Update: Dec 13, 2020: Chris Cornell - Last Studio Album release: "No One Sings Like You Anymore"
LOS ANGELES: Vicky Cornell and her children, Toni and Christopher, on behalf of The Chris Cornell Estate and in conjunction with UMe, just announced the release of No One Sings Like You Anymore, Chris Cornell's handpicked collection of 10 cover songs, which he personally selected and sequenced to celebrate artists and songs that inspired him. Recorded by Chris in 2016, the album, which is his last fully completed studio album, features his renditions of John Lennon's "Watching The Wheels," Ghostland Observatory's "Sad Sad City," Harry Nilsson's "Jump Into The Fire," Carl Hall's "You Don't Know Nothing About Love," Electric Light Orchestra's "Showdown," Terry Reid's "To Be Treated Rite," Lorraine Ellison's "Stay With Me Baby," "Get It While You Can," popularized by Janis Joplin, and a new studio recording of "Nothing Compares 2 U," written by Prince. Chris' cover of Gun's & Roses "Patience," which was released on his birthday this year, and earned him his first solo Billboard Number 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart, is also included on the album.
All instruments on No One Sings Like You Anymore were played by Chris Cornell and Brendan O'Brien, who also produced & mixed the album. In time for the holiday's, the album is a special gift for Chris' fans and long term supporters, but the Cornell family hopes that new fans and listeners will be inspired by Chris' powerful and unique voice in these stunning renditions.
"This album is so special because it is a complete work of art that Chris created from start to finish. His choice of covers provides a personal look into his favorite artists and the songs that touched him. He couldn't wait to release it. This moment is bittersweet because he should be here doing it himself, but it is with both heartache and joy that we share this special album," said Vicky Cornell. "All of us could use his voice to help heal and lift us this year, especially during the holiday season. I am so proud of him and this stunning record, which to me illustrates why he will always be beloved, honored, and one the greatest voices of our time," she added.
"When my dad was making this album, it was so fun - I remember waking up in the morning, having breakfast with him and going with him into the studio. We would take our piano lessons there, and Christopher would play video games with Brendan and my dad. We got to experience so much with him and have so many amazing memories. I'm really happy to be sharing this album. We love you, daddy," shared Toni Cornell.
With Christopher Cornell adding, "We had so much fun in the studio during this time, and on days off we'd go to Tree People and hike around there. We would also play hide and go seek inside the Beverly Hills Hotel and when security would show up they would think it was so funny that my dad was running through fire escapes with us. For me this album represents who my dad was. I'm really proud of him and his work. I hope you all love this record as much as I do."
No One Sings Like You Anymore is available for physical/vinyl pre-order today, And The physical album will be released on March 19th.
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IBANEZ ANNOUNCES NEW 2021 ELECTRIC GUITAR LINEUP
Bensalem, PA. Ibanez has JUST announced the latest editions to their vast selection of electric guitars. New for 2021, the exceptional AZ-N Series and three new Prestige Hollow Body models are sure to help guitarists ring in the new year.
New for 2021, the AZ line is adding a new offshoot called the AZ-N series. This new breed of AZ is built around three principal differences from the originals. The first, are newly designed Seymour Duncan® Fortuna™ pickups with a more scooped mid-range, giving them a classic, organic, open voice. As a result, the guitar is extremely natural sounding which is what the “N” in AZ-N represents. This design also features a Rosewood fingerboard, with a compound radius; 9” towards the nut and 12” towards the bridge. This creates a neck that strikes the perfect ergonomic balance for clean melodies and chordal playing along with searing fast solo work higher up on the neck. The AZ-N still retains the musically flexible nature of the originals, while offering specifically tailored elements aimed at the player whose sound centers on a more traditional tone.
No word yet on the ESTIMATED STREET PRICE:
Ibanez also Announced Three New Prestige Hollow Body Models the professional-grade Artstar series. The influences of these legendary instruments are immediately apparent with a bone nut, ebony fretboard, and Ibanez's signature Super 58 custom pickups. The critical eye will appreciate the attention to detail poured into these instruments like the smoothness of the fretboard and the skill applied to the fretwork, generally found on instruments costing twice as much. The Artstar embodies the pure jazz-box and the continual evolution the genre represents.
