ACMJ International Blog

Richard Marx 2 new studio recording albums "Emotional Remains" & "Sundown"

We are now having 2 brand new Richard Marx solo albums! One is "Emotional Remains" and the other is "Sundown". Currently, those 2 albums are only available in downloadable form but the physical CDs will be released around December 1, 2008 via Richard Marx's official website.
"Emotional Remains" is a bit of a departure for Marx, with a brand of rock that some may not think is synonomous with the artist, writer, and producer that has helped to launch sales of a combined 50 million albums worldwide. "This is the most straight ahead, modern rock album I've made in my career thus far," said Marx." "And the fact that I can just put music out on the web, direct to our fans, is what makes this project feel like a labor of love." Whether it's "Better or Worse," an undeniably catchy and inspirational rock ballad that will resonate with Marx fans old and new, or the faster-paced "From the Inside," which features a darkly confessional lyric backed by a wall of guitars, the tracks are poised to join Richard's existing arsenal of hits. The forthcoming album also contains some of the chart topper's most ambitious and personal works to date. The songs possess the heartfelt vocals found in all of Marx's signature songs, but with a hard rock edge. From "Through My Veins," a poignant tribute to Richard's father to "When November Falls," a loving father/son ballad that Richard dedicated to his sons. Emotional Remains, which has just debuted online and at Marx's website, <a href="http://www.richardmarx.com" target="_blank">www.RichardMarx.com</a>, features songs co-written by Matt Scannell of Vertical Horizon, Fee Waybill of The Tubes, and singer/songwriter Graham Colton. Marx adds, "This recording is certainly evidence of the music that I've been listening to over the last few years, and vocally it took me to a different place than where I've been."

Another album entitled "Sundown" includes original material written and performed by Richard, duets with musicians Toni Braxton and Vince Gill, as well as covers of songs from such iconic artists as The Rolling Stones and The Beatles. This album marks the first of Richard's releases to include cover songs on its official track listing. Richard says, "I really enjoyed venturing out of my comfort zone performing the covers on Sundown. I found recording these songs to be a challenging but, ultimately, a very rewarding experience. I just hope there are songs on this album that move someone other than me." In addition to "Wild Horses" and The Beatles' "And I Love Her," featuring country singer and songwriter Vince Gill, Richard lends his expansive vocal range and unique instrumentation to Roberta Flack's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," and Sade's "Ordinary Love", and the original song "Suddenly," featuring best-selling singer Toni Braxton.

Janey Clewer new solo CD "Fallen For Brazil" and more...

Janey Clewer and her husband Bruce Gaitsch are now finishing up Janey's new solo CD mixes with the engineer Josh Abbey, producer and engineer for Russell Watson, in NYC. Janey's new solo CD "Fallen For Brazil", is a collection of self-penned compositions and one cover of “This Masquerade”. Her songs are new additions to the already colorful existing palate of exotic, Brazilian music. With the embellishment of Portuguese background vocals by Michael Sembello and the acoustic guitar work of Bruce Gaitsch, she weaves a sexy collection of bossa novas. Flutes by Dave Boruff, vibes by Alex Poston and the bass of John Patitucci add a whole new level of sophistication. The timeless string arrangements of Boh Cooper and Janey brush each song with beautiful strokes of color. The string players are Nashville’s finest led by David Davidson, concertmaster of Orchestra Nashville.

In addition to the above-mentioned solo effort, Janey will perform in NYC again with George Benson for a concert "A Tribute to Nat King Cole" November 10th at Lincoln Center. In February of 2008 (February 15th, 2008), Janey sang background vocals for George Benson in L.A. for a special Nat King Cole tribute concert at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Janey again joined George in June of 2008 for more concerts at Chastain Park in Atlanta and Wolf Trap in Virginia where she was also featured singing the duet “Unforgettable” with George. Here is the video when Janey performed "Unforgettable" with George on June 21st, 2008 in Atlanta.

