Allen & Allen Music Group sends promo CD to radio for 9/11 anniversary

To commemorate the one year anniversary of the World Trade Center attacks, Allen & Allen Music Group (AAMG) will service America’s Spirit, a promotional CD containing original patriotic arrangements by award-winning inspirational Jazz duo Allen & Allen and the newest artist to emerge from Allen & Allen Music Group, 7th Element. Featured on the CD will be Allen & Allen’s instrumental medley of “America the Beautiful” and “God Bless America,” as well as 7th Element’s acappella arrangement of “The Star Spangled Banner,” off their critically acclaimed debut release, Volume One.

Allen & Allen saxophonist Allen Wiggins, co-founder of Allen & Allen Music Group, comments on the creation of the project. “Even before the events of last September took place, we had begun making song selections in preparation for our upcoming March 2003 release, Impressions. Last summer, we wrote the ‘Bless America’ medley for a festival at which we would be performing. We received such a wonderful response to the patriotic medley that we decided to include it on our next album.”

Pianist Bruce Allen and co-founder of AAMG adds, “I remember well last September when I received a phone call informing me to turn on the television because something terrible had just happened. That day saddened my heart. Now today, almost a year later, the American lifestyle has been greatly altered by the acts of terrorists in our country.”

“Music has always been an effective way to change the emotional landscape of people's hearts,” says Bruce. “With our own hearts being greatly affected by this heinous act, we decided to take two songs that lie at the soul of America's heritage and arrange them in a way that is soothing to the ear. America's Spirit is intended to rekindle the emotion that invokes peace & harmony without the commotion that ignites wars & agony. “

America’s Spirit will be serviced to approximately 1,000 gospel announcers during the 2002 Gospel Announcer’s Guild at the 35th Annual Convention of the Gospel Music Workshop of America (GMWA) August 10-16 in Detroit, MI. Founded by the renowned Reverend James Cleveland, the GMWA is the largest independent gospel convention of its kind. An additional 400 promotional CDs will be given away during the Soulful Praise... The History of Gospel Music Reception hosted by Dr. Bobby Jones in conjunction with the GMWA and SGN The Light, a 24-hour, satellite-distributed gospel radio format, owned and operated by Sheridan Broadcasting’s Sheridan Gospel Network. 7th Element is slated to perform at that event held at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History Sunday evening.

The label further plans to maximize radio and television airplay through a direct mail promotion by servicing several hundred top mainstream and Christian stations, including Radio & Records (R&R) radio reporters, nationally syndicated television and radio shows, as well as targeted media in major market cities such as Atlanta, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and D.C.