The Losers Lounge celebrates its 10th anniversary in Dece

mber with a special tribute to Burt Bacharach. The show, which takes place in New York City at Fez under Time Cafe on Dec. 4, 5, 10, 11 and 12, will feature 30 Bacharach compositions–both famous and obscurities–performed by an all-star lineup of New York music scenesters. For more information, visit the Losers Lounge on the Web.

Here I Am: Isley Meets Bacharach was released Tuesday by DreamWorks Records. This collection of Bacharach-David songs—newly arranged by Burt and sung by the great Ron Isley—has the timeless feel of an instant classic. I had the good fortune to attend Bacharach and Isley’s New York showcase performance Tuesday night, and I’ve posted a brief recap of the show and a gallery of images. My thanks go out to Linda Dozoretz, Allison Ravenscroft and Sue Main.

I added a gallery of photos from September’s Burt Bacharach Tribute On Ice. The television special–which also stars vocalists James Ingram and Michael McDonald and a cast of world-class figure skaters–will air on NBC in December.

Here I Am: Isley Meets Bacharach, Burt’s new record featuring the great Ron Isley singing the classic songs of Bacharach & David, will be released on Tuesday, Nov. 11. Burt and Ron will be performing songs from the record backed by a full orchestra at two special showcase concerts: On Thursday, Nov. 6, in Los Angeles and on Tuesday, Nov. 11, in New York.

A limited number of tickets will be available for each. Burt and Ron are also scheduled to appear on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on the night of Wednesday, Nov. 12.

This (great) news was posted by NYMusicalsGuy in the Bacharach Discussion Forum:

Hope everyone here is aware of the latest new Bacharach offering. Following new songs for Cilla Black (“Beginnings,” BB & HD’s first show song since “Promises, Promises”) and Aretha Franklin (the slow-burn “Falling Out Of Love” from her brand new CD So Damn Happy), Burt and Dr. Dre have quietly leaked their first collaboration on jazz trumpeter Chris Botti’s new album A Thousand Kisses Deep. Entitled “The Last Three Minutes,” it’s a Miles Davis-style groove, slinking and insinuating over a hip-hop drum machine loop. Different stuff than we’re accustomed to from Bacharach or Dre (here billed as Andre Young, his real name), and rewarding precisely for that reason. The album also offers a cover of “The Look of Love,” for those interested.

The beginning of the Bacharach/Young collaboration should keep us all busy till Here I Am‘s eagerly anticipated release!!

Hear I Am: Isley Meets Bacharach, the new collaboration between Burt Bacharach and vocalist Ronald Isley, is scheduled to be released by DreamWorks Records on Nov. 11. Recorded live with no overdubs at the old Capitol Studio A and B in Los Angeles, the site of legendary sessions by Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, the album features the incomparable Isley singing 13 Bacharach compositions, including brand new arrangements of classics like “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” and “Close To You” as well as two new songs, “Love Is the Answer” and “Count On Me.” DreamWorks Records has set a up a new Web site, www.isleysingsbacharach.com, to promote the record that includes previews of several tracks, photos and additional information about the project. Stay tuned for more details.

Serious Bacharach fans owe it to themselves to check out Serene Dominic’s new book Burt Bacharach: Song By Song. Released in August by Schirmer Books, this illustrated, annotated discography is as comprehensive a survey of Bacharach’s career as you’re likely to find, including interviews with Burt and many performers to record his songs, an exhaustive song-by-song guide, the full text of Dominic’s interview with Burt, the Library of Congress’ list of Burt’s compositions, a list of Burt’s TV specials and even a list of rap songs to sample Burt. At 352 fact-filled pages, it’s an tremendous work of research and a terrific resource for novices and experts alike.

The author, aka Dom Salerno, is an occasional contributor to this site’s Bacharach forum. In the book’s acknowledgements, Dominic kindly mentions this site as well as thanks forum regulars Roberto Pinardi, Stefan Wesley and discographer extraordinaire Davide Bonori, whose excellent work I’m sure provided the foundation for much of Dominic’s research.

There are two excellent new Bacharach CDs worth keeping an eye out for. First, Australian label Raven Records has released Rare Bacharach I, an ambitious 53-track two-disc set that collects some of Burt’s more obscure recordings, including a number of songs taken from films.

It’s a welcome addition to the the Bacharach reissue market. Also released this month is What the World Needs Now: Bacharach Classics, a new A&M collection culled primarily from Bacharach’s solo albums of the ’60s and ’70s. There is also a new book about Burt, Bacharach: Maestro! The Life of a Pop Genius by Michael Brocken. Brocken’s biography comes in the wake of two other recent books on Burt, Robin Platts’ Bacharach and David: What the World Needs Now and Serene Dominic’s The Little Red Book of Burt Bacharach.

In some of the most exciting recording news since Painted From Memory, Burt has been in the studio with vocalist Ronald Isley, who is recording a new CD of Bacharach-David material. The plan is to record the tracks live in the studio with no overdubs and Burt promises new soulful arrangements of some of his classic compositions

McCormick Presents Burt Bacharach Tribute on Ice, an NBC television special combining the musical talents of Bacharach, Aretha Franklin, James Ingram and Michael McDonald with the ice skating artistry of Brian Boitano, Ilia Kulik and Nicole Bobek, among others, will be taped Saturday, September 20, at the HP Pavilion in San Jose. The program will air on NBC-TV on Saturday, December 20, from 4-6 PM.

I posted an email interview I conducted with Robin Platts, author of Burt Bacharach & Hal David: What the World Needs Now.