JILL GIOIA
Since performing the New York City Anthem at Madison Square Garden during the Big East College Basketball Championship Game Televised on ESPN, the popularity of ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA Contestant JILL GIOIA has sky rocketed.
If you liked JILL GIOIA'a performance at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, you can see her again on April 9t, 2009 for the New York KNICKS vs. Detroit game where JILL GIOIA will once again perform the NEW YORK CITY ANTHEM.
If you aren't into sports and you want to catch a full JILL GIOIA CONCERT, you can check her out for her Tribute to Janis Joplin, Heart, and the Women of ROCK on April 24th 2009 at 7:30 pm
The APRIL 24th JILL GIOIA CONCERT will be held at DIX HILLS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE 305 N. Service Road Dix Hills, N.Y. 11746. For JILL GIOA TICKET INFORMATION call (631) 656-2148
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VAN MORRISON's 1968 Astral Weeks recordings are listed in over 200 publications the world over as one of the most important records in the history of music.
Born in Belfast,
VAN MORRISON's father was an avid collector of American blues and jazz records. Morrison grew up listening to AMERICAN music like Leadbelly, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, John Lee Hooker, Mahalia Jackson, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. He grew up surrounded by every kind of American musical influence. From the age of 13, he was adept at playing guitar, sax and harmonica and played with a series of local showbands along with Skiffle and Rock 'n' Roll groups, including Brian Rossi at the Plaza Ballroom. His early love of music, for the music, has certainly paid off.
VAN MORRISON's music continues to have that authentic American Blues, Jazz and melodic Folk sound that he loved and listened to in his childhood, long before those early showbands and well before his initial 1964/5 hit records with his band called THEM. It’s a little recognized yet open secret that VAN MORRISON was, in fact, the band THEM.
In June 1966, at the famed Whisky-A-Go-Go, The Doors were the opening act for Them. According to Ray Manzarek, in his book, “Light My Fire”, ‘Jim (Morrison) was transfixed by Van. He studied his every move. He put the eye on him and he absorbed … The last night … saw us all in a monster jam session … Jim Morrison and
VAN MORRISON onstage at the same time! And singing ‘Gloria.”
Backed by The Jim Daly Trio,
VAN MORRISON began his solo career in Belfast supporting Alexis Korner. He toured Holland singing with Cuby and The Blizzards before going to New York in 1967, where he recorded an LP titled Blowin Your Mind with the producer Bert Berns, who had previously produced Them. Following Berns' death in 1968 Morrison recruited a group of jazz musicians to record the profound Astral Weeks, a timeless classic which brought together elements of true soul, improvised jazz and rhthym & blues - true Van Morrison signature sounds which run thoughout all of his music to date - both in subtle and not so subtle forms.
Initially living on a couch in Boston then moving on to California,
VAN MORRISON produced a string of albums including Moondance, Tupelo Honey and St Dominic’s Preview while touring extensively with his band the Caledonia Soul Orchestra. His 1974 live set It’s Too Late To Stop Now marked the end of this prolific early phase as Van returned to explore his Ulster Scots roots. The ensuing album; the brillant Veedon Fleece (1974) featured a quieter, more pastoral sound and was to be his last release for three years to come.
VAN MORRISON returned to the public eye in 1977 with the aptly titled A Period Of Transition, an album co-produced by Mac 'Dr John' Rebennack. Following his re-location to London he released Wavelength (1978) and Into The Music (1979) by which time Morrison’s interest in spiritual matters was finding regular expression in his recordings.
The theme of spiritual quest came to prominence in the albums he made in the 1980's: Common One, Beautiful Vision, Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart, A Sense Of Wonder, No Guru No Method No Teacher and Poetic Champions Compose established Morrison’s status as an artist of unrivalled integrity and vision.
The refrain of ULSTER-SCOTS Celt is Van Morrison’s true signature sound, and the 1988 album Irish Heartbeat with The Cheiftains is a traditional example of this. In 1989 came the release of Avalon Sunset, which, at the time was his most commercially successful for those earlier years and concluded what had been a remarkably productive decade for Van Morrison.
As prolific as ever, Van varied his musical approach in the 1990s. Enlightenment (1990) and Hymns To The Silence (1991) continued down the road of spiritual proclaimation while 1993s Too Long In Exile leaned towards the blues, returning Van to the singles chart again with a re-working of Gloria, performed with his buddy and one of his all-time favourite bluesmen, John Lee Hooker.
