​Gisteren is zangeres Phyllis McGuire op 89-jarige leeftijd overleden. Phyllis maakte in de jaren vijftig en zestig van de vorige eeuw furore als lid van The McGuire Sisters. Het zangtrio The McGuire Sisters bestond uit de zussen Christine, Dorothy 'Dottie' en Phyllis McGuire. De drie zusjes zongen al op jonge leeftijd samen in het kerkkoor. In 1949 werd het trio ingehuurd door het Amerikaanse leger en toerden de zussen door verschillende ziekenhuizen en kazernen. In deze periode breidden The McGuire Sisters hun repertoire uit naar meerdere muziekstijlen. Nadat het trio de tournee had beëindigd, gingen de zussen in 1951 optreden in de talentenshow van Arthur Godfrey. Godfrey was enthousiast en nam het drietal op in zijn ochtendprogramma, waarin de drie zeven jaar lang optraden. Ondertussen kregen The McGuire Sisters van Milt Gabler een contract aangeboden bij Decca Records. In 1954 scoorde het trio een Top 10 hit in de VS met het nummer 'Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight', een cover van The Spaniels. Hierna volgden grote hits als 'Muskrat Ramble', 'It May Sound Silly', 'Something's Gotta Give', 'He/If You Believe', 'Picnic' en 'May You Always'. Met de singles 'Sincerely' (1955) en 'Sugartime' (1957) bereikten The McGuire Sisters de eerste plaats van de Amerikaanse hitlijst. Vanaf 1965 werden de successen minder en drie jaar later nam het trio afscheid van het publiek met een optreden in 'The Ed Sullivan Show'. In het midden van de jaren zeventig volgde nog een kortstondige reünie. Phyllis was het laatste nog levende lid van The McGuire Sisters. Zij ruste in vrede!
 
Met dank aan Leo Weijers.

​Gisteren is de Amerikaanse saxofonist Alto Reed op 72-jarige leeftijd overleden. Reed, die geboren werd als Thomas Neal Cartmell, werkte ruim veertig jaar samen met Bob Seger in zijn Sliver Bullet Band. Tot zijn meest indrukwekkende prestaties worden zijn saxofoonsolo's in de nummers 'Turn The Page' en 'Old Time Rock And Roll' gerekend. Reed nam ook twee soundtracks voor films van Jeff Daniels op en werkte daarnaast samen met Foghat, Grand Funk Railroad, Little Feat, Otis Rush, Enchantment, Jamie Oldaker, George Terry, Dave Mason, Spencer Davis, Tico Torres, Dan Aykroyd, James Belushi, The Blues Brothers, The Ventures, George Thorogood, Robin Gibb en de Roemeense band Holograf. Als lid van Seger's Silver Bullet Band speelde Reed mee op succesalbums als 'Live Bullet' (1976), 'Night Moves' (1976), 'Stranger In Town' (1978), 'Against The Wind' (1980), 'Nine Tonight' (1981), 'The Distance' (1982) en op grote hits als 'Night Moves', 'Main Street', 'Still The Same', 'Hollywood Nights', 'Fire Lake', 'Against The Wind', 'Shame On The Moon' en 'Shakedown'. De laatste jaren trad Reed op met artiesten als Dave Mason, Steven Tyler, Pat Simmons & Michael McDonald (Doobie Brothers), Fergie, Danny D, Lynda Carter en Alice Cooper. Alto Reed ruste in vrede!
 
Met dank aan Leo Weijers.

​Mexican singer-songwriter Armando Manzanero, famed for his romantic ballads that were sung by a number of international stars, has died, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Monday. He was 85.
During a seven-decade career, Manzanero won a Grammy, recorded dozens of albums, scored numerous films and composed more than 400 songs, including Somos Novios (We're Lovers) and Contigo Aprendi (With You, I Learned).
Lopez Obrador, who announced Manzanero's death during a news conference, expressed great regret at his passing, and brought the media gathering to a premature end.
Born on December 7, 1935 in Mexico's Yucatan state, Manzanero was hospitalized in December after contracting Covid-19, his family said.
The prolific writer of ballads and boleros began studying music as a child and wrote his first tune aged 15, kicking off a long career that in 2014 made him the first Mexican artist to win a Grammy award.
Somos Novios made Billboard magazine's list of 50 best songs in the history of Latin music.
Renowned singers Andrea Bocelli, Elvis Presley, Celia Cruz, Frank Sinatra, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are among the many people who performed his works, and the late Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez once called Manzanero "one of the greatest current poets of the Spanish language".
Manzanero recognized his talent for infusing his melodies with romantic longing.
"The best language for love is song," he once said in an interview. "Just as the lungs need air, romance needs a song."

