Upcoming albums aplenty: Radiohead's 'The King of Limbs' and many more

There is little doubt that 2011 holds the promise of being a HUGE year for new music.
Look no further than yesterday's announcement that this weekend will see the first new full-length studio album from Radiohead since 2007's In Rainbows .

The King of Limbs will be the world's first so-called "Newspaper Album," and will be available in a number of 21st century-minded editions/formats:

For collectors and mega-fans of Radiohead (which sums up most of the band's followers), there is a special deluxe edition featuring two clear 10-inch vinyl records, a standard CD, a digital download and exclusive artwork (as noted on the band's official Web site: "625 tiny pieces").

That deluxe version sells for $48 for the basic package.

A $53 package also includes a digital pre-order. Both ship May 9, 2011. A general release on CD and 12-inch vinyl album is set for release via all major music retailers on March 28, 2011.

Important note: fans can purchase a $9 MP3 version and a $14 CD-quality WAV file (which sounds better than the smaller format 320 kbps MP3 files) of The King of Limbs on Saturday, Feb. 19, 2011 if you preorder the album.

For more information, check out www.thekingoflimbs.com.


Legacy Recordings Releasing Heart's 'Night At Sky Church,' an Electrifying Full-Length Live Concert Film, Available Everywhere Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Historic Career-Spanning March 2010 Concert at Seattle's Experience Music Project Lensed in Red Cam HD for Home DVD & Blu-ray Release

Legacy Recordings will release Night At Sky Church, a new full-length concert film from the ground-breaking Seattle-based rock band Heart, available everywhere on DVD and Blu-ray disc on Tuesday, March 8, 2011.

Lensed in glorious Red Cam HD during Heart's triumphant hometown gig last March at the Experience Music Project, Seattle's Rock & Roll History Museum, Night At Sky Church showcases a stunning career-spanning selection of warm, revelatory and electrifying performances.

Night At Sky Church includes definitive interpretations of Heart's biggest hits, some of the most anthemic tunes in the entire classic rock canon ("Barracuda," "Crazy On You," "These Dreams," "Alone," etc) while providing a beguiling in-concert introduction to the band's newest songs ("WTF," "Hey You"), the tracks that drove Red Velvet Car, Heart's first new studio album in six years, straight into America's Top 10 following its release last August.

The concert includes three cuts ("These Dreams," "Safronia's Mark," "Your Long Journey") featuring multiple Grammy® winning bluegrass-country singer-songwriter Alison Krauss. "Working with Ann and Nancy Wilson far exceeded any expectation of how talented and beautiful I already thought they were," said Krauss. "Getting to be a part of this concert was incredible!"

Heart's Night At Sky Church performances show why the Wilson sisters and their music resonate so deeply with fans, and why their influence widens among other musicians.

"Ann and Nancy Wilson, simply put, are rock & roll," said American country artist Carrie Underwood, who performed with Heart on the VH1 special "Heart & Friends - Decades Rock Live!". "For decades, they have been teaching the rest of us that we can all only dream of singing those sky high melodies and looking that cool on the guitar! Heart is the perfect combination of beauty and rock, and I feel more than honored to have shared the stage with them."

Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles, part of the VH1 Divas 2010 line-up with Heart, praised them saying, "The voice, the guitar playing, the song writing: Heart comes on stage, a burning flame. They aren't women who rock. They are rockers who forever changed the course of music and charted a path for my life. I am forever grateful."

"Ann and Nancy have always been and continue to be the best female rock vocalists I've ever heard live," says American pop singer Katy Perry, who also joined Heart as part of the VH1 Divas 2010 roster. "They could sing the phone book, and I would still listen."

VH1 Classic will air a broadcast edition of HEART - Night At Sky Church during the DVD release week. Please check your local listings for showtimes in your area.

Last August, Red Velvet Car, the first new studio album in six years from Heart, entered the Billboard 200 best-selling album charts at #10, becoming the seventh Top 10 album of the group's career. Heart's first album for Legacy Recordings, the critically-acclaimed Red Velvet Car marked the return of the group to the Sony Music Entertainment family. The album reached #1 in sales on Amazon.com in September.

The critical response to Red Velvet Car has been universally ecstatic. "The barracudas are back and at the top of their game," wrote Rolling Stone (September 2, 2010) while USA Today (August 25, 2010) called the album "Intimate, intense and anchored by Ann's powerhouse vocals and Nancy's aggressive acoustic guitar...." The New York Times (August 4, 2010) found Red Velvet Car "aggressive, delicate and enduring" while the Los Angeles Times noted that "Thirty-four years after the band's debut, Heart's dreamboat sails on."

For their first new album since 2004's Jupiter's Darling, the first ladies of arena rock took an acoustic approach to a collection of songs inspired by the world around them, arranged for an assortment of strings including guitar, mandolin, dobro, banjo, fiddle, viola, cello and autoharp, all played by Nancy Wilson and the album's producer, multiple Grammy nominee Ben Mink, who may also be heard on Night At Sky Church.

Nine of the album's songs were written and appeared for the first time on Red Velvet Car. The album's closer, "Sand," is a newly recorded version of a song originally written and recorded by the Lovemongers, Ann and Nancy's 1990's acoustic side project.

Ann Wilson and her younger sister, Nancy Wilson, first showed the world that women can rock when their band Heart stormed the charts in the '70s with hits like "Crazy on You," "Magic Man," "Barracuda," 'Straight On," "Even It Up," "Kick It Out" and so many more. Not only did the Wilson sisters lead the band, they wrote the songs, and played the instruments too, making them the first women in rock to do so. Heart continued topping the charts through the '80s and into the '90s with huge hits like "These Dreams," "Alone," "What About Love," "If Looks Could Kill," "Never," and a string of other hits that showcased the sisters' enormous talents as both musicians and singers. Along the way, Heart sold more than 30 million records, had 21 top 40 hits, sold out arenas worldwide, and had a profound influence on rock music.

Heart were 2008 recipients of VH1 Rock Honors, received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Northwest Grammy Foundation, and received ASCAP's award for Excellence in Songwriting in 2009.


Heart - Night At Sky Church - tracklisting
Barracuda

Never

Straight On

Love Alive

Mistral Wind

WTF

Hey You

Red Velvet Car

These Dreams (with Alison Krauss)

Safronia's Mark (with Alison Krauss and Ben Mink)

Your Long Journey (with Alison Krauss and Ben Mink)

What About Love

Alone

Crazy On You



encore

Sand

Magic Man



Bonus tracks

Back To Avalon

Kick It Out


For more information, visit www.legacyrecordings.com



WILLIE NELSON, WYNTON MARSALIS & NORAH JONES CELEBRATE THE GENIUS OF RAY CHARLES WITH HERE WE GO AGAIN; NEW ALBUM TO BE RELEASED MARCH 29 ON BLUE NOTE

Given the rousing artistic and commercial success of the first recorded collaboration of legendary country troubadour Willie Nelson and jazz statesman Wynton Marsalis on 2008’s Blue Note album Two Men With the Blues, it’s not surprising that the pair would rendezvous again. The New York Times called it “a smart and heartfelt record,” while Entertainment Weekly wrote that “Willie and Wynton may seem like an odd couple, but this live disc makes the country legend and jazz master sound like natural partners with Marsalis’ usual horn-fronted band doing the driving and Nelson settling in perfectly with his off-beat vocal phrasing.”



The first meeting of these kindred spirits took place at The Allen Room at New York ’s Jazz at Lincoln Center for two nights in 2007; their encore appearance was also staged at the heralded jazz house—this time for two sold-out nights at Rose Theater in February 2009 with special guest Norah Jones. Rather than rehash the previous material Nelson and Marsalis had first presented, the threesome paid homage to the music of the late Ray Charles, the iconic star of soul, r&b, country, jazz and pop.



On March 29, Blue Note will release the category-defying album from those shows, Here We Go Again: Celebrating the Genius of Ray Charles, a 12-tune song cycle about the ups and downs of love. It features tunes that Charles put on the musical map, including “Hallelujah I Love Her So,” “Cryin’ Time,” “Hit the Road Jack,” “Busted,” “Makin’ Whoopie” and arguably his greatest hit, “What’d I Say.” All the tunes feature new, original arrangements by Marsalis and artists within his Jazz at Lincoln Center circle. The songs are rendered in a variety of styles, including gospel two-beat, boogaloo, country ballad, bolero, hard bop, r&b, waltz and 4/4 swing. Instrumental support at the concert came via the trumpeter’s working quintet—tenor saxophonist Walter Blanding, pianist Dan Nimmer, bassist Carlos Henriquez and drummer Ali Jackson—and Nelson’s longtime sidekick, Mickey Raphael, on harmonica.



Marsalis arranged the set list as a story line about love: “You fall in love, you get lost and busted, and then you try to come back,” he says.



