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The Sanskrit word for twilight is “Samdhi,” which now serves as the aptly-chosen title for saxophonist/composer Rudresh Mahanthappa’s latest ensemble, a fluid melding of jazz, electronic and Indian music.

“Samdhi” also refers to a period between two ages, as one dawns and another passes. Without presuming to know the future, it may not be too much of a stretch to say that Samdhi marks a similar transition in Mahanthappa’s creative life. While it draws on elements and experiments from Mahanthappa’s earlier work, it also marks his initial forays into rich new avenues to explore – particularly in the use of electronics. The ensemble began life in 2008 as the result of a Guggenheim fellowship, which allowed Mahanthappa to dedicate an entire year to a single project.

“This helped me realize a plan of following a few specific ideas,” he says in a news release. “I was interested in how I could transfer the Indian music to my saxophone, particularly this special ornamentation which forms the main feature of the melodies of Indian music. Technically this took me to new territories but, at the same time, I also wanted to understand the music functionally and rhythmically.”

This is not the first time the Indian-American saxophonist has explored the intersection of the music that most influenced him – jazz with the music of his cultural heritage. Those experiments have taken many fruitful forms throughout his career, most notably on his critically-lauded 2008 CD Kinsmen with his Dakshina ensemble, featuring Carnatic saxophonist Kadri Gopalnath, voted one of the year’s best albums by more than twenty newspapers, magazines and broadcasters (including The New York Times and the BBC).

Samdhi is an even deeper exploration of some of the areas first mined for Kinsmen, and also grew partly out of a trip Manhathappa took to an immersive Carnatic music festival in Chennai, India.

“I went for two and a half weeks and totally geeked out,” Mahanthappa recalls. “I went into it with a crash course mentality, trying to see as much as I could and then work on it for the years to come. The idea was to integrate all of that into a new piece that wasn’t so blatantly ‘Indian.’ I decided to put it in a whole new context – an electronic context.”

The line-up with which Mahanthappa approached this idea is accordingly versatile and expansive: New Yorker David Gilmore is one of the few guitarists who possesses the technical skills and stylistic scope to master such an endeavor. Damion Reid is one of the best in the league of young American drummers who combine immense power and speed with a lush tonal palette. Toronto bassist Rich Brown – who Mahanthappa considers “one of the best in the world” – no stranger to such multi-cultural hybrids as a member of a Canadian Indo-jazz band.

The least familiar member to jazz audiences is “Anand” Anantha Krishnan on the South Indian mridangam drum. “He is the grandson of Palgat Raghu, one of the greatest South Indian percussionists of all time, and he exhibited this inherited talent very early on. He really grew up in two places – India and the USA – and has worked with all kinds of music. His access to Western as well as Eastern music is the bridge which we are crossing with Samdhi,”  says Mahanthappa.

Parry Adams

Parry Adams is certainly making herself known on the indie scene with her debut EP, Puzzle Piece.  Her unrelenting melodies, complemented by soulful piano, chipper guitar arrangements, and honest lyrics showcase the ordinary in an extraordinary light. With raw honesty, Adams won’t always tell you what you want to hear, but you’ll want to hear the sincerity pulsing throughout her music.
“‘Puzzle Piece’ is a reflection of where I stand,” says Adams in a news release. “There is nothing holding me back, and the big picture is coming together.”
The Pittsburgh native stays true to her Welsh roots with musical theatre training, allowing her to transition easily between a soft soprano and a power belter. For new fans who may not be enamored with her rich voice, prepare to be floored by her guitar and piano skills, which are also showcased on the album. 

According to a news release, from now until Oct. 2, 2011, you can watch the movie Little Town of Bethlehem at BeliefNet.com. Here’s a direct link: http://partners.beliefnet.com/watch/1168366259001/global-voices-little-town-bethlehem


About Little Town of Bethlehem:
Little Town of Bethlehem, a documentary film, follows the story of three men of three different faiths and their lives in Israel and Palestine. The story explores each man’s choice of nonviolent action amidst a culture of overwhelming violence.
The film examines the struggle to promote equality through nonviolent engagement in the midst of incredible violence that has dehumanized all sides. Sami’s story begins as a young boy living in the Israeli-occupied West Bank; Yonatan’s starts on an Israeli military base; and Ahmad’s begins in a Palestinian refugee camp.
Their three stories are interwoven through the major events of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, starting with the 1972 massacre at the Munich Olympics and following through the first Intifada, suicide bombings in Israel, the Oslo Accords, the assassination of Yitzchak Rabin, and the second Intifada. Sami, Yonatan, and Ahmad each describe the events from their unique perspective, interjecting personal reflections and explaining how these events led them to become involved in the nonviolence movement.

http://www.vocalpoint.com/index.htmlhttp://www.vocalpoint.com/index.htmlAbout Crest^®:

• Fights Cavities
• Whitens Teeth
• Deep Clean Feeling lasts up to 4 hours

*Must be a Vocalpoint member; limited quantities available. Only one package will be mailed per member. Please allow 5-7 weeks for delivery.

