Music Industry News

Microsoft Patents Pay-as-You-Go PC Computing

Source: PC Magazine
December 30, 2008

Did you purchase the entire Microsoft Office Suite, but only use Word? Were visions of becoming a Photoshop whiz short-lived? Do you only use the Internet to check e-mail? A pay-as-you-go computer developed by Microsoft might be an economical choice down the line. The software giant has applied for a patent that would offer low-priced computers that provide usage-based access to software, according to documents released on Christmas Day. “An in-vehicle mapping and directions appliance may be invaluable during a ...

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The Good Times Stop Rolling: Vegas Meets the Recession

Source: All About Jazz
December 29, 2008

With Las Vegas in the grips of its worst economy since the early 1980s, the snowstorm that dumped four inches on top of the desert metropolis in mid-December felt like piling on. The city's cocksure swagger is gone.

Gaming revenue in Clark County, which includes downtown Las Vegas and the Strip, is down 8.5% for the year, to $8.3 billion. But the revenue for October, the last month for which figures are available, is off an ominous 24.3% versus the ...

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WSJ: The Best Musicians Span Continents, Generations

Source: Improvised Communications
December 29, 2008

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Weekend Extra: Lester Young

Source: Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
December 29, 2008

With so little video of Lester Young, every foot of him performing on film is precious. Loren Schoenberg calls attention to a performance by Young that showed up recently on You Tube. Whoever submitted the clip from a kinescope of Art Ford's Jazz Party television program provided no information beyond Young's name. Ray Bryant is the pianist. The bassist is Vinnie Burke, who was on many of Ford's shows. Does anyone recognize the drummer? We catch a glimpse of cornetist ...

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Oscar Peterson Said It

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
December 29, 2008

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Post Story Says Downtown St. Louis Will Get New Jazz Venue in March

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
December 29, 2008

According to a story in yesterday's St. Louis Post-Dispatch, downtown St. Louis will be getting a new live music venue called the St. Louis Jazz Cafe in the spring of 2009. Business columnist Joe Whittington's December 25 entry included an item saying that the venue “will occupy the space that once housed the Red Moon restaurant in the Terra Cotta Lofts, 1501 Locust Street. Arnold and Aundra Charleston will be opening it in March. Tim Simms will be ...

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Songs from the Heart of a Marketing Plan

Source: Michael Ricci
December 28, 2008

IN Creator, the rawest track on Santogold’s debut and self-titled album, the singer Santi White boasts, “Me I’m a creator/Thrill is to make it up/The rules I break got me a place up on the radar.” It’s a bohemian manifesto in a sound bite, brash and endearing, or at least it was for me until it showed up in a beer commercial. And a hair- gel commercial too.

It turns out that the insurgent, quirky rule breaker is just another ...

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Longtime Customers Say Goodbye to Sportsmen's Lodge

Source: Michael Ricci
December 28, 2008

After thousands of receptions, weddings and other parties, the San Fernando Valley landmark is about to change. Ringing out the old.

On New Year's Day, the Sportsmen's Lodge and its collection of well- known eateries, including the Caribou Restaurant, Muddy Moose Bar & Lounge and a handful of banquet rooms, will be temporarily shut down for remodeling. A new owner plans to reopen the historic venue in Studio City as a modern restaurant and boutique shopping center, perhaps with a ...

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