“My music and art come from the everyday living I do,” Mtukudzi reflects. “I write what I see around me. When I see something, I have something real to talk about. If there is something to talk about, there’s something to sing about, and there’s always something new to talk about.”

Tuku’s latest album Sarawoga, which releases in the U.S on May 21, 2013, proves that the venerable artist still has plenty to say. With a career that spans the birth of his native Zimbabwe and the advent of both Afropop and the global love affair with African roots music, Tuku’s quicksilver guitar work, keen ear for melody, and evocative voice have earned him intense adulation at home. His organic, savvy mix of traditional ways, pan-African influences, and cosmopolitan pop forms became widely known as Tuku Music. It has made Tuku a household name across Southern Africa, as well as across Europe and North America, thanks in part to major releases of his work in the 1990s and 2000s.

Revered as both accomplished musician and public figure, Tuku has explored a variety of media over his long, successful career: launched a popular local arts center, mentored countless local musicians, produced musicals, made films, and spoken out in a soft but persuasive way on key issues in Zimbabwean and African society.

Born into a family of modest means but great musical spirit, Tuku grew up singing with his parents and siblings in a rough-edged neighborhood in Harare, in what was still Rhodesia, a colony dominated by a ruling European minority. “I left school and for three years, I couldn’t find a job. I was one of the few guys among my peers with a fine secondary education,” Tuku recalls. “But I couldn’t get a job because I was black.”

Tuku found unique ways to address and combat oppression. As a young performer in his early twenties, he and his colleagues began confronting the regime through music. He cut his first successful single in 1975 and performed with another of Zimbabwe’s favorite musical sons, Thomas Mapfumo, as part of the legendary Wagon Wheels. Forerunners of the Afropop revolution, the band put an electric spin on long-standing traditions, in songs inspired, among other subjects, by their country’s recent war of liberation from colonial oppression.

“Before independence in 1980, it was the fight against the Rhodesian regime. My music then spoke against oppression and the repressive regime and how we were suffering at the hands of the regime,” Tuku remembers. “My music then helped people identify themselves…who we were and what we wanted to be.”

Though his early work fell squarely into the burgeoning rock- and funk-inspired Afropop of the era, Tuku always felt it as a continuation of older, deeper roots. “Even when I played with electric equipment, I always adapted older tunes,” explains Tuku. “I played guitar like I was playing a traditional instrument.”

After striking out on his own from the Wagon Wheels and recruiting his own band of stylish young performers, The Black Seeds, Tuku experienced the ups and downs that mark the careers of many seasoned musicians. He collaborated with dozens of Zimbabwean talents, worked with South African producers and musicians (including members of the Southern African super group Mahube he helped found), and organically blended musical directions from across Southern Africa.

Yet in one of his most significant creative moves, Tuku eventually turned back to his musical foundation, to traditional sounds, stunning the Zimbabwean scene by playing pop on traditional instruments like mbira (thumb piano) and marimba, alongside his trademark acoustic guitar. “People didn’t think you could have traditional instruments play like an organ or synth,” he notes. “But you can find that sound in a traditional instrument.”

Tuku went about reframing and refining these sounds to make a very clear and passionate point. He hoped to find a new place in the musical culture for these vital, older instruments. “I realized that our youngsters were thinking that these instruments were the worst and were looking down on them. But the pop songs everyone was listening to sounded just as good on traditional instruments,” recounts Tuku. “So I did three albums playing all songs that way, on traditional instruments, to prove the point that our instruments aren’t inferior and our young people shouldn’t feel inferior, either.”

Tuku’s message—from his first songs protesting colonial injustice to his latest compositions calling for respect and kindness—has always been woven from metaphor. Favoring imagery and small snapshots to sweeping political statements, Tuku sees his lyrics as springing from a deep well of vivid metaphor found in Shona, the majority vernacular language of Zimbabwe, just as his music finds its beginnings in traditional sounds. This more literary approach to expression not only had its aesthetic advantages, but embraces the full ambiguity and complexity of life.

“The metaphorical possibilities are part the beauty of my language,” Tuku muses. “It is not only the most beautiful but the best way to express many things. It gives a full view of life, lots of life.”

With five dozen albums under his belt, as well as an ongoing curiosity to explore other media (film, theater) and work with young, aspiring artists, Tuku has kept his passion for musical creativity, even after nearly five decades of work. Still savoring tours and life on the road, Tuku says, “You get to a place and even if you’ve been waiting and travelling, you find something else, something fresh, there. It’s something new and it’s wonderful.”

