Guitarist John Scofield is comfortable in any setting – whether it be jazz, blues or rock – as he demonstrates on his latest recording, Überjam Deux, which will be released July 2nd on Decca/Emarcy.

Überjam Deux has been a decade in the works, following 2002’s Grammy-nominated Überjam; not that Scofield has been inactive in the interim, far from it.  There have been seven John Scofield albums in the intervening years, as well as five others on which he is a co-leader on the project. His last Decca/Emarcy release was A Moment’s Peace (2011), a luxurious album of ballads – the polar opposite of Überjam Deux.  His uncanny ability to drift between various styles of music with fluency, virtuosity and sincerity is rare. .

Fans of the original Überjam will not be disappointed by Überjam Deux Scofield comments, “We used all kinds of different grooves for this record, but they are all basically dance grooves. Some might say they are from the African diaspora; there’s Rhythm and Blues, Afro-beat, reggae and house, but whatever they are they are all funky. We used all these amazing world-grooves to blow over. Certain songs have been evolving over the ten years since Überjam; Avi Bortnick had been working on some of these groove ideas and we took them and developed them into what you hear on our new record.”

“Boogie Stupid is a personal favorite – it epitomises the whole project. Avi wrote the boogie section and I wrote the melodic b sections. Jazz rock at its funkiest”

“Endless Summer is a track that came out of a rehearsal jam. In the studio where we were working there was a poster on the wall advertising Australia that depicted a guy on a surfboard riding the waves – on the poster it said, ‘Endless Summer’ and we all agreed it fitted perfectly to the positivity of the tune. Let’s face it all of us at some point have longed for an endless summer.”

“Al Green Song was another that Avi had the basis for and I just took it and developed it. We couldn’t think of a better title after we recorded it because it is totally influenced by the vibe and sound that producer, Willie Mitchell got on all those great Al Green records. John Medeski played the organ with the stop setting, creating that Al Green organ sound.

“Cracked Ice is Avi’s vamp and my melody. Avi is one of the greatest rhythm guitarists I’ve ever worked with and he gets that R&B rhythm down perfectly.”

“I Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely is a cover of a record by The Main Ingredient that was a hit back in 1974. The rhythm guitar that Avi lays down on this reminds me of Betty Wright’s Clean Up Woman, on which Little Beaver played some amazing guitar. He is one of the greatest of the R&B players who was based at Criteria Studios in Miami. Again, it’s a homage with a modern twist”

“There are two tunes that are Afro beat based – Camelus and Snake Dance. Avi started the grooves that make these tunes so very different from anything else on the album, he’s really into Nigerian and West African music and it shows through so well on both tracks. Once again I laid down the melody on my guitar.”

“The music on überjam Deux is one of the styles I feel most comfortable with. I started with jazz-rock 40 years ago and the great thing about this music is that it’s still evolving. I’ve been interested in combining jazz with other rhythmic forms since I became involved in music. I was spurred on in this direction by my collaboration with Miles Davis among others. I’m from the fusion generation! If I were to tag a “concept” for the band, it would be exploring different forms of groove music.”

The magic of this record is the stunning blend of R&B and John Scofield’s jazz influenced guitar that weaves melodies of power and beauty above and through the grooves. Überjam Deux offers a compelling combination of music.

Please click on Tour Dates to view their full list of upcoming shows.

Überjam Deux

1.    Camelus

2.    Boogie Stupid

3.   Endless Summer

4.   Dub Dub

5.   Cracked Ice

6.    Al Green Song

7.    Snake Dance

8.    Scotown

9.    Torero

10.  Curtis Knew

11.  I Just Don’t Want To Be Lonely

12.  G.P Shuffle

John Scofield – Guitar

Avi Bortnick – Guitar and Samples

Andy Hess – Bass

Adam Deitch – Drums tracks 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12

Louis Cato – Drums – tracks 3, 6, 8, 9

special guest:

John Medeski – Organ, Wurlitzer & Mellotron -tracks 2, 4, 6, 10, 11, 12

Tony Award-winner and platinum-selling UK star Alfie Boe wowed millions at the 24^th annual PBS “National Memorial Day Concert,” broadcast live on Sunday, May 26^th from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol. The event was co-hosted by Tony Award-winner Joe Mantegna and Emmy-Award winner Gary Sinise and featured special appearances by General Colin L. Powell, actor Ed Harris, American Idol-winner Candice Glover, Chris Mann, Katherine Jenkins, Jessica Sanchez and Ronan Tynan, with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly. The Military District of Washington, U.S. Army Herald Trumpets, U.S. Army Chorus, The Soldiers’ Chorus of The United States Army Field Band, U.S. Navy Band Sea Chanters and U.S. Air Force Singing Sergeants all took part as well in this special event  honoring America’s servicemen and women, past and present. The concert aired live on PBS and on American Forces Network, seen by American service men and women stationed in 175 countries and 140 U.S. Navy ships at sea, as well as Department of Defense civilians and their families abroad.

