Showboat Brian Newman

• 1San Pedro04:54
• 2Tropicalia03:39
• 3Dancing In The Moonlight03:18
• 4Sunday In New York04:30
• 5Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood04:22
• 6Spooky03:19
• 7One By One04:51
• 8You Don't Know What Love Is05:05
• 9Brother Hubbard05:43
• 10Pennies From Heaven04:20
• 11Jockey Full Of Bourbon03:51
• Total Runtime47:52

Info for Showboat

Trumpeter-singer Brian Newman will release Showboat, his first album for the famed Verve label, on 16 November. It features his close friend Lady Gaga on a version of the Animals’ much-covered ‘Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.’

Cleveland-born Newman was the producer of Gaga’s version of ‘La Vie En Rose’ on the current, bestselling soundtrack to A Star Is Born, and earlier was her bandleader and trumpeter on her Cheek To Cheek album project with Tony Bennett. Showboat is produced by Dae Bennett, Tony’s son and record producer.

Newman’s reputation as a notable entertainer has grown in recent years with his extended engagements at such prestigious New York night spots as at the Oak Room, Birdland, the McKittrick Hotel and the Rose Bar. His 2016 tour of major US cities featured several surprise appearances by Lady Gaga. The pair met on the New York club scene when Newman was a bartender, and discovered that they shared a love of jazz. Both artists have a tattoo on their right arm depicting Miles Davis’ trumpet, taken from a sketch by Bennett.

Newman flew to Portland, Oregon to record with Gaga for the album. ““Please Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ was one in our minds from the beginning of this project,” he says. “We had a few tunes that we wanted to get Lady Gaga on and this one resonated with all our taste buds.

“Nina Simone covered it years ago and the authentic lyrics and harmonies laid beautifully with all of us, while also harkening back to the ’60s sound. Once we got in the studio together, the music flowed out of all of us and came together in a way that doesn’t always happen.”

The lively instrumental ‘San Pedro,’ penned by Newman himself, is available now for streaming and as an instant grat track with pre-orders of his album. Showboat also includes a wide variety of interpretations including the 1930s tune ‘Pennies From Heaven,’ much associated with Bing Crosby; Tom Waits’ ‘Jockey Full Of Bourbon’ and Beck’s ‘Tropicalia,’ the latter due as a single on 9 November.

“Beck is such an important musician and songwriter to me,” says Newman. “His ability to create a different direction on every album while maintaining a high level of musical integrity has always been a huge influence on me. He’s the perfect blend of lyrical, harmonic and rhythmic polyphony. Our approach to ‘Tropicalia’ was not to change the greatness that what was there. We were just paying homage to a true and honest talent.”

Brian Newman, trumpet
Steve Kortyka, saxophone, flute
Alex Smith, piano, keyboards
Joe Peri, drums
Daniel Foose, bass
Paul Francis, drums, percussion

Brian Newman
"It’s beyond the name of my car, it’s a nod to an era that went big in every sense of the word. Big bands, big cars and big lapels. It’s an era where the show and showmanship were at the forefront. The SHOWBOAT, is more than just music, it’s a fully immersive jazz meets rock and roll experience.” - Brian Newman

Performer, trumpeter, and vocalist, Brian Newman’s brand of jazz has tirelessly resurrected the magic of Old New York, refreshing the glamorous era with nuances of his own rock-n-roll edge. Whether performing with his own quartet or supporting Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett on tour, Newman’s expert trumpeteering and effervescent stage presence reignited a big band scene in New York City, and has since enticed a new generation of jazz fans across the globe. The Verve Recording artist continues to reign at his weekly residency in New York, as well as appear on television programs and in special performances across the United States and Europe.

Newman is known for his impeccable horn playing and rendition of romantic favorites. But what sets him apart is his ability to command a room not only with his musical talent, but as a bandleader who makes each person in the audience feel as if they are a part of his performance. His fusion of music playing and easy going banter captures the vivacity of great bandleaders of the past. This exuberance is evident on Newman’s 2016 debut album, Eyes on the City, which pays tribute to his musical journey in New York.

Along with his Quartet, fellow musicians from Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of Music, Newman has allured audiences during his residencies at some of New York’s most iconic venues. His first foray into creating an old school big band night was at the elegant Duane Park for “After Dark,” a jazz and burlesque revue on the downtown scene in Tribeca. “After Dark” lead to a weekly residency at the legendary Oak Room at The Plaza Hotel, a venue steeped in history which was frequented by the likes of Truman Capote, Gore Vidal, Frank Sinatra, Liza Minelli and countless others over its one hundred year history. Newman and his Quartet played each Wednesday to a mixed crowd seeking a slice of history, welcoming Lady Gaga as a surprise guest, until the venue closed in 2011. Currently, Newman performs every Tuesday and Thursday, as bandleader in a residency at Rose Bar at the Gramercy Park Hotel, and select Friday nights at NYC’s legendary Rainbow Room with his orchestra. Brian also routinely appears for special live performances with a diverse array of musical acts, which have included Tony Bennett, Jose Feliciano, Stevie Wonder, Mark Murphy, Dierks Bentley, Willie Nile, Molly Ringwald, David Loeb, Steve Wynn’s Orchestra, Ray Benson’s Asleep at the Wheel and Tommy London.

Newman’s personal style, which meshes classic suits, vintage tattoos and rock-n-roll, has attracted commercial brands such as Jack Daniel’s, Marc Jacobs and Tiffany & Co., who have collaborated with Newman for special events and performances. The Jack Daniel’s partnership in 2012, which launched the brand’s Sinatra Select premium Tennessee Whiskey, brought Newman alongside Frank Sinatra Jr. himself, in a performance in Cannes, France. Brian married burlesque star, Angie Pontani of the World Famous Pontani Sisters in February 2013, with whom he most notably performs in connection with Pontani’s New York Burlesque Festival and Burlesque-a-Pades shows. The couple have a daughter, and reside in the neighborhood of Brooklyn.

This album contains no booklet.