Hi,

Just checking in to let you know the latest news.  I am very close to finishing a new album called “The Café Carlyle Sessions.”  The concept for this album came out of my shows in April and May, 2008, at the legendary Café Carlyle in the Carlyle Hotel in New York City.  I decided that, given the intimacy of the 80-seat room, I would perform the music in a style different from my usual pop rhythm section format.

My friend and arranger, Chris Walden, had been wanting to produce an album of my songs with this jazz-based instrumentation.  So Chris arranged a deal with the German label, Edel entertainment. They will distribute the CD in Europe, Australia/New Zealand and South Africa.  I will update you soon on distribution in Japan and the US and Canada.  Of course, it will be on iTunes.

Chris introduced me to some amazingly talented musicians in NY -- Andy Ezrin on Piano and David Mann on Winds -- and LA-based Kevin Axt on Bass.  I used my regular drummer, Dave Beyer, and I play only acoustic guitar.  The solo work is handled by Andy and David., and we recorded the 15 tracks live in LA in 2 days.  Here is the track listing:

01  NEVER BE THE SAME

02  DEPUTY DAN

03  SWEPT AWAY

04  WALKING IN AVALON

05  ARTHUR

06  IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

07  THINK OF LAURA

08  ALL RIGHT

09  BACK OF MY MIND

10  SAILING

11  OPEN UP MY WINDOW

12  DRIFTIN' AWAY

13  WORDS OF WISDOM

14  RIDE LIKE THE WIND

15  TALKING IN MY SLEEP

I’m very excited about the project and will be performing with this group for the first time at my show on August 7th in Brooklyn opening for Liza Minelli.  Also, we will do the Billboard Live shows in Japan this fall.  I hope to play more shows this way as I feel I have been performing the same way for so many years and this interpretation really gives the songs a new life.

I hope my Christmas album will also be released on Edel this year with a new cover and in the US we hope to be working with a major distribution network.  More new on this as it develops 

We finished the Carlyle album this week and then I will begin recording 15 new songs that Rob and I have written for another CC studio album.  I hope to have that out by spring.