19-Year-Old Jazz Vocalist Ira Hill Releases "Tomorrow" to Rave Reviews

Even as the title of "Tomorrow"—the debut album from Phoenix's Ira Hill—hints at a bright future for the sensational 19-year-old jazz vocalist, it pays its dues to the past by means of an attentive and eclectic set list. In spite, if not also because of Hill's gloriously extroverted vocalese, the album comes across as a vividly personal journey. Hill's tender delivery is much more mature than his years, ensuring that "Tomorrow" is certain to invite a new generation of enthusiasts to appreciate the genre, while impressing scores of seasoned musicians and jazz aficionados. Sample Tomorrow's tracks at cdbaby.com/cd/irahill12. View video: "Billie's Bounce."

"Ira Hill possesses all the ingredients that precede a rise to stardom as a jazz vocalist," said internationally acclaimed jazz, blues and symphony pops vocal luminary, Dr. Dee Daniels. "The fact that he is only 19-years-old could lead one to believe in reincarnation. The composer, educator and mentor continued excitedly, "I suggest you keep your eyes and ears on Ira to witness his journey to global recognition!"

The album’s core trio pianist John Proulx, bassist Kevin Axt and drummer Dave Tull gives young Hill all the space both he and his listeners need to luxuriate in the breadth of his sound. With the trio alone, he turns evergreens like “My Funny Valentine” and “Tomorrow's Another Day” even greener. The hallmark of any jazz singer is not only the way in which he lays out the melodies, but also the way in which he infuses the lyrics with soul. At a tender 19, Hill navigates a familiar songbook as if it were his own, singing as one who means every word. Balancing sophistication and fun, he brings his all to every tune with panache, gratitude and always with a smile.

But it’s really in “Afro Blue,” the album’s slick opener, that one gets the immediacy of his feel for groove and atmosphere. Integrated seamlessly into the trio, along with vibraphonist Craig Fundyga, percussionist Alex Acuna and reedman Doug Webb, Hill buffs every edge until it fits flush with the next.

At every turn of "Tomorrow," one can count on a rich, emotional directness in Hill’s singing. He incorporates several timeless favorites into the album's repertoire, including an uplifting “Billie’s Bounce;” the scintillating staccato of “Cloudburst” in which he duets with The Manhattan Transfer’s Cheryl Bentyne; a swinging “I’ll Remember April” and bright “You’ve Proven Your Point,” which ends the album on a Latin vibe, paying tribute to Ira’s childhood, spent partly south of the border. In all of these, one encounters Ira’s gifts for rhythm and tonal color in spades. Tomorrow is certain to be a much-appreciated holiday gift-giving favorite!

"Ira Hill is coming out of the gate strong. Just in his first week at radio, his CD has hit the Most Added Charts at CMJ and Jazzweek, including the Biggest Gainer Chart," hailed music promoter Kari Gaffney. "Tomorrow" is showing significant promise among the crowded field of jazz releases primed for the end of year push at radio." Most agreeable, Hill's debut album is certain to be a much-appreciated holiday gift-giving favorite.

About the artist:

Born 1996 in Bakersfield, California, Ira spent his earliest years shuttling between the United States and Mexico, before settling in Phoenix, Arizona at the age of seven. His father, a jazz enthusiast, introduced him to the Motown greats on which he, by age 10, Ira would be cutting his teeth. This was the foundation for Hill's inevitable future His ever-supportive father brought 14-year-old Ira to hear Grammy-nominated Count Basie vocalist Dennis Rowland in concert. Before the show, dad introduced Ira to Rowland, who, upon discovering that Ira wanted to sing, gave him an opportunity to perform on stage. 

He sang the Temptations hit “My Girl” with Rowland's jazz big band. The performance earned the youth a standing ovation, and opened his eyes to a wholly new possibility of self-expression. After experimenting with other music genres, Hill finally landed smoothly in jazz. During this period of intense artistic development, he benefited immeasurably from mentors Rowland and Grammy-nominated pianist and vocalist Judy Roberts, another fixture of the Phoenix scene.

In addition to vocalists, Ira has learned much by proxy from the likes of Lee Morgan, Dexter Gordon and Bill Evans—musicians whose art allowed Ira to infuse his own musicianship with an instrumental flavor. This is most obvious in his scatting, which at once distinguishes him from his bandmates and humbles him as an equal improviser among them.

Ira Hill credits the time graciously given to him by greats who genuinely care about the up-and-coming generation of stars, and who instilled in him the confidence to brave his first solo. To that end, it was while participating in a Los Angeles jazz workshop that young Ira fatefully met Cheryl Bentyne of The Manhattan Transfer, who was so impressed by his singing that she invited him back to L.A. to lay down this full studio album, which she also produced. Hill has crafted a consummately individual statement that speaks true, sings truer, and promises to be the springboard to a prosperous career.

The new album is called "Tomorrow," and with Ira leading the way, that’s just what we have to look forward to from this young and very talented singer. To learn more about the sensational young vocalist, please visit http://www.irahill.com.

NEW RELEASES: GERARD PRESENCER – GROOVE TRAVELS; DAVID SERERO - THE CROONER BARITONE: THE FRANK SINATRA CLASSICS;MARK BLAKE - NICE AND EASY: FRANK SINATRA 100TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE

GERARD PRESENCER – GROOVE TRAVELS

Groove Travels is the highly anticipated new album from British trumpeter, arranger and composer Gerard Presencer, featuring the Danish Radio Big Band. Groove Travels is set to be a defining album both for Gerard and for new Big Band conceptions. This new release is without doubt his most ambitious and well-executed solo recording to date and will happily stand alongside the leading voices in contemporary big band music. The idea for this album first took root when Gerard moved to Copenhagen to take a trumpet seat in the band. As Gerard explains: ‘It’s taken five or six years for me to get this album together which is great for a project like this, because I got to know everybody, we play together all the time, so the tunes that I’ve chosen are specifically chosen for the musicians that are playing them’. Over the past 25 years Gerard Presencer has carved out a formidable reputation as one of the most respected trumpeters on the European scene. He exploded onto the international scene, aged 18, when US3 asked him to play the solo part on Blue Note’s Cantaloupe Island (re-imagined as Cantaloop Flip-Fantasia), that became one of the biggest selling jazz records of the 1990s. Since then, he has performed with a who’s who of international jazz artists, and has developed a career as an educator, arranger and composer.

