabrizio Savino draws together a smorgasborg of global influences boiled down to the essentials: a propulsive Afro-rhythm bolstered by a searing funk guitar, whilst soothing Rhodes chords provide a distinctly Brazilian warmth. Dipierro’s vocals are the cherry on top: a heartfelt and enriching melody with which she fires on all cylinders to unleash the many timbres of her voice.

A Gira, Trio Tenura’s classic Brazilian rare groove is re-arranged and re-recorded with Nicola Conte’s arrangement conjuring the same lazy swinging groove as the original, but with a richer modern resonance. Heftier Hammond organ and punchier percussion is again topped off with Dipierro’s sublime dulcet tones. The single has all the ingredients for top quality Brazilian boogie and these two tracks will no doubt whet the appetite for the album’s release in March. ~ Far Out Recordings

NEW RELEASES: ART SHERROD JR. - INTERVENTION; LIQUID MONK - YAGA; 3RD FORCE - GLOBAL FORCE

ART SHERROD JR. - INTERVENTION

When you take a smooth jazz approach to some of gospel music’s greatest songs you get saxman Art Sherrod Jr.’s newest CD project Intervention, which also features the soulful sound of Incognito’s lead vocalist Maysa Leak on a very funky arrangement of “Oh Happy Day.” This project has 13 spiritually enriched tracks that highlight Art’s roots in gospel, jazz, R&B and funk. Intervention will keep you immersed from the first to the last song. With one listen, it is clear to see that Art Sherrod Jr’s passion is to connect to the heart of diverse audiences with an intervention of love. Includes: Nobody Greater; Going Up Yonder; Going Up Yonder (Reprise); How Great Is Our God; Stand; I Give Myself Away; My Soul Has Been Anchored; How Excellent; I Wanna Thank You; It Is Well; Oh Happy Day; A Change Is Gonna Come; and He Looked Beyond My Fault.~ newreleasesnow.com

LIQUID MONK - YAGA

Since forming in early 2013, Liquid Monk's infectious fusion of funk, soil, electronic and jazz has been spreading throughout the southeast Michigan.   High energy live performances led by a wide array of instrumentation including synthesizers, electronic soundscapes, Rhodes piano, hand percussion, vocoder and Hammond organ, has captivated audiences and kept them on their toes. With over fifteen years of performing alongside each other in various projects, Liquid Monk’s members have deep musical and social bonds that shine each time they come on stage. With roots in jazz and funk, each member is highly technical on their respective instrument, however, songwriting and connection with the listener is always at the forefront of the band’s compositions and live performances. Their debut single, Man On Fire, which Sound and Silence described as “Chic meets Umphrey’s meets early Daft Punk on steroids”, was released in early 2015. It set the tone for the band’s unique blend of fiery jazz fusion, lush synthesizer soundscapes, pounding live electronica and heavy grooving funk. The single was followed up by their genre bending debut EP, Yaga, in the fall of 2015.

3RD FORCE - GLOBAL FORCE

The new 3rd Force album, Global Force, is the long awaited follow up to their previous four hit albums whose titles all incorporated the “force” concept. Multi-instrumentalists & sonic architects William Aura and Craig Dobbin are the duo and foundation of the 3rd Force sound with special guests Lawson Rollins (flamenco guitar), Brian Hughes (electric guitar), Multi-instrumentalist Alain Eskinasi, accordionist Brian Mann, harpist Peter Sterling, saxman Derrick Edmonson and the hugely popular Nepali trio Kutumba. They all come together to create a dynamic, explosive fusion of genre-transcending songs and global consciousness. Tracks: Big Shot; Breakout; Carry On; Compassion Passion; Day Into Night; Follow Me Home; Out Of The Storm; Shadow Of Love; You Are The One; and We’ll Be Together. ~ newreleasesnow.com

HERBIE MANN: Live at the Whisky 1969—The Unreleased Masters (2-CD Set)

While jazz flautist Herbie Mann is often remembered as a pop-jazz player, he was actually a pioneer in popularizing world music and even prog-rock with recordings released on his own Embryo imprint (as part of Atlantic Records). And in the late ‘60s, he was fronting one of the most progressive and electrifying bands in the world: guitarist Sonny Sharrock, Miroslav Vitous on electric & upright bass, saxophonist Steve Marcus, drummer Bruno Carr, and vibraphonist Roy Ayers. Together, the sextet cut the dynamic Live at the Whisky A Go Go album in 1969, drawn from a four night run at the legendary nightclub on Los Angeles’ Sunset Strip. Though the band’s repertoire was quite varied on these dates, just two side-long tracks, “Ooh Baby” and “Philly Dog,” surfaced on the Atlantic Records release.