Now accompanied by a mixed ensemble of young and veteran musicians, Tuku constantly explores subtle new ways of drawing his listeners into greater thoughtfulness, of expressing the universal in life’s little things.

“One of the songs on this album” [Tuku’s 61st] “is a welcome song,” he says with a smile. “It’s a song that welcomes everybody, including the oppressor, because welcome has got no boundaries.” Much like Tuku music itself.

Nashville, TN (May 16, 2013) — Country star Lisa Matassa has been added to the lineup at the first TASTE OF COUNTRY Festival on the Late Night Show. The high-energy singer/songwriter and her band will perform on The Guts & Glory Stage Presented By Ram Saturday, June 15 from 11:45 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Matassa is thrilled to join the launch of the ONLY multi-day Country music festival in the Northeast. Hunter Mountain is located just two hours outside New York City in the northern part of the state’s beautiful Catskill Mountains. Top Tier acts slated to kick off the event are Willie Nelson, Trace Adkins, Billy Currington, Hunter Hayes, Joe Nichols, and more.

Lisa is a natural fit in the lineup as she is resonating with fans across the globe. YouTube views of her “Somebody’s Baby” video have just topped four million. She boasts over 609,000 Twitter followers, and she has amassed over 196,000 Facebook fans. The track has gone Top 40 on both the Billboard Indicator and Music Row charts and is the first single from Lisa’s enhanced EP of the same name. “It’s almost unreal,” says Lisa. “It’s a meaningful song to me, and I have to believe that it’s impacting others in a similar way.”

ABOUT LISA
Lisa has enjoyed two #1 videos on CMT.com, and her current video can be seen on TCN, AOL, CMC-TV Country Music Channel and Yahoo! Over 1600 restaurants ran the “Somebody’s Baby” video via Indoor Direct’s Dining Network Quick Service Restaurant channel in March. In April, the clip began running in 3000-plus ClubCom Network-serviced health and fitness centers around the globe. She recently performed the single on the nationally-televised HALLMARK Channel’s “Marie” show, and Good Morning San Diego aired a live interview and showcased the video from Las Vegas during ACM week. Matassa has opened shows for Dierks Bentley, Leann Rimes, Eric Church, Ronnie Dunn and Lee Brice. She studied Opera as a child, and her powerful pop voice earned her two Top-10 Dance singles before she turned 20. The songs were hits in the U.S. and abroad, and they earned her slots on the marquee with acts Taylor Dayne, Brenda K. Starr, TKA and others. Born on Long Island but raised in South Florida, Lisa grew up singing along to Patsy Cline, Loretta Lynn and Johnny Cash. Once she realized that Country music was her calling, she gave herself to it heart and soul.

Keep up with Lisa at www.LisaMatassa.com

On spirityouall Bobby McFerrin invites us to sit on the stoop awhile and listen as he throws some unexpected new ingredients into the melting pot and reinvents Americana. He embraces it all- bluegrass and the baroque, heartfelt lyrics and wordless melodies, joy and sorrow-across genres, across boundaries, across generations. He invites us back to the great folk tradition of lifting our voices to sing together through life’s trials and triumphs.

spirityouall features seven classic spirituals, an unexpected cover (Bob Dylan’s “I Shall Be Released”), and five original tunes ranging from a celebratory hoedown (“Rest”) to a polemic anthem (“Woe”), to a down and dirty blues setting of Psalm 25:15. The stellar band includes Esperanza Spalding, who sings with Bobby on three tracks, Larry Grenadier on bass, multi-instrumentalist Larry Campbell, drummers Ali Jackson and Charley Drayton, and accordionist/keyboard wizard/arranger/musical director Gil Goldstein. spirityouall was recorded at Avatar Recording and Shelter Island Sound, both in New York City.

