EL CHICANO, MALO & THE PETE ESCOVEDO ORCHESTRA IN CONCERT

Latin legends Sapo and El Chicano will rock the crowds at the Monterey Bay Berry Festival on the weekend of August 1-2 at the Santa Cruz County Fairgrounds. The festival opens at 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day with the Berry Carnival closing at 11 p.m. on Saturday and 10 p.m. on Sunday. Among the bands performing will be Sapo featuring Richard Bean; El Chicano; The Pete Escovedo Orchestra; Malo, featuring Jorge Santana; Lava; the Tommy Castro Band; The Backyard Blues; La Ventana Band;and Los Morros Del Norte.

According to their press release millions of delicious, nutritious, mouth-watering strawberries, raspberries, blackberries and blueberries will be ripe for the celebration. Tasty dessert treats and entertainment are just part of the fun over the weekend. There will be arts and crafts booths, a wide range of Festival food selections, and gooey contests for young and old happening each day. New attractions include the Gold Coast Arabian Classic and Amateur Horse Show, a Muscle Car Show and a wellness faire to learn about the nutritional values of eating berries.

Saturday, August 1 Schedule:
12 Noon: Lava
1:45 p.m.: The Backyard Blues
3:30 p.m.: Tommy Castro Band
5:30 p.m.: Sapo
7:30 p.m: El Chicano

Sunday, August 2 Schedule:
12:15 p.m.: La Ventana
2 p.m.: The Pete Escovedo Orchestra
4 p.m.: Malo

http://www.berryfestival.org/
www.myspace.com/saporichardbean
http://www.elchicanomusic.com/
http://www.peteescovedo.com/
http://www.malomusic.com/
http://www.lavamusicrocks.com/
http://www.tommycastro.com/
http://www.backyardblues.com/
www.myspace.com/laventanabandcom
http://www.morrosdelnorte.com/

NEW RELEASES FROM TEENA MARIE, NICOLA CONTE, MAXWELL, JOE JACKSON, CEU & OTHERS...

Al B. Sure! – Honey I’m Home
Alonzo Wright – Bitz Of Pieces (OTH)
Ceu – Vagarosa (Six Degrees)
Chokolate – To Whom It May Concern (Chokolate Music)
Clara Moreno – Miss Balanco (Far Out)
Count Basie- Basie Land – Remastered (Verve)
Crusaders – Images – Remastered (Verve)
Dee Alexander – Wild Is The Wind (Blujazz)
El Super Mini Combo – Nacional (Super Mini Combo)
Emma Tricca – Minor White (Cbird)
Fernando Porto – Auto-Retrato (EMI)
Freddie Hubbard – High Energy – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Freddie Hubbard – The Baddest Hubbard – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Freddie Hubbard – Polar Arc – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Freddie Hubbard – Liquid Love – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Freddie Hubbard – Windjammer – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Freddie Hubbard – Bundle Of Joy – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Freddie Hubbard – The Love Comments – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Freddie Hubbard – Skugly – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Gato Barbieri – Chapter 3: Viva Emiliano Zapata – Remastered (GRP)
Grover Washington Jr – A Secret Place (Verve)
Herb Ellis & Charlie Byrd – The Midnight Roll – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Herb Ellis & Charlie Byrd – Guitar Guitar – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Herculaneum – Herculaneum III (Clean Feed)
Hypnotic Brass Ensemble – Hypnotic Brass Ensemble (Honest Jons)
Irene Cara – Carasmatic (Wounded Bird)
Isaac Hayes – Hot Buttered Soul - Remastered
Ivan Lins – Ivan Lins & The Metropole Orchestra (Biscoito Fina)
JJ Band (Chicles and Chakackas – JJ Band (Polydor/Sonorama)
Jeffrey Osborne – Greatest Hits Live! (E1 Music)
Joe Cocker – Joe Cocker (A&M/Hip-O Select)
Joe Jackson – King Pleasure Time: The Remixes (Ryodisc)
Joelle Leandre & George Lewis – Transatlantic Vision (Rogue Art)
Jorge Ben – Salve Simpatia (Som Livre/Bomba)
King Curtis – Get Ready (Wounded Bird)
Lars Bartkuhn – New Continent (Sonar Kollektiv)
Laura Nyro – Mother’s Spiritual – Remastered (Columbia)
Lee Fields & The Expressions – New World (Truth & Soul)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – Easy (Tamla/Univ.)
Maxwell – BLACKsummers’night (Columbia)
Moments – A Moment With The Moments (Rhino)
Moments – My Thing (Rhino)
Moments – The Moments Live At The Miss Black America Pageant (Rhino)
Moments – The Other Side Of The Moments (Rhino)
Neville Brothers – Live At Tipitan’s
Nicola Conte – Presents Viagem 2 (Far Out)
Nomo – Invisible Cities (Ubiquity)
Olli Ojajarvi Trio – Out Of Mind (Ricky Tick)
Paul Dunmall Sun Quartet – Ancient & Furure Airs (Clean Feed)
Peggy Lee – Jump For Joy – Remastered (DRG)
Quincy Jones – Quincy Jones Explores The Music Of Henry Mancini (Verve)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Virgo Red – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity – Starbooty – Remastered (Wounded Bird)
Sammy Davis Jr. – Sammy’s Swingiest Sides (26f)
Santucci Scoppa – New Tradition (Arision)
Soulive – Up Here (Royal Family)
Stefania Rava – Send In The Clows (Deja Vu)
Steve Kuhn & Joe Lovano – Mostly Coltrane (ECM)
Sunil Dev – Music Of Sunil Dev (Heavenly Sweetness)
Teena Marie – Congo Square (Stax)
Terry Callier – Hidden Conversations (Mr Bongo)
Various Artists – Island Life: 50 Years Of Island Records (Universal)
Various Artists – Le Bresil Au Cinema (Universal)
Various Artists – Present – The Soundtrack From The Surf Movie By Thomas Campbell (Brush Fire)
Various Artists – Revolution (Rapster)
Various Artists – Shapes 09:01 (Tru Thoughts)
Warren Wolf – Raw (WW Music)
Wes Montgomery – Down Here On The Ground (Verve)

MICHAEL JACKSON: 1958 - 2009

Michael Jackson, one of the most widely beloved entertainers and profoundly influential artists of all-time, leaves an indelible imprint on popular music and culture. Five of Jackson’s solo albums – “Off the Wall,” “Thriller,” “Bad,” “Dangerous” and “HIStory,” all with Epic Records, a Sony Music label – are among the top-sellers of all time. During his extraordinary career, he sold an estimated 750 million records worldwide, released 13 No.1 singles and became one of a handful of artists to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The Guinness Book of World Records recognized Jackson as the Most Successful Entertainer of All Time and “Thriller” as the Biggest Selling Album of All Time. Jackson won 13 Grammy Awards and received the American Music Award’s Artist of the Century Award. Michael Jackson started in the music business at the age of 11 with his brothers as a member of the Jackson 5. In the early 1980s, he became a dominant figure in popular music and the first African American entertainer to amass a strong crossover following on MTV. The popularity of his music videos airing on MTV, such as "Beat It", "Billie Jean" and "Thriller"—widely credited with transforming the music video from a promotional tool into an art form—helped bring the relatively new channel to fame. Videos such as "Black or White" and "Scream" made Jackson an enduring staple on MTV in the 1990s. With stage performances and music videos, Jackson popularized a number of physically complicated dance techniques, such as the robot and the moonwalk. His distinctive musical sound and vocal style influenced many hip hop, pop and contemporary R&B artists.

JEFF GOLUB - BLUES FOR YOU

E1 Music has announced the release of "Blues For You," the new album by contemporary jazz guitarist Jeff Golub, on August 25, 2009. “Blue For You” is produced by legendary producer John Porter (Los Lonely Boys, The Smiths, Buddy Guy, etc.), "Blues For You" has Golub exploring the blues and R&B roots that he's developed over years of touring and recording with Rod Stewart, Peter Wolf, John Waite, Dar Williams and more, while keeping a taste of the chart-topping contemporary jazz for which he's become known. "Blues For You" also features Shawn Pelton on drums ("Saturday Night Live" band), Tony Garnier on bass (Bob Dylan), and Kenny White on keyboards (Shawn Colvin, Marc Cohn) to round out the rhythm section. Unlike his previous albums, Golub has four vocal songs on "Blues For You." He enlisted vocalists Billy Squier on the track "Everybody Wants You," Triple-A favorite Mark Cohn on "I Don't Worry About a Thing" and the legendary Peter Wolf on "Rooster Blues" and John Waite on "Lost Mind."

The band recorded this album live at Skyline Recording Studio in Manhattan in about four days, with special guests floating in and out. There is not one fade out ending on the entire record. "Not that we always had a prearranged ending," Golub says. "You can hear how the band is following each other. This can only happen recording a live band made up of musicians who are really listening." Golub has released 6 solo albums and 3 albums as the leader of the instrumental band Avenue Blue. Before becoming an instrumentalist, Jeff worked as a sideman to a number of very successful rock and pop artists. Golub got his first major gig with rocker Billy Squier after relocating to New York from Boston in 1980. He performed with Squier for several years, appearing on 7 albums and 3 world tours. He also spent many years working with iconic singer Rod Stewart, and appeared on 5 world tours and 4 recorded albums.

http://www.kochrecords.com/
http://www.jeffgolub.com/

BARBRA STREISAND - LOVE IS THE ANSWER

Columbia Records has just announced the release of Love Is The Answer, the eagerly-awaited new studio album from Barbra Streisand, available everywhere on Tuesday, September 29. The first full-length collection of new studio recordings from eight-time Grammy award winner Barbra Streisand since 2005's Guilty Pleasures, and first new Barbra Streisand album since Live In Concert 2006, Love Is The Answer presents the artist as a cabaret and jazz singer of emotional clarity, depth and maturity, offering the listener a warm and intimate selection of late night meditations on love's powers, heartbreaks and solaces. Love Is The Answer provided an opportunity for Streisand to work for the first time with the Grammy-winning Canadian jazz artist Diana Krall (piano) and her quartet (guitar, bass, drums) who brought a refined and sensual poignancy to the album's spare and subtle accompaniments. Rounding out the album's smoky after hours ambience with his sublime orchestrations is the legendary songwriter ("The Shadow of Your Smile") and Grammy-winning arranger Johnny Mandel (who worked with Streisand on her 1993 Back to Broadway album and arranged/co-produced Krall's 1998 Grammy-winning When I Look In Your Eyes).

According to the RIAA, Barbra Streisand is the #1 best selling female recording artist in history and the only woman to make the Top 10 all time best selling artists list, which includes Elvis Presley and The Beatles. Over the course of her career, Streisand has recorded 50 gold, 30 platinum and 13 multi-platinum albums. An artist of unparalleled accomplishments in multiple entertainment fields, Streisand has made her mark as an award winning actress of stage and screen, recording artist, concert performer, movie producer, film director, screenwriter and songwriter. Having earned two Oscars (Best Actress and Best Song), five Emmys, 11 Golden Globes, 10 Grammys including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement and Grammy Legend Awards, a special Tony Award (in 1970 as "Star of the Decade"), two Cable Ace and three Peabody awards, she is the only performer to hold honors from all of those institutions. In addition, Streisand is a recipient of the American Film Institute's Life Achievement Award, America's National Medal of Arts and France's Legion of Honor. In December 2008 she became the first female director to receive the prestigious Kennedy Center Honor.

STING - IF ON A WINTER'S NIGHT...

This fall, Sting is preparing to release a new album entitled "If On a Winter's Night..." In collaboration with esteemed producer and arranger, Robert Sadin, "If On a Winter's Night..." features traditional music of the British Isles as its starting point. Sting and guest musicians interpret a stirring collection of songs, carols, and lullabies including The Snow it Melts the Soonest (traditional Newcastle ballad), A Soalin' (traditional English "begging" song) Gabriel's Message (14th century carol), Balulalow (lullaby by Peter Warlock) and Now Winter Comes Slowly (Henry Purcell). Two of Sting's own compositions are also featured on the album, Lullaby for an Anxious Child and The Hounds of Winter, which originally appeared on his previous release Mercury Falling, alongside Hurdy Gurdy Man, -- a musical reworking and English translation (by Sting) of Der Leiermann from Schubert's classic winter song-cycle Winterreise. For this exploration of the themes and emotions of Winter, Sting is joined by friend and long time colleague, guitarist Dominic Miller. Additional guests include an ensemble of three remarkable musicians from Northern England and Scotland: Kathryn Tickell (fiddle and Northumbrian pipes), Julian Sutton (melodeon) and Mary MacMaster (metal string Scottish harp), along with Daniel Hope (violin), Vincent Segal (cello), Chris Botti and Ibrahim Maalouf, (trumpet), Cyro Baptista and Bijan Chemirani (percussion), the Webb Sisters (vocals) and Stile Antico (vocal ensemble). As a solo musician and member of The Police, Sting has sold over 100 million records and received sixteen Grammy Awards for his work. "If On a Winter's Night..." will be released on October 27, 2009 on Deutsche Grammophon.
http://www.sting.com/

NICOLA CONTE - A SWINGING JOURNEY THROUGH THE LOST CLASSICS of 60's POPULAR BRAZILIAN MUSIC

Nicola Conte is one of my most favorite artists of all-time and he's just released a new compilations of lost Brazilian classics. Note that the following is from a great website known as Dusty Groove America. Do check them out if you have a chance. The new Nicola Conte release is an amazing batch of rare 60s bossa nova -- all hand-picked by the mighty Nicola Conte, an artist who definitely shows a strong love of the bossa in his own music! The package digs even deeper than Conte's first volume in the Viagem series -- and brings together loads of rare bits we haven't seen reissued before, mixed with some other killers from the RGE catalog of the 60s -- definitely the farther reaches of bossa recordings in Brazil from the time, and the kind of tunes we're happy to have together in a sweet little set like this! There's loads of groovy rhythms, jazzy instrumentation, and great lead vocals on some of the cuts -- and the collection features 18 gems that include "Bossa Nova" by Bobby McKay, "Balanco Do Mar" by Zil Rozendo, "Ninguem Na Rua" by Dick Farney, "Sem Deus A Familia" by Cesar Roldao Vieira, "Yema Tres" by Tema Tres, "Queimada" by Anamaria Bom, "Miss Bikini" by Marcia with Manfredo Fest Trio, "Se A Treisteza Chegar" by Lygia, "Maria Fulo" by Flora, "Redondo Sambao" by As Meninas, "Consolacao" by Tenorio Jr, "Sambinha" by Vera, "Amanha" by Janinha, "Bossa So" by Sansa Trio, and "Deixa O Morro Cantar" by Claudia.
Source: www.dustygroove.com

CHITOWNSMOOTHJAZZ.COM

I’ve just discovered a new website – ChitownSmoothJazz.com and after a few listens I HIGHLY RECOMMEND this site! This site is in response to a lack of a smooth jazz radio station in Chicago. As you all know, FM radio stations have been dropping the Smooth Jazz format -- including stations in New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco and also Chicago. As these stations flip their formats they are abandoning hundreds of thousands of listeners who love Smooth Jazz music as part of their day. ChitownSmoothJazz.com consists of nine different channels of music, focusing on different styles, instruments, and moods. They also promise to include more channels in the near future, including a 24/7 channel dedicated to Chicago-based artists. They also promise to play far fewer commercials than your standard FM stations. Instead of 8-12 minutes per hour of spots, they will have less than 2 minutes per hour. One of the features of the site is that you can customize the artists we play on your stream via the "Artist list" tab. You can also skip songs you don't like. Another feature is their comprehensive “Now Playing” information, including title, artist, album, composer, year of release, and a link to the Amazon page for the CD that's playing. One real plus is that they have deeper playlists which translate to literally thousands of songs instead of just a few hundred. Also, a greater emphasis on actual jazz artists (i.e., less "pop adult contemporary"). And for those of you from the Chicago area, they also hope to bring back some of your favorite Chicago-based Smooth Jazz air personalities, as the folks behind ChitownSmoothJazz.com have already reached out to them. I truly hope this site becomes a huge success. Enjoy the music!

CHICAGO AFROBEAT PROJCT

Chicago Afrobeat Project, winner of the "Best African Artist" award in the 2009 Chicago Music Awards has added new dates to its 2009 Summer Tour. The tour crosses the U.S. from the West Coast to the Southeast. Known for its blazing live shows, the band blends pulsating funk, aggressive jazz, and rock energy into an explosive stage performance that is classified unmistakably as "American Afrobeat." The group is at the forefront of the afrobeat revival in North America and was recently featured on the compilation album "Rough Guide to Afrobeat Revival."

Chicago Afrobeat Project has released three studio albums to date and is currently working on its fourth for release in autumn, 2009. As a result of its seven-year history, the group's sound has coalesced into a distinct and refreshing interpretation of the afrobeat music pioneered by Fela Kuti in Nigeria in the early '70s. The influence of the genre's politicized and polyrhythmic roots are evident, while the group's urban-crafted musicianship injects an edgy, improvisational element into the song structures. Drummer Marcus Evans (Prefuse 73, Fred Anderson, Nicole Mitchell) and drummer/percussionist Ricardo Gonzalez (Boubacar Diabate) join Chicago Afrobeat Project for the 2009 Summer Tour.

Chicago Afrobeat Project Tour Dates:
June 25 - @The Union Terrace - Madison, WI
June 29 - @Taste of Chicago, World Music Day - Chicago, IL
July 3 - @Quixote's - Denver, CO
July 4 - @Whistler's - Nederland, CO
July 6 - @Exchange Place Plaza - Salt Lake City, UT
July 7 - @Reef - Boise, ID
July 8 - @The Good Foot - Portland, OR
July 9 - @Eastside Club Tavern - Olympia, WA
July 10 - @Oregon Country Fair - Veneta, OR
July 11 - @Downtown Bend Festival - Bend, OR
July 12 - @Red Fox Tavern - Eureka, CA
July 13 - @Yoshi's - San Francisco, CA
July 15 - @Moe's Alley - Santa Cruz, CA
July 16 - @Zanzibar - Santa Monica, CA
July 18 - @Truckee Park Amphitheater - Truckee, CA
July 25 - @Tabfest - Mendon, OH
July 26 - @Celebrate Clark Street Festival - Chicago, IL
August 5 - @Studio on 4th - Reno, NV
August 6 - @Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
August 7 - @Dancin' in the Streets Festival - Denver, CO
August 8 - @Zoo Bar - Lincoln, NE
August 11 - @Millennium Park - Chicago, IL
August 12 - @ Mulberry Mountain Festival - Ozark, AR
August 13 - @ Mercy Lounge - Nashville, TN
August 14 - @Emerald Lounge - Asheville, NC
August 15 - @World Grotto - Knoxville, TN

LAURA IZIBOR - LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD

Atlantic recording artist Laura Izibor has released her much anticipated debut album, "Let The Truth Be Told," today in the U.S. The album, which features the hit single, "From My Heart To Yours," is already shaping up as a breakthrough hit for the Dublin-based singer. The song is currently ascending the airplay charts at multi-format radio outlets nationwide, including Urban Mainstream and Urban AC, where it has just bulleted into the Top 10. Izibor has drawn tremendous praise in a wide range of national and international publications, including Rolling Stone, which featured her among its "Artists To Watch." Billboard wrote, "'Let The Truth Be Told'... is personal, real, honest, strong and biblical." Ebony declared Laura to be the "Soul of Ireland," noting that her music "brings to mind the echo of older, soulful songstresses like Aretha Franklin," while Essence hailed Laura "Best New Artist."

In addition, Isibor will hit the road alongside Maxwell which began on June 17th at the DeVos Performance Hall in Grand Rapids, MI. The tour culminates with a coveted slot on the main stage of the Essence Festival on July 4th in New Orleans, LA. (See below for full listing of dates.) Laura, a tireless performer, recently finished up a U.S. tour supporting India.Arie, and has shared the stage with such greats as Aretha Franklin, Al Green, John Legend, James Brown, Angie Stone, and Atlantic labelmate Estelle.

In the UK, The Guardian singled out Izibor's melodic and lyrical gifts, pointing out that "Let The Truth Be Told" is "full of the kind of catchy tunes that usually mean a record label has spent a mint on expensive writers and producers -- but the writing is all her own work... Her lyrics are more intelligent than your average 21-year-old's -- more sophisticated young woman than gobby teen." Vibe also waxed effusive, naming Laura one of its "Next: Artists On The Verge," and praising "Let The Truth Be Told" as "a marvel -- (Izibor's) killer voice slicing through a passel of breezy R&B."

Izibor -- who is currently featured as Steve Madden Music's "Artist Spotlight" -- has already had her songs included in an array of films and television series, including "Grey's Anatomy," "The Nanny Diaries," "Step Up 2: The Streets," "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married," "Seven Pounds," and MTV's "The Hills." Laura will make her national TV debut performing as part of "CBS Saturday Early Show's" "Second Cup Café" series on June 20th (check local listings).

Born and raised in Dublin, Izibor became enthralled with the sounds of classic soul and R&B at an early age. By 15, she had honed her vocal talent to such a high level that she won Ireland's prestigious RTÉ 2fm Song Contest. It wasn't long before Laura began working on what would ultimately become "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD," recording her self-penned songs in such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dublin. From the sassy "Shine" to the deeply personal "If Tonight Is My Last," "Let The Truth Be Told" is rich with authenticity and passion, its songs revealing Izibor's uniquely heartfelt take on life and love.

For more info click to:
http://www.lauraizibor.com/
www.myspace.com/lauraizibor.

Laura Izibor Tour Dates With Maxwell:
June 17 - Grand Rapids, MI @ DeVos Performance Hall
June 19 - Hammond, IN @ The Venue
June 20 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
June 23 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
June 24 - Vancouver, CAN @ The Centre
June 26 - Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl
June 29 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge
July 1 - Austin, TX @ Bass
July 2 - San Antonio, TX @ Majestic Theatre
July 4 - New Orleans, LA @ Essence Festival @ The Superdome

THE JULY CONCERT CALENDAR

Simply Red @ Vaerket Outdoors, Randers, Denmark, July 1
Maxwell @ Bass, Austin, TX, July 1
King Sunny Ade @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL, July 1
Spyro Gyra @ Smooth Cruises Chelsea Piers, New York, NY, July 1
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Target Center, Minneapolis, MN, July 1
Diana Krall @ Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA, July 2
Maxwell @ Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, TX, July 2
Buddy Guy @ Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, Montreal, QC, July 2
George Benson @ Royal Albert Hall, London, UK, July 2
Diana Krall @ Meadowbrook Pavilion, Gilford, NH, July 3
Simply Red @ Westerpark, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 3
Bettye LaVette @ Muskegon Summer Celebration, Muskegon, MI, July 3
Bela Fleck @ Caramoor Festival, Katonah, NY, July 3
King Sunny Ade @ Rothbury Festival, Rothbury, MI, July 3
New York Salsa All Stars @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 3
Oscar D’Leon @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 3
Dave Valentin @ Auditorium Starvinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 3
Kirk Whalum @ Utsikten Conference Center, Nynanshamn, Sweden, July 3
Al Green, Anita Baker, Beyonce, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Brand New Heavies, Eric Benet, John Legend, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, Robin Thicke, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Teena Marie, Zap Mama @ 15th Annual Essence Music Festival, New Orleans Superdome, New Orleans, LA, Jul 3-5
Simply Red @ Foret National, Brussels, Belgium, July 4
Bettye LaVette @ Comerica CityFest, Detroit, MI, July 4
King Sunny Ade @ Harbourfront Centre, Toronto, ON, July 4
Richie Havens @ Finch Park, Ramsey, NJ, July 4
Bela Fleck @ City Festival, Dayton, OH, July 4
Buddy Guy @ Taste if Chicago, Chicago, IL, July 4
Santana @ B’estfest Festival, Bucharest, Romania, July 4
Steely Dan @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 4
Joe Cocker @ Atlantic City Hilton, Atlantic City, NJ, July 4
Simply Red @ Markplatz, Lingen, Germany, July 5
Buddy Guy @ Comerica CityFest, Detroit, MI, July 5
King Sunny Ade @ Festival International de Jazz de Montreal, Montreal, QC, July 5
Richie Havens @ Concerts Under the Stars, King of Prussia, PA, July 5
Bela Fleck @ Summerstage, New York, NY, July 5
Herbie Hancock @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 5
Santana @ Kuracesna Arena, Istanbul, Turkey, July 6
Bela Fleck @ Stone Mountain Arts Center, Brownfield, ME, July 6
Victor Wooten @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 6
Stanley Clarke @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 6
Marcus Miller @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 6
Simply Red @ Parkuhne, Hannover, Germany, July 7
King Sunny Ade @ Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT, July 7
Bill Evans @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 7
Creed Taylor @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 7
Airto @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 7
Hubert Laws @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 7
Jamie Cullum @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 7
Flora Purim @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 7
CTI All Star Band 2009 @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 7
Diana Krall @ Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, July 8
Santana @ Kallimarmaro Stadium, Athens, Green, July 8
Kirk Whalum @ Eden Rock Hotel, Miami Bach, FL, July 8
Bettye LaVette @ Common Ground Music Festival, Lansing, MI, July 8
Alex Bugnon, Paul Taylor @ Smooth Cruises Chelsea Piers, New York, NY, July 8
Chris Botti @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, July 9
Buddy Guy, Bettye LaVette @ Quadcentennial Festival, Burlingtn, VT, July 9
David Sanborn @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 9
Raphael Saadiq @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 9
Steve Winwood @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 9
Chris Botti @ The Nugget, Sparks, NV, July 10
Bettye LaVette @ North Carolina Museum Of Art, Raleigh, NC, July 10
Santana @ Olympiako Skopje CityStadium, Skopje, Republic of Macedonia July 10
Buddy Guy @ Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH, July 10
King Sunny Ade @ Ottawa Bluesfest, Ottawa, ON, July 10
Baba Maal @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 10
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillio, Houston, TX, July 10
Monty Alexander @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 10
Ernest Ranglin @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 10
Third World @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 10
Leela James @ The Keswick, Philadelphia, PA, July 11
Angelique Kidjo @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 10-11
Diana Krall @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA, July 11
King Sunny Ade @ Quebec City International Summer Fest, Quebec City, QC, July 11
Dianne Reeves @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 11
Santana @ Youth Festival, Belgrade, Serbia, July 11
Ashford & Simpson @ Carter Barron Amphitheater, Washington, DC. July 11
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX, July 11
Simone @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 11
Grace Jones @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 11
Lizz Wright @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 11
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Thornton Winery, Temecula, CA, July 11-12
Chris Botti @ Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA, July 11-12
Bobby Caldwell @ The Rrazz Room, San Francisco, CA, June 11-14
Santana @ Varazdin Stadium, Croatia, July 12
Kirk Whalum @ RIT Inn & Conference Center, Rochester, NY, July 12
King Sunny Ade @ Music Haven, Schenectady, NY, July 12
Maxwell @ Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN, July 12
Susan Tedeschi @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 12
Sly & Robbie @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 12
Kenny Babyface Edmonds @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 13
Maxwell @ Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY, July 13
Bill Laswell Presents Methods Of Defiance @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 12
B.B. King @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 12
Chris Botti @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, July 13
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Sandia Amphitheatre, Sandia, NM, July 13
George Duke @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 13
George Benson @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 13
Rachelle Ferrell @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 13
Lee Ritenour @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 13
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, July 14
Chucho Valdes @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 14
King Sunny Ade @ Wiggins Park, Camden, NJ, July 14
Bill Frisell @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 14
Bettye Lavette @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 14
McCoy Tyner Trio @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 14
Joe Cocker @ Pier Six Pavilion, Baltimore, MD, July 14
Santana @ Trieste Piazza unita d’Italia, Trieste, Italy, July 14
John Scofield Piety Street Band @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 14
Santana @ Piazza della Loggia, Brescia, Italy, July 15
Maxwell @ Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH, July 15
King Sunny Ade @ Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, July 15
Bela Fleck @ City Festival, Quebec City, QC, July 15
Kool & The Gang @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 15
Bobby Caldwell @ Smooth Cruises Chelsea Piers, New York, NY, July 15
Earth Wind & Fire @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 15
Ray Parker Jr. @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 15
Joe Cocker @ Live at the Gardens, Memphis, TN, July 16
Maxwell @ Allen Theatre, Cleveland, OH, July 16
Leon Ware @ The Jazz Café, London, UK, July 16
Madeleine Peyroux @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 16
Allen Toussant @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 16
Santana @ Festival, Kitzbuehel, Austria, July 17
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA, July 17
King Sunny Ade @ 9:30 Club, Washington, DC, July 17
Melody Gardot @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 17
Peter Cincotti @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 17
Richie Havens @ Master Musicians Festival, Somerset, KY, July 17
Seal @ Auditorium Stravinski, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 17
Jeff Beck @ Miles Davis Hall, Montreux Jazz Festival, Switzerland, July 17
Joe, Chico DeBarge @ The Keswick, Philadelphia, PA, July 17
Sax For Stax w/Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright @ Bob Hope Theatre, Stockton, CA, July 17
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Rose Garden Theater Of The Clouds, Portland, OR, July 18
Bela Fleck @ Grass Roots Festival, Trumansburg, NY, July 18
Bettye LaVette @ Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Festival, Sioux Falls, SD, July 18
Simply Red @ Amphitheater, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, July 18
Santana @ City Park Fair, Mainz, Germany, July 18
Mindi Abiar, Peter White, Will Downing @ JazzFest West, San Dimas, CA, July 18
Maxwell @ Heinz, Pittsburgh, PA, July 18
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Weesner Amphitheater, Apple Valley, MN, July 18
Buddy Guy @ Mid-America Center Ribfest, Council Bluffs, IA, July 18
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ JazzFest West. San Dimas, CA, July 18
Simply Red @ Muensterplatz, Ulm, Germany, July 19
Bettye LaVette @ Grand Targhee Folk & Americana Festival, Alta, WY, July 19
Maxwell @ Sheas Performing Arts Center, Buffalo, NY, July 19
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ KIFM Jazz at the Beach Oceanside Pier, Oceanside, CA, July 19
Buddy Guy @ Mile High Music Festival, Commerce City, CO, July 19
Teena Marie @ Bonelli Park, San Dimas, CA, July 19
Santana @ Jazz on the Danube Festival, Straubing, Germany, July 19
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre, Oceanside, CA, July 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ HP Pavillion At San Jose, San Jose, CA, July 21
Santana @ Gerry-Weber Arena, Halle, Germany, July 21
Maxwell @ The Palace, Albany, NY, July 21
Maxwell @ NJ Performing Arts Center, New Jersey, July 22
Santana @ Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany, July 22
Rippingtons @ Smooth Cruises Chelsea Piers, New York, NY, July 22
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA, July 22
Steely Dan @ Wang Theatre, Boston, MA, July 22-25
Richie Havens @ Castle Cltino Battery Park, Tupper Lake, NY, July 23
Santana @ Stadtpark, Hamburg, Germany, July 23
Buddy Guy @ Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA, July 23
Buddy Guy @ Turning Stone Resort, Verona, NY, July 24
Maxwell @ Borgata, Atlantic City, New Jersey, July 24
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ, July 24
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX, July 24
Bobby Caldwell @ Four Seasons Resort, Carlsbad, CA, July 24
Sax For Stax w/Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright @ ArenaTheatre, Houston, TX, July 24
Bettye LaVette @ Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY, July 24
Bettye LaVette @ Blues Under The Bridge, Colorado Springs, CO, July 25
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ House of Blues, Houston, TX, July 25
Santana @ Silverstone Race Track, Northamptonshire, UK, July 25
Buddy Guy @ Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ, July 25
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Joint @ The Hard Rock & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, July 25
Maxwell @ Foxwoods, Foxwoods, CT, July 25
Will Downing @ Country Club Hills, Chicago, IL, July 25
Sax For Stax w/Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright @ Jean Klock Beach, Benton Harbor, MI, July 25
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center, El Paso, TX, July 26
Buddy Guy @ Gathering of the Vibes, Bridgeport, CT, July 26
Charlie Wilson @ The Keswick, Philadelphia, PA, July 26
Sax For Stax w/Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright @ Hideway Park, Winter Park, CO, July 26
Maxwell @ Chrysler Hall, Norfalk, VA, July 27
Maxwell @ Johnny Mercer, Savannah, GA, July 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, CA, July 28
Steely Dan @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, July 28-Aug 1
Sax For Stax w/Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright @ Chene Park Amphitheatre, Detroit, MI, July 29
Sax For Stax w/Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright @ Ameristar Casino, St. Charles, MO, July 30
Maxwell @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Tampa, FL, July 30
Maxwell @ The Knight Center, Miami, FL, July 31
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, July 31
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ California Mid-State Fair, Paso Robles, CA, July 31
Bobby Caldwell @ The Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA, July 31

A CHICAGO-EARTH, WIND & FIRE ALBUM?

Fans of both Chicago and Earth, Wind & Fire should take note that these '70's hitmakers are planning a full-scale collaborative album project. The two groups have been touring together for each of the last couple of summers. In conjunction with their 2009 summer tour, which kicked off June 5 in Orange Beach, Alabama., the two groups put together a special set of songs for download, with proceeds going to World Hunger Year. Chicago recorded a version of Earth, Wind & Fire's "I Can't Let You Go," while Earth, Wind & Fire covered Chicago's "Wishing You Were Here." The two bands then collaborated on a new Earth, Wind & Fire-composed song called "You." Chicago and Earth, Wind &Fire are asking their fans who come to the shows to bring three cans of non-perishable food or $3 -- which will go to local food banks -- in exchange for a download card. The songs can also be accessed by making a donation at EWFandChicago.com. According to a recent interview with Billboard.com, Chicago's Robert Lamm predicted that a Chicago-Earth, Wind & Fre album "would sound big. It obviously has to genetically reflect where the two bands are coming from sonically and writing-wise, but I'm hoping that something new could emerge, something modern, something contemporary that the sum of the two bands is greater than that, so that's my fantasy of what it could be." Lamm further mentioned that he and Chicago's other songwriters were recently in Nashville "doing some recording for our own amusement" with no firm plans for any of those songs yet. The group's Bill Champlin will release a solo album, "No Place Left to Fall," on Aug. 4, while Lamm says he's "always" entertaining ideas for solo projects and has also been in touch with former Chicago bassist Peter Cetera about doing some writing together.

MARK ISHAM & KATE CEBERANO - BITTERSWEET

Academy Award nominated jazz trumpet player and film composer Mark Isham has collaborated with ARIA Award winning Australian vocalist Kate Ceberano to create the new jazz album Bittersweet, a compilation of favorite jazz standards released in the U.S. on May 19, 2009. The album is already the #3 in Australia, where it was released on April 10, 2009 on the Universal Australia label. Bittersweet was recorded and mixed by Bernie Kirsch at Mad Hatter Studios in Hollywood, California, with assistance by Buck Snow and Melissa Kirkland, and mastered by Bernie Grundman at Bernie Grundman Mastering in Hollywood. Mark Isham produced the music, with Donna Isham serving as executive producer. Ceberano's management is Ralph Carr for RCM, with Ben Balfour as production manager. The album photography is by Michael Doven and CD artwork designed by Pierre Baroni.

Mark Isham's musical accomplishments have earned him Grammy, Emmy, Clio, and Academy Award nominations. In addition to his critically acclaimed jazz albums, Isham is known for his groundbreaking electronic music. He is also one of the most celebrated Hollywood film composers today, with credits on over 50 movies, including Crash, Bobby and The Black Dahlia, as well as several television scores.

Kate Ceberano is a multi-platinum and gold selling recording artist. Her soulful vocal style has earned her numerous nominations at the People's Choice Awards, ARIA Awards and the Mo Awards in Australia. The jazz band on Bittersweet, comprised of legendary jazz performers, includes Peter Erskine on drums, Alan Pasqua on piano and Tom Warrington on bass.

The official album site, http://www.bittersweetthealbum.com/, features special offers including the ability to stream 3 songs from the album, view the album's EPK video directed by Michael Doven, enter to WIN a FREE CD, and purchase either the CD, a Hi-Res 96k version for audiophiles, or even the individual audio file stems so that one can remix the album using Apple's Garageband or similar programs.

