 The Henry Stone Music album featuring the Lemon City Rhythm Section, released Friday, will be feted at a Miami launch party at Ball & Chain on June 27.
MIAMI (24 June 2016): Continuing the legacy of benevolence that began ten years ago when the late music industry legend Henry Stone discovered blind saxophonist Jeff Zavac and featured him on "Instrumental Magic," generating over one million dollars in contributions to the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind - the organization that came to the aid of the renowned record pioneer when he lost his vision in his later years - Henry Stone Music released the second collection on Friday. "Instrumental Magic 2," showcasing Zavac with the Lemon City Rhythm Section and produced by Stone's son, Joe Stone, and guitarist Aaron Fishbein, spotlights the saxman rendering soul-jazz interpretations of ten hits written or made classic by sightless artists including Stevie Wonder, Ronnie Milsap, Jose Feliciano and Ray Charles, the last of whom was first recorded by Henry Stone in the 1950s. The five-piece Lemon City Rhythm Section - Zavac (sax, flute, woodwinds), Fishbein (guitar), Jerald Dorsett (keyboards), Shaka Pace (bass) and King David Hill (drums) - will perform music from "Instrumental Magic 2" at jazz hotspot Ball & Chain in the Little Havana section of Miami on Monday, June 27 at 6:30pm. Tickets are free while donations to the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind will be accepted at the venue and online at https://secure.miamilighthouse.org/Donations.asp. Henry Stone, who forged an enduring legacy in R&B, dance and rap music prior to his 2014 passing at the age of 93, launched the "Instrumental Magic" series with the goal of creating modern American music with a classic American feel. Joe Stone was inspired to continue his father's mission of positivity by promoting music recorded by live players while raising awareness and funds for the association that taught his father how to live without sight. "Henry lost his sight in the last decade of his journey here on earth and Miami Lighthouse was a huge part of his ability to move forward," said Stone, general manager of Henry Stone Music. "It is an honor and a joy to work with this group of very talented musicians on an important production that carries on the Henry Stone legacy. Musically, 'Instrumental Magic 2' creates a sonic palette filled with funk, soul, salsa, rock, R&B and jazz covering American standards loved the world over." The first "Instrumental Magic" disc, one of the last albums produced by Henry Stone, paired Zavac with 1970s soul queen Gwen McCrae. The record remains one of the Henry Stone Music label's most popular releases having received millions of plays on Spotify alone. After losing his eyesight during cataract surgery while in his 80s, Stone turned to Miami Lighthouse for the Blind where he learned to adapt. In an effort to "repay" the organization that helped him, Stone facilitated a million dollar donation that funded the creation of a recording studio for the blind now named in his honor. His act of leadership and philanthropy garnered the inaugural Man of Vision Award in 2008 from Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, which provides vision rehabilitation and eye health services that promote independence, educates professionals and conducts research in related fields. For additional information, please visit www.MiamiLighthouse.org. "Instrumental Magic 2" contains the following songs: "Hey Baby" "I Got A Woman" "Night Time Is The Right Time" "I Just Called To Say I Love You" "Guantanamera" "Isn't She Lovely" "I Wish" "There's No Gettin' Over Me" "Feliz Navidad" "America The Beautiful" For more information about Henry Stone Music, please visit www.henrystonemusic.com
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 SAN FRANCISCO (20 June 2016): Eager to emerge from the "trance" and "lack of imagination" plaguing electric guitarists for the past several decades, Corrado Rustici devoted six years to exploring sounds and expansive musical contexts utilizing only the guitar as his field of experimentation and expression. The imaginative results are the nine songs he composed that together form "Aham," an audacious collection of ambient fusion, progressive jazz, ethereal rock, moody pop, and dramatic classical performed and produced by Rustici set for release in the U.S. on July 15.
Rustici's aural pursuit began in conjunction with a spiritual quest, an existential search into his being, which conjointly led to exploring the essential nature of his perception of music. Everything that you hear on "Aham," a Sanskrit word meaning "I am," from what sounds like drums, bass, strings, woodwinds and voice were created exclusively using electric and acoustic guitars through analog pedals and digital plug-ins. The only exceptions are two vocal tracks - one by Rustici on the poetic confessional "The Guilty Thread" and another featuring the soulful tenor voice of Andrew Strong ("The Commitments") on the fantastical adventure "Alcove Of Stars" - and handclaps on the meandering balladic sojourn "The Last Light Spoken." The artist did not use synthesizers, samplers or electronic instruments anywhere on the album. "When I started to write the music for this album, I wanted to find out how far this wonderful instrument and I could go. During six years of work and experimentation, I've been incredibly surprised by the guitar’s versatility and sonic capabilities , which have been seldom used or almost totally ignored up to this point. The deeper I went, I became more and more enthused and excited about the little and big secrets that the instrument kept revealing to me. The way in which the music was conceived and produced created some limitations, constrictions and a distinctive sonic palette, all of which contributed to the overall sound and mood of the album. I hope that after six years of R&D, I was able to create a musical space within which one can hear the first baby cry of what I like to call the 'Transmodern Guitar,'" said Rustici, who as a byproduct of his work on "Aham" is designing and developing a couple of guitar pedals with DV Mark that will be unvieled in January 2017 at the NAMM Show. To Rustici, it was important that the songs on "Aham," including the epic two-part title track opus, connect with listeners meaningfully and are capable of shining on their own merits, and do not simply become guitar demos for his revolutionary techniques and ingenuity. "I was absolutely not interested in recording a 'shredder' project. In the end, it's not important how we construct a piece of music, but only if and in which way a musician is capable of creating that emotional and – always virtual - space within which both the artist and the listener find a way to share the joy, the pain and the very reason for our 'Existence.'" The Naples, Italy native will perform music from "Aham" on home soil in November in support of the album, which Sony Classical is releasing in that territory next month. After leading his own band (Nova) in the mid-to-late 1970s, which included collaborations with Phil Collins and hit-maker Narada Michael Walden, Rustici relocated to California and has been a San Francisco resident since 1978. As an award-winning producer, Rustici helped craft a library of No. 1 Billboard singles in Europe and multi-million selling albums working with global superstars such as Zucherro, Paul Young and Luciano Pavorotti. In 2007, he became the first producer to simultaneously occupy the top 3 spots on the Nielsen chart with three different artists (Ligabue, Negramaro and Renga). Over the years, his passion for sonic innovation has resulted in unearthing now widely accepted and used production methods such as Push & Pull, which combines the irreverent approach of rock and pop with the softer and more evocative effect of ambient music. As a solo artist, his previous releases are "Deconstruction Of A Postmodern Musician" (2007) and "Blaze & Bloom: Live In Japan" (2014), the latter of which was also issued as a DVD. For more information, please visit www.CorradoRustici.com. Rustici's "Aham" contains the following songs: "As Dark Bleeds Light" "Ananda's First Steps" "The Duke And The Hare" "The Guilty Thread" "Roots Of Progression" "Alcove Of Stars" "The Last Light Spoken" AHAM Suite: Part 1: "The Enquiry" Part 2: "Aham"  Het is 2012, Coely is amper 18 jaar en brengt schijnbaar uit het niets single ‘Ain’t Chasing Pavements’ uit. De single slaat in als een bom en alle deuren vliegen open. Coely en haar team (Beatville) laten zich echter niet van hun stuk brengen en wachten 4 jaar voor ze hun handtekening zetten onder een deal.
