Monday, November 30, 2015

Lego Star Wars Returns on DVD




Your Favorite Star Wars Heroes will be back with five complete episodes that unleash the lighter ide of the Force in LEGO STAR WARS: Droid Tales. The fun begins following the victory celebration in the Ewok village on Endor, at the end of Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. R2-D2 and C-3PO have gathered to regale Luke, Leia, Han, Chewbacca and the other Rebels with the tales of their adventures that led to the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace.

An accidental kidnapping occurs while the droids are reminiscing, and suddenly you're taken on a new journey that leads to the retelling of the entire Star Wars saga, as told by R2-D2 and C-3PO! It's hilarious and playful, packed with all your favorite interlocking characters. LEGO STAR WARS: DROID TALES is intergalactic thrills for the whole family! On DVD  March 1, 2016 from Disney Home Entertainment.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Violinist Itzhak Perlman Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom

Israeli-born American violinist Itzhak Perlman has been chosen as one of 17 recipients of this year's Presidential Medal of Freedom, and was awarded the honor in a ceremony on November 24.

The awards celebrate important lifelong contributions to security, world peace, and the arts: President Obama described Perlman and other recipients from the cultural sphere as "artists who expanded our imaginations...enriched our lives and helped define our shared experience as Americans."

The accolade comes the year of Perlman's 70th birthday celebrations, which has seen his complete Warner Classics catalogue of iconic recordings released in a collectors' boxed set of his Complete Warner Recordings (see image below, available from B&T through our Titlesource platform).  He has dazzled generations of music-lovers in repertoire as diverse as Paganini's Caprices and soulful klezmer, collaborating with some of the greatest musicians of the last century - Daniel Barenboim, Yo-Yo Ma, Isaac Stern and AndrĂ© Previn - who Perlman counts among his closest friends.

The prize also acknowledges his contribution to the future of classical music and his generosity to young artists through his teaching activities at the Juilliard School in New York. In 1994, with his wife Toby, he founded the Perlman Music Program, an intensive summer school and mentoring program for talented young string players.

CREED OST Arrives on CD in December

Atlantic Records has announced the release of “CREED: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE
SOUNDTRACK,” the music from the eagerly awaited film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures, Warner Bros. Pictures and New Line Cinema. The album arrives on CD on December 18, 2015 and is available form Baker & Taylor.  CREED opens in theaters nationwide on Wednesday, November 25th.

Highlights on the soundtrack include a brand new song from platinum-selling rapper Future, inspired by the film and written exclusively for this collection, marking the first new release from the Atlanta native since the release of both his #1 album “DS2” and the chart-topping collaborative album with Drake, “WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.”

 “CREED: ORIGINAL MOTION PICTURE SOUNDTRACK” is also heralded by the song “Lord Knows,” from Maybach Music Group/Atlantic rapper Meek Mill, which also appears on the rapper’s chart-topping sophomore studio album “DREAMS WORTH MORE THAN MONEY.” The track’s thrilling, Spike Jordan-directed companion video – featuring exclusive footage from CREED – premieres today and can be viewed, below.

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

The Original Soundtrack of the NBC Television Event "The Wiz Live" Releasing on CD

Sony Music Masterworks and Broadway Records will release the original soundtrack of the NBC
Television event “The Wiz LIVE!”.  “The Wiz LIVE!” soundtrack features the well-known hits “Ease on Down the Road,” “A Brand New Day” and “Home,” plus the new song “We Got It.” Written by Grammy Award winners, NE-YO, Harvey Mason Jr. and Stephen Oremus with Elijah Kelley, “We Got It” will be performed in the broadcast by cast members NE-YO and Kelley, along with Shanice Williams, David Alan Grier and The Wiz ensemble. The single “Home” performed by Williams will be available digitally on November 27. “The Wiz LIVE!” soundtrack will be released on CD on December 18.