“It’s what I call root-groove music,” explains Marsalis. “The root music cuts across all the boundaries and genres in American music.” He adds, “There was a time in the early ‘50s when artists would come up and be influenced by all types of music.” Nelson agrees: “You have to love all kinds of music to put your own interpretation on [the songs].”



Nelson, who praises Charles’s classic country disc I Can’t Stop Loving You, says, “He did more for country music with that one album than any of us could have done because he opened country songs and country music to millions of his fans and brought a whole lot of people together.”



Jones was thrilled to be invited to share the stage. “It was a no-brainer for me,” she says. "I love Willie so much and have had a musical relationship with him. And I’ve always wanted to do something with Wynton.” When she heard the theme of the evening was going to focus on Charles’ music, she got excited: “I know all those songs. We all just love his music. That’s the common factor.”



“This was a special event for me,” says Nelson. “It always is when we get together.”



The track listing for Here We Go Again is as follows:



1. Hallelujah I Love Her So (Gospel 2-beat / Boogaloo / 4/4 Swing)
2. Come Rain or Come Shine (Walking Ballad)

3. Unchain My Heart (Bolero with Habanera bass)

4. Cryin' Time (Country Ballad)

5. Losing Hand (Dirge with Chain-Gang Shuffle)

6. Hit The Road Jack (Gospel 2-beat / 4/4 Swing)

7. I’m Moving On (Boogaloo with Afro-Latin Backbeat / 4/4 Swing)

8. Busted (Gospel 12/8 Shuffle)

9. Here We Go Again (Rhythm & Blues 12/8 Shuffle)

10. Makin’ Whoopie (Hard-Bop 2-beat / 4/4 Swing)

11. I Love You So Much (It Hurts) (Waltz)

12. What'd I Say (Boogaloo)

Ringo Starr and legendary friends salute Klaus Voormann

Please note this post was first published on the Orange County Register's Soundcheck blog on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 13, 2011.

On the eve of the 53rd annual Grammy Awards, a cast of rock ‘n’ roll legends gathered at a special event at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles on Saturday morning, Feb. 12, 2011 to honor the music and artwork of a friend who has quietly worked in the shadow of musical giants for a half-century.

So while Klaus Voormann was unable to make the trip from Munich to Southern California (the 72-year-old was recently hospitalized but is recovering), colleagues such as Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, Eagles singer-guitarist Joe Walsh, singer-composer Van Dyke Parks, drummer Jim Keltner, guitarist Albert Lee and others came in a show of support. Art director Daniel Reiss, who worked with Voormann and shares the Grammy nomination for best boxed or special limited edition package (for Voormann & Friends: A Sideman’s Journey), came from Berlin to attend the event on Saturday as well as Sunday’s Grammy Awards.

“Klaus is one of the greatest bass players of all time,” Keltner insisted during a panel moderated by Chris Carter (pictured with Ringo in one of my photos seen at the top of this post), who hosts the weekly Breakfast with the Beatles show on KLOS/95.5 FM. (Keltner’s own distinctive work behind the kit can be heard on classic recordings from Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Leon Russell, Eric Clapton and countless others.)

“Klaus is very steady,” Starr added, adding with characteristic deadpan wit that “he didn’t take a lot of medication like the rest of us.”

Voormann, who befriended the Beatles in 1960 after hearing them perform at a small club in Hamburg, won his first Grammy award in 1966 for designing the Fab Four’s Revolver album cover. He earned his second Grammy as a bass player for his work on the 1971 album The Concert for Bangladesh. On Saturday, the original cover of Revolver (now owned by Walsh, seen in another picture on this post, who purchased it for $1,800 in a Hollywood memorabilia shop in 1979) was displayed at the event.

“He stole it,” quipped Starr, who kept a crowd of musicians and media laughing throughout the morning event.

Voormann has been the subject of renewed interest since the release of A Sideman’s Journey in late 2009. The collection finds the celebrated bassist back in the sonic saddle, performing with Paul McCartney, Dr. John, members of the Manfred Mann Group (he was that band’s bassist during the late ’60s) and all the acclaimed players who were there on Saturday, who recorded a new version of the Sherman Brothers’ “You’re Sixteen” (a hit for Starr in the ’70s) for the project.

Reiss noted that he worked closely with Voormann for about three weeks on completing the elaborate package and design for A Sideman’s Journey, which includes a 14-track album, a bonus DVD, a 68-page hardcover book, a fine-art print signed by Voormann, even a guitar strap.

“It was a wonderful time for us,” Reiss said of the project. “It was such an intense experience working with Klaus. He is always relaxed … it was nice to work with him.” Added Starr of his involvement on the new disc: “It was easy; it wasn’t like he was bossy.”

Walsh was also thrilled to get to record with one of rock’s most celebrated sideman. “I played on ‘Short People.’ It was a happening more than a session. I had never played with any of the people there (at the session). Klaus was on top of the project. It was a great experience for me.”

In August 2010, the Smithsonian Channel aired All You Need Is Klaus, a documentary about Voormann’s contributions to music and art. In addition to his bass work with George Harrison, his playing also can be heard on recordings ranging from John Lennon‘s Plastic Ono Band to Carly Simon‘s “You’re So Vain.”

“Klaus, to me, was always putting his (bass) playing down,” Keltner explained. “He was ridiculous for putting himself down.”

All money raised from Voormann & Friends: A Sideman’s Journey goes toward the nonprofit Lakota Village Fund, a project to provide safe drinking water on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.

Regardless of whether Voormann wins the Grammy or not (he actually just lost during the pre-telecast ceremony, to Jack White & Rob Jones for the White Stripes‘ Under Great Northern Lights), the best news about him this weekend came via a webcast audio message from his wife Christina, alerting friends and fans that Voormann is on the mend: “He is overjoyed that all of you have come.”

For more information on the Lakota Village Fund, visit www.Lakota-Village.de.

Newport Beach Jazz Party ready to swing

John Pizzarelli photo credit: ART PAZORNIK

This story originally was posted on The Orange County Register Web site on Feb. 9, 2011.

For those who love mainstream jazz, the Newport Beach Jazz Party is one of the most highly-anticipated and aptly-titled events on the Orange County live music calendar.
"It's three days – and four nights – of straight-ahead jazz," said John McClure, co-producer of the Newport Beach Jazz Party. The event will be held at the Marriott Newport Beach Hotel & Spa, Feb. 17-20.

McClure and his co-producer Joe Rothman (who is the founder of the jazz fest) have a mutual love of mainstream jazz that has found a place in the heart of both area fans and lovers of the genre who come from around the globe to attend the festivities. The event is expected to attract an intimate audience of 450 a day, with a number of acclaimed musicians such as singer Frank Sinatra, Jr., singer-guitarist John Pizzarelli, trombonist Dan Barrett, pianist Benny Green, drummers Lewis Nash and Jeff Hamilton, the Blue Note Swing Orchestra, the Ken Peplowski Quartet and many others scheduled to perform.
McClure noted that the Newport Beach Jazz Party is fashioned after the jazz party concept that well-known jazz aficionado Dr. Dick Gibson launched in Colorado in the early 1960s.

"The idea is to bring in the best jazz players – working professionals that like playing together. The thing they have in common are standards, the Great American Songbook."
The entire hotel is utilized with evening concerts held in the Grand Pacific Ballroom, while several daytime champagne brunches and poolside sessions offer up additional shows. About a third of those who attend are from Southern California, while the remaining concertgoers come from other areas around the nation or from overseas.

"For me, I make my living playing and singing," Pizzarelli said recently by phone from Jacksonville, Fla., where he was on tour. "When I get to do selections from the Great American Songbook, it's fun," Pizzarelli will headline at the Newport Beach Jazz Party on Feb. 17.

"The Duke Ellington thing has been very good to me," he said of Rockin' in Rhythm: A Tribute to Duke Ellington, which was released last year and features Pizzarelli and a talented cast of players revisiting a dozen Ellington works. Highlights include versions of "Satin Doll" and "I'm Beginning to See the Light" where his wonderful vocals are showcased, and the fast-paced instrumental gems "C Jam in Blues" and "Cottontail/Rockin' in Rhythm" medley that provide Pizzarelli a chance to display his impressive guitar playing.

Previously best-known for his acclaimed tributes to Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, the Ellington tribute and subsequent shows in support of that Telarc/Concord Records release – including the upcoming Newport Beach date – have provided an added dimension for Pizzarelli.

"It gives you a completely new outlook," Pizzaelli said of jazz's most notable 20th century composer. "It also allows me to play more guitar."
There are other benefits of bringing his Ellington tribute out to the West Coast.
"Anything that gets me out of New York in February is a plus."

Jazz lovers who love the Newport Beach Jazz Party can plan on attending a summer series of Wednesday nights at the Marriott Newport Beach called "Sunset Jazz at Newport." Scheduled to run every Wednesday in the Rose Garden of the hotel, the series will run July 6 through Aug. 31, with a special Champagne Jazz Brunch Cruise on Newport Harbor set for Sunday, Sept. 4.