In tussentijd loopt het als een trein. Opnemen en uitbrengen van nieuwe singles (‘My Tomorrow’, ‘All I Do’, EP ‘RAAH - The Soulful Yeah’), optreden in het voorprogramma van Kanye West, Kendrick Lamar, Snoop Dogg, Nas, Jessie Ware en De La Soul, shows in binnen- en buitenland, Coely staat niet stil. Ze is jong maar al snel een ervaren rot in het vak. Nu breekt een volgend hoofdstuk aan. Met een contract van Universal Music op zak worden de laatste puzzelstukjes op hun plaats gelegd. Deze zomer brengt ze een gloednieuwe single uit. Coely zal tijdens haar optreden op Couleur Café, binnen het hip hop project ‘Niveau 4’, alvast een tipje van de sluier lichten en de strijdvaardige nieuwe single ‘Don’t Care’ voor het eerst live op het publiek loslaten. Coely: “Ik heb sinds day one het perfecte team rond me en vandaag breid ik dit uit met de perfecte machine. M'n eerste full album is zo goed als klaar, een eerste single zal er zijn voor je het weet. Excited like RAAH!!” Patrick Guns (General Manager Universal Music Belgium): “We zijn enorm trots om Coely te mogen vertegenwoordigen, begeleiden en promoten. Zij is één van de meest getalenteerde artiesten die ons land rijk is en dat zal voor iedereen duidelijk hoorbaar zijn in haar eerste album.” Op donderdag 18 augustus opent ze de Main Stage van Pukkelpop, waar ook Rihanna enkele uren later aantreedt. Mensen die willen bewegen, weten alvast welk podium te kiezen. COELY ONLINE www.facebook.com/Coely/ www.twitter.com/coelycoely www.instagram.com/coelycoely Website www.coelymusic.com/  After spending the past few years revisiting and reissuing his storied catalog, Van Morrison will release Keep Me Singing, his first collection of new music in four years, this September. The self-produced album, Morrison's 36th studio LP, features 12 new originals from Morrison alongside a cover of "Share Your Love With Me," previously popularized by artists like Aretha Franklin and Kenny Rogers. "Every Time I See a River" has Morrison collaborating with famed lyricist Don Black, while closing instrumental "Caledonia Swing" has Morrison playing both piano and saxophone. Keep Me Singing, due out September 30th, follows Morrison's 2015 LP Duets: Re-Working the Catalogue and is the singer's first album of original songs since 2012's Born to Sing: No Plan B. In the past year, Morrison has also digitally reissued much of his discography and released an extended version of his classic live album with It's Too Late to Stop Now… Volumes II, III, IV & DVD. (Bron: Rollingstone)
 Paul Simon speelt met de gedachte om volgend jaar met pensioen te gaan. De 74-jarige zanger zegt in The New York Times dat showbizz hem niet meer kan boeien.
De singer-songwriter vindt het toeren fysiek steeds zwaarder worden. Tussen de optredens door moet hij veel rusten om de tournee vol te houden. Momenteel reist Simon met zijn band door de Verenigde Staten, om aansluitend een aantal concerten in Europa te geven. Of er echt een eind komt aan de 61 jaar lange zangcarrière van Simon, is nog de vraag. "Er is moed nodig om het los te laten'', zegt de zanger. "Ik ga kijken wat er gebeurt als ik dat doe. Dan zal ik zien wie ik echt ben. Of ben ik alleen de persoon die werd gedefinieerd door wat ik deed? En als dat wegvalt, als je op jezelf bent teruggeworpen, wie ben je dan?'' Symbolisch of niet, Paul Simon's laatste Amerikaanse optreden dit jaar is in Queens in New York, op dezelfde plek waar hij voor het laatst met Art Garfunkel op het podium stond. Daarna steekt hij over naar Europa, waar hij op 31 oktober de Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam aandoet en op 1 november optreedt in Vorst Nationaal. Laterd die maand sluit hij zijn tournee af in de Ierse hoofdstad Dublin.  Van de meer dan driehonderd aanvragers voor structurele subsidies in de kunstensector heeft de Vlaamse regering er 207 weerhouden. Zij die konden rekenen op een zeer goede beoordeling, zoals de KVS en het Kaaitheater, krijgen extra budget. Bekende organisaties uit de muzieksector als de Muziekodroom, de Vaartkapoen, de Nijdrop en de Rataplan verliezen echter hun subsidie.
