James spots Sia in Los Angeles and asks her to carpool to work as they sing some of the biggest songs she’s performed and written, including “Chandelier” and “Diamonds.”
Steve Coogan And John C. Reilly To Star As Stan Laurel And Oliver Hardy In ‘Stan & Ollie’
Leading independent studio Entertainment One (eOne), is pleased to announce it will co-finance with BBC Films, Fable Pictures’ STAN & OLLIE, starring Academy Award nominees Steve Coogan (Philomena) and John C. Reilly (Guardians of the Galaxy).
Written by BAFTA Award winning screenwriter Jeff Pope (Philomena), STAN & OLLIE will be directed by Jon S. Baird (Filth) and produced by Faye Ward’s Fable Pictures, in association with eOne Features and BBC Films. The rights to the work of Laurel and Hardy has been licensed by Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation.
Executive producers on the film are Christine Langan and Nichola Martin for BBC Films, Gabrielle Tana, as well as Jeff Pope for Sonesta Films.
Laurel & Hardy, the world’s favourite comedy double act, set out on a variety hall tour of Britain in 1953. Diminished by age and with their golden era as the kings of Hollywood comedy now behind them, they face an uncertain future. As they set out, crisscrossing the country, attendances are disappointingly low. But they’ve always been able to make each other laugh and as the charm and beauty of their performances shines through their audiences laugh too, and they re-connect with legions of adoring fans, old and new.
The tour becomes a hit, but Laurel & Hardy can’t quite shake the spectre of Stan and Ollie’s past; and long buried ghosts, coupled with Oliver’s failing health, start to threaten their precious partnership. A portrait of the most tender and poignant of creative marriages begins to unfold as the duo, aware that they may be approaching their swan song, try to rediscover just how much they mean to each other.
“We are thrilled to be teaming up with Faye Ward and BBC Films on this endearing film. We were immediately drawn to Jeff’s engaging script and we are excited to have director Jon S. Baird, Steve Coogan and John C. Reilly all on board to bring it to life,” said Xavier Marchand, President, eOne Features.
“I am delighted to be working with eOne. The team there really understands Laurel and Hardy’s special legacy and the privilege and challenges of telling this story. The Stan & Ollie team are all looking forward to collaborating with them and BBC Films,” said Faye Ward of Fable Pictures.
eOne Features is the company’s feature film creative development and production unit. Upcoming releases include Gavin Hood’s Eye in the Sky, Ricky Gervais’ David Brent: Life on the Road, and Fabrice Du Welz’s Message from the King. As part of a recently-inked partnership with Sierra Pictures, the international sales and distribution of films produced and acquired by eOne Features, are handled by Sierra/Affinity outside of territories where eOne directly distributes films.
Joey Alexander: The 12-year-old jazz prodigy who charmed the Grammys
Born on the island of Bali in the city of Denpasar in 2003, Joey Alexander first encountered a piano at the age of six, and was immediately able to pick out the melody of Thelonious Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t” and other jazz standards from his father’s record collection by ear. His father, an amateur musician, nurtured Joey’s gift for swing and improvisation by introducing him to classic jazz recordings and taking him to jam sessions with seasoned musicians in Bali and Jakarta. From there, his musical intuition flourished, as did his love of playing jazz.
Although Joey didn’t win at last night’s Grammy Awards in his two categories of Best Jazz Instrumental Album and Best Jazz Solo, the crowd gave him a worthy standing ovation after his performance.
Learning by listening, Joey’s early influences include Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Bill Evans and John Coltrane, and he has a special affinity for trumpet players including Clifford Brown, Lee Morgan, Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis. Despite his lack of formal jazz training, Joey developed an authoritative technique, and with his depth of musicality he quickly rose in the Indonesian jazz scene and beyond. At age 8, UNESCO invited Joey to play solo piano in front of jazz icon Herbie Hancock during his visit to Indonesia. Joey drew significant inspiration from Herbie’s enthusiastic response to his playing. At age 10, Joey was featured at jazz festivals in both Jakarta and Copenhagen, and he won the international improvisation contest in Odessa, Ukraine – besting over 200 jazz professionals from 17 countries. In 2014, Joey performed at star-studded galas in New York City for Jazz at Lincoln Center in Rose Hall, the Jazz Foundation of America at the Apollo and the Arthur Ashe Learning Center at Gotham Hall.
