Lynne Taylor Donovan Releases New Single

Lynne Taylor Donovan (LTD) released her new single "Strong One" to radio in the U.K., Europe, and parts of Australia on April 2. Penned by renowned songwriters Cyril Rawson and Byron Hill, this much anticipated new single is a more traditional sound for Lynne and features violin, steel guitar and piano.

The song was recorded on tape and mastered to digital by Craig Waddell at Gotham City studios in Vancouver. The vocals were produced by Juno award winner Geoff Eyre with additional production by Juno nominee Al Rodger.

"(The) Strong One" is the first new single for Lynne since "Sugar Lake" and is something Lynne has wanted to do for some time. It has virtually no added effects or over-dubs and captures a moment in the studio when all the parts came together to create a very special moment. The song is featured as the first premiere track on the new Hotdisc distribution from the UK. and will begin arriving at radio this week.

Pre-release reaction from presenters/DJs is very positive with comments ranging from ..."may be her best"...to ..."brilliant"...and...."very very good...Lynne's vocals are excellent".

http://www.lynnetaylordonovan.com

http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=190440

International Sensation Finds Artistic Freedom and Gives Hope to Youth of a Nation

http://mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=179375

Myanmar's #1 Pop artist is now making her presence known in the United States. Ah Moon (Lung Sitt Ja Moon) grew up in the terribly poor and conflicted Burma. She found her spirit to survive in singing, playing piano, violin and acting at an early age. Through the years of brutal military rule, to now a (somewhat) democratic society, she never stopped pursuing her dream to become an international artist.

Her first project, the Me N Ma Girls, attracted scores of international press stories, and even a critically acclaimed documentary film (Nikki and the Tiger Girls). Now her focus is on her solo career. Her recently released, solo album 'Min Pay Tae A Chit," is comprised of both Burmese and English songs. In a matter of weeks, the album is selling out across the country of Myanmar. Her most recent video release, "Cheap Sunglasses" has received over 11,000 YouTube plays in a little over a week.

Ah Moon's is an affable young woman of 23 years, speaks 5 languages, and is extremely active in charity organizations. Specifically admirable are her efforts with the World Wide Orphans Foundation, support for Myanmar's Orphans, and the homeless shelters throughout her country. Ah Moon can be looked at as a true role model to the young women of Myanmar.

CD Release: Monty Alexander 'Uplift 2' JLP

JAZZ LEGACY PRODUCTIONS CD RELEASE: UPLIFT 2 Monty Alexander



Jamaica is known for the undulating sounds of reggae, but it also contributed mightily to the jazz continuum. Dizzy Reese, Ernest Ranglin, and Harry Beckett are from Jamaica, but perhaps the island's best-known jazz export is Monty Alexander, a pianist that's been enthralling jazz fans for decades. Alexander's 2011 album Uplift topped the JazzWeek chart twice that year—and when JazzWeek charted the most-played CDs of the year, Uplift was #5. Between that CD and Harlem-Kingston Express Live, Alexander has officially dominated the US Radio Charts with three # 1 spots, all in the summer of 2011. Harlem-Kingston Express (Motema, also 2011) was nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Reggae Album category.



Born in Kingston 1944, the young Alexander took to the 88s as something of a prodigy. One night at age five he had observed a pianist play "White Christmas" in his home at a Christmas party. His mother recalls seeing young Monty playing that same tune with both hands the very next night. At age eight he took classical piano lessons but he'd already began loving the American jazz and Great American songbook pop (Tony Bennett, Nat "King" Cole) he heard on the radio. As a teenager, seeing Nat "King" Cole and Louis Armstrong perform had a major impact upon him. He'd also become interested in Jamaican music—Alexander would play with Clue J & His Blues Blasters, substituting for their regular pianist Aubrey Adams when he became unavailable. While few could conceive of it at the time, this band would prove to be a major watershed in Jamaican music history, incubating the talents of not only Alexander but Ernest Ranglin, Rico Rodriguez, and Roland Alphonso, all who'd go on to become prime movers in Jamaican ska, rocksteady, and reggae. By the end of 1961, Alexander's family relocated to that land of opportunity, the USA, where he further honed his skills. While playing with Art Mooney's orchestra in Las Vegas, he was spotted by a couple of high rollers, namely Frank Sinatra and Ermenigildo "Jilly" Rizzo, singer/show business legend and Sinatra's pal/aide and New York City club owner, respectively. Rizzo hired Alexander to be the house pianist for Jilly's Saloon, a notorious hang-out for show biz types, jazz musicians, and assorted other hip clientele. Not only did he accompany Sinatra when he performed at Jilly's, but Alexander met a jazz legend there that became both a friend and employer, vibes master Milt Jackson (of the Modern Jazz Quartet, who had a parallel solo career). Other singers Alexander has shone behind include Mary Stallings, Ernestine Anderson, Natalie Cole (who asked Alexander to accompany her on her tribute album to her father Unforgettable), Tony Bennett, and Bobby McFerrin. Furthermore, he played with ace of the bass Ray Brown and trumpet titans Dizzy Gillespie and Clark Terry. From the 1970s on, Alexander took the jazz world by storm with a series of internationally well-received albums on the European MPS and American Concord and Telarc labels.