The bluesy, feel-good recording is an unexpected move from the music-industry rebel who singlehandedly redefined the role of the human voice with his a cappella hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy,” his collaborations with Yo-Yo Ma, Chick Corea and the Vienna Philharmonic, his improvising choir Voicestra, and his legendary solo vocal performances. spirtyouall continues Bobby’s lifelong quest to integrate all the influences of the musical universe. But as in so many great American tales, sometimes it turns out that everything one is searching for is in one’s own backyard.

spirityouall honors the legacy of Bobby’s father, the opera singer Robert McFerrin, Sr., the first African-American to sign a contract with the Metropolitan Opera Company and a renowned interpreter of the American Negro spiritual. It was the elder McFerrin’s 1957 recording, “Deep River” and Other Classic Negro Spirituals, that inspired Bobby to record his own set of devotional songs. He sat on the idea for some 20 years before deciding that the time was right. “I had the idea of taking some of my father’s pieces and reinterpreting them. In the meantime, I had also been writing some pieces that had a spiritual bent, and so the album is a combination of originals, traditional spirituals and things I heard my father sing.” Bobby grew up absorbing and singing these songs.

Three of the traditional numbers featured on spirityouall-the opening track “Every Time I Feel the Spirit,” “Swing Low Sweet Chariot” and “Fix Me Jesus”-also appeared on Bobby’s father’s album, but any similarities end there. Bobby McFerrin’s wholly improvisational approach to vocalizing is markedly different than his dad’s more formal operatic style, and the usage of rhythm instruments on spirityouall-the title a clever play on the word spiritual-as well as acoustic and pedal steel guitars, accordions, violin, mandolin and electronic keyboards, places Gil Goldstein’s elegant, rousing arrangements and McFerrin’s uplifting vocals more in line with contemporary Americana than conventional gospel. What attracted McFerrin to delivering his own interpretations of these songs, and to write several new ones, was simply his lifelong belief in what they say. The spirituals are about liberation and courage, the human condition, the pioneering spirit, the search for strength in the face of adversity, and the journey toward a better place.

spirityouall is a deeply personal statement for Bobby McFerrin. “I couldn’t do anything without faith,” he says. “I couldn’t open up my eyes, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t sing. What I want everyone to experience at the end of my concerts is…this sense of rejoicing. I don’t want the audience to be blown away by what I do, I want them to have this sense of real joy, from the depths of their being. Then you open up a place where grace can come in.”

Bobby McFerrin’s spirityouall album became available for pre-order in March 2013. He’s currently on tour with a new band in support of the release.

From New York City, Matuto draws inspiration from rural traditions found across the Americas. Matuto (South American slang for “country boy”) is emerging as one of New York City’s hottest roots music acts. Imagine the sound of a Brazilian Carnaval in the Appalachian Mountains — a sound where dynamic percussion instruments rumble beneath blues drenched vocals, telecaster twangs, accordion acrobatics, and folksy fiddle tunes.

What wide-ranging Americana and jazz guitarist Clay Ross and accordionist Rob Curto, one of the movers behind New York’s Forró For All (when not touring with folks like Lila Downs and David Krakauer) began as a curious exploration of their shared musical loves, Matuto (a Northeastern Brazilian slang term for “bumpkin”) has blossomed into a platform for expressing broad truths, ideas inspired by Buddhist sutras, personal epiphanies, and the musicians’ down-home upbringings. It felt like the perfect way to celebrate ten years for Motema, an open-eared and broad-minded label featuring music that crosses genres and takes listeners on a journey thanks to stellar musicianship, and wise and intriguing lyrics.

Matuto are part of a broader, loosely defined movement of hard-to-define acoustic innovators, musicians savoring their own heritage as they commune across genre and cultural bounds. Hailing from different parts of the country, Ross and Curto first met in Brooklyn’s genre-defying music scene. After laying down tracks on each other’s albums, they headed to Recife together and became fast friends as they played music, listened to local ensembles, held workshops in favela community centers, and won over local fans.

Friendship and co-creation honed the original Matuto idea. They turned what could have been little more than a wacky side gig into a serious musical venture, in which seemingly disparate threads and brainstorms are woven together organically. “Our sound has really gelled,” explains Curto, “and our style had become more codified, from a musical standpoint, especially in the use of the accordion and fiddle.”

Matuto’s music all comes together, as far-flung sounds converge in coherent, seamless songs. The fusion is fun, but it also paints a bigger artistic picture.

“Trimming the fat, that’s the idea of the record, both lyrically and sonically,” Ross notes. “Musically, it was more about editing instead of layering, more about things that we took away, as opposed to things that we added. The last record has this massive band, whereas we simply use the sound of our six-piece live band this time around. It gives the songs real continuity, as there’s a similar sonic palette.”

Ross, whose parents thought he’d grow up to be a preacher, and Curto found they were both deeply moved by the practices of Buddhism, in particular the self-observation and compassion that are cultivated by meditation. Images arising from the Diamond Cutter Sutra and life lessons gleaned from long sessions sitting in silence guided the shape of the album.