NBC’s highly anticipated production of “The Wiz LIVE!” will broadcast December 3. Rising star Shanice Williams (Dorothy) leads an all-star cast featuring Queen Latifah (The Wiz), Mary J. Blige (Evillene), David Alan Grier (Cowardly Lion), NE-YO (Tin Man), Elijah Kelley (Scarecrow), Uzo Aduba (Glinda), Amber Riley (Addaperle), Common (Bouncer), Stephanie Mills (Aunt Em) and Cirque du Soleil.

Monday, November 23, 2015

Vince Gill Announces "Down to My Last Bad Habit" CD Release

GRAMMY Award-winning MCA Nashville country star Vince Gill revealed via NPR his new album
Down To My Last Bad Habit is set for release on February 12, 2016.  As part of the announcement, NPR has an exclusive first-listen of Gill’s lead single, “Take Me Down” featuring Little Big Town . Gill wrote/co-wrote, co-produced and is a featured musician on all 12 songs on Down To My Last Bad Habit. “Forty years into this, it’s still as much fun as it’s ever been to play music,” notes Gill. “At the end of the day, what I get excited about is doing something I haven’t done before. When I record a song, I feel successful if I’ve accomplished something new.”

Down to My Last Bad Habit marks Gill’s first solo album since 2011’s Guitar Slinger. In 2013, The Oklahoma native partnered with famed steel guitarist Paul Franklin on Bakersfield as a tribute to the “Bakersfield” sound of Buck Owens and Merle Haggard. With 20 GRAMMY Awards to his credit, Gill has emerged as country music’s most eloquent and impassioned champion. He is both a world-class guitar picker and a wide-ranging songwriter whose compositions earned him entry into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2007. Gill has produced albums for LeAnn Rimes, Amy Grant as well as Ashley Monroe and has made guest appearances on over 500+ albums including Barbra Streisand, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton, George Jones and more.

Paramount and Walt Disney Studios Join EMA / Entertainment Merchants Association


EMA (Entertainment Merchants Association)  announced today that they're pleased to welcome Paramount and Walt Disney Studios to membership in the Association. "EMA's membership now includes all the major motion picture studios, and we look forward to working with them, along with all of our other members, to foster the health and vitality of the home entertainment industry," said EMA President & CEO Mark Fisher.


EMA member Baker & Taylor also welcomes these two key video suppliers to the association and looks forward to their participation.


Friday, November 20, 2015

David Bowie's New Album "Blackstar" Available to Order

David Bowie’s new album ★ (pronounced Blackstar) is now available for pre-order.  The ★ album will be released January 8, 2016 on Iso/Columbia Records on CD, and a stunning die-cut vinyl LP package;  a video of the vinyl LP can be seen below. 
 
The album’s title track and first single released globally yesterday, November 19, 2015 and the single and film will premiere worldwide today in venues ranging from special theatrical premiere screenings presented in cooperation with Noisey at the Nitehawk Cinema in Brooklyn to a USA broadcast premiere on Palladia. 

 
The full ★ short film was made available as well.  Check it out-
 

 
photo - Jimmy King

Wednesday, November 18, 2015

"Straight Outta Compton" Unrated Director's Cut on DVD/BD in February

Follow the world's most dangerous group, N.W.A. as they forge their anger and frustrations into the most potent weapon imaginable: their music.  In inner-city Straight Outta Compton: Unrated Director's Cut you can follow N.W.A.'s electrifying lyrics and unique sound, which introduced a truth that no one had heard before and exposed life in the hood igniting a social revolution that still reverberates today.  The culturally relevant and explosively entertaining biopic is coming to Blu-ray and DVD January 19, 2016 (street date for public libraries is February 16 per Uni's library holdback policy)  from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment.  The Blu-ray includes the exclusive Unrated Director's Cut that gives fans more of the N.W.A. story with 20 additional minutes of the film.  Directed by F. Gary Gray (The Italian Job, Friday), Straight Outta Compton tells the true story of five young rebels from South Central Los Angeles who, armed with only their lyrics, swagger, bravado and raw talent, stood up to the authorities attempting to keep them down.

With an 89% certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and hailed by critics as, "an electrifying piece of hip-hop history that speaks urgently to right now," (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone), Straight Outta Compton bowed as the box office's biggest R-rated August film opening of all time and biggest musical biopic ever, grossing $60 million during its opening weekend and generating over $200 million worldwide to date.