Monty Alexander's distinctive sound emanates from two sources—firstly, he's infused the inspiration of iconic pianists Oscar Peterson, Nat "King" Cole, Ahmad Jamal, and Errol Garner with Jamaican sounds past and present. Secondly, and perhaps most crucially, Alexander indubitably loves what he is doing and he communicates that to listeners in an engaging, infectious manner. Talk about having one's cake and eating it too—Alexander has mastered that concept for the best of both worlds. "I play for me but I also play for the audience…I am even more satisfied when I make people happy." Alexander has no truck with elitist "artistic" notions—while he doesn't pander to listeners, he doesn't place himself "above" them either. "Dizzy Gillespie, Duke Ellington, and Louis Armstrong—these artists reached out to the audience." Alexander's latest for Jazz Legacy Productions, Uplift 2—a sequel of sorts to 2011's Uplift—virtually epitomizes his philosophy and approach to jazz gloriously. Reunited with bassist John Clayton and drummer Jeff Hamilton—with whom he made some of his very best trio recordings in the mid-1970s—Uplift 2 bursts out of the gate with two tunes that, in lesser hands, might come off as corny or clichéd—"Battle Hymn (of the Republic)" and "When the Saints Go Marching In." But to Alexander, this "familiarity" presents an opportunity he relishes. "I like to take old wine and put it into new bottles," he says. "It's not so much the song, but what you do with it." Alexander's trio takes these warhorses and renders them with impishly affectionate humor, invention, and gregarious swing. Clayton and Hamilton are the thunder and wind to Alexander's summertime cloudburst. When asked about the chemistry of this configuration of musicians from long ago—every so often we'd get together"—Alexander affirmed, "We just clicked from the get-go."

Which is not to sleight Alexander's "other" trio on this set, Hassan Shakur on bass and Frits Landesbergen on drums. After a tantalizingly angular intro, this Alexander trio swings the standard "St. Thomas" like it was both the first time and maybe the last time they'd have at it—it's jovial and assertive, breezy and volatile. Ahmad Jamal's "Night Mist Blues" is a panorama—deep noir mood, rippling piano (echoes of McCoy Tyner?), richly pensive blues feeling, Dave Brubeck-like urbanity, restless but almost celebratory reminiscence, and Shakur and Landesbergen support and stimulate like nobody's business.



"At the end of the day," Alexander says, "it's about touching somebody's heart." Uplift 2 succeeds in that spectacularly, while it also takes up residence in the mind (including that region that controls the tapping of your foot). Without fanfare or pretense, Monty Alexander continues to celebrate the aspects of directness and delight in jazz. "It's a joy and a privilege to come out of the gate and get to the point!," says Alexander. Need proof? Listen, learn, and love.

PAp Records Signs Keri Lynn Roche And Releases Debut Single "Generation Kill"

PAp Records announced the recent signing of its latest artist, Season 12 American Idol contestant Keri Lynn Roche. Under PAp's management, the 23-year old singer-songwriter recorded her debut single, "Generation Kill", which will be released on major online outlets such as iTunes and Amazon on March 25.



The American Idol contestant earned a trip to Hollywood after her breakthrough performance during a show taped in Chicago involving a cover of Patsy Cline's 'Walking After Midnight'. "Randy Jackson told me 'I see you selling platinum records,'" Roche noted. "That was really cool to hear because I've worked really hard at this." Attracted by Roche's talent, the Rhode Island-based record company added the Birmingham native to their already impressive selection of artists covering all music genres, including Hip-hop, Pop, Alternative, and Jazz.



The soon-to-be released "Generation Kill" showcases Roche's amazing talent and testifies to Idol judge Randy Jackson's praise of her skills. In "Generation Kill", Roche sings in a tongue-in-cheek fashion and satirizes the ridiculousness of contemporary culture. "Makes me ill/Generation Kill/ I don't wanna/but I think I will." With a medium tempo and a light, catchy piano riff, the pop single carries clear influences from folk and country. Possessing great range and power, however, Roche's incredible vocals are the clear star of the show.



Follow Keri Lynn Roche online:

http://www.reverbnation.com/kerilynnroche

http://www.youtube.com/kerilynnroche

http://www.twitter.com/kerilynnroche



For additional information and booking:

PAp Records

info@paprecords.com

http://www.paprecords.com/

https://twitter.com/PApRecords

MusicDish*China Promotes The Orange Piano Tour At China's Great Wall

After performing the heights of the Swiss Alps, Soul/Rock german pianist Stefan Aaron will be bringing his Orange Piano Tour to The Great Wall of China on August 12th near Badaling. MusicDish*China (独立小炒) has been selected to promote and market the tour in China, including PR and social media and distribution in China. MusicDish has tapped R2G as the exclusive online retailer for the tour theme "Doing The Undoable" and has already promoting the tour on popular chinese sites Sina's weibo, Douban and Youku.

