Thursday, May 13, 2021

Sights and Sounds: Wanderlust, Nina Simone, Etta James, Carrie Underwood

There has been a flood of music news landing in my inbox over the past week. Nice to hear about rare and previously-unissued music coming our way, as well as the resurgence of live music coming back in 2021 too! I've gathered some of the most notable items below...Robert Kinsler


Wanderlust resurrects rock 'n' roll past with 'All A View'; returns to finish album that never was — out July 2, 2012



NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The music industry was different in the 1990s. Rock ’n’ roll ruled the roost. Spotify had yet to be invented. It was during this golden age — somewhere between Bill Clinton’s inauguration and the start of the New Millennium — that a rock band named Wanderlust made its stand.

 

Wanderlust felt like a timeless band for the modern world, its songs rooted in electric guitars, classic pop hooks, percussive stomp, and the shared chemistry of four friends — front man and principle songwriter Scot Sax, guitarist Rob Bonfiglio, bassist Mark Getten, and drummer Jim Cavanaugh — who’d finally gotten their shot at the brass ring. Decades after inking a major-label contract with RCA Records, opening for The Who, and touring America with Collective Soul, Wanderlust has reconvened to finish some unfinished business with 2021's All A View, available on July 2, 2021.

 

To understand Wanderlust's present, it helps to look at the band’s past. The group formed in Philadelphia in 1993, signed a record deal in 1994, and released the debut album Prize in 1995. Championed by publications like The Sunday London Times (“Wanderlust's album Prize is one of the greatest rock albums ever made”) and MOJO (“power pop at its best”), Wanderlust burned brightly and briefly. Dropped from RCA before they could finish their second album, the musicians released a self-titled record in 1998 and soon went their separate ways. Sax established himself as a hit songwriter, solo artist, and sought-after filmmaker during the 21st century, co-writing the Grammy-winning “Like We Never Loved At All” for Faith Hill and Tim McGraw and serving as the hand-picked opening act for Robert Plant and Allison Krauss’ Raising Sand tour. Meanwhile, Bonfiglio released a half-dozen solo albums, performed with the Beach Boys, produced an album for Wilson Phillips, and landed an ongoing spot in Brian Wilson’s band. 

 

Recently, in 2020, Sax came across a DAT tape featuring acoustic recordings of songs he'd written after Prize's release. These demos felt like a time capsule — a blast from the past, dreamt into existence during the band's heyday and filled with the same sonic spirit that had once earned Wanderlust admittance into the big leagues. The songs would've made a great Wanderlust album … which is why Sax decided to get the band back together and finish the work he'd already started. 

 

"I feel like a young Cameron Crowe, with a story about a band that fell victim to its own insecurities in the bright lights — and with the big wigs — of the music business, circa 1995," he says. “Now, the same four guys find an old cassette of songs never recorded, long forgotten in their fall from grace. So what do they do? They put on their big-boy pants and make the album that never was.” 

 

That album is All A View, and it bridges the gap between Wanderlust's past and present. Sax’s original demos represent the record’s bedrock, with most of his performances from 1996 remaining intact. Nearly 25 years after he laid down his vocals and acoustic guitar, a reunited Wanderlust began turning those bare-boned recordings into full-blown rock anthems, with each bandmate overdubbing his contributions from home during the 2020 pandemic. Sax wrote new songs for the project, too, including several collaborations with Rob Bonfiglio. The album was then mixed in Philadelphia, the same city that Wanderlust once called home. 

 

"What began as a revisitation of older material became a kind of snapshot of our musical journeys in the present tense," explains Bonfiglio. 

 

Removed from the forces that drove the band apart — including conflicts between bandmates, pressure from their record label, and the collective desperation of four 20somethings to succeed — Wanderlust’s members have rediscovered the singular sound that turned them into radio darlings and cult favorites during the mid-’90s.

