By NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Entertainment Writer 46 minutes ago

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Jordin Sparks probably couldn’t have picked a better set of circumstances for her first Super Bowl.

First off, the “American Idol” champ was selected to sing the national anthem. Then, her favorite team, the New York Giants — and the former team of her retired football player dad, Phillippi Sparks — was playing in the big game. Finally, the game was held at the University of Phoenix stadium — just a few miles away from her home.

“When they approached me to sing at the Super Bowl, I was like, ‘Yeah I want to sing at the Super Bowl — are you crazy?’” Sparks said as she got glammed up for her performance Sunday. “I’m very very very happy.”

And that was before her dad’s old team stunned the New England Patriots 17-14.

“You couldn’t ask for a more fitting story,” said Phillippi Sparks, who retired from the Giants in 2001. “How could it have been better aligned?”

Jordin Sparks, 18, had her family nearby as she got ready. Her father offered encouragement, and her mom Jodi lent her the jewelry she wore wear with her Dolce & Gabbana sleeveless dress. Her grandparents helped get her clothes together, and her younger brother kept her company.

“Growing up around (my dad) was really cool,” said Sparks. “I became a huge (football) freak … I have always wished that I could have played and I can’t.”

10 minutes ago

VIENNA, Austria - Anna Netrebko says it is a high note of another kind: She is pregnant and she’s getting married.

The 36-year-old star soprano and her fiance, Uruguayan baritone Erwin Schrott, are expecting a child this autumn, Netrebko’s management company said Monday.

“We are both very, very happy that soon there will be three of us,” Netrebko said in a statement.

It will be her first child. She and Schrott, 35, became engaged late last year in New York.

Netrebko “will keep her engagements as long as her doctors permit it,” said her manager, Jeffrey Vanderveen.

She is scheduled to perform in Massenet’s “Manon,” which opens April 4 at the Vienna State Opera.

Netrebko was also to appear with star tenor Rolando Villazon in Charles Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet” at the Salzburg Festival, but pulled out because of the pregnancy, festival president Helga Rabl-Stadler said Monday.

“We are surprised, but we understand. The most beautiful reason for a cancellation is a child,” Rabl-Stadler was quoted as telling the Austria Press Agency.

When Netrebko gives birth to her child, “We’ll send her the most beautiful bouquet in the world,” Rabl-Stadler said.

By SANDY COHEN, AP Entertainment Writer 7 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Britney Spears’ stay in a psychiatric ward was extended for two weeks under a section in state law that allows patients to be kept for medical treatment if they are found to be gravely disabled or a danger to themselves or others, a person close to the pop star told The Associated Press.

Spears was to be released Sunday from UCLA Medical Center’s psychiatric ward after undergoing a 72-hour mental evaluation.

But doctors and a ward medical officer cited California to keep her longer, said the person close to Spears, who requested anonymity.

Spears’ detainment made it unlikely she would appear at a scheduled Monday morning hearing over custody of her children, 1-year-old Jayden James and 2-year-old Sean Preston.

Spears, 26, lost custody of the boys to ex-husband Kevin Federline following an incident last month when she refused to return the children after a visit.

Spears was briefly hospitalized at the time. On Thursday, she was again hospitalized.

On Friday, Court Commissioner Reva Goetz ruled that Spears needed someone else to take over her personal and financial affairs.

Spears’ father, James, and her attorney, Andrew Wallet, were granted conservatorship, but a court hearing was scheduled Monday afternoon to review the matter.

A UCLA Medical Center spokesman did not immediately return a phone message Sunday seeking comment. Calls to Wallet and attorney Sorrell Trope also were not returned.

Spears’ erratic behavior since she filed for divorce in November 2006 has included appearing in short skirts without underwear, shaving her head, abandoning a car in traffic when it had a flat tire, and recently, holding her dog and sobbing on a sidewalk.

By Michael D. Ayers 13 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Lionel Loueke didn't pick up the guitar until he was 17. Growing up in the West African country of Benin, he was much more immersed in traditional African music, and by age 9, he was skilled on various percussion instruments.

When he finally got his hands on a guitar, his only option was teaching himself by ear, beginning with African pop he would record and transcribe from the radio. "In Africa, it depends on where you live, the way you play guitar," Loueke says. "So I passed the time checking different styles."

Things changed the first time he heard George Benson. "I couldn't believe what I was hearing; I'd never heard any guitar sound like that," Loueke says. "I didn't have the knowledge to understand what he was playing."

So Loueke adapted his technique again, using worn-down batteries in his tape deck to slow the tempo in an attempt to pick out the notes. "I tried to learn like that for many years," he says.

