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“Happy Birthday Beautiful,” A New Single Featuring Pentatonix And Ringo Starr On Drums, Written By Award-winning Songwriter Diane Warren Is Now Out

Eric Alper
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“Happy Birthday Beautiful,” A New Single Featuring Pentatonix And Ringo Starr On Drums, Written By Award-winning Songwriter Diane Warren Is Now Out

Today, a new birthday song has been released – “Happy Birthday Beautiful,” written by Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 14-time Oscar nominee and Honorary Oscar recipient Diane Warren and performed by three-time Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum selling group Pentatonix and multi-Grammy/ Emmy and Oscar Award-winning Ringo Starr. You can download and share the song by clicking HERE.

“Happy Birthday Beautiful,” will also debut on AmericanGreetings.com on Saturday, September 9, 2023 via a collection of birthday ecards including the song specially designed by American Greetings.

If September 9 is your birthday, you’re not alone. According to real birth data compiled from 20 years of American births, more people are born on September 9th than any day of the year.  Whenever your birthday, now you can celebrate with a new birthday song written by Diane Warren and performed by Pentatonix with the legendary Ringo Starr on drums.

The eloquent lyrics of “Happy Birthday Beautiful” call out the birthday person as a “natural wonder” that “broke the mold” and promises to “raise a glass” and “shout it loud” in celebration of them on their big day. The timing of the song and ecard release could not be more appropriate as mid-September is the most birthday-packed time of the year. Even Warren herself celebrates her birthday on September 7th.

“I wanted to write a song that breathed new life into the classic birthday songs we know and love,” said Warren. “Collaborating with such talented artists as Ringo Starr and Pentatonix, as well as the designers at American Greetings, allowed us to blend musical and design elements together to add new excitement to birthday celebrations.”

“I was happy to play drums on this song when my friend Diane asked, and I think it’s great it is coming out around the time of her birthday –  Happy Birthday beautiful! Peace and love, Ringo.”

To match the upbeat and celebratory theme, the “Happy Birthday Beautiful” ecard collection features vibrant colors and contemporary birthday imagery along with messages that acknowledge the song’s lyrics. It is available now on www.americangreetings.com, www.bluemountain.com and the American Greetings and Blue Mountain ecard apps. American Greetings ecards can be shared via email, text or on social media. Digital subscribers have the ability to send an unlimited number of digital greetings from the many brands over the course of their membership period.

My Next Read: “A Hit With A Bullet: A True Story of Corruption, Greed & The Real Murder On Music Row| By Sammy Sadler

Eric Alper
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My Next Read: “A Hit With A Bullet: A True Story of Corruption, Greed & The Real Murder On Music Row| By Sammy Sadler

In 1989, country newcomer Sammy Sadler had already charted several critically-acclaimed singles and was ready to release his first album when he was shot during the assassination of then Cash Box chart-manager, Kevin Hughes, an incident known around the world as the “Murder on Music Row.” The police had no suspects, and even though Sammy suffered a nearly fatal bullet wound, the officers kept him under suspicion during the 13-year investigation.

Eventually, the investigation would reveal an elaborate web of corruption, chart-rigging and payola, a clear motive and suspect for the murder. An ending that rocked the music industry for many years to come.

In this first-hand account, Sadler recounts his personal and sensational journey from wide-eyed, promising, Top-40 newcomer to “person of interest” and survivor of one of the most infamous killings in the music business. From his struggle to recover from his nearly-fatal injuries to the turmoil endured during the 13-year career-throttling investigation, this autobiographical account is a demonstration of his faith and his resilient passion for music that would allow him to move forward and continue to pursue his dreams.

Can You Dig It? A Hip-Hop Origin Story Narrated By Chuck D Is Now Out

Eric Alper
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Can You Dig It? A Hip-Hop Origin Story Narrated By Chuck D Is Now Out

Can You Dig It? A Hip-Hop Origin Story narrated by hip-hop legend and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chuck D is out today.  Commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop, this Audible Original series documents an extraordinary journey and rarely told story that set the table for hip-hop to be born in the Bronx during the early 1970s.  Learn more about Can You Dig It?  in these recent pieces and interviews on MSNBC’s Morning Joe, Billboard, NY Daily News, SPIN, and Remezcla.

Listen to the series in full here: audible.com/canyoudigit

Can You Dig It? – a 5-episode docu-drama – explores the events surrounding the 1971 murder of Cornell “Black Benjie” Benjamin, a respected peacekeeper and member of the influential Ghetto Brothers gang in the Bronx. The series details the impact of his death and how it led to the historic Hoe Avenue peace meeting, where hundreds of gang members gathered to choose peace over violence. This pivotal meeting laid the foundation for the birth of hip-hop, ultimately leading to Kool Herc’s legendary Back to School party in 1973.

