The Rippingtons To Release Modern Art on March 10th

Smooth Jazz pioneers The Rippingtons will release their latest album, Modern Art, on March 10th via Peak Records (Concord Music Group).

With a legacy firmly rooted in smooth Jazz, The Rippingtons’ 18th release features an explosive lineup lead by founder Russ Freeman alongside Dave Karasony, Bill Heller, as well as new bassist Rico Belled and special guest, returning saxophonist Jeff Kashiwa.

Paris Groove (Windows Media Stream, right-click to copy)

Paris Groove (QuickTime Stream, right-click to copy)

Modern Art breaks new stylistic ground, incorporating exotic world music elements on the sensuously romantic, acoustic guitar driven “Paris Groove” and adds an Eastern authenticity to the hypnotic “Black Book” with an electric sitar. With the sizzling interaction between Freeman’s slow burning electric guitar and Kashiwa’s wild sax improvisations, the easy grooving “One Step Closer” and bluesy “Body Art” will remind longtime fans of the band’s glory days of the '90s, but with a souped up twist!

The Rippingtons, whose first lineup included future contemporary Jazz superstars Dave Koz, Kenny G and David Benoit, dominated the instrumental and urban Jazz landscape from the late ‘80s on with their often exotically titled hit recordings, including Kilimanjaro, Tourist in Paradise and Welcome to the St. James Club.

Modern Art is available on CD & digitally March 10th via Peak Records

Eliane Elias Catalog Contest At ARTISTdirect

Enter now at ARTISTdirect to win jazz pianist/singer Eliane Elias’ 8-CD catalog, including her latest album, Bossa Nova Stories.

Released via EMI/Blue Note, the 14-song collection celebrates the 50th anniversary of bossa nova, and features the classic bossa nova track “The Girl From Ipanema” as well as Stevie Wonder’s “Superwoman.”

Enter here: http://ee.otmg.net/

Chick Corea & Gary Burton Win Best Jazz Instrumental Album Grammy Award

Chick Corea & Gary Burton picked up a Grammy Award for Best Jazz Instrumental Album (Individual or Group) for 2008’s The New Crystal Silence. Released on Concord Records, the 2-CD collection revisited the duo’s 1972 landmark work, Crystal Silence.

The New Crystal Silence @ Amazon

The New Crystal Silence @ iTunes

Chick Corea & Hiromi: AOL Full Album Stream

Grammy-award winning pianist Chick Corea released Duet, a 2-CD live performance with up-and-coming virtuosic Japanese pianist Hiromi, this week via Concord Records.

AOL’s Spinner is currently streaming Duet in its entirety.

Listen here: http://www.spinner.com/new-releases#/9

Originally released in Japan in 2007 on Universal, Duet became the top-selling jazz album of the year. The 12-track, 2-CD release marks Chick Corea’s first recorded piano duet album since 1978’s An Evening With Herbie Hancock & Chick Corea: In Concert.

The first CD features an original by each pianist as well as four covers, including Thelonious Monk’s “Bolivar Blues” and Lennon-McCartney’s “Fool On The Hill.” The second disc features two originals from Corea and Hiromi, and the two adventurously meld Joaquin Vidre Rodrigo’s classic “Concierto de Aranjuez” with one of Corea’s best-known tunes, “Spain.”

Duet is a masterwork of remarkable pianists of two different generations and cultures who transcend all boundaries to converse with each other with an inspired exuberance and passion.