Following the rise of the world's most notorious group, Straight Outta Compton features breakout stars O'Shea Jackson Jr. (Ice Cube), Corey Hawkins (Dr. Dre), Jason Mitchell (the late Eazy-E), Neil Brown, Jr. (DJ Yella) and Aldis Hodge (MC Ren) as members of N.W.A. and Golden Globe Award-winning actor Paul Giamatti (HBO's John Adams) as the group's manager.

Brad Mehldau’s "10 Years Solo Live" Out Now in 4-CD Box Set

This weeks marks the release of Brad Mehldau's 10 Years Solo Live as a four-CD box set on Nonesuch Records. The set, which was first released as an eight-LP vinyl box set last month, is culled from nineteen live recordings made over a decade of the pianist's European solo concerts and is divided into four thematic subsets of four sides each: Dark/Light, The Concert, Intermezzo/ RĂ¼ckblick, and E Minor/E Major.

The new set "contains some of the most impressive pianism Mr. Mehldau has captured on record," exclaims the New York Times' Nate Chinen. It "also confirms that his pristine technique and prismatic elaboration are distinctive traits unto themselves," closing with a performance that is "an astonishment even by his lofty standards." Jazzwise, in a five-star review, calls it "a monumental achievement, and one of the most rewarding solo piano collections of the 21st century so far." The BBC Music Magazine five-star review says it's "a powerful picture of a renaissance artist at the height of his powers."

The Irish Times has named 10 Years Solo Live its Album of the Week. "To listen intently is to engage in the tangle of a great musician's mind, one whose influence may now be discerned in pretty much every jazz pianist that has come after him," says the five-star review. "Nothing can replace the thrill of actually being in the room when Mehldau is in the act of creation, but 10 Years Solo Live is a close second."

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Academy Award Winner Robert De Niro, and Kate Bosworth Star in the High-Octane Thriller "HEIST"


Academy Award winner Robert De Niro (Best Actor, Raging Bull, 1980) leads a critically acclaimed cast in the action-packed Heist arriving on Blu-ray (plus Digital HD) and DVD (plus Digital)
December 29, 2015 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment. With enough twists and heart-pounding moments to keep audiences on the edge of their seats, this nonstop thrill ride finds one father risking it all to save his only child. From the producers of Escape Plan, the film also stars Jeffrey Dean Morgan (Watchmen), Kate Bosworth (Still Alice), Gina Carano (upcoming Deadpool), Mark-Paul Gosselaar (TV’s “Franklin & Bash”), D.B. Sweeney (Taken 2), Lydia Hull (Vice), and Tyler J. Olson (Jarhead), with Morris Chestnut (The Perfect Guy) and Dave Bautista (Spectre).

When their attempt to rob a casino owned by the feared gangster Pope (Robert De Niro) goes awry and a shootout ensues, Vaughn (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) and Cox (Dave Bautista) are forced to flee on foot and hijack city bus 657 and take the passengers hostage. Now, in a high-speed chase, Vaughn will not only have to outwit the police who are in hot pursuit, led by Officer Bajos (Gina Carano), but he will have to contend with Pope’s maniacal right hand man, Dog (Morris Chestnut), in order to make it through the day alive. But we quickly learn that things are not what they seem, and Vaughn has more than one card up his sleeve.

Emily Blunt, Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin Star in Critically Acclaimed Action Thriller "SICARIO"

Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow), Oscar winner Benicio Del Toro (Best Supporting Actor, Traffic, 2000), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Best Supporting Actor, Milk, 2008), and Victor Garber (Titanic) star in the must-see Rotten Tomatoes Certified Fresh drug war thriller Sicario, arriving on Blu-ray Combo Pack (plus DVD and Digital HD), DVD (plus Digital) on January 5, 2016 from Lionsgate Home Entertainment.  An official selection of the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, the edge-of-your-seat action-packed story follows a covert group of crime fighters on a treacherous cross-border operation to take down a Mexican drug kingpin. 