Quick links:
http://www.bittersweetthealbum.com/
http://www.isham.com/
http://www.kateceberano.com/

BETTYE LAVETTE - A CHANGE IS GONNA COME SESSIONS

Before her appearance at the Presidential Inauguration this past January, singer Bettye LaVette had a sporadic 2009 performance schedule. Now ever since she performed the incredible “A Change Is Gonna Come" along with Jon Bon Jovi, she has amassed a full concert schedule with bookings through next year. Bettye LaVette was born in Muskegon and grew up in nearby Detroit, where she was discovered by Johnnie Mae Matthews, a Detroit record producer. In 1962, at age16, she recorded a single, "My Man - He's A Lovin' Man" with Matthews, which became a hit after Atlantic Records bought distribution rights. Through the years she toured with Clyde McPhatter, Ben E. King, Barbara Lynn and Otis Redding, and even James Brown in her youth. Afterwards, she spent six years on Broadway and touring with the musical Bubbling Brown Sugar opposite Cab Calloway. During the disco years, she managed a small hit "Doin' The Best That I Can". She was signed to Motown and recorded Tell Me A Lie, with the single "Right in the Middle of Falling in Love" which was also a modest hit. Her career took her to the European festival circuit. In 1991, she completed the album Not Gonna Happen Twice for Ian Levine's Motorcity label. Now Bettye follows her amazing performance at Obama's Inagural festivities with her own recorded version of Sam Cooke's "A Change is Gonna Come." The Grammy-nominated singer will release a six song digital EP on iTunes, dubbed "A Change is Gonna Come Sessions" available June 16.

A Change Is Gonna Come Track Listing:
1. “A Change Is Gonna Come” (Sam Cooke)
2. “'Round Midnight” (Thelonious Monk)
3. “God Bless The Child” (Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog)
4. “Lush Life” (Billy Strayhorn)
5. “Ain't No Sunshine” (Bill Withers)
6. “Ain’t That Lovin’ You” (Jimmy Reed)

Bettye LaVette Tour Dates:
June 4 @ Twilight Alive, Kingsport, TN
June 5 @ Riverbend Festival, Chattanooga,TN
June 11 @ The Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, Minneapolis, MN
June 13 @ Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, IL
June 24 @ Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA
June 25 @ NYC Rockin The River Cruise, New York, NY
June 26 @ North By Northwest, Philadelphia, PA
June 28 @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY
July 3 @ Muskegon Summer Celebration, Muskegon, MI
July 4 @ Comerica CityFest, Detroit, MI
July 8 @ Common Ground Music Festival, Lansing, MI
July 9 @ Burlington International Waterfront Festival, Burlington,VT
July 10 @ North Carolina Museum Of Art, Raleigh, NC
July 14 @ Montreux Jazz Festival, Montreux, Switzerland
July 18 @ Sioux Falls Jazz & Blues Festival, Sioux Falls, SD
July 19 @ Grand Targhee Folk & Americana Festival, Alta, WY
July 24 @ Central Park Summerstage, New York, NY
July 25 @ Blues Under The Bridge, Colorado Springs, CO
August 8 @ Sunflower River Blues & Gospel Festival, Clarksdale, MS
August 9 @ San Jose Jazz Festival, San Jose, CA
August 30 @ Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival, San Francisco, CA
August 31 @ Jimmy Mak’s, Portland, OR
September 1 @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA
September 2 @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA
September 4 @ Anthology, San Diego, CA
September 5 @ Long Beach Blues Festival, Long Beach, CA
September 12 @ Playing With Fire, Omaha, NE
September 20 @ Brisbane Festival, Brisbane, Australia
September 21 @ Brisbane Festival, Brisbane, Australia
September 25 @ The Sheldon Concert Hall, St. Louis, MO
September 26 @ Singletary Center For The Arts, Lexington, KY
October 23 @ James Lumber Center For The Performing Art, Grayslake, IL
October 24 @ McAninch Arts Center, Glen Ellyn, IL

2010 Tour Dates
February 2 – Hopkins Center For The Performing Arts, Hopkins, MN
March 12 @ The Community Theatre At Mayo Center, Morristown, NJ
March 18 – Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY
March 19 – Flynn Center For The Performing Arts, Burlington, VTMarch 20 – Quick Center Of The Arts, Fairfield, CT

SANTANA REVISES CONCERT/TOUR DATES

The HDNet Concert Series presents the premiere of "Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior: Live at the Fillmore," Sunday, June 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET. It’s Carlos Santana's unprecedented return to the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, California in 2008. "Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior" features a two hour set of favorites such as "Smooth," "Shapeshifter," "Jingo," and a really cool version of "Superstition."

Santana has also announced some August & September Concert date changes at The Joint At Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Due to scheduling adjustments, the following changes to the upcoming performance schedule for Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through The Hits are as follows: performances originally scheduled for August 26, 27, 29 and 30 have been removed from the schedule. These shows will no longer take place on these dates. Performances scheduled for September 4, 5, 6 and 9 will be performed as scheduled!

Performances on September 11, 12, 14 and 15 will be added to the schedule. Check out http://www.supernaturalsantana.com/ page for additional tour dates, venue information and ticket buy links.

July European Tour dates Announced.
Here are the dates for the Santana July European Tour.
7/4/2009 Bucharest, Romania, B'estfest Festival
7/6/2009 Istanbul, Turkey, Kuracesna Arena
7/8/2009 Athens, Greece, Olympiako Stadium Athenas Spyros Louis
7/10/2009 Skopje, Republic of Macedonia, Skopje CityStadium
7/11/2009 Belgrade, Serbia, Youth Festival
7/12/2009 Croatia, Varazdin Festival
7/14/2009 Trieste, Italy, Trieste Piazza unita d'Italia
7/15/2009 Brescia, Italy, Piazza della Loggia
7/17/2009 Kitzbuehel, Austria, Festival
7/18/2009 Mainz, Germany, City Park Fair
7/19/2009 Straubing, Germany, Jazz on the Danube festival
7/21/2009 Halle, Germany, Gerry-Weber Arena
7/22/2009 Dortmund, Germany, Westfalenhalle
7/23/2009 Hamburg, Germany, Stadtpark
7/25/2009 Northamptonshire, Silverstone Race Track

ZERO 7 - YEAH GHOST

Atlantic recording group Zero 7 have announced the details of their fourth studio album, "Yeah Ghost," which is due at all physical and online retailers in the U.S. on Sept. 8th. "Yeah Ghost" will see Zero 7 (Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns) teaming up with several guest vocalists, including soul/jazz artist Eska Mtungwazi, folk singer/songwriter Martha Tilston, and electronic hip-hop performer Rowdy Superstar. Their first album in three years, "Yeah Ghost" is the follow up to 2006's Grammy-nominated, critically acclaimed "The Garden." Leading up to the album release, Zero 7 will perform at notable European music festivals, including Sudwest in Portugal on August 7th, Pukkelpop in Belgium on August 20th, and Electric Picnic in Ireland on September 4th. Sam Hardaker and Henry Binns first made themselves known as engineers in the late 1990s, working behind the scenes with such artists as Pet Shop Boys and Robert Plant. Teaming up as Zero 7, the duo emerged from the studio and captured the attention of music lovers around the world with their now-classic 2001 debut, "Simple Things." That era-defining collection was followed in 2004 by their acclaimed second album, "When It Falls," along with their contribution ("In The Waiting Line") to the Grammy-winning soundtrack of "Garden State." "The Garden," the group's third album released in 2006, featured appearances by Jose González and Sia Furler, and garnered much praise in the music press for its sunshine-soaked ambient soul.

Yeah Ghost Tracklisting:
1. Count Me Out
2. Mr. McGee
3. Swing
4. Everything Up (Zizou)
5. Pop Art Blue
6. Medicine Man
7. Ghost sYMbOL
8. Sleeper
9. Solastalgia
10. The Road
11. All Of Us

STEELY DAN TOUR DATES

Steely Dan are back on the road this summer season and have scheduled a number of show that will feature select albums. See information below as they will perform the following concerts:

June 9 @ Performing Arts Center,Durham, NC
June 12 @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL
June 13 @ Mizner Park Amphitheatre, Boca Raton, FL
June 15 @ Barbara B. Mann Center, Ft. Meyers, FL
June 18 @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL
June 19 @ The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL
July 22 (Aja) @ Wang Theatre, Boston, MA
July 24 (Gaucho) @ Wang Theatre, Boston, MA
July 25 (Requests) @ Wang Theatre, Boston, MA
July 28 (Aja) @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
July 29 (Gaucho) @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
July 31 (Royal Scam) @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY
August 1 (Requests) @ Beacon Theatre in New York, NY
August 7 @ Foxwoods Casino, Mashantucket, CT
August 8 @ Borgata Hotel, Atlantic City, NJ
August 14 @ Mud Island, Memphis, TN
August 15 @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA
August 21 (Aja) @ Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
August 22 (Gaucho) @ Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
August 24 (Royal Scam) @ Gibson Amphitheatre, Los Angeles, CA
August 25 (Requests) @ Gibson Amphitheatre in Los Angeles CA
August 28 @ Palms, Las Vegas, NV
August 31 (Aja) @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
September 1 (Gaucho) @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
September 3 (Royal Scam) @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL
September 4 (Requests) @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, ILSeptember 6 @ MotorCity Casino, Detroit, MI

KENNY RANKIN: 1940-2009

Musician-songwriter Kenny Rankin, who played guitar on Bob Dylan's landmark 1965 album 'Bringing It All Back Home', died on Sunday (June 7) in Los Angeles. He was 69. Kenny Rankin was a brilliant pop vocalist and highly regarded musician-songwriter whose stylings ranged from jazz to pop to the world music influences he picked up as a child in living in the Washington Heights area of New York.

In addition to being a renowned songwriter he also wrote songs for Peggy Lee (“In The Name Of Love”), as well as "Haven't We Met," performed by Carmen McRae and Mel Torme. Rankin also reworked Beatles tunes, which reportedly impressed Paul McCartney so much he asked him to perform 'Blackbird' when he and John Lennon were inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. Rankin wrote and recorded the pop standard "Peaceful." Rankin had been preparing to record an album of new material when he became ill a few weeks ago. Recording sessions scheduled with producer Phil Ramone were canceled as his health began to deteriorate.

Kenny Rankin signed with Decca in the late 1950s he released a handful of singles before moving on to Columbia Records, also the home of Dylan. There, he took part in the recording of "Bringing it All Back Home," the album in which Dylan moved firmly from an all-acoustic folk music sound to an electric mixture of pop and rock 'n' roll. Soon after, he made his first appearance on "The Tonight Show," where he impressed host Johnny Carson so much that Carson contributed liner notes to Rankin's first album, 1967's "Mind Dusters." Other albums included "Family," ''Like a Seed," ''Inside and "Silver Morning:" He would go on to appear as Carson's "Tonight Show" guest more than 20 times. Rankin spent much of the past 20 years touring, although he returned to the studio in the mid-1990s to release a pair of albums, "Professional Dreamer" and "Here In My Heart." He also released a Christmas album in 1999.

Rankin is survived by his son, two daughters and granddaughter. A memorial service in Los Angeles is expected to take place within the coming days. Here is a list of his recordings: Mind-Dusters (1967); Family (1970); Like a Seed (1972); Inside (1975); Silver Morning (1975); The Kenny Rankin Album (1976); After the Roses (1980); Hiding in Myself (1988); Because of You (1991); Professional Dreamer (1994); Here in My Heart (1997); A Christmas Album (1999); A Song for You (2002); Peaceful: The Best of Kenny Rankin (1996)

JEFFREY OSBOURNE - GREATEST HITS LIVE

E1 Music has announced the release of "Greatest Hits Live!" the first live album ever by R&B superstar Jeffrey Osborne, on July 7th, 2009. This comprehensive collection showcases electrifying renditions of all the Osborne classics from his three decades as a solo artist, and includes songs by the legendary L.T.D. Jeffrey Osborne began his professional singing career in 1969 with the popular funk group L.T.D. After more than ten years with the band, he decided to pursue a solo career. In 1982, Osborne released his self-titled debut album, which featured two hit singles, "On The Wings Of Love" and "I Really Don't Need No Light", peaking at #29 & #39 on the pop chart respectively. This was followed up the next year by Stay With Me Tonight, his first gold album (later reaching platinum album status), which spawned two more hits, "Don't You Get So Mad" (#25) and the title track (#30).Osborne had two more gold albums, Don't Stop and Emotional, the latter of which had his highest charting solo pop hit, "You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song”, which peaked at #13 in 1986. The following year, Osborne had the highest-charting hit of his career on a duet with Dionne Warwick on "Love Power", which reached #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and also topped the Adult Contemporary singles chart. His solo career has garnered Osbourne recorded five gold and platinum albums.

Jeffrey Osbourne – Greatest Hits Live – Track Listing
1. We're Going All The Way
2. Don't You Get So Mad/Don't Need No Light
3. Only Human
4. We Party Hearty
5. Stranger
6. Stay With Me Tonight
7. Close the Door
8. On The Wings Of Love
9. Holding On
10. Concentrate On You
11. We Both Deserve Each Other's Love
12. Love Ballad
13. You Should Be Mine (The Woo Woo Song)
14. Back In Love Again
15. I'll Be Around

KKSF RESPONSE TO SMOOTH JAZZ LISTENERS

Michael Erickson, who works for Clear Channel, which dumped smooth jazz KKSF to make it a greatest hits rock station, has written a response to the 6,400 fans who complained about the move and offered places they could still hear the smooth format. "It's business," says Erickson, who I know as one of the nicest and most genuine guys in the medium. You can still hear the format online, at kksf.com. Another place is on weekends on KISS-FM, 98.1. And lastly, for the two of you who have them, on your HD radio at 98.1 HD-2. There will also be smooth jazz concerts, such as Diana Krall at the Mountain Winery Aug. 18 and 19 and India.Arie June 11. (And there will be smooth blues at next year's Santa Cruz Blues Festival, Memorial Day weekend.)

Here is the text of his note:

Thank you for the over 6,400 responses expressing your frustration, anger, disappointment, and passion for Smooth Jazz and KKSF. After reading over 5,000 of them, to use some of your words, it's time for this idiotic, spineless, moron to respond. Your question, Why? I know it's not popular, but the answer is, it's business. As many of you know, there have been numerous Smooth Jazz stations replaced in many cities around the country, the latest being WNUA in Chicago. Here in the Bay Area, we have a population of over 6 million people. Successful radio stations are determined by which get the most people to listen most often. While we all place a high value on being unique, different, and special, those qualities alone do not always equal success. What research and ratings have definitively shown is there are a lot more people in the Bay Area who enjoy the kind of music that you hear on "The Band" compared to Smooth Jazz. Not thousands, not tens of thousands, but hundreds of thousands more. From a business stand point, the decision was obvious. What made it so difficult were you, the loyal, passionate listeners. While we cannot bring back Smooth Jazz to your FM radio at this time, we have created a way where you can listen to Smooth Jazz in your car, at work, or at home. HD radio. Right now, you can hear all the great Smooth Jazz songs you love, plus personalities like Miranda Wilson, Dave Koz, and Maria Lopez on 98.1 HD-2. We do not make one penny off the purchase of HD radios, this is simply a way to get the music and DJs you love on a radio. To find out about HD radios, click here, or go to KKSF.com and enter the keyword: HD. If you aren't familiar, you can also listen to Smooth Jazz on your iPhone or Blackberry by downloading the free iHeartradio app.KKSF.com will continue to stream Smooth Jazz, as well as provide you with updated concert information and Smooth Jazz news. Many of you have asked if there will be a Summer Jazz Fest in Concord this year, and the answer is YES, we've been told by Live Nation there is one scheduled for August 22nd. We will update you with more information just as soon as we get it.One more Program note: beginning this Sunday June 8th, (and every Sunday) from 8am to 10am you can listen to "Smooth Jazz Weekend" on 98.1 KISS FM. (regular FM radio) This two hour show features the same great Smooth Jazz music you are used to listening to, plus interviews with some of your favorite artists (find out more below). No, this is not supposed to be a replacement for KKSF, just a way to keep Smooth Jazz on the airwaves, and to support the music and artists in the Bay Area.

Michael Erickson
KKSF Program Director

Source: www.examiner.com

WILL DOWNING - CLASSIQUE

Will Downing will release “Classique” a collection of original and cover classic songs on June 16 on the Peak record label. Downing beautifully covers Barry White's 1973 hit “I'm gonna love you just a little more baby;” David Ruffin's 1976 hit “Stature of a fool,” and Marvin Gaye's “Baby I'm for real,” which features the tenor vocals of Phil Perry. “Not that I have anything against artists and what they are doing, but it doesn't last,” Will said about the meaning of the CD, “Classique” which is classic in French. “The music I grew up with are classic songs (now)...their stuff is lasting.”“Classique” (Peak ecords/Concord Music Group) will be in stores June 16, 2009 and marks his 20th anniversary as a recording artist. Aside from those covers songs mentioned some of my other favorites on the album include the foot tapping “More time (Tic Toc),” “Just think about it” and “I won't stop,” which is sure to be a classic love song. Will received production help from his long time friend Rex Rideout.

Will’s start in the business was back in the 80’s when he would work on the albums for Jennifer Holiday, Kool & the Gang, Gerald Albright, Regina Belle and Billy Ocean. He later signed with 4th & Broadway, then Island Records and ended up at Mercury Records. It was at Mercury that he recorded four albums “Love's the place to be,” in 1993; “Moods” in 1995, “Invitation Only” in 1997, and in 2000 he received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Traditional R&B Album for “”All the Man You Need.”

Blurring the line between jazz and classic soul in a musical era that often pushes style over substance, Will Downing has amassed a timeless body of work that has never forced his listeners to make that compromise. The consistent choice of classy style over flashy trends, have fueled the success of a 12 album-two decade long career, with millions of albums sold in countries all over the world. Most of today's performers would be fortunate to accomplish a track record only half as long. As one of the lone surviving mature male vocalists in a youth driven market, this Brooklyn native emerges at the top of his game and continues to expand his fan base with each new musical chapter.

Recognized by the Grammy's and the NAACP Image Awards for his excellence on the stage and in the studio, Will Downing is starting to become equally well known for his talents outside of that realm. Unbeknownst to many of his listeners, Will Downing is a noted and equally skilled photographer. His subjects of choice are his musical contemporaries whom he captures live on-stage or in candid moments behind the curtain.

TEENA MARIE - CONGO SQUARE

Congo Square is Teena Marie's Stax Records debut due and it marks the Grammy nominated singer's 30th year as one the most admired and influential R&B artists of her generation. It's is an ode to all those who came before her like Sarah Vaughan, Curtis Mayfield and Marvin Gaye to name a few. The first single from Teena Marie's long-awaited, forthcoming Stax Records debut "Can't Last A Day" features Faith Evans and is available digitally at iTunes, Amazon MP3 and all other digital retailers. Teena and Faith move back and forth throughout the song with powerful emotion. "Musically, the song has that Gamble & Huff, Teddy Pendergrass, Philadelphia International sound," offered Teena. "It's about that mystical, joined-through-God kind of love...really powerful...like the love I felt when I spoke to my auntie who was married for 57 years, and the love reflected in my mother who was married to my father for 36 years until he died. When she dies she'll be buried next to him. I'm talking about people being together until the end of time. I think we're really missing that level of love today." Teena lights up when describing how Faith became involved in the song, "It was after I had recorded the song I got the idea to put Faith on it. I've always loved Faith and her vocal style. She reminds me of myself, personally and professionally. Of the younger ladies, she's the one I love most."

Capitalizing on the revolutionary changes affecting the music industry, R&B icon Teena Marie has launched a new Internet television presence, Official Teena Marie Tv Network (www.officialteenamarie.tv) to get closer to her fans and be personally involved in the promotion of her soon to be released CD, "Congo Square." Assisting and guiding her in this effort is Internet television guru, Mario Hemsley of Pax Stereo Tv (www.paxstereo.tv). According to Mario, this is a match made in the stars. "Teena Marie is uniquely suited for the types of campaigns that we have been launching lately" he points out. "She already is tweeting and messaging throughout the day, and she also has multiple two-way conversations going on all the time. Now, with our application, fans can listen in and even participate whenever they desire." Music industry veteran Danielle Holland is Pax Stereo's VP of Marketing, Promotion & Public Relations, and is personally overseeing the launch of the Official Teena Marie Tv Network. "We are working closely with Teena's staff to make this transition to new media as smooth as possible. Mario sets it all up so that from the beginning everything is up, integrated and working, which makes it easy for me to hit the ground running." An added perk is getting to see results unveil in real-time using the latest in Twitter monitoring technology. This is a new twist Danielle insists she loves. "We setup the client to see the results of our efforts in real-time wherever they are in the world. They are always connected, and always in control." She smiles, "but seeing it in action is something else entirely."

Scheduled for this Monday, June 8th, at 10AM PST is the Official Grand Opening of the Internet "Tv" ("Tv"=Internet Television) network, with the first broadcast being the songstress' live in-studio appearance on Pax Stereo Tv's "Morning Coffee with Mario" (www.paxstereo.tv/morningcoffee). The live streaming special event is being simulcast over the Internet to both Pax Stereo Tv and the Official Teena Marie Tv Network. Mario reminds everyone that this is a "take home" package. "Everyone can go the the channel, grab the embed code, and put Teena Marie's broadcasts on their Facebook, MySpace, or wherever they want. Everything is designed to go viral."

While results are already being felt, additional plans are underway for the future streaming of live free concerts from Teena Marie's home specifically packaged for her legion of loyal fans. Victor Allen, who is directs, films and produces many of the programs at Pax Stereo Tv is looking forward to making as much of Teena available as possible. "Teena is a videographer herself, so I am really looking forward to all of the content she already has, as well as the upcoming intimate live performance video footage."

The "Congo Square" CD is scheduled for release on June 9th, 2009 on Stax Records. Pax Stereo is a member of the YouTube Partner Program, and has had over 1.8 million views of their original content on Youtube (www.youtube.com/paxstereo).

Teena Marie CONGO SQUARE Tour Dates
5/8 Constitution Hall - Washington D.C.
5/9 City Boardwalk Hall - Atlantic City, NJ
5/10 Beacon Theater - New York, NY
5/25 Stone Soul Picnic (KBLX) - Sleep Train Performance - Concord, CA
6/21 Philly West Oak Lane Jazz and Arts Festival - Philadelphia, CA
7/5 Essence Festival - Louisiana Superdome - New Orleans, LA
7/19 Bonelli Park – San Dimas, CA
8/8 Spirit Fest - Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD
8/29 Country Club Hills - Chicago, IL 8/30 Fox Theater - Detroit, MI
9/4 Spirit Mountain Casino - Grand Ronde, OR
9/26 Viejas Casino & Resort - Alpine, CA

PETER SMITH - HERE IT COMES

Jazz pianist and composer, Peter Smith, has released his long-awaited debut album "Here It Comes," featuring Molly Ringwald. The album has already received considerable critical acclaim.." You might remember Molly Ringwald as the superb actress in countless films, but few know that her singing career began when she was a little girl, making her recording debut with her Jazz pianist father, Robert Ringwald. More recently, she led the Broadway cast of "Cabaret," and the national tour of "Sweet Charity." Peter is the musical director of her ensemble, and the musicians on this album comprise Molly's "working band." Much of the original music here was tried and tested on the bandstand as "opening numbers" for Molly's performances. Although Molly only sings on two tracks, she is, essentially, the impetus for this group and this album.

The musicians' contributions on "Here It Comes" are superlative. Charles Owens, Allen Mezquida, Trevor Ware, and Clayton Cameron play with great fluidity and effortless mastery. Every track commands attention, but a selected sampling should include the following: "Put My Fears to Rest" is the gem of the album, interpreted by Patrice Quinn. "Once Again" swings in the classic, "Art Blakey" style. "Mean Streets" features the incomparable brush-work of Clayton Cameron, and "Blues for LeDonne" is a real "tap-your-foot" blues, inspired by Mike LeDonne. "My Daughter" plays like an art song. "I Just Want to Be with You," which Smith and Ringwald co-composed, harkens back to the sweet standards of old, and Allen Mezquida's gorgeous alto solo reminds one that the "walking ballad" is not a lost art.

Peter Smith – Here It Comes - Tracklisting
1. Once Again (P. Smith)
2. I'll Take Romance (B. Oakland/ O. Hammerstein)
3. Mean Streets (aka "Verdandi"-- T. Flanagan)
4. I'm in the Mood for Love (D. Fields/ J. McHugh)
5. I Just Want to Be with You (M. Ringwald/ P. Smith)
6. Webs (A. Mezquida)
7. My Daughter (P. Smith)
8. Blues for LeDonne (P. Smith)
9. Put My Fears to Rest (P. Smith)
10. Here it Comes (P. Smith)

Album Credits:
Molly Ringwald (vocal, 2, 5)
Patrice Quinn (vocal, 9)
Allen Mezquida (alto sax, 1,2,5,6,7,10)
Charles Owens (tenor sax and flute, 1,2, 6, 7, 9, 10)
Peter Smith (piano; vocal, 4, 7)
Trevor Ware (bass)
Clayton Cameron (drums)

eMUSIC TO FEATURE SONY MUSIC CATALOG

eMusic, the internet's corner music store, and Sony Music Entertainment have announced that they have reached an agreement to sell songs from Sony Music's back catalog on the eMusic website. Beginning in the third quarter, eMusic will offer its U.S. subscribers classic recordings from all Sony Music labels, such as Arista, Columbia, Epic, Jive, LaFace, Legacy Recordings and RCA, including artists such as Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, Jeff Buckley, Johnny Cash, Leonard Cohen and OutKast. The agreement covers music that is two years old or more. Additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.

eMusic offers music fans a deeper, more immersive alternative to mass market digital music stores and will present Sony Music artists with the same award-winning editorial focus that it brings to its current catalog. The site, geared to adults over the age of 25, will contextualize albums and songs from Sony Music's renowned artists, drawing meaningful connections between "major" and "indie" artists, and featuring in-depth discographies and collections built around genres and themes.

"We welcome the opportunity to expand the reach of Sony Music catalog artists online to include eMusic's large and passionate subscriber base. We look forward to working with them to promote discovery and sales of all the great music available from Sony Music's recent past and legendary history," said Thomas Hesse, President, Global Digital Business, U.S. Sales and Corporate Strategy.

"We're excited to bring Sony Music's vast catalog of music to eMusic's customers," said Danny Stein, eMusic CEO and Chairman. "First and foremost, eMusic is about a quality customer experience. We are eager to bring eMusic's in-depth approach and curatorial excellence to these incredible recordings -- as we've done for independent labels for the last 10 years."

eMusic launched in 1998 and was one of the first digital music services to sell MP3 download and the first to launch a download-to-own subscription service for music in 2000. Its subscription pricing offers the ability to download 24 tracks for as little as $11.99 per month.

SANTANA: MULTI-DIMENSIONAL WARRIOR: LIVE AT THE FILLMORE

The HDNet Concert Series premieres "Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior: Live at the Fillmore," Sunday, June 7 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Carlos Santana's unprecedented return to the legendary Fillmore in San Francisco, California in 2008 is his fan's greatest opportunity to see the enigmatic axe man in a rare and intimate setting, what many consider to be his greatest homecoming. Santana has captivated audiences since first taking the stage at the Fillmore West Theater on June 16, 1968 - many of the band members were high school friends. Carlos Santana, with his signature Latin-tinged guitar, experienced critical and commercial success in the 60's and 70's and returned to prominence with a literal "who's-who" of guests on his massively successful, Grammy Award winning album "Supernatural." The album became his best seller. Santana then released "Shaman" in 2005. "Santana: Multi-Dimensional Warrior" features a two hour set of favorites such as "Smooth," "Shapeshifter," "Jingo," and a breath-taking version of "Superstition." on HDNet.

HDNet is a network that is original, thinks independently and delivers unique content and provocative, authentic programming that appeals to men of all ages, delivered in true high definition. HDNet is the exclusive, high definition home for popular, original programming, including television's only HD news feature programs "HDNet World Report," and the Emmy Award winning "Dan Rather Reports," featuring legendary journalist Dan Rather. Only HDNet goes beyond the headlines to deliver real news that is redefining the way we look at our world. HDNet News is provocative, sometimes controversial and always relevant - telling the important stories of our time in-depth, with attitude and with independence. HDNet also delivers the world's largest and most diverse concert line-up through the HDNet Concert Series. The HDNet Concert Series features leading artists and bands including Coldplay, Gwen Stefani, John Mayer and more. HDNet also features revealing lifestyle programming featuring "Art Mann Presents," "Vegas Confessions," "Deadline" and "Get Out!" HDNet is also the exclusive high definition home to critically acclaimed and award winning documentaries as part of the InFocus series. "NASA on HDNet" presents all live shuttle launches through 2010.

NEW RELEASES FROM U-NAM, VANESSA WILLIAMS, S-TONE INC., JOCELYN BROWN, BOOKER T. JONES & MORE...

Afrozone Orchestra – Future Afrobeat/Tongana (Soultronik)
Allen Toussaint – The Bright Mississippi (Nonesuch)
Anita Baker – The Best Of Anita Baker (Atlantic/Rhino)
B.B. King – Live At Montreux 1993 DVD Eagle Rock)
Barry White – Just For You (Island/Mercury)
Big Bad Voodoo Daddy – Hob Big Can You Het? A Tribute To Cab Calloway (Vanguard)
Blood, Swaeat & Tears – Blood, Sweat & Tears 4 – Remasted (Columbia)
Booker T. Jones – Potato Hole (Anti)
Buju Banton – Rasta Got Soul (Gargamel)
Burnt Sugar – Making Love To The Dark Ages (Livewired)
Caetano Veloso – Zii & Zee (Universal Brazil)
Carlos Nino – High With A Little Help From My Friends (Kindred Spirits)
Carlos Nino & Miquel Atwood-Ferguson – Suite For Ma Dukes (Mochilla)
Chicago – Chicago Transit Authority (Rhino)
Chicago – Chicago II (Rhino)
City Champs – Safecracker (Electrophonic)
Dee Alexander – Wild Is The Wind (Blujazz)
Diana Krall – Quiet Nights (Verve)
Diana Ross – Reach Out And Touch: The Very Best Of Diana Ross – Vinyl (Motown)
Down To The Bone – Future Boogie (Shanachie)
Duane Williams – These Songs Are For You (Soul Junction)
El Michaels Affair – Walk On By (Truth & Soul)
Frank Sinatra –My Way: 40th Anniversary Edition – Remastered/Bonus Tracks (Concord)
Frank Sinatra – Classic Sinatra II (Capitol/EMI)
Frank Sinatra – Live At The Meadowlands – Unreleased Tracks (Concord)
Freddie Hubbard – Without A Song: Live In Europe 1969 (Blue Note)
Gianni Basso & Irion De Paula – Recado Bossa Nova (Déjà vu)
Harry Belafonte – The Early Years At Capitol Records (DRG)
Iggy Pop – Preliminaires (Astralwerks)
Ike & Tina Turner – The Collection (Capitol)
Incognito – Live At The Java Jazz Fest Jakarta - DVD (I-Music)
Indigo Trio – Anaya (Rogue Art)
Jabberloop – Check This Out (Sony)
Jazz Liberatorz – Fruit Of The Past (KIF)
Jocelyn Brown – One From The Heart (Warners)
Jose Feliciano Band - The Paris Concert - DVD (I-Music)
Jose Roberto Betrami & His Modern Sound – Aventura (Far Out)
Kyle Eastwood – Metropolitan (Rendezvous)
Liza Minnelli – The Capitol Years (Capitol/EMI)
Lorenzo Tucci – Touch (Schema)
Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell – United – Vinyl (Motown)
Melissa Morgan – Until I Met You (Telarc)
Melody Gardot – My One And Only Thrill (Verve)
Melvin Gibb – Elevated Entity (Ancients Speak)
Michael McDonald – Soundstage: A Tribute To Motown Live - DVD (Koch)
Miles Davis – The New Miles Davis Quintet (Prestige)
Moleskins – Dedication (Lights Out)
Nomo – Invisible Cities (Ubiquity)
Nostalgia 77 – Nostalgia 77 Sessions (Tru Thoughts)
Oleta Adams – Let’s Stay Here (E1 Music)
Perry Robinson & Buton Greene – Two Voices In The Desert (Tzadik)
Quasimodo & Others – Golden Works (Geneon)
Quiet Nights Orchestra – Chapter One (Lights Out)
Ray Charles – A Message From The People – Remastered (Concord)
Ray Charles – Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music, Volumes 1 & 2 (Concord)
S-Tone Inc. – Moon In Libra (Schema)
Shirley Bassey – The Collection (Capitol)
Simply Red – The Greatest Video Hits DVD (EMI)
Sly & Robbie – Live 86 (MVD Audio)
Smokey Robinson – A Quiet Storm – Vinyl (Motown)
Solomon Burke – Essential Recordings: It Don’t Get Better Than This (Rounder)
Sonny Rollins - Reel Life (OJC)
Soothsayers – One More Reason (Soothsayers)
Sophie Millman – Take Love East (E1 Entertainment)
Stefania Rava – Send In The Clowns (Déjà vu)
Stevie Wonder – Songs In The Key Of Life – Vinyl (Motown)
Sweet Vandals – Lovelite (Unique)
Tortured Soul – Did You Miss Me (Tortured Soul)
U-Nam – Unanimity (Trippin N Rhythm)
Vanessa Williams – The Real Thing (Concord)
Various Artists – Smooth Jazz Number Ones (Concord)
Wigald Boning – Jet Set Jazz (Compost)