That initial tinkering paid off, leading Loueke to the National Institute of Art on the Ivory Coast, Paris' American School of Modern Music, Boston's Berklee College of Music and then the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

There, he met and was taken under the wing of Terence Blanchard, Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter. The latter two grace Loueke's Blue Note debut, "Karibu," due March 25.

There are two covers on the set — John Coltrane's "Naima" and the Hoagy Carmichael tune "Skylark." The seven originals blend Loueke's influences into a fresh sound. With faint vocals in his native Swahili, Loueke offers rich, free-form explorations.

Loueke credits Hancock and Shorter with more than just passing on various techniques throughout the last several years.

"I learned so much, musically speaking: the language, the harmony, the vocabulary," Loueke says. "But what I learned mostly is the type of person they are. In how to lead a band, they let you do your thing, without telling you, 'This is not good.' The biggest impact they've had on me isn't musical. It's how humble they are, at that level."

Loueke, who will have an opening slot on Hancock's summer North American tour, looks forward to further experimental work as a performer and recording artist. "For me, that's the direction I want to take in the future," he says. "I'm hoping one day to have a CD where everything is clean, dark and abstract."

Reuters/Billboard

17 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - "Watershed," k.d. lang's new torch-and-twang exploration, will hover delicately in the background of many a coffee shop, but it does little to elevate itself to a more conscious musical experience. Instigating passionate encounters might have been lang's intent; alas, the record is more befitting an aromatherapy session. While her lyrics are drenched in l'amour, lang's dulcet voice floats like mist. The pure 5 o'clock lounge of "Sunday" is like time travel back to a 1960s bachelor pad, complete with discreet xylophone, padded bass notes and martinis you can nearly taste. "Flame of the Uninspired" draws a shade over the album's subtle glow; beyond that, "Watershed" boasts delicate country traveling songs and oh-so-hushed romantic standards.

ARTIST: KENNY G

ALBUM: RHYTHM AND ROMANCE (Starbucks)

Kenny G's got a love jones going. On his Starbucks debut, the saxophonist cooks up a set of samba, bossa nova and salsa tunes that range from a fluid version of the staple "Besame Mucho" to eight originals co-written with co-producer Walter Afanasieff. Focusing on one genre works to G's advantage; backed by a stellar cast of musicians that includes bassist Nathan East and Weather Report drummer Alex Acuna (with Afanasieff on piano), he coaxes a richer and more muscular tone from his instrument. "Sax-O-Loco" and "Salsa Kenny," which bookend the 12-track set, take a more upbeat tone, while the vocal numbers — "Mirame Bailar" with Barbara Munoz and "Es Hor de Decir" with Camila — provide welcome counterpoints to G's melodic excursion. G doesn't discard the light touch he's known for, but there's a headier sense of ambition on "Rhythm and Romance" that makes us hope he doesn't get his heart broken anytime soon.

ARTIST: HOT CHIP

ALBUM: MADE IN THE DARK (DFA/Astralwerks)

From Casiotone swells, a drummer-killing time signature and a guitar-and-tambourine hook that could prompt hand-jiving, this set's first two minutes prime your pump like an action sequence before the opening credits. What follows is a proper blockbuster from the nerdy Brit quintet that continues where 2006 breakout "The Warning" left off. This is the same pop-wise Hot Chip, only wilier and with a more dastardly sonic arsenal. Check out "Shake a Fist," which uses a 1972 spoken-word Todd Rundgren sample to introduce the indie children to the glorious squelch of acid house. "One Pure Thought" laments not having one, over blissed-out reggae, while "Hold On" writes off the notion entirely ("I'm only going to heaven/If it feels like hell"). Mashed-up comparisons aside (the Sea & Cake meets Tom Tom Club while listening to Weezer?), this stuff is singular, and flat-out great.

ARTIST: SPEAK IN TONES

ALBUM: SUBARO (AlphaPocket Records)

This double CD is, in a manner of speaking, the logical conclusion of a two-year series of concerts led by Daniel Moreno and Mike Ellis at 56 Walker St. in New York. The album was recorded in Salvador do Bahia, Brazil, and features a mix of jazz, Latin and world music players from the Big Apple, Mali and Bahia. The tunes are a provocative intermingling of jazz and world styles. A perfect example of what's going on here is "Douson Foly (Take 2)." The song has a pronounced Malian rhythmic feel, deepened by Lansine Kouyate's balafon (a tuned percussion instrument from West Africa) and Cheick Tidiane Seck's vocal. The hypnotic rhythm percolates beneath jazz horn riffs and a nimble balafon solo, building a monster groove. Elsewhere, "Subaro, Part 1" gets a major funk-jazz vibe going, fueled by a low-riding saxophone and a flurry of vocalizations.

