For more than three decades, Phil Perry has been recognized as one of the truly great vocalists in popular music. He's released six popular solo albums and has been a guest vocalist on dozens of others. Last year he rewarded his fans with Classic Love Songs, an album of covers of love songs of the 70s and 80s. It was so popular that he's recorded a sequel, the brand new "A Mighty Love", and it is even better than its predecessor. As always, song selection is key, and Perry generally does fine in that regard, choosing ballads such as "Unbreak My Heart," Dionne Warwick's "Deja Vu" and the classic Skylark hit "Wildflower," all of which lay well for his expressive falsetto. Also features a cover of Christopher Cross's "Ride like the wind". Highly recommended.

New Columbia Nashville group Cole Deggs & The Lonesome are set to heat up the summer with the release their self-titled debut album on July 10, 2007. The fresh, compelling energy of the fivesome’s first single, “I Got More,” continues to amass well-deserved airplay on the country charts, and new fans can tune in this weekend to 650 AM or wsmonline.com as the group makes their debut on the famed Grand Ole Opry radio show this Saturday, May 12.

Fifteen years in the making, Cole Deggs & The Lonesome is a genuine “band of brothers.” Individually, they are accomplished musicians and songwriters. Collectively, they are a rock steady, look-you-in-the-eye song craft, and their debut album for Columbia Nashville is a fusion of country rock and southern soul from a five-man band as real and genuine as the music they make.

Call it country with an edge, if you like, music that’s country to the core but also rocks and blends in touches of the blues as well as the special seasonings of their Texas and Louisiana roots. Add to the mix road-honed musicianship, songwriting sharpened by top-flight experience, and then brotherly harmonies in a tradition that stretches back in country through the Everlys and Louvins — and in this case, multiplied times two sets of brothers for masterful harmonies — and you’ve got a new country band with the confidence, chops and charm of time-tested veterans.

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Tommy Shaw "Ambition" - 1987

Tommy Shaw is best known as the lead guitarist for the iconic band Styx, and he also penned some of their most classic songs. Before joining the band Damn Yankees, Shaw released a string of solo projects. The long out-of-print Ambition (originally released in 1987) would be the last solo release from Shaw for nearly a decade. American Beat records is re-releasing that album considered by fan as one of the best AOR melodic rock album from the 80's. It featured the song "Ever since the world began" written by Jim Peterik and Frankie Sullivan of Survivor.

Patti Austin - 1984

Patti Austin's self-titled album follows 1982's smash hit pop album "Every Home Should Have One" including #1 pop hit single "Baby Come To Me" duet with James Ingram for Quincy Jones' Qwest label. Patti got a significant airplay with the singles "It's Gonna Be Special" (also on the VOST "Two of a kind" with Olivia Newton John & John Travolta) written by Clif Magness and Glen Ballard.
This album had been reissued once in 1991 only for Japan but have been out-of print for very long time. Mosaic Records will reissue this album under their Contemporary Reissues series presenting the definitive versions of the most important recordings in contemporary jazz and Adult Contemporary Music.

Lee Ritenour "Rit" - 1981

This classic Lee Ritenour album from 1981 was produced by the man himself alongside Harvey Mason and David Foster. The album features a list of guests including Greg Mathieson, Bill Reichenbach, Don Grusin, David Foster, Bill Champlin, Alejandro "Alex" Acuña, Michael Boddicker, Paulinho Da Costa, Jerry Hey, David Hungate, Louis Johnson, Abe Laboriel, Greg Phillinganes, John Pierce, Joe Porcaro, Eric Tagg, Chuck Finley, just to name a few :-)
"Is it you" is surely my favorite track sung by Eric Tagg with the Bill Champlin on backing vocals.

After an amazing show with Steely Dan, Michael Leonhart and Jon Herington came back to play Michael's last album "The ballad of Minton Quigley" on July, 11st at the Sunside in Paris.
At the end, they were joined on stage by other members of the Steely Dan band.

A few moments before the show, Michael and Jon gave us time for a short interview.

Special thanks to Richard & Laurent (WWL) and Renato (Sunset-Sunside).

Acadia will release on August 13, a compilation of three albums of The Sons of Champlin re-mastered from original tapes available for the first time on CD. Emerging from the late 60's San Francisco psychedelic scene The Sons of Champlin were relatively unusual among Bay Area bands for favouring more soul influenced material. The three albums featured on this set are THE SONS OF CHAMPLIN, A CIRCLE FILLED WITH LOVE and LOVING IS WHY.

The new cd "LA project 2" by Peter Friestedt is in final stage right now. You can listen to a sample of the first songs "Where to touch you" with Bill Champlin and Joseph Williams sharing the vocals!

Jimmy Ryser released a "Best of the Best" of his favorite songs and covers as well. If you're not familiar with Jimmy Ryser's music, it's time to discover it with that new record titled "1965 - Now". Enjoy...

Jimmy Ryser began his music career in Solon, Ohio, when he was just a 6 year old. He started playing the violin then to while away the hours during hospital stays due to a birth defect called Spina Bifida. That was the ticket…an escape from the drudgery of pain and illness. When he was 14, Jim picked up the guitar. It went everywhere with him. As a ninth grader, he debuted with his first band, "Traitor", at his junior high school's talent show. When a guitar solo (Yes, it was "Free Bird") commanded a standing ovation Jim recalls, "That moment, I knew what the Beatles must have felt like. To this day, it seems like the biggest crowd I have ever played in front of". Jim, by the way, has performed for as many as 70,000 people as a solo artist at Farm Aid IV and VI. In August of 2002 he eclipsed that number when he performed the National Anthem accapella at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400 NASCAR event. 300,000+ fans at the speedway itself and estimates of over 30 million people watching and listening in 96 countries worldwide. Now THAT'S an audience! This was a longtime dream of Jim's and he was almost overwhelmed by the experience. Many thanks to Tony George for giving Jim the opportunity to fulfill his dream.