From the director of Prisoners comes this taut, critically acclaimed thriller filled with pulse-pounding suspense, shot by twelve-time Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins. After an idealistic FBI agent (Blunt) is recruited by a government task-force official (Brolin) to pursue a drug lord, she begins a perilous mission that forces her to question everything she believes—and pits her against a shadowy consultant (Del Toro) with a dangerous agenda.

Friday, November 13, 2015

BURNT Soundtrack to Arrive in December


Lakeshore Records will release BURNT- Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on CD December 18, 2015. The album features the film’s original score by Rob Simonsen (THE AGE OF ADALINE, FOXCATCHER) and tracks by Barnes Courtney, Autograf, RY X, The Avener & John Lee Hooker,
plus the original track “Ode to a Sous Vide” performed by the film’s Bradley Cooper. The deluxe version contains one additional song, “Flashlight” by Bonobo.

“We wanted something elegant, but with movement,” said composer Simonsen. “A small chamber orchestra seemed to fit the bill, along with looped and treated sounds and electronics.” Simonsen wanted to cover a few bases in the score: “Emotional moments for budding romance or moments of tenderness, which is more about Adam softening, moments of tension where things were in jeopardy, and moments of the act of cooking/creating/celebrating.”

BURNT is about a chef, Adam Jones (Bradley Cooper), who had it all – and lost it. The former enfant terrible of the Paris restaurant scene had earned two Michelin stars and only ever cared about the thrill of creating explosions of taste. To land his own kitchen and that third elusive star though, Jones will need to leave his bad habits behind and get the best of the best on his side, including the beautiful Helene (Sienna Miller). BURNT is a remarkably funny and emotional story about the love of food, the love between two people, and the power of second chances.

PBS Sets December 1 Release Date for "Nature: Pets; Wild at Heart"

PBS Distribution announced today it is releasing “NATURE: PETS: WILD AT HEART” on DVD. Most pet owners feel they understand their cat, dog or hamster. Pets are cute, loving and adored, with familiar behaviors that make them seem far removed from their wild counterparts. But exactly why do hamsters love to run on a wheel, what are cat and mouse games really all about, and how do dogs know the rules of the pack? As these two hours show, while our pets may have been tame for thousands of years and made a successful transition to domestic life, they were wild for millions more, and their natural instincts remain intact, hiding in plain sight. This program delves into the secret world our pets inhabit, ruled by their intrinsic wild behavior, extraordinary senses and special skills. Using spy cameras, moving x-rays, ultra slow-motion and thermal imagery, filmmakers uncover the hidden powers that pets possess.

 “PETS: WILD AT HEART” will be available on DVD December 1, 2015 from PBS via Baker & Taylor. The program has a run time of approximately 60 minutes The DVD SRP is $19.99.

The first episode, Playful Creatures, explores how pets get in touch with their wild side through play. In one example, seven-week-old Cockapoo puppies are shown jostling with each other, but there’s more than just play going on. They are, in fact, rehearsing the same rules that enable wolves to hunt as an organized pack. Although dominant puppies fight the weaker ones, they learn to restrain their bite so no one gets hurt. They may practice killer holds, but if a puppy rolls over exposing its vulnerable belly, that’s a signal to stop. If this rule is ignored, the offending puppy is ostracized.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

Film Adaptation of James Patterson's MIDDLE SCHOOL Cast Announced

CBS Films announced today the cast for the theatrical motion picture adaptation of James Patterson's award-winning, bestselling series MIDDLE SCHOOL, arriving in theaters October 2016.

The cast will include Lauren Graham ("Parenthood," "Gilmore Girls"), Rob Riggle ("22 Jump Street," "Hotel Transylvania 2"), Thomas Barbusca ("Preacher," "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp"), Andrew Daly ("Review," "Black-ish"), Adam Pally ("The Mindy Project," "The To Do List"), Efren Ramirez ("Constantine," "Napoleon Dynamite"), Isabela Moner ("100 Things to Do Before High School," "Dora and Friends: Into the City!") and Alexa Nisenson ("Constantine") are joining Griffin Gluck ("About a Boy," "Red Band Society").  Steve Carr is set to direct the film from a screenplay by Chris Bowman, Hubbel Palmer and Kara Holden. Leopoldo Gout and Bill Robinson are producing and James Patterson and Steve Bowen are executive producing for James Patterson Entertainment.

