MULTI-PLATINUM GRAMMY™ AWARD-WINNING R&B SINGER ANITA BAKER TO PERFORM NATIONAL ANTHEM AT THE NBA FINALS ON THURSDAY, JUNE 10

ANITA BAKER CURRENTLY IN STUDIO

RECORDING NEW ALBUM

BOSTON, June 9, 2010 – Multi-platinum Grammy Award-winning R&B legend Anita Baker will perform the National Anthem in front of a global audience on Thursday, June 10, prior to Game 4 of The Finals between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers at TD Banknorth Garden in Boston .

The performance will be televised live on ABC in the U.S. and to a worldwide audience in 215 countries and territories beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET.

Anita Baker is currently in the studio recording her forthcoming album due out in the Fall.  Baker will be producing the album with Nathan East, Daniel Moore, George Duke and others.  The album will include collaboration with Snoop Dogg on a “big, lush” version of Curtis Mayfield’s Give You My Love that she promises “is going to raise eyebrows.” The rest of the album will be original material.

Anita Baker was born in Detroit, Michigan and started singing in church and later in groups throughout Detroit , before landing a gig with Chapter 8, with whom she had the hit I Just Wanna Be Your Girl in the early 80s.  Anita later went solo and recorded the classic collection The Songstress (Angel, and No More Tears) before finding her way to Elektra Entertainment and a decade-long collaboration that birthed such completely perfected projects as Rapture, Giving You The Best That I Got, Compositions, and The Rhythm Of Love, and honing a powerhouse songbook that includes such masterpieces as Watch Your Step, Been So Long, Lead Me Into Love, Talk To Me, Body and Soul and I Apologize. Baker has won Grammy, Soul Train, NAACP Image, Billboard, and Rolling Stone Awards, and she has been heralded as one of the great stylists of our time.

In March 2004, Baker signed an exclusive recording contract with Blue Note Records and in September 2004, a decade after her last studio album, Baker released a new album, My Everything. The album was a success and debuted at No.4 on the Billboard 200 and No.1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums.

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NBA contact: Amanda Thorn, (914) 282-0257, athorn@nba.com

Anita Baker contact: JR Rich, JR.Rich@emimusic.com or Kisha Madrid Kisha.Madrid@emicap.com

Photo Credit: James Knox

INTERNATIONALLY RENOWNED VIOLINIST REGINA CARTER RELEASING REVERSE THREAD, A CELEBRATION OF AFRICAN FOLK MUSIC

EI Entertainment to Release REVERSE THREAD on May 18th

When preeminent violinist Regina Carter made the decision to record an album primarily of African folk tunes, she created a great challenge for herself: how do you take beautiful traditional music and infuse it with a contemporary feel while remaining true to its past – and then, not compromise its beauty? Her newest release, Reverse Thread, due out on E1 Entertainment on May 18th brilliantly responds to the challenge.

To achieve the uplifting and stirring result, Regina added an accordion and kora-the West African harp traditionally played by village storytellers-to her longstanding rhythm section. Kora virtuoso Yacouba Sissoko was brought on board to help recreate the spirit of passing stories from generation to generation. The result-unlike anything previously heard-is a haunting and beautiful compliment to Regina’s sumptuously seductive violin.

Without the support of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation, which “awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals,” Reverse Thread might never have been realized. As a MacArthur Fellow – a recipient of what is commonly known as the “genius grant” – Carter was armed with the funds and the freedom to follow her muse.

Regina turned to the World Music Institute in New York City, in which she found a diverse and inspirational resource for material, including ethnographic field recordings.

Regina looked not just to the music, but also the accompanying sounds and nuances of everyday life from anthropological and sociological perspectives which informed the spirit of the new arrangements.

“There is an immense amount of amazing music coming from all around the world, much of which is barely accessible,” emphasized Regina. “Reverse Thread gave me the opportunity to explore and celebrate a tiny portion of music that moved me.”

Both “Hiwumbe Awumba” and “Mwana Talitambula” are based on field recordings from the Ugandan Jews, a community in eastern Uganda who although are not genetically or historically Jewish, practice the Jewish religion. Setting the inspirational tone for the album, the first track “Hiwumbe Awumba” originates from a field recording of a group singing, “God creates and then He destroys.” Although the title is dark, the uplifting quality and spirit of the voice on the recording inspired Regina, and the final arrangement is a paean to the resiliency of the human spirit.

Using the field recording of a woman singing “Mwana Talitambula” as a departure point,

Regina’s bass player Chris Lightcap split the melody between the violin and bass with a hypnotically emotive result.

Reverse Thread also embraces music of the African Diaspora. As but one example, “Un Aguinaldo” skillfully layers the rhythmic aspects of African music with harmonies originating in India and Puerto Rico.

Through her albums, incessant touring and various guest appearances and collaborations, Regina has developed into a distinctly diverse musical personality. She has repeatedly toured throughout the world, was the first jazz artist and African American to play Niccolo Paganini’s famed Guarneri “Cannon” violin, has been featured with several symphony orchestras and performed with artists as diverse as Aretha Franklin, Lauryn Hill, Billy Joel, Kenny Barron and Mary J. Blige.

With Reverse Thread, Regina takes a giant step forward by making a meaningful musical contribution on her own terms.

REVERSE THREAD:
Regina Carter / Violin
Yacouba Sissoko / Kora
Adam Rogers / Guitar
Will Holshouser & Gary Versace / Accordion
Chris Lightcap & Mamadou Ba / Bass
Alvester Garnett / Drums & percussion

www.reginacarter.com

For more information, to receive a copy of Reverse Thread or to set up an interview with Regina Carter, please contact:

Pamela Lipshitz | Lip Service Media | pam@lipservicemedia.com | 917-859-6852

New York, NY, March 26, 2007 – On May 15, 2007 CTA Records will release “The Timeless Now”, debut album by tenor saxophonist Dayna Stephens. He is joined by a superb group of musicians including guitarist John Scofield, pianist Taylor Eigsti, bassist Ben Street and drummer Eric Harland. With the aid of Rale Micic, who produced the album, Stephens delivers music that is vibrantly imaginative and pure.

A fluid, vigorous soloist with a warm, soulful sound, Dayna Stephens has been described as “One of the most exciting young tenor sax players”. Showcasing brilliant playing as well as writing, he penned seven out of nine selections on the album. Versed listener can hear traces of tenor great Wayne Shorter, who, besides being one Stephens’ inspirational heroes, was also his mentor.

Dayna Stephens, 28, showed serious talent early on, winning many awards and scholarships with various music programs. After graduating Berklee College of Music in Boston on a full scholarship, he was selected by judges Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter and Terence Blanchard for the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at USC. While there, he studied and played with, among others, Shorter, Hancock, Dave Holland and Mark Turner.

Since graduating from the Monk Institute in 2003, Dayna Stephens has worked with the likes of Roy Hargrove, Carlos Santana, Kenny Barron, Terence Blanchard, Steve Coleman and Stefon Harris.

The Timeless Now establishes Dayna Stephens as an exceptional talent with a bold new vision of jazz today.

Read more about Dayna Stephens on his new website, www.daynastephens.com.

Photo Credit: James Knox