Boz Scaggs offers his second volume of standards and ballads titled “Speak Low” on October 28, 2008. To support the release, Boz will be stopping by intimate jazz clubs around the country starting on the Oct. 28 at the Napa Valley Opera House in California. See below for more tour dates.
Audio Stream for lead single “Invitation”
Five years after his first volume of standards, But Beautiful, debuted at # 1 on the Billboard Jazz chart, GRAMMY award winning musician Boz Scaggs offers his second volume of standards and ballads, aptly titled Speak Low (out September 30 on vinyl and wide release on October 28th via Decca).
The multi-dimensional singer, whose 1976 album Silk Degrees was one of the landmark pop titles of the decade, began working on Speak Low several years ago. He’d settled on most of the material, and had developed a rough notion of the sound in his head. “I had a few distinct elements I wanted to hear paired with my voice,” Scaggs recalls, “but I needed an arranger who could bring those textures to life.” He remembers wondering whether he’d ever realize the sound he’d imagined. And then he experienced what he describes as a remarkable coincidence. “It was raining, cold out. I walked by the Blue Note and heard music coming out of the club. It was vibes, string trio, a couple of horns – this was the sound I’d been hearing in my head, exactly. Turned out to be Gil Goldstein and a nonet. After the set Gil and I started talking, and it was just a really nice meeting. When we got together around a piano, that was it. We knew.”
The album was recorded at Skywalker Sound, a state-of-the-art studio that’s part of filmmaker George Lucas’ Skywalker Ranch complex. The room is massive, a soundstage big enough to fit an orchestra. Yet Speak Low sounds like it was made in someone’s cozy living room. “The sense of intimacy you get there is quite remarkable,” Scaggs says. “You think you can get closer to the music in a smaller room, but that’s not always true. At Skywalker, the vastness brought us all together…. The quiets in that room are much quieter, and all of the dynamics are really vivid. It’s a great room to sing in.”
Fans can experience the intimacy of this album live as Scaggs embarks on a nationwide tour this fall with multiple shows in most of the cities. This special tour will bring Scaggs to legendary jazz clubs across the country where he’ll not only perform the standards from ‘Speak Low’ but he’ll debut new versions of fan favorites like “Lowdown,” “JoJo,” and “Lido Shuffle.”
BOZ SCAGGS TOUR DATES:
October 28 Napa Valley Opera House Napa, CA
October 30 Jazz Alley Seattle, WA
October 31 Jazz Alley* Seattle, WA
November 1 Jazz Alley* Seattle, WA
November 2 Jazz Alley Seattle, WA
November 5 Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant* Minneapolis, MN
November 6 Dakota Jazz Club & Restaurant* Minneapolis, MN
November 7 UCO Jazz Club* Edmond, OK
November 10 Blue Note* New York City, NY
November 11 Blue Note* New York City, NY
November 14 Blue Note* New York City, NY
November 15 Blue Note* New York City, NY
November 16 Blue Note* New York City, NY
November 19 Blue Alley* Washington, DC
November 20 Ram’s Head on Stage* Annapolis, MD
November 23 Wilbur Theatre* Boston, MA
* Indicates two performances
Multi-faceted and celebrated recording artist/producer Todd Rundgren is set to release his first full-length record of original studio material in 4 years, entitled Arena on September 30th via newly launched music venture Hi Fi Recordings. Rundgren has been on the road in support of the release on a 20 + U.S. city tour this summer – which kicked off with a week-long celebration in Hawaii, culminating with the first-ever live performance of Arena in its entirety on Todd’s birthday, June 22nd. Rundgren will also hit the road in support of Arena this fall in Europe and the UK where the album will be released simultaneously to the U.S. A sneak peak of an exclusive album track ‘Mad’ will be available on MySpace.com starting on July 15th.
