Something Music/MRIFormer Traffic singer/guitarist Dave Mason will release a new album titled Future's Past on May 13.  The nine-track collection offers updated renditions of some of his old group's classics and his own solo tunes, as well as several new songs.

Mason says the album includes "a great version of [Traffic's] 'Dear Mr. Fantasy' that is kind of a re-write," as well as a rendition of his early solo composition "'World in Changes' that is absolutely nothing like the original."  Future's Past also features Dave's take on blues legend Robert Johnson's "Come On in My Kitchen" and a new tune titled "That's Freedom."

The cover art of Future's Past is a painting by Graham Nash, who based the illustration on a photo he took of Mason while at Nash's home in Hawaii.

While the album won't officially be available for another couple of months, Mason is treating fans who visit his website to a special pre-release offer, as well as a preview of the record.  Those purchasing Future's Past on CD or vinyl at DaveMasonMusic.com will receive a digital copy of the record, as well as an exclusive download of a concert album titled Dave Mason Live at Belmont Park 1978.

In conjunction with the release of Future's Past, Mason has partnered with the Pledge Music website to offer various limited-edition items, including T-shirts, concert laminates and autographed CDs.

In other news, Dave has lined up a bunch of upcoming U.S. tour dates.  Most of the shows will be with his latest project, Dave Mason's Traffic Jam, which features the veteran rocker playing a set focusing on Traffic's first two albums.

Here's the track list for Future's Past:

"Dear Mr. Fantasy"
"World in Changes"
"You Can All Join In"
"As Sad and as Deep as You"
"Good 2 U"
"El Toro (Spanish Blues)"
"Come On in My Kitchen"
"How Do I Get to Heaven"
"That's Freedom"

And here are Mason's upcoming tour dates; all shows Dave Mason's Traffic Jam unless otherwise noted:

4/5 -- Bakersfield, CA, Bright House Networks Amphitheater
4/6 -- San Francisco, CA, Yoshi's San Francisco
4/25 -- Edwardsville, IL, Wildey Theatre
*4/26 -- Naperville, IL, Wentz Concert Hall
5/1 -- Newark, OH, The Midland Theater
5/2 -- Springfield, OH, Clark State Community College/Performing Arts Center
5/4 -- Geneva, NY, Smith Opera House
5/9 -- Lewisburg, WV, Carnegie Hall Inc./Hamilton Auditorium
5/16 -- Woonsocket, RI, Stadium Theatre Performing Arts Center
5/17 -- Glenside, PA, Keswick Theatre
5/18 -- Newton, NJ, The Newton Theatre
*5/22 -- Beacon, NY, Towne Crier Café

* = Dave Mason Band.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

PRNewsFoto/CONVERSE Inc.The Clash's Mick Jones and Paul Simonon have teamed up with contemporary R&B singer Frank Ocean and DJ/producer Diplo on a new collaborative recording that's the ninth and latest installment of Converse's "Three Artists. One Song" series.

The musicians joined forces to create a track called "Hero," which was recorded in London, Hawaii and Los Angeles.  The song will be available for free download on Monday, March 10, at ConverseMusic.Tumblr.com.

"Working with Mick and Paul was a dream come true, add in Frank, it got even better," says Diplo in a statement.  "The experience was just totally awesome."

Adds Converse executive Geoff Cottrill, "Each of these artists are masters at what they do and we could not be more excited to share such an innovative track for fans worldwide to enjoy."

Converse's "Three Artists. One Song" campaign brings together musicians from various genres to craft new, original tunes.  Previous artists who have participated in the series include Gorillaz, Pharrell Williams, André 3000, LCD Soundsystem mastermind James Murphy, King Cudi and Foster the People singer Mark Foster.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Think Tank DigitalThe career of singer Dionne Warwick will be the subject of a new episode of the documentary series Being, airing this Saturday, March 8, on the Centric network.

