NEW SOUNDS

MAREN MORRIS

Maren Morris broke through back in 2016 with her song "My Church" which was her first to reach the top ten of the US country singles charts. A recording contract with Columbia Nashville followed and she achieved more hit country singles. Morris dabbled in dance music a couple of years later, teaming with German record producer and DJ, Zedd and having their collaboration, "The Middle" become a smash international hit. After a few more successful albums, Morris has taken a page from Taylor Swift's playbook, moving away from pure country and has just released "Dreamsicle", a collection of modern pop that showcases another side of her impressive talent. Teaming up with a large number of the top producers in contemporary pop which includes Greg Kurstin and Jack Antonoff (who helped Swift on her journey into pop music), the politically outspoken Morris has delivered songs that express where she currently is in her life right now after recently ending her marriage to musician, Ryan Hurd and coming out as bisexual. She has planned to embark on her "Dreamsicle World Tour" to support the record with dates set across North America and Europe.





BARBRA STREISAND

With "The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two", Barbra Streisand offers a sequel to her popular 2014 duets album, "Partners". This collection, due out in June, has the legendary performer teaming-up with some of her musical contemporaries (Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Bob Dylan), pop music successors (Josh Groban, Sting, Mariah Carey, Tim McGraw) and current artists (Sam Smith, Laufey, Ariana Grande). The songs they perform range from pop standards to songs written by some of her duet partners. The first two songs released feature Streisand with the Irish rocker, Hoizer on a cover of Ewan MacColl's 1957 love ballad, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". And the former Beatle performs with Streisand, "My Valentine", a love song he had written for his album, "Kisses on the Bottom" back in 2011.

AMERICA'S MOST BELOVED DIVAS

In the latest issue of New York Times' magazine, T, they celebrate three of the most iconic women in music; Barbra Streisand, Dolly Parton and Patti LaBelle. They started their journey in to the business around the same time but each would find fame and success at different points of their careers.

Streisand would first be noticed on the theatrical stage before conquering pop music and film. Parton began under the guidance of musician, Porter Wagoner before striking out on her own and becoming a major player in country music. And LaBelle was part of a girl-group, finding brief success before venturing off as a solo artist and reaching incredible heights as one of the greatest voices in r&b.

Each of these gifted and talented performers have remained greatly admired musicians, with the magazine offering profiles on these women that examines their lives, careers and continued influence on audiences.

Click below to read the articles:

NYT magazine: Celebrating Three of America’s Most Beloved Divas

NEW SOUNDS

PAUL MCCARTNEY

"Egypt Station" is Paul McCartney's eighteenth solo studio album and his first featuring new music since his 2005 record, "Chaos and the Creation in the Backyard". The seventy-six year old music legend has created a solid collection of songs that takes us on a journey through different musical moods. With production assistance from current pop hit makers. Greg Kurstin and Ryan Tedder, McCartney delivers a gentle piano ballad, a Bossa Nova inspired tune, some hard rocking garage band jams and songs that offer an interesting mix of eclectic sounds. Here is the video for the first single, "Fuh You":



PAUL SIMON

That other iconic singer/songwriter named "Paul", Paul Simon also has a new album out. With "In The Blue Light", Simon is reexamining his past work and giving some of his lesser known songs a make-over. Starting with "One Man's Ceiling is Another Man's Floor" from his 1973 album, "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" and ending with "Questions For the Angels" from "So Beautiful or So What" from 2011, the seventy-six year old has given these songs new arrangements and even some reworked lyrics. Many of the songs have been stripped down to focus on the words and melody, creating a reflective and melancholy mood. Listen to one of my favorite tracks from the album, "One Man's Ceiling Is Another Man's Floor":

And we have Barbra Streisand who has been pretty vocal about her feelings regarding this current Presidential administration. After her last few albums featured classic show tunes and famous duet partners, this legendary vocalist has been inspired to make the rare move to write songs for her upcoming album. "Walls", Streisand's thirty-sixth album, is due in November and will feature mostly original songs with three she was involved with co-writing. The record is designed to explore her social concerns and offer optimism during these troubling times. The first single, "Don't Lie To Me" is one her original compositions that directly takes aim at the President and his controversial policies. Ms Streisand directed the music video for the song and it is not subtle on exactly what she's trying to say with the song:

2017 NATIONAL RECORDING REGISTRY

Judy Garland's classic ballad from "The Wizard of Oz", Barbra Streisand's classic ballad from "Funny Girl",  the original version of "Hound Dog", a collection of the greatest hits by the Eagles and the debut album from N.W.A.  are just some of the recordings that have just been inducted in to the National Recording Registry.

Since 2002, the Library of Congress have selected sound recordings that are culturally, historically, or aesthetically important that informs or reflect life in the United States. The twenty-five selected this year feature a wide range of music, commentaries, radio programs, comedy albums and speeches. To date, there have been 475 recordings placed in the National Recording Registry.

