LEGENDARY EARTH, WIND & FIRE FOUNDER MAURICE WHITE’S NEWLY RE-LAUNCHED KALIMBA MUSIC SIGNS ACCLAIMED SAXOPHONIST PAULA ATHERTON
LOS ANGELES – Kalimba Music (www.kalimba-music.com), the newly re-launched label by legendary Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White, follows the success this past summer of keyboardist Greg Manning –the first artist on its roster– with the signing of powerhouse NYC-based contemporary jazz saxophonist and vocalist Paula Atherton.
“We’ve been very happy with the great success that Greg has enjoyed on the smooth jazz charts with his song ‘Cruisin’ Down The Road’ and album Dance With You, and all of us are very excited to have an artist of Paula’s caliber and versatility as a contemporary jazz artist on our growing roster,” says Label Manager Ted Joseph.
Atherton (www.paulaatherton.com) brings a dynamic track record into her fresh start with Kalimba. The New York-raised musician has shared the stage with such contemporary jazz notables as The Rippingtons, Nick Colionne, Gerald Albright, Chuck Loeb, Cindy Bradley, Gail Jhonson, Karen Briggs, Althea Rene, Peter White, Mindi Abair, Marion Meadows, Joey Sommerville, Matt Marshak, Four80East and Chieli Minucci. She’s also worked in the traditional jazz field; one of her notable performances was a week-long engagement at the Blue Note NYC with pianist and jazz legend Hank Jones.
Previously, “I Long For Your Love,” a track from her debut album Let Me Inside Your Love, was included on the Warner Europe compilation Ladies of Jazz that also featured Natalie Cole, Candy Dulfer and Eliane Elias. Her 2009 release Groove with Me earned her Artists Music Guild nominations for artist and female vocalist of the year, and album of the year. “Sassy Strut,” the first single from Atherton’s most recent release Enjoy The Ride (2012) featuring the song’s composer, guitarist Nick Colionne, was on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart for 15 weeks, and reached #15.
Atherton has an upcoming gig October 18 at Home in Branford, with special guest, Rippingtons’ keyboardist Bill Heller. She will also perform at the New Brunswick Jazz Festival in New Brunswick, N.J. November 9, along with Albright and Hiroshima. She will be joined by special guest trumpeter/flugelhorn player Cindy Bradley.
This year, Kalimba scored big on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart, with Manning’s “Cruisin’ Down The Road” and Earth, Wind & Fire’s “Never” both reaching the Top 15.
Contact: Chrissy Sutphin, 818-232-4175
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KALIMBA MUSIC ARTISTS GREG MANNING AND EARTH, WIND & FIRE CONTINUE THEIR RISE IN THE TOP 20 ON THE BILLBOARD SMOOTH JAZZ CHART
For The Week Ending August 23, Manning’s ”Cruisin’ Down The Road” Hits #15* and EWF’s “Never” Reaches #17* – While Also Making Major Leaps On The MediaBase Smooth A/C Chart
LOS ANGELES – Legendary Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White‘s newly re-launched Kalimba Music label (www.kalimba-music.com) follows last week’s exciting back-to-back chart action with major leaps for both of its current hit singles, keyboardist Greg Manning‘s “Cruisin’ Down The Road” and EWF‘s “Never.”
Following the entries of both tracks into the Top 20 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart last week, “Cruisin’ Down The Road” jumps from #18 to #15 with a bullet, while “Never” eases up from #19 to #17 with a bullet. Both are just behind the latest hits from top genre artists Kim Waters, Euge Groove, Boney James and Marcus Anderson.
Both tunes are also showing big momentum on the latest Mediabase Smooth A/C chart as well, with “Cruisin…” (which features chart-topping saxophonist Vincent Ingala) hitting the Top 10 (rising from #11 to #7 with a bullet) and “Never” making a major jump from #24 to #19 with a bullet.