Door de krappe budgettaire situatie zou er van 2017 tot 2021 slechts 81 miljoen euro per jaar te verdelen zijn aan de kunstenorganisaties. Minister van Cultuur Sven Gatz wist deze week in de onderhandeling met de andere ministers nog 3 miljoen euro extra los te weken, zodat het totaal op 84 miljoen euro uitkomt. De sector vroeg echter om 144 miljoen euro, dus moesten er keuzes worden gemaakt. Alle organisaties die een goede beoordeling kregen van de adviescommissies hebben recht op subsidie. Ook van degenen die een voldoende haalden, werden er nog negentien opgevist, die het weliswaar met wat minder moeten rooien. "De organisaties die onder die lat vallen, krijgen geen subsidies. Er worden geen uitzonderingen gemaakt, dat heeft het voordeel van de duidelijkheid", aldus Gatz. In de meest uitmuntende beoordelingscategorie zitten bekende namen als Abattoir Fermé, het Kaaitheater en t,Arsenaal. Zij krijgen de komende jaren enkele procenten tot zelfs 120 procent extra subsidie. "We hebben in het regeerakkoord de keuze gemaakt om een aantal instellingen meer kritische massa te geven, om internationaal meer uitstraling te creëren", aldus de minister. Bijna honderd organisaties verliezen hun steun of zien hun nieuwe subsidie-aanvraag niet weerhouden. In die groep zitten relatief veel muziekinstellingen, zoals de Muziekodroom (Hasselt), Zita Swoon Group, Jeugd en Muziek Vlaanderen en de Vaartkapoen (Molenbeek). Ook projecten met een groot sociaal belang als Rataplan in Borgerhout verliezen hun steun. Naast de subsidies voor de kunstenorganisaties, is er ook steun voor zeven grote Vlaamse kunstinstellingen: de AB, Brussels Philharmonic, Concergebouw Brugge, deFilharmonie, deSingel, Kunsthuis en Vooruit. Zij krijgen samen bijna 54 miljoen euro. (Bron: HLN) Bekijk hier het overzicht van de cultuursubsidies. 
 Disco legend heads back to the label that put out some of his most famous work.
On Wednesday, Giorgio Moroder announced his return to Casablanca Records. Several of his most famous releases came out on the label in the late '70s -- including his solo album, E=MC², and the Donna Summer records I Remember Yesterday and Bad Girls, which Moroder helped to write and produce. "Giorgio is one of music’s most important innovators," Brett Alperowitz, General Manager of Casablanca Records says in a statement. "He ushered in a new era of dance music in 1977 with his groundbreaking production of Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love.' It feels great to have him back with the label and we are looking forward to his next innovation!" There have been many phases to Moroder's career. After a series of audacious collaborations with Summer swept dancefloors in the '70s, he conquered the rest of the world in the '80s by soundtracking blockbusters – Top Gun, Scarface – and working with David Bowie, Janet Jackson, Blondie, and more. Seemingly content with the breadth of his achievements, he took a long break in the '90s and '00s before returning with Déjà Vuin 2015. His influence is difficult to contain in one genre. Another king of disco, Nile Rodgers, credits the Moroder/Summer collaboration "Love To Love You Baby" with changing his life, and Daft Punk used an extensive quote from Moroder on the Random Access Memoriesalbum. Others artists with more oblique connections to disco have also paid homage. Sia and Charli XCX contributed to Déjà Vu, while Shooter Jennings – son of the country legend Waylon Jennings – released a project that honored Moroder earlier this year. Moroder hopes to put out fresh material on the label this summer. "I am so excited to share new music with you and to work with the Casablanca family," he noted in a statement, before making a pun based around one of his own album titles. "Casablanca from here to eternity." "It just makes sense," he added. "It feels like home." (Bron: Billboard.com)  When it came to writing hits, there weren’t many better in the 50s and 60s thanBonny "Sir Mack" Rice. We're sad to report that the Mississippi-born, Detroit transplant singer and songwriter has died at age 82. He is survived by his wife, Laura Rice, two sisters, his children and grandchildren.
If Rice had just wrote the legendary song “Respect Yourself,” he would have reserved his spot in music history. But he followed it with dozens of others such as “Cheaper to Keep Her," Do the Funky Penguin,” and his signature Top 20 hit as a singer, “Mustang Sally” (later an even bigger hit for Wilson Pickett). Artists from The Staple Singers to Etta James to Eddie Floyd and even The Blues Brothers recorded Rice’s compositions over the years. While best known as a songwriter, Rice also performed, first with the group the Five Scalders, then with the Falcons and later as a solo artist. He continued to record into his 70s, last issuing the funky blues album Get That Money in 2006. For his many, many great compositions and his contribution to the development of R&B in the 1960s and beyond, Sir Mack will continue to be lauded for years to come. Rest in peace, Sir Mack. (Bron: Soultracks.com) Genre Busting Blind Guitar Legend and Producer Joey Stuckey To Release New Audio Described Video30/6/2016  Macon, GA - On June 11th, blind guitar legend, recording artist and producer Joey Stuckey was named Jazz Artist of the Year at the 5th annual Georgia Music Awards. Never knowing how to slow down, Joey is busy working on a variety of projects including writing music with his good friends from the UK Charlie Hoskyns (The Popes), Will Morrison (Modern English) and Paul McGuiness (The Pogues). However, currently Stuckey is most eager to share his latest music video which has been audio described for the blind. “To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time a music video has been audio described or narrated for the blind. There have been a hand full of movies, like 'The Passion of the Christ' but, I've never heard of a music video getting the same treatment,” says Stuckey. Audio description takes a narrator telling the story of what is happening on the screen. It is kind of like an audiobook, but in this case, it is directly relating the story being told by pictures or video in spoken word form so that the blind can also enjoy the antics and adventure of Joey and his band as he desperately tries to get to his concert. Complete with a thrilling car chase, this video is a lot of fun to watch and the blues guitar and vocal prowess of Stuckey can't be denied. Special thanks to Delaney Holliman and Doug Diamond for the video production and friends Nash and Jenny Mayfield for writing and narrating the video. The video and single “Blind Man Drivin'” were released last year while Joey was on tour in the UK, where the song was the official theme song for the first ever Visually Impaired Musicians' Lives Conference, which took place at the University College of London. About Joey Stuckey: Joey Stuckey is a chart topping and award winning blind recording artist, producer, sound engineer, educator and media personality. He is an official Gibson endorser and is also the Official Music Ambassador for his hometown of Macon, Georgia. Stuckey is a brain tumor survivor and loves to tell his story of success and overcoming adversity through his music and humor. www.joeystuckey.com www.joeystuckeyproductions.com www.shadowsoundstudio.com www.blind-man-drivin.com  Los Angeles, CA - You may not know her by name, but it’s highly likely that you’ve seen the enormously talented musician/actor Erin Hill on TV or on stage. A masterful harpist with a golden singing voice, Hill has performed as back-up to such major artists as Kanye West, Enya, moby, Cyndi Lauper, ‘80s new wave icons A-ha, Randy Newman, Sinead O’Connor, Jewel, and many others. In addition, Hill has appeared on several TV shows such as Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing and Comedy Central’s Chappelle’s Show appearing in the infamous skit as the “Pretty White Girl” who sings Dave’s darkest, most private thoughts, PLUS the Tim Robbins film Cradle Will Rock, HBO’s The Chris Rock Show, and PBS’s American Masters.