Narrated by Chuck D, Can You Dig It? features interviews with influential figures who were at the forefront of this cultural movement. Their firsthand accounts, including former Black Panther and peacekeeper Joseph Mpa, original hip-hop MC Coke La Rock, and renowned photographers/documentarians Joe Conzo and Henry Chalfant, provide an immersive journey into the political and social landscape of the time.

Also included is insight from the family of Black Benjie, who go on record, for the first time ever: “If Kool Herc is considered the father of hip-hop, then my uncle was the general; my uncle was the martyr,” says Angelique Lenox, niece of Black Benjie. “He didn’t die in vain, something good came from his death; his life mattered. This is truly my best version of a love letter to my father and my family and I will not stop until his name is a part of the hip-hop story.”

The mission of Can You Dig It? is to highlight a community’s resilience, the power of peace over violence and to uplift unsung heroes that changed the course of history.  It examines a period of transformation and instability in America and New York City between the late 60s and early 70s, and the circumstances and policies that led to significant urban decay and gang activity in the Bronx, including racist housing and zoning laws and the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway.

Chuck D elaborates on the thesis of Can You Dig It? on the show by saying: “No death, no peace; no peace, no Kool Herc party; no party, no hip-hop.  Black Benjie is an unsung hero…the direct correlation between the peace treaty and the birth of hip-hop is clear. There’d be no Public Enemy without this story.”  The 1971 Hoe Avenue peace meeting made the Bronx safer and fostered an artistic cross-pollination of ideas as gang territory lines faded.  Just two years later, the famous Kool Herc Back-to-School party at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx took place.

The series features a blend of dramatic scripted scenes and observational commentary with cultural luminaries like street photographers Joe Conzo and Henry Chalfant, former Black Panther Joseph Mpa and hip hop’s first MC, Coke La Rock.  It also includes interviews with family members and experts, archival recordings and a cinematic score.  The scripted cast is as diverse as the borough they call home: nearly 100% Black and LatinX led, featuring young talent from the Bronx and surrounding areas, and local community arts programs.

For more information, please visit www.audible.com/canyoudigit.

Andy Taylor Announces First Solo Release In Over 30 Years

Eric Alper
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Andy Taylor Announces First Solo Release In Over 30 Years

Andy Taylor – songwriter, guitarist, singer, and Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee whose credits include his work with Duran Duran, The Power Station, Robert Palmer, Rod Stewart, The Almighty, Thunder and The Ting Tings returns with a new album ‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ (September 8th) via BMG, his first solo release in over 30 years.

Andy Taylor has the kind of history that real rock stars have, the kind that encompasses huge hit records, mind-boggling excess, and triumph over the odds. After his first time as a member of Duran Duran, Andy went on to produce Rod Stewart and help make Thunder stars in their own right by producing their first album. The Power Station, with Andy, Robert Palmer and Tony Thompson, made good on Duran Duran’s promise to combine CHIC and the Sex Pistols, as did working with Steve Jones on Andy’s debut solo album Thunder in 1987.

‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ was delayed by the pandemic, which gave Andy time to re-tool the album. It was during this process that he was given the news that the prostate cancer he had been battling was now terminal. This diagnosis meant that he could not attend his induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of Duran Duran.

“When I started writing this album, it was the beginning of the chaos – 2016, 2017”, Andy says. ‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ is pretty apt now. Having lived there, had kids there, had an amazing career there, I know America very well. And when you watch the breakdown, and the extremes of it, how quickly people became vicious enemies

“Well, ‘Man’s A Wolf To Man’ is about how man is his own worst enemy and will behave like a pack of wolves towards his other human enemy. What we saw bubbling when I started writing, it was all about getting even – why do you get so mad trying to get even? Why do people get angry? Why don’t they just do better themselves? I was getting back to making records that are human, about something that mattered or matters, that are in the moment.”

The album is anything but po-faced though, Influential Blondes rides off on a stirring, high-glam chorus; “Try To Get Even”, a duet with Tina Arena, is a gorgeous, country-rock ballad, “Reachin’ Out To You” is the kind of funky rock that fans of The Power Station will love, “Gettin’ It Home” is stirring hard rock, “This Will Be Ours” and “Gotta Give” see Andy slide from skiffle-style grooves into a raunchy, Stones-y stomp.

2023 finds Andy Taylor on top of the world, with a solo album that he is justifiably proud of and is currently undergoing targeted therapy which is life changing & lifesaving. He currently appears on three songs on Tina Arena’s new Australian chart-topping album Love Saves and just last week his former band members in Duran Duran announced they will play a special benefit concert in California on August 19th to raise money for Andy’s cutting-edge cancer treatment.

The future looks bright, for as long as it can last, whatever length of time that might be.