DAVID SERERO - THE CROONER BARITONE: THE FRANK SINATRA CLASSICS

French actor and baritone, David Serero, releases The Frank Sinatra Classics. Serero has received international recognition and critical acclaim from all over the world. At only 34 years old, this fresh performer has already performed more than 800 concerts and performances throughout the world. Some of these have been broadcast on worldwide televisions totalizing an average audience of 30 millions of viewers and 18 millions on radios. Performing on the most prestigious worldwide stages and for the most important occasions, this true Show-Man and Entertainer brings a fresh approach to the Opera world by giving more than 80 concerts per year, during which he brings all his eclectic repertoire (Opera, Broadway, World Music, Jazz and Comedy), resulting as unique shows. 

MARK BLAKE - NICE AND EASY: FRANK SINATRA 100TH BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE

Mark Blake releases Nice and Easy album as a tribute to Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday. “ I wanted to celebrate his birthday in a special way," says Mark Blake. "Sinatra performed many great songs so I purposely picked some of the songs that are not necessarily mainstream but I feel they represent his unique style and tell a good story," says Blake. A portion of the proceeds from the Nice and Easy album sales will be donated to a charity that Sinatra often supported. “It has been known that Sinatra quietly donated to several charities. To truly celebrate his birthday, I feel it’s necessary to give a portion of the sales to a charity he supported," says Blake.

Judy Garland Celebrated With Universal Music Enterprises Remastered Vinyl Reissues of Three Classic Albums

Judy Garland is one of America's cherished show business icons, an international superstar who went from singing her way into our hearts as a child star in The Wizard of Oz crooning "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" to winning a juvenile Academy Award, a Golden Globe, a special Tony and numerous GRAMMYs® during the course of her more than 40 years as a performer up until her death at the age of 47 in June, 1969.

Universal Music Enterprises celebrates Judy Garland's incredible legacy with a trio of remastered, 180-gram vinyl reissues of her greatest albums, including two-LP versions of both the 1965 "Live" at the London Palladium with daughter Liza Minnelli and the 1961 Judy at Carnegie Hall, along with a single disc of the 1955 studio album Miss Show Business are all available now.

The 50th anniversary edition of "Live" at the London Palladium features Garland and daughter Minnelli performing separately and together on two discs, joining forces on "Hello, Dolly!," "Together (Wherever We Go)," "When the Saints Go Marching In," "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" and several medleys.  The new two-disc vinyl version of the album, which originally peaked at #41 on the Billboard 200 after its 1965 release, includes new liner notes written by Liza Minnelli.

Originally released in 1965, Judy at Carnegie Hall will also be reissued as two, remastered 180-gram vinyl discs, with new liner notes penned by Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally (Kiss of the Spider Woman, Ragtime).  This classic album captures Garland's performance at New York's fabled Carnegie Hall on April 23, 1961, dubbed "the greatest night in show business history," marking her remarkable comeback from health problems. The album was a cultural phenomenon, spending 73 weeks on the Billboard charts, including 13 weeks at #1, eventually certified gold, winning four GRAMMY® Awards, including Best Album of the Year (the first live recording and first female release to do so), Best Female Vocal Performance, Best Album Cover and Best Engineered Album. In 2003, it was one of 50 recordings chosen by the Library of Congress to be added to the National Recording Registry.

In addition, Miss Show Business will be reissued in a remastered, single-disc 180-gram vinyl 60th Anniversary edition with new liner notes contributed by Judy's daughter Lorna Luft. This studio album, originally released in 1955 on Capitol Records, peaked at #5 on the Billboard 200, and features definitive versions of classics like "Rockabye Your Baby With a Dixie Melody,"  "After You've Gone," and "Over the Rainbow."

Judy Garland and Liza Minnelli, "Live" at the London Palladium

A1 Overture  

A2 The Man That Got Away (Judy Garland)

A3 The Travelin' Life (Liza Minnelli)

A4 Gypsy In My Soul (Liza Minnelli) 

A5 Hello, Dolly! (Liza Minnelli/Judy Garland)

A6 Together (Liza Minnelli/Judy Garland)

B1 Medley (Liza Minnelli/Judy Garland)

B2 Who's Sorry Now (Liza Minnelli)

B3 Smile (Judy Garland)

B4 How Could You Believe Me When I Said I Love You When You Know I've Been A Liar All My Life (Liza Minnelli)

B5 What Now My Love (Judy Garland)      

C1 Medley (Liza Minnelli)

C2 Make Someone Happy (Judy Garland)

C3 Pass That Peace Pipe (Judy Garland)

C4 The Music That Makes Me Dance (Judy Garland)

C5 Medley: When The Saints Go Marching In / He's Got The Whole World In His Hands (Liza Minnelli/Judy Garland)     

D1 Never Will I Marry (Judy Garland)

D2 Encore: Swanee / Chicago / Over The Rainbow / San Francisco (Judy Garland)

Judy at Carnegie Hall

Overture:

A1a The Trolley Song

A1b Over The Rainbow

A1c The Man That Got Away

A2 When You're Smiling (The Whole World Smiles With You)           

Medley:

A3a Almost Like Being In Love

A3b This Can't Be Love

A4 Do It Again

A5 You Go To My Head 

A6 Alone Together              

B1 Who Cares (As Long As You Care For Me)

B2 Puttin' On The Ritz

B3 How Long Has This Been Going On

B4 Just You, Just Me

B5 The Man That Got Away

B6 San Francisco

B7 I Can't Give You Anything But Love

B8 That's Entertainment!  

