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Merl Saunders passed away early this morning at Kaiser Hospital in San Francisco.
merlsaundersIn the 1970s, Saunders began collaborating with Jerry Garcia, with the Grateful Dead and with Garcia's bands The Legion of Mary and Reconstruction.

He's led his own bands, as Merl Saunders and Friends, playing live dates with Garcia, as well as Mike Bloomfield, David Grisman, Tom Fogerty, Vassar Clements, Kenneth Nash, John Kahn and Sheila E.

In 1990 he released the world music and New Age classic album Blues From the Rainforest, a collaboration with Jerry Garcia and Muruga Booker. This led to the release of a video which chronicled Saunders' journey to the Amazon, and the subsequent album Fiesta Amazonica.

He has worked with musicians Paul Pena, Bonnie Raitt, Phish, Miles Davis, and B.B. King. Merl also recorded with The Dinosaurs, a "supergroup" of first-generation Bay Area rock musicians.

He has his own record label, Sumertone and has also recorded on Fantasy Records, Galaxy Records and Relix Records as well as the Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia labels. He worked with the Grateful Dead on the theme music for the 1985 TV show The New Twilight Zone, and with Mickey Hart on the score for the show. His son Merl Saunders Jr. is a senior executive director of The Recording Academy.

Unfortunately, Merl suffered from a stroke that has paralyzed one side of his body and curtailed his musical career.

His projects have withstood the tests of time and are still worth looking for.

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To encourage you to explore more of Merl's great recordings, Home Grown Music is offering a 10% discount on any CD that he performed on through October 31st.  Offer available for phone in orders only - call 800 653 3929.

"Save The Planet So We Have Some Place to Boogie!" - Merl Saunders

Sol'Jibe - New Day

Sol'Jibe will surprise and delight you with their polished, diverse sound, which is informed by influences from all over the globe.

Chef Dave - No Strings Attached

There's a certain voodoo that goes into making southern jam music, and by including Johnny Neel on his latest record, Seth Davis (aka Chef Dave) has tapped into a boundless well of it.
Concert takes place in Richmond Virginia on Thursday, November 20th at 7pm at Richmond’s Landmark Theater.

tajSt. Lucian roots reggae artist Taj Weekes and his band Adowa headline a benefit concert for Weekes' children's charity, They Often Cry Outreach (T.O.C.O.), on Thursday, November 20, 2008 at 7pm at Richmond, Virginia's Landmark Theater. Joining them for the "Taj Weekes Reggae Jam" are socially conscious reggae artists Kevin Kinsella of John Brown's Body, Joseph Israel and Jah Roots.


This benefit concert marks the start of Taj Weekes & Adowa's Fall 2008 Tour. The group recently wrapped up their six-week Summer 2008 Tour, which included several prominent world music festivals such as the Sierra Nevada World Music Festival in Califor nia, the Taos Solarfest in New Mexico and the South Bend Reggae/World Music Festival in Indiana, in addition to show dates along the West Coast and across the greater U.S.

"Taj Weekes Reggae Jam" also celebrates the release of Weekes' sophomore album entitled DEIDEM, meaning "All of Us." Proclaimed by Billboard Magazine as one of "six albums that herald the roots reggae resurgence," DEIDEM is described by veteran music journalist and XM Satellite Radio Program Director, Dermot Hussey, as "raising the level of songwriting within the idiom of reggae music."

With potent and penetrating lyrics, DEIDEM delivers a passionate commentary on the relevant issues of our time including global warming, the effects of Hurricane Katrina, the crisis in Darfur and the current war. Though the topics are insightful and serious, the grooves, melodies and rhythms are the familiar backbeats that reggae fans know and love. World Music Central writes, "An impassioned communicator who uses no-nonsense reggae=2 0music as his means, Weekes is precisely what the world needs more of in these troubled times."

Weekes' commitment to humanitarian issues is demonstrated by his work as Goodwill Ambassador to the Caribbean in cooperation with the International Consortium of Caribbean Professionals (ICCP) and as founder of T.O.C.O.  TOCO is dedicated to improving the lives of underprivilege d, at-risk and orphaned children around the world. A portion of the proceeds from the "Taj Weekes Reggae Jam" will be donated to T.O.C.O. to bring awareness to the issues that affect the20Caribbean such as HIV/AIDS, global warming and poverty.

Spectra Records will raffle off a brand new car at the event and each ticket holder will automatically be entered into the drawing. The winner will be announced during the show. Copies of Taj Weekes' album, DEIDEM, will also be given away to a number of lucky concertgoers.

