Meet Our Artist of the Month

Eric T. Marner

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The Essence Music Festival has plenty to celebrate this year and it will be about a lot more than music, said Michelle Ebanks, president of Essence Communications Inc.

The festival, slated to run from July 3rd through the 5th, will include events marking the festival’s 15th anniversary and the inauguration of President Barack Obama.

Billed as one of the nation’s largest annual events celebrating black music and culture, this year’s list of headliners will include Beyonce, John Legend, Al Green, Anita Baker, Robin Thicke and dozens of others. There will also be a tribute to Bishop T.D. Jakes, the Dallas pastor who gave an Inauguration Day sermon in Washington.

The format for this year’s festival will be the same as in years past: Ticketed musical performances are slated at night and free empowerment seminars will be held during the day.

“That’s the wonderful thing about Essence,” Ebanks said. “It’s not one particular genre of music. It’s a celebration of the music of our lives, of all the music that we know and love.”

The festival began in 1995 as a one-time celebration of the 25th anniversary of Essence magazine. Over the years, it has hosted performances by Aretha Franklin, Chaka Khan, Gladys Knight, LL Cool J, the Isley Brothers, Lionel Richie, Luther Vandross, Mary J. Blige, the O’Jays, Prince, Stevie Wonder, Toni Braxton and Patti LaBelle, among others.

An estimated 200,000 people attended the festival in 2007, the year it returned to New Orleans after being held in Houston in 2006 because the city was still recovering from Hurricane Katrina. The festival had one of its biggest turnouts last year with more than 270,000 attendees.

For more information you can visit the festival website, essencemusicfestival.com.

Kenny G is just one of many exciting and internationally renowned names in jazz who will come together when the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival, now in its 31st year, presents its stellar lineup of talent Saturday and Sunday, June 13th and 14th at the landmark Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California.

The two day event, which annually attracts over 35,000 fans, celebrates the entire spectrum of jazz. This year’s slate of performers will feature an eclectic mix of veteran jazz icons, today’s hottest young stars, world music performers, and Festival favorites.

Back for his 28th year as master of ceremonies is Bill Cosby and the talent-heavy roster of performers includes Kenny G, Patti Austin, The Neville Brothers, Norman Brown, Wayman Tisdale, Eric Darius and many more.

Jazz bassist/vocalist Esperanza Spalding and soul/funk outfit Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings are among the seven acts making their debut appearance at the 2009 Playboy Jazz Festival.

The festival performers were announced during a press conference at Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Mansion. Among those performing is Quincy Jones’ new protégé Alfredo Rodriguez who will be making his festival debut. Jones first encountered the 23-year-old Cuban pianist/producer/musical director during a performance at the 2006 Montreux Jazz Festival.

A special tribute to the 50th anniversary of Miles Davis’ landmark, best-selling jazz album “Kind of Blue” is set for Saturday (June 13th). Leading the salute is Jimmy Cobb, who is making his festival debut and is the only surviving member from the original recording.

Tickets are currently available via the Hollywood Bowl website, hollywoodbowl.com.

Chuck Loeb is set to release his forthcoming album, Between 2 Worlds, on March 24th, and it would appear that the album title may in fact allude to another side of Chuck’s brain.

The jazz guitarist has taken his talents to the page, writing a spy novel titled, “Double Read.” The first three chapters of his first-ever book are currently available as a free download on his website.

In regards to his upcoming album release, Loeb says that this album gets away from most of the technology used with his previous recordings and instead focuses on the basic trio of guitar, bass and drums.

He does however have a little help on this album, with contributions from smooth jazz superstars, including Brian Culbertson, who has a trombone solo, and saxophonist Eric Marienthal, as well as trumpeter Till Bronner and bassists Gerald Veasley and Will Lee.

Between 2 Worlds also features vocal contributions from Loeb’s wife, Carmen Cuesta, and daughter, Lizzy Loeb. Song titles include the cover track and James Taylor’s “Mean Old Man,” as well as “Let’s Go,” “Mittens,” “Let’s Play” and “Hiram,” the latter a tribute to the late guitarist Hiram Bullock. In addition, the song “360” is dedicated to fellow guitarist Pat Metheny.

