THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER CURTIS STIGERS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM HOORAY FOR LOVE, APRIL 29, 2014, ON CONCORD RECORDS |  |
- CURTIS STIGERS TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM HOORAY FOR LOVE, APRIL 29, 2014, ON CONCORD RECORDS
- 2014 NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL TO BE BROADCAST ON AXS TV
- BLUES FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES 2014 BLUES HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES
- CHUCK LOEB SIGNS WITH ARTISTWORKS FOR ONLINE JAZZ GUITAR SCHOOL
- ERIC CARMEN - "THE ESSENTIAL ERIC CARMEN" FEATURES 30 TRACKS PLUS NEW MUSIC
- CHRISTINE JENSEN JAZZ ORCHESTRA - HABITAT
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Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:42 PM PST
Curtis Stigers is set to release his eleventh album "Hooray For Love," April 29, 2014, his eighth for Concord Records. The album includes classics from the Great American Songbook including such gems from the repertoire as George and Ira Gershwin's "Love is Here to Stay," Jerome Kern's "The Way You Look Tonight," and "If I Were A Bell," from Guys and Dolls, as well as three songs written or co-written by Stigers, including the title track, "Hooray For Love," "Give Your Heart to Me," and "A Matter of Time." Of his new album, Stigers comments, "On almost all of my Concord records, I've done a standard or two and lot of songs by modern songwriters. This time around, I've flipped it and recorded mostly standards with a few modern songs."
A seamless combination of old and new songs, a classic pop album recorded with jazz musicians and a jazz sensibility, Hooray for Love is a celebration of this universal human condition. "I set out for this album to be like an old Nat King Cole record from the 50's. I've had a lot of people ask me to do more standards, not critics or record companies, but friends. So, I had a running list of songs that I love and have always wanted to record. This time it really made sense."
As with most of Stigers' recordings, he is very comfortable juxtaposing standards with modern songs. In addition to the songs penned by Stigers, Hooray for Love also includes a Steve Earle song called "Valentine's Day," included because, as Stigers notes, "I like songs with stories that are told from a point of view of someone that is flawed, and this narrator is, although he ultimately redeems himself with some very romantic wordplay. I think that, while it's important to keep the Great American Songbook alive, it's equally important to be open to adding to it."
One of the tracks on the album, "You Make Me Feel So Young," made famous by Frank Sinatra features the up and coming French chanteuse, Cyrille Aimée. "Cyrille is a wonderful singer who's in her 20s and I'm in my late 40s so it really works – throughout the track she laughs and pokes fun of me for being old and it's kind of like an old movie, like a Spencer Tracy / Kate Hepburn kind of thing." Another track on the album, "You Don't Know What Love Is," which Stigers learned from a recording by Tony Bennett and jazz pianist Bill Evans, reveals a different perspective on love.
"The guy in this song clearly has been in love and knows what love is, and perhaps he's still in love, but he's lost her. That's what makes it so heartbreaking. My favorite line is: 'You don't know how hearts burn for love that cannot live but never dies.' It takes my breath away."
Recorded at Brooklyn Recording studio Hooray for Love was produced by Stigers and John "Scrapper" Sneider, and features musicians Matthew Fries (piano), Keith Hall (drums), Cliff Schmitt (bass), Matt Munisteri (guitar), and Sneider (trumpet).
Hooray For Love Tracklisting:
Love Is Here to Stay (George Gershwin/Ira Gershwin)
Valentine's Day (Steve Earle)
You Make Me Feel So Young featuring Cyrille Aimée (Josef Myrow/Mack Gordon)
Hooray for Love (Curtis Stigers/John Sneider)
The Way You Look Tonight (Jerome Kern/Dorothy Fields)
Give Your Heart to Me (Curtis Stigers)
That's All (Alan Brandt/Bob Haymes)
A Matter of Time (Matthew Fries/Curtis Stigers/David Poe)
If I Were A Bell (Frank Loesser)
You Don't Know What Love Is (Don Raye/Gene de Paul)
~ Concord Records
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Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:09 PM PST
 AXS TV continues its commitment to being TV's home for live music festivals, announcing today that it will be the official broadcaster of the 2014 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell. The network has acquired the rights to air the Festival live, for the second consecutive year with StubHub returning as the Official Broadcast Partner.