Both tracks are also doing well on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler, with “Never” moving from #14 to #12 and “Cruisin’ Down The Road” holding steady at #15.
While Manning’s album Dance With You and EWF’s The Promise remain in the Top 40 on the Smoothjazz.com chart – with The Promise reaching #32 with a bullet this week – “Cruisin’…” is also rising on the Groove Jazz Music chart (#6 to #3 with a bullet) and the Radio Wave Internet Airplay chart (#27-#22 with a bullet).
Finally, on the SmoothIndieStar.com chart, “Never” inches up from #15 to #14.
In other exciting Greg Manning news, Dance With You is a spotlight feature album this week on the popular internet radio show SoundTraxx with Mark Stanley. The keyboardist will also be performing on the Alaska bound Dave Koz & Friends At Sea Cruise September 5-12. He will be making his first appearance as an artist on the main stage at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival on October 19.
White, who originally established Kalimba Music in 2003 as a vehicle to promote Earth, Wind & Fire as well as up and coming performers, decided to re-launch based on his passion and love for music and worthy artists.
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LEGENDARY EARTH, WIND & FIRE FOUNDER MAURICE WHITE’S RELAUNCHED LABEL KALIMBA MUSIC SCORES BACK TO BACK TOP 20 HITS ON THE BILLBOARD SMOOTH JAZZ CHART
For The Week Ending August 16, Greg Manning’s ”Cruisin’ Down The Road” Leaps To #18* and EWF’s “Never” Hits #19 – While Both Artists’ New Albums Are Also Back to Back On The SmoothJazz.Com Chart
LOS ANGELES – Legendary Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White‘s newly re-launched Kalimba Music label (www.kalimba-music.com) stays on a remarkable upswing, scoring a remarkable quadruple back to back chart coup this week for its two latest hit singles.
Composer/keyboardist Greg Manning‘s “Cruisin’ Down The Road” and EWF‘s “Never” both leap into the Top 20 on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart this week, with the Manning track making a huge jump from #28 to #18 with a bullet and “Never” jumping from #23 to #19 with a bullet. Both are just behind hot new hits from top genre artists Euge Groove, The Rippingtons featuring Russ Freeman and Al Jarreau with Boney James and the late George Duke.
Both tracks are rising on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler, with “Never” at #14 and “Cruisin’ Down The Road” (featuring chart-topping saxophonist Vincent Ingala) on its heels at #15.
The dynamic duo of Kalimba are back to back as well on the SmoothJazz.com album chart, where EWF’s The Promise is at #34 (up from #38) and Manning’s Dance With You is at #35 (both with a bullet) after a major leap from #47. On that chart they are just ahead of genre icon Gerald Albright and behind Dave Koz and Friends’ Grammy nominated Summer Horns.
Finally, on the SmoothIndieStar.com chart, “Cruisin’ Down The Road” jumps from #23 to #16 with a bullet and “Never” inches up from #17 to #15.
In other exciting Greg Manning news, the multi-talented performer will also be performing on the Alaska bound Dave Koz & Friends At Sea Cruise September 5-12. He will also be making his first appearance as an artist on the main stage at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival on October 19.
White, who originally established Kalimba Music in 2003 as a vehicle to promote Earth, Wind & Fire as well as up and coming performers, decided to re-launch based on his passion and love for music and worthy artists.
Contact: Steve Levesque, 818-232-4175
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KEYBOARDIST GREG MANNING IS “CRUISIN’ DOWN THE ROAD” BIG TIME AS HIS NEW SINGLE DEBUTS ON THE BILLBOARD SMOOTH JAZZ CHART AND LEAPS INTO THE TOP TEN ON THE MEDIABASE SMOOTH A/C CHART
Manning Is the First Artist Signed By Maurice White’s Newly Re-Launched Kalimba Music
Keyboardist Greg Manning, the first artist signed to Kalimba Music (www.kalimba-music.com), the newly re-launched label owned by Earth, Wind & Fire’s legendary founder Maurice White, is truly “Cruisin’ Down The Road” as his infectious debut single catches fire on a variety of smooth jazz format charts.