But for now, the focus of McClure and other organizers is on the Jazz Party.
"It's still work," McClure said. "It's not a big money-making venture. But it is a lot of satisfaction."

Steve Miller Band set to release 'Let Your Hair Down' on April 19

Steve Miller Band set to release 'Let Your Hair Down' on April 19, 2011

ALBUM RELEASE TO KICK OFF WITH TOUR BEGINNING APRIL 19

FEATURING SPECIAL GUEST GREGG ALLMAN


STEVE MILLER BAND TO CELEBRATE OPENING OF

NEW AUSTIN CITY LIMITS VENUE AT THE MOODY THEATER

WITH A SPECIAL GALA CONCERT BENEFITING KRLU FEBRUARY 24

AND NEW SEASON'S INAUGURAL TV PERFORMANCE ON FEBRUARY 26

Following the success of last year's number one blues album, BINGO!, which was recently nominated as 'Blues Rock Album of the Year' by the Blues Foundation, The Steve Miller Band return with yet another new offering, Let Your Hair Down, which lands in stores April 19, 2011 on Miller's Space Cowboy Records in partnership with Roadrunner/Loud & Proud Records. The band will kick off the album release with a Spring tour beginning April 19 featuring special guest Gregg Allman. Prior to the album release and tour, The Steve Miller Band will celebrate the opening of the new Austin City Limits venue at The Moody Theater with a sold out gala concert event to benefit KRLU-TV, Austin PBS, on February 24, followed by the inaugural live taping on February 26.



Let Your Hair Down features the last recordings by harmonica virtuoso Norton Buffalo, Miller's "partner in harmony" for thirty-three years. Noted Pink Floyd album cover artist Storm Thorgerson, who also did the wonderfully whimsical cover to BINGO! returns to Let Your Hair Down with one of the great album covers of his career.



Miller, whose new album shines with some of the finest guitar playing he has ever recorded, will make a special appearance with jazz guitar greats Jim Hall, Bucky Pizzarelli and Howard Alden on February 12 in a concert celebrating the opening of the exhibit, "Guitar Heroes: Legendary Craftsmen From Italy To New York," at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Three custom-made archtop guitars by luthier James D'Aquisto from Miller's personal collection are included in the exhibit.



Prior to the release of Let Your Hair Down, The Steve Miller Band will perform material from the album at a gala concert opening the new multi-million dollar performance facility built for the long-running music TV series, "Austin City Limits," on February 24. Two days later, the band will tape the first show of the coming season in the new theater, while the streets outside are closed off and a huge party and free concert takes place.



To launch the release of Let Your Hair Down in high style, Miller also plans a series of theater and small arena dates in mid-April through the South and East Coast with Gregg Allman, whose new solo album, Low Country Blues, is one of the best-received releases of his career, a combination that is sure to produce some rip-roaring jam sessions onstage.



The new album caps one of the busiest years of Miller's accomplished career. In addition to the release last year of the acclaimed first new Steve Miller Band album in seventeen years ("cause for celebration," said The Huffington Post), Miller not only led a sold out tour across the United States and Canada, but returned to Europe for the first time in more than twenty-five years for a triumphant round of dates culminating in a sold out Royal Albert Hall concert in London.



One of rock music's all-time greats, The Steve Miller Band has sold more than 30 million records in a career spanning more than 40 years. His trademark blues-rock sound made him one of the key artists in classic rock radio. He is the Gangster of Love. Some people call him Maurice, the Midnight Toker or the Space Cowboy. And, as Let Your Hair Down so aptly demonstrates, Steve "Guitar" Miller still speaks in the pompitus of love.




STEVE MILLER BAND 2011 TOUR DATES:



DATE VENUE CITY/STATE

February 23 House of Blues Dallas, TX

February 24 Austin City Limits Gala/Moody Theater Austin, TX - sold out!

February 25 House of Blues Houston, TX

February 26 Austin City Limits/Moody Theater Austin, TX

April 16 Allman Brothers' Wanee Music Festival Live Oak, FL

April 17 Tennessee Theater Knoxville, TN

April 19 North Charleston PAC North Charleston, SC *

April 20 Kota Booth Amphitheater Cary, NC *

April 22 LC Pavilion Columbus, OH *

April 23 Huntington Arena Toledo, OH *

April 26 Tower Theater Philadelphia, PA *

April 27 Kovalchick Complex Indiana, PA *

April 30 Musikfest Café - Arts Quest Center Bethlehem, PA



* featuring special guest Gregg Allman



And, according to a report published in the Orange County Register's Soundcheck blog earlier this week, the Steve Miller Band will also perform at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California (here in Orange County) on Thursday night, July 21, 2011. This show is a part of the annual Orange County Fair concert series.


For up-to-date information, please visit: www.SteveMillerBand.com

Legacy Recordings Celebrates the 75th Birthday Year of Roy Orbison

Legacy Recordings Celebrates the 75th Birthday Year of Rock & Roll Legend Roy Orbison With Long-Awaited Mono Release of Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection on Tuesday, April 5, 2011

NEW YORK, Feb. 8, 2011 -- Monument Records - The House That Roy Built: The Big O's Monument Singles Collection Debuts First-Ever CD Release Of Original Mono Mixes of All A & B Sides Cut For The Label, Plus DVD of Nine Songs From "The Monument Concert 1965" Digitally Restored, Includes The Official Video For "Oh Pretty Woman"

* * * * *

"Orbison...transcended all the genres--folk, country, rock and roll or just about anything. His stuff mixed all the styles and some that hadn't even been invented yet.... He sounded like he was singing from an Olympian mountaintop and he meant business." - Bob Dylan, Chronicles Vol. 1

"Roy's ballads were always best when you were alone in the dark. They were scary. His voice was unearthly.... I always wanted to sing like Roy Orbison..." - Bruce Springsteen

".... Roy Orbison! It was only because we were with Roy Orbison that we were there at all. He was definitely top of the bill... What a beacon in the southernmost gloom. The amazing Roy Orbison." - Keith Richards, Life

"Roy the singer, people talk about him all the time, everyone curtsies to the voice, and so they should. The thing people don't talk about enough as far as I'm concerned is how innovative this music was, how radical in terms of its songwriting. As I become more interested in songwriting, you hit a wall where Roy Orbison is standing." - Bono, 1999

* * * * *

Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, is celebrating the 75th birthday (April 23, 1936) year of Roy Orbison with the long-awaited release of Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection, a 2 CD/1 DVD set including all the A&B sides recorded by Orbison for the groundbreaking Monument label during an electrifying peak from 1960-1964. Restored to pristine mono mixes for the first time since their original 7" vinyl releases, Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection presents The Big O's core classic catalog the way it's meant to sound.


Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection, a 2 CD/1 DVD set, will be available everywhere Tuesday, April 5, 2011. Roy Orbison - The Monument A-Sides will also be available on a single CD.

A small independent record label enjoying modest successes in the late 1950s, Monument Records grew to become a major force in American rock and roll, country, jazz and rhythm & blues, its label identity synonymous with its biggest star, Roy Orbison. Other artists on the Monument label have included Kris Kristofferson, Boots Randolph, Dolly Parton, Ray Stevens, Tony Joe White, Charlie McCoy, Willie Nelson and others.

The 75th birthday commemorative release of Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection includes the first-ever DVD release of Orbison performing nine songs from "The Monument Concert 1965," including the official video for "Oh Pretty Woman," digitally restored for especially for this collection.

Roy Orbison: The Monument Singles Collection includes liner notes by Roy Orbison Jr. featuring new interviews with Fred Foster, Joe Melson, Bob Moore and others.

Best recognized around the world for his otherworldly voice and black sunglasses. Roy Orbison was both rock & roll pioneer and prototypical singer-songwriter, beginning with his first high school band (the Wink Westerners/Teen Kings) and shifting into mass consciousness in the 1960s with a string of singles for the Monument label that defined an artist and helped launch a label.

Orbison – along with a short list that included Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins – was one of the undisputed originators and architects of rock & roll at Sam Phillips' Sun Records. Orbison cut his first chart hit (it reached #1 on the local charts), "Ooby Dooby," for Sun in 1956, staying with the label for two years before a brief stint at RCA in 1958.

Roy Orbison signed with the newly emerging independent label Monument Records in mid-1959. While his second single for Monument, "Uptown," became his biggest hit as a performer since "Ooby Dooby," it was Orbison's third single for the label, "Only The Lonely (Know How I Feel)," which announced to the world the true artistry of Roy Orbison. The song peaked #2 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, crossed over to #14 on the Billboard Black Singles chart, and rocketed up to #1 on the UK charts.

Orbison followed up the breakthrough with a pair of respectfully charting singles – "Blue Angel" (#9 Pop, #23 Black) and "I'm Hurtin'" (#27 Pop) – before knocking it out of the park with "Running Scared'," his first USA #1 Pop.