MAN’S A WOLF TO MAN TRACKLISTING

Man’s A Wolf To Man

Influential Blondes

Did It For You

Try To Get Even (Featuring Tina Arena)

Reachin’ Out To You

Getting It Home

The Last Straw

This Will Be Ours

Gotta Give (Featuring Gary Stringer)

Big Trigger

Man’s A Wolf To Man (reprise)

Van Halen’s ‘The Collection II’ 5-LP And 5-CD Versions Arriving On October 6

Eric Alper
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Van Halen’s ‘The Collection II’ 5-LP And 5-CD Versions Arriving On October 6

Van Halen will release a new boxed set this fall spotlighting the iconic band’s second incarnation, with singer Sammy Hagar, guitarist Eddie Van Halen, drummer Alex Van Halen, and bassist Michael Anthony. The upcoming set includes newly remastered versions of four multi-platinum studio albums, along with a selection of rarities recorded between 1989 and 2004.

THE COLLECTION II will be available on October 6 on 5 LPs for $124.98 and 5 CDs for $49.98. Pre-order both versions HERE. All the music in the set was mastered directly from the original master tapes, a process overseen by the band’s longtime engineer, Donn Landee.

The new set is the long-awaited sequel to The Collection, a compilation released in 2015 that focused on the six studio albums recorded by the band’s original line-up, which featured singer David Lee Roth. THE COLLECTION II picks up where its predecessor left off and covers the four consecutive #1 albums released during the Hagar era: 5150(1986), OU812 (1988), For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge (1991), and Balance (1995).

The journey begins with 5150, Van Halen’s seventh studio album and the band’s first to claim the top spot on the Billboard 200. Certified platinum six times in the U.S., the record treated fans to hits like “Dreams,” “Love Walks In,” and “Why Can’t This Be Love,” which peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The group returned two years later with OU812, a quadruple-platinum smash that delivered four Billboard Hot 100 hits, including “Finish What Ya Started” and “When It’s Love.”

The accolades continued with For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge, which earned Van Halen its first Grammy® Award for Favorite Heavy Metal/Hard Rock Album. Debuting at #1 and staying there for three weeks, the album achieved triple-platinum certification. The record produced an incredible seven singles, including hits like “Poundcake,” “Top Of The World,” and “Right Now.”

In 1993, the band released its first live album, Live: Right Here, Right Now, before returning in 1995 with Balance, its final studio album with Hagar. The album was another commercial triumph, debuting at #1, selling more than three million copies, and earning a Grammy® nomination for “The Seventh Seal.”

THE COLLECTION II concludes with Studio Rarities 1989-2004, an exclusive compilation that assembles eight gems from the Hagar era for the first time. Among these rarities is “Crossing Over,” the B-Side to Balance’s “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You,” and the band’s only non-album B-side.

The compilation boats other exceptional highlights, including the band’s cover of Little Feat’s “A Apolitical Blues” and the instrumental “Baluchitherium,” which were originally left off the vinyl versions of OU812 and Balance, respectively. Additionally, the set features two songs the band contributed to the Twister Soundtrack – “Humans Being” and the Grammy®- nominated “Respect The Wind.”

Rounding out the se are “It’s About Time,” “Up For Breakfast,” and “Learning To See,” which were recorded during the band’s temporary reunion with Hagar in 2004. All three debuted that year on Van Halen’s second greatest hits collection, The Best of Both Worlds.

THE COLLECTION II
5-LP Track Listing
LP One: 5150
Side One
1. “Good Enough”
2. “Why Can’t This Be Love”
3. “Get Up”
4. “Dreams”
5. “Summer Nights”

Side Two
1. “Best Of Both Worlds”
2. “Love Walks In”
3. “5150”
4. “Inside”

LP Two: OU812
Side One
1. “Mine All Mine”
2. “When It’s Love”
3. “A.F.U. (Naturally Wired)”
4. “Cabo Wabo”

Side Two
1. “Source Of Infection”
2. “Feels So Good”
3. “Finish What Ya Started”
4. “Black And Blue”
5. “Sucker In A 3 Piece”

LP Three: For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge
Side One
1. “Poundcake”
2. “Judgement Day”
3. “Spanked”
4. “Runaround”
5. “Pleasure Dome”

Side Two
1. “In ‘N’ Out”
2. “Man On A Mission”
3. “The Dream Is Over”
4. “Right Now”
5. “316”
6. “Top Of The World”

LP Four: Balance
Side One
1. “The Seventh Seal”
2. “Can’t Stop Lovin’ You”
3. “Don’t Tell Me (What Love Can Do)”
4. “Amsterdam”
5. “Big Fat Money”
6. “Doin’ Time”

Side Two
1. “Aftershock”
2. “Strung Out”
3. “Not Enough”
4. “Take Me Back (Déjà Vu)”
5. “Feelin’”

LP Five: Studio Rarities 1989-2004
Side One
1. “A Apolitical Blues”
2. “Crossing Over”
3. “Baluchitherium”

Side Two
1. “Humans Being”
2. “Respect The Wind”
3. “It’s About Time”
4. “Up For Breakfast”
5. “Learning To See”

Rick Astley’s New Album ‘Are We There Yet?’ Out October 6

Eric Alper
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Rick Astley’s New Album ‘Are We There Yet?’ Out October 6

Rick Astley’s soulful and soaring ninth studio album Are We There Yet? will be released October 6 on BMG. Inspired partly by his love for icons of the 1960s including Bill Withers, Al Green and Marvin Gaye, and his time spent traveling through America’s heartland, Are We There Yet? finds the pop music icon continuing a remarkable career resurgence that began with 2016’s UK chart-topping 50, released after a ten year break from performing and recording.