​Tierra posted the sad news today on its Facebook page:
It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Rudy Salas, the leader and co-founder of Tierra, early this morning. We have lost our rock, our creative spirit, husband, father, grandfather (and soon to be great-grandfather), uncle, brother and leader of Tierra whose history spans nearly 5 decades. Millions have enjoyed Tierra's music and we are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love and support we have received from close friends, supporters and family. Because of the pandemic, we cannot immediately announce funeral arrangements but we will keep you informed in the future. In the meantime, please respect the privacy of the family and band members as we grieve. Please keep us in your prayers and thoughts in this difficult time.
Sincerely,
The Salas and Tierra Family
After working as part of the popular group El Chicano, Rudy and Steve Salas formed Tierra in the early 70s as a full bodied R&B band, with additional members Rudy Villa, Kenny Román, Conrad Lazano, Aaron Ballesteros, Alfred Rubaclava and Leon Bisquera. They recorded a couple albums that had regional success, but broke out in 1980 with a harmony-filled cover of the 1967 Intruders hit "Together" (which also had a piece of “Cowboys to Girls” thrown in at the end). https://youtu.be/sj-UxJwBXuo It became the group's signature song, hitting the upper registers of both the pop and R&B charts.
Tierra followed it with another Philly soul cover, charting on a nice version "La La Means I Love You".
The band continued with some lower charting hits into the 90s, before breaking off into two groups (one led by Rudy and one by Steve). However, in the new century, Tierra found new life, recording on occasion and performing often, particularly in California. In 2016, the group (which had sadly lost several members to death) released “Merry Christmas My Love,” which became a favorite among SoulTrackers. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic earlier this year substantially hurt Tierra, leaving members without gigs, and leading to a GoFundMe effort for the band.
Over the past decade there developed a newfound appreciation for Tierra's pioneering work bridging R&B and Latin styles and opening doors for Latino artists to have a place in pop and R&B formats.
As requested by the Salas family, we will be keeping them in our prayers, even as we remember one of the smoothest soul songs of its time.

​Identified Flying Object werd geboren als duo met jong stokkengeweld Attila Gyárfas, dé drummer bij uitstek van de bruisende jazz- en impro-scène van Boedapest. Nu presenteert het gezelschap als herboren trio met Ralph Alessi hun nieuwe album ‘Identified Flying Object’ op W.E.R.F. Records. Hun muziek, een mix van lyrische composities en improvisaties die op de grens liggen tussen filmmuziek, minimalisme en soundscaping, kan je het best beschrijven als een trip door de ruimte.
 
Het gaat erg snel voor de jonge Belgisch-Japanse pianist/componist Alex Koo, die momenteel hoge toppen scheert als opkomend toptalent in binnen- en buitenland. Onlangs werd zijn CD ‘Appleblueseagreen‘, met Amerikaanse grootheden Ralph Alessi en Mark Turner, bejubeld door het wereldbefaamde Downbeat Jazz Magazine en verkozen in hun lijst van ‘Best Albums of 2019‘, met 4 sterren en de woorden ”Stunningly original“. Vooral de klik met ECM-icoon Alessi was zo bijzonder (Downbeat: "the monster trumpeter who hails from a separate world altogether") dat een verdere samenwerking tussen de twee onvermijdelijk was.

Fairport Convention has collected together its recordings created for Alan Simon’s various rock operas, including Excalibur: The Celtic Rock Opera, on a ‘catch all’ release for fans to buy the recordings in one place.   
 
The band previously made this compilation available to its fans, but this mainstream release adds three tracks including a previously unreleased studio recording ‘Goodbye My Friends’.
 
Simon Nicol described working on the songs: “Fairport Convention don’t often get asked to collaborate on outside projects, but none have been more exciting and artistically rewarding than those inspired by Alan Simon. One of the musical highlights of my professional life - and some of the most enjoyable times on and off stage. It’s great to have Fame and Glory as a souvenir of happy times.“
 
Dave Pegg said of the release “I am so pleased to see this great album available again but with bonus tracks. It was such a joy to record and play on these lovely songs with some of my favourite musicians. Do get hold of a copy - it will make a nice Xmas prezzie!”
 
The line-up on this compilation is: Gerry Conway (drums and percussion), Dave Pegg (bass guitar), Simon Nicol (guitars, vocals), Ric Sanders (violin) and Chris Leslie (vocals, bouzouki, mandolin and violin).
 
Fame and Glory features the special guests: Martin Barre, John Wetton, John Helliwell, Dan Ar Braz, Alan Simon, Pat O’May, Andreas Vollenweider, Laurent Tixier, Jacqui McShee, James Wood & Dave Mattacks.
 
French musician Alan Simon, creator of the rock operas, described the release: “This has got all the famous songs from my collaborations with Fairport Convention.  This album is considered some of Fairport at its best.”
​

​Five days from the end of 2020, the music world is once again in shock. In the early morning of this Saturday, December 26, the Puerto Rican salsa singer Julio César Rojas López, known as Tito Rojas, passed away. I had 65 years and would have suffered a heart attack.
Relatives of the musician found her body on the ground, no vital signs, on the balcony of a house in the Tejas neighborhood of Humacao, on the east coast of Puerto Rico. Was Jessica Rojas, one of the salsero’s daughters, who confirmed his death. In dialogue with the radio Salsoul FM, the woman gave the details of her father’s death.
Tito Rojas had a wide musical career of which “The salsa rooster“, “I will always be” and “Lady of dawn“. They are some of his most remembered songs. With a memorable career, he shone on different stages in Latin America and the world.

