Chris Cooke

A truly outstanding-mid 2024 release, The Haas Company's Galactic Tide Vol. 1 is a recording that immediately grabs the listener's attention. Drummer and bandleader Steve Haas has brought together an outstanding studio band to explore the frontiers of jazz rock. He features noted rock & pop guitarist Andy Timmons in a date which is high octane to be sure. It starts with the explosive "Leather Pajamas" which leaves the listener amazed. Other disc highlights include "Stockholm Syndrome" which features the late trumpeter Wallace Roney.

Universal is buying Downtown Music for a whopping $775 million, via its Virgin Music Group stalking horse. The transaction will greatly boost the major’s distribution market share, and is almost certain to get mired in regulatory scrutiny with opposition already being voiced by AIM and other indies

The current operator of The Leadmill in Sheffield says he will gut the venue, including demolishing its toilets, if forced to leave by landlord Electric Group, which wants to run the venue itself. Electric Group’s legal bid to evict current operator Phil Mills is back in court in Leeds this week

Jay-Z has again hit out at the attorney leading on a lawsuit that accuses the rapper of rape, saying an interview by his accuser shows the litigation “has no factual basis”. Meanwhile Diddy, co-defendant on that lawsuit, has given up trying to get bail as he awaits trial on criminal charges

TikTok has turned to both the US Supreme Court and Donald Trump as it seeks to stop a ban that is due to come into effect in the US on 19 Jan. Meanwhile the EU is investigating if TikTok did enough to stop its platform being used to spread disinformation in the recent Romanian elections

"Magic Light" draws the listener in to a kaleidoscope of musical colors.

The UK government has launched a consultation on the ticketing business, with a particular focus on the ticket resale market and a proposed price cap on the unofficial resale of tickets by touts.

The TikTok ban in the US has been officially paused for 75 days by incoming President Donald Trump. However, the app’s future in the US remains uncertain, meaning artists should use those 75 days to strengthen their presence on other platforms and to also encourage fans to connect by email

Diddy has sued a man who claims he has videos showing the musician sexually assaulting celebrities and minors. No such videos exist, Diddy claims in a defamation lawsuit that also targets news network NewsNation, which - it says - provided a platform for distributing the “outlandish claims”

Trump's executive order changing the name of North America's highest mountain from Denali to Mount McKinley should be reversed or, at least, ignored.