The track, from Manning’s recently released debut album Dance With You, makes its debut at #28 with a bullet on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart while debuting at #18 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler. It also makes a major leap from #15 to #6 with a bullet on the Mediabase Smooth A/C chart, just behind the latest hits by Vincent Ingala (the chart-topping saxophonist who also appears on “Cruisin’ Down The Road”), Jonathan Butler, Richard Elliot and Rick Braun and ahead of Mindi Abair, Paul Hardcastle and Brian Culbertson.
While remaining on the Smoothjazz.com and SmoothIndieStar.com charts, Manning’s single hits the Top 5 (#5 with a bullet) on the Groove Jazz Music chart and rises from #31 to #28 on the Radio Wave Internet Airplay chart.
In other exciting Greg Manning news, the multi-talented performer will be performing on the Alaska bound Dave Koz & Friends At Sea Cruise September 5-12. He will also be making his first appearance as an artist on the main stage at the Catalina Island JazzTrax Festival on October 19.
Kalimba Music is also charting with Earth, Wind & Fire track “Never,” the lead single from the re-mastered collector’s edition of the hit album The Promise. The track is holding steady in the Top 25 of the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart.
White, who originally established Kalimba Music in 2003 as a vehicle to promote Earth, Wind & Fire as well as up and coming performers, decided to re-launch based on his passion and love for music and worthy artists.
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FORMER DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AT WARNER BROS. IS NOW LABEL MANAGER FOR LEGENDARY EARTH, WIND & FIRE FOUNDER MAURICE WHITE’S NEWLY RELAUNCHED KALIMBA MUSIC
During Joseph’s 21 Years at Warner Bros. Records, The Multi-Faceted Executive Worked With Legendary Artists Madonna, Fleetwood Mac, Prince, Rod Stewart, George Benson, David Sanborn and Al Jarreau
In the 30-plus years since Ted Joseph began his incredibly diverse 21-year-stint at Warner Bros. Records, the industry has evolved from a corporate-centered culture to a new digital age where indie labels and DIY bands thrive.
While many of the top executives he has worked with over the years have shifted gears as casualties of the endless changes, the multi-faceted behind the scenes force is not only surviving, but thriving in the current environment. After several years as a consultant in the realm of “virtual labels,” the Detroit-bred executive brings his vast wealth of experience and expertise to his new role as Label Manager of Kalimba Music (www.kalimba-music.com), recently re-launched after a several year hiatus by Maurice White, founder of the iconic pop/R&B band Earth, Wind & Fire.
Joseph’s relationship with White and his manager Art Macnow, who currently runs Kalimba Music as CEO, extends back to the early ‘90s, when EWF returned to Warner Bros/Reprise, their original label, to release the Millennium album and Joseph was the label’s Marketing Manager. When White launched Kalimba as an independent label in the late ‘90s, Joseph was brought in as a consultant.
“Maurice decided to re-launch Kalimba in the summer of 2013, and I was very excited that he asked me to play such a significant role in its operation,” says Joseph. “He made the decision early on to focus on one of his great passions, contemporary jazz. The vision for the label was simple. It was going to be a boutique organization, looking more for great quality artists who have some past touring experience and charted recordings. Our goal is to work hands on with these artists to guide their careers to the next level.
“Our philosophy is that they should be the artists and we should take care of business for them,” he adds. “We’re looking to keep the roster relatively small in order to dedicate our full efforts to those we work with. I know many labels say this but in our case it’s true—for us, it’s all about the music.”
Joseph says that Kalimba Music is currently in discussions with several new artists they hope to sign in the near future.
The newly re-launched Kalimba’s first release was a re-mastered collector’s edition of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit album The Promise, a critically acclaimed full length set which in its original run – after a six year studio recording hiatus by the band – hit #19 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #5 on the Top Independent Albums chart. It also scored a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “Hold Me.”