C1 Come Rain Or Come Shine

C2 You're Nearer

C3 A Foggy Day

C4 If Love Were All

C5 Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart

C6 Stormy Weather            

Medley:

D1a You Made Me Love You

D1b For Me And My Gal

D1c The Trolley Song

D2 Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody

D3 Over The Rainbow

D4 Swanee  

D5 After You've Gone 

D6 Chicago

Miss Show Business

A1 This Is The Time Of The Evening / While We're Young

A2 Medley: You Made Me Love You (I Didn't Want To Do It) / For Me And My Gal / The Trolley Song

A3 A Pretty Girl Milking Her Cow

A4 Rock-A-Bye Your Baby With A Dixie Melody

A5 Happiness Is A Thing Called Joe

B1 Judy At The Palace Medley: Shine On Harvest Moon / Some Of These Days / My Man / I Don't Care

B2 Carolina In The Morning

B3 Danny Boy 

B4 After You've Gone  

B5 Over The Rainbow

Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap Nominated for Grammy® Award in BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM for "THE SILVER LINING: The Songs of Jerome Kern"

Photo Credit: Kelsey Bennett; Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap Nominated for Grammy(R) Award in BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM for "THE SILVER LINING: The Songs of Jerome Kern"

18-Time Grammy Winner, Tony Bennett and jazz pianist Bill Charlap, were nominated for a Grammy in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category for their jazz piano album, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern.  Released in September 2015, the album debuted at #1 on Billboard's Traditional Jazz Album charts and has received widespread critical acclaim. It was the first recording Bennett released after the overwhelming success of his collaborative effort with Lady Gaga, "CHEEK TO CHEEK."  Bennett was also inducted into DOWNBEAT magazine's Hall of Fame and was named their top Male Vocalist of 2015.  Tony Bennett will celebrate his 90th Birthday next year on August 3rd.

Tony Bennett is the only artist to successfully bridge the worlds of pop music and jazz on an international scale for over 60 years. The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern becomes part of a timeless legacy of recordings that Bennett has done throughout his career that have embraced both genres, in particular the revered piano jazz albums that he recorded with the late Bill Evans in 1975 and 1977.  Tony has become synonymous with the pop/jazz connection and in recent years has been a mentor to contemporary artists such as Lady Gaga and the late Amy Winehouse in encouraging them to embrace jazz music.  With his 90th birthday less than a year away, The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern defines what makes Tony Bennett unique in the pantheon of great singers and is a testament to the legacy that he continues to create as a recording artist and influence in the music industry.

Over the course of his career, Kern composed more than 700 songs, creating musical elements used in more than 100 stage works, collaborating with the greatest lyricists and librettists of the era including P.G. Wodehouse, Oscar Hammerstein II, Dorothy Fields, Johnny Mercer, Ira Gershwin, E.Y. Harburg and many others on a seemingly limitless repertoire of classic songs including "Ol' Man River," "Can't Help Lovin' Dat Man," "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes," "The Way You Look Tonight," "Long Ago and Far Away" and many more.

New York native Jerome Kern was a major force on Broadway and in Hollywood musicals in a career that spanned more than four decades. He expanded on earlier musical theater traditions, from vaudeville to operetta, to embrace new dance rhythms, syncopation and jazz progressions and helped invent the modern musical template. While many of his Broadway musicals and Hollywood musical films were contemporary smash hits, Kern is perhaps best remembered today through revivals of "Show Boat," one of his signature achievements.

In his liner notes for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern, music historian Will Friedwald describes Kern as "...the key link between the great music of historical and contemporary classics, a direct connection between Brahms and Charlie Parker....a key architect of a uniquely American art form that would eventually take shape as musical theater....one of the founding fathers of a term that Tony Bennett later coined himself, 'the Great American Songbook.'"

"The idea of a Kern Songbook project was Tony's," writes Will Friedwald, "thereby placing Kern on the very short list of canonical composers (Rodgers & Hart, Harold Arlen, Duke Ellington, Irving Berlin, and Cy Coleman) who have been the beneficiaries of an entire album by Bennett. It was also Bennett's idea to create the album in collaboration with the remarkable Bill Charlap....who can also take a great song we all know by heart and make us feel like we've never heard it before."

With more than 700 Jerome Kern compositions to choose from, the set list for The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern is a distillation of essential highlights from a boundless catalog. With these interpretations of some of Jerome Kern's finest songs, Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap offer a definitive introduction to Kern's music while providing a deep understanding of the abiding and universal qualities of these songs.

Playing alongside Tony Bennett and Bill Charlap on The Silver Lining: The Songs of Jerome Kern are pianist Renee Rosnes (on the piano duet pieces), Peter Washington (bass) and Kenny Washington (drums).  Unrelated, though sharing the same last name, Peter and Kenny have been performing with Bill Charlap for nearly two decades and pianist Renee Rosnes has been Charlap's life partner for close to 10 years.

TEDESCHI TRUCKS BAND REBORN ON LET ME GET BY - BRAND NEW LP OUT JAN 29TH, 2016

On January 29th, 2016 Tedeschi Trucks Band, led by the husband-and-wife team of singer-guitarist Susan Tedeschi and guitar virtuoso Derek Trucks, will cap an extraordinary and transformative year with the release of Let Me Get By, their third full-length LP and debut for Fantasy Records.  

In addition, the special, 2-Disc deluxe version of Let Me Get By includes an 8-track bonus disc featuring live recordings from the legendary Beacon Theatre in New York, alternate mixes, early song takes and additional studio material, along with an expanded booklet containing exclusive studio and live photos, all housed in a custom-designed vintage amp box (photo attached). The 10-track standard version and 18-track deluxe version are both available for pre-order beginning today on the TTB website and via iTunes and Amazon beginning Friday.