Shekinah Glory Ministry (SGM), will release, “Refreshed By Fire” (List Price: $14.98/ Kingdom Records), the much-anticipated concert video companion to last year’s No. 1 live double CD, Refreshed by Fire, on Sept. 27, 2011.

Recorded before a crowd of 3,000 at Shekinah Glory Ministry’s Chicago area home church, Valley Kingdom Ministries International, up-and-coming film director, Joel Kapity, who directs the upcoming drama, “Dreams,” captured the essence of the ministry’s calling on this epic concert film that is destined to become for the praise and worship music genre what The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” movie is to rock music.

On this film, Apostle H. Daniel Wilson, pastor of Valley Kingdom Ministries International and the visionary who conceived the idea to create Shekinah Glory Ministry during a 40-day sabbatical over a decade ago, opens the infectious concert, flipping through his Bible and announcing, “Well it’s about that time again…” And what time is that? Time to make new history on the stage where Shekinah Glory Ministry recorded their breakthrough smash, “Praise is What I Do,” back in 2000 and where they have recorded all of their live sets ever since.

The film transcends into a high praise segment of tender worship tunes that stir the whole sanctuary as the night officially closes on the ballad, “Just for Me.” In this sweet homily, LaTosca House, who led the ministry’s 2007 Top Ten smash “Jesus,” testifies of God’s sacrifice for mankind on this soaring anthem that closes the event on a reverentially riveting high note. The DVD is rounded out with behind-the-scenes footage and commentary on the ministry’s evolution that helps explain what has led to Shekinah Glory Ministry’s Top Ten hits such as “Praise is What I Do” and “Yes.” Even more so, it explains how a ministry that never set out to become a star has racked up more gold and platinum (two RIAA gold albums, two gold DVDs and one platinum DVD) than any black gospel choir in music history.  In explaining Shekinah Glory Ministry’s success on the DVD, Apostle Wilson says in a news release, “We put worship on wax, and God just blew on it.”

Denny Morouse

The Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame announced that performing from 7:30 to 9 p.m. today for the 2011 OK Greenfest VIP Launch Party is New York City virtuoso saxophonist Denny Morouse. The concert is at the Oklahoma Jazz Hall of Fame’s Jazz Depot, 1st & Cincinnati (upper level). After the concert, attendees are encouraged to stick around and dance  to DJ Drumaddic! No VIP pass, no worries…just $5 at the door! Only for those 18 and older with I.D. 
Morouse is an experienced band leader, who has an intuitive gift for putting together exceptional musicians with the right chemistry to blow the audiences away with musical feeling, energy, passion, sweetness, and powerful spiritual and soulful expressions.    
OK Greenfest, an annual music festival located at 18th and Boston in Tulsa, offers an eco-friendly mission that promotes green and healthy living, and being kind to the environment. While the emphasis is music, the festival features exhibitors of art, music products, eco-friendly products and more.

A prolific composer, Grammy-winner and founding member of the contemporary jazz supergroup Fourplay, pianist Bob James explores the classically influenced side of his immense musicality on Altair & Vega. A duet project recorded with fellow piano virtuoso Keiko Matsui, it’s a modern take on the four-hands piano tradition established in the 18th and 19th centuries by the likes of such classical composers as Haydn, Brahms and Schubert. Named for a Japanese folkloric tale about the seventh day of the seventh month (July 7th – an annual celebration known as Tanabata), Altair and Vega are two stars in the galaxy that pass by each other only once a year. 


“So this kind of rare meeting of these two fictional characters seemed to be a good title because it also described my eventual hookup with Keiko on this project,” says James in a recent news release.

“Originally this story came from China,” adds Matsui. “Later, it was combined with Japanese tradition. We write one’s wish and prayer on origami (Japanese traditional color paper) and hang it from bambondero grass. We decorate bamboo with origami under the sky for an evening. For us, July 7th is a special day with romantic feeling.”

The genesis of this four-hands piano project came 12 years ago when James wrote a piece he titled “Altair & Vega” that he envisioned playing with Matsui. 


“I didn’t really know Keiko at that time,” he recalls. “I had only met her once backstage at the Hollywood Bowl, but I just thought I would send her this piece of music to see if she might be interested in playing it. I always found it a fun challenge to have two people both sitting at the same piano, working out the choreography and how their hands would go back and forth.”