Presenting its 45th annual Festival, the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival—or Jazz Fest—is a wildly popular event that attracts over 400,000 visitors each year, as some of music's biggest names come together to celebrate the culture and passion of the Big Easy. AXS TV will be on-site at Jazz Fest, with plans to telecast over 24 hours of live coverage from Thursday, May 1 through Sunday, May 4. This is an historic undertaking for both the network and the Festival, as it will be the first four-day live music broadcast in television history. The complete dates of the 2014 Jazz Fest are April 25 – May 4.
Much like Jazz Fest itself, the 2014 AXS TV broadcast will feature performances by a wide array of the most popular names in music. The schedule of the entire broadcast will be released in the coming weeks, but the musical stars already confirmed to take part in the TV telecast include: Christina Aguilera, Santana, Arcade Fire, Vampire Weekend, Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters,
The String Cheese Incident, John Fogerty, Alabama Shakes, Boz Scaggs, The Avett Brothers, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and John Hiatt
"At Jazz Fest 2013, we brought together a fantastic lineup of artists. Many of their memorable performances at the Festival live on even now through the AXS TV 'Best of the Fest' special," said Quint Davis, Jazz Fest producer and director. "This year, our 45th Anniversary Festival, the stars really aligned, and an historic moment awaits us all in presenting to the world, both live and over AXS TV, the deepest and most exciting Festival line up ever. Truly a wish list come true. Extending the unique Jazz Fest festival atmosphere to anyone who can't be there in person, makes all of us extremely proud that these once-in-a-lifetime performances, and the unique total experience of the Festival itself, will reach across the nation through AXS TV's 24 hours of live broadcasts."
"As the home for music festivals on TV, we are thrilled to be the official broadcaster of Jazz Fest for the second consecutive year. To be able to bring Jazz Fest's unbelievable musical performances into the homes of our 42 million TV household audience is truly an honor and exceptional experience," said Mark Cuban, AXS TV founder.
The 2013 Festival was a major success for AXS TV, with over five million households tuning in to the broadcast. The network delivered over 30 hours of live Jazz Fest coverage, giving viewers the best seat in the house for the groundbreaking event. AXS TV gives viewers the chance to relive the defining moments from the 44th Annual New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on Sunday, Feb. 16 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT when it airs BEST OF NEW ORLEANS JAZZ & HERITAGE FESTIVAL 2013. The special features a diverse group of artists spanning a variety of musical genres and eras, boasting award-winning headliners such as Billy Joel, Dave Matthews Band, John Mayer, Maroon 5, Willie Nelson, Allen Toussaint, Cowboy Mouth, and Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue.
~ AXS TV
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Posted: 12 Feb 2014 01:02 PM PST
During the first 34 years of the Blues Hall of Fame balloting, only one saxophonist, Louis Jordan, was elected. The Year of the Saxophonist has come, however, in 2014, as three sax men--Big Jay McNeely, Eddie Shaw, and Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson--blow their way into the Blues Hall. Two other performers--Mississippi hill country patriarch R.L. Burnside and the intense and inimitable Robert Pete Williams—will also be inducted in May.
Among the other individuals to be recognized by The Blues Foundation for their behind-the-scenes contributions: The Rosebud Agency's manager and booking agent par excellence Mike Kappus, Houston music mogul and label owner Don Robey, and prolific Chicago record producer and writer Dick Shurman.
 The book Dream Boogie: The Triumph of Sam Cooke by Peter Guralnick is the literature entry into the Blues Hall of Fame this year. This is Peter's fourth book inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame.
These albums are being honored: Hawk Squat (Delmark, 1969) by J.B. Hutto and Moanin' in the Moonlight (Chess, 1959) by Howlin' Wolf.