Now this exciting artist has released Harp Town, a full-length album of pop music classics from every era, uniquely arranged for harp and voice, and recorded with intimacy and delicacy by producer Mike Nolan. The album, whose title is a nod to Steve Earle’s 1986 debut album Guitar Town, includes gorgeous and haunting versions of Tim Buckley’s “Song To The Siren,” Smashing Pumpkins’ “Disarm,” Kate Bush’s “This Woman’s Work,” Adele’s “Someone Like You,” Rihanna’s “Stay,” and Radiohead’s “Black Star” as well as such all-time classics as “La Vie En Rose,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Come Fly With Me,” “Habanera” and many more. Each song features Hill’s extraordinary harp playing and her own distinctive interpretations. “This has been such a big, exciting project for me,” Hill enthuses, “I do a lot of different styles of music, and I write as well, but one of the things I’m most proud of is what I do with my harp and voice covers of pop and rock songs. I started playing the harp when I was 8 years old, and right from the start, I was playing and singing songs that I’d hear and fall in love with. I’m just such a music fan, and I go nuts for some of these songs and artists, so what a joy to get to spend a year working on arranging and playing and singing these songs.” With Harp Town, music fans everywhere will have the opportunity to experience these classic songs as they’ve never heard them before! Available on all digital music retailers from Cleopatra Records. Track List: 1. Song to the Siren 2. Disarm 3. More Than This 4. This Woman's Work 5. Voices Carry 6. Someone Like You 7. La Vie En Rose 8. Dust in the Wind 9. Song for Someone 10. Hallelujah 11. Black Star 12. O Mio Babbino Caro 13. Eleanor Rigby 14. Fallin’ 15. Come Fly With Me 16. Speechless 17. Habanera 18. Stay Order the album: http://flyt.it/ErinHillDig CLEOPATRA RECORDS, Inc. 11041 Santa Monica Blvd #703 Los Angeles CA 90025 www.cleopatrarecords.com  Lucky Losers “In Any Town” July 15th Release Dirty Cat Records
“In Any Town” serves up medicine for wayward souls, offering glimpses of paradise through a veil of tears. The Lucky Losers build upon their distinctive signature sound, layering elements of Stax/Volt styled R&B, electric Americana, and psychedelic rock atop a Chicago and Texas blues foundation. The stark contrast between fiery Cathy Lemons and elegant Phil Berkowitz makes for a captivating musical union, breathing new life into American songwriting tradition and the lost art of duet singing. Produced and engineered by Kid Andersen at his famed Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, “In Any Town” features nine riveting original compositions and two innovative covers of works originally performed by Bobby Charles and Johnny Cash. The Lucky Losers are Cathy Lemons and Phil Berkowitz. San Francisco’s finest male/female duet fronted band, The Lucky Losers transcend the dark side of the American dream with their 60’s inspired sophomore album, “In Any Town”. Just one year after the release of their critically acclaimed debut, “A Winning Hand”, veteran blues singer, Cathy Lemons and soulful vocalist/harmonica ace, Phil Berkowitz return with a dangerous and sophisticated work of art. “In Any Town” serves up medicine for wayward souls, offering glimpses of paradise through a veil of tears. The Lucky Losers build upon their distinctive signature sound, layering elements of Stax/Volt styled R&B, electric Americana, and psychedelic rock atop a Chicago and Texas blues foundation. The stark contrast between fiery Cathy Lemons and elegant Phil Berkowitz makes for a captivating musical union, breathing new life into American songwriting tradition and the lost art of duet singing. Produced and engineered by Kid Andersen at his famed Greaseland Studios in San Jose, California, “In Any Town” features nine riveting original compositions and two innovative covers of works originally performed by Bobby Charles and Johnny Cash. The cast of guest artists include musical luminaries, such as Kid Andersen, Terry Hanck (2016 Blues Music Foundation Award Winner), Frank Goldwasser (a.k.a. Paris Slim, veteran Delta Groove recording artist), and Memphis’ own rising blues star, Jeff Jensen. The Lucky Losers invite listeners to relive the beautiful and twisted stories that inspired “In Any Town”. Five of the original songs were crafted by Lemons, the other four were co-written by Berkowitz and his writing partner, Danny Caron. Four of the songs are charming duets. Berkowitz and Lemons reach for the heavens in perfect harmony on Track 1 “So High”, a spirited celebration of everlasting love. Lemons’ vocals evoke smoke and syrup on Track 2 “It Ain’t Enough”, a gospel tinged testimonial to finding freedom in imperfection. Track 10 is Berkowitz’s “Devil’s Dream”, a gripping confrontation of personal demons. The title Track 9, “In Any Town” provides the album’s most fragile moment, a slow dance of lost faith. TRACK LISTING 1. So High (4:15) 2. It Ain’t Enough (5:20) 3. Jackson (3:37) 4. Don’t Let ‘Em See Ya Cry (5:26) 5. Blind Man in the Dark (4:39) 6. Can’t Change Ya (4:44) 7. Still Enough Time to Cry (4:48) 8. Give Me a Sign (4:37) 9. In Any Town (5:14) 10. Devil’s Dream (5:56) 11. Small Town Talk (3:52) Title: In Any Town Label: Dirty Cat Records Catalog: DCR-1505 Genre: Blues, Americana Packaging: Wallet List Price: $14.99 UPC: 888295-449991 Distributor: CD Baby, www.TheLuckyLosers.com  Big Sam’s Funky Nation has been crowned NOLA’s “Best Band Of 2016” by Where Y’At Magazine in their 19th annual writer’s poll. The entertainment, dining and nightlife magazine assembled its staff of fifteen journalists and considered numerous acts from a wide range of genres before Big Sam’s Funky Nation emerged as the winner.
