Celebrated Icon Joan Armatrading Returns With 'THIS CHARMING LIFE'

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Jan. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Joan Armatrading, legendary songstress and purveyor of finely tuned, emotionally charged music, returns to the spotlight with the all new "THIS CHARMING LIFE."  The follow up to her Grammy-nominated 2007 recording, "Into The Blues," the new recording is a showcase of her unique style, a blend of rock, pop, R&B, blues and jazz which bursts with a continued joyous energy by this masterful songwriter and player.  On "THIS CHARMING LIFE," all eleven of the new tracks were written, arranged, produced and performed by Armatrading.  It's another tour de force for the highly acclaimed musical star. "THIS CHARMING LIFE" will be released on March 30th by 429 Records which is distributed by Universal/Fontana in the U.S., Universal Music in Australia and E1 Entertainment in Canada. Armatrading embarks on an extensive North American tour in support of "THIS CHARMING LIFE" this summer.

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090208/LA67886LOGO)

From the title track that begins the album, Joan Armatrading makes a forceful and celebratory declaration of the state of things.  With the songs "This Charming Life," "Love, Love, Love," "People Who Win," "Goddess of Change" and others, she conveys an overall sense of optimism and contentment--her irrepressible spirit and unmistakable soul inhabits every song.  The strong and dynamic musicality she displayed on "Into The Blues" (particularly her acoustic and electric guitar playing) remains, invigorating the new recording with an ever evolving musical virtuosity and confidence.

Says Armatrading: "I have written and played songs since the age of 14, it's my passion.  I can't think of anything else I would rather do.  I write in many musical genres because of this fascination with music.  I feel fortunate that I live 'this charming life.'"

Long recognized as a pioneering force with a career spanning three decades, the Saint Kitts born Joan Armatrading has maintained an acclaimed and storied career.  The three times Grammy nominated British artist has garnered countless accolades which include Top 10 albums and singles ("Love and Affection," "Willow," "Drop The Pilot,"  are but a few), not to mention a #1 debut atop the Billboard Blues chart in 2007 (a first for a female artist from the UK).  She has made VH1's list of the 100 Most Influential Women in Rock, has been nominated for a Brit Award, gave a command performance for Nelson Mandela on his 70th birthday at Wembley Stadium, received an Honorary Degree from Birmingham University and the list goes on--truly a charmed life and career!

For more information, visit:

www.429records.com

429 Records is a unit of the Savoy Label Group (SLG).  SLG is the North American unit of CME (Columbia Music Entertainment), the oldest music company in Japan.  The Savoy Label Group has evolved into a leading independent company consistently outperforming competitors in key music categories as monitored by Billboard Magazine. SLG is lead by Steve Vining and CME is headed by Chairman Strauss Zelnick, founder of Zelnick Media which owns interests in and manages an array of media companies.

SOURCE 429 Records