Now, reissue producer Pat Thomas has unearthed the multi-track tapes for these shows (never before mixed), and has programmed a double-CD set that shows this high-energy jazz-rock outfit stretching out – sometimes, on Sharrock’s solos, way out – with, as an added bonus, the appearance of Linda Sharrock on songs that appeared (in studio versions) on the seminal Sonny Sharrock album Black Woman released around the time of these live shows.

All performances are previously unreleased, including a 23-minute jam of Donovan’s “Tangier” blending into Tim Hardin’s “If I Were A Carpenter” and a newly discovered take of “Ooh Baby” that clocks in at 21 minutes! Sonny Sharrock’s searing lead guitar work is featured on songs first recorded by Aretha Franklin, Miles Davis, and Simon & Garfunkel – plus “Black Woman” and Portrait of Linda in Three Colors” with Linda on vocals.  Live at the Whisky 1969—The Unreleased Masters presents two CDs filled to the brim with explosive, yet ethereal innovative jazz-rock at its best. Fans of Bitches Brew, The Inner Mounting Flame, early Weather Report and similar-era titles will quickly realize that Herbie Mann was not just a pop-jazzbo – but a force to be taken more seriously than history has accorded him. File this CD between Soft Machine 3rd and the jazz-funk of The Crusaders.

Packaging includes several previously unpublished live photos of this band in action, with notes by Thomas. A huge jazz find!

SONGS:

Disc One

1. Untitled Jam

2. Tangier/If I Were a Carpenter

3. Memphis Underground

4. Ooh Baby

5. Scarborough Fair

Disc Two

1. Black Woman

2. All Blues

3. If I Were a Carpenter

4. Philly Dog

5. Portrait of Linda

6. Come Home Baby/Battle Hymn of the Republic/Come Home Baby

7. Chain of Fools

BOBBY DARIN: ANOTHER SONG ON MY MIND—THE MOTOWN YEARS (FINALLY RELEASED AS A 2-CD SET)

Bobby Darin was so much more than just Mack the Knife. In just 37 years, the singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, producer and entrepreneur raced against the clock to conquer records, film, and television as he successfully transitioned from rock-and-roll teen idol to tuxedoed swinger and then to denim-clad folk troubadour. At the dawn of the 1970s, and still battling the chronic heart problems that had plagued him since youth, the superstar artist signed with Berry Gordy's renowned Motown Records. 

At Motown, the versatile artist reinvented himself yet again, recording some of the most vibrant and vital music of his remarkable career. He tackled Hitsville, USA-style R&B and soul alongside original songs and personal re-interpretations of favorites by the day s top pop and rock songwriters including Randy Newman, Cat Stevens, Paul Williams, and Bob Dylan. 

Darin released just one studio album and a number of singles at Motown before his untimely death in December 1973; the following year, producer Bob Crewe assembled a posthumous LP to celebrate his friend s life and music. Yet, as the decades passed, Darin's artistically wide-ranging Motown recordings were all but forgotten. Now, just two months before what would have been the singer's 80th birthday on May 14, 2016, Real Gone Music and Second Disc Records proudly present the first-ever retrospective of the final chapter of the legendary Bobby Darin s musical life. 

The 2-CD, Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years brings together the self-titled 1972 Bobby Darin album never released on CD anywhere in the world with Crewe's original, never-on-CD mix of the posthumous Darin 1936-1973. If that s not enough, this definitive, freshly-remastered anthology also adds every one of Bobby's Motown singles as well as the remixed tracks from the short-lived CD reissue of Darin 1936-1973! 

The Second Disc's Joe Marchese supplies the new liner notes for this landmark release, with remastering by Mike Milchner at SonicVision. Another Song on My Mind: The Motown Years is certain to prove one of 2016 s most significant archival collections for fans of Motown, R&B, pop, soul, and classic vocals, and celebrates the singer s 80th birthday in style. Look out, old Bobby is back

Disc: 1

  1. Sail Away

  2. I ve Already Stayed Too Long

  3. Something in Her Love

  4. Who Turned the World Around

  5. Shipmates in Cheyenne

  6. Let It Be Me

  7. Hard-Headed Woman

  8. Average People

  9. I Used to Think It Was Easy

  10. My First Night Alone Without You

  11. Melodie (Original Single Version)

  12. Someday We ll Be Together (Original Single Version)

  13. Simple Song of Freedom (Original Single Version)

  14. I ll Be Your Baby Tonight (Original Single Version)

  15. Sail Away (Original Single Version)

  16. Hard-Headed Woman (Original Single Version)

  17. Average People (Original Single Version)

  18. Something in Her Love (Original Single Version)

Disc: 2

  1. I Won t Last a Day Without You

  2. Wonderin Where It s Gonna End

  3. Sail Away

  4. Another Song on My Mind

  5. Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues)

