Sergio Mendes’ "Bom Tempo" - A Celebration Of Life

Legendary Brazilian Musician Returns May 2010
With Stunning New Collection on MCA Music

Sergio Mendes, producer, composer, arranger pianist, band leader and cultural sage, continues his magical ride with Bom Tempo, a beautiful slice of rhythmically fresh inspiration from the internationally celebrated artist. He remains as vibrant and vital today as he was when leading Brasil ’66 to international superstardom. Mendes’ modern sensibilities and ultra sensitivity to the intricate and beautiful Brazilian musical language he himself helped create has always been his focus. Bom Tempo expands the maestro’s use of color, texture and street derived energy, highlighting his mastery of authentic Brazilian rhythms and composition. In the end, Bom Tempo is a brilliant summer day celebration.

“This is bom tempo music, good times music,” says the Brazilian-born, U.S.-based Mendes, who sought to sum up the CD with a succinct Portuguese title. “It’s all about the good times, good weather, good tempos. The album is about the diversity, joy and sensuality of Brazilian music—songs I previously recorded and some that I never have—played by Brazilian and American musicians.”

Bom Tempo showcases songs from the crème de la crème of Brazilian songwriters (including Antonio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Joao Donato, Carlinhos Brown, Jorge Benjor, Milton Nascimento and Moacir Santos) and a song from his old friend Stevie Wonder, written especially for Mendes in 1977, the simmering “The Real Thing” (first recorded on Sergio Mendes and the New Brasil '77 album). While many of Mendes’ friends and long time collaborators are present on the album (including drummers Mike Shapiro and Vinnie Colaiuta, bassists Nathan Watts and Alphonso Johnson, guitarists Paul Jackson Jr. and Kleber Jorge, percussionist Gibi, vocalist Gracinha Leporace—the bandleader’s wife—and songwriter-arranger-vocalist Carlinhos Brown, who was integral to the success of the Brasileiro album), newcomers are also in the mix.

Most prominent is Milton Nascimento, who contributes his own “Caxanga,” a moody, mysterious children’s song that he had only recorded once. He sings the lead vocal in his singular style and plays the acoustic guitar. Other standout musicians include Seu Jorge, one of Brazil’s most promising singers, who is featured on two songs—“Maracatu Atomico” and “Maracatu Nation of Love”; young and talented singers Katie Hampton and Nayanna Holley and the brilliant horn section of Andrew Lippman and Bill Churchville all beautifully arranged by their colleague Scott Mayo. Prominent guitarist Jack Majdecki joined Mendes on this latest project as did gifted, versatile Brazilian rhythm designer, musician Mika Mutti.

Bom Tempo opens with a spirited, chant-like take on the Gil/Donato song “Emorio,” featuring Holley and Brown on lead vocals. The latter contributes a funky rap that pays tribute to Brazil’s songwriters. In the Afro-Brazilian mix are allusions to such Mendes’ hits as “Mas Que Nada” and “The Frog.” The second track, another dance-oriented jewel, “Maracatu Atomico,” was a first-time rendering, complete with a great horn section and percussive beat, based on the Afro-Brazilian maracatu rhythm. Another song on the CD with the rhythm, “Maracatu (Nation of Love)” is a samba-infused beauty, featuring a gorgeous Jorge/Leporace conversation-like duet and luminous horns.

Bom Tempo features new interpretations of some Brazilian classics, including a fresh spin on “Ye-Me-Le”, with a cool rap performed by new band member H2O and a remake of “Magalenha” (from the Grammy-winning Brasileiro album) that features great steel guitar, rap and body percussion contributions from Brown. Says Mendes: “Carlinhos was in Los Angeles for two weeks, so we decided to work on a new, special version of the song he wrote. I said, let’s do a 2010 version that not only exhibits great Brazilian music but also pays tribute to the World Cup games this year. Because those soccer games will be played in Cape Town, South Africa, I had the idea of using some Zulu words as part of the song.”

