The early response from critics to A Kiss In The Sand has been quite positive. Jonathan Takiff of the Philadelphia Daily News and Knight Ridder Newspapers gave the album a "B+" and wrote that "…Ware reinvigorates the classic, 'quiet storm' genre…" Rashod Ollison of the Baltimore Sun wrote "…the record is a resplendent one…Serene and sonically luxuriant, the CD is on the artist's independent Kitchen label and should easily appeal to smooth jazz or adult R&B stations. At 65, Leon remains the subtle mack daddy as showcased on the inviting 'Live in Your Love Forever' and 'Easy Mover.'"

Preparing to celebrate his 65th birthday on February 16th with a concert in Los Angeles at the Catalina Bar & Grill, Ware remains relevant, vital, energetic and inspired. New generations continue to discover his songs as they have either been covered or sampled by such R&B/hip hop stars as Prince, G-Unit, Aaliyah, Tupac, Ice Cube, Brandy, and A Tribe Called Quest.

A multi-faceted and prolific talent, Ware is already working on material for his next album. He's also been taking meetings about collaborating with some of the new breed of producers and songwriters, who have great respect for the Detroit native who has penned classic songs older than they are. Meanwhile, Ware is willing to connect with one listener at a time if necessary as he is committed to making his remaining time about dispensing timeless messages of love that uplift, inspire and enlighten.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rick Scott 310.398.0260
November 1, 2004

e-mail: greatscottpr@pacificnet.net

Ware wrote or co-wrote all the songs on A Kiss In The Sand, which he produced with assistance from Brazilian guitarist Sandro Albert. The album is dedicated to the memory of Ware's daughter, Laura Michelle Ware, who also collaborated with him on the song, "Straight To My Soul." Lyrically he is a spiritually inspired messenger of love, an optimistic poet who dispenses doses of wisdom along with poignant prayers of oneness. He and Albert dressed the tracks luxuriously with intimate acoustic guitar riffs, classy piano flourishes, cinematic string sounds and Bossa Nova percussion.

"In the few more breaths I have on this planet, I am hungry to say some things that will be useful to the world - a world that deserves a lot better than it is giving itself," said Ware. "I've been more of a behind the scenes individual even though I'm in a field that calls for me to be just the opposite. I simply prefer writing and producing. My nature is low profile, but I'm going to appreciate being high profile. It's time…and I'm excited!"

Indeed Ware was excited and high profile when he fronted a funky 11-member band (including a 4-man string section) at a rare live performance last month in Los Angeles. The suave, hip looking man dressed from head-to-toe in black with his trademark blue-tinted sunglasses obviously paved the way for guys like Usher and Maxwell, the latter for whom he wrote the hit "Sumthin' Sumthin," with which Ware opened his set. Hard to believe that the man oozing cool and sex appeal from the stage is nearly a senior citizen. Ware was clearly in his element, relishing the opportunity to step into the spotlight in a venue that was filled with the beautiful and trendy, the young and old, celebrities from music and television, and a multi-hued rainbow of ethnicities and nationalities. As a sign of the respect Ware commands, the torrential rainstorms hitting L.A. that evening did not deter the crowd from coming out on a Tuesday night. James Ingram, who makes a guest appearance on the album, was in attendance and the audience felt like they were eaves dropping on a studio session when he joined Ware on stage to sing an emotional new song the two have been working on together.

Aside from his sartorial smarts, part of Ware's hipness factor and relevance comes from the fact that his music has been discovered by many of today's top R&B and hip hop artists, including Prince, Aaliyah, G-Unit, Tupac, Ice Cube, Brandy, Xzibit, and A Tribe Called Quest, just to name a few of whom have sampled Ware's records or reproduced parts of his songs.

Leon Ware's A Kiss in the Sand contains the following songs:

"Easy Mover"                                  "I Believe In Love"
"Away"                                          "I Wish You Knew"
"Live In Your Love Forever"             "Spirits Lovin'"
"The Light"                                    "Straight To My Soul"
"Warm Inside"                                 "Hearts Alive"
"A Kiss In The Sand"                        "Sweet Tears"
"I'm Yours"                                     "Soothing Sunset"
"Night In Brazil"