THE JUNE CONCERT LISTINGS

Chris Botti @ Symphony Hall, Boston, MA, June 3
Joe Cocker @ The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, June 3
Chris Botti @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, June 4
Bettye LaVette @ Twilight Alive, Kingsport, TN, June 4
Anthony Hamilton @ Nokia Live Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 4
The Sax Pack @ The Claremont, Berkeley, CA, June 5
Bettye LaVette @ The Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant, Minneapolis, MN, June 5
Diana Krall @ Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT, June 5
Buddy Guy @ Spirit of Suwannee Park, Live Oak, FL, June 5
Richie Havens @ Narrows Center, Falls River, MA, June 5
Joe Cocker @ Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Amphitheater At The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL. June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre At Encore Park. Atlanta, GA, June 6
Chris Botti @ Conference Center, Monterey, CA, June 6
Richie Havens @ One Longfellow Square Portland, ME, June 6
James Taylor @ 02 Arena, London, UK, June 6
Joe Cocker @ Humphrey’s, San Diego, CA, June 6
Anthony Hamilton @ Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA, June 6
Will Downing @ Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD, June 6
Regina Belle @ Capital Music Festival, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD, June 6
Joe Cocker @ Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, June 7
Diana Krall @ Flynn Center, Burlington, VT, June 7
The Sax Pack @ Clark County Amphitheater, Las Vegas, NV, June 8
Joe Cocker @ Botanic Gardens, Denver, CO, June 9
Diana Krall @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, June 9
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, June 9
Steely Dan @ Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC, June 9
Joe Cocker @ Sandia Casino Amphitheatre, Alburquerque, NM, June 10
Diana Krall @ ArtPark, Lewiston, NY, June 10
Laura Isibor @ Pontiac Garage @ HOB, Dallas, TX, June 10
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Merriweather Post Pavillion, Washington, DC, June 10
Joe Cocker @ Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort, Mescalero, NM, June 11
Anthony Hamilton @ Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH, June 11
King Sunny Ade @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, June 11
Bela Fleck @ Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC, June 11
Bobby Caldwell @ The Rrazz Room at The Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, CA, June 11-14
The Sax Pack @ Jazz in the Wood, Overland Park, KS, June 12
Bela Fleck, King Sunny Ade @ Bonnaroo, Manchester, TN, June 12
Anthony Hamilton @ Opera House, Detroit, MI, June 12
Steely Dan @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, June 12
Laura Isibor @ Vinyl, Atlanta, GA, June 12
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ, June 12-13
Joe Cocker @ Winstar Casino, Thackerville, OK, June 13
Bettye LaVette @ Chicago Blues Festival, Chicago, IL, June 13
Bela Fleck @ Thirsty Ear Festival, Sante FE, NM, June 13
Steely Dan @ Minzer Partk Amphitheatre, Bosa Raton, FL, June 13
Buddy Guy @ Elk Creek Vineyards, Owenton, KY, June 13
Diana Krall @ Bank of American Pavilion, Boston, MA, June 13
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Jazz In The Woods – Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS, June 13
Regina Belle @ Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, June 13
Anthony Hamilton @ Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago, IL, June 13
Joe Cocker @ Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX, June 14
Bela Fleck @ Red Butte Gardens, Salt Lake City, UT, June 14
Kenny G, King Sunny Ade @ Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood, CA, June 14
Diana Krall @ Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI, June 14
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Bethel Performing Arts Center, Bethel, NY, June 14
Joe Cocker @ Arena Theatre, Houston, TX, June 15
Steely Dan @ Barbara B. Mann Center, Ft. Myers, FL, June 15
Laura Isibor @ World Café Live, Philadelphia, PA, June 15
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Agganis Arena, Boston, MA, June 16
Anthony Hamilton @ New Jersey Performing Arts, Newark, NJ, June 16
King Sunny Ade @ Belly Up, Solana Beach, CA, June 16
Laura Isibor @ Kennedy Center Millenium Stage, Washington, DC, June 16
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, June 17
Maxwell @ DeVos Performance Hall, Grand Rapids, MI, June 17
Laura Isibor @ SOB’s, New York, NY, June 17
Bela Fleck @ Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ, June 17
Kirk Whalum, John Stoddard @ Healing Center Baptist Church, Memphis, TN, June 17
Tower Of Power @ Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI, June 18
King Sunny Ade @ Lobero Theatre, Santa Barbara, CA, June 18
Steely Dan @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustin, FL, June 18
Anthony Hamilton @ WaMU Theatre At Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, June 18
Tower Of Power @ Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester, NY, June 19
Peter White @ KIFM Jazz At The Beach, Oceanside, CA, June 19
Buddy Guy @ Mountain Stage, Charleston, WV, June 19
Steely Dan @ The Wharf, Orange Beach, A:, June 19
King Sunny Ade @ The Independent, San Francisco, CA, June 19
Maxwell @ The Venue/Horsehoe Hammond, Hammond, IN, June 19
Will Downing @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, June 19
Mindi Abair @ Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA, June 19
Diana Krall @ Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 19
Richie Havens @ Stephens Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY, June 19
Anthony Hamilton @ DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, June 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ MGM Grand Theater At Foxwoods, Ledyard, CT, June 19
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Calvin Theatre, Northampton, MA, June 19
Bela Fleck @ Telluride Music Festival, Telluride, CO, June 19, 21
Laura Isibor @ Joe’s Pub, New York, NY, June 20
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Berklee College of Music, Boston, MA, June 20
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY, June 20
King Sunny Ade @ Truckee Regional Parl, North Tahoe, CA, June 20
Buddy Guy @ Showboat, Atlantic City, NJ, June 20
Tower Of Power @ West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival, Philadelphia, PA, June 20
Maxwell @ Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, June 20
Kenny G @ Mable House Barnes Amphitheater, Mableton, Georgia, June 20
Diana Krall @ Borgata Spa & Resort, Atlantic City, NJ, June 20
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, June 21
Simply Red @ Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, UK, June 21
King Sunny Ade @ Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Boonville, CA, June 21
Diana Krall @ Telos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA, June 21
Buddy Guy @ Filence Center, Vienna, VA, June 21
Teena Marie @ Philly West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival, Philadelphia, PA, June 21
Anthony Hamilton @ Pier Six Pavilion, Baltimore, MD, June 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Value City Arena At Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH, June 21
Tower Of Power @ Foxwoods MGM Grand Theater, Mashantucket, CT, June 21
Laura Isibor @ House Of Blues, Chicago, IL, June 22
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN, June 23
Buddy Guy @ Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah, GA, June 23
King Sunny Ade @ Winspear Centre, Edmonton, AB, June 23
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Rams Head, Annapolis, MD, June 23
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, June 24
Maxwell @ Paramount, Seattle, WA, June 24
King Sunny Ade @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB, June 24
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI, June 24
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Manchester Men Arena, UK, June 24
Buddy Guy @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA, June 24
Bettye LaVette @ Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, June 24
Kenny G @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, June 25
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT, June 25
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Birmingham NIA Arena, UK, June 25
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Allstate Arena, Chicago, Il, June 25
Will Downing @ Chene Park, Detroit, MI, June 25
Anthony Hamilton @ Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, June 25
Bettye LaVette @ NYC Rockin’ The River Cruise, New York, NY, June 25
Bettye LaVette @ North By Northwest, Philadelphia, PA, June 26
Maxwell @ Pearl, Las Vegas, NV, June 26
Buddy Guy @ Saskatchewan Jazz Festival, Saskatoon, SK, June 26
Richie Havens @ Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, Bayfield, WI, June 26
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Montreal Jazz Festival, Montreal, QC, June 26
George Benson, Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds. Ledisi, Jazz Attack feat. Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 26
Anthony Hamilton @ Bell Auditorium, Augusta, GA, June 26
King Sunny Ade @ Vancouver International Jazz Fest, Vancouver, BC, June 26
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Fraze Pavillion for the Performing Arts, Kettering, OH, June 26
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Cardiff CIA, UK, June 27
The O’Jays, Michael McDonald @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 27
Richie Havens @ Calumet Theatre, Calumet, MI, June 27
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Feihofers Jazz Festival, Saratoga, NY, June 27
Diana Krall @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL, June 27
Joe Cocker @ Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, MO, June 27
Regina Belle @ St. Kitts Music Festival, Warner Park Stadium, St. Kitts, WI, June 27
Peter White, Mindi Abair @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Simply Red @ Heroes’ Square, Budapest, Hungary, June 27
King Sunny Ade @ Jazz Fest International, Victoria, BC, June 27
Anthony Hamilton @ BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL, June 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ South Coast Winery, Temecula, CA, June 27
Patti LaBelle, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez, Dred Scott Trio, Wallace Roney Quintet, John Ellis Quintet @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 27
George Benson, Bettye LaVette, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Bonerama, Aaron Parks, Julian Lage @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Ottawa Jazz Fest, Ottawa, ON, June 28
Maxwell @ BET Awards, Los Angeles, CA, June 28
Anthony Hamilton @ Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC, June 28
Diana Krall @ Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI, June 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO, June 28
Patti LaBelle, Robin Thicke, Chuck Brown, Keiko Matsui @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 28
George Benson @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Wembley Arena, London, UK, June 28
Joe Cocker @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL, June 28
Maxwell @ Dodge, Phoenix, AZ, June 29
King Sunny Ade @ Triple Door, Seattle, WA, June 29
Gary Burton, Pat Metheny Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez @ Toronto Jazz Festival, Toronto, ON, June 30
Joe Cocker @ Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH, June 30
King Sunny Ade @ Weesner Amphitheatre, Apple Valley, MN, June 30
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire, Buddy Guy @ Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI, June 30

BRIAN CULBERTSON TO HOST WEEKDAY MORNING SMOOTH JAZZ RADIO SHOW

The Broadcast Architecture Smooth Jazz Network has just announced that Smooth Jazz musician, producer and broadcaster Brian Culbertson will be the new weekday morning drive air talent for the Network, effective immediately. Brian has been the acclaimed weekend morning host for the Network since early 2007, and the transition to hosting the coveted 6-10AM weekday slot.

Culbertson joins radio veteran Miranda Wilson (mid-days), Smooth Jazz icon Dave Koz (afternoon drive), and radio vet Maria Lopez in the Network's lineup. The Network's weekend lineup is enhanced by the addition of Allen Kepler 6-10AM, with "Smooth Jazz Weekend" and "The Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown", followed by the best-selling instrumentalist of all time, Kenny G (10AM-2PM), Grammy winner Norman Brown (2-7PM), and hit music legend Paul Hardcastle (7PM-12M). Based on this information it would appear that he is replacing Ramsey Lewis.

Recently named the "2009 International Instrumentalist of the Year" at the Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards, Culbertson (a keyboardist, trombonist, writer, arranger, and producer) is considered by many to be the most exciting live performing instrumentalist on the scene today.

Inspired by his father, music educator Jim Culbertson, Brian Culbertson has been a fast and fierce study of music, gravitating to all styles of dynamic music. Since his 1994 debut Long Night Out, Brian has been credited with bringing a youthful yet no less masterful energy to popular instrumental music with hit albums and singles. His sixth album Nice & Slow (2001) topped Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart for six weeks straight. And its follow-up, Come on Up (2003) included his blazing cover of Earth Wind & Fire's "Serpentine Fire," impressing Maurice White enough to want to work with him. The proof is all over his milestone tenth project, Bringing Back The Funk, a historic and completely unprecedented revisiting to the land of the sho' nuff uncut `70s-style funk of ages.

Adding to the excitement of Brian's weekday morning drive debut, he and Network partner Dave Koz are embarking on their "Dave Koz and Brian Culbertson Side by Side Tour" this summer, where they are sure to meet up with their legions of listeners and fans.

Broadcast Architecture, the world's leading Smooth Jazz research and consulting firm, launched the Smooth Jazz Network in January of this year. Smooth Jazz Network programming is heard in over 30 Markets in the U.S. and Worldwide.

Listen to Brian on the Smooth Jazz Network on the following stations:
Anchorage, AK - 105.7 / KNIK
Augusta, GA - 92.3 / WAEG
Chicago, IL - 87.7 / WLFM
Cincinnati, OH - 1480 AM / WCIN
Columbus, OH - 103.5 / WJZA
Green Bay, WI - 97.3 / WAUN
Honolulu, HI - 101.1 / KORL
Lansing, MI - 92.9 / WJZL
Lexington, KY - 102.1 / WKYL
Milwaukee, WI - 106.9 / WJZX
Norfolk, VA - 107.7 / WJCD
Oklahoma City, OK - 103.7 / KOCD
Polson, MT - 1340 AM / KQJZ
Redding, CA - 96.1 / KKXS
Reno, NV - 92.1 / KJZS
Salisbury, MD - 97.1 / WQJZ
Santa Barbara, CA - 106.3 / KMGQ
Sun Valley, ID - 107.5 / KYZK
Tallahassee, FL - 97.9 / WJZT
Traverse City, MI - 101.9 / WLDR (HD) Tri Cities, WA - 101.9 / KUJJ

NATALIE COLE RECIEVES KIDNEY TRANSPLANT

OneLegacy, the non-profit, federally designated organ and tissue recovery organization serving the seven-county greater Los Angeles area as part of the national organ transplantation network, facilitated the transplant of a kidney to Natalie Cole a couple of weks ago via a directed donation from a deceased donor."

As stewards of the organ donation process, OneLegacy collaborates with area hospitals to support families facing the loss of a loved one," said Tom Mone, OneLegacy CEO and Executive Vice President. "One such family generously agreed to donate organs to people in need of a life-saving transplant. Having heard of Ms. Cole's need for a kidney, the family asked that one of their loved one's kidneys be transplanted to Ms. Cole if they were a match."

In accordance with the family's request, OneLegacy donation coordinators then determined through tests that the kidney would be a biological match for Ms. Cole and coordinated the recovery process. Directed donation is a specific request made by a donor or donor family to direct a recovered organ to a specific transplant recipient. While rare, this practice is recognized by the California Uniform Anatomical Gift Act (UAGA) and occurs most frequently when the donor or donor family are related to the recipient or know the recipient personally.OneLegacy is the non-profit organization dedicated to saving lives through organ and tissue donation in the seven-county greater Los Angeles area. With 200 hospitals, 12 transplant centers and a diverse population of 19 million.

GAMBLE & HUFF NAMED BMI ICONS AT 57th ANNUAL POP AWARDS

Leading music rights organization Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) held its 57th Annual Pop Awards on May 19, 2009, honoring Gamble & Huff as BMI Icons. Held at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, the invitation-only ceremony was hosted by BMI President & CEO Del Bryant and BMI Vice President/General Manager, Los Angeles, Barbara Cane and also recognized the writers and publishers of the past year’s 50 most-performed pop songs. The evening’s capstone was a musical tribute to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff. Gavin DeGraw sang “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” Estelle performed “Don’t Leave Me This Way,” and Michael Bublé delivered his rendition of “Me and Mrs. Jones.” Named BMI Icons in recognition of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers,” Gamble & Huff join an elite list of previous BMI Icons that includes the Jacksons, Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana, Dolly Parton, and Hall & Oates.

Their career output of over 3,000 songs places them among the most prolific professional songwriters of all time. Gamble and Huff continue to write and produce, with their most recent production the Labelle “Back To Now” album. On September 19, 2005, Gamble and Huff were inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame for their outstanding achievements at a ceremony held in New York City. In 2008, Gamble and Huff were the first recipients of the newly created :Ahmet Ertegun Award" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Broadcast Music, Inc.® (BMI) is an American performing right organization that represents more than 375,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers in all genres of music and more than 6.5 million works. BMI reported $901 million for its 2008 fiscal year in performing right collections. BMI has represented the most popular and beloved music from around the world for 70 years. The U.S. corporation collects license fees from businesses that use music, which it then distributes as royalties to the musical creators and copyright owners it represents.

MAXWELL - BLACKsummer'snight

With his long awaited fourth studio album, BLACKsummers'night, is the long-awaited fourth studio albulm from Maxwell. It’s slated for release by Columbia Records on July 7, and the contemporary soul artist Maxwell will return to the concert stage for first leg of a major North American tour kicking off June 17 in Grand Rapids, Michigan and finishing July 31 in Miami. BLACKsummers'night is the first full-length Maxwell release since Now, his critically-acclaimed third studio album, debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in August 2001. Along his 2009 tour route, Maxwell will headline the main stage of the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on July 4, appear at the BET Music Awards in Los Angeles on June 28, and perform on the CBS "Late Show with David Letterman" on July 10.

Maxwell's 2009 summer tour dates mark the artist's first extended run of evening's length concerts since breaking a six-year hiatus from live performance with his standing-room-only US tour in October 2008. When all 144,000 tickets for that tour sold-out within minutes of going on sale, the itinerary was extended from 26 to 33 cities. Maxwell's live performances were met with unanimously positive critical responses. The New York Times praised Maxwell's Radio City Music Hall concert as "exquisite" and "powerful" while the Boston Herald lauded his "awesome talent." Maxwell premiered new songs from BLACKsummers'night during his 2008 fall tour, among them "Pretty Wings," "Bad Habits," "Help Somebody," and "Cold."

Maxwell first rocketed to fame when he redefined classic soul music for a new generation with the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, in April 1996. Fueled in part by the RIAA gold single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," the Grammy-nominated Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite was certified platinum in March 1997, less than a year after its release, and achieved double platinum status, in recognition of sales of more than 2 million copies in the US alone, in 2002. Maxwell followed up with his MTV Unplugged EP, released in July 1997 and certified gold in September 1999. His second full-length album, Embrya, was released in June 1998 and certified platinum in May 1999. Another Maxwell single, the hit "Fortunate," was certified gold in June 1999. To date, Maxwell has achieved 10 gold and platinum certifications from the RIAA for his albums and singles.

BLACKsummers'night is the sensuous opening installment of the artist's monumental BLACKSUMMERS'NIGHT trilogy. (The trilogy's subsequent chapters, blackSUMMERS'night and blacksummers'NIGHT, are slated for release in 2010 and 2011 respectively.) "Pretty Wings," the first single from BLACKsummers'night, became available through digital service providers on Tuesday, April 28 while a video for the song premiered that same day on BET's "106 & Park" and on musze.com, Maxwell's website.BLACKsummers'night reunites Maxwell with long-time collaborator Hod David, who serves as co-producer and co-writer of the album. Striving for an emotional authenticity and real world sound for the album, Maxwell and Hod recorded the entire album live in the studio with an a-list ensemble of elegantly sympathetic musicians.

Maxwell - BLACKsummers'night North American Tour - Summer 2009
June 17- Grand Rapids, MI @ DeVos Performance Hall
June 19 - Hammond, IN @ The Venue/Horseshoe Hammond
June 20 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
June 23 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount
June 24 - Vancouver, BC @ The Centre
June 26 - Las Vegas, NV @ Pearl
June 28 - Los Angeles, CA @ BET AWARDS
June 29 - Phoenix, AZ @ Dodge
July 1 - Austin, TX @ Bass
July 2 - San Antonio, TX @ Majestic Theater
July 4 - New Orleans, LA @ Essence Festival (Superdome)
July 12 - Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
July 13 - Louisville, KY @ Palace Theatre
July 15 - Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
July 16 - Cleveland, OH @ Allen Theatre
July 18 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Heinz
July 19 - Buffalo, NY @ Sheas PAC
July 21 - Albany, NY @ The Palace
July 22 - New Jersey @ NJPAC
July 24 - Atlantic City, NJ @ Borgata
July 25 - Foxwoods, CT @ Foxwoods
July 27 - Norfolk, VA @ Chrysler Hall
July 28 - Savannah, GA @ Johnny Mercer
July 30 - Tampa, FL @ Ruth Eckerd Hall
July 31 - Miami, FL @ The Knight Center

musze.com
myspace.com/maxwell
twitter.com/_maxwell_
columbiarecords.com

SAN FRANCISCO'S KKSF-FM 103.7 DROPS SMOOTH JAZZ FORMAT

I'm getting really tired of reporting that yet another smooth jazz radio station has switched formats. San Francisco's KKSF-FM (103.7) flipped on Monday, May 18 at 3 PM when owner Clear Channel replaced the mellow tunes with a station called "103.7 The Band," which plays rock music from the 60's through the 80's from artists such as Elton John, the Doobie Brothers, the Eagles, Journey, Creedence Clearwater Revivial, Fleetwood Mac, The Band, Bob Dylan, The Grateful Dead, etc. Clear Channel cited economic considerations and the results of "exhaustive market research", for abruptly switching the music format from 20 years of Smooth Jazz to Classic Rock & Roll. The first song played under the Classical Rock & Roll format was "Everybody's Everything" by Santana. It's unknown if www.kksf.com will continue to stream Smooth Jazz music over the internet.

WLFM-FM (87.7 THE L) SWITCHES TO SMOOTH JAZZ

Following WNUA-FM/Chicago's flip to Spanish AC, Broadcast Architecture's Smooth Jazz Network has relocated to WLFM-FM (87.7 The L) in Chicago. "The L" as they will be referred to plans on reinstituting what it calls "that cutting-edge community-responsive approach to Smooth Jazz in Chicago." Veteran Chicago radio exec Patrick Kelley will oversee "The L," serving as Senior VP/Market Manager. Hopefullly we'll see an edgier smooth jazz format unique to the U.S., and maybe even sounding more like London's Jazz FM (hint hint). We'll wait to see what happens and if it works maybe the folks at Broadcast Architecture get the message that spinning the same old (you know) songs may get people to listen to the format.

According to Patrick Kelley, "We are very excited to build this station around the passion Chicagoans have for contemporary jazz." He added, "One of our main goals is to create a station that has a very strong Chicago identity. We want our listeners to be comfortable riding the 'L' all day and all night long from the first position on the dial. We're launching a radio station that represents the best of what Chicago radio listeners have heard for the past 22 years." Much of the station's programming and personalities will be familiar to WNUA listeners, who have been pointed by Clear Channel to yoursmoothjazz.com for their fix. Network hosts include Dave Koz, Miranda Wilson, Kenny G and Brian Culbertson (a Chicago native).

87.7 FM outlets promote their programming to FM listeners and operate as FM stations, but are licensed to carry video content receivable on analog televisions, in addition to audio programming receivable on FM radios -- although they carry no visual advertising content and promote their programming to radio listeners, rather than to television

AL B. SURE - HONEY I'M HOME

Singer Al B. Sure is about to release his new album entitled "Honey I'm Home," the 13-track CD is his first new studio project in more than 15 years. Ten of the songs were written and co-produced by the artist himself. It’s due out on the Hidden Beach Records label on June 23. The lead single, "I Love It (Papi Aye, Aye, Aye)," was co-produced by his longtime writing and producing partner Kyle West and also features cellist Tina Guo. Rounding out the set are two covers -— Sting's "Fragile" and Michael Jackson's "Lady in My Life" —- and an interlude version of Sure!'s first No. 1 R&B hit (No. 7 pop), 1988's "Nite and Day."

Al B. Sure’s debut album from 1988, In Effect Mode, sold more than two million copies, topping the Billboard R&B chart for seven straight weeks. The album included his memorable single "Nite And Day", which topped the R&B singles chart and reached #7 on the Billboard Hot 100. He received numerous Grammy and American Music Award (AMA) nominations, and won an AMA for Best New R&B Artist. He also received several Soul Train Awad nominations, and won the award for Best New Artist. He also won several New York Music Awards. He most recently was a DJ on Los Angeles radio station HOT 92.3 (KHHT) and played old school and R&B, on weekdays 10am - 1pm. He was one of 590 Clear Channel employees let go on 4/28/2009.

"Honey I'm Home" Tracklisting:
1. "Nite and Day (Interlude)"
2. "I Love It! (Papi Aye, Aye, Aye)"
3. "I'm Glad"
4. "Top of Your Lungs!"
5. "All I Wanna Do"
6. "Lady in My Life"
7. "Dedicate My All"
8. "Bye the Way, By the Way"
9. "Only You!"
10. "Whatcha Got?"
11. "Fragile"
12. "4 Life!"
13. "Never Stop Loving You"

WAYMAN TISDALE DIES

Jazz bassist, Wayman Tisdale, who became a successful jazz musician after retiring from pro basketball, died today following a two-year battle with cancer at a Tulsa, Oklahoma, hospital, where his wife took him when he had trouble breathing early on Friday. Tisdale was preparing to return to the recording studio next week to work on a project with jazz guitarist Norman Brown Doctors discovered Tisdale's bone cancer after he broke his leg in a fall down a flight of stairs, according to the official biography on his Web site. During his basketball career, Tisdale averaged 15 points and six rebounds a game over a 12-year NBA career, during which he played with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Phoenix Suns, according to the NBA Web site. His jazz recording career began in 1995 - two years before his 1997 NBA retirement - with a debut CD that rose to No. 4 on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz chart and crossed over onto the R&B charts, the bio said. Tisdale released his debut CD, Power Forward, in 1995. In 2002, he was awarded the Legacy Tribute Award by the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame. In an ESPN internet chat, Tisdale claims his musical influences include funk bands of the 1970s. His albums include Power Forward (1995), In The Zone (1996), Decisions (1998), Face to Face (2001), Presents 21 Days (2003),Hang Time (2004), Way Up! (2006), and Rebound (2008). Some of his more famous songs include "Ain't No Stopping Us Now," "Can't Hide Love" and "Don't Take Your Love Away" -- were top radio hits. Tisdale is survived by his wife, four children and one granddaughter. He was 44 years old.

BETTYE LAVETTE - A CHANGE IS GONNA COME SESSIONS

After a powerhouse performance at the Presidential Inauguration this past January, Bettye Lavette shines a new light on that past with her latest, "A CHANGE IS GONNA COME SESSIONS." The digital-only EP for Anti- Records, available exclusively through iTunes starting June 16, revisits Bettye’s forgotten post-Atlantic Records years as a nightclub singer, Broadway performer, and touring cast member opposite Cab Calloway in "Bubbling Brown Sugar."

The EP opens with a stirring solo version of Sam Cooke's posthumous Civil Rights anthem "A Change Is Gonna Come," a song which Bettye sang with Jon Bon Jovi in January as part of the "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial" concert. Joining Bettye for these aessions are pianist and musical director Al Hill, veteran bassist John Heard who has accompanied such luminaries as Count Basie, Cole Porter, Ella Fitzgerald, and Art Pepper, drummer Danny Frankel (k.d. lang, Lou Reed), and Tom Hagerman from DeVotchKa on strings.

A mix of standards and soul classics from Bettye’s 1970s stage and nightclub repertoire rounds out the 6-song set, including songs by Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Bill Withers, and Jimmy Reed. A rendition of Billie Holiday's "God Bless The Child," a song that Bettye first performed with show-stopping magnificence in "Bubbling Brown Sugar" highlights BETTYE's vocal mastery.

This nod to the past is just the latest step in a nearly five-decade career that has truly come full circle and is now pointed straight ahead: from early promise to a masterwork ("Child of the Seventies") shelved by Atlantic Records; from Broadway to obscurity; from a triumphant return with her 2005 Anti- debut "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise," to a Grammy nomination for "The Scene of the Crime"; and most recently her devastating performances honoring The Who at the Kennedy Center Honors in December 2008, paired with Jon Bon Jovi at the Lincoln Memorial for President Obama's inaugural celebration in January, and alongside Sir Paul McCartney at a Radio City Music Hall benefit for the David Lynch Foundation in April.

The track listing for Bettyes iTunes exclusive "A CHANGE IS GONNA COME SESSIONS" is as follows:
1. "A Change Is Gonna Come" (Sam Cooke)
2. "'Round Midnight" (Thelonious Monk)
3. "God Bless The Child" (Billie Holiday / Arthur Herzog)
4. "Lush Life" (Duke Ellington / Billy Strayhorn)
5. "Ain't No Sunshine" (Bill Withers)
6. "Ain't That Lovin' You" (Jimmy Reed)

ANDREA FULTZ - THE GERMAN PROJEKT

A new album by singer Andrea Fultz, entitled, "The German Projekt," features jazz-imbued arrangements of classic songs by Brecht-Weill and Friedrich Hollaender and which is being released on May 12. Joined by violinist Dina Maccabee, accordionist Rob Reich, percussionist Micha Patri, bassist Eugene Warren, and pianist Adam Shulman, whose credits include work with Stefon Harris, Paula West, and Bobby Hutcherson, Fultz began to delve into the songs and arrangements that evolved into "The German Projekt." She and her band, augmented by a three-man horn section, will appear at a CD release event at Yoshi's in Oakland on Monday, May 18.

Although several Weill compositions, such as "Mack the Knife" (aka "Moritat"), "My Ship," and "September Song," have become jazz standards, most of his oeuvre remains in the cabaret or art song realm. "Alabama Song," which opens "The German Projekt" and is sung in English, was previously recorded by the Doors and David Bowie (whom Fultz calls "my absolute hero!"); Marianne Faithfull and Dee Dee Bridgewater have released more extensive Weill collections.

Sonny Rollins, who counts Friedrich Hollaender among his favorite composers, has recorded "Falling in Love Again" ("Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt"), the theme from "The Blue Angel," and frequently performs the song in concert. (Early in his career, Rollins was fond of Hollaender's "This Is the Moment," and was playing it the night that Miles Davis first hired him.)
"It is a big thing for me to represent German culture in America," says Fultz, the daughter of a German mother and American father. "I really think this music is brilliant. Brecht and Weill and Hollaender are so timeless."

In addition to "Alabama Song," the CD contains six other Brecht-Weill compositions: "Bilbao Song," "Denn wie man sich bettet so liegt man," "Barbara Song," "Seeräuber Jenny," "Surabaya Johnny," and "Mäckie Messer" ("Mack the Knife"). Hollaender is represented by two songs from The Blue Angel ("Ich bin von Kopf bis Fuss auf Liebe eingestellt," "Kinder, heut Abend da such ich mir was aus"), "Johnny," and the ballad "Wenn ich mir was wünschen dürfte." Fultz sings Hanns Eisler and Bertolt Brecht's "Song of a German Mother" with Eric Bentley's English lyrics.

Andrea Fultz is looking to take the "German Projekt" music to clubs and festivals in the U.S. and abroad. "This music is about the context, it's not about singing flawlessly or bebopping," she says. "It's so different for me to sing in German. It's given me more freedom than any other music before."

WDJS 106.5 FM DAYTON DROPS SMOOTH JAZZ FORMAT

Well here is another smooth jazz station flipping formats. As a matter of fact it’s the second one in just the past week. After a five-year run as Dayton’s flagship smooth jazz radio station, Clear Channel’s WDSJ-FM (106.5 FM/) has changed its format from smooth jazz to country music. The change was made official Friday, May 1. WDSJ in the past had enjoyed a large following
in the Dayton market, eastern Indiana and the northern suburbs of Cincinnati since its switch to smooth jazz. WDSJ aired programming from Broadcast Architecture’s “Smooth Jazz Network.”

The new country station will be known as “The Bull.” WDSJ is licensed to Greenville, Ohio, and is based in the Dayton, Ohio metropolitan area. The station is owned by Clear Channel Communications. According to information on a Clear Channel website, the smooth jazz format was no longer financially viable, especially in the current economy.

WDSJ salesman and radio personality Clay “The Cooker” Collins stated that the staff learned about the change just two days before the actual switch. “We were shocked,” Collins said.

Clear Channel will now air four hours of smooth jazz including the Smooth Jazz Top 20 on WLQT Lite 99.9FM on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. In addition, smooth jazz programming can be streamed on the web at www.yoursmoothjazz.com, and www.iheartradio.com, downloaded onto I-phones, Blackberries and can also be heard for free with any HD Radio Reciever at 99.9-2 HD-FM. Of the seven Clear Channel stations in the Dayton area, WDSJ was the only one to change formats.

THE JUNE CONCERT CALENDAR

Chris Botti @ Symphony Hall, Boston, MA, June 3
Joe Cocker @ The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, June 3
Chris Botti @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, June 4
Anthony Hamilton @ Nokia Live Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 4
The Sax Pack @ The Claremont, Berkeley, CA, June 5
Diana Krall @ Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT, June 5
Richie Havens @ Narrows Center, Falls River, MA, June 5
Joe Cocker @ Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Amphitheater At The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL. June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre At Encore Park. Atlanta, GA, June 6
Chris Botti @ Conference Center, Monterey, CA, June 6
Richie Havens @ One Longfellow Square Portland, ME, June 6
James Taylor @ 02 Arena, London, UK, June 6
Joe Cocker @ Humphrey’s, San Diego, CA, June 6
Anthony Hamilton @ Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA, June 6
Regina Belle @ Capital Music Festival, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD, June 6
Joe Cocker @ Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, June 7
Diana Krall @ Flynn Center, Burlington, VT, June 7
The Sax Pack @ Clark County Amphitheater, Las Vegas, NV, June 8
Joe Cocker @ Botanic Gardens, Denver, CO, June 9
Diana Krall @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, June 9
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, June 9
Joe Cocker @ Sandia Casino Amphitheatre, Alburquerque, NM, June 10
Diana Krall @ ArtPark, Lewiston, NY, June 10
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Merriweather Post Pavillion, Washington, DC, June 10
Joe Cocker @ Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort, Mescalero, NM, June 11
Anthony Hamilton @ Palace Theatre, Columbus, OH, June 11
Bobby Caldwell @ The Rrazz Room at The Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, CA, June 11-14
The Sax Pack @ Jazz in the Wood, Overland Park, KS, June 12
Anthony Hamilton @ Opera House, Detroit, MI, June 12
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ, June 12-13
Joe Cocker @ Winstar Casino, Thackerville, OK, June 13
Diana Krall @ Bank of American Pavilion, Boston, MA, June 13
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Jazz In The Woods – Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS, June 13
Regina Belle @ Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, June 13
Anthony Hamilton @ Arie Crown Theatre, Chicago, IL, June 13
Joe Cocker @ Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX, June 14
Kenny G @ Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood, CA, June 14
Diana Krall @ Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI, June 14
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Bethel Performing Arts Center, Bethel, NY, June 14
Joe Cocker @ Arena Theatre, Houston, TX, June 15
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Agganis Arena, Boston, MA, June 16
Anthony Hamilton @ New Jersey Performing Arts, Newark, NJ, June 16
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, June 17
Tower Of Power @ Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI, June 18
Anthony Hamilton @ WaMU Theatre At Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, June 18
Tower Of Power @ Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester, NY, June 19
Peter White @ KIFM Jazz At The Beach, Oceanside, CA, June 19
Mindi Abair @ Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA, June 19
Diana Krall @ Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 19
Richie Havens @ Stephens Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY, June 19
Anthony Hamilton @ DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC, June 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ MGM Grand Theater At Foxwoods, Ledyard, CT, June 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY, June 20
Tower Of Power @ West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival, Philadelphia, PA, June 20
Kenny G @ Mable House Barnes Amphitheater, Mableton, Georgia, June 20
Diana Krall @ Borgata Spa & Resort, Atlantic City, NJ, June 20
Simply Red @ Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, UK, June 21
Diana Krall @ Telos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA, June 21
Anthony Hamilton @ Pier Six Pavilion, Baltimore, MD, June 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Value City Arena At Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH, June 21
Tower Of Power @ Foxwoods MGM Grand Theater, Mashantucket, CT, June 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN, June 23
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI, June 24
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Manchester Men Arena, UK, June 24
Kenny G @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, June 25
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Birmingham NIA Arena, UK, June 25
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Allstate Arena, Chicago, Il, June 25
Anthony Hamilton @ Fox Theatre, Atlanta, GA, June 25
Richie Havens @ Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, Bayfield, WI, June 26
George Benson, Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds. Ledisi, Jazz Attack feat. Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 26
Anthony Hamilton @ Bell Auditorium, Augusta, GA, June 26
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Fraze Pavillion for the Performing Arts, Kettering, OH, June 26
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Cardiff CIA, UK, June 27
The O’Jays, Michael McDonald @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 27
Richie Havens @ Calumet Theatre, Calumet, MI, June 27
Diana Krall @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL, June 27
Joe Cocker @ Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, MO, June 27
Regina Belle @ St. Kitts Music Festival, Warner Park Stadium, St. Kitts, WI, June 27
Peter White, Mindi Abair @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Simply Red @ Heroes’ Square, Budapest, Hungary, June 27
Anthony Hamilton @ BJCC Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL, June 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ South Coast Winery, Temecula, CA, June 27
Patti LaBelle, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez, Dred Scott Trio, Wallace Roney Quintet, John Ellis Quintet @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 27
George Benson, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Bonerama, Aaron Parks, Julian Lage @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
Anthony Hamilton @ Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, NC, June 28
Diana Krall @ Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI, June 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO, June 28
Patti LaBelle, Robin Thicke, Chuck Brown, Keiko Matsui @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 28
George Benson @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Wembley Arena, London, UK, June 28
Joe Cocker @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL, June 28
Joe Cocker @ Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH, June 30
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI, June 30

105.5 KJZN SMOOTH JAZZ SAYS GOODBYE!

Yet another smooth jazz radio station is about to bite the dust. I've just about lost count of how many smooth jazz radio stations we have lost in the last year or so. Could it be at least a dozen? Yes, just maybe. Smooth jazz 105.5 KJZN in Fresno, California has begun stunting with Christmas music as they prepare to flip formats on Friday, May 1. KJZN (FM 105.5) switched from a smooth jazz format to all talk at noon Friday, May 1, 2009. KJZN has had a smooth jazz format since May 2006 when it changed from KUUS to KJZN. Before that, the local radio station played country music. The station is broadcasting a lineup of talks show hosts from the Talk Radio Network, a syndicated radio service that includes such on-air talents as Mancow, Michael Savage, Rusty Humphries, Curtis Sliwa and Laura Ingraham.

JULIET KELLY - LICORICE KISS

With two critically acclaimed albums of original material under her belt - Aphrodite's Child (2003) and Delicious Chemistry (2005) - Juliet now presents her third and most ambitious album, Licorice Kiss (May 2009). Referencing influences as diverse as Soul II Soul, the Eurythmics and Soft Cell, she offers up her own take on some 80's classics alongside her own creations that range from toe-tapping grooves to latin-inflected ballads. Juliet says, "Jazz often gets labelled unfairly as an elitist type of music. Many people believe they don't like jazz because they don't realise just how varied it is. I've always strived to create jazz-influenced music that can be appreciated by a wider group than your usual jazz audience and it's paid off by fans telling me that they thought they didn't like jazz until they heard my music. It's got lots of different influences including pop, soul and reggae as well as jazz which is why I decided to come up with a new name for it. With my love for clothes, make up and shopping, Glam Jazz seemed to fit!" From the lilting groove of the lyrically sensual opener, Licorice Kiss, to the rock guitar solo on final track, Destiny, Licorice Kiss is an album that spans a wide range of moods and influences. These include the reggae-tinged rhythm of I'm Still Here, a latin-influenced version of the Soul II Soul classic, Back To Life and Juliet's drum-and-bass flavoured call to end the obsession with celebrity entitled Ordinary Lives. Juliet invites us to share more tender moments with Mutual Attraction (a tale of forbidden love with a subtle tango-esque groove) and her take on the Eurythmics seminal track, Here Comes the Rain Again, allows us to experience the rich, velvet tones of her beautifully haunting vocals. Becoming a jazz singer seemed an unlikely prospect for Juliet who grew up in London in a strict, religious household. In fact, all music apart from the religious variety was completely banned! Whilst studying for a degree in economics, Juliet discovered her natural talent for singing at a local music workshop. She had never sung in public before but it wasn't long before she was completely hooked. Within a year she had auditioned for and been accepted on to the postgraduate jazz course at London's prestigious Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Since then, Juliet has worked with many outstanding musicians and performed in venues around the UK as well as in Ireland, Italy, Germany, Israel and Australia. Juliet's love for glamour was evident even at the tender age of 7 when she gave her new Barbie doll an extreme makeover that included blue felt-tip eye-shadow and a drastic haircut. Now she's a fully-fledged shopaholic with a passion - or should that be weakness? - for shoes, lipgloss and elbow-length gloves.

