Anita Baker
will also release a holiday album with Blue Note.
"Christmas Fantasy" hits stores October
4th, and will feature appearances by Joe
Sample, Larry
Carlton, Nathan
East, Ricky Lawson, and all four members of
The Yellowjackets.
Barry Eastman, who co-produces here, also wrote
three original tunes for the outing.
Diana Krall
will deliver her first Christmas album in 2005.
The outing, "Christmas Songs" will be
released on Verve November 1st.
American
Idol's Latoya Readies New CD on Peak Records July,
3 2005- Latoya
London, another favorite American Idol contestant
is set to drop her debut album. Producers Rex
Rideout (Maysa), and Narada Michael Walden (Whitney
Houston/Angela Bofill) have been working with
the singer to craft an outing that promises many
vocal stylings in the smooth jazz vein. London's
label is Peak
Records.
- by Cheryl
Philips
Paul
Taylor's "Nightlife" Produces a Shooting
Star March
28, 2005 - A week after release, Peak
Records artist saxophonist Paul
Taylor's new CD "Nightlife" will
make its debut on Billboard's Contemporary Jazz
Chart at 2. The first single, the title track
"Nightlife" has received enthusiastic
response on radio and has been climbing the Radio
and Records charts since its release. "I
feel as though I'm really living my dream every
time I do an album or get up onstage at a show
where people have come to see me," says Taylor.
"I never envisioned that my niche would be
smooth jazz, but when I think back to how I idolized
Grover and Ronnie, in a way it makes perfect sense.
I love when people come up to me and say they
had a good time, that I really did a good show.
It's been such an incredible opportunity to play
for them." "Nightlife" is Taylor's
follow up to "Steppin' Out" from 2003.
- by Liz Rivard
Taylor recently started his solo tour in the Bay
area for a three night stand. Upcoming tour dates
include: April
8/9 - Trumpets, Montclair New Jersey
April 23 - Las Vegas Citylights Jazz Festival
April 24 - Thornton Winery, Temecula, CA
May 5 - Derby, Louisvlle, KY
May 6 - Isaac Hayes, Memphis
May 14 - Hyatt Newporter Jazz Festival, Newport
Beach, CA
May 28 - 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle
Captain
Fingers at a Peak in His Career March
17, 2005 - Lee
Ritenour (aka Captain Fingers) has been signed
to Peak Records.
His debut recording OverTime will be released
in May on i.e. Music/Peak Records, marketed and
distributed by Concord Records. OverTime,
was originally produced by Ritenour as a DVD for
Video Arts Japan. It features seventeen special
guest artists including Dave Grusin, Chris
Botti, Ivan Lins, Patrice
Rushin, Harvey
Mason and Eric
Marienthal. The CD release includes three
additional tracks and will debut several weeks
prior to the DVD release in May. Peak Records,
founded by Andi Howard and The
Rippington's Russ Freeman is distributed and
marketed through Concord Records. Other artists
currently on their roster include The
Rippingtons, David
Benoit, Regina Belle, Paul
Taylor, Eric
Marienthal, The Braxton Brothers and Latoya
London. For further information visit www.peakrecords.com
- by Liz Rivard
An
American Idol Switches to Smooth Jazz November
19, 2004 - Latoya London is no one trick
pony. The American Idol contestant has just signed a deal with the Smooth Jazz
label Peak Records. Though she didn't win
the third edition of the show this year at one point she was considered the singer
to beat in the contest. Before the finale which saw Fantasia Barrino win the title
a Billboard magazine on-line poll suggested that London would be the next American
Idol. She will go into the studio in January and the album will be in stores by
the summer of 2005. The fourth season of American Idol will kick off on January
18, 2005.
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to volunteer for 'Smooth Jazz Now' email us here
September
28, 2005 - Smooth Jazz artists 
July,
3 2005- 
June
21, 2005 - 
March
28, 2005 - A week after release, 
March
17, 2005 - 
November
19, 2004 - 
