The first Yellowjackets "Yellowjackets" has just been reissue by Rhino Records in remastered and expanded version (4 bonus tracks) and a new liner notes. The debut disc from the band captures the its original line-up (keyboardist Russell Ferrante, bassist Jimmy Haslip and drummer Ricky Lawson along with guitarist Robben Ford).
Their debut album made serious waves on jazz radio with its buoyant blend of jazz and R&B influences.

The Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) Tom Petty catalog is now available for digital downloading in the most significant and comprehensive artist-specific campaign of its kind for UMe.
The catalog encompasses 99 different recordings spanning his career from 1976 to 1993 and heard on nine complete albums, including "Greatest Hits," plus other tracks.
The first day the catalog was available cyber-wide, January 27, "Greatest Hits" debuted as the #4 Most Downloaded Album on iTunes.

On March 2nd, Universal Music and Video Distribution will partner with Petty's current record label, Warner Bros., in a unique cross-promotion to increase consumer awareness of the catalog's digital availability.
On that date, Warner Bros. will debut 2 previously unreleased live tracks by the band on Apple's iTunes site, helping to drive fans to the site's Petty catalog.
Said Bruce Resnikoff, President, UMe: "Having an artist of the stature of Tom Petty committing their catalog to this digital distribution business that is just getting off the ground says a great deal about his foresight. Along with UMe, he is embracing a new digital generation and taking a leading role in putting the music fan first."
The digital partners with UMe are Apple iTunes, BuyMusic.com, FullAudio, Liquid Audio (via music retail sites WalMart.com, Tower.com, FYE.com, etc.), Musicmatch, Rhapsody, and Napster (which launched the effort with a two-week exclusive in late January).

The tracks are available for download individually, in bundles or by complete album. Petty has 11 albums in his Ume catalog; the only album not available intact 2000 two-CD "Anthology: Through The Years" and the 1995 box set "Playback" is not available for purchase online.
Along with "Greatest Hits," the available complete albums are the double platinum "Damn The Torpedoes" (1979), platinum "Hard Promises" (1981), gold " Long After Dark" (1982), platinum "Southern Accents" (1985), live "Pack Up The Plantation" (1986), gold "Let Me Up (I've Had Enough)" (1987), 5 times platinum "Full Moon Fever" (1989) and double platinum "Into The Great Wide Open" (1991).
Just a few of the major hits on those albums are "Breakdown," "American Girl," "Don't Do Me Like That," "Refugee," "The Waiting," "Don't Come Around Here No More," "I Won't Back Down," "Runnin' Down A Dream," "Free Fallin'" and "Mary Jane's Last Dance." Also included are 6 "Anthology" tracks not available on any of the complete albums offered.

Tom's Warner Brothers catalogue has been available online since last year. The catalogue includes the Gone Gator release "Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers" (1976) and "Your Gonna Get It" (1978). Also available are "Wildflowers" (1994), "She's The One" (1996), "Echo" (1999) and "The Last DJ" (2002).
Individual songs from these albums include "American Girl", "Breakdown", "I Need To Know", "Listen to Her Heart", "You Don't Know How It Feels", "You Wreck Me", "Walls", "Free Girl Now" and "The Last DJ."

Here is the message on Al Jarreau website :
"Greetings to all of my fans!
Thank you for all of your support and love of my music. I am in the studio working on a new album which I hope to complete over the next several months."

On her latest album, "The Girl In The Other Room", Diana Krall illustrates her understanding of the breadth of possibilities in Jazz and reveals her talent as a songwriter.
The title song of the record is a Krall original (and note in passing that the words were co-written with Elvis Costello), the ear is drawn to the elegant and effortlessly swinging accompaniment of Krall's piano and that of her long-time partners in rhythm: Jeff Hamilton on drums and bassist, John Clayton.

For much of the album, the musical support comes from drummer Peter Erskine and bassist Christian McBride. The inventive and sympathetic guitar playing of Anthony Wilson is heard throughout a record that which also features drummer Terri Lynne Carrington and Neil Larsen sitting in on Hammond B-3 for one cut.
The album is the first co-produced by Krall and her long-time producer Tommy LiPuma. Recorded at Capitol Studios, Hollywood and Avatar Recording, New York City, the sessions were engineered throughout 2003 by another long-term cohort, Al Schmitt.