Recorded at Swamp Raga Studios, the band’s home studio in Jacksonville, Florida, Let Me Get By is an absorbing, self-assured, artistic leap forward.  Playing with an economy of power and uncommon grace, the 12-piece outfit—one of the most deeply skilled and admired musical ensembles in the world—explores themes of independence, love and release.

Let Me Get By is an album of firsts – in addition to being the first TTB record Trucks produced on his own, and the first on which he and Tedeschi wrote all the songs within the TTB family, it’s Trucks’ first album since his 15-year run as a member of the Allman Brothers concluded when the group disbanded last year.  In Trucks’ own words, “That’s what I hear in the music on this new album - this feeling that we’re now putting 100% of what we have into this band, not going back to anything else, everyone giving it their all.”

The songs are distinct for their communal nature, with each band member contributing to the album’s varied and diverse sonic textures. Opener “Anyhow” perfectly embodies the group’s newfound liberation; with Tedeschi’s voice levitating above a symphony of towering horns and Trucks’ inventive soaring slide guitar tones.  Elsewhere, “Don’t Know What It Means” serves up a funky church sermon, and “Crying Over You” delivers a classic 70’s Philly soul throwback.

Combining inspired Memphis soul, electric rhythm & blues, country, rock and classic song craft; TTB has captured the admiration of both concert audiences and critics worldwide. Since their inception in 2010, TTB have seen both of their previous albums debut in the top 15 of the Billboard Top 200 album chart, and won a GRAMMY for their debut album Revelator, which was hailed by Rolling Stone as a “masterpiece.”  They tour over 200 days a year, with such highlights as headlining their first Wheels of Soul amphitheater tour this past summer, four consecutive sold-out shows at the Beacon Theatre in NYC this fall, and a surprise appearance on the debut episode of the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. In studio and on stage, TTB continue to flourish and surprise, and the release of Let Me Get By marks the beginning of another exciting chapter in the band’s storied tale.

Let Me Get By track list:

1. Anyhow

2. Laugh About It

3. Don’t Know What It Means

4. Right On Time

5. Let Me Get By

6. Just As Strange*

7. Crying’ Over You/Swamp Raga for Holzapfel, Lefebvre, Flute and Harmonium

8.  Hear Me*

9. I Want More*

10. In Every Heart

Produced by Derek Trucks

Recorded and Mixed by Bobby Tis

*Co-produced by Derek Trucks and Doyle Bramhall II

Mastered by Bob Ludwig

  

TOUR DATES:

Dec 3 - Port Chester, NY - The Capitol Theatre

Dec 4 - New Haven, CT - College Street Music Hall

Dec 5 - Providence, RI - Providence PAC

Dec 8 - Albany, NY - Hart Theatre at The Egg

Dec 10 - Roanoke, VA - Jefferson Center

Dec 11 - Virginia Beach, VA - Sandler Center

Dec 12 - Asheville, NC - U.S. Cellular Center

Dec 143 - Austin, TX - Austin City Limits   

Jan 16 - St. Petersburg, FL - Sunshine Music Festival

Jan 17 - Boca Raton, FL - Sunshine Music Festival

Jan 19 - Augusta, GA - Bell Auditorium

Jan 20 - Jackson, MS - Thalia Mara Hall

Jan 22 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre

Jan 23 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre

Feb 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre

Feb 19 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre

Feb 20 - Philadelphia, PA - Keswick Theatre

Feb 25 - Washington, D.C. - Warner Theatre

Feb 26 - Washington, D.C. - Warner Theatre

Feb 27 - Washington, D.C. - Warner Theatre

Mar 3 - Nashville, TN, - Ryman Auditorium

Mar 4 - Nashville, TN, - Ryman Auditorium

Mar 5 - Nashville, TN, - Ryman Auditorium

Mar 19 - Melbourne, AUS - Forum Melbourne

Mar 20 - Canberra, AUS - Canberra Theatre Centre

Mar 22 - Newtown, AUS - Enmore Theatre

Mar 24 - Byron Bay, AUS - Byron Bay Bluesfest

Mar 30 - Nagoya, JPN - Nagoya City Auditorium

Mar 31 - Osaka, JPN - Orix Theater

Apr 1 - Toyko, JPN - Nippon Budokan

http://www.tedeschitrucksband.com

http://www.facebook.com/DerekAndSusan

http://twitter.com/derekandsusan

http://www.concordmusicgroup.com

Grammy® Award Artist Gregory Porter to Headline Blue Note "Jazz at Sea" Transatlantic Crossing October 25, 2016

On the heels of Queen Mary 2's first-ever "Jazz at Sea" Transatlantic Crossing with Blue Note Records, Cunard has announced that Grammy® Award-winning singer and songwriter, Gregory Porter, will be headlining the third Blue Note jazz-themed Transatlantic Crossing on October 25, 2016. Porter delighted fans with his powerhouse performances in the Royal Court Theatre during the first, October 29 Jazz at Sea Crossing. During the voyage, Porter spoke about Queen Mary 2's intimate venues and about how the rhythm of water inspires his music.

Described by The New York Times as "a jazz singer of thrilling presence, a booming baritone with a gift for earthy refinement and soaring uplift," Porter signed to Blue Note Records in 2013 and recently took home his second Jazz FM award for "International Jazz Artist of the Year." Porter is widely known for his third studio album, Liquid Spirit, which won the 2014 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album and reached top 10 on the UK album chart.

"Having sailed across the Atlantic with Cunard for the first time, I realize what a unique and exciting travel experience the transatlantic crossing was and I'm thrilled to headline one of the Jazz at Sea voyages next year," said Gregory Porter. "It was inspiring to be on board Queen Mary 2 with some of the greatest minds and musicians in jazz and to meet music fans from around the world."

