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It’s a real Renaissance period for veteran punk rocker Iggy Pop. At 64, he is surfing a tsunami-sized wave of diverse projects that began with the recent rerelease of “Raw Power,” his 1973 classic with his old outfit The Stooges. Reunited, they play a two-night stand in The City starting Sunday (rescheduled after an August foot injury forced the tour’s postponement).

“I got into a position where I could do a few things I wanted to — that was part of it,” he says of this sudden resurgence. “But mainly, it was that other people started thinking of me, and all these invitations — and opportunities that really were opportunities — came up.”

Read more at the San Francisco Examiner.

Raw Power Live: In the Hands of the Fans works perfectly from concept to recording to end result. Unlike the Beastie Boys’ “Awesome: I…Shot That!” it doesn’t just hand over cameras to fans and let ‘em run amok. (That was the anarchic spirit of that film.) Taking its cues from these Stooges diehards, this is more than just a concert document of the Stooges performance at 2010’s All Tomorrow’s Parties music festival.

Because of the six ultra-devotees selected to film the show and interview members Iggy Pop, Scott Asheton and James Williamson, the overall product has a layer of punk rock street cred that would be lacking if a group of pro cameramen took positions around the stage and presented the usual range of shot selections. These are serious students of the influential band and they are chosen to sit in for the rest of us music geeks. The questions they have for the band members show their deep interest; the culmination of years and, sometimes, decades of listening to the music and collecting anything related to the legendary act. And it’s nice to see that the replies are treated with the respect they deserve and given with just as much thought.

Read more at Jambands.com. You can order your copy on DVD and Blu-ray!

Grammy®- and Oscar-Winning Composer Michel Legrand Releases Holiday Album Featuring: Iggy Pop, Jamie Cullum, MIKA, Teddy Thompson, Madeleine Peyroux, Carla Bruni, Rufus Wainwright and more!

PREVIEW THE ALBUM HERE

LOS ANGELES — Celebrated Oscar® and Grammy® Award-winning French composer Michel Legrand teams up with an eclectic and critically acclaimed group of artists from around the world for his new studio album, Noel! Noel!! Noel!!! Set for release on December 6th through Verve, it’s just in time for the holiday season.

Legrand called on a glittering array of recording artists from around the world who jumped at the chance to work with the globally acclaimed songwriter and composer on his new studio album. This diverse group of artists includes the Grammy® Award-nominated, jazz-pop singer-songwriter Jamie Cullum; the multi-faceted singer-songwriter Rufus Wainwright; the eclectic pop styling of MIKA; acclaimed singer and composer Teddy Thompson; folk-soul chanteuse Ayo; noted French singer Carla Bruni, and punk pioneer Iggy Pop. All gathered together for the recording of this unique holiday collection while recalling the melodies that lit up the Christmas of their own childhood.

Iggy Pop remarked, “Gee. Wow. Michel Legrand. No kidding? Yeah, I’d love to do it. So that’s kind of how the phone call went when I heard about this record. I was just really, really happy to be included, and to be present in a small way for Joyeux Noel En France 2011. Everybody singing on this is really bloody good. I envy Rufus, his beautiful French as well as his talent, and the three ladies on ‘Noel d’espoir,’ each one, are nothing short of bewitching. I guess now I’m cool with Santa Claus. By the way, when I was a boy, I too played the drums. Many thanks to Michel for the beautiful tracks and for allowing me to be a guest.”

Michel Legrand and his team, comprising of the Big Band Jazz featuring 50 musicians including an orchestra of 34, and renowned sound engineer Lawrence Manchester, who has worked with Diana Krall, Regina Spektor, the Coen brothers on the True Grit soundtrack as well as Scorsese’s The Departed, plus Spiderman, flew to New York for the recording of Noel! Noel!! Noel!!!

Included are Christmas classics such as “Jingle Bells,” “Silent Night,” “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and “Santa Baby,” as well as the exclusive Legrand-penned song “Hope Christmas,” written and recorded specifically for this album. Said Jamie Cullum, “Over the years of committing songs to memory I kept coming across songs and arrangements I loved. So often the name Michel Legrand turned up. I’m honored to be included on this collection created by Monsieur Legrand in some seriously auspicious company as well. This is not your typical Christmas album! God bless it for that!”

