Jack Spann - David Bowie Demo Sessions For Blackstar - Led To First Solo Studio LP Time, Time, Time, Time, Time On April 19th

"Around the music community of New York, his home since 1999, he's known as Jack Spann. In St. Louis, many more will remember him as Jon Rosen, a Webster University grad who gigged in all kinds of band-and-solo contexts throughout the 1980s and 1990s. In both places, he's known as a keyboardist of unusual range and skill, able to play on pretty much any project offered.

His talents have landed him a variety of gigs over the years, but he wasn't able to discuss one of them until recently. Even now, he's contractually (and, to some degree, ethically) unable to tell the entire story of a three-days-and-change gig in 2014. The short version: Spann played with David Bowie during the run-up to the rock legend's final album, the magnificent Blackstar.

"A mutual friend introduced me to Tony Visconti, maybe April or May of 2014," Spann says, citing Bowie's frequent producer and arranger. "He'd gone to my site, I guess, and then called me one day, out of the blue." 'We need a piano player who can play jazz, can play rock, but not jazz-rock. We don't want Chick Corea.' He and Bowie had been listening to a lot of Stan Kenton, the white Thelonious Monk. I called him back and went into the studio the next morning."

There, Spann recalls, "This guy walked up to me at 9:55 a.m. 'Hello, Jack, I'm David. We're going to have a great time.' 'Oh, hi David.' Really, it's hard to describe how nice he was to me. He was really, really genuinely interested in how and what I was playing. Overall, he was just a delight to work with." - Thomas Crone - STLMag.com

Meeting David Bowie and working on song demos for Blackstar led Jack Spann to working with producer Gary Tanin (Sam Llanas, Daryl Stuermer, Roger Powell) and the making of Jack's first full length studio album "Time, Time, Time, Time, Time."

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"... I treasure it more with every spin." "...Charming melodies and clever wordplay propel these songs that are simultaneously laced with cynicism and joy" Michael Popke - Sea of Tranquilty

"... hands moving forward and backward along the keyboard, timeless, a crazed hourglass. 
 ...An ingenious blend of talent, humor and earnest creativity." Lino Terlati - Savona, Italy

Jack Span's' Time, Time, Time, Time, Time will be available April 19th (digital) April 22nd (physical) on Big Boo Music.

http://www.jackspann.com/music/

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=190297

Alonso Sound Releases Morgan Page Soundset for Spire

With two GRAMMY® nominations, multiple sold-out tours, and with the recent release of his sixth studio album, Morgan Page is widely acclaimed for his EDM musical mastery. He has now teamed up with Alonso Sound, a leading soundware designer, to develop a new soundset for Spire, a software synthesizer by Reveal Sound.

Distinguished for his wholehearted approach to music, Page has defined each preset to have its own character and individuality. Each patch is optimized for CPU performance and assigned mod wheel controls for multiple sound-shaping variations. New sonic dimensions can be explored by activating the Muted FX slots for fresh and unpredictable possibilities.

Continuously motivated by his fans, Page wanted to give back and take part in shaping the next era of producers and music. "Not only can I inspire people with a new album, but I can take it a step further and share the tools to help up-and-coming music producers succeed in their own careers," he said. "It was really important for me to develop a sound pack I'd personally use on every song, containing everything from big bass lines to tuned drums. The pack has everything you need to build a new song from scratch. I can't wait to see what people do with it!"

The Morgan Page Spire Soundset contains all of the tools needed to produce music like an award-winning artist. Included are sounds from Morgan's recent releases, such as his latest album release DC To Light, as well as sounds from upcoming productions.

Morgan Page Spire Soundset Features:
- 128 sounds; programmed by Morgan Page
- 10 main patch categories: Arp (9), Bass (49), Brass (2), Chord (3), Drum (8), FX (7), Lead (22), Pad (14), Pluck (9), Synth (5)
- Core instrument patch mapping and programming
- All patches assigned intuitive mod wheel parameters for easy tweaking and multiple sound variations
- Format(s): .sbf (Full Bank) and .spf (Individual Patches)

"It's been an incredible experience working with Morgan Page", says Adam Alonso, CEO of Alonso Sound. "Morgan's imaginative approach to music inspired us to challenge our approach to sound design, and together led us cultivate an innovative soundset for Spire. We worked deliberately to make sure that aspiring producers have useful and proven sounds to take their productions to the next level."

System Requirements:
Note: Requires Full Retail Version of Spire 1.0.20 or later

Pricing and Availability:
The Morgan Page Spire Soundset is available now at an introductory price of $34 through October 21, 2015. Regular price is $49. Product and ordering information is available at www.alonso-sound.com.