Cunard and Blue Note Records' first "Jazz at Sea" Transatlantic Crossing included intimate performances by a star-studded roster of fellow Blue Note musicians, featuring: Grammy® Award-winning jazz pianist and record producer Robert Glasper, acclaimed trumpet player Keyon Harrold, tenor saxophonist Marcus Strickland, guitarist Lionel Loueke, bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Kendrick Scott.

"The Jazz at Sea experience was one of the greatest experiences of my life," said Don Was, president, Blue Note Records. "Matching up Blue Note Records and Cunard was a stroke of genius. Market research shows that both brands are continually recognized for excellence and integrity, and the Blue Note brand offers a 'cool' vibe as well."

During the first-ever Blue Note "Jazz at Sea" Transatlantic Crossing, lounges and public spaces were transformed to jazz destinations in the evenings where Blue Note artists were met to packed houses in the Chart Room, G32 and Illuminations. Q&A sessions provided a more intimate and informal setting for guests to learn more about the artists, their influences and backgrounds, and where Porter demonstrated the words that moved him in impromptu a capella performances.

"We are delighted that Gregory Porter will join us again in 2016," said Richard Meadows, president, Cunard, North America. "Cunard and Blue Note Records share a deep connection with over 200 combined years of experience in our respective industries, and we are excited to continue to deliver stimulating, celebrated and significant entertainment for our guests."

This special Transatlantic Crossing will also feature other noteworthy jazz musicians that will soon be announced.

NEW RELEASES: JIM VINER’S INCREDIBLE B3 BAND - COMANGO!; SONNY SHARROCK – ASK THE AGES; MASAHIRO SHIMBA / BILL LASWELL - DUBOPERA

JIM VINER’S INCREDIBLE B3 BAND - COMANGO!

Sweet Hammond grooves from a combo led by drummer Jim Viner – a player you may know from the Diplomats Of Solid Sound, some of whom join Jim on the set! As you'd guess from the group's name, the record's awash in sounds from the legendary B3 – shimmering organ lines that are somewhere between deep funk and soul jazz – served up in an all-instrumental mode that lets the Hammond have plenty of "voice" throughout! The vibe is somewhere between 60s Stax and Prestige Records – with a feel that's similar to early work from Sugarman Three – and titles include "Comango", "Forty Twenty", "Azucar Blanco", "Smokey Johnson", "Cutlass Supreme", "Chicken Tickin", "Borracho No No", and "California Don".  Dusty Groove

SONNY SHARROCK – ASK THE AGES  

Ask The Ages - The classic definer. Guitarist Sonny Sharrock wasn't just ahead of his time, like a freight train roaring through a darkened station, not just hours but weeks ahead of schedule. Channeling the energy and spirit of John Coltrane...with the support of two undisputed icons of free jazz and the avant-garde, legendary Coltrane-drummer Elvin Jones and saxophonist Pharoah Sanders with Charnett Moffett on bass. Absolutely an exploration of the stratosphere and beyond. Enhanced and re-mastered from the original. Produced by Bill Laswell - who upon emerging from the downtown NYC scene as a producer and bassist to be reckoned with, made it one of his first priorities to find Sharrock who he first heard at age fourteen...Ask The Ages.

MASAHIRO SHIMBA / BILL LASWELL - DUBOPERA

A unique fusion of classic opera mixed with contemporary dub set in a progressive, futuristic, rhythmic environment. Masahiro Shimba is a leading Japanese opera singer, based in Milano and Tokyo. The tenor is the first Japanese artist to receive the "Maria Callas Award" from the International Maria Callas Foundation. He is highly evaluated by the Italian classical/opera world, has performed as a soloist at the Royal Opera Canada, Teramo City Theater, Lincoln Center (NY), Dal Verme Theater (Milano), Verdi Conservatory Puccini Hall (Milano), St. Paul's Outside the Walls (Vatican City/Rome) with Orchestra Sinfonica G. Rossini conducted by Daniele Agiman and more.

Nat King Cole: Stardust—The Rare Television Performances. (2CD Set)

Was there ever a performer in the history of American popular music who produced such a diverse body of work, over such an extended period of time, as Nat King Cole? In a career that spanned nearly 30 years—despite his untimely death in 1965 at age 45—Nat sang and played just about everything at one time or another, from jazz and pop to country and spirituals and all else in between. To this day, his music—all of it—endures. In late 1956, at a time when Cole was arguably the most successful entertainer on the planet, he began a 13-month run as host of his own NBC television show, The Nat King Cole Show. Over the years, bits and pieces of music and footage from the show have surfaced, mostly on unauthorized bootlegs. This new collection from Real Gone Music includes more than two dozen of the rarest and choicest performances from The Nat King Cole Show, coupled with nearly 30 minutes of additional music from a 1963 appearance on Australian television being released for the very first time in America. On display, particularly in the material from his own show, is Nat’s willingness to tackle a variety of material and genres rather than simply trotting out renditions of his most familiar and successful records. Appearing in this 2-disc set are many songs that Cole never recorded commercially or even sang again in public, with arrangements by such giants as Nelson Riddle, Billy May and Gordon Jenkins. And when he does sing one of his hits (like “Mona Lisa,” “Too Young,” or “Ramblin’ Rose”), they often scarcely resemble the studio recordings. Remastered by Mike Milchner—who engineered Real Gone’s acclaimed set of Peggy Lee radio performances—and offering liner notes by Cole expert Jordan Taylor festooned with photos taken from the Nat King Cole estate archives, Stardust—The Rare Television Performances represents a major addition to the Nat King Cole discography. It also reminds us what a fantastic entertainer and visionary artist he truly was.  SONGS:  Disc 11. Button Up Your Overcoat2. It's Not For Me To Say3. Sweet Lorraine 4. April Love5. I Am in Love6. C'est Si Bon7. Passing By8. A Blossom Fell9. Maybe It's Because I Love You Too Much10. Beer Barrel Polka (Roll Out The Barrel)11. With You On My Mind12. My One Sin13. When Rock And Roll Come to Trinidad14. Once In A While 15. I'm in the Mood For Love16. I Thought About Marie17. My Heart Stood Still18. St. Louis Blues        
 Disc 21. Love Is Sweeping the Country2. It's All in the Game 3. Life is Just A Bowl of Cherries   4. Rosetta5. The Nearness of You6. Careless Love7. My Personal Possession8. Stardust9. The Way You Look Tonight10. When I Fall in Love11. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Write Myself a Letter12. Mona Lisa13. Too Young14. Where or When15. Dear Lonely Hearts16. I Love A Piano17. Ramblin' Rose