 

“We’re all grown up now,” Sax says. “It’s so great to reconnect once again, after the dust settled. I’ve been in all kinds of bands, but when the four of us played together for the first time in 1993, something special happened. It’s exactly the same feeling we got when we started working on All A View. The four of us just have a connection. We’ll play a song, and it just sounds like Wanderlust. It’s been amazing to let go of the ego and paranoia I had as a younger person, and just realize how great this band is."

 

Follow Wanderlust:


Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG set to release brand-new Nina Simone and Etta James live albums as part of 'The Montreux Years' series


Nina Simone: The Montreux Years and Etta James: The Montreux Years uncover rare and previously unreleased performances by the musical icons - both titles will be available on Friday, June 25, 2021


LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG today announce the forthcoming releases of Nina Simone: The Montreux Years and Etta James: The Montreux Years on Friday, June 25, 2021. The live albums, which will be available in multiple-format configurations, including double LP and two-disc CD editions, feature sublime collections of the iconic musicians’ finest Montreux Jazz Festival performances, including previously unreleased material, all restored to their full glory and more. The audio will also be available on digital download and streaming services. 

Simone and James’ albums are the first releases of Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG’s brand-new collection series “The Montreux Years.” The collections will uncover legendary performances by the world’s greatest artists alongside rare and never-before-released recordings from the festival’s rich 55-year history, with mastering performed by Tony Cousins at London’s iconic Metropolis Studios, incorporating MQA to capture the original sound of these special live performances. Each collection will be accompanied by exclusive liner notes and previously unseen photography. 


Nina Simone’s story from the late ’60s to the ’90s can be told through her celebrated appearances at the famed festival. Taking to the Montreux stage for the first time on June 16, 1968 for the festival’s second edition, Simone built a lasting relationship with the event and its co-creator and director Claude Nobs. This unique trust and electricity can be clearly felt on the recordings. 

Simone’s multi-faceted and radical story is laid bare on Nina Simone: The Montreux Years. From a glorious and emotional 1968 performance to her fiery and unpredictable concert in 1976 (one of the festival’s most remarkable performances ever witnessed), the collection includes recordings from all five of Simone’s Montreux concerts: 1968, 1976, 1981, 1987 and 1990. 

Featuring rare and previously unissued material from Nobs’ extensive trove of recorded material (Montreux Sounds), the release will thrill Nina Simone devotees worldwide with its inclusion of the powerful “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free,” poignant and fearless “Four Women” and Simone’s hauntingly beautiful performance of “Ne Me Quitte Pas.”

A spine-tingling version of Janis Ian’s searing and potent “Stars,” which Simone covered for the very first time during her 1976 Montreux performance, sits alongside her bold and electrifying 1990 re-imagining of Bob Marley’s ballad “No Woman No Cry.” The collection closes with the encore from Simone’s final Montreux Jazz Festival concert and one of her most-loved and best-known recordings, the exuberant “My Baby Just Cares for Me,” showcasing the deep and multidimensional facets of Simone’s life and music. 

The CD edition of Nina Simone: The Montreux Years will also include Simone’s 1968 landmark concert in full, the first time the entire concert will be available on CD. 