On May 12, 2015, Joey Alexander released his highly anticipated debut album ‘My Favorite Things’ on the Grammy-winning Harlem-based label Motema Music. On his debut recording, Alexander performs classic tunes from Coltrane to Rodgers & Hammerstein with a deft touch, adventurous spirit and improvisatory verve. ‘My Favorite Things’ was produced by Grammy-winning producer Jason Olaine. Accompanying Joey on the album are bassist Larry Grenadier and 2-time Grammy-winning drummer Ulysses Owens, as well as three talented young players from the New York scene, Russell Hall (bass), Sammy Miller (drums) and Alphonso Horne (trumpet). Alexander’s imagination, sophisticated arrangements and dazzling playing make ‘My Favorite Things’ a soulful and joyful musical adventure. It is also a statement of intent, a compelling introduction to a budding young leader, performer and composer, who plays with power and elation. From his impressionistic introduction to “Giant Steps” to the spirited interplay with his band mates on “It Might As Well Be Spring,” to his remarkable rendition of “Over the Rainbow,” Joey proves himself a true and distinctive jazz professional.
Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi Are Going Out On Tour Together
February 16, 2016 – The term “supergroup” gets thrown around on a regular basis these days, however, a new tour featuring some of the greatest guitarists of all time is about to truly give the term a whole new meaning.
Introducing: Generation Axe, featuring Steve Vai, Zakk Wylde, Yngwie Malmsteen, Nuno Bettencourt, and Tosin Abasi.
Beginning on April 5th in Seattle, Generation Axe – A Night Of Guitars is hitting the road for 26 performances in North America. Tickets for all shows go on sale Friday, February 19th.
“The Generation Axe show is a unique performance of five fiercely talented guitar players coming together to create a 6-string extravaganza that is sure to amaze and delight,” commented Steve Vai.
The Generation Axe fan experience will go way beyond simply gathering five guitar greats on one stage to jam. Each tour stop will include a variety of collaborations by the five players, including everyone performing together as one cohesive band with a rhythm section including Pete Griffin (Dweezil Zappa, Stanley Clarke, Edgar Winter) on bass and Nick Marinovich (Yngwie Malmsteen) on keys. Vai, Wylde, Malmsteen, Bettencourt and Abasi will perform songs from their various catalogs and join forces on some well-known songs (as well as probably a few unexpected, unearthed gems).
While many artists fit easily into a single category, Steve Vai remains unclassifiable. Vai is a virtuoso guitarist, visionary composer, and consummate audio producer who sculpts musical sound with infinite creativity and technical mastery. He is one of the most in-demand, versatile, eloquent and soulful guitarists in the business. The GRAMMY Award-winner has sold over 15 million albums and toured the world as a solo artist, a member of G3, and with Frank Zappa, Alcatrazz, David Lee Roth, and Whitesnake. Vai launched his successful solo career with the release of Flex-Able in 1984 and has written, produced, and engineered all of his solo albums. He has appeared as a guest artist on more than 40 albums and created music for blockbuster films, best-selling video games, national sports franchises, and corporate brand initiatives. Vai has earned honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Musicians Institute.
GRAMMY Award-winner Zakk Wylde’s legendary career includes a lengthy tenure with Ozzy Osbourne in which Wylde co-wrote and recorded several albums, including the multi-platinum No More Tears, Osbourne’s largest selling solo album featuring the classic hit single, “Mama, I’m Coming Home” and the bulk of the double platinum 2002 set, Ozzmosis. With Osbourne, Wylde has played on countless world tours and television appearances, with his signature bullseye Les Paul in tow. Wylde has his mitts imprinted on Hollywood’s Rock Walk of Fame; guest-starred alongside Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston in the movie “Rockstar”; and even momentarily joined Axl, Slash and Duff in Guns N’ Roses. But nothing offers the pure expression of Zakk Wylde’s animalistic “id” like Black Label Society, the stomping, heavy, bluesy, recklessly unhinged hard-rock-metal quartet who are quick to rip up a solo as to dip into a piano-fueled anthemic ballad.