Rick has also shared a new single, “Never Gonna Stop,” a towering R&B ballad that explores his belief that a personal human connection is the one thing that can counteract the madness that permeates the world.

While Rick started working on Are We There Yet? during lockdown in 2020, sparks of inspiration came from a 2022 summer stadium tour across North America with New Kids On The Block, Salt ‘N’ Pepa and En Vogue. Crossing the country by bus, Rick would often gaze at the seemingly infinite roads ahead of him and think, “Are We There Yet?.” He muses, “Now, that phrase has multiple meanings. Are we there yet in my musical ambitions? Am I done with my career? Have we arrived? Or are we still traveling?”

Rick’s time spent in America’s heartland and his lifelong love of American soul music is particularly prominent on “Dippin My Feet,” which puts an invigorating Stax Records twist on Rick’s signature style. He adds, “It’s not Americana, but the tag-line at the start of the chorus is: ‘Dipping my feet in the Mississippi River…’ It’s definitely not country, but I’ve never twanged a guitar as much as I have in the past couple of months. And there’s a bit more emotion with those guitar parts. I just think spending five months in America has re-tuned my ear a little bit.”

As with 2016’s 50 and 2018’s Beautiful Life, the album was entirely written, recorded and produced by Rick at his home studio in South-west London. He performed almost everything himself, except for the brass, keyboards and some backing vocals. Are We There Yet? shows that Rick is still pushing to reach even greater musical heights, in the process guaranteeing entertainment and joy on record, on stream, on radio and on stage.

Are We There Yet? opens a new road for Rick Astley some 36 years since he first shot to fame. The endearingly boyish 57-year-old is still winning over new fans, whether he’s performing with Foo Fighters, Take That or Blossoms; becoming an unlikely social media sensation; or embracing the unending love that greets his era-defining smash “Never Gonna Give You Up,” which was boosted by its use in key scene in the second season of Ted Lasso.

Rick has also had a remarkable summer. His Glastonbury Festival performances in June made him the talk of the UK. Two sets in one day included a triumphant performance of ‘80s classics and classy covers, and then a show with UK band Blossoms to perform a life-affirming set of classic songs by The Smiths. Said Clash Magazine: “Arise Rick Astley, the newly crowned King of Glastonbury Festival. Pop’s all-round gentleman proved to be one of the major highlights of Worthy Farm.”

Rick will also perform a number of all UK shows including two sold out night’s at London’s Royal Albert Hall plus a 20,000 capacity homecoming show in Manchester next March at AO Arena. See below for full itinerary.

Are We There Yet? is available to pre-order or pre-save HERE. A range of album bundles offer a variety of options including limited edition physical formats in the shape of picture discs and clear vinyl, a deluxe CD and a pink cassette. The range is completed by a regular CD, signed postcards and a new t-shirt design. He has just launched a striking new version of the album via bespoke vinyl specialsts Blood Records. Pressed on turquoise and red splatter effect LP, this limited edition release features an exclusive sleeve design and is hand-numbered to order.

2023
Sunday 29 October Sheffield, Leadmill (JUST ADDED)
Monday 30 October Kingston, Przym (JUST ADDED)
Wednesday 01 November London, Royal Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)
Thursday 02 November London, Royal Albert Hall (SOLD OUT)

2024
Thursday 22 February Nottingham, Motorpoint Arena
Friday 23 February Newcastle, Utilita Arena
Saturday 24 February Leeds, First Direct Arena
Monday 26 February Cardiff, International Arena (SOLD OUT)
Tuesday 27 February Glasgow, OVO Hydro
Thursday 29 February Bournemouth, International Centre (SOLD OUT)
Friday 01 March Birmingham, Resorts World Arena
Saturday 02 March Manchester, AO Arena
Monday 04 March Belfast, The SSE Arena
Tuesday 05 March Dublin, 3Arena

The tour features an array of special guests: Belinda Carlisle and The Lottery Winners (both at all shows except for London, Belfast and Dublin); The Feeling (London only) and Scouting For Girls (Belfast and Dublin only).