About Morgan Page
Morgan Page is an artist, DJ, and songwriter. He has become a seismic presence at festivals such as Coachella, Electric Daisy Carnival, Big Day Out, and many more worldwide events. In 2012, he was nominated by the IDMA's in the "Best American DJ" category alongside Skrillex, Kaskade, and Deadmau5. Two Grammy Award nominations are credited to his name, and his 2011 full-length album, In The Air, debuted at #1 on Beatport's "Top 100 Albums" Chart and #6 on Billboard's Heatseeker's Chart, while the single reached #1 on the Billboard Hot Dance Airplay Chart. With sales figures over 600,000 digital tracks and YouTube views that surpass 19 million, the Wynn Las Vegas tapped him for a prestigious residency in 2012 and Sirius XM gave him his very own radio show—aptly titled "In The Air", which is on its 162nd episode and counting.

About Alonso Sound
Alonso Sound is a pioneering sound design company based in Chicago, specialized in the advancement of cutting-edge sample libraries and synthesizer presets. The company’s aim is to create high quality professional audio tools that lead the way for producers of all levels to develop their sound and create, themselves, the future in the music industry. Alonso Sound products are used prominently in professional and project studios throughout the world.
http://www.alonso-sound.com

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=186911

Michal Menert To Release New Live Band EP Before Coast-to-Coast Tour

This fall Michal Menert takes his renowned musical stylings to the next level as he prepares for the September release of the debut studio album from his six-piece live band, Michal Menert and the Pretty Fantastics. The lyrically-driven EP will drop just before the band embarks on a 36-date tour across the U.S.

The Colorado-based musician and producer, dubbed by fans and the media as the godfather of electro-soul, has taken charge of the scene he helped create, pushing his music forward with bold creativity. His new band, Michal Menert and the Pretty Fantastics, is the latest incarnation of Menert's dedication to originality and musicianship in his music. The addition of live horns, keys, guitar, bass, and drums, plus his own sonic production makes Menert’s current and upcoming catalog come alive like never before.

The debut album for the sextet will be like nothing you've ever heard from Menert, and will distinguish Michal Menert and the Pretty Fantastics as its own musical force with a uniquely indie-rock style. With beautiful melodic structure, vocals from Michal himself, and playfully inventive lyricism, this upcoming EP takes a leap in an exciting new direction while maintaining the uncompromising songwriting and production that we've come to expect.

Bringing their new music on tour, the band, comprised of Michal Menert, Marcelo Moxy, AC Lao, Daniel De Lisle, Will Glazier and Matt van den Heuvel - all veterans of the Michal Menert Big Band - will be accompanied by additional sets from fellow Super Best artists Marcelo Moxy and WillDaBeast.

MICHAL MENERT AND THE PRETTY FANTASTICS
FALL TOUR DATES
Philadelphia, PA - Coda - Oct 1
Darlington, MD - Luna Light Festival - Oct 2
Buffalo, NY - Waiting Room Studio - Oct 3
Pittsburgh, PA - Club Cafe - Oct 4
Portland, ME - Asylum - Oct 6 (RL)
Providence, RI - Fete Ballroom - Oct 7 (RL)
Burlington, VT - Higher Ground - Oct 8 (RL)
Boston, MA - Middle East - Oct 9 (RL)
New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre - Oct 10 (RL)
New Haven, CT - Stella Blues - Oct 12 (RL)
Charlottesville, VA - The Southern - Oct 13 (RL)
Richmond, VA - The Broadberry - Oct 14 (RL)
Asheville, NC - New Mountain in AVL - Oct 15 (RL)
Atlanta, GA - Terminal West - Oct 16 (ST)
Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge - Oct 17 (ST)
Louisville, KY - Diamond Pub - Oct 18 (ST)
Bloomington, IN - Kilroys/Dunkirk - Oct 20 (ST)
St. Louis, MO - 2720 - Oct 21 (ST)
Madison, WI - Segredo - Oct 22 (ST)
Kalamazoo, MI - The Mix - Oct 23 (ST)
Rockdale, TX - Art Outside - Oct 2
Fayetteville, AR - George's Majestic - Oct 25
Albuquerque, NM - Stereo Bar - Oct 27
Durango, CO - Animas City Theatre - Oct 28
Aspen, CO - Belly Up - Oct 29
Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium - Oct 30 (ST)
Live Oak, FL - Hulaween - Oct 31
Seattle, WA - Barboza - Nov 5 (ST)
Portland, OR - Star Theatre - Nov 6
Eugene, OR - Cozmic - Nov 7
Arcata, CA - The Jam - Nov 8 (ST)
Tahoe, CA - Whiskey Dick's - Nov 10 (ST)
Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst - Nov 11 (ST)
Los Angeles, CA - Club Bahia - Nov 12
San Luis Obispo, CA - SLO Brew - Nov 13 (ST)
San Francisco, CA - Hawthorn - Nov 14 (ST)
(ST) = Support from StarRo (Soulection)
(RL) = Support from Russ Liquid

http://tsunamipublicity.com/2014/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Shanghai-2.mp3

http://menertmusic.com/

http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=186534