Ask Mr. Music by Jerry Osborne

FOR THE WEEK OF MAY 12, 2012

DEAR JERRY: I just realized an interesting connection between my two favorites, Norah Jones and Adele. Other than their wonderful jazzy-bluesy throwback approach to music, that is.

They each had one big year of domination at the Grammys, and both have incredibly successful albums to their credit; in particular Norah's "Come Fly with Me," and Adele's "21."

We know Adele is far and away the hottest thing of the current decade, but could that also be said about Norah Jones in the 2000s?
—Bonnie Mills, Seattle

DEAR BONNIE: Yes it could, and should, be said. So let's say it together.

Norah's sensational night came at the 45th Annual Grammy Awards (February 2003), honoring music issued in 2002. By the time they brought down the curtain, Jones owned Grammys in five key categories:

1. Best New Artist
2. Record of the Year: "Don't Know Why"
3. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance: "Don't Know Why"
4. Album of the Year: "Come Away with Me"
5. Best Pop Vocal Album: "Come Away with Me"

In the next few years, Norah ran her Grammy total to nine, with four more wins:

6. Record of the Year (for 2004): "Here We Go Again" (duet with Ray Charles)

For some industry observers, choosing "Here We Go Again" for Record of the Year was mind-boggling, strictly because, as a single release it didn't even make the nation's top 100 list.

Yes, it is the most-played track on the hugely successful "Genius Loves Company" album, but the Record of the Year is, with only one other exception, traditionally among a year's most popular singles. U2's "Walk On" (2001) is the other non-hit Record of the Year.

7. Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals (for 2004): "Here We Go Again" (duet with Ray Charles)
Now this is a more appropriate category, where sales of a single are inconsequential.

8. Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (for 2004): "Sunrise"
9. Album of the Year (for 2007): "River - The Joni Letters"

This jazz collection is actually Herbie Hancock's tribute to Joni Mitchell. Norah may sing only the lead track, "Court and Spark," but still shares in the Grammy gold.

Did you know "River - The Joni Letters" is one of only two jazz recordings to win Album of the Year?

This first happened 47 years earlier, with the sensational "Stan Getz & Joao Gilberto (Featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim)." Highlighting this superb collection is "The Girl from Ipanema," itself a Grammy winner as Record of the Year for 1964.

Geethali Norah Jones Shankar was born March 30, 1979, the daughter of classical sitarist Ravi Shankar and Susan Jones, a concert producer with whom shared a home at the time.

When she turned 16, Geethali legally reduced her name to the more user-friendly Norah Jones.



IZ ZAT SO? The all-time No. 1 album by a female is Shania Twain's "Come On Over" (1997), now with worldwide sales in excess of 40 million units.

"Come On Over" is also the top-selling album by any Canadian artist, as well as any so-called country music album, regardless of the performer's gender.

Thanks to some technical wizardry, all but one of its 16 songs came out not only with the original country sound, but remixed to appeal to "pop and international" buyers.

The only track that remained the same on the international version is "Rock This Country."

Other edits, remixes, and even bonus tunes were added to some repackaged discs, motivating Twain's fans to buy several editions of this blockbuster.

Oh yes, Shania co-wrote, with her producer, Robert John Lange, all of the "Come On Over" music.

Jerry Osborne answers as many questions as possible through this column. Write Jerry at: Box 255, Port Townsend, WA 98368 E-mail: jpo@olympus.net   Visit his Web site: www.jerryosborne.com

All values quoted in this column are for near-mint condition.

Copyright 2012 Osborne Enterprises- Reprinted By Exclusive Permission




 

Vinyl Record News & Music Notes

Bridge Nine to Reissue Agnostic Front‘s ’Live at CBGB'

New York hardcore vets Agnostic Front are scheduled to reissue their classic 1989 LP 'Live at CBGB' via Bridge Nine Records. The reissue will be pressed on a limited run of red, white, and blue striped vinyl and is due out July 17, 2012. 

Agnostic Front singer Roger Miret said of the reissue:

"That was a magical time for the band and Hardcore was thriving at it's best in 1988 when it was recorded... We are making this re-release very special for the record collector in a red, white and blue color and our timeless original cover embossed to add that punch it held back in 1989 as intense today in 2012! This will be a great release team effort with Agnostic Front and Bridge Nine... here it is - the glory days of 1988 New York City Hardcore as relevant today, tomorrow and forever!"