When Yngwie J. Malmsteen hit the scene in the early 80s, he turned the entire guitar world upside down; never before was guitar playing like his ever heard. Drawing inspiration from his love for Baroque and Romantic classical music, Malmsteen employs classical violin techniques such as four and five octave arpeggios, pedal notes, and harmonic minor, diminished and Phrygian scales, flawlessly delivered at mind-boggling levels of speed and clarity. In doing so, he has singlehandedly created a brand new style of guitar playing and composing that is still derived from today. In addition to having written and produced 35+ neoclassical rock albums, Malmsteen composed and orchestrated the “Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra,” which he recorded with the prestigious Czech Philharmonic in Prague, conducted by Yoel Levy of Atlanta Symphony fame. Malmsteen subsequently performed the piece live with the the New Japan Philharmonic and the Taipei Symphony, among others. Malmsteen has received numerous Grammy nominations, hundreds of magazine covers, dozens of Reader’s Poll and Composer of the Year Awards, a plaque on the Rock Walk of Fame, signature model guitars, amps, pickups, strings, picks, pedals, microphones, and more. TIME Magazine placed him as one of the top ten guitarists of all time. Some 35 years and 25 million+ album sales later, Yngwie shows no signs of slowing down, with his brand new record World on Fire due for release in April 2016.
Guitar virtuoso, singer-songwriter, and record producer, Nuno Bettencourt rose to international prominence as a guitar player with the GRAMMY-nominated, Boston-area band EXTREME, one of the most successful rock acts of the early to mid 1990s selling over 10 million records worldwide. Musically, EXTREME is dominated by Bettencourt’s blistering guitar riffs, often with funky, syncopated timing, and incendiary, high-speed rock/metal solos. Bettencourt penned the acoustic ballad “More Than Words” that went to #1 on the Billboard charts and “Hole Hearted” that reached #4. He has released multiple solo albums as well as with bands he founded including Mourning Widows Population 1, Dramagods and Satellite Party. Bettencourt has written, produced and performed with many legendary artists including Rihanna, Steven Tyler, Paul McCartney, Janet Jackson and many others.
Oluwatosin Ayoyinka Olumide Abasi, better known as Tosin Abasi, is a Nigerian American guitarist known as the guitar player and founder of the instrumental progressive metal band, Animals as Leaders. Abasi’s compositions of intricate music have garnered critical acclaim in a few short years. Abasi is part of the breed of new contemporary players who are raising the bar on the concept of electric guitar virtuosity. His approach to the guitar stems from a passion for advanced techniques and harmony. Using 7-, 8-, and 9-string guitars have allowed Abasi to create a highly unique and individual sound.
Making this rare tour experience even more special, Generation Axe VIP packages will be offered, giving fans access to these guitars masters and exclusive one-of-a-kind memorabilia. A front row package (including a meet & greet), a meet & greet package, and a VIP tour package will be available. For more information, visit www.generationaxe.com.
GENERATION AXE TOUR DATES
April 5, 2016 – Seattle, WA – Paramount Theatre
April 6, 2016 – Vancouver, BC – Queen Elizabeth Theatre
April 8, 2016 – Oakland, CA – Fox Theater
April 9, 2016 – Las Vegas, NV – The Joint
April 10, 2016 – San Diego, CA – Humphrey’s
April 11, 2016 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
April 13, 2016 – Denver, CO – Paramount Theatre
April 15, 2016 – Kansas City, MO – Uptown Theatre
April 16, 2016 – Salina, KS – The Stiefel Theatre
April 17, 2016 – Dallas, TX – Bomb Factory
April 18, 2016 – Houston, TX – Revention Music Center
April 20, 2016 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theatre
April 21, 2016 – Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
April 23, 2016 – Wilmington, NC – Cape Fear Community College
April 24, 2016 – Washington, DC – Warner Theatre
April 25, 2016 – Cincinnati, OH – Taft Theatre
April 26, 2016 – Indianapolis, IN – Murat Theate
April 27, 2016 – Nashville, TN – Ryman Auditorium
April 29, 2016 – Chicago, IL – Copernicus Center
May 1, 2016 – Madison, WI – Orpheum Theatre
May 2, 2016 – Royal Oak, MI – Royal Oak Music Theatre
May 4, 2016 – Toronto, ON – Massey Hall
May 5, 2016 – Upper Darby, PA – Tower Theater
May 6, 2016 – Westbury, NY – Theatre at Westbury
May 7, 2016 – Hampton Beach, NH – Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom
May 8, 2016 – Providence, RI – Providence Performing Arts Center
This Is The World’s Most Useless Machine…Now With An Added Twist!
It’s been six long years since the development alongside some of the world’s most impeccable machines, and any inventor worthy of following-up was thrown into disarray to try and…and…oh, forget it. I can’t do this with a straight face. This hunk of something was trown into this world with nothing added except for a snazzy buzzer. And it’s genius. I think. No, no, I’m sure of it.