Joseph Williams new solo "This Fall"

Joseph Williams' brand-new solo album called " THIS FALL" will be released in
Japan November 19 on WHD entertainment on HQCD format.
The album features guest appearances and songs co-written with Bobby Kimball
, Steve Lukather, David Paich( co-compose, piano, organ, lead
vocal), Steve Porcaro. Also.... Richie Zito, Jay Gruska, Mark T. Williams and Rick Marotta. All of the songs are composed or co-composed by Joseph and the album is self-produced. As far as we have heard, one of the great CCM singer/songwriter Chris Eaton also dedicated his songwriting talent for this album. Joey Carbone, the executive producer stated "Simply said, this album is BRILLIANT and will be a great fan pleaser. Joseph thinks that this is his best solo album to date."
And on the same date WHD also re-release 2 old Joseph's solo album. One is Joseph's self-titled first solo masterpiece "Joseph Williams" and the other is Joseph's early era's unreleased materials collection album "Early Years".

David Roberts Japan tour and another album release very soon

David Roberts is now busy for preparing his first Japan Tour 2008 to fill his missing 26 years absence and promote his brand-new 2nd solo album "Better Late Than Never" released in July breaking his 26 years silence. David will perform 2 shows in Tokyo, 1 show in Osaka and 1show in Nagoya early October.

And you will be very pleased to hear that David will release another album titled "Missing Years", a collection of his unreleased demos recorded mainly in early-mid 90's.
This release will be sold ahead of its official release date, at Club Quattro, when David Roberts will perform there.

Label: Vivid Sound Corp., Japan (VSCD3365>

Release Date: October 8, 2008
Tracks:
1. Run Back
2. Misunderstood
3. Gone But Not Forgotten
4. Until Your Heart's Content
5. Run Away With Me
6. Forbidden Fruit
7. Nothing Matters Tonight
8. I Love You So Much It Hurts
9. Higher Power
10. One Soul
11. No Ordinary Girl
12. Cry Me A River Tonight
13. I Still Believe

Live shows deatils would be as below;

Live Dates and Venues:

October 4, Saturday at Club Quattro Shibuya, Tokyo
(Show Start: 7PM)
October 6, Monday at Club Quattro Shinsaibashi, Osaka
(Show Start: 7PM)
October 7, Tuesday at Club Quattro Nagoya, Nagoya
(Show Start: 7PM)
October 8, Wednesday at Club Quattro Shibuya, Tokyo
(Show Start: 7PM)

Venue's official website: Club Quattro

Tour Members:

David Roberts: Keyboards and Vocals
Paul Mabury : Drums
Lauren Ellis : Bass

Pat Bergeson : Guitar

Brad Cole : Keyboards (known for his recording and tour supporting for Phil Collins)
Fred Mollin : Rhythm and Acoustic Guitar and Percussion (producer of the album "Better Late Than Never")

More Information: Tom's Cabin

In addition to the live gigs, David Roberts will perform for the promotion of "Better Late Than Never" and "Missing Years" at Tower Records Shibuya on October 3 Friday. The promotional in-store live will start from 7PM.

Tower Records Shibuya official website

JaR - Graydon&Goodrum new supergroup - "Scene 29" release soon!

Jay Graydon and Randy Goodrum are now working together as the new supergroup - JaR. And after almost 2 years of hard work, you will have their long-waited album "SCENE 29", a melodic masterpiece with songs across the board - a mixture of Pop, R&B, AC, AOR and Jazz.The musical concept is totally new, yet slightly familiar to anyone into the Steely Dan sound, as the songs build on a similar formula with complex jazz-influenced chord structures that are pleasant to the ear with unexpected musical twists, as well as apt, fun and innovative lyrics. Further, the groove is mature and as usual Jay Graydon plays his guitar with elegant and intelligent accuracy.

The US release date for JaR's album "SCENE 29" is October 1st with pre-orders at CD BABY and will also be available to pre-order shortly via the JaR web site www.jarzone.com. And for Euro fans, Zink Music, Sweden will release this album on October 31th, 2008.

