JOAN ARMATRADING’S “INTO THE BLUES” NOMINATED FOR “BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM” GRAMMY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Joan Armatrading has secured a Grammy Award nomination for “Best Contemporary Blues Album” for “INTO THE BLUES”—her first foray into the genre. Self-produced and released in May on 429 Records, “Into The Blues” made an auspicious debut at #1 on the Billboard Magazine Blues chart—her first #1 record in the U.S. The timing was right for Joan to explore the blues on her 16th studio set which garnered stellar reviews. A sold out summer tour of the U.S. followed the release of “Into The Blues.” This is the third Grammy nomination for Armatrading having been nominated twice in the past for “Best Female Vocalist.” In addition, Armatrading has been invited to perform at the high profile Grammy Week Music Preservation Concert. The winners will be announced at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards on February 10th, 2008.

Over the course of a highly acclaimed 30 year career, the West Indies-born Armatrading has created a distinctive pop/rock sound blending in elements of r&b, jazz and world music into the mix. Considered one of the pioneering women of rock, Joan burst onto the music scene with an assured collection of meticulously crafted, introspective pop songs. Not only did she impress with her songwriting, but she played a mean guitar and on “Into The Blues,” her stellar playing has never been more expressive providing the perfect counterpoint to the visceral lyrics. Notes Gary Graff in Billboard Magazine: “’Into The Blues’…is her sojourn into that well-worn territory, and Armatrading’s take is wide and distinctive and stretches the parameters of what we consider the blues”

Says Sheila Volpe, Vice President of Marketing, The Savoy Label Group, "They do not come more authentic and legendary than Joan and working with her has been a career high for me.  "Into The Blues" deserves the recognition and Joan has earned her stripes."  

429 Records -the label of the recently acclaimed release ‘Endless Highway – The Music of The Band’ - is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG). SLG is the North American unit of CME (Columbia Music Entertainment), the oldest music company in Japan. The Savoy Label Group is lead by Steve Vining. CME is headed by Chairman Strauss Zelnick, founder of Zelnick Media. Zelnick Media owns interests in and manages an array of media companies.

Contact:
Kurt Nishimura
SILVERLAKE MEDIA
323. 663-6303