Etta James: The Montreux Years is a treasure trove of timeless classics, powerful and electrifying performances and raw, soaring vocals by one of the greatest-ever female vocalists. The collection, featuring recordings from James’ live at Montreux concerts in 1977, 1978, 1989, 1990 and 1993, encapsulates and reflects Etta’s dynamic artistry and long-lasting impact. 
Spanning three decades, Etta James: The Montreux Years offers deeply personal and intimate snapshots of James’ phenomenal career, from one of her earliest successes, the infectious and endlessly elegant “Something’s Got a Hold on Me,” to a medley of “At Last,” “Trust in Me” and “Sunday Kind of Love” (a fusion of highlights from the early ’60s), to the raw and emotional “I’d Rather Go Blind” and soulful horn-driven “Tell Mama.” The collection closes with “Baby What You Want Me to Do,” James’ homage to Jimmy Reed and the encore of her 1978 concert. 
In 1975, Nobs captured a significant moment of musical history — Etta James’ very first concert in Europe, performing at the festival’s ninth edition. The CD edition of Etta James: The Montreux Years will include highlights of this special landmark concert, held at Montreux Casino July 11, 1975. 
Thierry Amsallem, Claude Nobs’ Universal Legatee, Chair/CEO of Montreux Sounds and Chair of Claude Nobs Foundation, says: “The Montreux Jazz Festival has always been a leading showcase for the international music scene, as well as a meeting place for musicians and music lovers. The magic of Montreux lay in the encounters between musicians. There were unique events that will never be repeated. The idea was to allow artists to get off the beaten track and avoid replaying their usual repertoire. But here, we treated them like royalty and offered them the best conditions in the world, in terms of sound quality and audio-visual recording technology.”
Nina Simone: The Montreux Years and Etta James: The Montreux Years are the first releases of Montreux Jazz Festival and BMG’s upcoming multi-format live album collection series. Further “The Montreux Years” releases are soon to be announced. 
Pre-order here: https://montreuxyears.lnk.to/albumsPR
TRACK LISTINGS:
Nina Simone: The Montreux Years
2LP
SIDE A
  1. Someone To Watch Over Me (Intro) °
  2. Backlash Blues †
  3. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free †
  4. See-Line Woman *
SIDE B
  1. Little Girl Blue (Pt 1 and 2) †
  2. Don’t Smoke In The Bed *
  3. Stars †
  4. What Little Moonlight Can Do *
SIDE C
  1. African Mailman †
  2. Just In Time **
  3. Four Women *
  4. No Woman No Cry *
SIDE D
  1. Liberian Calypso *
  2. Ne Me Quitte Pas *
  3. Montreux Blues ‡
  4. My Baby Just Cares For Me *
† Recorded live at Casino Montreux 3 July 1976
‡ Recorded live at Casino Montreux 19 July 1981
° Recorded live at Casino Montreux 10 July 1987
* Recorded live at Casino Montreux 13 July 1990
** Recorded live at Casino Kursaal 16 June 1968
Nina Simone: The Montreux Years
2CD
CD ONE
  1. Someone To Watch Over Me (Intro) °
  2. Backlash Blues †
  3. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free †
  4. See-Line Woman *
  5. Little Girl Blue (Pt1 and 2) †
  6. Don’t Smoke In Bed *
  7. Stars †
  8. What. A Little Moonlight Can Do *
  9. African Mailman †
  10. Four Women *
  11. No Woman No Cry *
  12. Liberian Calypso *
  13. Ne Me Quitte Pas *
  14. Montreux Blues ‡
  15. My Baby Just Cares for Me *

CD TWO
All tracks recorded live at Casino Kursaal 16th June 1968 
  1. Intro
  2. Go To Hell
  3. Just In Time
  4. When I Was A Young Girl
  5. Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood
  6. Ne Me Quitte Pas
  7. To Love Somebody 
  8. Backlash Blues
  9. The House Of The Rising Sun
  10. See-Line Woman
  11. Please Read Me
  12. Ain’t Got No, I Got Life
  13. Gin House Blues
  14. I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free
 
Etta James: The Montreux Years
2 LP
SIDE ONE 
  1. Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home *
  2. I Got The Will •
  3. I’d Rather Go Blind ‡
  4. A Lover Is Forever †
SIDE TWO
  1. Damn Your Eyes •
  2. Tell Mama ‡
  3. Running And Hiding Blues *
  4. Something’s Got A Hold On Me •
SIDE THREE
  1. Beware †
  2. Come To Mama *
  3. Medley: At Last / Trust In Me / Sunday Holiday Kind Of Love •
SIDE FOUR
  1. I Sing The Blues For You †
  2. Baby What You Wany Me To Do (Encore) °