Proud of his Brazilian heritage and aware of the magic and seduction of his homeland’s music, Mendes notes, “It started with Jobim, being played by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd with Astrud and Joao Gilberto; then it was myself with Cannonball Adderley; Ron Carter, Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald recording with Jobim, and later David Byrne putting those compilation albums of a variety of Brazilian musicians playing all kinds of styles. He adds, “More recently (with Timeless and Morning In Rio) the attraction continues, with will.i.am , John Legend, India.Arie, Fergie, and so many more, who love the music so much and were instrumental in helping to expose it to people in their audience. Even for Bom Tempo, when I met the 20-year-old DJ guys Bimbo Jones in London, they were totally into watching YouTube videos of Brasil ’66. It just goes to show you that Brazilian music has a universal appeal and it IS timeless… ” And so is Sergio Mendes.

Sergio Mendes – Bom Tempo out May 2010 under MCA Music.

CRAIG DAVID: SIGNED SEALED DELIVERED (New album for 2010)

R&B star Craig David returns with a new single and album deal with MCA Music (A Universal Music Group company). His first single, is One More Lie (Standing In The Shadows), taken from his fifth studio album Signed Sealed Delivered released later on the March 2010.
The album is a collection of some of the great soul hits including For Once In My Life, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and the title track by Stevie Wonder, reworked in Craig's own style. The single, his first since 2008, takes a sample from the classic Four Tops hit (first released in 1966) and gives it a modern flavour.

From a UK Garage pioneer to a mainstream multi-million seller, Craig David is so much more than your average artist. The Southampton born singer is a truly exceptional individual who transcends the norm, consistently outdoes expectation and continues to push musical boundaries. Still only 27-years old, it’s incredible to consider what he’s achieved during his ten year career. From Ivor Novello awards to sales of over 13 million, 2 No.1’s, 13 Top 10 hits, huge success in America and sold out shows across the world, Craig is one of the music scene’s most successful male solo performers. As well as awards, acclaim, platinum sales and sold-out tours, the singer/songwriter is one of a handful of artists able to balance incredible commercial success with can’t-pay-for-it credibility.

His brand new album, Signed Sealed Delivered asserts once more why Craig is such a significant artist. Covering a multitude of Motown classics, Craig’s fifth studio offering retains his innovative approach to music-making. Favourites from Stevie Wonder, the Four Tops and The Temptations are all given a 2010 twist; the first single One More Lie (Standing In The Shadows) is an upbeat floor-filler, featuring hardknock drums and a new level of vocal from Craig, as he takes it to the top-end. Indeed, his voice is the centerpiece of the entire album, asserting his presence as a powerful pop vocalist. “I felt like, if I’m going to sing a Stevie song, I have to do it justice, so I approached it differently,” says Craig of recording the record. “Even if my voice broke hitting those notes, even if it was out of my comfort zone, I put my all in. I wanted this record to feel the same as when I made my first album; the songs had to pop out of the speakers. As soon as I started to feel that, I knew I was onto a winner.”

Unaware that Motown meant all songs recorded on the eponymous label, Craig also picked out a Curtis Steigers classic, I Wonder Why. “My manager had to sit me down and explain Motown’s history,” he laughs. “But I love that track so much, so we decided to keep it regardless.” Featuring eleven Motown songs and one Steigers, Signed Sealed Delivered also covers For Once In My Life, Papa Was A Rolling Stone, I Heard It Through The Grapevine and, of course, the title track by Stevie. Stuffed with soul, synths, powerful melodies and razor-sharp riffs, the album reflects Craig’s young age while tipping more than a large nod to the masters of music.

Signed Sealed Delivered, does exactly what is says on the proverbial tin. He’s already achieved so much more than most, but for Craig David the story continues. “I haven’t lost the excitement or the love; in fact if anything, I’m more inspired than ever.”

Signed Sealed Delivered available March 2010, only from MCA Music.

