Natalia Jimenez, Pairing Up With Ricky Martin For 2 Premios Juventud Nominations

Perfect Combination w/Ricky Martin

"Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tu"

Catchiest Song

Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tu"

No stranger to duets, Natalia is a lead singer of the duet group "La 5A Estacion". A member of this group since 2002, Natalia is striking out on her own this year with her first solo album. The first single, "Por Ser Tu Mujer" was release April 19, 2011. The Self titled album is scheduled to drop June 21, 2011. You can pre-order "Natalia Jimenez" on Amazon.com.

We are going to be eagerly awaiting the Premios Juventud awards ceremony on July 21, 2011 on Univision to see if Natalia can score a win. We're wishing you much luck and even more love Natalia!

~Peace

Natalia Jiménez
Tags: Tr3s

Natalia Unleashed

By Ken Rivadeneira

A rite of passage for many lead singers, setting off into a solo career has liberated Natalia Jiménez and unleashed a new, more mature artist.

Natalia Jiménez quickly became a household name during her nine years with the Latin Grammy-winning La Quinta Estación. Her ballads thundered into the hearts of fans from Spain to Mexico, Venezuela and all the way to Argentina, and the group’s elaborate productions turned their live shows into must-see events wherever they toured. But after almost a decade, dozens of awards and accolades, and more than 1.5 million records sold, the enigmatic lead singer branched out to try her luck as a solo artist.

Her long-anticipated self-titled debut album was released in June, bolstered by her successful first single, “Por ser tu mujer.” Infused with an edgier intensity than her previous efforts with La Quinta Estación, the album screams with maturity, signaling Jiménez’s creative growth and her desire to establish a sound that will be familiar to fans who have grown up with her, but at the same time resonate with their own changing tastes.
It’s a calculated risk — one that Jiménez embraces with the same passion she transmits through her music. Her yearlong metamorphosis into a solo artist has given way to a stronger, more independent woman who, much more than a singer with the power to write and perform music, acknowledges her role as a decision maker and a brand, and understands the importance that business savvy plays in the longevity of her career.

On recording as a solo artist instead of as a lead singer
“Honestly, there wasn’t much of a difference. The only thing was I got more involved with the details. I spent more time in the studio, I was there during the production, I chose my own producer — Emilio Estefan, I chose pretty much everything myself. I did that stuff before, but back then I had to talk it over with the rest of the group and see what they thought. It was almost like we all had to get each other’s permission. But I don’t have to ask permission anymore and it’s really great. I’ve pretty much done whatever I wanted!

“I felt very liberated while making this album. In fact, there were songs I recorded that I didn’t like afterwards, so I took them out and replaced them with new songs later. I wrote 15 or 20 songs for this album, but only ended up using about seven or eight of them. The songs on the album that aren’t mine were originally written in English, but I translated them into Spanish, so it’s as if they’re partly mine, too.”


To read more of this article click here

Phoebe Snow, The Passing Of A Legend

Yesterday I heard news that shattered my heart...Phoebe Snow passed away due to complications from a brain hemorrhage that she had suffered early in 2010...This woman's music changed my life forever, for the better.

There have been very few musical artists that I could say to you have been there for me through the good and the bad times in my life, Phoebe is one of those few.

The funny thing about Phoebe is that if you ask people, "Who is Phoebe Snow?" most of them will tell you that they've never heard of her....but the ones that have....love her.

Phoebe was a musical artist, but she was a dedicated, loving mother first and foremost. At the peak of her career, she dropped out of site to take care of her daughter, Valerie Rose, who was born severely brain damaged. Some reports will say that this was a poor decision, they have said that during this time she made some poor business choices "to say solvent". What I say was that she was a mother, the way God intended mothers to be. Fearless guardians and protectors of the ones that we love, knowing that there is nothing more important, no great task that we have been called to, than the calling to care for those that we love.

Phoebe's physical body may be gone, but her indomitable, creative, loving , beautiful spirit remains forever in her music, her testament of love that she left behind.

You can read more at ABC News Entertainment

I'm going to leave you with the song Phoebe was mos know for, and one of my personal favorites, "Poetry Man".

Rest in peace Phoebe....have fun seeing your daughter again in paradise...sending you love and light...