The following singles will be inducted during the ceremony: "After Hours" by Erskine Hawkins and His Orchestra (Bluebird, 1940); "Catfish Blues" by Robert Petway (Bluebird, 1941); "High Water Everywhere, Parts I & II" by Charley Patton (Paramount, 1930); "It's Tight Like That" by Tampa Red & Georgia Tom (Vocalion, 1928); and "Milk Cow Blues" by Kokomo Arnold (Decca, 1934).
Inductees' official biographies and descriptions are available, as well as all Hall of Fame inductees, at http://www.blues.org/halloffame/index.php.
The induction ceremony will be held Wednesday, May 7, at the Sheraton Memphis Downtown in Memphis, Tennessee, the night before the 35th Blues Music Awards. With living musicians like B.B. King and Buddy Guy, and legends like Muddy Waters and Koko Taylor, the Blues Hall of Fame consists of blues music's best and brightest stars.
The Blues Foundation is now in the final stages of raising the capital needed to showcase these legendary performers and their work with Blues Hall of Fame exhibits at its 421 S. Main headquarters in downtown Memphis. The Blues Hall of Fame will honor inductees year round, provide interactive and educational exhibits, and create a place for serious blues fans, casual visitors, and students to congregate, celebrate and learn more about the Blues. The Raise the Roof! campaign hopes to raise the remaining funds necessary to commence construction in June of this year.
On May 9, the night after the Blues Hall of Fame inductions, The Blues Foundation will present the Blues Music Awards for the 35th time. Performers, industry representatives and fans from around the world will celebrate the best in Blues recording, songwriting and performance from the previous year at the Memphis Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis.
For tickets and more information, visit www.blues.org.
Major funding is provided by ArtsMemphis and the Tennessee Arts Commission. The 35th Blues Music Awards and Blues Hall of Fame events are also sponsored by BMI, Catfood Records, Eagle Rock Entertainment, First Tennessee Foundation, Jontaar Creative Studios, Legendary Rhythm & Blues Cruise, Memphis Convention and Visitors Bureau, the Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Sony/Legacy Records.
The Blues Foundation is Memphis-based, but world-renown as THE organization dedicated to preserving our blues music history, celebrating recording and performance excellence, supporting blues education and ensuring the future of this uniquely American art form. Founded in 1980, The Blues Foundation has 4000 individual members and 200 affiliated local blues societies representing another 50,000 fans and professionals around the world. Its signature honors and events--the Blues Music Awards, Blues Hall of Fame, International Blues Challenge and Keeping the Blues Alive Awards--make it the international center of blues music. Its HART Fund provides the blues community with medical assistance while its Sound Healthcare program offers musicians health insurance access. Blues in the Schools programs and Generation Blues scholarships expose new generations to blues music. Throughout the year, the Foundation staff serves the worldwide Blues community with answers, contact information and news.
Source: The Blues Foundation
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Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:39 AM PST
 ArtistWorks, the leading interactive lifestyle social learning platform, today announced the signing of world renowned guitarist Chuck Loeb to teach jazz guitar utilizing ArtistWorks' patent-pending Video Exchange™ Feedback platform.
Set to launch Spring 2014, the new Online Jazz Guitar School with Chuck Loeb will crack the code of jazz improvisation, making it easy for anyone to become the jazz player they always wanted to be. The new school will also be the first ArtistWorks school to offer the next level of education game-ification, making the learning experience even more immersive by adding another level of interactivity. Participation is voluntary and each member who successfully completes the fun "Ear Loeb" ear training quizzes will receive a badge that will be displayed on their profile.
The new online venture combines hundreds of high definition video lessons from all star guitarist Chuck Loeb with a thriving community of guitar players. Each player can submit their own practice videos and get personalized video feedback from Loeb. These Video Exchange interactions are paired together on the site and become new lessons unto themselves. All students can learn from these lessons as they form a constantly growing and evolving curriculum reflecting the interests of the community.
The combination of step-by-step lesson videos, Video Exchange feedback from Loeb himself and an ever growing library of Video Exchange lessons from the community is a remarkable new way to learn. Loeb's approach to teaching jazz improvisation cuts through the complexity and breaks it down for players of all levels and experience to comprehend.
