Boz Scaggs finished recording Out of the Blues, a new blues album. Here’s the scoop:
Scaggs is the producer of Out of the Blues. Scaggs talks about his knowledge of the blues and his commitment to music, his first love, in the album trailer:
“When I grew up in Texas, all of the guitar players of my age seemed to have a history of T-Bone Walker, Lightning Hopkins, Freddie King, B.B. King… A lot of Jimmy Reed playing in the clubs when I was in high school… I got to see Ray Charles when I was, like 14 years old, my first concert,” Scaggs said.
Scaggs reveals that his album is connected with his Texas roots and blues influences. Bobby “Blue” Bland and Jimmy Reed are two of Scaggs’ biggest influences. Bland and Reed helped Scaggs discover his voice. Scaggs’ “Out of the Blues” features an extensive team of players: Ray Parker, Jr. on guitar, Willie Weeks on bass, Jim Keltner on drums, and Jim Cox on keyboards. Scaggs also called guitarists Charlie Sexton and Doyle Bramnall II because they would give the album the ‘signature Texas base’ it needed.
On July 27, Concord Records released Scaggs’ Out of the Blues. It is available to download on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. Follow @bozscaggsmusic for more updates.
Four-time Grammy nominee Boney James has finished recording his sixteenth album. Today, Honestly makes its global debut. ARTSNLA talked with Boney James in an exclusive interview. He told us more about Honestly as well as his upcoming shows. Here’s the scoop:
Multi-platinum recording artist Boney James is widely recognized for his smooth, signature sound. James is an outstanding instrumentalist who sings soulfully through the saxophone. James has sold more than 3 million albums and earned four RIAA Gold certifications. BillboardMagazine named Boney James the No. 3 Contemporary Jazz Artist of the Decade. Also, James was featured with The Roots on the “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon”.
Boney James’ exceptional career includes collaborations with a long list of musicians that include Rick Braun, Angie Stone, George Benson, Al Jarreau, and Faith Evans. James received three GRAMMYs nominations for the best pop instrumental album category with The Beat, Pure, and Ride. Also, “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely Tonight” received a Grammy nomination in the best traditional R&B performance category. Boney James’ performances consistently showcase the elements of storytelling, technicality, and effortless improvisation. His music has the universal ability to capture listeners.
Honestly follows James’ futuresoul, which spent eleven weeks at the No. 1 position on Billboard‘s Contemporary Jazz Chart. The New York Times expressed their amusement:
“Boney James performs with panache… His arc as a soloist is emotional… he can paint a scene,” The New York Times wrote.
Honestly, a ten-track project,is Boney James’ sixteenth album. This soulful album illustrates a variety of melodic flavors. James emanates positive vibes and upbeat music from his saxophone. Honestly features collaborations with Avery Sunshine and Eric Roberson. ARTSNLA talked with Boney James in an exclusive interview:
ARTSNLA: Honestly debuts on September 1. This is your 16th album, right?
Boney James: Yes. That’s my birthday too, September 1. So it’s definitely a special event.
ARTSNLA: Tell us about the theme of this album.
BJ: I can only discern the theme of the record as I get pretty far into it… I never start out trying to do anything other than making great music. I was working on the record during the election and all this strife out there in the world. I was working on these songs and a lot of them were cheerful and fun songs. I was just thinking about how music is so powerful. It can really change your mood and be a force of positive energy.
Then Avery Sunshine wrote the song with the title Honestly. She wrote the lyrics for that song. And I thought that’s a perfect word to encapsulate what I think the record is about: to stand for something positive even though there’s a lot of negativity out there in the world right now.
ARTSNLA: What does Honestly mean to you as an artist?
BJ: Well, you know, it’s an aspiration of how you want to present yourself… and also as an artist, to make your music and communicate your creativity honestly. The audience can tell when an artist is being honest and sincere. Those are the most important things I think you can have to deliver as an artist. People can feel that.
ARTSNLA: Are there any special studio moments in the making of this project that you would like to share?
BJ: Every day in the studio is a good day for me, honestly. I just love making records. I love making music. Even when I’m not making records, I’m sort of out in my studio in the backyard every day just practicing and thinking about music.
There were some great sessions, of course… working with Jerry Hey, the great horn arranger that worked on Thriller and all those great Michael Jackson records. Brothers Johnson is the guy that’s done horn arrangements with me for a few years but we haven’t done any for the last few records. I reconnected with him and we put live horns… There’s three or four songs that have horn sections. We got the A-list L.A. studio players to come out and play. That’s always a super fun and exciting thing.
ARTSNLA: You worked with Eric Roberson on this album. What was that like?
BJ: I did. I met him when we were on a jazz cruise together and then I saw him at a festival as well. We hit it off and traded numbers. I wrote the song and I wrote the melody. I was singing the melody on my little demo of the track… But I needed a lyric.
I sent it to him and he responded to it. Then he sent me back versions and we communicated via e-mail. That’s one of my favorite songs (“If I Can’tHold You”) on the record. It’s an unusual, modern sounding piece of music. I was proud of that one.
ARTSNLA: What would you like to say to your fans?