Tearing down the barriers between jazz, classical music and pop, Michel Legrand is at home in any musical situation and has worked with the likes of Orson Welles, Marcel Carne, Clint Eastwood, Norman Jewison, Louis Malle, Andrzej Wajda, Richard Lester and Claude Lelouch, to name just a few. His instrumental LP I Love Paris topped the U.S. album charts and was the first in a string of Legrand’s hit records, including Holiday In Rome which reached No. 5 on the Billboard 200; the top 10 album Castles In Spain; The Umbrellas of Cherbourg which achieved massive worldwide success; the Thomas Crown Affair featuring the hit “The Windmills of Your Mind”; and the 1972 hit song “Brian’s Song (The Hands Of Time).”

Tracklist:
1. Jamie Cullum – “Let It Snow”
2. Teddy Thompson/Rufus Wainwright – “White Christmas”
3. Madeleine Peyroux – “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”
4. Madeleine Peyroux, Emilie Simon, Carla Bruni, Rufus Wainwright, Iggy Pop – “Noel d’Espoir”
5. MIKA – “Vive le Vent”
6. Emilie Simon – “Santa Baby”
7. Carla Bruni – “Jolis Sapins”
8. Iggy Pop – “The Little Drummer Boy”
9. Ayo – “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town”
10. Imelda May – “Silent Night”

Buy on iTunes France     Buy at Amazon.fr     Buy at Amazon.com

Here’s your chance to meet Iggy and the Stooges after one of their concerts in December, while supporting a charitable cause at the same time. The band is auctioning off their personal time to raise money for Tibet House US, which works to preserve Tibet’s unique culture. You can place your bids to meet Iggy and the Stooges through the CharityBuzz website. The winner will get two tickets to the show of their choice either on December 1st, 4th or 6th, followed by meeting the band!

Iggy and the Stooges’ rescheduled tour dates are only about a week away! Be sure to catch the band’s upcoming tour dates at the Hollywood Palladium on December 1st in Los Angeles, and The Warfield on December 4th and December 6th in San Francisco. Don’t miss it!

Iggy Pop’s collaboration with Lulu Gainsbourg is available now! The new album “From Gainsbourg to Lulu” features Iggy on the song “Initial BB.” Check it out at iTunes and Amazon France.

Any musician, or anyone with a love and appreciation for music, understands how important an instrument is to an artist. The Ron Asheton Foundation has published the story of one of Ron’s guitars, an insight view. We are already looking forward to more of them and big up to Chris Wujek. Check this out at RonAshetonFoundation.org.

We wish a happy birthday and many more to James Williamson, whose birthday is October 29th! Please send your birthday wishes!

Iggy Pop has shared some special art on his new Facebook page. Be sure to check it out and “Like” the new page. It’s the only official Facebook page dedicated to Iggy and his solo work. A real wild child …

Steve Mackay has released his new album, “North Bach Jazz.” The mere mention of jazz greats from Coltrane to Stan Getz, brings Steve Mackay to memories of his mother’s 10” record collection then add some Jr. Walker and one might scratch the surface of influence delivered on “North Beach Jazz.”

Steve Mackay, legendary saxophonist of the STOOGES, COMMANDER CODY, backing VIOLENT FEMMES, SNAKEFINGER, utilized one Mike Watt of MINUTEMEN/FIREHOSE fame with whom he collaborated, playing the mighty “Watt machine” the bass, rounding out the combo with Marc Lampert, Dick Deluxe, Jeremy Long all CARNAL KITCHEN partners in crime.

“North Beach Jazz” reflects a young Steve Mackay’s jazz influences along with the golden era of San Francisco’s North Beach. This is the most jazz oriented album done to date, a bit of a departure especially after having such desire to play punk rock and free jazz.

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Though he recently had to postpone a handful US tour dates due to a foot injury, famed Stooges frontman Iggy Pop still had time to take Spinner on a walk back through some of his career’s most notable moments, from “Raw Power” all the way up through “American Idol” and his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Engaged, thoughtful and chuckling throughout the discussion, Pop remains one of rock’s most interesting conversationalists. Check out the exclusive Q&A at Spinner.com.

As previously reported, Iggy and the Stooges have had to postpone their upcoming U.S. shows due to Iggy Pop suffering a broken foot during their appearance in Romania. As a result, the following Los Angeles and San Francisco concert dates (which had been originally scheduled for September 7, 12, and 13, respectively) have been changed. The Las Vegas date at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino is yet to be determined.

• Los Angeles – Hollywood Palladium – December 1, 2011
• San Francisco – The Warfield – December 4, 2011
• San Francisco – The Warfield – December 6, 2011