After that came an unbroken four-year string of Top 40 Hits – "Crying," "Candy Man," "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)," "Working for the Man," "Leah," "In Dreams," "Pretty Paper," "Blue Bayou," " Mean Woman Blues," "It's Over" – during which Roy Orbison became America's top-selling recording artist and one of the world's most celebrated entertainers.

Orbison played shows with Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, the Everly Brothers, the Rolling Stones, the Beach Boys, Jimmy Page, the Eagles, Bruce Springsteen, Chris Isaak, and many, many others, the man and music leaving a deep impact on them all. The monumental 1963 Roy Orbison World Tour, which featured Patsy Cline (in the weeks before her death) as a support act in the states, helped break the then-rising Beatles (Orbison fans themselves who'd recorded Roy's hit "Dream Baby" for a BBC radio broadcast in 1962) when they played support on the European leg of the tour. Orbison's profound musical and emotional influences may be heard in early Beatles singles (e.g. "Love Me Do" after "Candy Man," "Please Please Me" after "Only The Lonely," "Daytripper" after "Oh, Pretty Woman").

Roy Orbison was one of the few established hit-makers from the late 1950s and early 1960s to not only hold his ground, but to actually increase his popularity in the wake of the British Invasion. He maintained his popularity through music which displayed an extraordinary variety of themes, structure, tempo and rhythm and an authentic, emotional connection that transcended mere craft, exemplified in his signature classic, "Oh, Pretty Woman," recorded on August 1st, 1964. Written by Orbison with his new writing partner Bill Dees, "Oh, Pretty Woman" became Roy's biggest hit and is one of the most recognized and popular songs of all time. Released in August 1964 in the US and in September of that year in the UK, the song hit the #1 slot in virtually every country in the world where people had record players, selling some seven million copies that year.

And this was only the beginning....

Ahead of Roy were 23 world tours, 12 albums for MGM, his starring role in the 1967 MGM feature film "The Fastest Guitar Alive," the 1988 all-star Cinemax special "Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night," The Traveling Wilburys (with Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne), the Class of '55 reunion album (with Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins), television appearances on "Saturday Night Live" and "Austin City Limits," his 1988 Mystery Girl album, the 1992 posthumous collection King of Hearts (produced by Jeff Lynne), the posthumous hit singles "You Got It" and "I Drove All Night," not to mention lawsuits, deaths, fires, tragedies, and Grammy awards.

When Roy Orbison died in 1988, he had two albums in the Billboard Top 5. In 1990, the Pretty Woman soundtrack topped the charts. In 2010, Roy Orbison got his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in front of the Capitol Records Building alongside John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and Garth Brooks.

RoyOrbison.com, Facebook.com/royorbison, Twitter@royorbison.

ROY ORBISON: THE MONUMENT SINGLES COLLECTION


Disc One: The A-Sides



1. Uptown

2. Only The Lonely

3. Blue Angel

4. I'm Hurtin'

5. Running Scared

6. Lana

7. Crying

8. Let The Good Times Roll

9. Blue Bayou

10. Dream Baby

11. The Crowd

12. Working For The Man

13. In Dreams

14. Falling

15. It's Over

16. Oh, Pretty Woman

17. Goodnight



Bonus Tracks:

18. Pretty Paper

19. (Say) You're My Girl

20. Paper Boy







Disc Two: The B-Sides



1. Pretty One

2. Here Comes That Song Again

3. Today's Teardrops

4. I Can't Stop Loving You

5. Love Hurts

6. Summer Song

7. Candy Man

8. Mean Woman Blues

9. The Actress

10. Mama

11. Leah

12. Shahdaroba

13. Distant Drums

14. Indian Wedding

15. Yo Te Amo Maria

16. Only With You



Bonus Tracks:

17. Beautiful Dreamer

18. Sleepy Hollow

19. With The Bug









The Monument Concert - DVD



1. Only the Lonely

2. Running Scared

3. Crying

4. What'd I Say

5. Dream Baby

6. Mean Woman Blues

7. It's Over

8. Oh, Pretty Woman

9. Goodnight

Upcoming releases updates: Augustana, Wye Oak, Tres Mts.

Wye Oak, pictured on left, is set to release its third album Civilian.

AUGUSTANA GEAR UP TO RELEASE SELF-TITLED NEW ALBUM ON APRIL 26, 2011

FIRST SINGLE, “STEAL YOUR HEART,” GOES TO RADIO FEBRUARY 14


February 1, 2011 — Los Angeles, CA — Augustana will release their eagerly awaited self-titled third album for Epic Records on April 26, 2011. The first single from the album, “Steal Your Heart,” will go to radio on February 14. The band, which is fronted by vocalist/lyricist Daniel Layus, recorded the album in Los Angeles with Grammy Award-winning producer/engineer Jacquire King, who is known for his work with Kings of Leon and Norah Jones, among others.

“The creative and musical progression of this record feels like the most true expression of who this band is in its most basic form,” said Layus. “We worked really hard to bring the sound to a new frontier, but not so far that it lost that sense of organic sensibility.”

The album delivers on the emotionally resonant, rootsy pop/rock that Augustana have become known for since launching themselves onto the scene with their major-label debut, 2005’s All The Stars and Boulevards. The album reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. It also spawned two Top 40 hits, “Stars and Boulevards” and “Boston,” which was certified digital platinum. The band’s follow-up, 2008’s Can’t Love, Can’t Hurt spawned the singles “Sweet and Low,” and “I Still Ain’t Over You.”

Augustana is vocalist Dan Layus, guitarist Chris Sachtleben, bassist Jared Palomar, and drummer Justin South.

The track-listing for Augustana is as follows:

1. Steal Your Heart
2. Wrong Side Of Love
3. On The Other Side
4. Counting Stars
5. Borrowed Time
6. Shot In The Dark
7. Someone’s Baby Now
8. Hurricane
9. Just Stay Here Tonight
10. It Only Means I Love You (You Were Made For Me)

http://www.myspace.com/augustana
www.augustanamusic.com
www.twitter.com/augustanatour
www.facebook.com/augustana


Wye Oak are gearing up for the release of their highly anticipated third album Civilian with tour dates both here and abroad. Jenn & Andy are finishing up a run of dates opening for The Decemberists; a pairing that had Time Out NY wondering if "'King' Meloy was ceding ground to a queen of sorts, Jenn Wasner."

Without leaning on conventional structure, the songs on Civilian beguile with fascinating chords and melodies, Jenn’s voice and riveting lyrics, mesmerizing rhythms, and an intoxicating aural landscape. Just as good writing has meaning between the lines, Civilian has meaning between the sounds: the combinations of harmonies, timbres, and words summon vivid and ineffable associations just beyond reach.

While their debut album If Children was about the bonds of family, and its follow-up, The Knot, was about bonds with everyone else, Civilian is about bonds breaking and powerful energies being released. "This is the most emotionally direct set of songs that I’ve heard Jenn write,” Andy says. “I think she’s a little uncomfortable with that, but it sure is nice for anyone who listens to them.” Although the lyrics are unflinchingly personal, they’re shrouded in double-tracking and harmonies, submerged in the mix, and sometimes oddly phrased—almost smudging over their meanings. “These songs contain fragile information,” Jenn explains. “It’s a tightrope for me. It’s the only way to make songs that are so intensely personal.”

Civilian has made the "most-anticipated" lists from NPR who called it "blustery and mysterious" and The AV Club who wrote that the title-track made a "whole album's worth seem very enticing indeed."
See live video from Wye Oak's "secret" show during the blizzard in NYC last week, and don't miss them on tour! Photos & an MP3 to share can be found at their press page.
Wye Oak on tour:
* = The Decemberists
# = Lower Dens
% = Callers

Feb 02 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre *
Feb 04 Chicago, IL Riviera Theatre *
Mar 11 Washington, DC Black Cat #
Mar 12 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506 #
Mar 13 Atlanta, GA The Earl #
Mar 15 Norman, OK The Opolis #
Mar 21 Tucson, AZ Solar Culture %
Mar 22 San Diego, CA Casbah %
Mar 24 Los Angeles, CA The Echo %
Mar 25 San Francisco, CA Bottom of the Hill %
Mar 27 Vancouver, BC Media Club %
Mar 29 Portland, OR Mississippi Studios %
Mar 31 Nampa, ID Flying M Coffee %
Apr 01 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court %
Apr 02 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge %
Apr 03 Omaha, NE Slowdown Jr %
Apr 04 Iowa City, IA The Mill %
Apr 05 St. Paul, MN Turf Club %
Apr 06 Appleton, WI Lawrence University %
Apr 15 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s


TRES MTS. TO RELEASE DEBUT ALBUM, THREE MOUNTAINS, ON MARCH 8TH

MARCH TOUR STOPS IN SEATTLE, D.C., PHILADELPHIA, NEW YORK AND BOSTON INCLUDING MARCH 24TH APPEARANCE ON NBC's LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON

TRES MTS. FEATURES JEFF AMENT OF PEARL JAM, dUg PINNICK OF KING'S X AND RICHARD STUVERUD OF THE FASTBACKS

********

SEATTLE - Tres Mts., a musical project comprised of bassist Jeff Ament of Pearl Jam, vocalist and guitarist dUg Pinnick of King's X and drummer Richard Stuverud of The Fastbacks, will release their debut album, Three Mountains, through Pearl Jam's Monkeywrench Records on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. An album pre-sale begins today, February 1st, at www.pearljam.com.