The one-hour show looks at Warwick's long career, from her numerous hits in the 1960s with songwriters Burt Bacharach and Hal David through her latest efforts, including a forthcoming duets album, Feels So Good.

"I always felt, and it's been proven, that I cannot be categorized," the singer says in a video sneak peak at the episode that's been posted on the Centric website.  "There was a DJ, he told me, 'We can't play your songs on our station, you're just too pop, too white.'  She's an R&B singer, she's a pop singer, she's this, she's that.  I am a singer of music.  That's what I am."

Being: Dionne Warwick airs at 9 p.m. ET.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Rock Against MS FoundationDoors guitarist Robby Krieger is the latest rocker to be added to the lineup of second annual Rock Against MS benefit concert, scheduled for March 26 at the famous Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles.  The event raises money to support multiple sclerosis research.

Krieger joins a star-studded bill that also includes former Runaways members Lita Ford and Cherie Currie, ex-Guns N' Roses guitarist Gilby Clarke, Billy Idol guitarist Steve Stevens, Jack Russell's Great White, former Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo, acclaimed drummer Kenny Aronoff and many others.  Many of the participating artists are friends or associates of Nancy B. Sayle, a rock publicist afflicted with MS who has begun a foundation to help those fighting the disease.

During the event, Ford will be presented with the Certified Guitar Legend Award by Guitar Player magazine.  Tickets for the fundraiser are available now, with prices spanning $35 for general admission to $1,000 for a reserved VIP booth for eight people that also includes a meet-and-greet with the artists.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Eagle Rock EntertainmentLast year, Toto celebrated its 35th anniversary with a 29-city European tour that included an electrifying show in Lodz, Poland.  That concert was recorded for a new video and audio release from the veteran pop-rock act that will hit stores on April 29.

35th Anniversary Tour -- Live in Poland will be available in a variety of configurations, including a two-CD set, a DVD, a Blu-ray, and a deluxe version gathering all of the aforementioned discs, along with a 60-page book.  The release features more than two hours of performances from a show Toto played on June 25, 2013.  Among the songs the band performs are such hits as "Rosanna," "Africa," "Hold the Line," "I Won't Hold You Back" and "I'll Be Over You," as well as many lesser-known gems.

The video versions of the Live in Poland release also will include behind-the-scenes footage captured during the trek.  You can check out a clip of Toto performing "Hold the Line" now on YouTube.

In other news, Toto has been working on a new studio album that it's planning to release sometime next year.

"The repertoire is coming together so naturally it is as though we never took a break from creating as Toto in the studio," says singer/keyboardist David Paich in a statement.  "For the fans who have been waiting patiently and continually showing the band support and love over the last decade or so, this one's for you.  Collectively we can't wait to share these recordings with the world."

Toto also has plans for a joint North American tour with Michael McDonald that will take place this August and September.  First up for the group, though, is a Japanese trek that kicks off April 23 in Nagoya.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Photo: Damon WinterForget about that tentative summer release for U2's upcoming studio album: Billboard reports that, according to a number of sources, the band has pushed back the project's arrival date until 2015.  The sources tell the magazine that the Irish rockers are planning to do some additional recording, with Adele/Paul McCartney collaborator Paul Epworth and OneRepublic frontman/songwriter Ryan Tedder producing those sessions.

The group has been working on the album for the last couple of years with Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton, who is expected to remain the project's main producer.  However, the band's members have mentioned in recent interviews that they'd been considering bringing in other collaborators.

"It seems to be taking longer for them to finish an album as they get older, but the great thing about U2 is that the whole of a record is always better than the sum of its parts," a source close to the project tells Billboard.  "That magic that the band always seems to capture...they have yet to capture it."

Billboard also reports that a U2 tour that initially was supposed to launch in September of this year now will get under way in the summer of 2015.

Insight into why U2 is taking so long to hone their new album was hinted at in a recent interview the band gave to The Hollywood Reporter.  Frontman Bono explained that he felt it was very important for the band's new music to remain fresh and contemporary, noting that "to be relevant is a lot harder than to be successful."  Added The Edge, "We don't want to ever be a heritage act.  It might happen, but we'll go kicking and screaming into that mode."