* Recorded live at Casino Montreux 18 July 1990
• Recorded live at Casino Montreux 12 July 1989
† Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 15 July 1993
‡ Recorded live at Casino Montreux 9 July 1977
° Recorded live at Casino Montreux 8 July 1978
Etta James: The Montreux Years
2 CD
CD ONE
  1. Breakin’ Up Somebody’s Home *
  2. I Got The Will •
  3. A Lover Is Forever †
  4. Damn Your Eyes •
  5. Tell Mama ‡
  6. Running And Hiding Blues *
  7. Something’s Got A Hold On Me •
  8. Beware †
  9. Come To Mama *
  10. Medley: At Last / Trust In Me / Sunday Holiday Kind Of Love •
  11. I Sing The Blues For You †
  12. Baby What You Wany Me To Do (Encore) °

CD TWO
All tracks recorded live at Casino Montreux 11th July 1975
  1. Respect Yourself
  2. Drown in My Own Tears
  3. W-O-M-A-N
  4. Dust My Broom
  5. I’d Rather Go Blind
  6. All The Way Down
  7. Baby What Do You Want Me To Do
  8. Rock Me Baby
  9. Stormy Monday
* Recorded live at Casino Montreux 18 July 1990
• Recorded live at Casino Montreux 12 July 1989
† Recorded live at Auditorium Stravinski 15 July 1993
‡ Recorded live at Casino Montreux 9 July 1977
° Recorded live at Casino Montreux 8 July 1978



Carrie Underwood announces 'Reflection: The Las Vegas Residency' at the Theatre at New Resorts World Las Vegas  

Underwood’s First-Ever Residency To Begin December 1

 

Pre-Sales for First Dates Begin May 17, Tickets available to the public on May 24

 

Concerts West/AEG Presents and Resorts World Las Vegas Also Announce Exclusive Headliner Engagements For Celine Dion, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan



Seven-time GRAMMY Award winner and three-time ACM Entertainer of the Year Carrie Underwood announces her first-ever residency, REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency, at The Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas, which will begin December1, 2021. Underwood joins global music stars Celine Dion, Katy Perry and Luke Bryan as the founding headliners at the Strip's highly-anticipated new 3,500-room luxury destination opening June 24, who will also call The Theatre at Resorts World Las Vegas their performing home. The 5,000-capacity, world-class theatre will open its doors in November 2021 and is exclusively programmed and operated by Concerts West / AEG Presents.

The star-studded performances will begin with Celine Dion’s return to Las Vegas with a brand-new show and a special opening night performance to benefit COVID-19 Relief on Friday, Nov. 5.  Following Dion, Underwood’s first six shows are scheduled for December 1, 3, 4, 8, 10 and 11.  Perry will take the stage on Wednesday, Dec. 29, and Bryan kicks off his six-show engagement beginning on Friday, Feb. 11.  

 

Of her first residency, Underwood says, “Touring is one of my favorite things I get to do as a performer and we’ve all really been missing that.  I love being on the road and coming to the fans where they live but it will also be fun to get to do multiple shows in one place where people will be able to come to get that concert experience and have some fun in Las Vegas at the same time.  It’s such a special honor to be one of the first artists to get to perform in a brand new, beautiful, state-of-the-art theatre at such an exciting new destination as Resorts World Las Vegas.”

 

Underwood also revealed exclusive new artwork and inspiration for REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency.   “The show title refers to the fact that this show will reflect the amazing journey I’ve been on for the past 16 years, as well as a glimpse into what lies ahead,” she says. 

 

Additionally, Underwood has arranged for a donation of $1 from each ticket sold for REFLECTION: The Las Vegas Residency to be contributed to Make-A-Wish Foundation of America (https://wish.org), which grants life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses.  Underwood has been involved with the organization for more than 15 years, granting wishes since the beginning of her recording career.