=============

Whoa! Records Releases Albums by About the Mess, Seized Up, The Wanton Looks, and The Black List

CHICAGO, May 16, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- Whoa! Records is pleased to announce a summer full of new music and great shows, with releases from About the Mess, Seized Up, The Wanton Looks and The Black List.

Chicago punk rock outfit About the Mess is set to release a split with Detroit rockers Seized Up. The two bands teamed up in early 2012 at Million Yen Studios in Chicago with engineer Jeff Dean to record four songs about Life, Love, and Partying. Entitled White City Blackouts, the album is currently available for pre-order on vinyl at http://store.whoarecords.net, with a street date of June 5th. The album will be available on iTunes, Amazon, and many other digital retailers on June 5th as well. The album features two songs from each band, including About the Mess' new single "I Remember '94."

About the Mess also released a video on BlankTV to accompany their new single "I Remember '94." The video can be viewed at www.youtube.com. Says About the Mess frontman Joe Mizzi, "I thought of all these great songs I grew up listening to in the '90s about being a kid going to punk rock shows ... and well, we are all grown up now, and there should be a song about that." The video captures the feel and energy of an About the Mess live show and gives us a close-up look - maybe too close up - of what the band is all about.

To support the White City Blackouts split, About the Mess and Seized Up will play an album release show June 9 at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago. Also playing the show will be The Wanton Looks and Bottle Kids. Tickets are available for the show at tickets.

Chicago rockers The Wanton Looks will be celebrating the vinyl release of their self-titled album at the June 9 show as well. Influenced by acts as diverse as the Ramones and the Ronettes, The Wanton Looks have long been known for their powerful live performances. Now they've masterfully captured that energy on their new 12-song self-titled album. The album can be purchased at whoarecords.net,  thewantonlooks.bandcamp.com, iTunes, Amazon, and other digital retailers.

On Saturday, June 16th, About the Mess will join Detroit-based The Black List and Smoking Popes at Small's in Hamtramck, Michigan. Copies of The Black List's new album, The Elephant Graveyard, will be available at the June 16 show. Black List frontman Jim says of the album, "It's not all about aggression anymore; it's still there, it's just not the focus." Albums can be pre-ordered and tracks downloaded at http://store.whoarecords.net.

Whoa! Records P.O. Box 2731, Chicago, IL 60690 www.whoarecords.net

=============

cool article, people love their vinyl!

Tower Groove Records is worth its weight in vinyl

By Kelsey Whipple

Call it a rags-to-record story: Fueled by frustration with other labels, the members of bluesy local quintet Magic City joked about the idea of creating their own. They could just do it themselves, right? (Right?) With bravado on the brain, it wasn't long before organist Adam Hesed took the thought seriously. Last June he had one idea, no plan, no support system and, even worse, no funding. In their place, he had sweat equity, good friends, a few beers and a borrowed back yard.

He made do.

The result is Tower Groove Records, a label-cum-co-op established to organize the St. Louis scene while promoting it with the kind of aggressive good nature cemented through decades in its venues and basements.

Read the article at riverfronttimes.com

=============

album cover art is so cool, but did these two borrow off each other?

TESTAMENT: 'Dark Roots Of Earth' Cover Artwork, Release Date Revealed 
Nuclear Blast Records has set a July 27 European release date for "Dark Roots Of Earth", the new album from San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT. The cover artwork for the CD — which will likely arrive in North America on July 31 — can be seen below.

Read the rest our friends at Blabbermouth















=============

KRÅKE: New Album Cover Artwork, Release Date Revealed

Norwegian metallers KRÅKE will release their new album, "Conquering Death", on June 29 via Indie Recordings.

Read the rest at  Blabbermouth


















=============

 Burning Point Reveals New Album Artwork 

Finnish metallers Burning Point have recently revealed the cover artwork and track listing of their new album called 'The Ignitor,' which is slated for a June 19th release via Scarlet Records.