~Peace

Poetry Man

Ooooo, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ooooo, ya

You make me laugh

'Cause your eyes they light the night
They look right through me, la, la, la
 

You bashful boy
You're hiding something sweet
Please give it to me, yeah, to me, ya
To me
 

Ooh, oh, talk to me some more
You don't have to go
You're the Poetry Man
You make things all right, ya, ya

Ooooo, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ooooo, ya
 

You are a genie
 

And all I ask for is your smile
Each time I rub the lamp, la, la, la
 

When I am with you
I have a giggling teen-age crush
Then I'm a sultry vamp, ya, ya
 

Talk to me some more
You don't have to go
You're the Poetry Man
You make things all right, ya, ya

Oooooh, ya, ya, ya
Oooooh, ya

[Musical Interlude]

Talk to me some more
You don't have to go
You're the Poetry Man
You make things all right
 

Ooooo, ya, ya, ya, ya
Ooooo, ya

So once again
It's time to say so long
And so recall the call of life, la, la, la
 

You're going home now
Home's that place somewhere you go each day
To see your wife, ya, ya, ya
To see your wife
Wooo, oooh

Talk to me some more
You don't have to go
You're the Poetry Man
You make things all right, ya
 

Wooo, oooh

Talk to me some more
You don't have to go
You're the Poetry Man
You make things all right

Alex Cuba, Some of The Best Latin Music You May Have Never Heard

 

 It's often funny how sort f fall into things, you know what I mean,"I was flipping through the TV stations and I "happened" to catch this really great movie", or as in this case, I was checking out who the nominees were for the 2011 Grammy's in the Latin Categories, I came across the name "Alex Cuba". Now mind you, I don't pretend to know every Latin artist that's out there, but the name Alex Cuba, rang no bells what so ever.

So of course I do what we all do when we need to know a quick answer...I Googled it! LOL! Much to my surprise I found out that Alex had been nominated and won a 2010 Latin Grammy for "Best New Artist". I'll be honest, you know what really had me curious about Alex's music? His Amazing Afro-Bush! I needed to know what kind of music a man who had the self awareness about  himself to wear, not just a huge afro-bush, but one of the most beautifully round afro's that I've seen since Sly of "Sly and the Family Stone".

Alex Cuba (left), Sylvester (Sly Stone) Stewart (right)

For the most part that's where the similarities end. Sly Stone was more R&B funk, while Alex, even though he has some of that "throw back" late 70's groove thing going on, is considered Latin Pop. (That just makes me wonder if there is a Latin equivalent to R&B? If any of you out there know the answer please pass it on to me.)

2010

Alex Cuba

Alex Cuba

2009

Agua del Pozo

Alex Cuba

2004

Humo de Tabaco [Shell]

Alex Cuba Band

An Interview with Latin Musician Alex Cuba

So if you happen to stumble upon this article and think to yourself, "Who is this guy?" apparently you made it down this fat in the article, you owe it to yourself to check out Alex Cuba....you just might think he's some of the best Latin Music that you have found.

♫ Paz

 

Official Biography
Singer-songwriter Alex*Cuba hails from Artemisa, Cuba (1 hour west of Havana) and resides in Smithers, B.C. (14 hours north of Vancouver). Musically, he lives everywhere in between. His trademark sugarcane-sweet melodies, pop-soul hooks and rock chords subtly subvert commonly held notions of what Cuban music is. Alex is on the vanguard, crafting a cross-cultural sound that mirrors his geographical journey. Not tied to tradition, this Cuban-Canadian prefers his vintage Gibson over el sencerro (cowbell) anytime. Forgoing conventional stereotypes that typify much of the Latin music landscape, Alex is instead defining his own “Latin Soul” genre. Like the handful of unique, genre-defying artists before him, Alex’ uncompromising “go your own road” approach was difficult and lonely at first, but is now beginning to pay dividends. He has won two JUNO Awards (2006 and 2008) and a SOCAN Award (2009) in Canada, a Latin Grammy Award (2010) for Best New Artist and is nominated for a 2011 Grammy Award in the Best Latin Pop Album category.

From his earliest years in Artemisa, he was immersed in music. Alex's first stage appearance on national TV was at the tender age of four, playing claves (a percussion instrument) in a group directed by his music instructor father. Alex went on to study guitar, tres, percussion and bass, practicing eight hours a day during his teens.

