Friday, September 23, 2011

LEGACY RECORDINGS AND POPMARKET.COM KICKSTART HOLIDAY GIFT GIVING WITH THE NEW LINEUP OF THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTIONS



NEWLY CREATED BOXED SETS OF ORIGINAL ALBUMS BY
ELO, EARTH, WIND & FIRE, DEXTER GORDON,
NINA SIMONE, CHEAP TRICK AND MORE
ALL AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT POPMARKET.COM
BEGINNING SEPTEMBER 13

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Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is giving music fans early inspiration for the holiday shopping season this year, announcing a great assortment of iconic jazz, pop, rock, blues and soul artists to be showcased in the next round of The Complete Albums Collections, a new product line for serious listeners offering new releases throughout the year available exclusively through PopMarket.com. Newly designed box sets containing the original album catalogs of Sony Music Artists have been created especially for The Complete Albums Collections line and will be available starting September 13, just in time for the 2011 holiday season. The diverse lineup of artists being featured includes: ELO, Earth, Wind & Fire, Dexter Gordon, Woody Shaw, Nina Simone, Paul Desmond, Leonard Cohen, Wynton Marsalis, Billie Holiday, Judas Priest, Dave Brubeck Quartet, Harry Nilsson, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Weather report and Taj Mahal.

Each of the sets offers music fans and collectors the chance to own complete official discographies of classic albums on CD (with many out of print and rare titles finally available). Individual discs come sleeved in 5x5 mini-jacket reproductions of the original album cover art alongside a stand-alone booklet with discographic information and photos, all housed in a beautifully packaged clamshell box. The Complete Albums Collections will showcase a diverse selection of iconic artists each month, offering fans and collectors a rare opportunity to own complete classic discographies on CD (with bonus tracks and rarities).

The Complete Albums Collections are available exclusively on PopMarket.com, the first online daily deals site created for music fans by Sony Music Entertainment. PopMarket offers the hottest daily deals on premium music, rare collectible albums, boxed sets and memorabilia. Free PopMarket.com membership gives music fans unprecedented access to hot deals on the coolest music.


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SEPTEMBER 13 - ELO — The Classic Albums Collection $79.99 England's Electric Light Orchestra, better known to its fans as ELO, went from cult status to arena-level superstardom in the 1970s, evolving from eclectic classically-influenced prog-rockers to state-of-the-art hitmakers. At the peak of their popularity, they were one of the world's biggest-selling recording acts, and also one of the most unusual. Combining rock instrumentation with a full string section, ELO couldn't help but stand out, both musically and visually. Each album features rare bonus tracks, including numerous alternate versions and unreleased tracks, and includes such enduring ELO hits as "Can't Get It Out of My Head," "Evil Woman," "Telephone Line," "Livin' Thing," "Sweet Talkin' Woman," "Mr. Blue Sky," "Don't Bring Me Down" and "Hold on Tight."

SEPTEMBER 13 - EARTH, WIND & FIRE — The Columbia Masters (15 CDs) $119.99
15 newly mastered CD encompassing their astonishing recording career on Columbia Records plus a bonus disc of rarities, instrumentals and unreleased tracks supervised by EW&F’s founder and spiritual guide Maurice White. Earth, Wind & Fire's horn-powered hit machine represents the best in pop melodies, harmonizing voices, funky syncopation and rhythms of the world. The set includes:15 of the band's classic albums, newly mastered for superior sound, original LP jackets, meticulously reproduced, a 40-page booklet with photos and commentary by Maurice White. The Columbia Masters also features a newly compiled bonus disk with two unreleased tracks from the Touch the World sessions, two scintillating live performances ("Getaway" and "In the Stone") recorded in Rio de Janeiro in 1980 and rare instrumental versions of "Let's Groove" and "Boogie Wonderland" (with The Emotions).

SEPTEMBER 13 - The Complete Dexter Gordon Columbia Albums Collection (7 CDs) $55.99
“There are no second acts in American lives” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald, a man who never would have put those words to paper had he lived to see Dexter Gordon’s triumphant late career revival. Actually, the great tenor saxophonist had a number of “second acts” during his lifetime. Yet the late 1980’s flourish that found Gordon (1923-1990) an international star and an Oscar nominee could hardly be topped for a dramatic finale. With a remarkable career spanning over five decades, Gordon may have come of age in the Swing Era, but he made his mark during the subsequent rise of bebop, translating Charlie Parker’s revolutionary rhythmic and harmonic language to the tenor saxophone. In 1976, Gordon was signed by Columbia Records following several years in Europe, who documented him on the celebratory Homecoming: Live At The Village Vanguard. Gordon’s ultra hip manner and regal bearing made him a natural for films, and in 1986, he starred in Round Midnight in a role loosely based on both Bud Powell and Lester Young, ultimately garnering a deserving Academy Award nomination.