ARTIST: NADA SURF

ALBUM: LUCKY (Barsuk Records)

"I only wanna make you happy," Matthew Caws sings on "I Like What You Say," a cut from this Brooklyn trio's new album. As with most of the tunes on "Lucky" — and like most of the guys in his indie-pop cohort — Caws is singing about a relationship. But he might also be addressing Nada Surf's audience. Caws' great trick as a songwriter is devising tunes that start out in melancholy minor-key mode but end up as hopeful-sounding odes to the human spirit, and "Lucky" is full of jangly little gems that could put a skip in the step of even the saddest of sacks. The finest among them might be opener "See These Bones," during which Caws makes a visit to an ancient crypt in Rome seem like a perfectly cheery way to spend a Saturday.

ARTIST: BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE

ALBUM: SCREAM AIM FIRE (20/20 Entertainment/Jive)

Determined treatise "Scream Aim Fire" is a joy ride of sleek, "Guitar Hero"-ready metal that's indoctrinating both genders into the fold. The record exhibits fierce intent to prove that Bullet for My Valentine's music shouldn't be painted "pretty boy" because of the group's good looks. But the foursome doesn't completely abandon the sensitive interludes that gave it the emo tag it's trying to shake. Finale "Forever and for Always," the band's Queen-inspired valentine to fans on the communal experience of playing live, climactically builds and then strips away one hook-laden riff at a time to end on a revelatory note that will crack the coldest doubter's heart.

ARTIST: RONNIE FREEMAN

ALBUM: GOD SPEAKING (White Apron Entertainment/Koch)

During a recent Nashville showcase for this record, nearly every key player in the Christian music community was in attendance to lend support. One listen to this collection and it's easy to see why Ronnie Freeman commands such a devoted following. He has a warm, accessible voice and a gift for penning engaging songs that explore faith from a unique, insightful perspective. This finely crafted project should propel Freeman from Christian music's best-kept secret to highly successful artist.

Reuters/Billboard

By Larry Blumenfeld 16 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - It's no surprise to hear Andy Bey's rich baritone gracefully aloft, singing the title track of his latest CD, "It Ain't Necessarily So."

At 68, he still possesses perfect breath support. That quality, along with an unerring sense of swing and his own idiosyncratically brilliant piano playing, has made him a favorite among jazz insiders.

But even Bey was surprised at the chart position the album has achieved. It jumps from No. 10 to No. 7 this week on Top Jazz Albums, keeping company with such heavy hitters as Tony Bennett and Diana Krall. It also reached No. 49 on the Heatseekers chart, an uncommon accomplishment for a jazz disc.

"Necessarily" isn't exactly a new recording. It was released in late October 2007, and recorded in 1997 at Bey's first major Manhattan club gig after more than 20 years away from the scene. Since his return, in collaboration with Herb Jordan, who serves as producer, adviser and sometime songwriter, Bey has recorded five albums showcasing his mixture of virility, tenderness and spiritual heft.

The sales success is, for Jordan, validation of tiny independent label 12th Street Records, which is built largely on a belief in Bey's talents, and of the do-it-yourself approach employed for the album.

"Our strategy was to start with Andy and to build a free-standing independent label," Jordan said. "We pay the cost of production, manufacturing, promotion and publicity. We direct it all, and that way, Andy's voice resonates through all of it."

Reuters/Billboard

By Ken Tucker 15 minutes ago

NASHVILLE (Billboard) - The musical legacy of Walter Hyatt easily could have come to an end when his life did, in the May 11, 1996, crash of ValuJet flight 592 in the Florida Everglades. But because of the dedication of his widow, Heidi, and the vision of producer Michael Killen, Hyatt's music is finding new life.

"Some Unfinished Business: Volume 1" is a living testament to Hyatt's music. Released by King Tears Music and available at kingtearsmusic.com, the album is culled from recordings he made in the months preceding his death and features newly recorded instrumental contributions from David Ball, Jerry Douglas and Alison Moorer.

Hyatt, who was 46 when he died, found critical acclaim as a member of Uncle Walt's Band, a trio he formed with fellow South Carolinians Ball and Champ Hood. The three men built a loyal following in Austin, and their fans included Lyle Lovett, Jimmie Dale Gilmore and Nanci Griffith. (Lovett later produced one of Hyatt's solo CDs, the MCA release "King Tears.")