The first entry in the series, MIDDLE SCHOOL: THE WORST YEARS OF MY LIFE, chronicles the trials and triumphs of Rafe Khatchadorian (Griffin Gluck) as he uses all of his wits to battle bullies, hormones and the tyrannical, test-obsessed Principal Dwight (Daly). Graham co-stars as Rafe's mother Jules, along with Riggle as her boyfriend Bear, Nisenson as Rafe's sister Georgia, Barbusca as Rafe's best friend Leo, Moner as Rafe's first crush Jeanne, Ramirez as Gus and Pally as his favorite teacher, Mr. Teller.

PA Commission for Women Joins PCAR, State System of Higher Education to Host "The Hunting Ground " Screening

The Pennsylvania Commission for Women recently joined the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape(PCAR) and Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education to host a screening of the documentary The Hunting Ground, followed by a panel discussion focused on sexual assault on college campuses. The event, which took place at the Governor's Residence, was held in conjunction with the It's On Us campaign's 2015 National Week of Action.

"Pennsylvania is home to some of the best colleges and universities in the country, and we must ensure that our students are not only being academically enriched but also cared for and protected emotionally and physically as well," said Governor Tom Wolf. "It is a priority for my administration to ensure that sexual assault on our campuses is not tolerated and that our schools are promoting the best possible academic and social environment for our students. Today's event was an important step toward that goal and we will continue this discussion with key stakeholders throughout the commonwealth to ensure that this issue is being addressed and that our students' safety is protected."

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment Unveils First 4K Ultra HD Discs

Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (SPHE) this week announced its first releases in the next-generation 4K Ultra HD Disc format, which will arrive in early 2016.  "By some estimates, consumers will own over 100 million Ultra HD television sets by 2019.  Sony Pictures' 4K Ultra HD Discs will deliver consumers the ultimate home theater experience, with stunning picture and sound quality," said SPHE president, Man Jit Singh.  Singh continued, "Ten years ago this month, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment authored the world's first feature film on Blu-ray Disc™, and we continue to bring consumers the most innovative, immersive home entertainment experiences available."

SPHE's first 4K Ultra HD releases will include The Amazing Spider-Man 2, Salt, Hancock, Chappie, Pineapple Express, and The Smurfs 2, followed by a growing roster of titles including new release film and television content.

SPHE's 4K Ultra HD Discs feature four times the resolution of HD and include high dynamic range (HDR), which produces brilliant highlights, vibrant colors and greater contrast on compatible displays. Many titles will also support next-generation immersive audio formats.

Sony Pictures has a  large library of 4K content, including newer films and television shows, as well as classic catalog films restored from original film elements, including Fury, Captain Phillips, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, Men In Black, Ghostbusters, The Fifth Element, Bad Boys, The Da Vinci Code, Bram Stoker's Dracula, Leon: The Professional, Lawrence Of Arabia, The Bridge on the River Kwai, The Guns of Navarone, Taxi Driver, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, and many others.

Pawn Sacrifice Checks in at Libraries on January 19

A long-anticipated chess match between an American upstart and a Russian grandmaster captures the imagination of the world in Pawn Sacrifice, coming to Blu-ray and DVD January 19, 2016 for public libraries from Universal Pictures Home Entertainment. A riveting and revealing portrait of Bobby Fischer, the troubled genius who sparked an international chess craze, Pawn Sacrifice vividly recreates an era in which international gamesmanship achieved new heights – on and off the chess board.

In a gripping true story set during the height of the Cold War, American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer finds himself caught between two superpowers when he challenges the Soviet Empire, whose players have dominated the game for decades. Pawn Sacrifice chronicles Fischer's terrifying struggles with genius and madness, and the rise and fall of a kid from Brooklyn who captured the imagination of the world.