The mix of bluegrass and forró, of Mehta and Mardi Gras, has proven to have real legs, taking the band from club dates in the Deep South to diplomacy-minded State Department tours across Eastern Europe and West Africa. A showcase in Copenhagen got the band a gig at one of the most staunchly traditional festivals in Recife, the Feast of St. John, Brazil’s biggest forró event. The traditionalists get it: Matuto has distilled some of the spirit of the music, even as they have blended it with other sounds, and kept its steamy, sensual dance side intact.

“Matuto does what we do out of love,” reflects Ross, “and our message is simple: Follow your passion, if it leads you to Brazil, or to Cajun, klezmer, or hip hop music, it doesn’t matter. Just follow your bliss. Follow it and don’t worry.”

“We feel that way playing music together,” Curto adds. “We can just look at each other and start laughing. There’s a lot of humor and joy, even in the most serious moments.”

“I believe music is the melody of our soul,” says Miki. “It touches the hearts of others and creates therapeutic harmony. It also cleanses our mind and helps us to see the beauty of life. As a physician, I always want to promote well-being so Swingin’ To The Sea is filled with very positive feelings and messages as I jump into the world of jazz.” In preparation for the album, she took songwriting lessons from vocalist and playwright Mark Winkler.”He taught me how to personalize lyrics and really own them, along with tasteful rhyming. I found songwriting to be therapeutic and now I understand how songwriting is a part of music therapy!”

The music on Swingin’ To The Sea features arrangements by pianist Tamir Hendelman and flutist Lori Bell with contributions from Miki. “Lori is a very talented flute player who really knows jazz and theory. Everything that she plays is very musical and picturesque. Lori introduced me to Tamir who is an amazing person and musician. I learned a lot from him.” In addition to Hendelman, Dave MacKay plays piano on “A Night In Tunisia” and his two compositions, “Free” and “Like Me.” Also featured on the album are the up-and-coming young guitarist Joey Carano, veteran bassist Bob Magnusson, drummer Kevin Koch, and percussionist Tomy Aros. A special bonus is Reiko Obata’s koto playing during the introduction of “A Night In Tunisia.” Miki learned the koto from Reiko and it was Miki’s idea for it to be used on the Dizzy Gillespie classic.

Swingin’ To The Sea features Miki Purnell coming up with her own fresh interpretations of such standards “Bluesette,” “Estate,” “Maiden Voyage,” “The Nearness Of You” (taken as a duet with Hendelman), “The Island,” the rarely performed “Swinging On A Star,” “On Green Dolphin Street” and “A Night In Tunisia.” In addition she revives Alec Wilder’s “Moon & Sand,” introduces her originals “Sexy Sexy” and “Sunny San Diego Sunday,” and sounds wonderful on Dave MacKay’s “Free” and “Like Me.” Her close interplay with flutist Lori Bell is among the highpoints as are the creative piano solos of Hendelman and MacKay. Every note that Miki sings is not only perfectly in tune (she has perfect pitch) but is full of warmth and beauty.

Miki Purnell was born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan. She had classical piano lessons for seven years starting when she was four. Miki sang as a child for the fun of it, often copying Japanese pop singers. At college, she heard jazz for the first time. “I heard ‘Blue In Green’ by Bill Evans and Miles Davis and it hit me so strong that I could not resist the temptation to sing jazz. I was also deeply impressed by Chet Baker and Ella Fitzgerald. I was inspired by not only their improv but the stories of their lives.” Miki wrote songs as a teenager, won a song contest, and sang in one club in Japan, but medical school soon took most of her time and music took a backseat.

Miki became a doctor. She lived and worked in Hawaii where she had occasional opportunities to sing. “As a medical provider, I did nursing home concerts with my attending doctor who played guitar. Singing with guitar and ukulele after a long day was fun!” She eventually settled in San Diego where she established herself as a family physician. “After much time, I started getting the desire to sing again and explore jazz. I became deeply immersed in it, really studying the music. I took important lessons with Kevyn Lettau, two years with Dr. Juliette Singuler for classic voice training, and with Joni Wilson, who is the best voice teacher ever. She had fourty years experience in voice and had the answers to all of the voice-related questions. When I met Lori Bell, she said that if I was serious about singing, wanted to become a better musician and wanted to cultivate artistry, I should record a CD. I felt that it was time.”

