Recording News

Levon Helm's 'Electric Dirt'

Source: Michael Ricci
July 1, 2009

If there's one thing a good drummer knows it's the power of a groove, and Helm, one of rock's greatest with the sticks, has them in spades on Electric Dirt, his second album since recovering from throat cancer.

Helm's upped the rock energy quotient here, taking him even closer to that timeless Americana sound he and his mates in the Band helped create four decades ago. The sources of that sound are evident in the earthy blues of Muddy Waters' ...

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Michael Jackson First Artist to Sell over 1 Million Downloads in a Single Week

Source: All About Jazz
July 1, 2009

As the Michael Jacksons body is being prepared for transport to a public viewing at the Neverland Ranch, his music rules the charts once again.

Billboards latest sales charts show the king of pop as the first artist ever to sell more than a million downloads in a single week, among other firsts.

Fans flocked to the late popstars greatest hits, purchasing a record-breaking 2.6 million Jackson solo recordings and Jackson Five songs, according to Nielsen SoundScan data for the ...

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Jazz Clarinetist Harry Skoler and Vibist Ed Saindon Team up for "Two Ones"

Source: Mixed Media Promotion
July 1, 2009

Two Ones is jazz clarinetist Harry Skoler's fourth recording as a leader. He collaborates with vibist Ed Saindon to compose original jazz compositions featuring intimate musical portraits expressed in duo and quintet settings.

The quintet’s unique sound highlights the blend of clarinet, flute and vibes/piano. In addition to the quintet tracks, the recording showcases emotionally compelling clarinet and piano duo renditions.

Skoler, noted jazz clarinetist, teaches at internationally renowned Berklee College of Music as an Associate Professor and is an ...

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Deadra Hart New Album in Post Production

Source: All About Jazz
July 1, 2009

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The Old School Lobbyist, Griot Style

Source: rock paper scissors, inc.
June 30, 2009

The Old School Lobbyist, Griot Style: Mali's Cheick Hamala Diabate Holds Court in Washington, DC on Ake Doni Doni

Washington may be chock-a-block with lobbyists and consultants, but only one of them rocks the n'goni, the West African plucked lute covered with animal skin. He advises presidents and the World Bank. He's played for everyone from a struggling couple trying to save their marriage, to the US Congress. He's hobnobbed with American string and Blues legends - from Bela Fleck ...

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Kurt Elling AOL Listening Party

Source: On Target Media Group
June 30, 2009

AOL Music are streaming the entire new live CD from Grammy nominated jazz vocalist Kurt Elling, Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman. The album was released last week (6.23.09) on Concord Jazz. Dedicated to You is Kurt Elling's eighth overall album and second release on Concord Jazz. The 12-track live collection features an all-star cast of musicians including saxophonist Ernie Watts, The Laurence Hobgood Trio and string quartet, ETHEL. You can stream the album ...

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Emma Alabaster Releases Her Debut Release in the Third Generation the Daughters Are Free

Source: Just Roots PR
June 30, 2009

Modern Jazz Concept Album Signals Debut for New Artist and Label from New York City’s Underground.

Proliferate Music announced their debut release, Emma Alabaster’s In the Third Generation the Daughter’s Are Free. The release is being distributed digitally through popular online retailers such as iTunes, eMusic, Amie Street, Amazon, and others.

Alabaster’s album represents a unique voice in New York City’s underground jazz community. Coming across like an autobiographical concept album for the downtown scene, the compositions presented here are ...

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Neil Young's Massive Blu-Ray Project

Source: All About Jazz
June 30, 2009

Neil Young has been working on his Archives project for so long that the big news in the tech world when it was first announced was Windows 3.0.

Back in 1988, the curmudgeonly musician conceived the mother of all box sets, a multimedia data dump that presents the breadth of his workthe good, the bad, and the uglyin hi-def audio. Young envisioned Archives as not just a spiffed-up music collection but a virtual autobiography, including video footage, photos, press clips, ...

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