In 2011, Stefan dreamed up the Orange Piano Tour concept, to fly his orange piano to unusual and crazy locations he would perform a new pop song, tailored to that location. "I want to put my orange piano, whose color fits the positive energy of my songs, in unusual places and see what happens." He first launched the tour in August 2011 when his funny colored piano was flown to the peak of the 4206m high mountain "Alphubel" in Switzerland, setting an official Guinness world record for the highest piano performance in the process.

Aaron, who began playing piano at age 6 and was influenced by artists like Toto, Supertramp, Tears For Fears, the Beatles, and Coldplay, studied vocals and jazz in Munich before moving to Los Angeles to continue his training in different styles. After learning the art of entertaining in piano bars, joining a gospel choir, and playing in top 40 bands, he returned to Germany, where he acquired the reputation of piano-entertainer.

Stefan Aaron is one of the most sought after talents at Kӓfer's am Hofgarten, Munich's top piano bar. The pianist extraordinaire has played for the Dutch billionaire Marcel Boekhoorn aboard his yacht in Monaco, and plays consistently for German celebrities like Fc Bayern, Boris Becker, Uwe Ochsenknecht, and Michael Kӓfer.

Email: chinasounds@musicdish.com

"Doing The Undoable" is available for purchase through iTunes: http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/stefan-aaron/id456996445 and Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Doing-The-Undoable-Single/dp/B005H91I4Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1342042620&sr=1-1&keywords=Stefan+Aaron+Doing+The+Undoable

Algo Jazz By Nonsoft Now Available Worldwide

Shortly after its release, Algo Jazz by Nonsoft is now available from outlets worldwide including Amazon, CD Baby, iTunes, Rhapsody, and eMusic. Algo Jazz is the debut album by Nonsoft, who were formerly creating video games before turning their attention to music. The album features 18 tracks of varied styles and instrumentation, all of which were algorithmically-composed and recorded by a computer. Songs range from the smooth jazz piano of "The Best Days", to the Latin guitar of "On the Run", and even some experimentation with vibraphone and flute music ("Phoning it in From Somewhere Blue", and, "Ten Nineteen", respectively). Further information about Nonsoft and Algo Jazz can be found at the official Nonsoft Music web site: http://www.nonsoftmusic.com

Barix Audio over IP Solution to Support Live Streams from 2012 International Piano Festival

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND, January 16, 2012 — Audio over IP pioneer Barix AG will bring the 2012 International Piano Festival to a global audience this year through the power of streaming media. The International Piano Festival is a series of weekly piano concerts taking place from March 3 through April 7, 2012 at the historic 400-seat Teatro Miela in Trieste, Italy. The Association 'Il Concerto, founded in 2007 to spread knowledge and love for music, hosts the annual event. Featured performers this year include internationally-known musicians Anna Fedorova, Natalia Morozova, Marcos Madrigal, Roberto Prosseda, Trio Maurice and the duo Chiara Soave-Cecilia Baccolo. Barix will provide a complete Audio over IP solution to support the live audio streams originating from the theater. Listeners can access the streams at home or on the go at http://www.ilconcerto.eu/Il_Concerto/Live.html using desktop computers, smart phones, tablets and other web-accessible devices with audio reception. The Association 'Il Concerto cites broadcast-quality sound, flexibility and ease of use as key reasons for choosing Barix. “Barix makes broadcasting applications dramatically simple," said Riccardo Radivo, artistic director of the International Piano Festival. “In addition to supporting live streams in the theater, the Barix Audio over IP solution will enable listeners everywhere to hear the concerts on desktop computers, smart phones and other audio devices, expanding the vistas of the Association's knowledge and love of music.” The International Piano Festival audio feeds will originate from a front of house mixer in the theater. A Barix Exstreamer 1000 professional Audio over IP device will receive a balanced stereo signal from a mixer output, and encode the audio for distribution over a high-speed broadband connection. (A second stereo output from each mixer will connect to a digital recorder for live recording.) Barix Instreamer firmware will encode the analog audio signals in the MPEG1 Layer III 48Khz format — the highest bit rate allowed for maximum audio quality. The broadband connection will transport the digital encoded signals to a remote Icecast server, which enables the live stream over fixed and mobile devices. About Barix AG (www.barix.com) Barix AG, headquartered in Zurich Switzerland, specializes in research and development of state of the art IP based communication and control technology. Barix products are stand-alone and able to remotely connect worldwide over standard networks / Internet offering new and improved solutions to the professional audio distribution, communication and automation industry. Barix products provide solutions in audio over IP (audio distribution and monitoring, communication, security) and automation (remote controlling, monitoring and maintenance). # # # Barix AG, Seefeldstrasse 303, 8008 Zurich, Switzerland Phone: +41 43 43322 11, Fax: +41 44 2742849 Barix Technology Inc, St. Paul, MN – (866) 815-0866 http://www.barix.com http://www.ip-audio.info

