Blake Zidell & Associates
Public Relations for the Recorded and Performing Arts

THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST:

Elysa genre-hops for gems: Elysa Gardner hopscotches from Broadway and folk to Christian pop and contemporary R&B on her eclectic playlist this week.

Hate That I Love You, Rihanna featuring Ne-Yo: The tender stars savor the sweetness and angst of young love on this winner from Rihanna’s new CD, Good Girl Gone Bad.

Painting By Numbers, Judith Owen: Owen channels other memorable British songbirds, from Petula Clark to Christine McVie, on this bouncy track from her latest, Happy This Way.

Name, Derek Webb: A Beatlesque cut from The Ringing Bell finds the Christian pop maverick lending a sharper rock edge to his blend of compassion and witty skepticism.
Bird Alone, Abbey Lincoln: One of jazz’s most expressive and affecting singers delivers a haunting new rendition of her song on Abbey Sings Abbey. 

O Mary Don’t You Weep, Bruce Springsteen with the Sessions Band: From Live In Dublin, a bittersweet but rousing take on the spiritual The Boss previously
recorded on We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. 

I Will Follow, Kim Richey: Not a cover of the great U2 single, but a tart, buoyant highlight of the underappreciated troubadour’s Chinese Boxes, slated for July 10. 

Good Morning Baltimore, Nikki Blonsky: In this opening salvo from the Hairspray! soundtrack, also out July 10, composer/producer Marc Shaiman recaptures the Phil Spector-esque bang he brought to the stage musical. 

Something’s Coming, Barbara Cook: Cook turns 80 this fall, but her peerless soprano still summons all the freshness and wonder in this Bernstein/Sondheim gem, featured on No One Is Alone. 

My Ship, Andre Previn: Previn’s first solo piano recording in a decade, Alone (June 26), includes an achingly lovely take on the Kurt Weill classic. 

Tea In the Sahara, The Police: This hypnotic track from the recently reunited trio’s last studio album is on the new compilation The Police.