Dome is to mark its twentieth birthday with a special edition 3CD box set “Dome: Twenty Years”, for release on February 27.

The package includes a 40-page booklet with extensive photos, many previously unpublished, and booklet notes detailing the history of the label written by Dome founder Peter Robinson.

While the first two CDs cover the history of the label, the third CD includes new tracks, recent remixes and several previously unreleased live recordings.

Also being lined up as part of the labelʼs 20th celebrations are a series of live dates – beginning with Eric Roberson at Londonʼs Jazz Cafe on February 14 in a Valentineʼs Day special, and the return of Avery Sunshine to the Union Chapel, London on March 8. She also makes her headline debut in Manchester on March 9 at Band On The Wall.

Brenda Russell plays her first London show in more than 20 years at Union Chapel on April 14, and dates are currently being finalised for London shows by Incognito and Anthony David.

Don’t forget to check our Digital Dome page for the latest releases – including the Soul Lounge series – we are currently up to no 8!

Dome CD 311

Audio samples:

Summertime

Talking Reckless

Picture Perfect

Tracklisting:

1. Mr Nice Guy
2. Strangers
3. Summertime Anthem (feat Chubb Rock)
4. Come With Me (feat The Ones)
5. Picture Perfect (feat Phonte)
6. Fall
7. Shake Her Hand
8. The Magician
9. Love’s Withdrawal (feat Omari Hardwick)
10. How Would I Feel (feat Jean Baylor)
11. Talking Reckless
12. At The Same Time
13. Male Ego (feat Hezekiah)
14. Try Love
15. All For Me

America’s No. 1 independent urban/soul artist ERIC ROBERSON returns with his eighth

studio album “Mr Nice Guy”.  Nominated for a Grammy Award in each of the past two years – for recordings from his prior album “Music Fan First” – the New Jersey-based performer is on top of his game.  And he follows it with a 3-date UK tour in October.

The 15-song album – for release on Dome on September 5 – features a cameo from veteran rapper Chubb Rock, who performs on the lead single, the infectious,  feelgood “Summertime Anthem”. Other guest vocal performances come from Phonte, of Little Brother and Foreign Exchange, who raps on one of  the album’s other key tracks “Picture Perfect”, and Jean Baylor – formerly of Motown hit duo Zhane – on “How Would I Feel?”.

Producers include Rich Harrison (Jay Z, Beyonce, Usher), Bink (Jay Z) and James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Anthony Hamilton, Jill Scott, among many others).

Roberson began his successful songwriting career creating hits for fellow artists, among them Jill Scott – who describes him as “a brilliant singer with a voice like red velvet cake” – Musiq Soulchild, Dwele, Will Downing and DJ Jazzy Jeff.

Dome CD 310

Sound samples:

Ghost

6AM

Easier Said Than Done

Tracklisting

1. I Only Have Eyes For You
2. Ghost
3. Crazy (Baby)
4. Easier Said Than Done
5. Stay With Me
6. Miss You
7. Goodbye
8. Bleuphoria
9. Mountain Top
10. Makin’ Love
11. 6AM
12. Insomia
13. God

Bleuphoria is a stunning return from one of the pre-eminent modern soul singers  – with background vocal guests including Jody Watley, Faith Evans, Lalah Hathaway, Shanice and the Andrea Crouch Singers.   This is a consistently good fifth solo album from a singer who defines the word classy.

Highlights are his trademark gorgeous ballads Miss You and Goodbye, hypnotic mid-tempo grooves (6 AM and Stay With Me), and irresistibly funky dancefloor tracks (the instant club hit Ghost featuring Jody Watley). The insistent, gospel-flavoured Mountain Top is a departure from anything he has recorded before,  and features the legendary Andrea Crouch Singers.

The album is rooted in the classic principles of melody and poetic lyrics while embracing Eighties R&B/Pop as purveyed by the likes of Prince and Michael Jackson.

Since his outstanding 1997 debut album for MCA, Rahsaan has evolved as avocalist and songwriter, along the way writing songs for Tevin Campbell, Brandy, Ledisi, Lalah Hathaway and Van Hunt. Now in 2011, with the assistance of his regular production cohorts Keith Crouch and Jamey Jazz, he delivers some of his finest work.

Dome CD 309

Sound Samples:

Uptown Hustle

Watch Me Fly

A Universal Vibe

Down To The Bone, one of the UK’s finest jazz groove bands, and one of the country’s most successful jazz exports to the US, release their new album “The Main Ingredients” on Dome for the first time.

Since the mid-Nineties producer-writer Stuart Wade and his band have been injecting fresh and funky grooves into the UK and US jazz groove scene.
The new album – their ninth studio album – features guest vocals from ex-Incognito singer Imaani on three tracks, and the line-up also includes bass player Julian Crampton. The band will be playing UK and European dates during the summer.
Their past triumphs have included: a No 2 Billboard Jazz Album (From Manhattan To Staten) and becoming the best-selling Independent Jazz Artist of 1999 in the US.
The new album is their strongest for several years, opening with a seven-minute masterpiece “Uptown Hustle”. Other highlights include “A Universal Vibe” and “Watch Me Fly”, featuring the glorious vocals of Imaani.

“The guv’nors of UK Jazz groove” – Blues & Soul

“The band’s sound has evolved over the years, getting funkier and tougher with each album. Everything is ‘on the one’ as James Brown used to say” – Echoes

Tracklisting:
1. Uptown Hustle
2. A Change Has Got To Come
3. Second Nature
4. Music Is The Key
5. Watch Me Fly
6. Together We Stand
7. A Universal Vibe
8. South Side Overdrive
9. Closer
10. Cut And Run

The single “LOVE WILL FIND A WAY”– for download worldwide on iTunes from May 31 – was written by Bluey, Incognito keyboard player Matt Cooper and Yosuke Onuma. The guitar intro was recorded by Larry Carlton at Blue Note Tokyo.