Dave Matthews Band Announces 2023 Fall U.S. Headline Tour

Eric Alper
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Dave Matthews Band Announces 2023 Fall U.S. Headline Tour

Today, Dave Matthews Band announced plans to tour the U.S. this fall. The headline run, which will kick off on November 7 at Enmarket Arena in Savannah, GA, will also include a show at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, SC plus two-night stands at John Paul Jones Arena in the band’s hometown of Charlottesville, VA, Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT and New York City’s Madison Square Garden.

A portion of proceeds from the John Paul Jones Arena shows will benefit the band’s ongoing commitment to the resident-led redevelopment of Charlottesville’s public housing. This contribution is in addition to the five million dollars that Bama Works, Dave Matthews Band and Red Light Management have already committed to the project.

Tickets will go on sale to the general public on Friday, September 15, at 10:00 AM local time. For the complete itinerary, see here.

Dave Matthews Band’s ongoing partnership with The Nature Conservancy has resulted in three million trees being planted since 2020. This year’s partnership, which will continue with the fall tour, will bring the total to four million trees. Fans can join in this mission by adding an optional donation of $2 per ticket to plant a tree with The Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees campaign – a major forest restoration effort with the goal of planting a billion trees around the world by 2025. For additional details, visit www.dmbtrees.org.

Their summer tour draws to a close with the band’s traditional three-day, Labor Day weekend celebration at Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA (September 1-3). Named as a UN Environment Goodwill Ambassador in 2019, Dave Matthews Band has a long history of reducing their environmental footprint, going back to their first shows in 1991. Having sold more than 25 million tickets since inception, making them the second largest ticket-seller in history, “DMB is synonymous with summer” for many fans, The New York Times declared in this feature.

Following their fall U.S. dates, Dave Matthews Band will head to South Africa to play shows in Pretoria and Cape Town. Matthews and guitarist Tim Reynolds will travel to Mexico’s Riviera Maya in 2024 for the seventh in their series of all-inclusive concert vacations. Set for February 15-18, the outing is nearly sold out.

Dave Matthews Band has sold a collective 38 million CDs and DVDs combined. Matthews recently spoke with The Wall Street Journal about Walk Around The Moon, the band’s new album, and their passion for touring.

DAVE MATTHEWS BAND – 2023 FALL U.S. TOUR DATES
11/7 – Savannah, GA – Enmarket Arena
11/8 – Greenville, SC – Bon Secours Wellness Arena
11/10 – Charlottesville, VA – John Paul Jones Arena
11/11 – Charlottesville, VA– John Paul Jones Arena
11/13 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
11/14 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
11/17 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden
11/18 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

Next Jazz Legacy Opens Applications For Third Year of Mentoring Emerging Women & Non-Binary Jazz Musicians

Eric Alper
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Next Jazz Legacy Opens Applications For Third Year of Mentoring Emerging Women & Non-Binary Jazz Musicians

Following a transformative first two years providing invaluable guidance and mentorship to emerging women and non-binary musicians, Next Jazz Legacy is thrilled to announce that they will be accepting applications for their 2024 cycle beginning on August 31st. Applications will be due by October 16, 2023, and will be submitted at New Music USA’s website here.

Focused on increasing opportunities for musicians most underrepresented in the art form, the three-year, national program launched by New Music USA and the Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice – is a partnership between the two organizations, with funding from the Mellon Foundation, and Joe & Nancy Walker. GRAMMY-winning artist and NEA Jazz Master Terri Lyne Carrington is the program’s Artistic Director.

NJL’s first two cohorts of awardees gained invaluable experiences under the tutelage of some of the jazz world’s biggest names. For its 2023 cohort, NJL set up apprenticeships with Regina Carter, Makaya McCraven, Nicholas Payton, Craig Taborn, Nasheet Waits, Brandee Younger, and Miguel Zenón and recruited Tia Fuller, Christian McBride, Nicole Mitchell, Moor Mother, Meshell Ndegeocello, Patrice Rushen, and Helen Sung to provide creative mentorship. For its 2022 cohort, NJL arranged apprenticeships under Esperanza Spalding, Lizz Wright, Marcus Miller, Mary Halvorson, Tia Fuller, Linda May Han Oh and Chris Potter, while luminaries like the late Wayne Shorter, Bobby McFerrin, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Brandon Ross, Bill Stewart, Kris Davis and Jen Shyu were also brought in by NJL for mentorships. Over the past several years, NJL has also set up various seminars, from a social media crash course from Samara Joy — who was awarded the 2023 GRAMMY for Best New Artist — to a discussion on independent artistry with GRAMMY-nominated jazz vocalist Somi and the acclaimed drummer / composer Kassa Overall.

Throughout Next Jazz Legacy’s time, awardees have performed on prestigious stages at local and national jazz events throughout the country, including at Winter Jazzfest 2023, the Kennedy Center’s Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival, and as part of a special Livestream Concert produced by WBGO. The 2023 awardees are also slated to perform at the DC Jazz Festival and Angel City Jazz Fest.