The two ultimately got together in the studio when Matsui was on tour in the States, and they recorded “Altair & Vega” as a four-hands piece, which was released in 2001 on James’Dancing on the Water (Warner Bros.). Matsui responded by writing a piece for James called “Ever After,” which had appeared on her album Whisper from the Mirror. Shortly after, James and Matsui embarked on a tour together of nine Japanese cities, performing four-hands piano adaptations of their original compositions. 

Last year, the two performed a four-hands duet in Pittsburgh at the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild, which was documented on video. Two days before that, they had performed a concert in James’ hometown, Traverse City, Michigan, and later documented the music in James’ home studio. A CD/DVD package of those four-hands piano performances is now available on the eOne label.

“Most of the music on this project crosses borders,” says James. “There are some elements of classical music along with elements of Keiko’s and my different influences. So it is partially written and partially improvised.”

Regarding the challenges of the four-hands technique, James says, “It’s not for everybody because a lot of pianists don’t want to give up that control. There’s only one sustain pedal, for example. So whoever does the sustain pedal has a lot of power over phrasing and smooth transitions. I think most of us pianists very often use the pedal as a kind of crutch to smooth our way through technical passages that we’re either having trouble with or whatever. And if you happen to be the pianist who doesn’t have control over the sustain pedal, you better make sure that your technique is really accurate.  

“The other thing is, once we get in the middle of the keyboard, fingering becomes very important,” he continues. “Because if some of your fingers are sticking out there and getting in the way of your partner, you make it impossible for them to play. So you have to make sure that you avoid those clashes. And you do that by giving up control and becoming a team. So you have to agree about the way you pass the ball back and forth melodically so that the two really become one person on one piano.”

With a rock and roll edge and a powerhouse voice, Claire London combines deeply personal lyrics with haunting melodies, distorted bass lines, and bluesy rock and roll on her debut album, Like a Machine, set for release October 11, 2011.

London’s intriguing personal aesthetic (a mix of haute couture and the Mad Hatter) is as unique as her sound, with musical influences ranging from Led Zeppelin to Portishead to The Black Keys, with a little Nine Inch Nails and Nina Simone in between.


“I am equally in love with and inspired by the raw heartbreak of the blues, the power and sexiness of rock and roll, and the experimental vulnerability of alternative,” she said in a news release. “My dream was to create a hybrid of those sounds that represents who I truly am as an artist.”

Recorded over the past year at the legendary Cutting Room Studios in New York City with producers Patrick Ermlich and Eshy Gazit, Like a Machine combines left of center guitar riffs, creepy synths, and haunting piano with exceptionally honest lyrics that follow London’s journey of self-examination and introspection. It’s an edgy diary that explores the twisted passageways of heartbreak, apathy, depression, escape, hope, love, and even madness.

“Claire really pushed herself as a lyricist on this album,” said Ermlich. “A lot of the subject matter is very blunt and probably hard for her to put out there, but I think this is a record she really needed to make in order to heal.”

Crediting her British parents for providing her with a diverse musical upbringing, London has been writing and performing since the age five. For her, Like a Machine represents a lifetime of passion and emotions that had been waiting for a release.

“I had such a specific aesthetic in mind, and I was really passionate about it,” she said. “[Ermlich and Gazit] really believed in my talent and vision. They let me experiment and helped me bring Like a Machine to life.”

The project featuring legendary drummer Shawn Pelton, Eshy Gazit (bass, guitar) and Patrick Ermlich (guitar, piano).

Michael Uslan

He has generated $2.6 billion in worldwide box office grosses, countless millions in toy and merchandise sales and survived not one, but two battles with a homicidal maniac. What’s more, he’s not done yet.

Batman is one of the world’s most dependable film properties, with even the worst entry in the franchise’s history still charting $238 million in receipts. As the trailer for the next installment of the franchise, The Dark Knight Rises, debuts online and with the release of the blockbuster Harry Potter film conclusion, millions have already started the countdown until next July when the new film opens.

But if it weren’t for the perseverance of one man who toiled nearly 10 years to make the franchise’s first entry in 1989, it would not have happened at all.

“When I bought the film rights to Batman in 1979, no one wanted to make a Batman movie,” said Michael Uslan, executive producer – along with partner Benjamin Melnicker – of the modern Batman film franchise in a recent news release. 


“Well, not a good one, anyway. First, the president of DC Comics tried to convince me not to buy the film rights. He told me that no one wanted to make a Batman movie, but I made the deal, anyway. Who knew that he was actually on the money? I was rejected by every studio in town, multiple times, before I was able to convince people that Batman would be viable as a serious interpretation and not as a comedy.”

Uslan was shut down early and often by studio heads, for seemingly ridiculous reasons, too.