Here is the complete list of the twenty-five recordings being inducted in the 2017 National Recording Registry:

The London cylinder recordings of Col. George Gouraud (1888)

“Lift Every Voice and Sing” (singles) - Manhattan Harmony Four (1923) and Melba Moore & Friends (1990)



“Puttin’ on the Ritz” (single) - Harry Richman (1929)

“Over the Rainbow” (single) - Judy Garland (1939)



“I’ll Fly Away” (single) - The Chuck Wagon Gang (1948)

“Hound Dog” (single) - Big Mama Thornton (1953)



“Saxophone Colossus” - Sonny Rollins (1956)

"The Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds", announced by Vin Scully (September 8, 1957)

“Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs” - Marty Robbins (1959)

“The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery” - Wes Montgomery (1960)

“People” (single) - Barbra Streisand (1964)



“In the Midnight Hour” (single) - Wilson Pickett (1965)



“Amazing Grace” (single) - Judy Collins (1970)



“American Pie” (single) - Don McLean (1971)

“All Things Considered” - first broadcast (May 3, 1971)

“The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” - David Bowie (1972)



“The Wiz: Original Broadway Cast Album” - (1975)



“Their Greatest Hits (1971–1975)” - Eagles (1976)

“Scott Joplin’s Treemonisha” - (Gunter Schuller, arranger) (1976)

“Wanted: Live in Concert” - Richard Pryor (1978)

“We Are Family” (single) - Sister Sledge (1979)



“Remain in Light” - Talking Heads (1980)

“Straight Outta Compton” - N.W.A (1988)



“Rachmaninoff’s Vespers (All-Night Vigil)” - Robert Shaw Festival Singers (1990)

“Signatures” - Renée Fleming (1997)

NEW SOUNDS

LADY GAGA & TONY BENNETT

After Lady Gaga recorded a song with Tony Bennett for the sequel to his popular "Duets" album in 2011, this unlikely duo got along so well that they wanted to do an entire album together. That has finally worked out with "Cheek To Cheek", a collection of jazz standards. Their wish is that this record will get younger listeners interested in these classic songs by such composers as George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Duke Ellington. Recorded the old-fashioned way, live with an orchestra, Gaga and Bennett seem to inspire each other and had a lot of fun together.

Here is their swinging version of the Irving Berlin song, "Let's Face The Music and Dance":

"Let's Face The Music and Dance" -Lady Gaga & Tony Bennett (2014)

Take a look at the music video for "Anything Goes" for an example of how much these two enjoy each other:



BARBRA STREISAND

"Partners", the thirty-fourth studio album from Barbra Streisand is another duets release from the legendary performer but this time, most of the songs are re-recordings of her previous hits. Produced by Walter Afanasieff and Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds (who is also one of her duet partners on "Evergreen"), the CD features some of the best vocalists in music history. The line-up includes Lionel Ritchie ("The Way We Were"), Billy Joel ("New York State of Mind"), John Legend ("What Kind of Fool"), Josh Groban ("Somewhere"), Stevie Wonder ("People") and most surprisingly, the late Elvis Presley on his classic, "Love Me Tender".  Some of the match-ups are more effective than others but overall, "Partners" is still worth a listen. It's interesting to note that there were no other female singers used on this project. Perhaps no one was available? Anyway, the album is off to a great start as it has reached the top-ten in several countries and debuted at number one in the U.S.

Here is the virtual musical pairing of Streisand with the "King", who actually came very close to co-starring with her in the 1976 remake of "A Star Is Born":

"Love Me Tender" - Barbra Streisand & Elvis Presley (2014)

SMOKEY ROBINSON

On his first CD in four years and on his new label, Verve, Smokey Robinson has also decided to go the duets route on the appropriately entitled, "Smokey & Friends". Like the Streisand record, Robinson has rounded up some of his musical buddies (such as James Taylor, Elton John, Mary J. Blige, Sheryl Crow and John Legend) to rework the songs he wrote and made famous. Sadly, there really isn't much here that's inspired or particularly memorable.

One of the more interesting tracks is with Steven Tyler of Aerosmith who together do an adequate blues-rock version of "You Really Got a Hold On Me". Have a listen:

THE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF NEW YORK POP MUSIC

For their annual "Yesteryear Issue",  New York Magazine has decided to focus on the influential musical artists who made their start in this magical city. The story traces back to near the beginning of the last century right up to present day. While some of these performers may have been born elsewhere, they all used the city to seek out fellow kindred spirits, hone their craft and eventually find their creative voice. Many of these musicians will be quite familiar while others have been, sadly, long forgotten. It's a fascinating profile that you should definitely check out.

Click below to read the article:

The Encyclopedia of New York Pop Music

Here are some songs from a few of the artists who made their breakthrough in the Big Apple:

"Lady Sings The Blues" - Billie Holiday (1956)

"Don't Rain On My Parade" - Barbra Streisand (1968)

"Gloria" - Patti Smith (1975)

"Holiday" - Madonna (1983)

"Shake Your Rump" - Beastie Boys (1989)

"Big Poppa" - The Notorious B.I.G. (1995)

"South Side" - Moby (1999)

"Family Affair" - Mary J. Blige (2001)

HOT AND FRESH OUT THE KITCHEN

"THE TRUTH ABOUT LOVE" - PINK

Despite Pink recently becoming a mother, don't think for a moment she's about to become soft and start singing lullabies. On her sixth CD, "The Truth About Love", Pink displays that she's still quite able and willing to rock out with the best of them. The singer co-wrote the entire album with Greg Kurstin (the Grammy nominated producer is also one half of the pop duo, The Bird and the Bee) who also produced a large part of the record.