For 2021, there are three revamped made-in-Japan Artstar models: the AF2000, AS2000, and AM2000. The AF2000 represents the quintessential Jazz Box and is the most traditional design among the three. It’s full-hollow body construction produces a rich, complex tone, expressed with a pure voice and full body, the tonal characteristics most highly desired among the discerning Jazz player. The AS2000 utilizes a semi-hollow body construction and is built to tackle just about any genre of music you throw at it, with the pickups mounted directly to the center block for increased sustain and feedback elimination. The AM2000H Is smaller in size than other two models, but this guitar provides warm, punchy tone and abundant sustain. It offers the added benefit being compact enough that players more accustomed to a solid body electric will feel right at home on this new Artstar guitar.
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Update: Jan 15th, 2021: Jerry Garcia Music Arts Releases "Front Street Outtakes", rare studio recording session between Jerry Garcia and Sanjay Mishra.
News out of SAN FRANCISCO, that the Jerry Garcia Music Arts label has just released a new album titled "Front Street Outtakes" featuring studio out-takes from a 1994 recording session Jerry recorded with Indian American guitarist-composer, Sanjay Mishra.
The unreleased recordings represent one of Jerry's last full album recording projects completed at the Grateful Dead's iconic Club Front Studios and originate from unedited material used in the creation of the 1995 album "Blue Incantation."
As with all of Sanjay Mishra's work, the music on the album has a multicultural and eclectic appeal merging Eastern and Western influences, combining his brilliantly Indian-inspired guitar textures with Jerry's masterful musical fluidity.
Jerry Garcia Music Arts will donate 25% of its net revenue from every digital music stream of the album to the Self-Realization Fellowship founded by Paramahansa Yogananda back in the 1920's. Yogananda is known for writing the highly acclaimed "Autobiography of a Yogi" and the Self-Realization Fellowship is a worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda to serve as an instrument for the preservation and worldwide dissemination of his writings and teachings, including Kriya Yoga.
"Front Street Outtakes" was mastered by Grammy Award-winning audio engineer David Glasser and the album will be available on most digital streaming platforms. As you can see on the album cover, Jerry played the Eagle guitar for this recording — the first of several custom instruments built for him by Luthier Doug Irwin in 1971, it's interesting to note that a Sanskrit prayer for happiness is inlayed on the guitar's fingerboard.
Reflecting on the music that he produced with Garcia, Mishra commented, "Unique and mysterious, these mixes consist of the recordings in pure form, with just the guitars and percussion, all unedited, including the tape reel running out on the first track."
The visual elements that accompany the release include a booklet of liner notes featuring rare in-studio photos of the session along with Garcia's music-themed pen-and-ink drawing "Uncorrected Manuscript." This image, in its unedited and pure form, can be interpreted as a visual metaphor for the recordings on "Front Street Outtakes."
said Manasha Garcia, co-producer at Jerry Garcia Music Arts, "It is an honor to support Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings with my late husband's music. There's an interesting circularity to this project, as my grandfather gave me his copy of 'Autobiography of a Yogi' to read when I was a teenager. Later, when I began singing in the Self-Realization Fellowship choir, Jerry would listen to the choral practice tapes and play guitar to help me follow the sheet music for the holiday recitals."
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Update: Jan 14th, 2021: Martin Introduces First Acoustic Guitar That Is Both FSC-Certified And Plastic-Free
On March 15, 2019, artist Robert Goetzl watched the news in awe as a million students, across 125 countries, took part in the School Strike for Climate, an international movement of students who skip Friday classes in protest to demand action from political leaders against climate change. The movement started in 2018, when Greta Thunberg, a then 16-year-old activist from Sweden, staged a lone protest outside the Swedish Parliament holding a sign that read "School strike for climate," inspiring students across the globe to stand together to fight for the future of the planet.
The movement fanned a flame in Goetzl that had been slowly burning for many years and now he wanted to use his talent to become part of the solution, so he immediately dropped what he was doing and painted a watercolor of the earth. His hope was that it would one day adorn the top of a Martin guitar that could be used to bring awareness to the urgent need for climate action.