“Most of the studio executives I pitched swore up and down that Batman could never work as a movie,” said Uslan, who tells the story in his new memoir The Boy Who Loved Batman (www.theboywholovedbatman.com). “One complained that it wouldn’t make money because Annie – the musical version of Little Orphan Annie – didn’t make money. I asked him what Annie had to do with Batman, and he replied, ‘Oh come on, Michael, they’re both from the funny pages.’ One guy even told me that Batman and Robin wouldn’t work because a Sean Connery movie about an aging Robin Hood and Maid Marian – called Robin and Marian – didn’t work. I didn’t bother to press him, but I’m assuming he felt that having the name ‘Robin’ in the title was somehow box office poison. At the end of the day, it was clear that the studio bosses in the 1970s and 1980s felt that comic books weren’t worthy of being translated into movies. Their view was that comic books were just cheap, disposable entertainment for kids.”

Of course, since 1989’s Batman, comic books have been rich fodder for studios, with Spider-Man, X-Men, Iron Man and others bringing in billions of dollars in box office and licensing revenue.

“What we showed with Batman was that you could make a good, dark and serious comic book movie,” Uslan said. “What we proved with the Dark Knight was that we could use comic book-based material to transcend the genre and simply make a good movie, period. The bottom line is that Batman changed the industry, and if I didn’t bloody my knuckles for close to 10 years on doors that were repeatedly slammed in my face, comic book related films might not be enjoying the success they are having today.”

According to a recent news release, newcomer Earnest Pugh last week knocked gospel legend Kirk Franklin out of the #1 slot on Billboard’s Hot Gospel Songs chart. Pugh’s single “I Need Your Glory” has enjoyed a meteoric rise over the last four months, and it’s all thanks to former Houston concert promoter and car salesman, Kerry Douglas, who has spent the last decade turning Army drill sergeants, choir directors and others into today’s top tier gospel stars through his Black Smoke Worldwide Gospel label.

While the music industry sales as a whole have taken a nosedive, Douglas has employed his innovative New Deal Entertainment University marketing tactics to take James Fortune & FIYA to the top of the chart with their #1 hits “I Believe” and “I Trust You.”  Last year, Douglas pushed Earnest Pugh to the #1 spot with “Rain on Us.” Throughout his career, Douglas has given several artists the signature hits that keep them working today, ranging from Evelyn Turrentine-Agee’s “God Did It” that earned a BMI award as the most played gospel song of 2001 to Keith “Wonderboy” Johnson’s “Send a Revival.” As a result, Billboard magazine named Douglas’ company the #1 independent gospel record label last year.

Just five years ago, no one knew the name of James Fortune. Thanks to Douglas’ golden touch, Fortune is now one of the biggest names in gospel music. The single, “I Trust You,” remained #1 on Billboard’s gospel chart for 29 weeks (winning ASCAP’s Gospel Song of the Year Award in 2009. He followed with “I Believe,” which spent 19 weeks at #1. In between hits, Fortune hit the Top Ten with “I Wouldn’t Know You” and “Encore.” While Fortune captured the youth market, Douglas set Pugh up to conquer the church ladies with his balladeering.  Pugh’s 2009 breakthrough, “Rain on Us,” spent two weeks at #1 on the gospel chart in 2010 and set his career ablaze with Essence.com naming him a gospel artist to watch.

The latter part of 2010, Douglas introduced The New Deal Entertainment University marketing concept that labels throughout the gospel industry are seeking to copy. The New Deal methodology combines traditional grass-roots promotions and todays online, mobile and social media networking tools. Douglas put the theory to use on Pugh’s sophomore Black Smoke release, Earnestly Yours.  The set debuted at #1 on Billboard’s Top Gospel Sales Chart in July, toppling Kirk Franklin’s latest CD, Hello Fear.  It was the first #1 CD debut in Black Smoke history and a rare feat that an album would debut at #1 before the radio single had made significant impact.

Douglas has been making his impact for almost two decades now. He formed the Independent Gospel Music Network (IGMN) in 1998 and went on to publish The Gospel Truth Magazine (GTM) that reaches more than 100,000 readers nationally.  GTM was the first gospel publication to introduce new artists on a free CD sampler that accompanied every issue. That CD sampler has evolved into the Gospel Mix CD series that introduces a new crop of hot gospel artists to the world each year. That series was the launching pad for James Fortune, Earnest Pugh and other gospel stars and is dedicated to introducing next year’s biggest artists and songs. This year’s 28-song set, Coco Brother Presents Gospel Mix V, is emceed by syndicated radio personality, Cory Coco Brother” Condrey, and features the next wave of gospel stars with dynamic performances by Zacardi Cortez, Bryan Wilson and Condrey himself. For more information, go to www.MrKerryDouglas.com.