  6. Blue Monday

  7. Don t Think Twice, It s All Right

  8. The Letter

  9. If I Were a Carpenter

  10. Moritat (Mack the Knife)

  11. Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues) (Original Single Version)

  12. Simple Song of Freedom (Alternate Mix Single Version)

  13. I ll Be Your Baby Tonight (Alternate Mix Single Version)

  14. I Won t Last a Day Without You (Alternate CD Version)

  15. Wonderin Where It s Gonna End (Alternate CD Version)

  16. Happy (Love Theme from Lady Sings the Blues) (Alternate CD Version)

  17. Blue Monday (Alternate CD Version)

  18. Don t Think Twice, It s All Right (Alternate CD Version)

  19. Melodie (Stereo Single Version)

  20. Someday We ll Be Together (Stereo Single Version)

Dale Head Brings His Style and Music to APAP Performing three showcases at the Midtown Hilton NYC

Dale Head, a jazz and blues powerhouse vocalist and trumpet player, today announced that he will be performing his blues and jazz tunes at the Association of Performing Arts Presenters Conference (APAP) accompanied by a ten-piece orchestra. “APAP is the world’s largest forum for performing arts professionals with attendees coming from all around the world,” said Dale Head. “I am passionate about my music and can’t think of a better setting to bring back the amazing songs of some of our music legends.”

At APAP, Dale will be performing an assortment of jazz and swing hits, playing the trumpet, singing, and scatting. In the showcase, from “Voices of Jazz,” he will perform songs in the style of artists like Chet Baker, Al Jarreau, Kenny Rankin, Michael Franks, and Louis Armstrong. Dale will also feature Take Five based on All Jarreau’s live version and Sammy Davis Jr.’s version of I’m Gonna Live Till I Die. He will include two original songs from Joel Evans and two classic songs that have been arranged in a high octane version, which will be used to open and close the show. Dale will also join the horn players for a shout section, as well as doing a couple of trumpet solos.

“Over the years I have acquired some great arrangements of jazz, blues and swing tunes that I love performing,” said Head. “APAP is a great venue and I am thrilled to be performing alongside many terrific musicians.”

Dale Head is a world class vocalist who sings jazz, blues, and the Great American Songbook, with high energy and a sophisticated jazz vocal style. His work features a troupe of top notch musicians in a big band format. With a natural command of the swing and big band genre, Dale sings, plays trumpet and leads his talented group of players through a dynamic ride. With one foot firmly grounded in the foundation of the greatest music of the 20th Century, Dale is pushing the big band genre forward into the 21st Century with exciting and innovative arrangements of classic big band and American rock standards, as well as new music.

Dale’s show features hits from Joe Williams to Sammy Davis Jr., as well as Frank Sinatra and Harry James, along with some classic sounding originals and a new take on some old standards. Dale Head provides a high-powered, dynamic show that is certain to leave everyone entertained.

In addition to being an accomplished musician, Dale has spent much of his life dedicated to fighting wildfires. He has flown nearly 1,000 hours over wildfires throughout the United States. Dale also led the campaign to restore the P-3 Orion aerial firefighting fleet of airplanes and to return them to firefighting service. dalehead.net.

Dale Head will be performing three showcases at the Midtown Hilton NYC - January 16th at 3 pm and midnight, and January 17th at 11:30 pm.

Jazz Singer Stacey Kent Releases New Album, Tenderly

"Life is the art of the encounter, though there are many failed encounters in life." Seldom has the Brazilian poet Vinicius de Moraes's philosophy been more fully realized than in this meeting of Roberto Menescal and Stacey Kent.

                  

There are so many reasons why Stacey Kent and Roberto Menescal should never have met, let alone formed a friendship based on mutual admiration and shared artistic vision, that the very existence of this album, Tenderly (OKeh) available January 15, is close to miraculous.

                  

Stacey Kent – for whom jazz and the "Great American Songbook" formed the musical wallpaper of her East Coast adolescence – viewed Brazilian music with much the same fascination as that with which Menescal had viewed American jazz a generation earlier. Each went on to become an important figure in their own musical sphere. Roberto Menescal began his musical journey in the 1950s as a student in Rio de Janeiro. As an admirer of the exotic sounds of American jazz and popular song, one of his early idols was the jazz guitarist Barney Kessel.