​Bluegrass guitarist Tony Rice, regarded as one of the all-time greats of the genre, has died aged 69.
The musician passed suddenly on December 25, according to his former label Rounder Records. Rice was widely celebrated for his skill as a flatpicker, a fast-paced style of guitar playing, as well as his highly influential style which was itself indebted to jazz.
Rice, who grew up in California before moving to Kentucky, released his first album ‘Guitar’ in 1973, later writing and recording as a band with the Tony Rice Unit and the Bluegrass Album Band.
His collaborations over the years ranged from The Grateful Dead’s Jerry Garcia to guitarist Norman Blake and mandolin player David Grisman.
Rice was diagnosed with dysphonia in 1994, which prevented him from singing for most of the rest of his life. The musician made his last ever public guitar performance at the 2013 International Bluegrass Music Association’s Hall of Fame.
Tributes have poured in from a number of major names who were inspired by Rice’s playing, including Steve Martin and Jason Isbell.
“Aw, Tony Rice,” Martin wrote in reaction to the news, also tweeting to share one of his favourite Rice performances. “A name I’ve known my whole life. A great musician.”
Isbell called him “the king of the flatpicked flattop guitar,” adding: “His influence cannot possibly be overstated. If you aren’t familiar with his music, please look it up. I don’t know if a person can make anything more beautiful. #RIPTonyRice”

Leslie West, born Leslie Weinstein, has passed away at the age of 75 from cardiac arrest. The iconic guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and storyteller has left a legacy that to this day is celebrated by peers and fans across the world.

Weinstein was born in New York City, and first emerged in the scene as a member of The Vagrants. A few years later he and Felix Pappalardi formed Mountain, a band that was amongst the first to pioneer the genre later to become known as Heavy Metal. Hits that include “Mississippi Queen,” “Theme From An Imaginary Western,” and others established an indelible voice and guitar tone that remains legendary to this day. In 1969, West brought his presence to the stage at Woodstock.

As the decade turned, he formed West, Bruce and Laing with his band-mate from Mountain drummer Corky Laing and Cream’s Jack Bruce. In, 1971 West contributed to The Who’s Who’s Next sessions in the city; performances which can be heard on the 1995 and 2003 reissues of that cornerstone album.

Alongside his significant contribution to pop culture as the face of Mountain, West appeared in films that include Family Honor (1973) and The Money Pit (1986).  He was a regular guest on the Howard Stern Show, and over the course of decades remained a periodic visitor alongside enjoying a decades-long friendship with the talk show host.

West was inducted in to the Long Island Music Hall of Fame in 2006, and appeared on dozens of other recordings from a vast universe of artists. Samples of his performances lived a secondary life on the masters of a who’s who of hip-hop and rap stars.

The guitarist is renowned for helping popularize the Gibson Les Paul Jr. model with P-90 pick-ups to create a tone that is undisputedly his own. More recently, he enjoyed a long relationship with Dean Guitars, releasing several signature models.

Leslie West is survived by his wife Jenni, whom he married on stage after Mountain’s performance at the Woodstock 40th Anniversary concert in Bethel, NY on August 15, 2009. And, brother Larry and nephew Max.
​
From 1964 through today, few artists have left a more significant mark on music as we know it. Guitarists across the globe together will unite in sadness as the world says goodbye to a true original.
​

​Today we say a sad goodbye to John Fletcher, a.k.a. “Ecstasy,” vocalist and co-founder of the hip hop group Whodini. He was 56.
Started in the early 80s in Brooklyn by Fletcher, vocalist Jalil Hutchins and turntable artist DJ Drew Carter, a.k.a. Grandmaster Dee, Whodini was one of the first rap groups to add R&B twist to their music, thus laying the foundation for a new genre - new jack swing. The group made its name with good-humored songs such as "Magic's Wand" (the first rap song accompanied by a video), "The Haunted House of Rock", "Friends", "Five Minutes Of Funk" and "Freaks Come Out at Night".
To call Whodini a smash would understate the immenseness of their popularity during the 1980s and 90s. They issued six studio albums – four of which were certified platinum – and boasted more than a dozen Billboard hit singles..
Whodini was among the first hip hop groups to cultivate a high-profile national following for hip hop music and made significant inroads on urban radio. Their accessible songs, clever videos and well-regarded concerts made Whodini hip-hop royalty, and one of the most iconic groups in the genre’s history.
Whodini stopped recording by the turn of the century, but continued to tour from time to time, even as their music has remained a staple for a generation of fans, who will no doubt mourn the loss of this pioneering group member at such a young age. Rest in peace.