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Photo: Christie GoodwinQueen guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor revealed to the world on Thursday that the band will be teaming up with ex-American Idol finalist Adam Lambert for a North American summer tour that likely will be the group's final trek.  Queen and Lambert have joined forces on several occasions over the last few years, including a brief European tour in 2012, but this will be the first time they'll be mounting a multiple-date run in America.

May says that, in addition to playing Queen's classic songs, he, Taylor and Lambert may dig a little deeper into the band's catalog during the tour, which gets under way June 19 in Chicago.

"I think we'd like to get a little adventurous," he tells ABC News Radio.  "I think we'll have quite a long rehearsal period to try things out.  Yeah, we're up for anything…We'll all bring our ideas to the table and we'll try stuff out and…who knows?"

May adds that collaborating with a singer who's as talented as Adam inspires him to be more creative and inventive on stage.

"You just get that extra little kick, which makes you take more chances and be more dangerous," Brian declares, "and go for it."

As for Taylor, he says Lambert ranks "right up there" among the best vocalists Queen's members have ever played with, which, of course, includes the band's legendary late frontman, Freddie Mercury.

"Freddie will never die for us, obviously, in our minds, but [Adam is] just so good with our material," Roger tells ABC News Radio.  "He's just one of the great singers, so…I think it's a really great marriage."

May, meanwhile, notes that that "marriage" is something fans of both Queen and Lambert are clamoring for.

"I see 'em already on Twitter, y'know.  It kind of makes me laugh…it's like, 'We need QueenBert!'" jokes Brian.  "You know, from Argentina, from Tierra del Fuego, from Beijing, I dunno.  The whole world wants us to be together, I think, which is great!"

Queen + Adam Lambert's North American tour features a total of 19 dates, and is scheduled to run through a July 20 show in Washington, D.C.  Tickets go on sale to the general public Friday, March 14, via the Live Nation mobile app and at LiveNation.com.  American Express Card Members get early access beginning this Monday in the U.S., and Tuesday in Canada.  You can check out the entire tour itinerary at QueenOnline.com.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Epic RecordsIs Brandon Howard the long-lost son of Michael Jackson? A definitive conclusion was not reached on Thursday.

The website FilmOn.TV on Thursday claimed in a live event that it has seen DNA evidence showing that there’s a 99.9-percent chance that the 31-year-old Howard, a singer who performs under the name B. Howard, is the King of Pop’s son.

However, Howard posted a video on his Facebook page saying he’s “never self-proclaimed to be Michael Jackson's son.” He said, “It is true I did do a DNA test but it had nothing to do with any of this."

Howard also denied a TMZ story – which initially brought Howard’s alleged connection to MJ to light -- that he’s planning to sue Michael’s estate for money.

Furthermore, Howard released the following written statement: "To my fans, family, and friends, despite recent allegations, I did not authorize the testing of my DNA to be compared to that of the late Michael Jackson nor did I contact TMZ regarding the publication of the story. This spring, I agreed to be a part of a documentary with FilmOn.TV and was asked to give a sample of my DNA. Even though I agreed to this I never expected it to be used in this manner. To this day, I have never claimed to be Michael Jackson's son nor do I have any intention of pursuing the family's estate."

Though Howard says he never claimed to be Michael’s son, he doesn’t deny that he is related to the singer, either. Then again, a singer named Augie Johnson, who was featured on Michael’s 1979 album Off the Wall, tells the British newspaper The Daily Mail that he’s Howard’s father.

Mind you, TMZ is claiming that the supposed DNA evidence FilmOn.TV touted is bogus, because the lab itself doesn't exist.  Then again, TMZ's supposed evidence for that claim, in part, is that an image from the lab's logo is easily available online.  Whatever.

Where’s Maury Povich when you need him?

