Nathan East is playing bass with the 35th Anniversary Toto Tour, replacing Mike Porcaro. Europe, Scandinavia, Canada and a few dates in the US. Check their website for dates near you. http://www.totoofficial.com
June Birthdays
1 ~ Demitri Sahnas
1 ~ Roberto Vally
2 ~ Joel Taylor
9 ~ Wayman Tisdale
9 ~ Ken Navarro
10 ~ Freddie Fox
11 ~ Michael Lington
15 ~ Arlington Jones
17 ~ Tony Maiden
19 ~ Jay Gore
30 ~ Stanley Clarke
30 ~ Jason Miles
May 2013
Jessy J is on both American Idol and The Voice this month playing saxophone.
Big congrats to Mindi Abair for her new position as President of the LA Chapter of the Board of NARAS (National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences).
Ray Manzarek, The Doors keyboardist has passed from cancer today. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends at this time.
Congrats to Brian Simpson for making the wall of fame at the Java Jazz Festival.
May Birthdays
1 ~ Ray Parker Jr.
2 ~ Blake Aaron
11 ~ Brian Simpson
14 ~ Jay Beckenstein
17 ~ Eric Valentine
18 ~ Gregg Karukas
19 ~ Michael Paulo
19 ~ Kyle Eastwood
19 ~ Tom Scott
23 ~ Mindi Abair
24 ~ Walter Beasley
24 ~ Terje Le
28 ~ Marc Antoine
April 2013
Happy April! The concert season is getting into full swing. The shows and festivals are being added to our Concert Calendar page.
Jonathan Butler will be playing with Sheila E this summer.
Brian Culbertson's new band ~ Chris Miskel and Eddie Miller are still in the band. Selina Albright, Jason Morales, Maurce Ellis & Adam Hawley are the new members.
Jessy J is on American Idol this month playing saxophone.
Mindi Abair has been elected President of the LA chapter of the Recording Academy. Congrats to Mindi...we know that she will do a great job.
April Birthdays
1 ~ Nathaniel Kearney Jr.
2 ~ Larry Coryell
4 ~ Randy Jacobs
8 ~ Elizabeth Mis
12 ~ Herbie Hancock
13 ~ Grant Geissman
15 ~ Jeff Golub
15 ~ Warren Hill
16 ~ Paul "Shilts" Weimar
17 ~ Chieli Minucci
22 ~ Harvey Mason
27 ~ Miles Gilderdale
March 2013
Bobby Caldwell's agent, Jack White's wife, Kate is on a TV show on NickJr/NickMom. The show is called "MFF - Mom Friends Forever." Kate and her friend, Judy started their show on the internet. The next thing they knew, they had their own cable TV show! It's all about raising kids, running households, careers, and everything that life can bring. This may sound like some very serious subjects, BUT the show is hilarious!!!
It was tought that Phil Perry suffered a heart attack on the 23rd while on stage at the Birchmere, Alexandrea, VA. Good news! They discovered that it wasn't a heart attack! It turns out that because of the configuration at The Birchmere, the Beta Waves were feeding directly into his pacemaker! That was the recipe for disaster! Thank God he's recovering from that and doing much better.
Alonzo Bodden donated a kidney to his brother on the 26th. He posted "I may not have got word out to everyone. Surgery was success. I'm fine and kidney is working in my brother. Thanks for all prayers. We are blessed."
Ross Bolton passed from lung cancer. For nine years he was a regular member of Al Jarreau’s band.
Ross has played in the "Jimmy Kimmel Show" band. Other TV/Movie credits include: "The Larry Saunders Show", "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "Casper". A partial list of artists with whom he has recorded, performed or toured include: Shelia E, Dave Koz, Yolanda Adams, Anastacia, Cassandra Wilson, The Beach Boys and Jeffery Osborne. He’s among the group of composers for many television shows which include Dr. Phil, Entertainment Tonight, The Insider and Rachel Ray.
Philip "Phil" Ramone (January 5, 1934– March 30, 2013) was an American recording engineer, record producer, violinist and composer, who co-founded A & R Recording, Inc. in 1958. He was described by Billboard as "legendary",and the BBC as a "CD pioneer".