Valerie JanLois Releases New Video

Website: http://www.valeriejanlois.com/

San Francisco, CA singer/songwriter Valerie JanLois has just released a new video for the single "Sara/Miracles" off her debut album, No Drop of Love (Is Ever Wasted), which is out now. The video was shot by Headlight Films in the San Francisco Bay Area in mid-March 2010. When asked about the video, Valerie JanLois said, "I was very lucky to work with the highly talented and award-winning team at Headlight Films: Saleah Askia, producer; Brandy McNeal, director; Cisco Rivera, cinematographer; and Michelle Chan, production manager." The crew at Headlight Films have put together a video that captures the beauty of Valerie JanLois and focuses on her soothing vocals in this piano driven stand-out track from her new album. Valerie Janlois's new video for "Sara/Miracles" can be seen on her website http://www.valeriejanlois.com/.

Since the release of her debut album, and her recent video, Valerie has been receiving an overwhelming amount of fan mail. "I just cannot believe the response I've been getting from new fans who have either heard me online, downloaded the album, or watched the Sara/Miracles video," says Valerie. "There have been hundreds of letters. It's been tremendously fulfilling." Valerie is already planning to do another video due to the success of "Sara/Miracles". Details for her next video will be posted on her website in May.

Valerie's new album, No Drop of Love (Is Ever Wasted) contains twelve original songs ranging from jazz/pop to world- influenced adult contemporary. To show her love and support for Transcendental Meditation, Valerie is donating 20% of all digital and physical album sales to the David Lynch Foundation. The foundation was established "to ensure that any child in America who wants to learn and practice the Transcendental Meditation program can do so." Valerie has been an advocate for Transcendental Meditation ever since she began practicing and, later teaching the technique years ago. Her hope is to help give children in schools the option to practice TM and benefit from it just as she has. "The TM program is the most thoroughly researched and widely practiced program in the world for developing the full creative potential of the brain and mind, improving health, reducing stress, and improving academic outcomes." (DavidLynchFoundation.org).

Valerie JanLois's brand new album No Drop of Love (Is Ever Wasted) can be purchased through her site at http://www.valeriejanlois.com, at Amazon.com, CD Baby and iTunes.
Valerie is also offering up a free download of the title track, "No Drop of Love (Is Ever Wasted)", which can be downloaded HERE.
For More Information:
Email: valerie@valeriejanlois.com
Website/Press Resources:
http://www.valeriejanlois.com/
http://www.yonasmedia.com/ympress/valeriejanlois/index.htm
http://twitter.com/valeriejanlois
http://facebook.com/valeriejanlois
http://www.myspace.com/valeriejanlois
http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/
http://www.youtube.com/user/VALERIEJANLOIS

MusicDishTV presents: Fiona Joy Hawkins Concert Highlights at the Q Theatre

Fiona Joy Hawkins in Concert at the Q Theatre Sydney. Fiona on piano and vocals, Rebecca Daniels plays violin and vocals, Trish McMeakin plays cello and Andy Busuttil plays saxillo, clarinet, percussion and vocals. Interestingly its was 45 degrees celsius that day (HOT) and so it was a case of strip down or die! So I played the second half in pyjamas!!! Tracks are from Blue Dream (produced by legendary Will Ackerman), Portrait of a Waterfall and Angel Above my Piano by Fiona Joy Hawkins and played on a Stuart and Son's piano (from Newcastle Australia).

Fiona Joy Hawkins Concert Highlights at the Q Theatre from MusicDishTV.

Fiona Joy Hawkins has been playing piano all her life. She started as a classical pianist but soon embraced New Age and more eclectic styles giving her sound a 'visual effect', creating music that, according to Hawkins, "evokes images and emotions and tells a story". She has received many awards for her music and has released four albums and more singles became available for purchase on iTunes.
In this video she shows all the passion and versatility of her songwriting, influences ranging from classical to world music and chill out. The fruition of her music remains universal, and the beauty endless.

http://fionajoyhawkins.com.au

Fiona Joy Hawkins - Blue Dream interview

"Blue Dream" by Australian pianist Fiona Joy Hawkins has been hailed as a New Age masterpeice. This is the behind-the-scenes interview with Will Ackerman and Corin Nelsen at Imaginary Road Studios with live recording footage.

Fiona Joy Hawkins (born 1964) is an Australian composer. She was born in Cessnock, New South Wales, to a creative family, and trained as a classical pianist. Her first album, Portrait of a Waterfall charted at #1 on the New Age Reporter (NAR) World Charts in 2005. Her classical release, Angel Above My Piano, earned the NAR Lifestyle Music Award for Best Piano Album of the Year for 2006. She has been a finalist multiple times in both the Musicoz Awards in the jazz and classical categories, and the Los Angeles Music Awards in the New Age/Ambient Instrumental category.
http://www.fionajoyhawkins.com/

MusicDishTV: Fiona Joy Hawkins - "From The Outside"

"From The Outside" by Fiona Joy Hawkins, album Blue Dream (2008).