Listeners used to Krall's intimate and seductive interpretations of standard ballads may be surprised at first by her present choice of composers. Krall's sensual approach to Tom Waits' "Temptation," with its extraordinary introduction by Christian McBride, is balanced by Krall's own exquisite preface to a most tender rendition of Elvis Costello's "Almost Blue." A beautifully reflective version of a relatively obscure standard, "I'm Pulling Through," recalls the style of her teacher, Jimmy Rowles. While so much of the music is new, the album itself recalls a vinyl disc of two sides. The bold and flowing solos from Krall and guitarist Anthony Wilson on Joni Mitchell's song of travel, "Black Crow," announce a series of original song.

The album closes with perhaps the most deeply felt of the self-composed titles. "Departure Bay" contains vivid and touching images of her hometown of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island but also a wrenching description of her family's first Christmas without her mother and a final verse that welcomes new love and hope for the future.

Musically composed by Krall alone, these songs mark a lyrical collaboration with her new husband, Elvis Costello.

"The thing about Diana is her musicianship," Al Schmitt said in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "More than most singers, she knows what's right for her, and she knows how to make it happen musically."

Personnel:
Diana Krall (Piano, Vocal, Co-Producer) - Tommy LiPuma (Co-Producer) - Anthony Wilson (Guitar) - Christian McBride (Bass) - Peter Erskine (Drums) - John Clayton (Bass) - Jeff Hamilton (Drums) - Neil Larsen (Hammond B-3) - Terri Lynne Carrington (Drums).

Tracks :
1. Stop This World
2. The Girl In The Other Room
3. Temptation
4. Almost Blue
5. I've Changed My Address
6. Love Me Like A Man
7. I'm Pulling Through
8. Black Crow
9. Narrow Daylight
10. Abandoned Masquerade
11. I'm Coming Through
12. Departure Bay

Due to 4/27/04 on Verve Records

Fleetwood Mac is now on tour in Australia. Check out this article: Fleetwood Mac Attack Australia to know more about the set-list and the nice mood of one of their first concerts as well as nice pics.
"The return of Fleetwood Mac to Australian shores has been treated somewhat as an event, more so because it marks the reunion of the Buckingham - Nicks line-up on tour for the first time since the 80s. The only thing missing was Christine McVie and it was noticeable."

Graham Nash, David Crosby and Bonnie Raitt, Lowen and Navarro and Jonatha Brooke are on a charity 2-CD set to obtain funds for the Parkinson disease, entitled: "ParkinSong, Volume One: 38 Songs of Hope", to be released via Ryko Distribution on May 11.
The CD is produced by Lloyd Maines (Dixie Chicks).
Proceeds will go to ParkinSong Foundation based in new Jersey specialized in giving money to research for new and innovative therapies for treatment of Parkinson's Disease.

Tracklist:

Disc one:
"Charlie Brown," Terri Hendrix
"Vivid," Greg Brown
"Cello Girl," Caitlin Cary
"Old Friends," Chuck Prophet
"Forget-Me-Nots," Hot Club Of Cowtown
"Darien," Pete Sears
"I Wish I Was the Moon," Neko Case
"Gold," Jen Chapin
"Lucky Day," Stone Coyotes
"Song for Molly," Lucy Kaplansky
"Carry Me," David Crosby and Graham Nash
"The Man in the Bed," Dave Alvin
"Christmas," Florence Dore
"Castanets," Alejandro Escovedo
"Mark's Song," eastmountainsouth
"Wedding Dress," Ana Egge
"27," Tom Freund
"Don't Lay Down," Catie Curtis
"It's Alright," Sara Hickman

Disc two:
"Fearless Love," Bonnie Raitt
"Beauty Way," Eliza Gilkyson
"The One," Grey Eye Glances
"Let It Go," Richard X. Heyman
"Flood," Last Train Home
"Let Go," Amy Farris
"Right or Wrong," Cindy Kalmenson
"I'll Start with Me," Alice Peacock
"Flagpole," Michelle Malone
"No Judges," Kim Richey
"It's a Shame, You Know," Steve Forbert
"All the Way to Heaven," Amy Rigby
"Walking," Jonatha Brooke
"Muhammad Ali," Tom Russell
"The One Who Knows," Dar Williams
"Like You Used To," Utah Carol
"Miles From Nowhere," Little Pink
"Reason to Believe," Kelly Willis
"That's What I Make Myself Believe," Lowen and Navarro