Amy Holland / The Journey To Miracle River

Amy Holland's 3rd solo CD, “The Journey To Miracle River”, her first album in 20 years , has just been released. Amy started her musical career at 15 year old when she migrated to LA to sign with Brother records a label started by the Beach Boys. However it was a randomly brief but fortuitous rehearsal encounter with a relatively unknown composer, and for the moment, piano accompanist Michael McDonald, during these early years that would lead ultimately to Amy's success at radio years later, winning her a best new artist nomination at the Grammy Awards of 1980. McDonald who, years later, remembering the allure of her vocal style, would join forces with keyboardist/composer/producer, Patrick Henderson to produce her first album including the top 20 hit “How do I Survive,” written by Paul Bliss. A second album “On Your Every Word” and musical contributions to films such as “Scar Face” and “Teen Wolf” along with her contributions to the projects of other artist’s such as Kenny Loggins, Joni Mitchell, Tim Weisburg, Doobie Brother Patrick Simmons and McDonald’s solo projects, would mark her career path for the next few years. During this time her music business relationship with Michael McDonald had developed into something much more and with their marriage and the subsequent birth of their two children, Amy found herself embracing the role of wife and mother. discovering along the way that she had to somewhat relax her grip on her lifelong dream of being a recording artist. After a much longer than intended hiatus due to a battle to survive breast cancer, Amy has found a renewed inspiration in the making and release of her most recent CD “The Journey To Miracle River”. Produced by Bernie Chiaravalle, this Album is very much the autobiography of a personal sojourn she was destined to return from at this point in her life, It’s her first solo CD release in over 20 years.

• Label: Chonin Records, USA
• Release Date: September 12, 2008
• Producer: Bernie Chiaravalle
• Amy Hollad McDonald: Lead & Background Vocals
• Musicians:
  • Guitars: Bernie Chiaravalle, John Vezner
  • Mandolin: Bernie Chiaravalle
  • Bass: Bernie Chiaravalle, Dylan Morrison
  • Keyboards: Bernie Chiaravalle, Tim Akers, Michael McDonald, John Vezner, John Deaderick
  • Percussion: Bernie Chiaravalle, Shannon Forrest
  • Drums: Shannon Forrest
  • Harmonica: Tollak Ollestad
  • Violin: Stuart Duncan, Tim Lorsch
  • Cello: Jonathan Yudkin, Tim Lorsch
  • Background Vocals: Michael McDonald, Vince Gill, Dylan McDonald
• Tracks:
  1. Don't Lose Your Faith In Me
  2. Backdown
  3. Miracle River
  4. Hate Love A Little
  5. A Few Short Hours
  6. Witness
  7. You Move Me That Way
  8. Everybody Wants To Be Your Friend
  9. Surrender
  10. Nothin' Left To Believe In
  11. My Little Rebel
  12. Honest Emotion
• 

Ole Børud / Shakin´ the Ground

In Norway, where the musical diet consists almost entirely of white rock&roll, an artist such as Ole Børud is indeed a welcoming spice. With one leg planted in American West Coast / AOR music, and the other in soul and funk, his solo debut original studio recording album entiltled "Shakin' The Ground", will shake the country’s musical fundament, and most importantly, the dance floor. The album, however, is not merely a defining musical moment on these latitudes: "Shakin' The Ground" sounds unique by any standards, and showcases an abundance of musical qualities that are rarely heard these days.

Ole Børud is far from a newcomer in the Norwegian music scene. Few artists are as widely experienced. Starting his singing career at the age of five, Ole appeared on his first record already the year after. From the age of sixteen, he has been a full-time musician, both singing and playing guitar, with numerous bands and artists in a variety of genres and settings. Ole has toured every continent, and starred on almost twenty album releases, ranging from the gospelgroup Arnold B Family to Extol, the internationally acclaimed Christian metal band from Oslo in Norway. His musical résumé also includes national luminaries as Sofian and Torun Eriksen, and he has shared the stage with international artists such as Andrae Crouch.

Besides hard working with the band Extol, Ole released a solo project CD " Chi-Rho" featuring 10 CCM (Contemporary Christiain Music) tunes originally performed by Whiteheart and Rebecka St James in 2002. In June of 2004, Ole left Extol because he would like to pursue his versatile music activities and for the past years before releasing this album, Ole has been working as a session musician/singer in Norway.

"Shakin' the Ground" is Ole Børud’s true debut as a solo artist. His music is a result of his diverse background, and is just as exciting. Close harmonies and sophisticated arrangements bears proof of his love for late 70's or early 80's West Coast / AOR music, whereas the rhythms are deeply rooted in funk and R&B. The album is in many ways a musical encounter between west coast sunshine and a gritty east coast urbanity, where you can hear inspiration from artists as different as Steely Dan and D´angelo. But what really gives the album its distinctive stamp, is Ole Børud’s incomparable voice: As crystal clear as it is funky, it leaves a unique personal signature, carrying the tunes with nerve, heart and soul. With some of the best Norwegian musicians in the band, the stage is set for one of the most groundshaking musical experiences of the year.

