VOICES Notes on the latest from the Concord Music Group family
A Prestigious Anniversary
07 JAN 09 CHRIS SLAWECKI on JAZZ
For Prestige Records, 2009 marks the 60th anniversary. Bob Weinstock, who produced most of the label's records, founded the label in 1949. MORE
Ray Of Sunshine
06 JAN 09 DAVID VIENNA on POP & ROCK
A few years ago, Concord released a collection of Ray Charles duets called Genius Loves Company. Well, it appears Concord loves Ray. Concord Music Group recently entered into an exclusive agreement with the Ray Charles Foundation, which grants the company access to the legendary artist's post-1960 catalog. MORE
The Baddest
31 DEC 08 NICK PHILLIPS, VP, Jazz and Catalog A&R
Freddie Hubbard died on Monday, Dec. 29, at age 70. He was, quite simply, one of the greatest trumpet players in the history of jazz. I have a feeling Gabriel is now looking for a new gig. MORE
A SPECIAL NOTE from our VOICES AT LARGE
Ray's Spirited Christmas
24 DEC 08 CHRIS SLAWECKI on R&B, BLUES, SOUL & STAX
The first fruit of Concord's exclusive agreement to develop and re-release Ray Charles' post-1960s catalog is the digital-only re-release of his 1985 holiday postcard The Spirit of Christmas. MORE
A Pair Of Kings
23 DEC 08 ANNE FARNSWORTH on COLLECTOR'S CORNER
Bluesman Albert King brings righteous authority to Elvis Presley hits on Blues For Elvis, a CD reissue of a classic Stax recording. MORE
Relax This Christmas
18 DEC 08 JONATHAN WIDRAN on CONTEMPORARY JAZZ
There are a lot of unique ways to experience Christmas Break: Relaxing Jazz For The Holidays, a specially priced 12-song collection that Telarc originally released in 2006 as the latest installment of its ongoing, relaxation minded Breathe series. MORE
An Exotic Christmas
15 DEC 08 JOHN C. BRUENING on WORLD & LATIN
Christmas takes a decidedly Latin turn with Paraguayan harpist Roberto Perera's Christmas Fantasies, a Heads Up release from 1996. The songs themselves may be familiar holiday fare, but the instrumentation, arrangements and rhythms make for a slightly more exotic and tropical yuletide experience than usual. MORE
Button's Mysterious Score
11 DEC 08 VIVIEN SCHWEITZER on CLASSICAL
Film score buffs have a chance to hear the soundtrack to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button before it opens later this month. The score is written by the award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat, whose recent films include "The Queen," "The Painted Veil" and "The Golden Compass." MORE
Callaway's Fresh Christmas
09 DEC 08 ANNE FARNSWORTH on AMERICAN SONGBOOK
Singer/songwriter Ann Hampton Callaway throws her Santa hat into the ring with This Christmas, released on the Telarc label. Mixing seasonal favorites with originals written by the multi-platinum-winning songwriter, it's a fresh addition to your holiday music collection. MORE
Rock 'n' Roll Heaven
28 NOV 08 CHRIS SLAWECKI on CONCERT REVIEWS
Sometimes life lifts a curtain to give you just enough of a glimpse that you know that it truly exists: Rock 'n' roll heaven, where blues and soul and R&B and gospel all melt into one exhilarating, liberating frenzy. James Hunter's latest tour stop in Philadelphia delivered one such brilliant look. MORE
Honoring The Chairman
24 OCT 08 ANNE FARNSWORTH on NEW RELEASES
Michael Feinstein continues his love affair with the American Songbook in his latest release The Sinatra Project. Informed by Feinstein's research, the collection covers decades of The Chairman's repertoire, adding little-known verses and additional lyrics. MORE
Playing For Peanuts
21 OCT 08 JONATHAN WIDRAN on SPECIAL OFFERS & SALES
Peanuts creator Charles Schulz once said, "I think one of the best things that ever happened for our shows was that we had Vince Guaraldi's music, and then we were blessed again to have David Benoit pick up the baton and keep it alive." Eight years after Schulz's death, the legacy endures, and groovingly so, on Benoit's Jazz For Peanuts - A Retrospective of the Charlie Brown Television Themes. MORE
HEADLINES & PRESS
RECENT RELEASES
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