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 […]

Due to the current Covid-19 crisis, this year’s Love Supreme Festival, due to take place in July, has now been officially postponed until 2021. Some of the artists due to perform in 2020 have already confirmed for next year. A statement from the organisers reads: “Friends of Love Supreme… We have been monitoring COVID-19 updates closely and how the evolving […]

Bill Withers has died of heart complications, aged 81. News of the singer-songwriter’s death broke on Friday afternoon, April 3, accompanied by a statement from his family that read: “We are devastated by the loss of our beloved, devoted husband and father. A solitary man with a heart driven to connect to the world at large, with his poetry and […]

During Band On The Wall’s temporary closure due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, the multiple award-winning 200-year-old Manchester venue is digging deep into its archive to pick out some favourite, rare and never-before-seen recordings from gigs gone by. Every week at 7pm on Friday, Band On The Wall will be streaming a full gig from its archive, broadcast ‘as live’ […]