Saturday, June 14
- Gerald Veasley
- Danielia Cotton
- Maino
- Young Steff
- Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy
- The Drifters featuring Rick Sheppard
Regina Belle
Four-time GRAMMY(r)-winning R&B/Pop songstress Regina Belle has been a precocious singer since as young as eight, performing her first church solo, a take-no-prisoners rendition of the gospel standard "Don't Drive Your Mama Away. By the age of twelve, the budding songbird had her first professional gig, and, come high school, she received a full scholarship to attend the prestigious Manhattan School of Music.
She moved quickly into a professional career and her fourth album, Stay With Me, hit No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop, driven, in part, by two chart-topping singles, "Baby Come to Me" and "Make It Like It Was".
Ultimately, Regina Belle wants to communicate both sides of the spectrum: that life is not just about the mountaintop experiences, but that it's also about the valley of the shadow of death, that dark place of despair where, above all, love forever shines. Belle recorded Love Forever Shines, a disc that showcases her soulful, elegant alto set to the two styles that make up her musical persona: contemporary R&B and gospel music.
Noel Gourdin
Newcomer Noel Gourdin (Gor-Deen) is prepped to make a major impact on the music world with his powerful debut disc After My Time via Epic Records. Influenced by classic soul as well as the contemporary sounds of R&B and hip-hop, Noel's music is a seamless blend of each genre. "Listening to so much music from so many different eras really helped me put my style together," explains the gifted singer-songwriter. His debut offering is a refreshing mix of timeless R&B with a modern, youthful feel. Armed with commanding, rich vocals and a solid collection of intimate, soulful songs, this budding new talent is positioned to make an indelible mark on music's landscape by bringing together listeners across all generations and genres.
It's no wonder that Noel is already winning music fans over with his debut single, aptly titled "The River." Kay-Gee produced the feel-good track in the tradition of an old-soul ballad, which harks back to the all-encompassing elements of love, family and summers in Mississippi. Noel recalls of writing the song, "My grandfather had just died and I was thinking about him, and in the Deep South, the river represents something spiritual." He attributes the song's popularity to its applicable theme. "I think there's something in the record a lot of people can hold and grasp and relate to. It seems like people from 15 on up to 50 years old can grab something from this record."
The Drifters featuring Rick Sheppard
You know the songs. "On Broadway," "Under The Boardwalk," "Save The Last Dance For Me," "Up On The Roof, "This Magic Moment," "There Goes My Baby," and many more. So many more. They are etched into the memories of music fans worldwide and helped form part of the foundation of contemporary popular music. What these songs have in common is that they are all the product of a veritable hit-making machine better known to their millions of fans as The Drifters. Rick Sheppard is an integral part of that hit-making machine.
The Drifters featuring Rick Sheppard are entering their third decade of thrilling audiences throughout the U.S. and Canada. Currently, there are plans afoot to bring their dynamic blend of singing, dancing, and overall shownmanship to audiences in Europe, Japan, and Australia. On the recording front, The Drifters featuring Rick Sheppard have recently released two albums on: EMI Capitol Music; Greatest Hits, a re-recording of The Drifters' classic songs, and A Christmas Album, the first-ever album of Christmas songs ever recorded by The Drifters in their long and storied career. It's been a busy time for The Drifters featuring Rick Sheppard. Busy. Exciting. Exhilarating. And, entertaining. For the group and their many fans.
Rick Sheppard wouldn't have it any other way.
Danielia Cotton
Danielia's natural gift--raw, searing voice combined with a deep, buttery tone--draws from the two different rich traditions that she absorbed early in her youth. On the one hand, she couldn't get enough of what her friends and neighbors were listening to: AC/DC, Zeppelin, the Stones. On the other, she was her mother's girl: daughter of a jazz singer and member of the church gospel choir, grooving to Mavis Staples, Etta James, Billie and Ella.
Danielia's unique talent drew rave reviews, with notices on her "raw intensity" (Essence magazine), her "soulful voice and searing telecaster" (Time Out NY) and for possessing "the sort of voice for which the phrase 'force of nature' was coined" (Austin American-Statesman). Audiences that experience Danielia and her band live are hit hard with the sheer emotionalism of her songs. "Rock 'n roll is real, and that's what people want," Danielia assures.
On her recent release, Rare Child, Danielia has put her remarkable voice, heart, and soul into a record that truly rocks. A rare child indeed.
Kidz In The Hall
Kidz In The Hall (comprised of Naledge and Double-O) are not your average Ivy League Graduates of the University of Pennsylvania. Their second critically-acclaimed full-length release, The In Crowd, features some of the most relevant MC's in the game today: Bun B, Estelle, Travis of Gym Class Heroes, The Clipse, Little Brother, Camp Lo, Sean Price, Buckshhot, Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, and more.
Double-O states, "fans can expect to hear a tremendous growth with The In Crowd. Our debut was a stepping stone in our movement. The In Crowd is a masterpiece and a concise reflection of our sound, as it's a bolder and bigger sounding album made for huge shows and cigarette lighters. We have taken our experiences and our year of traveling and performing and morphed it into a true musical experience with some of the best rappers and musicians around - the true In Crowd."
