NEIL DIAMOND - THE BANG YEARS 1966-1968

With the Rock & Roll Roll Hall of Fame on March 14, Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings have just released Neil Diamond's The Bang Years 1966 - 1968, 23 core cuts establishing the artist's electrifying transition from struggling Tin Pan Alley songwriter to full-on American rock star lovingly restored to full-impact original mono for this definitive edition. Neil Diamond The Bang Years 1966 - 1968 was officially released everywhere on Tuesday, March 8.

The American independent label Bang Records was founded by songwriter Bert Berns ("Twist & Shout," "Hang On Sloopy") in 1965 and produced a string of AM pop radio hits in the mid-1960s  which included the earliest recordings of Neil Diamond, a Brill Building songwriter transitioning into performing his own songs.

Neil's period as a Bang records artist produced one of the most vibrant and timeless catalogs in pop history. Arriving on the American pop radio scene in the middle of the British invasion and an emerging West Coast psychedelia, Neil Diamond's songs of inner personal struggle and introspection, mixed with an exuberant love of life and sense of awe, struck a chord with an ever-expanding audience through some of the most beloved songs of his career: "Cherry, Cherry," "Solitary Man," "Kentucky Woman," "Shilo," "Red, Red Wine" and others.

Over the years, Neil's Bang Records catalog has inspired some of the most memorable covers in pop history: The Monkees' "I'm A Believer," the best-selling record of 1967; UB40's reggae-fied "Red, Red Wine," a US Number 1 in 1984; Urge Overkill's "Girl, You'll Be A Woman Soon," pulsing through Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction" in 1994; and Johnny Cash's weighty "Solitary Man," on his third American Recordings album with Rick Rubin in 2000.

As a special bonus for Neil Diamond fans, the artist has written a set of extensive and revelatory liner notes especially for Neil Diamond The Bang Years 1966 - 1968, capturing his feelings about the songs and the era as only he could:

"I realized that something was happening that had never happened before for me. My new songs contained something that none of my previous ones had…they contained me and my life at their core.... I had finally found, on the crossroads of desperation and opportunity, the understanding of what I needed to do to write truly affecting songs—I had only to be open and honest, dammit, about my own life and experiences and to stop trying to make up silly songs about made up people, situations and relationships for singers whose lives and feelings I knew nothing about.

"'Solitary Man' would be the first of many 'me' songs and that element along with the superb quality of my producers Jeff Barry and Ellie Greenwich, the great recording engineers Tom Dowd, Phil Ramone and Brooks Arthur (who never once allowed me to double my voice—they wanted the real Neil), the musicians (who were the best players in the world) and our arranger, Artie ("It's been a real 'pressure' working with you") Butler would make all the difference.

"Throw all those elements together and you had the beginnings of a Big Bang career that all finally came together in one explosive spiritual expression of creativity. When the dust of that first session settled, my first chart record 'Solitary Man' was born and my life was forever changed. That day led to other days and other sessions and other spiritual moments which were all connected to my life and dreams."


Neil Diamond - The Bang Years 1966 - 1968

TRACK LIST:
1 SOLITARY MAN
2 CHERRY, CHERRY
3 GIRL, YOU'LL BE A WOMAN SOON
4 KENTUCKY WOMAN
5 THANK THE LORD FOR THE NIGHT TIME
6 YOU GOT TO ME
7 I'M A BELIEVER
8 RED, RED WINE
9 THE BOAT THAT I ROW
10 DO IT
11 NEW ORLEANS 
12 MONDAY, MONDAY
13 RED RUBBER BALL
14 I'LL COME RUNNING
15 LA BAMBA
16 THE LONG WAY HOME
17 I'VE GOT THE FEELING (OH NO NO)
18 YOU'LL FORGET
19 LOVE TO LOVE
20 SOMEDAY BABY
21 HANKY PANKY 
22 THE TIME IS NOW
23 SHILO

http://www.columbiarecords.com/
http://www.legacyrecordings.com/
http://www.neildiamond.com/

THE 858 QUARTET - SIGN OF LIFE

Grammy-winning guitarist and composer Bill Frisell has reassembled The 858 Quartet and is preparing for the release of Sign Of Life, their first recording in over five years.  The 858 Quartet was conceived when Frisell was commissioned to compose music inspired by the artist Gerhard Richter's 858 series of paintings which was exhibited by the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.  Produced by longtime collaborator Lee Townsend and recorded at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California in late 2010, Sign Of Life features Frisell on guitar, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Eyvind Kang on viola and Hank Roberts on cello. Technically a string quartet, Frisell steers clear of any preconceptions with his distinctive textural and rhythmic guitar playing which anchors a tight yet improvisational ensemble. Sign of Life is set for release on the Savoy Jazz label on April 26th.