SEPTEMBER 13 - The Complete Woody Shaw Columbia Albums Collection (6 CDs) $55.99
Encountering the name Woody Shaw (1944-1989) in print or conversation, it’s not uncommon for a phrase much like “ the last original trumpet voice” to follow. For Shaw was just such a player: a daring horn stylist with an utterly personal and technically advanced approach that has yet to be matched since his untimely death. After a memorable stint with the hard bop maestro, Horace Silver, Shaw leaped head first towards the post bop firmament, collaborating with such visionary player/composers as Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner, Andrew Hill, and Larry Young. On such landmark Columbia albums as Woody lll and For Sure! -- projects that represented a career peak for Shaw in terms of both personal creativity and commercial exposure -- his impressive compositions and arranging skills for expanded ensembles are brought to the fore. Let Miles Davis have the last word about Shaw: “Now there's a great trumpet player. He can play different from all of them."


SEPTEMBER 22- The Complete Nina Simone RCA Albums Collection (9 CDs) $71.99
As unclassifiable as she was forthright, Nina Simone (1933-2003) went her own way; it was up to her devoted audience to keep pace with her stylistic wanderings. Defiantly outspoken and willfully eclectic in her music, Simone electrified listeners with artfully intense performances.



SEPTEMBER 27 - The Complete Paul Desmond RCA Albums Collection (6 CDS) $55.99
For the bulk of the 1950s and 60’s, Paul Desmond had one of the sweetest gigs in jazz history. As the featured alto saxophonist in the Dave Brubeck quartet, Desmond was a central figure in the most commercially successful jazz ensemble of the time. The sole horn in the group, Desmond attracted considerable critical and public acclaim for his supremely lyrical, sublimely melodic playing. His dulcet phrases couched in what he himself dubbed a “dry martini” tone, Desmond’s alto was a defining sound of the era.


NOVEMBER 22 - The Complete Weather Report / The Jaco Years Columbia Albums Collection (6 CDs) $55.99
Rarely has an individual player so radically transformed an already established band as Jaco Pastorius (1951-1987) did upon joining Weather Report in 1976. Not only did the electric bassist set a new direction for the band, leading it to unprecedented commercial success, he also rewrote the rules for his instrumentHis work with Weather Report is among the very finest of his truncated career. It may be a long while before we encounter the likes of a musical unit such as Weather Report, or an audaciously brilliant player akin to Pastorius, again.


NOVEMBER 22- The Complete Original Mahavishnu Orchestra Columbia Albums Collection (5 CDs)
$44.99
The Mahavishnu Orchestra, in its original incarnation, lasted just four years, but in that brief time, the pioneering quintet set both the template and the high-water mark for fusion music. No band ever rocked as hard in a jazzy place as guitarist John McLaughlin’s charging ensemble.

www.popmarket.com


Thursday, September 8, 2011

Hidden Beach Signs Jazz Legend Ramsey Lewis



Hidden Beach Signs Jazz Legend Ramsey Lewis
“Ramsey, Taking Another Look”
slated for release September 20, 2011

September 8, 2011 (Los Angeles, CA)

Los Angeles based boutique label Hidden Beach Recordings announced earlier this month the signing of legendary jazz pianist Ramsey Lewis. The three time Grammy® winner who rose to prominence in the early 1970’s will release his 80th collection on September 20, 2011 entitled Ramsey, Taking Another Look.,  On the ten song CD  Lewis and his Electric Band breathe new life into many of Lewis’ favorite tunes including a  new rendition of  the Stevie Wonder penned “Living for the City” and a new edit of the original “Sun Goddess” recording featuring Earth, Wind & Fire.

“We are thrilled to have forged this partnership with such a legendary Jazz icon as Ramsey Lewis and his Mapenzi Recording family. From his contemporary Jazz explorations in the seventies all the way to the Orchestral  pieces currently featured on PBS, Ramsey Lewis remains as relevant today as ever. We are excited to be bringing this music to market.” Stated Steve McKeever, Hidden Beach CEO

"I am glad to join Steve McKeever, a fellow Chicagoan, and the Hidden Beach family to release Ramsey, Taking Another Look. Hidden Beach is known for it's commitment to excellence in music and respect for artistry, a unique position in today's music landscape." Stated Ramsey Lewis.