Licorice Kiss Tracklist:
1. Licorice Kiss
2. Tainted Love
3. I'm Still Here
4. Back To Life
5. Ordinary Lives
6. Serendipity
7. Mutual Attraction
8. Never Really Knew You
9. Here Comes The Rain Again
10. Destiny

Juliet Kelly - Vocals, Carl Orr (Guitar), Oli Hayhurst (Bass), Pat Illingworth (Drums) & George Moore (Keyboards)

MAXWELL - BLACK SUMMERS NIGHT

Maxwell is scheduled to headline the main stage of the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans on July 4, 2009, and even better news is that he will be taking his new music on the road with a major North American tour in support of BLACKsummers'night.

Cities along Maxwell's 2009 tour route will include Milwaukee (Sat-June 20), Seattle (Tue-June 23), Vancouver (Wed-June 24), Las Vegas (Fri-June 26), Los Angeles-BET (Sun-June 28), Phoenix (Mon-June 29), Austin (Wed-July 1), San Antonio (Thu-July 3), New Orleans (Sat-July 4), Nashville (Sun-July 12), Louisville (Mon-July 13), Columbus (Wed-July 15), Cleveland (Thu-July 16), Pittsburgh (Sat-July 18), Buffalo (Sun-July 19), Albany (Tue-July 21), Atlantic City (Fri-July 24), Foxwoods (Sat-July 25), Norfolk (Mon-July 27), Savannah (Tue-July 28), Tampa (Thu-July 30), Miami (Sat-August 1), and Orlando (Sun-August 2).

Following an extraordinary performance of Al Green's "Simply Beautiful," his first television appearance in seven years, at the 2008 BET Awards in June 2008, Maxwell launched his 2008 BLACKSUMMERS'NIGHT US tour, his first live shows in six years, that October. When all 144,000 tickets for the tour sold-out within minutes of going on sale, the tour was extended from 26 to 33 cities. Positive critical response to Maxwell's' tour was unanimous. Maxwell premiered new songs from BLACKsummers'night during his 2008 fall tour, among them "Pretty Wings," "Bad Habits," "Never Do Without You," "Help Somebody," and "Cold." Maxwell's debut concert in South African sold-out some 10,000 seats. Following his breathtaking performance at the Macufe Music Festival in South Africa on October 4, 2008, Maxwell was honored with South African citizenship. BET's "Access Granted" aired exclusive footage from the concert as well as Maxwell's first televised interview in seven years, on October 17, 2008.

Maxwell began redefining classic soul music for a new generation with the release of his critically-acclaimed debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite, in April 1996. Fueled in part by the RIAA gold single, "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)," the Grammy-nominated Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite was certified platinum in March 1997, less than a year after its release, and achieved double platinum status, in recognition of sales of more than 2 million copies in the US alone, in 2002. Maxwell followed up with his MTV Unplugged EP, released in July 1997 and certified gold in September 1999. His second full-length album, Embrya, was released in June 1998 and certified platinum in May 1999. Another Maxwell single, the hit "Fortunate," was certified gold in June 1999. To date, Maxwell has achieved 10 gold and platinum certifications from the RIAA for his albums and singles.

THE CANADIAN SMOOTH JAZZ AWARDS

The top Canadian and international jazz artists were honored recently as the fifth annual Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards played to a packed house with saxophonist Warren Hill, whose album La Dolce Vita (the sweet life) swept the 2009 Canadian Smooth Jazz Awards. Aside from winning album of the year, Hill took home composition honors for the album's title tune, as well as the wind instrumentalist trophy (an award he previously won in 2006 and 2007). Jesse Cook, who was 2008's guitarist of the year, won for the guitarist/bass guitarist category, with Fred Engler for top keyboardist, and Steve Heathcote for best drummer.

Alexander Zonjic, a jazz and classical flutist and radio host, emceed the awards show. Other awards went to Brian Culbertson (International Instrumentalist of the Year), Seal (International Vocalist), Robin Thicke (Male Vocalist), Fourplay (International Group), Daniela Nardi (Female Vocalist), Jesse Cook (Guitarist/Bass Guitarist), Fred Engler (Keyboardist/Pianist), Steve Heathcote (Drummer/Percussionist) and Stu Berketo of Wave 94.7FM Toronto/Hamilton.

Performers included Nick Colionne, Brian Culbertson, DeNate with Darren Rahn, Kellylee Evans, Gabriel Mark Hasselbach, Warren Hill, Michael Lington, Ray Parker Jr., Chris Smith with Phil Poppa, and Alexander Zonjic.

Here is the full list of the 2009 Canadian Smooth Jazz Award winners:

- Male Vocalist of the Year - Robin Thicke
- Best Original Composition "La Dolce Vita" - Warren Hill, Nathan East, Sam Purkin
- Keyboardist/Pianist of the Year - Fred Engler
- Wind Instrumentalist of the Year - Warren Hill
- Female Vocalist of the Year - Daniela Nardi
- Guitarist/Bass Guitarist of the Year - Jesse Cook
- International Group of the Year - Fourplay
- Broadcaster of the Year Stu Berketo - Wave 94.7 - Toronto/Hamilton
- International Instrumentalist of the Year - Brian Culbertson
- International Vocalist of the Year - Seal
- Album of the Year La Dolce Vita - Warren Hill (E1Music Koch)
- Drummer/Percussionist of the Year - Steve Heathcote
- George Benson Lifetime Achievement Award - Earl Klugh

DIANA KRALL - QUIET NIGHTS TOUR DATES

Diana Krall has hit the concert trail as she promotes her most recent Verve release ‘Quiet Nights”. Here are her tour dates (through August 28).

April 14-15 @t Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary AB
April 18 @ Conexus Arts Centre, Regina SK
April 19 @ TCU Place, Saskatoon SK
April 22 @ MTS Centre, Winnipeg MB
April 25 @ RBC Theatre, London ON
April 26 @ Centre in the Square, Kitchener ON
April 28 @ Hamilton Place Theatre, Hamilton ON
April 30 - May 1 @ Massey Hall, Toronto ON
May 2-3 @ National Arts Center, Ottawa ON
May 5 @ K-Rock Centre, Kingston ON
May 6-7 @ Place des Arts, Montreal QC
May 9 @ Moncton Coliseum, Moncton NB
May 10 @ Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax NS
May 13 @ Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver BC
June 5 @ Palace Theater, Waterbury CT
June 7 @ Flynn Center, Burlington VT
June 9 @ Stanley Theater, Utica NY
June 10 ArtPark, Lewiston NY
June 13 @ Bank of America Pavilion, Boston MA
June 14 @ Providence PAC, Providence RI
June 19 @ Mann Music Center, Philadelphia PA
June 20 @ Borgata Spa & Resort, Atlantic City NJ
June 21 @ nTelos Pavilion, Portsmouth VA
June 27 @ Ravinia, Highland Park IL
June 28 @ Riverside Theater, Milwaukee WI
July 2 @ Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis MA
July 3 @ Meadowbrook Pavilion, Gilford NH
July 8 @ Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh PA
July 11 @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta GA
August 8 @ Pearl Concert Theatre, Las Vegas NV
August 12 @ Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco CA
August 15 @ Peppermill Reno Tuscany Ballroom, Reno NV
August 23 @ Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara CA
August 28 @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall in Portland OR

VAN MORRISON - ASTRAL WEEKS: LIVE AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL

Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl was recorded live over two nights at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles in November 2008 and will be available for purchase exclusively on Amazon.com beginning May 19 for an SRP of $29.99.

Van Morrison first released Astral Weeks when he was only 22. The recording immediately became a critically-acclaimed classic and is still considered one of the greatest albums of the rock era. The fall 2008 shows captured for the DVD marked the first time Mr. Morrison ever performed Astral Weeks in one complete concert set. Joining him was an orchestral string section and a band composed of world-class musicians, some of whom played with Van on the original Astral Weeks sessions 40 years ago. During the first half, the artist performed a number of the timeless classics he is famous for while the second half was an awe-inspiring performance of the Astral Weeks album. Among the songs included on the concert DVD are: "Astral Weeks/I Believe I've Transcended," "Beside You," "Slim Slow Slider/I Start Breaking Down," "Sweet Thing," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Cyprus Avenue/You Came Walking Down," "Ballerina," and "Madame George."

The Astral Weeks DVD also features special bonus songs, including a live version of "Gloria," and unprecedented behind-the-scenes footage as well as a candid conversation with the artist himself talking about the meaning behind Astral Weeks, his decision to revisit the pivotal project, and his impressions of the music business. To rework Astral Weeks, Mr. Morrison added his signature stretching of songs in a manner unlike any before by creating new sections of songs live on stage. As producer of the record, Mr. Morrison insisted there be no post-production engineering. It is straight up raw from the Hollywood Bowl stage - pure resonant sound.

As Mr. Morrison said, "I'm not just a singer. I am a soul singer." His Astral Weeks: Live at the Hollywood Bowl proves exactly that, over and over again.

THE MAY 2009 CONCERT CALENDAR

Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Flynn Theatre, Burlington, VT, May 1
Kenny G @ National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria, May 1
Diana Krall @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, May 1
Charlie Hunter @ SPACE, Evanston, IL, May 1
Bonnie Raitt @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA, May 1
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Grand Ballroom Manhattan Center, New York, NY, May 1
Joe Cocker @ Casino Rama, Orillia N, May 1-2
Charles Aznavour @ City Center, New York, NY, May 1-2
Chuck Loeb, Dave Weckl, Brian Bromberg @ Catalina’s Jazz Club, Hollywood, CA, May 1-3
Richie Havens @ IMAC, Huntington, NY, May 2
Bobby Caldwell @ Fairfield Center For Creative Arts, Fairfield, CA, May 2
Chris Bott @ Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH, May 2
Mindi Abair, Jeff Golub, Jeff Lorber, Jessy J @ Rancho Las Palmas Golf Course, Rancho Mirage, CA, May 2
Kenny G @ Sutluce Convention Center, Istanbul, Turkey, May 2
UB40 @ SunFest, West Palm Beach, FL, May 2
Charlie Hunter @ The Picador, Iowa City, IA, May 2
Van Morrison @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 2-3
Diana Krall @ National Arts Center, Ottawa, ON, May 2-3
Jane Monheit @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, May 2-5
Simply Red @ Torwar, Warsaw, Poland, May 3
Bonnie Raitt @ Memphis In May, Memphis, TN, May 3
Chris Botti @ Ventura Music Festival, Ventura, CA, May 3
Spyro Gyra @ SunFest, West Palm Beach, FL, May 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Ramshead Live, Baltimore, MD, May 3
Bobby Caldwell @ Vacaville Performing Arts Theater, Vacaville, CA, May 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, May 4
Chuck Loeb, Dave Weckl, Brian Bromberg @ Dimitriou’s Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, May 4
Bonnie Raitt @ Peoroa Civic Center, Peoria, IL, May 4
Joe Cocker @ University at Buffalo Center, Buffalo, NY, May 5
Simply Red @ Leipzig Arena, Leipzig, Germany, May 5
Diana Krall @ K-Rock Centre, Kingston, ON, May 5
Bonnie Raitt @ University of Missouri, Columbus, MO, May 5
Kenny G @ RAI Congress Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, May 5
Brandford Marsalis @ Jazz Standard, New York, NY, May 5-10
Simply Red @ Arena Nurnberger Versicherungen, Nurnberg, Germany, May 6
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Amos Southend, Charlotte, NC, May 6
Kenny G @ Rhein-Main-Theater, Neidernhausen, Germany, May 6
Diana Krall @ Place des Arts, Montreal, QC, May 6-7
Chuck Loeb, Dave Weckl, Brian Bromberg @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, May 6-7
Kenny G @ Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland, May 7
Simply Red @ Mannheim SAP Arena, Mannheim, Germany, May 7
Charlie Hunter @ Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI, May 7
Chris Botti @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY, May 7
Joe Cocker @ Caesar’s Windsor The Colosseum, Windsor, ON, May 7
Van Morrison @ Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 7-9
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Willet Hall, Portsmouth, VA, May 8
Freda Payne @ St. Regis Hotel, Detroit, MI, May 8
Joe Cocker @ Island Casino, Harris, MI, May 8-9
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, May 9
Simply Red @ Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany, May 9
Diana Krall @ Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB, May 9
Bonnie Raitt @ Paragon Casino, Marksville, LA, May 9
Teena Marie, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly @ Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ, May 9
Peter White, Mindi Abair @ Osthoff Resort, Elkhart, WI, May 9
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake, WI, May 9
Chris Botti @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, May 10
Diana Krall @ Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax, NS, May 10
Bonnie Raitt @ Bass Concert Hall, Austin, TX, May 10
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC, May 10
Teena Marie, The Whispers @ The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, May 10
Simply Red @ Hamburg Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany, May 11
Joe Cocker @ Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee, WI, May 11-12
Simply Red @ Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany, May 12
Bonnie Raitt @ Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, TX, May 12
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, May 12
Simply Red @ Frankfurt Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany, May 13
Diana Krall @ Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC, May 13
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Paul, MN, May 13
Chris Botti @ Grand Opera House, Wilmington, DE, May 13
Joe Cocker @ US Cellular Coliseum Theatre, Bloomington, IL, May 13
Chris Botti @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, May 14
Bonnie Raitt @ Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston, TX, May 14
Simply Red @ Halenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland, May 15
Chris Botti @ Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, May 15
Joe Cocker @ Jackpot Junction Casino, Morton, MN, May 15
Richie Havens @ Metropolitan Museum, New York, NY, May 15
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, May 15
Chris Botti @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, May 16
Richie Havens @ Algonquin Arts, Manasquan, NJ, May 16
Joe Cocker @ Diamond Jo Casino, Dubuque, IA, May 16
Bonnie Raitt @ Million Dollar Elm Casino, Tulsa, OK, May 16
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, May 16
Simply Red @ Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan, Italy, May 16-17
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, Chicago, IL, May 17
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Hyatt Newport Jazz Festival, Newport Beach, CA, May 17
Joe Cocker @ Harrah’s, Council Bluff’s, IA, May 17
Simply Red @ Palasport, Conegliano Veneto, Italy, May 19
Joe Cocker @ Star of the Desert Arena, Primm, NV, May 20
Simply Red @ Stadhalle Vienna, Vienna, Austria, May 21
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ McFarlin Auditorium, Dallas, TX, May 21
Chris Botti @ MSU Riley Center, Meridian, MS, May 21
Joe Cocker @ Chumash Casino, San Ynez, CA, May 21
Simply Red @ Stadhalle Graz, Graz, Austria, May 22
Joe Cocker @ Field of Dreams Park, Sonoma, CA, May 22
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Arena Theatre, Houston, TX, May 22
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, May 22
Chris Botti @ Symphony Hall, Atlanta, GA, May 22-23
Freda Payne @ Catalina’s, Los Angeles, CA, May 22-24
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ KIFM Jazz Fest, San Diego, CA, May 23
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @One World Theatre, Austin, TX, May 24
Simply Red @ O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic, May 24
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Orpheum Theatre, Memphi, TN, May 24
Mindi Abair @ Jacksonville Jazz Festival, Jacksonville, FL, May 24
Medeski, Martin & Wood @ Summer Camp, Chillicothe, IL, May 24
Simply Red @ 02 World Arena, Berlin, Germany, May 25
Sting, Gerald Alston, Marilyn McCoo, Billy Davis Jr., Mary Wilson, Earl Klugh, Lisa Fischer, Narada Michael Walden @ Louise M. Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA, May 25
Simply Red @ Olympia, Paris, France, May 27-28
Anthony Hamilton @ Reliant Arena, Houston, TX, May 28
Joe Cocker @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grand Ronde, OR, May 28
Richie Havens @ Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, May 28
Joe Cocker @ Red Robinson Theatre, Coquitlam, BC, May 29
Anthony Hamilton @ Nokia Live Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX, May 29
Richie Havens @ Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX, May 29
Anthony Hamilton @ DeSoto Theatre, Southaven, MS, May 30
Chris Botti @ Cerritos Center for the Arts, Cerritos, CA, May 30
Joe Cocker @ River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, BC, May 30
Simply Red @ Olympiahaile, Munich, Germany, May 30
Joe Cocker @ Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, WA, May 31
Anthony Hamilton @ Fox Theatre, St. Louis, MO, May 31
Richie Havens @ Moutain Jam Festival, Hunter Mountain, NY, May 31

ANTHONY HAMILTON - PLAYIN' IT COOL TOUR

Anthony Hamilton is confirmed to headline the extended "Playin' It Cool" tour which kicks off in Houston, Texas on May 28th through a series of dates and winding up on June 28 in Charlotte, NC. The tour is a continuation of last year's successful "Playin' It Cool" dates which showcased the artist in intimate venues.

The tour comes as Hamilton promotes his newest single, the title track, "The Point Of It All" and his previous hit, "Cool" featuring David Banner which remains a Top 10 staple on Urban Adult Contemporary radio airplay charts. Both songs are from his current album, The Point Of It All, which was released in December, 2008 and met with critical acclaim. The New Yorker declared, "Hamilton makes like a modern-day Curtis Mayfield...;" The Boston Globe described the album as "flawless and expressive" and went on to proclaim, "Hamilton has proven himself to be one of the logical heirs to Marvin Gaye;" USA Today proclaimed him as "one of the genre's rare singers."

Widely known for his electric, soul-inspiring live performances Hamilton has gained a steady and loyal fan base throughout his career beginning with his 2003 platinum-certified debut album Comin' From Where I'm From, which spawned the chart-topping song, "Charlene." In 2005, the Charlotte, North Carolina native followed up with his gold-certified sophomore album Ain't Nobody Worryin' which featured the #1 hit, "Can't Let Go."

In addition to the accolades the seven-time Grammy nominee has earned for his albums and live shows, Hamilton won his first Grammy Award this year for his collaboration on Al Green's, "You Got The Love I Need".

Anthony Hamilton Playin’ It Cool Tour Dates:
May 28 - Houston, TX @ Reliant Arena
May 29 – Dallas, TX @ Nokia Live Grand Prairie
May 30 - Southaven, MS @ DeSoto Center
May 31 - St Louis, MO @ Fox Theatre
June 4 - Los Angeles, CA @ Nokia Live Theatre
June 6 - Oakland, CA @ Paramount Theatre
June 11 - Columbus, OH @ Palace Theatre
June 12 - Detroit, MI @ Opera House
June 13 - Chicago, IL @ Arie Crown Theatre
June 16 - Newark, NJ @ New Jersey Performing Arts
June 18 - New York, NY @ WaMu Theatre at Madison Square
June 19 – Washington, DC @ DAR Constitution Hall
June 21 - Baltimore, MD @ Pier Six Pavilion
June 25 - Atlanta, GA @ Fox Theatre
June 26 - Augusta, GA @ Bell Auditorium
June 27 - Birmingham, AL @ BJCC Concert Hall
June 28 - Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium

FRANK SINATRA - CLASSIC SINATRA II

Released in 2000, Capitol/EMI's Classic Sinatra has sold over two million copies in the U.S. alone and has been certified double platinum by the RIAA. To mark this achievement, on June 2, Capitol/EMI, in conjunction with Frank Sinatra Enterprises (FSE), will release a brand-new companion collection, Classic Sinatra II. Featuring 21 additional signature tracks, including 15 from the legendary concept albums Sinatra recorded for Capitol between 1954 and 1961, various singles, and a previously unreleased recording.

Classic Sinatra II will showcase a selection of Ol' Blue Eyes' most loved recordings from his Capitol concept albums, including "Moonlight In Vermont," "Pennies From Heaven," "Something's Gotta Give," and "All Of Me." In addition, the set features four 1950s singles: "Love And Marriage," "(Love Is) The Tender Trap," "Learnin' The Blues," and "High Hopes." Plus a 1956 recording of "Memories Of You" and a previously unreleased recording, "This Can't Be Love."

During his lifetime, Sinatra won 10 Grammy Awards. When awarded the Grammy Legend Award in 1994, he was introduced by U2 singer Bono, who said, "His songs are his home and he lets you in, but you know that to sing like that you've got to have lost a couple of fights. To know tenderness and romance you've got to have had your heart broken."

Sinatra appeared in 58 films and won three Academy Awards, including an honorary Oscar for The House I Live In. He performed thousands of tour dates around the world, starred in his own television show and numerous specials, earning Emmys and a Peabody Award. Sinatra was saluted by The Kennedy Center Honors (1983) as a cultural icon, and was awarded the Presidential Medal Of Honor (1985) and the Congressional Gold Medal (1995), Congress' highest civilian award.

Born Francis Albert Sinatra on December 12, 1915, Frank Sinatra was a titan of 20th Century entertainment, with record-breaking successes in both music and film. With a legendary career spanning more than six decades, Sinatra was truly "The Entertainer of the 20th Century." Also known as "Ol' Blue Eyes," "The Chairman of the Board" and "The Voice," Sinatra has sold more than more than 150 million albums around the world, and racked up 31 gold and nine platinum albums (including three that went multi-platinum), one gold single, and two gold and platinum videos in the United States alone. He is the only artist to chart in Billboard's Top Ten for seven consecutive decades.

Tracklisting: Frank Sinatra: Classic Sinatra II
1. Something's Gotta Give
Originally Recorded in 1958, arranged and conducted by Billy May, from the Capitol Records album Come Dance With Me! (1959)

2. Too Marvelous For Words
Originally Recorded in 1956, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin' Lovers! (1956)

3. Love And Marriage
Originally Recorded in 1955, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album This Is Sinatra! (1956)

4. From This Moment On
Originally Recorded in 1956, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album A Swingin' Affair! (1957)

5. (Love Is) The Tender Trap
Originally Recorded in 1955, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album This Is Sinatra! (1956)

6. I Get Along Without You Very Well
Originally Recorded in 1955, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album In The Wee Small Hours (1955)

7. All Of Me
Originally Recorded in 1954, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Swing Easy! (1954)

8. I Thought About You
Originally Recorded in 1956, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin' Lovers! (1956)

9. Moonlight In Vermont
Originally Recorded in 1957, arranged and conducted by Billy May, from the Capitol Records album Come Fly With Me (1958)

10. High Hopes
Originally Recorded in 1959, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album All The Way (1961)

11. Learnin' The Blues
Originally Recorded in 1955, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album This Is Sinatra! (1956)

12. Here's That Rainy Day
Originally Recorded in 1959, conducted by Gordon Jenkins, from the Capitol Records album No One Cares (1959)

13. Pennies From Heaven
Originally Recorded in 1956, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin' Lovers! (1956)

14. I've Got A Crush On You
Originally Recorded in 1960, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Nice 'N' Easy (1960)

15. Guess I'll Hang My Tears Out To Dry
Originally Recorded in 1958, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (1958)

16. Memories Of You
Originally Recorded in 1956, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle

17. Love Is Here To Stay
Originally Recorded in 1955, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Songs For Swingin' Lovers! (1956)

18. When The World Was Young
Originally Recorded in 1961, arranged and conducted by Axel Stordahl, from the Capitol Records album Point Of No Return (1962)

19. Just One Of Those Things
Originally Recorded in 1954, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Swing Easy! (1954)

20. Angel Eyes
Originally Recorded in 1958, arranged and conducted by Nelson Riddle, from the Capitol Records album Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely (1958)

BONUS TRACK
21. This Can't Be Love
Previously unreleased recording

Tracks 1, 10, 12, 14, 18, 20 Produced by Dave Cavanaugh
Tracks 2-9, 11, 13, 15-17, 19 Produced by Voyle Gilmore

BONNIE RAITT CONCERT DATES

Bonnie Raitt has scheduled 29 concerts beginning May at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and winding up on October 24 in St. Augustine, Florida. The full tour schedule is below.

May 1@t New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans LA
May 3 @ Memphis in May, Memphis TN
May 4 @ Peoria Civic Center, Peoria IL
May 5 @ University of Missouri, Columbia MO
May 9 @ Paragon Casino, Marksville LA
May 10 @ Bass Concert Hall, Austin TX
May 12 @ Majestic Theatre, San Antonio TX
May 14 @ Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston TX
May 16 @ Million Dollar Elm Casino, Tulsa OK
Aug 16 @ Wolf Trap Filene Center, Vienna VA
Aug 18 @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta GA
Aug 19 @ Palace Theatre, Louisville KY
Aug 21 @ Ravinia, Highland Park IL
Aug 22 @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL
Aug 25 @ White River State Park, Indianapolis IN
Aug 30 @ Red Rocks, Morrison CO
Sept 3 @ Edgefield Winery, Troutdale OR
Sept 5 @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre, Bend OR
Sept 7 @ Hult Center, Eugene OR
Sept 17 @ Humphrey's By the Bay, San Diego CA
Oct 11 @ Koger Center, Columbia SC
Oct 13 @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville NC
Oct 14 @ Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville TN
Oct 16 @ Jonny Mercer Theatre, Savannah GA
Oct 17 @ House of Blues, Myrtle Beach SC
Oct 20 @ Saenger Theatre, Pensacola FL
Oct 22 @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater FL
Oct 23 @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, Pompano Beach FL
Oct 24 @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine FL

ClUB DES BELUGAS

Club des Belugas is one of the leading NuJazz bands in Germany - perhaps even in Europe. Their combination of contemporary European Lounge & NuJazz styles with Brazilian beats, Swing and American Soul of the 50s, 60s and 70s provides a completely independent music world, which is hard to beat in intensity and energy. Club des Belugas started their career in 2002 with the album “Caviar at 3 am”. One year later they released “Minority Tunes”, which included the German Club Charts #1 hits “Hip Hip Chin Chin” and “Gadda Rio”. In 2006 they released a real masterpiece called “Apricoo Soul”. The 12″ vinyl “Wildcats Gotta Move” reached #3 on the German Club Charts and stayed in the Top Ten for eight weeks.

The included remix of Dean Martin´s “Mambo Italiano” is the first worldwide legal remix of any Dean Martin track, authorized by Capitol/EMI and the Dean Martin Family themselves. Tracks from Club des Belugas have been licensed to more than 520 compilations as well as advertisements and TV commercials from companies like: Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Campari, Martini and Strenesse. In total, Club des Belugas tracks have been released on more than four million CDs.

Club des Beluges have been signed to appear at the upcoming Smooth Jazz Festival Munich 2009. The first Smooth Jazz Festival in Bregenz in 2008 wasa huge success and so the organizers are mounting another festival this year. The Smooth Jazz Festival Munich 2009 runs from Septemer 4 to 6. Other artists thus far slated to appear are Michael Lington and Steve Oliver, with more artists to be announced soon.

CANDY DULFER & VANESSA WILLIAMS NEWS

Candy Dulfer - Funked Up & Chilled Out!
Saxophonist Candy Dulfer is preparing to release her next Heads Up International CD, following 2007's Candy Store. This time, the Dutch-born smooth jazz artist will offer Funked Up & Chilled Out! on May 12th. The 12-track CD features much of the same band lineup as her previous set, including bassist Chance Howard, keyboardist Thomas Bank, and drummer Kirk Johnson. Dulfer mixes things up, adding touches of reggae, hip-hop, and groove, with some tracks featuring a trio of backup singers and a three-piece horn section.

"I love an album that has the same flow as, say, a movie or a book," Dulfer explains in a statement. "It starts slowly, then builds tension, and then you take it down a bit in certain places. That's the kind of concert I play when I'm touring, and that's what I wanted to capture on this recording."

Vanessa Williams - The Real Thing
Singer and actress Vanessa Williams is about tol make her Concord Records debut on June 2nd with the new CD The Real Thing. According to USA Today, Williams has described the music on her first CD in four years as a mix of jazz, samba, salsa, pop, and R&B. "I had been wanting to do a Latin-flavored album since I played a ballroom dancer in the (salsa) movie Dance With Me," said Williams, referring to the 1998 movie in which she starred opposite Puerto Rican vocalist Chayanne.

Hopefully Williams will be able to tour for the album once the CD is released, since she won’t have to deal with the shooting schedule for the ABC hit Ugly Betty, in which she plays scheming diva Wilhelmina Slater. The series is being canceled after the season which ends in May. Williams' previous recording was 2005's Everlasting Love, a collection of some of her favorite songs of the '70s. "I had been wanting to do a Latin-flavored album since I played a ballroom dancer in the (salsa) movie Dance With Me," said Williams, referring to the 1998 movie in which she starred opposite Puerto Rican vocalist Chayanne.

NEW RELEASES FROM CHUCK LOEB, LEELA JAMES, BUDDY GUY & OTHERS

Al Green – Let’s Stay Together (remastered, Hi/Fat Possum)
Al Green – I’m Still In Love With You (remastered, Hi/Fat Possum)
Al Green – Greatest Hits (remastered, Hi/Fat Possum)
Ba Cissoko – Seno (Sterns)
Bob Marley & The Wailers – Playlist: The Very Best of Bob Marley & The Wailers (Columbia/Legacy)
Buddy Guy – The Definitive Buddy Guy (Shout! Factory)
Christian Prommer’s Drumlesson – Jazz Thing (Schema)
Chuck Loeb – Between 2 Worlds (Heads Up)
City Champs – Safecracker (Electraphonic)
Daniele Baldelli – Cosmic Sound (Mediane)
Diana Ross – Greatest Hits (RCA)
Dizzy Gillespie – Dizzy On The French Riviera (remastered, Verve)
Ella Fitzgerald – Ella in Hollywood (remastered, Verve)
Etta James – Playlist: The Very Best of Etta James (RCA/Legacy)
Freddie Hubbard – The Artistry Of Freddie Hubbard (GRP)
Gato Barbieri – Chapter Two: Hasta Siempre (remastered, GRP)
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Playlist: The Very Best of Gladys Knight & The Pips (Buddah/Legacy)
JC Brooks & The Uptown Sound - Beat Of Our Own Drum (Uptown Sound)
John Scofield – Piety Street (Emarcy)
Keith Jarrett – Treasure Island (remastered. GRP)
Leela James – Let’s Do It Again (Schanachie)
Lionel Hampton – Centennial Celebration (OJC)
Low Fidelity Jet Set Orchestra – Studio Works (Irma)
Luther Vandross – Playlist: The Very Best of Luther Vandross (Epic/Legacy)
Major Harris – My Way (Atlantic/Friday Music)
Matthias Vogt Trio – Coming Up For Air (Infracom)
Medeski Martin & Wood – Radiolarians II (Indirecto)
Melvin Gibbs Elevated Entity – Ancients Speak (Livewired)
Nathan Haines – Right Now (Freestyle)
OO Soul – Till The Lights Come Up (Greenshack Music)
Re;Jazz – Live At Motion Blue: Yokohama (Infracom)
Re:Jazz – Nipponized (Infracom)
Reggie Calloway – Bring Back the Love (Spiral Galaxy)
Rick James – Anthology (Motown/UME)
Roy Ayers Ubiquity – He’s Coming (remastered, Verve)
Shawn Lee – Soul In The Hole (Ubiquity)
Stan Getz – Stan Gets At The Shrine (remastered, Verve)
Tomas Doncker – Small World Part 1 (Groovysexymusic)
Tony Bennett & Bill Evans – The Complete Tony Bennett/Bill Evans Recordings (Concord)
Tuomo – Reaches Out For You (Jupiter)
Wynton Marsalis – He And She (Blue Note)

FANIA ALL STARS' - SAN JUAN 73

Fania Records, the leading catalog of tropical music in existence who's catalog includes landmark recordings by virtually every luminary of the genre including Tito Puente, Celia Cruz, Ruben Blades, Hector Lavoe, Willie Colon, Johnny Pacheco, Eddie Palmieri, Ray Barretto and Larry Harlow among many others, will release on Tuesday, April 14, the release of the Fania All Stars' live album, San Juan 73.

This was the debut concert of the Fania All Stars in San Juan, and the first ever concert to be held at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum, all in all a fantastic set from the vaults of Fania Records seeing release for the first time ever! This is the Fania All Stars in peak form in front of a huge, appreciative audience! Killer percussion and horns throughout, with passionate group and solo vocals with titles including "Mi Debilidad" with Ismael Quintana, "Que Rico Suena Mi Tambor" with Ismael Miranda, "El Raton" with Cheo Feliciano, "Pueblo Latino" with Pete Rodriguez, "Mi Gente" with Hector Lavoe, "Soy Guajiro". "Soul Makossa" and "Congo Bongo".

The discovery of this complete yet never-released album in Fania's vaults was among the most exciting finds since the company began sifting through the treasures contained therein. San Juan 73 is the live recording of the Fania All Stars' concert that inaugurated the Roberto Clemente coliseum in Puerto Rico in 1973. That night, Hector Lavoe, Cheo Feliciano, Celia Cruz, Bobby Cruz, Ismael Miranda, Ismael Quintana, Pete "El Conde" Rodriguez, Santos Colon and Justo Betancourt got together on one stage for an unforgettable performance. A complete success, the concert sold-out with over two thousand people left outside, and in many ways positioned the group for future success. Promoter, Rafael Viera recalls, "It was the beginning of something that to this day, has not be surpassed by anything in Latin Music. The Fania All Stars became a religion. Every radio station played the music, everyone danced to the sounds of 'Quitate Tu' and 'Estrellas De Fania.'"

The San Juan concert as well as the riot-causing concert at New York's Yankee Stadium was both recorded. Because Yankee Stadium was filmed as the centerpiece for Salsa, the film Masucci was then making, he felt that Live At The Yankee Stadium was strategically the best album to release. "That the San Juan concert was ever recorded was soon forgotten and the tapes were put into deep storage, untouched for over 30 years. However when I was searching the Fania archive, I stumbled across most of them," says A&R Specialist Dean Rudland. San Juan 73 takes the listener back in time lending the chance to hear the music much as it would have sounded the day of the performance - giving insight into how the Fania All Stars became the most famous salsa group of them all.