“To be called the best at anything is always an honor, to be called the best band in New Orleans is amazing!”, proclaims Big Sam. “This town is full of outstanding musicians, many of whom I have had the privilege of sharing the stage with over the years. These great folks have been a huge influence in the evolution of my sound and style, and without them in my life this award would not have happened.” View The Entire 2016 Where Y’At Magazine “Best Of” List Here: http://www.whereyat.com/best-of-the-big-easy-writers-picks The honor finds Big Sam’s Funky Nation at the start of a busy summer concert and festival season, which will take the band across the country and up to Canada for the Mont Tremblant International Blues Festival. A new record is also in the works, and is tentatively slated for release in the 1st half of 2017. About Big Sam’s Funky Nation: Big Sam's Funky Nation has been whipping up their unique version of Noladelic Powerfunk for more than a decade. The band’s high-energy music mixes funk, rock & roll, hip-hop, and jazz into the same pot, gluing everything together with the brassy influence — and heavy grooves — of New Orleans. From national performances at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits, to hometown appearances at Voodoo Fest and Jazz Fest, Big Sam's Funky Nation have built their reputation onstage. The band's live performances are legendary, filled with blasts of brass, bursts of electric guitar, and the charisma of Big Sam, a frontman who sings, plays, dances, and involves the audience in everything he does. You don't just watch a Funky Nation show. You become part of the show, singing along with Big Sam whenever he demands a call-and-response. A native of New Orleans, Big Sam first rose to fame as a member of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, whose touring schedule kept the young trombonist on the road for 300 days a year. The group performed with bands from all genres, backing up Widespread Panic one minute before sharing the stage with Dave Matthews Band the next. A fan of diverse bands like Parliament Funkadelic, Jimi Hendrix, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Living Colour, and Prince, Big Sam loved the variety that Dirty Dozen Brass Band offered. He wanted to front his own group, though. He needed to sing, to engage the crowd, to write his own songs. Inspired to chase down that dream, he formed Big Sam's Funky Nation, reaching out to some of his favorite players from around the Big Easy — including Joshua Connelly, Chocolate Milk, Jerry "J Blakk" Henderson, and Drew "Da Phessah" Baham — to create his own super-group. "We don't cater to one demographic," says Big Sam, rattling off a list of jam band festivals, jazz shows, rock clubs, and funk gigs that his band has played since 2007. "We play music for everybody. It's not just funk; that's the foundation, but the music goes from funk to rock to wild jazz. It's music about love and partying. Everyone can get down with that." Stream “Addicted” By Big Sam’s Funky Nation Here: https://soundcloud.com/funkybigsam/addicted Big Sam’s Funky Nation 2016 Tour: 6/30- Levitt Pavilion- Arlington TX 7/1- The Scoot Inn- Austin TX 7/2- The Continental Club- Houston TX 7/4- The Fourth On The Brazos- Waco TX 7/8- Fairfield Theatre Stage One- Fairfield CT 7/9- Narrows Center For The Arts- Fall River MA 7/10- Green River Fest- Greenfield MA 7/12- Nectar’s- Burlington VT 7/13- Red Fox Inn- Bondville VT 7/14- Mont Tremblant International Blues Fest- Quebec ON 7/15- Parish Public House- Albany NY 7/16- Stephen Talkhouse- Amagansett NY 7/28- Grassroots @ Lafayette Central Park- Lafayette LA 7/29- Vinyl Music Hall- Pensacola FA 7/30- Terminal West- Atlanta GA 7/31- Leaf Festival- Black Mountain NC 8/11- Broadway Oyster Bar- St. Louis MO 8/31- Summer Sampler- Cincinnati OH 8/18- Anchors Bend- Asbury Park NJ 8/19- The Howard Theatre- Washington DC 8/24- Avon Live! Concert Series- Avon CO 8/25- Bluebird Theatre- Denver CO 8/26- Schmiggity’s- Steamboat Springs CO 8/27- Colorado Cider & Beer Circus- Copper Mtn CO For more information on Big Sam’s Funky Nation: http://www.bigsamsfunkynation.com https://www.facebook.com/bigsamsfunkynation http://www.twitter.com/funkybigsam 
 Musician and composer Frank Zappa was a lot of things: biting satirist, ferocious critic of societal norms, outspoken defender of free speech. He saw himself as not only an entertainer, but also a serious composer. And he saw no contradiction in being all of these things at once, to the consternation and confusion of the many journalists who interviewed him.