After the acclaimed Days Like This (1995) came How Long Has This Been Going On (1995), an album of mostly jazz standards featuring his organist Georgie Fame.
Following the release of 1997s Healing Game came The Philosopher’s Stone (1998), an album containing 30 previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1971 and 1988, a mixture of new songs and interpretations of Morrison classics like Wonderful Remark and Bright Side Of The Road. In the same year (1998) Van won a Grammy for his collaboration with his favourite bluesman John Lee Hooker on Don't Look Back, which Morrison also produced.
Back On Top was released in March 1999 and was widely heralded as one of Morrison’s most accomplished and successful albums featured the Top 40 hit single Precious Time.
After a career spanning some four decades, it seemed appropriate that the year 2000 saw Van returning to his earliest musical influence, the one which drove the child from Belfast to get into the music, a musical full-circle, with The Skiffle Sessions - Live In Belfast. Re-uniting with the musical heroes of his youth, Van joined SKIFFLE KING Lonnie Donegan and Jazz trombone virtuoso and Skiffle string bass player, Chris Barber together on stage at Belfast’s Whitla Hall for a GRAND performance, and the energy and enthusiasm of both the performers and crowd was captured in full on this LIVE album, which met with huge critical acclaim.
In 2002, Van Morrison returned with his new album Down The Road. The album featured 13 brand new songs alongside a unique version of Georgia On My Mind and Evening Shadows, an Acker Bilk instrumental to which Van added his own lyrical magic.
In recognition of his unique position as one of the most important songwriters of the past century, Van Morrison was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the late great RAY CHARLES at an awards ceremony in New York City in June 2003.
Later in the same year (2003) he signed a worldwide deal with the legendary Blue Note Records. Morrison’s debut release at the jazz label was What’s Wrong With This Picture? This album draws upon the jazz & blues influences that he has explored consistently throughout his career. What’s Wrong with this Picture? received a Grammy Awards nomination for Van Morrison in the 'Best Contemporary Blues Album' category.
Magic Time, released on Van’s own Exile Music Recordings label in 2005, showcased some of his most powerful songs to date like Stranded, Magic Time, Celtic New Year and Gypsy In My Soul. It was followed by Pay The Devil, a seamless combination of three originals (including the title track) and 12 covers of classic country songs written by such masters as Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Merle Kilgore, Rodney Crowell, Curly Williams and Leon Payne.
Two originals, Playhouse and This Has Got To Stop, were among five songs reprised on a limited edition DVD filmed at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, and packaged with Pay The Devil. This was followed by a two-disc DVD showcase of his performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1974 and 1980. This was acclaimed by one reviewer as 'The chance to see a legend in his prime' and another as 'a truly rewarding experience from one of music’s most distinguished figures.'
Additionally, he was honored, in 2007, for his musical contribution to films. Presented by Al Pacino, this award highlights the depth and breadth of his compositions, as used by some of the most notable directors in the Motion Picture Industry today.
Throughout 2007 the legendary artist had a year that may be unprecedented for any living artist, having released three separate collections of his hits, with the latest, Still On Top entering the UK charts at #2 and selling platinum, proving the ongoing appetite for his unrivalled work.
2008 sees the release of Keep It Simple, Van Morrison’s 35th album. On KEEP IT SIMPLE, MORRISON wears all the “hats” as COMPOSER, ARRANGER, LYRICIST and proves himself once again an astute and accomplished PRODUCER, artfully choosing in this recording to keep all the vocals and instruments on this album in their organic form/ first takes. On Keep It Simple, Morrison honors all those varied influences - Ulster-Scots Celtic, Jazz, Folk, Blues, Country, Soul and Gospel - and an added surprise of a mighty Ukulele -most times melding them all together at once creating his unmistakable signature sound.
Amidst the ever-changing music business and complaints by artists and record companies alike that its ”hard to sell CD’s anymore”—if you have great music from the soul—it is not so hard—once again Van Morrison proves them wrong as he continues to sell large numbers of records every year. In a press release dated 2007 universal music president Doug Morris stated 'Van Morrison is a welcomed addition to Universal ...as his catalog is consistently selling around 500,000 hard copies a year” (this year was 1.8 million ). In 2007 VM signed with Universal Records and released the phenomenal hit record Still On Top- Universal press releases note that their corporations entire 3rd quarter sales figures relied on the powerhouse that is Van Morrison.