Kalimba has made a multi-project foray into the contemporary urban jazz world, first with the release of the album’s new single, “Never,” to smooth jazz radio in May 2014.
Joseph is also excited about the signing and out of the box success of the label’s first official artist, keyboardist/composer Greg Manning, whose debut Kalimba single
“Cruisin’ Down The Road,” featuring chart-topping saxophonist Vincent Ingala, was a #1 Most Added track on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart, the SmoothJazz.com chart recap and Spincreased list and the Radio Wave Internet Airplay chart.
“Cruisin’ Down the Road” joins Manning’s previous hit singles “Dance With You” – which reached #1 on the taste-making chart, The Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler – and “Groove Me (featuring saxman Elan Trotman) on his new 11-track collection Dance With You, to be released by Kalimba Music July 8.
Ted has worked with artists such as, Madonna, Prince, Quincy Jones, Al Jarreau, David Sanborn, Joe Sample,Marcus Miller,Boney James and many more.
Throughout his multi-faceted career, including over 20 years with Warner Bros. Records and Warner Distribution and many more as a consultant for Sony Music, EMI/Capitol, BMG Distribution, Sony Distribution, Universal Distribution and Warner Music Group, Joseph has contributed to and been associated with over 100 gold and platinum status recordings for artists in a wide range of genres, from pop and urban to contemporary jazz and country.
Among his official executive positions, Joseph—who launched his career as a merchandiser in his hometown—was Director of Marketing at Warner Bros. and President of Odds On Records, an independent label in the late 2000s that helped ‘80s pop duo Air Supply score their first Billboard hit since 1993 and broke other artists like the electronic dance group Ultraviolet Sound (UVS), featuring singer/songwriter Sarah Hudson.
Echoing his label manager, Maurice White says, “Our mission in doing so is very simple,To discover and cultivate great artists with great music.”
To arrange an interview, please contact Steve Levesque, LUCK Media & Marketing, Inc. at info@luckmedia.com or 818-232-4175.
]]>LOS ANGELES – The great news continues this week Earth, Wind & Fire founder Maurice White’s newly relaunched Kalimba Music label (www.kalimba-music.com), with their new artist, composer/keyboardist Greg Manning, making a powerful debut on smooth jazz radio while EWF’s single “Never” – the lead single from the re-mastered collector’s edition of the hit album The Promise – makes its debut on the New & Active portion of the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart.
Manning’s “Cruisin’ Down The Road,” featuring chart-topping saxophonist Vincent Ingala, is the #1 Most Added track on the Billboard Smooth Jazz chart, the SmoothJazz.com chart recap and Spincreased list and the Radio Wave Internet Airplay chart.
On the Billboard chart, Manning’s song tops a list that includes fellow emerging artists like Jeanette Harris and Bennett B. as well as genre superstar Brian Culbertson. The Smoothjazz.com chart includes another veteran star, saxophonist Richard Elliot.
In addition to numerous terrestrial and internet stations throughout the U.S., the track is receiving spins on Sirius XM Satellite Radio’s “Watercolors” channel.
“Cruisin’ Down the Road” joins Manning’s previous hit singles “Dance With You” – which reached #1 on the taste-making chart, The Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler – and “Groove Me” (featuring saxman Elan Trotman) on his new 11-track collection Dance With You, which will be released by Kalimba Music on July 8.
This week, EWF’s “Never” – which was released to smooth jazz radio May 19 – also remains in the Top 50 of the Smoothjazz.com chart and the Top 25 on the Smoothindiestar.com chart.
White, who originally established Kalimba Music in 2003 as a vehicle to promote Earth, Wind & Fire as well as up and coming performers, decided to re-launch based on his passion and love for music and worthy artists.