Miki Purnell, who sang at two major concerts in San Diego put on by the Japanese Earthquake Relief Charity, has an original style, a very appealing voice, and an irresistible enthusiasm for the music she sings. “This album is who I am and what I am here for, which is to love and support people. I want my audience and my patients to feel comforted when they listen to my work. My goal is to reach out to people where they need music. Music can reach people when words fail. I want to give assurance to others, showing that life is fun and a really worthy thing.”

Track listing:
1. On Green Dolphin Street (Bronislau/Washington) 4:24
2. Bluesette (Thielmans/Gimbel) 5:16
3. Estate (Martino/Siegel (English lyrics) 6:32
4. A Night in Tunisia (Gillespie, Paparelli & Hendricks) 5:58
5. Like Me (MacKay/Hamilton) 4:37
6. Swingin’on a Star (Van Husen/Burke) 3:33
7. Sexy, Sexy (Miki Purnell) 4:18
8. Moon and Sand (Wilder, Engvick and Palitz) 5:19
9. Maiden Voyage (Hancock) 6:31
10. The Nearness of You (Washington/Carmichael) 3:42
11. Free (MacKay/Hamilton) 5:13
12. The Island (Lins, A&M Bergman, and Martins) 6:24
13. Sunny San Diego Sunday (Miki Purnell) 4:01

SINGER-SONGWRITER PROMOTES NEW RADIO SINGLE ON THE HEELS OF NEW VIDEO RELEASE

SHARE AND EMBED “CAN’T LOVE ME” HERE

April 2, 2013 (Los Angeles, CA): Independent singer/songwriter Alisa Boniello has just released her latest single, “Can’t Love Me” on Tuesday, April 2, 2013. After a well-received debut of her infectious EP and single, “Lovestruck” in May, Alisa is back with an explosive pop song.

“Can’t Love Me” is now available as a world wide digital release on all major retail digital platforms such as iTunes and Amazon.

The song was written by Alisa and Ron Haney who also produced, engineered and mixed the track. It was mastered by Tom Ruff and executively produced by Ramon Hervey II.

Originally teaming up with Grammy Award-winning producer Barry Eastmond (Whitney Houston, Britney Spears) on her debut EP, Boniello continues to work alongside noted songwriters such as producer/arranger/musician Ron Haney (Alicia Keys, Drake) for her latest release. The song chronicles a relationship that goes south after a woman discovers her man has cheated on her and can’t offer unrequited love. The retro-soul-tinged single is both catchy and emotional and has a hook beat that immediately draws the listener to the melody of the song.

Alisa and Haney have been working on new material over the past six months. “Can’t Love Me”, is one of four new songs they co-wrote together.

The contemporary pop/soul songstress aims to infuse her talent as a soprano vocalist and a skilled pianist whilst being inspired to write about the by the trials and tribulations of love and relationships as this is showcased in her latest single.

The native New Yorker has been busy writing and recording several songs for a potential EP release tentatively set for late 2013.

Fans can also view the brand new video for “Can’t Love Me” at Alisa’s YouTube channel.

Alisa Boniello links: Website – Facebook – Twitter – YouTube

Cynthia Sayer, the internationally celebrated banjo player and vocalist praised for her “drive and virtuosity” by the New York Times and 10+ years performing in Woody Allen’s New Orleans jazz band, has confirmed the release of Joyride, her first album in five years.

Fretboard Journal describes the album as “pushing the four-string banjo into new, uncharted territory.” Downbeat Magazine says “Sayer’s singing is as nuanced as her banjo playing, [which] makes Joyride sparkle with energy.”

Inspiration for the groundbreaking project came from Sayer’s unlikely 2011 introduction to featured accordionist Charlie Giordano, a member of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.

“When I met Charlie,” Sayer recalls, “our styles struck me as a perfect fit. The banjo-accordion sound is incredibly cool.” Sayer’s singular & striking arrangements show off the rest of her top-tier personnel. Joyride (Plunk P222) features Cynthia Sayer (banjo, vocals, arrangements), Charlie Giordano (accordion), Mauro Battisti (string bass), Larry Eagle (percussion), Sara Caswell (violin), Adrian Cunningham (clarinet), Jon Herington (electric guitar), Randy Sandke (trumpet), Scott Robinson (tenor sax & tarogato), Marcus Rojas (tuba) and Mike Weatherly (string bass & backup vocals).

