Monterey Jazz Festival Giveaway At All About Jazz & Jazz Corner

All About Jazz and Jazz Corner are giving music fans a chance to win Concord Music Group’s newly released collection of Monterey Jazz Festival recordings. The six legendary albums spotlight some of the festival’s most iconic performances; deadline to enter is September 29th.

Enter the giveaway at All About Jazz here & enter the Jazz Corner giveaway here!

The Monterey Jazz Festival collection includes...

Dave Brubeck: 50 Years of Dave Brubeck
Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival 1958-2007

Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz
Live at the Monterey 1972 Jazz Festival

Cal Tjader: The Best of Cal Tjader
Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival, 1958-1980

Shirley Horn
Live at the 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival

Tito Puente & His Orchestra
Live at the 1977 Monterey Jazz Festival

Jimmy Witherspoon featuring Robben Ford
Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival

Aaron Parks Debuts at #9 on Jazz Week

Congratulations to Aaron Parks, whose Blue Note debut, Invisible Cinema, debuted at #9 on Jazz Week! Some other notable radio chart positions for Invisible Cinema include:

• #1 "MOST ADDED" JAZZ WEEK
• #2 "INCREASED AIRPLAY"
• #2 "MOST ADDED" CMJ JAZZ!
• DEBUTS #14 CMJ JAZZ TOP-40!

More info on Invisible Cinema here.

Jimmy Demers Set To Make Concord Debut With Dream A Little on Sept. 23rd

Jimmy Demers is set to make his Concord Records debut on September 23rd with Dream A Little - a collection of 13 classic songs that blend his unique adult contemporary and smooth jazz sound.

Dream A Little is decorated with industry heavyweights including multi-award winning and legendary songwriterDiane Warren; a fan of Jimmy’s since the beginning. After hearing Jimmy's recording of her song, “Nothing Hurts Like Love,” Diane said, “Jimmy has turned my song into an instant classic!” Another sentimental jewel on Dream A Little is the song that inspired the name of the album, “Dream a Little Dream of Me” - a Cass Elliott classic featuring the voice of Jimmy’s late mother and Mama Cass' daughter, Owen Elliott.

With a string of credits to his name, including backing vocals on albums from Cher to Garth Brooks, Dream A Little has been a work in progress since Jimmy first began singing at 4 years old. Demers has also garnered praise in the Darfur Activist community for being the first person to wear a Team Darfur sweatband in China while singing at the closing ceremonies of the 2007 Special Olympics in Shanghai.

"As a singer, I have come to accept my role on stage as a temporary opportunity to make a lasting impression.” – Jimmy Demers

“Well, this was a pleasure because I enjoyed writing for Jimmy as much as I did for Ray Charles.” – Victor Vanacore, Grammy Award winning arranger

Glide Magazine Interviews Rachael Sage

Check out Glide Magazine’s new interview with indie songstress Rachael Sage.

Sage, in all respects, is a powerhouse. She’s built her own record label, MPress records, which she founded a decade ago. She writes beautiful melodies, lyrics, and songs, and sings with passion – creating albums that require heavy listening around her vocals and piano talents. The attention that you give to her songs provides quite a reward, and Chandelier is one of her best works, so you’re fine to start there. - Jason Gonulsen

Read the full interview here!

You Me and Iowa To Play LA’s Troubadour

You Me and Iowa are set to open for Mandi Perkins at Los Angeles’ legendary Troubadour on September 18th.

Doors open at 8:00PM and tickets can be purchased here.

For more on You Me and Iowa, visit their MySpace page!

Aaron Parks Makes Blue Note Debut With Invisible Cinema

Rapidly rising Jazz pianist Aaron Parks’ Blue Note debut, Invisible Cinema, hits stores this week; the album is available to stream in its entirety now at both Artist Direct and AOL.

Invisible Cinema is a stunning concept record conceived entirely by the 24-year-old, and with his technically involved, melodic and sensitive playing, Parks is setting a new standard for Jazz piano expression.

"I'm thrilled to be a part not only of the classic Blue Note legacy, but also the new legacy." - Aaron Parks

Aaron recently expanded his tour dates across the US:

Aug 19 - Smalls, New York, NY
Aug 20 - Smalls, New York, NY
Aug 22 - J&R Music Fest, New York, NY
Aug 29 - Tanglewood Jazz Festival, Lenox, MA
Sep 10 - The Jazz Standard, New York, NY
Sep 11 - The Jazz Standard, NY
Oct 17 - Germantown Performing Arts Center, Memphis, TN
Oct 18 - Snug Harbor, New Orleans, LA
Oct 19 - Jazz Bakery, Los Angeles, CA
Oct 20 - Yoshi's, San Francisco, CA
Oct 23 - Earshot Jazz Festival, Seattle, WA
Oct 24 - Dazzle Jazz Club, Denver, CO
Nov 1 - Chris' Jazz Caf, Philadelphia, PA

Rachael Sage "Vertigo" Video Premiere

Check out Rachael Sage’s brand new video for "Vertigo" off of her latest album, Chandelier — in stores now on MPress Records!