THE UPCOMING CONCERTS CALENDAR

APRIL 2009
Madeleine Peyroux @ Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ, Apr 1
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Zellerbach, San Francisco, CA, Apr 1
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Apr 1
Brian Bromberg, Dave Wecklu, Mitch Forman, Chuck Loeb @ Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base – Berk’s Jazz Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Apr 1
B. B. King @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, Apr 1-2
Tower Of Power @ The Hi Hat, Providence, RI, Apr 2
Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, Nelson, Berks Jazz Fest Horns @ Berk’s Jazz Fest, Apr 2
Rick Braunm Chuck Loeb, Gerald Veasley, Brian Bromberg, Chieli Minucci, Paul Jackson Jr.,Dave Weckl, Bobby Lyle, Mitch Forman, Richard Elliot, Kim Waters, Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Nelson Rangell @ Reading Crowne Hotel Ballroom – Berk’s Jazz Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Apr 2
The Sax Pack @ The Berks Jazz Festival, Reading, PA, Apr 2-3
Simply Red @ The O2 Arena, London, UK, Apr 2-3
Phoebe Snow @ The Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 3
Chuck Loeb Trio @ Blues Alley, Washington, DC, April 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR, Apr 3
Amos Lee @ McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, Apr 3
Fred Wesley & The New JB’s @ Warmdaddy’s, Philadelphia, PA, Apr 3
Jason Mils, Maysa, Simone, Richard Elliot, Jeff Golub, Eric Darius, Bob Babbitt, Reggie Young, Steve Ferrone, Soul Survivors, Berks Jazz Fest Horns @ Scottish Rite Cathedral – Berk’s Jazz Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Apr 3
Bobby Lyle, Paul Jackson Jr. @ Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base – Berk’s Jass Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Apr 3
Tower Of Power @ Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH, Apr 3
McCoy Tyner @ Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 4
Amos Lee @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC, Apr 4
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA, Apr 4
Chris Botti @ Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ, Apr 4
Peter White @ Capetown International Jazz Festical, Capetown, South Africa, Apr 4
Brandford Marsalis @ Gusman Center, Miami, FL, Apr 4
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 4
Lionel Richie @ 02 Arena, London, UK, Apr 4-5
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Apr 5
Simply Red @ M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK, Apr 5
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, New Orleans, LA, Apr 5
Brandford Marsalis @ Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA, Apr 5
Simply Red @ The Clyde Auditorium,, Glasgow, UK, Apr 6
Simply Red @ Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, UK, Apr 7
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Krannert Center, Urbana, IL, Apr 7
Chris Botti @ Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA, Apr 8
Simply Red @ Trent FM Arena, Nottingham, UK, Apr 9
B. B. King @ First Tier Events Center, Kearney, NE, Apr 9
Michel Camilo Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 9-14
B. B. King @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Co, Apr 10
B. B. King @ Casper Events Center, Casper, WY, Apr 11
Chris Botti @ State Theater, Easton, PA, Apr 11
B. B. King @ Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, UT, Apr 14
Tower Of Power @ Hoyt Sherman Theater, Des Moines, IA, Apr 14
Diana Krall @ Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium, Calgary, AB, April 14-15
Tower Of Power @ 3rd Street Saloon, Cedar Rapids, IA, Apr 15
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Apr 15
Fourplay @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 15-20
B. B. King @ Oakland Theatre, Oakland, CA, Apr 16
Alex Bugnon @ Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 16
Tower Of Power @ Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN, Apr 16
Chris Botti @ Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach, FL, Apr 16
Richie Havens @ Page Auditorium, Durham, NC, Apr 16
Brandford Marsalis @ Van Singel Fine Arts Center, Byron Center, MI, Apr 16
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News, VA, Apr 16
Joe Cocker @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL, Apr 17
Brandford Marsalis @ Symphony Center, Chicago, IL, Apr 17
Richie Havens @ Macomb Center, Clinton Township, MI, Apr 17
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, CA, Apr 17
Brandford Marsalis @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT, Apr 17
Urban Jazz Coalition, Nick Colionne, Four80East, Brian Simpson, Shilts, Nils, Matt Marshak, Althea Rene @ Seabrazz Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 17
Tower Of Power @ Norton Center For The Arts/Newlin Hall, Danville, KY, Apr 17
Joe Cocker @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, Pompano Beach, FL, Apr 18
Simply Red @ Sportspaleis, Antwerp, Belgium, Apr 18
Richie Havens @ Jasper Community Arts Center, Jasper, IN, Apr 18
Diana Krall @ Conexus Arts Centre, Regina, SK, Apr 18
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, San Diego, CA, Apr 18
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Apr 18
Althea Renem Shilts, Four80Easr, Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Joyce Cooling @ Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 18
Medeski, Martin & Wood @ B-Side Jazz Festival, Minneapolis, MN, Apr 18
Frankie Valli @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Apr 18
Tower Of Power @ Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC, Apr 18
Joe Cocker @ Downtown, Orlando, FL, Apr 19
Richie Havens @ Earth Day Concert, Grand Rapids, MI, Apr 19
Diana Krall @ TCU Place, Saskatoon, SK, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY, Apr 19
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ The Grove Anaheim, Anaheim, CA, Apr 19
Jones & Company, Roman Street, Brian Simpson, Nils, Jackiem Hoyner, Warren Hill, Nick Colionne @ Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 19
Simply Red @ Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Apr 19
Frankie Valli @ Proctor & Gamble Hall, Cincinati, OH, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Rose Theater, New york, NY, Apr 21
Simply Red @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Apr 21-22
Diana Krall @ MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB, Apr 22
Joshua Redman, Reuben Rogers, Greg Hutchinson @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 21-25
Joe Cocker @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY, Apr 23
Joe Cocker @ Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL, Apr 23
Richie Havens @ Thrasher Opera House, Green Lake, Wi, Apr 23
Chris Botti @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, FL, Apr 23
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Rose Theater, New York, NY, Apr 23-25
Bobby Caldwell @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Apr 23-26
Simply Red @ Forum, Horsens, Denmark, Apr 24
Richie Havens @ Stoughton Opera House, Stoughton, WI, Apr 24
Joe Cocker @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA, Apr 24
Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Joyce Cooling @ Lyman Center Southern CT State, New Haven, CT, Apr 24
Chris Botti @ BJXX Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL, Apr 24
Diana Krall @ RBC Theatre, London, ON, Apr 25
Richie Havens @ ECC Blizzard Theatre, Elgin, IL, Apr 25
Chris Botti @ Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, FL, Apr 25
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ WLOQ Smooth Jazz Under the Stars, Orlando, FL, Apr 25
Chris Botti @ The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL, Apr 26
Diana Krall @ Centre in the Square, Kitchener, ON, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Annex, Stockholm, Sweden, Apr 26
Richie Havens @ University Church, West Lafayette, IL, Apr 26
Joe Cocker @ State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Hartwall, Helsinki, Finland, Apr 28
Diana Krall @ Hamilton Place Theatre, Hamilton, ON, Par 28
Chris Botti @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 28
Boz Scaggs @ Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA, Apr 28
Chris Botti @ Theatre of Durham, Durham, NC, Apr 29
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Shafer Auditorium, Willimantic, CT, Apr 29
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Music Center/Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD, Apr 29
Charles Aznavour @ City Center, New York, NY, April 29-30
Simply Red @ Kremlin Palace, Moscow, Russia, Apr 30
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, MA, Apr 30
Chris Botti @ Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Charlotte, NC, Apr 30
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 30
James Taylor @ SunFest 2009, West Palm Beach, Fl, Apr 30
Kenny G @ Sala Palatului, Bucharest, Romania, Apr 30
Diana Krall @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, Apr 30

MAY 2009
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Flynn Theatre, Burlington, VT, May 1
Kenny G @ National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria, May 1
Diana Krall @ Massey Hall, Toronto, ON, May 1
Bonnie Raitt @ New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA, May 1
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Grand Ballroom Manhattan Center, New York, NY, May 1
Joe Cocker @ Casino Rama, Orillia N, May 1-2
Charles Aznavour @ City Center, New York, NY, May 1-2
Richie Havens @ IMAC, Huntington, NY, May 2
Bobby Caldwell @ Fairfield Center For Creative Arts, Fairfield, CA, May 2
Chris Bott @ Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH, May 2
Kenny G @ Sutluce Convention Center, Istanbul, Turkey, May 2
UB40 @ SunFest, West Palm Beach, FL, May 2
Van Morrison @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 2-3
Diana Krall @ National Arts Center, Ottawa, ON, May 2-3
Jane Monheit @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, May 2-5
Simply Red @ Torwar, Warsaw, Poland, May 3
Bonnie Raitt @ Memphis In May, Memphis, TN, May 3
Chris Botti @ Ventura Music Festival, Ventura, CA, May 3
Spyro Gyra @ SunFest, West Palm Beach, FL, May 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Ramshead Live, Baltimore, MD, May 3
Bobby Caldwell @ Vacaville Performing Arts Theater, Vacaville, CA, May 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, May 4
Bonnie Raitt @ Peoroa Civic Center, Peoria, IL, May 4
Joe Cocker @ University at Buffalo Center, Buffalo, NY, May 5
Simply Red @ Leipzig Arena, Leipzig, Germany, May 5
Diana Krall @ K-Rock Centre, Kingston, ON, May 5
Bonnie Raitt @ University of Missouri, Columbus, MO, May 5
Kenny G @ RAI Congress Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, May 5
Brandford Marsalis @ Jazz Standard, New York, NY, May 5-10
Simply Red @ Arena Nurnberger Versicherungen, Nurnberg, Germany, May 6
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Amos Southend, Charlotte, NC, May 6
Kenny G @ Rhein-Main-Theater, Neidernhausen, Germany, May 6
Diana Krall @ Place des Arts, Montreal, QC, May 6-7
Kenny G @ Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland, May 7
Simply Red @ Mannheim SAP Arena, Mannheim, Germany, May 7
Chris Botti @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY, May 7
Joe Cocker @ Caesar’s Windsor The Colosseum, Windsor, ON, May 7
Van Morrison @ Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 7-8
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Willet Hall, Portsmouth, VA, May 8
Joe Cocker @ Island Casino, Harris, MI, May 8-9
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, May 9
Simply Red @ Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany, May 9
Diana Krall @ Moncton Coliseum, Moncton, NB, May 9
Bonnie Raitt @ Paragon Casino, Marksville, LA, May 9
Teena Marie, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly @ Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ, May 9
Peter White @ Osthoff Resort, Elkhart, WI, May 9
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake, WI, May 9
Chris Botti @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, May 10
Diana Krall @ Halifax Metro Centre, Halifax, NS, May 10
Bonnie Raitt @ Bass Concert Hall, Austin, TX, May 10
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC, May 10
Teena Marie, The Whispers @ The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, May 10
Simply Red @ Hamburg Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany, May 11
Joe Cocker @ Potawatomi Casino, Milwaukee, WI, May 11-12
Simply Red @ Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany, May 12
Bonnie Raitt @ Majestic Theatre, San Antonio, TX, May 12
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, May 12
Simply Red @ Frankfurt Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany, May 13
Diana Krall @ Orpheum Theatre, Vancouver, BC, May 13
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Paul, MN, May 13
Chris Botti @ Grand Opera House, Wilmington, DE, May 13
Joe Cocker @ US Cellular Coliseum Theatre, Bloomington, IL, May 13
Chris Botti @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, May 14
Bonnie Raitt @ Verizon Wireless Theatre, Houston, TX, May 14
Simply Red @ Halenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland, May 15
Chris Botti @ Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, May 15
Joe Cocker @ Jackpot Junction Casino, Morton, MN, May 15
Richie Havens @ Metropolitan Museum, New York, NY, May 15
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, May 15
Chris Botti @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, May 16
Richie Havens @ Algonquin Arts, Manasquan, NJ, May 16
Joe Cocker @ Diamond Jo Casino, Dubuque, IA, May 16
Bonnie Raitt @ Million Dollar Elm Casino, Tulsa, OK, May 16
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, May 16
Simply Red @ Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan, Italy, May 16-17
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, Chicago, IL, May 17
Joe Cocker @ Harrah’s, Council Bluff’s, IA, May 17
Simply Red @ Palasport, Conegliano Veneto, Italy, May 19
Joe Cocker @ Star of the Desert Arena, Primm, NV, May 20
Simply Red @ Stadhalle Vienna, Vienna, Austria, May 21
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ McFarlin Auditorium, Dallas, TX, May 21
Chris Botti @ MSU Riley Center, Meridian, MS, May 21
Joe Cocker @ Chumash Casino, San Ynez, CA, May 21
Simply Red @ Stadhalle Graz, Graz, Austria, May 22
Joe Cocker @ Field of Dreams Park, Sonoma, CA, May 22
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Arena Theatre, Houston, TX, May 22
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, May 22
Chris Botti @ Symphony Hall, Atlanta, GA, May 22-23
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ KIFM Jazz Fest, San Diego, CA, May 23
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @One World Theatre, Austin, TX, May 24
Simply Red @ O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic, May 24
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Orpheum Theatre, Memphi, TN, May 24
Medeski, Martin & Wood @ Summer Camp, Chillicothe, IL, May 24
Simply Red @ 02 World Arena, Berlin, Germany, May 25
Simply Red @ Olympia, Paris, France, May 27-28
Joe Cocker @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grand Ronde, OR, May 28
Richie Havens @ Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis, MN, May 28
Joe Cocker @ Red Robinson Theatre, Coquitlam, BC, May 29
Richie Havens @ Paramount Theatre, Austin, TX, May 29
Chris Botti @ Cerritos Center for the Arts, Cerritos, CA, May 30
Joe Cocker @ River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, BC, May 30
Simply Red @ Olympiahaile, Munich, Germany, May 30
Joe Cocker @ Emerald Queen Casino, Tacoma, WA, May 31
Richie Havens @ Moutain Jam Festival, Hunter Mountain, NY, May 31

JUNE 2009
Chris Botti @ Symphony Hall, Boston, MA, June 3
Joe Cocker @ The Warfield, San Francisco, CA, June 3
Chris Botti @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, June 4
The Sax Pack @ The Claremont, Berkeley, CA, June 5
Diana Krall @ Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT, June 5
Richie Havens @ Narrows Center, Falls River, MA, June 5
Joe Cocker @ Nokia Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Amphitheater At The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL. June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre At Encore Park. Atlanta, GA, June 6
Chris Botti @ Conference Center, Monterey, CA, June 6
Richie Havens @ One Longfellow Square Portland, ME, June 6
James Taylor @ 02 Arena, London, UK, June 6
Joe Cocker @ Humphrey’s, San Diego, CA, June 6
Regina Belle @ Capital Music Festival, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD, June 6
Joe Cocker @ Dodge Theatre, Phoenix, AZ, June 7
Diana Krall @ Flynn Center, Burlington, VT, June 7
The Sax Pack @ Clark County Amphitheater, Las Vegas, NV, June 8
Joe Cocker @ Botanic Gardens, Denver, CO, June 9
Diana Krall @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, June 9
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, June 9
Joe Cocker @ Sandia Casino Amphitheatre, Alburquerque, NM, June 10
Diana Krall @ ArtPark, Lewiston, NY, June 10
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Merriweather Post Pavillion, Washington, DC, June 10
Joe Cocker @ Inn of the Mountain Gods Resort, Mescalero, NM, June 11
Bobby Caldwell @ The Rrazz Room at The Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, CA, June 11-14
The Sax Pack @ Jazz in the Wood, Overland Park, KS, June 12
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ, June 12-13
Joe Cocker @ Winstar Casino, Thackerville, OK, June 13
Diana Krall @ Bank of American Pavilion, Boston, MA, June 13
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Jazz In The Woods – Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS, June 13
Regina Belle @ Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, June 13
Joe Cocker @ Meyerson Symphony Center, Dallas, TX, June 14
Kenny G @ Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood, CA, June 14
Diana Krall @ Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI, June 14
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Bethel Performing Arts Center, Bethel, NY, June 14
Joe Cocker @ Arena Theatre, Houston, TX, June 15
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Agganis Arena, Boston, MA, June 16
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, June 17
Tower Of Power @ Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI, June 18
Tower Of Power @ Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester, NY, June 19
Peter White @ KIFM Jazz At The Beach, Oceanside, CA, June 19
Diana Krall @ Mann Music Center, Philadelphia, PA, June 19
Richie Havens @ Stephens Talkhouse, Amagansett, NY, June 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ MGM Grand Theater At Foxwoods, Ledyard, CT, June 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY, June 20
Tower Of Power @ West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival, Philadelphia, PA, June 20
Kenny G @ Mable House Barnes Amphitheater, Mableton, Georgia, June 20
Diana Krall @ Borgata Spa & Resort, Atlantic City, NJ, June 20
Simply Red @ Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, UK, June 21
Diana Krall @ Telos Pavilion, Portsmouth, VA, June 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Value City Arena At Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH, June 21
Tower Of Power @ Foxwoods MGM Grand Theater, Mashantucket, CT, June 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN, June 23
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI, June 24
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Manchester Men Arena, UK, June 24
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Birmingham NIA Arena, UK, June 25
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Allstate Arena, Chicago, Il, June 25
Richie Havens @ Lake Superior Big Top Chautauqua, Bayfield, WI, June 26
George Benson, Kenny ‘Babyface’ Edmonds. Ledisi, Jazz Attack feat. Rick Braun, Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 26
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Fraze Pavillion for the Performing Arts, Kettering, OH, June 26
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Cardiff CIA, UK, June 27
The O’Jays, Michael McDonald @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 27
Richie Havens @ Calumet Theatre, Calumet, MI, June 27
Diana Krall @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL, June 27
Joe Cocker @ Ameristar Casino, Kansas City, MO, June 27
Regina Belle @ St. Kitts Music Festival, Warner Park Stadium, St. Kitts, WI, June 27
Peter White @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Simply Red @ Heroes’ Square, Budapest, Hungary, June 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ South Coast Winery, Temecula, CA, June 27
Patti LaBelle, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez, Dred Scott Trio, Wallace Roney Quintet, John Ellis Quintet @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 27
George Benson, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Bonerama, Aaron Parks, Julian Lage @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
Diana Krall @ Riverside Theater, Milwaukee, WI, June 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO, June 28
Patti LaBelle, Robin Thicke, Chuck Brown, Keiko Matsui @ Hampton Jazz Fest, Hampton, VA, June 28
George Benson @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Wembley Arena, London, UK, June 28
Joe Cocker @ Ravinia, Highland Park, IL, June 28
Joe Cocker @ Fraze Pavilion, Kettering, OH, June 30
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI, June 30

JULY 2009
Simply Red @ Vaerket Outdoors, Randers, Denmark, July 1
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Target Center, Minneapolis, MN, July 1
Diana Krall @ Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, MA, July 2
Diana Krall @ Meadowbrook Pavilion, Gilford, NH, July 3
Simply Red @ Westerpark, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 3
Al Green, Anita Baker, Beyonce, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Brand New Heavies, Eric Benet, John Legend, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, Robin Thicke, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Teena Marie, Zap Mama @ 15th Annual Essence Music Festival, New Orleans Superdome, New Orleans, LA, Jul 3-5
Simply Red @ Foret National, Brussels, Belgium, July 4
Richie Havens @ Finch Park, Ramsey, NJ, July 4
Santana @ B’estfest Festival, Bucharest, Romania, July 4
Joe Cocker @ Atlantic City Hilton, Atlantic City, NJ, July 4
Simply Red @ Markplatz, Lingen, Germany, July 5
Richie Havens @ Concerts Under the Stars, King of Prussia, PA, July 5
Santana @ Kuracesna Arena, Istanbul, Turkey, July 6
Simply Red @ Parkuhne, Hannover, Germany, July 7
Diana Krall @ Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, July 8
Santana @ Kallimarmaro Stadium, Athens, Green, July 8
Chris Botti @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, July 9
Chris Botti @ The Nugget, Sparks, NV, July 10
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillio, Houston, TX, July 10
Diana Krall @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA, July 11
Santana @ Youth Festival, Belgrade, Serbia, July 11
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX, July 11
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Thornton Winery, Temecula, CA, July 11-12
Chris Botti @ Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA, July 11-12
Santana @ Varazdin Stadium, Croatia, July 12
Chris Botti @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, July 13
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Sandia Amphitheatre, Sandia, NM, July 13
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, July 14
Joe Cocker @ Pier Six Pavilion, Baltimore, MD, July 14
Santana @ Trieste Piazza unita d’Italia, Trieste, Italy, July 14
Santana @ Piazza della Loggia, Brescia, Italy, July 15
Joe Cocker @ Live at the Gardens, Memphis, TN, July 16
Santana @ Festival, Kitzbuehel, Austria, July 17
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA, July 17
Richie Havens @ Master Musicians Festival, Somerset, KY, July 17
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Rose Garden Theater Of The Clouds, Portland, OR, July 18
Simply Red @ Amphitheater, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, July 18
Santana @ City Park Fair, Mainz, Germany, July 18
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Weesner Amphitheater, Apple Valley, MN, July 18
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ JazzFest West. San Dimas, CA, July 18
Simply Red @ Muensterplatz, Ulm, Germany, July 19
Santana @ Jazz on the Danube Festival, Straubing, Germany, July 19
Mindi Abair @ Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre, Oceanside, CA, July 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ HP Pavillion At San Jose, San Jose, CA, July 21
Santana @ Gerry-Weber Arena, Halle, Germany, July 21
Santana @ Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany, July 22
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA, July 22
Richie Havens @ Castle Cltino Battery Park, Tupper Lake, NY, July 23
Santana @ Stadtpark, Hamburg, Germany, July 23
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ, July 24
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX, July 24
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ House of Blues, Houston, TX, July 25
Santana @ Silverstone Race Track, Northamptonshire, UK, July 25
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Joint @ The Hard Rock & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, July 25
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center, El Paso, TX, July 26
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, CA, July 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, July 31
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ California Mid-State Fair, Paso Robles, CA, July 31
Bobby Caldwell @ The Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA, July 31

AUGUST 2009
Bobby Caldwell @ Thornton Winery, Temucula, CA, Aug 1
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena At Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe, NV, Aug 1
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Texas Station, North Las Vegas, NV, Aug 1
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Soundboard Theatre Motor City Casino, Detroit, MI, Aug 6
Chris Botti @ Tanglewood, Lenox, MA, Aug 7
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Atlantic City Hilton, Atlantic City, NJ, Aug 8
Diana Krall @ Pearl Concert Theatre, Las Vegas, NV, Aug 8
Peter White @ Scullers Jazz Club, Allston, MA, Aug 11
Diana Krall @ Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA, Aug 12
Peter White @ Spirit of New York Cruise Ship, New York, NY, Aug 12
Peter White @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Aug 13
Peter White @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Aig 14
Mindi Abair @ Nicollet Commerce Park, Burnsville, NY, Aug 15
Diana Krall @ Peppermill Reno Tuscany Ballroom, Reno, NV, Aug 15
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Ironstone Vineyard, Murphy’s CA, Aug 16
Bonnie Raitt @ Wolf Trap Filene Center, Vienna, VA, Aug 16
Bonnie Raitt @ Chastain Park Amphitheatre, Atlanta, GA, Aug 18
Bonnie Raitt @ Palace Theatre, Louisville, KY, Aug 19
Tower Of Power @ San Mateo Fair, San Mateo, CA, Aug 19
Tower Of Power @ Humphrey’s By The Bay, San Diego, CA, Aug 21
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grand Ronde, OR, Aug 21
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ The Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA, Aug 21
Bonnie Raitt @ Ravinia, Highland Park, Il, Aug 21-22
Tower Of Power @ The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Aug 23
Diana Krall @ Santa Barbara Bowl, Santa Barbara, CA, Aug 23
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ JVC Jazz The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Aug 23
Bonnie Raitt @ White River State Park, Indianapolis, IN, Aug 25
Diana Krall @ Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR, Aug 28
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Humphrey’s, San Diego, CA, Aug 28
Tower Of Power @ River Rock Casino, Richmond, BC, Aug 29
Bonnie Raitt @ Red Rocks, Morrison, CO, Aug 30

SEPTEMBER 2009
Bonnie Raitt @ Edgefield Winery, Troutdale, OR, Sept 3
Bonnie Raitt @ Les Schwab Amphitheatre, Bend, OR, Sept 5
Bonnie Raitt @ Hult Center, Eugene, OR, Sept 7
Tower Of Power @ Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 11
Bonnie Raitt @ Humphrey;s By the Bay, San Diego, CA, Sept 17
Tower Of Power @ Kern County Fair, Bakersfield, CA, Sept 23
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Western Washington Fair/Puyallup Fair, Pyallup, WA, Sept 24
Tower Of Power @ The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA, Sept 25
Chris Botti @ Clark State Performing Arts Center, Springfield, OH, Sept 26

OCTOBER 2009
Peter White @ Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Amphitheater, Newport Beach, CA, Oct 2
Peter White @ Thornton Winery, Temecula, CA, Oct 3
Bonnie Raitt @ Koger Center, Columbia, SC, Oct 11
Bonnie Raitt @ Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, Asheville, NC, Oct 13
Bonnie Raitt @ Tennessee Theatre, Knoxville, TX, Oct 14
Bonnie Raitt @ Johnny Mercer Theatre, Savannah, GA, Oct 16
Bonnie Raitt @ House of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC, Oct 17
Bonnie Raitt @ Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL, Oct 20
Bonnie Raitt @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Oct 22
Bonnie Raitt @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, Pompano Beach, FL, Oct 23
Bonnie Raitt @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL, Oct 24
Chris Botti @ Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY, Oct 24
Chris Botti @ Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington, DC, Oct 29-31
Kenny G @ The Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Oct 31

NOVEMBER 2009
Gerald Albright @ The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Nov 5
Gerald Albright @ Rams Head, Annapolis, MD, Nov 6
Gerald Albright @ Halton Theater, Charlotte, NC, Nov 7
Kenny G @ Coliseo de Peurto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nov 7
Kenny G @ Altos de Chavon, La Romana, Dominican Republic, Nov 8
Chris Botti @ Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ, Nov 20
Chris Botti @ Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA, Nov 21
Kenny G @ McCallum Theatre, Palm Springs, CA, Nov 21
Kenny G @ The Grove, Anaheim, CA, Nov 22
Chris Botti @ Hillbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, Nov 24

DECEMBER 2009
Chris Botti @ Orchestra Hall, Minneapolois, MN, Dec 4-5
UB40, Eddy Grant @ 02 Arena, London, UK, Dec 12
Chris Botti @ Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, Dec 13

JANUARY 2010
Gerald Albright @ Smooth Jazz Cruise, Holland America/Westerdam, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jan 17-24

SANTANA AT THE JOINT AT THE HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO, LAS VEGAS

Carlos Santana will be performing at The Joint At The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino through 2010. As a matter of fact, The Joint will be the only place west of the Mississippi that a fan can see Santana perform. The Show will pay homage to his most successful body of work to date, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits debuts on Wednesday May 27 and features the artists signature fusion sound in a show designed exclusively for the new venue.

The show will feature career-spanning classics, which will include a nostalgic collection of touchstone tracks reaching back as far as the first charting single Jingo (1969) and first Top 10 hit Evil Ways (1970), up through the latest hit, Into The Night (2008). According to Carlos, "A Trip Through The Hits is designed to bring everyone in the audience together as one", said Carlos Santana. "I invite you to join our experience - we'll mix up a little practical spirituality with a rebel-from-the-street vibe, and with lots of incredible music. My wish is for it to be a night that will move you to dance, to cry, to laugh and to feel the totality and fullness of being alive."

Santana will play approximately 36 shows per year at The Joint, with a show time of 8 p.m. The Joint has just been completely updated and expanded to 4000 seats. Tickets for performances through September go on-sale Wednesday, April 1. Prices range from $70-$299. Click to www.supernaturalsantana.com for more information.

Santana July European Tour Dates
7/4/2009 Bucharest, Romania, B'estfest Festival
7/6/2009 Istanbul, Turkey, Kuracesna Arena
7/8/2009 Athens, Greece, Kallimarmaro Stadium
7/11/2009 Belgrade, Serbia, Youth Festival
7/12/2009 Croatia, Varazdin Festival
7/14/2009 Trieste, Italy, Trieste Piazza unita d'Italia
7/15/2009 Brescia, Italy, Piazza della Loggia
7/17/2009 Kitzbuehel, Austria, Festival
7/18/2009 Mainz, Germany, City Park Fair
7/19/2009 Straubing, Germany, Jazz on the Danube festival
7/21/2009 Halle, Germany, Gerry-Weber Arena
7/22/2009 Dortmund, Germany, Westfalenhalle
7/23/2009 Hamburg, Germany, Stadtpark
7/25/2009 Northamptonshire, UK, Silverstone Race Track

MOTOWN TO CELEBRATE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF MARVIN GAYE

April 2, 2009 will mark the 70th birthday of the late great Marvin Gaye. April 1 will also mark the 25th anniversary of his tragic death the day before his 45th birthday. Motown's top solo male artist of the '60s, led by his "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" -- at one time the biggest selling single in Motown history- Gaye became the label's most revolutionary artist in the '70s, breaking down barriers whether singing about the body or the soul, social consciousness or sexual politics. From his '60s classic "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," to his legendary rendition of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at the 1983 NBA All-Star Game, he defined the soul in "soul music."

Marvin Gaye’s popularity and influence continues. His 1971 album Whats Going On forever changed the subject matter of popular music; it's one of Rolling Stone magazine's top 10 albums of all time. In 1973, Let’s Get It On became perhaps the most passionate and sexual album ever recorded, led by its title track, which remains one of the most popular songs of all time, a certified Gold single back in the day, and in the digital music era it's a Gold digital download and a Platinum-selling ringtone as well. In 1987, three years after his death, Gaye was rightfully among only the second group of artists honored with induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. More recently, Marvin Gaye was No. 6 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Greatest Singers Of All Time.

Noting the milestones of his birth and passing, Motown/UMe will issue a special digital-only album on March 31, Marvin Gaye: Then & Now, a 14-track set of rarities highlighted by the previously unreleased "Soulie", a 1966 recording recently unearthed by Motown's New York-based producer Mickey Gentile, and a hot funk 2009 remix of "I Want You," Marvin's No. 1 hit from 1976, by the renowned John Morales of M+M Productions. Other tracks making their online debut are: the deep vault track "It's Your Party," and his two super-rare late '50s Chess recordings with Harvey & The Moonglows ("Mama Loocie," "Twelve Months Of The Year"). Rounding out this special collection are Marvin's earliest, pre-hit Motown singles ("Witchcraft," "Let Your Conscience Be Your Guide" and more).

Motown/UMe is also issuing a vinyl-only edition of United (Motown/UMe), Gaye's classic duet album with Tammi Terrell, on April 14. The standard by which all R&B male-female duos are measured, Gaye and Terrell first teamed on the 1967 album that included "If I Could Build My World Around You," "Your Precious Love" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."

In addition, the ongoing, acclaimed "Motwn 50" podcast series will feature special episodes on Marvin Gaye's life and music; Gaye is also well represented on the deluxe 10-CD box set Motown: The Complete No. 1’s, which kicked off the year long celebration for Motown's 50th anniversary. Both The Real Thing, a DVD collection of his greatest television and concert appearances, and Gold, a 2-CD overview of his career, have recently been certified Gold. Marvin Gaye will also figure prominently in a two-hour documentary about Motown produced by the label's founder, Berry Gordy.

THE UPCOMING CONCERTS CALENDAR

APRIL 2009
Madeleine Peyroux @ Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ, Apr 1
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Zellerbach, San Francisco, CA, Apr 1
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Apr 1
B. B. King @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, Apr 1-2
Tower Of Power @ The Hi Hat, Providence, RI, Apr 2
The Sax Pack @ The Berks Jazz Festival, Reading, PA, Apr 2-3
Simply Red @ The O2 Arena, London, UK, Apr 2-3
Phoebe Snow @ The Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Crystal Ballroom, Portland, OR, Apr 3
Fred Wesley & The New JB’s @ Warmdaddy’s, Philadelphia, PA, Apr 3
Tower Of Power @ Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH, Apr 3
McCoy Tyner @ Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 4
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Paramount Theatre, Seattle, WA, Apr 4
Chris Botti @ Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ, Apr 4
Peter White @ Capetown International Jazz Festical, Capetown, South Africa, Apr 4
Brandford Marsalis @ Gusman Center, Miami, FL, Apr 4
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 4
Randy Brecker, Chuck Loeb, Dave Weckl, Gerald Veasley, Bobby Franceschini @ Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 4
Lionel Richie @ 02 Arena, London, UK, Apr 4-5
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, BC, Apr 5
Simply Red @ M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK, Apr 5
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, New Orleans, LA, Apr 5
Brandford Marsalis @ Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA, Apr 5
Simply Red @ The Clyde Auditorium,, Glasgow, UK, Apr 6
Simply Red @ Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, UK, Apr 7
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Krannert Center, Urbana, IL, Apr 7
Chris Botti @ Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA, Apr 8
Simply Red @ Trent FM Arena, Nottingham, UK, Apr 9
B. B. King @ First Tier Events Center, Kearney, NE, Apr 9
Michel Camilo Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 9-14
B. B. King @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Co, Apr 10
B. B. King @ Casper Events Center, Casper, WY, Apr 11
Chris Botti @ State Theater, Easton, PA, Apr 11
B. B. King @ Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, UT, Apr 14
Tower Of Power @ Hoyt Sherman Theater, Des Moines, IA, Apr 14
Tower Of Power @ 3rd Street Saloon, Cedar Rapids, IA, Apr 15
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Apr 15
Fourplay @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 15-20
B. B. King @ Oakland Theatre, Oakland, CA, Apr 16
Alex Bugnon @ Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 16
Tower Of Power @ Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN, Apr 16
Chris Botti @ Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach, FL, Apr 16
Brandford Marsalis @ Van Singel Fine Arts Center, Byron Center, MI, Apr 16
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Ferguson Center for the Arts, Newport News, VA, Apr 16
Joe Cocker @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL, Apr 17
Brandford Marsalis @ Symphony Center, Chicago, IL, Apr 17
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, CA, Apr 17
Brandford Marsalis @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT, Apr 17
Urban Jazz Coalition, Nick Colionne, Four80East, Brian Simpson, Shilts, Nils, Matt Marshak, Althea Rene @ Seabrazz Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 17
Tower Of Power @ Norton Center For The Arts/Newlin Hall, Danville, KY, Apr 17
Joe Cocker @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, Pompano Beach, FL, Apr 18
Simply Red @ Sportspaleis, Antwerp, Belgium, Apr 18
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, San Diego, CA, Apr 18
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Apr 18
Althea Renem Shilts, Four80Easr, Wayman Tisdale, Will Downing, Joyce Cooling @ Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 18
Frankie Valli @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Apr 18
Tower Of Power @ Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC, Apr 18
Joe Cocker @ Downtown, Orlando, FL, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY, Apr 19
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ The Grove Anaheim, Anaheim, CA, Apr 19
Jones & Company, Roman Street, Brian Simpson, Nils, Jackiem Hoyner, Warren Hill, Nick Colionne @ Seabreeze Jazz Festival, Panama City, FL, Apr 19
Simply Red @ Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Apr 19
Frankie Valli @ Proctor & Gamble Hall, Cincinati, OH, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Rose Theater, New york, NY, Apr 21
Simply Red @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Apr 21-22
Joshua Redman, Reuben Rogers, Greg Hutchinson @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 21-25
Joe Cocker @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY, Apr 23
Joe Cocker @ Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL, Apr 23
Chris Botti @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, FL, Apr 23
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Rose Theater, New York, NY, Apr 23-25
Bobby Caldwell @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Apr 23-26
Simply Red @ Forum, Horsens, Denmark, Apr 24
Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Joyce Cooling @ Lyman Center Southern CT State, New Haven, CT, Apr 24
Chris Botti @ BJXX Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL, Apr 24
Chris Botti @ Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, FL, Apr 25
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ WLOQ Smooth Jazz Under the Stars, Orlando, FL, Apr 25
Chris Botti @ The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Annex, Stockholm, Sweden, Apr 26
Joe Cocker @ State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Hartwall, Helsinki, Finland, Apr 28
Chris Botti @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 28
Boz Scaggs @ Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA, Apr 28
Chris Botti @ Theatre of Durham, Durham, NC, Apr 29
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Shafer Auditorium, Willimantic, CT, Apr 29
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Music Center/Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD, Apr 29
Charles Aznavour @ City Center, New York, NY, April 29-30
Simply Red @ Kremlin Palace, Moscow, Russia, Apr 30
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, MA, Apr 30
Chris Botti @ Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Charlotte, NC, Apr 30
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 30
James Taylor @ SunFest 2009, West Palm Beach, Fl, Apr 30
Kenny G @ Sala Palatului, Bucharest, Romania, Apr 30

MAY 2009
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Flynn Theatre, Burlington, VT, May 1
Kenny G @ National Palace of Culture, Sofia, Bulgaria, May 1
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Grand Ballroom Manhattan Center, New York, NY, May 1
Joe Cocker @ Casino Rama Entertainment Centre, Rama, ON, May 1-2
Charles Aznavour @ City Center, New York, NY, May 1-2
Bobby Caldwell @ Fairfield Center For Creative Arts, Fairfield, CA, May 2
Chris Bott @ Ohio Theatre, Columbus, OH, May 2
Kenny G @ Sutluce Convention Center, Istanbul, Turkey, May 2
UB40 @ SunFest, West Palm Beach, FL, May 2
Van Morrison @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 2-3
Jane Monheit @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, May 2-5
Simply Red @ Torwar, Warsaw, Poland, May 3
Chris Botti @ Ventura Music Festival, Ventura, CA, May 3
Spyro Gyra @ SunFest, West Palm Beach, FL, May 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Ramshead Live, Baltimore, MD, May 3
Bobby Caldwell @ Vacaville Performing Arts Theater, Vacaville, CA, May 3
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, May 4
Simply Red @ Leipzig Arena, Leipzig, Germany, May 5
Kenny G @ RAI Congress Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, May 5
Brandford Marsalis @ Jazz Standard, New York, NY, May 5-10
Simply Red @ Arena Nurnberger Versicherungen, Nurnberg, Germany, May 6
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Amos Southend, Charlotte, NC, May 6
Kenny G @ Rhein-Main-Theater, Neidernhausen, Germany, May 6
Kenny G @ Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw, Poland, May 7
Simply Red @ Mannheim SAP Arena, Mannheim, Germany, May 7
Chris Botti @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY, May 7
Joe Cocker @ Caesar’s Windsor The Colosseum, Windsor, ON, May 7
Van Morrison @ Orpheum Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, May 7-8
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Willet Hall, Portsmouth, VA, May 8
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, May 9
Simply Red @ Lanxess Arena, Cologne, Germany, May 9
Teena Marie, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly @ Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ, May 9
Peter White @ Osthoff Resort, Elkhart, WI, May 9
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Osthoff Resort, Elkhart Lake, WI, May 9
Chris Botti @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, May 10
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Durham Performing Arts Center, Durham, NC, May 10
Teena Marie, The Whispers @ The Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, May 10
Simply Red @ Hamburg Color Line Arena, Hamburg, Germany, May 11
Simply Red @ Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany, May 12
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Riverside Theatre, Milwaukee, WI, May 12
Simply Red @ Frankfurt Festhalle, Frankfurt, Germany, May 13
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ O’Shaughnessy Auditorium, St. Paul, MN, May 13
Chris Botti @ Grand Opera House, Wilmington, DE, May 13
Chris Botti @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, May 14
Simply Red @ Halenstadion, Zurich, Switzerland, May 15
Chris Botti @ Count Basie Theatre, Red Bank, NJ, May 15
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Toronto, ON, May 15
Chris Botti @ Stanley Theatre, Utica, NY, May 16
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, May 16
Simply Red @ Teatro Degli Arcimboldi, Milan, Italy, May 16-17
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ House of Blues, Chicago, IL, May 17
Simply Red @ Palasport, Conegliano Veneto, Italy, May 19
Joe Cocker @ Star of the Desert Arena, Primm, NV, May 20
Simply Red @ Stadhalle Vienna, Vienna, Austria, May 21
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ McFarlin Auditorium, Dallas, TX, May 21
Chris Botti @ MSU Riley Center, Meridian, MS, May 21
Simply Red @ Stadhalle Graz, Graz, Austria, May 22
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Arena Theatre, Houston, TX, May 22
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, May 22
Chris Botti @ Symphony Hall, Atlanta, GA, May 22-23
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ KIFM Jazz Fest, San Diego, CA, May 23
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @One World Theatre, Austin, TX, May 24
Simply Red @ O2 Arena, Prague, Czech Republic, May 24
India.Arie, Laura Isibor @ Orpheum Theatre, Memphi, TN, May 24
Simply Red @ 02 World Arena, Berlin, Germany, May 25
Simply Red @ Olympia, Paris, France, May 27-28
Joe Cocker @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grand Ronde, OR, May 28
Joe Cocker @ Red Robinson Theatre, Coquitlam, BC, May 29
Chris Botti @ Cerritos Center for the Arts, Cerritos, CA, May 30
Joe Cocker @ River Rock Casino Resort, Richmond, BC, May 30
Simply Red @ Olympiahaile, Munich, Germany, May 30