Says Frisell: "I write the music down on paper. It is difficult to say what is composed, orchestrated, improvised, or arranged. I don't really have to tell anyone what to do. It is a musical language alive and changing all the time…growing and developing."

Bill Frisell will be performing throughout the year including a residency at the Village Vanguard from April 19-May 1.  In addition, Frisell is at work recording his definitive interpretations of John Lennon songs which is set for release in September 2011 and Floratone, his collaborative group that includes Matt Chamberlain, Tucker Martine and Lee Townshend, scheduled for March 2012.

Sign Of Life track listing:
1. It's A Long Story (1)  (2:39)
2. Old Times (4:59)
3. Sign Of Life (2:49)
4. Friend Of Mine  (5:48)
5. Wonderland (3:18)
6. It's A Long Story (2)   (6:32)
7. Mother Daughter (2:20)
8. Youngster (3:01)
9. Recollection (2:54)
10. Suitcase In My Hand (2:22)
11. Sixty Four (3:52)
12. Friend Of Mine (2)   (1:49)
13. Painter (1:14)
14. Teacher (1:28)
15. All The People, All The Time (2:05)
16. Village (4:20)
17. As It Should Be (1:50)

MONTY ALEXANDER - UPLIFT

Jamaican jazz piano man Monty Alexander is acclaimed the world over for his seemingly extraterrestrial technique and sublime, heartfelt swing. Now with the release of his Jazz Legacy Productions debut Uplift, the pianist opens his personal concert archives to eager listeners everywhere, for an unforgettably riveting recorded affair. "Music is a healing force," Alexander says, who is joined by bassist Hassan Shakur, drummer Herlin Riley, as well as drummer Frits Landesbergen (on one track). "My hope is that by the end of a concert, and by the end of this album too, everybody will be taken with a feeling of uplift. That's what I always want to do." Featuring performances from Alexander's acclaimed live concerts over a three-year period, Uplift includes tracks the prodigious pianist has made his own over a storied, fifty-year career. From heartfelt renditions of standards like "Come Fly With Me" and "Body And Soul," to affecting originals like "Renewal" and "Hope," the album grooves hard and wide, much like Alexander himself. "I like to paint a rainbow of many emotions during a program," Alexander says. "You'll hear me play some blues with a good, old backbeat like 'One Mint Julep," and then I play "Django," which is a very reverential piece to me, having known so many of the musicians associated with it. For me, almost everything I play has a personal reference."

 Alexander was born in Kingston, Jamaica and felt the gravitational pull of music at an early age. "When I was a kid in my Country, I used to hear the folk bands play Calypso music and other songs made popular by people like Harry Belafonte," Alexander explains. "Every time I came into contact with the musicians playing that music, there was always joy. And that was my whole experience with music and what led me to be a musician in the first place." Self-taught and unable to read traditional music notation, Alexander's seemingly unorthodox approach to the piano would not prevent him from attaining widespread global acclaim. He would make musical waves in his homeland first, (leading the group Monty and The Cyclones), and soon after, his two-fisted piano pyrotechnics would send him into the musical stratosphere, performing and/or recording with legendary artists like Frank Sinatra, Milt Jackson, Ray Brown, and countless others. A commanding career as a solo artist would soon follow, with Alexander recording over sixty albums as a leader himself, and anchoring countless tours to support them.

Uplift finds Alexander at the peak of his creative form, with the kind of musically adventurous set the esteemed pianist's concerts are known for. The album opens with a swinging nod to Frank Sinatra on the Jimmy Van Heusen/Sammy Cahn standard "Come Fly With Me," with Alexander's technical tenacity on full, recorded display. "That tune takes me right back to Frank Sinatra sitting in the back room at Jilly's when I was playing piano there at the age on nineteen, he says. "I like to tell people that I'm really a saloon piano player at heart." Other arresting album tracks include the scintillating, shuffle-fied "One Mint Julep," and a stride-meets-Monk take on "Sweet Georgia Brown," with a nod to two of Alexander's musical mentors. "The real heroes on that tune for me were Nat "King" Cole and Oscar Peterson," he explains. "Nat Cole had a real simultaneously hot and cool style in his fingers, and Oscar Peterson's mastery of the piano, powerful rhythm and full orchestral approach was very effecting to me." Known for his ability to leap tall chord changes at breakneck speeds, Alexander surprises on Uplift with a healthy dose of musical variety as well. A mournful reading of John Lewis' venerable jazz ballad "Django," (complete with mid-song swing interlude), a masterfully-modulating, waltz-like rendition of the jazz staple "Body and Soul," and nods to his Jamaican homeland on Calypso-flavored tracks like his own "Home" and Blue Mitchell's "Fungi Mama," round the album out with fire-filled flair.