March Birthdays
2 ~ Larry Carlton
3 ~ Julian Vaughn
7 ~ Oli Silk
12 ~ Al Jarreau
14 ~ Quincy Jones
20 ~ Kim Waters
26 ~ Ramon Yslas
27 ~ Dave Koz
30 ~ Norah Jones
31 ~ Herb Alpert
February 2013
The WINNERS of the 55th GRAMMY awards:
Album of the Year:Babel, Mumford & Sons
Record of the Year: "Somebody That I Used To Know," Gotye feat. Kimbra
Best New Artist: fun.
Best Country Album: Uncaged, Zac Brown Band
Best Rap/Sung Collaboration: "No Church In The Wild," Jay-Z & Kanye West feat. Frank Ocean & The-Dream
Best Pop Vocal Album: Stronger, Kelly Clarkson
Pop Instrumental Album“Impressions,” Chris Botti
Best Rock Performance: "Lonely Boy," The Black Keys
Best Urban Contemporary Album: Channel Orange, Frank Ocean<
Song Of The Year: "We Are Young," fun.
Best Country Song: "Blown Away," Carrie Underwood
Best Pop Solo Performance: "Set Fire To The Rain," Adele
Best Pop Duo/Group Performance: "Somebody That I Used To Know," Gotye feat. Kimbra
Best Alternative Music Album:Making Mirrors, Gotye
Best Rock Song: "Lonely Boy," Dan Auerbach, Brian Burton, Patrick Carney
Best Rock Album:El Camino, The Black Keys
Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance: "Love Bites (So Do I)," Halestorm
Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album: Kisses On The Bottom, Paul McCartney
Best Country Song: "Blown Away," Josh Kear, Chris Tompkins (Carrie Underwood)
Best Country Duo/Group Performance: "Pontoon," Little Big Town
Best World Music Album:The Living Room Sessions Part 1, Ravi Shankar
Best Dance Recording: "Bangarang," Skrillex
Best Dance/Electronica Album:Bangarang, Skrillex
Best Americana Album: Slipstream, Bonnie Raitt
Best Song Written For Visual Media: "Safe & Sound," Taylor Swift, T Bone Burnett, the Civil Wars
Best Rap Performance: "N****s In Paris," Kanye West, Sean Carter
Best Rap Song: "N****s In Paris," Kanye West, Sean Carter, Mike Dean, Chauncey Hollis
Best R&B Performance: "Climax," Usher
Best Traditional R&B Performance: "Love On Top," Beyonce
Best Rap Album: Take Care, Drake
Best R&B Song: "Adorn," Miguel
Best R&B Album: Black Radio, Robert Glasper Experiment
Best Long Form Music Video: "Big Easy Express," Mumford & Sons, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros & Old Crow Medicine Show
Best Short Form Music Video: "We Found Love," Rihanna feat. Calvin Harris
Best Folk Album: The Goat Rodeo Sessions, Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile
Best Blues Album: Locked Down, Dr. John
Best Jazz Vocal Album: Radio Music Society, Esperanza Spaulding
Best Improvised Jazz Solo: "Hot House,"Gary Buron & Chick Corea
Best New Age Album: Echoes of Love, Oakram
Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media: The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross
Best Comedy Album: Blow Your Pants Off, Jimmy Fallon
Best Spoken Word Album: Society's Child: My Autobiography, Janis Ian
Best Children's Album: Can You Canoe?, The Okee Dokee Brothers
Best Reggae Album: Rebirth, Jimmy Cliff
Best Contemporary Classical Composition: "Hartke, Stephen: Meanwhile - Incidental Music To Imaginary Puppet Plays," Stephen Hartke
Best Classical Compendium: "Penderecki: Fonogrammi; Horn Concerto; Partita; The Awakening Of Jacob; Anaklasis," Antoni Wit
Best Classical Vocal Performance: "Poemes," Renee Fleming
Best Producer of the Year, Classical: Blanton Alspaugh
Best Orchestral Performance: "Adams Harmonielehre and Short Ride In A Fast Machine," Michael Tilson Thomas
Best Opera Recording: "Wagner: Der Ring Des Nibelungen,"James Levine and Fabio Luisi
Best Engineered Album, Classical: Life & Breath, Tom Caufield and John Newton