Why do you hesitate to experience Ole Børud's brand new album? No Reasons! Just Visit his myspace.com page and listen to his original tunes! You can order "Shakin' The Ground" CD there!

Link to Ole Børud's myspace

Robert Lamm / The Bossa Porject

Robert Lamm's new solo album "The Bossa Project" has just arrived. As the title shows, this one is Bossa Nova flavored album. Robert Lamm started this project from late 2005, when not touring with the band Chicago, with John Van Eps, began writing and choosing jazz standard songs Robert has always loved. Robert explains "We couldn't decide if this was going to be Bossa Electronic, or Organic/Acoustic, both approaches were sounding good in the early going. We decided to show both sides with John's great 're-mixing' skills, on 3 tracks: Girl Talk, Samba in Your Life, and Nice 'n' Easy. This project was a labor of love, truly, I could have kept recording for another year, but we were out of time and financing. I really loved exploring the lower ranges of my vocals, and lower volume and velocity of the Bossa Nova style. I have always had the greatest respect for the Brasilian artists who emerged in the 60's and 70's. This album is my bow of acknowledgment." Enjoy another side of Robert Lamm by listening to this brand new album!

Release Date: May 20, 2008
Tracks:
1 A Man and a Woman
2 The Possibility of Life
3 Aguas de Marco
4 Girl Talk
5 Samba in Your Life
6 Nice 'n' Easy
7 Send Rain
8 Speak Low
9 Haute Girl
10 Girl Talk ( JVE Remix )
11 Nice 'n' Easy ( JVE Remix )
12 Samba in Your LIfe ( JVE Remix )

David Roberts' breaking the silence since 1982 with his new studio recording album soon!

It is great pleasure for me to let you know that David Roberts is back with his 2nd solo album in early summer of 2008! As you fully know, David Roberts' 1982 masterpiece album "All Dressed Up" was reissued in July 2006 on CD by VIVID SOUND, Japan and many AOR / West Coast fans are expecting his brand-new album since then. Now in the spring of 2008, the wait is over! David Roberts' brand-new studio recording album will be released early summer of 2008, hopefully on 25 June by VIVID SOUND, Japan. The first recording session of this 2nd solo album was done in the Summer of 2007 in Los Angels with Greg Mathieson as the producer, who was the one producing "All Dressed Up" in 1982! David recorded 5 songs including self-cover version of "Before I Go" originally recorded by STARSHIP for their smash hit album "Knees In The Hoopla" (1986) and a song titled "Stay WIth Me", unreleased material recorded by John Waite (ex Babys) in early 90's. The backing up musicians are awesome; Michael Landau (guitar), Greg Mathieson (keyboards), Abe Laboriel (bass), Mike Baird (drums) and Luis Conte (percussion) gathered to record 5 tunes for this David's come-back album. The rest half of the album has been done in Nashville in March 2008, with Fred Mollin as the producer, best-known for America's 1980's album "Alibai" and/or Jimmy Webb's 1996 album "Ten Easy Pieces".

As far as I have listened to 5 tracks recorded during the L.A. recording sessions in the summer of 2007, all the tracks are really awesome. It is not too much to say that David's voice are tremendous and perfect. Greg Mathieson's producing are really great as before. And Michael Landau rules! Please endure just a little bit... then you will feel very happy with David Roberts' another masterpiece album coming summer. Stay tuned!

Marco Taggiasco's 2nd "This Moment" feat. David Pack and Eric Tagg: Now on Sale!

On April 14, Marco Taggiasco's 2nd solo album "This Moment" has just been available at CD Baby. As I already informed the album is featuring two unreleased tracks written by ERIC TAGG, one of which features ERIC TAGG on lead vocals and the other also features ERIC on background vocals after 10 years of absence! David Pack delivers his marvelous vocal performance on the title track, "This Moment". Rest tracks on this album are of great quality. You will never be disappointed. Worth listening to sound clips and then buying.

Label: Mr.T Records, Italy (MRT0108)
Release Date: April 14, 2008
Producer: Marco Taggiasco
Tracks:
1. Another Waste Of TIme
2. This Moment
3. Radio Silence
4. Let My Love Grow
5. Can't Bring Back Yesterday 6. April In My Heart
7. You've Been Runnin'
8.From A Distance
9. Before The End Of Time