BJ: I just want to say thank you. This is my sixteenth record and I’ve been making records for twenty-five years now. I’m just really grateful that the audience has stuck with me across this journey. The record business has changed so much but there’s still people that seem interested when I put out a record. Come to the show and see us play live. I’m just so grateful, really.
ARTSNLA: Your music is timeless.
BJ: Well, thank you. I’m doing my best.
I really do care about it. It gets me up every day.
ARTSNLA: Where are your upcoming shows this year?
BJ: If people want to see where we’re playing, they can go to www.boneyjames.com. I think we got thirty shows coming up.
We’re playing in Pensacola, Florida on Saturday of this week. Then we come home for ten days. Then we go to Louisville, Kentucky and then Sacramento. In the L.A. area, we’re playing at Temecula. There’s a wonderful winery down there that has a concert series, the Thornton Winery, on the 24th of September. Then we go to Seattle and two-week tour back east to Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York City, Washington D.C., New Jersey, and Rhode Island. So, a lot of shows coming up…
ARTSNLA: Tell us about “On the Prowl”. It has a different flavor.
BJ: That’s a very dramatic, cinematic track. It almost reminded me of a Quentin Tarantino movie. It has a mysterious quality, that’s why I called it “On theProwl”. That seems to be many people’s favorite song on the record, strangely enough. I thought it was a wishy-washy melody, but the vibe is so strong. People are digging it.
ARTSNLA congratulates Boney James on his successful career and new album. Today, Honestly makes its global debut. September 1, the album’s release date, is also Boney James’ birthday. Honestly is now available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play.
Boney James also tweeted a special message for his fans. See his post below:
Boney James is currently performing on his national tour, which concludes in April 2018. The locations of this tour range from Pittsburgh and Miami to Sacramento and Seattle.
Mandy Harvey’s Sensing the Rhythmwill launch on September 26. Here’s the scoop:
America’s Got Talent standout Mandy Harvey is a jazz/ pop singer on the rise. She is recognized as one of today’s new shining stars being featured on the following media outlets: CNN, Los Angeles Times, NBC’s Nightly News, and The Today Show. Harvey is a finalist on season 12 of America’s Got Talent. After performing “Try”, she earned a standing ovation and kudos on social media from her new fans. Now, her performance has over 21 million YouTube views.After receiving Simon Cowell’s golden buzzer onAmerica’s Got Talent, Harvey performedat Los Angeles’ Catalina Bar and Grill.
Mandy Harvey is expanding her horizons by becoming a published author. Harvey’s first book, Sensing the Rhythm, is a powerful reflection of her journey. At 4, Harvey began to sing and her innate talent shined. While studying at Colorado State University, Harvey lost her hearing. Afterwards, Harvey’s supportive father helped her start singing again. Also, Charlie Chaplin’s “Smile” helpedHarvey find a new sense of joy and overcome herdepression. A true inspiration, Harvey channels her pitch-perfect voice through muscle memory and visual tuners while keeping rhythm from the floor’s vibrations.
Mandy Harvey announced the release of Sensing the Rhythm, which is her first book. Harvey’s book will be published by Simon & Schuster. She is featured as an authorontheir official website. Simon & Schuster has also published the work of #1 best-selling authors like Stephen King, Ernest Hemingway, and Mary Higgins Clark. See below:
“Moonlight” is Grace VanderWaal’s latest single. Ido Zmishlany is the producer of this single. It blends acoustic ukelele strums, a catchy drum beat, and Grace’s strong vocals. Also, Billboard stated that “Moonlight” is the perfect summer song.“Moonlight” is available on iTunes, Amazon, and Google Play. This upbeat, radio-friendly tune narrates a friendship while recreating the feelings of love and nostalgia.
“‘Moonlight’ is about somebody you know very well changing unnaturally over time right in front of you and pushing you away, so you want to help bring them back to their original self,” Grace explained.
Grace VanderWaal will perform “Moonlight” at VidCon tonight. The showcase will start on June 21 at 7pm PST. Jason Derulo and Tyler Oakley are among the full list of performers. Click here for more information. This VidCon event will be streamed online from YouTube. Columbia Records tweeted a direct link to the live stream:
Brennley Brown is featured in Season 12’s Top 12 on NBC’s The Voice. This week, she landed in the top 10 of iTunes’s country charts. Here’s the scoop:
Brennley Brown sang Linda Ronstadt’s “Long, Long Time”. This song was on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 12 weeks. It also made the No. 20 position on Billboard’s Easy Listening charts. Brennley wore a sparkling white dress with cowboy boots. This performance featured acoustic guitar, soft lighting, and raw vocals. Brennley’s vocal technicality shined throughout the performance. The acoustic instruments complemented Brennley’s effortless vocal runs beautifully.
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Today, Brennley Brown’s “Long, Long Time” cover is #2 on iTunes’s country charts. Sam Hunt’s “Body Like a Back Road” is #1 on this chart. She joins Lauren Duski, Sam Hunt, Keith Urban in the top 10. Brennley is also #7 in iTunes’s top songs charts. She is listed with Ed Sheeran, Sam Hunt, and Bruno Mars in the top 10 of these charts. The slideshow above this paragraph shows pictures of the data.
NBC’s The Voice airs on Mondays and Tuesday at 8/ 7c. Next week, Brennley Brown will sing a different song. Stay tuned.