​De Frans-Israëlische zangeres Rika Zaraï, in Nederland vooral bekend van haar hits 'Exodus' (1961), 'Yerushala'im Shel Zahav (Jerusalem)' (1967) en 'Alors Je Chante' (1969), is op 82-jarige leeftijd overleden. Dat maakte de Israëlische ambassade in Frankrijk gisteren in een tweet bekend. Zaraï zong in het Hebreeuws, Engels, Frans, Italiaans, Spaans en Duits. Rika werd in februari 1938 in Jeruzalem als kind van een Joodse pioniersfamilie geboren. In Frankrijk behaalde de zangeres grote successen in de jaren zestig en zeventig met titels als 'Casatchock' en eigen interpretaties van 'Hava Nagila' en 'Tournez Maneges'. In de jaren tachtig schakelde Rika over naar het schrijven over de voordelen van natuurlijke geneeskunde. Haar hit 'Yerushala'im Shel Zahav', dat 'Jeruzalem, stad van goud' betekent, werd in 1967, na de hereniging van Jeruzalem in de Zesdaagse Oorlog, uitgebracht, maar pas een jaar later een hit. Haar hit 'Alors Je Chante' was een cover van 'Vivo Cantando', het winnende Spaanse songfestivalliedje dat jaar van Salomé. Ook de hit 'Dinge-Dong' van Teach-In werd door Zaraï gecoverd en heette 'Le Petit Train'. In 2008 raakte Rika's linkerzijde van haar lichaam verlamd door een beroerte. Na een lange onderbreking op het podium zong Rika bij Folies-Bergères in Parijs. In een rolstoel zong zij het nummer 'Prague' tijdens het evenement 'Night of the Depression', gevolgd door een daverend applaus van het publiek. Rika Zaraï ruste in vrede!
 
Met dank aan Leo Weijers.

​“On behalf of the Lionel Hampton Estate, including the Lionel Hampton Big Band, we are thrilled and honored to learn the Grammy® Board of Trustees has awarded Lionel Hampton a Lifetime Achievement Award. May his “Good Vibes” live on forever.”

Said Timothy Francis, Manager of the Lionel Hampton Estate. Mr. Francis and the Francis family not only represent the Estate, but were also very close to Lionel Hampton during his life. Tim has been safeguarding Hamp’s original, authentic Jazz legacy, in addition to managing the Band, during the 20 years since Lionel’s passing. 
Mr. Francis was delighted to receive a personal call from the Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy, Harvey Mason jr., announcing the amazing news.

Great News for the New Lionel Hampton Big Band too!

•  Sold Out their 6 nights at Birdland NY in February 2020
•  Reached No. 7 on the National Jazz Chart the same week
•  Debuted new CD “Live at Rossmoor” on Alfi® Records.

For more detailed information about the Band and this Award, please contact:
Christian Fabian, Band Co-Leader: 1 646 522 4120 
[email protected]

For Booking: 
Frank Vardaros: [email protected]

Thank you to the Academy; Thank you to Doc Lynn Skinner, a great friend of Hamp’s, and the Band Members: Jason Marsalis, Christian Fabian, Lance Bryant, Cleave Guyton, Marshall McDonald, Jerry Weldon, Robert Trowers, Alex Jeun, Jeff Nelson, Anibal Martinez, John Mark McGowan, Reggie Pitman, Vinnie Cutro,  David F. Gibson, Ray Gallon, Kunihiko Mikami, James Stewart, Freddie Maxwell, Willlard Dyson, Dave Schumacher, Mark Gross, Bruce Williams, Jimmy Owens, Steve Armour, Doug Miller, Adam Brenner, Sam Burtis, Patrick “Face” Rickman, Clarence Banks, Patience Higgins, Stafford Hunter

Gisteren is K.T. Oslin op 78-jarige leeftijd overleden. De countryzangeres leed aan de ziekte van Parkinson en testte een week eerder positief op het coronavirus, bevestigde een vriend van haar.
Oslin, geboren als Kay Toinette Oslin, debuteerde in 1987 op 45-jarige leeftijd met het album 80's Ladies. Het bereikte de eerste plek in de countryhitlijst van de Verenigde Staten.
Met het titelnummer van het album was Oslin een jaar later de eerste vrouw die de Country Music Award voor het beste countrynummer won.
Oslin won in haar carrière drie Grammy's. Een voor het beste liveoptreden in 1988 en in het jaar erna later twee voor het nummer Hold Me.
Het werk van Oslin werd gecoverd door meerdere artiesten, onder wie Dusty Springfield. In 2018 werd Oslin opgenomen in de Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

FANDROSS presents A 25th Anniversary Celebration of Luther Vandross’ This Is Christmas. This event is to celebrate Luther Vandross’ 1995 TV special and Platinum holiday album This Is Christmas with special performances and tributes from an array of special guests.
​
www.luthervandross.com

​On Wednesday, December 16, the mural of Whitney was unveiled at 45 William Street in her hometown of Newark New Jersey. Pictured with the mural is artist Maude Lemaire.

The mural is the second of five that the Grammy Museum Experience at the Prudential Center has brought to Newark by collaborating with other city groups. The 19 feet by 28 feet mural features more than 1,000 pounds of hand-cut glass in a mosaic.