Despite Universal’s refusals to promote Still On Top or Keep It Simple records past their first week of release- both records sustained prominent places in the Billboard Top 50—on their own merit and power for quite some time. Van Morrsion is the only artist of note in 2008 so far to have 2 records (Still On Top and Keep It Simple) at the same time at the top of the Billboard charts.
As 2008 draws to a close Van Morrison proved once again to be a true iconoclast as he takes Astral Weeks live to the landmark venue Hollywood Bowl for its first ever cover to cover performance of a lifetime. Morrison is recording this show live for Listen To The Lion Records (his new label) and it will be released as "Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl.”
Jane's Addiction, the classic alternative band fronted by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, has reunited with its original lineup and will play the event for the first time since its inception. The group is set to embark on a co-headlining tour with Nine Inch Nails, a band that also played on the first Lollapalooza tour and headlined the Chicago fest in 2008. (Nine Inch Nails is playing a separate solo Chicago show this year.)
The Beastie Boys, who were on the Lollapalooza tour in 1994, are preparing for the release of their follow-up to 2007's "The Mix Up" instrumental album. They are among the headliners of the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee in June.
Depeche Mode is prepping the April 21 release of "Sound of the Universe" and heads out on a North American tour on July 24. The Lollapalooza show will be its only Midwest appearance.
Kings of Leon and Jane's Addiction will meet earlier in the season when they both headline the Sasquatch festival at the Gorge in Quincy, Wash., on May 23-25.
Reports suggest the 50-year-old
MICHAEL JACKSON could make tens of millions of dollars from the residency-style string of London
CONCERTS, helping pay legal bills and debts racked up since the collapse of the abuse trial against him in 2005. Promoters AEG Live have not given details of what will be revealed at a 1600 GMT news conference at the O2, which hosted a comeback gig by legendary rockers Led Zeppelin in 2007, as well as a 21-night residency by Prince in 2007.
Reports have differed about how many concerts Jackson will perform -- a source close to the promoters told AFP last month he was in talks to perform up to 30 London shows this year. London's Evening Standard reported Wednesday that up to 50
concerts could be scheduled at the 20,000-seat O2 Arena in June and July, in a deal with AEG worth more than 100 million pounds (112 million euros, 141 million dollars). But hours before the
ANNOUNCEMENT, posters appeared in London Underground stations trumpeting "
MICHAEL JACKSON: This is It -- 10 shows, July '09, The O2 Arena," according to the BBC.
If confirmed, the concerts would be a spectacular return for
MICHAEL JACKSON, who dominated the pop world with hit albums like "Thriller" and "Bad" in the 1980s but has virtually vanished from public view since his trial.
MICHAEL JACKSON is reportedly close to completing his first new album since 2001, and has collaborated with a younger generation of stars like rapper Kanye West. But
MICHAEL JACKSON has been dogged by rumours of ill health and bookmakers William Hill are already offering 5-1 odds that, should the London concerts go ahead, he will not turn up on the first night. However, the Daily Mirror tabloid reported Thursday that
MICHAEL JACKSON had passed 50 health tests set by insurers to prove he was fit enough to perform.
The 02 Arena is in the giant former Millennium Dome in southeast London.
MICHAEL JACKSON last performed in Britain at the 2006 World Music Awards, where he sang a few lines of "We Are The World".
MICHAEL JACKSON's last official tour was the 1996-7 History World Tour, although he has played one-off gigs since. The singer became a phenomenally successful star, first with the Jackson Five alongside his brothers and then as a solo artist.
MICHAEL JACKSON fame led him to withdraw into a private world at his Neverland ranch in California and he underwent a physical transformation, his skin lightening and his face showing signs of plastic surgery.
MICHAEL JACKSON has denied undergoing cosmetic surgery, although it is fairly evident.
MICHAEL JACKSON's career hit trouble in 1993 when a 13-year-old boy made sex abuse allegations against him and prosecutors and police launched an investigation. A year later,
MICHAEL JACKSON reached an out-of-court settlement with the boy's family, paying out 23.3 million dollars and the criminal case was dramatically stopped.
MICHAEL JACKSON says he now regrets the payment.
Tickets for Dave Matthews Band's upcoming summer tour go on sale to the general public beginning today - and the band is keeping prices low, as usual. "Tickets for Dave Matthews Band's shows remain a great value," said Coran Capshaw, the group's manager and founder of Red Light Management. "Out of respect for its loyal fans, the band has always made every effort to keep tickets affordable." 