Fiona Joy Hawkins (born 1964) is an Australian composer. She was born in Cessnock, New South Wales, to a creative family, and trained as a classical pianist. Her first album, Portrait of a Waterfall charted at #1 on the New Age Reporter (NAR) World Charts in 2005. Her classical release, Angel Above My Piano, earned the NAR Lifestyle Music Award for Best Piano Album of the Year for 2006. She has been a finalist multiple times in both the Musicoz Awards in the jazz and classical categories, and the Los Angeles Music Awards in the New Age/Ambient Instrumental category.
http://www.fionajoyhawkins.com/

ANTONIO CIACCA QUARTET In LAGOS BLUES 16th October 7:00 PM At New York's Italian Cultural Institute

Ciacca began his career as a sideman for such acclaimed jazz artists as Art Farmer, James Moody, Lee Konitz, Johnny Griffin, Mark Murphy, Dave Liebman, Steve Grossman, who he cites as his mentor and with whom he studied for three years beginning in 1990. Steve Grossman will be the special guest in his last album recorded in Bologna "Lagos Blues". It will be released the coming January 2010 and Antonio Ciacca will play exclusively for the first edition of ITALIAN JAZZ DAYS some songs of this new Album.

ANTONIO CIACCA QUARTET in LAGOS BLUES
16th October 7:00 PM
Italian Cultural Institute
686 Park Ave. New York
RSVP 212-879-4242 ext 365

Ciacca in 2009 turned 40. His year long celebrations included: appearance at New York Blue Note, one week engagement at Dizzy's, performances at the Rochester and Detroit International Jazz Festivals, European Tour with George Garzone and Joe Locke special guests, release of his first Music Book, "The Music of Antonio Ciacca "Vol. 1", an invitation to teach "Business of Jazz" at Julliard.

The participation at the Detroit International Jazz Festival has been the climax of a fantastic journey started in Detroit in 1993 when Antonio first touched the USA soil.

The master classes with Kenny Barron and Barry Harris and his tenure with the Larry Smith Quartet at Bert's are the pillars of his career.

Nowadays the New York based pianist and composer Ciacca enjoys his work as Director of Programming at Jazz at Lincoln Center, his family of wife and 5 kids and his beloved jazz piano playing the city jazz clubs.

Email: info@c-jam.it
Url: www.antoniociacca.com
Video: http://motema.com/blog/?p=214

MusicDishTV: Giovanni Allevi - Joy Tour

Allevi's performance in NY came after the big success he obtained in Arena in Verona, Italy (more than 10.000 people) with the Orchestra project "Evolution." The concert at the Carnegie Hall is part of another tour: Allevilive 09 in piano solo. The "AlleviLive" international tour, started in London on March 27th at Islingtons Union Chapel, reveals his intimate and personal relationship he has with the piano presenting his virtuous and melodical original compositions. The tour have touched down the most important cities in Italy, as well as Vienna, Salzburg, Oslo, Athens, Madrid, Seoul, Tokyo. After this concert in New York at Carnegie Hall he will go to San Francisco and Moscow.

http://www.giovanniallevi.com

Giovanni Allevi Will Perform At Carnegie Hall - Zankell Hall On October 9th

The Allevi's performance in NY come after the big success he obtained in Arena in Verona - Italy (more than 10.000 people) with the Orchestra project "Evolution". The concert at the Carnegie Hall is part of another tour: “Allevilive 09” in piano solo. The "AlleviLive" international tour, started in London on March 27th at Islington’s Union Chapel, reveals his intimate and personal relationship he has with the piano presenting his virtuous and melodical original compositions. The tour have touched down the most important cities in Italy, as well as Vienna, Salzburg, Oslo, Athens, Madrid, Seoul, Tokyo. After this concert in New York at Carnegie Hall he will go to San Francisco and Moscow.

http://www.giovanniallevi.com

Video: Joy Tour World Première
Joy Tour World Première

MusicDishTV: Classical Vocal Performance by Wilhelm Pfeiffer of 'Lob der Faulheit'

Classical vocalist Wilhelm Pfeiffer showcases his stunning talents with "Lob der Faulheit" (composed by Joseph Haydn, libretto by Gotthold E. Lessing), accompanied by Larissa Swarovsky on the piano. Pfeiffer's vocal range is quite extensive, allowing him to project a playful tenor, powerful bass, and everything in between. Pfeiffer's colorful voice is complimented by Swarovsky's light, yet passionate rendition of Haydn's composition. This performance was recorded on March 13th, 2009 at Musikschule St. Pφlten, A-3100 St. Pφlten, Austria.