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Courtesy of Allman Brothers BandThe Allman Brothers Band is gearing up to launch its latest, and possibly last, annual residency at New York City's Beacon Theatre.  The legendary Southern rock outfit kicks things off on Friday night, and has a total of 14 shows scheduled at the famed venue through March 29.

The Allmans also are planning to commemorate their 45th anniversary during the Beacon run, which promises to be something of a bittersweet celebration since the group's future is uncertain beyond the end of 2014, when the band's longtime guitarists Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks will be leaving to focus on their own projects.

Haynes and founding Allmans drummer Butch Trucks sat down with ABC News Radio this week to chat about the band's 2014 concerts at the Beacon Theatre.  Warren reveals that in conjunction with the 45th anniversary, "There's going to be a lot of surprises, even to us," adding that "there are going to be people who show up and wind up on stage unexpectedly."

Continuing about the special guests, Haynes says there are "a lot of people that have expressed interest in coming -- some people that are already lined up and some that will just kind of come out of the woodwork."

Warren also says fans who attend the Beacon shows can expect to be treated to a different set list every night.

"The mission is to play as many songs over the 14 nights as possible," he explains.  "Obviously that's not quite as important as playing the ones we play well, but we do love the challenge of seeing how many songs we can play."

While he won't divulge specific tunes, Haynes reports that the Allmans' Beacon sets will feature "some songs the band hasn't played for a long time," as well as "a few covers" and revamped renditions of more familiar Allmans tunes.

Butch Trucks, meanwhile, tells ABC News Radio that what he's most looking forward to about the Beacon residency is, simply, getting to play there again.

"There's nothing like it.  The Beacon [is] like being home," he declares.  "The acoustics are incredible.  The crowd is incredible.  We just don't have bad nights there."

Like Warren, Butch points out that he also enjoys the fact that the band gets to play so much different material during the residency.

"People come many nights and…we're there for 14 shows this year, so we can experiment a lot more and play tunes that we don't play all the time," notes Trucks.  He adds that nobody has brought any brand-new tunes for the group to work up, although the Allmans have prepared "about four or five [songs] that nobody's heard in years."

The Allman Brothers Band's 2014 Beacon Theatre concerts are nearly completely sold out.  The shows are scheduled for March 7, 8, 11, 12, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 26, 28 and 29.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Columbia RecordsA new documentary focusing on the making of Bruce Springsteen's latest studio album, High Hopes, will premiere on HBO on Friday, April 4, at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT.  The half-hour show includes behind-the-scenes footage from the recording sessions, as well as new interviews with Springsteen and Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, who collaborated closely with the Boss on the project.

Bruce is featured discussing various aspects of the recording, including the unique contributions Morello brought to the proceedings.  In addition, the special offers performance footage from Springsteen and his E Street Band's 2013 tour of Australia, on which Morello joined them as a fill-in for the group's longtime guitarist Steven Van Zandt, who took time off to film his Netflix series Lillyhammer.

During the trek, Morello's guitar playing inspired the Boss to invite the modern rocker to add his innovative musicianship to a variety of unreleased tracks Springsteen had amassed during the past decade or so.  The resulting album was High Hopes, which was released in January and proceeded to top the charts in the U.S. and 19 other countries.  Morello wound up on eight of the record's 12 tracks, and even contributed co-lead vocals to an updated version of the 1995 Bruce tune "The Ghost of Tom Joad."

Morello has continued to tour with Springsteen and the E Street Band in 2014, and will be with the rockers when they launch a new U.S. leg in April.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

RockHall.comThe Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has announced that it will simulcast this year's induction ceremony, which will honor Hall & Oates, Cat Stevens, Linda Ronstadt, Peter Gabriel, KISS and Nirvana -- but only in Cleveland.