Svetlana & The Delancey Five Energize the Connection Between Band and Audience with Vintage-Inspired Swing on Debut Album Night at the Speakeasy

The sounds of hot jazz and swing conjure images of a long-lost world of back-alley speakeasies, frenetic dancers, bathtub gin and tommy gun-toting gangsters. Monday night regulars at New York's Back Room, where Svetlana & The Delancey Five have held swinging court for more than three years, know that the world isn't quite as lost as it may seem (minus the gangsters and with booze made in more sanitary conditions).

With the release of Night at the Speakeasy, produced by Grammy® Award-winner Guy Eckstine and co-produced by drummer Rob Garcia, the rest of us finally have the chance to revel in the sounds of the Delancey Five and their Moscow-born chanteuse, Svetlana Shmulyian (Eckstine called her "Astrid Gilberto via Moscow"). This is no strict throwback band, however; the repertoire on their debut album combines swing-era classics with modern pop songs by the Beatles and the Beach Boys, and original tunes from the pen of Svetlana and her bandmates, who are also noted for their work in the straightahead and modern jazz worlds. There's even a tune by the Russian-German trumpeter/composer Eddie Rosner sung by Svetlana in her native tongue.

"No other band on the hot jazz and swing scene would do a song in Russian," says Svetlana with considerable understatement. "I'm interested in songs in any genre. I wanted to write and record songs that you could dance to but that you could also listen to on the radio, in the car, or wherever. It's music that makes you smile."

Indeed, it's hard to suppress a grin when Svetlana's sweet, winsome tones intertwine with the warm, gravelly voice of legendary trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. Over the years that Svetlana has been performing on the New York jazz scene, Gordon has become a mentor and collaborator, contributing several arrangements to Night at the Speakeasy along with singing and playing on the album. "Wycliffe has a natural chemistry with the band," Svetlana says. "He's truly one of the most professional, supportive musicians and band members that I know. He behaves like a soldier in an army that I lead, and then when he steps out the whole room lights up in a different color."

Gordon joins an all-star band that includes drummer Rob Garcia, a bandleader on the modern Brooklyn scene as well as an in-demand sideman (Wynton Marsalis, Anat Cohen, Woody Allen, Vince Giordano, Dianna Krall); Australian-born reeds player Adrian Cunningham, (lead alto saxophone for Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks, Wycliffe Gordon, Professor Cunningham and His Old School); trumpeter Charlie Caranicas (Independence Hall Jazz Band, the Karrin Allyson Group, Chico O'Farrill's Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra); master ragtime and stride pianist Dalton Ridenhour (Bria Skomberg, Vince Giordano); bassist George Delancey (Winard Harper, Christian Howes, Richard Galliano, Aaron Diehl); and guitarist Vinny Raniolo (longtime collaborator with Frank Vignola).

Every Monday the band plays for a packed crowd combining swing dancers, jazz aficionados, and those Svetlana refers to as "jazz curious" at the Back Room, one of only two speakeasies from the days of Prohibition still operating today. Located behind Ratner's Deli on Delancey Street (hence the name of the band), the clandestine bar was purportedly the haunt of such underworld notables as Meyer Lansky and Lucky Luciano.

Since forming in the spring of 2012, Svetlana & The Delancey Five have gone on to consistently sell out a number of renowned New York jazz venues including the Blue Note, B.B. King's, Ginny's Supper Club, Zinc Bar, City Winery, and Kitano while maintaining their home base at the Back Room. The band has also become one of the most in-demand features at the numerous sold out hot jazz and swing events (Prohibition Production, Gemeni & Scorpio, Times Square flashmobs which consistently draw hundreds of attendants) - as well as secured residencies in popular Brooklyn spots whereby seamlessly integrating into the thriving Brooklyn music scene. It's an interesting culmination of the story of a Russian girl who grew up singing, studying piano and classical vocal, singing in traditional Russian choirs - but, at insistence of her family of engineers, studied a more practical subject of mathematics.

It's not an immigrant story that begins in hardship, however. "I had a fabulous, happy childhood in the dark concrete buildings of Moscow," Svetlana recalls. "I have a great family and I guess that's where it starts and ends - it doesn't matter where you are or how long you have to stand in line to get bread and butter. I come from a family of nerds and engineers and the reality of becoming a full-time artist seemed really far-fetched, but in my heart of hearts I always knew I was an artist." 

However after completing her mathematics degree with high honors in Moscow - Svetlana enrolled in Moscow College of Improvised Music and Jazz. Still the scholarship landed her in New York - where she arrived with one suitcase and a guitar on a crisp autumn day.  Soon thereafter she was playing occasional gigs by night. It wasn't until the late 2000's that she turned her full attention to being a musician, after forming a band for a summer music festival. "I was immediately hooked," she says. "We do this because we couldn't imagine our lives without it. The exhilaration of coming together with other musicians and producing this most abstract work of art, there one minute and gone the next, keeps you wanting to go back so badly."

