Music Industry Moves to a Friday Street Date on July 10, 2015

The shift to Fridays as the music industry's global release day for music cds, vinyl and digital will begin on July 10, 2015.  Friday will be the new Tuesday beginning this summer, when the worldwide music industry begins putting out new releases on most music buyers' paydays. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), the British-based organization that acts as a music-biz United Nations, announced that the new plan would go into effect this summer.

The organization is saying that the change will benefit the industry as a whole, since it would reduce piracy (since albums very often come out before the USA internationally), allow artists to focus their social-media campaigns and, using the words of the IFPI's statement, "re-ignite excitement and a sense of occasion around the release of new music." The decision, which had been in the works since at least last summer, came after the IFPI talked with artists, unions, labels and retailers. It also cited consumer research that suggested Friday and Saturday were the days people would be most interested in buying new music.

The Music Business Association, an organization that represents USA music retailers, as well as firms such as Spotify, Rdio and many international music stores have stated their support of the initiative.

An American in Paris Original Cast Recording Announced for Album Release

MASTERWORKS BROADWAY proudly announces the signing of the Original Broadway Cast Recording of An American in Paris. Produced by Rob Fisher and Scott Lehrer, the album will be recorded on April 20 in anticipation of a June 2 release. 

 

The score of An American In Paris includes the songs “I Got Rhythm,” “Liza,” “’S Wonderful,” “But Not For Me,” “I’ll Build a Stairway to Paradise,” and orchestral music including “Concerto in F,” “Second Prelude,” “Second Rhapsody/Cuban Overture” and “An American In Paris.”

 

An American In Paris is directed and choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon. Inspired by the Academy-Award winning film and opens on Broadway on April 12, 2015.  An American In Paris brings this classic tale to Broadway for the first time with music and lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin and a book by Tony nominee and Pulitzer Prize finalist Craig Lucas.

James Taylor Announces "Before This World" Release

Five-time GRAMMY Award winner James Taylor will release Before This World, the legendary singer/songwriter’s first album of new songs since 2002’s platinum-selling October Road.  Produced by Grammy Award-winner Dave O’Donnell, Before This World features ten songs, nine of which are brand new James Taylor compositions, and is due out June 16, 2015 via Concord Records.

In addition, the special 2-Disc CD/DVD Before This World Deluxe Edition includes the full-length album on CD plus "There We Were: The Recording of James Taylor’s Before This World,” a behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of the album on DVD. Through studio footage and interviews (including Taylor and album guests Sting and Yo-Yo Ma) this beautifully rendered 30-minute film provides an intimate look into Taylor’s creative process and the recording of this landmark album.

Recorded at his home studio The Barn, in Washington, MA, Taylor enlisted the longtime members of his band for the sessions including bassist Jimmy Johnson, drummer Steve Gadd, guitarist Michael Landau, keyboardist Larry Goldings, percussionist Luis Conte, fiddler and vocalist Andrea Zonn and vocalists Arnold McCuller, David Lasley and Kate Markowitz. Taylor also called on close friends Yo-Yo Ma and Sting to add their remarkable talent to the new album, (Ma’s cello is heard on "You And I Again” and "Before This World”; Sting added vocals to "Before This World.”)  Additionally, Taylor’s wife Kim and son Henry sing harmony on "Angels Of Fenway” and the classic folk tune "Wild Mountain Thyme.”

"Jeff Beck Performing This Week...Live At Ronnie Scott's Special Edition" Out June 2

 Eagle Rock Entertainment will release Jeff Beck’s Performing This Week…Live At

Ronnie Scott’s – Special Edition on 2CD set on June 2, 2015  [Order Date May 8, MSRP $17.98]. A 3LP Edition will be released shortly thereafter.

Now released for the first time with the full audio from these incredible shows, Performing This Week… features classic tracks from across Jeff Beck’s career including: “Beck’s Bolero,” “Led Boots,” “Scatterbrain,” “Where Were You,” “Angels (Footsteps),” “Cause We’ve Ended As Lovers,” and his now iconic version of “A Day In The Life.” This amazing show includes guest appearances by Joss Stone, Eric Clapton and Imogen Heap, in addition to a 7-track set with the Big Town Playboys.

 

This 2007 series of concerts at the renowned Ronnie Scott’s club in London became a must-have ticket of the year, with a packed audience every night consisting of the famous and the fans. The CD and DVD releases of these shows (released via Eagle Rock Entertainment in 2008, 2009 respectively) have become the definitive Jeff Beck live recordings. Now for the first time on LP and CD, all of the live tracks are available (including those with special guests plus the Big Town Playboys set, which has previously only been on the Blu-ray release).

 

From his time with the Yardbirds in the sixties, through the Jeff Beck Group and throughout his solo career, Jeff Beck’s unique guitar style and constant desire to explore new musical areas and sounds has won him the admiration of peers and legions of fans worldwide. Performing This Week… Live At Ronnie Scott’s – Special Edition is a stunning representation of the unmatched live experience that only he can deliver. 

 

Classic American Ballads Presents Songs Of True Tales And Tragedies By Guthrie, Seeger, Lead Belly + More

In the days before YouTube, Twitter, and “Serial” podcasts, newsworthy events “went viral” in the form of song. Certain tragedies and grisly crimes captivated the American imagination, and entrepreneurial ballad writers penned songs catering to the thirst for details. On March 24, Smithsonian Folkways will release Classic American Ballads, featuring Doc Watson, Bill Monroe, Pink Anderson, and Sis Cunningham, among many others performing American topical songs that may draw from the British ballad tradition but are distinctly native to the United States.

The 25 tracks on Classic American Ballads, written between 1836 and 1947, chronicle tragic and significant events such as the sinking of the Titanic, the wreck of the “Old 97” train in Danville, Virginia, and the murder of a young girl along the Ohio River. Woody Guthrie’s “Billy the Kid” narrates the exploits of the notorious 19th-century outlaw, while Pete Seeger’s “Young Charlotte” tells the tale of the young Maine woman who froze to death on New Year’s Eve, 1840. Lead Belly’s version of the popular folk song “Duncan and Brady” is based on the notorious story of James Brady, a St. Louis policeman who was fatally shot by bartender Harry Duncan in 1890.

Listen to Rhiannon Giddens New "Tomorrow Is My Turn" Album

Rhiannon Giddens' debut solo album, Tomorrow Is My Turn, is due out next Tuesday, February 10, via Nonesuch Records. But you don't need to wait till then to hear it: the new album is streaming in full all this week as an NPR First Listen. Tomorrow Is My Turn, produced by T Bone Burnett, features a broad range of songs from genres as diverse as gospel, jazz, blues, and country, including works made famous by Dolly Parton, Patsy Cline, Odetta, and Nina Simone. "It's a scrupulously selected, richly realized collection of songs," writes NPR's Ann Powers.

"Tomorrow Is My Turn tells the story of how songs become crucial through certain performances that take them somewhere beyond their origin points. Giddens responds to these performances with highly nuanced, sometimes theatrical, always personal readings of her own, presenting an alternative history of folk and popular music that's particularly appropriate for today." Powers later concludes: "Though she didn't write most of these songs, Giddens owns them on Tomorrow Is My Turn ... Her voice—mobile, intelligent, ready to talk back to anyone's presumptions—is always at the center here, guiding the story. Let me be the first to say it: Today is Rhiannon Giddens' turn." Read more and listen to the complete album, streaming now here

Kenny G's "Brazilian Nights" CD Out Now

Kenny G has had one of the most eclectic and dominant careers the music business has ever seen. He's maintained a high level of creative excellence through decades of unprecedented commercial success by never allowing himself to stay in one place too long. That reputation for musical curiosity stays well intact on his fourteenth studio album Brazilian Nights, out now via Concord Records.

 "I've been in love with bossa nova my whole life," says the saxophonist in the album's liner notes. "I think the first song that 'won me over' was Cannonball Adderley's version of "Quiet Nights." And more recently I've been listening (non-stop!) to Stan Getz's album called Getz for Lovers. I think I've listened to that record almost every day for the past 5 years and it really was the inspiration in making this album. My goal was not only to make a bossa nova album that pays tribute to the "Masters" who I've been listening to (Cannonball Adderley, Paul Desmond and Stan Getz) but also to write and record original bossa novas that I hope can 'hold their own' in this distinguished company. I humbly say that I feel we've succeeded."

NOW That's What I Call Music ! 53 and NOW That's What I Call Movies Announced

The world's best-selling, multi-artist album series, NOW That's What I Call Music!, is proud to announce all of the major hits selected for NOW That's What I Call Music! Vol. 53, to be released February 3. Also released that day is NOW That's What I Call Movies.

NOW That's What I Call Music! Vol. 53 features 16 major current chart hits from today's hottest artists, including Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars, Meghan Trainor, Maroon 5, Ed Sheeran, Tove Lo, Ariana Grande & The Weeknd, Sam Smith, One Direction, Selena Gomez, Jason Derulo, Iggy Azalea feat. MO, Usher feat. Juicy J, Charli XCX, Mr. Probz, Calvin Harris feat. John Newman, and Coldplay, plus five up-and-coming "NOW What's Next" New Music Preview tracks.

The "NOW What's Next" bonus track program featured on each numeric NOW release continues to preview hot new artists with tomorrow's biggest hits. NOW 53 showcases up and coming tracks from Walk The Moon, Fancy Reagan, Zara Larsson, Danny Mercer, and Jack + Eliza.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga Announce "Cheek to Cheek LIVE!" DVD and Blu-Ray Release

This summer with great anticipation, Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga took to the stage for their first full live concert appearance in New York City and performed a special evening of songs, many of which from their Grammy nominated, #1 album, Cheek To Cheek. 

The DVD and Blu-Ray of "Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga:  Cheek To Cheek LIVE!" will be released on January 20, 2015 and will feature 72 minutes of music and 19 songs; showcasing both vocal duets and solo performances by these two legendary artists.

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE! was taped at Jazz at Lincoln Center's Frederick P. Rose Hall on July 28, 2014 and premiered on PBS's award winning series, THIRTEEN's Great Performances this fall.  The concert featured classic selections from the Great American Songbook, each handpicked by the artists, including "It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)," "Sophisticated Lady," "Lush Life," "Anything Goes," and "Cheek To Cheek."  The DVD and Blu-Ray editions include additional songs not originally aired on television including, "They All Laughed,"  "Lady's In Love With You," "Goody Goody," "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered," "Don't Wait Too Long," and "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye."

Throughout the concert, Bennett and Gaga demonstrate a strong camaraderie and affection belying the six-decade age differential, inspiring widespread critical praise upon its initial airing.

Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE! was filmed in stunning 4K Ultra High Definition (HD) before a live audience of fans and invited guests, with set and lighting design by Robert Wilson, the stars are joined by a 39-piece orchestra conducted by Jorge Calandrelli, soloists Chris Botti on trumpet and David Mann on tenor sax, and jazz musicians associated with both artists including members of Bennett's quartet, Mike Renzi, Gray Sargent, Harold Jones and Marshall Wood, and Lady Gaga's quintet, including Brian Newman, Paul Francis, Steven Kortyka, Michael Scott Ritchie, and Alex Smith.

 

The album, Cheek To Cheek, debuted in September at #1 on the Billboard 200 Album chart and also hit #1 on the Jazz Album and Traditional Jazz Album charts. Cheek To Cheek was recently nominated for a Grammy Award in the "Best Traditional Pop Vocal" category. With the release of "Cheek To Cheek," Bennett broke his own record, set in 2011 when "Duets II" debuted at #1 at the age of 85.  Now at 88, Mr Bennett remains the oldest artist in music industry history to have an album at the #1 spot on the Billboard charts. "Cheek To Cheek" marks Lady Gaga's third consecutive #1 album release in just over three years, making her the only female artist this decade to achieve this feat; this is the second time in Bennett's career that he has had an album debut at #1 in both Billboard's Pop and Jazz Album charts.

 

 

"Tony Bennett & Lady Gaga: Cheek To Cheek LIVE!"  DVD and Blu-Ray editions feature the following musical performances:

1. Anything Goes
2. Cheek To Cheek
3. They All Laughed
4. Lady's In Love With You (Tony Bennett Solo)
5. Nature Boy
6. Goody Goody
7. How Do You Keep The Music Playing? (Tony Bennett Solo)
8. Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Lady Gaga Solo)
9. Bewitched Bothered and Bewildered (Lady Gaga Solo)
10. Firefly
11. I Won't Dance
12. Don't Wait Too Long (Tony Bennett Solo)
13. I Can't Give You Anything But Love
14. Lush Life (Tony Solo)
15. Sophisticated Lady (Tony Bennett Solo)
16. Let's Face The Music And Dance
17. Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye (Lady Gaga Solo)
18. But Beautiful
19. It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

AC/DC Announces "Rock or Bust" Album

Columbia Records has announced the release of 'Rock or Bust,' the highly anticipated new studio album from AC/DC, available December 2, 2014. 'Rock or Bust' is the band's first studio album in six years and features eleven new tracks.  'Rock or Bust' follows their immensely successful 'Black Ice' album, which debuted at #1 in 31 countries upon its release in 2008 and has gone on to sell nearly 8 million copies worldwide.  'Rock or Bust' was recorded in Spring 2014 at Warehouse Studio in Vancouver, BC and finds AC/DC once again working with producer Brendan O'Brien and mixer Mike Fraser.

'Rock or Bust' is the first AC/DC album in the band's 41 year history without founding member Malcolm Young on the recordings.  Earlier this year AC/DC released a statement explaining that due to illness, Malcolm would be taking a break from the band.  Unfortunately, due to the nature of Malcolm's condition, he will not be returning to the band.  AC/DC will undertake a world tour in support of 'Rock or Bust' in 2015.  Stevie Young, nephew of founding members Angus and Malcolm Young, plays rhythm guitar on 'Rock or Bust' and will accompany the band on the upcoming concert tour.