Nick Curran and The Lowlifes : Reform School Girl

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If you do an online search for Nick Curran, you'll find hundreds of blogs, articles, and comments, all of which say, in one way or another, that he's a bad ass musician – and all of them are right. If Curran had been born in the '50s, he would still be a household name today.

Reform School Girl, Curran's newest release with the Lowlifes, is a bluesy rock album that will leave you speechless. Curran's style will remind you of Little Richard, with a little of The Ramones thrown in, and a hint of every famous blues musician you've ever heard of – but he never sounds like a copy cat.

Lyrically, the album is classic blues, with a modern twist. On “Kill My Baby”, Curran says “this chick I got/she won't stop running around/I'm gonna kill this chick/if she don't simmer down” and on “Lusty L'il Lucy” he sings “give her a chance and she'll rock your world/she'll love then she'll leave you/then she'll love you again”. Each song is almost comically honest and Curran's voice is so perfectly grungy that you'll think he had to have been digitally made that way – but surprise! Curran & the Lowlifes recorded Reform School Girl on analog vintage equipment.

It's hard to say if the music or lyrics is more impressive. Each track has an almost violent piano part with rock-esque guitar solos and swinging drums, along with a slew of other instruments. The music is almost absurd; it fits the genre and lyrics so well. If you don't like the blues for some reason, Reform School Girl will make you love them.

Nick Curran was recently diagnosed with tongue cancer, and the tour supporting Reform School Girl has been postponed for a bit. Once he's back in action, do what you can to see him play – if the album is this perfect, I can hardly imagine what a live show would be like.

5/5 Stars
Abbey K. Davis – MuzikReviews.com Staff

Hulon Makes Good First Impressions With New CD On Premier Musique Group Label

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Hulon’s debut First Impressions is a perfect title for his new album on the Premier Musique Group imprint. Hailing from Panama City Beach, FL,. Hulon knows how to enjoy his surroundings to the fullest and nothing makes it more appropriate than some relaxing smooth jazz to listen to.

If you are looking for some mood music Hulon has just the right prescription on First Impressions. If you can’t be in Florida soaking up the sunshine and panoramic views at the beach then you can let Hulon and his saxophone take you there. But don’t think it’s all a dim the light down low journey, there is plenty of liveliness and funk available on the recording if you need another shot of energy besides your morning cappuccino.
First Impressions was produced by Jeff Kashiwa, who was initially hired to write one song on the album, but after hearing the results of the initial collaboration, Hulon was so impressed that he hired Kashiwa to produce the entire album. When asked about his involvement, Jeff Kashiwa said, “It's every producer's dream to come across an artist who has 3 qualities: drive to develop their unique voice, enthusiasm for creating music and passion to perform. Hulon possesses all of these qualities. The music on his debut CD reflects many moods… from the retro soul of War's "Cisco Kid", to the romantic "Follow Me", to the funk of "Sax Machine", Hulon shows he has the stuff to keep you captivated.

The first single to go to out to jazz world will be “Sax on the Beach,” written by Kashiwa and performed by Hulon. The track is already building the anticipation for the full release of First Impressions, which will be available at all major digital retailers on February 23rd, 2009.

Hulon is a philanthropist with a successful medical practice that currently lives the jazz life in Florida. A long standing member of the group The On Call Band, Hulon has played in various venues on the Gulf Coast. Besides playing jazz at night, Hulon and his wife Dinah have dedicated their lives to giving back to the community through a creation of the Crayton Foundation. The organization provides minorities with a feasible way to attain the funding needed to attend college. In addition, the Craytons also established The Crayton Scholarship at Florida State University which helps deserving minority students change their lives forever through education.

You can learn more about Hulon by visiting his official website: http://www.hulonsax.com, or Hulon’s Official Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/HulonSax

Jackie Ryan to Release A Valentine's Day Treat: Best of Love Songs

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Make every day Valentine's Day with "one of the outstanding vocalists of her generation and, quite possibly, of all time" (JazzTimes). Featured on NPR, Voice of America, CNN TV enEspañol, and Primetime A&E, "Jackie [Ryan] bridges gaps between both geography and generations" (Billboard). On Best of Love Songs, Jackie Ryan delivers 15 songs you can both fall in love with, and fall in love to.