PETER JACKSON REVEALS SNEAK PEEK OF HIS UPCOMING MUSIC DOCUMENTARY “THE BEATLES: GET BACK” ONLINE AND STREAMING ON DISNEY+

Feature-Length Film Opens in Theatres August 27, 2021.
​
Acclaimed filmmaker Peter Jackson has released an exclusive sneak peek of his upcoming documentary “The Beatles: Get Back” for fans everywhere to enjoy.
The 5-minute special look is available to fans worldwide on TheBeatles.com and streaming on Disney+.
Jackson said, “We wanted to give the fans of The Beatles all over the world a holiday treat, so we put together this five-minute sneak peek at our upcoming theatrical film ‘The Beatles: Get Back.’ We hope it will bring a smile to everyone’s faces and some much-needed joy at this difficult time.”
Acclaimed filmmaker Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” is a unique cinematic experience that takes audiences back in time to The Beatles’ intimate recording sessions during a pivotal moment in music history. The film showcases the warmth, camaraderie and creative genius that defined the legacy of the iconic foursome. Shot in January 1969 and compiled from over 60 hours of unseen footage (filmed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg) and more than 150 hours of unheard audio, all of which has been brilliantly restored, “The Beatles: Get Back” is the story of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr as they plan their first live show in over two years and charts the writing and rehearsing of 14 new songs, originally intended for release on an accompanying live album. The film features – for the first time in its entirety – The Beatles' last live performance as a group, the unforgettable rooftop concert on London’s Savile Row as well as other songs and classic compositions featured on the band’s final two albums, Abbey Road and Let It Be.
An exciting new collaboration between The Beatles and three-time Oscar®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson (“The Lord of the Rings” trilogy, “They Shall Not Grow Old”) presented by The Walt Disney Studios in association with Apple Corps Ltd. and WingNut Films Productions Ltd., “The Beatles: Get Back” is directed by Jackson, produced by Jackson, Clare Olssen (“They Shall Not Grow Old”) and Jonathan Clyde (“Eight Days A Week”), with Ken Kamins (“The Hobbit” trilogy) and Apple Corps’ Jeff Jones (“Eight Days A Week”) serving as executive producers. Jabez Olssen (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) serves as the film’s editor, and the music is mixed by Giles Martin (“Rocketman”) and Sam Okell (“Yesterday”). 
#TheBeatlesGetBack

​Chad Stuart was born David Stuart Chadwick (December 10, 1941 - December 20, 2020) in Windermere, Westmorland. Stuart, the bespectacled half of the British Invasion-era Chad and Jeremy, has died of pneumonia. He turned 79 a few days ago.
Stuart retired in 2016 while Clyde continues to tour and record as a solo artist. Jeremy Clyde was born Michael Thomas Jeremy Clyde (March 22, 1941) was born in Dorney, Buckinghamshire. He and Chad Stuart met while attending London's Central School of Speech and Drama. Chad & Jeremy began working in 1962 and had its first hit song in the UK with "Yesterday's Gone". That song became a hit in the United States in the following year as part of the British Invasion.
Chad taught Jeremy to play the guitar and by 1962 they were performing together as a folk-music duo. They also formed a sideline project, a rock & roll band called the Jerks. After graduating from drama school, both musical groups were abandoned when Clyde left for Scotland to work for a short period at Dundee Repertory Theatre and Stuart worked in the music industry as a copyist and apprentice arranger. When Clyde returned, the pair resumed their folk act. Unlike the rock-music sounds of their peers, Chad & Jeremy performed in a soft, folk-inflected style that is characterized by hushed and whispered vocals.
The duo had a string of hits in the United States, including "Willow Weep for Me", "Before and After", and their biggest hit, "A Summer Song". After some commercial failures and divergent personal ambitions, Chad & Jeremy disbanded in 1968. Chad Stuart continued to work in the music industry while Jeremy Clyde became a film and stage actor. In the early 1980s, the duo reunited to record a new album and perform concerts, including a multi-band British Invasion nostalgia tour. After another long period of separation, in the early 2000s, Chad & Jeremy began performing again and developed a semi-regular schedule of touring for many years.
Chad & Jeremy frequently performed in London at a basement coffeehouse called Tina's, where they were discovered by John Barry. The influential composer quickly got them a contract with a small British record label, Ember. Their first single was "Yesterday's Gone", a Stuart composition that became their only hit record in the UK, reaching No. 37 in December 1963.

Fans van Bruce Springsteen kunnen in het nieuwe jaar hun hart ophalen aan acht live-shows van The Boss met zijn E Street Band. Begin februari verschijnt een 24-delige cd-box met concerten uit 1978, zo maakte Bruce op Instagram bekend.

​Het gaat om optredens die Bruce gaf ten tijde van het verschijnen van Darkness At The Edge Of Town. Dat album verscheen in 1978. Samen met zijn begeleidingsband gaf The Boss concerten die door radiostations werden opgenomen. De concerten werden tussen juli en december '78 opgenomen en uitgezonden.
​
Het gaat om optredens in Los Angeles, Cleveland, Houston en Atlanta. Verder staan er twee registraties op van de concerten in Passaic en San Francisco.
Vorige maand verscheen Letter To You, de laatste studioplaat van Bruce Springsteen.

Carl Mann was the “Last Son of Sun,” one of the final artists that Sam Phillips introduced to the world. A child prodigy from West Tennessee, Mann arrived in Phillips’ orbit at the end of the Sun Records founder’s golden run in the 1950s. The teenaged Mann would hit the charts with his galloping rockabilly redux of "Mona Lisa" in 1959. Mann died Wednesday at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital in Jackson, Tennessee. He was 78. 