The album opener, Sayer’s “Banjo Blues,” is a cheeky rebuke to banjo stereotypes and sets the tone for the album. Song selections cover a wide range of jazz styles and musical eras, all delivered with an unmistakably current sensibility. Cynthia single-handedly connects us to the unexpected versatility and power of the 4-string banjo.

Cynthia began playing the banjo at age 13. Graduating Magna Cum Laude from Ithaca College, she chose the banjo over law school. Now her career highlights include performances in New York City’s Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, playing for two U.S. Presidents, and appearing with The New York Philharmonic. She’s also been featured prominently on film, TV and radio. Performances and recordings have accumulated awards and honors, including induction into the National Banjo Hall of Fame.

Tracks include two originals, jazz standards, tango, blues, roots, and favorites from the Great American Songbook. The Joyride track listing, track times and composers include:
1. Banjo Blues 3:13 (Cynthia Sayer)
2. Move It On Over 3:24 (Hank Williams)
3. I Get Ideas (Adios Muchachos) 4:44 (Sanders & Cochran)
4. Ella Miriam’s Blues 3:45 (Andy Statman)
5. You Talk Too Much 3:05 (Cynthia Sayer)
6. The Man On The Flying Trapeze 5:06 (Leybourne & Lyle,
alt. lyrics by Cynthia Sayer)
7. I Love Paris 4:11 (Cole Porter)
8. Getting To Know You 4:00 (Rodgers & Hammerstein II)
9. El Irresistible 3:30 (L.Logatti)
10. Goody Goody 3:44 (Malneck & Mercer)
11. Honey 3:25 (Simons, Gillespie, & Whiting)
12. Under The Bamboo Tree 3:05 (Cole & Johnson)
13. When You Wish Upon A Star 4:23 (Harline & Washington)

The CD is co-produced by Michelle Pollace and Rebeca Mauleón, a recognized Latin-music expert, pianist, and educator. The disc marks Pollace’s new direction as solo bandleader. She previously co-led Latin jazz fusion band Zarate Pollace Project with hit songwriter Abel Zarate, an adventure that coincides with her foray into motherhood. These life events inspired this album’s title New Beginning.

The disc’s two arrangements of well-known standards were carefully chosen. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” is a popular choice of cover song. In Pollace’s case, this song has a very special connection to her family. The CD’s liner notes state, “My grandfather, a professional jazz pianist, once accompanied Judy Garland when she strolled into the Chicago hotel where he played; this was one of the songs they performed. I never got to hear my grandfather play, but he remains an inspiration. Arrangement dedicated to my father—whose love of jazz led me embracing the music as well—and to the memory of my grandfather.”

“La Comparsa” was similarly chosen to pay homage to masters that came before, in this case, the Cuban composer Ernesto Lecuona. Pollace has a special affinity for the traditional Cuban danzon, and Lecuona’s iconic composition for piano suggests the signature rhythm of the danzon, the baqueteo, throughout. On New Beginning Michelle rethinks the piece’s harmony. The arrangement features venerable Bay Area saxophonist Kristen Strom and evolves into a rollicking, joyous descarga (jam session).

While the cover songs selected allow Pollace to honor the roots of jazz and Latin music while offering her perspective and a new creative voice, the eight original compositions (one a collaboration between Michelle Pollace and guitarist Abel Zarate) explore the theme of a new beginning.

Prior to leading her current band, she co-led Zarate Pollace Project with guitarist Abel Zarate (hit songwriter for Malo and Willie Bobo). ZPP enlisted the musical contributions of many Bay Area luminaries, including John Santos, Paul Van Wageningen, Michael Spiro, and others to realize its musical blend of jazz, fusion, Brazilian, and Afro-Cuban styles both live and on the debut CD Soul Redemption (2005).

Pollace’s diverse performance and recording credits also include orchestra member in Lou Harrison’s internationally renowned Gamelan Si Betty, keyboardist for Chepito Areas (Santana’s original percussionist and arranger), chorus member in a Gilbert & Sullivan theater company, bassist for a grunge band, and more. She is also co-author of Musicreation, a book/CD music-instruction method.

