Recording News

The Death of the Live Album

Source: HypeBot
June 25, 2010

Though this topic strikes me as something to be less than worried about, it still seems worth pointing you to this article where reporter Andrew Dansby asks, “Is the live album dead?" Likely, there are far many more issues that demand attention than the question as to whether not live albums have lost their cultural significance, but I can't help but to think about Thunderstruckby AC/DC. The live versionis something else. Same goes for Hollow ...

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Recent Listening: Tom Varner

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
June 28, 2010

Tom Varner, Heaven and Hell (Omnitone). When Varner moved from New York to Seattle in 2006, he left behind none of his French horn virtuosity, compositional skill or avant-garde daring. Heaven and Hell is his meditation on changes in the world and in his life since the 9/11 attack, and on the evolution of his approach to music. The 15-part suite reflects a sensibility that is at home with the influences of, among others, Gil Evans and his fellow arrangers ...

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Big Band Ambassador

Source: Riffs on Jazz by John Anderson
June 24, 2010

During the Cold War, the U.S. government sent artists--stars of all stripes--around the world to promote a positive image of the United States. This included jazz musicians. And while Louis Armstrong had a justified image as the “real ambassador," Dizzy Gillespie was the big band ambassador in 1956 on tours of the Middle East and South America, at a time when the big band was no longer economically viable. Dizzy had gone the big band route in the 1940s as ...

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Quickies: New Release Roundup 2010, Vol. 5

Source: Something Else!
June 28, 2010

Things could be looking up for Grace Potter & The Nocturnals.By PicoIt's been a whole three months since we last discussed a batch of sparkling new releases that are targeted for wider audiences. That's such a long span that a few of the half dozen records yakked about below had been in circulation for several months, now. If you hadn't heard them yet, then maybe Ol' Dad's perspective on them might be what you you're looking ...

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Isabel Rose Shows Moxie on Jazz/Swing Triumph 'Swingin' from the Hip'

Source: Seth Cohen PR
June 28, 2010

Isabel Rose's Quirky, Upbeat Mix of Songs, From 'Hit Me With Your Best Shot' to 'Aquarius', Make 'Swingin' From The Hip' a Vibrant Jazz/Swing/Cabaret Knockout

Isabel Rose has moxie--the kind that made multi-hyphenates such as Ann-Margret, Peggy Lee and Bette Midler so appealing in years past. Rose's never-say-never attitude has carried her through many an odd challenge over the course of her fascinating career. Whether writing and starring in a major motion picture, getting a mega-deal from Doubleday for her ...

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Reliving Peter Tosh Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival

Source: JamaicaMusic Offbeat
June 27, 2010

Offbeat travels back in time to July 16, 1979, 30 years past, to figuratively relive reggae legend Peter Tosh performing a devastating live set at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland. The concert was performed in The Casino which is mostly known for having been burnt down eight years earlier and memorialized in the Deep Purple song “Smoke on the Water." Watch the concert live via You Tube video 1 -16.Peter Tosh Live at the ...

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Legendary Reggae Band the Wailers Contribute Exclusive New Track to "Solutions for Dreamers: Season 3"

Source: Gorgeous PR, Inc
June 28, 2010

Legendary Reggae Band The Wailers Contribute Exclusive New Track, “A Step for Manking," to Solutions for Dreamers: Season 3

All proceeds benefit United Nations' World Food Programme

Legendary reggae group The Wailers, are pleased to announce the inclusion of an exclusive new track, “A Step for Mankind," recorded in Jamaica specifically for Oniric Records' Solution for Dreamers: Season 3, and is set for release on July 1, 2010. The Wailers have been supporting the United Nations' World Food Programme (WFP) ...

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Cuchata is Back with New Release

Source: Michael Ricci
June 28, 2010

Cuchata's original compositions can rarely be classified into one genre. Integrating Afro-Latin traditions with modern elements of Rock, Hip-Hop, Dub, Ska and Afro-Beat, to create the hybridized sound that Cuchata is known for. The inspiration for Cuchata came from a pilgrimage to Marcelo E. Quinonez's ancestral home of Nicaragua in 1999. Mesmerized by the musical heritage of the country, guitarist, singer, and songwriter Marcelo formed the band Cuchata.

The first release Cuchata churns together influences spanning the Latin American diasporas. ...

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