A lanky dark-haired figure with a mellifluous voice, Mann sometimes mused that he was born a little too late to have been part of Phillips’ all-star roster of acts earlier in the era, which included Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

“If I'd have been a little older, I probably would've been more in the heyday of it," Mann recalled in a 2011 interview with The Commercial Appeal. "I came right on the tail end of the Sun era. And everybody, most of the guys — Elvis, Cash — had left except for Charlie Rich."
But Mann would ultimately achieve his own global renown, becoming an icon of the 1970s rockabilly revival in Europe and be enshrined in the International Rockabilly Hall of Fame. 

Born near Huntingdon, Tennessee, Mann was just a kid — who’d grown up on church music and the Grand Ole Opry — when he began to make his name in nearby Jackson.

​"When I was 11 years old, I started playing talent shows down there. I hung around guys who were a little bit older than I was. I had my first band I was about 12, but I couldn't drive," said Mann. "I ended up making my first recording on the Jaxson label when I was 14."

Cut in 1957, Mann's Jaxson debut was called "Gonna Rock And Roll Tonight,” which found the boy rocker taking his cues from The King. " I was playing country music mostly, and maybe some blues-sounding songs," recalled Mann. "But when Elvis came out, I started doing a lot of his stuff, and then I eventually developed my own style."

The talents that emerged from the Memphis and the Mid-South during that era — among them Elvis and Carl Perkins — drew their music from similar sources. Mann would often note that there was literally a confluence of music in the air at the time. 

"I think we all had access to a lot of different types of things: blues, country, gospel and even jazz,” Mann observed. "See, we could get the jazz out of a couple radio stations out of New Orleans. We'd get blues from the stations out of Memphis, and then country from Nashville. Also, back then, some of the old camp-meeting gospel songs you'd hear were rocked up. It seemed to all work together."

Mann's career took a fateful turn when he met and began playing with Carl Perkins' drummer, and future Johnny Cash trapsman, W.S. "Fluke" Holland (Holland died in September at the age of 85). 

"He knew Sam [Phillips], so he got me an audition at Sun,” recalled Mann, who arrived at the studio in late 1958. “We went there, put down two songs. Sam wasn't there; Jack Clement was the A&R man, and he said he would play it for Sam.”

Mann’s standout song was a revved-up take on the Nat King Cole ballad "Mona Lisa." "That would be a pop-a-billy song, I guess," Mann would offer. "That’s where you take a pop song and rock it up, and turn it into a rockabilly number." 

Mann was able to audience test the tune even before its release.  “We broke it out at a gig one night in at a roadhouse across the from Kentucky state line," he remembered. “We started doing it slow, and the kids wanted something fast to dance to. We had about eight requests to do it again. I figured that might be the one we was looking for." 

Phillips was initially unconvinced of the tune’s hit potential but was moved to release the song after Mann’s fellow Southern rocker, Conway Twitty, put out his own cover and it began to gain traction at radio. 

Mann’s recording would reach No. 25 on the Billboard pop charts and might’ve gone higher, had it not had to compete with Twitty’s version, which topped out at No. 29. Still, Mann's “Mona Lisa,” released on Sam Phillips' new Phillips imprint, ultimately became a million-seller. 

​Mann would follow-up with another peppy cover of a Nat King Cole song, "Pretend," which also charted. Though Mann went on to release half a dozen other singles and an LP for Phillips, he would never quite find the Top 40 again.

He went on to tour with Carl Perkins’ band in the early '60s, before being drafted into the Army in 1964. "By the time I got back out of the service, the music had changed," says Mann, who returned to civilian life in 1967. "The Beatles were hot, and The Monkees and bands like that."

​After his discharge, Mann cut one single for the Monument label, and then began to recede from the music industry. He soon got married and went to work in his family's lumber business in Huntingdon.

"Every once in a while, I'd break loose and do something in music," recalled Mann, who made some recordings for ABC/Dot in the mid-'70s, with a 1976 version of the Platters’ “Twilight Time” becoming a small hit on the country charts. 

It wasn't until a rockabilly revival took hold in Europe in the late '70s that Mann returned to music more seriously. "It really did surprise me when I first started going to Europe," said Mann of the wildly enthusiastic audiences he encountered. "It was almost like going back in time to go there and do shows, because they would come dressed in '50s attire. It really felt good. Felt like I was 16 again. Of course, every time I play, I feel like I'm 16 again."
​
Mann would record and perform for the next few decades — remaining a favorite on the roots and rockabilly festival circuit — in between periodic retirements from the stage. After dealing with some health problems in the late-'00s, he returned to performing in 2011. That year a book about Mann’s life, “The Last Son of Sun,” was published and he put out a self-titled album in 2012. 

Plans for a memorial service are pending. 

​“The Phoenix Has Risen” represents the work of drummer/songwriter Mark Murdock whose previous works included Cymbalic Encounters (With Brand X musicians) and Empire (Peter Banks of YES) and most recently The New Empire “Second Lifetime” release on Forward Motion Records. Mark was also a guest on the YES 50th Anniversary tribute album by Dave Kerzner and Fernando Perdomo
 
“The Phoenix Has Risen” was composed and produced by Mark during the lockdown of 2020. Mark sites the Phoenix in the title as a symbol of hope in these pandemic times. Mark just happens to be from Phoenix, Arizona but now resides in Tokyo. The music leans more to the Prog side with hints of rock and pop embellished in it. 
 