“Living for the City” will be accompanied by a music video created at Chicago’s Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, with Film & Broadcast and Recording Arts students taking the lead on production.  Featuring an energetic performance by Ramsey Lewis and his Electric Band, the clip celebrates the visual vibrancy of Chicago at night time.

A noted advocate for Steinway pianos, Ramsey, Taking Another Look represents Lewis’ first return to playing the Fender Rhodes piano in Fifteen years.

Ramsey Lewis on Ramsey, Taking Another Look
"The idea of the electric quintet came up and having played mostly in an acoustic trio arrangement for twelve-fifteen years, I decided to get together with the guys to see how it felt. The rehearsals went so well that I called in my engineer, Danny Leake and my producer/son, Frayne Lewis to come in and roll tape. I've recorded maybe 65-70 albums, and this album is definitely among the top five."

About Hidden Beach
Hidden Beach is an American independent record label and entertainment company specializing in Urban Alternative, R&B, Soul, Inspirational and Contemporary Jazz music genres. Hidden Beach was formed in 1998 as the vision of its founder and Chief Executive Officer, Steve McKeever and currently holds a distribution deal with Universal Music Distribution Group. In addition to a catalog that includes Jill Scott, The Unwrapped series, Darius Rucker, Kindred the Family Soul, Dr. Cornel West and BeBe Winans, artists currently signed to Hidden Beach include Mike Phillips, Naturally 7, Glen Scott, The Tony Rich Project and Ramsey Lewis.

About Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy
Tribeca Flashpoint Media Arts Academy, a two-year, high-end digital media college in Chicago’s Loop, offers nationally accredited, full-time Associate’s degree programs in five digital media disciplines; Film & Broadcast, Recording Arts, Animation & Visual Effects, Game & Interactive Media, and (newly announced for Fall 2011) Design & Visual Communication.





Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Natalie Walker Covers Smashing Pumpkins With "Galapogos"

Natalie Walker recently covered the Smashing Pumpkins song "Galapogos"! Watch the video below and let us know what you think.



It's on her recently released album "Spark" which is available on iTunes here: 



Spark - Natalie Walker









Australian Pop Star Guy Sebastian Reunites with Extra TV Co-Host and Friend from Down Under, Renee Bargh, at The Grove in Los Angeles



Australian Pop icon Guy Sebastian, who recently debuted his infectious single “Who’s That Girl” featuring Eve in the U.S., reunited with his fellow Aussie friend and Extra TV co-host Renee Bargh on August 15 at The Grove in Los Angeles.

Also serving as a judge on X Factor Australia, Sebastian swooned new and long-time fans with a live acoustic performance of “Who’s That Girl” (including Eve’s rap!), then caught up with Bargh for an exclusive interview for Extra TV (check local listings).

As he made his debut stateside this summer, Sebastian’s single went 4x platinum in Australia, making it the third highest selling single in the country’s history. It was also top selling song in 2010, and reached #1 on the New Zealand singles chart.

Sebastian stopped by celebrity blogger Perez Hilton’s studio recently for a performance of the hit song, and is set to film later this month with Beta Records TV.

Earlier this summer, Sebastian began his U.S. promotion in NYC with visits to the “Elvis Duran and the Morning Show” on Z100, Sirius XM Radio, Billboard Magazine, and the offices of GOOM Live.

Known for his dedication to numerous causes and charities, the multi-talented artist recently showed his support for the Somaly Mam Foundation at the L.A. launch party at SLS Hotel hosted by actress AnnaLynne McCord. The organization aims to raise awareness and money for victims of sex trafficking.
For the latest music and news on Guy Sebastian, visit www.guysebastian.com.


Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum Welcomes Ann and Nancy Wilson of Heart for a Special Legends Series Program



CLEVELAND (August 9, 2011) - The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum is pleased to welcome Ann and Nancy Wilson, front women of rock band Heart, for a special Legends Series interview on Tuesday, August 23 at 7 p.m. in the Rock Hall’s Foster Theater.


Ann and Nancy Wilson will be interviewed by the Rock Hall’s Vice President of Education and Public Programs Dr. Lauren Onkey. Questions will be taken from the audience at the end of the interview, followed by a live performance of a selection of acoustic songs. This event is free with a reservation, however seating is limited. RSVPs will be accepted starting at 10amEST on Thursday, August 11. Please email edu@rockhall.org or call (216) 515-8426 to RSVP. This event will be live streamed on rockhall.com.


Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson first showed the world that women can rock when their band, Heart, stormed the charts in the 1970s with hits like “Crazy on You,” “Magic Man,” “Barracuda,” “Straight On” and many more. Although they got their start in Seattle and have since become internationally known, Ann and Nancy owe much of their success to Hollywood, their home when recording songs at the landmark Capitol Records building that earned them their first string of #1 singles and the city where they filmed all of their music videos. Not only did the Wilson sisters lead the band, they wrote the songs and played their own instruments, too.

Heart continued topping the charts through the 80s and 90s with hits like “These Dreams,” “Alone,” “What About Love,” “If Looks Could Kill,” “Never,” and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters’ talents as musicians and singers. Nearly 35 years after their first big hit, Ann and Nancy Wilson were back in the Billboard Top 10 in 2010 with Heart’s “Red Velvet Car” album, and a Top 5 DVD, Night at Sky Church.

Music by Ann and Nancy Wilson and Heart has sold more than 35 million albums, sold out arenas worldwide, and has been utilized in movie soundtracks and ad campaigns, continuing to grasp audiences across the globe through various mediums.

Ann and Nancy Wilson are featured in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum’s latest special exhibit, Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power, the world’s first major museum exhibit devoted to celebrating the female spirit in rock and roll. Highlighted in the I Will Survive: the 1970s – Rockers to Disco Divas era of the exhibition, Heart artifacts include Ann Wilson’s dress (c. 1976) worn on tour after the release of Heart’s debut album, Dreamboat Annie; Nancy Wilson’s dress from the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1977; Nancy’s Kramer American Series electric guitar (c. 1987) played on the group’s 1988 Bad Animals tour and more.


Ann and Nancy Wilson will also be featured in PBS Arts from Cleveland: Women Who Rock (airing Friday November 18 at 9 p.m. on PBS stations nationwide; in Northeast Ohio, tune in to WVIZ/PBS. From Bessie Smith to Janis Joplin to Lady Gaga, this performance documentary vibrates with energy as it traces the indelible mark that amazing women musicians have made on America’s soundtrack. Inspired by the “Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power” exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Women Who Rock reveals new insights into what it means to be female in the male-dominated world of rock and roll, while exploring how those dynamics between the sexes have changed with time. The film is produced by Susan Wittenberg and Carol Stein with assistance from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The evening’s presentation is in collaboration with PBS member station WVIZ/PBS ideastream®.


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has FREE educational offerings year round. Additional adult education programs include From Songwriters to Soundmen: The People Behind the Hits, which gives audiences an inside look at aspects of the music business that are often concealed from view, and Rock and Roll Night School, which gives interested adults the opportunity to expand their rock and roll-related knowledge.


For more information about these and other Rock Hall educational programs, visit www.rockhall.com/education.

About Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum has opened a groundbreaking and provocative new exhibit that illustrates the important roles women have played in rock and roll, from its inception through today. Women Who Rock: Vision, Passion, Power highlights the flashpoints, the firsts, the best, the celebrated -- and sometimes lesser-known women -- who moved rock and roll music and American culture forward.


The interactive exhibition spotlights more than 70 artists and fills two entire floors of the museum. The exhibit features artifacts, video and listening stations, as well as a recording booth where visitors can film a short story or moment of inspiration related to women in rock. The exhibit moves through the rock and roll eras, weaving a powerful and engaging narrative that demonstrates how women have been the engines of creation and change in popular music, from the early years of the 20th century to the present. Women Who Rock is sponsored by PNC, Time Warner Cable and Biography.


For more information, visit http://rockhall.com/exhibits/women-who-rock.


About the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum


The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum, Inc. is the nonprofit organization that exists to educate visitors, fans and scholars from around the world about the history and continuing significance of rock and roll music. It carries out this mission through its operation of a world-class museum that collects, preserves, exhibits and interprets this art form and through its library and archives as well as its educational programs.


The Museum is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Wednesdays (and Saturdays through Labor Day), the Museum is open until 9 p.m. Museum admission is $22 for adults, $18 for adult residents of Greater Cleveland, $17 for seniors (65+), $13 for youth (9-12), children under 8 and Museum Members are always free, for information or to join the membership program call 216.515.8425. For general inquiries, please call 216.781.ROCK(7625) or visit www.rockhall.com . The Museum is generously funded by Cuyahoga County residents through Cuyahoga Arts and Culture.

