Multi-instrumentalist and drummer extraordinare Joe Vitale is doling out backstage passes! Set for November publication, BACKSTAGE PASS is the title of his upcoming book in which he shares stories gleaned from 40+ years touring and recording with the likes of Joe Walsh, the Eagles, Foreigner, Dan Fogelberg, Peter Frampton, Ted Nugent, Neil Young, and of course, Crosby, Stills & Nash among many, many others. Personally signed copies are now available for pre-order.

What else is Joe up to? Well, he tells us his forthcoming album “Speaking in Drums” is in the last mixing stages and will roll out any day now. He’s also been busy helping to produce his son Joe Vitale Jr’s new disc.

We’re planning to catch up with Joe when he comes through Europe supporting Stephen Stills’ solo tour next month. The guys kick off October 1st on the continent before heading to the U.K. for a two-week stint. View tour dates at stephenstills.com.

Chicago founding member and solo artist Robert Lamm has a new album out entitled The Bossa Project. Like the title suggests, it's a hommage to the classic sixties bossa nova sound. The beauty of its simplicity, along with Lamm's mellow vocal, is perfect for chilling out with a Bacardi and cola. . . . . Crosby, Stills & Nash (& Vitale) are in the southern California neck of the tour woods these days. It's just another song before they go on to dates in the desert. Check the tour schedule here. . . . . . The National Endowment of the Arts has announced the recipients of the 2009 Jazz Masters Awards, the highest American honor in jazz music. Among them are George Benson, no explanation needed, and Rudy von Gelder, who incidentally was the recording engineer behind Don's first album as a member of the progressive jazz band Flow back in 1970. . . . . Vinyl is in Vogue: according to the RIAA, sales of vinyl recordings this past year totaled some 1.3 million, an increase over 35% compared to 2006. (No, those numbers are not the result of us unloading our collection on E-bay. THOSE estimated 1.3 million units are either still in our garage, attic, coat closet or on our turntable.) Anyway, the interesting part is that the buyers are not just nostalgia freaks but teens and twenty-somethings. . . . . Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band are smack dab in the middle of their European tour. Springsteen is one of the few classic rockers who can still fill stadiums and we'll be out taking in the show along with 50,000 others this coming Saturday. Review to follow . . .