2023 NJL Awardee Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield recently performed with her NJL mentor Brandee Younger for NPR Music’s Tiny Desk. Watch that performance here.

The 2023 cohort of seven musicians spans a wide spectrum of genres, instruments, and trajectories, with personal experiences of confronting the challenges of sexism, socio-economic status, and opportunity. The cohort consists of Camila Cortina Bello (piano), Milena Casado (trumpet/flugelhorn), Liany Mateo (bass), Anaïs Maviel (voice), Tatiana LadyMay Mayfield (voice), Neta Raanan (saxophone), and Anisha Rush (saxophone).

Next Jazz Legacy launched in 2022 with seven awardees from Boston, New York, Chicago, and Cincinnati representing a wide range of instrumentation and approach to performance and composition. The 2022 awardees include Anastassiya Petrova (piano/organ), Ivanna Cuesta (drums), Lexi Hamner (voice/trombone), Keyanna Hutchinson (guitar), Alexis Lombre (piano), Loke Risberg (guitar) and Kalia Vandever (trombone).

Each Next Jazz Legacy artist benefits from a comprehensive package designed to have a deep and lasting career impact. This includes a $10,000 grant, a one-year performance apprenticeship, a two-way mentorship program pairing them with artistic and business professionals, peer-learning cohorts led by Carrington, an online learning course from Berklee, and a variety of promotional opportunities to live showcases with national presenters and more. The NJL program is managed by New York City-based emerging guitarist, composer and educator Lolivone de la Rosa. Any questions about the program should be addressed to de la Rosa at nextjazzlegacy@newmusicusa.org.

Applicants must be based in the US or a US territory, a woman or non-binary improviser in jazz, an emerging artist with substantial professional experience, 21-35 years old, and available for full participation in the program between January 2024 and December 2024.

More information on Next Jazz Legacy can be found here

New Music USA nurtures the creation, performance, and appreciation of new music in all its forms to build a vibrant and inclusive future for creators and listeners across the US. We empower and connect US-based music makers, organizations, and audiences by providing funding through our grants; offering support and fostering new connections through our programs; deepening knowledge through our online magazine, NewMusicBox; and working as an advocate for the field. New Music USA envisions a thriving and equitable ecosystem for new music throughout the United States. Newmusicusa.org.

The Berklee Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice’s mission is to recruit, teach, mentor, and advocate for young musicians desiring to study jazz in a safe, egalitarian and nurturing environment, with gender justice and racial justice as guiding principles. We share in the collective work to challenge systemic forms of oppression embedded in the art form. We believe a cultural transformation is needed and that the music itself will not reach its full potential until these issues are meaningfully addressed. Learn more at berklee.edu/jazz-gender-justice

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is the nation’s largest supporter of the arts and humanities. Since 1969, the Foundation has been guided by its core belief that the humanities and arts are essential to human understanding. The Foundation believes that the arts and humanities are where we express our complex humanity, and that everyone deserves the beauty, transcendence, and freedom that can be found there. Through our grants, we seek to build just communities enriched by meaning and empowered by critical thinking, where ideas and imagination can thrive. Learn more at mellon.org.

Say She She Calls For Gun Control Reform Through The Ecstatic and Revolutionary Sounds of Post-Disco Funk

Eric Alper
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Say She She Calls For Gun Control Reform Through The Ecstatic and Revolutionary Sounds of Post-Disco Funk

NYC discodelic soul outfit Say She She shares “Echo In The Chamber,” the latest preview of forthcoming record Silver (out September 29 / Karma Chief Records). Crying for listeners to “usher in the change,” “Echo In The Chamber” — which premiered yesterday on WXPN — is a fiery call to action in support of increased gun control legislation in the states.

Alongside the single release, the band is working to support the Background Check Expansion Act — a bipartisan proposal widely supported by organizations like Sandy Hook Promise, Moms Demand Action, The National Education Association and others which requires background checks on all gun sales — through a record store initiative: all record stores that carry Say She She’s new album Silver will also carry and give out postcards that include a call to action against the national gun violence epidemic, meant to be sent to your local representative. From their collective backgrounds in education, speechwriting, and nonprofit work, Say She She has learned that the best ways to take action are direct, loud, and proud — just like their music.

Opening with the fiery incantation that is “Reeling,” Silver turns the dial on their anger and confidence all the way up. “Kick the door down, smash the ceiling, leave ‘em reeling!” sets the mood for a musical journey imbued with political grit. While today’s release addresses gun control, “NORMA,” the group’s protest anthem written in response to the decision to overturn Roe v Wade, is an urgent call to action to support the protection of women’s rights and preserving the right to choose. It was first released on Bandcamp, just days before the Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v Wade was made last year. “We will not go back!!,” the trio cries, channeling the revolutionary and ecstatic sounds of disco to perfect, compelling harmony.