Tobey Maguire (The Great Gatsby, Spider-Man) stars as the gifted and tormented Fischer, with Liev Schreiber ("Ray Donovan," Salt) as his Russian nemesis Boris Spassky. The film also stars Peter Sarsgaard (Black Mass, Jarhead), Lily Rabe ("American Horror Story," All Good Things), Michael Stuhlbarg (A Serious Man, Trumbo) and Robin Weigert (The Sessions, "Deadwood").

They Might Be Giants Back With "Why?" on November 27


 
 
Brooklyn, NY’s original alternative rockers, They Might Be Giants, are in the middle of an epic year! Having already released a new album of original songs, Glean, TMBG is gearing up to release their new family album Why? on November 27th via Idlewild Records.  And, the cool new album features the catchy track Or So I Have Read” (listen above).
 
And, the band announces a national spring 2016 tour that will bring their explosive live show to cities such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia, and more.  All shows are for ages 14+ unless otherwise noted.

Bette Midler Love Song Collection; "A Gift of Love" in December


Bette Midler has been singing her way into people's hearts since her debut album, The Divine Miss M back in 1972, became a platinum-seller and helped the singer win her first Grammy Award. Since then, she has sold more than 30 million albums worldwide and earned the distinction as only the second female singer to score a Top 10 album in five consecutive decades.

Throughout her career, Ms Midler has demonstrated a remarkable musical range, but many of her signature hits have focused on matters of the heart. That's why Rhino will bring together 18 of her best love songs for a new collection A GIFT OF LOVE, available on December 4 on CD.

After Atlantic Records president Ahmet Ertugun discovered Midler in 1972, the irrepressible singer with the unmistakable voice went on to enjoy an amazing career that continues to this day. This new collection includes highlights from albums she recorded for both Atlantic Records and Warner Bros. between 1976 and 2014.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

Elton John to Release "Wonderful Crazy Night" on February 5

 

Elton John is still at it,  and will release his 33rd studio album in 2016 next year. John's publicists announced recently  that his Wonderful Crazy Night album is due for release on Island Records on February 5. The first single, "Looking Up," was released last month.

Wonderful Crazy Night was co-produced by Mr John and T Bone Burnett, who worked on the piano-playing star's rootsy, well-received 2013 release The Diving Board.  Lyrics are again by Bernie Taupin, John's songwriting partner of almost fifty years.

Mr John, 68, is one of UK's most enduringly successful musicians, and a campaigner for gay rights around the world. He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II back in 1998 for his contributions to pop music and to the fight against AIDS.

Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Legendary Musician/Songwriter Allen Touissant Dead at 77

 
Today we’re mourning the loss of a true giant of American music, and all-around one of our favorite artists, Allen Toussaint. Allen was truly one of a kind. Our thoughts go out to his friends and loved ones.

Friday, November 6, 2015

Placido Domingo Brings In The Holiday Season With The Release Of His New Album, "My Christmas"

A heart-warming world of Christmas magic comes alive on Placido Domingo's new holiday album, My Christmas (available now on Sony Classical). Available now, the album is filled with seasonal favorites, plus duets with a variety of special guests including Idina Menzel, Jackie Evancho, Placido Domingo Jr., The Piano Guys and others.

My Christmas features Domingo performing his favorites numbers like "Guardian Angels," the haunting song composed by Harpo Marx and made famous by Mario Lanza with Idina Menzel, fresh from her triumph as the voice of Queen Elsa in Disney's Frozen; "Pie Jesu" the pure, ethereal melody from Andrew Lloyd Webber with Jackie Evancho, the 15 year-old American singing phenomenon, who is also the youngest top-10 debut artist in USA history; "White Christmas," the evergreen Irving Berlin classic with his son Placido Domingo Jr.; and "Silent Night" with The Piano Guys, whose witty mash-ups of classical favorites and pop standards have been seen over half a billion times on YouTube.

Other artists featured on My Christmas singing holiday classics with Domingo include the German superstar Helene Fischer ("What Child Is This"), whose albums have sold more than 9 million copies to date; the French heart-throb tenor Vincent Niclo ("Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"); and the New Zealand singer Hayley Westenra performing "Loving Christmas," a new song written by Placido Domingo Jr.