In support of Three Mountains, Tres Mts. will hit the road on a 5-city tour starting March 16 in Seattle. The tour stops in D.C., Philadelphia, New York and wraps in Boston on March 27 (full dates below). While on the road, Tres Mts. are also scheduled to perform as the musical guest on NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Thursday, March 24.

Mike McCready of Pearl Jam, who plays guitar on Three Mountains, will join Ament, Pinnick and Stuverud on tour.

Ticket sales for the Tres Mts. tour dates begin Friday, February 4 at 10 a.m. local time. A pre-sale for the New York City date takes place Thursday, February 3 from 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Eastern at www.livenation.com. A pre-sale for the Seattle date takes from 10am Pacific on Thursday, February 3 through the public on sale time at www.ticketmaster.com.

More on Tres Mts.:
On January 24, the world was introduced to Tres Mts. via a news post on Pearl Jam's website and social networks. In that posting, Jeff Ament shared the following history of the band:

I first saw dUg Pinnick sing and play in 1989 with his band Kings X at the Central Tavern. Three years later, I asked them to open some shows for Pearl Jam and we quickly became friends. I always joked, "when are we gonna make that heavy R & B record, you and me?"

In 2001, dUg joined Richard Stuverud and me in one of our yearly writing sessions in Montana and again in 2004 with McCready. After a few years of crossed up schedules, in 2010, we finally mixed the baker's dozen songs that make up Tres Mts..These guys are all monsters and this batch of tunes is gonna be fun to play live.

-Jeff Ament

The same day the project was unveiled, Tres Mts. released "My Baby," the first track from their forthcoming album, free for download on the band's website. To date, over 10,000 copies of the track have been downloaded. To download the Tres Mts.' track, "My Baby," and join the band's mailing list, visit: http://www.tresmts.com/unlock.

Tres Mts. Tour Dates:

Date City Venue Ticket Price/Outlets
March 16 Seattle, WA Showbox at the Market $18 / www.ticketmaster.com
March 21 Washington, D.C. Black Cat $20 / www.ticketalternative.com
March 23 Philadelphia, PA Theatre of the Living Arts $20 / www.livenation.com
March 26 New York, NY Gramercy Theater $20 / www.livenation.com
March 27 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club $20 / www.ticketmaster.com

Three Mountains Track Listing:

1. My Baby
2. Oh, Lord
3. God Told Me
4. Makes Me Feel
5. Holes in the Road
6. In the Middle
7. Life
8. Afrosheena
9. She's My New Song
10. Utah
11. Break
12. Mystery
13. She's My New Reprise


For more information on Tres Mts., visit www.tresmts.com

Diverse Amos Lee set thrills sold-out crowd in Anaheim

Photo courtesy of Kelly Swift

Please note this review was first published on the Orange County Register's Soundcheck blog earlier today

Having just released one of the first great albums of 2011 — Mission Bell, his fourth for venerable jazz/folks/etc. label Blue Note — Amos Lee was clearly in a mood to celebrate throughout his 19-song concert Friday night (Jan. 28, 2011) at House of Blues Anaheim.

It’s been a busy week for the Philadelphia native: he arrived at the Downtown Disney venue on the heels of appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Ellen Degeneres Show, as well as concerts at the Fillmore in San Francisco and the Music Box in Hollywood.

Many artists will choose to open a show with an upbeat (or at least uptempo) number to kick things into high gear from the get-go, but Lee went the opposite route, launching his 105-minute set with the introspective folk-rock of “El Camino.” A beautiful song, it proved to be typical of the subsequent material only in that Lee offered up one song after another, each its own musical world with little relation to others positioned around it.

With the possible exception of the Zac Brown Band, few modern-day success stories seem able to blend so many styles together so effortlessly. Throughout his wide-ranging journey Friday night, Lee and his strong backup band explored folk, rock, soul, gospel, alt-country, blues, funk and even a bit of jazz without losing their way.

Lee’s soulful vocals were certainly spotlighted, conjuring the spirit of Al Green on “Flower” and Gram Parsons on “Violin,” the latter enhanced by Andy Keenan‘s pedal steel work. But elsewhere his voice and material (whether on acoustic or electric guitar) were so distinctive, they both defied easy categorization.

An Americana-infused performance of “Cup of Sorrow,” the piano-anchored “Careless” (boasting some of his most emotive singing of the night), a quiet version of “Sweet Pea” and the jazz-tinged “Hello Again” showcased the winning ways his five-member band and two backing singers have with Lee’s songs. His joyful version of “Street Corner Preacher,” meanwhile, was propelled by a spontaneous clap-along from the large crowd, and his new single “Windows Are Rolled Down” was equally charged.

Although only in his early 30s, Lee is already a treasure; rare are artists who can blend Philly soul, alt-country linked with the Southwest, the California folk of the ’70s and Southern gospel (as evidenced by the uplifting “Jesus” during the encore). He handles so many styles so well, what’s not to love about his music?

South African singer-songwriter Vusi Mahlasela also delighted the capacity crowd with a 35-minute set of original work melding folk and exotic world-music influences. Alternating between songs in English and his native language (introducing “Woza,” he noted: “Don’t try to say that; you’ll break your tongue”), Mahlasela, known as “The Voice” at home, delivered several wonderful songs off his new release Say Africa, which dropped Jan. 18.

His joyous approach easily filled the Mouse House, while songs such as “Conjecture of the Heart” had lyrical depth to further lure listeners into his unique approach. I only wish that a few rude concert-goers behind me during his marvelous set would have taken their senseless chatter to the patio.

The Decemberists, Social Distortion earn high marks on Billboard

Here are a few news releases I wanted to share. I've got to listen to the new Social Distortion album Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes and to The Decemberists latest disc The King Is Dead and am very impressed by both.

THE DECEMBERISTS EARN THEIR FIRST-EVER #1 ALBUM WITH THE KING IS DEAD

The Decemberists have earned the first-ever #1 chart position of their career with the impressive first-week showing of their widely acclaimed new album The King Is Dead, which was released by EMI’s Capitol Records on January 18, 2011. The album scanned 93,567 units in the U.S. in its debut week, landing it at the top of the Billboard Top 200 chart, and has also given the band their highest career chart position in territories all over the world. The King Is Dead was released on Rough Trade Records in the UK and Europe.


Over the course of 6 albums and 10 years, the Portland, Oregon-based band has steadfastly followed their own creative path, from their 2002 debut Castaways and Cutouts and the early critical breakout success of 2005’s Picaresque on Kill Rock Stars, to their even more ambitious efforts for Capitol Records, 2006’s The Crane Wife and 2009’s song-cycle The Hazards of Love. Now with The King Is Dead—a profoundly simple set of 10 concise country-inflected songs produced by Tucker Martine and featuring guests Gillian Welch and Peter Buck—The Decemberists have reached music’s top spot entirely on their own terms.


TIME magazine predicted before the album’s release that “with critical buzz building behind it, The King Is Dead could mark their crossover to the realm of important American rock groups alongside the likes of Wilco and the White Stripes.” Rolling Stone marveled at “how much richness and beauty the group has folded into the 40-minute album,” adding that “For a band able to push the limits of songwriting, it’s a revelation, and a chance to see how deep simplicity goes. Very deep, it turns out.”



SOCIAL DISTORTION'S HARD TIMES DEBUTS AT CAREER-HIGH #4

January 26, 2011 - Los Angeles, CA - Southern California's iconic rock ‘n' roll band Social Distortion has achieved their highest charting album and biggest first week sales in their 32 year career with the release of Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes.

Selling 46,366 copies in the first week, Social Distortion's first album in over six years has entered the Billboard Top 200 at #4, surpassing 1996's major label release White Light, White Heat, White Trash, which debuted at #27 and 2004's Sex, Love and Rock ‘n' Roll, which sold 36,273 in the first week. Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes' first single, "Machine Gun Blues," has also garnered the band a #16 spot on the commercial alternative radio chart, their highest position ever. Social Distortion's career-high chart position is a testament to the band's legacy, longevity and relativity as they continue to rev their engine well into the third decade of their celebrated career.

Social Distortion's seventh studio album, Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes, has received mass approval from fans and critics around the world. Billboard states that "each one of these tunes will clearly rattle the rafters anywhere Social D plays, but with an added veneer that complements the raw, punk-like energy that is the band's stock in trade." "Instantly familiar, gorgeously warm in both tone and delivery, and imbued with the very essence of rock ‘n' roll, this record manages the remarkable feat of balancing true integrity with universal appeal," says the UK's RockSound. American Songwriter exclaims that "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes is a well-rounded and excellent addition to the band's body of work" with British rock mag Kerrang! adding "this new album is well worth the wait!"