Streaming link to the new single “Mountaintop”
Arena, recorded in Todd’s current home state of Hawaii, is yet another notable addition to Rundgren’s remarkable career as a performer, songwriter, and producer. The album showcases his unique songwriting style and sonically captures the essence and energy of “arena” rock with bombastic, guitar-driven tunes like “Mountaintop,” “Strike” and “Mad,” while the anthemic song “Mercenary,” transports you to a stadium with its epic chorus, “How Do You Like Me Now?,” resounding to every seat in the house.
“I found myself just going out and doing this sort of guerilla guitar quartet thing around the country and around Canada,” said Rundgren, “So when it came time to make a record, I thought maybe I’ll just continue in that vein and write something that is appropriate to the guitar, since the fans seem to be enjoying it so much.
“So when I decided to write a new album, I knew beforehand it was going to be this kind of old-school guitar-rock record.”
Known as a man of musical innovation, Rundgren’s latest release draws from his vast and impressive career experiences as a performer, songwriter and producer – including notable achievements on the cutting edge of music and technology such as: the first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), which linked 40 cities around the country in 1978; the very first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for “Best Short Form Video” in 1983; and the launch of PatroNet, the world’s first direct artist subscription service all of course; and of course there are the timeless hit songs, including ‘Hello It’s Me’, ‘I Saw The Light’, ‘Can We Still be Friends’, and ‘Bang The Drum.’
With ground-breaking accomplishments under his belt, Rundgren’s career boasts additional credits to the aforementioned roles he is most well known for, including video pioneer, computer software developer, conceptualist and, most recently, interactive artist (re-designated TR-i). Given this incredible history and his constant creative state-of-mind, there are undoubtedly many more imaginative horizons for Todd Rundgren to discover.
Todd Rundgren’s Official Site:
and MySpace:
http://www.myspace.com/toddrundgrenmusic
Todd Rundgren upcoming tour dates:
10/1 – Seattle, WA The Triple Door
10/4 – Glen Allen, CA B.R. Cohn Winery Amphitheater
10/6 – Chicago, IL Park West
10/9 – Morristown, NJ Community Theatre at Mayo Center for the Performing Arts
10/11 – Tarrytown, NY Tarrytown Music Hall
10/13 – Knoxville, TN Bijou Theatre
10/15 – Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
12/17 – Alexandria, VA Birchmere
12/19 – Bay Shore, NY YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts
12/20 – Norfolk, CT Infinity Hall
12/26 – New York, NY Blender Theatre at Gramercy
12/30 – Annapolis, MD Rams Head On Stage
Hi Fi Recordings is proud to present the brand new album from Todd Rundgren entitled Arena in stores September 30th, 2008. This is Todd Rundgren’s first studio album in four years and showcases his unique songwriting style and sonically captures the essence and energy of “arena” rock with bombastic, guitar-driven tunes.
Streaming link to the first single “Mad”
Multi-faceted and celebrated recording artist/producer Todd Rundgren is set to release his first full-length record of original studio material in 4 years, entitled Arena on September 30th via newly launched music venture Hi Fi Recordings. Rundgren has been on the road in support of the release on a 20 + U.S. city tour this summer – which kicked off with a week-long celebration in Hawaii, culminating with the first-ever live performance of Arena in its entirety on Todd’s birthday, June 22nd. Rundgren will also hit the road in support of Arena this fall in Europe and the UK where the album will be released simultaneously to the U.S. A sneak peak of an exclusive album track ‘Mad’ will be available on MySpace.com starting on July 15th.
Arena, recorded in Todd’s current home state of Hawaii, is yet another notable addition to Rundgren’s remarkable career as a performer, songwriter, and producer. The album showcases his unique songwriting style and sonically captures the essence and energy of “arena” rock with bombastic, guitar-driven tunes like “Mountaintop,” “Strike” and “Mad,” while the anthemic song “Mercenary,” transports you to a stadium with its epic chorus, “How Do You Like Me Now?,” resounding to every seat in the house.