In a new review, Uncut lauds Silver for its “eloquent excursions into vintage Philly soul (“Don’t You Dare Stop”), En Vogue operatics (“Forget Me Not”) and the cinematic funk of Curtis Mayfield (“Astral Plane”, “Passing Time”). That’s not to suggest [Silver] is an entirely retro proposition, as even on the record’s most left-field moments and historical echoes there’s a clear path being charted, expanding the grammar of R&B into the heart of the modern-day mainstream.”

In what has been a breakout year, Say She She has made their national TV debut on CBS Saturday and have emerged as darlings of tastemaker radio, performing sessions and receiving significant spins from the likes of KEXP, WFUV — which selected the group as featured performers in last year’s annual Holiday Cheer event at the Beacon Theater — and WXPN, including World Cafe and a performance at their spring NonCOMMvention. Their latest single release, “Astral Plane,” marked the groups fourth appearance at #1 on KCRW’s Top 30. Watch Say She She’s new live concert performance with WFUV here.

Plus, Say She She just announced the dates for what ill be their biggest headlining tour yet, with performances at Hardly Strictly Bluegrass, LEVITATION fest, a double header at LA’s Lodge Room (9/28 + 9/29), and NYC’s Bowery Ballroom 10/17). The performances follow the group’s Hollywood Bowl debut with Portugal The Man, opening Central Park Summerstage’s 2023 season, and three sets in 24 hours at Glastonbury.

SILVER TRACK LIST
Reeling
Don’t You Dare Stop
Astral Plane
C’est Si Bon
Entry Level
Passing Time
Think About It
Questions
Forget Me Not
Never Say Never
The Water
Echo In The Chamber
Bleeding Heart
Find A Way
NORMA
Silver

DON’T YOU DARE STOP SUMMER TOUR
August 3-4 – Pickathon Festival, Portland (USA)
August 6 – Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles (USA)*+
August 16 – Musikfestwochen, Winterthurer (Switzerland)
August 18 – Festival Chez Hubert, Brittany (France)
August 20 – Green Man Festival, Wales (UK)
August 22. – Bla, Oslo (Norway)
August 23 – Vega, Copenhagen Denmark)
August 24 – Faschiong, Stockholm (Sweden)
August 26 – Shambala Festival, Northamptonshire (UK)
August 28 – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham(UK)
August 31 – Village Underground, London (UK)
September 1 – End Of The Road Festival, Dorset (UK)
September 2 – Manchester Psych Fest, Manchester (UK)
September 3 – Hare & Hounds, Birmingham (UK)
September 10 – Music At The Intersection, St. Louis (USA)
September 22 – XPonential Music Festival, Camden (USA)
* as support for St Paul & The Broken Bones
** with special guest, Abby Jeanne
*+ as support for Portugal The Man & Chicano Batman
^ as support for Shannon & The Clam

FALL HEADLINING TOUR
Thursday September 28 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room ^ / x
Friday September 29 – Los Angeles, CA – Lodge Room x / #
Sunday October 1 – San Francisco, CA – Hardly Strictly Bluegrass 2023 (festival)
Tuesday October 3 – Portland, OR 10/3/23 – The Get Down *
Wednesday October 4 – Seattle, WA – Tractor Tavern *
Friday October 6 – Salt Lake City, UT – The State Room *
Sunday October 8 – Boulder, CO – Velvet Elk Lounge *
Tuesday October 10 – Chicago, IL – Martyrs ++
Wednesday October 11 – Detroit, MI – El Club ++
Friday October 13 – Albany, NY – Lark Hall ++
Saturday October 14 – Cambridge, MA – The Sinclair ++
Sunday October 15 – Burlington, VT – Higher Ground Showcase Lounge ~
Monday October 17 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom ++
Friday October 20 – Philadelphia, PA – World Cafe Live ++
Saturday October 21 – Washington, DC – Miracle Theatre ++
Sunday October 22 – Durham, NC – Motorco Music Hall ++
Tuesday October 24 – Atlanta, GA – Vinyl Tue ++
Wednesday October 25 – Nashville, TN – The Blue Room ++
Friday October 27 – Dallas, TX – Club Dada
Sunday October 29 – Austin, TX – LEVITATION @ Empire Control Room & Garage (festival)
Tuesday October 31 – Tucson, AZ – 191 Toole ^
Wednesday November 1 – San Diego, CA – Casbah ^
Friday November 3 – San Francisco, CA – The Chapel ^
Saturday November 4 – Santa Cruz, CA – Moe’s Alley ^
^ They Live
X Mestizo Beat
# Terin Ector
* Nicky Egan
++ Salt Cathedral
~ Honey & Soul