The ceremony will be beamed live on April 10 from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame itself, where fans can watch their musical heroes be inducted on one of several screens in the facility, and can stroll around and check out the rock exhibits, all of which will be open to event ticket holders beginning at 7 p.m. ET.  The screening of the ceremony begins at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Tickets for the induction simulcast are $20 and will go on sale at 10 a.m. this Monday, March 10, at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame website, RockHall.com.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Matador PicturesWith the new Jimi Hendrix biopic, JIMI: All Is by My Side, scheduled to get its premiere U.S. screening this Wednesday at the South by Southwest Film Festival in Austin, Texas, clips from the movie have started to pop up online.  The flick, which debuted this past September at Canada's Toronto International Film Festival, stars Andre Benjamin -- aka Andre 3000 of the hip-hop duo OutKast -- as Hendrix.

RollingStone.com currently features an exclusive clip showing Jimi and his British girlfriend Linda Keith, played by Imogen Poots, at a New York City diner, while Animals bassist and Hendrix manager Chas Chandler, portrayed by Andrew Buckley, implores the guitar legend to come to London to play music.  In the minute-and-a-half scene, Hendrix intensely explains his musical philosophy and aspirations.

"It's not about style.  I want my music to go inside the soul of a person," says the Jimi character.  "For me, it's colors.  I want people to feel the music the same way I see it."

Another clip, which can be seen at EW.com, shows Hendrix and Keith at a London club shortly before Jimi was to fly back to the U.S. to play the famed Monterey Pop festival.  The rock icon asks Keith to accompany him to the festival, even though he's involved with another woman.  He tells Linda that he wrote the song "Red House" for her, and she responds by pointing that her old boyfriend, Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, wrote "Ruby Tuesday" for her when they broke up.

"I've got all these men writing songs to me," she says.  "And then I go home and listen to them alone."

JIMI: All by My Side will be shown at 9 p.m. local time on Thursday at the Paramount Theatre in Austin.  The film was written and directed by John Ridley, who also penned the screenplay to this year's Academy Award winner for Best Picture, 12 Years a Slave.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Radius TWC; Jimmy KingIt appears that David Bowie may be working on a new project with veteran soul and gospel singer Claudia Lennear, one of the backing singers profiled in the recent Oscar-winning documentary 20 Feet from Stardom.  Lennear tells New York Post's Page Six that Bowie phoned her up a few days before the Academy Awards and offered to collaborate with her.

"I got a call from David Bowie out of the blue," she reveals.  "He told me he wanted to write my next project.  I couldn't believe it when I first heard his voice."

Lennear points out that it's been 20 years since she last saw the influential singer/songwriter, with whom she previously collaborated during the 1970s and was rumored to have had a romantic relationship.  She adds, "I am not sure what my next project will be. . .but I will definitely hold David to his promise."

Like many of the other singers featured in 20 Feet from Stardom, you may not know Lennear by name but you probably are familiar with her work.  She was a member of Ike and Tina Turner's backing group The Ikettes, and also sang with such other stars as Joe Cocker, Leon Russell and Stephen Stills.  In addition, she performed at George Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh benefit show and reportedly was the inspiration for The Rolling Stones classic "Brown Sugar" and Bowie's tune "Lady Grinning Soul."

Lennear also released a solo album titled Phew! in 1973, before leaving the music business later in the decade.  She eventually became a language teacher at a California college.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

QueenOnline.com

We knew the announcement was coming.  Now Queen and Adam Lambert have confirmed they're hitting the road together for a North American tour.

Lambert has performed with the legendary British rock group on a number of occasions, both in the U.S. and overseas, but he and Queen have never actually toured in the U.S.  That changes beginning June 19 at Chicago's United Center, the first of 19 dates in all in the U.S. and Canada, wrapping July 20 at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Washington, D.C.

When he performs with Queen, Lambert stands in for the band's founding lead singer, Freddie Mercury, who died in 1991 of AIDS-related illness.  They first joined forces in 2009 for a performance of "We Are the Champions" on American Idol.  In the summer of 2012, Queen + Adam Lambert performed six shows in Europe, and this past fall, they also performed at a multi-artist show in Las Vegas.