“I found myself just going out and doing this sort of guerilla guitar quartet thing around the country and around Canada,” said Rundgren, “So when it came time to make a record, I thought maybe I’ll just continue in that vein and write something that is appropriate to the guitar, since the fans seem to be enjoying it so much.
“So when I decided to write a new album, I knew beforehand it was going to be this kind of old-school guitar-rock record.”
Known as a man of musical innovation, Rundgren’s latest release draws from his vast and impressive career experiences as a performer, songwriter and producer – including notable achievements on the cutting edge of music and technology such as: the first live nationally broadcast stereo radio concert (by microwave), which linked 40 cities around the country in 1978; the very first two commercially released music videos, one of which was nominated for the first-ever Grammy awarded for “Best Short Form Video” in 1983; and the launch of PatroNet, the world’s first direct artist subscription service all of course; and of course there are the timeless hit songs, including ‘Hello It’s Me’, ‘I Saw The Light’, ‘Can We Still be Friends’, and ‘Bang The Drum.’
With ground-breaking accomplishments under his belt, Rundgren’s career boasts additional credits to the aforementioned roles he is most well known for, including video pioneer, computer software developer, conceptualist and, most recently, interactive artist (re-designated TR-i). Given this incredible history and his constant creative state-of-mind, there are undoubtedly many more imaginative horizons for Todd Rundgren to discover.
Todd Rundgren’s Official Site:
and MySpace:
“Love Is For Me” Audio Streams:
On May 13th, Fantasy Records will release Hymn For My Soul, the newest album from legendary singer Joe Cocker. The album unites Cocker, possessor of one of the world’s most instantly recognisable and iconic voices (Lennon & McCartney’s With A Little Help From My Friends, anyone?), with Ethan Johns, who has proved both his worth and his Midas touch via albums he’s produced for, among others, Rufus Wainwright, Emmylou Harris, Ryan Adams, Razorlight, Kings of Leon, and Ray LaMontagne. The union has resulted in one of the most accomplished pieces of work in the Sheffield-born singer’s long and illustrious career, and one played by arguably the most stellar band to be assembled in a recording studio anywhere in the world in recent times.
Among them are drummers Jim Keltner (uniformly viewed as the best session drummer in the world, a man who played with John Lennon and Bob Dylan), and James Gadson (as well as producing classic albums for the soul star Bill Withers, he drummed on hit recordings by artists ranging from Gladys Knight to Justin Timberlake). Also present are Tom Petty’s pianist Benmont Tench, former Jethro Tull keyboard player Dave Palmer, bassist Bob Babbitt (member of Motown Records’ studio band The Funk Brothers in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and hence a player on more seminal recordings than can be listed here), and Hammond organist Mike Finnigan (who played with Jimi Hendrix on Electric Ladyland). Completing the all-star line-up on backing vocals are Merry Clayton (once one of Ray Charles’s Raelettes, she sang on the Stones’ Gimme Shelter), Tata Vega, Julia Walters, her brother Oren Walters, and Jim Gilstrap.