After a few years singing in a variety of contexts and languages, Svetlana fell into the hot jazz and swing circuit, finding the exhilaration in singing songs she listened to on old LPs since she was a kid and feeling highly energized by singing for mixed audiences of listeners and dancers. In a way that style harkened back to her earliest jazz experience, when she took her school lunch allowance to a Moscow department store determined to buy the album with the highest number of songs, whatever it was. That ended up being 30 By Ella, Ella Fitzgerald's 1968 recording of a half-dozen medleys arranged by Benny Carter.

Through the auspices of the Back Room, Svetlana formed the Delancey Five in 2012. She began writing her own songs at Wycliffe Gordon's behest, and in 2013 enrolled at the one of the most prestigious and demanding graduate jazz vocal performance programs, the Manhattan School of Music, where she studied vocal performance with Theo Bleckmann, Gretchen Parlato, and Kate McGarry, and composition and arranging with Jim McNeely and Phil Markowitz. The band regularly joins forces with a DJ collective for an electro-swing series, The Speakeasy Sessions for large-scale vintage-inspired soirees in warehouse-style venues of the Lower East Side and Brooklyn.  Svetlana is also a frequent featured vocalist of several New York based big bands (George Gee, Seth Weaver, etc).  Svetlana's vintage-inspired swing appeals strongly to both dancers and listeners - be that at a high brow jazz club or an underground Brooklyn speakeasy.  The band's "magnificent energy" (noted by the collaborator, Wycliffe Gordon) reflects the magic of "social music" which goes to the very root of how swing became popular in 1920s and why it is on the uprise again today - in that every live performance creates a strong connection between the band and it's audience that consumes the music with their minds, their hearts, and their whole bodies.  As Will Friedwald states in the record's liner notes, this may be the reason why "Svetlana will be singing it and leading one of the major bands in the idiom for some time to come".

  

Upcoming Svetlana & The Delancey Five Performances:

Jan. 15 / BBKings / New York, NY

Nov. 20 / Shapeshifter Lab / Brooklyn, NY

Dec. 15 / MTA Subway Swing Party / New York, NY

Dec. 25 / Zinc Bar / New York, NY

Jan. 11 / Mezzrow Jazz Club / New York, NY

Jan 13. / Urbo Gotham Club / New York, NY

Svetlana & The Delancey Five Weekly Residences:

Monday / Back Room / New York, NY

Wednesday / Bedford Hall / Brooklyn, NY

Svetlana & The Delancey Five · Night at the Speakeasy

Origin / OA2 Records · Release Date: January 15, 2015  

Guitar Virtuoso Micha Schellhaas To Release Full-Length Debut Album Featuring Supertramp's Carl Verheyen and Drum Legend Chad Wakerman

Much to the excitement of guitarists worldwide, guitar virtuoso Micha Schellhaas will be releasing his full-length debut album “Double Take” on December 1st. The album features Supertramp guitar legend Carl Verheyen and drummer Chad Wakerman, who is best known for his work with Frank Zappa and Allan Holdsworth.

Says Micha, “ 'Double Take', my first full length release, reflects my relationship with the US and my journey to come and in the end live here. After I was already established in Europe with steady gigs and my own recording studio, the artist in me was still not happy and I needed to go and check out the source and birthplaces of the music and 'sound' I was most inspired by: Jazz, Blues and Rock. My first trip was a 3 month driving loop starting and ending in NYC all the way through New Orleans, Austin, LA, San Francisco and back. Songs like 'Travel Song' and 'Texaleans' reflect that time. Later I lived in Austin/Texas for a while and you can hear that 'Stevie Ray' sound in my songs 'Ford F-150’ and ‘Your Turn’ that also features a blazing solo by Carl Verheyen. Now living in LA more fusion influences came back to my writing in compositions like 'Velocity' and '5&6'.”

“Micha Schellhaas has a unique touch on the guitar that sets him apart from everyone playing the instrument today. That feel, in combination with his beautiful composing is what makes him a joy to listen to.” - Carl Verheyen

Micha Schellhaas is an LA-based guitarist living his dream and fulfilling his mission to make music as a solo artist, accompanist and composer. In 2013, he released his first EP, “Wings of Fire”, recorded at the renowned Sunset Studios in Hollywood. “Wings of Fire” was produced by Carl Verheyen (Supertramp) who also performed on the tracks, and featuring several other industry veterans (Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa), Dave Marotta (Manhattan Transfer, Burt Bacharach), Jim Cox (Mark Knopfler, Robben Ford). The EP is an exciting prelude to the full-length album due for release in 2015.

Heavily influenced by classic rock, blues and jazz, Micha has been playing guitar since he was 9 years old. Born in Germany, his musical career began in Europe where he gained a Master's degree in jazz guitar from the prestigious Dutch ARTEZ conservatory, and produced music from his former recording studio, TRINIX Studio, in the Netherlands. Having performed and toured in numerous European countries, he took on the U.S. for the first time in 2008, to explore the home of original blues and rock 'n' roll music and the main inspiration for his artistic journey. Coast-to-coast travels included an extended stint in Austin, Texas, where he was actively involved in the local jazz and blues scene, and enjoyed the opportunity to perform at the renowned SXSWfestival with his improvised street band, the “Rebel Street Show”. Micha is keeping his bonds with Austin strong, visiting on a regular basis and constantly exchanging with Texan and local Austin artists.

Micha settled in California in 2013, where his musical career has gone from strength to strength, operating from his private recording studio in Venice Beach. With a top selection of classic vintage instruments, amplifiers and state of the art recording equipment, the MichaMusic Studio is a home base for recording guitars on his own projects, collaborations and hired recording work. Micha is recording instruction videos and gear demos from his studio as well, most notable is his recent work for the top class, southern California boutique guitar builder Ian A. Guitars and Electric Alchemist Pickups.