                  

Born in South Orange, New Jersey, in 1968, Stacey Kent began her musical career as an interpreter of American standards, bringing her own unmistakable, intimate and emotionally intelligent style to a vast repertoire. A natural minimalist, she gained a legion of fans for her "less is more" approach. While her music has become increasingly involved with French and Brazilian influences, the same quiet intensity that characterized her interpretation of the "Great American Songbook" has continued to inform her singing.

                  

Born in Espirito Santo in 1937, Roberto Menescal became one of Brazil's most important 20th-century musical figures. A composer, guitarist, founding father of Bossa Nova, record producer and winner of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2013 Latin Grammy Awards, Menescal's importance to the history of Brazilian music from the late 1950s to the present day can hardly be overstated. That he remains as busy as ever – performing, composing and producing – is testament to his true passion for music.

                  

The first step on the journey that led to the encounter between these two great artists was taken when the Brazilian DJ Bob Tostes, an aficionado of American jazz singers and a friend of Menescal, made a compilation of favorite singers for Menescal and his wife Yara. One track stood out for them: a recording of Gershwin's seldom played "Isn't It a Pity?" by Stacey Kent. In this recording Menescal recognized a quality that resonated for him: an emotional depth expressed with a quiet, un-dramatic intensity. This was a quality shared by some of the great Brazilian singers such as Nara Leao, with whom Menescal had enjoyed his closest working relationship. Yet here was an American singer displaying just such qualities.

                  

Menescal made it his business to search out more of Stacey Kent's recordings, and quickly became such a fan of her work that, whenever he was producing a new, young singer, he would give them a selection of Kent's recordings with the instruction, "Listen to this and then we'll talk." However, despite his admiration, Stacey Kent remained merely a name on the sleeves of his treasured albums. Similarly for Stacey Kent, a fan of Brazilian music since her youth, the name Roberto Menescal was just a name on an album sleeve. The idea that they knew of each other had never occurred to either of them.

                  

Fast-forward now to 2011 and the final step on that journey: an invitation to Stacey to sing at the Show de Paz, held in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the Cristo Redentor, the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado. Stacey had been invited by Brazilian singer-songwriter Marcos Valle to sing his classic "Samba de Verao." This was itself a meeting that would result in a close and enduring musical and personal friendship that has to date yielded a live album, many concerts and a DVD-in-the-making. But it was as Stacey was leaving the stage after her performance with Marcos that the encounter which led to this recording took place.

                  

Menescal was to perform with the band Bossacucanova and was preparing to go on stage. In the bustle of the crowded backstage area, neither Kent nor Menescal had seen the running order or the artist list. And so it was that, on leaving the stage, Stacey spotted Roberto, guitar in hand. Already on cloud nine from her performance with Marcos, here was another idol! On the verge of stage-struck, she could say nothing other than "Roberto!" Menescal, similarly surprised but recognizing the singer from the covers of his cherished CDs, replied, "Stacey!"

                  

Until that encounter, neither had any idea that each was aware of the other. A hurried exchange of email addresses in the wings sealed the friendship. Several subsequent meetings in Brazil and a regular exchange of emails and telephone calls allowed the new friends to make up for the lost years. For two artists of such remarkable empathy, a recording project was the next natural step.

                  

Their first recorded collaboration was for Stacey's 2013 album The Changing Lights, which included Menescal's timeless classic "O Barquinho" and the Jim Tomlinson/Antonio Ladeira original "A Tarde," both with Roberto on guitar. Such was their musical empathy that further recordings were bound to follow.

                  

Having devoured the recordings of Julie London and Barney Kessel in his youth, Menescal had always harbored a wish to record an album of standards along those lines. For Menescal, meeting Stacey was the chance to realize that life's ambition – and, beyond this, to record that album with his favorite standards singer. For Kent, it was the chance to work with a musical idol and one of the founding fathers of a genre that had completely informed her musical aesthetic.

                  

With Stacey's husband Jim Tomlinson on saxophone and flute, and Jeremy Brown on bass, this intimate collection of songs is something of a homecoming for both Stacey and Roberto: for her, it is a return to the "Great American Songbook"; for him, it is a return to the jazz roots that inspired him as a young guitarist in the heyday of the Bossa Nova.

                  

Despite their being separated by generations, continents, cultures and languages, that chance encounter in 2011 has resulted in some of the most distinctively focused and beautiful work in each of their careers. This album represents so much more than just the art of meeting. It is also truly the meeting of art.