All-star tribute albums are popping up as frequently as gourmet coffee houses, saluting the music of such artists as Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix to KISS and the Carpenters. But “The Songs of ‘West Side Story’ ” is different. Instead of paying homage to a performer, the album honors one of the most successful musicals in Broadway and film history. “The Songs of ‘West Side Story,’ ” due Jan. 30 on RCA Victor Records, brings together more than two dozen pop stars from rock, country, R&B; and jazz to offer their versions of the celebrated works by composer Leonard Bernstein and lyricist Stephen Sondheim.
Looking at a career that had more artistic and commercial triumphs than most in the 20th century, one could be forgiven for thinking that Elvis' run of four shows at Madison Square Garden on June 9-11, 1972 was just another of these big events. But for Elvis, it wasn't. Of all the live concerts released by RCA during Elvis' lifetime, none carried the historical significance of his long-awaited New York City shows at Madison Square Garden in June 1972. Prince From Another Planet takes its title from the New York Times headline that accompanied its rave review of the King's four sold-out shows at MSG. Now, a pair of hour-long performances and a brand-new DVD are finally joined together here for the first time as we pay tribute to the King of Rock 'n' Roll's only NYC concert appearances.
Earth: The Power of the Planet is a British documentary television series that premiered on BBC Two on 20 November 2007. The five-part series is presented by geologist Iain Stewart. In the United States, the series was broadcast on the National Geographic Channel as Earth: The Biography. During filming in Madagascar, a new species of ant was discovered by Brian Fisher and named after Stewart: Cerapachys iainstewarti
We have all been in situations where we have brought up the subject of the music we love only to be asked ‘what’s smooth jazz?’ It is a question not always easy to answer and one that forms the motivation for this occasional feature unremarkably called ‘What’s Smooth Jazz?’ Designed to illustrate some of the most definitive examples of the genre, it has, up until this point, always concentrated on specific tracks. However, with the recent release of Brian Culbertson’s ‘Live From The Inside’ there is now an entire album that can be used to demonstrate how perfect smooth jazz is meant to sound.