Whether you are in the mood for a sensuous Brazilian love song, or a passionate Spanish bolero, a rarely performed jazz gem or a sizzling classic, these songs will keep the home fires burning. Legendary two-time Grammy-Award nominees Ernie Watts and Red Holloway ignite the sessions, backed by Jon Mayer, Tamir Hendelman, Larry Vuckovich, Jeff Hamilton,Jeff Chambers and a host of others.

Jackie turns up the heat on this journey through the full range of romantic feelings - from the opening flirtations of "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" to the sensuous burning desires of "Make It Last." From the amorous musings of "This Heart Of Mine" to the final tender sweet reflections of "While We're Young," all the bases of love are touched - with stunning arrangements and stellar accompaniment by some of the world's finest jazz musicians.

Selected from three recordings released from 2002 to 2006, this collection reflects the breadth of this artist's myriad of musical talent. Classic romantic ballads like Harry Warren's "Serenade In Blue," and Ray Noble's "The Very Thought Of You," a swinging guitar rendition of Oscar Hammerstein's "When I Grow Too Old To Dream," and a poignant harp arrangement of Johnny Mandel and David Frishberg's "You Are There," illustrate the depth of Jackie's art. This collection of songs is rounded out further by two original compositions with Jackie's own insightful lyrics, "Once In Everyone's Life" and "Seasons of the Heart."

John Ballard, president of the OpenArt label and writer of three books on Third World social issues, will be donating 100% of the CD's 2010 profits to Oxfam's ongoing Haiti Relief Fund.

HIGHLIGHTS
• Legendary Sax and Trumpet greats ignite these sessions: Ernie Watts on "Make It Last," Red Holloway on "Let There Be Love" and "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To," and Allen Smith on an upbeat take of the rarely performed "Now Or Never," penned by Billie Holiday.
• Two New Songs with Jackie's Original Lyrics: "Seasons of The Heart" and "Once In Everyone's Life."
• Three Latin Jazz Songs - in Portuguese and in Spanish, Reflecting the Heart of Jackie's Latin Heritage: "Luiza," "Bésame Mucho," and "Historia De Un Amor."

Jackie Ryan's 2009 release, DOOZY, was the #1 CD nationwide on JazzWeek's Industry-standard chart - for 7 weeks (a record exceeded by only one other vocal CD in the chart's entire history). Featuring guest artists Cyrus Chestnut, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Romero Lubambo and others, DOOZY was the 3rd most played jazz CD on radio for the entire year, finished at #3 on JazzWeek's Top 100 CDs of 2009, received four-star reviews from bothDownBeat and All Music Guide, and sat atop many critics' end of year lists. Jackie was one of 5 vocalists voted by critics to make JazzTimes' "Top 50 CDs of the Year."

Over the years, Jackie has gained a reputation as a "musician's singer." She has performed, recorded, or toured with: Clark Terry, Toots Thielemans, Barry Harris, Cyrus Chestnut, Terry Gibbs, Buddy DeFranco, Red Holloway, Eric Alexander, Jeremy Pelt, Ernie Watts, Benny Green, Tamir Hendelman, Jeff Hamilton, Amina Figarova, Mike Wofford, Jon Mayer, Larry Vuckovich, and Jon Hendricks.

Nick Curran's "Reform School Girl" : Early Candidate For Best Record of 2010

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Yeah, I know it's only February, but I'm surrendering. Next week, Nick Curran & The Lowlifes will be releasing their new record, "Reform School Girl," and I'm going all in. This IS, and will continue to be, the best record of 2010.

Read More Here

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

Geoge Winston - Love Will Come Review

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Grammy Award Winning Pianist George Winston has released a new CD of solo piano music in a tribute to Vince Guaraldi: Love Will Come: The Music of Vince Guaraldi, Volume 2. Vince Guaraldi will always be associated with the “Charlie Brown” television specials and the “Peanuts” characters conceived by Charles M. Schulz. He created the sounds of “Charlie Brown” that remain indelible in our minds. But, Guaraldi was also a successful jazz musician. He was part of the early Cal Tjader Trio and also had a hit of his own with “Cast Your Fate to the Wind.” Winston honors both facets of Vince Guaraldi with this new CD which is the follow-on to his first Guaraldi tribute recording in 1996, Linus & Lucy: The Music of Vince Guaraldi.

Appropriately, more than half of the 16 tracks (9) are from “Charlie Brown” episodes. The remainder is from Guaraldi’s jazz work. It’s appropriate that so many songs are from the TV series due to its immense popularity and because it is inextricable linked with Guaraldi’s music. The commercial success of the series does not detract from the quality and enjoyment of the music. Many artists struggle for years to gain exposure to a wide audience and Guaraldi’s good fortune was well-deserved. It can be a huge challenge to cover such familiar and beloved material and Winston does an admirable job.