Heidi Hyatt was determined to share her husband's music, but it took a while to make it happen. Eventually she hooked up with producer Killen, who waded through the dozens of recordings and began to form a plan. "Michael really found the essence of Walter," she said. "It's what his music was supposed to be."

Accompanying someone who had died years earlier was a new experience for Douglas. "It wasn't trying to please the producer so much as it was trying to please this spirit," he said. "You didn't want to do anything that would have been out of character for Walter."

In addition to new songs that display Hyatt's forays into New Orleans jazz, bluegrass and country, there are reworked versions of Uncle Walt's Band classics, including "Motor City Man" and "Deeper Than Love," which Jerry Jeff Walker has covered.

With 46 songs recorded, Heidi Wyatt says there will be at least one more album. "I would like to put out all of Walter's material and get it heard."

Reuters/Billboard

By Mariel Concepcion 16 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III" has been delayed numerous times in the past six months, but in his first interview since his recent arrest on felony drugs and weapons charges in Arizona, the rapper promises the new album will be worth the wait.

"It's one of those albums people are really waiting on, so I made it so that whatever is on it will stick with you forever," he told Billboard of the project, which has been plagued with leaks. "I'm taking my time with it. And I'm giving artists I respect and people I want to do songs with — not songs the label fixed — an opportunity to collaborate."

Although Wayne was happy to discuss "Tha Carter III," which is expected in March or April via Cash Money/Universal, he didn't want to talk about the events in Arizona, where he has been ordered to return for a February 12 hearing. "I've got nothing to say about that," he replied when asked about the arrest.

The new album's official single, "Lollipop," features Static. Other guests on the set include Hurricane Chris, Corey Gunz, Tyga, Jibbs, Shanell, Kidd Kidd, Mack Maine and Lil Mama. Jim Jonsin, the Alchemist and Cool and Dre contributed as producers.

Wayne has released six albums and made more than 40 guest appearances since 1999 — 17 of those collaborations in the last two years — not to mention the massive amount of mixtapes and leaked tracks that routinely appear online.

"I've found out that I love doing music for others," he said. "You're making history when you're making music with somebody else, for somebody else. Plus, I find that when I do that, it doesn't get leaked. And when it does, it doesn't do what it does when it's one of my songs. I get a real joy. And it's another reason why I was able to wait so long to put another album out — because these features keep me eating and making money."

Reuters/Billboard

By DERRIK J. LANG, AP Entertainment Writer 15 minutes ago

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers’ surprisingly subdued Super Bowl halftime show was as uncomplicated in person as it looked on television. There were no wardrobe — or any other kind — of malfunctions.

Moments before the performance, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers calmly waited on the Patriots’ side of the field. Once given the go signal, the musicians quickly took the stage, picked up their instruments and started performing. They made playing a concert for about 100 million people look almost effortless.

On the field, it was impossible to tell that the illuminated stage was heart shaped or that a large arrow was headed straight for it at the beginning of Petty’s by-the-book rendition of “American Girl.” The visual effect wasn’t broadcast on the jumbotron. There were other illusions at play, too.

That cross-sectioned crowd of moms, dads and teenagers didn’t descend from the stands to spontaneously rock out at Petty’s feet. No, they had been assembled just outside of the University of Phoenix Stadium, waiting for their moment on the field since the start of the game in a long line reminiscent of an “American Idol” audition.

However, the audience did actually sing-along when Petty launched into “I Won’t Back Down.” That wasn’t fake, although the screens featuring the words behind Petty seemed slightly unnecessary. Everyone sang like they already knew them.

When the stadium lights dimmed for “Free Fallin,’” those weren’t lighters the audience just happened to have in their pockets, ready to whip out in unison for some groovy ambiance. They were actually tiny flashlights that had been previously distributed among the crowd. Hey, free souvenir!

The most spontaneous moment during the halftime performance didn’t even make it on TV — and it probably happens every year. After Petty closed the halftime show with “Runnin’ Down A Dream,” the mob assembled around the stage confusingly ran off in all directions as stagehands frantically disassembled the stage at the same time.

It was the craziest part of the whole evening — except for the part when the Giants won.

___

On the Net:

Tom Petty: http://www.tompetty.com/

By DERRIK J. LANG and NEKESA MUMBI MOODY, AP Entertainment Writers 11 minutes ago

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - Move over, Maxim and Penthouse. Step aside, Sports Illustrated and ESPN. Playboy may have just found another worthy adversary when it comes to hosting a star-studded Super Bowl party.

