Michael Franks new album "Time Together" will be released soon. Here is taken from Michael's official website;
May 5, 2011 Hi Everyone,I'm in the studio as I write this, putting the finishing touches on "Time Together". On this project, I've had the pleasure of reconnecting with many old friends: Chuck Loeb, Gil Goldstein, Mark Egan, Charles Blenzig, Scott Petito, Veronica Nunn, Billy Kilson, Mike Manieri, David Spinozza, Romero Lubambo, Till Brönner and Eric Marienthal to name a few. It's been a wonderful 6 months and I can't wait for you to hear it all. More later. As always, Wishing you Peace, Health and Happiness, Michael "Time Together" should be available within a few weeks. The CD will be available online from Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble, and in local record stores, with digital downloads from most major services including iTunes.
(via www.michaelfranks.com)
"The Baked Potato Super Live!" Vinyl was released only in Japan in 1982 and was reissued twice on CD. 1999 remastered reissued version was one of the miracles done by Cool Sound, but due to the copyright issue, 1999 version could not use the original album artworks. This album should be well-known treasure because this live materials recorded at the famous "The Baked Potato" in Los Angeles on December 13, 14, 15, 1981 revealed how great Jeff drummer Porcaro was. Another important information I should add is that there were mistakes of tracklisting info of its original vinyl release; Track 3 was not "Go" but "First Time Around" and track 4 was not "First Time Around" but "Goe" (not "Go"), which are confirmed by Greg Mathieson at the time of 1999 reissue. Now in 2011, Cool Sound will re-release this masterpiece 2011 remastered edition with the original artworks LP style paper sleeve! This must be added to your collection if you are real Jeff Porcaro Fan. For your information, Tower Record Japan will distribute this CD from 25th April, a little bit earlier than other retailers.
Cotton Club, one of the finest club in Tokyo, will proudly present you the hot shows in July. THE BOSSA NOVA HOTEL featuring MICHAEL SEMBELLO JANEY CLEWER and BRUCE GAITSCH will firstly perform live in front of Japanese audience! You can reserve your seats from 24th April.
The Bossa Nova Hotel have created a new concept in music; blending the timelessness of classic love songs with the Brazilian bossa nova and salsa. Their first album "Moon Island" for EMI Music Japan (released in May, 2009) features "La Isla Bonita" written by Gaitsch with Patrick Leonard and originally performed by Madonna "Maniac" written and originally performed by Sembello, one of the Brazilian standard songs "A Day In The Life Of A Fool" ("Manhã de Carnaval") and Bobby Caldwell's "What You Won't Do For Love". It must be the great moment of 2010 summer for you if you will see their shows at Cotton Club.
Here is the details and the link for your seat reservation;
"The Consummate Bobby Caldwell" showcases the celebrated blue eyed soul singer's forays into big band, swing and vintage torch songs from the '40s. The collection of timeless songs draws from Bobby's two top selling albums "Blue Condition" (1996) and "Come Rain Or Come Shine" (1999) that were recorded in real time with a 45-piece orchestra and 20-piece jazz band at the legendary Capital Studios where Frank Sinatra, Bobby Darin and Nat King Cole recorded many of their biggest hits. The album features 5 previously unreleased tracks including "All Of Me", "Only The Lonely" and 3 tracks taken from the motion picture soundtracks; "Oh Boy (You've Really Got It Made)" from "Lake Boat (2000)", "The Tender Trap" from "Forces Of Nature (1999)" and "Young At Heart" from "Living Beyond 100 (1998)". And this album also features a rare track; "Luck Be A Lady" taken from the motion picture soundtrack CD "The Cooler (2003)".
When I received an advanced copy of Tom Hansen early January of 2010 from Norway, I was a little bit surprised ar the CD jacket and its title "Brazilian Night" because Tom Hansen, the songwriter and the leader of this project, is based in the city Tønsberg located 10 miles south of the Norwegian capital city Oslo. On his debut album "Brazilian Night" Tom Hansen has been working with 6 different arrangers, all with inspiration from artists like David Foster, Jay Graydon, Chaka Khan, Mezzoforte, Larry Carlton, Shakatak, as Tom are saying "all arrangers has been raised up with David Foster and has been playing Through The Fire many times", so you can really hear this at the album.
On "Brazilian Night" the vocalist Victor Brooks and two Lava members; Svein Dag Hauge (guitar), Per Hillested (drums) and other great Norwegian studio musicians are featured at the album. More information about Tom Hansen and the release Brazilian Night here.
I wonder if I said that there is not so many hidden treasures left to be reissued on CD. This recognition has not changed for me, however, OMEGA SUNRISE's 1983 album "Feel The Change" must deserve the hidden treasure for AOR / Westcoast / Fusion / Contemporary Christian music lovers. Omega Sunrise was a band that recorded and toured from 1979 through 1986. In 1983 they recorded their first album on New Jerusalem Records titled "Feel the Change" produced by Kim Hutchcroft well-known as the sax/flute player of the legendary "Seawind". The music of OMEGA SUNRISE was very close to that of Seawind featuring Debbie Seibert who sang like Pauline Wilson, backed by good horn section. On this album, you can listen to the cover versionof "Follow Your Road" originally performed by Seawind on their 1979's album "Light The Light".
The band released another album titled "Run from the Night" on Morada Records, USA in 1985. The album "Run from the Night" did fairly well with several songs charting in localized markets around the US. Unfortunately, this album seems to be hard to be reissued due to various contractual reasons at this moment. After touring for 3 years with a schedule of about 8 months on the road each year, Omega Sunrise played its last concert in the Summer of 1986 in Fresno, California.
In 2007, We have heard that the long-awaited Seawind Reunion CD recording was almsot finished! in 2007 and they started mixdown, mastering and so on. Finally, wait will be really over soon. The album "Reunion" will be released on April 22 for Village Records, a subsidary label of Sony Music, Japan. The group spent time in Los Angeles recording studios, while tracking all of their new songs. The new CD will also include 2007 remakes of their classics "Follow Your Road", "Free" and "He Loves You", on which Al Jarreau is featured along with Pauline Wilson. Further Al is also on the brand new song entitled "Hold On".
Except Jerry Hey , The rest of entire group members reunited; Bob Wilson - Drums, Pauline Wilson - Vocals, Larry Williams - Keyboards, Sax & Flute, Kim Hutchcroft - Sax & Flute, Bud Nuanez - Guitar and Ken Wild - Bass are back. It seems that the band will do reunion tour after this release. We will have legends again in coming spring of 2009.