To view a clip of Alfie’s performance which was stated as “one of the highlights of the concert” by the Examiner.com, click here:  http://bcove.me/35qql7ud

While in DC, Alfie also stopped by Voice of America’s “Border Crossings” for an interview which you can listen to by clicking here.

Alfie Boe with General Colin L. Powell

Alfie Boe with some of America’s servicemen

Alfie Boe performing “Bring Him Home.”

View of the lawn with the Capitol in the background.

In August, Boe’s second television concert special “Alfie Boe – Storyteller At The Royal Albert Hall” will air on PBS stations nationwide to coincide with the North American release of hisnew album Storyteller.  The album was produced by the legendary Mike Hedges (U2, The Cure, Manic Street Preachers), and features brand new arrangements of timeless hits such as Simon & Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water”, Rolling Stones classics “Angie” and “Shine A Light” as well as Elvis Presley’s “I Can’t Help Falling In Love with You.”

Alfie Boe’s story is what dreams are made of. Coming from humble beginnings as a working-class mechanic where he was discovered, he went on to become an acclaimed Broadway actor cast by the legendary, award-winning director Baz Luhrmann in his 2002 production of Puccini’s La Boheme for which he won the Tony. He then was able to realize his dream as a recording artist, with three studio albums under his belt, collaborations with an array of A-list artists including Robert Plant, Queen, Alice Cooper, Renée Fleming and Nick Jonas among others, and his own autobiography published in the UK, “Alfie – My Story.” Additional impressive career highlights include performing at the Diamond Jubilee Concert for Queen Elizabeth II and the Royal Family, both on stage and on the iconic balcony at Buckingham Palace, as well as contributing music to the soundtrack for the smash television series “Downton Abbey.” Boe has already completed two successful U.S. tours, with additional dates in the works for early 2014.  All-Music called Alfie as “one of the U.K.’s most technically gifted talents.”

“an oasis of serenity in a dissonant world” The Washington Times 

The Benedictines of Mary top the Billboard chart two straight weeks in a row with their new recording, ANGELS AND SAINTS AT EPHESUS, holding steady at #1 on the Classical Traditional Chart again.  Released on May 7^th from Decca/De Montfort Music, Angels And Saints At Ephesus nabbed significant debut slots on an impressive four Billboard Charts total, including Heatseekers, Classical Overall, Christian and Classical Traditional – a testament to the wide-reaching power of their gimmick-free, radiant singing.

Their inspiring collection of contemplative music features English and Latin pieces sung a cappella and recorded once again at their peaceful and private Priory, in the heartland of America. Their calming and gentle harmonies were best described by The Washington Times as “an oasis of serenity in a dissonant world.”

To watch the new EPK, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMF04ErFVaE

With Angels and Saints, the Sisters once again share their genuine love of music-making with the world, while maintaining their monastic life – something uncharacteristic for a singing group on the Billboard charts.   Founded in 1995, The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, are a young, monastic order of Sisters; they sing together eight times a day as they chant the Divine Office in Latin. The order’s Prioress, Mother Cecilia, vacated her seat in the horn section with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Ohio to enter religious life, despite her conservatory background where music was emphasized over religion. A graduate of The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, in Houston, Texas, she has arranged the songs on ANGELS AND SAINTS AT EPHESUS. Sr. Scholastica, the Order’s sub prioress also designed the album’s artwork.

Over the 2012 holiday season, the Sisters’ previous release, ADVENT AT EPHESUS, spent five weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Traditional Chart, making them the highest-selling traditional classical artist of 2012, according to Nielson’s Soundscan.  The Nuns created a nationwide stir after displacing the racy Music From Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album from its longstanding spot at the top of the classical chart.  The story was featured in countless press outlets including NPR, USA Today and People Magazine among others places, despite the Nuns monastic lifestyle.  A few weeks prior to Christmas, the album sat in the Top 5 of both Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com rankings respectively, ahead of such superstars as Taylor Swift, One Direction, Katy Perry and Alicia Keys.

Madeleine Peyroux is excited to perform songs from her acclaimed new album The Blue Room – that spent 4 weeks in a row as the #1 Jazz Record in the country – on CBS Saturday Morning this Saturday, May 25^th.