After a stint with his twin brother Adonis to record Morumba Cubana, as The Puentes Brothers, Alex departed from Cuban music norms to follow his own path. His debut CD with the Alex Cuba Band, “Humo De Tabaco”, earned him a Juno award for World Music Album in 2006, with the single “Lo Mismo Que Yo”, featuring Ron Sexsmith charting in the Top 20 at BBC Radio 2. For “Humo”, Alex took UK producer Martin Terefe to Cuba to record the album’s funk infused horns and percussion, a sound that got under Terefe’s skin. By extension, that “Alex*Cuba sound” is now evident on Terefe’s productions for Craig David, Ron Sexsmith and Jason Mraz. (To read more of Alex's wonderful bio please visit his website at http://www.alexcuba.com/ )

Sade Is Coming Back Strong! The Ultimate Collection Release

Alright you Sade fans...you know who you are...mark this date on your calendar May 3, 2011, Sade will be releasing a 29-track, two-disc album will include four new, never-before heard songs including a remix to “The Moon And The Sky” (featuring Jay-Z). The Ultimate Collection also features 15 tracks that were not included on Sade’s 1994 “Best Of” album. Here for the first time, fans can find all of their favorite Sade classics including songs Lover’s Rock and Soldier Of Love.

It also includes the track "Still In Love With You", which is one of the four never released songs. You can give it a listen below. I'll have to tell you, and yes this is purely my opinion, there are VERY few artists out there that you can just pop on their album and know that every song you hear is going to be amazing! There's only one other song that I'm waiting for Sade to make, and that song is a duet *WINK*....I can wait...I'm very patient.

So while waiting for Sade to record that special duet (me being hopeful),  she's touring all summer with John Legend, who is an amazing musician in his own rite. So you can check her out live at the concert nearest you. If you miss Sade live you might not ever forgive yourself.

Sade is back and she's back strong!  
Sé fuerte, vivo fuerte, fuerte amor, canta fuerte!




You can order Sade "The Ultimate Collection" from Amazon.com (it's already available for pre-order)
The CD is not yet available on iTunes, but of course we'll keep you posted.
You can also order the CD directly from Sade.com. Official Music Store. If you pre-order the album will ship on or before May 3, 2011.

Disc 1
Your Love Is King
Smooth Operator
Hang On To Your Love
The Sweetest Taboo
Is It A Crime
Never As Good As The First Time
Jezebel
Love Is Stronger Than Pride
Paradise
Nothing Can Come Between Us
No Ordinary Love
Kiss Of Life
Feel No Pain+
Bullet Proof Soul+


Disc 2

Cherish The Day
Pearls
By Your Side+
Immigrant+
Flow+
King Of Sorrow+
The Sweetest Gift+
Solider Of Love+
The Moon And The Sky+
Babyfather+
Still In Love With You**
Love Is Found**
I Would Never Have Guessed**
The Moon And The Sky (Remix Featuring Jay-Z)**
By Your Side (Neptunes Remix)+


+ Not on Best Of
** Never Released Before

To order The Ultimate Collection, visit Sade.com

Sade and John Legend Summer Tour Dates:

(Newly announced dates are noted by *)

6/16 Baltimore, MD - 1st Mariner Arena

6/18 Pittsburgh, PA - Consol Energy Center*

6/19 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center

6/21 Uniondale, NY - Nassau Coliseum

6/22 Washington, DC - Verizon Center

6/24 East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center

6/25 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center

6/28 Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre

6/30 Montreal, QC - Bell Centre

7/03 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena*

7/06 Boston, MT - TD Garden

7/08 Indianapolis, IN - Conseco Fieldhouse*

7/09 Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena*

7/10 Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center*

7/12 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena

7/13 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena*

7/15 Ft. Lauderdale, FL - BankAtlantic Center

7/16 Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena*

For additional tour dates from August thru September, please see Sade.com

Juanes, Having a Musem Named After You....No Pressure

It must be an overwhelming feeling to have a person tell you that they want to pay tribute to you by immortalizing you by creating and naming a museum after you. 

It's just my opinion, bu I think that most artists do think about immortality...but not the immortality of their own image....but the immortality of of their music and the word that they send to the people of the world.  Each song is like a message in a bottle, waiting for someone to happen upon it read it, take something from it, and then throw the message back out into the waters of the world for the next person to find.

So while from the article we can tell that the feelings of the person that wanted to create the museum were nothing but love.....I can understand Juanes politely saying please don't. What makes me happy is that his wishes were understood. 