The Virginia Commonwealth University's Common wealth Times and their radio station, WVCW, have signed on as a media sponsor for the benefit concert and the event is expected to sell out based on the combined draw of all four conscious roots reggae acts. Tickets are available through Ticketmaster.com or at 804.262.8100.

Spectra Records, producer of "Taj Weekes Reggae Jam," is a progressive record label at the forefront of today's music industry, representing recording artists across all genres of music. From Grammy nominated and Country Music Hall of Fame artists to world music and classic rock, Spectra stands out as a record company dedicated to providing stellar music products at a fair price to the consumer and fair recording and licensing agreements to the artists.


Taj Weekes & Adowa website: http://tajandadowa.com
T.O.C.O. website: http://theyoftencryoutreach.org
Spectra Records website: http://spectrarecords.com
Follow this link to hear the segment.

SPAM ALLSTARS on NPR's All Things Considered October 18, 2008

And TOMORROW - TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21ST - they will perform for the second time WITH BARACK OBAMA AT BICENTENNIAL PARK IN MIAMI. They will appear at 4pm, and Obama speaks immediately following. Join us if you can!!

 ALL SHOWS THIS WEEK ...

 MONDAY - OCTOBER 20TH - MURPHY'S LAW, SEMINOLE HARD ROCK, HOLLYWOOD, FL, 11PM
 
 TUESDAY - OCTOBER 21ST - BICENTENNIAL PARK OPENING FOR BARACK OBAMA
- SHOW TIME 4PM

 WEDNESDAY - OCTOBER 22ND - MANSION, MIAMI BEACH, FL, MIDNIGHT

 THURSDAY - OCTOBER 23RD - MIAMI'S MUSEUM OF SCIENCE CELEBRATE THE OPENING OF THEIR MUSICA MUSICA EXHIBIT (WHICH INCLUDES MATERIAL FROM SPAM ALLSTARS!!) - MIAMI, FL - OTHER PERFORMERS INCLUDE OUR FRIENDS ALBITA & PITBULL IT'S AN EARLY SHOW AT 7PM...$40 TO GET IN

 & LATER THAT NIGHT - HOY COMO AYER - LITTLE HAVANA, FL, 10:30PM DOORS, LADIES FREE UNTIL 11:30PM, 21+

 FRIDAY - OCTOBER 24TH - TOBACCO ROAD - MIAMI, FL WITH SPECIAL GUEST SPRED THE DUB (UPSTAIRS), & ANATURAL FEATURING ANGELA LAINO (OUT BACK) , 10PM

 SATURDAY - OCTOBER 25TH - JAZID - MIAMI BEACH, FL, 11PM

 SUNDAY - OCTOBER 26TH - DJ LE SPAM SPINS VOTE FEST AT THE BANDSHELL IN NORTH MIAMI! EVENT IS FROM NOON - 6PM. DJ LE SPAM TO SPIN AT 2PM.
VOTE EARLY AND ENJOY THE MUSIC!!  

The Bridge - Blind Man's Hill

As impressive as The Bridge has been over the course of their brief career, it seems we're just seeing the surface of what they can do.
BoomBox is hitting the road for a non-stop dance party consisting of almost 30 national dates through 2008.
boomboxThe tour plans include near sold-out performances at the legendary Newport Music Hall in Columbus, OH, the Pour House in Raleigh, NC, and Cervantes Masterpiece Theater in Denver, CO. On the heels of an up-coming studio release, BoomBox is laying down the groundwork to accomplish great things in 2009.

Hailing from the legendary Muscle Shoals, Alabama, BoomBox offers encyclopedic insight into decades of music and popular culture influence in a one hundred percent original musical message. Comprising of two parts sonic interplay, DJ/producer Russ Randolph and singer/songwriter/guitarist Zion Rock Godchaux have built BoomBox on a foundation of danceable rhythms, hypnotic mixes and shimmering guitar phrases. Adding to the distinctiveness of the experience, the duo incorporates a live DJ with guitars and vocals mixed in real time.

BoomBox takes to the stage each night with unmatched energy and an unspoken vibe, winning audiences over on a city-by-city basis. Evolving through the common visualization of a pair of forward thinking artists from diverse musical backgrounds, BoomBox creates a sound that appeals to an extensive audience for fans of all ages and musical influences. As 2008 winds down, BoomBox is just getting started. With a full touring schedule booked until the end of the year, expect gigantic things from the duo. Intent on infecting the masses with the BoomBox vibe, Randolph and Godchaux's ambition is unrivaled. For fans looking forward to the next great chapter in musical history, the future is now. The future is BoomBox.