All-New World, Story, Characters and Experience, All Powered by New, Next Gen Call of Duty Engine from the Developer that started it all, Infinity Ward

For an Exclusive First Look at the Game, Tune in to Xbox: The New Generation Revealed, May 21 at 10AM PDT on Xbox.com, Xbox Live or SPIKE TV

Groundbreaking Title Lands on November 5

Santa Monica, CA – May 1, 2013 – Prepare for the next generation of Call of Duty®. The franchise that has defined a generation of gaming is set to raise the bar once again with the all-new Call of Duty®: Ghosts. Published by Activision Publishing, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (Nasdaq: ATVI), and developed by Infinity Ward, the studio that created the original Call of Duty and the seminal Call of Duty®: Modern Warfare® series, Call of Duty: Ghosts ushers in the next generation of the franchise. The new title delivers a riveting all-new gameplay experience built on an entirely new story, setting and cast of characters, all powered by a new, next generation Call of Duty engine that redefines the series for the next generation.

“Infinity Ward set the gold standard for first-person action for a generation, and they’re going to do it again with Call of Duty: Ghosts,” said Eric Hirshberg, CEO of Activision Publishing, Inc. “Ghosts delivers an all-new story, all-new characters, an all-new Call of Duty world, all powered by a next generation Call of Duty engine, which is a leap forward for the franchise. Infinity Ward is going all-in to create the next generation of Call of Duty worthy of the world’s greatest fans.”

“Everyone was expecting us to make Modern Warfare 4, which would have been the safe thing to do. But we’re not resting on our laurels,” said Mark Rubin, executive producer of developer Infinity Ward. “We saw the console transition as the perfect opportunity to start a new chapter for Call of Duty. So we’re building a new sub-brand, a new engine, and a lot of new ideas and experiences for our players. We can’t wait to share them with our community.”

To see an exclusive first look at Call of Duty: Ghosts tune in to Xbox: the Next Generation Revealed on May 21 at 10AM PDT on Xbox.com, Xbox LIVE or SPIKE TV for the debut of the all-new game from Infinity Ward.

“We are consistently thrilled with the overwhelming response received from critics and consumers alike to the Call of Duty series, which has firmly established its home on the Xbox 360 with the game’s largest and most engaged community,” said Don Mattrick, president of the interactive entertainment business at Microsoft. “With Call of Duty: Ghosts, we have no doubt that our longtime partners, Activision and Infinity Ward, will raise the bar higher than ever before for this incredible franchise.”

Starting today, fans can begin pre-ordering their copy of Call of Duty: Ghosts at retail outlets worldwide.

“There’s no other video game property like Call of Duty. It’s the biggest game franchise on the planet that has had some of the biggest game entertainment launches in history,” said Tony Bartel, president of GameStop. “We are very excited for the launch of Call of Duty: Ghosts, as we transition to next generation consoles.”

Call of Duty: Ghosts will release on Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system and PC on November 5. Call of Duty: Ghosts will also be available for next generation platforms. For the latest intel, check out: www.callofduty.com/ghosts, www.facebook.com/CODGhosts, or follow on Twitter @InfinityWard. Call of Duty: Ghosts is not yet rated.

About Activision Publishing, Inc.
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision Publishing, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products.

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Released March 19, 2013 from Sony Classical, Night was recorded at the Academy of Arts and Letters in New York by Grammy-winning producers Adam Abeshouse and Ryan Freeland. Dinnerstein and Merritt launched the new recording by performing Night live in cities including Munich, New York, Durham, Tampa, and Saratoga during spring 2013.

Though Simone Dinnerstein (a Juilliard-trained classical pianist from Brooklyn) and Tift Merritt (a singer-songwriter from North Carolina whose father taught her to play by ear) could not come from more different musical backgrounds, when the two met they immediately realized that their passion for music and performance was kindred, if not the same.

Night features new songs written especially for the duo by Brad Mehldau (I Shall Weep at Night) and Patty Griffin (Night), as well as Tift Merritt’s own songs (Only in Songs, Still Not Home, Colors, Feel of the World), and classical selections (an arrangement of Schubert’s Night and Dreams, Bach’s Prelude in B minor). The album also includes the world premiere recording of The Cohen Variations by Daniel Felsenfeld, a solo piano piece commissioned by Dinnerstein based on one of her favorite songs, Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne. Night was conceived as a song cycle developed for a concert commissioned and presented by Duke Performances in January 2011. Watch a video excerpt of Night from WNYC, New York Public Radio.

Of the process of creating this work together, Merritt says, “We were coming from completely different directions and taking the risk of extending ourselves into foreign territory to find each other. It was disorienting at times, especially at first. We both felt very exposed and vulnerable but in very opposite ways and places. But we really challenged each other and pulled new places out of each other. And that risk, ultimately, was really exciting.”