'Lob der Faulheit' ('In praise of laziness') - Hob XXVIa:22
Composed by Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)
Libretto by Gotthold E. Lessing (1729-1781)
Phonogram producer: the noeck records, Vienna/Austria
Video produced by Weissfeder Studios,

Currently signed with the Noeck Records, Wilhelm Pfeiffer has more songs at http://www.myspace.com/wilhelmpfeiffer
http://www.sonicbids.com/wilhelmpfeiffer

September 26, 2009 will see 2 Internet radio stations on 2 continents team up for a syndicated broadcast of Classical artists Wilhelm Pfeiffer & Larissa Swarovsky's live performance recording of rare Haydn and Mozart arias and art songs.
Studio 4D - New York City, NY, USA
Radio AustroWelle - Vienna, Austria

MPress Records Signs Seth Glier To Multi-Album Deal

New York, New York - MPress Records has just inked a three album deal with 20-year-old pianist/singer-songwriter Seth Glier. MPress, which has internationally distributed nine albums by art-pop songstress Rachael Sage, also produces the NEW ARRIVALS charity compilation series, and has presented artist showcases at such industry events as SXSW, CMJ, Folk Alliance Conference and MIDEM.

Glier, who hails from Western Massachusetts and was recently featured in The Boston Globe for his 100% Fan Funded Tour, is a multi-instrumentalist who has released several DIY projects since his early teens. His combination of raw talent and surprising maturity caught the attention of MPress founder Rachael Sage, who was immediately struck by his prodigious musicianship and sophisticated lyricism.

"Seth's songwriting is classic, and hearkens back to great piano-based songwriters who broke in the '70s like Billy Joel and Elton John...but he has an impressive range that grabs new audiences immediately, and his sense of melody is incredibly strong." After what Sage describes as a "very organic process" - including a featured performance slot at the label's 2009 SXSW showcase - she and MPress Label Manager JoJo Gentry decided Seth would be a perfect artist for the MPress roster.

As Gentry observes, "Seth's songwriting ability is exceptional, and he's also just a really compassionate, down to earth guy. He leaves his ego at the door, and is all about making a genuine connection with his audience, and taking risks." MPress will nationally release his self-produced effort, THE TROUBLE WITH PEOPLE, this fall.

Seth will also make his overseas debut August 7-12th, performing in week-long run of Sage's show "Sequins & Shpiel" at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. A seasoned touring artist who has already shared stages with John Mayer, Martin Sexton and Erin McKeown, he'll continue to tour the East Coast throughout the summer, and will launch his official Release Tour for THE TROUBLE WITH PEOPLE in October.

For more information, photos & interview requests, please contact MPress Records: Melanie Rodriguez / (212) 481-7243 • press@mpressrecords.com.
Label Website: http://www.mpressrecords.com • Artist Website: http://www.sethglier.com
Label Contact: JoJo Gentry • jojo@mpressrecords.com
A&R: Meredith Tarr

CD Release Concert: 'Sangria' By Mariah Parker (Indo Latin Jazz)

CD Release Concert: 'Sangria' by Mariah Parker (Indo Latin Jazz)
Tuesday, August 25, 8 pm
Yoshi's
510 Embarcadero West
Oakland, CA 94607
Tix: $15
For more info, call 510-238-9200 or visit
http://www.yoshis.com

Ancient-Future.Com Records Presents CD Release Concert: 'SANGRIA' with Mariah Parker's Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble

Featuring Mariah Parker (piano, santur), Paul McCandless (woodwinds, horns), Matthew Montfort (guitars), Kash Killion (bass, cello), Mindia Devi Klein (flutes), Duru Demetrius (Latin percussion), Debopriyo Sarkar (tabla), Brian Rice (percussion)

Mariah Parker's debut recording features her original compositions that draw musical inspiration from Brazil, Cuba, Spain, and India. Her Indo Latin Jazz Ensemble accompanies her and includes musicians from the bands Ancient Future, Oregon, Sun Ra, and Herbie Hancock's Headhunters.

"Parker and friends blend the rhythmic syncopations of Latin jazz music with the entrancing, asymmetrical meters of East Indian rhythms resulting in first-class world music. Intriguing melodies that draw musical inspirations from the tempos of Brazil, Cuba, India, and Spain make for an uplifting serene yet passionate musical journey into an ideal world." - LATIN BEAT MAGAZINE

"Dazzling debut.... Parker's subtle and sensuous sounds reflect exotic flavors of India, the Middle East and Latin America." - PALO ALTO DAILY NEWS

"Although entirely instrumental, Sangria speaks. Maybe it's the technical virtuosity abounding in the multiplicity of sounds - in the santur or sarangi, or the tabla or timbales. Maybe it's in the emotive resonance of what's behind the sounds, like the longing of separation in "Between the Lines," where Parker's fingers dance across the keys in precise, measured movements, in graceful arching and sweeping strokes, or in the spectacle of wonder in "Debajo De La Lluvia" or the "Tenth Journey." Whatever it is, Parker's Sangria is a lively, adventurous exploration into a hybrid global identity." - LEO WEEKLY