 

Tickets, plus a limited number of VIP Premium Ticket Packages will go on sale to the public starting Monday, May 24 at 10 a.m. PT at axs.com. A limited number of amazing VIP Experience Upgrades will also be available, featuring Meet & Greets, autographed memorabilia, custom merchandise and much more. Official Carrie Underwood Fan Club Members will get first access to tickets beginning Monday, May 17 at 10 a.m. PT. For more info on memberships visit carrieunderwood.fm.  


Additional show details and programming will be announced in the coming months. For more information about Resorts World Las Vegas, visit rwlasvegas.com or follow on Twitter or Instagram. 

To view the full Resorts World Las Vegas commercial, click here.

 

On the heels of her first-ever Christmas album, My Gift, and HBO Max streaming special “My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood” in late 2020, Underwood released her critically-acclaimed ninth studio album, My Savior, this March, featuring the beloved gospel hymns she grew up singing in church.  My Savior debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Chart, making it her ninth consecutive release to do so, extending her record as the only artist to accomplish that feat with all nine of her studio album releases from the beginning of her career.  Underwood brought the album to life with “My Savior: Live From The Ryman,” a virtual live concert performance of all of the music from the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, which streamed live globally on Facebook on Easter Sunday, raising over $112,000 for Save the Children.
 
 
 

ABOUT CARRIE UNDERWOOD

Carrie Underwood emerged from the promise of her 2005 American Idol win to become a true multi-format, multi-media superstar, spanning achievements in music, television, film, and as a New York Times bestselling author and successful entrepreneur.  She has sold more than 64 million records worldwide, recorded 27 #1 singles (14 of which she co-wrote), and has seven albums that are certified Platinum or Multi-Platinum by the RIAA, all while continuing to sell out arena tours across North America and the UK.  In September 2020, Carrie released her first-ever Christmas album, My Gift, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Country, Christian and Holiday charts in its first week and marked her eighth straight release to debut at #1 on the Billboard Country chart. Additionally, HBO Max streamed “My Gift: A Christmas Special From Carrie Underwood,” an exclusive, musical holiday special, with Carrie performing songs from My Gift with a full orchestra and choir.  On the heels of that success, Carrie released her ninth studio album, My Savior, in March 2021, featuring the beloved gospel hymns she grew up singing in church.  My Savior debuted #1 on the Billboard Country Chart, making it her ninth consecutive release to do so, extending her record as the only artist to accomplish that feat with all nine of her studio album releases from the beginning of her career.  The album was brought to life with “My Savior: Live From The Ryman,” a virtual live concert performance from the iconic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, TN, which streamed live globally on Facebook on Easter Sunday, raising over $112,000 for Save the Children.  She starred as Maria von Trapp in NBC’s Emmy®-winning blockbuster, The Sound of Music Live!, hosted the CMA Awards for 12 consecutive years and returned last Fall for her eighth season as the voice of primetime television’s #1 program, NBC’s Sunday Night Football.  Underwood has won over 100 major awards including 7 GRAMMY® Awards, 15 ACM Awards including three for Entertainer of the Year (the first female in history to win twice and, as of 2020, the only female ever to win three times), 22 CMT Music Awards where she continues to hold the record for the most award wins ever for the show, 7 CMA Awards, and 15 American Music Awards with her 7th win for Favorite Female Artist – Country and 6th win for Favorite Country Album for Cry Pretty, breaking the AMA record for Most Wins in the Favorite Country Album Category. Carrie is a proud member of the Grand Ole Opry and is the most followed country artist on Instagram and most followed female country artist on Twitter, Facebook and TikTok. She has built a successful business portfolio inspired by her passion for health and fitness.  She is founder/lead designer for her fitness and lifestyle brand, CALIA by Carrie Underwood, which was launched in 2015.  In March 2020, HarperCollins/Dey Street books published Carrie’s first book, FIND YOUR PATH: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul, and Get Strong with the Fit52 Life, a fitness lifestyle book in which she shares her belief that fitness is a lifelong journey, providing a common-sense approach to staying active, eating well, and looking as beautiful as you feel, 52 weeks a year.  That same month, Carrie also launched her new fitness app, fit52, which is a holistic wellness platform designed to encourage and support users on their personal wellness journey with constantly evolving and updating workout “paths,” available on the App Store and on Google Play.  In January 2021, she expanded her lifestyle portfolio with an equity partnership with BODYARMOR Sports Drink.