The 12 song CD features guest artists, not only including guitarist Fernando Perdomo, but veteran Prog drummer Ronald Howden of Nektar who guests on two songs, and bassist Alan Thomson, who played with John Martyn and currently the Martin Barres Band, U.K. vocalist Tim Pepper and Joe Berger lead guitar and more.
 
Mark not only composed all music and lyrics but all the keyboard tracks including orchestral sections. 
 
Watch the promotional video: https://youtu.be/Xxb5uGJCxtc
 
Mixed and Mastered by Mark Murdock and Joe Berger BEAM Audio NYC
Artwork by Synergy/Leon Alvarado
 
Currently available on all digital platforms. Physical release through Disk Union Japan. For International orders
 
Track list:
The Phoenix Has Risen
Reoccurring Dreams
Heal My Wounded Soul
Compromised
Exit Door
The Starfish and the Four Phases of the Moon
When Thoughts Collide
Silence on Empty Streets
All Fools Fade Away
The Unknown Man
Set Your Heart On Fire
In The Future Of
 
Musicians:
Mark Murdock- drums, synthesizer, piano, orchestra horns, percussion and backing vocals 
Tim Pepper- lead vocal *Courtesy of TheId
Daniel Kubota- guitar
Kenta Shimokuni-bass
Katsumi Yoneda- guitar on songs 2, 3 & 12 *Courtesy of French TV 
Joe Berger- lead guitar on song 1
Preston Murdock- lead guitar on songs 4 & 7
David Rambeau- guitar on song 7 & acoustic guitar on song 8
Tatsuo Inoue-rhythm guitar on song 6
Rodolfo Falora- bass on songs 1, 6 & 9
 
Featured Artists:
Ronald Howden- drums on songs 2 & double drumming on song 9 *Courtesy of Nektar 
Fernando Perdomo- guitar on songs 4, 6 & 9 *Courtesy of The Out To Sea Band
Alan Thomson- fretless bass on song 4 *Courtesy of The Martin Barres Band
 
All music and lyrics composed by Mark Murdock
*Song 7 was composed by Cary Bialac and Mark Murdock

Tis the season for holiday music to be heard on every street corner, in every grocery store aisle and over every personal stereo playing the same 5-10 songs over and over and over again. As mid-December approaches, the discernible music lover will be in search of the uniquely crafted, expertly arranged holiday versions to break the merry monotony. Enter Rick Wakeman’s much-loved album from 2000 Christmas Variations. Featuring a mix of familiar tunes - “Silent Night,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and “O Come All Ye Faithful” - as well as lesser known classical-based compositions such as “Christians Awake Salute The Happy Mourn” and “Once In Royal David’s City,” this superb album offers bold interpretations of holiday songs as played by one of the most celebrated keyboardists in all of music. And this year brings a special offering as a deluxe reissue of Christmas Variations has just been released. Not only does this reissue offer a complete revamp of the artwork, it also 2 bonus tracks: “Silent Prayer” and a very moving live performance of “Amazing Grace.”
 
Christmas Variations is available now on digital, digipak CD and a glorious 2LP colored vinyl set in a gatefold jacket!
 
 
Track List:
1. Silent Night
2. Hark The Herald Angels Sing
3. Christians Awake Salute The Happy Mourn
4. Away In A Manger
5. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks By Night
6. O Little Town Of Bethlehem
7. It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
8. Once In Royal David's City
9. O Come All Ye Faithful
10. Angels From The Realms Of Glory
BONUS TRACKS
11. Silent Prayer
12. Amazing Grace (Live At Lincoln Cathedral 2018)

Dit jaar kon het festival Dour niet plaatsvinden omwille van de coronacrisis, maar de organisatie heeft goede hoop dat de editie van 2021 wel kan doorgaan. Dinsdag maakte het festival 31 nieuwe namen bekend voor de komende editie, die van 14 tot 18 juli staat gepland. “Tegen juli 2021 komt het allemaal goed, wij geloven erin”, klinkt het bij de organisatie.

In juni loste Dour al de eerste namen voor de editie van 2021. Onder meer de komst van Angèle, Amelie Lens, A$AP Rocky, Excision, Roméo Elvis en Niska werd al bevestigd. Daar worden nu 31 nieuwe namen aan toegevoegd. Het gaat onder meer om rapper Stormzy, Zwangere Guy, Ben Klock, Freddie Gibs en Bosh. “Een hele reeks artiesten uit heel diverse genres: Dour staat nu eenmaal voor diversiteit en programmeert heel breed”, klinkt het bij de organisatie.
​
Afgelopen jaar moest het festival door de coronacrisis worden geannuleerd, en ook voor 2021 hangt het coronavirus als een donkere wolk boven de eventsector. De organisatie doet er naar eigen zeggen alles aan om een editie in elkaar te boksen die de verwachtingen inlost. “Tegen juli 2021 komt het allemaal goed. Wij geloven erin. Tot dan, en zorg goed voor jezelf en iedereen die je dierbaar is”, klinkt het bij de organisatie in een persbericht.
​
Het festival zou moeten plaatsvinden tussen 14 en 18 juli 2021. De organisatie laat weten dat er nog meer dan 150 namen aan de affiche worden toegevoegd. De komende editie worden ook twee nieuwe podia in gebruik genomen: Le Garage, de nieuwe tempel gewijd aan gitaren, en La Chaufferie, het kleine zusje van de Red Bull Elektropedia Balzaal, een nieuw podium met alleen elektronische muziek.
Voor de tickets geldt momenteel nog een vroegboekkorting, vanaf 1 januari gaat de prijs omhoog.

