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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Long-awaited new music, tour dates from Melissa Manchester

Veteran Grammy-winning artist Melissa Manchester will put out You Gotta Love the Life - her first studio album in a decade and first independent release - on Feb. 10 via Long Run Entertainment/MRI/RED.

On Jan. 31, Manchester has an album release show at the new Spaghettini & the Dave Koz Lounge in Beverly Hills. Then album release day, she will appear at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. The session, which is part of "The Drop" series, will feature an interview, audience Q&A and performance. East Coast tour dates include shows in New York City (March 26-28). See below for itinerary.

Manchester will be introducing audiences to her new material - including lead single "Feelin' For You," which goes to radio Jan. 19 - and performing hits from throughout her remarkable career. Click HERE for a preview of "Feelin' For You." The track features a guitar solo by blues man Keb'Mo', who co-produced the song with Manchester and Terry Wollman.

Melissa and Michael Feinstein will spin tracks from You Gotta Love the Life on the new episode of "Song Travels," which airs this week on NPR. Fans in LA can check out Manchester's in-store performance at Barnes & Noble at The Grove at Farmers Market on Jan. 29. In February, she will appear on Hallmark Channel's "Home & Family" (premiering on Feb. 16 and re-airing on Feb. 17) and on PBS' "Tavis Smiley" (air date to be announced).

With You Gotta Love the Life, Manchester celebrates not only more than 40 years as a Grammy-winning performer and songwriter, but a renewed independence and vitality. The title track opens the album with Gershwin/Tower of Power-inspired horn fanfare and gutsy, autobiographical lyrics. "Other End of the Phone," a co-wrote with the late Hal David, pairs Melissa with one of her all-time idols, Dionne Warwick, and features Joe Sample on piano in one of his last recordings.


Other guests include Dave Koz, Al Jarreau, who duets with Manchester on "Big Light," and Stevie Wonder, who plays harmonica on "Your Love Is Where I Live."

Manchester is an honorary artist in residence at Citrus College, where she recorded the new album. Manchester also teaches at the University of Southern California's Thornton School of Music and it was, in fact, her USC students who inspired her to consider taking an independent route with You Gotta Love the Life. Manchester financed the album with an Indiegogo campaign and is contributing a portion of the proceeds to Barry Manilow's The Manilow Music Project, which benefits school music programs. She will be doing master classes with students at the University of Massachusetts at Lowell on Feb. 26-27, culminating with a concert on Feb. 28.
 

Tour Dates:

1/31 - Beverly Hills, CA @ Spaghettini & the Dave Koz Lounge - Record Release Party
2/10 - Los Angeles, CA @ The GRAMMY Museum - "The Drop"
2/15 - Sidney, OH @ Gateway Arts Council
2/20 - Mount Dora, FL @ Mount Dora Music Festival
2/26-28 - Lowell, MA @ University of Massachusetts - master classes/concert
3/3 - Boca Raton, FL @ Jazziz
3/4 - Boca Raton, FL @ Jazziz
3/5 - Clearwater, FL @ Capitol Theatre
3/7 - Delray Beach, FL @ Huntington Lakes
3/7 - Delray Beach, FL @ Rainberry Bay
3/11 - Deerfield Beach, FL @ Century Village
3/14 - Sunrise, FL @ Sunrise Lakes
3/14 - Tamarac, FL @ Kings Point Tamarac
3/26 - New York, NY @ 54 Below
3/27 - New York, NY @ 54 Below
3/28 - New York, NY @ 54 Below - two shows
4/9 - Palm Desert, CA @ McCallum Theatre
5/16 - Dowagiac, MI @ Dogwood Fine Arts Festival

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