“You Haven’t Done Nothin” Audio Streams :
Joe Cocker Official Site:
http://www.cocker.com
Tour Dates:
May
24 West Palm Beach, FL Cruzan Amphitheater
25 Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheater
26 Atlanta, GA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
29 Oklahoma City, OK The Zoo Amphitheater
30 Dallas, TX Superpages Center
31 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Pavilion
June
1 Austin, TX The Backyard
26 Muskegon, MI Summer Celebration
27 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Center
28 Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Center
July
2 Kansas City, MO Starlight Theater
3 Minneapolis, MN Target Center
5 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheater
6 St. Louis, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
10 New York, NY Radio City Music Hall
11 Long Island, NY Jones Beach
12 Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette Pavilion
13 Bethel, NY Bethel Woods Center
15 Toronto, ON Molson Amphitheater
17 Washington, DC Merriweather Post Pavilion
18 Foxwoods, CT MGM Grand at Foxwoods
19 Boston, MA Tweeter Center
20 Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Center
30 Salt Lake City, UT USANA Amphitheater
Aug
2 George, WA The Gorge
3 Central Point, OR Lithia Motors Amph
6 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theatre
7 Santa Barbara, CA County Bowl
8 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
9 Las Vegas, NV Orleans Arena
For those not that familiar with Ween, they are the Chameleons of rock and roll. They have and will try their hand at any and every genre of music that exists and while sometimes it seems tongue in cheek, they always go the distance and make the music sound as authentic as possible. Ween studio albums end up being a bit scatter brained with multiple genres on a single record, but they are always interesting and worth a listen. The song “Gabrielle” actually comes off of a compilation album of rare songs and I guess what amounts to b-sides called Shinola Vol. 1 and its actually one of my favorites by these guys. The song is a dead ringer for the classic rock sound of Thin Lizzy right down to the chord progression and vocal phrasing and it sometimes makes me wish Ween would pick a genre and stick with it, but then again, then they wouldn’t be Ween. Have a listen:
Mp3s are for sampling purposes only. They are left up for a limited time. If you like the music, please support these artists. If you represent an artist or a label and would prefer that the link to an mp3 be removed, please email us at media@watchmojo.com
John Fogerty reclaims his rightful place among America’s most iconic and revered artists with the forthcoming Revival, due October 2nd.
Fogerty’s contribution to popular culture cannot be overstated; his songs have become part of rock’s DNA, the very building blocks upon which much of American rock and roll has been built. As the album title tantalizingly suggests, Revival represents a renewed musical spirit and heart from Fogerty that incorporates all the best elements of a career that has resonated deeply with generations of music fans and the thousands of artists that he has influenced.
“It just seemed like all the records I have made since Creedence Clearwater Revival have all been sort of pushed off center,” he says. “I felt like I was dancing around the outskirts of what is my true center. With this album, I really wanted to stay on the mark, right in the middle, right where rock ‘n’ roll is. I wanted this one to be easier, a lot more fun than some of the past records have been.”
That renewed sense of joy shines through on the self-produced Revival. The wistful, infectious opening track “Don’t You Wish It Was True” instantly puts a smile on the listener’s face. “Gunslinger”’s cinematic western-theme evokes vintage-era Creedence, while on the deliciously swampy “Creedence Song,” Fogerty correctly and humorously assesses “You can’t go wrong/if you play a little bit of that Creedence song.” His love of classic Sun Records-era rockabilly permeates “It Ain’t Right,” one of many tunes on the album that allows Fogerty, whom Rolling Stone named one of the greatest guitarists of all time, to show off his blistering guitar work. “The River is Waiting” is a gorgeous, hymn-like spiritual that features well-known vocal trio, The Waters on backup vocals. A trenchant observer of the world’s troubles, Fogerty weighs in on the current administration with the rollicking, biting “Long Dark Night” and the ‘mission critical’ statement of “I Can’t Take It No More” with its unmistakable admonition “…another fortunate son.”
Revival Audio Streams:
“Don’t You Wish It Was True”
www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/qtl/John_Fogerty_Don’t_You_Wish_It_Was_True.qtl
www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/John_Fogerty_Don’t_You_Wish_It_Was_True.asx
“Summer of Love”
www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/qtl/John_Fogerty_Summer_of_Love.qtl
www.concordmusicgroup.com/audio/asx/John_Fogerty_Summer_of_Love.asx
John Fogerty Fall Tour Dates
Fri 11/23 Los Angeles CA - Nokia Theatre
Sat 11/24 Phoenix AZ - Maricopa Events Center
Sun 11/25 Las Vegas NV - The Joint
Tue 11/27 Minneapolis MN - State Theatre
Wed 11/28 Chicago IL - Chicago Theatre
Fri 11/30 St. Louis MO - Scottrade Center - Theatre set-up
Sat 12/1 Indianapolis IN - Murat Theatre
Tue 12/4 Atlanta GA - Cobb Energy PAC
Wed 12/5 Nashville TN - Ryman Auditorium
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