Chart Notes

Let's do the numbers
By Gordon Murray
Dave Koz stands proudly at No. 1 once again with "Life In The Fast Lane" (Capitol), for a sixth week. Label mate Eric Darius follows with "Goin’ All Out" (Blue Note/Capitol) at No. 2, making this the seventh consecutive week that he and Koz have nested in the top two spots. This week, amazingly, they are only separated by three spins, 314-311. If Darius returns to No. 1 next week (the song has already spent two weeks at the top) it will mark the longest gap between No. 1 stints for the same song in the history of the Nielsen BDS chart.

Three weeks ago Euge Groove notched his fifth Top 10 hit, and this week he captures his fifth Top 5 hit. The success of “Religify" (Narada Jazz/Capitol) enables Groove to eclipse Richard Elliot in setting both of these new Nielsen BDS chart records. A look back at Groove's chart hits:

"Get Em Goin'" (Narada Jazz/BLG), No. 1 (5 weeks), 12/3/05

"Chillaxin" (Narada Jazz/BLG), No. 3, 9/16/06

"Born 2 Groove" (Narada Jazz/BLG), No. 1 (1 week), 9/8/07

"Mr. Groove" (Narada Jazz/Capitol), No. 2, 4/12/08

"Religify" (Narada Jazz/Capitol), No. 5, 11/29/08

We see another artist edging closer to record territory this week as well: Norman Brown. His former No. 2 knockout "Pop's Cool Groove" (Peak/CMG) enjoys its 41st week on the chart, which puts Brown into a tie with Jay Soto's "Slammin" (NuGroove) for the 2nd-most chart weeks. Only Chuck Loeb's "Window Of The Soul" (Heads Up) spent more weeks on the chart, 44.

Michael Lington "You And I"(NuGroove) powers forward with the week's Most Increased Plays (17-14, +29), while the song with my favorite title of the year, "Chill Or Be Chilled" (Trippin 'N' Rhythm) from Oli Silk, enjoys Airpower honors (20-18, +15 detections; 21-15, +12% audience). Last week's Airpower honoree, John Legend, nets this week's Most Added song, "Good Morning" (G.O.O.D./Columbia).

Jesse Cook rounds out this week's chart with its only debut: "Havana" (Coach House/Koch) is new at No. 30 with a 77% plays gain. "Havana" is the follow-up to Cook's previous Top 5 smash "Café Mocha" (Coach House/Koch), which went recurrent two weeks ago after an impressive 32 weeks on the chart.

Recommended Listening: If you love flamenco guitar music like I do (think Jesse Cook, Govi, Johannes Linstead, etc.) you'll be smitten with any one of Armik's sublime recordings, and his latest is no exception. Armik is the type of musical prodigy who does it all: each of his songs are produced, composed, arranged, published, mixed, and performed by the artist himself. "Fuego Gitana" (Bolero), released this summer, is a compilation of the master guitarist's favorite "nuevo" flamenco songs as well as two newly recorded tracks, "Cadiz" and "Fuego Gitana" (the title track). This album is a smart, uplifting, energizing, foot-tapping and head-bobbing way to sample Armik's work, which spans 17 charted albums on Billboard's Top New Age Albums chart. He plays custom-made flamenco guitars from Spain (Conde Hermanos, Manuel Reyes, and Pedro Maldonado), and his playing feels like it is custom made for you.

Copyright © 2008 The Nielsen Company. All rights reserved.
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