NEW 2024 EU/UK DATES
Wednesday March 6 – Brighton, UK – Komedia
Thursday March 7 – London, UK – KOKO
Saturday March 9 – Bristol, UK – Thekla
Sunday March 10 – Manchester, UK – Gorilla
Monday March 11 – Edinburgh, UK – The Caves
Tuesday March 12 – Leeds, UK – The Brudenell Social Club
Sunday March 17 – Leipzig, Germany – UT Connewitz
Tuesday March 19 – Hamburg, Germany – Knust
Wednesday March 20 – Berlin, Germany – Frannz
Friday March 22 – Mannheim, Germany – Alte Feuerwache

Hayden Announces Canadian Tour Dates In Support Of New LP, Are We Good

Eric Alper
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Hayden Announces Canadian Tour Dates In Support Of New LP, Are We Good

Legendary and heavily influential indie-folk rock artist Hayden recently released Are We Good, his hotly anticipated first new album in 8 years, today on Arts & Crafts. Introduced by “East Coast”, “Miss Fort Erie”, and “On A Beach (feat Feist)”, which earned acclaim spanning Stereogum, SPIN, Cool Hunting, Under The Radar, The Line Of Best Fit, BrooklynVegan and more, Hayden’s triumphant ninth studio album is a crowning achievement in his well-deep catalog of carefully hewn indie rock, dating back to his debut album Everything I Long For in 1996.

“On A Beach (feat Feist)” was released alongside a cinematic, star-studded official video, also featuring the inimitable Leslie Feist with cameos by Matt Berninger of The National and beloved actor Steve Buscemi (who Hayden last worked with on the music for Trees Lounge, Buscemi’s 1997 directorial debut). Today, Hayden reveals the stirring love song and album title track “Are We Good” which was co-written with Berninger.

“This song was hanging around for a while with a bunch of mumbled lyrics I had as place-setters,” recalls Hayden. “The only line that stuck was the refrain ‘are we good.’ I sent it over to Matt [Berninger of The National] and he came up with the rest. When I read the lines ‘Are you worried about the past, coming back to you too fast, Are you worried about the sea, And what’s going on underneath,’ I knew I’d sent the song to the right guy.”

A meditative and electric tune, “Are We Good” is quintessential Hayden, with unabashed nods to the fluidity of Leonard Cohen and the buzz of Crazy Horse. As the album’s namesake, “Are We Good” posits Hayden Desser, peppered and grizzled (by the pandemic or parenting), in an attic studio stand-off with writer’s block during early lockdown. The album’s eleven songs were written, produced, and mixed predominantly by Hayden at Skyscraper National Park, the attic studio of his Toronto home. A perfect combination of complex family life – he and his wife are parents to a child with developmental disabilities – coupled with the grinding halt of creative inertia, Hayden found himself trying to balance the album on an unachievable ledge of perfection. Breaking from these confines – and a decades-long career defined by his staunchly DIY approach – Hayden made an album richly inspired by collaboration, including the likes of Feist, Aaron Dessner and Matt Berninger of The National, drummer James Krivchenia of Big Thief, and engineer Jonathan Low (Taylor Swift, Big Red Machine).

Eight years in the making, Are We Good is an album dedicated to relationships, and the deep personal entanglements that help define our sense of selves. On Are We Good – an evolutionary album, “the sound of an artist who’s been learning how to challenge an aesthetic they’ve been exploring for 30 years” (sometimes past the point of perfection) – Hayden opened up to new approaches to awaken his storytelling. A statement of permanence that chases the most fleeting of emotions, on Are We Good Hayden proves that reinvention is the greatest reminder of the essence of who you are.

On November 15, Hayden and his band will bring his new album out on the road for a string of Canadian dates that promise to be as magical as the album itself. =

TOUR DATES:
(Solo)
September. 21 – Niagara on the Lake, ON – Ravine
September 22 – Meaford, ON – Meaford Hall (Four Winds Music Fest series)

(Full Band)
November 15 – Victoria, BC – Capital Ballroom
November 16 – Vancouver, BC – Hollywood Theatre
November 19 – Sherwood Park, AB – Festival Place
November 20 – Calgary, AB – Grand Theatre
November 21 – Regina, SK – The Exchange
November 22 – Winnipeg, MB – West End Cultural Centre
November 29 – Waterloo, ON – Maxwell’s Concerts & Events
November 30 – London, ON – London Music Hall
December 2 – Hamilton, ON – Bridgeworks
December 3 – Oshawa, ON – Biltmore Theatre

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That Eric Alper

Eric Alper is a 6-time nominee for Publicist of the Year during Canadian Music Week and has overseen the publicity campaigns for over 183 JUNO Award-nominated albums (and 16 in 2025), 45 Grammy-nominated albums, including 47 JUNO Award, 58 Canadian Folk Music Award, 126 Maple Blues Award-winning albums and is also truly honoured to work with some of the biggest and most important artists of our time.

Contact me: eric@thatericalper.com

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