A number of those interviews have been compiled in German documentarian Thorsten Schutte's new film Eat That Question: Frank Zappa in His Own Words. At around the age of 13, Schutte discovered Zappa's music when a teacher played it for him in school, and was hooked. "It was something that I hadn't heard before," Schutte says. "The beauty of the melody, but also the dissonance of it and the noise and the cacophony." Tracking down Zappa's interviews became a kind of hobby for Schutte. He says fans have become the curators of an informal internet Zappa archive and have compiled untold quantities of never-before-seen footage. "This film is not solely for fans, but it's also there to be somehow a gateway for younger generations to explore him and who know nothing about him," he says. "Many of my students, when I showed them the film, they asked me, 'Who's this man with the beard?'" Frank Zappa formed the Mothers of Invention in 1964, but he had been composing since high school. Influenced by contemporary composers of the time like John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen and Krzysztof Penderecki, started by writing chamber music and small orchestral pieces, and did not write his first rock song until he was 21. He was not always happy with his earliest efforts at composition, as he says in an interview included in the new documentary. He would sit at a piano cutting up sheet music with a razor blade, trying to rearrange it in new ways. "Then I heard what some of the stuff sounded like that I had been writing, and it was so ugly that I decided to go backwards and get into the melodic area again," he explains. "Then people started telling me that my melodies were ugly. So I guess I'm successful." Zappa, who died in 1993, left behind a trove of music. Bunk Gardner, a classically-trained woodwind player whose brother played trumpet for the Mothers of Invention, says much of the music was difficult to play: complex time signatures layered on top of one another, fiendishly fast tempi, never the same thing twice. "He liked that!," Gardner says. "And I think he also felt that it really kept everybody on their toes. You better, better focus." Gardner continues to play Zappa's music with keyboard player Don Preston in the Grandmothers of Invention. While Preston bristles at the notion that Zappa was a genius, he looks back with fondness on their days playing together. "I can remember, I don't know how many times, when I was just so grateful to be there playing this music and do exactly what I always wanted to do: emulate some of the late composers and also take my own playing into those realms and go as far as possible with it," Preston says. "I can't think of a night where I wasn't totally grateful for being in that position." Schutte — who spent eight years making his documentary, in addition to all of those hours in the archives — is also grateful for what Frank Zappa's music gave him. "If you listen to his music and the ingredients, the citations, quotations, allusions, it's not only that it opens you up to Zappa, but that it opens you up to a great many other great composers," he says. "Because there's Spike Jones in it, there Xenakis in it, there's Varese in it, there's Bartok in it, there's Elgar in it. There's a lot of Howlin' Wolf and Johnny Guitar Watson in it. It's such a huge body of work and that's what I always loved about it: that he opened up the world for me at a very young age. And I'm very thankful for that."  Barry Gibb brengt voor het eerst na 32 jaar weer een solo-album uit. 'In The Now', dat in de herfst van 2016 moet verschijnen, is zelfs het eerste album van de Britse zanger met alleen nieuw materiaal. Het is de opvolger van 'Now Voyager' uit 1984, meldt NME.Het enig overgebleven lid van de Bee Gees stond eergisteren nog op het hoofdpodium van het Glastonbury Festival. De 69-jarige zanger dook op tijdens het optreden van Coldplay en zong met Chris Martin de Bee Gees-klassiekers 'To Love Somebody' en 'Staying Alive'.
Gibb was in 2001 voor het laatst op een album te horen, toen The Bee Gees met 'This is Where it Came' in hun laatste plaat uitbrachten. In 2003 overleed broer Maurice Gibb aan darmproblemen en zijn tweelingbroer Robin stierf in 2012 aan de gevolgen van kanker. (Bron: HLN)  De vaste gitarist van Elvis Presley is dinsdag in zijn woonplaats Nashville overleden. Scotty Moore stond aan de wieg van het succes van The King, en wordt daardoor gezien als een van de pioniers in de rock-'n-roll.  De muzikant werd begin jaren 50 door platenlabel Sun ingehuurd om het jonge talent Elvis Presley te begeleiden. Hij bleef Elvis' vaste gitarist, ook toen de zanger naar platenmaatschappij RCA overstapte. Moore had ook bijrolletjes in verschillende films waarin Elvis de hoofdrol speelde. Moore werd afgelopen november vereeuwigd in de Memphis Music Hall of Fame. Door zijn zwakke gezondheid kon hij daar zelf niet bij aanwezig zijn. Keith Richards nam daarom zijn award voor hem in ontvangst. De Rolling Stones-gitarist zei tijdens de ceremonie dat het Moore was die hem inspireerde zijn akoestische gitaar te verruilen voor een elektrische. 'Hij sloeg een muzikale weg in die voor mij en velen met mij het startpunt was.' Scotty Moore is 84 jaar geworden. In 1999 vertelde hij in de Volkskrant over het begin van de samenwerking met Elvis Presley. Scotty Moore kwam net bij de marine vandaan en was hoedenmaker van beroep. Voor de leut speelde hij in een bandje en moest hij de auditie van Elvis begeleiden in de Sun Studios in Nashville, die voormalige radiatorwinkel zonder airconditioning. 'Het was heel simpel allemaal. We speelden het liedje en ik speelde mijn guitaar. Er waren helemaal geen special vibes, dat is er later bijverzonnen. Wat er gebeurde was gewoon toeval. We hoopten dat die jongen een plaatje mocht opnemen en iedereen deed zijn best. Het was in de stratosfeer en met een visnetje pakten we het. 'Ik bedoel: er werd niet een speciaal geheim onthuld of zo. Go away with this Big Bang-thing. En voor mij gold in die dagen maar één ding: alles is goed, als ik maar geen katoen hoef te plukken.' (Bron: De Volkskrant) Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley's longtime guitarist and a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, died Tuesday at his home in Nashville, the Commercial Appeal reports. No cause of death was provided, but Moore had been in poor health in recent months. He was 84. Karen Fontana, the wife of Presley drummer D.J. Fontana, also confirmed Moore's death to Rolling Stone.