Contact: Steve Levesque, LUCK Media & Marketing, Inc. (818) 232-4175
]]>LUCK Media & Marketing, Inc. (818) 232-4175
info@luckmedia.com, www.luckmedia.com
KEYBOARDIST GREG MANNING IS THE
FIRST ARTIST SIGNED TO LEGENDARY
EARTH, WIND & FIRE FOUNDER
MAURICE WHITE’S NEWLY RELAUNCHED
KALIMBA MUSIC LABEL
The Title Track To ‘Dance With You’, The New Album By The
Swiss Born Musician and Artist, Was a #1 Urban Jazz Radio Hit
Last Year That Features Star Saxophonist Mindi Abair
Growing up in Switzerland, keyboardist Greg Manning (www.greg-manning.com) recalls sitting in his living room with his parents, grooving along to their classic Earth, Wind & Fire albums. Now an emerging jazz performer, he is part of the musical legacy of the group’s legendary founder Maurice White, who has signed Manning as the first artist on his newly re-launched Kalimba Music label (http://kalimba-music.com/).
A multi-talented musician emerging on the contemporary urban jazz scene, Manning is an exciting coup for White, who says, “I am really excited to go forward with this very accomplished artist, and to once again be involved in presenting new music to the public.”
Previously best known for his nine year stint as touring keyboardist and musical director for South African-born, Grammy-nominated jazz/gospel singer/guitarist Jonathan Butler, Manning broke out in a big way last year with his debut instrumental single “Dance With You.”
The track, featuring one of the genre’s most popular saxophonists, Mindi Abair, was an across the board airplay smash, reaching #1 on the taste-making chart, The Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler. Kepler is the host of the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown on The Smooth Jazz Network, which designated “Dance With You” as Song of the Year for 2013.
Manning recently finished mastering his label debut Dance With You for a July 8, 2014 release. In addition to Manning’s previous hit singles “Dance With You” and “Groove Me” (featuring saxman Elan Trotman), the 11-track collection will include the newly released track “Cruisin’ Down The Road,” which features the chart-topping saxophonist Vincent Ingala.
“I had recorded and released the two singles independently, and my radio promoters recommended me to Maurice and the other guys at Kalimba when they heard that they were going to re-launch the label,” says Manning, who recorded one previous independent album, The Calling, in 2010.
“They heard and liked my singles and the pieces came together quickly. I wanted to make a fun project around the same vibe as those lead singles, focused on my soul-jazz-funk keyboard sound. It’s amazing to have the opportunity to be involved with Maurice and have the support of him and his label. Thirty years ago I was in Switzerland wearing out all those EWF records, and now I’m here. It’s all very surreal and exciting.”
A native of Zurich, Switzerland, the multi-talented keyboardist studied piano and film scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston before returning to his home country to establish himself as a composer and producer. He made his debut in the U.S. as the keyboardist for Brian McKnight’s “Back At One” tour, then toured extensively with Butler.
Over the years, Manning has also performed with many top names in the genre, including Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Richard Elliot, Eric Marienthal, Chante Moore and Kirk Whalum, among others. As a producer in the genre, he recently produced and mixed a project for Italian saxophonist Gianni Vancini, who returned the favor with an appearance on the keyboardist’s new song “Phoenix Rise!”
From 2003-07, Manning served as the Musical Director for all seasons of MusicStar, the Swiss version of “American Idol.” He is also a three-time certified platinum producer for Universal Music Switzerland and has written/produced several Swiss chart-toppers (Harry Hasler’s “Saletti” and the MusicStar blockbuster “A Kiss Goodbye”).
In addition, he is a credited film composer for U.S. feature films “Dead Lenny” and “Restraining Order.” A popular TV composer, Manning worked closely with composer Jan Stevens and provided additional music for “Samantha Who” and “Scrubs.” He arranged and performed on the song “Guy Love,” which aired on an episode of “Scrubs” and received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics.