Says Micha, “Carl Verheyen produced the album. He is a guitar legend, and brought all his guitar wisdom and experience with him in the studio. He is also a vintage guitar expert and has countless hours of experience recording great guitar sounds with vintage gear. His own albums set standards in guitar music today.

“Chad Wackerman played the drums. He started his career when he was only 17 years old and played alongside Steve Vai in Frank Zappa's band. He is to this day one of the top drummers in the world. His organic playing is just as much supporting as it is exciting and really defined the sound of this album. Chad caught on the unique details of each tune and groove immediately, and really made everything shine. He was my number one drummer in the world for the record, since I knew he can play a swing, a texas blues, a tune with brushes and a heavy riff odd meter tune all on one record and make it fit together perfectly.

“Jim Cox played Hammond B-3, Grand Piano and Fender Rhodes. He is touring with Mark Knopfler and Robben Ford regularly. Jim has a fantastic way of playing that is colorful and strong, always supporting the song and never in the way of the guitars. He can pick up a solo in any style right away and plays great chords to support the melody. He is one of the finest Organ players around and we made sure we had a B3 at the studio.

“Dave Marotta played bass. He also played on several of Carl's albums and is well known for his work with Gino Vannelli and Burt Bacharach. He, Carl and Chad have been playing together for a long time and it was great to have a well working rhythm section for the recordings right from the start. Dave's super solid playing and quick communication with Chad solidified the vibe of a great band just having fun in the studio and recording a record full of interesting grooves and great arrangements.”

Joe Cocker's Legacy Celebrated With Two-CD The Life Of A Man: The Ultimate Hits 1968-2013

It's almost one year ago since Joe Cocker died at his home, Mad Dog Ranch, on the 22nd December, 2014, aged 70. The iconic British rock star has been much missed. He was undoubtedly one of the pre-eminent rock musicians of his generation, releasing 22 studio albums, 10 live albums, 68 singles, and numerous compilations during his lifetime.

Universal Music Enterprises is honoring the memory of Joe Cocker with the release of the two-CD collection, The Life Of A Man: The Ultimate Hits 1968-2013, a 36-track compilation which comes out December 11. The Life Of A Man: The Ultimate Hits 1968-2013 is the first comprehensive double album with all the hits and highlights of his career, the definitive 'Best Of' of all time, encapsulating Cocker's entire musical history, delivered in his signature husky blues voice. The Life Of A Man: The Ultimate Hits 1968-2013 offers a career retrospective, with tracks from his 1969 A&M Records debut, With a Little Help From My Friends, which included the title song – a UK No. 1 in 1968 – his first single  "Marjorine," which Joe penned, and his cover of Traffic's "Feelin' Alright"; his self-titled sophomore album (featuring his covers of the Beatles' "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window," George Harrison's "Something," Leon Russell's "Delta Lady" and the Lovin' Spoonful's "Darling Be Home Soon") and, of course, "Up Where We Belong," his hit with Jennifer Warnes, to the title track of his final studio album, Fire It Up, and a live version of "You Are So Beautiful," recorded in Cologne, Germany, in February, 2013, with both never available in the U.S.

Two additional Joe Cocker titles have also been made available on CD including two of his final three album releases. Hymn For My Soul, his 20th studio album was first released in 2007. Produced by Ethan Johns, who plays several instruments on the album, the songs include his signature covers of George Harrison's "Beware of Darkness," Bob Dylan's "Ring Them Bells," John Fogerty's "Long As I Can See The Light," The Meters' "Love Is For Me," Stevie Wonder's "You Haven't Done Nothin'" and a Cocker favorite, Percy Mayfield's "River's Invitation." Guest musicians on the album include Benmont Tench from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, guitar legend Albert Lee, drum icons Jim Keltner and James Gadson, and horn players Greg Adams (Tower of Power) and Tom Scott. The disc's spiritual theme put the record in the top 10 of the Christian Album chart.   

Fire It Up was Cocker's 22nd and final studio album. A hit across Europe when first issued in 2012, reaching the Top 5 in several countries, going platinum in Germany, the album is now receiving its first-ever U.S. release. Produced by Matt Serletic, known for his work with Matchbox Twenty and many other artists, the album features songs by Keith Urban, Joss Stone, Marc Cohen and Marc Broussard, and includes three bonus tracks including Serletic's "The Last Road," Marc Cohn's "Walk Through the World With Me" and "Let Love Decide."

Cocker always gave his carefully curated songs his unmistakable trademark regardless of genre from Lovin' Spoonful's "Summer In The City" to Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers To Cross," with his own signature stamp, an incomparable interpretation, often and publically endorsed by the original writers. Paul McCartney was quoted:  "He was a lovely northern lad who I loved a lot and like many people, I loved his singing. I was especially pleased when he decided to cover 'With A Little Help From My Friends' and I remember him and Denny Cordell coming round to the studio in Savile Row and playing me what they'd recorded and it was just mind blowing, totally turned the song into a soul anthem and I was forever grateful to him for doing that."

Joe Cocker was born in Sheffield on 20th May, 1944 to Harold and Madge, into a working-class background. Cocker crafted his performance in inner city pubs and clubs, even supporting The Rolling Stones in November, 1963 at Sheffield City Home under the name Vance Arnold And The Avengers.  But Cocker finally came to the forefront of the musical landscape when he delivered a historic performance at Woodstock on Sunday 17th August, 1969. That iconic moment led to The Mad Dogs & Englishmen tour in 1970, and he remained relevant through five decades, constantly delivering music and emotions to audiences around the world.   

Cocker's final and official posthumous album The Life Of A Man: The Ultimate Hits 1968-2013 is a collection of outstanding songs over two CDs; an essential album for every music collection, the final curtain call for an artist loved and missed. These three releases offer a fitting retrospective on one of the most remarkable musical careers in rock history.

www.cocker.com