JUNE 2009
Chris Botti @ Symphony Hall, Boston, MA, June 3
Chris Botti @ Beacon Theatre, New York, NY, June 4
The Sax Pack @ The Claremont, Berkeley, CA, June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Amphitheater At The Wharf, Orange Beach, AL. June 5
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre At Encore Park. Atlanta, GA, June 6
Chris Botti @ Conference Center, Monterey, CA, June 6
James Taylor @ 02 Arena, London, UK, June 6
Regina Belle @ Capital Music Festival, Merriweather Post Pavillion, Columbia, MD, June 6
The Sax Pack @ Clark County Amphitheater, Las Vegas, NV, June 8
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC, June 9
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Merriweather Post Pavillion, Washington, DC, June 10
Bobby Caldwell @ The Rrazz Room at The Hotel Nikko, San Francisco, CA, June 11-14
The Sax Pack @ Jazz in the Wood, Overland Park, KS, June 12
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ, June 12-12
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Jazz In The Woods – Corporate Woods, Overland Park, KS, June 13
Regina Belle @ Prudential Center, Newark, NJ, June 13
Kenny G @ Playboy Jazz Festival, Hollywood, CA, June 14
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Bethel Performing Arts Center, Bethel, NY, June 14
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Agganis Arena, Boston, MA, June 16
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, June 17
Tower Of Power @ Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI, June 18
Tower Of Power @ Rochester International Jazz Festival, Rochester, NY, June 19
Peter White @ KIFM Jazz At The Beach, Oceanside, CA, June 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ MGM Grand Theater At Foxwoods, Ledyard, CT, June 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY, June 20
Tower Of Power @ West Oak Lane Jazz & Arts Festival, Philadelphia, PA, June 20
Kenny G @ Mable House Barnes Amphitheater, Mableton, Georgia, June 20
Simply Red @ Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, UK, June 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Value City Arena At Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH, June 21
Tower Of Power @ Foxwoods MGM Grand Theater, Mashantucket, CT, June 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN, June 23
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI, June 24
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Manchester Men Arena, UK, June 24
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Birmingham NIA Arena, UK, June 25
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Allstate Arena, Chicago, Il, June 25
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Fraze Pavillion for the Performing Arts, Kettering, OH, June 26
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Cardiff CIA, UK, June 27
Regina Belle @ St. Kitts Music Festival, Warner Park Stadium, St. Kitts, WI, June 27
Peter White @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Simply Red @ Heroes’ Square, Budapest, Hungary, June 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Rodney Strong Winery, Healdsburg, CA, June 27
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ South Coast Winery, Temecula, CA, June 27
Patti LaBelle, Gary Burton, Pat Metheny, Steve Swallow, Antonio Sanchez, Dred Scott Trio, Wallace Roney Quintet, John Ellis Quintet @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 27
George Benson, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Bonerama, Aaron Parks, Julian Lage @ Freihofer’s Jazz Festival, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO, June 28
George Benson @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY, June 28
B. B. King, John Mayall @ Wembley Arena, London, UK, June 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI, June 30

JULY 2009
Simply Red @ Vaerket Outdoors, Randers, Denmark, July 1
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Target Center, Minneapolis, MN, July 1
Simply Red @ Westerpark, Amsterdam, Netherlands, July 3
Al Green, Anita Baker, Beyonce, Blind Boys Of Alabama, Brand New Heavies, Eric Benet, John Legend, Lalah Hathaway, Ledisi, Maxwell, Raphael Saadiq, Robin Thicke, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, Teena Marie, Zap Mama @ 15th Annual Essence Music Festival, New Orleans Superdome, New Orleans, LA, Jul 3-5
Simply Red @ Foret National, Brussels, Belgium, July 4
Simply Red @ Markplatz, Lingen, Germany, July 5
Simply Red @ Parkuhne, Hannover, Germany, July 7
Chris Botti @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, July 9
Chris Botti @ The Nugget, Sparks, NV, July 10
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillio, Houston, TX, July 10
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX, July 11
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Thornton Winery, Temecula, CA, July 11-12
Chris Botti @ Davies Symphony Hall, San Francisco, CA, July 11-12
Chris Botti @ The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, July 13
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Sandia Amphitheatre, Sandia, NM, July 13
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO, July 14
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ WaMu Theatre, Seattle, WA, July 17
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Rose Garden Theater Of The Clouds, Portland, OR, July 18
Simply Red @ Amphitheater, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, July 18
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Weesner Amphitheater, Apple Valley, MN, July 18
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ JazzFest West. San Dimas, CA, July 18
Simply Red @ Muensterplatz, Ulm, Germany, July 19
Mindi Abair @ Oceanside Pier Amphitheatre, Oceanside, CA, July 19
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ HP Pavillion At San Jose, San Jose, CA, July 21
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA, July 22
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ, July 24
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ House of Blues, Dallas, TX, July 24
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ House of Blues, Houston, TX, July 25
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Joint @ The Hard Rock & Casino, Las Vegas, NV, July 25
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center, El Paso, TX, July 26
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, CA, July 28
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA, July 31
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ California Mid-State Fair, Paso Robles, CA, July 31
Bobby Caldwell @ The Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA, July 31

AUGUST 2009
Bobby Caldwell @ Thornton Winery, Temucula, CA, Aug 1
Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire @ Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena At Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe, NV, Aug 1
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Texas Station, North Las Vegas, NV, Aug 1
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Soundboard Theatre Motor City Casino, Detroit, MI, Aug 6
Chris Botti @ Tanglewood, Lenox, MA, Aug 7
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Atlantic City Hilton, Atlantic City, NJ, Aug 8
Peter White @ Scullers Jazz Club, Allston, MA, Aug 11
Peter White @ Spirit of New York Cruise Ship, New York, NY, Aug 12
Peter White @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Aug 13
Peter White @ Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD, Aig 14
Mindi Abair @ Nicollet Commerce Park, Burnsville, NY, Aug 15
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson @ Ironstone Vineyard, Murphy’s CA, Aug 16
Tower Of Power @ San Mateo Fair, San Mateo, CA, Aug 19
Tower Of Power @ Humphrey’s By The Bay, San Diego, CA, Aug 21
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Spirit Mountain Casino, Grand Ronde, OR, Aug 21
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ The Hyatt Newporter, Newport Beach, CA, Aug 21
Tower Of Power @ The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Aug 23
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ JVC Jazz The Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, CA, Aug 23
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Humphrey’s, San Diego, CA, Aug 28
Tower Of Power @ River Rock Casino, Richmond, BC, Aug 29

SEPTEMBER 2009
Tower Of Power @ Southpoint Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Sept 11
Tower Of Power @ Kern County Fair, Bakersfield, CA, Sept 23
Dave Koz, Brian Culbertson, Peabo Bryson @ Western Washington Fair/Puyallup Fair, Pyallup, WA, Sept 24
Tower Of Power @ The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA, Sept 25
Chris Botti @ Clark State Performing Arts Center, Springfield, OH, Sept 26

OCTOBER 2009
Peter White @ Hyatt Regency Newport Beach Amphitheater, Newport Beach, CA, Oct 2
Peter White @ Thornton Winery, Temecula, CA, Oct 3
Chris Botti @ Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, NY, Oct 24
Chris Botti @ Kennedy Center Concert Hall, Washington, DC, Oct 29-31
Kenny G @ The Queens Park Oval, Port of Spain, Trinidad, Oct 31

NOVEMBER 2009
Gerald Albright @ The Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Nov 5
Gerald Albright @ Rams Head, Annapolis, MD, Nov 6
Gerald Albright @ Halton Theater, Charlotte, NC, Nov 7
Kenny G @ Coliseo de Peurto Rico, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Nov 7
Kenny G @ Altos de Chavon, La Romana, Dominican Republic, Nov 8
Chris Botti @ Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ, Nov 20
Chris Botti @ Hershey Theatre, Hershey, PA, Nov 21
Kenny G @ McCallum Theatre, Palm Springs, CA, Nov 21
Kenny G @ The Grove, Anaheim, CA, Nov 22
Chris Botti @ Hillbert Circle Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, Nov 24

DECEMBER 2009
Chris Botti @ Orchestra Hall, Minneapolois, MN, Dec 4-5
UB40, Eddy Grant @ 02 Arena, London, UK, Dec 12
Chris Botti @ Heinz Hall, Pittsburgh, PA, Dec 13

JANUARY 2010
Gerald Albright @ Smooth Jazz Cruise, Holland America/Westerdam, Ft. Lauderdale, FL Jan 17-24

LAURA IZIBOR - LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD

Atlantic recording artist Laura Izibor has announced upcoming North American concert dates kicking off April 1st in San Francisco. Having just recently completed a major European tour supporting John Legend, Izibor will now hit the road alongside India.Arie. The Irish soul sensation has also shared the stage with such greats as Aretha Franklin, Al Green, James Brown, Angie Stone, and Atlantic labelmate Estelle. Laura's highly anticipated debut album "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD" -- which includes the single, "From My Heart To Yours" -- will be available in stores and via all online retailers on June 16th.

"From My Heart To Yours," which was featured last year on an episode of ABC's "Grey's Anatomy," is already shaping up as a breakthrough hit for the Dublin-based singer. The single is currently ascending the airplay charts at multi-format radio outlets nationwide, including Urban Mainstream and Urban AC, where it has just bulleted into the top 10. In addition, the track's companion video clip is now in rotation at both BETJ and VH1 Soul.

Izibor has drawn ecstatic praise in a wide range of national and international publications, including Rolling Stone, which recently featured her among its "Artists To Watch." Billboard included Laura in its "Best Bets - Faces To Watch '09" section, while Ebony declared Laura to be the "Soul of Ireland," noting that her music "brings to mind the echo of older, soulful songstresses like Aretha Franklin."

In the UK, The Guardian singled out Izibor's melodic and lyrical gifts, pointing out that "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD" is "full of the kind of catchy tunes that usually mean a record label has spent a mint on expensive writers and producers -- but the writing is all her own work... Her lyrics are more intelligent than your average 21-year-old's -- more sophisticated young woman than gobby teen." Vibe also waxed effusive, naming Laura one of its "Next: Artists On The Verge," and hailing her album as "a marvel -- (Izibor's) killer voice slicing through a passel of breezy R&B."

Izibor -- who will be featured as Steve Madden Music's "Artist Spotlight" for May and June -- has already had her songs included in an array of films and television series. In addition to "Grey's Anatomy," Laura's music has been featured in "The Nanny Diaries," "Step Up 2: The Streets," "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married," "Seven Pounds," and MTV's "The Hills."

Born and raised in Dublin, Izibor became enthralled with the sounds of classic soul and R&B at an early age. By 15, she had honed her vocal talent to such a high level that she won Ireland's prestigious RTÉ 2fm Song Contest. It wasn't long before Laura began working on what would ultimately become "LET THE TRUTH BE TOLD," recording her self-penned songs in such cities as New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, and Dublin. From the sassy "Shine" to the deeply personal "If Tonight Is My Last," the album is rich with authenticity and passion, its songs revealing Izibor's uniquely heartfelt take on life and love.

For more information click tt http://www.lauraizibor.com/ and www.myspace.com/lauraizibor.

LAURA IZIBOR ON TOUR WITH INDIA.ARIE

April 1 - San Francisco, CA @ Zellerbach
April 3 - Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
April 4 - Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
April 5 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
April 15 - Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia
April 17 - Indio, CA @ Fantasy Springs Casino
April 18 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
April 19 - Anaheim, CA @ The Grove Anaheim
April 30 - Foxboro, MA @ Showcase Live
May 1 - New York, NY @ Grand Ballroom @ Manhattan Center
May 3 - Baltimore, MD @ Ramshead Live
May 4 - Alexandria, VA @ Birchmere
May 6 - Charlotte, NC @ Amos Southend
May 8 - Portsmouth, VA @ Willet Hall
May 9 - Glenside, PA @ Keswick Theatre
May 10 - Durham, NC @ Durham Performing Arts Center
May 12 - Milwaukee, WI @ Riverside Theatre
May 13 - St. Paul, MN @ O'Shaughnessy Auditorium
May 15 - Toronto, ONT @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre
May 16 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
May 17 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
May 21 - Dallas, TX @ McFarlin Auditorium
May 22 - Houston, TX @ Arena Theatre
May 24 - Memphis, TN @ Orpheum Theatre

VAN MORRISON - ASTRAL WEEKS LIVE

Multi-award winning musical legend Van Morrison returns to California for “Astral Weeks Live” at the Berkeley’s University of California, Greek Theatre on May 2 and 3, and at the intimate Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles on May 7, 8 & 9. Morrison recently released “Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl,” a historic CD and double vinyl recording, performed almost 40 years to the date of the original studio masterpiece. The DVD release of “Astral Weeks Live at the Hollywood Bowl” is slated for April 7, exclusively through Amazon.com

Morrison will perform the "Astral Weeks” material “from cover to cover” as well as a number of his classic hits from his extensive repertoire. Joining him on stage will be an orchestral string section and a band composed of world-class musicians, including renowned guitarist Jay Berliner, who played with Van on the original "Astral Weeks" sessions 40 years ago. Tracks will include: "Astral Weeks/I Believe I’ve Transcended," "Beside You," "Slim Slow Slider/ I Start Breaking Down," "Sweet Thing," "The Way Young Lovers Do," "Cyprus Avenue / You Came Walking Down," "Ballerina," "Madame George.”

Rolling Stone Magazine noted that with Astral Weeks Live, Morrison "took charge of the music with the authority that comes with four decades of performing. It seemed that once he breathed in the perfume of these eight songs, he didn’t want them to end.” Added the Los Angeles Times, "Transcendence is what Morrison has been after with his music from the beginning… the wondrous youthful timbre of his voice… has evolved over the years into a richer, fuller instrument, with every bit of its remarkable elasticity very much intact."

Universally regarded as one of the most important albums in pop music history, "Astral Weeks" broke new ground with its experimental free-flowing arrangements and deeply reflective songs. Morrison’s motivation to rework the music was to get back to his original signature sound: a blend of jazz, blues, classical and folk unique to Van Morrison.

A Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, Morrison is responsible for some of the greatest recordings of the last 50 years. A Belfast native of proud Scottish heritage, he grew up listening to American music with his parents, his favorite artists being greats like Ledbelly, Mahalia Jackson, Lightnin’ Hopkins and other legends of blues and soul. Morrison has more than 200 of his compositions featured in major motion pictures over the years, the latest being featured in the Scorsese film "The Departed." Morrison was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the late Ray Charles in June 2003.

HERB ALPERT & LANI HALL - ANYTHING GOES

Concord Records has just announced the signing of music icon and legendary trumpeter and bandleader, Herb Alpert, and his wife, the internationally renowned singer, Lani Hall. The celebrated duo's Concord debut Anything Goes is a live collection of beautifully reinterpreted standards, and marks the first complete project that Herb and Lani have recorded together. Anything Goes is slated for release on May 26, 2009.

Throughout his illustrious career Herb Alpert has sold more than 72 million albums worldwide as a musician and bandleader of the groundbreaking Tijuana Brass. He has won seven Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year for "A Taste of Honey," and had three of his recordings--the early TJB hit "Whipped Cream," 1966's "What Now My Love," and his 1979 solo hit "Rise"--honored with inclusion in the Grammy Awards Archive Collection.

In 1962, Alpert and Jerry Moss founded A&M Records, which became one of the world's leading independently owned record labels and home to such renowned artists as The Police, The Carpenters, Carole King and Janet Jackson among others. During this time Herb produced the likes of Stan Getz, The Baja Marimba Band, Gato Barbieri, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, and his wife of more than thirty years, Lani Hall. Lani's own Grammy-award winning career as a songstress stretches from 1960s where she amassed hits as lead singer with Sergio Mendes and Brasil '66, leading into a string of solo albums in English, Portuguese and Spanish that began with 1972's "Sun Down Lady."

Herb and Lani kick-off their first week of their US tour in support of the new release on April 16, 2009:
April 16 – Newport News, VA @ Ferguson Center for the Arts
April 17 – Philadelphia, PA @ Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
April 18 – Annapolis, MD @ Rams Head On Stage
April 19 – Tarrytown, NY @ Tarrytown Music Hall
April 21 – New York, NY @ Rose Hall
April 22 – Boston, MA @ Berklee Performing Center
April 23 – Troy, NY @ TSB Music Hall
http://www.herbalpert.com

SOME HOT NEW RELEASES & REISSUES

Some Hot New Releases You Should Be Looking Out For…

Wynton Marsalis – He And She (Blue Note) due March 24

Chris Botti – Chris Botti Live In Boston (Columbia) - The Blu-ray HD version includes 2 hours of concert footage and the 40-minute “Behind the Scenes” bonus documentary. Columbia will also release a 13-track CD, as well as a Special Edition 13-track CD with added 8-song DVD. Scheduled for release on March 31

Willie Colon – El Juicio (Fania Records) due March 31

John Coltrane – Giant Steps - Atlantic Records is reissuing the 1960 album as a 2LP set in 180g standard. It is re-mastered in 45RPM, and will be a Limited Edition, numbered, set with slip-case packaging that replicates
the original tape box of the album. This is scheduled for release on April 7 from Rhino/Atlantic.

Cassandra Wilson – Closer To You: The Pop Side (Blue Note) - It’s her 7th album via Blue Note Records and is due out on April 7. It’s 11-track covers disc, will contain songs like “Time After Time” (Cyndi Lauper); “Lay Lady Lay” (Bob Dylan); “Harvest Moon” (Neil Young); “Last Train to Clarksville”
(The Monkees); “The Weight” (The Band); “Wichita Lineman” (Glen Campbell); “Tupelo Honey” (Van Morrison); and four others.

James Taylor - Other Covers (Hear Music) due April 7.

Buddy Guy - The Definitive Buddy Guy (Shout! Factory) due April 14.

Miles Davis - Legacy Records will be releasing a few vinyl LPs for Miles Davis that includes Bitches Brew (1969), Nefertiti (1967), In a Silent Way (1969), and Sketches of Spain (1959). will be re-released on April 14.

Chicago - Chicago Transit Authority, and Chicago II (both reissues from Rhino), due for release on April 21.

Chick Corea & John McLaughlin – Five Peace Band Live (Concord) due April 28

Teena Marie – Congo Square (Fantasy) due May 5.

Frank Sinatra – Sinatra At The Meadowlands (Concord Jazz) due May 5

Herb Albert & Lani Hall – Anything Goes (Concord Jazz) due May 26

Roy Ayers – Virgo Red (Verve) due June 9

Quincy Jones – Quincy Jones Explores the Music of Henry Mancini (Verve) due June 9

Isaac Hayes – Black Moses (Stax Records) - Stax Records is about to reissue album originally released 1971 as a double LP set. Stax revisits the landmark album with re-mastered digital sound, and restored LP art packaging. In addition to this, there are expanded liner notes, more photos, and 14 great Isaac Hayes classics over 2CDs.

CHICAGO & EARTH WIND & FIRE SUMMER TOUR 2009

Earth, Wind & Fire and Chicago have announced that they will reunite for a 30-city national co-headlining summer concert tour, beginning June 5 in Orange Beach, AL (dates below). In 2004 and 2005, the two bands teamed up for what is still talked about as one of the great musical spectaculars in recent touring history. A DVD filmed in 2005 of their Los Angeles shows was certified double platinum almost immediately upon release – a tribute to the extraordinary and unique quality of this collaboration.

Earth, Wind & Fire’s founding member and singer Philip Bailey says, “The Chicago-Earth, Wind & Fire shows are magic and bring out the best in all of us – from the musicians onstage to the fans dancing in the aisles. We can’t wait to get out there with our friends again.” Chicago keyboardist and founding member Robert Lamm is equally enthusiastic, “Earth, Wind & Fire are phenomenal. When we first decided to tour together, we knew it would be good, but I don’t think we could have guessed that the Earth, Wind & Fire-Chicago shows would be some of our all-time favorites to play.”

The 2009 Summer Tour will be presented by AEG Live. Each band will perform a full set, and the two bands will come together at the beginning of the night and for a final set that features both bands onstage together.

Earth, Wind & Fire made international news recently when President Obama declared in an interview with RollingStone Magazine that the group was among his favorites in his iPod. He said, they are “rhythm and blues and pop staples for me.” The group was invited by President Obama to perform in the East Room on February 22 at the White House for the first social event of the new administration.

The Earth, Wind & Fire 11-piece band is among the most influential, commercially successful and critically acclaimed bands of the last three decades. Formed in 1969 in Chicago, Earth, Wind & Fire's 39-year history resulted in millions of albums sold worldwide and distinguished awards and accolades. Founding members: Maurice White (leader, vocalist, songwriter); Philip Bailey (lead vocalist, percussionist); Verdine White (bassist); Ralph Johnson (drummer and percussionist) have been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and are credited with eight Grammy Awards, 20 Grammy nominations, Four American Music Awards, honors from the NAACP, the BET Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The principal members of Earth, Wind & Fire have received honorary Doctorate Degrees from the Arts and Media College at Columbia College Chicago. To this day, Earth, Wind & Fire remain one of the top globally popular touring attractions. Influencing top artists including Prince, Mary J Blige, Outkast and many more, Earth, Wind & Fire's signature sound and distinctive musical styles fuse pop, soul, jazz, rock n' roll, psychedelic, African roots music and disco with a base in funk.

Chicago has written, recorded and performed some of the most popular and musically innovative songs in rock history. Billboard Magazine positioned the band at #13 on their Hot 100 chart’s All-Time Top 100 – a byproduct of having sold more than 100,000,000 records and having earned 20 Top hits, 5 Number One albums, 5 Number One singles and 5 Gold singles. Chicago has also won a Grammy Award, American Music Awards, received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, had a downtown Chicago street renamed in their honor, and been celebrated with an exhibit at the Chicago History Museum. An incredible 25 of their 30 albums have been certified platinum, and Chicago is the first American band to chart Top 40 albums in five decades. Through it all, Chicago remains a working band, touring continually since forming in 1967.

CHICAGO / EARTH WIND & FIRE SUMMER TOUR 2009
June 5 – The Amphitheater at the Wharf, Orange Beach, AL
June 6 – Verizon Wirless Amphitheatre at Encore Park, Atlanta, GA
June 9 – Time Warner Cable Arena, Charotte, NC
June 10 – Merriweather Post Pavillion, Washington, DC
June 12 – Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
June 13 – Borgata Event Center, Atlantic City, NJ
June 14 – Bethel Performing Arts Center, Bethel, NY
June 16 – Agganis Arena, Boston, MA
June 17 – Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
June 19 – MGM Grand Theatre at Foxwoods, Ledyard, CT
June 20 – Turning Stone Resort Casino, Verona, NY
June 21 – Value City Arena at Jerome Schottenstein Center, Columbus, OH
June 23 – Conseco Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
June 24 – DTE Energy Music Theatre, Detroit, MI
June 26 – Allstate Arena, Chicago, IL
June 26 – Sprint Center, Kansas City, MO
June 30 – Summerfest, Milwaukee, WI
July 1 – Target Center, Minneapolis, MN
July 10 – Cynthai Woods Mitchell Pavillion, Houston, TX
July 11 – Nokia Theatre at Grand Prairie, Dallas, TX
July 13 – Sandia Amphitheatre, Sandia, NM
July 14 – Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, Denver, CO
July 17 – WaMu Theater, Seattle, WA
July 18 – Rose Garden Theater of the Clouds, Portland, OR
July 21 – HP Pavillion at San Jose, San Jose, CA
July 22 – Citizens Business Bank Arena, Ontario, CA
July 24 – Jobing.com Arena, Glendale, AZ
July 25 – The Joint @ The Hard Rock & Casino, Las Vegas, NV
July 28 – Nokia Theatre L.A. Live, Los Angeles, CA
July 31 – The Greek Theatre, Berkeley, CA
August 1 – Lake Tahoe Outdoor Arena at Harvey’s, Lake Tahoe, NV

STEVIE WONDER - LIVE AT LAST

Music legend Stevie Wonder adds special luster and excitement to the 50th Anniversary celebration of Motown Records with the release of his first-ever live concert DVD, ‘LIVE AT LAST – A Wonder Summer’s Night’, Universal Motown Records release. Music fans around the world can watch a 2 minute trailer of the DVD exclusively on Stevie’s imeem page at www.imeem.com/steviewondermusic.

Using imeem's embeddable widgets, fans can easily share the trailer of “Live at Last – A Wonder Summer’s Night” with friends and embed it on blogs, web sites, and profiles on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking services. imeem is the world's largest social music service with more than 25 million people visiting the site each month.

The DVD program, released worldwide on March 9, 2009, was filmed at the O2 Arena, in London, England, over two nights, September 30 and October 1, 2008, before a rapturous audience of 15,000 each night. The concerts were part of the first Stevie Wonder world tour in over a decade, which sold 120,000 tickets in the UK alone.

Stevie Wonder was introduced to the world at age 12 in the 1963 hit “Fingertips - Pt. 2,” his first of nine No. 1 records and he has also charted eighteen more Top 10 hits so far. He has won 22 Grammy Awards since 1973, when Innervisions won Album of the Year, among his first four Grammys that year. He is the recipient of NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Award (1996) and Billboard Magazine’s Century Award (2004). He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. His 10-million selling 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life was the first album by an American artist to debut at No. 1 in the Billboard album chart. His most recent studio album is 2005’s gold-certified Top 5 A Time To Love.

‘LIVE AT LAST’s set list traces a lifetime of innovation and accomplishment – and, in fact, our own lifetime appreciation of his music, stretching from Wonder’s teens with “My Cherie Amour” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Along the way, the program encompasses iconic hits that redefined pop and R&B music, including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Living For the City,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Wish,” while reaching into his classic albums for such enduring fan favorites as “All I Do,” “Overjoyed” and “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” The exuberant “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” is preceded by Wonder’s interpretation of Chick Corea’s instrumental “Spain.” And in a delightful, impressive and emotional moment, Wonder’s daughter Aisha Morris -- the inspiration of his classic “Isn’t She Lovely” -- steps from the background vocal group and performs Nat “King” Cole’s jazz standard “I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life.”

Wonder also takes time out in the set to salute the British audience with an affectionate medley of two Beatles songs (“Fool on the Hill,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand”) and a Rolling Stones classic (“[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction”), book-ending them with the traditional “London Bridge is Falling Down.”

Aside from being his first DVD release, ‘LIVE AT LAST’ is Stevie Wonder’s first high definition release on Blu-Ray disc. Blue laser disc reader technology provides unparalleled picture quality (at 1080i) as well as pure and uncompressed 5.1 surround sound -- the highest standard of sound quality ever achieved on a Stevie Wonder release.

Wonder performed “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” to a crowd of 85,000 at Denver, Colorado’s Invesco Field, just prior to then-Senator Barack H. Obama’s nomination acceptance address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and he also is prominent among performers at the public Obama Inaugural celebrations held in Washington, DC in January 2009. His new song “All About the Love Again,” is featured on the special all-star compilation project

LIZA LEE - ANIMA

Jazz artist Liza Lee's new CD, Anima, has been released for only a few weeks and fantastic reviews are already coming in. It is joining radio station playlists across the country and selling out at online retailers with more CDs on their way. Most important though, Liza's ultimate personal mission is being accomplished. In addition, 100% of the proceeds from Anima are being donated to The Society For Women's Health Research (SWHR), a non-profit organization whose mission is to improve the health of all women through research, education and advocacy (http://www.womenshealthresearch.org/).

Reviews from fans speak volumes. CD Baby customers Steve Miller's comment on Anima says it well, "Liza Lee has assembled a collection of songs that exercise the mind as well as the ear." Furthermore, Dave Allen adds, "Superb musical accompaniment and sympathetic production have yielded an album to savor...again and again."

Paul POP! From firstcoastnews.com sums Liza's new CD up, "She has once again proven herself to be an amazing talent capable of anything…Her creativity, perseverance, and talent are reflected on each of the songs on Anima and that's what makes this record such a pleasure to listen to."

Although Liza's mission is to assist women's health research, clearly it's the selection and execution of the music that is her primary objective as an artist. Her message is clearly rendered through her fresh, unpredictable and innovative approach to the music. As Bob Donovan, North East In-Tune Magazine, said, "(Liza is) a great vocalist that puts her own style on everything she touches."

For this release, Liza assembled a remarkable group of musicians for the album who donated their time. They include Bruce Barth, David Cook, Art Hirahara, Michael Kanan (Piano), Pat O' Leary (Bass), Michael Petrosino, Eric Halvorson, Jim Clouse (Drums), Scott Robinson, Jim Clouse (Tenor Saxophone), Adam Kolker (Soprano Saxophone, Alto Flute), Scott Robinson (Bass Clarinet), Kelsey Warren, Saul Rubin (Guitar), Rubin Kodheli (Cello), Matthew Szemella (Violin) and Shayna Steele (Guest Vocalist).

Liza's voice and the musician's performances meld together seamlessly on Anima. The generous instrumental jazz interludes on various cuts are iconic and only perform to enhance and reinforce Liza's messages. Standout performances include pianist Art Hirahara on "Sweet Potato," Scott Robinson on "Silver Dagger" and "Calling You," Adam Kolker (soprano sax) and Bruce Barth (piano) on "A Thousand Kisses" and David Cook's piano solo on "Leather" and Michael Kanan (Jane Monheit's pianist) playing on "Good Morning Heartache" displays duo work at it's best.
Exploring the theme of Anima, the feminine whisper inside of a patriarchal society, most of the songs were composed or co-composed by women including Joni Mitchell's "Blue," "A Thousand Kisses Deep" by Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson, Tori Amos' "Leather," Rachelle Garniez's "Quality Star," Michelle Shaw's "Good Morning Heartache" and "And Love Is All There Is" and Kate Bush's "Wow." Liza is particularly haunting on folk standard "Silver Dagger" and presents a unique, humorous and memorable interpretation of the Peggy Lee hit "Is That All There Is?" She makes each song her own.

Regarding her song selection for Anima from various music genres including pop, rock, folk as well as jazz, Wilbert Sostre, of JazzReview.com states, "Liza shows her ability to turn any song into a Jazz standard...She puts her soul in every word and note on this CD… Liza reaches down deep for the emotions that provides the listeners an extraordinary experience."

Liza co-wrote "Revolving Mattress" with New York writer, arranger, producer and pianist David Cook and penned "Sorry Child" and "Lay We Down" with bassist and composer Pat O'Leary. These haunting original compositions reinforce the talent she has shown as a songwriter with her first CD and self-written title song, Scarlet Mark. The risks she has taken with the subject matter of these songs only strengthens the fact that Liza continues to be an important voice of the 21st Century.

Released on the Jazz Doll Records label, Anima, is an extremely personal CD for Liza. In 2006 her promising jazz career as a recording artist, performer and composer was taking off with the breakout critically acclaimed release of her first CD, Scarlet Mark, when 29-year-old Liza suffered a stroke. Anima, was inspired by her three and a half year struggle through the medical system with her various health issues. By personal experience, she learned that astonishingly little research is done on how illness, disease and medications uniquely affect women's bodies.
Liza Lee has compounded her mark on today's jazz scene with the release of Anima.. Her continual evolution and development, which are uniquely displayed on Anima, are fascinating to hear and her thought-provoking music is always memorable.

In addition to 2009 U.S. appearances, Liza will be touring Europe and Japan this summer as well as recording and performing in Australia at the beginning of 2010. Stay tuned for new developments of this extraordinary talent.

For more information click to Liza Lee’s website: http://www.lizaleejazz.com/

COLUMBIA ISSUES EXPANDED EDITIONS OF CLASSICS BY DAVE BRUBECK, MILES DAVIS & CHARLIE MINGUS

In celebration of "1959 - Jazz's Greatest Year," Columbia Records has reconfigured three jazz masterpieces as multi-disc expanded editions (either with an additional audio CD, or video DVD, or both). The albums are Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet, Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis, and Mingus Ah Umby Charles Mingus. With brand-new liner notes essays also planned for each title, these new editions of Time Out, Sketches of Spain, and Mingus Ah Um will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting May 26th through Columbia/Legacy.

The confluence of ground-breaking jazz albums issued in 1959 is a subject that has fascinated scholars and critics for the better part of a half-century. The same year that saw the deaths of jazz icons Lester Young in March, Sidney Bechet in May, and Billie Holiday in July, also included the releases of Kind Of Blue by Miles (which was reissued in January 2009 as a deluxe double-CD Legacy Edition), Blues and Roots by Mingus, John Coltrane's Giant Steps, Ornette Coleman's The Shape of Jazz To Come, The Genius Of Ray Charles, The Cannonball Adderley Quintet in San Francisco, the Oscar Peterson Songbook series, and Duke Ellington's soundtrack for Anatomy Of A Murder, to name a few.

Columbia revolutionized the industry with the introduction of the long-playing (LP) 33 1/3 rpm microgroove vinyl disc in the spring of 1948 -- whose 12-inch configuration could hold up to 26 minutes of music. Within a decade, jazz composers (and bandleaders) were taking full advantage of the scope of the LP, with longer conceptual pieces containing multiple movements and extended improvisations. The advent of the live performance LP also came into its own during the 1950s, and such favorites as the Woody Herman Band's Live At Monterey (1959) and Ray Charles' What'd I Say (1959) found their way into many collections.

Legendary Columbia Records producer Teo Macero produced both Time Out and Mingus Ah Um, and co-produced Sketches of Spain with Irving Townsend.

Individually, "1959 - Jazz's Greatest Year" celebrates the following:

Time Out by the Dave Brubeck Quartet: Exotic non-traditional rhythm signatures became one of the trademarks of the quartet, with Brubeck on piano, Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, bassist Eugene Wright, and drummer Joe Morello. A 5/4 vamp turned "Take Five" into an instrumental jazz staple and jukebox hit single b/w "Blue Rondo a La Turk." The LP hit #2, stayed on the chart for more than three years, and became the first jazz album to sell a million copies. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Time Out (which will contain a DVD documentary) are written by Ted Gioia, whose book West Coast Jazz (1998) contains two chapters devoted to Brubeck.

Sketches of Spain by Miles Davis: Each of Miles' four orchestral album collaborations with arranger-composer Gil Evans -- Miles Ahead (1957), Porgy And Bess (1958), Sketches Of Spain (1959), and Quiet Nights (1962) -- was a masterwork in its own right. Sketches was Miles' first post-Kind Of Blue project, and retains that LP's modal feel on the 16-minute version of Rodrigo's "Concierto de Aranjuez,' the inspiration for Davis and Evans. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Sketches are written by composer academician Gunther Schuller, whose hundreds of accomplishments in jazz include playing French horn for Miles on the 1949-50 Birth Of The Cool sessions. Sketches was recorded in 1959 and released in 1960.

Mingus Ah Um by Charles Mingus: 2009 also marks the 30th anniversary of the death of the mercurial bandleader-composer, who had the budget at Columbia to double his two-horn front-line for the big sound of "Better Git It In Your Soul" and "Fables Of Faubus", and homages to jazz greats Ellington ("Open Letter To Duke"), Morton ("Jelly Roll"), recently deceased Lester Young ("Goodbye Pork Pie Hat"), and Mingus himself ("Self-Portrait in Three Colors"). The film noir quality of this album -- considered to be one of the five truly essential Mingus LPs -- predates a certain vein of film music later popularized by Henry Mancini. Liner notes for the 2009 edition of Mingus Ah Um are written by three-time Grammy Award-winning producer-annotator Michael Cuscuna.

