On Saturday, May 21, some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry celebrated the 90th birthday of the legendary Tony Bennett at Keep Memory Alive’s 20th annual Power of Love® gala at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The star-studded event raised funds and awareness for Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health and its fight against brain disease including Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s and Parkinson’s diseases, multiple sclerosis and multiple system atrophy.
Highlights from the night included a performance by honoree Tony Bennett and heartfelt tributes by James Corden, Andra Day, Herbie Hancock, Darius Rucker, Jordin Sparks, Steven Tyler and more. Day kicked off the show with her rendition of “Steppin’ Out With My Baby,” while Corden performed his version of “Don’t Get Around Much More.” Later in the evening, Sparks teamed up with pianist Dan Orlando to perform a medley of hits including “The Best Is Yet To Come,” “Alright OK You Win” and “It Don’t Mean A Thing.” Rucker treated guests to hit single “Sunny Side of The Street,” before Hancock took the stage to perform “Chameleon” and “Cantaloupe Island.” Tyler joined the elite ensemble to perform “Smile” with jazz trumpeter Chris Botti before singing Aerosmith classic “I Don’t Want To Miss A Thing.” The man of the evening, Bennett, performed numerous hits including “Watch What Happens” and “How Do You Keep The Music Playing.” To close the show, the entire cast sang Bennett “Happy Birthday” and presented him with a celebratory cake. In addition to musical icons, celebrity supporters who also attended the event included Quincy Jones, Brad Garrett, Steve Schirripa and Chazz Palminteri.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7842951-keep-memory-alive-tony-bennett/
The new edition of the Habanos Festival will feature an outstanding international musical line-up. For five whole days, from the 29th of February to the 4th of March, this annual event dedicated to Habano cigars will gather more than 1,500 attendees from over 50 countries that will discover this year’s major launches in an exclusive and inspiring setting.
The Welcome Event, dedicated to the Hoyo de Monterrey Reserva Cosecha 2012, will have Alexander Abreu, renowned trumpet player, composer and winner of a Latin Grammy, and his group Havana D’Primera to close the evening. On the other hand, the Gala Evening, in tribute to Cohiba on its 50th Anniversary, will feature performances by such distinguished artists as Chucho Valdés, the Cuban pianist and composer, winner of five Grammys and three Latin Grammys; Estrella Morente, the Spanish Flamenco singer; or Jorge Drexler, the Uruguayan singer and songwriter, winner of an Oscar and two Latin Grammys. They will share the stage with rising popular international names in Cuban music such as Alain Pérez, Geidi Chapman and Cucu Diamantes.
Talent will also be enjoyed at the International Habanosommelier contest, that this year celebrates its 15th anniversary, and will bring together the world’s best “Habanosommeliers”, the winners of all the previous editions, with the challenge of finding the “Maestro de Maestros” of Habanos pairings with the most famous drinks and cocktails.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7767951-top-music-artists-to-play-habanos-festival/
Cuba was witness once again to the largest annual international event celebrating the Habano culture. The festival has come to an end with the celebration of the Gala Evening that paid tribute to the Cohiba brand on its 50th Anniversary, with exclusive tastings of its new releases. The gala hosted 1,200 guests that enjoyed live performances by Cuban pianist and composer, Chucho Valdes; the Spanish flamenco singer, Estrella Morente; and the Uruguayan singer-songwriter Jorge Drexler.
This year the traditional humidor auction of seven collector items reached a total of 865.000€ that will be entirely donated to the Cuban Public Health System. This edition has been especially unique thanks to the auction of the first humidor (01/50) of the exclusive special series “Cohiba 50 Aniversario”, which raised 320.000 euros. This humidor is an authentic work of art and a unique collector's item, and heralds a true innovation in terms of traditional craftsmanship and technical design and development.
During the evening, the “Maestro de Maestros” was chosen in the XV International Habanosommelier Contest. The winner was Juan Jesús Machín from Cuba. Luis Manuel García Urrea (United Arab Emirates) and Pedro Tejeda (Cuba) were runners-up in second and third place respectively.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/uk/7779251-international-stars-xviii-habanos-festival/
Piano legend Byron Janis releases Byron Janis Live on Tour, an album of never before released live recordings of performances by the internationally celebrated pianist. It is Maestro Janis’ first release of new material in twenty years and celebrates the 70th anniversary of his very first RCA LP recording in 1947 at the age of 19 titled Bach/Liszt, Chopin. Byron Janis Live on Tour is an exclusive compilation of twelve works composed by Haydn, Chopin & Liszt. Also featured are two pieces composed for stage and screen by Janis himself, a “hot” collaboration on two pianos with Cy Coleman and, finally, a song he composed, “David’s Star,” for which his son Stefan wrote the lyrics. This album is dedicated to him, who died tragically of a heart attack in February of this year. The album is due to be released by Janis Eleven Enterprises, LTD on May 23 in honor of his 89th birthday which was celebrated on March 24, 2017. Each Volume will have a limited edition pressed vinyl release.
This release is the first of a three CD release musical journey. In the fall, Maestro Janis will release “Live from Leningrad,” a recording made in the early sixties in Russia. This was recorded unbeknownst to him while he was serving as a US Cultural Ambassador to the Soviet Union and surreptitiously presented to him nearly sixty years later. Then, just in time for the holidays, Byron Janis Live on Tour, Volume II will be available. Similar in format to Volume I, it will include a compilation of live recordings of performances of Mr. Janis from all over the world.
To view the multimedia release go to:
https://www.multivu.com/players/English/8108051-byron-janis-live-on-tour-volume-one/
A teenage piano prodigy enlists the help of renowned pianist Clare Cardiff. Though she is more than twice his age, he falls in love with her. After Clare is diagnosed with early onset dementia, she is taken away to pursue further medial testing. Clive is faced with the challenge of traveling to Moscow and performing at the competition without his beloved mentor. Find out more at – http://MargaretPhilbrick.com Literary Fiction/Romance
Three of the Internet’s most beloved pets are teaming up to help the millions of cats and dogs in shelters and rescue groups across the country find loving homes. Fashion icon Toast Meets World, globally recognized pianist Keyboard Cat and life of the party Hamilton Pug are lending their star power to “Start A Story. Adopt,” a new public service advertising (PSA) campaign from The Shelter Pet Project, a collaborative effort between Maddie’s Fund®, The Humane Society of the United States and the Ad Council.
Toast Meets World, Keyboard Cat and Hamilton Pug receive millions of views, likes and shares on social media, but most people don’t know they were adopted. Created pro bono by J. Walter Thompson New York, these new PSAs share these pets’ unique stories, which all began in shelters and rescue groups, and highlight the special bonds between the pets and their families. Prospective owners are encouraged to visit TheShelterPetProject.org to learn more about the adoption process and search for adoptable pets at shelters and rescue groups near them. Adoption advocates are also encouraged to support the effort on social media by using the hashtag #StartAStoryAdopt to share stories of how their shelter pets changed their lives for the better and to encourage others to start their own stories by adopting an amazing shelter dog or cat today.
To view the multimedia release go to:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7747051-ad-council-shelter-pets-project/