Chuck Loeb has proven himself to be a versatile composer, arranger and producer. In addition to fronting his own bands and projects, Chuck has produced the work of such high-profile artists as Spyro Gyra, Bob James, Walter Beasley, Larry Coryell and Kim Waters.

He’s also composed the score for numerous television programs and crafted the theme music for the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Braves, and performed on several motion picture soundtracks.

For more information on Chuck Loeb, including a preview of his first novel, you can visit his website, chuckloeb.com.

Meet Our Artist of the Month

Marvin Gaye

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Meet Our Artist of the Month

Marcus Johnson

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Meet Our Artist of the Month

Phillip “Doc” Martin

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Eighteen of Mariah Carey’s best-known songs have been collected for release on an album called, The Ballads. While the album has already seen some international release, it is scheduled to be released in the U.S. & Canada on January 20th, 2009.

Mariah Carey rocketed to stardom with her debut album in 1990. Achieving eight top 10 albums through the course of the decade she became the Nineties’ most successful female singer/songwriter.

Her incredible success has continued throughout the 21st century and her stunning five-octave voice and songwriting talent have now delivered multiple hit singles. This collection of her most renowned songs features such hits as “Hero,” “One Sweet Day,” “Vision of Love,” “Always Be My Baby” and “Dreamlover.”

Also included are duets with Luther Vandross (”Endless Love”) and Whitney Houston (”When You Believe”).

The album will mark her sixteenth release to date. For more information on Mariah Carey you can visit her website, mariahcarey.com.

Lionel Richie is a man who can’t slow down. In addition to his upcoming appearance on Dick Clark’s ABC special, “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve,” the singer/songwriter is shifting into promotion mode for his next studio album, “Just Go.”

Set for release February 17th, the album is currently represented by the single “Good Morning.” The mid-tempo song stands at No. 35 on Billboard’s Adult R&B chart after three weeks.

“Lionel Richie 2009 … What does he sound like? That’s the question I asked everyone,” says Richie of working with several of the hottest names in contemporary R&B/hip-hop. “Some of these guys don’t always necessarily deal with true melody. But we were committed to melody from beginning to end. They knew I wasn’t going to break into a rap,” he adds with a laugh.

The resulting album picks up where 2006’s “Coming Home” left off, with Richie describing “Just Go” as a “little more pop with a fabulous R&B foundation.”

Richie’s musical handiwork also appears on the current compilation “Yes We Can: Voices of a Grassroots Movement.” Inspired by president-elect Barack Obama’s campaign, the set includes songs by Sheryl Crow, John Mayer and Kanye West. Richie contributed the original song “Eternity,” which also includes Obama speech excerpts.

“There are very few chances to write a song that marks a moment in history,” says Richie who, with Michael Jackson, co-wrote the 1985 benefit anthem, “We Are the World.”

“Being able to use Obama’s voice gave me the weight I needed to say everything I wanted to.”

This is an edited version of an article written by Gail Mitchell for Billboard. For more information on Lionel Richie you can visit his website, lionelrichie.com.

Smooth jazz guitarist and vocalist Nick Colionne will headline the Grand Opening of the Burnsville, Minnesota Performing Arts Center on January 24th, 2009. The event will be hosted in the state-of-the-art one-thousand seat theater of the new $20 million dollar multi-function facility.

According to Dan Gustafson, Executive Producer of Art and All That Jazz, “Nick was the obvious choice to be our Inaugural Act at the new Burnsville Performing Arts Center after his two hugely successful appearances at our Art and All That Jazz Festivals in 2005 and 2006. Everyone is very excited that he’s coming back for this gala event.”

In addition to the Inaugural show at the PAC, Colionne will be coming in a day early to give a clinic at The Garage, the nationally acclaimed youth center in Burnsville.

“I am thrilled to be opening this fantastic new Performing Arts Center,” said Colionne, “and even happier to return to Burnsville where I have made so many friends over the last few years performing at their summer events. Now that the new PAC will be bringing live entertainment to the area all year long I hope to return soon.

“I am really looking forward to meeting the kids and speaking with them. Youth clinics are a privilege for me to do and I’m delighted to be doing one in Burnsville in association with the opening of this beautiful facility.”