Famous Musicians Read Mean Tweets About Themselves Part 3
From time to time Jimmy Kimmel highlights some of the nasty things people post about famous people by asking those famous people to read them aloud. This is #MeanTweets Music Edition #3 featuring Meghan Trainor, Ricky Martin, James Taylor, Little Big Town, Common, Ed Sheeran, Kelly Clarkson, Charlie Wilson, Blake Shelton, Wiz Khalifa, Josh Groban, Demi Lovato, The Killers, Drake, One Direction, Lionel Richie, Rita Ora and Mumford & Sons.
Extended Trailer for ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’ Features P!nk Covering ‘White Rabbit’ By Jefferson Airplane
In Disney’s “Alice Through the Looking Glass,” an all-new spectacular adventure featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll’s beloved stories, Alice returns to the whimsical world of Underland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter. Directed by James Bobin, who brings his own unique vision to the spectacular world Tim Burton created on screen in 2010 with “Alice in Wonderland,” the film is written by Linda Woolverton based on characters created by Lewis Carroll and produced by Joe Roth, Suzanne Todd and Jennifer Todd and Tim Burton with John G. Scotti serving as executive producer. “Alice Through the Looking Glass” reunites the all-star cast from the worldwide blockbuster phenomenon, including: Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Mia Wasikowska and Helena Bonham Carter along with the voices of Alan Rickman, Stephen Fry, Michael Sheen and Timothy Spall. We are also introduced to several new characters: Zanik Hightopp (Rhys Ifans), the Mad Hatter’s father and Time himself (Sacha Baron Cohen), a peculiar creature who is part human, part clock.
Nova Scotia high school students! Show your musical talent for ECMAs and win!
As part of East Coast Music Week 2016, TD and the East Coast Music Association present Music Moves Me. Nova Scotia high school students are encouraged show their musical talent by recording a video of themselves performing an original or cover song and posting it on YouTube. Use the #TDMusic #ECMW2016 hashtags to promote your video! The winner receives $1,000 for their school’s music program, two passes to the East Coast Music Week Awards Gala along with return travel to the Gala and overnight accommodations. The winner is also invited to perform their song as part of the TD Pop-Up Concert at the Mayflower Mall, Sydney on Saturday, April 16, 2016.
For program details and more information, visit here.
Daniel Ek on the early decisions that were key to Spotify’s success
What are some early decisions that were key to Spotify’s success?
Daniel Ek: We chose a narrow market to begin with that we knew how to serve well – Sweden. Had we started with the US there’s no way we would still be around. The US market just wasn’t ready.
Second, we spent an insane amount of time focusing on latency, when no one cared, because we were hell bent on making it feel like you had all the world’s music on your hard drive. Obsessing over small details can sometimes makes all the difference. That’s what I believe is the biggest misunderstanding about the minimum viable product concept. That is the V in the MVP.
And we did it all legally together with the industry when we had a political party in Sweden called the Pirate Party – which was a real party, with more than 7% of all votes. People thought we were crazy to work with the music industry. The general thinking was to just do whatever you wanted with music and then ask for forgiveness later.
The music industry is growing again. The music economy – like so much of the rest of the economy, from cars to publishing to news – is changing as it moves from an ownership model to an access model. And like any change, it can be complicated and challenging for lots of people. We get that, and we understand that. So it’s our responsibility to make sure that artists – and songwriters and producers and everyone else in music – understands that we are in this together with them, and that we are committed to their success. Look, we pay the great majority of our revenue back to the music industry. And as we grow, that revenue is really making a difference. Many people don’t realize that the music industry was in decline throughout all the download years (with a one year exception in which it was basically flat). Now, finally, after years and years of decline, music is growing again, streaming is behind the growth in music, and Spotify is behind the growth in streaming. So ultimately, we think the best measure of our contribution to the industry will be results – results that will give thousands and thousands of artists, songwriters, producers and so on the chance to do what they love, and their fans love, while being paid fairly for doing it. We love music, we love all the amazing people who make it, and we want to succeed together.
Via Quora
Karriem Riggins & J Rocc play J Dilla in Stones Throw’s first immersive 360 “Dungeon Sessions” video
In the dungeon: Karriem Riggins on drums, J Rocc on the turntable, in tribute to the late J Dilla, performing improvisational versions of “Lightworks” and “E=MC²”
This has been filmed in immersive video, where the entire 360° view is recorded, and the viewer has control of the viewing direction in playback. You don’t need any special software or hardware to view the video.