'The Ignitor' was recorded at HelGate and Reindeer Horns Studios and mastered at Tico Tico Studios by Ahti Kortelainen. The striking cover artwork was done by Felipe Machado Franco.

Tracklist:
1. Eternal Flame (Salvation By Fire Part 2)
2. In The Fire's Of My Self-Made Hell
3. In The Night
4. The Ignitor
5. Silent Scream
6. Heaven Is Hell
7. Losing Sleep
8. Demon Inside Of You
9. Everdream
10. Lost tribe
11. Holier Than Thou



=============

The Agonist Reveal Album Cover Art 

Canadian metal vets the Agonist are scheduled to release their third studio album, 'Prisoners,' on June 4th in Europe and June 5th in North America via Century Media Records.

Front-woman Alissa White-Gluz commented on the album cover art: "We wanted to really include a chaotic visual to reflect the chaotic sound of the band, but we also wanted to show that the lyrics on this album are a lot more introverted... The human face was left non-descript on purpose - it doesn't belong to any particular person, but we could call him the Lonely Solipsist."

Tracklist:
1. You're Coming With Me
2. The Escape
3. Predator & Prayer
4. Anxious Darwinians
5. Panophobia
6. Ideomotor
7. Lonely Solipsist
8. Dead Ocean
9. The Mass Of The Earth
10. Everybody Wants You (Dead)
11. Revenge Of The Dadaists

=============

GRIMEY'S BEST SELLERS 5/07 - 5/13, 2012

Vinyl Top 25:

1. Jack White - Blunderbuss
2. JT Daly - Memory
3. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls
4. Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts
5. Dr. John - Locked Down
6. Here We Go Magic - A Different Ship
7. M Ward - A Wasteland Companion
8. Of Monsters & Men - Into The Woods 10"
9. Uncle Tupelo - March 16-20, 1992
10. The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow
11. Karen Elson - Milk & Honey 7"
12. Uncle Tupelo - 7" Singles box
13. Turing Machine - What Is The Meaning Of What
14. Of Monsters & Men - My Head Is An Animal
15. Justin Townes Earle - Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel...
16. Other Lives - Tamer Animals
17. Miles Davis - Kind Of Blue
18. M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming
19. The Beatles - Abbey Road
20. Patterson Hood - After It's Gone 7"
21. Chris Robinson - Blue Suede Shoes 7"
22. George Harrison - Early Takes 1
23. Jack Johnson & Friends - Best Of Kokua Festival
24. Lambchop - Mr. M
25. Carole King - Legendary Demos

=============

Rare Treasures and Great Bargains at 25th Midwest Classical Record Show in Skokie, IL, May 19, 2012

Who - Classical music lovers who enjoy records and CDs
What - 25th anniversary Midwest Classical Record Show
Where - Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore, 5300 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie, IL
Why - To sell and buy vinyl LPs, CDs and media that feature great classical music, from Bach to Yo-Yo Ma When - 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Saturday, May 19, 2012 How - Entry costs $2 at the door. Parking is free.

Classical music collectors will again converge on the Chicago Metro area in May to buy, sell and trade both rarities and bargains at the Midwest Classical Record Show. The show will take place from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 19 at the Holiday Inn Chicago North Shore, 5300 W. Touhy Ave., Skokie, IL.

This is the 25th anniversary of the show, and several dealers will be bringing a wide variety of classical music.

"I've got vintage audiophile LPs, high-grade import CDs from Japan and a ton of sealed classical records from the 1970s and 80s," said Steve Young, proprietor of Record Wonderland, one music dealer participating in the show. "I'm also going to have hundreds of very nice records selling at just $1 each. I've been saving up great material all year for this event, but I also bring a fair amount of cash as I know the other dealers will have some fabulous thing I need to get for my own collection"

In previous shows, dealers arrived with a wide array of music, most classical-related, though some dealers bring other genres as well.

"Whether you are looking for baroque or avant-garde, or anything in between, it will be there," said Bob Craig, a show organizer who will also be selling records at the event. "It only happens once a year, so anyone who loves classical music will not want to miss it."

For more information about the Midwest Classical Record Show, visit www.midwestclassicalshow.com , or check out the Midwest Classical Record Show page on Facebook.