Sultry retailer Victoria’s Secret threw its first-ever Super Bowl bash Saturday, a raucous indoor affair led by supermodels Selita Ebanks, Karolina Kurkova and Adriana Lima at the Taste Ultra Lounge. More celebrities attended the invite-only Victoria’s Secret party than any other Super Bowl XLII soiree so far.

Dueling VIP areas on opposite sides of the event’s dance floor were overflowing with stars. Adam Sandler, Kate Walsh, Michael Clarke Duncan, Joey McIntyre, Donnie Wahlberg, LL Cool J, Adrian Grenier and Good Charlotte’s Benji Madden were positioned on one edge. The other, more low-key, VIP section was home to Mario Lopez, Rick Fox, Jerry O’Connell and Brody Jenner, who spent much of the evening dancing on a bed in the roped-off area.

Steve Young, Shannon Sharpe, Tom Arnold and John Slattery, however, kept court in the middle of the dance floor.

At the beginning of the party, Ryan Seacrest and Randy Jackson took over the DJ booth — which had been blasting quick snippets of pop and hip-hip tunes — to introduce “Dance Like There’s No Tomorrow” from “Randy Jackson’s Music Club, Vol. 1.” The song features vocals from Paula Abdul, who’s in town to perform before the game but wasn’t alongside her “American Idol” co-workers at the party.

Flat-screens around the intimate 10,000-square-foot indoor venue blasted clips from the latest Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show while Red Bull and Cape North Vodka cocktails were served from a bar made of ice. However, the impressive amount of partying stars was the hands-down the highlight of the event.

Kathryn Heigl and musician hubby Josh Kelley, who performed at the bash, positioned themselves in the corner of the room, starting off the evening with a couple of shots. Geoff Stults moseyed around the party with one beer in his hand and another in his back pocket while “Transformers” director Michael Bay stood near the VIP section’s velvet rope listening to women plead to get on the other side.

The wattage at Playboy’s bash was considerably dimmer — at least when The Associated Press arrived shortly after midnight.

Perhaps the A-list was put off by the considerable distance of the event, compared to Saturday’s other bashes. Playboy’s over-the-top 1950s desert oasis-themed party was held at Wild Horse Pass in Chandler, about 20 miles south of Scottsdale, where all the other Super Bowl parties were held.

Still, there were enough celebs around to keep cameras clicking. “The Hills’” star Lauren Conrad and her BFF, Audrina Patridge, posed for fans while stationed in the VIP area, as did “The Girls Next Door” star Bridget Marquardt. Her “Girls” co-star, Kendra Wilkinson, assisted Nick Cannon in the DJ booth as he spun a mix of hip-hop and classic rock tunes.

Rap star Common also mingled in the elevated VIP section alongside actress Gabrielle Union. Kevin Connelly from “Entourage” was closely admiring one of the dozens of women dressed up as Playboy bunnies while Regina King vamped it up for cameras.

Though it may not have attracted the night’s hottest stars, for sheer spectacle, Playboy had no competition. Its size alone likely made it the evening’s biggest party. The event was held inside a 52,000-square-foot football field-shaped tent. Guests were allowed to party as hard as they wanted: tequila maker Jose Cuervo provided free cab rides home.

As expected, there was plenty of eye-candy inside: a scantily clad woman moved seductively in a giant martini glass, a bevy of Playboy bunnies danced above a bar and a bikini-clad woman strutted on a platform. The only nudity on display, however, was in between the pages of the magazine, which were readily available at the party’s improvised gift shop.

No nude women appeared at Saturday’s Penthouse party either. Snoop Dogg was the event’s main attraction and performer. Like most of the night’s big parties, that bash wrapped up shortly after 2 a.m. — but Saturday’s partying didn’t stop then.

In the early morning hours, many stars headed to private mansions transformed into clubs. A shuttle bused partygoers up to a palatial pad in the hills of Scottsdale, home to the House of Hennessy, 944 magazine and nightclub Tao’s afterparty. Meanwhile, in nearby Paradise Valley, another spectacular home was the site of a makeshift version of the Los Angeles hotspot Hyde.

The home, which was occupied by automobile manufacturer Audi for a week of Super Bowl events, was the site earlier in the evening for a private dinner hosted by Warner Music Group Chairman Lyor Cohen. LL Cool J, Chace Crawford, Benji Madden and Kid Rock were among those in attendance. After that dinner ended, Kate Hudson held court by the estate’s pool to celebrate her new movie, “Fools Gold.”

___

On the Net:

Victoria’s Secret: http://www.victoriassecret.com/

Playboy: http://www.playboy.com/