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Internet Recording Label J-Bird Records Signs
Renowned Vocal Group Rockapella for First U.S. Label Release
Group Featured and Performing in Folgers Coffee TV Ad Campaign Seen by Millions Daily
WILTON, Conn., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott Shannon, program director of WPLJ-FM in New York, has been quoted as
saying about Rockapella: ''Some record company better gobble these guys up quickly. Man can they sing.'' And that is just
what J-Bird Records, the Internet recording home of artists including Billy Squier, former Rusted Root lead singer Jenn Wertz,
The Guess Who, rappers A.I.F. and Sesh, alternative rockers Impulse Ride and The Menus, has done.
J-Bird Records today continued its aggressive acquisition of some of the industry's highest quality un-signed talent, by
announcing a deal with one of the country's best known and most widely viewed singing groups, Rockapella. The five-man
vocal group, whose recent performance in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was broadcast nationally, is currently being
featured in a multi-million dollar television advertising campaign for Folgers Coffee and has also been featured on shows such
as: ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'', ''The Today Show'', ''CBS This Morning,'' and ''Live, with Regis and Kathie Lee.''
Many baby-boomers may remember the group from their five year stint on the acclaimed PBS series ''Where in the World is
Carmen Sandiego.'' Rockapella is set to release its first U.S. label backed recording on February 16th, 1999.
''Don't Tell Me You Do'' is scheduled to be in stores on February 10th, 1999. As part of the label's efforts to promote the
forthcoming album, J-Bird Records will release a Christmas single to radio and will aggressively work A/C and urban A/C
formats at radio upon the release of the group's first single in January. In addition, Rockapella will become part of the J-Bird
Records/AT&T/a2b Music site, which will provide downloads for the consumer, as well as special marketing promotions. The
group, schedule permitting, will also embark on a multiple city in-store tour, as well as a U.S. tour in support of the album, their
fourth, set to take place in theaters and performing arts centers in major cities throughout the country.
''This is every label's dream,'' said Jay Barbieri, Founder, President and CEO of the Wilton, Connecticut-based J-Bird Music
Group, Ltd. ''A group that can sing like Boyz II Men, that has a built-in and active fanbase, a group that has received critical
praise from some of the top music writers in the country, not to mention a group that appears in a nationally televised
advertising campaign. What more could we ask for?''
''Don't Tell Me You Do'' will be distributed nationally to traditional retail outlets under an exclusive long-term agreement
between J-Bird and the Navarre Corporation (Nasdaq: NAVR - news). The album will also be available to audio sample and
purchase via the World Wide Web at www.j-birdrecords.com. Publicly traded, J-Bird Music Group, Ltd. is listed on the OTC
Bulletin Board with the symbol JBRD.
J-Bird Records was launched as the music industry's first World Wide Web recording label and was founded by Jay Barbieri
in October, 1996. J-Bird Records is now represented in more than 50,000 retail accounts through the Navarre Corporation,
the industry's leading distributor of independent record labels across the country.
SOURCE: J-Bird Records |