Rachael is currently touring the US in support of Chandelier:

Aug 19 2008 - 7:30P
Schubas - Chicago, Illinois

Sep 7 2008 - 7:30P
World Cafe Live (Downstairs) - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Sep 11 2008 - 8:00P
College Coffeehouse - Fairbanks, Alaska

Sep 12 2008 - 12:00A
Wheatstalk 2008 - Talkeetna, Alaska

Sep 14 2008 - 7:45P
Seldovia Rowing Club - Seldovia, Alaska

Sep 16 2008 - 9:00P
The High Dive - Seattle, Washington

Sep 19 2008 - 9:00P
Genghis Cohen - Los Angeles, California

Sep 20 2008 - 7:30P
Private House Concert - Fairfax, California

Sep 21 2008 - 9:00P
Hotel Utah - San Francisco, California

Sep 24 2008 8:00P
Club Passim - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Oct 11 2008 - 8:00P
Morrison Center for the Performing Arts - Boise, Idaho

Oct 26 2008 - 6:00P
Armadillo’s - Keene, New Hampshire

Dirty Heads "Stand Tall" Raw Session Video Posted

The brand new video from the forthcoming Dirty Heads release Any Port In A Storm is now available on YouTube. This is a stripped down version of the track performed exclusively for Raw Session.

Direct Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5aDwWaAF7I&fmt=18

Dirty Heads’ Any Port In A Storm Celebrity Café Review

Check out The Celebrity Café’s review of The Dirty Heads’ debut, Any Port In A Storm!

“It has the acoustic elements, but then it has beats that remind me of Timbaland – it's something I would love to hear in a club.” – The Celebrity Café – 9 out of 10

Read more HERE!

Jazz Police Spotlight Recent Concord Releases

The Jazz Police have featured some of Concord Music Group’s newest releases -- the historic Keepnews Collection, the never-before-heard live recordings from the Monterey Jazz Festival and the recent launch of the Collector’s Corner! Streaming audio from the iconic releases is now available on The Jazz Police.

Read and listen HERE!

NYC Jazz Pianist Aaron Parks Gears Up For Blue Note Debut 8.19 - AOL To Stream Entire Album

Set for release next week (8.19) Invisible Cinema marks the Blue Note Records debut of up-and-coming pianist/composer Aaron Parks. The album is 10 tracks of classic piano Jazz that also touches on some rock, hip-hop and groove influences, creating a pioneering yet authentic Jazz sound.

Parks came to the attention of Blue Note following a five-year tenure with Terence Blanchard, appearing on three of his acclaimed Blue Note albums (Bounce, Flow and A Tale of God’s Will). Invisible Cinema and Park's incredible live shows are drawing early praise from such notable critics at The New York Times and The Boston Globe.

“Everything is in this mix: classical influence, bop-based grooves, rock
attitude, film-score drama, and hip-hop textures. Invisible Cinema is the
opposite of a silent film. The soundtrack is provided; the listener brings the
visuals.” - The Boston Globe

Invisible Cinema will be available to stream in its entirety next week at AOL.

Audio & more info available at Aaron's MySpace page!

Collector’s Corner 5-Pack Vinyl Giveaway at The Vinyl District

In celebration of Concord Music Group’s recently launched Collector’s Corner and Vinyl Record Day (8/12), The Vinyl District is giving away five re-issued classic jazz albums:

Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Colossus
Bill Evans - Waltz For Debby
Yusef Lateef - Eastern Sounds
John Coltrane - Soultrane
Theolonius Monk with John Coltrane

Leave a comment for your chance to win the vinyl prize pack here!

Aaron Parks to Perform at J&R Music & Computer World’s Annual MusicFest & Tech Expo

Aaron Parks is set to perform at J&R Music & Computer World’s annual MusicFest & Tech Expo on August 22nd. Held in Manhattan’s City Hall Park, the lineup includes free live concerts from various artists, with the festivities beginning on August 21st.

Aaron’s Blue Note debut, Invisible Cinema, will be in stores on August 19th.

For more on Aaron, visit his MySpace page!

Monterey Jazz Festival - 2nd Collection Of Never-Before-Heard Recordings Released Today

In its second full slate of archival releases, Monterey Jazz Festival Records, an imprint of the Concord Music Group, has released a new series of never-before-heard concert performances by six jazz greats - Art Blakey, Dave Brubeck, Shirley Horn, Tito Puente and Cal Tjader - and classic blues singer Jimmy Witherspoon.

Artists + Titles:
Art Blakey and the Giants of Jazz - Live at the Monterey 1972 Jazz Festival
Dave Brubeck - 50 Years of Dave Brubeck: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival, 1958-2007
Shirley Horn - Live at the 1994 Monterey Jazz Festival
Tito Puente & His Orchestra - Live at the 1977 Monterey Jazz Festival
Cal Tjader - The Best of Cal Tjader: Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival, 1958-1980
Jimmy Witherspoon featuring Robben Ford - Live at the 1972 Monterey Jazz Festival

For more info and audio streams, visit www.otmg.net/pages/monterey-jazz-festival-archives

ASIA "An Extraordinary Life" Video Contest - Under Two Weeks Left!

Less than two weeks are left for fans to submit their video for ASIA’s newest single, “An Extraordinary Life.” The winning video will be chosen as ASIA’s official online video, and prizes include a custom laser etched MacBook Air with Phoenix artwork, a laser etched iPod and Apple Final Cut Studio 2!

For more information, and to download the footage, go to: http://www.asiavideocontest.com