"I'm honored to be able to pay my respects to Freddie's memory," Lambert said in a statement.  "He's a personal hero of mine, and I am deeply grateful for the chance to sing such powerful music for fans of this legendary band."  Queen guitarist Brian May kept his comment succinct: ""Let's ROCK those beautiful arenas JUST ONE MORE TIME!”

When May says "just one more time," he isn't kidding.  He tells ABC News Radio that this is likely going to be the last time he and drummer Roger Taylor head out on tour together as Queen.  "Speaking for only Roger and myself, I don't know how much more we will be able to do this," he says. "So we looked at each other and thought, y'know, 'Should we go for this one more time? Just the one more?'"

Lambert says that what really provided the impetus for the tour was that one-off show that he, May and Taylor did in Las Vegas last fall.  "It just felt perfect, it just felt like it was totally in the cut, it was really really good and we figured we had to bring it to more people," he tells ABC News Radio. "And so I'm really excited that this worked out. I feel very humbled and very excited at this opportunity...and lucky. I feel lucky."

May says what gave him and Taylor even more motivation to do the tour was the prospect of returning to all those legendary venues that they had once rocked with Freddie Mercury.

"For us, Madison Square Garden and the Forum in L.A., that's magical nostalgia in a sense for us, but much more than nostalgia, because that's what we do, and that's when we were at our peak and I think we can be at a new peak with Adam," May explains. "For Adam, he hasn't done these things but he's played with us, he knows us and he's the man. He's the guy to pull this off. He's incredible."

Both May and Taylor feel that there is no question that Mercury would have heartily approved of the job that Lambert does fronting the band.

"It goes without saying, really," notes May. "Freddie admired quality and talent and I know Freddie would gasp at some of the stuff that Adam takes on."

"I don't even think about it when we're on [stage] there to be honest, you know, it feels right, it feels comfortable, in a good way, and I don't mean complacent," he adds. "I just mean it feels good and everything is at maximum potential."  

So far, the set list hasn't been decided upon, but you can expect all of Queen's biggest hits, as well as some deeper cuts.

6/19 -- Chicago, United Center
6/21 -- Winnipeg, MTS Centre
6/23 -- Saskatoon, Credit Union Centre
6/24 -- Edmonton, Rexall Place
6/26 -- Calgary, Scotiabank Saddledome
6/28 -- Vancouver, Pepsi Live at Rogers Arena
7/1 -- San Jose, SAP Center
7/3 -- Los Angeles, The Forum
7/5 -- Las Vegas, The Joint
7/6 -- Las Vegas, The Joint
7/9 -- Houston, Toyota Center
7/10 -- Dallas,     American Airlines Center
7/12 -- Detroit, The Palace of Auburn Hills
7/13 -- Toronto, Air Canada Centre
7/14 -- Montreal, Bell Centre
7/16 -- Philadelphia, Wells Fargo Center
7/17 -- New York, Madison Square Garden
7/19 -- Uncasville, CT, Mohegan Sun Arena
7/20 -- Washington, D,C, Merriweather Post Pavilion

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio

Epic RecordsMeet Michael Jackson's new son: Brandon Howard. So claims Howard, a 31-year-old man who alleges he has DNA evidence proving he's the son of the late King of Pop.

According to TMZ, Howard says he obtained Michael's DNA from an orthodontic device, and a test performed on it shows the singer is his father. The results will be posted Thursday on FilmOn.com.

TMZ adds that Howard -- a singer himself who performs under the name B Howard -- will seek money from Michael's estate.

A lawyer for the estate reacts to TMZ, "We've never even heard from him." The lawyer also states that "any deadline for claiming to be Michael's child has long since passed."

Howard's mother is R&B singer Miki Howard. Michael's father, Joe Jackson, represented her in the 1980s.

As far as we know, Michael has three children: two sons, Prince Michael and Prince Michael II, a.k.a. Blanket, and one daughter, Paris.

Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio