The Rhythm Of Rio, The Romance Of Sinatra: Celebrated Guitarist And Singer John Pizzarelli Revisits A Bossa Nova Classic At 50

Two of John Pizzarelli’s greatest influences, Frank Sinatra and the bossa nova composer Antonio Sinatra & Jobim @ 50.
Carlos Jobim, joined forces in 1967 to present a softer, sultrier side of Sinatra on the heels of “That’s Life” and “Strangers in the Night.” Half a century later, John Pizzarelli is celebrating that unique gathering with his July 28, 2017 Concord Jazz release, order now via Title Source 360.

Sinatraphiles consider the 1967 album Francis Albert Sinatra & Antonio Carlos Jobim one of Frank’s greatest, a meeting that found Frank in an out-of-character setting. Yet he delivered a commanding and understated performance over Jobim’s gentle rhythms and Claus Ogerman’s strings. With Sinatra & Jobim @ 50, Pizzarelli pays tribute to those original recordings, enhancing that collection with two originals, Michael Frank’s ode to Jobim and songs that Sinatra and Jobim recorded at a 1969 session.

“Jobim was such a big influence on me in the 1980s—what I was hearing, then translating and what I was taking away from it,” John says. “A lot of what we did on this record, the medleys and the arrangements for the new songs, come out of what they did on their album and the influence they have had on my music.”

"Best of Raffi" on CD in February

Rounder Records has announced the forthcoming release of Best Of Raffi, a career-spanning

collection, celebrating 40 years of hits from the legendary, beloved children’s entertainer. Releasing February 10, 2017, Best Of Raffi will mark the first, curated collection of Raffi’s music to be released outside of his native Canada. Best Of Raffi will include such classics as “Down By The Bay” (1976), “Bananaphone” (1994), and, perhaps his most iconic hit, “Baby Beluga” (1980).

Having released nearly 30 children’s albums, beginning with 1976’s Singable Songs For The Very Young, pioneering troubadour Raffi Cavoukian (better known simply as “Raffi”) is one of the world's best-selling and most influential children's entertainers, having brought joy to successive generations of kids—and their parents—with his playful, exuberant personality and his irresistibly infectious songs. Along the way, he has performed countless sold-out shows at concert halls across North America and beyond, and has received a string of Platinum and Gold certifications by the RIAA.

Kate Bush Releases the live album, "Before the Dawn"

Her new three disc set, "Before the dawn" was recorded during her incredible run of 22 sold-out

shows performed at London's Hammersmith Apollo back in 2014.  The album was released on Fish People  and distributed by Concord/Uni.

In March 2014 Kate Bush announced plans to perform 15 shows in London in August and September that year, her first live shows since 1979.  The shows sold out so quickly that an additional seven were immediately added, with all shows selling out in 15 minutes.  This very website crashed with the demand.

The first night of the shows prompted a complete media frenzy with the Evening Standard declaring that the show was "an extraordinary mix of magical ideas, stunning visuals, attention to detail and remarkable music – she was so obviously, so unambiguously brilliant, it made last night something to tell the grandchildren about."

Heart Reveals "BEAUTIFUL BROKEN" Album Release Plans

Rock and Roll Hall of Famers HEART return this July 8 with BEAUTIFUL BROKEN, their sixteenth album and their first on Concord Records.  HEART has sold over 35 million records, and this anticipated album is their first in four years.  BEAUTIFUL BROKEN finds Ann and Nancy Wilson exploring new songs, but taking some of their favorite “cherry picks” from their catalog and rerecording and rethinking them. The title track and first single features a dynamic guest vocal contribution by Metallica‘s James Hetfield with Ann Wilson.

“There is really a seventies feel to this record both in the sound, and the way we got to the emotional core of each song,” says Nancy Wilson. “We picked songs that we always wanted to re-do, plus we’ve added three new tracks. On both new and old, we have the band playing together the way we used to. This is classic Heart.”

The seven tracks that were pulled from the HEART catalog were tunes both Nancy and Ann wanted another shot at, due many times to how they were initially produced. Songs like “City’s Burning,” “Down on Me,” and “Sweet Darlin'” have always been live favorites of the sisters, and of HEART‘s fan base, but they had somewhat languished. “Those songs may have fallen through the cracks, in a way, because of where radio was at the time when they were first released,” Ann Wilson says. “Rediscovering those songs, I found ways they emotionally still speak to me.” Two songs are from Passionworks, two from Private Audition, and two are from Bebe Le Strange.

Paul Simon's New "Wristband" Tune- LISTEN

Full of thrilling, imaginative textures, Paul Simon's new Stranger to Stranger album(out June 3) conjures a vivid and vital new context to Simon’s well-established virtuosity as a singer and songwriter.  The record; his first since 2011’s acclaimed So Beautiful or So What—ushers the listener into a brave new musical world where expectations are defied and exceeded, as they were thirty years ago with another masterwork, Graceland.

Produced by Simon and his longtime musical partner Roy Halee, Stranger to Stranger’s adventurous sonic spirit is abundantly clear right from the darkly humorous first two songs, "The Werewolf” and "Wristband.”

St Vincent to Direct Segment of Magnolia's XX

Magnet Releasing, the genre arm of Magnolia Pictures, announced today that celebrated musician and songwriter Annie Clark (St. Vincent) will make her directorial debut on the firm’s upcoming all-female-helmed horror anthology film XX. Not only will each segment be directed by a woman, each will star female leads. Clark’s segment, scheduled to film this spring, has been co-written and will be produced by genre maven Roxanne Benjamin (SOUTHBOUND, V/H/S, V/H/S/2, FAULTS).

XX is a female-driven horror anthology with each director given full creative license to tell any story they choose revolving around a female protagonist. While the directors have been given free creative rein within budget and time constraints, all of the segments themselves will involve the horror genre. In addition to Clark, other directors attached include Karyn Kusama (THE INVITATION, GIRLFIGHT), Jennifer Lynch (SURVEILLANCE, CHAINED), and Jovanka Vuckovic (THE CAPTURED BIRD, former editor of Rue Morgue Magazine).

As St. Vincent, Clark is one of the most distinct voices and original guitarists of her generation. Her recent album, the self-titled St. Vincent (Loma Vista Recordings), won her "album of the year" designations from the NME, The Guardian, and Entertainment Weekly and the Best Alternative Album GRAMMY. An incredible live performer, Clark has been heralded as "the first truly 21st century guitar hero” by Guitar World magazine, and is constantly pushing the boundaries of today’s musical landscape.

"Pure McCartney", a New Compilation Set of His Solo Work, Out June 10

Sir Paul McCartney and his music need no introduction. Together with three of his friends, he changed the cultural landscape forever.

And Paul’s accomplishments since then as a member of Wings and a solo artist make for a staggering body of work that stands proudly alongside those eight sensational years with The Beatles.

'Pure McCartney', a new compilation of his solo, Wings and Fireman work, celebrates that fact, showcasing 67 highlights from one of the most-revered catalogues in music - from 'McCartney' in 1970, his debut solo album, right through to 'Hope For The Future', his 2014 track taken from 'Destiny', the most-anticipated video game of the last decade. Not only is 'Pure McCartney’ a monumental mix tape of some of popular music's most memorable moments from 1970 to the present day, it also features curios for the super fans and some of Paul's personal favourites—all handpicked by the man himself.

"Me and my team came up with the idea of putting together a collection of my recordings with nothing else in mind other than having something fun to listen to," Paul said recently of this project.

Melissa Etheridge Set to Release New Concord Album on Legendary Stax Records

Concord Music Group has announced that acclaimed singer-songwriter and activist Melissa Etheridge is scheduled to release a new album honoring Stax Records in August or September 2016. Etheridge; an Oscar and two-time GRAMMY winner, is currently recording at Royal Studios in Memphis on what will be her first album since 2014’s critically lauded This Is M.E.

Along with original material, Etheridge’s ambitious Concord release will feature interpretations of classic songs from the legendary Stax catalog, celebrating its artists and legacy and spotlighting the vital role Stax Records played in the Civil Rights Movement. Engineered by Lawrence "Boo” Mitchell, son of famed music producer Willie Mitchell, the as-yet-untitled project will include a number of top Memphis musicians, including the Hodges Brothers.

"We are delighted and honored to welcome Melissa Etheridge to the Concord family,” says album co-producer and Concord Label Group President, John Burk. "She’s an incredible talent with her own unique blend of rock and soul that’s perfectly suited to interpret some of the classic Memphis repertoire that was foundational to both genres.”

Etheridge says, "It is such an honor to work with John Burk and Concord Music Group. I can see how well the company serves its artists, and it’s the perfect place for me to make my first musical concept album. Stax is like the Bible of rock ’n’ roll, and to pay tribute to that label, to see the roots of that music and to sing an Otis Redding song is such an amazing experience. I am so thrilled – I can’t wait to get started.”

Concord Music Acquires HighTone and Bandit Records

Concord Bicycle Music is pleased to announce it has acquired the catalog of prized independent Americana, folk and blues label HighTone Records and, in a separate transaction, the recorded music assets of Bandit Records, the late George Jones’ label imprint.

The HighTone catalog, which was obtained from Shout! Factory, includes over 350 master recordings from renowned artists such as Buddy Miller, The Blasters, Dave Alvin, Joe Ely, Dick Dale, Robert Cray, Joe Lewis Walker, Gary Stewart, Jimmie Dale Gilmore, Rosie Flores, Tom Russell, Clarence Gatemouth Brown, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, Dale Watson and many others.

Founded in Oakland, CA in 1983 by Bruce Bromberg and Larry Sloven, HighTone quickly became a home for the early 80’s burgeoning west coast underground roots music scene when its first release, bluesman Robert Cray’s Bad Influence, was a surprise hit and went on to sell over a million copies. Expanding rapidly, HighTone released a series of superb blues, folk, rock and country albums while carving out a niche in the roots music style that would become known as Americana. HighTone also houses imprints including Testament Records and Highwater Blues & Gospel that specializes in American roots music such as country, rockabilly, western swing, blues, and gospel.

The Staples Singers Box Set Announced by Stax

Stax/Concord Music Group will release the first-ever comprehensive, career-spanning overview of the Staple Singers, one of the most important American musical acts of the 20th century.  Due out November 13, this limited edition 4-CD box set—titled Faith and Grace: A Family Journey 1953-1976—also includes a very special bonus: the earliest known recording of the gospel, soul and R&B group, housed on a 7" vinyl record, marking the first time that this track has been available in any format since the Staples' self-released edition of 500.

Housed in a deluxe, old-school "45-folio" package, the accompanying book features new liner notes by Mavis Staples, James Miller, Opal Louis Nations and compilation producer Joe McEwen, as well as rarely seen photos of the family band taken over the course of their career.

The long-lost recordings embodied on the 7" record, "Faith and Grace" and "These Are They," are the earliest known recordings of the Staple Singers and were made in a friend of Pops Staples' basement in Chicago in 1953. These have never before been commercially available in any format except the 500 or so copies the Staples pressed themselves on 78-RPM records. The box set also contains the live recording "Medley: Too Close/I'm On My Way Home/I'm Coming Home/He's Alright [Live]." This live performance from 1960 Clarksdale, Mississippi has never before been available in its entirety.