MG News
Simply Watts, Tain that tis
Jeff "Tain" Watts has released a new CD, his fifith, simply titled Watts - the follow-up to his 2007 release, Folk's Songs on his own Dark Key Music label Watts, whose percussion work earned him wide regard as a fiercely accomplished collaborator among his peers and gained him broad notice as a member of the Tonight Show band and in
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| Jeff "Tain" Watts |
Spike Lee’s “Mo’ Better Blues,” is joined on the new project tenor saxophonist Branford Marsalis, trumpeter Terence Blanchard and bassist Christian McBride. The album is described as a 21st century example of percussion and politics, swing and sarcasm, and improvisation and irony. Beyond referring to his last name, the title of the CD also references the CD cover shot of the famous Watts Towers, which is the symbol of the notorious mid-sixties Los Angeles race riots, and the hometown of the mercurial bassist/composer Charles Mingus.
Curious ...Bejamin Button... Jazz
Concord Records released the soundtrack for "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" on Dec. 16. The film opens in theaters nationwide Christmas day.
The original soundtrack is composed, conducted, and produced by Alexandre Desplat, who received Oscar and BAFTA nominations for The Queen, was the International Fil
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| Opens Xmas |
Music Critics Association’s 2007 Composer of the Year and earned Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science-Fiction film award for The Golden Compass.
The Paramount Pictures release is directed by David Fincher( Zodiac, Fight Club).
The Double Disc Set Includes an entire CD devoted to Desplat’s score, and a second to jazz, big band, and ‘50s classics by Bix Beiderbecke, the Boswell Sisters, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Louis Armstrong, Sidney Bechet, Perez Prado, the Platters, and others. Desplat’s score to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button creates a mesmerizing sonic mindscape that mirrors the unique emotional world of the movie’s lead character,
Real cuts staff
Streaming media company RealNetworks recently eliminted 130 jobs, or 7.5 percent of its global staff.
The layoffs is attributed to the floundering global economy. However, Real insists that it has not been as hard hit as other companies.
"The layoffs, in addition to other cost cutting measures, are part of a budgeting process that is intended to bring expenses in line with current and prospective economic realities," Real vice president Bill Hankes wrote on the company's blog. "While our business has not been affected as much as many others, we aren't immune to what's going on in the broader economy."
Those who were laid off will remain on the payroll through the end of the year and receive a cash severance package based on their length of service, Hankes wrote.
Earlier reports that the company was going to shut down its New York City Rhapsody office were inaccurate, according to Real.
Rhapsody streaming music service is the one really current service at the company. Are subscription-based apps suffering as more and more music companies look toward free and ad-support methods of music distribution. Real has spent much of the last several years announcing Rhapsody partnership deals.
MG Jazz
Music from Miguel Zenon, Lawson Rollins, Steve Reid, Ron Black and others. For a preview ...click
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MG Special
Lee Konitz may be an octogenarian, but his energy is evident in his playing and his clear perspective on playing. We talj with Konitz about his approach to playing in a series of short interviews ... In The Tradition.