New and old fans alike are showing up in droves to see the band live too! Having almost already sold-out their entire west coast tour, including three consecutive nights at The Palladium in Hollywood, Social Distortion's devoted fan base continues to spread across the country as demand for the band hits an all-time high. The group recently announced their spring US tour which kicks off in April with tickets on-sale this weekend. Fans are encouraged to buy tickets early to avoid sellouts.

Old 97's return rock 'n' roll to its rightful place

Singer-songwriter-rhythm guitarist Rhett Miller led the Old 97's through an original set of energetic rock 'n' roll at the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana on Jan. 20.

Alt rock. Folk rock. Hard rock. Modern rock.
Heck, whatever happened to plain ol' rock 'n' roll?
Well, rock 'n' roll made a well-deserved return to the Galaxy Concert Theatre in Santa Ana on Thursday night courtesy of the Old 97's.
Admittedly, there is plenty of alt country grit in the Dallas, Texas-spawned quartet's sound, but watching the Old 97's tear it up in a loose and engaging 90-minute concert played out in Orange County was refreshing.

And indeed, watching the Old 97's I could imagine that Buddy Holly might well be doing this exact mix of roots rock and country rock if he had been born 50 years later.
Led by singer-rhythm guitarist Rhett Miller (seen above in a photo I snapped at the show), the band's approach was much like it was when I caught them at the Hootenanny Festival in Irvine last summer. But that is clearly part of the outfit's appeal. Simply put, Miller, lead guitarist Ken Bethea, singer-bassist Murry Hammond and drummer Philip Peeples rocked.
It didn't matter whether the Old 97's were playing some of their better-known stuff ("King of All of the World," "Four-Leaf Clover," "Question") or new material off their 2010 disc The Grand Theatre, the band's approach was authentic, engaging and raucous.
Several new songs were standouts, notably the forceful rocker "Champaign, Illinois," the rollicking "Every Night is Friday Night (Without You)" and similarly fast-paced "A State of Texas."

Vanguard Records and Stacy Clark Join Forces to Support To Write Love on Her Arms with Free Download

January 20, 2011 – Stacy Clark and Vanguard Records are proud to support To Write Love on Her Arms, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people struggling with depression, addiction, self-injury and suicide. Beginning today, for every free download of Stacy Clark’s new single ‘Not Enough’ from http://vanguardrecords.com/downloads/Stacy+Clark+TWLOHA Vanguard Records will donate one dollar to To Write Love on Her Arms.

"I feel very lucky to be involved with To Write Love on Her Arms,” says Stacy Clark. “We all have our own stories, struggles and obstacles. To know you can reach out to them is a great thing. I am happy to support such a wonderful organization and find everyone very inspiring." Clark first teamed up with TWLOHA to develop a video for her song ‘Hold On’ to raise awareness for the organization. Filmed in downtown Los Angeles, and directed by award-winning filmmaker Jay Torres, the video features some of the young women who have been helped by To Write Love on Her Arms, each of whom share their stories.

‘Not Enough’ is the latest single from Clark’s label debut, Connect The Dots which is a collection of twelve emotionally uplifting songs with resilient melodies. 944 Magazine hailed, "...she’s a breath of fresh air... Her dedication and risk-taking has turned her into more than just a girl with a guitar. She is a girl with a heart, an idea and a talent of indescribable magnitude." Ourstage.com went on to say “…her melodies are relentlessly catchy, her lyrics are honest and heartfelt…” Connect The Dots is currently available at all major digital retail outlets and all Borders stores nationwide. The album will have its worldwide release on February 15th.


For more information about Stacy Clark visit www.myspace.com/stacyclark.

To learn more about To Write Love on Her Arms visit www.twloha.com.

2011 NAMM Show celebrates music and those who play it

Photograph on left: Fingerstyle guitarist Trace Bundy plays his guitar at the Gator Cases, Inc. booth on Jan. 15, 2011.

Large photo on top of page: Singer-songwriter-guitarist Billy White Acre performs his original song "The Apple" on Jan. 15, 2011, featuring the new Yamaha GL1 Guitarlele ("half guitar, half ukulele"). A unique mini 6-string nylon guitar that is sized like a baritone ukulele, the instrument is played like a standard tune guitar.

In case you missed my series of reports on the Soundcheck blog of The Orange County Register's Web site, here is a recap of some of my highlights from The NAMM Show last weekend.

Although I have interviewed many high-profile legends in the music industry over the years, it has usually been a phone interview and set up weeks in advance. Such was not the case leading up to my interview with Jackson Browne. I received an email on Wednesday, Jan. 12 asking if I was interested in interviewing him in the morning on Thursday, Jan. 13. I'm no fool and jumped at the chance.

The arrival of Browne on Thursday has been one of countless unscheduled surprises at this year’s NAMM Show. The Hall of Famer, turned up in the Gibson Guitar suite on the third floor of the Anaheim Convention Center to celebrate the unveiling of his own signature guitar from the manufacturer.

Browne, who spent his formative teenage years in Orange County and attended Sunny Hills High School in Fullerton, was gracious enough to sit down for a brief chat before his hour-long noontime press conference. Not only is this the first guitar to bear his name, he told me, but it took five years of collaboration — with master luthiers Ren Ferguson and Robi Johns at the company’s research and development plant in Montana — to get everything right.

The inspiration for the Browne guitar was Gibson’s ’30s-era Roy Smeck model, several of which Browne owns and uses on stage and in the studio. He loves the old guitars for their sweet acoustic sound, wrapped up in a big tone.

“It’s both a triumph of guitar-making and fitting this pickup,” he explained, noting his 2011 model comes factory installed with the Trance Audio Amulet, a true-stereo acoustic pickup. (Purists can also get his model without it.)

“There is a lot of latitude,” he added, “and people have grown up playing a completely different kind of acoustic guitar, and a very different kind of pickup. I think in a way it’s like coming home. This sound is very natural and actually can be made very loud. The last record I made, I used this pick-up and a really old Gibson guitar, and you could play the guitar hard or soft. You could always hear it even with drums and bass.”

You can see Browne and his collection of vintage guitars, along with his new model, when he performs March 5 at at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula and March 8 at the Long Beach Terrace Theatre.

“To get a company like Gibson — they have already made my favorite guitars years ago — to take up the task of making a whole new run of them and make them available for a new generation of players, that’s exciting,” he says of the Jackson Browne Signature Model A, which retails for about $7,700. (Those without the custom-made pickup go for $5,700.)

My conversation with Browne was brief and mostly focused on the new guitar, but I did get to ask him about any local memories.

“Orange County’s always fun for me,” he said of his visits here now. “I just drove down to Newport Beach (from his home in Los Angeles); we had a family gathering with both my sons (one was visiting from Australia). But Orange County has changed so rapidly, (though) some things are the same — Disneyland is the same.

“The beach is great. It’s where I grew up. It’s where I first learned to drive; it was important to drive because it was my way out of Orange County and to get to Hollywood.”

But Browne also noted that the burgeoning O.C. music scene of the late ’60s allowed him a training ground to develop his craft: “I played the Bear (the Golden Bear in Huntington Beach), I played the Paradox (in Tustin) … the Four Muses in San Clemente is where I started playing.”

Here are some other highlights of the performances and artist meet-and-greets at the NAMM Show.

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, songwriter and recent American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi, Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick and Def Leppard lead guitarist Phil Collen were among those who took part in opening ceremonies for the 109th annual NAMM Show on Wednesday, Jan. 12.

Collen, a longtime resident of South Orange County, is one of many well-known musicians particpating in the “Guitar World Lick of the Day,” which provides instruction via those same Apple products (seemingly everyone at NAMM uses them). He showed off the product — and his own impressive skills — with a solo performance of “Pour Some Sugar on Me.”

Perhaps the most surprising performance of the day almost didn’t happen.

Several people asked Huckabee if he would play some bass, in addition to his speech on behalf of NAMM’s efforts to put a musical instrument into the hands of every child in America (a program called I Wanna Play!). After getting some technical details worked out and finding a bass guitar the governor could use (he was first handed a five-string bass but joked that he’s “old school” and required a four-string axe), Huckabee joined forces with Dick Boak (from Martin Guitar) and Collen for an extended blues jam.

The first official day of the annual NAMM Show (Thursday, Jan. 13) delivered a little something for everyone, no matter what your musical taste. Far-flung performances focused on jazz, modern rock, folk and classic California rock (courtesy of Jackson Browne), while surf music and Americana were also on the menu over the course of the 12 hours I spent at the Anaheim Convention Center on Thursday.

For jazz fans, there was an early-morning performance from legendary guitarist Lee Ritenour. For lovers of instrumental guitar, his performance of the beautiful “Waters Edge” (from his Smoke ‘n’ Mirrors album) offered a great chance to showcase his playing as well as a line of new acoustic guitars being unveiled by Yamaha music.