Dinnerstein adds, “This album has been about pushing our creative boundaries. I’ve learned from Tift some of the rules of her world -to be a good band member, not to use too many notes, to let the words come through, to keep an edge and rawness to the improvisation. In the classical world, it can be safer to play familiar music in a familiar way, but I find that a suffocating aesthetic. Music by Bach or Schubert or any composer needs to be approached in a way that’s constantly fresh. I love the idea that a song by Billie Holiday can speak to a song by Purcell, and that each one can influence the way we hear the other.”

Dinnerstein and Merritt, who met in 2008 when they were set up together for an interview for Gramophone magazine and Merritt’s own radio show “The Spark with Tift Merritt,” have been performing (and honing) the material on Night since 2010.

The Washington Post described their D.C. appearance in May 2012: “Merritt blew on a pair of harmonicas to add a taste of hickory to Dinnerstein’s take on Schubert’s Nacht und Träume. During a medley of reworked old-timey folk songs, Dinnerstein got off her stool and under the hood of her pristine Steinway Grand and hammered its strings like a dulcimer to accompany Merritt’s strumming of a beat-up acoustic guitar. Merritt took a seat stage left while Dinnerstein played what she described as ‘variations on Leonard Cohen’s Suzanne,’ an all-instrumental piece that brought out the melodic similarities between the original and Jimmy Webb’s MacArthur Park . . . [the concert] climaxed with what [Merritt] called the ‘painful woman’ portion of the show with Billie Holiday’s standing-by-her-philandering-man blues song Don’t Explain.”

The New Yorker has called Tift Merritt “the bearer of a proud tradition of distaff country soul that reaches back to artists like Dusty Springfield and Bobbie Gentry,” a standard upholding that got underway in earnest with Bramble Rose, the 2002 solo debut that put her on the Americana map forever. As her sophomore album, Tambourine, was followed by Another Country and See You on the Moon, Merritt found acclaim coming not just from critics and awards organizations but her own heroes, like Emmylou Harris, who marveled that Merritt “stood out like a diamond in a coal patch.” Now a leading lady in her own right, Merritt is hardly one to hog the spotlight. She engages in dialogue with fellow artists of all disciplines on her public radio broadcast and podcast “The Spark With Tift Merritt,” bringing in fellow sojourners ranging from Patty Griffin and Rosanne Cash to Rick Moody and Nick Hornby (who devoted a chapter to Merritt in his 31 Songs book).

Of her latest album, Traveling Alone, released by Yep Roc in October 2012, USA Today raves, “Steel-laced country-soul only hints at the sublime charms of Merritt’s Traveling Alone,” and Paste writes, “Traveling Alone . . . not only shows her true lyrical and vocal range, but suggests an adventurous spirit beneath the placid surface.”

American pianist Simone Dinnerstein is a searching and inventive artist motivated by a desire to find the musical core of every work she approaches. The Independent praises the “majestic originality of her vision” and NPR reports, “She compels the listener to follow her in a journey of discovery filled with unscheduled detours.”

The New York-based pianist gained an international following because of the remarkable success of her recording of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, which she raised the funds to record. Released in 2007, it ranked No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Classical Chart in its first week of sales and was named to many “Best of” lists including those of The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, and The New Yorker. The three albums she has released since then – The Berlin Concert, Bach: A Strange Beauty, and Something Almost Being Said - have also topped the classical charts, with Bach: A Strange Beauty making the Billboard Top 200, which compiles the entire music industry’s sales of albums in all genres. Dinnerstein was the bestselling instrumentalist of 2011 on the U.S. Billboard Classical Chart. Her performance schedule has taken her around the world since her triumphant New York recital debut at Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall in 2005, to major venues including the Kennedy Center, Vienna Konzerthaus, Berlin Philharmonie, Lincoln Center, and London’s Wigmore Hall, among many others. She has been a soloist with leading orchestras including the New York Philharmonic, Tokyo Symphony, Vienna Symphony, and more. Dinnerstein has also played concerts throughout the country for the Piatigorsky Foundation, an organization dedicated to bringing classical music to non-traditional venues, and performed at the Maryland Correctional Institution for Women in a concert organized by the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra to coincide with her BSO debut. Dedicated to her community, in 2009 Dinnerstein founded Neighborhood Classics, a concert series that raises funds for and is hosted by New York City public schools.