Chuck Loeb is one of the most musical guitarists in jazz. He studied early on with the legendary Jim Hall and graduated from the Berklee School of Music. Loeb boasts an impressive discography of solo releases, including six weeks at number one with his song "The Music Inside." He spent time as the musical director for the Stan Getz group and toured with Metro featuring Michael Brecker Michael Mainieri, Peter Erskine and Victor Bailey. He is currently a member of Fourplay with Nathan East, Bob James, and Harvey Mason.
The new Online Jazz Guitar School with Chuck Loeb will cost $90 for three months, $150 for six months or $240 for six months unlimited access. For more information, visit ChuckLoebGuitar.com.
ArtistWorks currently offers schools from such world-class artists as: Paul Gilbert (rock guitar lessons), Martin Taylor (fingerstyle guitar lessons), Jason Vieaux (classical guitar lessons), Nathan East (electric bass lessons), John Patitucci (jazz bass lessons), Andreas Oberg (jazz guitar lessons), Jeannie Deva (singing lessons), Nathan Cole (violin lessons), Jeffrey Khaner (flute lessons), William Caballero (French horn lessons), David Bilger (trumpet lessons), Ricardo Morales (clarinet lessons), Howard Levy (harmonica lessons), DJ Qbert (DJ lessons), Christie Peery (piano lessons), Luis Conte (percussion lessons), as well as the ArtistWorks Academy of Bluegrass with Tony Trischka (banjo lessons), Missy Raines (double bass lessons), Bryan Sutton (flatpick guitar lessons), Andy Hall (Dobro lessons), Mike Marshall (mandolin lessons), Darol Anger (fiddle lessons), Free Acoustic Guitar Lessons with Scott Law, and Justin BUA (art lessons). For more information, visit ArtistWorks.com.
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Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:31 AM PST
Arista/Legacy Recordings has announced the release of The Essential Eric Carmen , a 30-track retrospective of the legendary singer/songwriter's four-and-a-half decade career. The two-disc set arrives in stores on March 25th and is available now for pre-order on iTunes (iTunes.com/EricCarmen). By pre-ordering you will receive the new track "Brand New Year" instantly.
Remastered carefully from the original analog recordings by Grammy Award®-winning engineer Mark Wilder at New York City's Battery Studios, The Essential Eric Carmen reaches back to the Cleveland-based artist's first recordings out of the teenage garage and then travels through his unforgettable catalogue of hits, both with power pop icons Raspberries ("Go All The Way," "Overnight Sensation (Hit Record)," "I Wanna Be With You") and as chart-dominating solo superstar ("All By Myself," "Never Gonna Fall In Love Again," "She Did It," "Hungry Eyes," "Make Me Lose Control").
The Essential Eric Carmen also includes the sonically inspired and lyrically optimistic "Brand New Year," Carmen's first new recording in more than 15 years. The track, which has received over 35K plays to date since its initial offering as a free download this past Christmas Eve, is streaming now at Legacy Recordings' official SoundCloud,
"It would be a mistake to think of this release as just another compilation," Carmen recently noted. "I can tell you that you have never really heard most of these songs until you've heard them on this package. It is the closest to what I envisioned for most of these 30 tracks that I have ever experienced."
The Essential Eric Carmen contemplates and highlights, for the first time in an engaging musically linear narrative, Carmen's entire recorded anthology, all marked by his oft-lauded pop craftsmanship as well as an instantly identifiable voice, equally capable of intimate crooning and raw-throated power. The collection gets off to an electrifying start with 1969's "Get The Message," making its very first digital debut in 45 years, one of the original three sides cut by Carmen's first signed band, Cyrus Erie, for Epic Records. Raspberries came together soon thereafter and immediately made an indelible and undoubtedly influential mark on rock 'n' roll. With Carmen at the helm, the band virtually invented the quintessentially American brand of power pop – big melodies, bounteous harmonies, and riff-driven crunch, all played with the amps turned up as far as they can go. The Essential Eric Carmen gathers some of the band's finest moments, from their million-selling debut, "Go All The Way," to a stellar take on "Ecstasy," recorded live at Los Angeles' House of Blues during 2005's sold out Raspberries Reunion Tour.