But it proved to be only the first of many fine performances I caught from a number of acclaimed players here. Finger-style guitarist Don Alder, for instance, showcased his talents on cuts like “DRDR” and “The Wall,” his fiery strumming and tapping drawing a number of onlookers to a press conference about a new campaign focusing on more than 50 new guitars and basses being unveiled at this, the world’s largest music trade show.

In another hour of original songs, Huntington Beach singer-songwriter James Grey pleased with well-written tunes that came to vivid life with his intimate delivery. Along with the Beatles-esque “Wonderful Day” to the inventive “Monsters,” other standouts in his set included “Safety Net” and “Sea Breeze.”

Doyle Dykes, on the other hand, is a master who can flat-out play the guitar. Considered by many to be one of the world’s finest bluegrass-country-Americana virtuosos alive, his hour-long appearance on the Taylor Guitars stage did much to enhance that reputation.

Opening with a beautiful arrangement of “How Great Thou Art,” his wide-ranging set went on to include other material centered on his country and spiritual roots, as well as fun choices (the theme from the old Batman series from the ’60s) and a medley of tunes in the key of A (the “Alpha” key), with David Pack of Ambrosia fame joining in for the Doors‘ “Break on Through,” the Champs’ “Tequila” and Ray Charles‘ “Hit the Road, Jack.” Other highlights included a reworked version of Eric Clapton‘s “Lay Down Sally,” which allowed both Pack and Dykes to trade licks, and a beautiful set-ending “Amazing Grace,” with Dykes’ guitar gracefully dancing around his daughter Haley’s expressive soprano.

Although Alex Skolnick is known for his chops as a member of Testament, his Alex Skolnick Trio performed a breathtaking 60-minute set of instrumental jazz on Thursday. Skolnick is an amazing guitarist, shredding across the fretboard regardless which style he tackles. A large crowd packed the Marriott Center Stage and cheered this show as loudly as any I heard throughout the day.

One of the weakest performances I caught, however, was by a surf band dubbed Duo-Tones+2. Although the group covered a bunch of classics from the likes of Dick Dale, the Ventures and other ’60s mainstays, its set was too loose and lost luster as it went along.

On the other hand, what’s not to love about the legendary Otis Taylor? Having first encountered him during a jaw-dropping performance at the Doheny Blues Fest in 2010, Taylor here proved that lightning can indeed strike twice thanks to an incredible hour-long set at the Anaheim Marriott on Thursday night.

Backed by one of the hardest-hitting blues bands in the business — with his oldest daughter Cassie Taylor on bass and backing vocals, along with fiddle player Anne Harris, lead guitarist Jon Paul Johnson and drummer Larry Thompson — Taylor was striking on banjo, acoustic guitar and (finally) a Fender Telecaster as his set grew in intensity by the minute. By the time he got to “Rain So Hard” near the end of an 11-song turn, many in the crowd were swaying, totally caught up in Boulder resident’s hypnotic, haunting music.

If, in some mythical universe, the Doors and Led Zeppelin could have formed a band with Robert Johnson and B.B. King, the results might have sounded a bit like what Otis Taylor does now.

It’s no surprise that technology continues to be such a big part of NAMM. In the past two decades I’ve seen seemingly never-ending advances in how instruments are made and the development of entirely new tools help both legends and newcomers sound better and simply do more stuff.

Such proved to be the case once more when my journey through the world’s largest music trade show began Friday, Jan. 14. A year after the launch of the Beamz Player, I was curious to see how the interactive music system was coming along. A musical instrument with legs, it has the potential for broad appeal — it’s fun and anybody can play it.

Guitar hero Craig Chaquico introduced the device during a showcase at last year’s NAMM, entertaining a small crowd as he ran his hands through the device’s beam of light, enhancing pre-recorded tracks. This year, however, he was able to artfully play his Carvin guitar while also utilizing the Beamz Player, clearly expanding his approach on some of his best-known contemporary jazz and new-age material.

Chaquico is one of those rare members of a classic rock band who has been able to redefine himself over the years. He got his start, while still in his teens back in 1974, by accepting an invitation to join Jefferson Starship. Having played guitar with the band for more than a decade (and written some of its best songs, including “Find Your Way Back”), he embarked on a career in modern jazz.

At NAMM 2011, he performed several of his instrumental pieces, spotlighting his fluid six-string style while simultaneously using his fingers and hands to provide Native American flute on “Indian Spring” and other supportive sounds on “Cafe Carnivale” and “Gathering of the Tribes.” Visit Chaquico’s site for more information on his relationship with Beamz.

Not everything at NAMM is about sprinting into the future. A long performance by Kim Wilson (of Fabulous Thunderbirds fame) was an old-school excuse for fans of the blues to hear him demonstrate the wide variety of sounds from Hohner harmonicas. Wilson is undoubtedly one of the genre’s best (and best-known) harp masters, something he proved repeatedly during an extended set, with lone accompaniment from bassist Larry Taylor. His sales pitch was brief, too: “Hohner is the harmonica of choice — that’s all I got to tell you.”

Like Chaquico, Laurence Juber has been able to successfully define himself as someone far larger than his classic rock roots. Decades after his start as the last lead guitarist for Wings in the late ’70s, he is now recognized as one of the world’s best fingerstyle guitarists. Performing a dozen or so pieces on his Martin guitar at the Mogami Cables Company booth Friday afternoon, his sales pitch was also pithy: “Life is too short for using bad cables.”

Highlights of his set included beautiful arrangements of the Beatles‘ “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and “Blackbird” as well as a gorgeous rendering of Jimi Hendrix‘s “Little Wing.”

Not every player is a virtuoso, however — so it was nice to see several young songwriters featured on the small stage at the Martin Guitars booth. Jason Charles Miller (lead singer of the hard-rocking band Godhead) showcased his acoustic Americana solo project in a strong 30-minute set. Aided by guitarist Brett Boyett and fiddler Aubrey Richmond, Miller showed he can sing powerfully and with plenty of feeling outside of a big rock sound. His highlights included “Long Long Gone” and the Southern rock of “Raise a Little Hell with an Angel.”

Another young promising singer-songwriter followed Miller’s set on the same stage, as Mia Sable (accompanied by guitarist Ainjel Emme) served up almost a dozen originals. Confessional material such as “Somebody Tell Me” and “When It’s All Been Done” showcased both her pleasing soprano and ability to craft winning songs.

Taylor Guitars has a burgeoning history of presenting full-scale performances on its first-class stage, positioned inside a large space on the second floor of the Anaheim Convention Center, and capping its Friday lineup was an hour-long concert by Night Ranger, back in O.C. only four months after appearing at Jack’s 5th Show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine. The good news for fans who landed a spot inside the packed space was that singer-bassist Jack Blades and the rest of the outfit were out to have a good time and rock out.

There is something about performing at NAMM — perhaps having so many notables on hand watching — that brings out the best of every artist. I saw several members of Night Ranger enjoying Otis Taylor’s incredible set on Thursday, for instance, with Blades coming up to talk with Taylor after his set.

Night Ranger has improved as a band over the years, and this NAMM showcase marked one of the most rocking sets I’ve witnessed at the trade show. Big hits were delivered with unbridled power, especially “(You Can Still) Rock in America” and “Don’t Tell Me You Love Me,” complete with dueling lead solos from guitarists Brad Gillis and Joel Hoekstra. Young and old sang along as the band performed “Sister Christian,” and metal fans went nuts when the quintet closed with a thunderous version of AC/DC‘s “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap.”

Having spent the bulk of this NAMM Show on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday immersed in seeing noted artists — Jackson Browne, Plain White T’s, Night Ranger, Lee Ritenour, Dave Koz, etc. — I decided to use what few available hours I could spend at the show on Saturday to check out some unsung heroes, young artists just waiting for a much-deserved big break. Catching that kind of talent requires only a simple walk through the massive convention with your ears tuned.

I was lucky enough to find myself at the Gator Cases booth just after instrumental guitarist Trace Bundy started. Aptly dubbed the Acoustic Ninja by fans, the fingerstyle guitarist (above) — worthy of comparison to genre heroes like Doug Smith, Don Alder and Laurence Juber — delivered a masterful performance of Pachelbel’s Canon, working the neck of his guitar with both hands at first, hammering the strings while adding harmonics to his version of the celebrated baroque piece. Eventually he used the full guitar, expressing the beauty of the work with a complete range of his instrument.

Bundy is unsigned, yet he has sold 60,000 or so physical CDs via his own label Honest Ninja Music. More impressive: views of his performances on YouTube (like his on-the-spot looped handling of “Sweet Child o’ Mine” below) have racked up in excess of 12 million views. No wonder he has recently shared the stage with the likes of Chris Hillman (the Byrds, the Flying Burrito Brothers), Neko Case and David Wilcox. Bundy returns to Southern California next month to play Feb. 19 at Genghis Cohen in Los Angeles.