Legendary Peter Frampton guitar sideman and keyboard player Bob Mayo, 52 y.o. died of a heart attack in Basel, Switzerland, yesterday, just one day after the Parisian concert of Peter Frampton.
By the mid-seventies, Bob Mayo joins Peter Frampton band and played on "Frampton Comes Alive" great LP (1976).
In the eighties, Bob has played with Joe Walsh and above all Foreigner albums ("4" and "Agent Provocateur") and tours of the same band from 1981 to 1986. In 1987, he joined Dan Fogelberg and Daryl Hall & John Oates for their 1988-98 worlwide tour. A complete biography of Bob Mayo is available at his official web-site.

Of course, due to this sad event, Peter Frampton has just decided to cancel all of the remaining 11 concert dates on his European tour.

Official Press Release on Peter Frampton official web-site:
"Basel, Switzerland, February 23, 2004 -- Bob Mayo passed away suddenly of a heart attack on February 23 at 4:00pm in Basel, Switzerland. Mayo, born in New York in 1951, was on tour with Peter Frampton who had just launched a concert tour of Europe. Bob Mayo's work is known and loved the world over for taste, style and presence as a professional keyboardist, guitarist, vocalist, producer, and songwriter with international acts. Mayo performed with several bands in the 1960s before meeting Frampton. They toured the U.S. and Canada, recording the shows that resulted in 1976 "Frampton Comes Alive!" Following a brief break from touring, during which time he focused primarily on session work, Mayo later toured with Foreigner, Aerosmith and Robert Plant. In the spring of 1988, Mayo hooked up with old friends Mark Rivera and Tom T-Bone Wolk, performing with Darryl Hall and John Oates. Bob rejoined with Peter Frampton in 1992 for what was meant to be an eight-week tour. This turned into seven months on the road and a renewed personal and professional relationship. "Frampton Comes Alive 2" was released in 1995 with the DVD and CD "Live in Detroit" following in 1999. Most recently Mayo played on Peter Frampton's new CD, "Now." "Bob was like a brother to me," stated Peter Frampton. "We've performed and recorded together since 1975 and I will miss him a great deal. I have lost a close personal friend and a talented, professional and outstanding musician. My heartfelt condolences to his family." Mayo is survived by fiancee Laurie Pellillo, step-daughter Catherine Jacoby, sons Christopher and Gregory Mayo and sister Mary Jo Mayo. Serviceswill be private. Service details and charitable donation information willbe available soon. All remaining dates on the Peter Frampton European tour have beencancelled. Contact individual theatre box offices for information."

Barry Manilow will be a guest judge of the US TV show "American Idol" on live episodes airing April 19-20, in which contestants will sing some Barry Manilow tunes.
BMG Heritage will release Barry Manilow "Two Nights Live!," on April 6, which consists of a 2-CD set of the singer's greatest hits performed live and 6 previously unreleased songs.

The new Jeff Larson CD will initially be released in Japan on JVC Victor on March 24, 2004 with the US edition to follow in late May 2004.
The Japanese release will also coincide with a release of Breeze 6 "Best of AOR" and will feature the track "Hazy Sunshine" from "Sepia".  Additional outlets in Europe and other countries are also being discussed. 
11 new songs with guests Gerry Beckley, Dewey Bunnell, Jeff Foskett, Steuart Smith and more.

The tracklist:
Windblown Mind,
What About My Dreams,
Cryin',
Getting into Yesterday,
Seeing Red,
Suburban Lawns,
Hazy Sunshine,
Nothing on You,
Broken Heart Smile,
Blur,
Never Enough Time,
Getting into Yesterday (bonus Acoustic Mix)

Produced by Hank Linderman.
All songs written by Jeff Larson, except "Cryin'" Written and co-produced by Gerry Beckley.

Why does it sound so familiar ? Hydra is the band of Steve Lukather's son, Trevor. With three friends Mike, Andrew and Chris, the band already played serious gigs in LA and recorded their first EP called "The New Beginning".
You can listen to 4 tracks from the EP and get more informations on www.stevelukather.net.