 

ABOUT RESORTS WORLD LAS VEGAS

 

Resorts World Las Vegas is being developed by Genting Berhad, a publicly traded Malaysian corporation registered with the Nevada Gaming Commission. The company has affiliated operations in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas. Resorts World Las Vegas is one of the largest hotel construction sites in the U.S., rapidly moving forward with over 3,000 construction workers on-site daily at the nearly 88-acre site. In partnership with Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Resorts World Las Vegas will integrate three of Hilton’s premium brands into its resort campus, including Las Vegas Hilton, the resort’s full-service brand; Conrad Las Vegas, Hilton’s lifestyle luxury brand; and LXR, Hilton’s network of independent luxury properties, which will operate as Crockfords Las Vegas, Genting’s internationally renowned ultra-luxury brand. Resorts World Las Vegas will feature 3,500 guest rooms and suites, an innovative, next-generation gaming floor, world-class food and beverage options, a 5,000-capacity theatre, distinct nightlife venues, a curated retail collection of designer and boutique shops, and more. The integrated resort will weave time-honored traditions of the international Resorts World brand into the fabric of Las Vegas, introducing a bold, fresh take on hospitality to the city with stunning design, progressive technology and world-class guest service. Resorts World Las Vegas is Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED™ with Forbes Travel Guide, a verification that ensures the resort has appropriate health safety procedures in place. For more information,visit rwlasvegas.com or find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

ABOUT GENTING GROUP

 

Genting Group comprises Genting Berhad (KLSE: GENTING), the holding company, and its

listed companies Genting Malaysia Berhad (KLSE: GENM), Genting Plantations Berhad (KLSE: GENP) and Genting Singapore Limited (SGX: G13). Genting Group collectively employs approximately 56,000 people and is involved in leisure and hospitality, palm oil plantations, power generation, oil and gas, property development, life sciences and biotechnology activities, with operations spanning across the globe, including in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, India, China, the United States of America, Bahamas and the United Kingdom. Genting Group is a leader in the global gaming and hospitality industry. Founded in 1965, Genting Group has more than 50 years of experience in developing and operating destination resorts in the Americas, Malaysia, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the Bahamas, offering an unparalleled resort experience and iconic entertainment attractions to over 50 million visitors a year. For more information, visitwww.genting.com.

 

ABOUT AEG PRESENTS
 
Combining the power of the live event with a focus on true artist development, AEG Presents is a world leader in the music and entertainment industries. Operating across three continents, the company has an unparalleled commitment to artistry, creativity, and community. Its tentpole festivals and multi-day music events — which include the iconic Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and the legendary New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival alongside British Summer Time at Hyde Park, Stagecoach, Hangout Festival, Electric Forest, and Firefly — continue to set the bar for the live music experience. AEG Presents promotes global tours for artists such as The Rolling Stones, Ed Sheeran, Elton John, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Justin Bieber, Kenny Chesney, Paul McCartney, and Katy Perry, in addition to — through its network of clubs, theatres, arenas, stadiums and renowned partner brands such as Goldenvoice, Messina Touring Group, Concerts West, The Bowery Presents, PromoWest Productions, Marshall Arts, Madison House Presents, and Zero Mile Presents — creating and developing an unmatched infrastructure for artist development and audience reach. More information can be found at www.aegpresents.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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