Carmen set off on his solo course upon Raspberries' 1975 demise, releasing Eric Carmen the same year to both critical acclaim and massive popular success. Highlighted by the chart-topping "All By Myself," the album bore witness to the scope of the classically-trained Carmen's talent, showcasing his gift for sophisticated ballads, literary lyricism, and immense vocal arrangements. Each record that followed – 1977's self-produced and intensely autobiographical Boats Against The Current, 1978's Change of Heart, 1980's Tonight You're Mine – offered new facets, touching on soul, classical, and the great American songbook. Melancholic and romantic, songs like "Nowhere To Hide" and "Desperate Fools" lay the foundation for the only now fully appreciated genre of soft rock.
Though his symphonic ballads define mid-70's pop, Carmen remained, at his core, a true rocker through and through. This fact is clearly demonstrated here by such high-energy tracks as "It Hurts Too Much," "Hey Deanie," and "Tonight You're Mine." This collection also features two previously unreleased, electric readings of "That's Rock N' Roll" and Raspberries' "Starting Over," recorded in 1976 with his touring band at New York City's world-renowned Bottom Line.
Carmen continued to sculpt his ambitious pop-rock well into the next decade. 1984's second self-titled solo collection saw him team with Bob Gaudio, best known as the genius singer/songwriter/producer behind Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, while his recording of "Hungry Eyes" – featured on 1987's Dirty Dancing soundtrack – returned Carmen to his rightful place on the charts, reaching the top 5 on Billboard's "Hot 100," while helping propel the album to sales currently in excess of 32 million, one of the 10 biggest selling albums of all time.
Having spent much of the past two decades out of the spotlight, opting instead to comfortably 'retire' and focus on raising his children, Eric Carmen's musical return is perhaps most remarkable for its timelessness. "Brand New Year" ranks among the singer/songwriter's optimistic and insightful best, backed by longtime Beach Boys guitarist Jeffrey Foskett and members of the revered L.A. pop combo, The Wondermints.
Indeed, Carmen has surrounded himself with brilliant collaborators throughout his career, notably a long, prolific association with Raspberries producer Jimmy Ienner that continued through 1988's top 3 smash, "Make Me Lose Control." As solo singer/songwriter, Carmen was backed by a veritable who's-who of the era's premium players, including guitarists Andrew Gold, Danny Kortchmar, Richie Zito, Steve Lukather, Davey Johnstone; bassists Leland Sklar, Bob Glaub, and Dave Wintour, drummers Jeff Porcaro, Carmine Appice, Nigel Olsson, and Russ Kunkel; keyboardists Craig Doerge and Jai Winding, saxophonists Tom Scott and Bobby Keys, percussionist Paulinho diCosta; and the legendary conductor/arranger Paul Buckminster, not to mention harmonies and backing vocals from such friends as Burton Cummings, Curt Boettcher, and The Beach Boys' Bruce Johnston.
The Essential Eric Carmen compilation was produced by Legacy Recordings' Timothy J. Smith and overseen and advised by Eric Carmen, who also contributed original liner notes.
Legacy Recordings' critically acclaimed and globally successful Essential Series has set a worldwide standard with its vast catalog of career-spanning, chronologically sequenced, fully annotated collections, available as double-CD packages or digital downloads.
Disc One
1.Get The Message (w/ Cyrus Erie)+
2.Go All The Way (w/Raspberries)
3.I Wanna Be With You (w/Raspberries)
4.Let's Pretend (w/Raspberries)
5.Tonight (w/Raspberries)
6.Overnight Sensation (Hit Record) (w/Raspberries)
7.Sunrise
8.My Girl
9.All By Myself
10.Never Gonna Fall In Love Again
11.Last Night
12.Starting Over (Live 1976) *
13.That's Rock N' Roll (Live 1976) *
14.Run Away
15.Love Is All That Matters
Disc Two
1.Boats Against The Current
2.Marathon Man
3.She Did It
4.Nowhere To Hide
5.Change Of Heart
6.Hey Deanie
7.Desperate Fools
8.Someday
9.It Hurts Too Much
10.Tonight You're Mine
11.The Way We Used To Be
12.Hungry Eyes
13.Make Me Lose Control
14.Ecstasy (Live 2005) (w/Raspberries)
15.Brand New Year **
+ Previously Unreleased Digitally
* Previously Unreleased
** Previously Unreleased New Recording
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Posted: 12 Feb 2014 09:24 AM PST
Saxophonist and composer Christine Jensen's second album with her Jazz Orchestra marks a significant growth in her writing for large ensemble. Habitat (available March 11 on Justin Time Records) features six compositions, all with a deeply ingrained sense of place. "I always search for a theme in my writing," Jensen explains. "The only question is whether the theme comes out of the music or vice versa. This time, the music came from places, or the feelings and imagination of place."
