Congratulations on the release of your newest album: "GEMS: THE DUETS COLLECTION".

I have to say that the production on "Gems" is very rich, much more than it was in Bolton's previous works. It all has been made so carefully that it gives a sensation of good quality and know-how. I call it the "Foster-Bolton perfection".

I had the chance and honor to attend Michael Bolton and Kenny G concert at The Coliseu Do Porto, in Porto, Portugal, on July 12, 2011.

The show was simply magic, amazing. With a sound sooo good, perfect performances by both artists and they were close to the audience and very kind. The venue, Coliseu Do Porto, offered a perfect sound. It was completely full of people and it was perfectly air-conditioned. The doors opened at 8 pm, one hour before the beginning of the show. Everything was perfect and they allowed everyone to take as many photos as they wanted.

There was a merchandise stand for Michael Bolton with the cd "Gems" autographed, a tour book for 2010-2011, another book about the making of "Gems", different types of t-shirts (one of them with concert dates from last year) and bags. Kenny had another table with his two types of live cds, but it was empty at the end of the show.

- Innocence (for a girl and his grandmother. They won the saxophone Kenny gave away)

- There was a fantastic moment with Kenny's band performing alone, being the main "character" Ron Powell, his percussionist, who made the audience laugh a lot and earn their hearts quickly. Everybody was on their feet when he finished his fantastic performance.

Kenny was so gracious and fun. He spoke many words in Portuguese, thinking like a baby boy before saying each phrase. He said it was a pleasure for them to be in Portugal, he thanked the audience for coming, he hoped the show would like them... And after a while he asked if he could speak English again!. He also talked to us about the saxophones line he has created. He plays the same one since he was a kid, but he has created these ones and he was happy to give away one to the winner of the poll. He would play with that saxophone and after that the owner could take it from his mouth and take it home. He even said that people who had no tickets to participate in the contest could go to the hall and get them "just to not getting too bored while Michael played" :)

He was very elegant dressed, with a black suit which fitted as a glove, and a white shirt with black shoes. He is very thin and however his presence fills the stage completely. He would appear onstage at the end of the show with a pair of dark jeans and the same jacket, to perform with Bolton "Georgia On My Mind".

He had appeared in the hall of the venue before the show. Everyone who would buy a cd (special cds recorded live, not the common ones) would get it autographed by Kenny and could shake his hand. I did it and it was magical!!!.

In Kenny's performance I have to complain because for being the keyboards placed on the piano, I couldn't see Robert Damper during almost the whole show. He is a very relevant figure for Kenny, personally and professionally, and I think he should be sitting in a different way.

While the staff changed everything onstage, we waited for almost 45 minutes for Michael Bolton's performance to begin. Kenny had been playing from 9 pm until 10 pm. Michael began at 11:50 pm. He began with "Love Is Everything" (after the "Go The Distance" introduction). Then he sang:

After performing "When A Man Loves A Woman" in the middle of the audience, I was lucky enough because Michael went back to the stage walking in front of me and he shook my hand!!!!!!!!!.

Michael appeared wearing a suit jacket with his shining pin, a black shirt and jeans. Then he changed the jeans for a pair of suit trousers to perform several songs, "Nessun Dorma" among them.

Later, after the moment of Michael Lington (his saxophonist) performance of his own music, Michael came back with his jeans again and a blue t-shirt for the end of the show. There was a door between the audience and the stage, but, although we could not get on our feet close to the stage, everybody was standing while Michael performed his final song "Pride".

Michael thanked everyone for being there. He, like Kenny G, spoke about the fantastic sound of the venue, and he also encouraged everybody to make as much noise as they could. He also said, at the end of the show, that performing again with Kenny around the world was unbelievable, because he was the maximum. He said he was ashamed of saying it, but that they had performed together for 24 years. He also spoke positively about Kenny's band members, saying that they are amazing and very talented musicians. It was a nice detail that, when Michael and his band greeted the audience, Michael asked Kenny to stay with them and be a part of the line. Michael and his band also got all the audience to stand up and applaud strongly.

Michael's voice was perfect, as always. It was 00.30 when it finished, since 9 pm. Not too bad!!!.

