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6 Martini Collection Provides Hot Entertainment on Cold Nights

Rating Scale - “No need – it’s that good!” - “What the hell – just one!” - “Oh yeah – that’s better!” - “You’ll need ’em!” - “Wake me up when it’s over!”

     The 175-voice Boston Gay Men's Chorus, accompanied by a nine-piece band, has recently released their sixth CD, Razzle Dazzle: The Broadway Hits of Kander & Ebb. The BGMC celebrates the wide range of music from Kander and Ebb's repertoire on 13 tracks
(16 songs in all) that feature songs from hit shows such as Chicago, Cabaret and Kiss of the Spider Woman, to less famous works from The Happy Time, Zorba, and Steel Pier.
     Reuben M. Reynolds III, now in his sixth year as Musical Director for the Boston Gay Men's Chorus, felt that Kander and Ebb's works were a perfect match for the BGMC: "Broadway music is a great American art form, but not one that often addresses gay issues. Fred Ebb is an out gay artist, and together with his collaborator John Kander, they have never shied away from addressing gay issues honestly and humanely." Chad Weirick is BGMC's Assistant Music Director and Accompanist on this CD and did all the arrangements.
     Making her second appearance as a special guest on a BGMC recording (previously on Oz and Beyond) is Kerry Dowling, a local favorite in the Boston theater scene. Kerry really shines on this CD in "Mum's the Word Medley" and "Everybody's Girl." The only criticism of this CD would have to be that the band sometimes drowns out
the chorus. I highly recommend seeing a live performance, but if you can't, the CD is an ok substitute.
     Local note: Lost Nation Theater will be staging "The World Goes Round - the Songs of Kander and Ebb" June 17 - July 4 in Montpelier, VT. Check out their entire 2004 season at www.lostnationtheater.org.

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     Galleon is the duo of French musicians Gilles Luka and Phillippe Laurent. Gilles
and Phillippe were rugby buddies who named their duo after French football star
Jerome Galleon. Both producers in their own right, the pair got together two years
ago to introduce a new sound, a hybrid of pop, rock, and house, with an acoustic feeling. Phillippe is the duo's keyboardist and mixer while Gilles is the vocalist and melody man.
     As Galleon, Gilles and Phillippe have remixed tracks for Bootsy Collins ("Play With Bootsy"), Deep Forest ("Endangered Species") and Sertab ("Every Way That I Can"). They also produced the music behind the most expensive Levi's television ad campaign ever launched in Europe. Galleon's "So I Begin" started out as a white-label club hit, and the single went gold in France and top five across Europe. The CD of the same name is now available in the US and features the singles "One Sign," "I Believe," and "Freedom to Move (Levi's Theme)".
     The CD has a definite '80s feel and contains 16 tracks. By far my favorite tracks were the instrumentals: "Da Rock" and "Freedom to Move." But I also enjoyed the Hit Squad Remix of "So I Begin." If you really (and I mean REALLY) like the song "So I Begin," there is a CD single also available with seven different mixes/edits of the song, including the one used for the music video. Speaking of music videos, Radikal Records has just released the DVD Dance Hits USA, which includes Galleon's "So I Begin." The DVD is a compilation of dance videos that all are previously unreleased and unseen on national video outlets (and we won't name names) and is a follow-up to the CDs by the same name.

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     Kick off your new year right with this "sweat-bomb of a mix" CD by New York tribal masters T-Pro and Angel C. These two gay DJs have been serving up their unique brands of Afro-Latin house tracks on both Coasts way before Victor Calderone or Peter Rauhofer and now allow us to bring home the flavor and fever of NYC and LA's gay Latino parties with Tribal Pleasures.
     This CD double set features one disc mixed and one unmixed. Both discs also contain unreleased tracks by Marco Polo Cecere, Marcelo Castelli, and Mike Macaluso, as well as a handful of T-Pro and Angel's own "TAngle" remixes and edits, done especially for this CD. The CD opens with Marco Polo Cecere's tone setting "Tribal Journey", continues to turn up the heat through India's "Seduce Me Now," and leaves us with the finale of Johnny Vicious featuring Judy Albanese's "U Can Rok My Body."
     With over 24 pulsating tracks on the two CD, Tribal Pleasures will definitely light your fire during these cold winter months - guaranteed.

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Ari Gold began his career at age five when he was discovered singing at his brother's
bar-mitzva, an event that kicked off his career as a child vocalist singing on over 400 jingles, doing various animated voices, and even back-up singing for Diana Ross. Ari was named as one of Genre magazine's "Men We Love" (2002) and H/X magazine named him as one of the nine hottest men in New York City.
     Ari Gold has started off the New Year with the release of his second CD, Space Under Sun. He describes the album as "an intergalactic hybrid of 80's and contemporary R&B, spacey, pop, and funky smooth soul." The album is also dedicated to all the kids out there who feel "different." The 13-track CD includes a downloadable music video of "Wave Of You," which was shot as a tribute to the photographer Herb Ritts, as well as an mp3 of "Review My Kisses."
     The songs on this CD deal with a multitude of issues including a guy and girl fighting over the same man ("He's On My Team"), getting caught having sex in public with another man by the cops ("Caught"), diva worship ("Fan-tastic"), seeking independence and self actualization ("More Than Enough" and "Back To Me") and romantic and sexual intimacy ("Funk That Ship" and "Intimate"). The ballad "Bashert (Meant To Be)" incorporates Gold's Jewish identity of having grown up as an orthodox Jew in the Bronx.
     The new CD is a great mix of music that really demonstrates Ari's amazing talent as a singer, songwriter, and producer. With his first CD, Ari Gold, released in 2001 and bringing home the Outmusic Award for Outstanding Debut Recording in 2002, it is no stretch to say the sun will continue to shine on this talented young artist for years to come.

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Max is willing to try anything once, does enjoy an occasional martini or two, but prefers Tab®!