​R.I.P. RICHIE ROME (Richard V. Di Cicco) *January 16, 1930 – † December 15, 2020
Announcement from his daughter Linda Di Cicco Patitucci, December 15, 2020:
"It is with great sadness that I have to tell you dad, my father Mr. Richie Rome, passed this morning. He will surely be missed.
I am sad to say that today I have lost my father Richard, this amazing man who is the music in my life. He has struggled the last year and now he can be a peace.
He is a brilliant pianist, arranger composer and his music is known all over the world such an accomplishment.
Get ready to give the best concert of your life.
We will miss you. Love you Dad ".
 
THE RICHIE ROME BIOGRAPHY:
by Hans R. de Vries
THE BEGINNING: THE SIXTIES:
Richie Rome is born Born in Philadelphia as Richard V. Di Cicco.
Richie Rome was a highly talented composer, producer, arranger and orchestra conductor.
One of his first publications is the 1958 7" Single "Bluebirds Of Happiness / Leaf Of the Wind" as Richard Rome for Swan Records.
Richie established himself on the local soul scene during the'60s, one of his early arrangements being a medley of 'Green Apples' and 'Something' for The O'Jays on their Neptune album The O'Jays In Philadelphia.
Rome arranged during the sixties for a.o. : Irma Thomas, The Lovin' Spoonfull, The Showmen, The Vibrations, The Tymes, The Soul Survivors, Brenda & The Tabulations, Little Jerry Williams and Peaches & Herb
THE RITCHIE FAMILY: THE "DISCO" SEVENTIES:
In collaboration with producers Jacques Morali & Henri Belolo, he established the disco recording group The Ritchie Family in 1975, with three session singers (later known as The Sweethearts Of Sigma: Carla Benson, Evette Benton & the late Barbara Ingram) he had worked with at Sigma Sound Studios.
In 1976 The Ritchie Family were givin' faces through: Cheryl Mason-Jacks (now Mason-Dorman), the late Gwendolyn Oliver (later Wesley) (1949 – 2020) & Cassandra Ann Wooten. Rome worked on 3 Ritchie Family albums (Brazil (1975), Arabian Nights which incl. the million seller "The Best Disco In Town" (1976) & Life Is Music (1977).
Rome's signature style is marked by lush orchestrations, interweaving multidimensional horns and strings to accentuate the sensuality of the compositions.
Other Philly and soul names he worked with during the seventies were a.o. The Three Degrees, Jimmy Ruffin, Carl Carlton, Lou Rawls, Jean Carn, The Chi-Lites, Barbara Mason, Bunny Sigler, Phyllis Hyman and The Sweet Inspirations.
He collaborated a lot with composer Phil Hurtt, who provided a lot of lyrics to Rome's music.
Rome was also involved in Phil Hurtt's solo album in 1978 entitled Giving It Back.
THE EIGHTIES: "DEEP":
During the eighties he released two solo albums (Deep and African Suite).
Also at Sigma he arranged "Nights Over Egypt" for The Jones Girls
Richie was, also, the arranger on the Fat Larry's Band album Breakin' Out, which contained the tunes "Act Like You Know" and the chart topper "Zoom" in 1982.
Arranged the Hi NRG Remake of Cabaret's "Maybe This Time" for Norma Lewis also in 1983.
THE NINETIES & NOW YEARS: ROSIE CARLINO:
During the nineties and the years 2000 he didn't slow down, but continued to arrange , produce and conduct for entertainers like Mike Douglas, Jane Oliver and Rosie Carlino, with her he made 2 American Songbook albums in 2004 (So Much In Love With You) and 2007 (What Matters The Most).
In 2009 a House composition pops up which features Rome as a co-composer called "Needin U" by The Face vs. Mark Brown & Adam Shaw.
In 2011 Mr. Richard Rome was more than 50 years active as an arranger, producer, conductor, musician and composer.
In his later years he lived next door to his daughter Linda Di Cicco Patitucci, who took with loving care of him.
On January 16, 2020 he celebrated his 90th Birthday in the presence of his family.
His health was fragile then.
After a long life filled with the passion for music he passed away on December 15, 2020 a month before his 91th birthday due to Covid-19.
He is survived by various children and grandchildren.
Thank you Maestro for all the beautiful music, arrangements, compositions and productions you created.
R.I.P. dear Mr. Richie Rome.