Many of NAMM’s most intimate showcases were found on the two large stages in the lobby of the Marriott, adjacent to the Anaheim Convention Center. But a small performance area inside the nearby Starbucks hosted morning and early-afternoon acoustic performances as well, including one featuring singer-songwriter-guitar virtuoso Billy White Acre, who turned in a dazzling set of both instrumental pieces (“Drive” was especially good) and intelligent songs.

Performing on his new A-Series Yamaha guitar and a GL 1 Guitarlele (a nylon six-string guitar shaped like a baritone ukulele, one of many acoustic instruments that debuted at NAMM this year), Acre’s material benefited not only from strong fretwork but a vocal delivery dynamic enough to convey quiet beginnings and dramatic finishes (as on “Just a Dream” and “The Apple”).

One of my favorites that really showed off his chops was the Celtic-styled “Sir Gavin Gets Down”; like fellow Canada native Bruce Cockburn, Acre is a master guitarist whose talents on the instrument enhance his songs, making them even better. His new EP, The Apple, is $4.95 on iTunes.

Tower of Power impresses at The Coach House

Baritone sax master Stephen “Doc” Kupka, lead tenor sax player Tom E. Politzer and second tenor sax player Emilio Castillo had a blast at the Coach House on Thursday night. Photo credit: Robert Steshetz 

 Few legendary artists deliver the kind of sonic fireworks four decades into their career that they did in their first. But don’t tell that to the 10 members of Tower of Power, who performed an energetic show that likely inspired as much as it fully entertained a capacity crowd of mostly baby boomers at the Coach House in San Juan Capistrano on Thursday night (Jan. 6, 2011). 

The Oakland-based funk-soul outfit is in a musical world of its own, with its five-man horn section planted firmly center stage next to lead singer Larry Braggs while the solid rhythm section, guitarist Jerry Cortez and keyboardist Roger Smith occupy the rear. But what mattered most was the wonderful material and how the urban soul champions performed it over the course of 90 wonderful minutes. From the opening notes of the grooving “Soul Vaccination” that kicked things off to the night-ending “You’re Still a Young Man,” the troupe performed as if they were a young band just trying to get a break. Indeed, hits such as “What Is Hip?” shined as brightly as material off Tower of Power’s latest CD, 2009’s Great American Soulbook. 

While R&B takes on “Me & Mrs. Jones” and “So Very Hard to Go” allowed Braggs’ incredible tenor to take the spotlight, it was frequently the band’s celebrated horn section (singer-second tenor sax player Emilio Castillo, baritone sax master Stephen “Doc” Kupka, lead tenor sax player Tom E. Politzer, trumpet and flugelhorn virtuoso Adolfo Acosta, trumpet and trombone player Mic Gillette) that dazzled. The aptly-titled “Ain’t Nothin’ Stoppin’ Us Now” and “You Got to Funkifize” were among the many songs that allowed the horn section to blast away without ever wandering out of the pocket. With Tower of Power continuing to be one of the hardest working bands in show business and playing hundreds of shows every year, it’s easy to take the Bay Area boys for granted. Best to follow in the delinquent steps of this critic, and catch them now. The band is a frequent visitor to the Coach House, but will perform its next area show as part of a double bill with WAR at San Manuel Indian Casino in Highland on Feb. 17. 

Opening the show was Orange County-based blues singer-songwriter Connie Rae, who despite the sole accompaniment of keyboardist-singer Roland Jenster, delivered a solid 45-minute crowd pleasing set. She scored big points with the audience for a strong reworking of the Bill Withers classic “Ain’t No Sunshine,” but reached equally-emotive heights with her own “Sister Garden” and “Message of Hope.”

THE GRASCALS & FRIENDS COMING TO CRACKER BARREL

Exclusive CD will feature guest artists joining in for some bluegrass fun

LEBANON, Tenn. - Cracker Barrel Old Country Store is pleased to let you know that the next CD in its exclusive music program will feature some of the biggest names in country music joining up with one of the most beloved bands on today's bluegrass scene, The Grascals. The album, The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin, has 13 country music songs on it that you have probably heard before, but most likely not like this. The Grascals bring their own bluegrass style to the tunes and bring the different tracks to life with eight of their friends, including Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Charlie Daniels and Dolly Parton. The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin will be available on January 10, 2011, exclusively at all Cracker Barrel locations.

The bonus track, "I Am Strong," was written by Grascals band member Jamie Johnson and his wife Susanne Mumpower-Johnson along with Jenee Fleenor after The Grascals visited the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital® and were inspired by the stories and power of the children being treated there. "I Am Strong" is powerful in its message and artistic vision and brings together vocals from all of the artists who also appear separately with the Grascals on other tracks on this CD. In honor of the children and this song, Cracker Barrel is donating a percentage of the proceeds from this CD to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

"The Grascals are steeped in bluegrass tradition and at the same time are in touch with their contemporary audiences, bringing authenticity as well as freshness to the music," said Chris Ciavarra, Senior Vice President of Marketing for Cracker Barrel. "We are pleased to be able to offer our guests this unique CD as the latest album in our exclusive music program."

The Grascals are frequent guests at Cracker Barrel as it provides a welcome stop along the way when they are out touring, which is most of the year. Ask any of the six band members what they like to eat when they stop in and there is no hesitation in the responses: chicken n' dumplins, the Sunrise Sampler, turnip greens or pinto beans....the answers go on and on.
The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin will be the latest in Cracker Barrel's exclusive music program, which features numerous projects. In November of 2010, Cracker Barrel released Smokey Robinson's Now & Then which features six of his current songs and live versions of six of his classics that were recorded last year. It debuted at #19 on Billboard magazine's R&B chart. September saw the release of the self-titled Rodney Atkins, which includes four #1 hits, and also released Mandy Barnett's Winter Wonderland, which offers up all the authentic sounds of the holiday traditions so many of us cherish. In July, the company released Craig Morgan's That's Why-Collector's Edition,and in May the release of Wynonna's Love Heals debuted at #7 on the Billboard Magazine Top Country Albums chart. February's release of Dailey & Vincent Sing the Statler Brothers debuted at #1 on Billboard's Top Bluegrass Albums chart, where it spent nine weeks in the top position and 18 weeks overall in one of the three top positions since its release on February 1st. Releases in 2009 included November's Songs of Love and Heartache by Alan Jackson, September's release of an exclusive new version of The Foundation by the Zac Brown Band, August's George Jones' release of A Collection Of My Best Recollection, May's release of Montgomery Gentry's For Our Heroes, which debuted at #5 on Billboard Magazine's Top Country Albums chart, and March's release of Dolly Parton's Collector's Edition of Backwoods Barbie, which debuted at #9 on that chart. Over the last few years, Cracker Barrel has released exclusive CDs with Bill Gaither, Kenny Rogers, Ricky Skaggs, Aaron Tippin, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Josh Turner, Amy Grant, Sara Evans, and Charlie Daniels.


Tracks on The Grascals & Friends - Country Classics With A Bluegrass Spin:


1. Tiger By The Tail (with Brad Paisley)
2. Folsom Prison Blues (with Dierks Bentley)
3. Pain of Lovin' You (with Dolly Parton)
4. I Am Strong (with Dolly Parton)
5. Louisiana Saturday Night
6. The Year That Clayton Delaney Died (with Tom T. Hall)
7. White Lightning (with Darryl Worley)
8. The Devil Went Down To Georgia (with Charlie Daniels)
9. Leavin' Louisiana In Broad Daylight (with The Oak Ridge Boys)
10. Mr. Bojangles (with Joe Nichols)
11. Hank Williams Jr. Medley-Born To Boogie / All My Rowdy Friends Are Comin' Over Tonight
12. Cracker Barrel Swing (Instrumental)
13. I Am Strong (Bonus Track) Featuring guest appearances by Dolly Parton, The Oak Ridge Boys, Darryl Worley, Charlie Daniels, Terri Clark, Randy Owen, Steven Seagal, Tom T. Hall, Joe Nichols and Ansley McLaurin
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About Cracker Barrel
Cracker Barrel Old Country Store provides a friendly home-away-from-home in its old country stores and restaurants. Guests are cared for like family while relaxing and enjoying real home-style food and shopping that's surprisingly unique, genuinely fun and reminiscent of America's country heritage...all at a fair price. The restaurant serves up delicious, home-style country food such as meatloaf and homemade chicken n' dumplins as well as its signature biscuits using an old family recipe. The authentic old country retail store is fun to shop and offers unique gifts and self-indulgences.


Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.(Nasdaq: CBRL) was established in 1969 in Lebanon, Tenn. and operates 597 company-owned locations in 42 states. Every Cracker Barrel unit is open seven days a week with hours Sunday through Thursday, 6 a.m. - 10 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 6 a.m. - 11 p.m. For more information, visit crackerbarrel.com.