"We lost one of the finest people I have ever met today," Sun Studio engineer Matt Ross-Spang wrote on Instagram. "I was lucky to call you a friend and I'm very glad I got to see you just a few days ago. The guitarist that changed the world ... especially mine; I hope you don't mind if I keep stealing your licks. Love you Scotty." Born in Gadsden, Tennessee, Moore began playing guitar at the age of eight, and after a stint in the U.S. Navy in the early Fifties, moved to Memphis and formed the Starlite Wrangers with bassist Bill Black. In 1954, Sun Records impresario Sam Phillips paired Moore with a teenaged Elvis Presley. Together, along with Black, they would record Presley's first single, "That's All Right (Mama)." The recording session was only meant to be an audition; instead, the trio made music history. "I heard that Sam Phillips had a little studio and record label and I went to see him about getting a record out," Moore told Rolling Stone in 2010. "I knew that if we could make a record, we'd get more places to play around town. Sam agreed to record us and he and I became good friends. Then one day we were having coffee, and his secretary actually brought up Elvis' name. He had dropped by the studio with the hope of recording something. So Sam said, 'Call this guy up and get him to go over to your house and see what you think of him.' So he came to my house on the Fourth of July. It was kind of a pre-audition." Moore, Black and drummer D.J. Fontana would soon form the Blue Moon Boys, a union that would back Presley on dozens of legendary rock & roll songs over the next decade, including "Heartbreak Hotel," "Mystery Train," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock" and "(You're the) Devil in Disguise." Moore, with the Blue Moon Boys, would also appear in four of Presley's films – Jailhouse Rock, Loving You, King Creole and G.I. Blues. In 1964, Phillips fired Moore after he recorded a solo album; however, Presley reunited with the guitarist for his '68 Comeback Special; Black died in 1965. Moore's unique style – played on a Gibson Super 400 – on those iconic Presley singles inspired generations of future guitar players. "When I heard 'Heartbreak Hotel,' I knew what I wanted to do in life. It was as plain as day. All I wanted to do in the world was to be able to play and sound like that," Keith Richards once said. "Everyone else wanted to be Elvis, I wanted to be Scotty." In addition to Presley, Moore worked with artists like Richards, Ringo Starr, Carl Perkins, Jeff Beck, Levon Helm, Ronnie Wood and more. Moore was also named to Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Guitarists list. Moore was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2000 as part of the inaugural class celebrating sidemen, a category that honored "those musicians who have spent their careers out of the spotlight, performing as backup musicians for major artists on recording sessions and in concert." (Bron: Rolling Stone)  Photo © Hans De Greve Op zaterdag 25 juni ontving Ennio Morricone tijdens het uitverkochte openluchtconcert in Gent van organisator GEA Live een award voor de verkoop van 350.000 tickets. Met zijn optreden op het Sint-Pietersplein overschreed Morricone immers de kaap van 350.000 verkochte tickets voor de tournee waarmee hij sinds 2014 door Europa trekt. Het concert maakte deel uit van zijn 60 YEARS OF MUSIC WORLD TOUR. De productie – met meer dan 200 muzikanten en zangers op het podium – was in heel het continent goed voor uitverkochte zalen en kon steevast op staande ovaties en lovende woorden in de media rekenen. In België werden er op amper twee jaar tijd meer dan 32.000 tickets verkocht voor de concerten in Brussel (Paleis 12), Antwerpen (Sportpaleis) en de twee openluchtconcerten in Gent (Sint-Pietersplein). “Ik ben iedereen die mijn concerten bijwoonde bijzonder dankbaar. Het schrijven van filmmuziek zal altijd mijn eerste grote liefde blijven, en het raakt me echt als ik zie hoeveel mensen mijn muziek live en in haar meest pure vorm willen horen”, wist Morricone ons te vertellen. Morricone werd al talloze keren in de bloemetjes gezet voor zijn werk voor The Hateful Eight in 2016, onder meer met een Academy Award, een Golden Globe, een BAFTA Award en een New York Film Critics Circle Award. Ennio Morricone schreef al meer dan 500 soundtracks voor film en televisie. De soundtracks voor Once Upon a Time in the West, A Fistful of Dollars, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, The Untouchables en The Mission behoren tot zijn meest beroemde werken.  Sint-Pietersplein, Gent / Photo © Ignas Eeltinck “Ennio Morricone is een levende legende en de eerste filmcomponist die zo populair is. Het is een hele eer om hem deze award te mogen uitreiken. We stellen vast dat steeds meer concertgangers interesse tonen voor filmmuziek als volwaardig genre, en ook andere componisten vertolken steeds vaker hun werk live en in grootschalige producties. Een ongelooflijke verwezenlijking waar Morricone zeker erkenning voor verdient”, aldus concertorganisator Floris Douwes van GEA Live.
Op 7 oktober verschijnt bij Decca Records Morricone 60, het eerste album met Morricone’s grootste successen dat door de componist zelf gedirigeerd, opgenomen en samengesteld werd. Zo wil hij zijn fans verder van zijn nalatenschap laten genieten.  Vandaag brengt de crossover industrial metal band Spankraght hun eerste single ‘Nitro’ uit.
‘Nitro’ is een mix van pompende dancce ritmes en Zwaar gitaargeweld en veel electronica. Voor deze release werkte de band samen met de Noorse Jørgen Munkeby, frontman van blackjazz masters Shinning. Dit is dance, metal en jazz in één nummer. Vanwege de steeds voortdurende volume oorlogen werd ‘Nitro’ gemastered met een DR9 norm die minder luid is maar meer dynamics bevat. Spankraght steunt de volume bewustzijn initiatieven zoals zoals Dynamic Range Day. Als je het luider wil gebruik je de volumeknop maar… DR9 is in weze nog steeds te luid maar de band neemt kleine stappen in de oorlog tegen geluidsoverlast. Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-6dkyVlxmE SPANKRAGHT: werd opgerincht in 2015 is het product van twee muzikale partners die wilden afwijken van de traditionele rock/metalband bezetting en iets totaal nieuws wilden creëren zonder restricties. Het werd een project met invloeden uit de metal, drum and bass, industrial, synthwave, pop en zoveel meer. Links: www.facebook.com/spankraght www.twitter.com/spankraght www.instagram.com/spankraght www.soundcloud.com/spankraght  De legendarische progressieve rockband Kansas zal hun nieuw album ‘The Prelude Implicit’ op 223 september uitbrengen. Het album is het eerste nieuwe album in zestien jaar tijd. Kansas verkocht wereldwijd meer dan dertig miljoen albums en is beroemd geworden met hits als ‘Carry On Wayward Son’ en ‘Dust In The Wind’ en de progressieve rock nummers als ‘Song For America’ en ‘Miracles Out Of Nowhere’. ‘The Prelude Implicit’ zal tien nummers tellen geschreven en co-produced door Zak Rizvi, Phil Ehart en Richard Williams. Kansas hun typische sound is kenmerkend voor het album en brengt Ronnie Platt’s vocaal werk samen met David Ragsdale schitterend vioolspel weer tot leven. William’s en Rizvi’s gitaarwerk en David Manioni’s B3 orgel en toetsenwerk mocht niet ontbreken en wordt aan elkaar gereigd door Ehart’s drumwerk op de gedreven bas van Billy Greer. Kansas dook in januari 2016 terug de studio in nadat ze bij Inside Out Music een contract ondertekende. Inside Out oprichter is trots om het nieuwe album van Amerika’s grootste en meest succesvolle prog-rockband te mogen uitbrengen. Het eindreultaat was hoger dan de band zelf verwacht had en is een typisch Kansas album waarop de originele gitarist Richard Williams zijn terugkeer maakt. Of het nu gaat om de prog epic song ‘The Voyage Of Eight Eighteen’ de rocker ‘Rhythm In The Spirit’ of de ballad ‘The Unsung Heroes’ er is altijd wel iets te vinden op het album dat menig Kansas fan zal aanspreken. Kansas zelf is ook laaiend enthousiast over dit nieuwe album! De album titel ‘The Prelude Implicit’ betekent zoveel als een nieuw begin zonder enige twijfel. Tatoo artiest Denise de la Cerda maakte het olieschilderij voor de cover die een feniks toont die van het verleden naar de toekomst vliegt. ‘The Prelude Implicit’ komt uit op 23 september via Inside Out en wordt verdeelt door RED. Het album zal verkrijgbaar zijn op CD, dubbel 180 gr vinyl en digitaal via iTunes en Google Play. Voor bestellingen zullen later deze zomer kunnen gebeuren via KansasBand.com en Amazon.com.
