Billboard Bits: Suede, Diane Schuur, Alejandro Escovedo

8/11/2003

News on Suede, Diane Schuur, Alejandro Escovedo

Suede, gearing up for the October U.K. release of the greatest-hits set "Singles" (Epic), is planning a series of shows in London at which it will perform its entire catalog.

The group will start a week-long residency Sept. 22 at the London Institute Of Contemporary Art, and will perform one of its albums in sequence each night: 1993's "Suede" on Sept. 22, 1994's "Dog Man Star" on Sept. 23, 1996's "Coming Up" on Sept. 25, 1999's "Head Music" on Sept. 26 and this year's "A New Morning" on Sept. 27.

Encores each night will include rarities and B-sides, chosen by fans. The Institute will also be hosting a exhibition of Suede artwork and memorabilia during the residency.

-- Troy Carpenter, N.Y.

Diane Schuur and Pancho Sanchez will perform Aug. 22 at the Jazz After Dark fundraiser at the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. Hosted by Concord Records and Playboy Jazz, the event will benefit the Jazz Musicians Emergency Relief Fund (JMEF). Along with the concert, the evening will include cocktails and dinner, with tickets running $1,000 each. For more information, call 310-385-4455.

Dedicated to supporting aging members of the jazz community, the Jazz Foundation of America founded the JMEF to provide musicians with monetary and medical assistance, as most do not have health insurance or other benefits. For more information, visit the Jazz Foundation Web site.

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.

Levon Helm, Ian Hunter, Lenny Kaye, Mary Lee's Corvette and Garland Jeffreys are among the artists who will perform at a trio of New York benefit concerts for ailing singer/songwriter Alejandro Escovedo. The first With These Bands event will be held Sept. 2 at Brooklyn, N.Y.'s Southpaw and will feature Mary Lee's Corvette, the Roscoe Trio with Eric Ambel, Paige Wood, Stephen Clair, Milton and Mary McBride.

The next night, Manhattan's Mercury Lounge will host Hunter, the Last Hombres with Helm, Los Lonely Boys, Cindy Bullens, Willie Nile and the Worry Dolls and Tammy Faye Starlite. The final show, Sept. 4 at the Knitting Factory, also in Manhattan, will boast Jeffreys and Kaye, along with Ivan Julian, Jon Langford with Ship and Pilot, Chip Taylor and Carrie Rodriguez and the Star Spangles.

All three shows will benefit the Alejandro Trust. As previously reported, Escovedo is recovering from the effects of Hepatitis C, and is not expected to perform again until spring 2004. Similar events have been staged or are being planned in Austin, Texas; Chicago; San Diego; Seattle; Raleigh/Durham, N.C.; and Toronto.

-- Barry A. Jeckell, N.Y.