Ellis Marsalis
Ellis Marsalis is regarded by many as the premier modern jazz pianist in New Orleans. In addition to raising and teaching well-known, Branford and Wynton plus four other sons, Ellis has had wide ranging influence on music through his teaching positions at New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, University of New Orleans and his four decades of local performances in the birthplace of Jazz.
Ellis Marsalis' release, An Open Letter to Thelonious, celebrates the music and genius of Thelonious Monk. The album is applauded by Jazz Critic, Orrin Keepnews for its "...extremely rare ability to handle a large segment of Monk's compositions in a way that impressively combines respect and originality."
Maino
Having used the mixtape circuit to cull a strong following, Brooklyn, NY native Maino is no longer his borough's best-kept secret. The swagger-rich MC is now in a position to present a brand-new look to hip-hop with his debut Hustle Hard/Atlantic album, If Tomorrow Comes... "I don't want to say let's bring New York back, but let's bring New York forward," he says. "And the only way to bring it forward is to breathe new life into it. That's how you keep hip-hop alive, you give birth to the new. I want to be the one bringing that new life." Surely bold proclamations from rappers are nothing new, but with Maino it's his captivating approach that's refreshing. "I'm not trying to be the next anybody," he says. "I can't do what Jay-Z does. I can't do what Diddy, 50, or Wayne can do. I can't do what Big or Pac did. I can only be me and master what I do."
The Dey
Those who have survived the night's unforgiving darkness cherish basking in the light of dawn, in the warm promise of a new day. Every so often, in the world of music, an act emerges like a beacon of light, proudly proclaiming its uniqueness, its disinterest in the norm, and its potential for sparking a sonic revolution. In 2007, just like with The Fugees and the Black Eyed Peas, a new era in urban music will be ushered in thanks to a group fittingly known as The DEY. Composed of Divine, Elan, and Yeyo (DEY), the bilingual Latino trio fuses hip-hop, R&B, pop, and Afro-Latino influences for a unique, singing/rapping fusion-heavy sound that celebrates Latinos' rich cultural heritage while also inviting non-Latinos to share in the festivities. Their innovative Epic Records debut promises to unify English-only, Spanish-only, and bilingual Latinos, and to address the interests and concerns of today's generations of multicultural urbanites.
Yung Berg
Yung Berg is signed to Epic Records and is gearing up to release his debut album, Look What You Made Me. The record boasts a wide variety of material ranging from specially crafted songs for the ladies to street anthems made to resonate in anyone's "hood". Look What You Made Me is Yung Berg's story in his own words and is poised to be one of the best new releases of 2007. Having snagged writing credits on albums for some of hip hop's elite including Shawnna and Eve and dropping verses on mixtapes for the likes of Clinton Sparks, Young Berg is guaranteed to bring that same spark and energy to his own project.
Tiffany Evans
Tiffany Evans enjoys life. Whether she's doing the hottest new dance moves in front of the mirror, hanging out with her friends or pouring over fashion. Tiffany radiates the joy of a teenager having fun and making the most of what the world has to offer. Nowhere is her exuberant outlook expressed better than when she sings. She might be just a teen, but her musical ability shows experience, passion and wisdom coming from a place far beyond the date on her birth certificate. With a multi-octave voice already drawing comparisons to legendary ladies like Patti Labelle and Whitney Houston, Tiffany blends classic R&B and pop vocalizing with a self-reliant attitude and a bubbly teenage energy. Tiffany Evans marks Tiffany Evan's long-awaited Columbia Records debut.
Gerald Veasley
Contemporary jazz bassist Gerald Veasley makes no claim to be a master chess player, but there are certain unmistakable parallels between his line of work and the small-scale war game that has challenged great minds for centuries. Like chess, Veasley sees music as a pursuit that involves a combination of strategy, quick thinking and even a bit of blind faith.
"There's a multiplicity of decision making in the game of chess, and there are consequences to every action," says Veasley. "In a lot of ways, making music is like that too. There are so many choices, especially in jazz, where the situation is never the same twice. That's always exciting to me. You're creating new scenarios at every turn - every time you step in front of an audience, or every time you step into the studio. That's what drew me to this kind of music in the first place - the idea that it was always fresh, there was always an opportunity and a new challenge. Unlike chess, though, winning in jazz doesn't mean someone else has to lose."
That same combination of challenges, opportunities and win-win is at the heart of Your Move, Veasley's new CD. The album is the latest - and perhaps most innovative and audacious - maneuver in the game that Veasley has been playing since his early days as an up-and-coming musician in his native Philadelphia.
Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy
Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is an exotic encounter inspired by nature's unpredictable creations that are brought to life by an international cast of 25 soaring aerialists, spine-bending contortionists, acrobats, jugglers and musicians. The astounding feats performed in this action-packed Cirque Dream are enhanced with over 150 spectacular costumes and set in a fantastical jungle ignited by striking visual effects. From the breathtaking aerial ballet of butterflies to the balancing giraffes, gigantic flowers and trees, this world-class explosion of athleticism, theatre and imagination is a Broadway first.
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