Wednesday, April 19, 2006

PAUL HARDCASTLE & THE JAZZMASTERS, CTI RECORDS MASTER COLLECTIONS, BLUE MAGIC, NICOLA CONTE, DIANNE REEVES, ERNEST RANGLIN, BILLY PAUL & MORE...



The 20th Annual Catalina Island Jazztrax Festival is set for October 6-8, 13-15, and 20-22. Paul Hardcastle and the Jazzmasters featuring Chris Standring, Shilts and Gregg Karukus are scheduled for the first weekend of their world premiere performances. Also appearing Oct. 6-8 will be Richard Elliot, Marc Antoine, Tim Bowman and Kim Waters. Paul Hardcastle and the Jazzmasters will return for the second weekend of performances (Oct. 13-15) along with Brian Culbertson, Tim Bowman, Eric Darius, Nick Colionne and Brian Simpson. The 3rd festival weekend (Oct. 20-22) will include performances by Mindi Abair, Eric Darius, Brian Simpson, Nils, Nick Colionne, Kyle Eastwood and Guitars & Saxes featuring Peter White, Richard Elliot, Gerald Albright and Jeff Golub.

Thievery Corporation are planning a special DJ set in New Orleans during the Jazz Fest. The appearance will preview the release of the new remix album, Versions, out on May 16. You can catch them on May 3 @ The Republic Nightclub in New Orleans and on July 23 @ The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The Bowl appearance is being presented by one of our favorite radio stations, KCRW.

The CTI Records Master Collections of remastered CD releases are finally seeing the light of day featuring the best jazz and funk releases from the 1970’s. Included in the first round of releases are CD’s from George Benson, Stanley Turrentine, Milt Jackson, Freddie Hubbard, Deodato and Esther Philips.

Smooth soul group Blue Magic has released a 4-CD collection entitled Collectables Classics, which features the albums Blue Magic, Live!, The Magic Of The Blue and Thirteen Magic Lane.

New from Concord recording artist Karrin Allyson is the CD Footprints.

Legacy Records will release The Great American Songbook from Billie Holiday on July 18. Legacy also plans The Great American Songbook for both Frank Sinatra and Louis Armstrong, also on July 18.

Nicola Conte is making his long awaited return to the states for a small run of DJ shows in May. Tour stops include: May 25 @ Cielo, New York, NY; May 26 @ Eighteenth Street Lounge , Washington, DC; May 28 @ Mosaic, Baltimore, MD; and June 2 @ La Santanera, Playa del Carmen, Mexico.

Upcoming Jazz albums are due to be released in the coming months from artists Billy Griffin, File Under G, Monet, Eric Person, Shilts, Vernon Reid, Masque, Frank McComb and SounDoctrine .

Six of Carmen McRae’s albums have been assembled for a 5-CD box set (Collectables Classics). The albums are The Art Of Carmen McRae, For Once In My Life, Just A Little Lovin’, Something Wonderful, Sound Of Silence, and Portrait Of Carmen.

Peter White has been scheduled to perform on October 5 at the new Jaxxtrax Festival known as Unplugged at the Wrigley Ranch Night on Catalina Island (CA). The new festival is being presented by Australian guitarist Tommy Emmanuel.

London-based and Sao Paolo raised singer Cibelle is releasing her second album on May 2. Cibelle burst on the scene in 2003 with her beautiful, smokey voice on her self-titled debut. Her new album, The Shine of Dried Electric Leaves, is a quiet masterpiece, full of inventive and quirky arrangements. It combines rootsy acoustic instrumentation and electronic processing along with textural soundscapes and pure melodies.

Ernest Ranglin, Third World, Sean Paul, Sly and Robbie, Buju Banton, Toots and the Maytals, and Burning Spear are among the nominees of this years 25th Silver Anniversary of The International Reggae and World Music Awards. Grammy Award winning artist Damien Marley (youngest son of Bob Marley) will perform at the ceremony which will be held at the World Famous Apollo Theatre on May 6. Marley will be joined by an elite roster of performing artists for this event which include Marcia Griffiths, among many others. See www.irawma.com for a full list of nominees and event information.

Dianne Reeves, the Spinners and Dr. John are among the acts that will perform as part of New York’s annual River to River Festival this summer. The shows are free and are held at Battery Park, South Street Seaport and the World Financial Center.

Gerald Albright is joined by a host of guest musicians on his latest CD, New Beginnings. They include Jeff Lorber, Paul Jackson, Jr., Teddy Campbell, Patrice Rushen, Chris Botti and Walter and Wallace Scott of the Whispers. The Scott brothers appear for a fresh arrangement of the Whispers And The Beat Goes On. On this CD, Gerald Albright delivers a nice mix of smooth jazz and instrumental grooves on his Peak Records debut.

Billy Paul and Hugh Masekela are among those appearing at this year’s Cape May Jazz Festival being held April 21-23 in Cape May, NJ. For more information go to www.capemayjazz.com.

Norman Brown’s Summer Storm 2006 tour are booking dates for their coming tour and here is what has been confirmed thus far: May 20 @ Lexus Jazz Festival, Newport Beach, CA; June 4 @ Merriweather Post Pavilion, Columbia, MD; June 17 @ Radisson Hotel, Sacramento, CA; June 24 @ Coors amphitheatre, Englewood, CO; July 19 @ Chene Park, Detroit, MI; August 12 @ Robert Mondavi Winery, Oakville, CA; August 18 @ Boulder Station Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, NV; August 19 @ Wilson Creek Winery, Temecula, CA; August 20 @ Hollywood Bowl/JVC Jazz Festival, Hollywood, CA; September 4 @ Ritz Carlton, Half Moon Bay, CA; and December 31 @ Hyatt Regency, Huntington Beach, CA.

Upcoming New York area appearances include Nouvelle Vague with DJ Ray Velasquez at Irving Plaza on April 21; Norman Jay at Cielo on April 23; Seu Jorge with Chris Berry and Panjea at Irving Plaza on April 27; and Mylo DJ set at the Hiro Ballroom on May 10.

No comments:

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...