"Love Is Everything" feat. Rascal Flatts
"Fields Of Gold" feat. Eva Cassidy
"Sajna" feat. A.R. Rahman
"Pride (In The Name Of Love)" feat. Anne Akiko Meyers
"I'm Not Ready" feat. Delta Goodrem
"Over The Rainbow" feat. Paula Fernandes
"When A Man Loves a Woman\It's a Man's, Man's, Man's World" medley feat. Seal
"The Prayer" feat. Lara Fabian
"You Are So Beautiful" feat. Chris Botti
"Make You Feel My Love" feat. Helene Fischer
"Hallelujah" feat. MB's Childrens Choir
"Steel Bars" feat. Orianthi

Michael Bolton says his latest album, "Gems -- The Duets Collection," was "like giving birth 21 times or something."

And it wasn't initially planned as a duets album, either.

Bolton tells Billboard.com that he was thinking duets would comprise "maybe half" of the album until he took part in one of producer/songwriter David Foster's Foster & Friends concerts, where he teamed with Seal for Percy Sledge's "When a Man Loves a Woman" and Laura Fabian on Foster and Carole Bayer Sager's "The Prayer." "That led to two duets in one evening," Bolton recalls, "so (the album) started looking like it was going to be 12 duets or 12 songs with guests joining us. The duets started revealing themselves as the artists started stepping forward.

"I don't remember a project evolving the way this one has. It was almost otherworldly. I'd be sitting in the studio finishing 'You Are So Beautiful' (with Chris Botti), and then the next day I'd be sitting in A.R. Rahman's studio working with him (on 'Sajna') and listening to all these tracks and sounds and textures from everywhere on Earth. It was an amazing experience."

"Gems" has become an international endeavor as well. Noting that the project "kept evolving and the momentum kept increasing to the point where it was physically impossible to include all the people I would have loved to include," Bolton has found a home for some of the collaborations on German and Asian versions of "Gems," with more editions of the album being considered for other territories. "We had people in the industry bringing artists forward, and some of them are the biggest artists in their country or region of the world," Bolton says. "We started getting calls about doing songs with artists who I never heard of, and I would have to get MP3s sent to me just so I could hear what they sounded like. And they were amazing."

Among those discoveries for Bolton was Germany's Helene Fischer, who sings on three tracks from the German version of "Gems" as well as Bob Dylan's "Make You Feel My Love" on the U.S. edition. "She's an enormous artist in Germany who should be recognized here in the States -- and hopefully is going to be after we're done introducing her," Bolton says. Hopefully she'll come over and do some shows with me, and in the meantime I'm going over to Germany to do a bunch of shows with her. So this them of introducing ourselves to each other's audiences in these different parts of the world is part of this (album), too."
Besides other duets with Rascal Flatts, Delta Goodrem and the late Eva Cassidy, "Gems" also features a rendition of "Steel Bars," a song Bolton co-wrote with Dylan and features Orianthi on guitar.

"We wrote that 20 years ago," Bolton recalls, "and I remember just feeling like a little kid sitting in the room with him and thinking for the first half-hour, 'Oh my God, I'm really talking to Bob Dylan!' And now I'm in the room with Orianthi, this amazing, staggeringly talented guitarist who is ripping and playing amazing solos and power chords. The whole album was like that. There was very little effort made to try to find a place of comfort; it was just automatically all of this excitement about being part of the project that spilled over from artist to artist."

"Immense talent exists and thrives in this team of some of my favorite musicians on the planet!. Gary is definitely a virtuoso vocalist with unlimited range and control. Joe Don is the "complete guitarist", so well-versed in contemporary music, but plays like an old soul, in blues and R&B, as if he was born in another era. And Jay, who plays and writes on every instrument while programming, is a brilliant musician who gets how ultimately important the "feel" of a record is and pours a hundred percent of himself into it. These guys are serious musicians and so much fun to work with!".

"One of the greatest voices I've ever heard or will ever hear in my entire life, is the voice of Eva Cassidy. Her depth as a vocalist and musician and deeply connected performances are no less than phenomenal. She left this world at the young age of 33, but created a gift in her recordings that will live forever. The honor I have been given to share a duet with her is impossible for me to express in words, but I will do my best wherever I go to sing her praises".

"A.R. is a genius!. An unstoppable musical force. This man is a Jedi master and the ultimate wizard in the studio, creating and layering textures of beautiful instrumentation and intoxicating melodies for films and records. He brings all the elements, including the vocals, into the context of the song -always cinematic, always the right, respectful approach".

"One Man is about someone who devoted and literally gave their own life for an idea, a principle rooted within the value of human dignity that cannot be destroyed and which would inspire future generations. For this iconic song, we needed someone with the range from classical to rock and discovered the "fire" of Anne as a violinist. She brought the passion we were looking for to help convey this powerful message U2 created about Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.".