 De progressieve metal band Sunburst heeft zonet de nieuwe video van het nummer ‘Lullaby’ online geplaatst. Het hoog geprezen debuut album ‘Fragments Of Creation’ van deze Griekse metallers kwam uit op 26 februari in Europa en Noord Amerika via Inner Wound Recordings.
Link naar de music video: https://youtu.be/Kn4C1x2QSxw Review van het album ‘Fragments Of creation’ http://www.keysandchords.com/cd-metals-blog/sunburst-fragments-of-creation  In support of their critically acclaimed 3rd album release, Japanese Prog legends Yuka & Chronoship have started an US($) Indiegogo Campaign for their new video! https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/let-s-enchant-with-yuka-chronoship-s-music-video#/ The Project In September, 2015, Yuka & Chronoship made their UK debut with their 3rd album, “The 3rd Planetary Chronicles”. Since then, there have been so many requests for the album's music video from the fans and the media overseas, that the band now decided to make the music video to extend their popularity. The Details on the Project Yuka & Chronoship is a Japanese progressive rock band whose 3rd album, “The 3rd Planetary Chronicles”, released on Cherry Red Records in the UK in September 2015, garnered rave reviews worldwide. Yuka & Chronoship is the first Japanese artist to release its album on a large independent label in the UK, the birthplace of progressive rock, ahead of a domestic release in Japan. Since its release, the album has received enthusiastic responses, especially in UK and other European countries, where the album has been rated with four and five stars from the media. In no more than two weeks after the release, the CD's first pressing had sold out and was picked up by more than 70 radio stations and internet media outlets. Says the band, “As there have been mounting requests for the album's music video especially from the overseas media, the band now decided to make its music video to expand its popularity overseas. With your support, we want to create an attractive music video that enchants the whole world, and mark the beginning of a new chronicle that puts Yuka & Chronoship on the center stage of the world's progressive rock scene!” About the Music Video The music video that we want to make through this funding opportunity is intended to go beyond the category of “music video” primarily comprised of scenes of performance. It should be a visual work of art that delivers the worldview of the music. The video's production director is Masako Gomado, a reputed VFX artist that had worked in a variety of visual media including Japan's national TV network's long running, one year long drama series and the movie, “20th Century Boy”. The art work is provided by Oda Hideji, the manga artist and illustrator that created the excellent artwork for the band's 3rd album. The music video should be a highly creative attempt to present the worldview of “Galileo II – Copernican Theory” through the collaboration of music, artwork, and VFX! Masako Gomado http://www.masakogomado.com/#!homejp/c1863 Hideji Oda http://www.odahideji.com/profile.html *This site is only available in Japanese. About the Band Yuka & Chronoship was formed in 2009, and is led by Yuka Funakoshi, a rare female artist in the genre, and consists of three other leading studio musicians in Japan: Shun Taguchi, Takashi Miyazawa, and Ikko Tanaka. Yuka Funakoshi (Keyboard/Vocal/Composition) - As a singer-songwriter, Yuka had released three J-pop albums from Pioneer LDC and Sony; Shun Taguchi (Bass/Keyboard/Producer) - He has been working as a producer of Yuka Funakoshi since her debut, and had also worked as a producer of Princess Princess, a five-piece Japanese pop/rock girl band. He is also a reputed lyricist in Japan; Ikko Tanaka (Drum) - Ikko had worked as a tour and session drummer of B'z, a Japanese rock duo; Takashi Miyazawa (Guitar/Mix) - Takashi had worked as a studio musician for some projects led by Masataka Matsutoya, a Japanese arranger, composer, music producer. Yuka & Chronoship's 1st album, “Water Reincarnation”, was released in June 2011, and their 2nd album, “Dino Rocket Oxygen”, in April 2013 in 31 countries from the French progressive label, Musea. Since 2009 when the band was formed, Yuka & Chronoship has been periodically playing mainly at live music clubs in Tokyo. In May 2013, the band appeared at Prog'Sud 2013, an annual progressive rock festival held in Marseille, France. In August 2014, the band was featured at Festival Crescendo 2014 in St.Palais-sur-Mer, France. In September 2015, Yuka & Chronoship will play at 2Days Prog+1 2015/Veruno Prog Fes in Italy. To purchase Yuka & Chronoship's “The 3rd Planetary Chronicles”: Amazon: http://geni.us/jUt iTunes: http://geni.us/3Pxb Cherry Red: http://www.cherryred.co.uk/product/the-3rd-planetary-chronicles/ For more information - The 3rd Planetary Chronicles: http://omp-company.com/chronoship/ |