Best Tropical Latin Album: Retro, Marlow Rosado Y La Riqueña
Best Regional Mexican or Tejano Album: Pecados Y Milagros, Lila Downs
Best Latin Rock, Urban or Alternative Album: Imaginaries, Quetzal
Best Latin Pop Album, Rock or Urban Album: MTV Unplugged Deluxe Edition, Juanes
Best Contemporary Christian Music Album: Eye on It, TobyMac
Best Gospel Album:Gravity, Lecrae
Best Contemporary Christian Music Song: "10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)," Matt Redman (Writers: Jonas Myrin and Matt Redman) & "Your Presence is Heaven," Israel and New Breed (Writers: Israel Houghton and Micah Massey)
Best Gospel Song: "Go Get It," Mary Mary (Writer: Erica Campbell, Tina Campbell and Warryn Campbell)
Best Gospel Contemporary Christian Musical Performance: "10,000 Reason (Bless the Lord)," Matt Redman
Best Surround Sound Album: Modern Cool, Jim Anderson, surround mix engineer; Darcy Proper, surround mastering engineer; Michael Friedman, surround producer (Patricia Barber)
Best Remixed Recording, Non Classical: "Promises," (Skrillex & Nero Remix) Skrillex, remixer (Nero)
Best Engineered Album, Non Classical: "The Goat Rodeo Sessions," Richard King, engineer, Richard King, mastering engineer (Yo-Yo Ma, Stuart Duncan, Edgar Meyer & Chris Thile)
Best Historical Album: The Smile Sessions (Deluxe Box Set), Alan Boyd, Mark Linett, Brian Wilson & Dennis Wolfe, compilation producers; Mark Linett, mastering engineer (The Beach Boys)
Best Album Notes: Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles, Billy Vera, album notes writer (Ray Charles)
Best Boxed or Special Limited Edition Package: Woody At 100: The Woody Guthrie Centennial Collection, Fritz Klaetke, art director (Woody Guthrie)
Best Recording Package: "Biophilia," Michael Amzalag & Mathias Augustyniak, art directors (Björk)
Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist: "City of Roses," Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding, arrangers (Esperanza Spalding)
Best Instrumental Arrangement: "How About You," Gil Evans, arranger (Gil Evans Project)
Best Instrumental Composition: "Mozart Goes Dancing," Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton)
GRAMMY nominations are all the talk this month:
7. Best Pop Instrumental Album
24/7 Gerald Albright & Norman Brown[Concord Jazz]
Impressions Chris Botti[Columbia] Four Hands & A Heart Volume One Larry Carlton[335 Records, Inc.]
Live At The Blue Note Tokyo Dave Koz [Just Koz Entertainment]
Rumbadoodle Arun Shenoy[Arun Shenoy Music Publishing]
32. Best Jazz Vocal Album
Soul Shadows Denise Donatelli[Savant Records]
1619 Broadway: The Brill Building Project Kurt Elling[Concord Jazz]
Live Al Jarreau (And The Metropole Orkest)[Concord]
The Book Of Chet Luciana Souza[Sunnyside Records]
Radio Music Society Esperanza Spalding[Heads Up International]
59. Best Instrumental Composition
December Dream Chuck Loeb, composer (Fourplay)Track from: Esprit De Four [Heads Up International]
Mozart Goes Dancing Chick Corea, composer (Chick Corea & Gary Burton)Track from: Hot House[Concord Jazz]
Music Of Ansel Adams: America Chris Brubeck & Dave Brubeck, composers (Temple University Symphony Orchestra)[BCM&D Records]
Overture, Waltz And Rondo Bill Cunliffe, composer (Temple University Symphony Orchestra)[BCM&D Records]
Without A Paddle Bill Holman, composer (Tall & Small)Track from: High On You [Bosco Records]
January Birthdays
& ~ Elan Trotman
8 ~ Robin Bramlett
11 ~ Lee Ritenour
12 ~ Brian Culbertson
12 ~ Phil Perry
12 ~ Art Good
16 ~ Mick Hucknell
16 ~ Slim (Man) Manicotti
18 ~ Russell Ferrante
18 ~ Jay Rowe
20 ~ Jaared
24 ~ Mitchel Forman
25 ~ Rob DeBoer
25 ~ Ronnie Gutierrez