Incognito were touring in Japan shortly after the disaster took place, and immediately began making plans to raise money to help with the relief effort. Recording took place in London and Tokyo. The full line-up of musicians and singers who contributed is:

London Sessions
Recorded by Mo Hausler at The MoBlue Room / Cream Studio
Vocals: Corinne Drewery (Swing Out Sister), Mark King (Level 42), Omar, Leee John (Imagination), Mark Reilly (Matt Bianco), Natalie Williams
Lorraine Cato-Price (Incognito) &PDG
Percussion: João Caetano & Ana Costa Baptista
Filmed by: Neil Silverman & James Alexandrou of JYOKES Production

Tokyo Sessions
Music Recorded by Shinya Matsushita At Studio Dedé. With special thanks to Akihito Yoshikawa
Trumpet: Eric Miyashiro (Solo)
Guitars: Yosuke Onuma (Rhythm & Solo) & Kiyoto Konda (Rhythm & Acoustic)
Incognito Horns & Arranged by Trumpet: Sid Gauld, Saxophone: Jamie Anderson, Alistair White: Trombone
Keyboards: Matt Cooper
Drums: Pete Ray Biggin
Bass: Julian Crampton

Vocals Recorded by Nobuyuki Fujiwara At Flashlight Studio With special thanks to Takahiro Kaneko (Flash Kaneko)
Vocals: Akko (My Little Lover), Takeshi Tsuruno (Shuchishin, Ultraman Dyna), Bird, Satomi, Mika Arisaka, Yu Sakai, Marlene, Vanessa Haynes & Chris Ballin (Incognito)
Larry Carlton (Guitar intro and Solo) recorded at the Blue Note Tokyo by Keiichi Goto.
With special thanks to Robert Williams & Rick Wheeler
Project Coordinators: Iori Ono & Terry Washizu
Produced by Bluey (Incognito)

Dome CD 308

Audio Samples:

Warm Human Cold World
Greatest Lover
My Kinda Lady

Tracklisting:
1. Outside Your Window
2. Warm Human
3. For Love
4. You
5. Crazy
6. Right Here
7. In These Arms
8. Lonely In My Room
9. My Kinda Lady
10. Greatest Lover

A second slice of mellow Atlanta soul from Heston, combining sensual, seductive ballads with funky up-tempo tracks. The Dominican-born singer, now resident in the vibrant music city of Atlanta, follows his debut “Storyteller” album with a very strong second set, revolving around personal relationships. “The concept of the album is my relationship experiences – good and bad, ugly and beautiful. It’s quite personal, as true to life as I could explain” he says.

Among the stand-out tracks are “Warm Human”, “Outside Your Window”, the 7-minute ballad “You” and the up-tempo grooves “My Kinda Lady” and “Greatest Lover”.

Dome CD 304

Audio Samples:
All In My Head
Blessin’ Me
Ugly Part Of Me

Tracklisting:
1. All In My Head
2. Today
3. The Most (feat Roy Ayers)
4. Ugly Part Of Me
5. Perform (Interlude)
6. Need You Now
7. Pinin’
8. I Got Sunshine
9. Blessin’ Me
10. Everybody Loves (Int feat Roy Ayers)
11. Like This
12. Just Not Tonight
Hidden Track
Big Mama

Avery Sunshine is a brilliant singer-songwriter-pianist from Atlanta, already generating a strong buzz in the US and here in Europe. Rooted in gospel, she is fluent in many styles, from soul and house to classical and hip-hop.

Key tracks include the sublime “All In My Head”, “Ugly Part Of Me” and “Blessin’ Me”. “The Most” and the “Sunshine” interlude feature cameo performances from Roy Ayers, who is a big fan of Ms Sunshine.

Among her past credits – working with Jennifer Holiday as choral director on a touring production of “Dream Girls” and singing on the soundtrack of the movie “The Fighting Temptations”.

She also recently (in March 2010) performed in a Los Angeles showcase of a new musical play about the life of Martin Luther King, and among those to come backstage and congratulate her after the performance was Chaka Khan. Avery also got to jam onstage at the after party, performing Anita Baker’s “Sweet Love” accompanied by Nathan East and Greg Phillinganes.

Dome CD 303

After completing her album “A Woman’s Touch” in 2008, Angela Johnson decided on a return to a more up-tempo, dance-oriented direction for her fourth album.  The result is her new album “It’s Personal”, which is out now!

Angela’s songwriting collaborators include Josh Milan of Blaze (their song “On The Radio” is his first ever R&B production) and fellow Dome artist Eric Roberson, with whom she has shared a stage on many occasions, notably at London’s IndigO2.    Their song is appropriately titled “Indie In Me”.

Also included is the dancefloor hit “Better”, a recent single release, with remixes from Italy’s Micky More, which has attracted superlatives from UK and European DJs and served as an appetiser for the full length album.

Of the album’s title, she says: “I wanted to connect with my audience on a more personal level and reveal more of my inner thoughts and feelings.  I wanted to share my experiences of being a wife, mother, daughter and sister, who’s also an independent recording artist, singer-songwriter and producer, who struggles to maintain balance in her life.  That was a mouthful!  Well, that’s how the album title ‘It’s Personal’ came to be”.

Two further solo albums have followed, “Got To Let It Go” and “A Woman’s Touch Vol 1” – with featured guests including Rahsaan Patterson, Maysa, Eric Roberson and Frank McComb.

Tracklisting:

1. Only One
2. Hurts Like Hell
3. Be Myself
4. Better
5. Indie In Me
6. On The Radio
7. All In Me (feat Darien)
8. Get Myself Together
9. For You
10. It’s Personal
11. Days