Courtesy of MCA Music, Philippines

Jamie Cullum: The Pursuit

“Always either on a peak of happiness or drowning in black waters of despair they loved or they loathed, they lived in a world of superlatives.”
Nancy Mitford, The Pursuit Of Love

Jamie Cullum releases his eagerly awaited fifth album entitled “The Pursuit”. This, his first solo album in four years, is a combination of his eclectic music tastes and enduring love of Jazz and its timeless standards. “In life, we pursue everything. Life is one long pursuit,” says Jamie.

“The Pursuit” is a record that mixes his heritage with a thrilling selection of modern influences. Describing its sound he moves from Cole Porter to Rihanna to Aphex Twin in the same sentence. Jamie is a performer capable of delivering constant surprises with a talent elastic enough to evince a four-to-the-floor acoustic Ibiza song on the same record as a lushly recorded Jazz standard.

The making of the album was a marathon not a sprint. Having decided to take time off after two years touring 2005's ‘Catching Tales‘ and the juggernaut of praise and press that followed the previous album 2003's ‘Twentysomething’, Jamie turned to other projects. “I took a whole year off,” he says, “I played in other people’s bands and worked with other artists, I Dj’d, made dance music with my brother and travelled.” He also found time to build his own studio, Terrified Studios, in London's Shepherd's Bush – “I call it that because I am so unknowledgeable about technology that I'm usually terrified when I'm in there,” laughs Jamie.

All the songs on ‘The Pursuit’ began life at Terrified Studios and in Jamie's kitchen before recording moved to Los Angeles for three months over the summer of 2008. While work there with producer and long-time associate Greg Wells proved productive, some of the work from Jamie's kitchen made it to the final product. “We realised there were some things we couldn't recreate in any studio,” Jamie reveals, “There's a Rhodes solo on a song called “We Run Things” which I played on two different organs in LA but in the end we used the performance I recorded in my little kitchen in London!”

Recording in LA meant changing the techniques and routines Jamie had developed on his previous records. “I didn't want to make this album with my old band or my old producer,” he says, “I needed to frighten myself.” While many of the songs were put together by Greg and Jamie in the studio, a selection of stellar talent contributed their musicianship. Members of Beck's band joined the sessions while the horn section that featured on Michael Jackson's Thriller also appear. “Getting out of your comfort zone is such a cliché for your third or fourth album,” Jamie says sincerely, “But, you know, it really worked.”

“I had more songs and new experiences to draw upon,” says Jamie, “I'd been doing the Rihanna cover and thought, actually I really want this on my album.” Covers have always been part of Jamie's DNA as a Jazz musician , and after previously covering Rhianna's all conquering uber-single “Umbrella”, it’s ubiquity led Jamie to choose another of the r'n'b poppet's tunes – “Please Don't Stop The Music”.

“I wanted to reference more of my contemporary musical influences,” says Jamie. While his crate-digging, band-discovering love of music has been present all along, The Pursuit is the first record where he has allowed these impulses full reign. “People who have seen me play live and read things I've written will already know that I've got a very eclectic taste,” he says, “But the average person will just think of “What A Difference A Day Makes”. I've never had a problem with that though. Singing a song like that and doing it well is one of the hardest things you can do.”

Ten years on from his first self-funded release, Heard It All Before, Jamie is still (here's that theme again) pursuing new sounds and new ideas in his music. “We've had a lot of musicians who've arrived fully formed recently like Alex Turner or Jamie T. They knew what they wanted to sound like and said it straight away. When I made my first record it was a stab in the dark, something to sell at my wedding gigs.”

Though he says he lived his “twenties to the fullest”, in recent years the up-and-downs of his personal and professional life have fuelled an even more powerful creative drive. His personal happiness (exhaustively and often inaccurately documented by the tabloids) is at the heart of one of the album's most important songs – ‘Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down’. “I've never written a love song that didn't have a joke in it before,” Jamie admits, “The only pure love songs I'd sung before that were by George Gershwin.”

‘Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down’ is also the song that ties up the album's over-arching theme in the lyric “the pursuit of love consumes us all”. But for Jamie, the love he documents is not just the romantic one that obsesses the red tops but a love of music that shines out from every track. The Pursuit is an album that starts with a track featuring the Count Basie Orchestra recorded live at Tony Bennett's studio in New York and ends with a dance track and a jazz standard combined with trip-hop beats.