Coldplay Reveal "A Head Full of Dreams" Album

Today, Brit rockers Coldplay announced the global release of their seventh album, A Head Full Of Dreams, on Friday, December 4, via Parlophone/Atlantic Records. The first single, “Adventure Of A Lifetime,” debuted today (check it out below from B&T).

The album, recorded in Malibu, Los Angeles and London, was produced by Norwegian duo Stargate together with the band’s long-time collaborator Rik Simpson. It features more guests than any previous Coldplay album, with BeyoncĂ©, Noel Gallagher, Tove Lo and Merry Clayton among those appearing across its 11 tracks (12 in total when the hidden track “X Marks The Spot” is included).

A Head Full Of Dreams is the widescreen follow-up to 2014’s fragile and lovelorn Ghost Stories, Coldplay’s sixth consecutive worldwide chart topper, award winner and multi-million seller. The band chose not to tour Ghost Stories and headed straight back into the studio to record A Head Full Of Dreams.

The Who Live in Hyde Park Out on DVD/CD

The Who Live In Hyde Park is releasing on November 20 via Eagle Rock Entertainment. The formats are DVD+2CD set, Blu-ray+2CD set, DVD+3LP. The Deluxe Edition Blu-ray+DVD+2CD set will be out on December 4.

Filmed on June 26, 2015 as The Who celebrated their 50th anniversary, this stunning show with 65,000 fans in attendance at London’s famous Hyde Park is a triumphant return to their home city. This massive event formed a fitting culmination to The Who’s 50th anniversary celebrations and the set includes classics like “My Generation,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Pictures Of Lily,” “I Can’t Explain,” “You Better You Bet,” “Who Are You,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again,” “Join Together,” “The Kids Are Alright,” “I Can See For Miles,” and many more! This grand scale concert, complete with huge screens surrounding the stage and an exceptional light show, holds true to Pete Townshend’s promise at the start of the set: “You’re a long way away…but we will reach you!”.

 “The Seeker,” an extra song from Hyde Park, is part of the bonus features on the DVD and Blu-ray sets, as well as the stage screen films used at recent shows: a film by the band for “The Kids Are Alright” and “You Better You Bet” (both with Hyde Park audio) and “Squeeze Box” (with the original studio audio). The lavish Deluxe Edition comes packaged with an exclusive 60 page hardback photobook containing the DVD, Blu-ray & 2CDs.

Wednesday, November 4, 2015

TRUTH OST Arriving December 6

Varèse Sarabande will release the TRUTH – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack on CD
December 4, 2015. The album features original music by composer Brian Tyler (AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, IRON MAN 3), whose 12-year relationship with the label includes the soundtracks for numerous films including BATTLE: LOS ANGELES, CHILDREN OF DUNE, CONSTANTINE, FAST FIVE, INTO THE STORM, and ANNAPOLIS.

TRUTH is an exploration of the often fragile and tense relationship between journalism and politics and the humanity of pursuing the truth,” explained Tyler.  The film is based on Mary Mapes' memoir Truth and Duty: The Press, the President, and the Privilege of Power detailing the 2004 CBS 60 Minutes report investigating the military service of then-President George W. Bush – a report which would ultimately cost her and anchor Dan Rather their careers. “The music strives to explore the tones of the newsroom, the politics of war, power, and the personal side of these elements.”

Brian Tyler is a composer and conductor of over 70 films and recently won Film Composer of the Year at the 2014 Cue Awards.  Tyler composed blockbuster hits AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON, FURIOUS 7, IRON MAN 3, as well as THOR: THE DARK WORLD.  He conducted the London Philharmonic at Abbey Road Studios for both films.  He also scored EAGLE EYE for producer Steven Spielberg, and the box office hits FAST FIVE and FAST & FURIOUS for director Justin Lin.  He was nominated for a 2014 BAFTA Games Award and was inducted into the music branch of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2010.