Manning’s other scoring work includes the complete sound design for “Kampf der Chöre,” which aired on Swiss TV in 2010; a national TV commercial for Zweifel Chips; three weekly shows on Swiss national TV (G&M, Traders and Gesundheit Heute); and finishing the highly acclaimed score for the newly released documentary by director Reto Caduff, “The Visual Language of Herbert Matter.” He also wrapped up the “GODIVA – Real Love on Valentines” tour in Japan with Grammy winner Jody Watley.
Kalimba Music’s first release is a re-mastered collector’s edition of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit album The Promise, a critically acclaimed full length set which in its original run – after a six year studio recording hiatus by the band – hit #19 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #5 on the Top Independent Albums chart. It also scored a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “Hold Me.” Kalimba is also making a multi-project foray into the contemporary urban jazz world, first with the release of the album’s new single, “Never,” to smooth jazz radio May 19.
“I’m really excited to be part of Kalimba Music and have the opportunity to receive worldwide exposure for my original music,” says Manning. “With the new album, it’s like I have given birth to something I love and now it’s fun to see just how far it can go and how many people’s lives I can touch.”
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]]>LUCK Media & Marketing, Inc. (818) 232-4175
info@luckmedia.com, www.luckmedia.com
LEGENDARY EARTH, WIND & FIRE FOUNDER MAURICE WHITE RELAUNCHES HIS LABEL, KALIMBA MUSIC WITH THE RELEASE OF EWF’S THE PROMISE (FEATURING THE URBAN JAZZ RADIO SINGLE ‘NEVER’) AND THE SIGNING OF HITMAKING KEYBOARDIST GREG MANNING
The Classic R&B Band’s First Studio Album in Six Years at The
Time of Its Original Release, The Promise Hit The Top 20 on
Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip Hop Albums Chart and Received a Grammy Nomination (Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance) For “Hold Me”
Adding an exciting new chapter to Earth, Wind & Fire‘s highly influential four and a half decade legacy in pop and R&B music, the iconic band’s founder Maurice White is pleased to announce the highly anticipated re-launch of his label, Kalimba Music (www.kalimba-music.com), after a several year hiatus.
The label’s first release is a re-mastered collector’s edition of the Earth, Wind & Fire hit album The Promise, a critically acclaimed full length set which in its original run – after a six year studio recording hiatus by the band – hit #19 on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and #5 on the Top Independent Albums chart. It also scored a Grammy nomination for Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance for “Hold Me.”
Kalimba is also making a multi-project foray into the contemporary urban jazz world, first with the release of the album’s new single, “Never,” to smooth jazz radio May 19.
White is also excited about the recent signing of the label’s first official artist, keyboardist/composer Greg Manning, whose debut instrumental single “Dance With You” was a popular genre airplay hit in 2013 – reaching #1 on the taste-making chart, The Smooth Jazz Top 20 with Allen Kepler. Manning recently finished mastering his label debut for an upcoming release.
A longtime presence in the urban jazz genre, Manning is an exciting coup for White, who says, “I am really excited to go forward with this very accomplished artist, and to once again be involved in presenting new music to the public.”
A native of Zurich, Switzerland, the multi-talented keyboardist studied piano and film scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston before returning to his home country to establish himself as a composer and producer. He made his debut in the U.S. as the keyboardist for Brian McKnight‘s “Back At One” tour, then toured extensively for a decade as keyboardist and music director for Grammy nominated jazz/gospel artist Jonathan Butler. Over the years, Manning has also performed with many top names in the genre, including Mindi Abair, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Richard Elliot, Eric Marienthal, Chante Moore and Kirk Whalum, among others.
White, who originally established Kalimba Music in 2003 as a vehicle to promote Earth, Wind & Fire as well as up and coming performers, decided to re-launch based on his passion and love for music and worthy artists.
“It’s great to continue on with Kalimba Music,” says White. “Our mission in doing so is very simple: to discover and cultivate great music.”
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