"Parker brings a wide variety of influences to Sangria, ranging from Indian and Middle Eastern music to Afro-Cuban salsa and Brazilian samba. She obviously appreciates the Eastern-influenced spirituality and mysticism of John Coltrane, Yusef Lateef, Pharoah Sanders, and Lonnie Liston Smith, but her composing also contains elements of everyone from Pat Metheny to Chick Corea.... Parker, of course, didn't invent the idea of world jazz, but she keeps it moving forward... demonstrating that the fusion of jazz and world music still has plenty of possibilities after all these years -- and a global perspective serves Parker well throughout the rewarding Sangria." - ALL MUSIC GUIDE

"This collection of eight original instrumentals by Mariah Parker is just one of many examples of the infusion of East Indian music into Western music, but to my ears one of the most successful." - AUDIOPHILE AUDITION

BIO
Mariah Parker (composer and multi-instrumentalist), while completing her degree in music at UC Santa Cruz, worked with ethnomusicologist Fred Lieberman and Mickey Hart on the "Planet Drum" project. She has performed in the US and Europe, and worked with many musicians of note including composer Pauline Oliveros, the late Dumisani Maraire (renowned composer from Zimbabwe) and others. She has studied with jazz great Art Lande and Latin jazz pianist extraordinaire Rebeca Maulιon, and performs regularly with the trend-setting world music group Ancient Future.

http://www.mariahparkermusic.com
http://www.mariahparkermusic.com/FirstFlight.mp3

Ludovico Einaudi, Robert Lippok, Ronald Lippok Release Cloudland CD

Opening Your Imagination to the Cloudland of Whitetree

Pianist Extraordinaire Ludovico Einaudi joins the Lippoks on a futuristic journey

@ LE POISSON ROUGE, NEW YORK - JUNE 2
@ HOTEL CAFΙ, LOS ANGELES - JUNE 6

Against all odds, pianist Ludovico Einaudi has emerged as one of the world's most exciting and beloved voices in contemporary classical/ ambient/electronic music. Living during a time where modern sensibilities are marketed as easily manufactured (and easily forgettable) pop hits, Einaudi stands tall as a passionate purveyor of his lifelong muse. None of this implies that the Milan resident is without knowledge of the present: his latest collaboration -- Whitetree, with brothers Ronald and Robert Lippok -- is an important contribution to the century-old search for the merging of classical and electronic music. Considering Einaudi's recent accolades, such as being the only classical artist invited to perform at the European iTunes Festival, Whitetree's success is guaranteed.

The trio's debut, Cloudland (Ponderosa Music & Arts/Harmonia Mundi) is an exciting blend of Einaudi's gorgeously refined aesthetics on piano set against Ronald Lippok's sympathetic and knowledgeable rhythms on drums (not to mention the magic he creates on marimba and keyboards), as well as brother Robert's wizardry with electronics -- the brothers are two-thirds of the Berlin and Dusseldorf-based palindromic post-rock group To Rococo Rot. Meeting in 2006 when Einuadi invited the Lippoks on an Italian tour, collaboration seemed necessary and, as one can hear on every one of Cloudland's ten tracks, effortless.

Whitetree has been born into an important musical heritage, one professed by musical experimenters such as Erik Satie's minimalist efforts and "bare bones" sounds, Luigi Russolo's search for the "art of noise" (in which music is differentiated from noise by its purposive arrangement), Jorg Mager's love of microtones and the invention of his "voice of the spheres," and later Edgard Varθse, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Indeed, that last contemporary's film work recalls Einaudi's own cinematic efforts, such as his soundtrack work for Fuori Dal Mondo and This is England. Perhaps these three men, upon entering the Berlin studio in 2007-08, set out to champion the message of conductor Leopold Stowkowski: "Soon we shall have entirely new methods of tone production by electrical means. Thus will begin a new era of music."

One certainly feels that listening to Cloudland in the comfort of their headphones, or snuggled into a warm space encompassed by crisp speakers from which these artists speak. The surround-sense experience is gripping: the opening "Slow Ocean," a reverberating, lo-fi echo creeps into a synthesized dreamscape before Einaudi's first notes take hold; instantly one is hypnotized. It is the type of song -- indeed, this is the type of album -- that holds the listener in its spell. When the drums finally emerge on "Kyril," the release is rapturous; this is the ecstatic union of classical temperament with technology, an audio textbook of generations bonding. When one is aware of history, one can write it into the future -- this is Whitetree's great gift.

To pigeonhole Einaudi would be fruitless. While classical music is his foundation, he is no less educated in that fine line where popular music meets film meets radio play. His contribution to "Kyril" hints at this, as does the simple and direct melody of "Mercury Sands." His sense of timing is superb, as when he hangs a half-beat behind his piano with the guitar on "Koepenik" every step of the way. The naturalness in their music was the result of time well spent on the road and a natural camaraderie formed between the three, as Robert says:

"We played as a band. Always live, always in one room. With just a few overdubs. We wanted it to be as natural as possible. This is what made mixing the record so adventurous. We had so many takes of our songs to go through! Going into the studio together was very special. Our tour had been quite ‘loud,' full-on. Recording the material, we had the chance to add some quiet ideas as well."