Madeleine is currently on the road in support of her new collection that The Washington Post raves “crackles with energy and musical tension, and stands as Peyroux’s most accomplished, mature work to date.” Downbeat simply calls The Blue Room “the real thing.”

The Associated Press calls Madeleine “a masterful interpreter of classic songs …Peyroux’s rich tone, emotional depth and expressive story-telling … [are] evocative of Patsy Cline’s crossover country pop recordings.” The New York Times applauds Madeleine’s “new crossover sound touching on country and pop” adding “she sings such lovely songs, so well.”

Madeleine’s world tour has already seen her perform 4 sold-out shows at New York’s famed Lincoln Center, The Olympia in Paris, and Palau de la Musica in Barcelona.

On August 7^th, Madeleine will perform alongside comedian & musician Steve Martin at The Hollywood Bowl in CA.

Visit http://madeleinepeyroux.com for tour dates, videos and more.

TOUR DATES (more to be announced):

May 31                         Enwave Theatre at Harborfront Centre            Toronto, ON

June 1                          Enwave Theatre at Harborfront Centre            Toronto, ON

June 17                        Ali Forney Center Night of a Thousand Judys New York, NY

June 26                        Kirkland Performance Center                          Kirkland, WA

June 27                        The Aladdin Theatre                                        Portland, OR

June 28                        The Shedd                                                        Eugene, OR

June 29                        Kate Wolf Music Festival                              Laytonville, CA

June 30                        Rio Theatre                                                      Santa Cruz, CA

July 4                           Festival d’ete de Quebec                                Quebec, QC

July 6                           Montreal Jazz Festival                                  Montreal, QC

July 14                         Sani Festival                                                    Sani, Greece

July 15                         Lycabettus Theatre                                          Athens, Greece

July 16                         Palau de la Musica                                           Valencia, ES

July 18                         Gent Jazz Festival                                            Gent, BE

July 19                         Puerto Andriano                                              Mallorca, ES

August 7                      Hollywood Bowl                                             Hollywood, CA

November 23               Corn Exchange                                                Cambridge, UK

November 24               London Jazz Festival                                       London, UK

November 27               Usher Hall                                                       Edinburgh, UK

http://madeleinepeyroux.com                         
https://www.facebook.com/MadeleinePeyroux
https://twitter.com/mpeyrouxmusic
https://new.myspace.com/officialmadeleinepeyroux/

“divinely beautiful” The Salt Lake Tribune

History repeats itself as The Benedictines of Mary fly high to the top of multiple Billboard charts once again with their new recording, ANGELS AND SAINTS AT EPHESUS, released on Decca/De Montfort Music May 7^th.   Following in the footsteps of their previous chart-topping album, Angels and Saints At Ephesus debuts at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Traditional Chart and #2 on Billboard’s Heatseekers Chart, while also landing at #6 on the Classical Overall Chart and #15 on the Christian Chart.   The new recording moves ahead of such name artists as Joshua Bell and Lang Lang, as well as toppling the ever-popular Music From Fifty Shades of Grey for a second time.

Over the 2012 holiday season, the Sisters’ previous release, ADVENT AT EPHESUS, spent five weeks at #1 on Billboard’s Classical Traditional Chart, making them the highest-selling traditional classical artist of 2012, according to Nielson’s Soundscan.  The Nuns created a nationwide stir after debuting at #1 and displacing the racy Music From Fifty Shades of Grey: The Classical Album from its longstanding top spot on the chart.  The story was featured in countless press outlets including NPR, USA Today, People Magazine and many others, despite the Nuns only granting one media interview.  A few weeks prior to Christmas, the album sat in the Top 5 of both Barnes & Noble.com and Amazon.com rankings respectively, ahead of such superstars as Taylor Swift, One Direction, Katy Perry and Alicia Keys.

Reuniting their voices for this inspiring collection of contemplative music, the album features seventeen English and Latin pieces sung a cappella and recorded once again at their Priory in the heartland of America. Their calming and gentle harmonies were best described by The Washington Times as “an oasis of serenity in a dissonant world.”

To watch the new EPK, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMF04ErFVaE 

With Angels and Saints, the Sisters once again share their genuine love of music-making with the world, while maintaining their private monastic life.   Founded in 1995, The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles, are a young, monastic order of Sisters. The Sisters sing together eight times a day as they chant the Divine Office in Latin. The order’s Prioress, Mother Cecilia, vacated her seat in the horn section with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra in Ohio to enter religious life. A graduate of The Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, in Houston, Texas, she has arranged the songs on ANGELS AND SAINTS AT EPHESUS.    Sr. Scholastica, the Order’s sub prioress also designed the album’s artwork.