Her clever first single, "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" has reached the top five on the pop charts and there seems to be plenty of other potential hits to come with artists Lily Rose Cooper (the Brit pop artist formerly known as Lily Allen) and Eminem contributing to some tracks.

"Here Comes The Weekend" - Pink featuring Eminem

Here is the sexy music video for the second single, "Try" with Pink performing some impressive interpretive dance moves:



"PUSH AND SHOVE" - NO DOUBT

No Doubt, the Anaheim-based rock band decided to take some time off after their 2004 tour to pursue solo projects with the most visible being lead vocalist, Gwen Stefani's two highly-successful solo albums. The band, which also features Tony Kanal on bass, Tom Dumont on guitar and drummer, Adrian Young, have reunited for their sixth studio album, "Push and Shove".  With this new record, it feels like time has almost stood still as their sound is still heavily SKA punk influenced. Although there are some contemporary touches throughout however not enough to feel truly fresh.

Here is the new single from the album, "Looking Hot":



"RED" - TAYLOR SWIFT

Although the twenty-two year old, Taylor Swift has become a country music superstar in a very short period of time, she has no interest in resting on this success. With her latest CD, "Red", the singer/songwriter has decided to challenge herself by moving slightly out of her comfort zone and collaborating with talent not usually associated with her musical genre. This appears to have been a smart move as the first single (co-written and produced by pop hit-makers, Max Martin and Shellback), "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" has become her first number one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

I have to admit I've never been much of a fan as I found her a little too precious but she has grown as an artist and I like much of her new work.

"State of Grace" - Taylor Swift

"TWO ELEVEN" - BRANDY

Brandy is finally back with new music after a four year absence with a new label on RCA Records. The title of her sixth album, "Two Eleven" represents the singer's birthday as well as the date of the tragic death of her good friend and idol, Whitney Houston.

This collection has returned to the feel of the classic Brandy sound much like her hit recordings as a teenager but now comes from the prospective of a mature woman. Passionate and sensual, these songs are cutting-edge r&b with production assistance by Rico Love, Bangladesh and Frank Ocean.

"Wildest Dreams" - Brandy

"FREE DIMENSIONAL" - DIAMOND RINGS

Canadian vocalist, John O'Regan who is better know by his moniker, Diamond Rings first came to attention with his first single, "All Yr Songs" in 2009 that he had written, produced and self-distributed. His debut album, "Special Affections" came out the following year and eventually released on a major label, Astralwerks Records. This lead to him opening for the Swedish pop star, Robyn on her "Body Talk" tour.

The out and proud twenty-seven year old has now returned with his exciting new release, "Free Dimensional" that is heavily inspired by the electro-pop music of the 1980's when he was just an infant. It's a really fun record and it's one of my favorites of the year

"All The Time" - Diamond Rings

"RELEASE ME" - BARBRA STREISAND

One of the most popular and successful recording artists in history, Barbra Streisand has released her latest album appropriately entitled, "Release Me". It features a collection of songs she had recorded throughout her almost fifty years in music but just didn't quite make the cut to be included on any album. Now this material is finally seeing the light of day with songs ranging from Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Jimmy Webb and Randy Newman as well as tunes from Broadway shows including "Finian's Rainbow" and "The Wiz".

In celebration of her spectacular career, the veteran songstress is even on the road with a rare concert tour to promote the album throughout North America.

"Home (From "The Wiz")" - Barbra Streisand

Beyonce's younger sister, Solange is back with some new music. "Losing You" is a funky song with a great video shot in South Africa:

HAPPY HOLIDAYS

I offer a simple wish; that everyone have a peaceful and enjoyable Christmas and a great new year.

"Christmas Tree" - Lady Gaga (2010)

"Purple Snowflakes" - Marvin Gaye (1973)

"Children Go Where I Send Thee" - Natalie Merchant (1997)

"Jingle Bells" - Barbra Streisand (1967)

"Sleigh Ride" - TLC (1993)

THIS IS FOR THE LOVERS. . .

V. D. is upon us again today, making it's yearly visit.

This is that so-called "holiday" where people feel obligated to scramble around to buy expensive gifts or forced to go out to dinner where restaurants rob people blind by hiking up the prices to obscene levels, all of this in a commerical way to show someone how much you truly "love" them. Like JLo wisely said,"My love don't cost a thing" Worst still, people who don't happen to have a lover are made to feel particularly lousy today.

Despite all of this nonsense, Valentine's Day is a great excuse for me to share a few love songs that I love.

Enjoy them alone or with someone you care about:

"I Think I Love You " The Partridge Family

"My First Love" - Rene & Angela

"Love Will Never Do (Without You)" - Janet Jackson

"Love, Need, And Want You" - Patti LaBelle

"Love, Etc." - Pet Shop Boys

"All In Love Is Fair" - Barbra Streisand