~Peace

"Born in Medellín, Colombia, on August 9, 1972, Juanes was caught in the nets of music from an early age, influenced by found sounds from the music from the outskirts and the tangos of Carlos Gardel, to Soda Stereo, Led Zeppelin through Silvio Rodríguez and Jimi Hendrix.

For 8 years he was a singer, guitarist and main songwriter for the rock band Ekhymosis (1987-1999) with which he produced five albums.

His compositions reflect strictly personal experiences and themes ranging from love to the humor and double meaning, which further emphasizes the message of high social and uneasy peace that the singer Juanes and is opposed to the violence generated by the continuous fight in his native Colombia, as well as all the conflicts that mark the face of the earth, and highlights the love of family and respect for humanity as the path that takes us beyond the bitterness.

Millions of fans of this poetic rocker his compositions have been taken as true hymns dedicated to Latino pride, hope for peace, love and strength.

Recently named one of the 100 most influential people by Time magazine, Juanes has devoted considerable time to his work as a whole, and their work in this sense goes far beyond the passionate lyrics of their songs. This can be determined by finding the large number of philanthropic causes it supports continuously. Thus, the work of his own Mi Sangre Foundation has been recognized internationally as one of the most active against the use of landmines, both in Colombia and the rest of the world." For more on Junes visit his official website.

Will Juanes have a museum?

http://mx.noticias.yahoo.com/juanes-museo-20110321-052858-517.html 

Buenos Aires, March 21 (Reporter). Colombian musician Juanes, who made headlines in the last hours by the exorbitant amount of supporters who joined in Facebook, is opposed to having a museum in his name. 

For a couple of months now, journalist Hector Arango, who lives in Manizales,  also a native of Colombia like Juanes is preparing a museum in honor of the artist responsible for Latin American song hits such as "Volverte a Ver" (See You Again) and "La Camisa Negra" (The Black Shirt) .

But the artist wasn’t too thrilled about the undertaking and strongly opposed, of course, in a polite and caring manner.

“Hector, please forget this idea.  I tell you with affection and respect, on behalf of our entire family”, wrote Juanes in a letter to the journalist which was published in the Colombian portal Caracol Radio. 

It seems that the musician was able to persuade the developer of the "Casa Museo Juanes", and so far the building which was to perpetuate his memory does not exist.  

Hector Arango also made a public response. "The English say: Your wish is my law, your wish is my command... and I assure you that it will be this way for the sake of our friendship and deep admiration I feel for you and your family. When, in the future, if you and your family consider it appropriate to honor this noble tribute to you, I would be willing to take back the flags and start again. Meanwhile, I will stay on first base and I offer my apologies for any mortification that this well intentioned initiative may have caused you”, wrote Hector, the person responsible for such particular idea.

(Reporter)

 LL ...

Translation by Candela Spirit 
Media Research Glamour Girl

Mad Alchemy Going On With "The L.A.B."

al·che·my

/ˈælkəmi/ Show Spelled[al-kuh-mee] Show IPA

–noun, plural -mies for 2.

1.

a form of chemistry and speculative philosophy practiced in the Middle Ages and the renaissance and concerned principally with discovering methods for transmuting baser metals into gold and with finding a universal solvent and an elixir of life.

2.

any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value.

These three scientist of musicology and rapoligy are bringing hip hop alchemy out of the dark ages and revolutionizing it. Mind you, their brand of hip hop is not for the faint of heart, but if you dare to take the journey you won't be disappointed. 

The L.A.B. stands for "The Last Aliens Breathing", but it also represents where the members of the group are from Louisiana, Atlanta, and the Bay Area. But just who are the three? They are Brandon Barton, Kevin Konflick Onetwenty Fisher, and Tyrell Trellz Washington.

Brandon "BLove" Barton

Tyrell Trellz Washington

Kevin Konflik Onetwenty Fisher

Currently the L.A.B. has five songs out that you can listen to on "Sound Cloud", "Super Model", "Super Model Remix", "Sonz", "Hands Up", and "Fame".   If you want to keep up with all the magic that's coming out of "the L.A.B", you can access their Facebook page,and You Tube Music Channel.  If you want to chat the fellas up you can hit them up on Twitter! Brandon Barton (@bbartoncuzz), Tyrell Trellz Washington (@Trellzmix), Kevin Konflik Onetwenty Fisher (@LABBOY120). 