montyalexander.com 

LEE RITENOUR - 6 STRING THEORY

Lee Ritenour has announced the launch of the second annual Yamaha Six String Theory Guitar Competition, in partnership with the Crown of the Continent Guitar Foundation and the National Guitar Workshop. Entries will be accepted from February 15-April 30 for rock, blues, jazz/fusion, acoustic, classical/flamenco and country guitar players. Six winners from each musical genre will be invited to Montana for the finals and will receive scholarships to participate in The Crown of the Continent Guitar Workshop. The final competition will take place in conjunction with the workshop’s activities and is scheduled for Wednesday, August 31, 2011 at the Bigfork Performing Arts Center. The event will be open to the public. The contest is the inspiration of the legendary GRAMMY® award winning guitarist/composer and producer, Lee Ritenour, who debuted the international competition in 2010 with the release of his all-star guitar CD, 6 String Theory. The CD has been named Guitar International’s “Best Album of 2010,” Jazziz’ “Publisher’s Album of the Year – and culminated in Ritenour recently receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Guitar Player Magazine. The CD features 20 world-class guitarists including George Benson, BB King, Slash, Vince Gill, Robert Cray, and the winner of the 2010 competition Shon Boublil. Prizes for this year’s competition include a weeklong stay at Flathead Lake Lodge in Bigfork for a family of four, a potential Concord Records recording contract, a National Guitar Workshop scholarship, as well as many other prizes from Yamaha Guitars, Monster Cable, D’Addario Strings, and others. Competitors are required to send an online video submission. To enter and for complete contest rules and regulations, visit http://www.sixstringtheory.com/.

AMBROSE AKINMSIRE - WHEN THE HEART EMERGES GLISTENING

Trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire has announced Spring tour dates with his quintet in the U.S. and Europe in support of his forthcoming Blue Note Records debut When The Heart Emerges Glistening. The tour will kick off April 14 with a four-night engagement at the Jazz Standard in New York City, and includes a 12-date run in Europe, as well as a homecoming performance at SFJAZZ in San Francisco on May 22 and an appearance at the Playboy Jazz Festival in Los Angeles on June 11. Akinmusire.' touring quintet will feature tenor saxophonist Walter Smith III, pianist Sam Harris, bassist Harish Raghavan, and drummer Justin Brown. Additional Summer tour dates in the U.S. and Europe will be announced shortly.

 TOUR DATES:

April 14-17 – Jazz Standard – New York, NY
April 26 – Redwood Jazz Alliance – Arcata, CA
April 28 – Outpost Performance Space – Albuquerque, NM
April 29 – Detroit Institute of the Arts – Detroit, MI
May 1 – Tri-C JazzFest – Cleveland, OH
May 6 – Vincenza Jazz – Vincenza, Italy
May 7 – La Spirale – Fribourg, Switzerland
May 9 – Musig im Ochsen – Muri, Switzerland
May 10 – A-Trane – Berlin, Germany
May 11 – Sendesaal Bremen – Bremen, Germany
May 12 – Club Unterfahrt – Munich, Germany

May 13 – Théâtre de Cavaillon – Cavaillon, France

May 14 – Bimhuis – Amsterdam, The Netherlands

May 16 – DeWerf – Brugge, Belgium

May 17 – Jazz à Saint-Germain-Des-Pres 2011 – Paris, France

May 18 – Ronnie Scott’s – London, United Kingdom

May 19 – Club Fasching – Stockholm, Sweden

May 21 – Athenaeum’s San Diego Studio – San Diego, CA

May 22 – SFJAZZ @ Yerba Buena Center  for the Arts – San Francisco, CA

May 23-24 – Daly Jazz – Missoula, MT

June 11 – Playboy Jazz Festival – Los Angeles, CA

MISHKA @ THE 2ND ANNUAL PUNTA SAYULITA CLASSIC

Mishka is an authentic musician in an underrepresented genre with an incredible story—from growing up on a boat in Bermuda to having one of film's most iconic figures, Matthew McConaughey, start his own record label exclusively for his music. McConaughey first became familiar with Mishka on New Year's Eve in 2000 after he had been unable to sleep for three consecutive days. When he heard Mishka's music, McConaughey admits he "slept like a baby for 5 straight hours," and was immediately hooked to Mishka's comfort-inducing, soulful melodies. McConaughey became a man on a mission, determined to track down the artist that was behind the "soundtrack of his life," and searched for Mishka for almost five years before finally catching him at the House of Blues in Los Angeles. McConaughey made a quick phone call to his lawyer upon meeting Mishka and officially created the j.k. livin record label to release Mishka's music to the masses. Mishka's 2009 release, "Above the Bones," debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts, and Mishka was named 2009's Best New Artist by iTunes in the Singer/Songwriter category.