Upon completing the painting, Goetzl wasted no time, driving to Nazareth to share his idea with Martin Chairman and CEO, Chris Martin. Like Goetzl, the sixth-generation leader of Martin has a deep passion for fighting climate change and preserving the earth for future generations. This shared passion, reignited by the energy and perseverance of this new generation of activists, put into motion the plans to develop what is now being introduced as the Martin 00L Earth guitar—the first acoustic guitar that is 100% FSC® certified AND 100% plastic-free.
said Goetzl., "When I first heard this eloquent young woman, Greta Thunberg, speak so passionately about climate change, I was immediately inspired and thought, why not design a guitar with a visual element as a tool to promote the message 'Save the Earth'. Perhaps this is a way to help raise awareness of resource sustainability and our society's failure to take action against the global crisis that this troubled planet is facing."
With Chris Martin's blessing, Goetzl set about doing what he does best—turning his initial ideas into refined art—and he later presented several variations to the Martin team. The final design featured the earth and stars with a beautiful light burst peaking over the horizon.
While Goetzl was finalizing the artwork, Martin Lead Instrument Designer Tim Teel and former Martin Green Team Leader Chris Thomas began working on building out the model that would ultimately become the master canvas for Goetzl's artwork. Teel and Thomas decided to use the framework from the Martin 17 Series and then went on to collaborate with many colleagues throughout the company to select and source only materials that are 100% FSC certified and free of all man-made plastics. Even the gig bag was specially sourced and made with hemp, a fast-growing and highly sustainable material, another first for the company.
said Teel., "I respect working for a company that takes environmental issues seriously. This project illustrates the importance of our planet and is depicted in this amazing graphic by Robert Goetzl. By using responsibly harvested materials, we will ensure the next generation of musicians and luthiers will have great tonewoods to choose from when designing, building, and playing stringed instruments of the future."
Martin chose to go plastic-free with this model because single-use plastic is destroying entire ecosystems and greatly contributes to global warming. The world urgently needs to reduce single-use plastic, and Martin hopes this guitar will be another vehicle for spreading the message.
said Chris Martin., "There's so much that we can do as individuals to fight climate change in our daily lives. Yet we are continually looking for ways that our company can inspire musicians and their fans to take action. Not just on Earth Day, but every day. Music has always been a powerful tool for bringing people together for change."
In honor of the 00L Earth guitar, Martin will make a charitable donation to the Rainforest Alliance.
The guitar is priced at $2,249.
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Update: Jan 12, 2021: Taylor Guitars Transitions Ownership To Its Employees
EL CAJON, Calif. that Taylor Guitars, a leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars, has just announced its transition to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan.
said Bob Taylor, co-founder and President of Taylor Guitars."We have delighted in giving people the joy of music and hope to do so for generations to come. Becoming 100% ESOP allows us to ensure our independence for the long-term future and continue to realize our vision for the company as an innovative guitar manufacturer."
Kurt Listug, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, added, "While Bob and I are not retiring, we have been preparing for our eventual exit. Master guitar designer Andy Powers is not only the wellspring of our guitar designs for the future, but he also joined our leadership team several years ago, and strengthening our leadership team has been essential to our succession planning."
Listug views the transition in ownership as the next step to ensure a sustainable future for the company, while also providing a valuable financial benefit to people who have contributed to its success. "We believe we've created a special company, where passionate people can engage in problem-solving innovation, collaboration and respect," he said. "Securing our independence through an ESOP allows us to strengthen this culture."
Taylor's new ownership structure supports continuity. Taylor Guitars will serve its customers, suppliers, and broader community with the same passion and innovation it has before. Bob Taylor, Kurt Listug, Andy Powers and other members of Taylor's leadership team remain committed to the company. There will be no changes to management structure, operations policies, or practices.
Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug and has grown into the leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars. Taylor now employs over 1,200 people and currently produces hundreds of guitars per day in its state-of-the-art factory complexes in both El Cajon and in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. The company maintains an active dealer network, with Taylor guitars sold through hundreds of retail locations in North America and with international distribution to 60 countries, including a distribution warehouse and factory service center in the Netherlands.
The ESOP is a type of tax-qualified defined contribution plan through which employees receive a retirement benefit linked to Taylor Guitars' future equity value. Employees at Taylor's production facility in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, will participate in its US-based ESOP plan, and European Union employees will be participants in a similar incentive plan available under EU regulations.
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