Music Industry News

2009 Philadelphia "Jazz Bridge" Calendars Are Here!

Source: All About Jazz
November 25, 2008

Orders are now being taken for the 2009 Jazz Bridge Calendar, a beautiful calendar on thick, glossy paper that features jazz and blues musicians from the Greater Philadelphia Metro area, past and present, in classic photographs by some of the world's best photographers. Congratulations to the wonderful artists featured this year: Frank Bey, Bobby Durham, Nina Bundy, John Swana, Rufus Harley, Archie Shepp, Monnette Sudler, Michael Pedicin, Jr., Steve Beskrone, Craig McIver, Sumi Tonooka, Randy Brecker, and Charlie Ventura. Because ...

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Sarah Vaughan: 1958 and 1964

Source: JazzWax by Marc Myers
November 25, 2008

"The records don't do 'em justice," is a line I hear frequently from musicians today who had the privilege of playing with jazz greats from the 1940s and 1950s. The point being that what you hear on LP and CD is nothing compared to having seen or played with those artists back then. For the longest time, whenever I'd hear that line, I'd assume it was coming from someone who was cranky about today's music scene or hyping a fond ...

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Jeremy Davenport Signs with Basin Street Records

Source: St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
November 25, 2008

It was just a couple of days ago that we noted in this space that trumpeter, vocalist and St. Louis native-turned-New Orleans resident Jeremy Davenport seems under-recorded by current music business standards, and now, word comes that he has signed a new deal with Basin Street Records. From the news release:“Mark Samuels, president and founder of the award-winning New Orleans' based record label, Basin Street Records, is pleased to announce the label has signed an exclusive recording agreement with ...

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Nickel Creek's Watkins Inks with Nonesuch

Source: Billboard Magazine
November 25, 2008

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Gene Simmons Sounds off at Billboard Touring Conference

Source: Billboard Magazine
November 25, 2008

Having recently completed a 30-plus-date European tour, Kiss will “eventually when we're ready tour America," co-founder Gene Simmons said during a keynote address today (Nov. 20) at the fifth annual Billboard Touring Conference, held at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York. Referring to Kiss as the “juggernaut of all rock'n'roll brands," Simmons said the band is currently working out future tour details. “We've been talking with [manager Doc McGhee] about Europe and then doing a year-long tour maybe this coming ...

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Pete Ganbarg Named Atlantic Executive VP of A&R

Source: All About Jazz
November 24, 2008

Pete Ganbarg has joined Atlantic Records as Executive Vice President of A&R, based at the company's New York headquarters. The announcement was made by Atlantic Chairman/CEO Craig Kallman and President Julie Greenwald. Ganbarg, who began his A&R career 20 years ago, has served as a major label A&R executive for SBK/EMI, Arista, and Epic Records, and was most recently head of his own music consulting company, Pure Tone Music. Craig Kallman commented: “Pete is the ideal person to lead our ...

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Sun Spin: Remain in Light

Source: JamBase
November 24, 2008

OUR WEEKLY ALBUM SALUTE STEPS INTO THE FUTURE BY WAY OF THE PAST

Remain In Light (1980), the fourth album from Talking Heads is arguably one of the single most important albums of the past quarter century, and the crown atop one of the greatest three-album streaks in rock's history. A cross continental, genre slashing, funky throw down, Light illuminates the tumultuous, anxious atmosphere of the '80s on the eve of their arrival. With a P.O.V. that ...

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Vatican Forgives Lennon's Controversial Jesus Slam

Source: All About Jazz
November 23, 2008

Better late than never. The Vatican's official newspaper L'Osservatore Romano finally forgave John Lennon's infamous 1966 claim that his band was “more popular than Jesus."

And, yea, it was all good.

In a curious twist, the way-past-due change of heart and mind came on the 40th anniversary of The White Album's 1968 release. Look Vatican, we don't want to tell you how to do your job, but you might have wanted to forgive Lennon's statement in 2007, the 40th anniversary ...

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