Music continued to be a way of life over the next several years. It provided personal enjoyment and a way to express himself and his experiences in a unique way. Richard Mellencamp (John's father) discovered Jim during his "pizza tossing days" right after high school. Jim says, "it was work from 7 to 5, go home and write with my sister, Diane, and do it all over again the next day. I loved every minute of those days". Richard took Jim's demos to John and they ended up on the cluttered desk of Clive Davis, president of Arista Records. The legendary "Man with the Golden Ears" offered Jim a spot on the Arista roster immediately after their first meeting. Jim inked his contract "in the kitchen" in 1988.

Success came in 1990 with the release of "Jimmy Ryser", his self-titled debut CD. The first single, "Same Old Look", hit number 26 on the Billboard Chart, and number 6 on the Gavin Chart. A tour with the Moody Blues followed that summer. Although health limitations forced him to stop touring, Jim calls his debut a success. Jim was a hit in the Midwest and in other areas of the country, but his health took a toll on the fast rising star. He nevertheless kept writing with lyricist-sister Diane. In 1992, Jim and Arista had a mutual parting of ways so Jim could regain his health.

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For the last several years, BigBang have been earning a reputation as one of the most successful and influential bands to hail from the Arctic Circle. Coming hot off the heals of their last two No.1 albums, "Radio Radio TV Sleep", the best selling live album in Norway’s history and "Poetic Terrorism", BigBang shot to Norway’s No.1 album slot once again with their latest studio album "Too Much Yang" (already gone Gold), which is getting a UK release on August 6th.

"‘Too Much Yang" is BigBang’s sixth studio album and it was recorded in Norway and the US during autumn 2006 / winter 2007. In fact BigBang were one of the last bands to ever record at the legendary Capitol Studios in Hollywood whose landmark tower has now sadly been sold by EMI to property developers.

The album was produced by BigBang originator and vocalist/guitarist, Øystein Greni and co-mixed by producer /engineer Sylvia Massy Shivy, known for her work with Rick Rubin, Tom Petty, Tool, Prince and the legendary Johnny Cash.

BigBang`s ascent to the top of the Norwegian music scene (which currently is very vibrant with internationally acclaimed bands/artists such as Datarock, Kings of Convenience, Annie, Sondre Lerche, Turbonegro, Madrugada, Motorpsycho and Röyksopp) has been fairly unusual. The band spent some time in the trenches getting the tough education that comes with carrying your own equipment and promoting your own shows.

Then suddenly everything changed. The very potent combination of a certified hit single ("Girl in Oslo") and a band with a crystal-clear front figure and dynamic, rock-trio set up, put BigBang on everybody’s lips.

Today BigBang consists of Øystein Greni (vocals/guitars) with Olaf Olsen on drums/vocals and Lasse Weeden on bass. Venturing beyond borders, BigBang began to play local gigs and showcases in the US last year. Encouraged by radio support from Steve Jones (Sex Pistols) of Jonesy’s Jukebox on Idie103.1 in LA, and rave reviews from local media, the boys returned home, only to later play at Spot ’06 music festival in Denmark. Renowned Rolling Stone journalist, David Fricke caught the band live and was so impressed that he featured them in his influential column, writing ‘Led by singer-guitarist Oystein Greni, BigBang lit the power-pop chime and song writing of Big Star and late eighties R.E.M with the power blues dynamics of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s Double Trouble’.

At the end of another brief trip to LA last September, as the band prepared to start recording material for "Too Much Yang", they were invited to join The Raconteurs for nine dates across the UK last October. BigBang took London’s Brixton Academy by storm and gained rave reviews from the UK media, including The Sun writing "BigBang are the hottest, most exciting thing to come out of the Arctic Circel right now".

I'm pleased to introduce you to Daniel Nelson, a talented singer I discovered on myspace.com
Daniel didn't sign on any record label yet but I'm sure it's gonna be on the way soon!

"I was and still am into what is called West Coast Music-- It's sort of the cool sounds that came (Mostly) out of Los Angeles during the '70s and '80s by bands like Toto, The Doobie Bros (w/Michael McDonald) and Ambrosia. For a lot of younger people, this music is becoming almost "oldies", but quite frankly, as nostalgic as it now is in the 2000s, it's still my favorite type of music and the type I recently wrote & recorded. I miss really competent musicians writing great songs & fantastic arrangements with live horn sections and strings. My favorite instrument will always be the Fender Rhodes (Thanks Michael!)-- I know there's a lot of you out there who still love this stuff-- Leave me a message and enjoy my tracks!!!" - Daniel Nelson

One of the most influential but unknown guitar players, Terry Haggerty is buried treasure. As the guitarist with the Sons of Champlin, Haggerty was always accorded the full respect of his peers; players like:

“If it wasn’t for Miles Davis, Wayne Shorter and you (Terry), I’d just be a blues guitarist”
Carlos Santana

“Terry was an early influence on my guitar playing”
Robben Ford

“Terry Haggerty has always been a unique and original player, and a lot of fun to listen to. He is highly inventive, incorporating the tone of rock and the harmonies of jazz”
Jerry Garcia

He has been known throughout the world, among the guitar cognoscenti, by the handful of recordings he made over the two decades of the Sons' existence.
But even now, as he prepares to release his first solo instrumental recording, he remains something of an unknown.
The great volume of material that Terry has recently created has led to this CD, entitled “TERRY HAGGERTY”, a sampler of sorts. Some of the songs are home studio studies. Some have been done in a proper recording studio.
All of it is just a precursor to the full blown studio album in progress. Stay tuned.