September rollout a sure thing

“From a marketing point of view, you don’t introduce new products in August.”

– White House Chief of Staff, Andrew Card, in 2003, explaining the administration’s decision to make its case for invading Iraq in September, 2002.

Mr. Card was right of course, and the entertainment business has always followed this strategy. Who can even pay attention in August, anyway?

September brings a promise of cooler weather, school, renewals of purpose – our attentions are focused.

On comes a slate of new TV shows, “serious” movies and new musical acts who get lifted via the buzz machine.

Here are a few such new or relatively new acts and their first or latest product.

First, THE BRIDGES have a real shot at what passes for stardom in the music business today. They’re a five-person group made up of three sisters, one brother, and one cousin. Aged from 18 to 24,

The Bridges are very easy on the eyes – but can they sing?

Yes, they definitely can, as well as play the hell out of their instruments. Their début album, “LIMITS OF THE SKY,” is on a major label, and produced by the obscure but legendary pop icon, Matthew Sweet. It’s a delightful record that only a curmudgeon wouldn’t love.

Their harmonizing is spine-tingling, close-knit and is thickly layered. They reportedly grew up listening to their parents’ Fleetwood Mac and Joni Mitchell records along with other top-drawer ’60s and ’70s pop. You may hear echoes of or direct references to The Bangles or Wilson-Philips, but The Bridges are no bubble-gum confection. Their song craft is of a higher order.

Standout tracks include the opener “All the Words” and its follow-up “One Way,” “One I Love” and “Finding It Hard.” There are no duds, though, and the overall impression is one of a good beginning with great potential.

Another brand new mini-sensation is ESPERANZA SPALDING. Blessed with stunning good looks, Ms. Spalding’s novelty hook here is that she plays the stand-up acoustic bass – except it’s no mere appendage as she’s got serious chops.

Her chosen milieu is up tempo mainstream and contemporary jazz, and only a very few fortunate folks have been able to break out of that ever-shrinking insular world. Ms. Spalding already has done that to some extent.

She’s a 23 year-old who’s already a professor at the Berklee School of Music, but there’s little dryness or scholasticism about her approach.

Her major label debut, “ESPERANZA,” is a head-snapping collection of straight ahead jazz, Brazilian, funk, and playful pop.

She takes many chances in her compositions; mixing tricky rhythmic moves and adventurous melodies; yet the songs maintain their accessibility.

Her sidemen are up to the challenge and are not simply hired studio guns. The famous Latin jazz drummer, Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez and New Orleans saxophonist Donald Harrison are just two of the ace players helping her out.

The playlist bounces from new wave sambas to gorgeous ballads to finger-snapping, funky workouts.

She’s already made the late-night TV show scene, and she may be appearing on prime time shortly. You may have heard about her here first, but you should hear her work product at your earliest opportunity.

Lastly, JANIVA MAGNESS is hard to qualify as a newbie, but I include her anyway based upon sheer merit and her continued obscurity. Her first record for a sizable label, Alligator Records, has just been released. “WHAT LOVE WILL DO” is actually her sixth record, but the first to sport full production and accompaniment.

Her chosen field is blues and R&B – she’s earned the right to sing these tunes. Blessed with a perfect instrument for the genre, Magness was reportedly berated by her family for pursuing a pipe dream until she quit singing completely.

She worked in a job very similar to “The Office” for a while but then screwed up enough gumption to return to her true love. Good move.

Like most “blues” albums released today, What Love Will Do is much more of a soul record.

Magness has put together a very sympathetic backing band and has gone for an engineered sound, which is candy to the ears.

It’s as if the producer had taken a fine cheese grater to the finished product to roughen up the edges; it’s a sound that never wears out its welcome.

Of course, great pipes and killer backing mean almost nothing unless the songs are there. And they are here in spades.

Rather than writing her own material, Magness goes treasure hunting and scores big-time with gems such as the opener “That’s What Love Will Make You Do” (Little Milton), “Bitter Pill” (Annie Lennox!) and an Ike Turner obscurity, “Get It, Get It.”

Every song, however, has its own merit, and the arrangements are plenty varied enough with horns, organ, banjo, and punchy backup singing used in judicious amounts.

The excitement surrounding “The New Thing” quickly fades, but we never get tired of it. Even more seasoned acts can be rejuvenated or reborn, and that opportunity shouldn’t be missed, either.