"A completely amazing singer, songwriter and extraordinary pianist, Delta pours her heart and soul into every vocal performance. Her voice is a beautiful and emotional instrument and it is always a powerful experience for anyone fortunae enough to hear her... I'm grateful and blessed to be one of those people".

"Paula's voice delivers the expression of both her beauty and her strength of spirit -a rich, soulful conficence that is so fresh and uplifting. I'm looking forward to the world discovering her world".

"I've always been blown away by Seal's voice and his songwriting. To be invited to perform with Seal for the Foster & Friends event was a dream duet for me. It was all made greater in spending time with him and discovering a gracious, deep, inspiring human being. I will always treasure this experience".

LARA FABIAN.-

"Easily one of the greatest singers on the planet, Lara graced us with a stunning performance of this DAvid Foster masterpiece, that made the song take ultimate flight. She's also one of the loveliest artists in heart and spirit I've had the pleasure of singing with. I adore and admire Lara to no end".

CHRIS BOTTI.-

"Chris brings not just the virtuosity, but also the taste of a master and a tone that has made him one of the most sought after, beloved trumpet players ever!. And he is an absolute pro and pleasure in the studio".

HELENE FISCHER.-

"Helene's absolutely incredible gift, serious work ethic and pure love of singing from deep within her soul have inspired me endlessly. The sweetness and power of her voice knows no boundaries, and expresses a beautiful, inner spirit of a warrior".

MB'S CHILDREN CHOIR.-

"Chris Walden, ringleader of this soraing string arrangement and the angelic children's choir. He is a magnificent orchestral arranger with the perfect ears and temperament to inspire and direct and exquisite performance from these little angels who came to lift our spirits".

ORIANTHI.-

"Orianthi is an artist with staggering talent. A triple threat. Great singer, songwriter and absolutely astounding guitarist, who has jaws dropping in front of her whenever she plays -including mine!".

Review: Michael Bolton's "Gems"
An easy-listening icon scrapes together a new collaboration album

By JONATHAN SHIHADEH | The South End

Michael Bolton is a legend among the soft-rock scene. The excitement for his 18th studio album has reached a boiling point for both music critics and ballad fans alike.

“Gems” is a collaboration album that pairs Bolton with other famous performers; the mix works surprisingly well. Artists featured on the album include country singer Eva Cassidy, smooth jazz trumpeter Chris Botti and “Batman Forever” soundtrack guru Seal.

On the track “Hallelujah,” Bolton teams up with the Michael Bolton’s Children’s Choir for a truly heart-warming rendition of the gospel classic.

On paper, an album featuring all duets does not seem practical. Bolton is known for slow and boring ballads, so adding any kind of creativity to rock his tried-and-true formula is quite the feat. Hardcore Bolton fans, however, will be relieved because adding another artist propels the songs further into a generic soft-rock sinkhole.

Bolton won his second Grammy award in 1992 for his cover of “When a Man Loves a Woman,” which has been re-recorded with Seal for this new album. The originality in Bolton’s song choice is admirable; the dead horse has not only been thoroughly beaten but mangled, strangled and lit on fire, twice.

“Pride (In the Name of Love)” opens with Bolton soulfully singing the song’s title. The sounds of the keyboard, drums and violin then elegantly guide the song along. He wails the line “In the name of love” over and over again throughout the four-minute ballad. Lyrics like this are just one example of the poetic complexity of most Bolton songs.

One thing missing from the Bolton formula is the stylish mullet that he sported during the majority of his career. The cover of “Gems” features a smirking Bolton who is now mullet-less. His single pierced ear is reminiscent of ‘90s counterculture when it was cool for a 58-year-old man to have a piercing. I love when an artist takes the time to design original album covers; this cover will go down with the greats. The 1969 cover of Led Zeppelin cannot compare to Bolton’s awkward smirk and half-buttoned shirt.

According to the album sleeve, Bolton said making the album has been “a journey full of surprises and inspiration” and a “magical experience.” Sadly, no inspiration, surprises or magic can be heard on “Gems.”

His last album, “One World One Love,” which was released in 2009, was a mix of soul and reggae music. Bolton stops annihilating other genres of music in “Gems” and returns to his easy-listening roots.

Bolton has been a musician for over 36 years and has influenced countless artists. Bob Dylan may have been the voice of a generation, but Bolton has been the voice of all generations after that.

Michael has released a live album in which you can enjoy -as if you had been there- his wonderful performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall of London on November 3rd 2009.

Also in DVD and Blu-Ray.

All pictures taken at Michael's concert with Kenny G in Porto (Portugal). July 2011.