UPCOMING CONCERTS IN APRIL

Madeleine Peyroux @ Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ, Apr 1
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Apr 1
B. B. King @ Keswick Theatre, Glenside, PA, Apr 1-2
Tower Of Power @ The Hi Hat, Providence, RI, Apr 2
The Sax Pack @ The Berks Jazz Festival, Reading, PA, Apr 2-3
Simply Red @ The O2 Arena, London, UK, Apr 2-3
Phoebe Snow @ The Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 3
Tower Of Power @ Hampton Beach Casino, Hampton Beach, NH, Apr 3
McCoy Tyner @ Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 4
Chris Botti @ Tropicana Hotel & Casino, Atlantic City, NJ, Apr 4
Peter White @ Capetown International Jazz Festical, Capetown, South Africa, Apr 4
Brandford Marsalis @ Gusman Center, Miami, FL, Apr 4
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Hill Auditorium, Ann Arbor, MI, Apr 4
Randy Brecker, Chuck Loeb, Dave Weckl, Gerald Veasley, Bobby Franceschini @ Berks Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Apr 4
Lionel Richie @ O2 Arena, London, UK, Apr 4-5
Simply Red @ M.E.N. Arena, Manchester, UK, Apr 5
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, New Orleans, LA, Apr 5
Brandford Marsalis @ Annenberg Center, Philadelphia, PA, Apr 5
Simply Red @ The Clyde Auditorium,, Glasgow, UK, Apr 6
Simply Red @ Metro Radio Arena, Newcastle, UK, Apr 7
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Krannert Center, Urbana, IL, Apr 7
Chris Botti @ Whitaker Center, Harrisburg, PA, Apr 8
Simply Red @ Trent FM Arena, Nottingham, UK, Apr 9
B. B. King @ First Tier Events Center, Kearney, NE, Apr 9
Michel Camilo Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 9-14
B. B. King @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, Co, Apr 10
B. B. King @ Casper Events Center, Casper, WY, Apr 11
Chris Botti @ State Theater, Easton, PA, Apr 11
B. B. King @ Kingsbury Hall, Salt Lake City, UT, Apr 14
Tower Of Power @ Hoyt Sherman Theater, Des Moines, IA, Apr 14
Tower Of Power @ 3rd Street Saloon, Cedar Rapids, IA, Apr 15
Fourplay @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 15-20
B. B. King @ Oakland Theatre, Oakland, CA, Apr 16
Tower Of Power @ Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN, Apr 16
Chris Botti @ Peabody Auditorium, Daytona Beach, FL, Apr 16
Brandford Marsalis @ Van Singel Fine Arts Center, Byron Center, MI, Apr 16
Joe Cocker @ St. Augustine Amphitheatre, St. Augustine, FL, Apr 17
Herb Alpert, Brandford Marsalis @ Symphony Center, Chicago, IL, Apr 17
Brandford Marsalis @ Ridgefield Playhouse, Ridgefield, CT, Apr 17
Tower Of Power @ Norton Center For The Arts/Newlin Hall, Danville, KY, Apr 17
Joe Cocker @ Pompano Beach Amphitheatre, Pompano Beach, FL, Apr 18
Simply Red @ Sprotspaleis, Antwerp, Belgium, Apr 18
Frankie Valli @ Chicago Theatre, Chicago, IL, Apr 18
Tower Of Power @ Neighborhood Theatre, Charlotte, NC, Apr 18
Joe Cocker @ Downtown, Orlando, FL, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Tarrytown Music Hall, Tarrytown, NY, Apr 19
Simply Red @ Rockhal, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg, Apr 19
Frankie Valli @ Proctor & Gamble Hall, Cincinati, OH, Apr 19
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Rose Theater, New york, NY, Apr 21
Simply Red @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Netherlands, Apr 21-22
Joshua Redman, Reuben Rogers, Greg Hutchinson @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Apr 21-25
Joe Cocker @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 22
Herb Alpert, Lani Hall @ Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, Troy, NY, Apr 23
Joe Cocker @ Saenger Theatre, Pensacola, FL, Apr 23
Chris Botti @ Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall, Sarasota, FL, Apr 23
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Rose Theater, New York, NY, Apr 23-25
Bobby Caldwell @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Apr 23-26
Simply Red @ Forum, Horsens, Denmark, Apr 24
Steve Cole, Jeff Kashiwa, Joyce Cooling @ Lyman Center Southern CT State, New Haven, CT, Apr 24
Chris Botti @ BJXX Concert Hall, Birmingham, AL, Apr 24
Chris Botti @ Kravis Center, West Palm Beach, FL, Apr 25
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ WLOQ Smooth Jazz Under the Stars, Orlando, FL, Apr 25
Chris Botti @ The Fillmore, Miami Beach, FL, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Annex, Stockholm, Sweden, Apr 26
Joe Cocker @ State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ, Apr 26
Simply Red @ Hartwall, Helsinki, Finland, Apr 28
Chris Botti @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Apr 28
Boz Scaggs @ Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Santa Rosa, CA, Apr 28
Chris Bott @ Theatre of Durham, Durham, NC, Apr 29
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Shafer Auditorium, Willimantic, CT, Apr 29
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Music Center/Strathmore, North Bethesda, MD, Apr 29
Charles Aznavour @ City Center, New York, NY, April 29-30
Simply Red @ Kremlin Palace, Moscow, Russia, Apr 30
Chris Botti @ Blumenthal Performing Arts Center, Charlotte, NC, Apr 30
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Berklee Performance Center, Boston, MA, Apr 30
James Taylor @ SunFest 2009, West Palm Beach, Fl, Apr 30
Kenny G @ Sala Palatului, Bucharest, Romania, Apr 30

2009 PLAYBOY JAZZ FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

The upcoming 31st annual Playboy 2009 Jazz Festival will present an entire weekend of jazz at the renowned Hollywood Bowl including the very popular pre-festival community events offered free to the general public throughout the greater Los Angeles area. Every year the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival is presented in conjunction with the L.A. Philharmonic Association and serves up an eclectic smorgasbord of jazz as well as other genres of music. The 31st Annual Playboy Jazz Festival will feature a mix of straight-ahead jazz, smooth jazz, pop, Latin jazz, salsa, New Orleans R&B and brass band, jazz sprinkled with a touch of reggae, and African juju music.

Bill Cosby is set to return as Master of Ceremonies, Hugh M. Hefner, Executive Producer, Richard Rosenzweig, President Playboy Jazz Festival, George Wein, Producer, with Darlene Chan and FestivalWest Inc., Producer/Playboy Jazz Festival Festival. Here’s the lineup for the 31st annual Playboy 2009 Jazz Festival

Saturday, June 13th, 2009
The Neville Brothers
Remembering the Miles Davis Classic Kind of Blue @50 with Jimmy Cobb’s So What Band
Summer Storm: Starring Norman Brown, Wayman Tisdale, Eric Darius and featuring Gail Johnson
Jon Faddis
The Jack Sheldon Orchestra
Sharon Jones and The Dap Kings
Pete Escovedo Orchestra featuring Sheila E., Peter Michael and Juan Escovedo
Esparanza Spalding
Cos of Good Music
New Birth Brass Band
Los Angeles County High School For The Arts Jazz Ensemble directed by Jason Goldman

Sunday, June 14th
Wayne Shorter Quartet-with Brian Blade, John Pattitucci and Danilo Perez
Kenny G
Patti Austin
King Sunny Ade
Dave Holland Big Band
Monty Alexander’s Jazz & Roots
Oscar Hernandez & The Congo Room All-Stars
Anat Cohen Quartet
Quincy Jones Presents Alfredo Rodriquez
North Hollywood High School Jazz Ensemble, Directed by Jonathan Kenion

DAVE KOZ & BRIAN CULBERTSON ANNOUNCE SUMMER TOUR

Dave Koz and Brian Culbertson will hit the road together this summer, collaborating on one another's biggest hits as well as on songs from their latest albums. Dave Koz - Greatest Hits and Culbertson's Bringing Back The Funk each debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart upon release last year. Along the way, the pair will give a JVC Jazz special performance - "Dave Koz & Brian Culbertson Side By Side with Special Guest Peabo Bryson" - at the legendary Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on August 23rd."Summer is always the best time to take this music on the road-and I think this summer in particular, it'll be a great opportunity for Brian and I to put some positive energy out there, have some fun and, hopefully in the process, give folks a break," said Koz. "Brian is incredible on every level. It's been seven years since we toured together- and I know this is gonna be a blast!"

Culbertson is equally excited about heating up the summer concert circuit with Koz. "I cannot wait for this tour to start!" stated Culbertson. "Dave is a phenomenal musician and performer, and I am truly looking forward to sharing the stage with him once again." Koz will play songs from At the Movies and Dave Koz - Greatest Hits, including such smash singles as "Castle of Dreams," "Together Again," "Honey-Dipped" and "All I See Is You." Dave Koz - Greatest Hits, his first-ever retrospective album, debuted at No. 1 on both Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart and iTunes' Jazz Album chart last year while its lead single, "Life In The Fast Lane," spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the R&R Monitored Smooth Jazz chart. His current track, "Bada Bing," is top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio.

His most recent studio album, 2007's At The Movies, topped Billboard's Top Contemporary Jazz Albums chart for 12 weeks. A six-time Grammy® nominee, Koz will be honored with a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard's Walk of Fame later this year. In addition to his many hits, Culbertson will perform songs from his milestone tenth project, Bringing Back The Funk, a historic and completely unprecedented album, revisiting the land of the "sho' nuff uncut" '70s-style funk of ages. The critically acclaimed album was produced by Brian along with executive producer Maurice White (founder of Earth, Wind & Fire) and featured "Always Remember," which peaked at No. 1 on Billboard's Smooth Jazz Songs chart last summer. With their unique sounds and incredible talent, Koz and Culbertson will jazz up the summer with plenty of smooth, funky fun on their upcoming tour. Dates are as follows:

Dave Koz/Brian Culbertson Side By Side Summer 2009 U.S. Tour
6/26 Kettering, OH Fraze @ Pavilion for the Performing Arts
7/11 Temecula, CA Thornton @ Winery with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
7/12 Temecula, CA Thornton @ Winery with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
7/18 Apple Valley, MN @ Weesner Amphitheater
7/24 Dallas, TX @ House of Blues
7/25 Houston, TX @ House of Blues
7/26 El Paso, TX @ Plaza Theatre Performing Arts Center with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
7/31 Paso Robles, CA @ California Mid State Fair with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/1 North Las Vegas, NV @ Texas Station
8/6 Detroit, MI Soundboard Theatre @ Motor City Casino with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/8 Atlantic City, NJ @ Atlantic City Hilton with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/16 Murphy's, CA @ Ironstone Vineyard
8/21 Grand Ronde, OR @ Spirit Mountain Casino with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/23 Los Angeles, CA @ JVC Jazz @ The Hollywood Bowl with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
8/28 San Diego, CA @ Humphrey's with Special Guest Peabo Bryson
9/24 Puyallup, WA @ Western Washington Fair/Puyallup Fair

(Additional dates to be announced)

DIANA KRALL - QUIET NIGHTS

Verve Records will release Diana Krall’s new album ‘Quiet Nights,’ on March 31st. The romantic album combines Brazilian and west coast jazz styles for a sensous blend of ballads and bossa novas, and features three recordings of songs by bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim. ‘Quiet Nights’ reunites Diana Krall with arranger Claus Ogerman for the first time since the multi-platinum 2001 album ‘The Look of Love.’

The GRAMMY Award winning pianist and vocalist adds Paulinho Da Costa on percussion to her already outstanding quartet of Anthony Wilson (guitar), John Clayton (bass) and Jeff Hamilton (drums). Krall co-produced the album with Tommy LiPuma, the tenth time they have worked together, and returned to Capital Studios in Hollywood with Al Schmitt engineering and mixing.
‘Quiet Nights’ is Krall’s 12th album and her first full length studio release since 2006’s ‘From This Moment On.’ That album garnered her a third consecutive Top 10 Billboard 200 chart position as critics deemed “This is Krall at her best.” (Christian Science Monitor, 9.22.06). In 2007 Verve released ‘The Very Best of Diana Krall,’ the first career retrospective of Krall’s music, which featured three previously unreleased songs.

Diana Krall has topped both the pop and jazz charts, played sold-out amphitheatres in multiple countries and sold millions of records worldwide since her debut in 1993. She has proven her genuine talent and credibility as a mold-breaking jazz musician time and time again.

HERE IS THE ‘QUIET NIGHTS’ TRACK LIST:

1. Where Or When (Lorenz Hart, Richard Rodgers)

2. Too Marvelous For Words (Johnny Mercer, Richard Whiting)

3. I’ve Grown Accustomed To Your Face (Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe)

4. The Boy From Ipanema (Norman Gimbel, Vinicius DeMoraes, Antonio Carlos Jobim)

5. Walk On By (Hal David, Burt Bacharach)

6. Guess I’ll Hang My Tears Out To Dry (Sammy Cahn, Jule Styne)

7. Este Seu Olhar (Antonio Carlos Jobim)

8. So Nice (Marcos Kostenbader, Valle and Paulo Sergio Valle, Norman Gimbel)

9. Quiet Nights (Gene Lees, Buddy Kay, Antonio Carlos Jobim)

10. You’re My Thrill (Sidney Clare, Jay Gorney)

NEW RELEASES FROM BOOZOO BAJOU, CHRIS JOSS, FIVE CORNERS QUINTET, NAT 'KING' COLE AND MORE...

5th Dimension – Live (VW Music)
Acusmatic Group – Pilot (Irma)
Azar Lawrence – Prayers For My Ancestors (Furthermore)
Brittany Bosco – Spectrum (Big Up)
Bela Fleck & Toumani Diabate – Throw Down Your Heart/Tales From The Acoustic Planet Vol. 3/Africa Sessions (Rounder)
Blk Jks – Mystery EP (Secretly Canadia)
Black Merda – Force Of Nature (Vampi Soul)
Boozoo Bajou – Grains (K7)
Bossacucanova – Bossacucanova Ao Vivo (Crammed)
Chris Joss – Sticks (ESL)
DJ Cam Quartet – Stay (Inflamable)
Dorian Concept – When Planets Explode (Kindred Spirits)
Extra Golden – Thank You Very Quickly (Thrill Jockey)
Five Corners Quintet – Hot Corner (Ricky Tick)
Gianmarco Liguori – Ancient Flight Test (Sarang Bang)
Heavy – First Sessions (Kindred Spirits)
High Five Quintet – Live For Fun (Blue Note)
Huba – Arrising (Jupiter)
Jesse Boykins III – Beauty Created (Vinyl Virtue)
Joe Bataan & Los Fulanos – King Of Latin Soul (Vampi Soul)
John Lee Hooker – Boogie Chillin’ & Other Favorites (CW Music)
John Scofield – Slo Sco: Best Of The Ballads (Ryko/Rhino)
Larry Coryell – Earthquake At The Avalon (Inakustik)
Madeleine Peyroux – Bare Bones (Rounder)
Ola Kvernberg Trio – Folk (Jazzland)
Onra – 1.0.8. (Favorite)
Nat ‘King’ Cole - Re:Generations (Capitol/EMI)
Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman – Modern Art (Peak)
Sarah Brightman – Symphony: Live In Vienna (Manhattan)
Stevie Wonder – Live At Last: A Wonderful Summer Night DVD (Motown)
Tito Lopez Combo – Urban Soul (Tito’s Record)
Tuomo – Reaches Out For You (Jupiter)

2009 BERKS JAZZ FEST

The 2009 Berks Jazz Fest is scheduled for March 27 through April 5, 2009 in Reading, PA., and it will feature a stellar line-up of musicians. It’s actually more of a Jazz, Soul, Funk, and Blues festival when you consider the caliber of acts who are set to appear. It’s a list of who’s who in the business…Anat Cohen, Andy Narell, Average White Band, Barry Daniellian, Bela Fleck, Billy Price Band feat. Fred Chapellier, Bobby Franceschini, Bobby Lyle, Boney James, Brian Bromberg Quartet, Brian Culbertson, Chieli Minucci & Special EFX, Chuck Loeb, David Benoit, David Mann, Derek Trucks Band, Gerald Albright, Gerald Veasley, Jason Miles, Jeff Kashiwa, Joe Banamassa, Joe McBride, Jonathan Butler, Karl Denson, Kenny Blake, Kim Waters, Kirk Whalum, Maysa Leak, McCoy Tyner Quartet, Mike Mattison, Mindi Abair, Mitch Forman Najee, Nelson Rangell, Nnenna Freelon, Paul Jackson Jr., Peter White, Phil Perry, Phoebe Snow, Pieces Of A Dream, Rachel Z, Randy Brecker, Reggie Young, Rick Braun, Richard Elliot, Sherrod Barnes, Susan Tedeschi, Soul Summit II, Soul Survivors, Steve Cole, Steve Ferrone, Steve Smith & Vital Information, Take 6, Tim Price, Victor Wooten, Warren Hill, and Wayman Tisdale.

One of the highlights of the Berks Jazz Fest is on Saturday, April 4, when East Bay Soul, an all-star rotating collective led by former Tower of Power trumpet great Greg Adams and famed soul singer Phil Perry, joins forces with saxophonist Michael Paulo and trumpeter Lee Thornburg. The 2 p.m. double-header at the Reading Crowne Hotel will kick off with a performance by Bay Area-based guitar star and Berks Jazz Fest favorite Joyce Cooling. East Bay Soul is a combination of instrumental soul funk and rhythm and blues vocals built on a design to discover new achievements rather than extend the past. Wide ranging and forward thinking, East Bay Soul is set to lead this new soundscape with a sharpened expertise from being on countless stages worldwide.

Adams says: “We draw from my funk and R&B background with Tower of Power and the influence it’s had over my sound and the sound that I gave to TOP through those 25 years I was in the band. Taking that sound and bringing it into 2008, we’re creating an all new ‘Metro Jazz,’ really a new approach of a melting pot of contemporary urban rhythm and sound and combining all the sounds from the city. The ethnic sounds of the trials of tribulations, the hard fought, the victories, sweetness and sadness. It comes through in the music in all forms. It’s world, it’s metro, it’s edgy, it’s urban.”East Bay Soul’s horn section is headed up by the Grammy- and Emmy-nominated Adams (whose most recent solo release is 2006’s Cool To The Touch), Michael Paulo (longtime saxman for Al Jarreau, Peter White, Patti Austin, Jeffrey Osborne and Rick Braun who has a solo career extending back to 1989) and Lee Thornburg (former member of Supertramp, TOP and The Tonight Show band who has also worked with Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt and Ray Charles).The ensemble’s original lyrics are crafted and sung in stunning fashion by Phil Perry, one of the finest R&B/urban jazz vocalists in contemporary music who won 2007 Soul Tracks Male Vocalist of the Year. Perry’s latest Shanachie release is Ready For Love.

RAQUEL BITTON - BOLEROS

French Jazz singer Raquel Bitton celebrates renowned Latin composers in her hot new French/Latin Jazz recording Boleros which will be released on March 17. French jazz singer Raquel Bitton is recognized as the foremost singer of French music in North America today and has been internationally praised as the greatest interpreter of the music from the Edith Piaf repertoire.

Boleros, Raquel Bitton's 7th album release is sung in French and Spanish was engineered by 11x Grammy award winner Rafa Sardina and showcases the music of legendary Latin composers including Armando Manzanero, Consuelo Velasquez, Augustin Lara, Isolina Carillo and others.
Raquel Bitton is accompanied by a 28 piece orchestra featuring notable Latin Jazz musicians including: Ramon Stagnaro on acoustic guitar, (Andrea Bocelli, Shakira, Luis Miguel) Cuban percussionists Orestes Vilato (Santana, Celia Cruz, Rubén Blades) and Jesus Diaz (Tito Puente, Pete Escovedo Orchestra) and Rebeca Mauleon on Piano (Santana, Cachao, Joe Henderson). Included is an exquisite 20 page booklet with Spanish and French lyrics and biographies of each composer as well as historical research on the birth of the Bolero.

"Romance intertwined with passion, this is the Bolero, a true expression of my heart said Raquel Bitton. I fell in love with the Bolero when I listened to the sultry voices of Tona La Negra and Maria Dolores Pradera. This music transported me back to my birthplace and the songs I heard growing up in Marrakesh where Spanish music was on everyone's lips, Spain being so close to then French Morocco," said Bitton.

Bitton's journey in researching the composers and songs, led her to Mexico City where she met Armando Manzanero (composer of Elvis Presley's hit song 'It's Impossible') who is widely considered the premiere Mexican romantic composer of the postwar era. "Raquel Bitton's new CD Boleros is magnificent; her version of my song, 'Adoro' is so beautiful!" said Armando Manzanero.

Raquel Bitton sings Aranjuez mon amour from Joaquin Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez, one of the most recognizable compositions in the Spanish Guitar repertoire in tandem with the extraordinary Acoustic Guitarist Ramon Stagnaro. Classic songs, including Solamente una Vez by Augustin Laura or Dos Gardenias by Isolina Carillo, the song that helped revive Ibrahim Ferrer's career (Buena Vista Social Club) and Besame Mucho, by Consuelo Velasquez are sung with Bitton's captivating voice and set to an entrancing beat.

OLETA ADAMS - LET'S STAY HERE

Oleta Adams is set to release her first album since 2001 as E1 Music is set to release "Let's Stay Here," on April 21, 2009. Throughout her long career, which began with Oprah Winfrey's endorsement of the immortal "Get Here," Oleta has earned her devoted fan base by staying with the essentials: honest, soulful vocals, unforgettable songs, and uplifting arrangements. "Let's Stay Here" is prime Oleta: she delivers each song's message with grace, clarity, and quiet power, whether it's her own composition or a classic cover, such as the version of Nina Simone's "Feelin' Good" that was central to the 2007-8 Buick campaign. Oleta's fans, who flock to her sold-out shows all over the U.S., have been waiting a long time for "Let's Stay Here," and it delivers all the way. It's a new statement of pure soul, ten messages of hope and love for our tough times.

Raised with gospel music, Adams released two solo albums before getting discovered by pop group Tears For Fears in the '80s. After touring with and opening for the group, her solo career took off in 1990 with the album "Circle of One," which peaked at #1 in the U.K. Adams has released six more albums since, and her cover of Brenda Russell's track "Get Here" earned her the first of many Grammy nominations.

Track list for "Let's Stay Here":

1. Picture You The Way That I Do

2. Feelin' Good

3. We Can't Stay Here

4. No Way To Love Me

5. Another Day

6. Best That I Can Do

7. Let's Stay Here

8. Don't Explain

9. Yesterday

10. Act Of Forgiveness

THE MARCH CONCERT CALENDAR

John Legend @ Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Mar 1
Re:Jazz @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 1
John Legend @ Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden, Mar 2
Sergio Mendes @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 2-7
Simply Red @ Credicard Hall, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mar 3-4
John Legend @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, Mar 4
Stanley Clarke @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, Mar 5
John Legend @ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium, Mar 6
Madeleine Peyroux @ Empire Theatre, Albany, NY, Mar 6
Tony Bennett @ Agua Caliente Casino 7 Resort, Rancho Mirage, CA, Mar 6
Simply Red @ Citibank Hall, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mar 6
Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary @ Birch North Park Theatre, San Diego, CA, Mar 6
Stanley Clarke @ Yoshi’s, Oakland, CA, Mar 6-8
Tower Of Power @ The Orleans Casino, Las Vegas, NV, Mar 6-8
John Legend @ Zenith, Paris, France, Mar 7
Chuck Loeb @ Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Indonesia, Mar 7
Branford Marsalis @ Schlesinger Concert Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 7-8
John Legend @ Brixton Academy, London, UK, Mar 9
Adele @ House Of Blues, San Diego, CA, Mar 9
Simply Red @ Telmex Theatre, Guadalajara, Mexico, Mar 9
Adele @ Martini Ranch, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 10
Simply Red @ National Auditorium, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 11
John Legend @ Academy, Glasgow, UK, Mar 12
Adele @ La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX, Mar 12
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, IL, Mar 12
John Legend @ Apollo, Manchester, UK, Mar 13
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pageant, St. Louis, MO, Mar 13
Frankie Valli @ Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 13
Maceo Parker @ Theater of Perfoming Arts, Philadelphia, PA, Mar 13
Simply Red @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 13
Walter Beasley @ Scullers, Boston, MA, Mar 13-14
Stanley Clarke @ IMAC, Huntington, NY, Mar 14
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, Mar 14
Adele @ Warehouse Live, Houston, TX, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA, Mar 14
Madeleine Peyroux @ Park West. Chicago, IL, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Comcast Arena, Everett, WA, Mar 15
Adele @ Granada, Dallas, TX, Mar 15
Stanley Clarke @ Ram’s Head, Annapolis, MD, Mar 15
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 15
John Legend @ Academy, Birmingham, UK, Mar 15
Simply Red @ Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, Mar 15
Madeleine Peyroux @ Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, Mar 15
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Memorial Auditorium, Stanford, CA, Mar 15
John Legend @ E Werk, Cologne, Germany, Mar 16
Stanley Clarke @ Birchmere, Alexandria, VA, Mar 16
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ark, Ann Arbor, MI, Mar 16
John Legend @ Tonhalle, Munich, Germany, Mar 17
Adele @ Variety Theatre, Atlanta, GA, Mar 17
The Whispers @ Hammersmith Apollo, London, UK, May 17
Stanley Clarke @ The Blue Note, New York, NY, Mar 17-18
Adele @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, Mar 18
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Handlebar, Greenville, SC, Mar 18
John Legend @ Alcatraz, Milan, Italy, Mar 19
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Legends At Appalachian State, Boone, NC, Mar 19
George Benson @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Mar 19
Wynton Marsalis @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, Mar 19
Branford Marsalis @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Mar 19-22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, Mar 20
Adele @ St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI, Mar 20
John Legend @ Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland, Mar 20
Madeleine Peyroux @ Folly Theatre, Kansas City, MO, Mar 20
Bobby Caldwell @ Center Stage/WLOQ Winter Park Art Festival, Winter Park, FL, Mar 20
Tower Of Power @ Harrah’s South Shore Room, Stateline, NV, Mar 20-21
John Legend @ Palanet, Padova, Italy, Mar 21
Adele @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 21
Madeleine Peyroux @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO, Mar 21
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Shoreline Ballroom, Hilton Head Island, SC, Mar 21
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA, Mar 21
Quasimode @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 23
Giovanni Mirabassi Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 23-25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ram’s Head, Annapolis, MD, Mar 24
Simply Red @ Braehead Arena, Glasgow, UK, Mar 24
Madeleine Peyroux @ Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA, Mar 24
Tower Of Power, David Sanvorn @ Whittaker Center, Harrisburg, PA, Mar 24
Branford Marsalis @ Catalina's in Hollywood CA, Mar 24-28
Tower Of Power @ Turning Stone Casino & Resort, Verona, NY, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ B.B. King’s. New York, NY, Mar 25
B. B. King @ Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Toad’s Placem New Haven, CT, Mar 26
Tower Of Power @ Keswick Theater, Glenside, PA, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, UK, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, UK, Mar 27
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ Nokia Theatre, New York, NY, Mar 27
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 27
Tower Of Power @ Klein Memorial Auditorium, Bridgeport, CT, Mar 27
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Berk’s Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Sheraton Reading Hotel, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Scottish Rite Cathedral, West Reading, PA, Mar 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Berks Jazz Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Simply Red @ LG Arena (NEC), Birmingham, UK, Mar 28
Sax For Stax feat. Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum @ Sheraton Reading Hotel, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 28
B. B. King @ Rochester Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY, Mar 28
Mindi Abair @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 28
Madeleine Peyroux @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 28
David Sanborn, Tower Of Power @ Bergen Performing Arts Center, Englewood, NJ, Mar 28
Kenny G @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 29
David Sanborn, Tower Of Power @ Sandler Center, Virginia Beach, VA, Mar 29
B. B. King @ Lyric Opera House, Baltimore, MD, Mar 20
Simply Red @ Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, UK, Mar 30
Bela Fleck @ Berk Jazz Fest, Miller Center For The Arts, Reading, PA, Mar 30
Brandford Marsalis @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, Mar 30
Simply Red @ Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK, Mar 31
Chris Botti @ Teatro la Cuidad, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 31
Tower Of Power @ State Theater, Falls Church, VA, Mar 31
B. B. King @ State Theatre, Easton, PA, Mar 31
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Mar 31

CHARLIE WILSON - UNCLE CHARLIE

R&B solo singer/songwriter Charlie Wilson has topped the charts with his newest offering, Uncle Charlie. This week, Wilson's album debuts at No. 1 on the R&B Albums chart, and enters at No. 2 on the Pop Albums chart. These are his highest ranking debuts on both charts as a solo artist and front-man for the legendary Gap Band. This chart-topping week comes as the singer's first solo album on Jive Records, Charlie, Last Name Wilson, receives gold-certification from the RIAA.

The album's lead single "There Goes My Baby" is currently among the Top 5 most played songs at the Urban Adult Contemporary radio format, and the accompanying video will debut March 2nd as a featured spotlight on Yahoo's main music page.

The new album features all-star collaborations with Snoop Dogg and T-Pain and production work by the Grammy-nominated duo the Underdogs. The album title, Uncle Charlie, refers to Wilson's status as the "de facto father of new jack swing" and his influence over some of today's top musicians and singers. Wilson is considered one of the greatest and most distinctive voices in R&B. Classic hit singles such as "Outstanding" and "You Dropped a Bomb on Me" are among the most sampled tunes by contemporary Rap and R&B artists.

Additionally, Uncle Charlie is garnering rave reviews: USA Today states, "[Wilson's] influence on artists like guest stars Snoop Dogg, Jamie Foxx and T-Pain is evident... He sounds as fresh as ever without sacrificing his signature sound." Associated Press adds, "[On] his exceptional new album -- he sounds better than ever...Wilson is the coolest R&B uncle in the game..."

Charlie Wilson is currently completing a special tour for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq and Kuwait. In March, he will join an all-star cast that includes Robin Givens for a national tour of the gospel musical, Save Me From My Secrets.

GAMBLE & HUFF TO RECEIVE BMI ICONS AWARD

Music publishing giant, BMI, will name the production and songwriting team Gamble & Huff “BMI Icons” at its upcoming 57th annual Pop Awards, slated for Tuesday, May 19 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles. The invitation-only event will also honor the songwriters and publishers of the past year’s most-performed pop songs in the United States. The evening’s commendations will culminate with an all-star musical tribute to Gamble & Huff.

BMI Icons are selected because of their “unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers.” Gamble & Huff will join fellow BMI Icons - the Jacksons, Bee Gees, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Paul Simon, Merle Haggard, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson, James Brown, Ray Davies, Carlos Santana, Dolly Parton, and Hall & Oates.

As architects of the Philadelphia soul dynasty of the 60’ and 70’s, Gamble and Huff composed and produced landmark work by their Philly International Records artists as well as others including the O’Jays, Lou Rawls, Jerry Butler, Melba Moore, Jean Carne, Patti LaBelle, McFadden & Whitehead, Archie Bell & The Drells, Teddy Pendergrass, MFSB, Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, Dusty Springfield, Wilson Pickett and so many more. The pair has accumulated 22 gold and eight platinum albums. Many of the classic albums from these artists are being released via the Philadelphia Legacy label imprint.

Gamble and Huff most recently produced tracks for the reunited 2008 Labelle album “Back To Now,” which features original members Patti LaBelle, Nona Hendryx, and Sarah Dash. The group is currently touring the United States.

NEW RELEASES FROM GERALD ALSTON, HUGH MASEKELA, INDIA.ARIE, NORMAN CONNORS, PIECES OF A DREAM & OTHERS...

Aaron Tesser & The New Jazz Affair – Lookin’ Ahead (Irma)
Andrea Pozza Trio With Alan Farrington – Drop This Thing (Déjà vu)
Alessandro Alessandroni – Notes From The Whistler (Edel)
Ashford & Simpson – Real Thing (Burgundy)
Bird And The Bee – Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future (Blue Note)
Blue Note 7 – A Celebration Of Blue Note Records (Blue Note)
Brasil Sambossia (Various Artists) (Afro Baile)
Commodores – Love Songs (Motown)
Curtis Mayfield – We Come In Peace With A Message Of Love/Take It To The Streets (Curtom/Snapper)
Dean Martin – Amore (Capitol)
Diana Ross & The Supremes – Love Songs (Motown)
Diego Figueiredo – Dadaio (Stunt)
Far Out Strictly Samba (Various Artists) (Far Out)
Foreign Exchange – Leave It All Behind (HBD)
Gerald Alston – Sings Sam Cooke (LST)
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Love Songs (Motown)
Glenn Underground – Silent (Unified)
Hot Buttered Soul: Celebrating The Genius Of Isaac Hayes (Various Artists) (Shanachie)
Hugh Masakela – Phola (Times Square)
India.Arie –Testimony Vol 2 – Love & Politics (Soulbird)
Indigo Jam Unit & Flexlife – Vingtage Black (Oasis)
James Brown – Live At The Boston Garden April 5, 1968 (DVD/Shout Factory)
James Brown – The Singles, Volume Six: 1969-1970 (Hip-O Select)
Jesse Boykins III – Beauty Created (Vinyl Virtue)
Jimi Tenor & Kabu Kabu – 4th Dimension (Sakho/Puu)
Kafele – Acid Reign (Kafele)
Kafka – Kafka (Mighty Highness)
Kaidi Tatham – In Search Of Hope (Freedom School)
Kokolo – Heavy Hustling (Record Kicks)
Liquid Spirits – Music (Kindred Spirits)
Mr Chop – Lightworks EP (Now Again)
Mandrill – New Worlds/Getting In The Mood (Expansion)
Norman Connors – Star Power (Schanchie)
Paolo Di Sabatino Trio – Atelier Of Melody (Sawano)
Pieces Of A Dream – Soul Intent (Heads Up)
Platinum Pied Pipers (PPP) – Abundance (Ubiquity)
Quasimode – The Mode Of Blue – Quasimode Plays Blue Note (Blue Note)
Revelations – Deep Soul (Decisions)
Robert Carlos & Caetano Veloso – E A Musica De Tom Jobim (Sony BMG)
Rosalia De Souza – D’Improvviso (Schema)
Sally Kellerman Sally (The Music Force)
Sleep Walker – Into The Sun (Jazzmin)
Smokey Robinson – Love Songs (Motown)
Steve Wallace – Urban Soul (Edclectic)
Tizian Jost Trio – Night Has A Thousand Eyes (Sawano)
Tonu Naissoo Trio – For Now & Forever (Sawano)
Ursula 1000 – Mystics (18th Street Lounge)
Van Morrison – Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bown (EMI)
Walter Beasley – Free Your Mind (Heads Up)
We Love Afrobeat: An Ultimate Modern Afrobeat Selection (Various Artists) (Comet)

INDIA.ARIE: TESTIMONY: VOL. 2, LOVE & POLITICS

India.Arie has once again delivered a new album to the top tier of the music charts its opening week of release, with Testimony: Vol. 2, Love & Politics (Soulbird Music/Universal Republic) vaulting to # 1 on the Billboard Top R&B Chart and locking down the #3 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Chart.The acclaimed singer/songwriter’s two new singles, "Chocolate High," featuring Musiq Soulchild, was #1 most added at Urban AC radio this week, while "Therapy" featuring Gramps Morgan, has become the #1 most downloaded song off the album. Testimony: Vol 2, which is the follow-up to her Grammy nominated 2006 album, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, has been receiving worldwide critical acclaim over the past week.

India.Arie also created a buzz with a host of TV appearances this week, kicking it off with a live performance on ABC’s Good Morning America on Tuesday, February 17. And in a special production with VH1, she appears as the featured artist on the fourth installment of VH1’s SoulStage, presented by Infiniti franchise and showcasing her performing songs from the new album such as "Therapy" and "Pearls," among other past hits. SoulStage: India.Arie Presented by Infinity debuted on Tuesday, February 17 on VH1 Soul at 9:30 pm EST, with encore broadcasts on the music network on February 22nd at 1:30 pm EST, 9:30 pm EST, and 1:30 AM EST on February 23rd. The show is also being made available on VH1soul.com which will include additional performances not seen on the original broadcast.

India.Arie emerged onto the music scene in 2001 with her double-platinum debut album Acoustic Soul and subsequently has won a host of awards including 2 Grammys, 4 NAACP Awards, as well as being recognized by BET, Billboard Magazine, MTV, VH1 and Essence Magazine, among others. With nearly eight million albums sold, India.Arie has established herself as an artist and humanitarian of substance, working steadily throughout her career to champion causes close to her heart. As a UN Ambassador for UNICEF, she has traveled to Africa numerous times to address the AIDS crisis, and is featured in the documentary Tracking The Monster: Ashley Judd & India.Arie confront Aids In Africa.

CRISS STARR - ON THE KEYS

Independent musician Criss Starr has announced the release of his latest album “On the Keys”, a sophisticated smooth jazz exploration of several R&B/soul classics to much anticipation earlier this week. Featuring Starr's unique and intuitive interpretations of Stevie Wonder’s Ribbons in the Sky and Raspberry Beret, as well as Starr’s song Break it Down, the original songs without words. “On the Keys’ was released on February 2, 2009.Starr's passion and talent for expressing the intricacies of human emotions through music developed early on in life – when he first saw the then-unknown Prince open for Rick James.

During a summer visit to Omaha, Nebraska, Criss met James Boone, a music manager, and Criss began performing in various Omaha venues (including the Omaha civic auditorium) and was featured in several local news dailies. Also, while in Omaha, Criss formed the band, Secret Service, which built a formidable reputation in the tri-state area. As Criss' popularity and Secret Service's reputation grew so did the popularity of "the Minneapolis sound" which is a hybrid mixture of funk, rock, pop, R& B, and new wave that was masterminded by Minneapolis born Prince in the late 1970’s. By the early 1980’s, the Minneapolis sound was an awesome force in the music world being played by such artists as The Time, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, Sheila E, and many others. Criss knew that he needed to be where that sound originated. So, he moved to Minneapolis.

The move to Minneapolis was good for Criss. Criss began signing commercials and performing jingles for advertising agencies. Criss also began recording tracks in the studio, writing a song catalogue, and pitching songs to publishers and artists. In 1983, Criss released his debut album, Criss Starr. Criss also formed the Future, a band that gained considerable renown in the Twin Cities. As they sold out venues in the Twin Cities, the Future worked on their first album. They released the song, Already Yesterday, which was written by Criss. Already Yesterday was a smash hit that received frequent airplay and critical acclaim. One reviewer remarked that Criss put his entire heart into Already Yesterday.

His passion and talent has earned him recognition in the R&B community, as he has since toured with Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds, in addition to sharing the stage with other R&B greats such as Brian McKnight and Kool and the Gang, as well as Motown legends Stevie Wonder and the Temptations.

For more information about Criss Starr and 'On the Keys' click to http://www.crissstarr.com/

JEAN CARNE - LOVE LESSONS

Singer Jean Carne's career has had various incarnations, as well as a slight name change similar to Dionne Warwick's (adding an "e" to the end of her last name as Warwick did for a short time). Born Sarah Jean Perkins in Columbus, GA, she was raised in Atlanta. She began singing gospel music in the church choir at age four; she also took piano lessons and learned the clarinet and bassoon. Carne won a music scholarship to Morris Brown College and began her recording career in 1969 with her husband, keyboardist Doug Carn, on the Black Jazz label, where she was one of the last vocalists to work with jazz legend Duke Ellington before his death.

Carne popped up several times during the early-to-mid-'70s, singing with Earth, Wind & Fire on two albums, recording several times with Norman Connors, and reaching the charts via George Duke's hit single "Reach for It." In 1977, Carne was signed to Kenneth Gamble and Leon Huff's Philadelphia International Records; her debut album, "Jean Carne", was a classy affair that merged the best of '70s soul and jazz with solid songwriting and tight instrumental support (MFSB, Instant Funk). The debut single "Free Love" went to number 23 R&B. Though the follow-up single didn't chart, several of the album's tracks received considerable radio airplay, and some tracks made the disco charts. In June 1978, her second album for the label was released; Happy to Be with You included the hit single "Don't Let It Go to Your Head."

Carne's final Philadelphia International album, 1980's "When I Find You Love", was more of a return conceptually (musically and sonically) to Jean Carne. Produced by Dexter Wansel, the album rates as one of Carne's best efforts. The smooth and haunting "My Love Don't Come Easy" peaked at number 35 R&B. Released in August 1981, Carne's "Sweet and Wonderful" featured a remake of the Spinners' "Love Don't Love Nobody," which went to number 35 R&B. Carne moved to Motown Records in 1982, making her label debut with the album Trust Me. The single "If You Don't Know Me By Now," a cover of the Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes hit with backing vocals by the Temptations, went to number 49 R&B. By 1986, Carne signed to Omni Records; "Closer than Close" was released in July of that year and the title track that went to number one R&B. Her 1988 album "You're a Part of Me" included a hit cover of Aretha Franklin's "Ain't No Way."

Carne later signed with Place One Entertainment, which reunited her with former Omni Records president Steve Bernstein, with her Love Lessons album being distributed by PPI/Peter Pan. Carne continues to tour with Connors, among others, and makes her home in Atlanta. Jean Carn recently performed at The Scene in Washington, D.C. She be launched this brand new club on Valentine Day, Saturday, February 14, 2009.

RITA MORENO IN CONCERT AT THE CONGA ROOM

The legendary Rita Moreno, winner of the GRAMMY, Oscar®, Tony Award® and Emmy awards, is set to perform in Los Angeles on February 19, 2009 at the newly reopened Conga Room, L. A. LIVE. Rita will appear in a special one-night only show on February 19 at 8:00 PM at The Conga Room. Only nine entertainers have won all four awards--the Oscar, Grammy, Emmy and Tony. Rita Moreno is the first Puerto Rican woman performer to accomplish this feat.

"Rita Moreno is a legendary Puerto Rican actress, singer and dancer. The Conga Room is thrilled to be presenting her first Los Angeles show in over 25 years," said co-owner and managing partner Brad Gluckstein. The Conga Room, known as "the House of Blues for Latin music", is co-owned by a host of celebrity investors such as the Black Eyed Peas' will.i.am, Jennifer Lopez, Jimmy Smits, Paul Rodriguez and Sheila E.

The Conga Room is the preeminent Los Angeles destination known for its vibrant, Latin-infused nightclub. The Conga Room is located in downtown Los Angeles at the highly anticipated L.A. LIVE Complex. Founded in 1998, the world famous Conga Room has earned a reputation for hip ambiance and hot performers including Carlos Santana, Shakira and Tito Fuentes among others. The Conga Room reopened in December 2008 at L.A. LIVE, Los Angeles' hot new entertainment district. Lead by the Grammy award winning musical director, Oscar Hernandez, The Conga Room offers a special blend of Salsa and Latin music that is unmatched in the city of Los Angeles.

MARCH CONCERT CALENDAR: SIMPLY RED, ADELE, BRIAN CULBERTSON, VICTOR WOOTEN, B.B. KING & OTHERS...

John Legend @ Sentrum Scene, Oslo, Mar 1
Re:Jazz @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 1
John Legend @ Annexet, Stockholm, Sweden, Mar 2
Sergio Mendes @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 2-7
Simply Red @ Credicard Hall, Sao Paulo, Brazil, Mar 3-4
John Legend @ Heineken Music Hall, Amsterdam, Holland, Mar 4
John Legend @ Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, Belgium, Mar 6
Madeleine Peyroux @ Empire Theatre, Albany, NY, Mar 6
Tony Bennett @ Agua Caliente Casino 7 Resort, Rancho Mirage, CA, Mar 6
Simply Red @ Citibank Hall, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Mar 6
Allen Toussaint, Henry Butler, Jon Cleary @ Birch North Park Theatre, San Diego, CA, Mar 6
John Legend @ Zenith, Paris, France, Mar 7
Chuck Loeb @ Jakarta Convention Center, Jakarta, Indonesia, Mar 7
Branford Marsalis @ Schlesinger Concert Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 7-8
John Legend @ Brixton Academy, London, UK, Mar 9
Adele @ House Of Blues, San Diego, CA, Mar 9
Simply Red @ Telmex Theatre, Guadalajara, Mexico, Mar 9
Adele @ Martini Ranch, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 10
Simply Red @ National Auditorium, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 11
John Legend @ Academy, Glasgow, UK, Mar 12
Adele @ La Zona Rosa, Austin, TX, Mar 12
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pick-Staiger Concert Hall, Evanston, IL, Mar 12
John Legend @ Apollo, Manchester, UK, Mar 13
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Pageant, St. Louis, MO, Mar 13
Frankie Valli @ Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ, Mar 13
Simply Red @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 13
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Calvin College, Grand Rapids, MI, Mar 14
Adele @ Warehouse Live, Houston, TX, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA, Mar 14
Madeleine Peyroux @ Park West. Chicago, IL, Mar 14
Brian Culbertson @ Comcast Arena, Everett, WA, Mar 15
Adele @ Granada, Dallas, TX, mar 15
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 15
John Legend @ Academy, Birmingham, UK, Mar 15
Simply Red @ Radio City Music Hall, New York, NY, Mar 15
Madeleine Peyroux @ Pantages Theatre, Minneapolis, MN, Mar 15
Spanish Harlem Orchestra @ Memorial Auditorium, Stanford, CA, Mar 15
John Legend @ E Werk, Cologne, Germany, Mar 16
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ark, Ann Arbor, MI, Mar 16
John Legend @ Tonhalle, Munich, Germany, Mar 17
Adele @ Variety Theatre, Atlanta, GA, Mar 17
Adele @ Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN, Mar 18
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Handlebar, Greenville, SC, Mar 18
John Legend @ Alcatraz, Milan, Italy, Mar 19
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Legends At Appalachian State, Boone, NC, Mar 19
George Benson @ Ruth Eckerd Hall, Clearwater, FL, Mar 19
Branford Marsalis @ Jazz Alley, Seattle, WA, Mar 19-22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA, Mar 20
Adele @ St. Andrews Hall, Detroit, MI, Mar 20
John Legend @ Volkshaus, Zurich, Switzerland, Mar 20
Madeleine Peyroux @ Folly Theatre, Kansas City, MO, Mar 20
Bobby Caldwell @Centet Stage Park Avenue, Winter Park, FL, Mar 20
John Legend @ Palanet, Padova, Italy, Mar 21
Adele @ House Of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 21
Madeleine Peyroux @ Boulder Theatre, Boulder, CO, Mar 21
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Shoreline Ballroom, Hilton Head Island, SC, Mar 21
Chick Corea, John McLaughlin @ Zellerbach Hall, Berkeley, CA, Mar 21
Quasimode @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 22
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Birchmere Music Hall, Alexandria, VA, Mar 23
Giovanni Mirabassi Trio @ Blue Note, Tokyo, Japan, Mar 23-25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Ram’s Head, Annapolis, MD, Mar 24
Simply Red @ Braehead Arena, Glasgow, UK, Mar 24
Madeleine Peyroux @ Moore Theatre, Seattle, WA, Mar 24
Branford Marsalis @ Catalina's in Hollywood CA, Mar 24-28
Tower Of Power @ Turning Stone Resort, Verona, NY, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ B.B. King’s. New York, NY, Mar 25
B. B. King @ Murat Theatre, Indianapolis, IN, Mar 25
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Toad’s Placem New Haven, CT, Mar 26
Tower Of Power @ Keswick Theater, Genside, PA, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Cardiff International Arena, Cardiff, UK, Mar 26
Simply Red @ Sheffield Arena, Sheffield, UK, Mar 27
B. B. King @ The House of Blues, Cleveland, OH, Mar 27
Tower Of Power @ Klein Memorial Auditorium, Mar 27
Victor Wooten, JD Blair @ Berk’s Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Sheraton Reading Hotel, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Peter White @ Scottish Rite Cathedral, West Reading, PA, Mar 27
Mindi Abair, Peter White @ Berks Jazz Fest, Wyomissing, PA, Mar 27
Simply Red @ LG Arena (NEC), Birmingham, UK, Mar 28
B. B. King @ Rochester Auditorium Theatre, Rochester, NY, Mar 28
Mindi Abair @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 28
Madeleine Peyroux @ Club Nokia, Los Angeles, CA, Mar 28
Kenny G @ Jazz In The Gardens Music Festival, Miami Gardens, FL, Mar 29
B. B. King @ Lyric Opera House, Baltimore, MD, Mar 20
Simply Red @ Bournemouth International Centre, Bournemouth, UK, Mar 30
Bela Fleck @ Berk Jazz Fest, Reading, PA, Mar 30
Brandford Marsalis @ Kuumbwa Jazz Center, Santa Cruz, CA, Mar 30
Simply Red @ Brighton Centre, Brighton, UK, Mar 31
Chris Botti @ Teatro la Cuidad, Mexico City, Mexico, Mar 31
Tower Of Power @ State Theater, Falls Church, VA, Mar 31
B. B. King @ State Theatre, Easton, PA, Mar 31
Brandford Marsalis @ Anthology, San Diego, CA, Mar 31

JESSE COOK - FRONTIERS

Jesse Cook has been making major waves since his March 2008 release, of "Frontiers." The album continues to climb the charts and reaches new fans and attention everyday. Recently, Cook took home the Silver award for Best Flamenco Guitarist from Acoustic Guitar. He also proves to be a home-town favorite. Canadians and CBC Radio 2 listeners voted to have Cook's music be included on President Barack Obama's Playlist.

Jesse Cook has been known to blend African percussion, Cajun accordion and pop vocals with his own rumba flamenco style to create a breathtaking, multi-textured global hybrid. It is this experimentation and sound that clearly connected with Acoustic Guitar's audience. The Players' Choice Awards are voted on by thousands of readers of Acoustic Guitar and http://www.acousticguitar.com/ who cast their votes for their favorite guitars, performing and recording equipment, retail shops, instructional materials, and, for the first time this year, guitarists. Those players recognized Cook as one of the Best Flamenco Guitarist for 2008. The Gold went to the legendary Paco de Lucía and Bronze was given to the incomparable Vicente Amigo. To be included with these amazing artists represents just how far Cook has come. Left in the hands of these three gentlemen, inspiring flamenco music will continue to span the globe.

As if that weren't enough, awareness of Jesse Cook's sound heads to the White House in the form of a Presidential Playlist! CBC Radio 2 thought it would be a great idea for President Barack Obama to get to know Canada through its music. Canadian citizens have been voting over the last two weeks to help choose 49 pieces of music that best represents who Canada is -- "the top 49 songs from north of the 49th parallel" that best define the country, especially given the depth of the musical offerings -- spanning a wide variety of genres and representing the culture from coast to coast to coast. After the votes were counted, Jesse Cook was on top and his track "Mario Takes A Walk" was included. For the complete playlist, please visit: http://www.cbc.ca/radio2/obamasplaylist/

The success of Cook's latest album, "Frontiers," has been incredible. It has remained in the Top 10 of Billboard's New Age chart for 46 weeks, and spent several weeks at #1. The radio story is just as impressive. After going Top 5 at Smooth Jazz radio with "Café Mocha," the new single titled "Havana" is climbing into the upper reaches of the Radio and Records chart.
Cook plans on releasing a new studio album in Autumn '09 on E1 Music. When not touring, he is in the studio working on tracks for this new release. Continue to check back in for more information, including video content and streaming music at http://www.jessecook.com/.

JESSE COOK UPCOMING TOUR DATES:

Tampa, FL - March 25

Clayton, NC - March 27

Wilmington, NC - March 28

New York, NY - March 30

Boston, MA - March 31

New London, CT - April 2

Huntington, NY - April 3

Randolph, VT - April 4

STEVIE WONDER - LIVE AT LAST

Universal/Motown Records will release Stevie Wonder’s his first-ever live concert DVD, ’Live At Last’. The DVD program, released worldwide on March 9, 2009, was filmed at the O2 Arena, in London, England, over two nights, September 30 and October 1, 2008, before a rapturous audience of 15,000 each night. The concerts were part of the first Stevie Wonder world tour in over a decade which sold 120,000 tickets in the UK alone.

‘Live At Last’s set list traces a lifetime of innovation and accomplishment – and, in fact, our own lifetime appreciation of his music, stretching from Wonder’s teens with “My Cherie Amour” and “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours.” Along the way, the program encompasses iconic hits that redefined pop and R&B music, including “Superstition,” “Higher Ground,” “Living For the City,” “You Are the Sunshine of My Life” and “I Wish,” while reaching into his classic albums for such enduring fan favorites as “All I Do,” “Overjoyed” and “Knocks Me Off My Feet.” The exuberant “Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” is preceded by Wonder’s interpretation of Chick Corea’s instrumental “Spain.” And in a delightful, impressive and emotional moment, Wonder’s daughter Aisha Morris -- the inspiration of his classic “Isn’t She Lovely” -- steps from the background vocal group and performs Nat “King” Cole’s jazz standard “I’m Gonna Laugh You Right Out of My Life.”

Wonder also takes time out in the set to salute the British audience with an affectionate medley of two Beatles songs (“Fool on the Hill,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand”) and a Rolling Stones classic (“[I Can’t Get No] Satisfaction”), book-ending them with the traditional “London Bridge is Falling Down.” Aside from being his first DVD release, ‘Live At Last’ is Stevie Wonder’s first high definition release on Blu-Ray disc. Blue laser disc reader technology provides unparalleled picture quality (at 1080i) as well as pure and uncompressed 5.1 surround sound -- the highest standard of sound quality ever achieved on a Stevie Wonder release. Stevie Wonder was introduced to the world at age 12 in the 1963 hit “Fingertips - Pt. 2,” his first of nine No. 1 records and he has also charted eighteen more Top 10 hits so far. He has won 22 Grammy Awards since 1973, when Innervisions won Album of the Year, among his first four Grammys that year. He is the recipient of NARAS’ Lifetime Achievement Award (1996) and Billboard Magazine’s Century Award (2004). He was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1989. His 10-million selling 1976 double album Songs in the Key of Life was the first album by an American artist to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. His most recent studio album is 2005’s gold-certified Top 5 A Time To Love.

Wonder performed “Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I’m Yours)” to a crowd of 85,000 at Denver, Colorado’s Invesco Field, just prior to then-Senator Barack H. Obama’s nomination acceptance address at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, and he also is prominent among performers at the public Obama Inaugural celebrations held in Washington, DC in January 2009. His new song “All About the Love Again,” is featured on the special all-star compilation project ‘CHANGE IS NOW: RENEWING AMERICA’S PROMISE’, released on Inauguration Day.

At age 58, Stevie Wonder remains among the most visionary, influential and admired of singers, songwriters, musicians and producers in the history of American music.

DR. JOHN - CITY THAT CARE FORGOT

Dr. John (aka Mac Rebennack, Jr.) has won the Grammy Award for "Best Contemporary Blues Album" for his 2008 recording CITY THAT CARE FORGOT. He was recently signed to the Savoy Label Group's 429 Records which released the this homage to his hometown of New Orleans. This is Dr. John's 5th Grammy Award overall having won the award in 1989, 1992, 1996 and 2000. With the help of guests such as Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Ani Di Franco and Terence Blanchard, Dr. John fuses the blues, funk and soul in his distinctive and irrepressible swamp-voodoo style and comes up with a bold and heartfelt homage to his hometown in response to the tragedy that is post-Hurricane Katrina New Orleans. Noted SLG President, Steve Vining: "It's an elegant, elegiac and angry collection of songs that mark a career highlight -- we're thrilled for Mac and his Grammy win and the chance to have been a part of such a powerful project."

"CITY THAT CARE FORGOT" is a bold musical statement and a cry for justice and humanity from an artist who is inseparable from the vibrant and colorful culture of the Crescent City. Says Mac in New Orleans' Times-Picayune newspaper: "This is only the second time I made a record solely for the people of New Orleans. This is a record I just could not not do. I couldn't have lived with myself if I didn't make this record."

The project is released by 429 Records is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG).

ASA

Born in Paris but transplanted to Lagos, Nigeria, Nigerian-born singer Asa has released her self-titled debut on Downtown Records' new label Mercer Street Records (January 27th), and it has quickly risen to #1 on iTunes' World Chart. Recorded during a 6-week period in Lagos in 2007, Asa went into the studio with Cobhams Emmanuel Asuquo, a well known blind Nigerian multi-instrumentalist, to record the album. Returning to Paris to test her new songs on the French music scene, her first singles started getting airplay in Nigeria. By the time she returned home, MTV had chosen her as the ambassador for South Africa, and she was opening for Akon, John Legend, Beyonce and Snoop Dogg, amongst others. Featuring impeccable percussion, a funky Hammond organ, reggae-infused bass and contributions from celebrity flautist Magic Malik, Asa is an impressive collection of melodic songs. The standout song "Jailer" is about the irony of oppression, while the most candid and politically charged song of the album, "Fire On The Mountain," is about an ignorant and indifferent world, commenting on the conflicts we neglect and the disparity on our doorstep that goes unnoticed. It seems there is no better time for Asa to take her place on the world stage.

CHRIS BOTTI IN BOSTON

Since the release of his first solo album in 1995 Chris Botti has created a series of recordings which have made him one of the world's top-selling instrumental artists. Drawing from the worlds of pop, jazz, classical and other genres, Botti created his own signature sound, transforming the world of contemporary jazz while simultaneously finding success in the pop music sphere. Praised for the warmth and complexity of his tone and musical ideas, Botti combines a soulful ambience with naturally flowing improvisation. He has earned both critical acclaim and mainstream appreciation for a succession of best-selling albums including When I Fall In Love (2004, #1 Top Jazz Album, #37 Billboard Top 200), To Love Again: The Duets (2005, #1 Top Jazz Album, #18 Billboard Top 200), and Chris Botti Live with Orchestra & Special Guests (2006, #2 Top Jazz Album).

For his latest project, Chris Botti In Boston , Botti invited an extraordinary variety of musical artists,- including Sting, Josh Groban, Steven Tyler, Yo-Yo Ma, John Mayer, Katharine McPhee, Lucia Micarelli, and Sy Smith to join him on-stage with Keith Lockhart and the Boston Pops Orchestra for a pair of once-in-a-lifetime concerts, produced by Bobby Colomby and directed by Jim Gable, at Boston's historic Symphony Hall, one of the world's most exquisite performance venues. The event took place on September 18 and 19, 2008. Chris Botti In Boston, is an extraordinarily luxurious film of the two-night event, captures and accentuates the warmth, excitement, chemistry and spontaneity of the shows. The CD version of Chris Botti In Boston features Botti along with his special guests and core band -- Billy Childs (piano), Billy Kilson (drums), Mark Whitfield (guitar), and Robert Hurst (bass) -- performing definitive versions of "Ave Maria," "When I Fall In Love," "Seven Days," "Emmanuel," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "Cinema Paradiso," "Broken Vow," "Flamenco Sketches," "Glad To Be Unhappy," "Hallelujah," "Smile," "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," and "Time To Say Goodbye."

The full-concert DVD and Blu-ray configurations of Chris Botti In Boston include the bonus performances of "Caruso," "The Look of Love," "Cryin'," "Indian Summer," and "Shape of My Heart" in addition to an exclusive behind-the-scenes documentary chronicling the making-of-the-concert as well as a deeply resonant performance of "Fragile" unavailable anywhere else. In addition, the Blu-ray configuration features Dolby TrueHD audio providing master quality, high-resolution, 7.1 surround sound. Following the exclusive televised premiere of Chris Botti In Boston during PBS's March Pledge Drive, Columbia Records will release the concert extravaganza in three configurations -- CD, a CD/DVD package and a Blu-ray edition -- on Tuesday, March 31.

ADELE - BEST NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR!

British songstress Adele is the Best New Artist at this year's Grammy Awards, besting such competition as Jonas Brothers, Duffy, Jazmine Sullivan and Lady Antebellum. The 20-year old London native also scored an additional Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. Adele recently completed a tour of the U.S. which left the press celebrating her incredibly beautiful, intimate and special live performances. Adele will return to the U.S. for a 9 city tour on March 9 in San Diego, CA at House of Blues. The tour will conclude on March 21 in Cleveland, OH at House of Blues (see below for full itinerary). Adele is set to headline Roseland Ballroom in New York on May 5 in celebration of her 21st birthday. Adele is also set to headline a very special evening at Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on June 28.

Adele's XL/Columbia Records debut 19, was released in the U.S. in June of 2008 and instantly began receiving raves from US press. People magazine exclaimed "Adele is Britain's best new singer" in their four star review. Adele made a series of high profile television appearances in support of the record, most notably performing on the highest rated episode of Saturday Night Live in over 14 years. 19 shot straight to #1 on iTunes charts and peaked at #11 on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart. Adele can next be seen performing her song "Right As Rain" on The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson (Feb 9) and performing her songs "Crazy For You" and "Melt My Heart To Stone" on Last Call with Carson Daly (Feb 10).

Adele - iTunes Live from Soho, was released on February 3, 2009 and immediately became a hit on the iTunes album chart. Both the live EP and her debut 19 occupy spots in the top 10 iTunes album chart). The stunning and intimate performance, recorded last Fall, features her hit "Chasing Pavements" as well as a spirited cover of Etta James' "Fool that I Am" and Sam Cooke's classic "That's It, I Quit, I'm Moving On." In eight songs, Adele quickly shows her range and the abilities that make her the most moving voice in Pop music in a very long time.

Adele Tour Dates:
March 9 - San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
March 10 - Phoenix, AZ @ Martini Ranch
March 12 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa
March 14 - Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
March 15- Dallas, TX @ Granada
March 17 - Atlanta, GA @ Variety Theatre
March 18 - Nashville, TN @ Cannery Ballroom
March 20 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
March 21 - Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues

THE FULL LIST OF GRAMMY WINNERS

Record of the year
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Please Read The Letter" T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer

Album of the year
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand"

Song of the year
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay), "Viva La Vida"

Best new artist
Adele

Best female pop vocal performance
Adele, "Chasing Pavements"

Best male pop vocal performance
John Mayer, "Say"

Best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals
Coldplay, "Viva La Vida"

Best pop collaboration with vocals
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Rich Woman"

Best pop instrumental performance
Eagles, "I Dreamed There Was No War"

Best pop instrumental album
Béla Fleck & The Flecktones, "Jingle All The Way"

Best pop vocal album
Duffy, "Rockferry"

Best dance recording
Daft Punk, "Harder Better Faster Stronger"

Best electronic/dance album
Daft Punk, "Alive 2007"

Best traditional pop vocal album
Natalie Cole, "Still Unforgettable"

Best solo rock vocal performance
John Mayer, "Gravity"

Best rock performance by a duo or group with vocals
Kings Of Leon, "Sex On Fire"

Best hard rock performance
The Mars Volta, "Wax Simulacra"

Best metal performance
Metallica, "My Apocalypse"

Best rock instrumental performance
Zappa Plays Zappa, featuring Steve Vai & Napoleon Murphy Brock, "Peaches En Regalia"

Best rock song
Bruce Springsteen, "Girls In Their Summer Clothes"

Best rock album
Coldplay, "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends"

Best alternative music album
Radiohead, "In Rainbows"

Best female R&B vocal performance
Alicia Keys, "Superwoman"

Best male R&B vocal performance
Ne-Yo, "Miss Independent"

Best R&B performance by a duo or group with vocals
Al Green, featuring John Legend, "Stay With Me (By The Sea)"

Best traditional R&B vocal performance
Al Green, featuring Anthony Hamilton, "You've Got The Love I Need"

Best urban/alternative performance
Chrisette Michele, featuring will.i.am, "Be OK"

Best R&B song
Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith, songwriters (Ne-Yo), "Miss Independent"

Best R&B album
Jennifer Hudson, "Jennifer Hudson"

Best contemporary R&B album
Mary J. Blige, "Growing Pains"

Best rap solo performance
Lil Wayne, "A Milli"

Best rap performance by a duo or group
Jay-Z & T.I., featuring Kanye West & Lil Wayne, "Swagga Like Us"

Best rap/sung collaboration
Estelle, featuring Kanye West, "American Boy"

Best rap song
D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor, songwriters (Lil Wayne, featuring Static Major), "Lollipop"

Best rap album
Lil Wayne, "A Milli"

Best female country vocal performance
Carrie Underwood, "Last Name"

Best male country vocal performance
Brad Paisley, "Letter To Me"

Best country performance by a duo or group with vocals
Sugarland, "Stay"

Best country collaboration with vocals
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Killing The Blues"

Best country instrumental performance
Brad Paisley, James Burton, Vince Gill, John Jorgenson, Albert Lee, Brent Mason, Redd Volkaert & Steve Wariner, "Cluster Pluck"

Best country song
Jennifer Nettles, songwriter (Sugarland), "Stay"

Best country album
George Strait, "Troubadour"

Best bluegrass album
Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, "Honoring The Fathers Of Bluegrass: Tribute To 1946 And 1947"

Best new age album
Jack DeJohnette, "Peace Time"

Best contemporary jazz album
Randy Brecker, "Randy In Brasil"

Best jazz vocal album
Cassandra Wilson, "Loverly"

Best jazz instrumental solo
Gary Burton & Chick Corea, soloists, "Waltz For Debby"

Best jazz instrumental album, individual or group
The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, "Monday Night Live At The Village Vanguard"

Best Latin jazz album
Arturo O'Farrill & The Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, "Song For Chico"

Best gospel performance
Mary Mary, "Get Up"

Best gospel song
Kirk Franklin, songwriter (Kirk Franklin), "Help Me Believe"

Best rock or rap gospel album
TobyMac, "Alive And Transported"

Best pop/contemporary gospel album
CeCe Winans, "Thy Kingdom Come"

Best southern, country, or bluegrass gospel album
Gaither Vocal Band, "Lovin' Life"

Best traditional gospel album
The Blind Boys Of Alabama, "Down In New Orleans"

Best contemporary R&B gospel album
Kirk Franklin, "The Fight Of My Life"

Best Latin pop album
Juanes, "La Vida...Es Un Ratico"

Best Latin rock or alternative album
Jaguares, "45"

Best Latin urban album
Wisin y Yandel, "Los Extraterrestres"

Best tropical Latin album
José Feliciano, "Senor Bachata"

Best regional Mexican album
TIE: Mariachi Los Camperos de Nati Cano, "Amor, Dolor Y Lagrimas: Musica Ranchera" and
Mariachi Divas, "Canciones De Amor"

Best Tejano album
Ruben Ramos & The Mexican Revolution, "Viva La Revolucion"

Best Norteno album
Los Tigres Del Norte, "Raices"

Best Banda album
Joan Sebastian, "No Es De Madera"

Best traditional blues album
B.B. King, "One Kind Favor"

Best contemporary blues album
Dr. John And The Lower 911, "City That Care Forgot"

Best traditional folk album
Pete Seeger, "At 89"

Best contemporary folk/Americana album
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, "Raising Sand"

Best Native American music album
Various artists, "Come To Me Great Mystery — Native American Healing Songs"

Best Hawaiian music album
Tia Carrere & Daniel Ho, "'Ikena"

Best Zydeco or Cajun music album
BeauSoleil & Michael Doucet, "Live At The 2008 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival"

Best reggae album
Burning Spear, "Jah Is Real"

Best traditional world music album
Ladysmith Black Mambazo, "Ilembe: Honoring Shaka Zulu"

Best contemporary world music album
Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju & Giovanni Hidalgo, "Global Drum Project"

Best polka album
Jimmy Sturr And His Orchestra, "Let The Whole World Sing"

Best musical album for children
They Might Be Giants, "Here Come The 123s"

Best spoken word album for children
Bill Harley, "Yes To Running! Bill Harley Live"

Best spoken word album (includes poetry, audio books & story telling)
Beau Bridges, Cynthia Nixon & Blair Underwood, "An Inconvenient Truth (Al Gore)"

Best comedy album
George Carlin, "It's Bad For Ya"

Best musical show album
"In The Heights," Kurt Deutsch, Alex Lacamoire, Andrés Levin, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Joel Moss & Bill Sherman, producers; Lin-Manuel Miranda, composer/lyricist (Original Broadway Cast With Lin-Manuel Miranda And Others)

Best compilation soundtrack album for motion picture, television or other visual media
"Juno," various artists

Best score soundtrack album for motion picture, television or other visual media
"The Dark Knight," James Newton Howard & Hans Zimmer, composers

Best song written for motion picture, television or other visual media
"Down To Earth" (From "WALL-E"), Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman, songwriters (Peter Gabriel)

Best instrumental composition
John Williams, composer (John Williams, "The Adventures Of Mutt" (from "Indiana Jones And
The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull")

Best instrumental arrangment
Peter Gabriel & Thomas Newman, arrangers (Thomas Newman), "Define Dancing (from WALL-E)"

Best instrumental arrangement accompanying vocalist(s)
Nan Schwartz, arranger (Natalie Cole), "Here's That Rainy Day"

Best recording package
"Death Magnetic," Bruce Duckworth, Sarah Moffat & David Turner, art directors (Metallica)

Best boxed or special limited edition package
"In Rainbows," Stanley Donwood, Mel Maxwell & Christiaan Munro, art directors (Radiohead)

Best album notes
"Kind Of Blue: 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition," Francis Davis, album notes writer (Miles Davis)

Best historical album
"Art Of Field Recording Volume I: Fifty Years Of Traditional American Music Documented By Art Rosenbaum," Steven Lance Ledbetter & Art Rosenbaum, compilation producers; Michael Graves, mastering engineer (Various Artists)

Best engineered album, non-classical
"Consolers Of The Lonely," Joe Chiccarelli, Vance Powell & Jack White III, engineers (The Raconteurs)

Producer of the year, non-classical
Rick Rubin
· "Death Magnetic" (Metallica)
· "Home Before Dark" (Neil Diamond)
· "Mercy (Dancing For The Death Of An Imaginary Enemy" (Ours)
· "Seeing Things" (Jakob Dylan)
· "Weezer (Red Album)" (Weezer)

Best remixed recording, non-classical
"Electric Feel (Justice Remix)," Justice, remixers (MGMT)

Best surround sound album
"Mussorgsky: Pictures At An Exhibition; Night On Bald Mountain; Prelude To Khovanshchina," Michael Bishop, surround mix engineer; Michael Bishop, surround mastering engineer; Robert Woods, surround producer (Paavo J䲶i & Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra)

Best engineered album, classical
"Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago," David Frost, Tom Lazarus & Christopher Willis, engineers (Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Alan Gilbert, Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man, Yo-Yo Ma & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Producer of the year, classical
David Frost
· "Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique" (Gustavo Dudamel & Los Angeles Philharmonic)
· "Right Through The Bone — Julius R?en Chamber Music" (ARC Ensemble)
· "Schubert: Sonata In D Maj.; Liszt: Don Juan Fantasy" (Min Kwon)
· "Traditions And Transformations: Sounds Of Silk Road Chicago" (Miguel Harth-Bedoya, Alan Gilbert, Yo-Yo Ma, Silk Road Ensemble, Wu Man & Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Best classical album
"Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny," James Conlon, conductor; Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone & Audra McDonald; Fred Vogler, producer (Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel Ulrich & Robert Worle; Los Angeles Opera Chorus; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra)

Best orchestral performance
"Shostakovich: Symphony No. 4," Bernard Haitink, conductor (Chicago Symphony Orchestra)

Best opera recording
"Weill: Rise And Fall Of The City Of Mahagonny," James Conlon, conductor; Anthony Dean Griffey, Patti LuPone & Audra McDonald; Fred Vogler, producer (Donnie Ray Albert, John Easterlin, Steven Humes, Mel Ulrich & Robert Worle; Los Angeles Opera Orchestra; Los Angeles Opera Chorus)

Best choral performance
"Symphony Of Psalms," Sir Simon Rattle, conductor; Simon Halsey, chorus master (Berliner Philharmoniker; Rundfunkchor Berlin)

Best instrumental soloist(s) performance (with orchestra)
"Schoenberg/Sibelius: Violin Concertos," Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor; Hilary Hahn (Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra)

Best instrumental soloist performance (without orchestra)
"Piano Music Of Salonen, Stucky, And Lutoslawski," Gloria Cheng

Best chamber music performance
"Carter, Elliott: String Quartets Nos. 1 And 5," Pacifica Quartet

Best small ensemble performance
"Spotless Rose: Hymns To The Virgin Mary," Charles Bruffy, conductor; Phoenix Chorale

Best classical vocal performance
"Corigliano: Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan," Hila Plitmann (JoAnn Falletta; Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra)

Best classical contemporary composition
"Mr. Tambourine Man: Seven Poems Of Bob Dylan," John Corigliano (JoAnn Falletta)

Best classical crossover album
"Simple Gifts," The King's Singers