Guaraldi’s unique style of composition is readily recognizable: strong bass lines, frequent cyclical modulations, chords featuring major 9ths (often in place of the 7th typically used in jazz harmonies) and pentatonic scales. The first track is “Time for Love” from the “There’s No Time For Love, Charlie Brown” episode. As with many of Guaraldi’s compositions it sets up a steady-state tempo and rarely strays from it. Winston maintains the flow and adds interest with dynamic variations. Also from the TV series, the second track, “It Was A Short Summer, Charlie Brown,” is immediately familiar and comfortable. The next cut, “Macedonia/Little David,” is from Guaraldi’s non-“Peanuts” work. These other pieces generally contrast with the “Peanuts” selections by their slower tempo, minor key settings and pensive mood. Winston interjects these lesser known jazz compositions as strategic punctuations in the flow of the more well-known music. “Fenwyck’s Farfel/Calling Dr. Funk,” track five, is as standout as a somber blues in almost a New Orleans jazz funeral style. “Pebble Beach/Dolores Park” is another atypical selection. It is modern jazz with harmonic progressions reminiscent of Gary Burton’s early work. The title track, “Love Will Come,” is again from “Charlie Brown” and paints an image of the character’s thoughtful reflective nature. It is reprised in variation for the final track, “Love Will Come 2.”

Winston faces two challenges on this CD. First, the compositions are all by a single composer and are extremely familiar from their original context. Second, the entire recording is of solo piano. Given these tight constraints this is a good piece of work. Many of us have an immediate strong and pleasurable nostalgic response to Vince Guaraldi’s “Charlie Brown” sounds. Combine that with Winston’s fine interpretations of some of Guaraldi’s other interesting jazz compositions and you have two compelling reasons to enjoy Love Will Come.

Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson Join “We Are The World” Remake for Haiti

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LOS ANGELES — The energy was electric Monday night (February 1) at Henson Studios as more than 80 of music’s biggest stars gathered for a charity remake of “We Are the World” in support of Haitian earthquake relief.

“I feel like a kid in a candy store,” Wyclef Jean said, speaking to the press about the idea of remaking such an iconic song, which is getting production help from RedOne and Will.I.Am. “What’s bigger than a contribution is that you lend your voice,” the Haitian native said earlier in the day to his peers while trying to inspire them during the session, which began around 3 p.m. and was expected to last well into the night.

Among the voices in the 81-member choir were Pink, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Nick Jonas, LL Cool J, Robin Thicke, Celine Dion, Akon, Rob Thomas, Wyclef, Jeff Bridges, Vince Vaughn, Barbra Streisand, Jordin Sparks, Good Charlotte’s Madden brothers, Tony Bennett, Josh Groban, Snoop Dogg, Justin Bieber, Jennifer Hudson, Keri Hilson, Jamie Foxx, Tyrese, Katharine McPhee, Sean Garrett, Will.I.Am, Carlos Santana, Melanie Fiona, Enrique Iglesias, Toni Braxton, Jason Mraz, Miley Cyrus, Busta Rhymes, Nicole Scherzinger, Nicole Richie, Usher, Julianne Hough, Raphael Saadiq, Zac Brown, India.Arie, “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson, Musiq Soulchild, Heart’s Ann and Nancy Wilson, Fonzworth Bentley, Kid Cudi, Iyaz, Bizzy Bone, Nipsey Hussle, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson and Al Jardine, Trey Songz, Faith Evans, Mya and Gladys Knight. (At press time, the full list of participants was not yet available.)

Kanye, wearing a red jacket with sparkling gold crisscross accents, stood center in the front row, between Wyclef and Hudson.

Among the soloists whose sessions were screened for journalists at press time were Bieber, Dion and Groban. Weezy also came out and humbly noted that he recorded the solo originally sung by Bob Dylan.

The inspirational lyrics were laid down over a track that had a more modern Southern hip-hop bounce to it. The recording session took place almost 25 years to the day since the original song for African famine relief was recorded.

“The experience was out of this world,” said Bieber, who sang Lionel Richie’s original opening line. The video for the song, which is being shot in 3-D, will debut February 12 during coverage of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics on NBC.

MTV.com