Let's hear it for Deniece Williams. Since making her first big splash 45 years ago with debut album This is Niecy, the daughter of Gary, Indiana has scored 27 Billboard R&B hits and 14 Pop successes including two crossover Number Ones, won four Grammy Awards (and amassed another nine nominations), and recorded over fifteen albums blurring the lines between soul, pop, and gospel. Between 1976 and 1988, Williams made Columbia Records her home, both with Maurice White's ARC imprint and with
It's been a busy few years for Phil Collins. Most recently, he wrapped up the U.S. leg of the successful Not Dead Yet Live! Tour. He released the recent compilation, Plays Well With Others, which saw him dipping into his archives to find his session appearances and collaborations. He also released The Singles and oversaw the remastering of his studio work with the "Take A Look At Me Now" reissue series. Now, the campaign continues with the February 1 release of two remastered live albums
Phil Collins' live album A Hot Night In Paris features instrumental performances of songs from across Collins' solo discography, as well as select tracks from his time in Genesis. Credited to The Phil Collins Big Band and featuring Collins on drums, the album also includes covers of Miles Davis's "Milestones" and The Average White Band's "Pick Up the Pieces." The latter features George Duke on keyboards. The remastered album will be available on CD February 1 from Atlantic/Rhino.
Melissa Manchester announced her independence from Arista Records when she signed to MCA Records after nearly a decade with Clive Davis' famous label. At Arista, Manchester had established herself as one of the finest singer-songwriters of her era (or any other!) as well as a first-class pop interpreter. At MCA, she reinvented herself further by jumping headfirst into the world of dance-oriented synthpop, Hi-NRG, and new wave. 1985's Mathematics bore the period's hallmark of multiple big-name
Bassist Stanley Clarke has long been one of jazz's leading lights. The Philadelphia-born musician and composer's career, which flourishes to the present day, has recently been anthologized by Cherry Red's Robinsongs label. The Definitive Collection concentrates on the period of 1975-1990 during which time he was recording for the Nemperor and Epic labels as a solo artist. Philadelphia-born Clarke first rose to prominence showcasing his bass wizardry as part of Chick Corea's fusion jazz
SoulMusic Records, in association with Cherry Red, has recently launched a series of new 2-CD anthologies designed to give a comprehensive look at one period of an artist's career. The initial group of releases is dedicated to three artists whose talents span multiple genres - Melba Moore, George Duke, and Ramsey Lewis. Melba Moore's Standing Right Here: the Anthology - The Buddah and Epic Years devotes one disc to each one of those labels. Moore's first major-label contract was actually