Mishka will perform a special benefit concert on Saturday night, March 12th, following Day 1 of competition at the 2nd Annual Punta Sayulita Longboard & Stand-Up Paddle Classic. The free concert will be recorded by Telehit, Mexico’s #1 music television channel, for airing on Telehit at a later date. “We are excited to announce that Mishka will be playing at the Punta Sayulita Classic- Mishka’s reggae roots music has great sound and soul and will be a fantastic addition to the weekend festivities for all to enjoy the ‘aloha spirit’ of the Punta Sayulita Classic. Moreover, the fact that Mishka, having grown up a waterman himself and having an appreciation for the ocean and environment are attributes that make him an ideal fit for the Punta Sayulita Classic,” according to Kevin Roberts of Punta Sayulita.

“This year’s Punta Sayulita Classic is very fortunate again to feature some of the world’s top ranked professional longboard and SUP surfers and paddlers along with a mix of talented amateurs which is one of the unique qualities of this charity event,” added Roberts. We are also pleased to announce another addition to the event schedule whereby on Friday, March 11, a surfing clinic for special needs and underprivileged children from Sayulita and the greater Bay of Banderas area will feature personalized instruction by Malibu, California longboard surfer Jimmy Gamboa and members of his TheraSURF Foundation along with other participating Punta Sayulita Classic professionals and instructors from local Sayulita surf schools.

Mishka was named the 2009 “Best New Artist” by digital music leader iTunes. In March 2010, Mishka released his fourth album, Talk About, featuring tracks produced by Butch Walker and a collaboration with country legend Willie Nelson. The album debuted at #1 on the iTunes Reggae Music Charts. Mishka’s 2009 release, Above the Bones, debuted at #1 on the Billboard Reggae Charts and was followed by an extensive world tour.

http://www.mishka.com/

BIANCA ROSSINI – KISS OF BRASIL

Producer Peter Roberts of BDM Records has announced the release of multi-talented, singer and songwriter Bianca Rossini’s debut album, Kiss of Brasil. The evocative original songs of Kiss of Brasil are destined to become Bossa Nova classics alongside of those written by João Giberto and Antonio Carlos Jobim; the “fathers” of Bossa Nova. Kiss of Brasil’s intoxicating beat is the new extended genre of Brazilian music that’s taking over the cool jazz movement. Kiss of Brasil offers mesmerizing songs, like: Ipanema Paraiso, Nós Dois, and Corazón de Oro that are destined to become hits. The album contains songs, which were co-written with Marilyn Berglas, Harvey Mason, Peter Roberts, Ken Hirsch, Steve Rawlins and Patrick Lockwood. The album also includes performances by Grant Geissman, Grecco Buratto, Roberto Montero, Marco Tulio, and Sandro Feliciano.

A significant voice in Brazilian music, Rio de Janeiro-born, Los Angeles based Bianca Rossini is renowned for her sensuous performances of Bossa Nova, Samba and Bolero at the forefront of L.A.'s current wave of Brazilian music. Kiss of Brasil is the latest achievement in Bianca’s multi- faceted career, which includes featured film and television acting roles opposite stars that include James Spader, Hector Elizondo, Richard Dreyfuss, Christian Slater, Dick Van Dyke and Dom DeLuise. Bianca also appeared in Moon Over Parador, The Fast One, Brainiacs, Mobsters, and Bad Influence. Bianca has composed music for TV series The Sentinel and Chicago Hope. Along with producing and hosting The Bianca Rossini Show, a weekly Los Angeles TV talk show, Bianca has authored three books: Love in Black and White (2009), A Brazilian Heart – Rubies, Murder, Love and Other Poems (2006), and Julia – Confessions of a Brazilian Super Model (2001).

Taking a cue from her friend and co-writer, music critic Don Heckman, Bianca created an album that is sure to fan the flames of romance. Bianca grew up with international musical influences, and has always had a gift for composing lyrics and music. She has co-written with Brazil's leading composer and singer Sergio Santos, Claudio Nucci and Andre Mehmari. In the LA area, Bianca has also written with Dana Kaproff, Jon Gilutin, Don Heckman and Glenn Scott Lacey. Bianca has stopped counting after writing more than 350 songs in less than 2 years! Kiss of Brazil available on the world wide net stores after March 10, 2011.

To listen to Bianca's Kiss of Brasil sample songs go to http://www.biancarossini.com/cd-page