So with that said.....keep your eyes to the skies and keep your hands up....because you never know what beast is going to break out of "the L.A.B."!


~Peace

"the LAB"           

                                                                      

A crew of professional performers from the entertainment industry who came together to create great music. L.A.B. stands for Louisiana, Atlanta and Bay Area as well as LAST ALIENS BREATHING.  Collectively the crews' credits for performing are outstanding and definitely solidifies that they are not unfamiliar with entertainment. "the LAB" (Kevin Fisher, Brandon Barton, and Tyrell Washington) are born entertainers with movies under their belt, dancing for top major artists, choreographing some of television's hottest shows and videos, touring across the world, and possessing star quality with the image & skills to match. Talent stems from them always. Recording is in the process along with producing some of their own music. Some of their influences are The Fugees, M.I.A., N.E.R.D., Missy Elliott, Black Eyed Peas, Outkast, Kanye West, and TLC. 

The credits and names of the Super Stars that each member of "the LAB" have worked with are endless!! Some of those names include: Beyonce, Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Missy Elliott, Cheryl Cole, Jennifer Lopez, Eve, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Queen Latifah, Chris Brown, Usher, Janet Jackson, Brandy, Tom Cruise, TLC, Sisqo, Nsync, Justin Timberlake, Kylie Minogue, Omarion, Jay Z, Gwen Stefani, Jennifer Hudson, Miley Cyrus, Pussycat Dolls, Hilary Duff, Ciara, and Gnarles Barkley to name a few. They have collectively appeared in numerous commercials (AT&T, DR. PEPPER, NIKE, KSWISS, GAP HOLIDAY, IPOD, RADIO SHACK, BURGER KING, DIRECT TV, and PEPSI), television shows ("Nip Tuck", "Just Jordan", "Oprah", "Good Morning America", "The Today Show", "MTV VMA'S", "BET Awards", "American Music Awards", "NAACP Awards", "The Grammy's", "BillBoard Awards", "MTV Russia Awards", "MTV Aisa Awards", "MTV European Music Awards", "The View", "Dick Clark New Years Eve Special", "Fashion Rocks", "Much Music Awards", "Super Bowl", "NBA Allstar Game", "MTV's Taking The Stage", "BET Played By Fame", "Saturday Night Live", "MOBO Awards", "Brit Awards", "Top of The Pops", "CD UK", "David Letterman Show", "Jay Leno Show", "Ellen Show", "So You Think You Can Dance", "Dancing With The Stars", "Kathy & Regis Live", "106 & Park", "TRL", "Teen Choice Awards", "Jimmy Kimmel", "Craig Ferguson", "American Idol", "Bones", "Hannah Montana", and "VH1 Hip Hop Honors"), movies ("Dream Girls", "Norbit", "Dance Flick", "Hannah Montana", "Hair Spray", "Malibu's Most Wanted", "Blades of Glory", "Alvin and The Chipmunks", "Step Up 3-D", "Stomp The Yard 1 & 2", "You Got Served", "Barber Shop 1 & 2" and "Footloose"), and have appeared on countless concert tours and music videos.

So as you can see, it was inevitable that these 3 young men would eventually move to being the ones that are front and center. The sky is the limit for "the LAB". Make sure you stay tuned to see what these 3 ALIENS have cooking in the kitchen. Just make sure you bring your plate and cutlery!!!!

Remember, LL AA BB BABY!!!!!"

 

Esperanza Spalding, A Young Woman With An Old Soul

 Grammy Award Nominee for "Best New Artist"

You have to have respect for a young artist in this day and age of overnight celebrity being garnered from the likes of You Tube, or shows like "American Idol", who choose to introduce themselves to an audience that is typically outside the scope of their particular craft in their own way and their own time. I usually find that these are the artists that will not only rise to the top of their genre, but will at the right moment be seen and accepted by music lovers of other genres and to do it in their way in their time.

This is an excerpt of an article by the Associated Press:

"Esperanza Spalding is getting the wider audience she had sought, but her terms."
From the time Esperanza Spalding appeared on the scene in 2005, the dynamic singer, bassist, composer and arranger has been heralded as jazz’s next big thing. Her impressive musicianship has won her White House recital dates, praise from the likes of Stevie Wonder and Herbie Hancock, and critical acclaim.