Despite possessing a talent that has seen him pursued for collaborations by Carole King, Burt Bacharach and Clint Eastwood as well as beat-boxer extraordinare Killa Kella and hip-hop big hitter Pharrell, Jamie is still far more interested in writing songs than seeking acclaim. “When you concentrate on making music, the whole point is that you never stop and are always trying to move on. Unless you're P-Diddy I guess,” Jamie laughs. “The only thing I have to live up to is making an album that I'm proud of.” On the strength of this astounding record, that's yet another pursuit he's succeeded in. The tracklisting is as follows:

Just One Of Those Things
I'm All Over It
Wheels
If I Ruled The World
You And Me Are Gone
Don’t Stop The Music
Love Ain't Gonna Let You Down
Mixtape
I Think, I Love
We Run Things
Not While I'm Around
Music Is Through

The Pursuit features the single I'm All Over It, fan's favourite Wheels, a version of Cole Porter's Just One Of Those Things, a stunning version of If I Ruled The World and an explosive version of Rihanna's Don't Stop The Music. The Pursuit is available in record stores, released by MCA Music.

For Globe subscribers, text CULLUM to 2222 to get listing of available content. Standard rates apply.

Information courtesy of MCA Music, Philippines.

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This is a wonderful album and I highly recommend it! It is a perfect conclusion to a stressful day. Intelligently written melodies that are not obtrusive, whether sitting alone, legs outstretched, coffee cup in hand in the living room or while conversing with friends, this is an album that will get one’s attention with each melody for while listening to it, one finds himself tapping his fingers along with each song. :o)

Artist: Tiago Iorc
Album: Let Yourself In
Original Release Date: January 2010
Disc/s: 1
Label: Universal Records

Track Listing:
1. No One There
2. Blame
3. Fine
4. Nothing But A Song
5. Scared
6. Ticket To Ride
7. There’s More To Life
8. It’s Not Time
9. My Girl
10. When All Hope Is Gone
11. Nothing But A Song (Acoustic)

SM City Marikina 3-Day Sale!!

SM City Marikina sizzles this Summer with its very first 3 DAY SALE for 2010 this coming March 19, 20 & 21.

SM City Marikina not only houses exciting activities, attractions and events but also boasts of a wide selection of food, clothing, gadgets and other services. On March 19, SM Advantage card holders will enjoy a 2-Hour Special as they take 10% extra off for SM Advantage card users for the first two hours of March 19!

Enjoy up to 50% off on selected items mallwide and get a chance to win one of the 6 Yamaha Nuovo Z Automatic MotorcyclesPlease see print ads and flyers for more details.

For inquiries, call SM City Marikina at 477.1686 or email smmkmarketing@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/smmarikina or Blogspot http://sm-malls.blogspot.com/.

SM City Taytay 3-Day Sale!!!

SM City Taytay celebrates Summer with with its very first 3 DAY SALE for 2010 this coming March 26, 27 & 28, 2010. Known as the most exciting venue in Rizal, SM City Taytay not only houses exciting activities, attractions and events but also boasts of a wide selection of food, clothing and other sevices.Known to be flooded by people every weekend, the SM City Taytay 3 Day Sale also features noteworthy events such as the Earth Hour which will be on March 27, 8:30pm. Kids and kids at heart will surely have a blast as we host the very first Kite Making Workshop, March 28, 10:00am at the Event Center, followed by Kite Road Show - Kite Flying activity at 1:00pm wherein various colorful and beautiful kites will be flown at the open parking area at 1:00pm.

Enjoy up to 50% off on selected items mallwide and get a chance to win exciting prizes as SM City Taytay gives out 11 Asus Laptops!!!

For inquiries, call SM City Taytay at 661.2033-37 or email smttmarketing@gmail.com or follow us on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/smtaytay, Twitter http://twitter.com/smcitytaytay or Blogspot http://sm-malls.blogspot.com/."