Colionne joined the ranks of today’s premier jazz artists with his Top Ten 2003 Album “Just Come On In” that included the hits “High Flyin” and “It’s Been Too Long”. His 2006 release “Keepin’ It Cool” propelled him to the top of the charts once again with the Top Ten hit singles “Always Thinking of You” (which stayed on the R&R charts for an incredible 45 weeks), “Keepin’ It Cool” and “If You Ask Me”. “Keepin’ It Cool” was also named Top Ten CD of the Year for 2006.

His newest album “No Limits” was released in July 2008, with the first single, the title track “No Limits”, still rising on the charts.

As a guitarist and vocalist, Colionne’s live performances defy categorization. His shows incorporate all the music he loves best and the influences he’s had throughout his career. You are as likely to hear Nick sing the blues or some heartfelt R&B as you are to hear his blazing jazz licks, or even the hint of metal, recalling the beginning of his career as a heavy metal guitarist.

From that diverse musicality comes an incredible live performance that showcases the talent, vocal ability and yes, comedic timing, of this charismatic entertainer. For more information you can visit Nick’s website, nickcolionne.com.

Eartha Kitt, a sultry singer, dancer and actress who rose from South Carolina cotton fields to become an international symbol of elegance and sensuality, has died, a family spokesman said. She was 81.

Andrew Freedman said Kitt, who was recently treated at Columbia Presbyterian Hospital, died Thursday in Connecticut of colon cancer.

Kitt, a self-proclaimed “sex kitten” famous for her catlike purr, was one of America’s most versatile performers, winning two Emmys and nabbing a third nomination. She also was nominated for several Tonys and two Grammys.

Her career spanned six decades, from her start as a dancer with the famed Katherine Dunham troupe to cabarets and acting and singing on stage, in movies and on television. She persevered through an unhappy childhood as a mixed-race daughter of the South and made headlines in the 1960s for denouncing the Vietnam War during a visit to the White House.

Through the years, Kitt remained a picture of vitality and attracted fans less than half her age even as she neared 80.

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Producers of the annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival have announced the lineup for the 2009 festival. The festival will be held over two weekends; April 24th through the 26th and April 30th through May 3rd.

This time of year it is especially encouraging to see the triumph in stories like that of The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. A festival which was nearly knocked out by Hurricane Katrina set goals to reclaim itself with its 2008 re-birth, it would appear now to be just as strong, if not stronger than the heights the festival had seen prior to Katrina’s destruction.

The revival of the festival was owed in part to an investment in a broad range of national talent as well as the steady return of the region’s own highly talented and supremely gifted musicians and performers.

The coming 2009 version of the festival showcases two weekends jam-packed with huge names, most notably Aretha Franklin, Wynton Marsalis, Tony Bennett, The Neville Brothers, Hugh Masekela, Earth Wind & Fire, Etta James with the Roots Band, Esperanza Spalding, Poncho Sanchez Latin Jazz Band, The O’Jays and many more.

The event also includes a large number of huge mainstream acts including the Dave Matthews Band, James Taylor, Erykah Badu, Wilco, Sugarland and Bonnie Raitt.

However, the flashiness of the mainstream roster barely resonates in the minds and must-see-lists of those who frequent the Jazz Fest’s renowned trinity of jazz, blues and gospel.

These three entities are without a doubt the definitive backbone of the Jazz Fest and they are the core attraction for people who will travel hundreds of thousands of miles to attend. The big stars with household names will not outshine the home-grown, grass-roots talent that is signature to this one-of-a-kind festival.

In 1970, George Wein, jazz impresario behind the Newport Jazz Festival and the Newport Folk Festival (begun respectively in 1954 and 1959) was hired to design and produce a unique festival for New Orleans. The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, a nonprofit organization, was established to oversee the Festival.

From the very beginning, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival was envisioned as an important event that would have great cultural significance and popular appeal. The Festival was the culmination of years of discussions and efforts by city leaders who wanted to create an event worthy of the city’s legacy as the birthplace of jazz.

For more information, history, and complete daily schedules of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival visit nojazzfest.com.