Friday, August 12, 2011

Tyrone Vaughan Builds Country Impact From Family Style & Roots

(Austin, TX) Singer, songwriter and guitarist Tyrone Vaughan is making waves and sparking a buzz as a hot country music newcomer. Thanks to a sound that’s true to the tradition yet right up to date, Vaughan brings a famed family legacy as well as deep roots to his sound. The positive initial response to his first single, “Downtime,” is setting the stage for his full debut album of the same name coming in early 2012.

Vaughan grew up surrounded by music, and was the guitarist for a successful and popular Texas indie band, Breedlove, before striking out on his own as a country artist in the style that inspired him and felt like his musical home. The son of blues guitar hero Jimmie Vaughan and nephew of musical icon Stevie Ray Vaughan, he brings to his music the same famed electric six-string talents that made them stars. He then adds to that his muscular vocals and a gift for composing catchy songs fashioned from the stuff of real life, and already boasts a number he wrote that was covered by his father on his Grammy winning album Do You Get The Blues? Tyrone’s family background also includes a maternal grandfather who was a country bandleader and paternal grandparents who were avid country fans and hoped their two guitar-playing sons would embrace that style. Now he draws from all that plus his youth listening to the extensive album collection of the stepfather who raised him.

The results are red-hot and real country that has been greeted with enthusiasm by country radio programmers and air personalities he met at the recent CRS 2011 gathering of broadcasters in Nashville and as he has taken his “Downtime” single personally to stations and played for them as well as their listeners. His debut video for the song has been rapidly adding views daily on YouTube to surpass 17,000 plays while he still remains a new act that country fans are just beginning to discover.

On his radio tour Vaughan has been wowing those who hear him at every stop with a high powered acoustic mini-show that include the instrumental prowess of his guitarist and banjo player Will Knaak and fiddler Jerry Reynolds. Later this year he hits the road for concerts with his full band whose powerful performances have already earned him standing ovations at select preview dates.

“Downtime” offers relief from the summer heat with its celebration of good times away from the 9 to 5 working grind. The Downtime album features nine more energetic and winning tracks that meld his populist sensibility with a personal touch that range from rocking contemporary country to updated old school roots to big arm-waving balladry.

“From the moment I decided to not just play guitar and make my mark as a fully rounded artist who sings, write songs, and performs with a band that can do it all, country music was the style where it all felt natural,” Vaughan explains. The music industry professionals he has met in recent months have expressed excitement as a member of one of the first families of electric guitar conquers new artistic and stylistic territory. With the name Vaughan already known to millions of music lovers worldwide as a trademark for dynamic music that’s true to the roots as it progresses the music forward, many more are sure to follow as Tyrone makes a mark all his own and expands the family style.


Tyrone Vaughan radio tour:

8/3 KIIM Tucson, AZ

8/3 KNIX Phoenix, AZ

8/4KMLE Phoenix, AZ

8/9WMAD Madison, WI

8/9WWQM Madison, WI

8/9WMIL Milwaukee, WI

8/10 WQHK Ft. Wayne, IN

8/10 WLHK Indianapolis, IN

Toby Keith's Mezcal Takes To The World Wild Web- Wild Shot Site Offers Interaction, Recipes, Fan Photos & More  

(OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla.) The website for Toby Keith's Wild Shot Mezcal has launched at www.wildshot.com, ushering the storied Mexican spirit into a brave new world. Momentum for Keith's signature brand is growing alongside that of the drink in general, with the New York Times recently raving about mezcal's "star turn."
 
  Music fans, mezcal drinkers and especially those who are both can now learn its colorful history, discover recipes (see below) and submit photos of themselves with their own bottle of Wild Shot. Special posting preferences are given to those submissions that picture someone chomping on the famous worm included in each bottle.
 
 "Blame It On The Worm" is Wild Shot's slogan, and the image of Toby himself with a worm pinched between smiling teeth adorns the site's homepage. Wild Shot Mezcal comes in Silver and Reposado variations. Distributed nationwide and available at all of Keith's I Love This Bar & Grill locations, Wild Shot is quickly becoming a leading brand in one of the fastest growing beverage market segments.
 
 And it is but one more successful endeavor for Keith, who just announced the Oct. 25 global release of his next album Clancy's Tavern. The album's first single "Made In America" is on the verge of Top 10 just a few short weeks after its radio debut. Meanwhile, Keith continues on his Ford F-Series sponsored Locked & Loaded Tour, performing coast-to-coast for standing-room-only crowds.
 
            Frozen Blue Mezcalita:
            1.5 oz. Wild Shot Silver
            1 oz. Patron Citronge
            Splash of Blue Curacao
            8-10 oz. margarita mix
            Add to ice and blend
            Salt Rim