These quieter moments are of equal merit. "Derek's Garden," with its haunting effects reminiscent of one trudging along the interior of a dark castle that he or she was not invited to, calmed by the sensuous strains of Einaudi's ivory. The playfully titled "Ulysses and the Cats" also exhibits those reflective, internal qualities, reminding one of the mythological inspiration for Einuadi's last solo recording, Divenire: the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, with the famous maxim attributed to him: everything is in a state of flux. One can claim this to be a headline for all of Einaudi's projects, Whitetree contributing the most recent and possibly most versatile to his vast catalog. Given the fluidity by which the album was recorded, Einaudi seems to agree:

"It all came out very naturally, from the first sessions in the rehearsal room. Listening and concentrating to sounds and loops made by Robert and Ronald, sometimes I didn't even know who was making it. I sat at the piano and closed my eyes, entered that space of sounds, and I opened my imagination. It was like searching figures and forms in an abstract painting or pulling out emotions from the clouds. Then we were playing for long, losing ourselves into the music, responding to each other inputs, it was like building castles with the sand, no rules, everything was possible."

This then is the role of the artist: to make real the images and sounds one hears in their imagination. Borrowing its name from the Amos Tutuola novel, The Palm-Wine Drunkard, Whitetree is forging a modern mythology, both very old and rooted in the Western classical tradition as well as up-to-date with the everyday life of our technologically-inclined world. Interestingly, another of Tutuola's novels, My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, was the title of the seminal album recorded by Brian Eno and David Byrne in 1981; today it is heralded as the first "world music electronic" album. Perhaps in three decades Whitetree will be seen to have made a similar mark for their important blend of classical and electronic music. With one listen to this album, you will agree.
For further information: Doreen D'Agostino 646.829.0652 /917.916.2626 doreendagostino@earthlink.net http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whitetree/133868080226
http://www.myspace.com/whitetreespace

Gary Husband in 'Triptych, Part 2: Alexander Shulgin's Songbook'

This is a behind-the-scenes look at the making of part two of Alexander Shulgin's Songbook, Triptych. Producer Richard Niles and multi-instrumentalist Gary Husband discuss what it was like creating part two of Alexander Shulgin's instrumental album.

"Atmosphere is a key word for me in my musical endeavor, whether it's in the pop, jazz, classical or fusion realms, and here I had a chance to explore exactly that.." - Gary Husband

Album: Triptych, Shulgin's Songbook - Part 2 Genre: Instrumental/Smooth Jazz/Lounge Composer: Alexander Shulgin Performers: Gary Husband (piano), Martin Taylor (guitar) Producer: Richard Niles Label: Familia Entertainment http://alexandershulgin.musicdish.net

Alexander Shulgin - Triptych, Part 2; ft. Gary Husband & Martin Taylor

By Will J.B. Cohn, MusicDish e-Journal

Considering that people these days have an insatiable desire to be entertained at all times (part of the ADD generation that kids are growing up in), it's hard to believe that a minimalist album will hold a listeners attention for very long. With the absence of bass and drums, the music is extremely exposed, and there is risk of boring the listener to death. However, if performed by the right musicians (in this case Gary Husband and Martin Taylor) and composed by a talented composer like Alexander Shulgin, it can be a unique listening experience.

Alexander Shulgin's Part 2 of his new album Triptych is a minimalist album, with only a single musician on all tracks, except the last. All the songs are Shulgin's compositions, but Gary Husband (a well-known jazz multi-instrumentalist) is the one performing them on piano. Over the years Gary Husband has played for many of the jazz heavyweights out there, including Allan Holdsworth, John McLaughlin, Mike Stern, and Billy Cobham.

What makes the album most effective is the combination of Shulgin's strong compositions along with the creative interpretation of these compositions by Husband. For instance, while the second track, "Primadonna", contains the dark and ominous chord voicing of Shulgin, Husband is incorporating bluesy licks in the open space. On "Snowstormie", the chords are characteristic of Shulgin, but the jazz lines that are played over these chords are clearly Husband's ideas coming into play. Sometimes, different musical ideas clash, but in this case, the choices that Husband makes as the player and the choices that Shulgin makes as the composer complement each other, and mesh into a strong finished product.

The last track, entitled "Woman's Happiness Theme" features the guitar playing of Martin Taylor, a well-known British jazz guitarist, whose warm and clean sound adds a welcome and long-overdue new layer to the sound of the acoustic piano. Throughout the track, Taylor and Husband give each other room to breath. When Taylor is playing lead, Husband takes a back seat, providing the chords in the background and allowing Taylor to show-off his jazz chops.

The addition of Martin Taylor works so well that I find it surprising that he plays on only the last song. In fact, since Taylor is most well known as a solo performer, I wouldn't mind if one or two tracks were just him. Although the acoustic piano sound is easy on the ears, after several tracks in a row, the album appears to be a craving a different color, and this craving is satisfied only at the very end. Regardless, Shulgin's compositions are strong enough to get past the repetitive timbre, and along with Husband's creative interpretation of the compositions, the album is a success. And, depending on how ADD you are, it should hold your attention.