FLEETWOOD MAC Readies Deluxe "Tusk" Release

Fleetwood Mac builds on its formidable legacy as one of rock's most legendary acts as they re-visit their most ambitious album with deluxe and expanded editions of TUSK. Originally released in 1979, the Grammy Award-nominated, double-album sold more than four million copies worldwide, climbed to #4 on the USA album charts, and introduced fans to hits like "Sara," "Think About Me," and the title track.
 
The announcement of this deluse set comes as the band; Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks, continues it's acclaimed, sold out "On With The Show" world tour. 
 
To follow the historic, global success of 1977's Grammy-Award winning Rumours, Fleetwood Mac chose to take a more experimental approach on Tusk. The most famous example has to be the unexpected and beloved inclusion of the University of Southern California's marching band on the title track.  
 
TUSK will be available December 4, 2015 on Warner Bros.Records as a Deluxe Edition (5-CD/2-LP/1-DVD-A, $119.98), an Expanded Edition (3-CD, $24.98), and a single disc of the newly remastered original album ($11.98).

Live Webinar with "Masterpiece on PBS" Exec Producer, Rebecca Eaton

Join Baker & Taylor Entertainment n Wednesday, November 18 at 1:00PM Eastern for an exclusive, live webinar discussion with Rebecca Eaton, Executive Producer of Masterpiece on PBS. She will be joining Executive Arts Editor Jared Bowen for a discussion of all things PBS MASTERPIECE. Learn how she successfully relaunched MASTERPIECE along with insights into the final season of Downton Abbey

Rebecca Eaton took over the helm of the PBS series MASTERPIECE THEATRE and MYSTERY! in 1985, and oversaw a highly successfully relaunch of MASTERPIECE that attracted a new generation of viewers to the series. She has brought American audiences the 2015 Emmy®-nominated Wolf Hall, the recent hits Sherlock and Downton Abbey — the most-watched drama in PBS history — as well as such high-profile titles as Mr Selfridge, Endeavour, Wallander, Prime Suspect, Cranford, Little Dorrit, Inspector Lewis, and The Complete Jane Austen. Under her leadership, MASTERPIECE has won 54 Primetime Emmy Awards®, 15 Peabody Awards, five Golden Globes®, and two Academy Award® nominations. In 2011,



Monday, November 2, 2015

"Open Season : Scared Silly" Readies for March 2016

To celebrate Open Season's 10th Anniversary, Sony Pictures Animation will present an all-new animated movie, OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY, on Blu-ray Combo Pack and DVD on March 8, 2016. This national debut, from Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, is the latest release for one of the most successful animated franchises to date, bringing back Elliot, Boog and all of the beloved woodland creatures from the previous Open Season series. The fourth installment is a comedic mystery adventure directed by David Feiss (head of story on the original Open Season and creator of the popular TV series Cow and Chicken); produced by John Bush ("The Simpsons"); and featuring computer animation from Rainmaker Entertainment, Inc.

Says Director Feiss, "My affection for these characters has only grown since we introduced them in Sony Pictures Animation's first feature. We're having a lot of fun bringing them back for a new adventure—it feels like a big party with old friends." Most recently, Feiss; whose prolific career began as a story artist for Hanna-Barbera, directed four mini-movies for the home entertainment release of Sony Pictures Animation's Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2, entitled Steve's First Bath, Super Manny, Attack Of The 50 Ft. Gummy Bear and Earl Scouts.

OPEN SEASON: SCARED SILLY is said to be  a heartwarming tale incorporating good values and laugh-out-loud fun for all ages. The Blu-ray and DVD releases will be packed with bonus materials including all-new featurettes, bloopers, a director's commentary track, and an Inside Sony Pictures Animation profile of director David Feiss. The first featurette, "OPEN SEASON Super Speedy Re-Cap" will give viewers a look back at the previous three films, and some of the most exciting moments of the franchise. "Scaredy Pants: The Fears of OPEN SEASON" will tackle what our favorite characters are truly afraid of! Exclusive to the Blu-ray, "Stepping Into the Spotlight – Mr Weenie's Process" gives a glimpse into Mr. Weenie's trials and tribulations of shooting his most trying scenes for the brand new movie.