FALL TOUR DATES:

10/02 - Rhythm and Brews - Chattanooga, TN
10/03 - The Jupiter - Tuscaloosa, AL
10/08 - Boone Saloon - Boone, NC
10/09 - World Grotto and Gallery - Knoxville, TN
10/10 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus, OH
10/15 - Stella Blue - Asheville, NC
10/16 - The Pour House Music Hall - Raleigh, NC
10/17 - The Canal Club - Richmond, VA
10/18 - The Lantern - Blacksburg, VA
10/24 - Cervantes' Masterpeice Ballroom - Denver, CO
10/25 - Fox Theater - Boulder, CO
10/30 - Rick's Cafe Live - Starkville, MS
10/31 - Zydeco - Birmingham, AL
11/05 - Rocktown Grill - Harrisonburg, VA
11/06 - Rex Theater - Pittsburg, PA
11/07 - Jigsaw Saloon and Stage - Parma, OH
11/08 - Jigsaw Saloon and Stage - Parma, OH
11/12 - The Lyric Theatre - Oxford, MS
11/15 - Copper Mountain - Copper Mountain, CO
11/28 - Crossroads - Huntsville, AL
12/03 - The Pour House - Charleston, SC
12/04 - Loco's Deli and Pub - Savannah, GA
12/05 - French Quarter Cafe - Statesboro, GA
12/06 - Georgia Theatre - Athens, GA
12/19 - Gottrocks - Greenville, SC
12/20 - Shoreline Ballroom - Hilton Head, SC
01/30 - Newby's Restaurant - Memphis, TN
01/31 - George's Majestic - Fayetteville, AR

http://www.thisisboombox.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thisisboomboxcom

LIVE AT TREE SOUND STUDIOS coming soon!
Laura_reedLaura Reed & Deep Pocket, one of the premier up and coming musical acts in the Southeast US, are proud to announce the release of their first-ever live album/DVD, Live at Tree Sound Studios.  Produced by the environmentally friendly record label Tree Leaf Music (Nappy Roots, Perpetual Groove) and TreeV Productions (Usher, Jay-Z, Incubus), "Live" was recorded New Years Eve 2007 and March 9th, 2008 at the world- renown Tree Sound Studios in Atlanta, GA for Pandora's (www.pandora.com) Music Genome Project.  The album is an exhilarating excursion through a typical LRDP show, rife with an intensity and passion that is as poignant as it is infectious.  Consisting of live versions of songs released on the band's debut studio album Soul:Music,  "Live" also features five highly anticipated unreleased songs as well as contributions from musical guests Josh Phillips (Folk Festival) and Greg Hollowell and Derrick Johnson of Yo Mama's Big Fat Booty Band.

Fueled by the hi-octane, soulful vocals of Laura Reed, a true front-woman in the classic sense, reminiscent of an Amy Wine house or Erykah Badu, and anchored by the thumping rhythm section that is Deep Pocket, "Live" is a genuine example of why LRDP has become one of most successful touring funk and soul bands in the nation and why audiences can't seem to get enough of the band's unique blend of rhythm and melody.  As hauntingly familiar as it as fresh, LRDP's sound is an unfeigned hybrid of tradition and ingenuity, drawing on the foundations of soul and R & B made popular by early Motown records and the modern sounds of hip-hop and neo-soul.  From fan favorites such as "Praise You," and the wild romp that is "Train" (guaranteed to make you leave your seat!), to the live version of the band's most recent single, "Happy," Live at Tree Sound Studios serves as solid testament to LRDP's ability to create spiritual music with a message without ever losing the dance floor party vibe so essential for an unforgettable night of fun.

Live at Tree Sound Studios also includes a DVD featuring live performances captured in the same sessions as the album, as well footage from LRDP's 2008 Soul:Music Tour.  The CD/DVD release also marks the beginning of an exciting endeavor and well-suited partnership between Tree Leaf Music and Laura Reed & Deep Pocket.  Currently the band is embarking on a national release tour in support of Live at Tree Sound Studios, as well as continuing work on their sophomore studio effort with producer James Chambers (Outkast).  Laura Reed & Deep Pocket are also proud to announce their participation in the Green Train (2009), a concert train tour dedicated to reversing the waste and destruction of our planet as well as educating people on environmentally sustainable methods of conservation and preservation.  The tour will feature musicians such as Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson and is supported by hi-profile artists such as the Dave Matthews Band and John Mayer.  For more information on the Green Train please visit www.greentrainglobal.org.  
For more information on Laura Reed & Deep Pocket, including album release info, tour dates, downloads and current news, please visit:  www.laurareed.com.

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