But last year, as she prepared to perform in front of a hug mainstream audience at a tribute to musical mentor Prince at the BET Awards, she started to think about how the moment could catapult her into pop stardom.
“I was really on this mission, kind of in my mind, to figure out how I was going to take my music to turn it accessible to the pop world. ‘How am I going to turn this into like an Alicia Keys thing?’” she recalled thinking.

But when she got to rehearsals with her famous counterparts – including her idol Keys – she decided fame had somehow warped the purity of their artistry, and she didn’t want that happening to her."

To read the rest

All About Esperanza
 
If “esperanza” is the Spanish word for hope, then bassist, vocalist and composer Esperanza Spalding could not have been given a more fitting name at birth. Blessed with uncanny instrumental chops, a multi-lingual voice that is part angel and part siren, and a natural beauty that borders on the hypnotic, the 25-year-old prodigy-turned-pro might well be the hope for the future of jazz and instrumental music.

Spalding was born in 1984 and raised on what she calls “the other side of the tracks” in a multi-lingual household and neighborhood in Portland, Oregon. Growing up in a single-parent home amid economically adverse circumstances, she learned early lessons in the meaning of perseverance and moral character from the role model whom she holds in the highest regard to this day – her mother.

But even with a rock-solid role model, school did not come easy to Spalding, although not for any lack of intellectual acumen. She was both blessed and cursed with a highly intuitive learning style that often put her at odds with the traditional education system. On top of that, she was shut in by a lengthy illness as a child, and as a result, was home-schooled for a significant portion of her elementary school years. In the end, she never quite adjusted to learning by rote in the conventional school setting.

“It was just hard for me to fit into a setting where I was expected to sit in a room and swallow everything that was being fed to me,” she recalls. “Once I figured out what it was like to be home-schooled and basically self-taught, I couldn’t fit back into the traditional environment.”

However, the one pursuit that made sense to Spalding from a very early age was music. At age four, after watching classical cellist Yo Yo Ma perform on an episode of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, the roadmap was suddenly very clear. “That was when I realized that I wanted to do something musical,” she says. “It was definitely the thing that hipped me to the whole idea of music as a creative pursuit.”

Within a year, she had essentially taught herself to play the violin well enough to land a spot in The Chamber Music Society of Oregon, a community orchestra that was open to both children and adult musicians. She stayed with the group for ten years, and by age 15, she had been elevated to a concertmaster position.
But by then, she had also discovered the bass, and all of the non-classical avenues that the instrument could open for her. Suddenly, playing classical music in a community orchestra wasn’t enough for this young teenager anymore. Before long she was playing blues, funk, hip-hop and a variety of other styles on the local club circuit. “The funny thing was, I was the songwriter, but I had never experienced love before. Being the lyricist and the lead singer, I was making up songs about red wagons, toys and other childish interests. No one knew what I was singing about, but they liked the sound of it and they just ate it up.”

To read more of Esperanza's bio click here

Discography

Junio 

Release Date 2006

Label Ayva

Esperanza

Release Date 2008

Label Heads Up Records

Chamber Music Society

Release Date 2010

Lable Tel Arc Jazz

Esperanza's Music can be found on iTunes.

ROD STEWART - THE BEST OF…THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK (Translation)

Article translation by Candela

“THE BEST OF…THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK” Release Date February 1, 2011

Immediately after the nomination of Rod Stewart album "FLY ME TO THE MOON ... THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK, VOLUME V" for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album, which has sold over a million copies worldwide, and just in time for Valentine's Day, Rod Stewart will release "THE BEST OF ... THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK" on February 1, 2011.

"THE BEST OF ... THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK" features highlights of the collection of albums recorded for eight years, which transforms into nothing less than a musical and cultural phenomenon. In addition, this new collection album "Songbook" contains a subject never recorded or released before: "You'll Never Know" produced by Richard Perry, one of Rod Stewart’s oldest partners. The album includes new versions of "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Bye Bye Blackbird."

Rod Stewart is considered one of the best performing voices in music. "THE BEST OF ... THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK" celebrates unprecedented success as one the best selling series in history with more than 18 million copies sold worldwide.

Rod infuses his unique vocal style with songs written by famous Rodgers and Hart, George and Ira Gershwin, and many other composers and authors, including "Someone To Watch Over Me," "The Way You Look Tonight," "They Cannot Take That Away From Me, "" What A Wonderful World “featuring Stevie Wonder, and many more.

