The Wailers will release a brand new single today, Friday, May 22. One World, One Prayer features Shaggy and Bob Markey’s grandson Skip, and is produced by 19-time GRAMMY-winning producer Emilio Estefan. The tune precedes an album due later this summer. The Wailers are currently led by Aston Barrett Jr., son of founding member and bassist Aston “Familyman” Barrett, and […]

John Cumming [1948 – 2020] The recent mourning in the jazz world due to the loss of icons such as McCoy Tyner, Manu Dibango, Lee Konitz, Henry Grimes and Wallace Roney has been tragically compounded by the passing of John Cumming. He was 72 and succumbed to coronavirus, following largely successful treatment for cancer last year. One of the co-founders […]

Bristol’s famous Colston Hall venue is responding to the current lockdown with Colston Hall Presents Bristol Takeover Online, a free, live-streamed festival celebrating [in particular] Bristol’s music artists and venues, in partnership with Music Venue Trust’s Save Our Venues campaign. Save Our Venues is a new national campaign to save hundreds of grassroots music venues at imminent risk of being […]

Set for release on May 15, Ella 100: Live At The Apollo! celebrates the music and life of Ella Fitzgerald. Recorded live at the storied Harlem N.Y. venue in front of, the concert and recording, produced by the eight-time Garmmy and Emmy Award winner Gregg Field, features an imoressive array of guests and is co-hosted by Patti Austin and the […]

The Blues Music Foundation presented the 41st Annual Blues Music Awards via virtual ceremony on Sunday, May 3, 2020, awarding the indefatigable Sugaray Rayford the prestigious B.B. King Entertainer of the Year and for the second consecutive year as well as the Soul Blues Male Artist Award. The singer was also nominated in four additional categories. This past December, Rayford was nominated for a 2020 Grammy for Best Contemporary […]

Heralding the relaunch of Mark ‘Return Of The Mack’ Morrison’s MackLife label, Leicester vocalist Rhea Sun has just released her first single, Train. The Portuguese, UK-based artist has a ‘90s soul/R&B vibe on the tune, which was produced by Shaun Bailey a.k.a. Djedi. Hear it for yourselves right here: http://smarturl.it/rheasuntrain Label boss Morrison explains his vision for MackLife and his […]

Following her very cool single Bittersweet released back in Feb, South London’s Lianne La Havas will present her brand new album, Lianne La Havas, on July 17. The set, her third and first fresh project in five years, is heralded by a new single, Paper Thin, available to stream on all platforms as of now. The creation of the album […]

A couple of new releases from Shanachie Records heading our way during these virus-affected times. First up, saxman Kim Waters has a new album coming later tis month: Shakedown seeing Waters turning into something of a one-man band on this release. The project features all originals with the exception of his take on Ella Mai’s hit Boo’d Up. Says Kim: […]

Sony Music Masterworks/Arista Records are to release The Eddy: Songs By Glen Ballard And Randy Kerber From The Netflix Original Series on May 8 – an album featuring music taken from Damien Chazelle’s forthcoming eight-episode trilingual [French, Arabic and English] limited TV series. Guests include St. Vincent and Jorja Smith. The Eddy is a drama set in modern-day Paris and tells […]

Due to restrictions associated with the coronavirus outbreak, London’s Southbank Centre has rescheduled Grace Jones’ Meltdown to June 2021. Says Grace: “Regretfully my Meltdown festival this year must be rescheduled to June 2021 due to the coronavirus. I am gravely disappointed, but also delighted to be working with the amazing Southbank Centre team who have been able to successfully move […]