For Jensen, the process of writing for large ensemble is a time-consuming one. "I average about two pieces a year," she admits, from the initial sketch to orchestration to revision after reading it through with the band. The compositions have now grown to be explicitly for the orchestra. Jensen achieves the fine balance of small group improvisation with large ensemble orchestration and melodic development, in the vein of her inspiration Bob Brookmeyer and her contemporary (and fellow McGill alumnus) Darcy James Argue.
Much of the band remains intact from the Juno award-winning Treelines, including featured trumpet soloist Ingrid Jensen, with a few key personnel changes. Rich Irwin assumes the drum chair here - "he's a studio drummer with a great sense of time, and he listens to every detail of the music," Jensen enthuses. The foundation of the band is in good hands with Irwin, returning bassist Fraser Hollins, low brass specialist David Martin, and Samuel Blais on baritone saxophone. "If the low end of the band is solid, the rest of the band shines." This mix of accuracy and familiarity with Jensen's music allowed Habitat to unfurl more quickly. "We only did two takes of almost everything," Jensen says, still in awe that a recording of this grandeur only took a day-and-a-half of studio time with the full orchestra.
The rapport between Christine and Ingrid Jensen is in full evidence on "Treelines," a 2010 commission from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. An episodic piece that seamlessly weaves its way from open improvisation to straight ahead swing, Ingrid serves as the pivot for each new section. "It's reflective of how we hang out together," Jensen says with a laugh. "In two hours we can cover a lot of ground, from serious music analysis to philosophy to goofing off with our kids." Given the sisters' busy schedule, Jensen has presented large ensemble concerts without Ingrid, allowing her to showcase more of the other impeccable soloists in the band, notably Chet Doxas' tenor feature on "Nishiyuu." "I consciously wanted to feature Chet, and I tried to capture the spirit of his playing within the piece," explains Christine. Other band members, including alto saxophonist Erik Hove and pianist John Roney, take the spotlight on "Intersection," a piece that predates Treelines.
One of Jensen's strengths as a large ensemble jazz composer is her ability to link contemporary harmonic language, as evidenced in the beautiful chorale writing on "Blue Yonder," with traditional big band structures and swing. "I grew up playing dance band music, and I'm probably the last generation to get to do that, where I sat in a section with people that taught me to play music from their era," Jensen recalls. "I've played the Basie and Glenn Miller books to death as a student. That music is in me." However, Jensen is also marked by a boundless curiosity, and her fascination with the brilliant forward motion Afro-Peruvian festejo rhythm is the basis for "Blue Yonder," a piece commissioned by UMass-Amherst. "My brother-in-law [drummer/percussionist] Jon Wikan likes to share his enthusiasm about certain rhythms that he studies, so we worked - a lot - on the festejo together." Jensen also cites Maria Schneider's "Bulería, Solea y Rumba" as an influential piece, for its use of Latin rhythms that are neither Cuban nor Brazilian in heritage.
Jensen features herself on soprano saxophone on the final track, "Sweet Adelphi," the lone piece on this album that has its roots as a small group tune that she and Ingrid have frequently performed. "Initially, I thought the Jazz Orchestra was just a project, but the band has taken on a life of its own. I now compose with the large ensemble in mind."
Christine Jensen Jazz Orchestra - Habitat - Release Date: March 11, 2014
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