After closing a series of sold out concerts for the first time in Las Vegas last November and a tour in Europe, also sold out, Rod is working on a U.S. Tour for spring 2011. In a career spanning five decades, with sales estimated 250 million albums and singles, Rod Stewart is inarguably one of the most successful artists of all time.

THE BEST OF…THE GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK 

 01. Long Ago And Far Away

02. Someone To Watch Over Me

03. They Can't Take Away From Me

04. Beyond The Sea

05. You'll Never Know

06. Time After Time

07. I Can't Get Started

08. The Way You Look Tonight

09. Bye Bye Blackbird

10. These Foolish Things

11. But Not For Me

12. What A Wonderful World featuring Stevie Wonder

13. My Foolish Heart

14. I'll Be Seeing You

Please see the original article on Sony Music

Ladies and Gentlemen The Incomparable Phoebe Snow

 I can't remember exactly how old I was when I heard my first song by Phoebe Snow, but I will NEVER forget the song, it was "Poetry Man"



After that, I was hooked! I couldn't get enough...her voice is a s unique as they come. To me it's like the best blend of  soul, R&B, and folk......besides....my girl just sings it like it is. What distinguishes a singer from an artist is in their ability to transport you from where you are....to where you would rather be. They have the ability to excite the emotions and the imagination. If you can't that for me then you have nothing to offer me.

I can remember when I got my first iPod, I was frantically searching for Phoebe's music, but they didn't have not one song! How could you not have ANY Phoebe songs! *smh*



Her music has been a mainstay on my iPod ever since, other artists may come and go...but Phoebe....ahhh this woman goes with me wherever I go. Of course now, these many years later, it brings  great smile to my heart to tell you that all of Phoebe's songs are now available on iTunes

When I decided to write this post I started Goggling what was going on with her currently...it broke my heart to find out that in January of 2010 Phoebe had suffered a sever brain hemorrhage. The last update that I was able to find was from April of 2010 that said she was doing well and was in rehab. The news broke my heart.

My thoughts and prayers go up for Phoebe...I hope that they find her continuing to do well....after all, she's given so much of herself to others, that love  and gratitude are the only things that we seem adequate enough to give back to her.

Be well Phoebe, Much Love

"PHOEBE SNOW

A phenomenon unto herself "technically inimitable", is how respected NY TIMES critic Stephen Holden describes legendary singer Phoebe Snow.

Composer of more than 100 songs, Snow's "Poetry Man" was her first huge hit, which led to her three appearances on "Saturday Night Live", a Best New Artist Grammy nomination, and the cover of Rolling Stone. She was nominated for another Grammy in 1975, and has released 16 albums. Her most recent album was "Phoebe Snow LIVE at Woodstock".

Snow does approximately 50 concerts a year in the U.S., has performed in Europe and the Far East, and earns multiple standing ovations everywhere. The coveted Snow is also sought-after as a surprise guest-duet singer at her friends' rock, R&B and pop concerts. Some of these appearances have included Cindy Lauper, Roger Daltry, Brian McKnight, Queen Latifah, Paul Simon, Chaka Khan, Donald Fagen and Steely Dan, Levon Helm, Michael McDonald, Linda Ronstadt, Jackson Browne, Billy Joel, Michael Bolton, and Bonnie Raitt.

She was born in New Jersey, and grew up in an artistic household. Her mother was a Martha Graham dancer and her grandfather was a comedian. Their love of music contributed to Snow's interest and ability to sing all types, using her multi-octave range, including opera. She was discovered by a record company executive as a teenager singing on a talent night in a Greenwich Village club in New York.

Her awards include the Cultural Achievement Award for New York, presented by Mayor Giuliani, a Don Kirschner Rock Award, several Playboy Music Polls, the New York Music Award, and the Clio Award for her singing TV commercials for Stouffers, and General Foods.

Phoebe Snow had the privilege of caring for her beloved daughter, Valerie Rose, who sustained multiple injuries to her brain at birth, and subsequently needed two neurosurgical procedures and other small surgical procedures within the first year of her life. She was very disabled throughout her life, but her original prognosis had been that she would only survive until perhaps her first birthday. She proceeded to defy medical odds, and went on to live just past her 31st birthday. She lived at home with Phoebe for these 31 years, during which time she was Phoebe's best friend, soul mate, and the love of her life."

The original bio can be found on Phoebe's Official web site. Please pay them a visit!